Veganizing Paula Deen

A few months ago, pre-vegan days, we went to dinner at a friend's house where she introduced us to a "my arteries are probably clogging just writing this" recipe by Paula Deen. It was a big bowl of love... pasta, cream cheese and bacon. I would've licked the bowl had it not been socially inappropriate, the pasta was that good.

I saved the recipe, but never had a chance to make it before I changed my eating habits. Then it dawned on me that perhaps I could "veganize" this recipe. I figured it was worth a shot, right?

So here it is, my attempt to take a Paula Deen recipe and turn it into something healthy.

Smoky Tomato Bacon Pasta

1/2 box Morning Star "bacon" (about 6 slices)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
salt and pepper
4 ounces Tofutti cream cheese, cut into pieces
1 box uncooked Quinoa pasta shells

In a large skillet, cook the bacon according to package instructions, approximately 10 minutes. Transfer it to a plate.

Using the same skillet, melt a pat of Earth Balance butter and a tablespoon of vegetable oil then add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes, then crumble in the bacon. Season with salt and pepper; simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and chunky, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese until melted.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the sauce and serve immediately.



The result?

Actually, I was skeptical going in to this as the original pasta is just so darn good. I was pleasantly surprised with this modified recipe. I used a little too much onion and would definitely reduce the amount the next time I made it (I adjusted the recipe above to reflect my preferred taste... I used a large onion whereas a medium onion would probably be better).

Both Clean Fresh Hubby and I ate a full plate, and while I didn't have that "lick the plate" feeling, I did have a sense of satisfaction in converting the recipe to something I didn't have to feel guilty eating.

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What I'm Lovin' Wednesday... Trader Joe's edition

Back with another edition of "What I'm Lovin' Wednesday" and today I'm focusing on some Trader Joe's goodies that I am currently hooked on.

Low Fat French Toast



My daughter is hooked on frozen breakfast foods. It isn't a morning if she doesn't have a frozen waffle or pancake to throw in the toaster oven. I've been attempting to steer her tastes towards healthier, organic options and so far, the only substitute I've found are vanilla waffles from Whole Foods. Given it takes about 30 minutes to get to our local WF, I needed to find another alternative. We've tried the frozen waffles at Trader Joe's, but even I have to admit, they weren't that great. And my daughter turned her nose up at them immediately.

Thankfully, she was open to trying french toast. And I have to say, this french toast from Trader Joe's is absolutely delicious! I found myself toasting up a slice for me while preparing her breakfast. It is made with a four-grain bread and there is nothing scary or unpronouncable in the ingredient list. I will be adding this to the shopping cart every week I'm sure.

Organic, Fair Trade Breakfast Blend Coffee



Continuing on with breakfast, nothing goes better with french toast than a cup of delicious coffee. Trader Joe's has quite a variety to choose from and we've sampled several. So far, this is the coffee I keep going back to. Organic and fair trade are a bonus, but what it boils down to is this is just a great cup of joe. A little stronger than Dunkin' Donuts, but not so strong that it'll put hair on your chest (like Starbucks).

Bruschetta topping



Need a fast, quick and yummy appetizer? Look no further than this bruschetta topping. Paired with a crusty loaf of bread, this is some of the best bruschetta out of a jar I've ever had. It also works well as a pizza sauce; I use it to top a Boboli pizza crust, add a little mozarella and voila, a quick and easy dinner.

Panda All Natural Raspberry Licorice



Trying to eat healthy all the time can be a challenge and there are days when that nagging sweet tooth just won't give it up. Standing in the checkout a few weeks ago, I saw this display of raspberry licorice. I didn't pay it too much attention, but of course my daughter was enraptured by the panda bear on the box and begged me to get one. Being the total pushover that I am, we threw a box in the basket. Probably one of the best things she's suckered me into buying! It's all natural, only seven ingredients, and is sweetened with molasses. This licorice is perfect for those instances where you just need a little something sweet.

So there you have this week's edition of what I'm lovin'. Of course, this is just a handful of the products that bring me back to TJoe's week after week... perhaps I'll have to do a second edition in the coming weeks. If you have a TJoe's product that you adore, let me know and I'll add it to my shopping list!

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Eating (and enjoying) our greens

Back on track with cooking this week and first off will be one of our absolute most favorite salads:

Mixed greens with strawberries, carmelized onions and pecans



I start by chopping up a red onion, then add it to a pan with some butter, cooking it for about 30 minutes until it carmelizes. Then I toss the onions and chopped strawberries with some mixed greens and candied pecans and what is probably the best salad dressing ever, Nordstrom's Dark Cherry Balasamic Vinaigrette.



This recipe was actually born from lunch at the Nordstrom Cafe. Their version is served with grilled chicken and goat cheese, which was my favorite thing on their menu until I gave up the meat and dairy. So I modified at home and the result is just as tasty. I served it at quite a few family functions over the past month and it always gets rave reviews.

This salad is one of Clean Fresh Hubby and I's favorite meals, so it is definitely on the menu this week. Healthy and delicious, it doesn't get much better than that!

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I dusted the stove this week

I have a confession to make. Are you ready?

I did not cook a single meal all week.

I know, crazy, right? I'm not proud of it. I did scrape together dinners for my daughter (at least one of us has to be well-nourished!), but for Clean Fresh Hubby and I, not a one. Let's see, I believe we had cheese and crackers one night, I had an apple and a granola bar another night, and as for the rest of the evenings, it was pretty much "fend for yourself." It was just one of those weeks where things were hectic and sadly, our diet paid the price.

