It's a Party!!

Party at Renee and Paul's house! Well, it was a party. Took me awhile to get a post together. It was actually a work function last weekend to say good-by to my former boss and wish him well in his new assignment. So of course I volunteered to host! I love to have company and I especially love to cook for people.

It was a blast with people that I know well and have worked with for many years. Everyone brought a little something so there was quite a variety of goodies! Here are my contributions.

Southwestern Pasta Salad

This a sort of a pantry challenge dish. I pretty much just used what I had on hand to make it. This dish is best when made the night before, chilled overnight, then allowed to come to room temperature before serving.

Ingredients
4 medium cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 red onion, chopped
3 sweet bell peppers - I used 1 red, one green, and 1 yellow - diced
2-3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 bag frozen white corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 recipe Spicy Vinaigrette dressing
1 16 oz bag rotini pasta, cooked al dente

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to mix. Chill.

Hummus


Hummus has just a few ingredients and is quite easy, but there are a couple of secrets to making delicious and creamy restaurant-style hummus. The first is starting with fresh cooked chickpeas. Fresh cooked chickpeas don't even taste like the same legume as canned.

When I cook chickpeas I always cook at least 2 pounds and freeze what I am not going to use immediately. I also save the cooking liquid, which is important for yummy hummus.

The second secret to perfect hummus is the tahini. I'll describe this in the recipe directions.

Ingredients
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 - 1/2 cup water or cooking liquid from chickpeas
2 large cloves garlic
3 cups cooked chickpeas
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt, more to taste

This first step is the most important for smooth, creamy hummus. Place tahini in a food processor. Process for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth and creamy.

Add 1/4 cup of liquid and process another 30 seconds. Add more liquid if it seems too thick. Add garlic and process for another 45 seconds. Add chickpeas, lemon juice, salt, and cumin. Process until the whole mixture is very smooth. If it seems too thick, add more liquid; too thin, add more chickpeas.

Refrigerate for at least an hour and adjust seasoning as necessary. Sprinkle paprika over top as a garnish.

Salsa Fresca
The secret to wonderful salsa is fresh ingredients. Use tomatoes and peppers right out of the garden when possible.

Ingredients
4-6 medium-size ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (remove the seeds for less heat)
1 green pepper, chopped
juice and zest of 2 limes
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt, more to taste

Combine all ingredients and chill for several hours.

There is one more thing...... See those yummy-looking candy-coated pretzels? Well, I promised to add the how-tos for these on my blog. Kathy brought them and she says they are very easy!

Use one bag of Snyder's pretzel logs, a package of vanilla Candy-Quick (I'm certain this is not vegan, but you could use vegan white chocolate chips instead), and candy sprinkles. That's it!

Melt the Candy-Quick (or vegan white chocolate) in a double boiler over low heat. Dip the pretzels in it, then roll them in the sprinkles. Lay the coated pretzels on wax or parchment paper to cool. That's it!

Bye-Bye Bob! Good luck!







So please be thinking about me next Saturday! I'll be swimming, biking, and running in my very first triathlon. I'm feeling scared but excited. Actually scared is an understatement - it's more like terrified, but it just makes me that much more determined!

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Pasta Sauce

It’s been a wonderful summer weekend! Hot, hot, HOT, and humidity off the scale, but the summer produce is rolling in. Preparing, preserving, and eating it is such a delight.....

Yesterday I did my first brick in preparation for the upcoming tri. A brick is when you cycle and then get off your bike, change shoes really fast, then run. It’s really kind of insane when you think about it, especially in this heat, but I did it and it rocked! I think they should call it a “brawl” instead of a “brick”. Bike, run, then crawl the rest of the day....

I spent most of this morning in the kitchen. I had tons of plum tomatoes that I didn’t really feel like canning, a whole basket of different kinds of peppers, and a couple eggplants that needed to be used. So, I put all the peppers in the dehydrator. There’ll be lots more coming and I already had some in the fridge that I’ll use this week. Some of the hot ones I’ll grind into chili powder after they’re dried. Some I’ll keep whole to use when I cook beans or cabbage. The dried sweet peppers will be wonderful this winter in soups and stews.





