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I joining in a Meatless Monday linkup with Tina Muir. After over five years of blogging and creating vegan recipes, this is the first time I’ve ever done a Meatless Monday post! Check out Tina’s post and all the others participating in the linkup.
But first, some deep thanks.
I just want to express my appreciation for the support that all of you gave me after I was fired last week. Your words were so kind and understanding that I immediately felt better. I have taken down the post for a few reasons, not the least of which that I probably wouldn’t want a future employer to read it.
I spent the last few days enjoying a little unplanned time off while I mentally prepare for the challenge ahead. An additional challenge faced by all of us who live in the desert is that it is so seasonal. While I’m confident that I can find a job as a trainer, the people who are potentially my clients won’t be back until November. So, in addition to looking for jobs in personal training, I have a few other ideas that I will let you know about as I begin to roll them out.
Shout Out to Pavement Runner
A quick shout out to Pavement Runner who did a back to back San Francisco Marathon on Sunday. Yup, that’s right. Starting at midnight (or some crazy hour), he ran the reverse SF course, finished, took a few minutes to refuel and change, then took off with the regular runners. And finished! I’m sure his full recap will be up as soon as he wakes up, so keep an eye out. The prize that I won in his contest to raise money and awareness for the SF SPCA (SF Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) arrived this weekend. It’s a beautiful Half-Zip Performance top from Tribesports. My only regret is that it will be a few months before it’s cool enough here to wear it.
Meatless Monday: My 3 Favorite Vegan Recipes
First off, here is a new recipe. I tend to eat a lot of salads during the summer. It’s just too hot to eat cooked food, plus the air conditioner is working hard enough without having to outwork the oven. This Mexican Salad is colorful, and combined with the spicy avocado dressing has a great bite.
- 3 cups mixed greens of choice, chopped medium
- 1 tomato, chopped
- ½ cup red onion, chopped
- 1 can (or one cup) cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup corn
- ½ cup yellow peppers, chopped
- 1 avocado, chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- Lime juice
- Spicy Avocado Dressing (see below)
- Combine the ingredients in a large bowl. Squeeze the lime juice over the salad (about a tablespoon). Toss with the avocado dressing.
Spicy Avocado Dressing
Ingredients
1 avocado
Juice of 1 lime
1 serrano chili, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instruction
Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add a little more water.
I have made a lot of Tofu Scrambles in my time as a vegan. Even though I’ve written up the recipes each time, I rarely follow my own, preferring to use whatever veggies I have on hand. This one turned out especially good, so I thought I’d share it.
- 1 package firm or extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 1 small potato, chopped
- ¼ cup red or yellow pepper, chopped
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ package vegan chorizo (Soyrizo)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon black salt (Kala Namak - optional - see below)
- 1 teaspoon salt (if using the black salt reduce to ½ teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- In a small bowl, combine tofu, turmeric, cumin, black salt if using, salt, and pepper. Use a fork to blend and to give a "scrambled egg" texture. Set aside.
- Preheat oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.
- Add potatoes, and cook until slightly browned.
- Add onions, peppers, and chiles and cook until the vegetables are soft, about five minutes. At this point the potatoes should be almost cooked, but not soft.
- Add the Soyrizo. Break it up as you stir the mixture. Cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add the tofu mixture. Stir it in and cook for about 5 more minutes.
- Serve with tortillas, beans, rice, avocados, salsa, or whatever condiments you like.
A note about the black salt. Ever since I read this post by Cadry, I have been a little obsessed with her Eggy Tofu. I have started adding the Kala Namak to all my eggy tofu recipes, like this one or quiche. It is optional, so you can skip it or purchase it here
(affiliate link).
Finally, I decided to share this Shawarma recipe again (I’m actually making it for dinner tonight). I recently had the best comment on the original post. It made me smile and laugh because I knew exactly how she felt:
- One package (or one cup if homemade) seitan or chicken substitute, cut into strips
- One Tablespoon lemon juice
- One teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- Pepper to taste
- ½ cup soy yogurt
- One Tablespoon Malt Vinegar
- Two Cloves Garlic, minced
- In a small bowl, sprinkle the seitan with the garam masala, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice and toss to mix. In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, vinegar, and garlic. Add the “meat” mixture and stir together. Marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Preheat Broiler. Spray broiler pan lightly with cooking spray. Spread seitan in a single layer on the pan. Broil until lightly browned, then turn over and repeat on the other side.
- Serve with warmed pita bread, hummus, or shawarma sauce. (Can also be served with vegan tzatziki or tahini sauce.) Top with tomato salad.
The recipes for the hummus, shawarma sauce, and tomato salad can also be found in the original post.
Participating in Meatless Monday is a great way to reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel. For me, it is all about the animals, so here’s this, from the Humane Society, “By making Meatless Monday a part of your weekly routine, we can help to create a more humane society. In fact, if all Americans participated in Meatless Monday, more than a billion animals would be spared from factory farms each year.”
Check out my Recipe Page for more meatless options.
Oh no, I missed the post about you losing your job. 🙁 So sorry Debbie, but I am hoping things work out the way you want them to.
I make a vegan scramble similar to yours and I LOVE it. Oh gosh, I am craving it just thinking about it. Have a great week!
I get in the mood for a tofu scramble and the craving won’t go away until I satisfy it! Better indulge!
I’m so sorry I didn’t get a chance to comment on your job post – I read it on the road and was thinking about you tons this weekend. I’m glad you’ve got a few things planned, I know this will be a good thing in the long run, it’s just a matter of getting to that point. My husband was also dealing with a bunch of job crap lately and we’re finally getting out of the chaos and uncertainty. It’s been so stressful, but finally seeing the light. You’ll get there too.
{{{{hugs}}}}}
Thanks Carrie. It is scary but I know it will be for the best in the long run. Thanks for caring.
Glad you are doing ok! I make a similar Mexican salad. The spicy avocado dressing sounds perfect for it!
The dressing is really good. I love that it doesn’t need extra oil to make it delicious.
Look at you miss overachiever….3 recipes huh? 🙂 This is wonderful, and so glad you are bringing meatless mondays into your life! Like you mentioned, it brings an abundance of health benefits to your body 🙂 Especially at a stressful time like this, I have no doubt you will be back up very soon!
I know Tina. I haven’t posted a recipe n a while and I couldn’t decide. Thanks for the link up. It’s a great idea.
Great recipes! Glad you took some time to relax and regroup!
Thanks. I appreciate all the support.
HUGE HUGE HUgs Debbie!!! You have gone thru a lot the past few months with car & dog & this… you are due for good things!!!!
http://truth2beingfit.com/2014/07/gratitude-monday-tolerance-and-sharing-instagram-love/
That vegan salad looks AMAZING! I’m glad you had a good weekend. 🙂
I love that you shared multiple recipes! I’m always on the hunt for new vegan recipes and mexican salad is one of my favourites. Also tofu scramble is such a great weekend brunch idea. So glad I found your blog on the link up.
I love these recipes and so does my sister. They are vegan and I always send her to your site to get different recipe ideas!
These recipes look delicious and so easy to make! Looking forward to trying them.
Appreciate it! That seemed to be great therefore easy to make.