Carnival Cruise Lines loves Vegans :-)

For our one year anniversary, my husband and I decided to take a cruise on the Carnival Fascination ship!  We were so excited to see clear blue waters, spend time relaxing on the beach, and enjoy the 24 hour pizza buffet.  But... I was really nervous about my vegan options.  Not because I didn't think there would be any, but because I didn't want to spend a whole 5 days eating white pasta and salads.  I know that would NOT make sense.

Luckily for me, our lovely hostess addressed my dietary needs the very first night.  I was placed on a special list, and every night there would be a delicious 3-course vegan meal waiting for me!  It was so fantastic!

Here are some of the things they made me:

Layers of veggies and sauce - Yum!

Delicious Stir-fry with Tofu

Vegetable enchiladas with crispy tortilla strips - So amazing I can't wait to try recreating this one!

Baked Cinnamon Apples for dessert 

Vegan Caprese salad with tofu and a pesto dressing - delicious!

...and TALL!

Watermelon and citrus salad

Delicious creamy blackberry and vanilla dessert 

All of this amazing food allowed us to relax and have a wonderful time!  It was a fantastic way to celebrate our first anniversary!  :-)

The moral of the story:  When you go out to eat... just ask!  It turned out so great for me!  

Vegan Pizza That Makes Sense - and Tastes Amazing!

Who doesn't love pizza??  It's the perfect hearty dish when you're craving carbs and cheesy goodness.

Typically pizza comes to me from a restaurant or the freezer section of my grocery store (Amy's Roasted Vegetable is my favorite).

But I decided to make some pizza myself for dinner the other night.  I bought some raw whole wheat dough from the Dekalb Farmer's Market and went for it!

Now, usually I skip the cheese on my pizza, but I happened to have some leftover Daiya cheese, and I decided to test that out.  I also used Muir Glen Organic Tomato Sauce which is delicious!  Just top with whatever veggies you have lying around, bake according to the directions for the crust, and you have a delicious homemade pizza that makes sense!

On this pizza I used peppers, Vidalia onions, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, garlic, and of course a sprinkling of nutritional yeast.  Slice everything really thin so you get lots of flavor in each bite!

Smooth and Creamy Guacamole (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Guacamole is one of my favorite, favorite, favorite foods!  I especially love making it myself.  I've figured out a basic "formula" that can be tweaked and adjusted depending on what's in the fridge and what I'm craving:

Basic Guacamole:
-You need some avocados
-You need something for flavor (onion, garlic, spices, what have you)
-You need some acidity (lemon or lime juice usually works for me... I've considered playing with vinegar too)
-You need salt and pepper

Optional Additions:
-Beans
-Tomatoes
-Jalepenos
-Something awesome I haven't thought of yet

Just adjust according to your taste preferences and you can never go wrong with that formula!

The guacamole pictured above was my first experiment with two of my food loves:  Avocados and my Kitchenaid Food Processor.

Ingredients:
-2 ripe avocados
-1/4 of a large sweet Vidalia onion
-1/4 cup cooked black beans
-1 jalepeno pepper
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-juice of 1/2 lime
-Salt & Pepper to taste
-2 cloves garlic, peeled
-1 tomato

1.  Seperate the onion layers and place in food processor.  Cut the jalepeno in half and place in food processor (remove seeds and ribs for less spice).  Add the peeled garlic & process until finely chopped.
2.  Add beans and lemon/lime juice.  Pulse until chopped and combined.
3.  Add avocados and tomatoes.  Process until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with chips or veggies!  Some of my favorite chips are:
Xochitl blue corn chips
Trader Joe's Veggie & Flaxseed chips (pictured)

Better than Bacon and Eggs

A typical breakfast for me is either a yummy fruit smoothie, or some granola and almond milk... but every once in a while my body just wants a nice hearty breakfast!  

In transitioning my diet, a common breakfast of mine was egg whites and Morningstar Farm's Veggie Bacon.  However, this is not vegan, so I decided to test out this tempeh Fakin Bacon. It was yummy, crunchy, smokey, and delicious!  

