Tofu Scramble

Personally, I can eat a bowl of oatmeal every morning and not get tired of it. But for those of you who are more into scrambled eggs or breakfast tacos, this is a vegan alternative for you. First off, let me say that I think people are too harsh on soy products. I am completely aware that soy is one of the highest genetically modified products, which I think scares a lot of people away. Also, there's some weird myth that soy makes you more feminine (I think you know what I'm talking about). So many people try to be like, "I can't believe you eat soy, it's so bad for you." 


1. Soy is in almost EVERYTHING. If it's processed, there is soy in it. There is soy in Oreos. There is soy in pre-made cake / brownie / cookie mixes. There is soy in almost all of the bread you buy. There is soy in cereal. There is soy in taco seasoning. There is soy in CHOCOLATE. If it's processed, there is a 98% chance that there is a derivative of soy in it. 

So it kind of annoys me when people say they don't eat soy and that I shouldn't be eating it, but in reality they probably are eating it everyday without realizing it. Next time you go to the store, read the ingredients on the back. Look for names like "soy lecithin," "soy protein isolate," "diglyceride," "monoglyceride," "textures vegetable protein (TVP)," and others. 

2. I personally believe that if you buy 100% organic, non-GMO certified (by the Non-GMO Project) that it is perfectly O.K. to eat soy. I look for this stamp of approval:

I think the main take away here is to research information for yourself. Don't believe that something is good / bad for you just because that's what someone told you. And that goes for what I say too. Don't just take my word for it. Look it up for yourself using credible sources. 

Ok, so now that I got that off my chest, let's get goin' with the recipe.

What you need:

1 package of organic, extra firm tofu
half red onion
bell pepper
zucchini
kale
tomatoes
mushrooms
(any veggie you want really)
cumin
turmeric
garlic


Method:

Slice up the onion and bell pepper and get it on your skillet (med-high)
While you're waiting for it to soften, open the package of tofu and drain out the water.
I then place the block of tofu on a paper towel to absorb some of the excess water.
Slice up the veggies you want and get them on the skillet
Using your hands, just crumble the tofu into the skillet and stir into the veggies.
Add you spices. I do a lot of cumin and just a little turmeric.

Once the vegetables are soft, you're ready to go. 
Add some salsa and wrap it in a tortilla for a breakfast taco.

If you would like to check out which products have received the stamp of approval from the non-GMO project, go to www.nongmoproject.org

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Benefits of Juicing

Juicing isn't really a new concept for most people, but I just want to talk about why it is so important and beneficial. First of all, I think we can agree that Americans in general do not consume nearly as many fruits and vegetables daily as they should. It's actually been estimated that the average American only consumes 5% of their caloric intake from fresh fruits and vegetables. That is scary. 

The great thing about juicing fruits and vegetables is that you are able to get the micronutrients digested into your body at a more rapid rate than to just eating the foods themselves. Another benefit is the large amount of vegetables you can consume in one juice. It would be pretty difficult to sit there and eat a giant bushel of kale, 3 carrots, 2 apples, a whole cucumber, and a ginger root. But if you juiced it, ba bam! So easy. It's just a great way to jam-pack nutrients into your body. 

The following paragraph is from www.rebootwithjoe.com

How does it work? Juicing removes the insoluble fiber from vegetables and fruits. While fiber is an established, important part of an overall healthy diet, removing the insoluble fiber allows for increased absorption of specific health promoting phytonutrients including enzymes, while the soluble fiber persists into the juice.  By removing the fibers and consuming fruits and vegetables in liquid form, we are providing a nutrient delivery system to our bodies that allows individuals who would otherwise have difficulty consuming whole vegetables, the opportunity to reap the numerous benefits vegetables have to offer.

Of course fiber is still important, so you couldn't juice for the rest of your life. But it is a great way to boost your immune system and clear your body of toxins. 

Juicing can (among other things): 

• Improve sleep
• Clear skin
• Help with weight loss
• Eliminate migraines
• Help get you off your medication

If you've never seen the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, I highly recommend you to check it out. I copied the synopsis from the website:

100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well— with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind. FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health.

With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long- term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself. He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle....

(click here to read the rest and watch the trailer) 

I started juicing a lot lately (especially after watching the documentary) and it has been really fun for me. I like to experiment with different fruit/vegetables combinations and even with spices like curry and ginger.

You'd be surprised at how full you feel after a juice. I didn't need to eat anything with it. It can even just be a meal replacement if you're in a rush or you just don't feel like cooking!

For the orange glass, I just did mostly carrots with a few slices of apple, and then I actually dumped some curry powder in there. (Um, yum!)

