Vegan Shepards Pie Double Baked in Potatoes

This recipe was inspired from a carnivore favorite Shepard's Pie. This is one option double baking in potatoes. I usually just make it all in one casserole dish. I wanted to get fancy this week so I double baked them in potatoes.  Serving them this way is a great for parties. 

As always I use organic ingredients especially when it comes to potatoes! Here's what you will need to make this or the casserole:

1 1/2 cups of green lentils (washed thoroughly)

4 cups of vegetable broth

1 small onion finely chopped

2-3 gloves of garlic finely chopped

2-4 carrots roughly chopped

1/2 bag of frozen sweet peas

6-8 potatoes (washed and peeled and chopped up if making casserole, if making it double stuffed like my pic just wash the potatoes thoroughly do not peel or chop)

Vegan sour cream

Vegan butter

Vegan milk( your choice I used unsweetened almond)

2tbsp of olive oil 

If you are double baking in the potatoes wrap your potatoes in foil and bake in oven. I set oven to 450 and they cooked for 40 min. Once they are done take out cut in half and set aside and let cool enough to handle.  Once you can handle scoop out the inside of the potatoes and place into a bowl leaving some potato in the skin like a small little potato bowl.

With the potato insides in a bowl add some vegan butter about 1/2 cup vegan sour cream and milk if you need it while mashing potatoes. Mash throughly and set aside.

Put the olive oil in pot and start to warm up. As the oil is warming add the onions and garlic. Let them cook until translucent then add carrots. Add some salt to taste at this point. Salutes for about five more minutes then add the lentils and veggie broth.  Turn heat up high until it all comes to rolling boil then lower heat and let simmer for 35-45 min.  

Once the lentils are finished put the lentil mixture into each half of the potatoes and cover w the mashed potato. I added a dash of garlic salt to the tops of them and I put them on broil for about 5 min. 

If you are doing a casserole instead place the lentil mixture at the bottom

Of casserole dish and then cover w potatoes. You can broil the top as well for 5-6 minutes. Delicious. 

Vegan Mac and Cheese without Vegan Cheese

So I started following Chef Chloe a sweet vegan chef with some great recipes.  She had a recipe for vegan mac and cheese but here's the kicker... no  cheese (dairy or vegan) anywhere in the recipe.  I am not a big fan of vegan cheese so I figured this recipe was worth a shot.  I tweeked it a bit so here is my version.  Just remember if you do a taste test during don't think its a waste.  The whole time I was making it I was thinking I wasted so much food bc this will not taste good but it ended up delicious and my hubby went back for seconds!!! You can see by my pic we ate almost half of it!! Get ready for a meal staple you will probably make every week!!

1 Sweet Potatoe  cooked and mashed (about a cup)
1Lb of elbow pasta (go ahead make it quinoa pasta I am trying this next week)
3 1/2 cups of Plain unsweetened (NOT VANILLA UNSWEETENED JUST PLAIN UNSWEETENED) Almond Milk
1/4 cup of flour
3 - 4 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1 Tsp of Salt
1 Tsp of Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 Tsp of Soy Sauce
1 1/2 Tsp of Lime juice
1 large glove of garlic minced
2 Tsp of fresh or dried rosemary (I actually used a pampered chef rosemary blend)
1 Tbsp of breadcrumb for garnish not needed if you are gluten free

To begin get a large pot fill it with water add some salt and get it boiling.  Once it boils add the pasta and cook a little al dente.  Drain and put aside in the pot.

While the water is boiling you can start the "cheese" sauce.  Take your oil and flour and use a medium hit in a large saucepan and start your "rue".  You will need to whisk it and if it starts to chunk add a little more oil but not too much.  It will take about three minutes.  Now add the rest of the ingredients except the breadcrumb and rosemary.  As you add the ingredients keep whisking.  Once it come to a nice boil lower the heat to simmer so it can start to thicken but don't forget to keep checking on it and whisking.  You want it to be smooth and thick.  When I made this it timed perfectly by the time I had the pasta cooked and back in the pot the "cheese" sauce was ready. If its not give it a minute or two more to thicken up.  OK... ready... now pour the sauce over the pasta in the pot and add the rosemary.  Mix well and then transfer to an oven safe Corningware or Pyrex dish.  Sprinkle the top with a little breadcrumb and put in the oven on the top rack and set the broil to high.  Let it get nice and toasty and brown.  Once you take it out of the oven let it sit for a few minutes.  Then dig in and enjoy it's so delish!!!! I think it took a total of 30 minutes not counting the bake time for sweet potato.  You could probably microwave the potato but I choose the oven.  I am not a big micro fan but to each his own!!

Keep in mind sweet potatoes are a super food this is a great child friendly meal that helps sneak in a veggie!!!

A Quick Fix for a Mama on the Go!

