A Conversation: About Chicken

Tim: What are we having for dinner sweetie?

Me: Chicken tacos.
Tim: Oh. I've never had a chicken taco before.
Me: You had one last night. That's what you always get at Chipotle....
Tim: You make a strong case.

I've had several people ask me why I started eating chicken again, and it is a fair question that deserves an explanation. I had been vegan for ten years! So here it is, in summary.

I became vegan for health reasons – I wanted to be healthier. There are many many benefits to being vegan, and I still believe it to be a very nutritious lifestyle. But, I've never believed it to be the only healthy way of eating, and I truly believe that it's more about the quality of the foods you do eat. Such as, eating fresh, organic, locally grown, non-gmo, etc. I think that we sometimes make it too hard and want people to fit into our idea of what exactly they should be eating (gluten-free, raw, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, etc.), instead of focusing on good, solid nutrition. Let's eat vegetables, people! And say NO to McDonald's!

So, when Tim and I discuss what we want our future family to look like, the topic of food comes up often. We want our whole family to be united and to eat the same healthy meals. It just made sense for me to start eating chicken occasionally. Chicken wasn't something he was willing to give up, and I couldn't really see a reason to not start incorporating it into our family diet. Honestly, I've been enjoying it. 

And Rosie ate an egg tonight. Let's add that to the list of three things she is willing to eat and rejoice. 

HEALTHY COCONUT BALLS.

These coconut balls are incredibly delicious and surprisingly healthy. They are gluten-free, dairy free, sugar free, egg free, and completely raw! Yum!
Everyone who tries them ends up asking for the recipe. So here's the recipe, even though you didn't ask. You'll thank me later…

HEALTHY COCONUT BALLS

2 cups raw cashews

1 cup gluten-free oats

10 pitted medjool dates

1 1/2 TB coconut oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup maple syrup

Combine all the ingredients except the maple syrup in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped and mixed together. Turn the processor on low and pour in the maple syrup. The consistency should be a little sticky. If it appears too dry, add more maple syrup as needed. Once the maple syrup is added, let the processor run on a medium speed for about a minute, until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Scoop out and roll into balls. 

Variation: Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup cocoa powder for a delicious chocolate version!

Raw Tacos.

So, the other night we tried a new recipe for "Raw Tacos". Walnuts and spices and oil combined to create "meat". Cashews and apple cider vinegar and lemon to make "sour cream".

I normally get really grossed out by vegans who try to replicate "normal" foods like meat and dairy products using plant based ingredients. Walnuts should not masquerade as taco meat. It seems so silly.

And yet.

This was really, really good. Timmy says it was better than "real" tacos. Mixed with fresh salsa, lettuce, baby spinach, and guacamole – oh, my taste buds were dancing! And, aside from tasting good, you have the additional benefit of this actually being good for you. Raw nuts, green lettuce, raw veggies – a plate full of happy, healthy, raw goodness.

I know this recipe sounds really, really weird. But if you gave it a try, you just might find that you like it…

Find the recipe here:
http://mynewroots.blogspot.com/2011/07/raw-taco-fiesta.html

Mini Vegan Donuts.

One day Mrs. O’Brien mused wistfully to Mr. O’Brien that she truly craved a delicious donut. But alas, all available donuts contained milk, something Becki could not consume. There was, in one of her cookbooks, a recipe for vegan donuts, but it required a special donut pan and she had no earthly idea of where to find such a thing. 

Mr. O’Brien declared with great gusto, “We shall find a donut pan and you shall feast on vegan donuts tonight!” So the search began. They set off and tried all the locations they could possibly think of, tirelessly searching for several hours, but had absolutely no luck. 

Becki was ready to give up completely and turned her thoughts to finding a picture frame for the baby’s nursery at a retail establishment called Saver’s. As she was examining the second hand treasures in the frame aisle, Timmy tripped off to the kitchen section in one last valiant effort to find a donut pan. Mr. O’Brien does not accept defeat without a fight. Moments later he came bounding around the corner with great glee, clutching the most adorable MINI donut pan they had ever encountered. And for only $3, the price was perfect. Fate was truly smiling down on them. 

