Chipotle's Braised Tofu Sofrita

Today’s fast food idea is something totally new and exciting coming from Chipotle. If you haven’t heard about this fast food chains newest menu item, then you will love this. (:

Chipotle recently released the new Braised Tofu Sofrita, which they have advertised as being vegan.

In fact, they claim it is so delicious that both vegans and carnivores will unite to enjoy this dish.

The chain is using organic tofu from Hodo Soy, which they have shredded and cooked with varying peppers and spices.

I have yet to try one of these delicious looking creations, but I definitely plan to very soon & when I do I will definitely post a review to let you know what I think! (:

Have you tried this new Chipotle dish? Are you going to? 

As of now, this dish is not available everywhere so check out the Chipotle website to see if it is available in a restaurant near you! 

Join the conversation on facebook. 

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Update!!

SO, looking at the pictures on Chipotle's website were just too tempting. I gave in a went to my local restaurant. (: 

My usual order is the veggie bowl, but tonight I got the Sofrita Bowl. 

IT WAS DELICIOUS!! 

The Sofrita was spicy and the texture was the perfect touch to the vegetables  and beans in my bowl. 

Here is a close up of the Sofrita: 

Another exciting thing I learned in my Chipotle adventures is that the pinto beans are now being made with a new recipe that doesn't contain pork. 

This means that both the black beans and the pinto beans are now vegan! 

I fully recommend that you get yourself to a chipotle asap. (:

Vegan Mac & Cheese.

Tonight I’m going to share with you one of my favorite quick and vegan meal options. This one comes straight from the freezer isle, to the tune of macaroni and cheese.

This Amy's Mac & Cheese is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Cholesterol Free, Lactose Free, and Tree Nut Free. The noodles are made from rice flour and the cheese is Daiya. 

With just over 500 calories, 190 of which are from fat, and 8 grams of protein, this is truly a great meal starter. 

I love to pair this with some vegan chicken strips and a green vegetable, like steamed broccoli. 

I mean look how creamy & delicious that looks! How could any one not want to give this a try!?!

If you do try it out, leave a comment and let me know what you think!

As always, join the conversation on facebook.

Veggie Sandwich!

Today’s fast food option is another hit from Wendy’s. This vegetable sandwich isn’t actually on the menu, but rather something that is a special order.

What I Order: A premium toasted bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. No cheese. No mayonnaise.

This literally means you are getting a hamburger bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle.

Sometimes, I eat it just like that. Sometimes I bring my own vegan chicken patty or vegan hamburger with me and just grab the bun when I’m feeling lazy.  I’ve also added my own sauce to this sandwich as well.

Keep in mind that the new pretzel bun does contain milk, so if you are still transitioning, are a vegetarian, or for any other reason don’t mind milk as an ingredient; then you can certainly ask for a pretzel bun in lieu of the premium toasted bun.

If you are looking to make this a meal, checkout my post on Wendy's Hit The Spot Fries!

If you give this sandwich a try, let me know what you think!

As always, join us on facebook!

Enjoy!

Meatless Mondays: Mac & Bean Casserole!

Today’s Meatless Monday recipe is a filling and delicious casserole of sorts. It’s simple, quick, and perfect for an on the go dinner.

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Mac & Bean Casserole

Makes 4 large servings.

You will need:

A 2 quart microwaveable safe bowl

A spoon

A large strainer

Ingredients:

1 box of Elbow noodles

1 28 oz can of baked beans*

Directions:

1. Fill your bowl with water and your noodles.

2. Cook your noodles for 3 minutes and then stir. Repeat.

3. Cook for an additional 4 minutes, stir, and strain the noodles.

4. Mix the noodles with the beans, stir thoroughly, and microwave for another minute.

Enjoy!

**I use Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans

If you try this recipe, leave me a comment & let me know what you think!

As always,  join the conversation on facebook.

Halloween Witches Hats!

Today I am going to be sharing a sweet Halloween treat with you all. My mom and I have been making these since I was a little kid, and even as an adult I still think they are cute, delicious, and perfect for Halloween. (:

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Halloween Witches Hats

You will need:

A microwave safe bowl

A spoon, knife, and fork

Wax paper

Ingrediants:

Ritz Crackers

Bugles Original Chips

Ghirardellli Simi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Peanut Butter

Chocolate sprinkles

Directions:

1.  Count out the number of Ritz and Bugles needed. You will need one of each for each treat you are making. Make sure the Bugles are whole and unbroken for a better look.

