April 1, 2011

Do I have a surprising food find to share with you!  And guess what, LilSis?  There's one in your hood!

I'm talking about Loving Hut, a casual and inexpensive vegan cafe. They don't use any MSG, dairy, eggs, or any animal products at all.

So if food is super-affordable, fast, full of veggies and protein, and cruelty-free, is it doomed to taste like an old shoe?  An old stinky shoe?

Absolutely NOT, if you eat at Loving Hut!

I just spent a week in Houston on business with a couple of my girls from the office: one pescatarian and one omnivore.  Plus me: 99% vegan for 15 months so far and vegetarian for 17 years.  We stumbled upon Loving Hut (thanks to UrbanSpoon) and decided we were all up for a food adventure; for better or worse!

We ordered a feast of dishes to share, and actually had to put some of our food on another table.  Here's what we ordered and devoured:

Spring Rolls: Good, but fairly ordinary and a bit bland.  Very carroty!  The jicama was unexpected, and the tofu unnecessary.

BBQ Roll: Love love love these!  Wow!  This subtle little combo of vermicelli, peanut, lettuce and BBQ soy protein blew all three of us away.  I don't know what that orange stuff is, and I don't care.  I just want more of it.  Maybe it's carrot?  All I know is it isn't cheese and that's all I need to know.  When I get to Arlington's Loving Hut, they better have these. I mean it.

Fabulous Pho: Our least favorite dish of the night, but pretty! The broth was a little too perfumey for us.  It seemed to be a well-done dish, just not to our taste.  The flavor tasted strongly of cinnamon basil to me, and was a little more enjoyable when the spicy condiments were added, but we still didn't love it.

Sweet and Sour Divine: Delicious!  I wished for more soy protein and pineapple, with less carrots, onions and peppers, but the flavor was great.  I'm not usually a sweet and sour fan, but we all liked this.  I suspect it was pretty high in calories though, so this wouldn't be my go-to dish.  Our pescatarian was crazy about this dish.

Noble Broccoli: Who could tell this wasn't beef and broccoli? Certainly not our omnivore who always orders it in Asian restaurants!  I loved that the broccoli was cooked perfectly: not too crunchy but not overdone.

Mongolian Wonder: I ordered this really spicy, but light on the ginger since I think it can dominate.  I would order this again.  The flavors were perfect over a little pile of brown rice.  The rice was a touch sticky, but it didn't slow us down.

Carrot and Apple Juice: I'm not a fan of raw carrots at all, so it was a big step outside my comfort zone to order carrot juice.  This was an adventure though, so I went for it.  The carrot and apple blend was actually tasty and I finished the whole glass.  I think I would have loved it even more if it had been colder.

Jasmine Iced Tea: We all agreed this drink was a little bitter. Maybe a touch of sugar would have helped, but it might have just been transformed into bitter sweet tea.

Sunny Forest: What a light refreshing summer drink this was! We're still not sure about what the “zesty petals” were, but we loved this blend of orange juice, mint and sparkling water.

Out of all these dishes, the only things we weren't in love with and wouldn't order again are the Pho and Jasmine Tea.  The good news?  We have a Loving Hut in Arlington, which is where both the girls live.  We don't have one in Big D yet, so for now I'll have to make a small road trip to A-Town.  To get another order of those BBQ rolls that I can't stop thinking about, it's worth it!

There are bunches of Loving Hut locations in the United States. Look for them in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

There are also locations internationally.  Each location has their own menu, so check out the web site for your local Loving Hut menu, if you're lucky enough to have one nearby.

LilSis, you have a few Loving Hut locations to choose from in Southern California.  Take your meat-eatin' boys there and see if they like it!

I know that this kind of food isn't without some downside: it usually has high sodium content and can be high in fat due to the oil used.  But for a vegetarian or a vegan, it's a fantabulous thing to have a quick meal option that actually contains a vegetable or two, and not just beans, bread and lettuce. If you're grabbing an occasional fast meal as opposed to making it a daily habit, I think Loving Hut is a great option!

~BigSis

February 6, 2011

If the Bears had made it to the Super Bowl, we would definitely be having a huge party at our house today, but, since that's not the case, we'll be a little more low-key. The guys will still watch the game and I'll probably pay some attention just because the game is in my home town and old stompin' grounds, Arlington, Texas!

(It'll be interesting because no one expected snow in Texas, in February, but Jerry got his Super Bowl!) 🙂

I ran across this recipe while browsing Food Network's site for some Super Bowl snack ideas and I thought it sounded quick, easy, a little different; and I had some eggs I needed to boil, so I decided to give it a try. I tested this out on my guys and a few friends and it got a thumbs up from everyone! It's a little bit of a cross between a deviled egg and egg salad.