The green juice is made of kale, cucumber, apple, lemon, and ginger. I know juicing kale sounds gross, but as long as you pair it with something sweet (like I did with an apple) then I promise you will hardly taste it. But I highly recommend using dinosaur kale instead of the regular kale. Seems to work a lot better.

Please, please try it! And let me know how it goes. I would love y'all to give me your own juicing recipes to try for myself. My next juice is going to involve beets!

If you want to buy a juicer, I've provided some links below of juicers in various prices.

Walmart
Walmart
Amazon
Target
Overstock

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Raw Burrito Wraps

I'm fairly new to the concept of a raw vegan diet, but lately I have been experimenting with it. If you aren't familiar with a raw foods diet, basically it means that you don't cook anything. It's all raw forms of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Sounds crazy, huh? Or perhaps it sounds incredibly boring. Trust me, I thought the same thing. But I have been looking into it quite a bit, and I have been completely amazed. I just imagined salad after salad after salad, or just chewing on a carrot every meal. But I was sooo wrong. A raw food diet could almost be considered an art. Some of the recipes and blogs and restaurants I have discovered have just completely blown my mind, and made me feel like I knew nothing about food and what you can do with it.

Now, I'm not saying that I'm headed towards 100% raw vegan, but I have been incorporating it into my life. At this point in time I eat raw vegetables and fruits in between meals for a snack, but also I have been consuming raw meals just a few times a week. Juicing is also a great way to get nutrients from the raw. 

So, I present to you the raw burrito wrap. I wish I could say that this was my own brain child, but I must give credit where credit is due. I discovered this recipe from thisrawsomeveganlife.com. If you would like to be adventurous, check out her blog. It is seriously amazing...I read it quite often. Click here for the recipe!

Raw Burrito Wraps

Have you ever tried eating raw? Or would you try it?

Leave a comment below!

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What Vegans Eat for Breakfast: Oatmeal Bowl

A pretty common question I get is, "What does a vegan eat for breakfast?!" Although there are many breakfast options, I'm a sucker for a good oatmeal recipe. I eat oatmeal every morning, and I never get tired of it. Mainly because there are so many different ways to change it up to keep it from getting boring. So, here is my typical everyday oatmeal bowl recipe. I will post more recipes involving oatmeal soon!

What you need:

1/2 to 1 cup Old Fashion Rolled Oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 ripe banana
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 (or more) sliced strawberries
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans here. Sometimes I used walnuts or almonds)
2 tbsp hemp hearts
2 tbsp chia seeds
1-2 tbsp ground flax seed
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (optional)
cinnamon

Method:

Put the oats in a small pot and add water. (I find that if I am cooking on a gas stove I need more water, but on an electric stove I need less.)
Once the oatmeal has absorbed all the water, pour into a bowl.
Smash your banana until it makes a smooth paste-like substance. Stir into the oatmeal.
Add everything else!
The almond milk is optional. After adding all the flax/chia/hemp seeds, it can become extremely dry. The almond milk works great to make it creamy again.

I love adding smashed banana to my oatmeal because it makes it perfectly sweet without having to add any sweeteners or sugar.

Some days I'll be craving some chocolate, so I will put some raw cacao powder in my oatmeal with a whole smashed banana. You can even throw in some peanut butter and you would have a little Reese's peanut butter cup theme going.

Independence Week Round-up: Brownie Kabobs & Cheezecake

The Fourth of July holiday time was too busy for me to blog, so I will sum it up in one post. The holiday was expanded into an entire week for my family which was a lot of fun. 

My family and I drove down to my grandma's house for our family get-together on the 3rd, and I brought a couple dishes along with me. (Usually to make sure that I get to eat desert also :D)

Black Bean Brownie Kabobs

For the brownies (adopted from chocolatecoveredkatie.com):

2 15oz cans of black beans (no ingredients added)
4 tbsp. cocoa powder (no sugar added)
1 cup of dry oats (quick oats work the best, but old fashion is fine as well)
2/3 cup of agave nectar or maple syrup
4 tbsp of coconut sugar (or just add more agave/syrup)
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/4 cup of applesauce (no sugar added)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp + 1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup + 1/3 cup of dairy free chocolate chips (not optional!)

Icing:
Vegan cream cheese
lemon juice
maple syrup
powdered sugar

For the kabobs:
Kabob sticks
Strawberries
Blueberries

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Blend all the ingredients except the chocolate chips into a blender or food processor. Then stir in the chocolate chips in with a spoon. Place in the oven and bake for about 25 min. When the timer goes off I usually just poke the center with a fork, and if it comes out clean then it's done. Otherwise keep it in for about 2-3 minutes longer.

 Once the brownies are done, let them cool off and sit for awhile.

