Meatless Meals in March

[flowermama]

Ha! How do you like that alliteration in the title? Pretty impressive, right?!

For lunch today I cooked some cute heart-shaped noodles my mom had given us and frozen corn. I mixed a jar of spaghetti sauce from TJ's with the pasta. I sliced some apples, and I made some garlic toast (I put Earth Balance on sourdough bread and sprinkled it with garlic powder and toasted it in the oven).

[Beth1231]

I'm only recently cooking again and need ideas!

[flowermama]

Yesterday for lunch I cooked short-grain brown rice with plain cubed tofu. I also cooked some sliced tofu in the oven -- I put Liquid Aminos, grapeseed oil, poultry seasoning, and garlic powder on the slices of tofu and baked them, turning them over partway through. I love tofu cooked that way. My boys don't care for it that way, though, so that's why I made plain cubed tofu, too. We also had cranberry sauce, mandarin oranges (from a can), a small grapefruit we shared, raisins, bananas cut up, and sliced avocado.

I also made what I call "truffles" out of avocado, almond meal, carob powder, oatmeal, chia seeds, agave nectar, and coconut oil. I blended those ingredients together in a food processor. Then I shaped them into balls and them rolled them in a mixture made out of flaxseed meal, a little bit of sugar, and cinnamon. I loved them.

---------- Post added at 01:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:20 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Beth1231

I'm only recently cooking again and need ideas!

[Ms_Dahl]

I'd like to participate in this thread. As an Orthodox Christian, we generally stick to a mostly vegan diet during fasting periods. I need ideas for meals that don't heavily depend on carbs!!

Aldi actually had a great meal idea for a carb-less pasta meal. Peel a carrot, zucchini and squash lengthwise with a peeler, boil the strips briefly and top with marinara sauce. I hope to try that the next time I get groceries.

---------- Post added at 05:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:08 PM ----------

Originally Posted by flowermama

I also made what I call "truffles" out of avocado, almond meal, carob powder, oatmeal, chia seeds, agave nectar, and coconut oil. I blended those ingredients together in a food processor. Then I shaped them into balls and them rolled them in a mixture made out of flaxseed meal, a little bit of sugar, and cinnamon. I loved them.

That sounds delicious! I don't have carob powder or almond meal. I do have flaxseed meal. What does carob powder taste like and do you think I could make these without those two ingredients?

[HuggaBuggaMommy]

Originally Posted by Ms_Dahl

That sounds delicious! I don't have carob powder or almond meal. I do have flaxseed meal. What does carob powder taste like and do you think I could make these without those two ingredients?

Carob powder would be like adding cocoa powder...a sort of chocolaty taste.

They do sound delicious.

Lunch today was a quinoa-kale-sweet potato pilaf.

[flowermama]

Originally Posted by Ms_Dahl

I'd like to participate in this thread. As an Orthodox Christian, we generally stick to a mostly vegan diet during fasting periods. I need ideas for meals that don't heavily depend on carbs!!

Aldi actually had a great meal idea for a carb-less pasta meal. Peel a carrot, zucchini and squash lengthwise with a peeler, boil the strips briefly and top with marinara sauce. I hope to try that the next time I get groceries.

I like to use zucchini in place of pasta (I like raw) or to use spaghetti squash. My mom actually recently bought me a neat thing that cuts veggies in long strips like noddles. It's fun to use.

That sounds delicious! I don't have carob powder or almond meal. I do have flaxseed meal. What does carob powder taste like and do you think I could make these without those two ingredients?

I just remembered that I forgot to mention that it also had cashews in it.

You could make it without those two things. I often use cocoa powder instead of carob. Carob powder has a sweetness to it, unlike cocoa powder. My children don't like it as much as cocoa powder, but I grew up with my mom using it sometimes, so it has the element of being a comfort-type food for me.

I make my truffles out of a variety of things. They end up rather like cookie dough, so it's a lot like eating raw cookie dough, which I love!

I use something (or more than one thing) wet to bind the dry ingredients together -- something like avocado or pureed pumpkin. You can use peanut butter (my son doesn't like it so I don't use it when I make these). Or dates or raisins (which also help sweeten it). Liquid sweetener also can help. Oh, and coconut oil.

For dry ingredients I things like coconut, almond meal (or almonds ground up), cashew meal, oatmeal, chia seeds, flaxseed meal, hempseeds, etc. And I usually add cinnamon, maybe ginger, or pumpkin pie spice, etc.

I could find some recipes if you'd like.

[Ms_Dahl]

Wow, all those ingredients sound yummy. Recipes would be really helpful. I think I want to try the carob powder. Is it something I could get at TJs?

[flowermama]

Originally Posted by Ms_Dahl

Wow, all those ingredients sound yummy. Recipes would be really helpful. I think I want to try the carob powder. Is it something I could get at TJs?

