Day 21 Homemade Split Pea Soup With "Bacon"

Sunday was another all day marathon of painting. I got home late but still had enough energy to make some split pea soup and because of my inability to buy sweet snacks some cookies too.

The Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies were a little disappointing (recipe from Vegan With a Vengeance). But the Vegan Split Pea Soup I made was excellent. I knew that the familiarham/bacon flavor I would miss from making it meat free could be easily compensated by using the very Vegan Bacon Bits you can buy for salads.

I took the recipe from Allrecipies.com and added a 1 TBS of Betty Crocker Bacos to get that smoky, salty, bacon flavor the meat version has.

Vegan Split Pea Soup I

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups dried split peas
• 1/2 cup barley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 7 1/2 cups water
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 potatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium high heat, saute the oil, onion, bay leaf and garlic for 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add the peas, barley, salt and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, parsley, basil, thyme and ground black pepper. Simmer for another hour, or until the peas and vegetables are tender.

Day 20 Handle Bar Is My New Favorite Brunch Spot

I'm playing a little catch up with my daily blog because of my crazy art work week. Saturday Morning I had to get to the studio but my lack of inspiration and motivation to cook before I left gave Chris and I a chance to eat a yummy vegan brunch at Handle Bar Cafe in Wicker Park again. Damn that place it s good!

I had a delicious, filling, and rather healthy Vegan Breakfast Burrito stuffed with seitan chorizo, potato, avocado, cilantro and spinach with sides of beans and salsa.

I eagerly recommend this place, and I honestly can't wait to go back when I can have one of their egg dishes. This brings me to the reality of my experience with the many positives, and the few negatives. I feel to keep this sharing experience honest I have to be upfront about my challenges.

Yes I am loosing weight, and feeling overall healthier, and more energetic, and I like being more conscious of what I put in my body, and putting better quality things in it.

But the dark side may be related to the huge increase in the vegetables, fiber, and soy I am now ingesting into my body. Now I eat healthy but I was not really use to eating quite this much of it.

I am no doctor nor have I talked to one and I will not go into great detail but my digestive system has struggled this month.

I feel bloated a lot, I feel campy a lot, and even 20 days down the road it hasn't gotten much better. I have been trying to do research to see if there are combination of things I could eat to reduce this irritation without taking over the counter drugs.

I also have this (most likely false fear (mainly Chris's fault)) that I will be lactose intolerant when I pick up eating dairy again, gosh I hope not.

Sure I miss cheese, sure I miss eggs, but damn do I miss milk! I know I'm not suppose to drink it and most adults get grossed out at the thought of drinking a big glass of milk but not me. I am also an avid cereal eater and soy milk just does not cut it for me. I have tried, and the chocolate soy milk is a little easier for me to drink and I love it in smoothies. But after almost of month of nothing but soy I can say I wont be able to totally abandon my dependence on milk. I however promise to only buy organic, and will hope the cows who provide it are treated OK.

Day 19 Thank God For Smoothies

I'm really looking forward finishing this art piece and getting it in the mail.

Because of my rushed existence I'm posting another recipe for a quick and healthy vegan smoothie. Smoothies are amazing they are hard to screw up, they fill you up, and they can provide you with a meal and lots of nutrition really fast!

Strawberry Peach Vegan Smoothie:

5 large frozen strawberries

5 slices of frozen peaches

(if you don't use frozen fruit you have to use a cubes of ice)

1/4 cup of coconut milk yogurt

1/2 cup of soy milk (plain or vanilla)

1 tsp. of Agave nectar or Honey even though Honey isn't really vegan ( I sadly realized this recently)

Blend till everything smooth.

And if you happen to have some cute umbrella straws left over from a party use those to brighten the beginning of your day.

Day 18 Vegan Lasagna

With my deadline for the art exhibit rapidly approaching I have not had a lot of time to make complicated or interesting recipes. Last night I got home from the studio a little early to catch the men's Olympic skating program and this gave me time to make something really good.

Lasagna may be one of my all time favorite things to eat. Its like pizza, it allows for so many variations. Before this vegan experience I would make it vegetarian and load it up with lots of cheese. So I was a little worried about missing all the dairy with my vegan version. I used the Tofu Ricotta recipe from Vegan With A Vengeance (I used this for the ravioli I made last weekend). It turned out really great, and I had enough left over so I didn't have to cook the next day. I heated it up in the microwave and ate it with a yummy side of garlic/olive oil sauteed asparagus.

Cheri's Vegan Veggie Lasagna:

2 cups of Tofu Ricotta Recipe follows

2 Jars of pasta sauce

1 medium eggplant skinned and finely chopped into small squares.