I made a wonderful thick pasta sauce with the tomatoes, eggplant, and caramelized onions that we’ll be enjoying all week. Here’s how this worked:

2 medium eggplants, sliced about 1/2” thick
20-25 plum tomatoes, quartered
5-6 (or more) large garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeno or other hot pepper pepper, cut in half (optional)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 large onions, sliced
2-3 tbs olive oil
2 cups good red wine
1 cup water
2 veggie bullion cubes

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray and arrange the eggplant, tomatoes, garlic and jalapeno in a single layer. This will probably require two baking sheets. Roast the veggies for 35 minutes.



Meanwhile, heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook slowly until they are soft and sweet and brown.



When the tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, and pepper are done, dump them into a food processor along with the caramelized onions and process until all the big pieces are gone. This won’t be quite smooth, but won’t be chunky either. Now dump all this into the dutch oven. Bring to a simmer and stir in the wine, water, and bullion cubes. Return to the simmer and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring, occasionally. Serve this over your favorite pasta. The roasted garlic and caramelized onions make this soooooo flavorful. And it’s so good for you to boot!





Just so you know I sometimes make a huge mess of things in the kitchen, I totally screwed up a batch of pita bread I tried to make this morning. I forgot that I was using the oven when I set the dough on a back burner to rise. When I got around to punching it down so I could make the loaves, it was already half baked from sitting on top of the hot oven. I went ahead and baked it like I normally would have, and we’ll eat it, but pita bread it ain’t! It didn’t puff at all and is more like a heavy whole wheat loaf bread. Oh well. Guess I’ll go to the bakery later in the week. Ain’t makin’ any more today!

Roasted Veggies and Middle Eastern Hot Green Chili Paste

Still trying to get caught up from vacation. I just returned from my childhood home in Western North Carolina to attend a funeral. Funerals are always sad, but I did get to visit with my cousins and a very good friend, all of whom I see far too infrequently. Combine that travel with training 6 days a week for the triathlon, which, by the way, is in 3 1/2 weeks, and I just can’t find a minute to get anything posted. It has taken me almost 2 weeks to get this written!

I have been cooking, though, never doubt. I’ve already made falafel a couple of times and I have put together my own recipe for that wonderful hot green chili paste we had in Israel.

Curried Roasted Veggies
We have been feasting on roasted veggies ever since we returned. No real recipe to this - just whatever fresh-from-the-garden (or market) things you have on hand. This particular night I had:

eggplant
mushrooms
yellow squash
zucchini
red and green peppers
red onion
sweet potato
canned tomatoes (best with 1-2 fresh tomatoes but I was out)
5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2-3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs za’atar (optional)
2-3 tbs good curry powder
1-2 tsp sea salt
black pepper to taste
pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

I have also used cauliflower, broccoli, new potatoes, butternut squash - throw it all in there! I always shoot for leftovers, ‘cause this just gets better as it sets. Talk about making your co-workers drool over your lunch......But I digress.....

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Chop or slice all your veggies. Place them in a large bowl and toss with remaining ingredients.

Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray and transfer the veggies onto it. Roast for around 25-30 minutes, stirring a couple of times to make sure nothing is sticking.



Serve this with whole wheat couscous or brown rice and some schug or harrisa. Or, split open a loaf of pita bread, slather on some hummus, and stuff the roasted veggies into it. Top with as much schug as your mouth can stand. Heavenly!

Schug (Middle Eastern green chili paste)
Schug, also known as “zhuk”, is more of a method than a recipe. Best I can tell, this dish originates in Yemen. If you Google it, you will find a dozen different recipes for this. Here is how I make mine.



4-6 hot green peppers (I usually use jalapenos), seeded or not, depending on the heat you desire
2-3 tbs olive oil
2 tsp freshly ground cumin seed (toast first if desired)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic
1-2 tbs za’atar (totally optional)

You can add cardamom or cloves, more or less garlic, omit the lemon juice - this really is your own creation!

Dump everything into a food processor and pulse until almost smooth but not chunky. Store in a glass jar in the fridge.

Return to Reality

I'm back! And no, I didn't just randomly disappear. I've been on the vacation of a lifetime! On June 11, Paul and I, along with 140+ of our closest friends, left for Israel. We spent the next 9 days exploring, learning, discovering, and having a life-changing experience in the land where Jesus walked.