PROBARS

If you are looking for a nutritional bar that is vegan, delish and can cover as a meal replacement I think I found it!  One of my favorite clients brought me a bag of goodies the other day. In the bag were two PROBARS, one was PROBAR Meal Peanut Butter and the other was PROBAR Meal Superberry and Greens.

The peanut butter bar was delicious.  I ate it when I arrived at the studio in the AM and I had to teach a class then a private Thai bodywork client.  Usually, I am starving when I have back to backs--but that day I wasn't hungry at all.  So, the next day I tried the Superberry and Greens bar. My first impression was it tasted like grass (Yeah, you know like when you were a kid).  I went back at it and the next bite I got a good dose of berry flavor. The slightly acquired taste ended up being delicious and I felt great all morning.

Meals are best when they are warm and when you can sit down and enjoy every bite.  However, if you are a busy DalaiMama like me then sometimes you need a bar or two to get you through.  I highly recommend PROBARS and I am looking forward to trying each and every variety.

FYI- if you are into bodybuilding or need some extra protein try their PROBAR Core made with 20 grams of plant protein.  You heard me right PLANT protein.  Here's the rest of their line I can't wait to try:

PROBAR Meal
PROBAR Core
PROBAR Bolt
PROBAR Fuel
PROBAR Halo

Wheat Berries and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

We love to try new, tasty, & healthy recipes in our home.  This weekend one of my clients brought me a bag of goodies.  In that bag was a package of Wheat berries.  I heard of them but never used them before. Every week we roast some veggies with onions and garlic on the oven and keep on hand as a side dish or over salad etc.  So this weekend, we roasted some Brussels sprouts.  This recipe calls for vegetable stock.  We make a fresh batch of veggie stock at our home each week too.  It's easy, freezes well and has no preservatives and a lot less sodium than store bought.   Here is a cool recipe we found that I modified

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemony Wheat Berries over Kale 

First lets start with the Wheat Berries here is what you will need:

3 cups of vegetable stock (see recipe below)

1 cup of Red Wheat Berries 

Bring the veggie stock and wheat berries to a boil and then turn down heat to low. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes. When they are finished drain the excess water and put the cooked wheat berries aside.

While the Wheat Berries are doing their thing start to prepare the Brussels Sprouts here is what you will need:

1 container of Brussels sprouts

3 cloves of garlic chopped roughly

1 small red onion or shallot

1 TBSP Olive Oil

salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 425.  Clean and cut the brussel sprouts into quarters.  Chop the garlic roughly in bigger chunks and do the same with the onion or shallot.  Mix all the ingredients in a  large bowl until everything is coated. Place in a baking tray with sides and cook for about 25 minutes or until brown.

So while the Wheat Berries and the Brussels are cooking get out your Kale.  I made a replica of the Kale I love at a local raw vegan restaurant Seed to Sprout.  Here's the secret recipe to the no fail, everyone will ask...how did you prepare that raw Kale bc it is DELISH!

Here is what you will need:

1 head of fresh Kale (cleaned and chopped) I cut out the hard stem in the middle you do what you want

I TBSP of Olive Oil

1/4 tsp of Salt 

1/4 tsp Nutritional Yeast

Put it all in a big bowl and mix well.  Mixing well with your hands is best.  We like to call it massaging the Kale at our house.  Talk to it...tell it how much you love it.  You get the idea.

The Dressing:

The zest of one lemon

1-2 TBSP of fresh lemon juice

Olive oil ( I didn't measure maybe 1/8 of a cup)

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all the ingredients together.  Take this delish dressing and combine the cooked wheat berries, and roasted Brussels and serve over the scrumptious bed of kale you made.  

Homemade Vegetable Broth:

1 stalk of celery 

1 Large Carrot

2 cloves of garlic

1 small onion

6-7Cups of water

1TBSP of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Chop all the ingredients and saute in the bottom of a heavy bottom pot until translucent. Add the water bring to a boil and then cover and let simmer for an hour.  If you like fresh herbs go ahead add them.  When time is up, strain the vegetables out so you just have a clear broth. 

 

This recipe serves about 4 people.

Yoga Patents for YogaGlo ...WTF?

If you are a part of this modern yoga world you most likely have heard the news that YogaGlo has received some type of approval for a patent on yoga videos. What?!  If you haven't heard here you go :http://yogainternational.com/article/view/yogaglo-patent-issued

