Okay, so I've been back in the kitchen full swing this past week and I can't wait to share my many successes with you guys. I wish I could post them all in a single post, but I need you guys to keep coming back for more, right?!
So far my vegan experience has been wonderful. Because I have fully committed, without any marginal room for errors, it makes it a whole lot easier to resist processed foods and desserts (seeing as most pastries, ice creams, frozen yogurts, cookies, etc contain both dairy milk, and eggs). That's not to say that you can't make your own tasty & healthy vegan desserts. My calorie count has naturally declined by excluding those rare high fat, high caloric desserts, that I'd very occasionally indulge in. I have also cut out cheese which was another food that I commonly threw in my salads and dishes that very quickly jumped up my calorie & fat counts. BUT with resisting all these foods and cutting out all meat I am super surprised to say that I have not missed any of this..at all. I have yet to feel hungry, tired, or have any crazy unbearable craving for any of the foods that I have cut out.
How can that be possible?
Well, I believe this is the case because with cutting that stuff out, I have upped my emphases on making sure I am getting enough of the things my body really needs and replaced those unnecessary calories with vital ones. Example: by cutting out even more processed foods has left me with no choice but to incorporated more fresh produce (as if I wasn't eating a lot already), so my body is very efficiently being fueled because of the body's natural ability to break down and utilize plant based foods. So as "extreme" as veganism sounds, it is actually very compatible and natural for the human body. And as I briefly mentioned in my previous post, getting enough plant based protein is high priority, since I do a lot of running and weight training. A no-brainer way to get your protein punch and a mouthful of flavor is beans and rice. Beans and Rice in unison makes a complete protein. So I threw together a concoction that is definitely a keeper. My kids cleaned their plates, and then kept asking for seconds and thirds as the night progressed. The Olympics had kept us all up past our bed time and as 10 o' clock was approaching we were heading downstairs to finally get the kids to bed and both kids start asking for their 3rd helping of rice. This might have been a tactic to try to stay up later, but either way they scarfed it down time and time again. It has a touch of heat to it but if my kids can handle it over and over, so can you!
Spicy black beans and rice
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
dried bay leaves (chopped or whole)- optional
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 c. brown rice (I used part brown, part wild)
2 (14 oz) cans of black beans (I used a Cuban variety) -drained and rinsed
1 or 2 (14 oz) cans of Rotelle diced tomatoes with green chile's-drained
3 c. vegetable broth
1 c. water
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Place oil, garlic, pepper, bay leaves, and cumin in large pot over medium-high heat and cook for about 8 minutes. (use 2 cans of rotelle for more spice, or stick to 1 for mild spice)
Stir in rice, black beans, rotelle, broth, water, vinegar, salt, & pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover with lid and reduce the heat to low. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes or until rice is tender. Eat it up!
You can replace the vegetable broth with all water, but the veggie broth just adds a little extra umph. To make my veggie broths I usually use "Better than bouillon organic vegetable base" found in a little 8 oz jar, and you just add 1 tsp of the base per 1 c. of water. It's delicious. I pretty much cook all my rice in this broth no matter what I'm making.
Stay tuned for more smoothie, spaghetti squash, chick pea salad, and snack recipes that I have experimented with this week!
Simply. Healthy. Nikki signing out.
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