The reason it’s sexy is because it’s VEGAN (with vegetarian options), it’s YUMMY, and there’s NO TOFU INVOLVED, and, still, it offers a nourishing, satisfying amount of protein, fiber and nutrients. Black beans make a WONDROUS, whole-food alternative to ground meats.

I had the vegan version of the dish, and my kids and Josh-O enjoyed a little organic cheddar cheese grated on top. I don’t do soy cheese because I can’t find a brand that I like (and I’m not a believer in fake anything); so, I can tell you the dish was still delicious sans any cheese. If you’re really LAZY, you could sprinkle parmesan on top. But, this is Mexican we’re talking about here — which means GRATED cheddar. Besides, let’s face it, the big parmesan brands that you buy in the grocery store, are, well, pretty-much fake and laden with salt and chemicals…. Blech.

You can add any vegetable you want to this. But, if you’re dealing with picky children, sometimes a purée is best. Because I’m the Cheatiest cook in the West…, I added a spinach purée to it, which I’ll include in the recipe. Spinach is one of those super-healthy leafy greens that is a MUST in the diet, and it offers good calcium and iron for vegans (especially when combined with the vitamin-C in the tomato sauce).

Okay, so CHECK IT! Oh, and by the way, I’m putting vague amounts here, because they really vary, depending on how many people you’re serving, how much pasta you’re using, etc.. You’ll see….

INGREDIENTS

1/2 jar tomato sauce (any variety)
1/2 jar mild salsa
1 can black beans
1 cup spinach (to be purée in 1/4 cup water) (optional)
1 cup grated soy or organic cheddar cheese (optional)
Cooked pasta (or rice)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour all the ingredients over hot cooked pasta (or rice)!
2. Grate your cheese on top (in front of the kids, if possible, because they find it thoroughly entertaining — think making-spaghetti-with-play-dough…).
3. Stir it up!
4. ENJOY!

P.S.: This dish keeps really well in the fridge for a good 3-5 days. Or, freeze for later!

Gorgeouses, this is the easiest recipe ever. And, YUMMY! When NEXT you go to the grocery store, buy yourself some egg noodles, preferably these spelt ones for added fiber and vitamins and other nutritiony goodnesses. They’re quick, and they’re delish, and — added bonus? — kids love ‘em.

Check it!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4-6):

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2.5 cups of 1% milk
1 tsp spice mix (any brand you want, i.e., Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning)
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
3/4 lb or 340 g broad egg noodles (preferably SPELT!)
3/4 cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese
Cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Boil large pot full of water.

3. Melt the butter in a medium-sized pan at medium heat.

4. Once butter is melted, remove it from the heat and blend in flour with a whisk or fork.

5. Gradually whisk in the milk.

6. Turn the heat back on to medium.

7. Add spices and stir until mix thickens.

8. Remove from heat.

9. Throw egg noodles into pot of boiling water for no more than FIVE minutes. Then drain and rinse them in a colander.

10. Add egg noodles to milk mixture, and crumble in the grated cheese…. (You can add in some veggies here, or tuna, tofu, etc….)

11. Spray a large casserole dish and pour in the noodle mix.

12. Cover tightly with tinfoil (shiny side down), and place it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

If you want it nice and crispy on top, uncover the dish and turn the heat up to broil for, like, 2-4 minutes (WATCH IT DOESN’T BURN — trust me…).

Enjoy! And, let us know how you like it!

Recipe adapted from The Healthy Family….

Cheaty highly recommends….

Last night, I made Josh-O and the kids a chicken casserole (will post recipe later), and I made myself THE yummiest vegetarian dish EVER.

I just wasn’t in the mood for chicken…. I’d just had the most LOVELY yoga class I’d had in a while, and I KNEW my body wanted a wholesome, cleansing vegetarian dish. So, I looked through ALL my cookbooks for the yummiest looking recipe — WITH the right balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats, of course — and found nothing. Then, I decided to put in a google, and I found THIS. FABULOUS. FILLING. FLAVOURFUL. dish. Total YUM. CHECK IT!!!

It’s really supposed to be more colourful than this picture shows…. But, I didn’t have any leeks or green or red peppers on hand — only yellow peppers and yellow onions. So, yellow, yellow, YELLOW it is. But, still DELISH and HEALTHY and PROTEIN-PACKED beyond!

Okay, so here we go….

INGREDIENTS:

(Makes 8 Servings)

2 tsp. olive oil
1 medium leek, white and pale green parts halved and sliced (1 cup)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
2 large eggs
1 cup nonfat milk
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (4 oz.), plus more for sprinkling, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and bell peppers; cover, and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender.

3. Stir in quinoa and garlic, and cook, uncovered, 3 to 4 minutes, or until quinoa grains begin to turn opaque.

4. Add 3 cups of water, and season with salt (if desired — I always skip the salt). Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes more, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes.

5. Spray 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese. Transfer to prepared baking dish, and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until browned around the edges and on top.

ENJOY!!!

NUTRITIONAL INFO
Amount Per SERVING (serves 8):

Calories 241
Protein 12g
Total fat 10g
Carbs 27g
Cholesterol 72mg
Sodium 295mg
Fiber 2g
Sugars 3g

SOURCE: Vegetarian Times Issue: April 1, 2008 p.78

So, I’ve been on this new diet lifestyle for 2 days now. It’s definitely agreeing with me and, after only two days, I can see the errors of my eating ways, and how gravely they were affecting me on so many levels — physical, emotional, energetic….

