vegan

This is the successful quinoa salad recipe I served to 25 people along with a baked potato bar last night.

I was amused when some people first thought it was couscous, but liked the quinoa better than they thought they would like the couscous. I was thrilled when one of the diners said she had bought some quinoa and had no idea what to do with it. (De ja vue of the eggplant.) She said she would definitely be making the salad. That's truly what Eat Like a Rabbit is all about--showing people how easy it is to make things that are healthy and that taste good.

Just for the record, I don't take credit for the idea. My friend, Kim, served it at her sister-in-law-to-be's baby shower a month back. I just took the recipe and made it easier. I hope you think so, too. I would also like to add that once again, I was complimented not necessarily for my own talents, but for the fact that I am "just like your mother" when it comes to being able to present a great meal (at a great price, I might add).

Recipe for Quinoa Salad

• 2 cups Quinoa, uncooked
• 1 lb. grape tomatoes, halved
• 4 banana peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
• 3/4 can black olives, sliced
• 1 cup Italian dressing (homemade or store-bought)

Cook quinoa according to package directions and chill. (Can be made a day or two in advance.) Combine quinoa and vegetables in large bowl folding gently with a large spatula. Pour salad dressing over quinoa. Stir gently. Serve immediately. To marinate, chill 1-2 hours after adding dressing.

Recipe for Italian Dressing

• 3/4 cup Olive oil
• 1/4 cup Lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion pwder
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley

Whisk ingredients together continuously while pouring over salad.

To make a really long story short, we misread our ticket and arrived only 40 minutes before our plane departed for Denver. Naturally, our bags didn't make it and we had to wait for the next plane from Orlando to deliver our clothes for the week and. . .more diapers. Paul did some research and found a vegetarian restaurant in downtown Denver where we could spend our time. Although the GPS took us an odd way through a not-so-nice area of town, we eventually got to Uptown and had no trouble parking near this amazing restaurant.

WaterCourse Foods is designed much like Dandelion CommuniTea Cafe with its re-purposed surroundings and more hippie wait staff who worked very hard to clean up tables quickly. We liked our waiter, Eric, who was very nice and knowledgeable--except for the fact that he told Paul the chili sauce was not hot.

Cost Per Person $13.25

Paul's sister and her husband, Elizabeth and Dag were in town this weekend visiting Nora, and we went to dinner at Seasons 52. (No one really wants to see us anymore. We understand.) The waiter was excellent. Very kind and gracious. And he really did the job his managers want him to do because he talked up the curry (originally made to be served with fish, but easily substituted out for tofu), which was a steeper-priced featured dish to the point where even though I don't like curry, I actually ordered it very willingly. Paul got the Market Vegetable Plate, and we switched dishes half way through the meal.

Truth be known, I was really sorry I had to share my curried tofu with Paul. I felt like I was on some of those lame commercials where one spouse hides food from the other. But in this case, I did my best to show true love and gave up half of my curry for my husband to enjoy. But, I emphasize "just half". I would be very happy if this item were always on the menu and would say it was well worth the additional price tag.

Cost Per Person $20.00

It was the end of the week. We were leaving the next day to see Paul's family. I hadn't bothered to grocery shop for the week knowing we would live on what we had since we would be away for a long weekend.

Then, Paul called to tell me he was bringing the boss home for lunch. Now, honestly this isn't so unusual. Paul's boss is female. And I've actually known her a little longer than Paul has, and not in a work environment. (And just for the record, our connections did not get him the job!) Some people might find such a relationship uncomfortable. But since Fely and I are such dominating and outgoing personalities, we get along famously and have no issues spending time together outside the office.

That being said, Fely and Paul spent the first part of their lunch break "test-driving" pianos at a "dealership" where Paul says they employ "used car salesmen." Paul thinks we need a piano for Nora. She needs the opportunity to play if she desires. I agree. Since Fely is an accomplished pianist, we asked her to help us chose a beautiful sounding instrument. Her insights were very valuable. The funny thing was that she went around the shop playing chopsticks so no one would know how well she did play. Otherwise, they would have been a good deal more pushy.