Deviled Dip
(adapted from Food Network)

8 hard boiled eggs
1/3 c. Vegenaise
1 T. mustard
3 T. dill relish
3 T. real bacon bits
1/2 t. Frank's Red Hot (plus a few extra dashes)
1/4 t. Paprika
fresh ground pepper (to taste)
dash of salt
chopped chives
sliced baguette bread

Peel the eggs, chop them, place into a bowl. Add the Vegenaise, (or mayo/miracle whip), and puree til smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir until blended well. Serve on sliced baguette bread and garnish with chives or bacon bits.

For the guys, this is obviously just a snack, but for us girls, this definitely could be a very satisfying lunch!

(Note: Since I can't have dairy and I really wanted to try this, I substituted Vegenaise for the mayo and no one even noticed.) Shhhhh… 🙂

~LilSis

February 5, 2011

You don't want to spend all day Sunday preparing for your Super Bowl party, do ya?  Me neither!

I already talked about vegan Bob Armstrong dip, which is now my go-to football snack.  What else could could I serve along with Bob, without spending a bunch of time or money?

I was noodling around some ideas, and I found this recipe for a Ranch Cheese Ball.  I thought it would be really cool to start with one basic cheesy spread recipe, and then use it in a bunch of different quick ways on Super Bowl Sunday!  Let's do it!

The basic cheese spread can be customized with your favorite flavors.  I started with a tub of Tofutti Cream Cheese, a handful (around 1/2 cup) of Daiya Cheddar and a touch of Veganaise to thin it out a bit.  Then I added garlic powder, onion powder, dried onion, dill weed, pepper and Beau Monde seasoning.  You add what you like: hot sauce, olives, cumin, lemon pepper, whatever.  Allow the spread to chill in the fridge for a couple of hours to marry all the flavors.

Now, here's where it gets fun.  Take that spread and go crazy!

• Serve the spread at room temperature with crackers

• Heat the spread up (nuking is fine) and serve with crackers or toasted bread rounds

• Create a healthier spinach dip.  Thaw frozen chopped spinach or use leftover sauteed spinach if you have it.  Squeeze it as dry as you can.  Mix it with an equal amount of cheese spread and a few good dashes of hot sauce.  Bake at 350 degrees until hot throughout.  Serve with toasted pita or tortilla triangles.  I like to cut up whole wheat tortillas and bake them until they're crispy.  A little spritz of cooking spray on both sides help crisp them up with almost no added fat.  I don't think you even need to salt them, but it's fun to sprinkle on salt-free spices before they bake.

• Make vegan shrimp toast.  Have you tried this Vegan Shrimp product from Vegetarian Plus?  I hadn't before, but they were a fun little experiment!  There are about 22 shrimp in a package, and the entire box is 280 calories and 8 grams of fat, but no protein.  To me, the texture is very shrimpy!  They don't have a fishy flavor as I expected, but instead they pretty much take on the flavors you add to it, kind of like mushrooms do, so season these guys up.

For your toast, saute the thawed shrimp in a pan with a touch of olive oil over medium heat for about 4 or 5 minutes, just until heated through.  I added lemon pepper and garlic salt while they were warming.  Kind of cute, aren't they?

You could use crackers, but I like toasted whole grain bread as a base for the shrimp toasts.  Just brush the bread rounds with a bit of olive oil and bake until golden.

Add a smear of your cheese spread to the toast, and top with a warm shrimp and a sprinkle of paprika.  Ta da!

• Toast up cheesy shrimp quesadillas.  Do you still have shrimp and cheese spread left?  Use it all up with this dish.  Roughly chop your shrimp and add to the cheese spread, along with some Daiya Cheddar and/or Mozzarella.  Don't worry about quantities; just add these ingredients to your taste.

I'm a spicy Texas girl, so I have to add peppers too.  I have a stash of roasted Hatch chilis in my freezer, so I thawed out one of those little babies, chopped him up very finely since he's a hot little bugger, and mixed him into the shrimp/cheese concoction.  You could use mild canned green chilis if you wish, and you could also add onions.

Spread a generous layer of the mixture onto one side of a tortilla (I like whole wheat), and fold over.  Cook in a little olive oil or vegan butter on medium low heat until toasty on both sides.  Make sure your heat is low enough to heat the filling throughout without burning the tortillas.

Cut into halves or quarters and serve with your choice of guacamole, sour cream, or salsa.

There you have it…one easy cheesy spread that very quickly becomes a variety of savory snacks.  If you're going to have a crowd or you're going to do several of these options, be sure to double, triple or quadruple the basic recipe.  Above all, have fun!

