Celebrating major personal accomplishments

I am celebrating several major accomplishments this week. None of which would be possible without you, my amazing readers,  and my supportive friends and family. All of you inspire everyday! You are the force that moves me forward and that gives me a reason to blog and create recipes. Thank you!

Drumroll, please :-) 

My Garlicky Cheezy Kale salad was featured in the new Vegetarian Times Magazine issue (September 2012) as one of the honorable mentions from their recipe contests. That is my second recipe that was published in the Vegetarian Times Magazine as an honorable mention in their readers contest :-) I could not be happier! They even put my photo in this issue and a link to my blog. Win, win, win! 

And my Chocolate Raspberry Tofu Pie recipe was published in the Eating Well Magazine (August 2012 issue) :-) It makes me so happy to have two recipes published in magazines at the same time.  

 On a different note, my weight loss journey is going very well. 

I have lost 15.4 pounds (7 kg) since the end of April. I did not measure myself in April so I cannot track how many inches I lost total, but since I measured myself two month ago, I have managed to shrink about 3 inches around my waist, 2 inches around my hips, 1 inch around my arm and 2 inches around my thigh. I manage to squeeze a good cardio exercise into my busy work schedule 6 times a week. I run, I use stationary bike and elliptical machine, I do aerobics at home and I also do some light weight lifting, push-ups and crunches, etc. When I first started running in April, I could barely run 1 full minute without stopping or having to take a walk break.  I have slowly built myself to run 5 minutes without stopping, and nowadays I can run 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) without walk breaks or stopping. I am working on improving my speed now. 

The hardest part of this journey is not the exercising, it is the food. I am a foodie, food lover and I used to live to eat. Having to shift my priorities, cooking and eating habits was, and still is, a challenge for me. I am trying to keep my calorie intake around 1200-1300 calories a day, but I still enjoy a chocolate (or hot chocolate, or other treat) everyday. It is not about deprivation for me, but I have to plan carefully every meal and every day ahead of time. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I have cranky days and happy days, I have days when I want to give up, but then I remind myself of the promise I made in April. And it feels good to fit into jeans that are 3 sizes smaller than my old jeans :-) 

Easter lunch at World Peace Cafe

I took my husband and my friend Melissa to World Peace Cafe for Easter lunch today. World Peace cafe is "a peaceful oasis in our busy city".

World Peace Cafe in one of my favorite vegetarian/vegan restaurants. I love eating there as much as I love volunteering there. There are many benefits of volunteering there. My mind is more peaceful and I am happier, I learn cooking techniques and knife skills from a great chef Mike and others. I see what ingredients go into each menu item. I am happy to see that World Peace Cafe only uses the best, organic and locally grown ingredients wherever possible. They buy the highest quality ingredients and support local businesses by shopping at local farmers' markets, as well as purchasing bread, cakes, pastries, juices and coffee from small business owners in the metro Atlanta area. They also offer a wide variety of organic loose teas.

The World Peace Cafe is unlike any other restaurant in Atlanta. Built with donations and by volunteers, and owned and operated by Kadampa Meditation Center Georgia, all of their profits go to support meditation classes and special events designed to help others find peace of mind.

Most of the people who cook and serve their excellent food are volunteers who believe in the premise that

“Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible.” — Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Peaceful communities and nations begin with peaceful people. Peaceful people have peaceful minds. The mission of the World Peace Cafe and its owner, Rameshori Center, is to help others find a peace arising from within their own mind. When our mind is peaceful, we are happy and we can make others happy. When our mind is unpeaceful, we are unhappy and cannot make anyone happy.

Colorful menu full of delicious food options

Each table has beautiful fresh flowers

Beautiful, unique interior and calming, positive music make everyones dining experience one of a kind

Buddha statue

This is my FAVORITE burger EVER!!! It is the best veggie burger on this planet! The Peace Burger is made with savory vegetables, oats, sunflower seeds, and lots of love. Red beets give this burger the color of beef burger. The texture is absolutely amazing, and the taste is spectacular! I love mine with vegan Russian Dressing and lately also topped with vegan cheese. This mouth-watering burger is my favorite item on their menu :-)

Melissa got the Peace Burger with avocado and loved it. It was her first experience at World Peace Cafe :-)

My husband was not very hungry so he got a bowl of healthy and flavorful lentil, kale, and shiitake mushroom soup. He also got a big pot of hot mint tea.

There are many vegan options on the menu, including lovely cranberry-orange pancakes, Tempeh Reuben (with vegan cheese), Tofu Steak and Fries, salads, soups, and the best vegan cakes in the city.

A great selection of teas :-)

If you are in Atlanta, you have to visit World Peace Cafe !

Fiesta Kale Salad

Fiesta Kale Salad

1 bunch kale (about 9-10 large leaves)

1 red bell pepper, core and seeds removed, diced

3 tomatoes, diced

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

1/4 red onion, chopped

Dressing:

2 large avocados, pitted and peeled

juice from 1 lime

1/3 cup water

1/4 tsp of ground chipotle pepper (or more if you like spicy foods)

salt to taste

Remove tough stems from the kale and tear leaves into bite-size pieces. Wash the leaves and drain excess water. Place the kale into a large bowl.