Now for the egg whites... I initially gave up egg yolks because of the cholesterol, but then I did a little research and I don't really have a desire to eat eggs ever again unless I am the one raising the hen and controlling her living conditions.  

(You can find more info at EggIndustry.com.)

Now, back to my meal.  A great way to "fake" the flavor and texture of egg whites is to slice tofu and sauté the slices in a pan.  Just cook a couple minutes on each side season with whatever you'd put on your eggs (I used salt, pepper, and of course nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor).

One thing that I think is missing from everyone's breakfast plate in America is some veggies!  We should be eating veggies at every meal... they're the best thing for us!  To incorporate veggies into my breakfast, I sauteed some Kale in a little grapeseed oil with red pepper flakes, and then cooked it down with a little vegetable stock.  Just season and top with your tofu slices and you've got a delicious, healthy, Better than Bacon and Eggs breakfast!

Summer Cookouts That Make Sense

Summer cookouts are a great way to enjoy time with family and friends, but I have to admit I get really anxious when I don't know if there will be food for me to eat.  I hate asking people to cook something extra on my behalf.  I would probably be a little put-off if I invited someone over for a vegan cook-out and they asked me to prepare them a steak!

One way I tackle this problem is by offering to bring a dish that just happens to be vegan (summer salads, dips, and taboulis are great options).  I also offer to bring vegan burgers for myself if I don't think there will be many options for me.

Thankfully I have enjoyed many vegan cook-outs this summer!  But, I felt it necessary to post about a cook-out that I actually brought nothing to, and had an amazing variety of vegan food to choose from.

-2 vegan Boca burgers topped with a thick tomato slice
-Sweet corn and basil salad with tomatoes and red onions (Absolutely amazing!)
-Cabbage and beets
-Avocado, black bean, and tomato salad (which actually had some cheese in it, but I picked it out once I realized)

Not pictured:
-Pickled beets
-Potato chips!!  (My favorite savory junk food... hey it was the Fourth of July, give me a break!)
-Watermelon slices for dessert - yum!

Food That Makes Sense

You may be wondering  "How does the food on this blog make sense?  Why is it different from other food blogs?"

Here are 3 reasons (though there are probably millions of reasons) why this food makes sense.  Enjoy!

1.  Food should make you feel good.  

In all of my years of non-vegan eating I ate a lot of food that did not make me feel good.  Never once did I look at my empty plate of chocolate cake, steak, or ribs and say to myself "I'm so glad I ate that, I feel like I could take on the world, and I have no guilt whatsoever!"

Believe it or not, there is food that will make you feel those things.  And I plan to explore those foods further on this blog.

2.  Food should make the Earth feel good.

There is a part in all of us that feels great when we take the extra step to put our empty can in the recycling bin.  Once I became aware of my food, where it comes from, and the impact it may have on the planet, I felt the same way about abstaining from animal products and (most) processed foods as I did about recycling.

I plan to provide some ecological information on this blog that will help you make the Earth happy, too!

3.  Food should make your wallet feel good.

The common belief is that shopping at a health food store is too expensive.  $10 for a jar of tahini - are you nuts?!?  But, once you become acquainted with some awesome meat-free, dairy-free meals, you will see that they actually costs less than your typical "steak and potatoes."

Pretty logical, right?  I hope you enjoy my posts to come!  :-)

Welcome to Food That Makes Sense!

At the suggestion of a few Facebook friends who have enjoyed my recipe posts, I’ve decided to go ahead and start a real vegan food blog.  OMGZ!  I hope you love it as much as I love my new lifestyle. 

Here are my intentions for this blog:

1.  To share delicious recipes and experiments from my kitchen!

2.  To share when things don’t go well…  Even if I don’t want to.  There is a lesson in everything!

3.  To share resources and information that I find important to leading a healthy and happy life. 

4.  NOT to make you feel bad if you aren’t vegan.  I would love to encourage others to enjoy vegan meals and if you choose to live a vegan lifestyle then, hooray for you!  But I certainly don’t want to make anyone feel bad on this blog.  

Enjoy!  J