Middle Eastern Lentil Bake with Eggplant Steaks

I love lentils! They are healthy little guys that fuel us with protein and fiber and other nutrients. I like the versatility they give us, from lentil salads, lentil purees, lentil soup to different lentil "meatloaves". They don't require overnight soaking which is a big plus. I created this recipe using an interesting spice mix called Baharat. Baharat is a mixture of finely ground Middle Eastern spices. Mine has: allspice, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander and cloves. It smells outstanding and tastes exotic. It is a warm, spicy, sweet and delightful experience for my taste buds. You can use a mixture of spices mentioned above, or just some of those depending on your personal preference. When assembling this dish, don't follow my picture but rather make sure you place the potatoes all the way on the top since otherwise your bell pepper or eggplant might get too dry during the baking process. I highly recommend that you cook your potatoes and lentils day ahead and keep them refrigerated until you are ready to bake the main dish.

Enjoy!

Middle Eastern Lentil Bake with Eggplant Steaks

Lentil mixture:

1 cup green lentils, uncooked

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, don't drain the juice

1 bay leaf

1 tsp onion powder

2-3 tsp Baharat spice mixture (allspice, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander and cloves)-start with 2 teaspoons and add more if you like spicier food

salt to taste

Eggplant "steaks":

1 large eggplant, top cut off

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp liquid smoke

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

4 large potatoes, unpeeled

1 large green bell pepper, top cut off and core removed

To make the lentil mixture:

Place lentils into a large pot and cover with 3 cups of hot water. Add diced tomatoes, including the juice. Bring to a boil. Add minced garlic, bay leaf, onion powder and Baharat spices. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Uncover, stir and cook another 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Season with salt to taste.

Meanwhile, place potatoes into a large pot and cover them with water (add enough water to cover about 2 inches above the potatoes). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender enough to be pierced with a fork easily. Don't overcook them though. Drain and rinse under cold water, until potatoes are cool enough to handle. Peel and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices.

Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch thick circles. Toss soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, paprika, liquid smoke, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and 1/3 cup water together in a medium bowl. Dip each eggplant slice in the marinade and place onto a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining marinade over eggplant steaks and let marinate for 15 minutes.

Slice bell pepper into 1/2 inch thick circles or strips.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat 9x13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place 2 sliced potatoes on the bottom of the baking dish. Lightly season with salt. Add sliced bell pepper layer (1/2 bell pepper) and a layer of eggplant steaks. Spoon lentil mixture on top and create an even layer. Top with the remaining bell pepper, followed by eggplant and potatoes. Sprinkle more salt over potatoes and cover with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes. Serve warm.

This receipe makes about 4 large servings (each about 300 calories)

No oil added, low fat, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian

Healthy Harvest Apple Crumble

Healthy Harvest Apple Crumble

1 large apple, cored and diced

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 Tbs raisins

2 prunes, finely chopped

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Combine everything expect for the walnuts in a shallow 2-quart glass baking dish. Create an even layer of apple mixture, sprinkle with walnuts (and more cinnamon if desired).

Bake 20 minutes, or until apples are tender and topping is lightly browned.

This recipe makes 2 servings (around 207 calories each)

I used unsweetened applesauce and oats instead of oats, sugar, margarine, cornstarch, and flour in this recipe to make it healthier and lower calories.

This recipe is naturally gluten-free and it does not contain any added sugar or oils. You can make it fat free if you don't use the walnuts (that would also take away 95 calories from the whole recipe).

This vegan apple crumble tastes great topped with unsweetened soy yogurt.

