Wednesday, April 30, 2008

another long...(BUT VEGAN) day!

WHY HELLO THERE!
I must say... when my alarm clock goes off on Wednesday mornings at 6:50 am... it is absolutely TERRIBLE!! UGH! well I started my morning with my KAMUT FLAKES (posted the other day) with a banana and then OFF TO THE TRAIN!
After my actin
g class I had to run 100 errands! but I knew this the night before and decid
ed to pack a lunch!
Here is my Seitan and Lime CousCous Salad!

LIME COUSCOUS SALAD (With seitan)
Store bought Seitan or home made
Clove of Garlic
Half a chopped onion
hand full of baby tomatoes (halved)
Black beans (about a can.. 15oz)
Lime cut in half
chopped parsley

Start Sautéing the garlic (cho
pped or crushed) and the onions until translucent
Throw in the Seitan and cook until golden brown

Boil 
a cup of water.. add a cup of cous cous.. let absorb the water
Once its done throw in the black beans, halved tomatoes, and parsley ... mix together
Squeeze as much lime over it as you want... put the seitan over the cous cous and ENJOY!

After lunch I went to DANCE!!! I took an amazing theatre dance class at Steps On Broadway with Richard Pierlon IT WAS SOOOO MUCH FUN!!! (and necessary because I have my ROCKETTE AUDITION ON MONDAY!)

For dinn
er I was craving an AMAZING salad...so I headed back to the Candle Cafe For a "Living sprout salad". Its got every kind of sprout that you could think of with s
hredded carrots and baby field greens with carrot ginger dressing.. its sososoo good.. and I realized that I had'nt taken a picture until I had eaten it all up! (next time ill get a picture.. its really beautiful)

So now.. as I sit on my couch with my computer on my lap watching a rerun of 'Step it up and Dance', I am munching on fresh mango slices, sliced apple, and dried bananas!!
 So other than that I am relaxing, procrastinating, and then learning music!
UNTIL LATER!!!!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

MY FAVORITES!

So after an email from a friends today... i decided to write down some of my top ten favorite foods! Some are store bought... some  are just personal goodies!


Those are my top 6 store bought products as of right now!
So as for my favorite snacks

Sweet Potato "Fries"
1 Whole Sweet Potato Or Yam
-->Preheat oven to 375
--> Slice the Potato Thin into little circles
-->Spray a baking sheet with Organic Pam
-->Lightly salt
-->Place Circles onto sheet flat (dont place on top of eachother)
-->Cook for 25 min....flip potatoes and throw back in the oven for another 25 min or until crispy to your liking
-->take out of oven..let cool... add more salt if you would like and VUALA! 

Kamut Pasta Salad
-->1-2 Cups of kamut (I like the tri colored!)
-->1 table spoon of olive oil
-->1 and  1/2 cloves of Garlic (pressed or sliced thin)
--> a pinch of fresh or tried basil
-->a serving size of Vegan Mozzarella cheese
-->ANY VEGES YOU WANT! and as many as you want! (I Use Red pepper, Mushroom, Zucchini, Broccoli, Onion, Baby Spinach, Baby Tomatoes...sliced in half)-->Of course ALL ORGANIC!

Start cooking the Kamut (read directions on the back... its just like regular pasta)
Put Olive Oil, Garlic, chopped onion,Into a pan and let the juices release
Throw in All the veges ACCEPT BABY TOMATOES! (you can choose to steam the Broccoli if you want.. I do)
Let cook until Soft (or to your liking) Add in the basil, and salt and peper to taste
Mix together the pasta with the veges...Slice the tomatoes and throw them in UNCOOKED!
Slice cheese into small cubes and add to pasta
(you can add some vegan parm. cheese if you like!)

Its easy to put in a tupperware and take with you to school or work! 

Easy Avocado and Balsamic Portobello Mushroom Wrap!
-Half an avocado Sliced
-Half a clove of garlic
-One large portobello mushroom
-Hand full of Broccoli sprouts (or Brussels sprouts)
-Lettuce
-Balsamic vinegar

Put Portobello into a pan and cook until soft (with a tablespoon of olive oil.. or less.. and some Balsamic Vinigar.. i never really measure.. but add to your liking)
Mash avocado and press the garlic... mix together to form a sort of paste
Take your favorite wrap (i like to use Ezekiel wraps or Brown Rice Wraps)... heat it for a couple of seconds in the microwave)
Open it and spread the avocado paste, top with the mushrooms and sprouts... wrap it up and YOUR DONE!!!!

Potato Pizza
This one I got off of Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
--1 large baking potato per person
--1 jar of your favorite Pizza sauce (or home made)
--Your choice of toppings (I made one with fresh tomato and basil, one with zucchini and mushroom, one with black olives and mushrooms, one with onion and pepper...if you have any vegan sausage thats a great addition too!)
--your favorite vegan mozzarella cheese (I use rice cheese)
--Vegan Parmesean cheese (if you want... I use Rice cheese too but there are lots of great soy cheeses.. but of course im allergic!)