Next, make the icing by adding all the ingredients into a food processor. Pour into a bowl and put it in the fridge until it thickens.

Once the icing has thickened, I spread it on each brownie piece. Then I just began loading each kabob! 

They were a big hit with the kids! (And adults too)

 

 

That night I had also made another desert, which was a raw vegan "cheesecake."

Star-Spangled Cheezecake (adopted from keyingredient.com)

What you need:

2 cups macadamia nuts

1 1/2 cups cashews

1/2 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup shredded coconut

6 tbsp melted coconut oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1/3 cup agave nectar or maple syrup

1 tbsp vanilla extract

6 tbsp water

berries for decoration

Method:

Soak the macadamia nuts and cashews in water overnight or at least 5 hours. (Pain in the butt, I know.)

Blend the macadamia nuts and dates in a food processor until it becomes crumb-like.

Sprinkle the shredded coconut flakes onto about an 8-inch dish.

Dump the macadamia mixture onto the dish and smash down with your fingers until it's evenly dispersed.

 Next, drain the cashews and put in the food processor/blender along with the coconut oil, agave/syrup, lime juice, and vanilla extract until it becomes creamy. Add the water to help.

Pour the mixture over the crust, spreading evenly.

Freeze for at least 2 hours.

Once frozen, add the berries and you're good to go!

*Serve immediately. It melts quickly!

I also made this same dish for Mother's Day, and it was a big hit! However, I think I will keep experimenting with difference raw cheesecake recipes until I find the perfect one.

 

Other meals from the week:

Eating Out: Spiral Diner & Bakery

This past week my brother and I stayed with my aunt in Austin for a week to help around the house, and spend some time with my cousins. On Saturday we then had to go up to the Fort Worth area to attend a wedding reception for our friend Amy. With both the reception and the hotel's food choices being a bit limiting for my vegan diet, I was desperate for some good vegan food. I knew there just HAD to be some place in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area that we could scope out before we drive back to Houston. And man, did I find a good one. It was called Spiral Diner & Bakery. This restaurant is 100% vegan–not a single animal product available. So it just makes it that much easier, and exciting, to order because I know that I can eat anything!

My brother refused to get out of the way of this picture.

The inside was legit, but we decided to eat outside since the weather was so nice!

Nacho Supremo, aka DA BOMB

Cowboy Burger

Gluten-free burger with a nut-based patty

Protein Platter

Jamaican BBQ Sandwich (mine)

Homemade Peanut Butter Cup

Raw Chocolate Carrot Cake

 

 We also had several milkshakes as well, but we scarfed them down too quickly for me to snap a picture. They were delicious!

I really enjoyed eating here. I have never had such a difficult time ordering...there were just so many choices! They had tons of wraps/burritos, burgers, salads, sandwiches, and even pasta! I can't wait to go back and try something else.

Misconceptions About Protein in a Plant-Based Diet

When people find out that I eat a plant-based diet, the first question is always the same: "What do you eat for protein?!" I try my best to hide my irritation, because I know that it's not completely their fault for automatically thinking that way. For decades we are reminded by the meat industry about the importance of protein in our diet–which it is, just not from animals.

I feel that most of the time I struggle with the best wording to explain to facts in an effective way, so I am going to give you the information straight from the source. The following is from the book My Beef With Meat: The Healthiest Argument for Eating a Plant-Strong Diet by Rip Esselstyn. He is a fireman at the fire department in Austin, TX, and a big spokesman for a plant-based diet. 

Meat eaters throw a lot of false facts at you, but maybe the most common one is this: You can't get enough protein eating plants.

Puh-leeeeeeeeze! Stop this nonsense!! There is no such thing as protein deficiency in the United States. How many people do you know who were hospitalized for a protein deficiency? Zero! Now, how many people do you know who were hospitalized for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or obesity-related ailments? Probably lots.

In fact, the majority of Americans are walking around in a state of protein overload–and it's a little wonder. We live in a country that is head over heels in love with anything that smells of protein. We've been so hoodwinked and bamboozled by the meat, milk, and egg industries that the majority of people, including well-meaning but misinformed doctors and nutritionists, haven't a clue that the best and most healthful sources of protein come from whole plants.

Yes, plants! So take a seat, because we're about to get real about protein. Let me start by giving you an analogy. If you are breathing air, you're probably pretty confident you're getting enough oxygen. Air is 21 percent oxygen and 79 percent nitrogen–but you're not overly worried about getting enough oxygen. As long as your lungs are taking in air, you're a happy camper and figure you're in good shape.

Now think about food and protein. If you're eating food, it doesn't really matter which foods you're eating–as long as you're taking in enough calories, you can pretty much rest assured you're also getting enough protein. Yes, protein is of prime importance, and is the most plentiful substance in the body besides water–but that doesn't mean eating more of it is better for you.