Raw Cucumber Spaghetti with Spinach Pesto and my new kitchen friend

Look at this beautiful, green pasta! Doesn't it look like "real" spaghetti with rich, creamy basil pesto? Don't run to the kitchen to turn on your stove or to get your pot filled with water. This pasta does not come from a box, but rather from your garden (or the produce section at your grocery store).......What a better, refreshing, low calorie fruit (or in the culinary world vegetable) can you imagine on a hot summer day? Nothing beats cucumbers! They are healthy, yummy, packed with water to hydrate your body, and they smell amazing! I love cucumber salad! I love adding cucumbers into my salads, or eat them plain. When I first started exploring the raw vegan diet, I kept hearing about raw pasta, mainly zucchini pasta. I used to make my raw zucchini and cucumber pasta by hand, using a vegetable peeler. What a time and labor consuming chore! And it looked more like linguini instead of spaghetti......Then I saw a video about making raw pasta using a really neat tool, a tri-blade spiral vegetable slicer (aka Spirooli). I read a few reviews and I had to have it! I am so happy that I got this since it makes my raw meals easy, fun and beautiful! Making raw spaghetti with this is a breeze! No need for electricity! Simply place cucumber, daikon radish, zucchini, sweet potato, carrot or other firm vegetable on prongs, and turn wheel while pushing base toward the blade (use the shredder "strip" blade) and in minutes (or rather seconds) you have a bowl of super long spaghetti.

This spiral vegetable slicer has three interchangeable blades to make everything from shredded cabbage, thin vegetable spaghetti, thicker vegetable noodles, vegetable slices, apple chips, curly fries and much more. So far I have been using it for raw spaghetti, thin potato slices, apple slices and shredded cabbage. I like the suction cup base that keeps my Spirooli tightly and safely locked in place while I am using it. I also like the self contained blade storage underneath the Spirooli so I don't lose the blade, plus they are safer there than laying around the kitchen. The blades are stainless steel and the whole tool is dishwasher safe, but I find it easily washable under warm water in the sink. Spirooli is light and easy to store. The durable plastic is well made and all the parts are designed very well, too. I love how easy it is to use and for some reason everytime I use it I get all excited about looking at the cool spaghetti that are coming out of the Spirooli. And to top it all, my World Cuisine Spirooli came with 1 year warranty. You can get yours on Amazon, it's on sale now :-)

I created a healthy, raw, vegan pesto recipe and I want to share it with you. This pesto goes well over raw cucumber pasta, or as a salad dressing.

Raw Cucumber Spaghetti with Spinach Pesto

2-3 large cucumbers, peeled if not organic

(or use zucchini if you like)

6 oz raw spinach leaves

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup water

6-8 fresh basil leaves

salt to taste

Turn cucumbers into raw noodles using a spiral vegetable slicer, knife, or a vegetable peeler. Drain the cucumbers of excess water before placing them into a large bowl.

In a blender or a food processor, chop pumpkin seeds until they turn into a fine powder. Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the cucumber noodles) and blend until smooth, scraping the sides of the blender or food processor as needed.

Pour pesto over your raw pasta and mix well. Serve as a meal or a big side salad.

(This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cup pesto that will keep in the fridge for up to 2-3 days)

I love my raaaaaaaaaaaw spaghetti!!!!

Stay tuned for my future raw and cooked culinary adventures with my new kitchen friend Spirooli.

Do you have Spirooli? What do you use it for?

Giveaway winner

Abbey and Bear picked a winner using a random number generator on www.RANDOM.org  The winning comment is number 14 

Congrats to Michelle and her kitty Miles :-)

Michelle, please, email me your address so I can ship you your prize. 

My email is czech.vegan (at) yahoo.com 

Thank you everyone for entering my giveaway and good luck on the next one! 

"Frozen superfood smooches" (Doggie treats)

Who screams for ice cream? Me!! Who barks for ice cream? Shelly! Living in Atlanta, we have summer almost all year long. It's seriously hot outside so I like to cool Shelly off after a walk with some fresh water and ice cubes, and some nice homemade frozen doggie treats. I often make a batch of frozen treats using unsweetened applesauce, or a mixture of unsweetened soy yogurt, pumpkin puree and cinnamon. Or I make mashed bananas, soy yogurt and peanut butter. They are all pretty healthy and Shelly loves them! A few days ago I created a recipe based on some healthy superfoods that I give Shelly daily. To make the frozen treats creamy and to add probiotics I used my favorite unsweetened plain soy yogurt from WholeSoy & Co. You can probably use coconut yogurt or other yogurt, just make sure it is unsweetened and all natural. 

Feel free and add more veggies or add some extra fruit based on your dog's preferences. 

You can read my post about the best veggies and fruits for dogs and cats here. 

These "frozen superfood smooches" doggie treats are loaded with antioxidants, Omega-3's, protein, protiotics, fiber and they contain over 70 minerals and vitamins from kelp, which makes these treats a frozen multivitamin :-)  You can even add this to your dog's food as a supplement. I got the blueberry decoration idea from my friend Kathy and her dog Jo Jo. Kathy often brings Shelly yummy frozen homemade doggie treats. 

