Dates in the New Years

Granola-Date Cups

I couldn't be happier it is 2009.  I tried really hard not to be despondent about 2008, but my husband being deployed really didn't make for an awesome year.  Considering how much I wasn't looking forward to it though, it wasn't all bad, but this year, I have tons of stuff going on:   

1.  Graduating with my Master's

2.  Husband coming home from Iraq

3.  Getting a job (hopefully)

4.  Husband getting a new job (also hopefully)

5.  Buying a house

6.  Moving

7.  Having my refrigerator to myself instead of just a shelf.

8.  Getting a kitten!`(Zoe will probably not like this, but my husband thinks that she doesn't like him because we got her when she was already a year old.  So he wants to get a baby so he can brainwash it into liking him when it is young and impressionable, haha).

I'll also be cooking a lot of food, of course!  One of my challenges for the year is going to be perfecting the lunchbox meal, so that will be interesting.  I got a bunch of lunchbox/travelware for Christmas, so I'm well on my way, I think.

Luckily, 2009 started out with some good food.  I stayed at my friend's house last night and wanted to bring a healthy breakfast, because I wanted to go straight to the gym (exercise does help a mild hangover in case anyone was wondering).  A few days ago I made the Power Hungry Granola from My Sweet Vegan.  While I was entering the information into the nutrition calculator though, I realized that I'm pretty sure I forgot the brown sugar.  It came out fine anyway, I didn't even realize it until now.  I did not add the fruit or nuts and the recipe made about 3 cups of granola.

        

Makes 12, 1/4 cup servings (calculated with brown sugar)

Nutrition Information:  121.9 Calories;  1.8g Total Fat;  0.2g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  21.3g Carbohydrates;  2.4g Fiber;  5.3g Protein.

I found it an ingenious idea to put TVP in granola.  I really like this stuff, although I'm not really a cereal person, so I've just been eating it straight.  It can be kind of hard to transport.  So I made a chunky date paste in my food processor and mixed the granola in with it.  The picture you see at the top of the post, for the Granola-Date Cups is what it looked like after I pressed it into a silicon baking cup and let it chill.  Next time, I will probably soak the dates first, I just didn't have time last night.    

You could obviously do this with any granola, but I really like this one because it has fewer calories and more protein than any commercial granola I have found.  I used 1/2 cup of granola, and 12 dates (my dates are fairly small), and made 2 cups.

One Granola-Date Cup

Nutrition Information:  250.3 Calories;  2.0g Total Fat;  0.2g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  55.5g Carbohydrates;  6.0g Fiber;  6.4g Protein 

Someone told me once that it wasn't a good idea to have a picture of my cat on a food blog.  I think that, as this is a vegan food blog, it is pretty obvious that a.) I am not going to eat my cat, and b.) She doesn't want to eat the food I am making.  So I am unsure why this advice was given (and I clearly didn't take it anyway).  Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that one of the only things she does like is TVP.  She really likes it.  So much so that she wanted to take a nibble of my granola.     

Don't worry, I am not going to start feeding my cat vegan granola, in fact, I was a mean mommy and didn't even let her taste it.  

Anyway, I had a trial run last night, and packed dinner to eat at my friend's house.  My family went for Chinese, the friends had sushi, so I just tagged along with my family and then ate at her house.  For dessert I made the Strawberry Mousse from Vegan Express.  I think I kind of messed it up because I only had frozen strawberries.  I put some agar powder in it, and it did thicken up, but it was much better today, after having awhile to set.  

Serves 6

Nutrition Information:  93.9 Calories;  0.8g Total Fat;  0.0g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  18.0g Carbohydrates;  3.1g Fiber;  4.4g Protein

I hope that everyone else had a fabulous New Year's Eve and is starting 2009 on the right foot!  

Welcome Wheat Berry!

I think I mentioned this a few days ago, but I found a little natural food store near me, I had a coupon, and I happened upon some wheatberries!  I was so excited, I had been wanting to try them for them for awhile. 

If you've never tried them, I suggest picking them up if you see them when you're out and about.  They're really really good!  They turn into these plump little pillows inside a slightly chewy shell.  My family really liked this whole dish.  My mom was amazed that I was presenting them with yet another foreign grain (quinoa was introduced with hesitation), but her and my brother both really liked it.  

The recipe, is simple.  However, I also completely stole it from Nava Atlas' Vegan Express, so I cannot share.  Her recipe is for the Broccoli Salad, and I combined it with the wheat berry.    

Wheat Berry and Broccoli Salad with Pine Nuts, Cranberries, and Yellow Bell Peppers

 

If you happen to have her book (which I continue to love, no matter how many books I buy), the recipe is on p. 182.  In addition to the cranberries, pine nuts, peppers, and broccoli, there is also a really nice sesame ginger dressing that my ginger-phobe family loved...but then I also just told them it was sesame dressing and they were none the wiser.  Oh, I added, tofu, totally forgot.  So altogether:

1 recipe Broccoli Salad with Yellow Peppers, Pine Nuts, and Cranberries

1 cup wheat berry

1/2 block tofu (I used extra firm, but I almost always use extra firm)

S&P to taste 

Makes 5 servings

Nutrition Information:  336.1 Calories;  13.4g Total Fat;  1.2g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  125.9mg Sodium;  46.7g Carbohydrates;  9.1g Fiber;  11.8g Protein. 

I cooked the wheat berry on the stovetop, nothing special.  It took about 1 h 45min...don't let that deter you!!  Supposedly it doesn't take as long if you soak them first (I am not organized enough to plan this ahead), or if you use a pressure cooker (which I do not own).  The tofu I just sprinkled with salt and pepper and sauteed in a pan...I do this a lot, its simple, its easy, my family likes it.  

In fact, my brother wanted everyone to see just how much he liked it

Today's Cooking Song of the Day:  Untitled - Question and Answer

*Never heard of them?  It's my brother's band.  No no, keep reading!  They completed their first studio recording this past weekend, and the song is up on their myspace:  Question and Answer.  It should play when you open the page.  Its very catchy, and is probably one of my favorites of their songs so far.