PRODUCT REVIEW

Today's product review comes to you from Alive and Radient Foods KALE CRUNCH. Not just crunchy kale, but chocolate covered kale! Do I need to say more!

I've been wanting to try a crunchy kale and now I have! Can you tell I liked them!? That is what was left of the bag just after a few minutes after getting it home! Wow! What a flavor! Kale as you know has a stand alone flavor (strong and earthy). The chocolate with it makes it so yummy! Let's face it, chocolate can make shoes taste good! I found this product at my local natural food market so search for them in your area. They had other favors too, like a ranch flavor and a cheese flavor. I will be buying more of this for sure!

TOFU "NO EGG" SALAD SANDWICH

Who doesn't love a good egg salad sandwich? Ok, maybe a few of you but I hope I can remedy that with my Tofu "No Egg" Salad Sandwich. I really miss egg salad and tuna sandwiches (vegan tuna recipe coming soon) so I was on the hunt for a good tofu " no egg" salad recipe. Well, you know, you can find a ton of them online but really it's all preference on the ingredients. Some people like it with sweet relish, some with chopped olives (that would be my husband), but for me it's the Wasabi mustard. I like a little spice with my salad. Wasabi mustard is to die for! I love it in so many things...salad dressings, marinades, and on every kind of sandwich. I also like a little crunch so to me celery is a no brainer. You can add chopped onions too, or even put some potato chips on top. Like I said it's all personal preference. To me though Tumeric is a must. It gives Tofu that eggy taste. I don't know why, but it just does. I add a good amount of it because it's so good for you. There are too many benefits for me to list so here's a link to a website I found called Eat This.

With this recipe I don't give how much to use of the ingredients. Make it to your taste and add whatever you want to it. Be creative!

                      I love this organic sprouted tofu. You can find it at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.

           The rest of the ingredients that I add. Add whatever you want for your "no egg" salad. It's all  about   your taste!

Press water out of tofu then crumble with your fingers to keep it chunky for more texture. (Sorry picture is shady, cannot find my other camera)

                                                      Add all your ingredients and mix well.

     This is my favorite bread, but you use whatever you like! If you don't want any bread you can stuff  the mixture into a tomato or eat it on a bed of lettuce.

Viola! My Tofu "No Egg" Salad sandwich. I added a little shredded lettuce for more crunch, and because it was sitting in my fridge leftover from our taco night! Too yummy! Make this soon and post what you added or deleted as far as ingredients!

ELLEN DEGENERES TALKING ABOUT BEING VEGAN

I just ran across this video of Ellen Degeneres talking to Katie Couric about being vegan. I just recently watched Food Matters and Food Inc. on Netflix. Now I'm going to watch Earthlings (if I can stomach it). How these poor animals are treated just makes me sick. I just cry when I watch these documentaries but they need to be watched so we can learn. I became a vegan for health reasons, meat just makes me ill, but now after watching these movies it's also about animal welfare. God did put animals on this earth for us to eat, but not like this. This isn't natural.

I hope you share this with your friends.

I promise to post a recipe today! Just been way too busy to think about blogging...but I'm ready to get a yummy indulgent recipe posted! Stay tuned!

ORGANIC FROM CHINA???

I ran across this article today posted by Whole Life Nutrition and it's shocking. Organic frozen fruits and vegetables sold at Whole Foods under their 365 brand is from China! What a farse. Watch this video and form your own opinion and whether we should be eating these products. I agree with buying organic from your local farmers market. You just don't know anymore what anyone is doing. Make sure your farmer is certified organic. Some will say they are but cannot prove it. I shop with 2 farmers at our farmers market and I absolutely love their product. So fresh and flavorful. Beats frozen from China...who are not really regulated like our organic farmers are.

SUE'S DAY OUT

I don't know about you, but when the sun is out and it's so warm I just want to go out and play. Nothing planned, just cruisin' along and stopping where I want. Now, I don't normally get time off being a stay at home mom to a home schooled child. So today my husband was home, daughter was  working on her history assignments and other daughter was in school so I ran! And let me tell you I ran fast! I think I left tread marks in front of our house! First stop was a friends house and we yapped for a while then off to Target. Target without kids is like heaven. Gold paved aisles with so much bling to look at...it's, its....blinding! Ah...deep sigh  After my quiet time in Target (minus the screaming child in the same line with me) I decided to get a Falafal Sandwich from my local Mediterranean eatery and let's not forget the stuffed grape leaves. Oh how I love those cigar shaped bites of yumminess. Yes, yumminess. Now I know Falafel is nothing new, but it's my all time favorite treat. Crisp on the outside and tender and spicy inside, with the lettuce, tomato, hummus and Tahini sauce. Yeah baby! 