Two years ago, we had some leftover pomegranates and served this salad dressing with that fruit substituting the strawberries at Christmas. The rich color and flavor was fabulous. I remembered that recipe contained basil. When planning Dinner Club two weeks ago, I knew it would highlight our prolific basil. The dressing appeared to go over well. Fely even added it to her pasta. (I hope that didn't mean the pasta was bad.)

The light pink of the dressing was very feminine, and seemed more appropriate for a girl's luncheon, whereas the pomegranate was a rich red color that worked well at Christmas and for a mixed guest list. Also, the quality of the dressing depends highly on the quality of the strawberries. If the strawberries aren't tops, the dressing will not be as great a success. It was definitely easier to ensure a perfect flavor with the pomegranates.

With so much basil within our reach, it's such a great idea to have a homemade salad dressing to in which to use it. I'm just not sure this is the one.

Yesterday, we were invited to our friend Tim's birthday celebration at a park. I volunteered to bring a dessert to the potluck. The park was so beyond beautiful. It was a perfect spring day, which we were so lucky to have since it was the first day of spring! That being said, Paul's photo highlights the sunshine reflecting off of the plastic wrap instead of the beauty of the strawberry peaks.

My apologies to those who are reading this who ate the pie. They may feel gypped in a second. The recipe came from All Recipes.com and was a great success. The recipe for the crust is my mother's and can be found here.

So there was a bit of communication error and excitement last night when this meal was served that led to a photo only of the risotto and not of the salad. However, the salad is highly recommended, if you can be encouraged without a matching photo, make it while the strawberries are ripe. I'll be making it again myself and will be sure to include a photo next time.

The risotto recipe came from the March 2010 Bon Appetit and was really good. Because my father doesn't like eggs, I didn't use the dish as a "nest." Also, I didn't have the mushrooms and asparagus; and as I'm still in the "cleaning out" process, used what we had on hand. I chose green beans and corn to add to the carrots and onions. If I had it to again, I would not add the corn. It was quite sweet in comparison to the rest of the ingredients.

Remember just yesterday I mentioned that I would start sharing when I got to use the production from our container garden? Well, I got to garnish the risotto with our parsley. I was so proud!

Recipe for Strawberry Pecan Salad

Serves 4

• 1 head Living Lettuce
• 1/2 pound strawberries, halved
• 1 1/2 cups whole pecans
• 3/4 Tablespoon Agave Nectar
• 1/2 cup Asiago cheese, shredded
• 1/2 mini cucumber, sliced

Put agave nectar in small skillet and add pecans. Stir to coat. Toast nuts on medium heat, remove from heat and let cool. In large bowl add lettuce and arrange cucumbers and strawberries on top. Sprinkle with cooled pecans including any left over syrup. Top with cheese.

Use salad dressing link above, white balsamic vinegar, or skip the dressing completely!

What are your big plans for strawberry usage this spring?

Paul and I are sorry the photograph leaves a lot to be desired, and I promise it does not do the recipe justice.

During my last trimester, I think I did some pretty good shopping. One thing I crazily purchased (but Paul agreed to buy it!) was Organic Quinoa at Costco. Naturally, I can't find the receipt to tell you how much the giant bag cost, but aside from it taking up a good deal of space in the pantry, I've decided it's well worth it.

The quinoa itself is a bit time-consuming to cook. Boil water, watch for 15 minutes, fluff and cook for 5. it has a very earthy flavor and may be an acquired taste, but as I told my mother last night: When you find out something is good for you, you just have to make a commitment to make it work.

Peacefood Cafe was recommended to us by Leigh at Marvelous Kiddo. She certainly has good taste! We loved our experience at the restaurant. It was amazing that there was always a line for a table during our entire lunch. Maybe that doesn't mean much in crowded New York City. Still, I've always maintained the belief that people being willing to wait for a table is a good thing. The staff was very friendly, and I think the serving time for our meals was acceptable.