So, now the weekend is here and my plan is to get back on track. Friends are having us over for dinner tonight (no, they are not taking pity on us due to our lack of formal meals!) and then tomorrow night it is off to the in-laws to celebrate Clean Fresh Hubby's birthday. But starting Monday, I'm back in the kitchen. Cooking, not just dusting the stove!

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What I'm Lovin' Wednesday

Wednesdays are typically reserved for a wine review, but if you can believe it, nary a drop of wine passed these lips over the weekend! Wine, no. Pomegranate martinis, yes.

So today, in lieu of wine, I thought I'd share with you the things I'm loving right now... the things that are making my no meat or cheese existence a little easier.

Steel Cut Oats
Probably one of my most favorite breakfasts ever and so easy to make because there is no cooking involved. I cover 1/4 cup of steel cut oats with water and refrigerate it overnight. The next morning, the water is all but gone, absorbed into the oats. I add in some agave syrup, cinnamon, a diced apple, and the best part of all, some candied pecans (from Trader Joe's). It is so quick to pull together in the morning and since you eat it cold, I can bring it to work and eat it at my desk. Yummy!



Trader Joe's Steamed Lentils

Lentils are a great source of protein, and now that I've discovered Trader Joe's Steamed Lentils, they are working their way into quite a few recipes as a meat substitute (remember my post on lentil taco meat? Yep, Trader Joe's Lentils).



One of my favorite "quick and easy" dinners is to heat up a pack of lentils with a can of stewed tomatoes, 5-6 cloves of garlic (minced), some shredded carrots and a handful of spinach. Let it cook until heated through. Fast, fast, fast. This tastes divine with goat cheese sprinkled on it (if you haven't given up cheese).

And last but not least:

Subway Kids Meal
My go-to "fast food" lunch is a veggie sandwich from Subway. It wasn't until this weekend though that I picked up a kids meal for my daughter while I was in there (usually she picks at mine).



For about $3.50 (cheaper than a Happy Meal from McD's), she got a 3" sub, a chocolate milk and a bag of apples. And it came in a small reusable bag or "purse" as she calls it. I love that the bag is something she can play with versus a cardboard box that finds it's way to the recycle bin before we even hit the house.

So there you have it. What I'm loving this Wednesday (and pretty much every other day of the week!).

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Wine Wednesday: Another New Zealander

It's party season at our house... between birthdays, holidays and anniversaries, it seems there is always some sort of planning going on.

This past weekend, we hosted my family for dinner on Saturday night - "preEaster" as Clean Fresh Hubby deemed it. This dinner was thrown together at the last minute, so I didn't have a chance to hit Costco for my Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. I instead perused the selection of New Zealand wines at our local supermarket and decided to give this one a go:

Starborough Sauvignon Blanc



At $8.99 for a bottle (on sale), I figured it was a worthy experiment. Plus, it is from the same region of New Zealand (Marlborough) that my Kim Crawford is from, so it had to be pretty close, right?

Well....

The Starborough had hints of what I love about the KC... a fruity, almost grapefruity, undertone and a nice crispness, but it was a little sharper than what I'm used to with KC. The best way I can describe it is that this tasted like an under $10 bottle of wine. In a pinch, or for a party where you're serving lots of guests and budget is an issue, this wine would be serviceable. But for sitting around on the weekend, relaxing, I will make sure my wine rack is stocked with the good stuff!

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Satisfying a sweet tooth, and still healthy!

Continuing on with our at-home "cooking" school, my daughter and I made a pan of vegan rice crispy treats (recipe from "The Kind Life Diet" cookbook by Alicia Silverstone). These were super easy to make (but come to think of it, so are regular rice crispy treats) and actually very tasty.



Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips
1 box brown rice crisps cereal
1 3/4 cups brown rice syrup
Fine sea salt
3/4 cup all-peanut, natural variety of peanut butter
1/2 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips (get at health store, or
substitute carob chips)

Pour the rice cereal into a large bowl. Heat the rice syrup with a
pinch of salt in a saucepan over low heat. When rice syrup liquefies,
add the peanut butter and stir until well combined. Pour over the rice
cereal. Mix well with wooden spoon.

Once thoroughly mixed and cooled to room temperature, stir in the
chocolate chips. Makes sure the mixture is cool, or you will
end up with melted chocolate instead of chocolate chips in your treats.

Turn the mixture into an 8x8 or 9x13 baking dish. Wet your wood spoon
lightly and press the mixture evenly into the pan. Let cool for 1 hour before
cutting into squares or bars.

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How a shopaholic is born

My daughter raked in some cash over the Easter weekend (growing up, our eggs never had money in them... gotta love grandparents!). Usually any money my daughter receives goes right into her bank, but today, I took her to Target and let her pick out any toy she wanted... that of course fit in her "budget" of ten dollars! We wandered the two main toy aisles of interest to young girls: Barbie and the Disney Princesses. Back and forth we went, seriously contemplating all the options, until she finally struck upon this:



Up we trotted to the checkout, me with my laundry soap, her with the latest batch of Princesses to invade our house. I let her go first, so she carefully placed the box on the conveyor, then stood patiently holding out her $10 bill. The total came to $10.74, so I quickly fished out $.75 from her bag of coins and she gave them to the cashier, who in turn gave my daughter the receipt and her penny change. The look of pride on my daughter's face was absolutely priceless!

As we walked out of the store, she turned to me and said "Mom, that was really fun. I want to do that again!" And so, another shopaholic is born!

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