How to Make Health and Happiness Part of Your Morning Routine and Red Kidney Bean Sandwich Spread Recipe

Aloha!

This post is mainly about sharing my thoughts on how I make health and happiness part of my morning routine. I was inspired by Aloha to join in on this conversation. There are a few simple things that help me start my day like I woke up on the right side of the bed, even if that is not the case. After checking my email, followed by a shower, I eat breakfast. Eating breakfast is new for me - especially on weekdays, because I wake at 5am most week days and I do not feel hungry at that time. However, I have made breakfast a priority now because it makes me feel more energized and less tempted to binge on food when I come back home from work.

I keep breakfast simple. It is usually two toasts of Ezekiel bread with homemade plant-based sandwich spread, hummus or mashed avocado with sea salt, topped with a slice of tomato, cucumber and a big mound of spinach leaves. Check out my red kidney bean sandwich spread recipe below for easy and cheap toast topper. Instead of bread, you can also use collards or other greens as your sandwich "bread." This recipe found on Aloha's Web Site for collard wrap has inspired me to think outside my bread. I am looking forward to trying it soon.

Red kidney bean sandwich spread on two toasts of Ezekiel bread. After I took this picture, I topped both sandwiches with a  mound of spinach leaves. 

My other step to coloring my day with health and happiness via my morning routine is waking my body up. Sounds strange, huh? Well, after you have been sleeping for a number of hours and waking up your brain with a nice breakfast, waking up your body is the next natural step. First, I do Wonder Woman pose to boost my overall confidence for the day ahead.

It is clinically proven that your body language shapes who you are. By practicing Wonder Woman pose each morning or prior to a big presentation at work, try Wonder Woman pose for an extra confidence booster. 

Second, walking to my work instead of taking the train aides in my ability to face the day. By walking, I am getting my daily exercise and I get to relax and reflect during my walk while listening to my favorite music. For me, 80's new wave does the trick. After my 45 minute walking commute, I have released some of my nervous energy. Keep in mind having thoughts about the million things you have to do that day counts as this nervous energy. Spending physical energy by using your body to do it helps get rid of that energy and the less anxious I am, the happier I become.

Now onto the recipe.

Aloha! 

Red Kidney Bean Sandwich Spread

Ingredients
1 (15-ounce can) red kidney beans, washed, drained and mashed
1 small onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons or less of olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste, about 1/4 teaspoon
1 teaspoon or less sea salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sweet red paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely diced

Directions
Preheat frying pan on a medium-low heat. Sauté onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add minced garlic and continue sautéing for another two minutes. While the onion and garlic are sautéing, prepare your beans. Drain and rinse the beans, followed by mashing them thoroughly with a fork in a medium bowl. Add the sautéed onion and garlic to the mashed beans along with all the spices. Do not add all the salt at once as you may want add more or less depending on preference. Add chopped parsley and additional tablespoon or less of olive oil to the spread, mix well and taste for additional seasonings. You can eat it right away, and store what is left over in a closed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Smoky Green Onion Tofu Scramble and Facing Fear

As a creature of habit with the propensity for avoidance, facing the fear is a new approach I practice presently. This fear may be as minimal as signing up for a gym membership and as extreme as visiting a medical specialist. These are just examples which help to illustrate my message clearly.

For me, the escalation of fears, which I will keep to myself, is a combination of both environmental and perhaps genetic factors. It can take years to figure out what is causing a person to have certain fears, following avoidance, following disturbances in emotional and physical well being. Luckily, we all have the ability to rev up the courage to decide it is time to make things better. Some people may do it on their own while others may need additional supports. It is not important how you get there, what matters is that you showed up. Facing the fear will feel like %*#@ at first, but the longer you practice, the better you will feel.

My recent example of facing the fear is joining a gym two weeks ago. I have been thinking about joining a gym for a long time now. However, thinking is not the same as doing. Some of the fears which prevented me from joining included the following thoughts:

I don't know how to use any of the work out machines... 
I will look stupid excercising. 
I don't know anyone there. 
People will stare.
I don't have any work out clothes. 
I am not a sneaker person. 
What? I have to wear tights!!!

You get the idea. I have grown tired of thinking and I went for it. Going to the gym multiple times a week is relatively new to me. I still don't really know anyone there and I don't know how to use all of the work out machines. Right now what matters is that I have made some strides towards facing this particular fear. Now, I am one of those girls who wears tights to the gym and I don't really care who sees me or who knows about it. Check out my new sneakers....