The only change Nutritionist, Lori, wants me to make this first week is breakfast. I’m supposed to eat one of the balanced breakfasts among her long list. So, two days in a row, I’ve had an egg, a piece of Ezekiel bread, an oz of cheese and an apple. Starting off with this balanced meal sets me up for the day. And, it’s quicker and easier to make than I thought it would be!

My friends don’t seem to understand just WHY I need to quit my Starbucks-chai-tea-latte breakfast — because, really, it’s not THAT BAD calorie-wise, and I DO take it with nonfat milk (or soy milk). But, the problem is, that evil drink SPIKES my blood sugar, throwing me out of balance. It’s a drug, A CRUTCH, for me — hence I chug it, am absolutely incapable of calmly sipping it. I IDENTIFY with this silly drink. It’s my ESCAPE. My cup of ADULT in this toddler/baby world I’m ensconced in.

Now that I realize all this, I have to change it. I canNOT depend on a drink to do all that for me. And, besides, BALANCE, I’m learning, and not ESCAPE is the way to go. When I have that chai, I crave sugar for the rest of the day — “pant pant pant sugar sugar gimme sugar where’s my sugar another chai need another chai more MORE MOOOOORE!” I CRAVE that HIGH ALL DAY. With a balanced breakfast, I crave balance all day, and the satisfied feeling that balanced breakfast gives me. Also, the balanced breakfast makes me more apt to recognize when I’m off balance — like right now, as a matter of fact, because I’m so tired from WAY overextending myself lately! MUST GET MORE SLEEP!

So, balance. Yoga off the mat. Don’t get me wrong, Gorgeouses, renouncing The Chai is NOT EASY, no matter how easy I make it sound! Today, Gorgeouses, I had to work HARD to resist her. I was a like a toddler whose favourite toy has been taken away. I WAAAAAAN IT, and I want it BAD. But, I persevered and managed to get through the day chai…FREE.

I always thought that “dieting” meant denying myself the things I love. But, the things I love are CRUTCHES, ADDICTIONS. And, I need to liberate myself from these addictions. Freedom is in the healthy foods, and not the stuff that WEIGHS US DOWN — the donuts, the cookies, the CHAAAAIIIIIs we WISH we could have copious amounts of!

I’m a yoga teacher. Time to get back on track as an example for my students. The goal is liberation. Freedom from the material. Renouncing that chai is an act of freedom. Goodbye CHAI. You suck arse.

So, HUGE NEWS, Kitchen Gorgeouses! Nutritionist LORI is going to motivate us with monthly contributions, to start. When she has more time, i.e., AFTER SHE HAS HER BABY, she’ll do more — perhaps WEEKLY!

Just so you know, Lori is AWESOME. So many of my friends are on her diet, and they SWEAR BY IT. She’s a “holistic nutritionist” — which means she has an eye on OVERALL health and not just on weight loss. You’ll love her.

More on Lori AND the diet later. For now, a recipe for a BALANCED breakfast that will make you feel as good as I do now. As Lori says, the first thing to do when you’re changing your lifestyle is to change your breakfast. Eat a balanced breakfast within one hour of waking up. Check it!

LORI’S SHAKE TO GO

Ingredients:

1/2 c rice milk (substitute 1% Regular Milk or Soy Milk)
1/4 c water
1 scoop protein powder (I use Hemp Protein powder because I’m a nutball….)
1/2 c blueberries
1 c strawberries
2 tsp flaxseed oil

Blend until smooth! Et VOILA! Enjoy.

I haven’t tried this recipe yet. But, I bought all the ingredients, see?!

Healthy healthy! And, low maintenance — I’m not, like, juicing or growing my own vegetables and sprouts. Will try it tomorrow.

NOTE: Not every diet suits everyone. What you’re reading here, of course, are my reflections. Talk to your doctor, of course, and don’t take these words as Truth. There is no truth. THERE IS NO SPOOOON!

The other day, I was feeling a little adventurous, so bought a package of whole-wheat wraps. AVID lover of bread that I am, I’ve never really gotten into The Wrap. I mean, what’s the point — other than shaving some carbs off your daily count? But, this weekend, I discovered the beauty of The Wrap: it’s not the wrap, but what’s inside that counts. Packed properly, with the right combo and placement of filling, the wrap can be a very delicious thing.

ACCORDINGLY, I am addicted to this little wrap concoction of mine, so I thought I’d share. It involves a LITTLE washing-and-slicing-of-the-vegetables, of which I’m not a fan, but the end result is worth it. And, it’s vegetarian, so no animals were harmed in it’s making. Check it.

Ingredients:

- Whole Wheat Wrap (for all the dieting Gorgeouses out there);
- Avocado
- Tomato (I use a small plum tomato because I pretty-much LOATHE the tomato; but it works here)
- Lettuce (one big leaf is plenty)
- Low-fat cheese (shredded if available)
- AMY’S CALIFORNIA BURGER (WHICH, if you haven’t tried it, is so YUM — and it’s sans soy….)

So here’s what you do:

1. Spread the avocado on the wrap (pretend it’s butter — really really HEALTHY butter).

2. Spread all the other ingredients in a line in the centre of the wrap, like so….

Eww…. It looks pretty GNARSTY in picture. So, you’ll have to trust me that it’s great.

3. Roll it up.
4. Cut in half so you can see the pretty cross-section….

Look how PROFESSIONAL!

5. ENJOY!

Et voila! The perfect wrap. Try it! And, let me know how you like it!