Monday 27 May 2013

Sunday Running Happened So Fast


I rarely cook onions as I like them caramelized and they don't go with lazy cooking. But I found a way around this! I roast root vegetables all the time, so why can't I roast onions? So while my potatoes were roasting on the top rack I put the chopped onions on the bottom rack. I chopped two medium onions, added 1/3 cup water (for steaming and so the onions won't stick), a tsp of brown sugar, 4-5 drops of liquid smoke and a dash of Mr. Dash seasoning (tee hee). Baked covered at 375° for 50 minutes and I had delicious caramelized onions. 


Caramelized onions on top of roasted potatoes with a green bean and baby carrot medley. 


I made Happy Herbivore's blueberry muffins last week and they shrunk! Just kidding...they are mini muffins. They are so cute! 


This is a dish I have been getting at Langley Vietnamese Restaurant. I have to order off menu, which I do often. I ask for plain vermicelli noodles, topped with salad and steamed vegetables. It is filling, fresh and inexpensive. 


We participated in the Run For Water race on Sunday in Abbostford. It rained fairly hard at times and we were soaked, but it was worth it. We both enjoyed the extra oxygen in the air, the atmosphere and the volunteers cheering everyone on. My favorite sign a young volunteer was holding said "Rain is temporary, internet results are forever!" Gave me a chuckle and encouragement as I kept on. As mentioned before, my plant strong diet has really fueled the extra energy I have for activities such as this. I was able to shave 2 1/2 minutes off my previous race time and placed first in my age group with a time of 25:03! 


After the race, we were super hungry and cold. We pulled in to a shopping center off the Mt. Lehman exit, almost deciding on Wendy's across the street (for their baked potatoes). But there was a Vietnamese Restaurant straight ahead! Even tho we had it the another night, we wanted to try it in a new location. I am so glad we did! It was so delicious, the vegetables were so fresh and cooked perfectly. They also had vegetarian/vegan options and we didn't have to order off menu :) Above, we shared an order of the vegetable salad rolls which included fresh mint, mmm. 


Vermicelli with steamed vegetables (I asked for steamed instead of fried). The vegetable mixture had onions, broccoli, carrots, and baby corn. The dish was topped off with a pickled carrot. So good, probably one of my favorite meals out to date! 

Wednesday 15 May 2013

Back in The Kitchen




Now that work isn't so busy I have been able to put a little more effort in to the creativity of my meals. I love throwing together rolled oats, apple sauce, almond milk, triple berry mix and cinnamon. I bake it in my toaster oven till bubbly and slightly brown. I like it better than a crisp since the fruit is still in tact and there is no added sugar.  


I played around with a roasted tomato hummus on the weekend. It was quite good but I want to experiment with it again before I post a recipe. Surprisingly it had the most flavor when paired with a snap pea. 


Spring rolls from Happy Herbivore Abroad with a few adjustments. I didn't want a heavy sauce so squeezed a bit of lime juice in between bites. Refreshing dinner on a hot day. 


Sometimes you can create something so tasty out of left overs. My parents had lentils and peas in their fridge, so I reheated them, placed them on a bed of spinach, crumbled a few Guiltless Gourmet Chips, and drizzled on some left over pasta sauce. After the photo I tossed on nutritional yeast which took it to another level. 


Since my mom wasn't around for Mothers Day...I decided to celebrate without her anyway, with waffles! I used PC Blue Menu Whole Wheat Pancake Mix. Since the recipe calls for eggs, milk and oil, three things this girl don't eat, I substituted soaked chia seeds, almond milk and apple sauce. They turned out great! 


Tuesday 7 May 2013

Chips, Pizza and Sorbet




Busy busy at work last week, luckily we had beautiful fruit plates to keep us going. I admired my co-workers display. 


"What u doing? Taking a bad photo?" 


 I have been wanting to try other kinds of whole grain rice besides Basmati and found California Brown Rice at our local Superstore. This short grain cooked up less starchy compared to a long grain and was a bit chewy. Nice for a change. My husband said it reminds him of rice you would get in a restaurant, ha. 


Baby romaine greens, left over iceberg head lettuce, black beans, cherry tomatoes, nutritional yeast and a squeeze of lemon juice. Quick and refreshing salad.  


I have been looking for these chips ALL OVER! I gave up a while back after searching many stores only to find they have discontinued carrying them. You'll never guess where I accidentally found them. Winners, yes, WINNERS. LOL I bought four bags in my excitement. I may go back for more, but I don't like to have too much processed food in the house at once. 


That is why I only bought one box of these. I like the name because that is exactly what they are, rolls of crunchy rice. A little expensive, around $4 a box, but a fun low fat vegan treat.  


I had the baked (not fried!) Guiltless Gourmet chips with cherry tomatoes dusted with nutritional yeast. Be sure to check the ingredients if you are vegan or dairy intolerant as the spicy black bean flavor has cheese. 


Very excited to find out there was a Vegan Pizza House only a half hour drive from us AND right by the beach! 


We ordered half Garden without Daiya Cheese for me and Greek for him. It looked so pretty I couldn't wait to dig in. Unfortunately we are quite picky regarding pizza crust and found it a bit greasy and soggy. Sometimes there is something to be said for making a chain restaurant work for you or making pizza at home. 


It was such a beautiful night we walked almost the entire strip and down the pier. 


And look what I found on the way! Cheeky me, I have been here before and couldn't wait to spot it during our walk. I snapped a photo so quickly, not wanting to seem like a creeper, so there is some glare in the Raspberry Gelato. Among the gelatos are dairy free sorbets. There was green apple, lime, mango, and strawberry. My husband mentioned there was pineapple, I think I will need to go back again to confirm. 


I was a little hungry since I didn't each much of our pizza, so I got two scoops of sorbet. Last time I tried the green apple and lime, this time I opted for mango and strawberry. It was perfect on a hot sunny night.