I am a sneaker girl! 

Now, onto the recipe.

Smoky Green Onion Tofu Scramble 

Ingredients
1 tablespoon sunflower or canola oil
1 (15-oz package) organic extra firm or firm tofu, padded dry and crumbled
3/4 cup green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 to 2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, optional

It's a bird! 

Directions
Preheat a large skillet over a a medium heat. Now add oil, tofu, soy sauce, onion powder, turmeric powder, nutritional yeast flakes and liquid smoke. Stir and cook for about 5-6 minutes. Mix often. Add green onions and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so until the green onions are no longer raw. At this point, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to the tofu scramble to prevent it from drying out while the onions are continuing to cook. Turn off the heat and taste for salt. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Peace out!

Ultimate Scrambled "Eggs" Served Two Ways

I was never a fan of eggs even as a vegetarian. There was something about the smell of frying eggs that made me uncomfortable. If you are the opposite of me, and you like the taste of eggs, but you no longer eat them, this recipe will rock your world. I hope.

When I made this recipe, I was told by a non-vegan these scrambled "eggs" taste like the real thing. You be the judge.

Saving one male chick at a time by eating vegan "eggs."

Cheers!

Ultimate Scrambled "Eggs"

Ultimate Scrambled "Eggs" 

Ingredients
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon granulated onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (add at the end)
1 (14-oz package) organic firm or extra firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1/2 cup green onions, finely chopped (optional)

*Non-stick cooking spray for frying.

Directions
Let's make the sauce first, which will give these "eggs" their runny and creamy egg like consistency.

In a medium pot, combine all of the dry ingredients including the spices. Mix well using a whisk. Now add the vegetable broth. Turn on medium-high heat and continue whisking the sauce until it starts to bubble and thicken. This should take about less than 2 minutes. Do not walk away from the pot. Remove from the heat and add the Dijon mustard.

The sauce combined with crumbled tofu makes these "eggs" look and taste freakishly real. 

Onto the "eggs." In a large bowl, combine all of the sauce you just made and all of the crumbled tofu. No need to press the tofu a day ahead. You can add the green onions at this point, if using.

The last step is to pan fry the "eggs." You can divide the "egg" batter into two "equal" halves and make one half now and the other half the next morning. You can also make the entire "egg" batter at once. I opted to make a half first and I stored the other half of it in the refrigerator for the next morning. I made sandwiches the next day following the directions below.

Pan fried "egg" sandwich

To make sandwiches, preheat a large non stick cooking pan and coat it with non-stick cooking spray. Place about 2 tablespoons of the "egg" batter you just made between two pieces of favorite bread. I used whole wheat bread and added fresh spinach in between the bread and the "egg" layer to prevent the bread from becoming soggy. By the way, there is no need to separately pan fry the "egg" batter before assembling and frying the sandwiches.

Pan fry each sandwich (I made 3 sandwiches using about half of the "egg" batter) until crispy and golden, for about 3-4 minutes, on medium-low heat, on each side.

Eat! 

If sandwiches are not your thing, use the "egg" batter to make scrambled "eggs." Preheat a large non-stick cooking pan over a medium heat. Coat it with non-stick cooking spray and add all or half of the "egg" batter. Sauté for about 10 minutes and stir once in a while. If you like your "eggs" more runny, decrease the sautéing time to less than 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and taste for additional seasonings. Serve with toast.

Store in the refrigerator, in a tightly closed container, for up to 4 days.

Easy Gluten-Free Banana Bread

I was not planning on making a banana bread anytime soon and yet I was compelled to do so when I looked at my counter filled with overly ripe bananas. I have been on a banana eating frenzy for quite some time. I am unable to explain it. I always liked bananas, but never to this extent.

I like bananas to be a particular way before I eat them. They have to be somewhat green, and not soft. I will not eat ripe bananas. This is why I made this banana bread. I also had some leftover gluten-free flour mix I wanted to finish up, hence a gluten-free creation. Use regular flour if if you prefer, just be sure to add it gradually. You may need less of regular flour than the two cups of gluten-free flour indicated to make this recipe.

Cheers!

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Ingredients
4 medium overly ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses, maple or agave syrup
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup melted coconut oil or canola oil
2 cups gluten-free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Biscuit and Baking Mix)

*Non-stick cooking spray for coating the baking dish.