WholeSoy & Co featured me and Shelly on their website last week check it out :-) 

Frozen superfood smooches 

1/2 cup frozen green peas 

1/2 cup unsweetened plain soy yogurt (such as WholeSoy & Co)

1 tsp kelp powder 

1 Tbs ground flaxseed 

1/4 cup water (or cold decaf green tea)

12 blueberries for decoration (fresh or frozen)

Blend everything (except the blueberries) in blender until smooth and well incorporated. Pour the greenish mixture into an ice cube tray (I used heart-shaped but any shape will work). Place a blueberry in the middle of each treat and freeze overnight. 

This recipe makes about 12 treats 

Disclaimer

The materials contained on this website are provided for general information purposes only and do not constitute sole professional advice on any subject matter. I do not accept any responsibility for any loss which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. I do not take any responsibility, either directly or implied, for any damage, injury, death, disease, illness or morbidity caused directly or indirectly to pets, their owners or the general public as a result of following the advice given in this site. The information is not intended to replace the advice of your own veterinary or doctor. Please, consult your veterinary before making any changes in your dog's or cat's diet.

My vegan finds

I am introducing a new blog post that I would like to do on regular basis. "My Vegan Finds" will be a new "blog article" where I will share my favorite vegan products, top pantry and beauty picks, fitness stuff, awesome kitchen tools, new vegan products, and everything in between that I think is worth sharing. Any suggestions and recommendations from you are welcomed! 

My friends at Go Max Go company rock! Not only do they make the best vegan chocolate candy bars on the entire planet, but they actively support and help numerous animal sanctuaries, dog rescues and other amazing causes. 

Do you miss your childhood favorite candy bars from your pre-vegan days? Well, now you can have them back, only vegan, cruelty-free and better tasting! Go Max Go Jokers is kind of like Snickers, Twilight is like Mars , Buccaneer is like 3 Musketeers (or Bounty with added almonds), Snap! is like Chocolate Rice Krispies, and Cleo's are like Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. 

I love them all! They are all very different and amazing when it comes to textures and flavor combinations, but my ultimate favorite is the Twilight. I have been buying Go Max Go bars for years and I still have not got tired of them. The only thing is that since I have been on a diet now and watch my calories I can only indulge on these delightful candy bars on special occasions (for now) since the calories range between 230 an 280 per bar. Sometimes, I cut them in half and eat one half, and save the other half for the next day (which is hard since I am very tempted to eat the whole thing all at once). I usually buy these bars at Whole Foods, but you can probably find them in most natural foods markets nowadays. 

Check out Go Max Go website

Like them on Facebook

Follow them on Twitter  

Shelly loves treats! I usually stuff her rubber squirrel toy with peanut butter, frozen soy yogurt and peanut butter, fresh or frozen fruits or veggies, or dog biscuits. We found new doggie biscuits that are VEGAN! Yay! Max & Ruffy's have been baking dog treats since 2009. Their dog biscuits are organic, vegan, eco-friendly, homemade, and made with human-grade, non-GMO ingredients. They have two sizes of treats, tiny aka "mini bites" (perfect for training or small dogs), and original biscuits for medium and big dogs. 

They have some interesting and healthy options. I give Shelly the wheat-free treats since she has allergies, but I gave the W.P. Pizza and Molasses Explosion to my friend's Jack Russell dog who is extremely picky and he gobbled it up within seconds! I actually tasted the pizza treat myself (I know I am weird LOL) and the aroma and taste was very pizza-like. The Mother Quinoa's Pumpkin Patch aroma reminds me of pumpkin pie. 

I like that Max & Ruffy's use superfoods (such as kelp, quinoa, alfalfa, blueberries, etc) in their treats and that they don't use chemical preservatives, artificial flavors, colors or other junk. 