~BigSis

February 3, 2011

I wish I could take the credit for inventing this dip, because it's greatness. You have to understand; I love chips and dips more than almost anything so when I tell you a dip is greatness, I mean it's G-R-E-A-T-N-E-S-S!

I hear that Bob Armstrong dip originated with a Mexican food chain called Mattito's.  It's one of those off-the-menu items that everyone knows about and orders, so you know it has to be good.  Mattito's version starts with their cheese queso with a blob of ground beef plopped on top, along with a scoop of guacamole and a dollop of sour cream.  Then it's stirred all around and gobbled up with tortilla chips.

It sounds weird, but trust me, it's scrumptious.  At least the vegan version I make is, since I've never tasted the meaty original.

Let me give credit where credit is due…I found the recipe for vegan Bob Armstrong dip on the Dallas Vegan blog.  You start with a batch of vegan queso, which can be the tricky part.  There are a couple of good ones available online and at stores like Whole Foods, but I'm a me-do-it kind of a girl, so I follow the suggestions from DallasVegan.com and make my own.  It actually comes out fabulous; beyond what I ever expected.  But it gets even better…

Vegan Queso with Seitan Crumbles

Next, add a whole package of sauteed Upton's Naturals Ground Beef Style Seitan into it.  You can stop there, and be perfectly happy with an excellent vegan version of that Velveeta dip that is required at any Super Bowl party.  But don't stop!  Add a scoop of Tofutti Sour Cream and your favorite guacamole, either homemade or store-bought.  Stay with me!

Vegan Queso with Sour Cream and Guacamole

Something magical happens when you stir in the sour cream and guacamole.  You get an unbelievable creamy texture that makes the whole thing sing!  It's creamy and spicy and cool and hot and tangy and cheesy; all in perfect dippy balance!

The first time I made this concoction, I literally inhaled the whole bowl by myself, and I have to admit I was making the “nom nom” sounds that my cats make when they're really relishing their food.

Vegan Bob Armstrong Queso Dip

Bob isn't photogenic, but he's delicious!  I do have to confess that I could have taken a little more care in setting up these photos, but I was in too big of a hurry to eat Bob!

I conducted a highly-scientific experiment and took a batch of this to my carnivorous office, and guess what?  Voila, Bob vanished!  Try your own experiment at this year's Super Bowl Party, and take vegan Bob Armstrong dip along.  There's no reason to tell people that Bob's vegan now…until after he's in their happy little full bellies!  🙂

~BigSis

February 1, 2011

Whenever there's a big football game on, the two most requested dips from my guys are the classic Velveeta & Rotel dip or our version of the seven layer dip.

Last week during the Bears game, they ‘drown their sorrows' over the Bears loss by chowing down on a big bowl of Velveeta dip with some Scoops Tostitos and Fritos.

Just in case there's anyone out there who's never made the Velveeta & Rotel dip, it's super simple.

Velveeta & Rotel Dip

1 32 oz. box Velveeta, cut into small cubes
1 10 oz. can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilis
1 lb. lean ground beef

You can do this on your stove top, but it's easier to keep warm by doing it in a Crockpot. Start by turning the Crockpot on low, add the cubed Velveeta and the can of Rotel tomatoes. In the meantime, brown the beef and once it's done, drain the beef and add to the Crockpot. Stir well to mix in the beef and stir occasionally until the cheese is completely melted and the dip is hot.

Serve immediately or keep warm in a Crockpot on low heat.

For the Super Bowl, I thought it might be fun to combine the two dips and make a super duper tostada using the Velveeta Dip as one of the layers, instead of the grated cheese. And, instead of piling each ingredient on top of each other as you do in the seven layer dip, I decided to add a tostada in between each.

Super Bowl Super Tostada

One bag tostadas
One 16 oz.can refried beans or Frito's Bean Dip (your preference)
Homemade guacamole (mine is just avocado, lemon, garlic powder & lemon pepper)
Velveeta Rotel Dip
Sour Cream
Tomatoes, chopped
Sliced Black Olives

Prepare your guacamole and the Velveeta Rotel Dip. Put the  tostadas in a 300 degree oven just to warm for a few minutes. Warm the refried beans, if desired, and just put together by layering the ingredients; starting with a tostada, beans, tostada, guacamole, tostada, Velveeta dip, and top the last tostada with the sour cream, tomatoes, and black olives.

This recipe should make 3-4 tostadas depending on how much of each ingredient you put on each tostada. You'll definitely have some Velveeta dip leftover to serve along side some chips if you make the full recipe of the dip for these tostadas.