3 large portabella mushrooms very finely chopped

2 tbs of red wine vinegar

1/2 box of lasagna noodles (thin or thick, I like the thin ones better because their more delicate, and the lasagna stays together better. Also remember to check the box to see if your pasta is made with eggs.)

2 tbs of vegetable oil

1 clove of garlic chopped

1/2 a onion chopped ( you may like more)

1 red pepper chopped

2 tsp dried basil (fresh is always better if you can get it)

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

1) Depending on what type of lasagna noodles you use you may have to pre-boil them. For this particular lasagna I used the large noodles so I added them to a pot of boiling water for about 8 minutes to soften them up a bit. If you use the thin lasagna noodles there is no need to pre-boil.

2) In a large sauce pan heat 1 tsp of oil and add onion and portobella add salt, pepper, oregano, and vinegar. Stir often and cook until mushrooms and onions are soft. Put in a bowl for later use.

3) In the same heated pan add 1 tbs of oil and add eggplant and red pepper, the add oregano, garlic and a little salt a pepper. Cook until eggplant is slightly browned and peppers are soft.

4) Now comes the layering! Use a large casserole dish and spray with a non-stick vegetable spray. Put one layer of lasagna noodles on the bottom. I'm going to describe how I layered everything but you can really do it any way you want and will taste great.

1 layer noodles

2 layer tomato sauce

3 layer eggplant and pepper mixture

4th layer noodles

5th layer tofu ricotta

6th layer mushroom and onion mixture

7th layer noodles

8th layer lots of sauce

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, at the 45 minute point take out and sprinkle soy mozzarella cheese on top and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

When you bring it out of the oven let it settle for about 10 minutes and then dig in. Make a nice side salad to have on the side.

Tofu-cashew ricotta recipe adapted from Vegan With A Vengeance:

Ingredients

• 1 lb firm tofu, pressed
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash fresh black pepper
• 10 fresh basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (don't have to use this I made it before without but it adds flavor)
• 1/4 cup cashews (don't have to use this I made it before without but it did add a nice flavor)

Put everything in your food processor and blend until smooth. Store in airtight container in fridge till needed.

Day 15, 16, 17 A Vegan With an Art Deadline

The last few days have consisted of teaching at Kendall and going directly to my art studio. I have a deadline, actually two deadlines and if I felt crunched for time to make healthy meals last week with the CAA conference than that was nothing. I thought because of this I would talk about quickie options for vegans. Now many die hard vegans don't like the idea of eating pre-made fake burgers and sausages because they feel like they may be too precessed. But I've had a few really yummy meals the past few days that I was able to make quickly because of pre-made fakers.

Monday night Feb. 15th I tried some new veggie sausages I have never tried before from whole foods and let me tell you they were knock your socks off good! Italian sausages are one evil as a meat eater I love so much, and I may have found an alternative that will never make me miss the real thing again. The brand is Original Field Roast Grain Meat Co. They make a few varieties but I tried the Italian sausages with eggplant, fennel, fresh garlic, and red pepper. The texture and taste of these is really good.

How I cooked it:

I used my grill pan put about a tbs. of sesame oil in and started heating it, then I cut up some yellow bell peppers and onions and got those started first, when they started to brown a little I put on the sausages until they had some grill marks in them and were warm all the way through. I ate it on a toasted bun with the peppers and onions and a lot of mustard.

It was simply awesome! And when I visited their website I noticed they make a meatloaf that I wanna try for sure. (see picture above)

Tuesday night Feb 16th maw (my grandmother) and I ordered Thai food from a place around the corner from her. I ordered two dishes and I tried my best to be diligently vegan but because of the language barrier I had with the lady on the phone I'm not a 100% sure it was all vegan. Man oh man was their deep fried tofu good!

My favorite tofu is usually from Chinese or Thai restaurants because they can fry it in those super hot woks they cook everything in and it gives it the best texture and taste. I HATE when tofu is slimy, I can barley get it down. The place is called Thai Village you can click on the link for directions. Again it's not the best Thai food in town but it's not bad and it's cheep. My favorite thing we ordered was the:

Sweet and Sour Tofu deep fried (this is where I worried if it was still vegan because I have no idea what they deep fried it in) in batter, cooked with cucumbers, tomatoes, pineapple, onions, and bell peppers for about 8 bucks.

Now let's talk veggie burgers we have all tried them but I have discovered some new ones that I really love! I got them in the frozen section of whole foods and I am hooked. They are called The Original Sunshine Burger I've tried all the varieties, and they're all good but my favorite is the Original burger. I grilled one up for lunch yesterday, and put it on a whole wheat bun with veggie cheddar cheese, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, and tomato. I also steamed (sadly overcooked them) broccoli, asparagus, and carrots, and made a fresh batch of guacamole with tomatoes and chips. It was all very healthy, and made for a fulfilling lunch break from work.

