The Tempeh Shepherdess Pie Recipe for Veganomicon Review- A.K.A. That Time I Forgot To Add To Season a Dish But It Was Still Pretty Good

Hey Everybody! Today in my test kitchen I gave the recipe "Tempeh Shepherdess Pie" a try form Veganomicon a try. I chose the recipe due to the simplicity of its ingredients, though it contained tempeh, something I'd never tried or felt an urge to due to my general dislike of meat substitutes. The recipe is as follows in the book:

Tempeh Layer:

• 2 (8 ounce) packages of tempeh
• 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, cut to 1/2-inch dice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups) (I don’t like mushrooms, so I don’t add these, but I usually add another package of tempeh to compensate!)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Lots of freshly ground black pepper
• *1 cup frozen peas
• *1 cup frozen or fresh corn (*Instead, I use 2 cups of mixed frozen veggies, so you get string beans and carrots in there as well)
• 2 cups veggie broth
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
• 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
• 1/3 cup plain soy milk, or other non dairy milk
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Plenty of freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large skillet, crumble the tempeh to bite sized pieces. Add the water, tamari, and 1 teaspoon of the oil. Cover, and let boil for 10 minutes. Start boiling the potatoes in the meantime.
2. Remove the lid from the tempeh, and continue to boil until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 more minutes. Drain the tempeh in a colander, and return the pan to medium high heat (no need to wash it).
3. Saute the onions in the remaining olive oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute. Stir in tempeh, along with sliced mushrooms (if using) and spices. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium high heat until the mushrooms are juicy, and tempeh slightly browned. While this cooks, your potatoes should be ready now, and you can preheat your oven to 375F.
4. Add the frozen veggies and cook until heated through. You may need a little extra oil here.
5. Mix together the veggie broth and flour until pretty much dissolved (a few lumps are okay). Add to tempeh along with the parsley and stir. Let thicken for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Prepare your mashed potatoes. (Just prepare them like you normally do!)
7. Place the tempeh filling in a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the filling (I like to put spoonfuls in the corners and work my way in, then using the back of my spoon, I spread them together).
8. Bake for 20 minutes; the potatoes should be slightly browned on top — if they’re not, stick them under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.

I myself made substitutions- for one, I nixed the grapeseed oil and went with olive oil. Secondly, I FORGOT THE DAMNED THYME AND CORIANDER. Who does that? I also used canned corn and peas, and wheat flour in lieu of all-purpose flour  because that's what I had on hand. And you know what? It was pretty ok. A little on the bland side, but I'll take responsibility for that because again, I FORGOT THE DAMNED SEASONINGS. The tempeh pleasantly surprised me, I prefer it only about 6,000 times more than tofu. I was impressed. And the vegan mashed potatoes? Didn't miss the dairy. Not one bit. I'll have to give this recipe another test run to give it a fair grade, but in spite of my screwups it was a pretty solid dish and I would make it again. All of a sudden I'm all "Team Tempeh in the House!" 

Today's Lunch: Chili-Lime Rubbed Tofu

This has got to be the ugliest crap I've ever cooked in my life. 

Hey Everyone!

Today's lunch is Chili-Lime Rubber Tofu taken from Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. As I'm sure you guys have noticed I'm a huge fan of mexican food and citrus, but I am NOT a fan of tofu. I don't get it. Tons of vegans and vegetarians subsist on tofu alone, it seems, but I cannot muster a taste for it AT ALL. I figure I must be cooking it wrong, so I try to make a tofu dish every once in a while to see if I can figure it out. I chose the following recipe because it has everything I love in live... and tofu.

Chili-Lime Rubbed Tofu

Recipe from Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

• 1 block extra firm tofu cut into 8 pieces width-wise
• 2 tablespoons mild chili powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Zest of 1 lime
• Juice of 2 limes (1/4 of a cup, to be exact)
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce 
• 2 cloves garlic

1.  Preheat oven to 400 F. Poke each slice of tofu with a fork a few times to allow the flavors to seep in.

2.  Mix together the chili powder and salt in a small dish and set aside.

3.  Pour the lime juice, oil and soy sauce into an 8 x 13 inch pan. Use a microplane grater to grate in the garlic and mix in the lime zest. Toss each slice of tofu in the pan to coat.