I've got “big eaters” in my house so you can see that I piled mine on pretty thick. Do you think they'll need a fork? 🙂

~LilSis

January 30, 2011

I can't believe that I've been vegetarian for almost 16-1/2 years to the day, and I've never even tasted Scrambled Tofu.  It always sounds and looks unappetizing to me: it's usually neon yellow from the turmeric, and it frequently involves green bell peppers.  Bleh.

I do love tofu though, and I'm making an effort to get more variety into my diet so it's time.  It's time to be brave and do this thing.  I think breakfast foods are awesome for supper, so this week's Sunday Supper is Scrambled Tofu!

I have several of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's cookbooks…Appetite for Reduction, Veganomicon, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, Vegan with a Vengeance, and Vegan Brunch.  Isa hasn't let me down yet, so she had to be the source of my foray into all things tofu and scrambly.

I pulled out Vegan Brunch and followed her recipe for Scrambled Tofu.  It's essentially tofu with, garlic, cumin, thyme, turmeric and nutritional yeast.  The only add-in I used was a big blob of mushrooms that I'd already sauteed with lots of garlic.

I have to say I was VERY pleasantly surprised to discover that I love Scrambled Tofu!  I do!  It was savory and a bit spicy, and not mushy and bland as I had imagined it to be.  The only change I would make next time is to back off the salt a tad.  I love salt, but I think half the amount in the seasoning mix would be plenty.

I used Wildwood Sproutofu extra firm (sprouted tofu) that had been frozen, thawed and squeezed, which I think really contributed to the great texture.  I did add about half a cup of water at the end after the nutritional yeast went in, since it seemed a touch dry at that point.

Overall…delicious!  I will absolutely be making Scrambled Tofu again and again; for breakfast, brunch and supper!  I'm imagining it now with olives, spinach, Daiya cheese, asparagus, Upton's Naturals Seitan…

~BigSis

January 20, 2011

Out of all the green veggies that I LOVE, green peas are my least favorite. But my guys love them, especially with their mashed taters, so I still serve them and will occasionally eat them.

Since discovering a few months ago that I'm lactose intolerant, I can't have my light string cheese for my afternoon snack anymore, which used to be my favorite. I'm constantly trying to find a few healthy snack choices to keep me away from my son's Cheetos!

These dried green peas are definitely my new favorite snack! Just as I have to do with walnuts, almonds, or Brazil nuts, I grab a little handful and close the bag or else I could munch on them all afternoon while working at the computer.

I buy these at Henry's in bulk and wasn't exactly sure about the nutritional facts so I looked it up and found it here on Live Strong. For 1/4 c. of these little peas, you get 3 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, and only 1/2 gram of fat for less than 100 calories.

This handful happens to be only half of that, so grab yourself a handful of dried peas; you may discover, like I did, that you like these even if you aren't crazy about regular green peas! Not only are they good for you, but they're yummy, too! 🙂

~LilSis

January 13, 2011

I really don't like to count every, single calorie in every, single meal and I could never do Weight Watchers because I would never keep up with counting points. I know myself well enough to know that would last about a week.

I have a few favorite breakfasts and lunches that I stick to that I know are under or around 300 calories so that leaves me around 600 calories for dinner, if I'm trying to stay around 1200 calories. But I don't ever really total my calories for the day, I just try to stay away from carbs at night and will usually have some kind of grilled meat and veggies for dinner.

Last year I lost a pound a week for ten weeks, just by really watching my snacking, making healthier choices, and keeping a food log. I loved my little fitbook: fitness + nutrition journal so much that I didn't find it difficult at all to log my daily workouts and food intake.

I find it easier to stick to a plan if I only give myself a few choices; that way I don't have to think about it so much. For breakfast every day, I have an unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon, a small glass of unsweetened almond milk and a small bowl of oatmeal or a low fat Nutri-Grain waffle. It's quick, easy, and requires very little thought or preparation.

The same goes for lunch. I stick to just a few easy choices. This is what I had for lunch every day this week; and you know what? It's pretty satisfying. It's quick. It's easy. It's healthy. And, it's a no-brainer.

I use a can of Trader Joe's low sodium tuna fish, packed in water, then add a few squirts of fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. of Vegenaise and a couple of dashes of lemon pepper.

I like using the low carb Sonoma tortillas as a wrap because they have 7 grams of fiber. Just add some romaine lettuce, top with the tuna fish and presto…it's a perfect, satisfying, healthy, lunch, for less than 300 calories.