2. Pour chocolate chips into you microwavable safe bowl ( I like to use a glass measuring cup) and melt them in the microwave until thoroughly melted. I usually try stirring them after ever 30 seconds.

3. Dip you Ritz and you Bugles into the chocolate one by one and use your fork to allow extra chocolate to drip off. Lay them out on wax paper and let them harden.  

4. When the chocolate has hardened, use your knife to put a small dollop of peanut butter on the middle of the Ritz and push a Bugle into the peanut butter.

5. Sprinkle your chocolate sprinkles into the peanut butter.

Enjoy!

If you try these out, leave a comment bellow and let me know what you think!

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Vegan Chili

Tonight’s recipe is going to use the Bocca Ground Crumbles that I talked about last night.

It’s great for throwing in a crock-pot on a cold morning, like this morning, and let it simmer all day.

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Vegan Chili

You will need:

A crock-pot

A ladle

Strainer

Ingredients:

1 can of light kidney beans

1 can of dark kidney beans

2 cans of tomato sauce

Chili Powder

1 bag of Bocca Ground Crumbles

Directions:

1. Open both cans of kidney beans, drain them, and pour them in your crock-pot.

2. Open the cans of tomato sauce and mix it in.

3. Add the desire amount of chili powder for your taste.

4. Mix in your desired amount of ground crumbles, adding more for the “meatier” you want your chili to be.

5. Let it cook in the crock-pot for 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.

Enjoy!

As always, if you try this recipe out make sure to comment below and let me know what you think!

Join us on facebook! 

Bocca Ground Crumbles

Tonight’s post is about one of my favorite meat substitutes, the Bocca Ground Crumbles. This is a substitute for ground beef; which can be used in tacos, pasta, chili, and so much more.

This ground ‘beef’ is made from soy and therefore it is naturally low in fat while being high in protein and in fiber.

In fact, in one serving (57 grams) there is 60 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 0 cholesterol, and 13 grams of protein.

Let’s compare that to 57 grams of lean 80/20 ground beef; which has 145 calories, 11.4 grams of fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, and 9.79 grams of protein.

I can’t wait to show you guys some great recipes in the weeks to come, so make sure that you pick up a bag next time you are at the store. (:

Meatless Monday: Sautéed Veggie Platter

Today’s Meatless Monday recipe is unique, in that I didn’t actually make it; but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

It’s not just a flash back to this 2007 commercial. 

I went away this weekend for a little R&R and quality time with my Mom. 

This morning, I was trying to pack up my stuff and check out and get back home in time for work SO I got food from the hotel restaurant, where they whipped up this delicious meal. 

As you can probably see, it's sautéed vegetables. This particular plate has tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, and potatoes; with a side of toast. 

This is something that you could easily recreate with whatever vegetables that you like. 

A great traveling tip, is to take some food essentials with you so that if somehow you can't find something to eat, you can have something with you. 

I packed a half a stick of Blue Bonnet Light and kept in our fridge, so I was able to butter my toast. :) 

If you try recreating this, let me know how it turns out! 

The Perfect Baked Potato

Yesterday, I shared with you two vegan butter substations that I love. Today's recipe is going to use one of those butters and tomorrow's recipe will use the other. Today's "recipe" is really more of a meal idea, but none the less it is delicious. 

As I told you yesterday, if I am eating my butter on something (as opposed to in something) I prefer Smart Balance Light with Flaxseed Oil. 

Today was a very busy day for me, after working 9 hours and then volunteering for another hour, I hadn't really thought about dinner and I didn't haven't anything planned. 

Luck for me, my wonderful parents had a plate waiting for me. :) 

I'm a big fan of sweet potatoes, especially cooked in the oven.

For the perfect baked potato (whether sweet or not) I cook 'em in my toaster oven for an hour. 

With this meal, I had grilled green beans and onions. 

This is a great example of a simple meal that is vegan and made complete by having a vegan butter substitute in the fridge. 

This is a great meal for someone transiting, because there are no mock products and it's simple; both of which are great! 

Hit the Spot Fries!

When I am looking for a quick snack, whether it be late night or while I’m out running errands, my go to fast food snack is the Natural Cut Sea Salt French Fries from Wendy’s.  They satisfy the need for something salty, they are quick, and they are cheap. It’s the snack food tri-fecta.

If you have never tried them, you definitely should. I like to eat mine with Sweet and Sour Sauce, but they are good plain or with catsup too!

 If you have tried them, do they hit the spot for you too? 

