Vegan Roadtrip from Seattle to Vegas

Five of us set out on a 20 hour roadtrip to Las Vegas from Seattle for a softball tournament. Fun? Absolutely! Stressful? Totally.

While normally I’d be packing my clothes and toiletries and be ready to go, I also had to pack food. Food not only for the trip there and back, but also for while we’re there for 3 days. Knowing myself, after partying it up till the wee hours, the last thing I would want to do is set out in search of food suitable for my diet. While my friends can head over to the food court for a slice of pizza or a burger, I’d have to make the choice of a salad or French fries ( I have a deep love for French fries but they happen to hate my stomach)

After a lengthy intro, here is what I packed:

Dry foods:

Gluten free vegan pretzel sticks
Gluten free vegan bread
Rice crackers
Organic peanut butter
Oatmeal
Red currant jelly
Dark chocolate

Cooler foods:

Cucumbers
Mini heirloom tomatoes
Baby carrots
Yellow bell pepper
Apples
Bananas
Oranges
Soy creamer
Hummus

I made 2 bottles of fresh juice (celery, bell pepper, cucumber, carrot, apple, ginger)

We’re about 16 hours into the drive and I’m not starving! We had to stop in Caldwell, Idaho to get the fuel filter changed at an auto shop where I took advantage of their coffee/tea machine and loaded up my oatmeal with some hot water and apples. Went great with my coffee with soy creamer!

More of the adventure coming up!

Curry Tofu Scramble from Seattle’s Pettirosso

This morning I had the pleasure of having a delicious curry tofu scramble from a local Seattle restaurant Pettirosso. The cozy spot on the corner of Pike and 11th has a solid breakfast and brunch menu and the tofu scramble was to die for. “Tofu Scramble – With coconut curry, seasonal vegetables over red potato hash” was both vegan and gluten free and a great breakfast choice!

Pettirosso

xoxo Liza

Vegan Burger Patties

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked lentils

1 cup peas

½ cup garbanzo beans

1 cup cooked quinoa

½ cup finely chopped sautéed onion

1 piece toasted gluten free bread (no crust)

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon tahini

1 tablespoon ketchup

Dill

Pepper

Makes 8 patties, about 150 calories each

Had some ingredients left over from the lentil loaf and the quinoa salad and put them to good use! This was totally an experiment and it worked out! The patties did come out a little dry but with a pickle in a sandwich, you won’t even notice! These didn’t fall apart while cooking, which was a definite plus.

How to:

– In a medium non-stick pan sauté the finely chopped onions until golden.

– Toast a piece of gluten free bread and remove the crust. Using a food processor turn the bread into bread crumbs.

– In a food processor combine the lentils, peas, garbanzos, quinoa, breadcrumbs, onion, tahini, dill, pepper and ketchup. TIP: If you’re over the ketchup, use any other sauce or condiment but make sure that it’s not too watery!

– Shape into patties and cook on a non-stick pan for about 3 minutes on each side on medium heat.

ENJOY!

xoxo Liza

Vegan Grocery Shopping

Let’s take a look at Trader Joes. Great market, lots of options. The produce section is limited but has all the basics. I was craving some gluten free vegan toaster waffles, a guilty pleasure for sure. Looking at the picture please don’t be disturbed by the lack of fresh produce, I went to the farmers market the following day. For now, let’s explore my gluten free vegan Trader Joes loot!

– Brown Rice Bread– not as good as breads from a gf bakery but will suffice in a pinch

– Goddess Salad Dressing – tahini makes it creamy, it’s almost a vegan Caesar

– Pineapple Salsa – my fave

– Vegan Chili – haven’t tried it yet

– Vegan gf Raspberry Sorbet – very sweet, weird texture

– TOASTER WAFFLES – LOVE LOVE LOVE

– Rice Crackers – great with hummus

– Soy Coffee Creamer

– Gone BANANAS – delicious slices of banana covered in dark chocolate – morsels of heaven in your freezer

– Organic Dark Chocolate

– Brown rice pasta – haven’t tried it yet

– Organic corn tortilla chips

– Organic Quinoa

– Celery, tomato, baby carrots, clementines and carrots

Trader Joe’s

By all means, this is not a full list of vegan and gluten free items you will find, nor are these all the items I have in my cupboard and fridge. It makes me happy to know that when I’m dying for an Eggo waffle, I have an alternative.