Directions 
Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl mash the bananas with a fork. Leave some chunks of banana for texture. Add cinnamon, chia seeds, and baking powder. Mix well to incorporate the baking powder. Add the gluten-free flour, molasses, and coconut oil. Mix well using a spatula.

Coat a 9 x 5" loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and add the banana bread batter. Wet your fingers with warm water to spread the batter in the loaf pan "evenly." The batter will be sticky and difficult to spread using a spatula. I find this method most effective for this task.

Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes until a clean toothpick or a metal skewer comes out clean when inserted in the center of the banana bread.

Allow 10 minutes to cool off before removing from the baking dish and slicing.

Store in a tightly closed container, in room temperature, for up to 3 days. Be sure to place a paper towel on the bottom and top of the container to absorb excess moisture.

Eat!

Simple and Quick Lemon Poppy Seed Scones with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

Sundays are usually designated for cleaning and catching up on things I purposely avoided doing all week. In effort to make this day more exciting, I have decided to try my hand at making scones for breakfast today. I have never made scones. I am definitely not a baker. I also know there is science behind baking. Using appropriate levening agents to flour ratio often stands in the way of making good baked goods versus bad baked goods.

I am happy with the flavor, texture and ease of these scones. I am very excited about the endless possibilities for other scone variations. Instead of poppy seeds, add raisins or dried cranberries and skip the lemon juice and lemon zest. Orange zest and juice from one small orange would be a great replacement for the lemon juice and lemon zest.

Be sure to let me know how your scones turned out.

Cheers!

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting 

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones (Makes 16 Scones) 

Scone Ingredients
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and skip 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1 cup whole wheat flour (skip if using 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour)
1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened organic soy milk or unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup organic powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses, agave or maple syrup
2/3 cup poppy seeds
Zest and juice of 1 medium organic lemon (when using lemon zest in recipes, organic lemons are more desirable)
1/2 cup vegetable oil

*Non-stick cooking spray for coating the baking pan.

Frosting Ingredients (Double this recipe if you like abundance of frosting)
3 tablespoons plain vegan cream cheese
1/4 cup organic powdered sugar
Zest and juice of 1 medium organic lemon
1 to 2 teaspoons unsweetened organic soy milk or unsweetened almond milk

I drizzled about 1 teaspoon of frosting on each scone. If you like more frosting, double the frosting recipe, then pour away! 

Directions 
Preheat the oven to 450F. Coat one large or two small baking pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, poppy seeds, and sugar. I used a whisk for this task. Now add all the remaining ingredients and knead until dough is formed. It should take less than a minute. This dough comes together very quickly.

Divide the dough into two "equal" pieces. Roll the two "equal" pieces, using your hands, into a thick wide snake  - that's the best description I was able to come up with. Cut each snake into eight "equal" parts. Each snake yields eight scones, making 16 scones total.

Place the scones flat side down on the oiled baking pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the scones are golden. Be careful not burn them.

While the scones are baking, make the frosting. In a food processor or a high-speed blender combine all the frosting ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Start with 1 teaspoon of plant milk first, and add another teaspoon if having difficulties making the frosting move along the walls of the blender. Be patient.

Alternatively, whisk the frosting by hand, and be sure to use room temperature vegan cream cheese.

Once the scones are ready, place them on a cooling rack, and drizzle the frosting using a teaspoon (about 1 teaspoon of frosting per scone).

Once cooled, store in a dry, cool place, in a closed container, for up to three days. Be sure to place paper towel on the bottom and top of the container, to absorb excess moisture.

Later!

Eat!

Tofu and Green Onion Sandwich Spread

Hello there!

There is not that much happening on the VKP front today. Yesterday, I came up with a new recipe, which is also featured today. I am also happy to report, the left-overs are no more. I ate what was left for dinner tonight. 

If you are wondering why this makes me happy, then I will tell you. I have a thing about eating left-overs. Even if I like a dish, I would prefer to not to continue eating it for an extensive period of time.

There is some good news which stems from this behavior. I often share what I make with other peeps, mostly non-vegans, and hopefully make a small difference that way. Sometimes I even get a reaction like this: "I am making more conscious choices because of the exposure to your vegan food." How cool is that? 

Have a fantastic week peeps and cheers! 

Tofu and Green Onion Sandwich Spread

Tofu and Green Onion Sandwich Spread 

Ingredients
1 (16-oz) organic firm tofu, pressed overnight, in the refrigerator
Juice of half a lemon
Freshly ground black pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2  to 1 teaspoon salt (depending on preference)
1/4 cup organic unsweetened soy milk
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/2 cup green onions, finely diced (add at the end)

Perfect for breakfast or lunch.

