Asian-style Potato Salad

Asian-style Potato Salad is great twist to a common, southern favorite. 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of mayo 
• 3 tsp of miso salad dressing
• 2 tsp of soy sauce 
• 2 tsp of sesame seeds
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 diced green onions 
• 1 tbs of finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 12 red potatoes

Cooking Instructions

First, boil a large pot of water and place the red potatoes into the pot. Cook the potatoes until soft a on medium heat. Once cooked, remove the potatoes from the pot and all the potatoes to cook in the refrigerator

Next, in a bowl whisk together the mayo, miso dressing, soy sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Depending on your taste for sweet or salty. You could want to add more miso dressing or soy sauce. All the dressing to chill in the refrigerator. 

Once the potatoes are cool, dice up into chunks, You can remove the skin from the potatoes if you do not want to eat it. Place all the slice potatoes in a bowl and mix in the dressing. Next, add the cilantro, green onion, and sesame seeds and mix everything together.

All the salad to chill in the refridgerator for a hour before eating.

Next time i make this salad, I believe I will add bacon or vegetarian bacon to add some more texture to the salad. Also, I recommend to toast the seseme seeds because I did not do it when making this recipe. Though, for a Sunday afternoon recipe made as an experiment and on the fly, I think it turned out really well.

Enjoy! 

Once the potatoes are cool. 

Seitan Fajitas with Cilantro Rice and Pea Guacamole

Mostly, the beginning of this year I have primarily eaten a vegan diet. I really enjoy eating vegan food and, the additional challenges with creating new recipes. I am surprised by how much my husband enjoys the food too. He is willing to try much more than I thought. In which, make makes me very happy because I can have him try all my new creations.

For people who do not know, seitan is wheat protein. You can buy it in the produce section or vegetarian/vegan section as most grocery stores. It is a bit odd looking and, I can totally understand if someone thinks it does not look appetizing. Though, it is great source of protein. Also, it really takes on the flavor of whatever you are making.

Other day, I was wanting to make something spicy with a bit of a Hispanic flavor. I thought this recipe turned out great. Plus, the sides turned out awesome. The pea guacamole was so much better than I thought it would be. I based it on a recipe I read about in a vegetarian cookbook. This is very low in calories and great way to eliminate the fat typically in guacamole from avocados.

Ingredients for Seitan Fajitas:

• 1 package of seitan 
• half of a medium onion
• 1 bell pepper- any color
• 5 tsps  of taco seasoning
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder 
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/2 lime 
• 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure                                                                                          


First, slice up the onions, seitan, and bell pepper. Then, chop up the cilantro and garlic.

Next, marinade the seitian in half a lime, olive oil, and 2 tsps of taco seasoning. Add salt and to taste. Allow to marinade for 10 minutes.

Heat up a large stir-fry pan with olive oil on a medium high heat. Toss in the cilantro and garlic. Allow these ingredients to sizzle in the oil for a few minutes.  Add the chopped onion and bell pepper. Cook these ingredients for about 7 to 10 minutes to allow for the onions and peppers to caramelize. Reduce the heat to a medium. Add the seitan to saute along with 3 tsps of taco seasoning, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Also, add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for another 5 minutes. Be sure to occasionally stir to keep the ingredients from sticking.


Pea Guacamole

Easy and quick recipe. All you need is the following:

• Two cups of frozen peas
• 1/8 of cup of fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsps of chopped onions- white or yellow
• salt 
• pepper
• lime 

Procedure

First, cook peas according to the directions on the product bag. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes.

Next, add peas to a bowl and begin to smash to make a paste-like consistency. Add cilantro and onion to the pea smash. Then, add salt and pepper to taste.

Place the pea guacamole in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. Best to make this prior to the fajitas.
    

ENJOY!!

The fajitas are best served warm with the pea guacamole at room temperate and the cilantro rice warm. :)

Veganism. A New Year's Resolution.

For about most of my life, I was a vegan/vegetarian. I never really cared for the taste of meat when I was kid. because of the gristle, the texture, and how it would get stuck in my teeth. My parents pretty much had to force me to eat meat as a kid. They were very unsuccessful. 


