A Year of Vegetables!

A year ago today I posted my first cute little blog post about smoothies. Ah how long it’s been since January 30, 2012. It’s been a year to be exact but I can measure the year in so many other ways (525,600 minutes, perhaps?). I wasn’t sure if blogging would just be one of those things I kept up with for a month and then forgot about. I didn’t know if I would be writing for my own sake or writing for others. I had no idea how many “others” I would meet who I will probably never meet in person. Thanks to all the amazing fellow bloggers and readers from the past year for support and inspiration. It’s certainly been a fun experience! And now, a little walk down memory lane…

• I brought raw lasagna to the Virtual Vegan Potluck. And then I brought hummus pizza to round two. Must have some sort of Italian craving.
• I traveled from East Coast to West Coast.
• I ate tofu lettuce wraps to start, kale-a-flower pasta for my main course, and some caramel brownies for dessert.
• I ran a half marathon and then ran some more.
• I hosted a 1920s dinner party and probably should have invited some very diverse vegans.

Who knows what the next year holds in store for V is for Vegetables. Let’s hope the year is full of fun, friends, and fegetables (sorry, I needed another f-word and decided against the obvious choice). On to the next vegetable-filled year!

Pasta Primavera

Spring is here which means it’s finally time for lemon, asparagus and pasta primavera. This pasta is light, refreshing and packed with colorful vegetables. It was the perfect complement to my 5 mile run today. I unexpectedly ran the last 2 miles of my 7 mile run yesterday in the pouring rain. There’s something about running in the rain that just feels carefree and fun. And then the reality sets in that you are soaked from head to toe and your iPhone might be damaged beyond repair. Since my run yesterday, both my clothing and my phone have survived to tell about the April showers. Despite the rain, I’m glad it’s springtime because the weather has been mostly perfect for running. And the running gives me an excuse to carb-load, which is always ok in my book.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium-sized zucchini
• 10 stalks of asparagus
• 10 baby carrots
• 1/4 of a red onion
• 1/2 of a red pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp Italian herbs
• 2 cups uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 15 grape tomatoes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Cut zucchini, asparagus, carrots, red onion and red pepper into bite-size pieces.

3. In a large bowl, toss veggies with oil, salt and pepper, and herbs. Arrange veggies flat on a baking sheet.

4. Bake veggies for 20 minutes. Stir halfway through.

5. Cook pasta until penne is al dente. Drain and rinse the pasta.

6. Toss veggies with pasta, lemon juice, parsley and grape tomatoes.

7. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serves 3

Adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pasta-primavera-recipe/index.html

Italian Roasted Vegetables

Vegetables are beautiful. Compare this image to the following items: Twinkies, chicken nuggets, Coke, mashed potatoes… It’s crazy that people find these foods delicious when visually they are so admittedly bland and unappealing. I love including a wide range of colors in my meals. With fruits and vegetables, this task is easy to accomplish. With a meat and potatoes diet… not so much. I love making roasted veggies because I can throw bite-size pieces of veggies into a pan, stick it in the oven, and then eat. Easy enough.

Italian Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of fresh vegetables, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp basil
• 1/2 Tbsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables in a pan

3. Put vegetables in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes.

4. Stir the veggies halfway through.

5. With five minutes remaining, add all spices and mix well in the pan.Return pan to oven until timer is up.

Chinese Food Without Hair In It

We all know it’s tempting to get Chinese take out on a daily basis. The Chinese restaurant kitchens are squeaky clean, no one ever messes up your order, the vegetarian menu is strictly vegetarian, and the food is always hair-free. Oh, AND they never put MSG in your food. So why make it at home?

Well, because of sarcasm. That is why. However, making it at home can prove to be a challenge because it never seems to taste like the real thing. I’ve done enough failed experiments on Chinese…. Chinese FOOD, I should say… to know that it takes some extra effort to get it right. Here is a recipe that seems to work. I left out the MSG, fish sauces and oyster sauce. There might be some blonde hair though… you’re welcome.

Yields 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tofu block
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1.5 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 cups veggies (broccoli, carrots, celery, etc)
• 1.5 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/8 cup water

Directions:

Cut the tofu into squares and dry thoroughly between paper towels. Combine tofu and soy sauce. Let it marinate in a bowl while you prepare the garlic and onion.

Heat vegetable oil over high heat in a skillet. Add garlic and onion and cook for one minute.

Add tofu and cook covered for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add water, pepper and sugar. Stir then add vegetables into the skillet.

Boil ingredients together for 5 minutes.

Dissolve cornstarch in water. Stir into the boiling skillet. Cook until thick and no longer cloudy.

Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-and-chinese-vegetable-stir-fry/