Directions
On the night prior to making this sandwich spread, drain the tofu and wrap it in cheese cloth or paper towel. Place in a sieve over a bowl and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. Place something heavy on top of the tofu to squeeze excess liquid.

There is a bowl underneath to catch excess liquid. 

Time to make the spread. In a food processor or a high speed blender combine all the ingredients except for the green onions. Process until smooth and creamy, but be sure not to overdo it. Few chunks are perfection! Add the green onions and mix. Taste for additional seasonings such as salt and pepper.

Store in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container for up to one week.

Eat!

Easy Pantry Millet Cutlets

In preparation for my impending move, I am attempting to use up my pantry items, so that less packing is involved. Unfortunately, I keep on sneaking pantry items back in when grocery shopping. I can't help myself when I pass by a pretty package of red lentils. I have to get them!

Anyhoodle (not an actual word, but it should be), recently I stumbled upon an open package of millet living in my pantry. Naturally, I was inspired to make millet cutlets. These are very easy and quite tasty. Even a non-vegan liked them and noted: "ho! ho! ho! these are pretty good!" Everything is true except the "ho! ho! ho!" part.

Don't take anyone's word for it though, decide for yourself.

Cheers!

Millet Cutlets served on toast with hummus, topped with sunflower sprouts. 

Millet Cutlets (Makes 6 Medium Sized Cutlets)

Ingredients
1 cup millet (Cook it in vegetable broth and according to package directions. Once cooked the initial amount of millet will double.)
1 cup cooked red kidney beans, mashed with a fork (Substitute with beans of choice if red kidney beans are not your THANG.)
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon chili powder
Freshly ground black pepper (About 1/4 teaspoon.)
2 teaspoons less-sodium soy sauce (Use Tamari for a gluten-free option.)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (Optional, but highly recommended.)
1/3 cup organic ketchup (Add gradually. If not using nutritional yeast, you may not need as much ketchup to bind these cutlets.)
Salt to taste (I did not add any, however your taste buds may prompt you to do so.)

*Vegetable oil for frying.

Directions
First cook the millet in vegetable broth and according to package directions. This should take about 10 minutes. If not using vegetable broth, be sure to season the cooking water with salt (about 1/2 teaspoon). I added 2 cups of vegetable broth to 1 cup of millet, covered it, and brought it to a boil. Once boiling, I lowered the heat to medium-low and cooked it until all the broth has evaporated, for about 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, I fluffed it with a fork and set aside in a bowl to cool off.

Let's make cutlets!

To the bowl with the cooling cooked millet, add the mashed beans, and all remaining ingredients except salt and ketchup. Mix the cutlet batter with your hands and add the ketchup, gradually as you continue mixing the batter. The consistency will be wet, but not too sticky. Taste for salt and add if necessary.

*This is a good time to pre-heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. 

Divide the cutlet batter into half (score it with your hand inside the bowl), followed by dividing each half into three "equal" parts to make six cutlets. Form the cutlets in your hands and be sure not to make them too thick (about 1/2 inch in thickness should do it).

Place formed cutlets on a plate and fry three cutlets at a time, over a medium heat, in about two tablespoons of oil, for 3-4 minutes on each side, until the cutlets develop a nice golden crust. In case the cutlets lose their perfect shape when you turn them over, you can fix it with your spatula while they are frying. I did that without difficulties.

Serve immediately and store in a refrigerator, in a closed container, lined up with parchment paper in between each cutlet to absorb moisture for up to one week.

Peace out!

Eat! 

Sweet Wheat Germ and Poppy Seed Omelet

Some say that necessity drives invention. I agree wholeheartedly. Weekends are for culinary experiments and for using up forgotten ingredients bumbling around in my pantry. 

This morning I opened my pantry and noticed poppy seeds and  a jar of wheat germ giving me dirty looks. Naturally, I had to respond appropriately and show these forgotten ingredients that I don't mess around. 

Initially, I was planning on making pancakes, but I did not want to use flour today. That is how this recipe came about. 

Cheers!  

Sweet Wheat Germ and Poppy Seed Omelet

Sweet Wheat Germ and Poppy Seed Omelet (Makes 2 Servings)

Ingredients 
1 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (Lemon juice may be substituted.)
*Note: Plant milk and acid will be used to make vegan buttermilk. See below for instructions. 
1 prepared chia seed or flax egg (See below for instructions.)
1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses (Maple or agave syrup may be substituted.)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Dash of salt (Less than 1/4 teaspoon.)
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1 cup wheat germ

*Vegetable oil for frying. Non-stick cooking spray will do the job too!

