Brussels Sprouts | Awesome "Discovery"

I didn't grow up on brussels sprouts. I had them once (as a kid) at someone's house and they were umm interesting. Ok, let me be real...they were overcooked and flavorless. No thanks!

A week ago, I saw this beautiful display at my grocery store and decided to give them another chance.  I went to my Instagram and Facebook for feedback on the best way to prepare them and went to work!

Unfortunately, vegetables are often seen as an afterthought and not the main event in a meal.  I don't want my kids (or any other kids) to put their noses up at vegetables because time wasn't taken to season and cook them properly.

I'm sooo in love with brussels sprouts now! To me, the taste and texture is a cross between broccoli and cabbage (they're in the same family as these vegetables). It's not mushy and the flavor is amazing! I cut them in half, chopped off the bottoms and roasted them for 25 minutes at 400º.  I only used olive oil, fresh garlic, salt & pepper to prepare them.

 Is there a vegetable you weren't fond of as a kid? I challenge you to discovery that vegetable again as an adult. :-)

Hey, okra, you're next boo! lol

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Playing while I roasted: Clip of Jay-Z's Master Class episode "Excellence is being about to perform at a high level for a long period of time."

The 5 Minute Workout-Mrs. New Booty #7

I started the "Mrs. New Booty" series is document my weight loss (lifestyle change) & self love journey.

This weather is killing my vibe.

The last thing I want to do is go outside in the cold (and snow) for my walk.  Even though I've been using the weather as an excuse not to exercise, I'm working on not making excuses. 

It's hard.

After so many years of justifying my bad habits, it will take me some time to get it right. My workouts are very simple anyway...I usually just walk and listen to a podcast.

Until I can get back out for my walk...

I've been doing a 5 minute workout from home. This may sound silly but I know how I am. Starting small and being consistent works wonders for me, so I only commit to 5 minutes.

      I must be getting old because I can only listen to the clean version of ratchet music.

I put on a ratchet song and run fast in place like I'm on a treadmill. It feels like the longest 5 minutes in life but I feel energized and ready to conquer my day when it's over.

I also listen to Will Smith's Wisdom for about 7 minutes before I start my running to stretch and get motivated.

The beauty of starting.  I'm celebrating this baby step, but I do plan to increase my routine as time goes on. The weather will get right soon (it was actually very nice today) and I'll be back outside enjoying the fresh air.

What baby steps are you taking today to change your life? Are you eating better, writing more, unplugging from the Internet to recharge? Leave me a comment below.

"Steak" Salad Recipe

I love the challenge of veganizing recipes. I pick up conventional books (or magazines) all the time and swap out non-vegan ingredients for plant-based ones.

I got this beef & bok choy salad recipe from the February issue of O magazine. Fortunately, the beef was the only ingredient I needed to substitute. I used pre-packaged seitan, which is a wheat gluten protein, often used to substitute steak in a recipe. The texture of seitan isn't as firm as steak, but it's a great meat substitution for families transitioning to vegan eating.

When I make this again, I will leave out the bok choy because the kids weren't a fan (I wrote the recipe below without it). The dressing is creamy, simple and so delicious! At first taste, it reminded me of ranch dressing, but no one in the house agreed with that. A girl can wish, right? lol

Let me know what you think once you try this recipe.

Podcast playing while I cooked: The Joy Junkie show

"Steak" Salad

by Brown Vegan & Feb '14 "O" magazine

Keywords: fry vegan

Ingredients (Serves 5)

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• (2) 8 oz boxes of seitan strips
• 1 medium red onion, chopped into strips
• About 5 cups of Boston lettuce, chopped

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (canned)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• dash of salt

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup coconut milk (canned)
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

In medium sized bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients.

Add in seitan and coat with the mixture.

Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

In a skillet, saute the onion with a tablespoon of coconut oil on medium heat for 6 minutes. Place to the side

In the same skillet, add more oil and fry seitan strips for 2 minutes on each side.

Transfer the onion and seitan to a large bowl and toss with the lettuce.

Dressing:

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and serve over finished salad.

Enjoy!

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Valentine's Day Dinner & Dessert | Cooking with My Hubby

Valentine's Day is coming, so I thought it would be fun to do some cooking with Eric to celebrate on my YouTube channel.

The menu:

We made kale salad, portobello lasagna & chocolate-covered strawberries.

Kale salad is one of my favorite salads. To prevent the bitter taste and make it easier to chew, we massage the kale for about 5 minutes and let it marinate for at least an hour (so make this dish first).

Portobello lasagna is one of my mom's favorite dishes and she still doesn't believe the Field Roast sausage is really vegan. This dish is simple, delicious and perfect for skeptical male eaters.

For the dessert, we used fresh strawberries, toothpicks & a bag of chocolate chips. Just melt the chocolate, dip the strawberries, place on parchment paper and set in the fridge for about an hour.

Brands of vegan chocolate chips:
Wegmans semi-sweet
Enjoy Life
Sunspire
365 Everyday Value dark chocolate

Check out the video below and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more cooking videos and vlogs. Happy Valentine's Day!

Spinach Artichoke Dip | Super Bowl 2014

This dip is simple, delicious and ready within 30 minutes. Check out the recipe and YouTube video below. Let me know what you think once you make it.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

by Brown Vegan & Daily Garnish

Ingredients (serves 5)

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 14oz can artichoke hearts (packed in water)
• 2 1/2 cups of fresh spinach
• 1 tbsp vegan mayo
• 1 tbsp Tofutti cream cheese (or other vegan cream cheese)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup Daiya non-dairy mozzarella cheese shreds

Instructions

Saute your garlic on medium heat.

Drain the artichoke hearts, chop them up and add to the garlic pan. Add in fresh spinach and allow to cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Take mixture to a food processor and add in remaining ingredients, blending until smooth.

Serve immediately with bread, crackers, or chips or add additional shredded cheese and bake for 10 minutes on 350º.

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Check out the video below....