French Dressing...Vegan Style

30 Day Vegan Challenge: Day 9...and going strong!

Friday night I was in a hurry and dinner got put on the back burner for myself. I didn't have time to 'cook' a meal for me and grabbing whatever I saw to eat wasn't an option what with the whole no eating animal bi-products and all. I decided on a quick salad...lettuce, yellow peppers, peas, cauliflower, chopped onions...simple, healthy, everything on hand....until I got to the salad dressing. Every salad dressing I had bought from the store had some sort of animal bi-product in it, namely a dairy product. Luckily, I pulled up google on my phone....LOVE my iphone!...and found this delicious recipe for a vegan friendly french dressing!


Ingredients:

• 12 oz of vegetable oil
• 2 oz of white wine vinaigrette
  
• 1/2 cup of ketchup
• 2 Tsp of sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp of salt

How to Make:

Mix all ingredients, stir, and serve...as Big C would say...easy peasy!

This was amazing over a salad and would be just as good as a substitute over a baked potato!


My lunch today...mashed squash with curry scooped on whole wheat pita bread with a pear...YUMMMMM! (Don't knock it til you try it!)

Stuffed Peppers, Vegan Style

Vegan Challenge Day: 6


Ingredients:

• 4 peppers (any color you like...I'm not a big green pepper fan, so I use the red, orange, and yellow peppers)
• Rice (I use long grain brown rice...which I make the night before because it takes 45minutes to cook, just an fyi) For 4 peppers, I used 2 cups of rice)
  
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup of diced onions (any kind...I actually used green for color)
• EVOO: Extra Virgin Olive Oil (not sure how much I used, just eyeballed if you know what I mean!)
  
• Extras if you prefer: garlic...to taste
  

How to Make the 'stuff' in stuffed peppers:

• Cook rice according to directions
• In a saute pan, saute onion and peppers in EVOO with garlic to taste (now would be the time to add any other veggies you like, I thought about adding carrots and peas as well Oh, I also added chives and some Italian herbs that I had in my pantry...but really, add anything you like!)
• Once veggies are done, add tomato paste and stir until blended well
• Add rice, mix, and simmer

How to Make the 'peppers' in stuffed peppers:

• Preheat oven to 375'
  
• Cut the top of peppers and clean out the seeds on the inside
• Brush or rub the inside and outside of peppers with EVOO
• Put in safe baking containing

How to Make the 'stuff' + 'pepper':

• Spoon the 'stuff' into the peppers
• Drizzle EVOO over the top of your peppers (I also added a little garlic on top of each pepper, did I mention I like garlic?)
• Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the pepper shell is tender
  
• Serve warm

This was a meal in its self for me, however pairing it with come garlic bread...yeah, I love garlic!...would be delicious as well. My meat-lover husband tried it and said it was his favorite of the meals I had made, (which was in comparison to the curry meal I had made...have I mentioned my husband loves meat and is a VERY picky eater?). I could easily make this for him by substituting the rice for meat and adding either sliced cheese or Parmesan cheese to the top of the peppers.

Let me know if you try this recipe or send me any vegan recipes you have or recipes that can be changed into vegan style.

Why?

This is a question that I have been asked A LOT recently. You may even be thinking that same question now..."Why has she been asked why so much?" Well, it has all centered around a 'challenge' that I have given myself.

Now, before I tell you what the challenge is, I feel as though you need to know the why behind it. (Have I severely confused you yet?) The purpose behind this challenge is to do just that...challenge me. It is to challenge my willpower and hopefully strength not only my willpower but control also. I feel as though so many times obstacles are all about, "mind over matter". My first 'mind over matter' challenge was running a 5K...CHECK! I have felt such a great sense of not only physical accomplishment from it, but a mental accomplishment also.
Since you know the 'why' now, I'm sure you are wondering the what....as in, what is this new challenge?

Well, for the next 25 days...(It's a 30 day challenge for myself and I am currently on day 5) you can call me:
If you are like most of the people whom already know of my 'challenge', you are probably shaking your head or laughing. Or...maybe you are not, maybe you don't eat much meat, or are a vegetarian or already a vegan. However, I was not either of those. I generally eat meat at every meal, even though my preference is chicken I do dive into a juicy cheeseburger every now and then.

Why is this so much of a challenge? Well, the thing is, Vegans do not eat any food that is a product or bi-product of animals. No meat, fish, dairy, eggs, butter, or even honey.
Sounding more like a challenge to you? For me, it totally is. I enjoy eggs on Sunday morning along with my coffee full of cream. I grew up a meat eater, cook meat to feed my family at dinner and fill up my children's cups with milk (Lactose free for Baby C...which by the way is made from Lactose free cows! I had no idea!...ok, back on topic...)...so to have none of this has been a challenge.

I have been creative with my cooking and my meals have been surprisingly very satisfying. I have also noticed that since I have been eating less processed foods, I have been using salt less...which does WONDERS if you body retains water like a water bed! I have been forced to think outside the box for my meals which has given me yet another challenge. I'll post some of my vegan recipes, that could easily have meat or other animal bi-products substituted, for you to take a glimpse at or even try.