This omelet has a nice moist texture. 

Directions
First we are going to make vegan buttermilk and chia egg. To make the buttermilk, pour one cup of soy milk to a large bowl and add in the apple cider vinegar. Allow to stand for 10 minutes until the milk curdles. Do not use rice milk for this task. Rice milk has a low protein content and therefore it will not curdle as well or at all.

Now onto the chia seed egg. Process one tablespoon of chia seeds in a food processor, high speed blender or designated for food only coffee grinder. Place the processed seeds in a small bowl and add 3 tablespoons of room temperature water. Mix and allow to stand for about 10 minutes. Follow the same instructions to make flax egg.

Preheat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.

Let's make the omelet! Add the molasses and chia egg to the bowl with vegan buttermilk you just made. Mix in baking powder and salt. Use a whisk to incorporate all the ingredients. Add the poppy seeds and wheat germ and mix well. Using your hands, divide the omelet batter to two "equal" parts.

By now the frying pan should be ready. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or coat the pan very well with non-stick cooking spray. We are ready to fry these suckers!

Take one half of the omelet batter and place it in the frying pan using your hand. Be sure not to burn yourself. As soon as the batter hits the pan, flatten it with your hand to form a thick pancake. Like this.

Fry on each side for about 3 to 3.5 minutes on a medium-low heat. 

Given the omelet's soft texture, it will be a tad tricky to turn this sucker over. I know you can do it! Be sure to use a large spatula or two of them (I did that!) to do this. The omelet will be ready when it develops a thin crust and looks golden brown. Like this.

Ready!

To make it look fancy pants on your plate, fold it in half and serve with your favorite fruit, powdered sugar or anything you like.

Don't forget to fry the other half of the omelet. Peace!

Eat! 

Easy Semolina Breakfast Cakes

I used to eat semolina porridge (called Kasza Manna in Polish) for breakfast with sugary fruit syrup on top as a kid. It was a typical Polish breakfast catered specifically to kids the same way cereal is here in the US.

Recently I discovered this old favorite in a Polish grocery store, and I felt compelled to try it again. I was planning on making a porridge out of it, but I decided to make this instead. I think I will continue exploring making other semolina cakes in the future. I already have another recipe in mind. Stay tuned...

Cheers!

Semolina Breakfast Cakes

Semolina Breakfast Cakes (Makes About 12 Cakes)

Ingredients
1 and 1/3 cups semolina or semolina flour (I used semolina. Semolina flour is more delicate while semolina is coarse almost like cornmeal.)
1 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 small/medium banana, mashed with a fork (Substitute the banana with one chia or flax egg if you don't fancy bananas.)
2 teaspoons unsulphured molasses (Substitute with  2 teaspoons of maple syrup or raw cane sugar if you don't have molasses.)

*Vegetable oil for frying

This texture is not fluffy like a pancake, but rather it is dense like a cake. Maple syrup will work best as a topping. I did not have any maple syrup. I used organic powdered sugar instead. 

Directions
Preheat a large non-stick cooking pan over a medium heat.

Mash the banana with a fork in a medium bowl. Add baking powder and molasses and mix well. I used a whisk for this task. Add milk and the semolina and mix. Start frying immediately. If you don't, the batter will become too thick while it is sitting on the counter. No es bueno! (no good!)

Fry 4 semolina breakfast cakes at a time, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, in 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Be sure to flatten the batter using a spatula or a spoon as soon as the batter touches the pan. Otherwise the cakes will be too thick. I used a large serving spoon to measure my batter for each cake.

Serve immediately. Best served with maple syrup. If you are planning on using powdered sugar instead, be sure to have a glass of plant milk handy to wash it down.

Eat!

Easy Sunflower Seed and Chive Sandwich Spread

There is a little European grocery store I visit once a month. I go there to purchase European goodies I am unable to get anywhere else. They have the best pickles in brine and other accidentally vegan foods I ate when growing up in Poland.

One day I stumbled upon a vegan pate made out of semolina flour which was excellent. However when I went back to purchase it again, it was no longer available. I wanted to eat it again obviously, so I decided to try making it myself. Instead of semolina flour, I used a more accessible and a very affordable ingredient such as the sunflower seeds.