Put all ingredients for the dressing into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, adding more water if the dressing is too thick. Pour the dressing over kale leaves. Massage the dressing into kale with your hands, making sure each leaf is covered.

Add the the rest of the vegetables and toss with kale. season with salt to taste.

2011 Vegan Awards

Here are the winners of my personal Vegan Awards for 2011:

Best legume/bean :

Chickpeas

Chickpeas are amazing and so versatile! I love roasted chickpeas in quinoa, spinach and cranberry salad, roasted chickpeas as a snack, or sauteed chickpeas with vegetables. I love falafel, hummus and The Sexy Vegan's mock tuna salad , and chickpea mock crab cakes.

Best Vegan Sausage:

Field Roast Frankfurters (picture courtesy of Field Roast)

These sausages are addictive! I can eat them hot or cold and never get tired of them. They remind me of my favorite Czech sausages.

Best Cookbook:

The Happy Herbivore by Lindsay S. Nixon

This was the most frequently used vegan cookbook in my kitchen in 2011. The recipes are low in fat or fat free, yet very flavorful, delightful and easy to make. I made almost all recipes from that cookbook, many of them multiple times.

Best Chocolate:

Chocolove xoxox (Orange peel in Dark Chocolate)

and Whole Foods Dark Chocolate with Coconut

Best Tea:

The Republic of Tea Apricot Decaf Black Tea

and Rishi Cinnamon Plum

Best Plant-Based Milk:

Whole Foods Unsweetened Almond milk

This milk is amazing! It has only 40 calories a cup and I use it for everything from Overnight Oats, puddings, creamy soups and sauces, baked goods to smoothies. I also enjoy a splash of this milk in my tea.

Best Meat Alternative:
Gardein's Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n
A tasty chicken alternative, with fantastic texture and seasonings.

Best snack:
Marinated Collard Greens! I make these very often and when I don't make them, I buy them at Whole Foods's deli bar. Here is my recipe.

My personal best recipe of 2011:
Vegan paella with Sophie's Kitchen vegan prawns. This recipe won me a Kindle in a recipe contest :-) I am very proud of this recipe and I make it quite often. I made the recipe pretty simple so everyone can make it at home. You can leave out the vegan sausages and the vegan prawns if you don't have them, but the recipe will miss them.

Best vegan pizza:

Mellow Mushroom pizza with some many options-I still haven't tried them all :-)

Best vegan friendly grocery store:

Sevananda Natural Foods Market because they only sell vegetarian and vegan products (with the exception of cat and dog food). They also make awesome baked goods and have delicious hot and cold bar options everyday.

Best drink:
Caffeine-free and decaffeinated tea :-) I have quite a collection and love them all for different reasons.

Best grain:
Quinoa (a delicious, versatile and nutritious grain with funny "tails")

Here is my favorite way to enjoy quinoa, in a roasted chickpea salad with raw spinach and dried cranberries.

I also love my quinoa tabbouleh salad

Best vegan friendly restaurant:
World Peace Cafe is a vegetarian restaurant that is run by volunteers. They offer a great selection of vegan and vegetarian foods, wide assortment of teas and delicious vegan cakes. I love volunteering in the kitchen there. The staff is very nice and when I volunteer there I learn so much about cooking and food and ways to keep my mind calm and peaceful.

And their Peace burger is the best vegan burger that I have EVER had! Here is a picture of the burger from their website. They offer meditation classes every Thursday evening. More info here.

Best vegetable:

Kale

I became a kale addict overnight. I used to hate kale and then one day I had some kale salad at Whole Foods and boom! A new kale addict was born :-)

I love my kale raw, but I do enjoy it cooked as well (or baked into kale chips)

Not sure what to do with kale?

Try my kale recipes:

Garlicky Cheezy Kale

Winter bulgur & vegetable medley

Lemon kale pesto

Kale with creamy avocado and lime dressing

Kale salad three ways

What are your 2011 winners?

Winter Bulgur and Vegetable Medley

This is an easy, healthy and comforting winter dinner that I sometimes make.

Winter Bulgur and Vegetable Medley

1 Tbs olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6-8 large kale leaves, stems removed and leaves torn into small pieces

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 large bell pepper (red looks pretty in this recipe), top removed, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup bulgur, uncooked

3 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp paprika

salt and black pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium hight heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper and mushrooms and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, kale, paprika, bulgur and broth. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium low heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and bulgur is tender, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Kale salad three ways (Vegan MoFo Day 26)

Here are three dressings that I use for kale salads when I am not making my favorite Garlicky Cheezy Kale. Each dressing will work for 1 bunch kale (about 9-10 leaves).

*Soy & Mustard Dressing

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 Tbs olive oil

4 Tbs yellow mustard

4 Tbs water

Blend until well combined.

*Lemony Dressing

Juice from 1 lemon

1 Tbs olive oil

salt to taste

Blend until well combined.