The happy couple couldn’t believe their good fortune and went straight home to bake Becki’s desired vegan donuts. The end result was a batch of deliciously delightful itty bitty donuts, dipped in vegan chocolate and dotted with bright sprinkles. 

It has been rumored that they ate the entire batch of mini donuts
in one night.

My (Pregnant) Plate: Dessert

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve given up refined sugar. I do eat natural sugar from sources like honey, maple syrup, and agave nectar. (I definitely do not eat artificial sweeteners. Things like Splenda, Equal, and Sweet n’ Low are really just poison in disguise.) It is actually quite easy to make yummy sugar free treats since with most recipes you can substitute sugar for either honey or maple syrup. It is MUCH harder to find pre-made treats without any sugar. That is why I literally bounced for joy when I saw this:

Coconut milk ice cream! Not only is it diary free and soy free, but it is sweetened with agave nectar. No sugar! This is so rare and almost impossible to find. And the best part is that it tastes amazing - ask Timmy. He tried a spoonful at our parents' house and then immediately went out and bought four quarts of it. It comes in three flavors - vanilla bean, chocolate, and mint. My favorite is the vanilla. 

I have also found chocolate chips that are made with rice milk and sweetened with evaporated cane juice. Yummy. Our dessert of choice these days: Strawberry Chocolate Sundaes. (Even if you're not vegan, things like coconut ice cream are a healthier alternative to regular ice cream that is high in fat and sugar.) 

Vegan Strawberry Chocolate Sundae
3 scoops So Sweet vanilla ice cream
lots of fresh, organic strawberries
melted chocolate *name* chips

Combine ingredients in a pretty bowl. Enjoy!

My Pregnant Plate – Dinner

There is a little darling who, essentially, eats everything I eat, and her tiny taste buds are being formed based on my meal choices. I figure that it will never be easier to make sure Baby Love eats her fruits and veggies, so I’m taking advantage of my current complete control. I may be becoming a little fanatical, but everything I eat now first has to pass the “would I want my kiddo to eat this someday?” test. If not, I don’t. 

This is one of my favorite, favorite dinners. It's so easy and so yummy!
Veggie Sandwich (makes 2)
I like to eat my veggie sandwiches open faced, Tim likes to eat his close faced, slathered with butter, and with no black olives. I like to use grape tomatoes, he likes to use big slices of large tomatoes. The greatest part about this meal is it is so adaptable to the person’s tastes. The avocado is the best part, but if you don’t have avocado you can use hummus instead. Yum!

4 pieces multi-grain sunflower seed sourdough bread
(or another yummy bread of your choice)
2 avocados, mashed
organic tomatoes, sliced
mini cucumbers, sliced
red onion, sliced
black olives, sliced
red peppers, sliced

Mash the avocado and add the juice of one lime and salt to taste. Lightly toast the sourdough bread and spread on the mashed avocado. Top with your choice of veggies. (My favorites are the ones listed above.) Enjoy!

hummus - for laura

Hummus is my all time favorite food. Ever. It is addicting in all the best ways.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz can of chickpea/garbanzo beans

1 medium lemon, juiced

1 1/2 tablespoons tahini

1 medium clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Drain chickpeas. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add juice from lemon. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth. (The hummus should be creamy and moist. This can vary, depending on the size of your lemon. If the hummus seems a little dry or dense, just add a bit of water and blend some more.)

Eat with celery, carrots, broccoli, or pepper slices (my favorite is with peppers!). Hummus is also quite tasty on salads (as an alternative to dressing), spread on sandwiches or pitas, and with tortilla chips and salsa. 

For the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus variation, just add 1/2 cup roasted red peppers.

Note: If you are used to store bought hummus, you will notice that this hummus is a lot less oozy. This is because I leave out the olive oil. Because I don't like my hummus to be oozy. However, if you prefer oozy hummus, just add 2 TB olive oil. :)