This sandwich spread is surprisingly easy to make. I think the most difficult part about it is toasting the seeds. They will burn and play when you walk away from the pan. See what I did there? You can use other spices and herbs or finely diced vegetables. The possibilities are infinite.

Cheers!

Sunflower Seed and Chive Sandwich Spread

Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups raw sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 cup water, room temperature
1/3 cup chives, finely chopped

You can have a vegan breakfast anywhere in the world using this easy sandwich spread recipe. 

Directions 
Preheat a large non-stick cooking pan over a medium heat and add all of the sunflower seeds. Given that the sunflower seeds already contain natural oils, there is no need for adding additional fat such as oil or non-stick cooking spray. Spread them evenly on the pan and toast for about 4-5 minutes until light golden color. Stir once in a while.

Be careful not to burn them as you will have to start over. It happened to me, and I was not pleased. Once the seeds are toasted, place them on a plate and allow to completely cool off before making the spread.

Place the cooled sunflower seeds in a high speed blender or a food processor and pulse until they become a powder. To make sure there are no whole seeds bumbling about, do this in batches if necessary. Now place the sunflower seed powder in a bowl, and add all the spices. I used a whisk to incorporate the spices with the sunflower seed powder.

Add water and mix well. It will take a minute for the spread to fully thicken. Mix in chives and taste for additional seasonings. You may want to add more salt or pepper or both.

Serve on bread or crackers. Store in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container for 3 to 4 days.

*Note: This spread has a potential for many variations. Use favorite spices and herbs instead of what is suggested. 

Eat!

Tempeh Breakfast Scramble and Bracing For Summer!

I do not mean to be so dramatic about the fact that summer and me do not get along, but I can't help it. I promise to edit myself when talking about this season in effort not to ruin your summer experience. How does that sound?

I continue to feel lethargic and think this may be due to season change although I have no solid evidence to prove this. Conversely, I am still catching up on sleep and will most likely continue doing so until the end of time.

Luckily, I walk to my job now (it is about 25 minute walk each way) and this activity provides me with a forced awakening without the necessity of having additional cups of coffee to jolt me into being awake.

I have started cooking more frequently again, I have been eating too many sandwiches while I had school, and you will be seeing posts from me at a higher frequency. Recently, I opened my refrigerator and noticed a lonely tempeh cake waiting for some company. What better company than a bunch of vegetables and spices, right?

Cheers!

Tempeh Breakfast Scramble

Tempeh Breakfast Scramble

Ingredients 
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
1 (8-ounce) organic tempeh of choice, cubed (I used 3-grain tempeh and I did not steam it prior to using it in this recipe. See note below.)
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 to 6 mushrooms of choice, chopped (Be sure to use the stems.)
4 small purple potatoes or potatoes of choice, chopped (I did not peel mine. I rarely peel potatoes, specifically when the potatoes are young.)
Freshly ground black pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon salt or more, depending on preference (Add at the end of cooking time.)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
About 6-8 tablespoons water or vegetable broth, divided

I used to be a tempeh hater, can you believe that?

Directions 
In a large non-stick pan, sauté the onion and mushrooms in oil, for about 5 minutes. While sautéing onions and mushrooms, add pepper, thyme, cumin, and turmeric. Stir once in a while and add a splash of water if needed, to prevent from sticking to the pan.

Now add the potatoes, garlic and about 3 tablespoons of water. Cover with a lid - the steam will cook the potatoes. Do not add the salt yet as the potatoes will not become crispy. Stir once in a while.

*Cooking Tip: Salt draws out the moisture out of potatoes and mushrooms, makes them soft and prevents these vegetables from becoming crispy when added at the beginning of cooking time. Therefore it is recommended to add salt at the end of cooking time instead. 

Uncover the pan, add the cubed tempeh, and nutritional yeast and about 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. Mix well and allow the nutritional yeast bind to the potatoes and tempeh. Stir often.

Once the tempeh was added, I continued cooking this dish for another 6 minutes or so. You can continue cooking it for another 10 minutes if you like the potatoes and tempeh to achieve a nice crust and crispiness. Season with salt when done and taste for additional pepper.

Serve with toasted bread and additional vegetables or anything you like.

*Note: Some say that tempeh is bitter when not steamed prior to adding it to recipes. I disagree, and therefore I never ever steam it in my recipes. You may not feel this way, and if that is the case, steam the tempeh for 10 to 15 minutes prior to cubing it and using it in this recipe. All you have to do is to bring water or vegetable broth to a boil. Once boiling, place the tempeh cake in the pan, lower the heat to medium-low and cover. Use a pan that will fit the entire tempeh cake. Turn off the heat and allow to cool before cubing it and using in this recipe. 