As I got older, I was always concerned about my diet and eating meat was option I felt was unnecessary. I learned how to maintain a diet and get the essential proteins and vitamins without eating animal products. Mostly, the slaughtering process and the treatment of animals in the food industry was my main reasons to make the change. I was first a vegetarian but, vegetarianism still did not fully support my beliefs. Chickens are treated the worse among all animals in the food industry because these animals have no rights and, I did not feel right eating eggs Also, cows are treated badly for their milk. Even though there are products that say "free range", I am still uncertain how well the animals are treated. The FDA only defines "free range" for animals that have access to the outside so it provides me uncertainty. So, I eventually became a vegan. I would have to say veganism is not an easy life to lead. My family is full of meat eaters who do not plan to change for me. Also, most restaurants do not support this lifestyle choice. I will say I did it and, I did not cheat for many years. I do not think the act of not eating meat, poultry, fish and dairy wasn't difficult. After a while, I felt so much better removing these foods from my diet. 


The last few years, I have not maintained this type of diet. I stopped for a bit while living in Denver because it became difficult while working in a office with a group who always wanted potlucks like every week, and I just love new foods. Then, when I moved back home to Texas, I wanted to be vegan again. My mom was very willing to take on the vegan lifestyle. At home, she really did support me and ate the right foods. So, for about 6 months, I was vegan again. Then, after meeting my husband (who I love dearly), I went to the dark side. lol. He pretty much lives to eat meat and loves a good steak. I started eating foods I had not eaten in years. I even have tried meat that I would not even dare to try years ago, such as, rabbit, kangaroo, elk, venison, duck, and goat. He never forced me to change. I just did because I enjoyed just trying new foods and wanted to let loose for a bit regarding my previous diet.  


Now, I am in dilemma because I want to start not eating meat again. I do not want to take in toxins or processed foods. I want to eat a more clean, raw food diet. I pretty much alone in this decision because nobody I know is vegan or a vegetarian. You really need support to make a decision like this. Your family has to change for you because you cannot just eat whatever anymore. Additionally, it cost more financially. You tend to have to go to the store more because you have to cook more. Fast food or restaurants are no longer options except for just eating salads.


I want to start making/eating more vegan food again and, at the beginning of the year try to not eat meat or dairy anymore. Though, I do not want to eat soy products either. I hate the Monsanto company and do not want to ingest anything made by them. I will rely only on grains, rice, beans, fruits, and vegetables for all my nutrition. This is going to be a huge change for me but, I really great change for my diet. I know I will feel better and have more energy. My health I feel is the worse it has ever been in the last couple of years. Only I can change myself for the better. I think it is for the best to make changes that are necessary for my health. I know I will live healthier this way. AND you do not have to eat meat to be healthy. I have read and read about this. I really do not want to get beef over this decision. LOL. I love puns.
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I plan to blog my experience and recipes. I hope to get feedback from people and possible words of wisdom from other vegans/vegetarians to learn new things along my journey.


Thanks for reading!!

Mini Breakfast Sliders

I love making quick egg sandwiches in the morning for breakfast. They are fast to make and healthy. I made mini slider egg sandwiches one morning because I wanted to make something easy and different. These little sandwiches are great to eat on-the-go or even at night when you want a breakfast treat. This recipe serves one person. Though, you can easily increase it to serve multiple people.

Mini breakfast sliders. Yum!

Ingredients

• two spinach leaves
• mayonnaise or miracle whip
• one egg
• two slider rolls
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Toast slider rolls in a oven on 375 degrees till the bread is slightly brown. Do not let the bread toast too long  in the oven because the bread can easily burn. I recommend only toasting the bread for a minute.

Next, cook one egg. I prefer to cook eggs quickly in a microwave for sandwiches to save time. First, spray a cereal-size bowl with cooking spray. Crack open one egg and whisk it in the same bowl. Cook the egg for a minute and a half in  the microwave. Check on the egg and be sure the egg is fully cooked and not runny. If the egg is still runny, cook the egg for another half a minute.

Finally, prepare your sandwiches. First, add as much mayonnaise or miracle whip to the slider rolls. Then, add one spinach leave to each roll. Remove the egg from the bowl and cut into four pieces. Place two pieces onto each slider. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy your meal with a hot cup of coffee or juice.