Vegan Weekend Part 2

As promised, here is the final course I created over our Vegan Weekend. Helen loves pancakes and french toast. Its 2 of her favorite breakfast items to order. Because of that, I wanted to make one of her breakfast favorites while still keeping with the vegan ingredients. Therefore, I found and modified a Quinoa Pancake Recipe. It came out really tasty!!!! I also made a Strawberry-Blackberry Compote to put on top which came out great. I added a little nonfat plain yogurt to mine. I can't resist yogurt these days. The next breakfast I plan on doing is Millet French Toast. I will keep you posted on when that happens.

Quinoa Pancakes - Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups organic quinoa flakes
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups & 1 tb water
2 tb flax seed oil


Directions

mix dry ingredients in bowl; add liquids; whisk to nix. Preheat pancake griddle. Spoon batter onto hot griddle making pancakes 4-5" across. Turn when edges seem dry (they won't brown much because they don't contain sugar). Keep warm while cooking remaining cakes. Batter may thicken as it stands, if so, stir in 1-2 tb water as needed. Makes 12 pancakes.

1 serving = 3 pancakes = 5 Weight Watchers Momentum Plan Points (c)

Strawberry-Blackberry Compote

Ingredients
3/4 cup fresh strawberries quartered
3/4 cup fresh blackberries
1 tbsp agave syrup
1/4 water

Directions
Heat strawberries, blackberries and water in sauce pan until berries soften and release juices.
Add agave syrup and cook at very low heat. Bring the compote to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat spoon over pancakes.

1 serving = 1/4 cup compote = 1 Weight Watchers Momentum Plan Point (c)

Vegan Weekend

Helen is trying to change the type of food she eats and it has basically made her a vegan. Her fear was that she was going to be eating the same thing everyday and would quickly grow board of her food. Therefore, this week's cooking challenge for me was... great tasting vegan food. I made three dishes that Helen highly enjoyed. The first thing was an Avocado-Cucumber Soup followed by Quinoa Patties over steamed spinach and topped with a creamy Cauliflower Puree. The post after this will include the third dish: morning vegan meal.... Keep Reading!

Avocado-Cucumber Soup (Serves 4)

Ingredients
1 cucumber, cubed
1 avocado, cubed
1 Cup of Coconut Milk
1/4 cup of raw coconut meat
mint (optional)
1 teaspoon of your favorite seasoning

Directions
Place ingredients in food processor or a blender. Mix until smooth. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

1 Serving = 1/2 cup = 2 Weight Watchers Momentum Plan Points (c)

SPICED QUINOA PATTY-CAKES (serves 17)

Yield: about 17 patties

1 cup (240 ml) quinoa
2 cups (480 ml) water
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 medium Russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite-size pieces

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
½ cup of diced celery
1 small sweet onion, diced

1/2 cup (120 ml) almond meal
1/2 cup (120 ml) whole wheat flour
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons (105 ml) water
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under running water for a full minute to remove the natural saponin coating that may leave a slightly bitter taste. Transfer to a 2-quart (2 liter) saucepan and add the water and salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to low and steam for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
3. While the quinoa is cooking, place the potato pieces in a 2 or 3-quart (2 or 3 liter) saucepan with enough water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm). Cook, uncovered, over high heat for about 6 to 8 minutes or until fork tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl and mash thoroughly.
4. While the quinoa and potatoes are cooking, prepare the carrot, celery, and onion and set them aside until the potatoes are mashed. Then, add them to the bowl with the mashed potatoes.
5. Add the almond meal, whole-wheat flour, water, marjoram, salt, garlic powder, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne and mix well. When the quinoa is ready, stir it into the patty mixture and mix well to incorporate it thoroughly.
6. Form the quinoa mixture into 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick patties about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn the patties over with a metal spatula and bake for 10 minutes longer. Remove them from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes for easier removal.
NOTE: Helen and I only had a couple of patties this weekend and froze the rest. If you decide to do this, take a patty out of the fridge and throw it on a hot skillet for a few minutes on each side. This will reheat the patty and also brown it slightly. Use a small spray of olive oil or canola on the pan.