Scrub each potato until CLEAN. Slice into thin slices ( about 1 1/2 inches...i found the thinner the better... but remember this is your "crust".. you can get three to four slices out of one potato)
Note: The outside slices will have the rounded edges... slice the round part a bit so it can lay flat on each side!
Set your oven for  350 degrees. Place each potato slice face down on a baking sheet (pam it or oil it so they dont stick!)
Cook for about 40 min (they should still be pretty firm but not SOLID)
When the potatoes are done, take them out and add your sauce, cheese, and toppings! (Mix and match.. be creative!)
Put them back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes (or until your toppings are cooked to your liking)
Take out of the oven when done.. sprinkle with some parm cheese and let cool (THEY WILL BE HOT!!!)
ENJOY!

**These are sooooo easy and are really tasty! I know that white potato's are  a starchy vegetable but sometimes a natural vegetable is just better than a doughy bread...and think your getting FOUR slices of pizza out of one potato! there smaller but are surprisingly filling!

NOTE: If you want to make your own sauce, check out Susan's blog .
actually check it out anyway... its AMAZING








"BOO ON RAIN" ...a very vegan adventure!


And welcome to blog post number two!!
I'll start off by saying that I HATE RAINY DAYS! well.. let me rephrase that.. I love
LAZY rainy days but on days like today where I have to be in the City all day and night...THEY ARE TERRIBLE!!!
--*not to mention i forgot my umbrella...
On days where I have long breaks (i commute from long Island almost every day) I usually go to my Aunts apartment.. but of course shes not home... and I cant seem to find my key anywhere! SO since
 I am Umbrella-less
.. Key-less...and WET, I decided what better place to go and hang out then 
STARBUCKS.
So right now I am enjoying a hot ORGANIC GREEN TEA with Raw Sugar.
** A note on artificial sweeteners**

--I used to be an avid coffee drinker ( I gave it up about two months ago and have never felt better!)  I was also a HUGE Diet pepsi FANATIC! I did some research and discovered the dangers of Splenda, Sweet
 and Low, Equal.. and EVERY OTHER STUPID USELESS ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER EVER CREATED!!!! Artificial sweeteners actually make you gain weight. They trick your mind into thinking that you are getting real Natural sugars when all you are getting is CHEMICALSSSSS! They actually are known to increase appetite and stimulate weight gain!
IN CONCLUSION! I will stick to AGAVE nectar, Stevia, and RAW SUGAR!

Although my day has NOT been the sunniest, I did start it off with a GREAT breakfast!
MY FAVORITE OAT
 MEAL with BANANAS, Strawberries, Rice Milk (vanilla flavored!) and AGAVE nectar!
I cant really tell you whats in it... every time my mom or I make it its different. We usually use an assortment of Whole grains (oats, wheat berries, millet, etc... I love
 flax in it since it ensures that i get those OMEGA-3 fatty acids!

After breakfast, getting ready, and sitting on a train for an hour and 15 minutes, I finally reached the City. Today I got my NEW HEAD SHOTS RETOUCHED AND REPRODUCED!!! Im so excited and am FINALLY happy with the results. For ANYONE getting New Head shots.. i TOTALLY recommend JEREMY FOLMER.He really has an eye for capturing distinct personalities in the photos! (ill post them after I get them back!)

To get to the retouching place I had to walk through Bryant park. On a normal day this place would be hopping with trendy college students and city goers
 
enjoying lunch on the park benches. There would have been little kids riding on the Carousel... but of course it was deserted because of the weather...I decided to take a picture of the carousel anyway... it just makes me happy :)

After that I went next door to PAX Wholesome foods! 
Its way too expensive.. but I love the "Make your own salad".
Im the kind of person who likes EVERY VEGETABLE ever! I don't think any combination
of veges is bad! Today I had Mixed greens, mixed olives, artichoke, asparagus, Sunflower seeds (I LOVE THE CRUNCH!), Roasted peppers, and avocado!  YUMMMM!!!! not only was it healthy, but it was PRETTY and VEGAN!



So now I am just WASTING time.. well not really wasting because I am writing... but I really have nothing to do until 4:30... and its only 2:00!!!! AHHHHHHHH
HHHH :( :( :(

I'll write more after my voice lesson and 3 hour miserable class!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SO I'm in my BORING 3 hour class!!
So what better to do then finish my post for today!

