#comfortfood

Medical update

Great news! John's cholesterol was so low that he has been taken off of his cholesterol meds. In fact, his cholesterol is 74..... Normal is 150. We're good with this. They will retest in 3 months to see what the levels are wile vegan and not taking cholesterol-lowering meds.

Winter  life

It's winter here: cold wet and sometimes snowy.   This does not impact our lifestyle, though.   I workout in he mornings to Beachbody's Chisel, and John sometimes walks on the treadmill.   We do lean toward comfort foods when it is cold.  Just because  we eat plant-based does not mean we have to forgo comfort foods. We just cook them a little differently.

 Recipes

As the weather gets colder, I tend to want comfort food, and that shouts SOUP. I didn't want vegetable soup, I wanted something different and eventually found Isa Chandler's Roasted Potato and Fennel Soup.  Oh my!  heavenly!   It was cold and rainy outside and within an hour we had this savory serving of goodness to enjoy...very filling, too....and enough leftover for lunch the next  day.

Isn't that the best type of recipe? It was even better on day 2. (Don't forget:  we are oil-free, so no olives were pressed in roasting the potatoes, onions, and fennel).

Pancakes are always good when the weather is bad, and buckwheat pancakes are a wonderful way to celebrate sleeping on on a weekend. This recipe makes up fluffy pancakes with a into of cinnamon..Top with warm maple syrup...Be sure to freeze any leftovers....assuming you have any.  try doubling this recipe to guarantee you have some to freeze

Have you tried a harvest bowl?  Here is one we tried and loved:

30-minute Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Harvest Bowl

VEGETABLES                                                           QUINOA

4 whole carrots, peeled, quartered                               1 cup white quinoa, rinsed & drained

1 1/2 cups quartered baby yellow potatoes                  1 ¾ cup water

2 T maple syrup, divided                                               pinch of sea salt

2 T olive oil, divided                                                   SAUCE

Healthy pinch each sea salt + black pepper                  ½ cup Tahini

1 T chopped fresh rosemary (or dried)                           2 T lemon juice

2 cups halved Brussels sprouts                                      2-3 T maple syrup

XLLS​​

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
   
2. Add the carrots and potatoes to the sheet and drizzle with 1 T maple syrup, 1 T olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Toss to combine. Then bake for 12 minutes.
   
   
3. In the meantime, heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add rinsed quinoa to lightly sautée before adding water to evaporate leftover moisture and bring out a nutty flavor.
   
   
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 18-22 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Then open lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Tilt the lid, remove from the heat, and set aside.
   
   
5. When the veggies are at the 12-minute mark, remove pan from the oven and add the Brussels sprouts. Top with remaining 1 T oil, 1 T maple syrup, and another pinch each salt and pepper. Loosely toss to combine.
   
   
6. Return pan to oven and roast for 10-12 minutes more or until Brussels sprouts are golden brown and the carrots and potatoes are fork tender. (This ensures that the potatoes and carrots are cooked through and the Brussels don't get too soft.)
   
   
7.  Finally, prepare dressing by adding tahini, lemon juice, and maple syrup to a small mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Add 2 T (30 ml) warm water at a time and whisk until thick but pourable. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more maple syrup for sweetness or lemon juice for acidity.
8. To serve, divide quinoa and vegetables between serving bowls and top with a generous drizzle of tahini sauce. Top with garnish of choice, such as pomegranate arils or fresh herbs.

There is always room for dessert!

Chickpea Cookie Dough

XLLS​​

1/2 can chickpeas

2 T almond butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp maple syrup

1 T almond milk

1/8 cup vegan chocolate chips

Take skins off and rinse chickpeas. Add all ingredients to food processor or express chopper (Ninja), add almond milk to mash and soften, then add chocolate chips to the mix!

Makes 1 large or 2 small servings.

Healthwise, we are doing well and are really enjoying the different tastes of our new lifestyle.

We are also becoming much better about choosing healthy alternative when shopping - which mean I have startd to do better planning.

We can do this!