The restaurant has a nice selection of fancy teas, etc., but we were there for the food. Of course, a pregnant woman is always there for the food! And even more of course, everything on the menu sounded amazing. It was very hard to come to a decision. I finally settled on a sandwich with lots of fresh vegetables--including my favorite, sprouts! It came with some marinated vegetable sticks on the side. That just might have actually been my most favorite part on the plate. I was pretty sure it was jicama, but the server said it was yuca. Shrug. It really doesn't matter. It was yummy just the same.

Cost Per Person $12.00

I have a confession to make. I'm not as much of an adventurer when it comes to food as most people think. In fact, I'm really boring and conservative. So much so that I thought about adding to my New Year's Resolutions that I would try a new food every month or so, but was too chicken to do it. Well, maybe I should have added that resolution because already in one week I've tried two new foods! First were the cheese curds that I used in a recipe on Sunday. Then came the lentil stew pictured above. I based it on the gluten-free recipe from Lisa Hardinge, but couldn't follow it explicitly because I lacked potatoes, etc. As proud as I am of these successfully delicious creations, I cannot take all the credit. After all, I didn't go out and buy the items myself. The cheese curds were a gift from my aunt and uncle. The lentils were acquired when Paul's parents were here. I guess that means I still have a long way to go in the "adventurous" department.

Lentil and Rice Stew

• 2 cups cooked rice, I used a mixture of brown and red
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 cup lentils, uncooked
• 1 cup onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons McKay's Chicken-style (vegetarian) Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups water

In soup pot, warm olive oil and add onions. If the onions are frozen, they cook faster, so add the celery and carrots pretty quickly after the onions are coated in oil and warmed. Add the water mixed with the McKay's, then the lentils. Bring all to a boil, turn down to medium and simmer about 30 minutes. That's what it took for me, and they were still a little crunchy. Add the rice and warm through. Add less rice or more water for stew.

The sides are not gluten-free. Worthington Skallops are from a can and pan-fried in just a touch of oil to keep them from sticking. The biscuit recipe came from Smitten Kitten and tasted so good dipped in the broth.

Is your fridge nearly empty of all the goodies that you had around during the holidays? Are your plans to start the new year off afresh with new eating habits? What's your plan? Eat better? Eat healthier? Eat food that tastes better? Become a vegetarian? Become a vegan? Become a meat-eater? EatLikeaRabbit.net can help you with all of the above--except the meat-eater part. Unless what you read here doesn't sound appealing, I don't foresee helping you eat meat.

My husband and I are pretty picky. We only like to eat food that tastes good to us. We like lots of flavoring and seasoning (and up until last night had an herb garden in our back yard. Hopefully the frost didn't destroy everything.) But we also like to eat healthy foods. We love fresh fruits and vegetables and count ourselves lucky to live in Florida this time of year with great fresh citrus right down the road. Our goal is to Eat Well Vegetarian. We hope we can be a part of your routine for cooking and eating this year.

Good for Publix! They significantly lowered their prices on Sweet Potatoes this year in comparison to last year. They're on sale this week through Wednesday night (Dec. 23) for $0.29/lb. I know Walmart can beat this price at $0.25 and has already done so this season, but since we don't live near a Super Walmart, I'm grateful for the drop in Publix's prices. Paul came with me to the grocery store to assist in the purchasing process as we had lots to buy for the upcoming family visit. I told him to pick as many sweet potatoes as he wanted. We'd eat on 'em all week if we needed to. Well, he did. The little plastic bag you put produce in was overflowing and it busted on the poor bag lady at checkout. Just a warning if you plan on buying 11 sweet potatoes at once, split them up between bags or put them in a stronger plastic bag like what your groceries get bagged in at checkout. I was positively stunned that we paid only $2.08 for those 'taters. (No tax.)

So, what do you do with all those sweet potatoes? I have numerous ideas. However, since my on-your-feet time is limited, I'll be going for the easiest methods saving the more challenging work for my mother- and sister-in-law.