If you're not crazy about tuna, you can also use canned white chicken or salmon. If I don't have this wrap for lunch, my other favorite is a low-sodium turkey breast sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and sliced avocado on a toasted ‘everything' bagel thin. A light, healthy lunch doesn't have to be complicated! 🙂

~LilSis

November 28, 2010

We get pretty passionate about Thanksgiving leftovers!  Remember the episode from Friends where Ross took his beloved Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich with Moist Maker to work, and someone ate part of it and threw the rest away?  Ross was so enraged that he got sent to anger management classes.  That's how much we care about these leftovers!

I bet most households in America probably still have some of these Thanksgiving leftovers in the fridge. Instead of the traditional turkey and noodle soup, how about a few creative ideas to help you use up all those yummy leftovers?  Here you go…

Thanksgiving Monte Cristo Sandwich

Thanksgiving Monte Cristo Sandwich from Family Fresh Cooking

Leftover Pot Pies

Leftover Pot Pies from Savvy Eats

Turkey, Wild Rice & Cannellini Bean Soup

Turkey, Wild Rice, & Cannellini Bean Soup from Kahakai Kitchen

Turkey, Cranberry and Brie Panini

Turkey, Cranberry and Brie Panini by Baking Bites

Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup

Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup from The Recipe Girl

Whatever you choose to make, just be sure that none of your prized leftovers go to waste!

~LilSis

November 3, 2010

Chili isn't very photogenic, but at least you can see the yummy tomatoes, corn and different color beans.

A couple of weeks ago I made a Cowboy Beans recipe from “Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday” Cookbook for a big potluck birthday party. It was my first time making the recipe and even though it was pretty simple, the beans were a big hit! I'll have to make them again soon and share the recipe.

A couple of ingredients in the bean recipe gave me an idea to try something different with my chili recipe for our annual chili cook-off, which was held this past weekend. The past two years my recipe has come in 3rd place but this year I wanted to kick it up a notch to see if I could beat out my rival 2nd place winner. And I'm happy to announce that out of 15 entries and 51 ballots, this chili recipe did bring home the 2nd place prize. 🙂

Smoky, Fire-Roasted Chili with Bacon

12 oz. pkg apple-smoked thick cut bacon, chopped into pieces
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
(2) 14.5 oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 lbs. lean ground beef
14.5 oz can regular diced tomatoes
2 roasted and chopped Serrano peppers (with seeds)
1 roasted jalapeno pepper, chopped (with seeds)
16 oz. bottle dark beer
14.5 oz can tomato sauce
14.5 oz can dark kidney beans
14.5 oz can white kidney beans (or cannellini beans)
1 c. sweet corn (frozen or canned)
6 t. Penzeys Chili Con Carne Seasoning
2 t. Penzeys Smoky 4S Special Seasoned Sea Salt
2 t. Penzeys salt-free Arizona Seasoning
1 t. cayenne
1 t. cumin

In a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, cook bacon, stirring until it begins to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Drain off fat, add the chopped shallots, reduce heat to medium and cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, reduce heat to medium low and stir for another 2-3 minutes. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes with their juices and simmer another 10 minutes or so to blend the flavors.

(Note: Even though I use a lean beef, I brown the beef in a separate pot so I can drain the fat, instead of just adding the beef right into bacon and tomato mixture.)

In a separate large heavy-bottomed soup pan over a medium high heat, begin to brown the beef. Once the beef is almost browned, add the chopped onion and continue to cook until onions soften and beef is completely browned. Drain the fat. Add diced tomatoes and cook for 5-10 minutes over medium-high heat then add tomato sauce, beer and Serrano peppers. Simmer for about an hour and then add the bacon and fire-roasted tomato mixture, beans, corn and spices. Adjust seasonings to taste.

I made mine the day before and chilled in the crockpot overnight. When I reheated it, it was a little thick for my taste so instead of water, I added another bottle of beer. Voila!

(The extra bottle of beer is not listed in the recipe because you could use water to thin the chili, if desired.)

This chili definitely has a bit more heat to it than my normal Chili Con Carne recipe, but it wasn't overwhelming. You could use less peppers or none at all if you like a milder taste. Serve with warm cornbread for a complete meal or put out a selection of toppings such as grated cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, and Fritos.

(Note: Even though most of my spices are Penzeys brand, it's not absolutely necessary. The 4S spice contains Smoky Paprika and Seasoned Salt so those could easily be substituted for the 4S; and the Chili con Carne spice is a mixture of chili powder, cumin, garlic, and oregano.)

Half the fun of making your own chili is adjusting the spices to your own taste, right?

We had a great time with great friends at our annual chili cook-off!

Just for the fun of it, I'd thought I'd share a photo of me having a toast with my teeny, tiny, trophy! 🙂

~LilSis