I'm not going to chronicle the whole experience on this blog, but I do want to share the highlights of the food. Oh, the food! Now, I knew I loved Middle Eastern food (especially falafel!) and I knew this was going to be a treat in that regard, but man, oh man, did it exceed my expectations! All you vegetarians and vegans out there know how hard it can be to travel and eat well. Not on this trip! This was vegan paradise!

We stayed in four different hotels, and in each one of them, the food was amazing! They provided extravagant buffets with vegetables and salads and breads and desserts. Oh my, you have never seen such breads and deserts! (I sound like the food addict, don't I?!?)

While we traveled pretty much the entire length and breadth of the country, our primary stops were in Tel Aviv, Tiberias (on the Sea of Galilee), the Dead Sea, and then Jerusalem. The touring and sight-seeing were non-stop and we crammed a whole lot of places into those few short days. I could have easily stayed a week at each location.

A couple of food discoveries I made were za'atar, a hyssop (or thyme) spice combination that is awesome, and schug, a green chili sauce that is HOT! I brought some of the za'atar home with me and have already used up about half of it. It is delicious on salads, sandwiches, or used to make a salad dressing. And I made schug this week for the first time. A little of that stuff goes a looooong way! I'll be posting the recipe for both on my next post.

So, without further ado, and in no particular order, here are food photos from Israel. (With a few non-food photos thrown in just for fun!)

Oh - and just in case anybody doesn't get it, falafel is my FAVORITE food! If you've never eaten this culinary delight, it is deep-fried balls of mashed chickpeas stuffed in pitas with hummus, various salads, tahini sauce, and optional schug. Never had falafel? Find your nearest Middle Eastern restaurant and discover it TODAY!!
The market in Old Jerusalem. I so want to shop like this all the time!


More of the market. This was one of my very favorite parts of the trip. The senses were overwhelmed by the sights, the sounds, and the smells!


Trying to beat the heat. It was up to 117 degrees in the desert.


A spice shop in Old Jerusalem. I wanted everything in there!! The smell was indescribable!


The pyramid is made from spices! Cool, huh?!?


A view of the Negev from Masada


At the Dead Sea - this is the man who used to weigh 432 pounds!


Floating in the Dead Sea


Paul eating falafel from a street vendor in Old Jerusalem.


Me waiting (impatiently) on falafel........


From the hotel in Jerusalem.


Yes, that's me and Paul on a camel in the desert........ And afterward we were served a wonderful meal by the Bedouins. Didn't post the food photos because they were rather dark, and because there was meat on the trays with which they served (no, we didn't eat it, but it was in the photos.)


At the Bedouin camp. Amazing how much cooler it was under the tents!


Just in case you wondered........ The kosher ones do not serve cheeseburgers. Jewish dietary laws forbid eating meat with the cheese from the same animal.


From the restaurant at the Dead Sea......


Falafel at Qumran. This was the very best falafel of the trip!


Yummy falafel!


A beautiful display of some of the locally grown veggies served at every meal, including breakfast.


From the restaurant in Jerusalem........


A little restaurant on the Jordan River. A fellow UPSer and his beautiful family.


And yes, more falafel!


Yummy curried carrot salad. There will be a post on this soon!


The chef at this little family-run restaurant near Mt. Carmel. See the spread below.


This goes in your pita with falafel.


From the hotel in Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee.


A little cafe in Old Jerusalem. Guess what we ate......


And finally..... they do love Elvis in Israel. Who knew???

The Conclusion of Our Story, and Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

Paul at the finish line
of the Marine Corps
Marathon


Paul and me in his size 60 jeans

Every time I try to tell our story, I am surprised at how long it is! There are so many twists and turns, so many side stories and funny turns of events. Paul's book will have to include all those details; I can't possible remember them all! I do promise, however, that this will be the final installment of "Our Story".

One day it dawned on me that if things continued along the path they seemed to be taking - Paul exercising and faithfully eating well and me doing neither, he was going eventually weight LESS THAN ME!! That was a moment of crystalizing clarity. I got on board with a vengeance. I started counting calories right along with Paul. I started going to the gym without having to be browbeaten. And the weight loss followed like a well-behaved child.

Adventures began to come our way. Paul went on a mission trip to Africa, a life-long dream of his. We started camping and hiking, something we had never done together. Paul learned to snow ski and water ski and I began horseback riding for the first time since college. In time, I had the opportunity to own my own horses, a life-long dream of mine.