I'm really lucky this quarter because I get a really long break between classes around lunch time. It allows me to come home and make lunch versus having to eat something out. (see picture above)

Finally last night Wed. Feb. 17th I got home from the studio and was very distracted by the Olympics. I whipped up a yummy vegan Indian feast thanks to Tasty Bites and Trader Joe's in no time. Tasty bites are Indian dishes in little bags you can heat up in the microwave or in a pot of boiling water in about 5 minutes. Add in a bag of Steamed Basmati Rice that takes about 2 minutes, and frozen Garlic Nan that take 2 minutes. Your whole meal including the time it took me to wash and prepare a salad (about 8 minutes) took only 17 minutes and it was really good and those products are all good quality and really affordable. (see pictures above)

Day 14 Valentines Dinner at Karyn's on Green Left Us Less Than Thrilled

Going out to dinner as a Vegan can be hit or miss. Most places unless they are geared towards vegans/vegetarians don't always offer much and can be impatient with special requests.

During the College Arts Association conference this week I did find myself out with others and looking for somewhere to get dinner. We ended up eating at Rosebud downtown because it was near the conference and on my way to the next destination of the night. Now I know what your thinking "what in the world can a vegan eat there?!" Most of the pasta is homemade and most likely made with eggs, and everything else involves meat or cheese. After doing a little searching over the menu and discussing options with a very nice waiter. I had a chopped salad full of veggies with breaded eggplant on top. It was really awesome and totally satisfying. Also, just a side note the olive oil they served with the bread there was some of the best I can remember ever having.

For Valentine's day Chris and I went to Karyn Calabrese's Karyn's on the Greene. A restaurant that specializes in ALL Vegan entrees. Chris and I are big fans of her other restaurant Karyn's Cooked , well Chris is really a fan of the Vegan Steak Sandwich, because it's the only thing he orders because he loves it so much, and it really is great.

Karyn's new restaurant Karyn's on the Greene has only been opened for three weeks. It was very pretty inside, had the same earthy colors, and warm atmosphere as Karyn's Cooked.

Honestly, and I know I have only eaten there once, I came away being a bigger fan of Karyn's Cooked.

The meal wasn't bad, but it wasn't really anything to write home about. I could understand what she's trying to do with the theme, creating a more upscale menu and beautiful presentation, but I honestly left feeling unsatisfied for the money.

I appreciated the Chef trying to replicate the feeling and taste of traditional meals we all have enjoyed as meat eaters like meatloaf, and fried chicken. But sometimes I feel like Karyn goes to far, sacrificing the possibilities and the imagination of the Chef by imitating it to closely or being too literal.

We started with the Caesar romaine hearts, vegan cheese, olive powder, Caesar dressing, herb croutons Elbow noodles, vegan cheese which really turned out to taste like a $8.00 plate of over salted lettuce. This was one of the most disappointing things for me because as a vegan you have to give up things like creamy Caesar dressing, unless you are really adventurous and have time to make some from scratch, and I couldn't even tell there was dressing on the salad. (Pictured Above With Chicken)

Chris ordered the BBQ Bacon Meatloaf with horseradish roasted fingerlings, escarole, and Kansas City barbecue sauce. Again it was OK but I like the vegan meatloaf at Karyn's cooked much better you don't mind it's more rustic presentation because they slather it with sauce and have better sides. When Chris ordered this he thought it would be covered in yummy BBQ sauce and full of flavor. It was really quite boring, over cooked, dry, and the fake bacon was burnt and had no flavor. (picture above)

I ordered the Crispy Chicken Legs with sweet potato hash, Swiss chard, and Kentucky Bourbon barbecue sauce. Again it was good but weirded me out a bit. This would be a good example of them making the dish too literal. I don't think it's a big secret that what I was eating wasn't really chicken. The waiter actually starts off by telling you everything is Vegan. So I'm not sure why they had to present it as three, heavy, and thick drumsticks. The vegetables that accompanied the dish were very good, but I honestly wanted more sauce to dip the "Chicken Legs" into. (picture above)

For desert we shared the Banana’s Foster with Dark rum, vanilla bean ice cream, caramelized bananas, coconut tuile, and citrus dust. Now this was good but ridiculously small for a $9.00 desert. There was literally 1 small tablespoon of ice cream on top, and I guess $9.00 worth of rum covered bananas. (picture above)

Will I eat at Karyn's cooked again? Definitely! Will I eat at Karyn's on Green again? Maybe, most likely, the restaurant has only been opened for three weeks and may still have some kinks to work out, and there were some other dishes I would like to give a whirl.

