I Had a Flame, But She Had a Fire

Cool points to those of you who get my title reference without using Senor Google!  Anyway.  Hello all!  I'm really trying to get back into the blogging spirit with summer just around the corner.  Remember when I told you that we left our bbq grill in Texas?  Well, we finally got one after a year and a half in the desert.  We've been grilling up a storm lately so there are plenty pics to come.

Quick Red Posole w/ Beans (pg. 136) garnished with Pickled Red Onions (pg. 43)

But first...I'm sure you've heard of a little cookbook by the name of Viva Vegan!  Trust me when I say that you need this in your life!  SO good.  I was fortunate enough to test for Terry, and the entire process really changed the way I viewed Latin cuisine.  I'm from South Texas, so I really thought I knew a lot about cooking some food...but this book really has a bunch of different cultures in it.  I felt like I was taking a trip to North, Central, or South America just reading a description of the food.

Yellow Rice w/ Garlic (pg. 96)

My favorite thing about testing was how inexpensive the ingredients were.  If you live in a Mexican-American neighborhood or have access to a Mexican grocer, a lot of this stuff will cost you less than a couple of bucks.  The most I paid for any single ingredient was probably 5 bucks...and the aji paste is still in my fridge.

Pupusas Stuffed w/ Black Beans and Plantains (pg. 162), Simple Latin Tomato Sauce (pg. 46), Swiss Chard w/ Raisins and Capers (pg. 123)

For people with special dietary needs, there are a lot of gluten free and soy free options.  I would also say that a huge majority of the food is based on whole foods.  I think almost every recipe that calls for prepackaged vegan cheese lists it as optional.  Plus, there is a huge condiment section that can really spice up your taco night!

Cashew Crema (pg. 51)

The dessert section is pretty epic for me.  As a San Antonian, I have dreamt about things like vegan churros and tres leches for years.  I can tell you that both of those recipes are worth the price of the book alone.  I'm pretty sure the day I first made the churros, that was all I consumed all day!  Haha.  There's also a drink section with some really badass alcoholic and non-alcoholic recipes.  Plus a shopping list and a bunch of menus! 

Coconut Tres Leches Cake (pg. 230)

I think the best possible thing I could say about Viva Vegan is that it completely makes me never want to go to a restaurant again.  Why go pay 10 bucks for a plate of food when I can make an entire meal for four?  Plus...super moist and delectable vegan tres leches!

I tested about 40 recipes, so I'll leave you with my personal favorites:

Annatto-Infused Oil (pg. 31) will change your life...and probably stain your chucks.

Chorizo Seitan Sausages (pg. 36) are amazing if you use half ancho and have chipotle for the chili powder.

So Good, So Green Dipping Sauce (pg. 43)

Cubano Vegano Sandwich (pg. 66)

Home-Style Refried Beans (pg. 86)

Yellow Rice w/ Garlic (pg. 96)

Latin Shredded Seitan (pg. 106)

Yuca w/ Cuban Garlic-Lime-Mojo Sauce (pg. 127)

Arroz Con Seitan (pg. 145)

Arepas (pg. 177)

Churros (pg. 223)

Coconut Tres Leches Cake (pg. 230)

Well, I have some marinating to do.  I'll be talking about Mexican hot dogs in my next entry because I was just introduced to them.  Weight loss is still going.  I didn't gain or lose any last month (because I just stopped working out), but this month I've lost a couple of pounds so far.  I'm hoping to push through by the end of the month and meet my next goal soon.  Happy Sunday all!

Howdy Y'all and Haluski, Yo!

Hello everybody.  I know: I suck.  I've been super busy since last month.  Had a ton going on with class, car troubles, and I spent spring break back home in Texas.  It was such a joy to go back to San Antonio after a year and a half.  I didn't realize how much I missed it.  Most of all, I missed HEB!  That is the best grocery store in the world.  Word.

So I'll fill you in super quick on where I am.  Last month, I picked up where I slacked off in February.  For the rest of April I hope to do the same.  Ha ha.