We began taking spin classes, which we now both teach. I dragged out my old Trek bicycle and had it refurbished, Paul bought a new bike, and we began outdoor cycling. Paul ran his first half marathon, then his first full-length marathon. I ran my first series of foot races and then a half-marathon. I am currently training for my first triathlon in August and a 10-mile road race in October, both with my older daughter.

We were eating locally as much as possible, and buying as much organic as we could find, but up until 2006, we still were not vegan. Two things happened to change that. The first was my "accidental" reading of The China Study, by Dr. T. Colin Campbell. I say accidental because when I came across this book I was actually trying to buy a different one which had nothing to do with veganism. I have no idea now what I was looking for, but I couldn't find it and this one kept crossing my path. So I finally bought it. And what I read rocked my world. I read that book in about two sittings. I couldn't put it down. And when I finally did put it down, the die was cast. We would be vegan. Period. Paul was 100% with me on the decision.

The second event occurred on a camping trip just after I read The China Study. We were still figuring out how to make the shift and we were still eating meat. It was September and we were camping at Kentucky Lake near the Land Between the Lakes area. It was pouring rain and we were stuck in the camper. We decided to get in the truck and drive out to a game preserve out in Land Between the Lakes. We figured that since it was raining 1) there wouldn't be many people there and 2) the animals would be active. We were dead on on both counts.

We were driving slowly through the preserve, enjoying the frequent glimpses of elk and deer and other critters. Then out of nowhere came a herd of bison. Hundreds and hundreds of bison. Mama bison and daddy bison and precious shaggy little baby bison. We had to stop for them to cross the road and they just kept coming. I rolled down the truck window and I could feel their hot breath, could have touched them, they were so close. And those majestic creatures just kept marching out of the woods. I was so moved I was sobbing as I shot video. We sat there for almost an hour.

When we got back to camp, Paul and I just looked at each other. Three guesses what had been on the menu for dinner. Yeah. Bison burgers. That was NOT gonna happen! From that moment, we have never eaten another bite of bison or any other meat or animal product.

In the end, we lost a collective 336 pounds. I lost 104 pounds, and Paul lost a whopping 232. Many people ask if we had bariatric surgery. We did not. Paul did have reconstructive surgery after he had lost his weight. That was quite an experience as well - 11 hours and 12 pounds of skin removed from his chest, back, and abdomen! The scars have faded quite a bit, but I know Paul wears those scars as a badge of courage and commitment!

To be honest, I still struggle with the daily discipline that is required to maintain a healthy weight. Not the cooking part, because I love to cook. It’s not the vegan part, because I will never eat another animal. It is the self-control and commitment to good health part, because, believe me, a vegan can still be fat and unhealthy!

The past year and a half presented us with some of the most difficult family struggles we have seen in our 15+ years of marriage. I tend to turn to food for comfort and my exercise routine got a little sketchy. As a result, I gained 17 pounds over the past winter.

The name of my blog describes me rather accurately - I am indeed a food addict. And just like any addiction, it must be managed or it will take over. At this writing, I have lost 5 of those extra pounds, my eating is under control, I am exercising like a crazy woman again, and I feel confident that my renewed commitment to a healthy and active lifestyle will prevail.

So here we are. Healthy, fit, vegan, and loving the adventure! On August 7th I will take part in a triathlon and on October 25th I will run 10 miles with my daughter in Washington D.C.. Ten years ago if anyone had told me what I would be doing when I was 50, I would have slapped them for being stupid. And turned around and eaten another donut.......

Paul and me before a training run for the Derby Mini-Marathon

So here is a quick recipe that I threw together mostly from leftovers. It turned out yummy enough to share!


Pasta with Sausage and Peppers
2 tbs olive oil
4 Field Roast vegan sausages, halved length-wise and sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced 1 medium onion, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 tsp garlic granules
1/2 tsp onion granules
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 can Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 cups cheezy sauce
1 box cooked bowtie pasta

Cook the pasta (mine was leftover) and set it aside. In a large dutch oven, heat the oil. Add the peppers, onions, and sausage, and cook until the vegetables are tender and the sausage is browned. Add the fresh and canned tomatoes, the garlic granules, black pepper, and onion granules. Stir in the cheezy sauce, then the add the pasta. Let the mixture simmer for 10-12 minutes, but not long enough for the pasta to get mushy.