Our pictures from New York are up! They aren't all in order, though. Some pics from Paul's trip to San Francisco are mixed in. Simply click on a photo above to take you to Paul's flickr.com page.

One of my EMTs moved from New York about a year ago, and before we left for our trip, I asked her about a good bagel joint recommendation. She said she didn't have one--all bagels in New York are good.

My reading sources led me to Es-a-Bagel as being number one with H&H Bagel (where Paul visited with his sister after I had returned to record high temps in Florida) right behind. However, we weren't near either of those options. Instead, our hotel, was near Bagels and More at the corner of Lexington and 39th. We went there every morning and could not get enough of it. One night at 10:00, I wanted another one (the excuse, of course being the pregnancy), but they were closed. I also wanted to acquire a big bag of them to bring home with me, but alas, we ran out of time for that.

Cost Per Person $1.50

"Wasting" time before a concert that we were accidentally an hour early for thanks to the time change (and our not being diligent about changing all the clocks in our house) we took a side-trip to Whole Foods. We rarely shop at Whole Foods because a) of its reputation as "Whole Paycheck" and b) it really isn't near anywhere we go regularly. Strolling down one aisle just for kicks, we came across a few varieties of Joe's Oat's organic soy- and gluten-free burger mix. It was expensive. Over $1 a burger! But, we thought it would be worth a try because as I've mentioned before, we do know people with allergies to wheat and always appreciate knowing of delicious dinner alternatives. We also acquired some mini-pitas (whole wheat) from the bakery that were quite yummy and were a perfect size for the burgers.

The burgers themselves were really good. A big selling point is that I could read and even have in the average kitchen every ingredient on the list. Unfortunately, I thought the directions for cooking weren't very clear. It's definitely a good idea to read the entire label before starting the cooking process. Hot water is required. I don't recommend a broth because it adds additional sodium, but I can see adding some onion and garlic powder to the water. Also, I highly recommend greasing the skillet before cooking up the burgers.

Applesauce making had a few changes this year. I don't know for sure if it was better than last year. That was too long ago and the applesauce didn't last long then, either! But, I'm happy with the changes and will continue on with these improvements.

I added Smitten Kitchen's recipe for breakfast apple crisp to my recommended links about three weeks ago. The recipe was a use for my large batch of Michigan apples. Not surprisingly, it was amazingly good, and I'm happy to say I have a couple gallon bags full of already diced apples that I can whip this easy recipe up again and again over the next few months. I know another apple crisp will be top priority for breakfasts over the holidays.

One of the cool things about this recipe is the fact that it's actually meant to be served cold, which is a great time-saver on busy mornings. But at the same time, I heated some for trial and was in love with it, too. Turn this dish into a great dessert just by warming it and serving it with vanilla ice cream instead of eating it cold in a bowl with yogurt.

Cost Per Person $0.44

If you're in town on November 22 and are looking for people who feel as strongly about their vegan food as you do, take a look at this scheduled event for the day. It's called Thanksvegan, which is a clever name for a luncheon and games for the children focusing on being compassionate toward animals during a season that is often focused on gluttony and turkey or ham.

The following are some vegan or easy-to-make-vegan recipes that you might want to bring to share.

• Make Pesto without Parm to top the spaghetti squash.
• Especially if it's kinda warm, consider bringing a chilled drink like this fruit smoothie with spinach.
• Butternut squash risotto takes advantage of the in-season veggie.
• Remember, the last issue of Gourmet Magazine has some vegetarian/vegan recommendations for Thanksgiving dishes.

I got my November Gourmet Magazine this week. The fact that I found this edition meeting my vegetarian creativity needs head-on makes the receipt of this last issue of the famed 60-year-old magazine more distressing.

For the first time, I came across a vegan dish-Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake. There's even a complete menu for a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner. I'm intrigued by the carrot and beet soup that is made with water instead of chicken stock "so it's a delicious alternative to your vegetarian guests." And totally unrelated to Thanksgiving is the tempting pizza topped with yellow potatoes, yellow onions, and rosemary.