As always, check us out on facebook so you can keep up with our new posts. :) 

Creamy and Delicious Vegan Coleslaw

Since my secret is out and now my friends and family knows that I’ve been secretly giving them Vegenaise for several years, I figured that I might as well share a recipe with you guys!

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Creamy and Delicious Vegan Coleslaw

You will need:

Chopper (optional)

Large bowl

Spoon

Ingredients:

1 bag of coleslaw salad

Vegenaise

Salt

Pepper

Sugar

Directions:

1. Empty you bag of coleslaw into your bowl, and chop it until it it the consistency that you desire.

Note: I personally like my coleslaw chopped very fine, but this is simply my personal taste. Some people prefer coleslaw coarse, and in that case you may not need to chop it at all.

2. Add a small spoon full of Vegenaise and stir.

3. Continue to mix in Vegenaise until your coleslaw reaches the desired consistency. 

3. Mix in sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.

If you try this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know what you all think. (:

Enjoy!

Vegenaise, it's delicious and nutritious!

When I first became a Vegetarian and later when I became a Vegan, I was hesitant to try product substitutions because I was worried they wouldn’t taste exactly like the real things. It took me a while to venture out and be willing to try new things, but when I did I was surprised to find out how much I liked them.

A lot of these mock products taste so similar to the ‘real’ thing that you really can’t tell the difference.

One of my favorite mock products currently on the market it Vegenaise, which is a vegan alternative to mayonnaise that is made by a company called Follow Your Heart and available at most health food stores or grocery stores that carry vegan products.

Vegenaise comes in several different varieties including; original, soy free, grape seed oil, organic, and reduced fat.

This product has numerous health benefits, but I especially love that, because it contains no eggs, it is cholesterol free.

This is such a creamy and delicious dressing, that it is almost impossible to taste the difference. In fact, I’ve been substituting it in the place of mayonnaise in the dishes I take with me to group functions and family gatherings for years now and no one has yet to notice the difference.  

For more information, visit the Follow Your Heart website and make sure to add any of the five flavors of Vegenaise to your grocery-shopping list!

What is a Vegan!?! & A Little Introduction.

It always seems like the first conversation with someone, after they find out you are vegan, always goes the same. First they want to know what a vegan is. Then they want to know why. Finally they want to know how. These conversations usually end with an "I could never live with out cheese" or an "I could totally be vegan, as long as I could still eat chicken". The focus always seems to be on the short list of things that vegans don't eat, instead of the huge variety of foods that we can eat. 

Just to insure that we all start off on the same foot, I want to answer the what, the why, and the how. 

What does it mean to be vegan? 

To put it quite simply, being vegan simply means abstaining from animal products (meat) and their bi-products (milk, eggs, leather, etc..). 

Why do people go vegan?

There are two main reasons why people choose to be vegan:

1. Ethical Veganism

People who are vegan for ethical reasons object to the treatment of animals who are raised for food and other products, therefore they choose to abstain or boycott animal products and bi-products.

2. Veganism for Heath

People who recognize the heath benefits of cutting out animal products and therefore they abstain from animal products and bi-products. 

How do people go vegan?

What this question really means is: What can vegans eat?

When people think about a vegan diet they think about the few thinks that you have to cut out, instead of thinking about the huge variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, etc... that are available.  

I want to use this blog as a way to show people that eating vegan is easy, fast, convenient, and affordable. Therefore, I plan on posting recipes that are easy to understand with ingredients that would be found in the average household. Cooking doesn’t have to be a challenge, in fact I believe it only has to be as complicated as YOU chose to make it.

To compliment these recipes, I also want to provide my proven methods of label reading. One of the biggest struggles for me personally when I made the switch to a vegetarian diet and then later to a vegan one was figuring out what I could eat. Several years later, I have learned ingredients and I can look at a label and know almost instantly whether or not something is vegan.

I also realize that everyone wants the freedom to go out with their friends and family to a restaurant and be able to sit down and enjoy a meal prepared by someone else; because of this I plan on including a guide to vegan eating out. This will be featured in two parts. The first will include reviews of restaurants both in the Richmond area and national chains that have vegan options. Lastly, it will include a guide to eating out at other restaurants including what questions you should be asking your server to ensure your meal is vegan.

I hope to make this an exciting venture for both of us, whether you are currently making the switch Vegetarianism or Veganism or whether you too are an old pro. Therefore, I welcome your feedback as well as any questions or concerns that you may have.

I’m looking forward to our journey together!

Catherine-Melissa