March Weight Loss: 8.4 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 21.4 lbs

I did my little happy dance when I found out I had crossed over the 20 lb mark.  I'm thinking about getting into more intense workouts because I'm getting a bit bored with the ones I've been doing...which is a good thing.

As far as food goes, I ate mostly raw for March and have recently started eating a lot of Indian, Ethiopian, Mexican, and Polish.  Yes...Polish.

While watching Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives one day I saw a woman making haluski.  It's a cabbage and noodle dish straight out of Poland and Slovakia.  It seemed super easy to recreate, so I looked at a recipe and just winged it.  I like the addition of dark, leafy greens for color and extra vitaminy goodness.

Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles)
1 serving of pasta (penne, spirals, macaroni, etc.) cooked according to package
1/4 of a head of green cabbage, lightly boiled and rinsed under cold water, sliced
1 Tbsp vegan margarine
1/2 a small onion, sliced in half moons
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dark greens (my personal fave is kale), roughly chopped
1/2 cup vegan bacon, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Melt margarine in a skillet on medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until slightly browned. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the sliced cabbage and chopped greens. Cook until wilted and tender to your liking. Add the veggie bacn and pasta. Cook until heated through. Taste for salt. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 servings.

My favorite green to use is kale because it's so bright and bold.  I've also used red chard and it added a pinkish hue to the dish (see above picture).  I seriously loves me some haluski!

If you'll excuse me, I have at least a month's worth of blogs to read, Roswell to watch, and samosas to make.  Mmmm.

March Madness

Sorry I've been absent lately.  I've been getting refocused.  February didn't turn out the greatest when it came to my goals, and I had to sit down and assess what I did wrong.  I narrowed it down to these:

1. I didn't stick to my no alcohol rule.  San Antonio friend in town = drinkage.  I didn't overindulge, but when I let one thing slide, others tend to follow.
2. I had a bit of fried food the week my friend was here.  With the exception of some fries, I limited it to two pieces each time.  So one day I had two onion rings.  Another time two zucchini sticks...
3. I was also depending on gluten too much.  Apparently, sweet potato gnocchi with basil-parsley-hazelnut pesto is my weakness!
4. Most of all, I stopped doing pilates and kickboxing regularly.

February Weight Loss: 4.4 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 13 lbs

But the totally awesome thing is I lost 1/2 inch in my waist and hips...and 3 effing inches in my chest!  My back pain has eased a lot so that's great.

So this month I stepped my game up.  High raw.  Tons of walking.  Pilates and yoga with the occasional kickboxing.  I've also been putting my daily food/water intake and exercise on a site called Nutrimirror.  It calculates everything for you.  I've been eating the right amount of stuff, tons of healthy fats from nuts and such...so I feel good about it.

Mon 3-1-10
medium jonagold apple and 1 tbsp smooth almond butter
black grapes, 2 tbsp almond butter and agave
blueberry smoothie (from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)
big green salad (romaine, spring mix, broccoli, cucumber, walnuts) w/ Basic Favorite Dressing from 500 Vegan Recipes (used Italian seasoning and added salt, pepper, and fresh garlic)
60 oz water
EXERCISE: 40 min walking, 1 hr Wii Fit (yoga and strength), and 30 min pilates.

Tues 3-2-10
green smoothie (spinach, kale, banana, dates, blueberries)
raw pb cookie bar (peanuts, dates, vanilla, salt)
medium jonagold apple and 2 tbsp almond butter
salad (cucumber, shallots, tomato, nooch, white balsamic)
8 oz almond milk w/ 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
50oz water
EXERCISE: 20 min walking

Wed 3-3-10
raw pb cookie bar and medium anjou pear
smoothie (blueberries, molasses, tahini, strawberries, kale)
coconut water
raw nori wrapped power wraps (curry flavor)
ginger snap larabar
big green salad w/ Basic Favorite Dressing from 500 Vegan Recipes (dijon insted of oil and same addins as above)
80 oz water
EXERCISE: 20 min walking

Well, I'm off to class.  I will be updating again today with a smoothie recipe and some other stuff.  Happy Friday!