Onions and G-BOMBS in October

Mihani

Meals sound great Austin!

Sorry to hear you're having a rough time Donna. I wonder if the stress and anxiety for your sister and BIL is part of it.

Rough day at work so I'm falling back on a plantpure frozen entree since I got home rather late. I ordered a bunch of them on special so when I have no time or inclination to cook I have something compliant to heat and eat. The couple I've tried were not bad, and since they are Dr. Esselstyn they are nutritarian although probably too high in starches to be strict 6 week plan. I really hope to get some time in November to do a real marathon weekend of cooking and freezing my own dishes though.

mizmichele

Indulged this weekend in vegan junk food. It was my birthday and we went out a lot. Today is day 2 on Fuhrmans 10 in 20 and so far so good. I'm logging my meals for the entire day the day before so I stick to it. So far so good.

AustinRuadhain

Go @mizmichele go!
It sounds like you had a great birthday.
I don't have a copy of 10 in 20, but suspect I am eating according to that plan (I am using Eat to Live plus his one of his cookbooks, and choosing conservatively.

My day:
B: smoothie - cashew milk, frozen spinach (large helping), blueberries (small helping), chia seeds
L: big (1 lb or so) salad: romaine, green cabbage, red onion, grape tomatoes, a mandarin orange
D (planned): red lentil, carrot onion and spinach soup

mizmichele

Austin that sounds so yummy.

Mihani

Happy belated birthday Michele!

Austin, did you create your own take on the red lentil kale soup? It sounds good.

I have dinner out tomorrow which will include a glass or two of wine, and dinner and a concert on Friday which will include a glass or two of wine. I can't remember the last time I had plans two consecutive nights. I am not particularly happy about it, but it really is good for me to get out and do something besides work. I'm trying to get a little of my life back lately.

This has not been a stellar ETL kind of week for me. Lots of veggies, but I've been tired and cranky and indulging in pretzels at work. I am going to give the Hello Nutritarian power prep plan a try this weekend, although I may do the simple plan to start with. I don't know if I have time or patience for the full menu just yet, and I have a lot of other things to get done this weekend. It sounds lovely to have the whole week mapped out and pre-prepped and know it's 100% on the 6 week plan. I bought the original version months ago so I got the upgraded new version a couple weeks ago for free, but I've still never actually tried it.

AustinRuadhain

Hi @Mihani ! This was my own take on red lentil soup. I used sweet onions (what I had handy), spinach instead of kale, and low key spicing (just Bragg's aminos and a bit of Mrs Dash chipotle). I will make the OhSheGlows version next time!

AustinRuadhain

So, I love to cook. (I think that's helpful if doing ETL!) I was looking into "sheet pan dinners," and came across the VeganCoach website, and thought I would share. Anyway, I may try a sheet pan ratatouille tonight. I have an eggplant I need to cook. Here's VeganCoach on roasting vegetables with no oil.

Also, my either odd or inspired addition to my green smoothie today was coffee. I needed more liquid after having added a bunch of spinach. I like the flavor. Your mileage may vary, but throwing the idea out there.

Carla_wfpb

Happy Birthday, Michele!

Loving to cook sure would help with ETL Austin. I tolerate cooking. My husband and I do it together and that helps.

The fiber festival over the weekend was fantastic. My dye class with master dyer and spinner Judith MacKenzie was inspiring. On the last day my friend and I went over to see the animals. Joe and I are thinking about getting a few to have as pets on our acreage. The Shetland sheep are adorable, sweet, hearty and suited to our area. yay! Then to top things off, on the last day someone was grooming a Llama and I was able to pet her neck (incredibly soft) when she stretched out and brushed her face right up against mine. A llama kiss! On our drive back home I got a call saying I won the last day's draw for $50 (but the llama kiss was better. made my day)

Joe and I are going to batch one of our favorite meal plans this weekend for the coming week. (We purchased Clean Food Dirty Girl meal plans for many months and now have 2 big binders full of weekly menus). I won't be 100% ETL, but it is no oil, whole food plant based and it is something we can stick to and enjoy once we get back into the swing of things.

Here are some cutie Shetlands from the festival

Mihani

Awwww, Carla ... cute little sheep!!! Good luck with your prep this weekend.

I like Vegan Coach too, Austin. I love roasted veggies, planning a batch today. I love to cook too, but work has been so crazy that my enthusiasm has waned over the past year or so.