*Garlicky Lemon Dressing

Juice from 1 lemon

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

salt to taste

Blend well until combined.

Remove tough stems from the kale and tear leaves into bite-size pieces. Wash the leaves thoroughly and drain excess water. I used lettuce spinner to get my kale dry which made the dressing stick to each leaf nicely. Pour the dressing over kale leaves. Rub the dressing into kale with your hands, making sure each leaf is covered.

Creamy Tahini Kale Salad with Chickpeas-Vegan MoFo Day 15

Before I talk about this recipe I have to share something silly and funny. I was typing the blog post title while my cat Bear was sleeping on top of my table, near by the keyboard. He likes to swing his tail when he sleeps on the table. Well, this time he swung his tail so hard that he hit the ENTER on my keyboard and posted the blog post before it was done :-)

I found this Creamy Tahini Kale Salad recipe on Your Daily Vegan blog. I used cooked and drained chickpeas instead of the original red kidney beans. And I left out the pine nuts. Other than that I followed the recipe step by step and used all the other suggested ingredients.

The salad was very good, creamy and flavorful, but I missed the cheesiness from nutritional yeast that I use in my kale salad recipe.

Kale with creamy avocado & lime dressing-Vegan MoFo Day 9

I love my Garlicky Cheezy Kale Salad, but I ran out of nutritional yeast :-(

However, I found some lonely avocado and a few tomatoes in the fridge and decided to make a different kale salad. First I wanted to dice the avocado and tomatoes and mix it with my kale, but then I changed my mind as I was dicing it. I mashed it instead and made a creamy base for my new salad creation. The results were so good, even my husband was asking for seconds. I want to share the recipe with you and let you decide if this kale salad is better than my Garlicky Cheezy Kale Salad.

Kale with creamy avocado & lime dressing

1 bunch kale (about 9-10 large leaves. I used Lacinato kale for this recipe)

1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted

2 large tomatoes, diced

juice from 1 lime (start with half a lime and add more to taste)

salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Remove tough stems from the kale and tear leaves into bite-size pieces. Wash the leaves thoroughly and drain excess water. I used lettuce spinner to get my kale dry which made the dressing stick to each leaf nicely.

In a small bowl mash avocado with fork or with your hands until smooth. Add lime juice and mix well. Pour the dressing over kale leaves. Rub the dressing into kale with your hands, making sure each leaf is covered. Add diced tomatoes, season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste and mix well. Serve at room temperature or chilled. You can add diced cucumber and chopped cilantro if desired.

Garlicky Cheezy Kale-Vegan MoFo Day 2

I love this salad! It is so tasty and nutritious, I can easily eat the whole thing in one day. I like to refrigerate it before eating it so the flavors can fully develop and blend nicely, but sometimes I cannot wait and eat it freshly made. It is good either way. The longer you refrigerate it for the more garlicky your salad will be.

I found that the best kale for this salad is either Lacinato or Red Kale, but you can use any kale you like. Do you like raw kale? Stay tuned for more massaged kale recipes.

Garlicky Cheezy Kale

1 bunch kale (about 9-10 large leaves)

4 Tbs tahini

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

5 Tbs water

2 Tbs nutritional yeast

salt to taste

Remove tough stems from the kale and tear leaves into bite-size pieces. Wash the leaves and drain excess water. Place the kale into a large bowl.

In a medium bowl blend tahini with water until smooth. Add the minced garlic and nutritional yeast and blend until smooth, adding more water if the dressing is too thick.

Pour the dressing over the kale. Rub the dressing into the kale with your hands, making sure that each leaf is covered with dressing. Season with salt to taste and refrigerate for an hour or overnight if desired.

My random eats

Hi everyone! I just wanted to share some random dinners that I have been making and eating lately. As I am typing this, a big pot of lentils, onion and fire roasted tomatoes stew is simmering in my kitchen.

Red cabbage, edamame, almonds and pineapple salad. Beautifully colorful, protein packed dinner that was very easy to prepare.

Israeli couscous, red quinoa, orzo pasta and baby garbanzo beans medley cooked in vegan "chicken" broth and topped with caramelized onions.

Fried rice on a bed of steamed kale

I finally splurged on an endive, but I was quite disappointed with the taste. Not sure if I will ever buy it again. I made these cute endive boats filled with homemade white bean dip, guacamole and cherry tomatoes.

Sauteed chickpeas, onion and red bell pepper seasoned with gyros seasonings, on a bed of steamed chard. The chard part was not my cup of tea, I could not eat a whole leaf, but my dog Shelly happily ate my chard leftovers :-)

Israeli couscous, red quinoa, orzo pasta and baby garbanzo beans medley sauteed with fresh spinach, onion and red bell pepper.

Rice medley with Hungarian mushroom sauce

I also made several batches of very tasty massaged kale salads. I did not used to like kale, until I learned how to massage it and make it more tender and tasty. I will blog about massaged kale later. Stay tuned for my kale dressing recipes.