It was rather ironic that after i finished posting in Starbucks, it got SUNNY OUT! HORRAY!!!
the second it got sunny I decided I would WALK to my voice lesson...from 14th to 50th! (i must say that about half way through I got on the subway) but as I was walking i Stumbled upon one of my favorite places ever... BARNES AND NOBLE! As I was passing it I though "I will buy my very first vegan cook book!" and thats exactly what I did!!!
I purchased Vegan Express... its a great cook book for the kind of person
who doesnt have much time to cook..aka ME!!!! I was flipping through it and Im so especially excited because there are so many SOY FREE recepes! I have a moderate allergy to soy.. and im very sensitive to Tofu.. and all nuts...therefore it limits my diet! But I have found lots of soy free/nut free options. and NO I DO NOT GO HUNGRY AS A VEGAN!

After my voice lesson I decided to treat myself to my favorite restaurant..(I know it seems as though I am eating out a lot but on these long days I dont have much choice)..SO i went to the amazingly VEGAN CANDLE CAFE! (check it out!) If you live in Manhattan its on East 74th on 3rd avenue.
I had a Delicious Cajan Pan seared Seitan  (click to find out what SEITAN..pronounced SATAN!)  sandwich with avacado,


Monday, April 28, 2008

WELCOME!


WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

So I decided to make a blog, and I'm pumped about it!One of my Best friends, Jenna, is a swing in Broadway's "Spring
 Awakening"! She was on all this week in the role of Marta and I was lucky enough to be able to see her in the show.. IT WAS AMAZING! (im not even being bias because my friends was in it... the story is beautiful)
..IM SO PROUD OF HER!
NOW ON TO THE NUTRITIOUS PART OF THINGS!


 I have been very into breakfast for 
as long as I can remember. Im the type of person who HAS to have breakfast every morning in order to function! I usually have home made oatmeal with lots of different types of grains (I'll post the recipe at a later time) But when I woke up this morning I had no time! I decided to settle for my favorite cereal with Vanilla rice 
milk...

Kamut is one of my favorite new discoveries. Its rich in fiber and is rather tasty... there's also Kamut pasta's for those of us wh
o don't always want the usua
l white or whole wheat pasta all the time.

 Since I had my dialects class today at Strasberg (www.strasberg.com) there wasn't much time for lunch.. I'm not one to skip meals ( I LOVE EATING!) so i reached for a banana to hold me off until i could get home to make myself something more substantial. 
The train ride home is kinda long...about an hour and 10 minutes back to Long Island...I am ALWAYS reading something.. lately I've been watching my weight because of my UPCOMMING ROCKETTE AUDITION! (praying i get rehired...more about that later) So right now im reading "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink... its really amazing... everyone should pick up a copy.



BACK TO FOOD!
By the time I got home my mom had a SPAGHETTI
 SQUASH IN THE OVEN!!!! BUT I WAS STARVING!!!it wouldn't be done for another 40
 minutes so I held myself off with one of my favorite snacks! TOMATO SOUP! It had been raining all day
 and the dampness really made me fiend for this comfort food... love love love it!
It really is amazingly cream
y goodness!!! and its pretty low in calories... (90 in a cup!)

About an hour and a half l
ater dinner was ready!!!!!

SPAGHETTI SQUASH SPAGHETTI! with vegetable sauce!
Ingredients:
One large SPAGHETTI SQUASH Cut in half
Organic Pam or olive oil (just to spray the pan with)
LOTS OF VEGGIES ( I used about 1/2 Onion chopped, 1 Zucchini sliced, 1/2 head
 Broccoli, 1/2 head Cauliflower, 1/2 Red and  1/2 Green Pepper chopped, Fresh baby tomatoes halved, Mushrooms sliced<-- as many as you wan
t!)
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste

*First, set your oven to 375 degrees... Cover a baking s
heet with Tinfoil and Spray lightly with Pam (if you dont have pam, lightly brush with Olive oil)
*Place each half of the squash
 face down on the sheet and place in the oven. You should cook it for about 35 minutes, or until the inside is soft.
*While you wait for the squash to cook, spray a large pan w
ith pam (or a table spoon of olive oil) chop or press garlic and let pan absorb the flavors.... throw in the chopped onion and cook until almost clear.
*Add the rest of the veges (ACCEPT THE TOMATOES) NOTE** You can throw in the Cauliflower and Broccoli or you can steam them.. I STEAMED !) and cook un
til tender. (you can add some salt and pepper if ya want)
*after the veges are nice and tender add in your favor
ite jar of Tomato sauce (I Used Rag
u Organic)
*Let the sauce and veges sit in the pan for a while...and take out your Squash!
It should look like this

*NEXT ... you tak
e a FORK (you have to use a fork to get the spaghetti stringy texture) and sc
oop insides into a large bowl... add your sauce to the bowl and then ENJOY!

After dinner I enjoyed a piece of VEGAN chocolate 
 cake that my amazing boyfriend got for my birthday from Whole Foods(i just turned 22 on April 24!)
I swear i didn't eat this much of the cake! but this is what it looked like before i sliced it!
AND THATS IT!!! my very first BLOG!!!! MORE TOMORROW!

<3>

A Vegan on STAGE

Navigating my way through a Vegan lifestyle