1 Serving = 1 Patty = 1 Weight Watchers Momentum Plan Points (c)

Cauliflower puree (serves 12)

* 1 head cauliflower, outer leaves removed
* 1/2 cup almond milk
* 1 tbsp olive oil or flaxseed oil
* pinch of nutmeg
* Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
As you bring a pot of salted water to a boil, chop the cauliflower into rough pieces. Cook the cauliflower until it's tender, about 15 minutes. Drain it in a colander, return it to the pot, and then mash it with a fork or potato masher. (For a smoother texture, puree the cooked cauliflower in a blender.) Stir in the almond milk, butter, nutmeg, and salt and pepper.

1 serving = 1/4 cup of puree = 0 Weight Watchers Momentum Plan Points (c)

NYC Restaurant Suggestion - Caravan of Dreams

One of Helen's all time favorite healthy places to eat is Caravan of Dreams. This place is now one of my favorites too!

www.caravanofdreams.net

This vegetarian restaurant serves live (raw) and cooked food that leaves a great taste of freshness in your mouth. We typically share coconut water to start. Coconut water is amazing. It has so many electrolytes and you feel great after just having one cup. If you are only interested in regular water, you should still be excited because they filter the water three times before serving it to you. Amazing!

Once we have finished our coconut water (and have eaten some of the coconut meat), we love to get the live nachos! Flax seeds chips, some of the best guacamole I have ever had, and much much more.

As an entree, my all time favorite is the ginger curry stir fry, but you cannot go wrong with anything. If you decide to get a live entree I suggest the Tapas Platter or the Live Sampler.

They used to have live carrot cake, but I have not seen it in so long. If they do have it when you are there... GET IT!! Then write me and tell me about it :)

Caravan of Dreams is on 6th street between 1st ave and ave A. The restaurant is expensive, but definitely worth the trip. This restaurant does serve beer and wine and accepts all major credit cards.

Enjoy!

Meringue topped with fruit and yogurt

This was the final course for the 3 course meal. It came out really great!!! I was so pleased. Helen loved it. I originally learned about this at a healthy cooking class Helen took me to at the Institute for Culinary Education (ICE). I since then have adapted it to satisfy my dessert fix.

Meringue topped with fruit and yogurt (serves 2)

Ingredients:

6 egg whites
2 tablespoons of raw sugar or sugar syrup
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 cups of mixed berries
2 tablespoons of fat free plain yogurt
Sprinkle of Cinnamon
1 teaspoon of fresh squeezed lime juice (1/4 of a lime)
Cooking Spray

Method:

Preheat oven to 325. Whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar or sugar syrup and vanilla extract to egg whites. Beat egg whites until firm peaks form.

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Scoop egg whites into two circular shapes on baking sheet. In other words, shape the egg whites to look like little plates.

Place egg whites in oven and bake for 35 minutes or until they are hard. Remove from oven and cool. The egg whites should be really crisp. If not, stick in the oven for a little bit longer.

Mix berries in a bowl. Add lime juice and stir. Scoop a cup of berries onto each meringue plate. Add one tablespoon to the top of each meringue. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on each and serve.

1 Serving = 3 Weight Watchers Momentum Plan Points (c)

Mango Jerk Tuna with Mango Cous Cous

This was the second course to the 3 course mini holiday meal in Florida. I thought it came out really well. It complimented the Miami theme and was very fresh. The recipe calls for sushi grade tuna which I highly recommend. The recipe will still come out good without sushi grade tuna, but you will not get as fresh of a taste. Serve the tuna immediately so that it does not get cold.

Mango Jerk Tuna (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 small mango, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small shallot, quartered
2 tablespoons of prepared jerk sauce
1 teaspoon of honey
Four 1/3 - inch-thick (4-6 oz) slices of sushi-quality tuna
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:
In a food processor, combine the mango, shallot, jerk sauce, lime juice and honey. Process until smooth and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the tuna and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Preheat the grill or broiler. Remove the tuna from the marinade, season with salt and peppers and grill on a lightly oiled rack or broiler pan for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side, for very rare, or slightly longer for medium.

