Early Morning Track Session and a Sweet Potato Salad

For the last few weeks my husband has decided to start an exercise program with some friends, so every weekday morning he gets up bright and early to meet them at the track.  Up until this point he’s been walking, but just this week he started running the straights and walking the turns.  I am so proud of him for his efforts.  It’s not easy to get out of bed every morning at 5:30 am to exercise! 

So as we sat watching TV on Tuesday night, he mentioned that I should come along to do a workout of my own.  I thought about it for a brief moment and couldn’t agree more that it was a great idea!  The track is between 2 – 2.5 miles from our home depending on the route taken, so I decided to meet them so I could get in a warm-up and cool-down. Here’s how it went:

Workout: 200, 300, 400, 400, 300, 200 {on a minute rest}

Warm-up: 2.5 miles and easy drills

200 – 38

300 – 59

400 – 79

400 – 78

300 – 59

200 – 38

Cool-down: 2 miles {due to time}

My workouts have been sporadic, so I wasn’t looking to set the world on fire.  I just wanted to throw some intervals into my training and yesterday was the perfect opportunity.  Plus, I was happy to have some company in my general running vicinity. In addition, the day was slated to be a wash out, complete with rain and thunderstorms, so I was extremely happy to get the workout in before the impending weather.

On another note, the other night I made a delicious vegan meal created by Mark Bittman.  I found it on Pinterest and immediately thought it was a winner.  Bittman recently released a new book titled "VB6: Eating Vegan Before Six" and I am looking forward to reading it. 

Recipe: Sweet Potato Salad

I did add two ingredients to the recipe: about a cup of thawed corn and a splash of agave nectar to the dressing.  Plus, I cut the potatoes and onions up and prepared foil packets in advance so my husband was able to cook them on the grill…which made for easy clean-up.  

This meal received top scores from my husband.  Even better…I had all of the ingredients in my fridge.  Both are bonuses in my book!  Enjoy the day!

Guest Post: A Very Vegan Christmas {Part Two}

We’re back for another day of delicious vegan recipes from my friend, Kellie.  I tend to eat anything and everything, so when Kellie was telling me all about her diet and the food she creates, it sparked my interest.  Kellie was nice enough to share a vegan meal that is perfect for the holidays, starting with a green salad and stuffed portobello mushrooms.  You can find these recipes here.  Today she has two delectable desserts that the whole family will love. 

Here’s Kellie:

For a sweet treat, our kids absolutely love Vegan Cookie Dough Truffles, once again a gift from Chef Chloe. After one bite, you’ll find adults and children furiously licking their lips and fingers. And why not? These little beauties are love at first sight, with crackling chocolate coating over a delicious cookie dough center! What’s more, they are very easy to make.

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Vegan Cookie Dough Truffles

½ cup vegan margarine

¾ cup packed light brown sugar (I used Coconut Palm Sugar)

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons water

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Stone-Ground Whole Wheat)
1/3 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips (dairy-free)

12 ounces semisweet chocolate (dairy-free)

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat margarine, brown sugar, salt, vanilla and water until combined. Add flour and beat until incorporated. Fold in mini chocolate chips. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls with the palms of your hands. Place on prepared baking sheets.

Freeze for 15 minutes.

Melt the remaining 12 ounces chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Let cool to room temperature.

Remove one tray of cookie dough balls from the freezer. Dip each ball into the melted chocolate and remove using two forks. Place the coated balls back onto the baking sheet and transfer to the refrigerator. Repeat with the second tray of cookie dough balls.

Chill until the chocolate is set, about 20 minutes. Store in refrigerator until serving.

Lastly, every Christmas needs cookies! Snickerdoodles are such a favorite in our home that the holiday simply wouldn’t be complete without them (from  Oh She Glows). 

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Snickerdoodles

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp white sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp baking soda

Pinch of cinnamon

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 flax egg (1/2 Tbsp ground flax + 1.5 Tbsp warm water)

1/4 cup Earth Balance

Cinnamon sugar: 1 Tbsp sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon, mixed together

Directions

In a small bowl, mix the 1/2 flax egg. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl cream the sugar, Earth Balance and vanilla until incorporated. Add in the flax egg and beat for about 60 seconds. In another bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together (cream of tartar, baking soda, flour and pinch of cinnamon). Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir well. Use your hands to knead together the dough. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for one hour.

After one hour, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and take about 1.5 tablespoon of dough and shape into a ball. Roll in cinnamon sugar and then press the ball with a fork to flatten slightly. Repeat 9 more times to make 10 cookies.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. (If you want chewy cookies, bake for 10 minutes. If you prefer crispy, bake for 12 minutes.) Cool for about 10 minutes. Makes 10 cookies.

Thanks, Kellie!  Those truffles are now on my to-do list.  I hope you enjoyed these two posts that were “all vegan!”  I’m curious, do any of you have vegan recipes to share?  Enjoy your day!

Guest Post: A Very Vegan Christmas {Part One}

Yesterday I hinted that I would be featuring a guest on the blog today and I am so excited to introduce my friend, Kellie.  In July 2010, Kellie adopted a whole-food, plant-based diet in phases after reading Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food."  She also accredits "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell for making her go "full throttle" and the movie "Forks Over Knives" for validating her decision.  Kellie and her husband, Matt run and train together and she says that running has re-energized their marriage in many ways.  They are running their 6th half marathon in May at the Jersey Shore and their first full marathon in September...the Via, which they are targeting a sub-four hour time.  Kellie recently launched a personal blog to share her journey as she trains for it.  Check it out: Breaking Four.  Kellie lives in Forks Township with her husband Matt and her three children Dylan, Ryan and Sienna.

When Kellie told me last month that she was planning to prepare some scrumptious vegan recipes for her Thanksgiving table, I was intrigued.  From there, I decided to ask her to share some plant-based food ideas for holidays and I must say, these look amazing.  She sent over four recipes, so I thought I would share two today and two more later in the week.  So without further ado...here's Kellie:   

When Tracy asked me to share a blog post on vegan holiday dishes, my wheels started turning immediately. For my husband and me, Christmas is a grab bag of sorts. Unlike Thanksgiving and Easter, neither of us growing up had “traditional” Christmas dinners. By that I mean, a particular dish or dishes that were staples year after year. On Thanksgiving, for example, a turkey always graced the center of our tables. For Easter, it was ham for my family and pierogis for his. But Christmas dinners always seemed to vary between different meats, pasta dishes and small appetizers.

In keeping with that spirit, it’s how we’re rolling “veganizing” our holidays. For Easter, we always enjoy potato pierogis. For Thanksgiving, we make delicious vegan stuffings (yes, more than one) paired with plant-empowered dishes of root vegetables, Field Roast “Sausages” and sweet potatoes. Christmas remains our holiday of unpredictability (why not shake things up at least one holiday a year!)

This year we’re making Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, courtesy of Chef Chloe Coscarelli. Portobellos have the texture and consistency of meat. They are also known for their earthy taste, which adds a distinct flavor to a wide range of foods. This makes them a perfect choice for vegans and omnivores alike.

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Every delicious dinner needs a healthful greens salad as an accompaniment.  Nava Atlas's Mixed Greens with Apples, Beets and Pistachios is a gorgeous looking salad that’s chock-full of nutrients and literally bursts with flavor.  The beets and apples are a nice balance of sweet and tart.  The addition of the pistachio nuts adds a wonderful crunch to every bite, bringing a bit of WOW to this salad and making it pop!  It’s a can’t-miss side that will be a hit with your dinner guests.  

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Part two of A Very Vegan Christmas will be posted featuring two more began recipes, courtesy of Kellie.  Enjoy!