The November Gourmet will find itself being used often over the holidays and likely for many winters to follow. Might I suggest either researching some of the recipes on Gourmet.com or actually acquiring a copy of the mag at the newsstand? Keep in mind not all the recipes in the magazine are available online, and I am not sure I've seen all online recipes in the magazine. Do your research now as the website may not be available someday.

So long, Gourmet. What a fabulous finale!

I came across an interesting article in the Self Magazine from February 2009. Again, remember I read the magazines at the office during my lunch break. Because magazines travel to different consulting rooms and waiting rooms sometimes I am delayed in coming across interesting information.

The article entitled Veg Out! had some entertaining pictures and a scale of where some celebrities fall on the vegetarian spectrum. It also had some recipes, a list of reasons why you should not become a vegetarian (which I agreed with), and some health comparisons on the benefits and "pitfalls" of being a vegetarian.

Although it's a great read for new vegetarians who are learning details about their food choices, I was concerned about some of the facts in the article. Firstly, you will find few vegetarians who classify "flexitarians" as being vegetarian at all. In truth, it is not a definition about "not eating food without a face." It simply says meat is not a regular dietary item--either by choice or for another reason (economics, etc.). Some vegetarians get upset when meat-eaters claim to be vegetarians because meat isn't a daily part of their menu.

Well, my goal for putting that pound of spinach away in a week was not a success. Paul says my problem was that I never put enough spinach in the dishes. I also contribute part of the problem to not being home for two nights and running out of time in the mornings to make my smoothies the last four or five days. So, I'll be making myself a smoothie for breakfast in the morning and trying to come up with other ways to use the spinach up as quickly as possible because I know it's good for me, and I don't want it to go to waste. Stay tuned for photographs and recipes to go with my spinach creations for the week.

The sauteed spinach photographed was served with my butternut squash soup, which I was very proud of. You can tell that even though the pan was filled with raw spinach, it cooks down a lot. If you're serving a large number of guests, get a big skillet.

While out with my mom one Friday, we stopped at a bookstore and ran into our pastor's wife. She asked us if we wanted to join her for lunch and recommended a health-food store like Whole Foods called Chamberlin's. I'd never been there before, but I once heard a patient rave about their yogurt. I was excited to give it a shot, but was saddened to learn that they no longer offered frozen yogurt.

The salad bar looked really good, but some reason (possibly the price) deterred me, and I went for a sandwich. My mom ordered the vegan chicken pot pie, and we split the pie and the sandwich. I think we both preferred the sandwich over the pot pie.

I was really impressed by the freshness of the tomatoes and cucumbers off of the salad bar that went into my sandwich. I also thought the way they sliced the top off of the pita bread was interesting. It was the first hummus I had had since being pregnant, and it was very good. The tabouleh seemed a bit strange because I had never seen a recipe with bell peppers in it. I don't think it was bad at all. In fact, with the veggies and hummus it was very good. I just didn't expect it.

These bars were a gift from some friends as a trade-off for helping review their website for usability. I was happy to learn Costco carries these bars because I used to get the little bite-sized squares by Mrs. May's of crunchy peanuts and dried strawberries. They were so good. These bars are just as delightful and just as crunchy. I had a strawberry one when Paul had the blueberry one pictured above. Also, there is a cranberry and tropical variety.

One of the greatest things about this bar is the short list of mostly healthy, natural ingredients (How do you feel about "Evaporated Cane Juice?") that seem to pack lots of nutrients into such a small bar. Iron is 10%, Calcium 6%, Fiber 3g and Protein 6g. If you're looking for a tasty nutrition bar to replace, say, SoyJoy this just might be what you're looking.

Just like when I was little, there are tons of kids who refuse to eat meat because they do not like it. And then, there's the independent fourth-graders who learn something in school and decide they don't want to eat meat any more. The following article is a "Tweet" by Whole Foods Market with a link to Delicious Living Magazine. The recommended protein count per weight for age is a really helpful guideline, and the last paragraph about teaching children manners when discussing their food choice is wise and often a point parents don't realize they need to consider until it's. . .maybe too late.