Eat! 

Silky Banana Milkshake. Easy As Two Bananas!

Today I am going to share with you my sweet little secret. It is a recipe that is easy, quick, creamy, and quite healthy.

I don't recall how I came up with this particular ingredient combination. The important thing is that it works! There have been days when I needed a sweet escape, and thus I found myself making this milkshake more than once in a day.

I bet you have all the ingredients on hand to make it now. Get your blenders people! 

Cheers!

Silky Banana Milkshake

Silky Banana Milkshake

Ingredients
2 ripe bananas, medium size
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (any flavors may be substituted - e.g., almond or coconut extracts)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk

Creamy and vegan!

Directions
Place all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend for at least two minutes. The creamy texture comes from blending the heck out of the bananas, therefore chunks are not desirable. Enjoy!

Serve immediately.

Drink! 

Polenta Spinach Casserole and Happy Mother's Day!

Hey there lovelies,

It has been a while since my last post. I have been occupied with writing papers and catching up on sleep. Today I wanted to take some time to wish you all a happy Mother's Day. Sorry dudes! 

Aside from celebrating Mother's Day, I also wanted to share a new recipe with you - Polenta Spinach Casserole. Even a polenta-hater liked it and that is quite a victory. 

Cheers! 

Polenta Spinach Casserole

Polenta Spinach Casserole

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups fresh spinach, plus 2-3 tablespoons water
2 cups corn grits (also known as polenta)
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
5 cups water or vegetable broth

*Non-stick cooking spray for coating the baking pan.

Tastes great the next day pan fried with additional freshly ground black pepper. 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large non-stick pan, sauté the onion in olive oil, over a medium heat, for about five minutes. Add garlic and continue sautéing for another minute. Stir often. Add spinach and 2 tablespoons of water and sauté until the spinach has wilted. This should take about 2 minutes or so. Add more water if needed for the spinach to wilt. Turn off the heat.

This is how the wilted spinach and onion mixture looks like when done. 

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of corn grits, salt, onion powder, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast flakes, turmeric, and 5 cups of water or vegetable broth. I used a whisk to combine all the ingredients.

Now add the spinach onion mixture to the bowl, and stir well.

Get thee to the oven! 

Coat a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the polenta mixture to the dish and place in the oven, uncovered. Bake for 1 hour. Be sure to stir the mixture once, fifteen minutes into the baking process.

Serve immediately when hot or wait until the casserole completely cools off, slice into desired size and pan fry. I like to eat it dipped in soy sauce or with mushroom gravy. The polenta hater enjoyed it with vegan parmesan cheese.

Store it in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Straight out of the oven! 

Baked Tofu Pate and Feeling Under Pressure

Heads up VKP readers, there is a long blog entry ahead unlike my usual brief style. Today's featured recipe is Baked Tofu Pate which I came up with on a night I did not feel like putting too much effort into my dinner menu, but I also wanted something flavorful in spite of my laziness. You will EVENTUALLY get to the recipe....

I am certain you can relate to feeling [rarely or often] like the carpet is being pulled from under your feet. To add to this distress, you have front row seat to this Carpet Pulling Event and it is all happening to you in a slow motion. Additionally, your mind is flooded with automatic negative thoughts, and you have nightmares and/or day-terrors about these thoughts during slumber and when awake.

An example of an automatic negative thought includes, but is not limited to:

"I can't interpret Independent Groups T-tests. I never do things right." 

Sound familiar? Not the part about the T-test, but the overall concept of automatic negative thoughts that we all have and struggle with on a daily basis. Although I am generalizing, [if you don't fall into this category, consider yourself lucky] there is something to be said about learning how to be kind to yourself.

Mark Twain's quote below illustrates how our minds work.

"My life has been filled with terrible misfortunes, most of which have never happened." 

We scare ourselves into thinking we are not capable of pushing ourselves due to fear of failure, and often continue living our lives without working on changing our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. During such times, we tend to use avoidance to help us cope with our feelings.

Instead of avoidance, I have started working on facing thoughts and feelings in effort not to fall back on the vicious cycle of negativity towards myself. This cycle is rooted in automatic negative thoughts.

Now I practice reframing these thoughts of mine to positive ones. To do this, I ask myself: "what can I learn from this experience?"