One Serving = One 4-6 oz slice of tuna = 5.5 Weight Watchers Momentum Plan Points (c)


Mango Cous Cous (serves 8)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water
Salt
1 cup whole wheat couscous
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup finely diced mango
2 Tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
2 Tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon rice-wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the couscous, cover and remove from heat; fluff with a fork after ten minutes. Transfer the couscous to a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, toss gently and serve.

1 Serving = 2 Weight Watchers Momentum Plan Points (c)

These recipes were found on foodandwine.com and written by Oliver Saucy. The recipe was then slightly modified to fit my dietary needs.

Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche (serves 4)

I love Ceviche. It is really fresh and great to have during warm weather. I had this as an appetizer to a 3 course meal on my mini holiday with Helen. I paired it with a Gewurtziminer wine.

Ingredients:

1 pound medium-small shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp salt
3/4 cup lime juice (juice from 4-6 limes)
3/4 cup lemon juice (juice from 2-3 lemons)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 serrano chile, ribs and seeds removed, minced
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cucumber, peeled diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 avocado, peeled, seed removed, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

Method:
Fill a pot with water and add some salt. Bring water to a boil. Add shrimp and remove pot from heat. Leave shrimp in hot water for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop further cooking. (This is the best technique for cooking shrimp i have ever come across. They have always come out perfect for me)

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. This allows the citrus juices to get absorbed into the shrimp, avocado and onion. If you love avocado, try and add some more. Helen and I thought this recipe could have used a bit more avocado.

1/2 a cup = 2 Weight Watchers Momentum Plan (c) Points

This recipe was found on elise.com and then slightly modified.

Why I created this blog

Welcome!

For almost as long as I can remember I have loved food. I love the way it tastes and smells and the satisfaction of fullness. Unfortunately, with this love comes the sorrow of weight management. Since I was 10, I have been a "big" person. I have gone through waves of being over 210 pounds to as low as 160 pounds. Recently, I have decided that enough is enough; I need to find a new way to still love food, but be at a weight that is healthy for me.

After Thanksgiving (2008) I joined Weight Watchers. It has been a little over two months and I have lost 16.8 pounds. I am feeling better about my body and still love food as much as I always have. With the help of the Weight Watchers wesbite (weightwatchers.com), a strong support group, various recipe sites, the love of cooking and trying new things, I have come up with a series of recipes and suggestions for filling meals (that even include dessert). Losing weight has never been so stress-free and enjoyable.

There are many occassions when I will eat out or order delivery. I live in New York.... there is so much food I cannot pass up. Initially, I feared going out because I didn't know what I was eating and if it was good for me to eat. Thankfully, menupages.com, citysearch, yelp.com, Time Out and many more websites have the menus of almost all NYC restaurants. As a bonus, they include the prices, so along with losing weight, I have also saved money!! No one can complain about that given the state of the economy.

This past weekend, I went on vacation with my girlfriend and I cooked breakfast for her and a friend. It was then that my friend, Neilly, suggested that I create a blog so I can write about all the food I cook and how I keep it healthy, but delicious. I got so excited about this. Coming up with recipes and figuring out how many points (Weight Watchers Momentum Plan points) every meal is worth is a lot of fun for me. For others, it is a pain and don't want to have to think about it. I completely understand. I am here to take on the task for you!

What this blog will offer:

• Bi-weekly recipes that are healthy and delicious (with Weight Watcher points included)
  
• Health tips that I have learned from experience
• New York City Restaurant suggestions
• My personal Food journal

This blog is inspired by Weight Watchers and friends I know that are on the program. I think you can enjoy this site without being on Weight Watchers, but it may be more useful if you are. If you would like to join Weight Watchers, go to www.weightwatchers.com.


I would love to hear any comments or questions people have about anything I post. You can even correct my spelling and grammer!! If there is something else you would like to see, let me know!

Thanks for reading!