Friday, January 15, 2016

Happy New Year! "What I Ate" on Instagram....



 

Happy New Year! I hope all of you are settling in nicely to 2016. We are now about two weeks into January, and I can already feel the changes this year is certain to bring. I started this year out with only one resolution, and that is to find joy in what I am doing to make a living.

So many major changes in my life at the end of 2015, I decided to let the opportunities guide and be my resolutions. I can honestly say that in my quest to say "yes" to as many things as I can, I have already met so many great people, and learned so much.


I do realize, however, that this approach can get you burned every now and again. And I've already been burned in this new year. But we look at all experiences, good and bad, as just that. Experiences. We learn and grow from each and every one. And boy have I already learned so much this year!

I also wanted to check in with everyone on the yummy-front. What are y'all eating? Are you instagram-ing every meal? Do you find yourself drifting off as you scroll past hundreds of photos of amazing vegan food? Me too. I am totally addicted to Instagram. Haha.

So, I thought I would share some of my instagram meals. Not all of them come with detailed recipes. Sometimes, I'm eating out. Sometimes, I am simply throwing together a quick and easy meal with stuff just hanging out in the fridge or pantry. Contrary to popular belief, cookbook writers and recipe developers don't make extravagant meals three times a day.

Waldorf Chick'n Salad Wrap (top left)
This one is really simple to make, especially if you have Beyond Meat or Gardein Chick'n on hand. If not, you can use your favorite seitan or tofu in place of the chick'n pieces.

8 ounces romaine lettuce, chopped
12 ounces vegan chick'n (or seitan, or tofu), chopped into bite sized pieces
1 cup red grapes, halved
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup vegan mayo
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons agave
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
4 extra large tortillas

Add lettuce, chick'n, grapes, celery, pecans and walnuts to a large mixing bowl.
In a separate, small bowl, whisk together mayo, Orange juice, agave, and poppy seeds until smooth.
Add dressing to salad and toss to coat.
Use 1/4 of mixture in each wrap. (I know that sounds like a lot, but the key to a good wrap, is that it is stuffed to the brim with good stuff. So add the mixture to the center of the tortilla and wrap it up tightly, like a burrito. If you have parchment, you can use that to help hold your wrap together nice and tight.)

Yield: 4 wraps

Fusion Nachos

I am always up for nachos. And I am always up for using up leftovers in my fridge. These Nachos are topped with pretty much whatever I had left in my fridge that day. Tacupeta tortilla chips, guacamole, yellow corn, Tofutti Sour Cream, Daiya Mozz Shreds, Daiya Cheddar Shreds, Green Onion, Cilantro, pickled jalapenos, Sriracha sauce, and, of course, a big giant squirt of Creamy Sesame SriRacha Sauce. Seriously, I cannot live my life without a squeezy bottle of that sauce in my fridge.



Carrot Lox on Toast

Stuff on toast is probably my favorite thing in the world right now. Avocado? Sure. But on this toast, I took it to the next level. Erin from OlivesForDinner.com hosted a lovely ladies dinner the other night, and she lovingly sent me home with some of her incredible homemade Carrot Lox. Honestly, I have never had real lox, so I didn't know what to expect! But she served me some on a bagel with vegan cream cheese, fresh dill, thinly sliced red onion, and capers...like true east coast style, and I loved it! With the bit she sent me home with, I made up this toast. Toasted cracked wheat sourdough, Toffuti Better Than Cream Cheese, Erin's Carrot Lox, Green Onion, Red Onion, Cilantro, SriRacha Sauce, and a sprinkle of Nori Furikake, also a gift from Erin. So good!

Spicy Soba Noodles

Believe it or not, it finally got cold and rainy down here in SoCal! And for me, that means noodles. They can be in soup, mac and cheese, in Pho, or simply in a bowl with some tasty peanut sauce, like I did here. This came together super quickly. Just boiled up the noodles, and while they were cooking, I simply whisked together a simple sauce of creamy peanut butter, a little soy sauce, a smidge of sesame oil, and a bit of water to thin it all out. Tossed it with the noodles, gave it a good hit of lime juice to brighten it up a bit, then served it with more of that Creamy Sesame SriRacha Sauce, green onions and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Creamy, rich, warm, and comforting.


Farmer Boys Veggie Burger and Fries

Sometimes we end up in places far off the beaten path. And we failed ourselves in the pack-a-lunch department. It's times like these that make a vegan like me so happy that I can pull into a Farmer Boys, and get a pretty decent meal! At a drive-thru! This is their Market Burger. I don't know if they make it in-house or not, but it's definitely not a Boca patty. In fact, it's kind of green and mushy. And you can see vegetables in it. Haha. Just make sure to order it without the thousand island dressing (I get ketchup instead) and pay a little extra for the avocado. It hit the spot and did the trick on my drive through rural Riverside county last weekend.

Tasty Video Veganized

I am a sucker for those Tasty videos people always post on Facebook. I saw one that was a hollowed out loaf of French bread that was filled with eggs, bacon, cheese...And I thought to myself, I bet I could do that with the new Vegan Egg from Follow Your Heart! So, I did! I mixed together the vegan egg with Daiya shreds, green onions, and home made TVP Bacon Bits, then poured the mixture into a hollowed out loaf, and baked it in the oven at 350 F for about 30 minutes.







3 comments:

Bianca said...

Oh gosh, all of that looks soooo good! One of my resolutions is actually to say no to more stuff! Ha! I've got a little problem with saying yes to too much and then getting burned out quickly. So 2016 for me is the Year of Nope.

Joni Marie Newman said...

I, too, get burnt out. However, after years of having a very weird work schedule that prevented me from attending events, parties, fundraisers, vegfests, and other fun stuff, I am trying to say yes to as many opportunities as I can...that is, until I have to start punching that time clock again. Lol.

Btw, I miss you, Bianca! It's been too long, and we did not get enough hang time in Austin!

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The recipes seem easy to follow and doable, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to do all of them, except for the nachos, which turned out really well! Thanks again!

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All recipes written by me, Joni Marie Newman, unless otherwise noted. Please feel free to refer to or link back to any of my recipes, but please ask for permission, and remember to give credit when reprinting recipes in their entirety. I do provide links to affiliate programs (such as Amazon) in which I receive a small commission for items purchased. I do not provide paid reviews. All reviews done on products or books are of my own unsolicited opinion. On occasion I may receive a book or product to review. I will note when this is the case, but rest assured, it will not affect the authenticity of my review. Thanks!--Joni