I got my lunch to go so I could pick up my daughter from school. You have to get there 45 minutes before they dismiss just so you could get a parking space. But I don't mind...look at that wonderful wrap. Does that not look great. I gotta take a bite!

Soooo goooood! That's all I can say....sooooo gooood!

Washed down with my favorite tea....Starbucks Passion Tea (unsweetened of course). Looks like I'm gonna need a refill!

This was all that was left....and they didn't make it home! I have no guilt, not one bit. Nope not me. Sometimes you just have to indulge.  But I will tell you...it's a green smoothie for dinner!

After picking up my daughter it was on to Best Buy, then a quaint store to shop for some fashion. Of course the teenager with me was like a kid in a candy store! Gotta love her! All in all it was a great day alone, puttering around. Tomorrow is a big storm (supposedly) so I'll be posting some baking!

TRADER JOE'S ALMOND CHOCOLATE BEVERAGE

There are times you just want a little chocolate milk...but I don't drink milk! What's a girl to do? Drink Trader Joe's Chocolate Almond beverage. This drink is SMOOTH and yummy! It hits the spot! A little high in its sugar content but it does have vitamins A, D. and E. It's also lactose and dairy free, gluten free, soy free and it's....wait for it....VEGAN! Gotta love it! Just plain good stuff.

COCONUT CURRY VEGETABLES

I don't know about you, but can it get any better than coconut and curry. Truly yummy! I love PF Chang's Coconut Curry Vegetables and I wanted to replicate it so I can enjoy it whenever I want at home.  Honestly, I just can't get enough of this dish, and everyone in the family loves it too. Even, my older, picky, picky, daughter. Did I mention she's picky!? There was nothing left on their plates! Next time I have to double the recipe, that might just satisfy them. So let's get on with the recipe because I know you're all drooling by now! You can leave out the tofu if you'd like, but I think it's the best part. It just takes on that coconut curry flavor. Try to get the organic sprouted tofu. You can get this at Trader Joe's, or Whole Foods.


COCONUT CURRY VEGETABLES

1 small onion, cut into good size chunks
1 small red bell pepper, cubed
1 head of broccoli, partially steamed until just tender
1 package of mushrooms, quartered
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 package of extra firm tofu, cut in half lengthwise then cubed
1 cup (or so) halved cashews, peanuts, or whatever nut you like.

Coconut Curry Sauce
1/2 a can coconut milk (mixed)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons agave syrup or 1 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons of tapioca flour (starch) dissolved in 1 1/2 teaspoons of cold water

Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

Heat your pan until very hot and add your canola oil and coat the bottom of the pan. Add in the onion, bell pepper and carrots and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.

 Add mushrooms and cook until heated.

Add the tofu and cook through, about 3 minutes then add nuts.

Stir your sauce then add to the veggie mixture and cook until thick, about 10 seconds or so. Longer if you are doubling the recipe.

Serve with brown rice or noodles.

Serves 2 to 4

LET'S DISH VEGAN

Welcome to Let's Dish Vegan where you'll find an array of recipes, nutritional information, product reviews, and a whole lot more.

I started eating vegan about 2 years ago due to my health, and I have to say, I love it. I have diabetes and needed to lose some weight (still do!) and my holistic doctor suggested vegan, but my naturopath doctor says I need meat. Let's just say we agree to disagree! Animal products just make me physically sick. So vegan it is and let me tell you I feel wonderful!

The battle that I've had these last couple of years was with my husband and kids. They wanted no part of eating vegan. They wanted meat, butter, white bread, white sugar and everything else that will kill you! Well, recent events with my husband and his health/weight changed his story He went vegan now too and he's on fire! He has been juicing greens and other fruit and veggies and has lost 20 lbs in just two weeks and he feels great! And then there's our challenge....our daughters. They eat somewhat vegan (when that's all I'll make for dinner) but they still eat meat maybe three times a week. Everyone's diet is far better than it was and that makes for happier people, which makes for a happier mama!

I try to eat whole foods and not so much processed. Because of my diabetes I don't eat anything white and really, it's not good for you anyway, but that's another post. I try to make my food as healthy as I can with wholesome ingredients. I have a killer vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe that I will share. It has too much sugar for my taste, but the kids love them.

So follow me on my journey to get healthy and lose my weight, lose my diabetes, lose my chronic fatigue and balance my thyroid. Whew! What a tall order, but it will be adventurous!
;