I'll get back to you with some recipes.

I don't think I've seen carob powder at TJ's. I bought mine at Fred Meyer. They have it in the bulk section, too, but right now I have some I bought on clearance for half off (Bob's Red Mill brand). If you have a natural foods store near you, it bet they would likely carry it.

---------- Post added at 05:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:56 PM ----------

Christa, last month you mentioned that you made some eggplant curry, so I decided to buy some eggplant the other day, and today I cooked chopped onion, green pepper, eggplant, mushrooms, cabbage, and carrots together with spices (including curry). I added tofu and leftover rice from yesterday and mixed it all together. Yum!

[MamaSam]

Originally Posted by flowermama

I like to use zucchini in place of pasta (I like raw) or to use spaghetti squash. My mom actually recently bought me a neat thing that cuts veggies in long strips like noddles. It's fun to use.




I just remembered that I forgot to mention that it also had cashews in it.

You could make it without those two things. I often use cocoa powder instead of carob. Carob powder has a sweetness to it, unlike cocoa powder. My children don't like it as much as cocoa powder, but I grew up with my mom using it sometimes, so it has the element of being a comfort-type food for me.

I make my truffles out of a variety of things. They end up rather like cookie dough, so it's a lot like eating raw cookie dough, which I love!

I use something (or more than one thing) wet to bind the dry ingredients together -- something like avocado or pureed pumpkin. You can use peanut butter (my son doesn't like it so I don't use it when I make these). Or dates or raisins (which also help sweeten it). Liquid sweetener also can help. Oh, and coconut oil.

For dry ingredients I things like coconut, almond meal (or almonds ground up), cashew meal, oatmeal, chia seeds, flaxseed meal, hempseeds, etc. And I usually add cinnamon, maybe ginger, or pumpkin pie spice, etc.

I could find some recipes if you'd like.

Do you use refined coconut oil? I only have unrefined extra virgin and can't hardly use it in recipes because of the overwhelming coconut taste.

[flowermama]

Originally Posted by MamaSam

Do you use refined coconut oil? I only have unrefined extra virgin and can't hardly use it in recipes because of the overwhelming coconut taste.

I can't remember what it's called, but I use the type that tastes coconut-y. I think I must like taste of coconut more than I realize.

---------- Post added at 11:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Ms_Dahl

Wow, all those ingredients sound yummy. Recipes would be really helpful.

Here are some recipes! I usually just throw mine together now -- there are so many great possibilities! But hopefully this will help get you started and give you an idea of how to make them.

http://detoxinista.com/2012/11/pecan...s-vegan-paleo/ <-- She dips them in melted chocolate. I haven't tried that, but it sounds good.

http://www.bastyr.edu/recipes/pecan-date-bon-bons <-- This one lists white miso as an ingredient. I've added miso to the "truffles" (aka, cookie dough bites) I've made before, and it works surprisingly well.

I think this recipe for no-bake chocolate chip cookies is what got me inspired to start making this type of thing. In this recipe she shapes them into the shape of a cookie.
http://natural-lifestyle-show.com/5/...vegan-too.html

This is a recipe I've used, changing some of it. It looks like the recipe is not up right now, but I found it on the wayback machine website:
https://web.archive.org/web/20130509...e-dough-bites/

I hope these help!

[Ms_Dahl]

I plan on trying the truffles very soon. I just need to get one or two ingredients from the store.

I made a tofu scramble this morning with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, different kinds of greens, tofu and some salt/pepper and garlic powder. It was really filling, I was good until early afternoon time frame.

[HuggaBuggaMommy]

Originally Posted by MamaSam

Do you use refined coconut oil? I only have unrefined extra virgin and can't hardly use it in recipes because of the overwhelming coconut taste.

I only use unrefined, but rarely, because I hate the taste/smell of coconut. I know it's good for me, but I just can't stand it.

Tomorrow I'm making something Indian. I don't know what yet.

[flowermama]

Well, I made some more truffles today. My poor little boy was eating so many today that he started to get sick of them. So, he's going to wait awhile before eating any more today.

For the truffles I used almond butter, agave nectar, a banana, and coconut oil for the wet ingredients. I used carob powder, chia seeds, almond meal, cashew meal, flaxseed meal, oatmeal, and also some cashews and chocolate chips, for the dry ingredients.

I made soup (I love making soup) and tofu scramble (which I put on sandwiches). We also had sliced apples, pineapple, and green peppers (not mixed together, of course ).

[flowermama]

Toasted peanut butter and banana sandwiches tonight!

[L-Boogie]

Lentil vegetable soup for lunch
Oven roasted asparagus with sliced sweet peppers, roasted radishes, roasted green beans and salad for dinner