Many authorities, including the World Health Organization, recommend that protein should make up at least 10 percent of total calories in the human diet. The crazy thing is that most of us are getting much more than we need in terms of protein and calories.

In addition, because most Americans eat so much meat and so few whole, plant-based foods from an unfriendly source, namely animal protein. And animal protein is bad for our bones, creates an inflammatory state in our bodies, increases the risk of tumor development, raises cholesterol levels, and is hard on the liver and kidneys.

For healthy individuals, the World Health Organization recommends the following formula to calculate your daily protein requirement: (0.8 grams) x (your ideal body weight in kilograms) = protein in grams. So, for a 175-pound guy like me using the above formula I should be getting 64 grams of protein per day. This is an absolute snap!

So instead of relying on a third-class version of protein, why not go to the mother source–healthful and healing plants. Lets look at the amount of protein found in plant-based foods, so you can feel confident you're getting all the protein you need from eating them.

Twenty-five percent of the calories in your average vegetable come from protein–with many leafy green vegetables boasting as much as 50 percent! Your average bean contains 25 percent protein–soybeans as much as 40 percent. Your average bean contains 25 percent protein–soybeans as much as 40 percent. Your average whole gran contains 12 percent protein–quinoa as much as 18 percent. And even your average fruit contains well over 5 percent–lemons as much as 15 percent. So take those lemons and make lemonade!

 In fact, protein deficiency is so rare that I have never found a single person who knows the name of the medical condition that results from a serious lack of it in the diet. Not one person. What is the word? The answer is on page 18. (The word is kwashiorkor.)

The only two ways to blow it with protein are (1) not consuming enough calories to maintain a healthy weight, and (2) eating mostly foods that are high in fat and sugar (the chips, donuts, French-fries-and-soda-pop diet). If you're eating an unprocessed plant-strong diet while keeping a healthy weight, you're covered!



The second big and widespread misconception about protein is that plant proteins are somehow not "complete."

This one's not only not factual, it's not even a smart opinion. It is a fallacy, based on outdated research that was weak to begin with. So when someone slips this myth into conversation, take a deep breath and set up for an overhead slam.

But first, lets look at the definition of proteins. Proteins are nutrients made up of one or more chains of amino acids, which are essential to the structure, function, and regulation of every cell in your body. In fact, proteins are the most plentiful substance in the human body besides water.

The nomenclature surrounding proteins is the first source of misinformation about them. Each protein chain contains twenty amino acids, eight of which (called essential amino acids) can be obtained only through food. Foods with all eight essential amino acids are known as "complete" proteins. These foods include various types of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, dairy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. Yes, you heard me: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds! The foods that you might sometimes hear called "incomplete" proteins aren't incomplete at all! In fact, the only incomplete protein in food comes from an animal-based source: gelatin.

Some people believe that they have to combine different plant-based foods to create "complete" proteins. This belief, called protein combining, was a theory initially put forward in the 1971 bestseller Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe. It quickly became one of the biggest myths in the dieting world. Ten years later, Lappe himself formally rescinded her position in the new edition of the SAME book: "In combating the myth that meat is the only way to get high-quality protein, I reinforced another myth. I gave the impression that in order to get enough protein without meat, considerable care was needed in choosing foods. Actually it is much easier than I thought."

By then, the damage had been done, but influential food-related organizations eventually began to come around. In 1988, for example, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also amended its position on plant-based proteins. The organization's most recent statement on vegetarianism galvanizes their previous support on plant proteins:

"Plant protein can meet protein requirements when a variety of plant foods is consumed and energy needs are met. Research indicates that an assortment of plant foods eaten over the course of each day can provide all essential amino acids and ensure adequate nitrogen retention and use in healthy adults; thus, complementary proteins do not need to be consumed at the same meal."

Translation: Don't sweat it! You can eat a plant-strong diet and get your protein groove on.

So here's the deal: Animal protein and plant protein are both complete. The difference is that the composition and proportion of the amino acids in the animal protein are higher in the sulfur-containing amino acids, which in excess may be harmful.

On the flip side, plant proteins have a healthier composition and balance of essential amino acids, one that has been elegantly balanced by nature in a way that inherently protects us from inflammation and tumor growth. In addition, plants come with added gifts such as fiber, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. All of which are sorely missing in meat.

So the next time someone questions you on the dangers of eating a plant-based diet that is "lacking" or "incomplete" in protein, let that person know that you have found the mother source of protein, and it's spelled P.L.A.N.T.S.!!
   

For more information, or if you want to check out the book for yourself, click on the picture to go to his website!