4.  Rub or sprinkle each slice of the tofu with a big pinch of the chili powder mixture, until well coated. Bake the tofu on one side for 10 minutes, flip it and sprinkle/rub with more of the chilli powder mixture and  bake for another 10 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and serve.

I prepped my tofu by further pressing and freezing it because I like extra-firm, unslimy tofu. I cooked it just as indicated, placed a slice on my oh-so-chic white porcelain and matte grey Noritake dish, and reluctantly took a bite of the concoction. And how did it taste? Absolutely disgusting. I hate you, tofu. Never again.

The Green Lemonade Trials: Day Three

Hey Everyone!

So today's the final day of the Green Lemonade Trials, and Ladies and Gentlemen I feel we may have a winner. This juice omits the spinach featured in our last two recipes, is light on the kale, and is a total dupe for Whole Food's infamous, delicious green lemonade. Without further ado here's the winning recipe!

Green Lemonade

6 leaves of kale

4 celery stalks

1 cucumber

3 small green apples

2 lemons

You know the deal. Wash, peel, juice. Ta dah! I believe I have a new favorite! 

Today's Vegan Lunch- Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Kale

Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Kale

Adapted from The Pioneer Wife

Ingredients
1 small whole Spaghetti Squash
Olive Oil
Salt And Pepper
1 bunch of Kale, Stalks Removed And Torn Into Pieces
½  Onion, Diced
Tony Chachere's, Salt and Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

With a sharp knife, VERY CAREFULLY cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. (Stick the knife into the center of the squash, then cut down. Again—be careful!) Scoop out the seeds and pulp in the center and discard. Place the squash, cut side up, on a large baking sheet. Rub a little olive oil over the cut surface, then place the pan in the oven for 1 hour or until a fork is easily inserted into the squash.

While the squash is cooking, saute the kale: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until starting to turn color. Throw in the kale, sprinkle in some Tony Chachere's, salt, and pepper, and stir to saute until the onions are golden about the kale is partly cooked, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

When the squash is cooked, use a fork to scrape the stringy squash out of the shell. Add the squash to a bowl. Mix together 1 tablespoon olive oil with the balsamic vinegar. Drizzle it over the squash, sprinkle with Tony Chachere's, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.

Add the squash to individual bowls, then top with a good amount of sauteed kale.

(Or, you can toss all the kale and half the squash together.)

Taa Daa! And it's done! Easy and healthy.

Appetite For Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low Fat Recipes- The First Impression

Appetitive For Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Recipes is written by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, which is also the author of Veganomicon and runs the website Post-Punk Kitchen, a goldmine for vegan recipes. It goes without saying that these are 125 recipes in this book, all ranging between 200 and 400 calories per serving. They are all plant based, low in saturated fat and sugar, and high in fiber. There are many gluten and soy-free options available for those with dietary restrictions. 

There are eight chapters in this book dedicated to different food groupings:
1: Full-On Salads
2: Totally Stuffable Sides
3: Rub-Your-Tummy Veggies
4: Main Event Beans
5: Sink-Your-Teeth-Into Tofu and Tempeh
6: Talk Pasta to Me (& Noodles)
7: Soul-Satisfying Soups
8: Comfort Curries, Chili, and Stews

There is a section explain nutrition and all of the recipes have the nutrition information per serving. Gluten-free, soy-free, items taking 39 minutes or less to cook, and recipes with downtime are all labeled with recipe icons. 