Molasses Explosion 1919 

Ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Flour, Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Blackstrap Molasses, Organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil

(all ingredients are certified organic)

Five-Star Blueberry (Grain Free)

Ingredients: Organic Buckwheat Flour, Organic Blueberries, Organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Ginger

(all ingredients are certified organic)

Powerhouse: Sweet Potato & Alfalfa ( Grain Free)

Ingredients: Organic Buckwheat Flour, Organic Sweet Potato, Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Sun-Cured Ground Alfalfa
(all ingredients are certified organic)

The Kelp Highway: Butternut Squash & Kelp (Grain Free)

Ingredients: Organic Buckwheat Flour, Organic Butternut Squash, Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Dried Kelp, Organic Parsley
(all ingredients are certified organic)

Mother Quinoa’s Pumpkin Patch (Wheat Free & Gluten Free)

Ingredients: Organic Pumpkin, Organic Brown Rice Flour, Organic Quinoa Flour, Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Nutmeg, Organic Cloves
(all ingredients are certified organic)

W.P. Pizza

Ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Flour, Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Organic Tomato Paste, Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Parsley, Organic Oregano, Organic Garlic
(all ingredients are certified organic)

By the way, have you seen my guest-post about vegan dogs on Happy Herbivore's website? 

If you have a vegan dog at home, or dog with allergies, you have to try these treats. Shelly gives Max & Ruffy's treats all paws up! 

Check out Max & Ruffy's website

Follow them on Twitter

Like them on Facebook 

  Shelly loves her treats! 

Since I have started running and exercising daily I have been sweating almost daily. My hair feel like it needs to be washed everyday now, but I don't always have time for washing my hair (it takes forever since my hair is long and I use a shampoo and then conditioner, not to mention the time it takes to dry my hair).... I though that dry shampoo might be something that would do the job in between hair washing. I was lucky and received a sample of a vegan dry shampoo from Moody Sisters (Organic Skincare) company. They have the cutest logo (a black kitty)! 

This Travel Lemon Dry Shampoo is a very interesting product. It is a powder that comes with a cute powder puff applicator. The powder has a nice lemony scent. The directions are easy: 

Tap excess powder from the applicator into the lid of the tin. Apply small amounts as needed to your hair with powder puff and massage into your scalp with towel to absorb oil. Brush out hair. 

When I tried the dry shampoo for the first time I used too much which resulted in a big mess in my bathroom.... Lesson learned. My hair felt beautiful, almost velvety after, and I got a big volume as a bonus. And the light lemon scent was a nice touch as well. But since my hair is not naturally oily I felt that my scalp became a bit dry. This would be a great product for people with oily scalp/hair, and people with fine hair. I wish I had this dry shampoo when I used to go hiking and camping in Europe, because it does not need water and it is light and small so you can tuck it in any backpack. 

Moody Sisters make 100% organic skin care (everything from lotions, scrubs, fragrance perfume sprays, lip balms, deodorants, to eye cream). They make everything in their home kitchen in Cashmere, WA. They are looking for product sales reps. Check out their add: 

Product Sales Rep

Moody Sisters Organic Skincare is a hip, organic and vegan skincare company based out of Washington state seeking a dynamic, motivated sales representative. The ideal candidate would consist of someone who possesses a passion for organic handmade skincare. You would be responsible for calling related businesses to introduce our line and sell the product wholesale. We offer commission based off of sales and reorders. We are looking for a confident,professional, and self-motivated individual to help us expand our in-store presence. Please email us with your information and/or resume.

Duties and Qualifications:

- Persistence
- Perform regular follow ups
- Willing to cold call or meet in person with businesses
-Closing sales

- Dependable transportation and willingness to travel
- Internet access
- Sales experience
- Strong work ethic
- Discipline, organization and the ability to work independently
- Basic computer knowledge
- Excellent Communication with strong presentation skills

You can view our line at www.etsy.com/shop/moodysisters

Email moodysisters@gmail.com

We are only allowing one sales rep per region so if you are interested please let us know as soon as possible with the list of cities you would be traveling to.

You don't have to have sales experience, although it is helpful, we will be offering training skype sessions with our sales reps to answer questions and help set goals etc.

There will be a contract and we are looking for committed individuals for 1 year, but do also remember that you will be earning a competitive commission rate on all your sales! You have sales aids, brochures etc. and we make sure you understand our line and feel confident in what you're selling. 

The selling possibilities are very large, especially if you live in a larger town. Moody Sisters is popular in organic and green stores, gift shops, health food stores, massage studios and hair salons.

Save 20% off your order if you use coupon code: Referral (you can mention my name Elisabeth-Czech Vegan when checking out) 

Visit Moody Sisters online shop 

Like Moody Sisters on Facebook 

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 :-)