We had a good time, laughed a lot, and made the best of it all. But honestly it was a bit disappointing for the money.

Day 13 Vegan Dinner Party: Good food, wine, friends, and board games who needs cheese?!

Some may cringe at the thought of a Vegan dinner party but last night Chris and I ate and enjoyed a delicious, flavorful, and very satisfying diner party with our friends Kiley and Yasemin.

Yasemin and I both made a dish, and for mine I decided to make a sorta homemade butternut squash recipe. This recipe is all mine except I made it as a non-vegan before. To replace the store bought ricotta cheese I used a recipe in Vegan With a Vengeance for the tofu ricotta (p.133).

To start the Tofu Ricotta is something I will definitely use again even when I'm not eating solely vegan. It was really good and tasted almost exactly the same with a LOT less fat and more protein.

Tofu Ricotta Recipe (slightly adapted from Vegan With a Vengeance)

1/2 block of extra firm tofu, pressed

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 or 2 cloves of garlic depending on your love of garlic

1/4 tsp. of salt

Dash of pepper

1/2 tsp. of dried basil

1 tsp. of olive oil

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend till smooth. I swear it has the same texture and taste as the real thing.

Warning this recipe is slightly labor intensive so give yourself at least two hours.

Cheri's Butternut Squash Ravioli

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash de-seeded and cut into larger chunks

1 package of vegan wanton wrappers (no egg check the label)

1 tbs. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. of ground ginger

1/2 tsp. of Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. of allspice

dash of pepper

sprinkle of salt

1 1/2 cup of tofu ricotta

Pesto Sauce:

2 tbs. of pine nuts

2 cups of fresh basil

2 tsp. of lemon juice

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 tsp. of sea salt

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees and lay squash on a foil lined cookie sheet. Drizzle oil over all the squash and then evenly disperse spices. Bake squash for 1 hour till squash is fully cooked and tender.

2. Remove squash from oven let cool. Remove meat from the shell of the squash and put into food processor and blend until very smooth.

3. Combine blended squash with tofu ricotta and mix with a large spoon.

4. (Labor intensive part) Then lay out wanton wrappers, and have a little bowl of water to the side of your work space. With a small spoon put a dollop of the mixture in the middle of the wanton wrapper. Use your finger to moisten all four sides of the wrapper and all four sides of the wrapper you will put on top. Press firmly on all four sides with your finger and then use a fork and push along each ravioli's side to make sure the ravioli will stay together when you cook them.

5. The pesto sauce is really easy you can either chop very finely by hand or use the food processor. Yasemin was making this while I was cooking the ravioli. She chopped the basil and pine nuts by hand very finely. Then in a large bowl she combined all the ingredients.

6. Cooking these can be slightly challenging because they are so delicate. I like to fill up a large frying pan with deep sides with water and dash of salt. Once the water is boiling carefully place ravioli in the pan. Because they are fresh they only need to boil for about 5 to 8 minutes. drain off water and put ravioli back in the same pan.

7. Evenly spread pesto sauce over ravioli and heat for 3 to 4 minutes till everything is warm.

The ravioli were a big hit Yasemin also made a delicious ratatouille you will see in the pictures, and I will post her recipe soon. Enjoy this meal with some fresh French Bread and some good wine.

For desert I bought these really yummy double chocolate vegan cupcakes from Whole foods.

Good food, wine, friends, and board games who needs cheese?!

Here's Yasemine's Yummy Vegan Recipe:

Yasemin Gokcen's Ratatouille:

about 2 cups white onion, thinly sliced

1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced

2 tomatoes, seeded and thinly sliced in strips

1 large clove garlic, pressed

7 oz beech mushrooms (white, brown or both) - I have found these at Stanley's in the organic section or asian groceries

7-9 spears asparagus, julienned

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley (dried works too)

2 tablespoons ketchup

Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute about 5-7 minutes until the onions start to get translucent. Add asparagus, mushrooms, garlic, salt, pepper, remaining oil and ketchup. Saute for another few minutes until the mushrooms start to get tender. Add tomatoes on top and cover, reducing heat to low. Allow to cook about 5 minutes, then put all contents into a 2.5 quart pot and add the parsley. Cook an additional 5-10 minutes on low heat to let the flavors really mesh together.

This can be made up to several hours ahead, then heated up on low just prior to eating. I'll bet this is delicious with a simple quinoa or brown rice. I put together a few different recipes that sounded good which I had found on the internets. Its interesting, this is very similar to Guvec, which is a Turkish dish, in that you mix together a bunch of stuff in a pot and let it cook for a while and its so good.