My Vegetarian Staples

Let me tell you, it is NOT EASY being a vegetarian in the booming metropolis of Baton Rouge, LA. I am generally either at work or on the go, so my diet sadly consists of a lot of processed food- but even vegetarian processed food isn't always easy to come across in Baton Rouge. We recently got a new Trader Joe's here in Baton Rouge, so my work diet consists of their prepackaged salads and frozen Mexican TV dinners. When I'm out eating if I'm lucky I'm stuck with a black bean burger or garden sandwich, but often I'm stuck with ordering items off the side menu- French fries, steamed veggies, and lettuce and a cherry tomato in a condiment bowl, anyone? When I do have time to prepare my food in advance I'm a creature of habit and find myself making the same things almost every time. I make tons of salads topped with olives, corn, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, and anything else you could imagine putting on a salad that didn't previously have eyes. I also make simple black bean salads consisting of a can of rinsed black beans, a can of rinsed corn, a can of drained rotel tomatoes, lime, and whatever seasoning I feel like putting in there. Sometimes I get all fancy and add quinoa or tvp cooked taco filling style, use fresh ingredients in lieu of canned, top with cheese or Greek yogurt (an excellent sour cream substitute, by the way), and add other veggies like chopped bell peppers and purple onions.
The TVP  I speak of is super easy to make- I heat two cups of water to boiling and remove from heat, and mix in half a cup of TVP and a packet of taco seasoning. Some people add a tablespoon of soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos but I find that to be unnecessary. Wait about 10 minutes and kazam! Taco filling that's much better than the "ground beef substitute" they try to hock in the freezer section. Seriously, who do they think they're trying to fool with that nasty crap? Use it as a burrito filling or put in a taco shell with lettuce, tomatoes and cheese or faux cheese, you're golden.
I also snack on these "real food bars", whatever they mean by that. The brand is called Barre and I love the spirulina and the cinnamon pecan flavors. They're excellent to keep in your purse for when you're stuck on the road with nothing but snickers bars and potato chips in sight.
So that's pretty much my diet in a nutshell. The lack of variety may be unhealthy but it's delicious, so things even out. So what do you other vegetarians/vegans out there exist on? Let's swap recipes, I obviously need to mix it up some.

The Juice Fast- A.K.A.: The Failure Post

Hey Everyone!

So my three day juice fast has come and left, and I am sad to report I failed miserably. I meant to post each day of the fast. I meant to do a lot of things. What did I do? I can't really remember, because I was so fuzzy, lightheaded and dumb my memory of the fast is more like a long hallucination. Day one started out simply enough. I had my six juices I had picked up the day before from The Big Squeezy in Baton Rouge (at the tune of $49 a day plus tax). I read the directions and followed as specified on The Big Squeezy's website, and drank the juices in the order listed on the bag. I say website because when I picked up my juice the girl who checked me out was new and couldn't answer any of my questions. I did fine, except ran into a problem. If you drink a juice every two hours and only have six juice that means unless you stay up for only twelve hours you're going to be without nourishment for a few hours. I've got a life, damnit. I've got stuff to do. So I did what any red-blooded starving American did. I ate a baked potato from Whole Foods. So day 1: utter failure. Rinse and repeat on day two. Except on day two extreme lightheadedness and irritation set in. And then there was day three. OH DAY THREE.
So the thing with The Big Squeezy is you get two days of juice at a time. You make an appointment to pick up the juices, they're ready (in theory) when you get there, and you grab them and go. Easy, right? EXCEPT IT DIDN'T WORK LIKE THAT THE THIRD DAY. And I was hungry. And I was cranky. So when I placed the order and made my appointments to pick up the juices the girl who took my order asked what time I would like to pick up my juice on Sunday. I asked her their hours on Sunday and they said from 7 a.m. to whenever. I told them I would be there at 9:00 am for the rest of my juices.
Guess who doesn't open until 10:00 on Sundays? Guess who was stuck sitting around until 10:00, and even then still had to wait for them to get the damn juices together? Guess who was starving and quite over The Big Squeezy after their half-assed excuse blaming "the new girl" again after pulling up my paperwork and seeing their error. Yep.
It probably didn't help that I nixed caffeine and any unnecessary medication during the fast. I feel it was poorly instructed on their part and poorly executed on my part. I probably don't have the willpower required to nix food, caffeine, and modern medicine for three days. I also might have tried to cut out too much at once. Either way my experiment  was a blatant failure. I think the next time I attempt a juice fast instead of buying expensive premade juices I'm going to make my own. I have a Breville juicer and juicing manuals, but thought buying the juices premade and set out would be the way to go for a first fast. I was so wrong. Luckily for me no one was seriously hurt, I didn't incurred jail time, I have not been disowned by any of my friends, and I'm only out $160 and three and a half days of my life.
Oh, and I forgot to mention a few more things of note. After the third day I crashed. Like laying in bed, crying, just all around feeling horrid. My transition back to my normal plant-based vegetarian diet was rocky and at times *ahem* uncomfortable. I also had a severe spike in asthma attacks during the fast which was EXTREMELY unsettling, and likely explains a lot of the lightheadedness and passing disorientation.
My original intent for the juice fast was for detox purposes. I'm not sure if I succeeded in detoxing, I think I may have screwed that part up with the potato. Hopefully my next *homemade* fast will yield clearer and healthier results.


