Recipe Post: Spaghetti Squash "Chicken" Enchiladas--Veganized!

This recipe was definitely a winner in our little household--even the ferret was checking it out (she didn't get any). But first, let me give credit to the two sites that inspired the dish (check out some of the other spaghetti squash ideas): http://greatist.com/eat/spaghetti-squash-recipes and http://www.closetcooking.com/2013/12/chicken-enchilada-stuffed-spaghetti.html?m=1.

I tend to get into a spaghetti squash rut. I bake it, throw some marinara on it, and call it a meal. I've gone creative a few times, but I needed some new ideas. There are some great ones on the above sites! I took the chicken enchilada one and customized it for us (mainly making it vegan). We don't use the fake meats a lot, but I just had to try this recipe--and it turned out really well!

1 large organic spaghetti squash
1 can of organic black beans
package of meatless chicken of your choice
big handful of organic spinach
1 jar of enchilada sauce (I used Trader Joe's. The closet cooking site above has a homemade recipe. The jar was just a time-saver for me).
Daiya's Havarti with jalapenos

Other than the cooking time for the spaghetti sauce, this is quick and easy.

Slice the spaghetti sauce horizontally so you have to nice squash boats (once you remove the seeds). Bake the squash for an hour at 350 degrees.

Thaw the "chicken" strips. Drain and rinse the black beans. Cut up the big handful of spinach (removing the big stems). I also chopped up the "chicken" strips so they were a bit smaller. Put them in a mixing bowl. Pour in the enchilada sauce, and mix it all up.

Once the squash has finished cooking, fill the boats with the enchilada mixture.
(At this point, I had to head out for about 45 minutes. So, I turned the oven off, but left the stuffed squash in the oven while I was gone so that the mixture would get warm. Otherwise, I would simply stuff the squash, and put them back in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes until the mixture is heated).

Turn the oven to broil, and sprinkle pieces of Daiya cheese on the top. Broil until the cheese is nice and melted.

Enjoy! I have plenty left-over for another meal (Mark does not).

Recipe Post: Vegan Faux Fredo with Kale/Walnut Pesto

You know I typically stick to simple, but delicious recipes because I don't like taking a lot of time to cook. But sometimes, when I have some extra time, I really enjoy tackling a higher maintenance recipe. Tonight was one of those nights. This is decadent, but still healthy! You will need a food processor and a high speed blender (or at least one of these--washing it out between uses). It is vegan and gluten-free.

I stole the original recipe from Healthy Recipe Ecstasy. So give that blog a read when you have some time. I'm posting the original recipe below, along with the changes I made (in red) to please our diets/palettes. It's always fun to add your own twist to recipes!

INGREDIENTS

• KALE PESTO:
• 3 cups kale (fresh with tough stems removed or frozen)
• ¼ cup raw walnuts (I could not find raw walnuts, so I used regular walnuts from the bakery section)
• 2 cloves of garlic
  
  
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil (I had some infused olive oils on hand so I did 2 parts regular olive oil and one part hot red pepper infused olive oil to give it a little kick).
• 1/4 cup of Nutritional Yeast
• Coarse salt & black pepper to taste
• PASTA ALFREDO:
• ¼ cup vegan margarine (I used 1/4 cup unrefined, organic coconut oil). 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups canned white beans, rinsed and drained (Three cans of organic White Northern Beans)
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened soy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
• Coarse salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta (I used my Mung Bean Pasta "go to" for this. See picture below). 
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving (I skipped using any extra oil).

INSTRUCTIONS

KALE PESTO:

1. Transfer the kale, walnuts and garlic to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream and process to a coarse purée.

PASTA ALFREDO:

1. Cook pasta according to package. Drain and keep warm, retaining one tablespoon pasta water.(I didn't bother with the tablespoon of water).
2. In a large sauté pan over low heat, melt the margarine. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Transfer the margarine mixture to a blender or food processor, and add the white beans, vegetable broth, soy milk and pasta water. Blend until completely smooth.
4. Pour the sauce back into the pan over low heat, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the sauce is warm.
5. Add the sauce to the pasta, and mix until all the noodles are covered in sauce. Divide pasta among 4 bowls. Top each bowl with 2-3 tablespoons kale pesto and some olive oil.
6. NOTE: At first, it may seem like you have too much sauce for the pasta, but the noodles quickly soak up all that sauce. To reheat leftovers, I like to slowly warm the pasta on the stove and add ¼ cup broth to help loosen up the sauce.