I just met Lisa when we were in Spokane for the Bloomsday Race. Brent and Paul have been friends for years, and Brent has visited on occasion. But even for our wedding, Brent came alone while Lisa managed the household and two great kids. I was excited to finally get to meet Lisa. And I was exceptionally grateful for all she taught me about a kitchen and thinking outside my traditional cookbooks. She has generously shared the recipes to go with the photos Paul took while we were spending the weekend with our friends, and they will make a great little series for Eat Like a Rabbit.

Lisa requires a gluten-free diet. And just like so many other allergies or other issues, many people (including myself) often focus on the can'ts instead of on the cans. Lisa taught me that planning and an open mind can make life in a restricted kitchen easy to manage.

Incidentally, I haven't seen pictures, but I get the feeling Brent and Lisa's garden is bigger than ours. I think they are so lucky!

Thank you, Brent, Lisa, Kyle, and Elena for your hospitality and for sharing these fantastic recipes with me and with EatLikeaRabbit.net readers.

Red Lentil Soup by Lisa Hardinge

Saute on Medium Heat

• 2 large onions, chopped
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 8 tablespoons olive oil (or less)

Add

• 3 cups red lentils, rinsed
• 3 tablespoons McKay's chicken- style seasoning
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon basil
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• 1 large can tomato sauce, 14.5 oz.
• 10 cups water

Heat to boil. Simmer on medium heat up to 45 minutes, stirring regularly.

NOTE: Can substitute 2 tbsp. dill weed and 3 cubes vegetable bullion for seasoning.

These are pictures of our lunch visit with Tim and Magally Putt to Ethos Vegan Kitchen. Paul and I shared the vegetable lasagna and a 10" pizza. Tim and Magally shared the vegetable lasagna and a black bean burger. Tim said the sandwich was twice the size of the lasagna but half the price.

Paul says I have written too much about stuff not tied into vegetarian cooking. Perhaps he's right, but blogging is an easy way to keep track of a diary of my trip--with and without food. Anyway, we were busy little travelers, and that yielded little opportunity to visit all of the restaurants on our list. We were sorry about that, but we were only able to eat three meals a day because French restaurants keep strict lunch and dinner hours.

I learned about Grom during my pre-Paris meal researching online from David Lebovitz, a popular reviewer of Paris dining. True to recommendations and reviews, Grom was beyond fantastic.

At the corner of Rue Vieille du Temple and Rue des Rosiers is a restaurant with attached street stand painted in red that boasts "Best Falafel in the World." A block down the road at 34, Rue Rosiers, 75004 Paris, is another restaurant with a street stand painted in green and another message saying "Best Falafel in the World." Read a few reviews in English and in French for each restaurant and you'll see.

Paul and I worked Wednesday morning, and we got home and met my folks in time to drive to the airport and leave the car at "The Parking Spot" where Paul gets a Florida Hospital discount. Mom, Dad, and I had been sick over the weekend, which slowed us down. We had to pass through the "medications" security scanner because of our collection of cough medicines, nasal sprays, etc. Fortunately, there was little delay. We easily flew the Orlando to Atlanta run with only complaints about unbalanced ear pressure and the great discomfort it caused.

In honor of Mardi Gras, which is big where I come from, I am sharing my mother's famed Gumbo recipe. Not only is it vegetarian, it is also vegan. It's almost a contraindication for us to say that we are Cajun (especially my mom who is 100% so), but are vegetarians. There is an old joke that says a momma lobster and her baby were walking one day and the baby was scared of a cow and an alligator and an owl, but the mother assured the baby that it was safe from those animals. However, the momma saw a Cajun and yelled "Run!" The baby asked why and the momma said "That's a Cajun, and they'll eat anything!" That being said, my mother created a gumbo recipe that would not make lobsters nervous.