My Weekend in Food

It was a beautiful weekend here, and I started it off with a trip to Baltimore to visit my dear friends there who I miss a lot. Stephanie and I went to dinner at a new pizza place in town and it was quite delicious. Below is our salad of arugula, red onion, feta, pecans, cranberries and balsamic vinaigrette and our pizza.

 My next stop was my old house for a spring party. After most people left Karina decided to make some homemade pizza (at 3am) and it was very tasty. Then in the morning, Karina and I made some coconut-pecan pancakes with blueberry topping. Yum-o! I miss that house and it was great catching up with the girls over breakfast!

I was also able to celebrate my good friend Katie's birthday with her on Saturday, and as usual she put on a wonderful barbecue with lots of  great things to eat. My favorite was probably the homemade onion dip!

 Sunday I had a healthful breakfast of granola with fresh mango and strawberries. Then I met my friend Ali at Eastern Market and we went to Tortilla Cafe after exploring a bit. I opted for the vegetable burrito this time, which was good, but I still prefer the pupusa's and plantains!

Overall, it was a great weekend. Good friends and good food- what more could you want?

Cinco de Mayo

Vegetable Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

1 red pepper, roasted, diced
2 large carrots, shredded
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1 can black beans
1/2 cup garden veggie cream cheese
12 corn tortillas
1 large jar salsa verde or green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover bottom of a baking dish with half of the salsa verde. Combine first five ingredients in medium bowl. Warm corn tortillas and fill each mixture with equal amounts of cream cheese mixture. Roll and place in baking dish. Cover with cheese and bake until bubbly, about 20 min.

Roasted Veggie Fajtas

Easter Brunch

I am sorry once again for the amount of time since my last post. I know it has been difficult without me, so I will try my hardest to get back on track. I will start with Easter brunch.

My wonderful friend Kate and I decided to make brunch for Easter at her place and invite a few friends over. We had a nice spread-- roasted vegetable quiche, cheesy hashbrowns, deviled eggs, fruit salad, carrot cake cupcakes, and oreo truffle eggs. The Easter Bunny even came and left some eggs for us to find and we got to color our own.

Kate is such an amazing decorator and got cute plates and table settings. The weather turned out great (a little warm I guess) and it turned out to be a wonderful day!

What to do with leftover babka?

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Chocolate Babka and Blackberry Bread Pudding

I found a basic recipe online, but made some changes.  Here it is.

4 cups chocolate babka, cubed
1 1/2 cups blackberries
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash of cinnamon 
1 tablespoon butter (or smart balance)


Preheat oven to 375.  Melt butter in cast iron skillet.  Add cubed bread and blackberries.  Beat eggs, sugar, almond milk, vanilla, and cinnamon in small bowl until blended.  Pour over bread mixture and bake for 40- 45 minutes. 

 

Definitely one of my favorite creations in a while.  Yum!

Weekend Brunch

 I have been wanting to do weekend brunch with the gang since the end of my vegan month and it finally happened yesterday.  The menu: roasted vegetable quiche, mixed greens with red onion, oranges, and agave-apple vinaigrette, breakfast potatoes, and chocolate babka- complete with mimosas courtesy of Kate and Elyssa.  So nice spending mid-day with my awesome friends! 

 Quiche: Roasted asparagus, red pepper, red onion, and garlic with fontina cheese. 

The babka was a long process, but well worth it.  I am thinking up something to make with the leftovers- stay tuned. 

The End!

So- if you're wondering if I woke up this morning and had a cheeseburger for breakfast, the answer is no.  Although it did cross my mind.  It is now February and my little experiment is over.  However,  I do have to admit that I broke the rules a few times last week. A few days before the end of the month, I decided I had learned what I wanted to from this experience and it was time to spend the last couple of days working on my transition.  I didn't cook anything that wasn't vegan, but I didn't freak out if there was cheese or egg in something at a restaurant.

This was more than just a challenge, it was really about learning more about myself and my views on food and how it affects my body.  It was actually the fake mac and cheese we made that finalized my decision.  I liked a lot of things about being vegan.  I feel like I gained a greater appreciation for animal products and realized that animal products are in a majority of dishes, especially at  restaurants.  My final decision was to still extremely limit the animal products that I eat, but not to the point where it controls me. If I have a craving for macaroni and cheese, I will use real cheese. If I am at Olive Garden and want to eat a garlic breadstick, I will eat one. But I will prepare most of my meals and snacks without animal products.

I was surprised that I didn't have a craving for cheese or yogurt today.  Actually, the only non-vegan thing I ate today was a bite of dip that one of my coworkers brought into the office.  Below are some pictures of some of my vegan creations not yet posted.  I will keep updating on how my transition goes.  

Tortilla filled with spinach, avocado, rec pepper, and a barley, bean, and corn salad

                                               Pineapple Coconut Macaroons

                                          Roasted vegetables for fajita night

                                                          Fajita night spread

                  
Falafel salad with hummus, balsamic red onions, and roasted peppers and asparagus