Look how creamy the white bean sauce is. It looks like we splurged on heavy cream, but this recipe gets rid of all of that unhealthy dairy.

Here's my pasta "go to" these days. It's packed with protein and fiber--and it's gluten/wheat free!

Well..I'm a Pescavegalactotarian...

It seems like more and more often, I have conversations that go something like this:

Them: So, you're a vegetarian?
Me: Well no...mostly. We eat fish.
Them: But you and your husband don't eat dairy?
Me: That's correct. Well, I just gave up cheese. I decided I could have a little dairy on special occasions.
Them: So, you are not vegan...why don't you drink milk?
Me: Well no, we eat fish and eggs. But we drink almond milk, and I use coconut milk in my coffee. I just think dairy is really bad for us. Milk is good for baby calves--not humans--especially since we can't purchase raw milk here.
Them: Why don't you eat wheat? Do you have Celiac disease?
Me: I don't, but I think I'm wheat sensitive. I just feel--and look---better when I don't eat wheat. And even though I'm very active, carbs seem to cause weight gain. Of course, now and then--on special occasions I falter. I had cake and ice cream on my birthday.
Them: So what are you then?
Me: I don't know....human?

I wholeheartedly believe in healthy, clean eating. I do my best to eat the healthiest foods I can. But I sometimes I stress myself over labels. Am I a bad person or a bad role model because I can't commit to being a full-fledged vegan? Of course, some vegans I know have terrible diets--ingesting all the processed fake meats and pre-prepared vegan entrees. If I were going to go vegan all the way, it would have to be straight fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains.

And then there are those who believe (and I'm related to many of them) that a vegan diet can't possibly be healthy. "You need meat for protein!" "Milk! It does the body good!"

 Do I have to have a dietary label? Is it really necessary? Must I be vegetarian? Vegan? Paleo?

I try to eat healthy, whole (unprocessed) foods 98% of the time. But I'm not perfect. And I get cravings--and sometimes I eat things I regret afterward. Sometimes when I falter, it's worth feeling cruddy for a few hours.

At the grocery, we shop the perimeters and buy organic whenever possible. I haven't eaten beef in years. And I've never been a fan of pork (and I really don't think we should eat pigs. They are far too intelligent), but a few times (usually after a few drinks--also not healthy) I've snarfed down a piece of pepperoni pizza (whoops).  Did I feel bad? Yes. I felt incredibly guilty. Was it delicious? Yes. Was it worth it? I don't know.

In a way, I understand the label. If you are vegan, you are making a statement--you believe it is morally wrong to eat any animal product. You have a passion for animals. And I get that. In fact, I'm often jealous of it. I believe that someday, I will probably be a full-fledged vegan. But I'm just not there yet. The eggs I eat are from a small, local farm--where the chickens live a pretty nice life.   And fish...I just don't feel as much guilt or compassion for fish. Maybe I should. Who's to say their life is less valuable than a pig or cow's? We do stick to wild caught fish because they are better for you--and they are not farmed strictly for human consumption.

I have a friend who eats low-fat, raw vegan. And she passionately follows this diet. I am often in awe of her passion for it--and I start to think, "Why can't I be like that?" But you know what? I do pretty well. And I enjoy a warm meal. So I don't think that lifestyle is for me. But it does encourage me to add more raw fruits and vegetables to my diet.

Picking and choosing what foods we want to nourish our bodies with is a continuously evolving process. A process that is complicated by all the contradictory information we receive (i.e. eggs are good for you...eggs are bad for you).

Mark and I have settled into a pretty pure way of eating, that we feel nourishes our bodies and prepares us for the activities we enjoy (running, biking, hiking, adventure races, etc.). But we do not happen to fall within any of the dietary labels (as far as I know). We pick and choose what makes us feel good about our bodies and minds.

What do you think?