Your Vegan Mom

Weekend Lunch: Smoky Tempeh and Brussels Sprouts Sandwich

crusty bread + mayo + dijon + smoky tempeh + shredded brussels sprouts = weekend lunch

For the brussels sprouts: Cut them in half and then shred them fine with a big, sharp knife.  If you have a few shallots, sliced those up too.  Heat a skillet over high heat.  Add a bit of the oil of your choosing.  Throw the shredded greens (and shallots) in the hot pan with a big pinch of salt.  Give them a stir and let them really brown.  Add a glug of apple juice, turn the heat down to low, and braise them in the juice until they're soft and sweet, about 15 minutes.  When the apple juice has cooked off, and your brussels sprouts are tender, season them with a splash of apple cider vinegar, a few cracks of black pepper, and a pinch more salt if it needs it.  

As per usual, this Saturday sandwich is totally designed to go with a beer.  

Happy Weekend!  

Roots and an Unexpectedly Delicious Sandwich

My friend, Kiley, dropped off a big bag of root vegetables that she had inadvertently stockpiled - weeks of CSA overflow.  There were turnips and rutabagas and watermelon radishes and a long bumpy piece of horseradish, but I didn't know that when I opened the bag.  Apart from the horseradish, they all looked like turnips.  

Let's Start with Breakfast

I have a new vow to care for myself as well as I do my children.  Are you with me?  Let's start with breakfast.

At first I intended to replace my morning cafe au lait with a big ol' green smoothie, the sort that I usually just make for the boys. That plan lasted less than a morning.  A very short hungry and cranky morning.  

My new breakfast plan is:

1. water
2. (guilt-free) cafe au lait* (Heat half a mug of soy milk.  Top with strong coffee.)
3. winter toast** (avocado + sea salt + thinly sliced radishes)
4. green smoothie

* That doesn't mean sugar-free or low-fat or anything like that.  I do like a little sugar in it.  And it is naturally and inadvertently low in fat.  It just means that I am choosing not to allow myself to feel bad about having a little coffee.  

**As opposed to summer toast which is walnut parm smashed into vegenaise and topped with sweet and juicy tomato slices.  Mmm, it's getting close.    

Tropical Green Smoothie

Hey, this recipe is for a super blender.  (I use a vitamix, generously given to me by my in-laws Bud and Cecile.  Cecile has been in and out of the hospital, mostly in, all month, which is what has got me thinking about mom health and also the not writing.  She's really cool. If you have a minute, she could use your thoughts or prayers.)  If you don't have a super blender (or super in-laws) you should sub 1/2 cup juice for the tangerines, a spoonful of nut or seed butter for the chia seeds and a handful of baby spinach for the kale.  All of that will blend up more easily in a less-than-super blender.
 

makes: 4 cups (or enough for 1 grown-up and 2 kid servings)
takes: 5 minutes 

• 2 cups rice milk
• 3 seedless tangerines, peeled
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 3 big leaves of kale, rinsed
• 1 heaping cup of frozen mango
• 1 heaping cup of frozen pineapple or peaches

Blend the milk, tangerines, seeds, and kale until smooth.  Add enough frozen fruit to bring the liquid up to almost 4 cups in the blender and blend again until thick and frosty.

 

10 Minute Broccoli Cheese Soup

Another bowl of green.  Under normal circumstances I would not have immediately followed the (secretly spinach hued) pistachio pudding with a creamy bowl of broccoli soup, but it's St. Patrick's Day on Saturday and my festive food plans this year are for green novelties.  Hey look how festive!  It's green!  Oh and hey I just so happen to want you to eat more green stuff.  In response to my holiday food plan, my neighbor declared, "Everything's less fun with Mom!"

Collard Citrus Salad

 

I'm proud of this recipe.  It's both hearty and light and tart and sweet.  It's got warm toasted walnuts and cold creamy avocado and sweet bites of orange that ooze their juices all over the slivered onion and vinegar and brown sugar to make a zesty dressing right in the bottom of the bowl.  Married with a tangle of the thinnest ribbons of deep dark collard leaves, a little drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt, you have the perfect winter salad.  It's both what you are supposed to be eating and what you want to eat.  I love it when that happens.  

Also, you should know, I made this for Paul and me, just not thinking that shredded raw collard greens would be a kid thing, but Desmond totally dug it.  We had to share.  Two-year-old Felix on the other hand, no, but that kid won't eat anything these days.  He's terribly two.  He's definitely going through that whole exerting his independence thing.  While many of his choices (no greens, lemon lollipop for breakfast, arched-back limp-limbed freak-outs) are frustrating, others are totally cute like insisting on wearing his brother's size 5 astronaut costume to school or belting out Baby Beluga when you least expect it.  Salty and sweet that one is too.