It takes practice, EFFORT, patience, and time. The more you do it, the easier it will become.

An example of reframing an automatic negative thought listed above is the following:

"While I don't have experience with interpreting statistical tests, I am going to tutoring each week. I have noticed I gain a better understanding of the logic behind these tests with each session, which means that I am doing something right" 

Cheers to Independent Groups T-tests as well as all the other ones I love to love! - see what I did there.

Baked Tofu Pate

Baked Tofu Pate 

Ingredients
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
2 slices bread of choice (I used sprouted whole wheat bread)
1 (15-oz package) extra firm organic tofu, drained and padded dry
2 cups fresh spinach
2 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup, plus additional to coat the top of pate
1 and 1/2 cups rolled oats, not instant oats (Add at the end and do not blend!)
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil (Add 1/4 cup for a richer flavor instead of using 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoons miso paste of choice
Salt to taste (About 1/2 teaspoon)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (About 1/4 teaspoon)

*Non-stick cooking spray to coat and oil the loaf pan.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a food processor or high speed blender, process the onion and garlic first. Then add the two slices of bread, tofu, spinach, soy sauce, ketchup, corn starch, poultry seasoning, olive oil, miso paste, salt and pepper, and blend.

This may take a while, depending on the kitchen tool you use. You may have to stop a few times, scrape the sides, and pulse again. If you find yourself not being able to process all the ingredients with ease, add 2 tablespoons of water, vegetable broth or olive oil. I found myself having to add water, and found it helpful to move the tofu along.

Once the mixture is smooth or almost smooth, place it in a bowl, and add the oats. Mix well, and transfer the mixture to an oiled mini/small loaf pan. Spread the mixture with a spatula evenly. Now add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of ketchup on top of the pate and spread it evenly.

Bake for 50 minutes to one hour depending on the desired consistency. Allow 15 minutes cooling time before serving. Remove from loaf pan and slice. Spread it on toasted bread or serve it over greens.

Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

I sliced and pan fried it and served the pate over organic pea shoots. I used leftovers as a sandwich spread. Tastes great hot or cold! 

Apple Sauce Millet Breakfast Cake - It Has Four Ingredients!

Do you know Millet? If not, I would like to introduce you to this powerful grain. My history with Millet goes back to childhood. I grew up eating Millet in soups mostly, as a kid, growing up in Poland.

Millet has been around for quite some time, and has not changed in terms of providing powerful dietary superheroes such as manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus. Millet is also gluten-free and although only a small percent of people is actually gluten intolerant (this is my way of saying: I am tired of gluten-free hype), it is a great option for all.

I can't take credit for this recipe - darn! - as my mom is the source, however, I have made a few improvements, and that must count for something. Right?

Cheers!

Apple Sauce Millet Breakfast Cake

Apple Sauce Millet Breakfast Cake 

Ingredients 
1 (24-oz) jar unsweetened apple sauce (about 3 full cups)
2 cups millet, uncooked
1 cup dried apricots, chopped or raisins, whole (I used unsulfured dried apricots)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Add 1/3 cup of maple syrup or even a mashed banana or both, to make this cake sweeter. I like mine less sweet, and did not use maple syrup or mashed banana. 

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, combine apple sauce, and cinnamon. If using mashed banana and maple syrup, add it now. Add millet and dried apricots or raisins and mix.

Coat a baking pan of choice with non stick-cooking spray, place the cake batter and spread it evenly with a spatula. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown, and appears dry.

Allow to cool off completely, before removing from the baking pan, and cutting. I used a round baking pan with removable sides, and did not have difficulties with removing this cake.

Store in a closed container, with paper towel on top to absorb the moisture. It will keep for 3-4 days.

Unsulfured apricots are darker, and therefore do not feature the artificial orange color we are accustomed to seeing. 

Things to consider:

• Make this cake into breakfast bars and bake them in a square pan instead. Use any dried fruit and spices of choice. Add coconut flakes or nuts and seeds for additional variety. 
• Do not use a glass baking pan for this recipe. The cake will not brown, and will steam instead.
• Make it sweeter by adding mashed banana, maple or even agave syrups (about 1/3 cup) in addition to the ingredients stated. 
• Remember that the more liquid you add, the more millet you will need. For example, if planning on adding 1/2 cup of maple syrup in addition to the stated ingredients, I would add about 1/3 cup additional millet, so that the cake will be solid, and not runny. 

Eat!