After review of the Hello Nutritarian menu plan I am just not ready to do that much cooking. I am going to do my usual. Wash and prep lettuce and veggies for salads, batch of E2 hummus for dressing, roast some veggies, clean and chop greens to saute through the week, a couple types of lentil based soups, some potatoes and quinoa or brown rice. That gets me through the week and I am so used to doing it that I can get it all done in a couple hours. I'll have oatmeal for breakfast if I want it, but I don't generally eat breakfast these days. I am going to try the Hello Nutritarian recipe for balsamic roasted mushrooms. I usually roast them with a bit of coconut aminos and spices. I always seem to slack on the mushrooms. I hate cleaning the darn things.

AustinRuadhain

Balsamic roasted mushrooms sound fabulous! I found a recipe and am going to dry it (minus the oil). If it's good, this might be a good Thanksgiving option!

https://eatthegains.com/balsamic-roasted-mushrooms/

Mihani

I still haven't finished all my prep. Has been a rough few days. I had my 16 year old kitty put down yesterday. I will finish tonight I hope, but at least I have salads ready to go.

Austin, that recipe looks good. I like the addition of fresh parsley. I will do that. I like rosemary on my mushrooms too.

Carla_wfpb

So sorry about your kitty, Mihani. Hang in there.

I didn't do my batching last weekend as planned. Always ends up being a total disaster when I don't prepare. I came across a vegan Indian cookbook we used to use a lot. I'm thinking of revisiting some of those recipes in the hopes of getting inspired.

My favorite Thanksgiving recipe is a festive tart. It is like a whole thanksgiving feast in one dish. I made up a mushroom gravy to go overtop. It is a big hit with non vegans too.

Festive Chickpea Tart (plantpoweredkitchen.com)

Servings: Serves 4-5

Ingredients:
1-2 tbsp water:
1 cup onion diced
1/2 cup celery diced
4-5 medium-large garlic cloves minced
1 ⁄4 tsp sea salt
Few pinches freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chickpeas reserve 1/3 cup
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp tamari
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup walnuts toasted
1/3 cup rolled oats optional, see note
1 - 10 oz pckg frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed to remove excess water (about 1 cup after squeezing)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme chopped (or 1 tsp dried thyme added to puree)
1 prepared whole-wheat pastry pie crust thawed (see note)
1 tsp tamari
2 tbsp walnuts chopped (for topping, no need to toast beforehand)

Steps
Add water, onion, celery, garlic, salt and pepper in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 9-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and turning golden. In a food processor, add chickpeas (except reserved 1/3 cup), lemon juice, tamari, sage, salt, and sautéed mixture, and partially puree (not fully like hummus, but leaving some chunkier consistency). Add toasted walnuts and oats, and briefly pulse to lightly break up nuts. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in spinach, cranberries, parsley, thyme, and reserved chickpeas. Transfer mixture to pie shell (or lightly oiled pie plate, see note), smoothing to evenly distribute. Brush tamari over top. Sprinkle on walnuts. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until tart is golden on edges and top. Cool 5-10 minutes, then serve with cranberry sauce, a spoon drizzling of oil/balsamic vinegar slurry, or other sauce of choice. Serves 4-5.

Note: The rolled oats, while lending some structure to the tart, can easily be omitted.
Note: This tart can be made without the pastry crust, if needed. Do not over bake as tart will tend to dry out without a crust.

AustinRuadhain

@Mihani - I am so, so sorry about your kitty.

@Carla_wfpb - Thank you! I will try this! (minus the crust and oats, as a start)
I found a mushroom gravy recipe that looks good: https://hellonutritarian.com/nutritarian-mushroom-gravy/

Mihani

Carla, that's one of my favorite recipes from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan. Dreena is more on the no oil road now, but I have loved every recipe I've ever tried from that earlier cookbook. The Mac Oh Geeze is my favorite comfort food. I should make the chickpea tart for Thanksgiving again. Haven't made it for several years.

Austin did you try the mushrooms? The balsamic roasted mushrooms from Hello Nutritarian are SOOO good. Have been snacking on them and had a big scoop on my lunch salad. I put my own spin on them with spices, but I will be making them a lot from here on. I always have trouble getting the M in the GBOMBS.

Thanks for the well wishes on kitty. He was a very cool little guy and I miss him, but I know he's not sick and in pain now so I'm okay.

Mihani

Just realized it wasn't Eat Drink & Be Vegan, it's Let Them Eat Vegan!