Edit: Does anyone have any suggestions for my next juice fast?  I'd love to hear other's experiences and comments, opinions, any feedback below!

The Veggie Transition

Hello Everyone!

My cousin-in-law Stacey is a new vegetarian considering making the transition to veganism, and wanted to know about how I went from omnivore to vegetarian. It all started innocently enough. Years ago I was laying in bed with my dear, sweet furchild Gigi, geared up for a pleasant night of popcorn and Netflix. I'm a documentary buff and of course lean towards food related documentaries, so after browsing through the menu a short while I stumbled upon Food Inc.
Never did I expect it would lead up to where I am today.
I will spare us all the gross and gory details, but by the end of the film I was clutching Gigi with tears running down my cheeks, staring at the refrigerator in disdain. I promptly gave away all the meat products stored in my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer, and began my new "food journey" with a trip to my local produce stand. I haven't looked back. At first it was tough. Meat is much more filling than veggies as most of us know, so I stayed hungry and cranky for the first two weeks, regardless of how much lettuce and broccoli I forced down my throat. New to the game, my knowledge of vegetarian recipes pretty much ended at salads, and it got to the point where I would dry heave over the thought of eating any more lettuce. I hated tofu, couldn't stand Boca burgers, and soy curls made my skin crawl. Fake meat was just GROSS. I threw hundreds of dollars worth of meat "substitutes" away in the beginning simply because they tasted absolutely disgusting. So then I started getting creative. It turns out being a vegetarian isn't all tofu and salad, which is good- that's no way to live. Besides, you don't really want beaucoup soy in your diet, it'll give a man boobs. It won't give me boobs, unfortunately, but it will give a man boobs.* I discovered TVP, which got me through the hump in the beginning, and today my diet consists of mostly beans and veggies. Depending on the way I cook them I can make virtually any style of dish. It's amazing what you can do with a fully stocked spice cabinet.
Now let's not get this twisted. I'm not an omnivore-shamer. You eat meat? Your business. I don't care. My husband eats meat. I don't hold issue with family farms or hunters either. You know what I take issue with? The abuse and the disgusting conditions in huge, industrial animal farms. Cruelty to animals is simply not ok. That being said, I don't suggest anyone watching Food Inc. If the aren't ready to take a good, hard look at what they put into their body.

My next posts are going to be a little comical and will possibly feature cruelty to myself as I embark on a three day juice cleanse. Stay tuned!

Welcome to Skinny Cult!

Hey good-lookin'! Welcome to my blog and my first post. I'm a thirtysomething-year-old Louisiana native who resides in the booming metropolis that is Baton Rouge. I hold a full time job, I'm a business owner, wife, and doting mother to a spoiled Yorkie by the name of Gigi. My husband owns Full Blown Paint, a custom paint and graphics shop operating out of Gonzales, and we both own Stitch Cult, an online retail store selling kustom kulture tshirts, custom handmade bags, purses, and other accessories. We are both avid fitness enthusiasts. Joel prefers weightlifting and bike riding, and I'm game for anything from yoglates to Pilates to yoga to barre to pole fitness and the list goes on! You can expect some workout tips, reviews of local fitness crazes, summaries and reviews of new diet fads, pretty much anything that is upcoming in the fitness world- but I'm drawing the line at colonics. Ain't no way. If you have any tips, suggestions, or anything you like to hear about feel free to drop me a line at stitchcult@yahoo.com. I look forward to embarrassing myself on the World Wide Web for you guys!

Love,
Lacey