It is becoming more and more disheartening to be a part of the modern yoga world.  I in fact, have been working on several yoga videos for you tube to share with my clients that can not make it to class or live outside of NJ.  Nothing crazy I don't have them doing forearm stands or binds without me being present just prananyama, guided meditation and maybe a few warriors and a tree.  So...if this patent goes through I can't do that anymore?
The founder Derik Mills looks like a decent person and everyone needs to make a living but having the site wasn't enough?  I mean why is it that you go to yoga?  I started to get a away from my cell phone for 90 minutes.  I was in a high stress, high paced sales job and my cell was always ringing and I always answered...except those 90 minutes I was in class bc it was in my car.  Then I fell in love with the breathing and the movement and how I could actually slow down my thoughts and manifest great amazing things.  So, Derik, lay off the patent will you?  Yes, yoga has turned into a huge business but let's not make yoga teachers hire attorneys when they want to set up a You Tube page or send their clients videos on an asana they are working on or a guided meditation they really need.  Yoga teachers just don't make that type of money to keep an attorney on retainer. It just doesn't make too much sense...one yogi to another it just doesn't fit into the yoga philosophy.  If I want to send a video to a friend or to a client that needs some help relaxing don't take that opportunity to help someone heal away.  

Lunch can be the greatest gift

Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is lunch. 

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind.  Dealing with my father being very ill, two small children, worrying about my mom, oh and being a wife and having a very disorganized home.  I was stressing over things that basically were out of my control.  I know you are thinking, she's supposed to be some yoga chick, shouldn't she being focusing on the positive and not ever getting stressed? 
Well, truth is, I am human and in fact, after having a in depth conversation about what a yogi is with my cousin (a fellow yoga teacher) I am not a yogi.  I just share my passion and love for yoga with others.  I don't live in an ashram, I drink the occasional glass of wine and sometimes I have negative thoughts and I eat way too many cookies to ever be called a yogi.

I have a friend that I met through my yoga center that I will probably have for the rest of my life.  We don't talk everyday, in fact our friendship is fairly new.  Our sons are the same age and they are friends.  We schedule play dates and the boys play in the same room ... separately as three year old often do and we just enjoy each others company.  We talk about our kids, our hubbys and things we are passionate about in our lives.  There is no judgment in our conversation and we don't waste our time talking or judging others we are just simply...friends with no strings .  Today, my friend made me lunch during our playdate.  Something so simple and basic but was the nicest thing anyone could do for another.  Taking the time to prepare it and share it with me really made my day and made me realize all those things I was stressing about will be ok.  It also reminded me that I have surrounded myself with good people and for that I am truly thankful. 

She made a delish curry by the way stay tuned for my curry recipe coming this week.

Vegan Lentil Loaf

As I write this I'm pretty sure FoodTV may blow up my email and my phone tonight begging me to come and host a show.  I think they will call it....Mama V, the Mom who cooks vegan cuisine with her kids.  I peeked at a few lentil loafs and came up with a rendition of my own.  We served it with roasted sweet and regular potatoes.  It was delish!

Here's what you will need:
Lentil loaf:
1 cup of uncooked lentils (wash them and sort them there are always some random stones, etc in the package
3 cup of water
1 small onion diced  and 1/2 of an onion
Half of a sweet potato shredded
Half of an Granny Smith Apple shredded
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/2 cup of oats (crush them with food processor to make a powder)
1/2 cup of bread crumbs (any kind you like, seasoned, homemade...whatever floats your boat)
1/2 cup of Walnuts chopped
1 tsp  of dried thyme
3-4 tblsp of Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:
1/2 cup of ketchup
2Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
2Tbsp of Apple Sauce
1Tbsp of Agave

Pre-heat your oven to 350.
Place the 3 cups of water in a pot and let the water boil you can add salt and half of the onion to flavor the water, or use a veggie broth or just plain water.  It's up to you.  Add the lentils and let the water come back to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer for about 40-45minutes.  You want to basically overcook the lentils.  In the meantime, take 2tbsp or so of the oil and sautee the onion and garlic for a few minutes, then add the sweet potatoe, apple and walnuts.  Sautee for about another 5 minutes.  Put this in a large bowl, then add the breadcrumb, ground oats, thyme, dash of salt and mix well.  Once the lentils are finished take 3/4 of it and blend (I used my Cuisinart hand blender) then other 1/4 just put in the mixture bowl.  When you have finished blending the lentils add them to the bowl as well.  Mix well with you hands is best.  Then taste to see if you need salt or pepper.  Now, if this wasn't vegan you wouldn't be able to just stick your finger in and taste.  You would probably get really sick. :0

Get your loaf pan out and lightly grease with remaining Olive Oil and then add parchment paper to cover the inside with some paper hanging out the sides.  Put your mixture in the loaf pan and push down with your hand to make it even.  Now, to make the sauce...
Take all the ingredients and wisk really well.  Take half or so of the sauce and cover the top of the load generously.  Save the rest for dipping.

Place your loaf in the center of the oven and bake for about 45 then remove and let sit for about 5 minutes in the pan.  Remove from the pan and let it cool on a cooling rack.  Then slice and enjoy!!!

You can always add celery or carrots instead of sweet potato.  I saw a lot of recipes that called for those ingredients instead.  Sweet potatoes are so good for you I decided to add them instead.  Have fun with it!!