Xoxo
Liza

Vegan Gluten Free Lentil Loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup dry lentils

1 cup rice

1 cup peas

2 bay leaves

1 cup vegetable broth

1 onion

2 carrots

2 cups sliced mushrooms

½ cup ketchup

Salt

Pepper

Dill

2 cloves garlic

Instructions:

Cook the lentils according to package instructions. Usually 2 cups of water for a cup of lentils. Replace one of those cups of water with a cup of veggie broth and add 2 bay leaves to the lentils as they cook. Allow to cook for about 30 minutes. After this time the lentils should be cooked.

Preheat oven to 375.

Chop the onion, garlic, carrots and mushrooms and sauté them in some olive oil for about 10 minutes or until soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fresh dill is great if you have some or dried will work.

Add cooked lentils to the sautéing mixture and keep mixing right in the pan, set to medium heat. Add rice and peas and mix it together. Add ketchup, saving some for the “glaze”. Mix well and make sure it’s mushy and not complexly dry.

Coat a baking dish in some olive oil to prevent sticking, place the mixture into the pan and send into the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, put some ketchup on top and set to broil for 5 minutes.

ENJOY!

-Liza

Vegan Quinoa Salad

Tonight for dinner I’m making my mom’s delicious quinoa salad. So so so yummy! Here’s the recipe:

Vegan Quinoa Salad

Vegan Gluten Free Day 4

Ah food. I would really love a molasses cookie today. But I won’t, until I figure out how to make one or where to buy one that meets the new diet requirements.

I’m on day 4 of this adventure and so far so good! I’m staying between 1300 and 1500 calories which I may need to bring down a bit and watch the amounts of carbs. Fitness pal app has been a good resource as I discover new foods.

Breakfast usually consists of a coffee, a small cup of fresh juice and oatmeal. Oatmeal has always been my favorite and a breakfast staple. The last few days I’ve “beefed” it up with raisins, a few crushed walnuts and some rice milk. Seems to do the trick and keep me full until lunch. Win-win!

Buckwheat has also been great to have in the fridge as it’s filling and works as a quick snack or as a side. Cook it, and then sauté it with some onion! Delicious!!!

I made a lentil soup that has lasted me for these past 4 days and was a great lunch option and easy to bring to work.

I’m not miserable, I’m not starving, my digestive system seems to be adjusting quite well to the diet change. I’m going to remind myself, I CAN DO THIS 🙂

Cheers!

Liza

Ps. The sunset was gorgeous today!

Carrot Apple Celery Pineapple Ginger juice

Tonight’s juice:

Celery
Apple
Carrots
Ginger
Pineapple

So delicious!!!

I’m back! Vegan, take 2.

As I attempted a vegan diet last year, I realized that I wasn’t committed to it. It was far easier to have a turkey sandwich than explain to the deli guy that I want no meat or mayo or cheese on my sandwich and have him respond with a confused stare.

As we’re about to enter 2014, I have made a promise to myself to try, for at least a month, to follow a vegan gluten free diet. I am committed. I hope to make it a permanent lifestyle change but time will tell.

My lovely mama gave me a juicer for my birthday and I have been juicing, so far, just as a supplement to my diet, not as a meal replacement.

My ultimate goal is to have a healthy diet, free of processed and pesticide polluted foods and just feel better. Not tired and sluggish, but light and clear.

So join me! ❤

xoxo Liza

Vegan Coconut Chunk

Sometimes dinner has to consist of ice cream. Especially when it’s Molly Moons. Vegan Coconut Chunk, made with coconut milk, coconut flakes and Theo chocolate, it’s delectable. Goes great with a cup of coffee!