Happy Monday, MoFos!

Anyone who is unacquainted with VeganMoFo is probably pretty offended by now, so let me wish everyone a Happy World Vegan Day!

Welcome, anyone new to Angst Loves Spinach - I hope you enjoy poking around here as much as I enjoy writing!  I'm super excited that VeganMoFo IV has finally begun and I can't wait for the round-ups to start.

By way of a short introduction, I'm Natalie :)  I went vegetarian 8 years ago, following the lead of my then-boyfriend, now-husband, affectionately known here as "Mister."  A brief, uninformed, PETA-induced stint with veganism followed about 6 months later and lasted for about a month.  Most of Mister's favorite things involve cheese or ice cream, and to be honest, for most of my life, I've been pretty in love with those things as well.  Last fall, I got involved with VeganMoFoIII, and learned so much from other bloggers, causing a great amount of introspection and self-examination.  I battled with myself on subjects like honey, wool, cats as natural carnivores, and my own reticence to take that last step.  However, in the course of being vegan for October, to be true to MoFo, I realized that it wasn't nearly as big a sacrifice as I thought, and after the Readers' Choice Awards issue of VegNews came out, I decided it was worth a second shot.  Over the last year, I've grown increasingly "vegan" in my lifestyle choices, and after reading Skinny Bitch three times this summer and then reviewing it here in September, I decided to just go for it.

Angst is my cat.  He loves spinach, various other leafy things (that may or may not include rose leaves and petals), jalapeno potato chips, pretzels, hummus, pizza, Sweetzels, and a variety of other things cats shouldn't eat.  They are all Sometimes Foods, though, so a little taste here and there shouldn't do too bad for him.  He is my little love and I thought his affinity for dark, leafy greens was funny, so now you know where the name of the blog comes from.

my muse, Angst

 
I hope you'll leave me a comment and say hi if you're new.  I'm happy to hear from new people if you've found your way over from VeganMoFo, Twitter, or Facebook (although, if you're on FB, I know you already).  Now, onto the vegan foodie fun!

Mister has recently left his job and is now our little homemaker; house-husband seems long and antiquated.  Anyway, upon my return from work today, I found that he used his first full day at home to clean out a mess that had been building in our entryway/kitchen/dining area (we live in a very small apartment in Philadelphia).  When I thanked him, he told me that he wanted my kitchen to be my happy place!  I found a keeper.  As a reward, I let Mister choose dinner from our weekly menu.  As you may know or will soon learn, Mister Loves Pasta, so naturally, he chose Pasta Florentine from The 30 Minute Vegan, accompanied by sliced artisan bread and a Tuscan olive oil dipping sauce.

The only thing missing was a nice glass of deep red wine and once I started cooking, you can believe I was kicking myself for not picking up a bottle on my way home from work.  We've had this several times since I got the cookbook in February because it's super-tasty to eat and even easier to make.  Oddly, though, I don't think I've ever made it taste the same way twice.  This time, Mister asked if it was normally "this spicy," and I explained that last time I had, in fact, forgotten to add the 1/2 tsp of black pepper.  I'm glad he was happy with the flavors because another difference in this prep was that I used Tempt hempmilk, and through my breakfast adventures, I've discovered that hempmilk and heat don't seem to like each other very much - the hempmilk seems to separate and is not at all attractive in coffee.  It played well with the nooch, though.

What I'm really excited about was this morning's breakfast.  I love breakfast the way Mister loves pasta and Angst loves spinach.  I especially love cold weather breakfasts like waffles and oatmeal and syrupy fruit.  I had some recent success with an apple oatmeal recipe, so I've been playing with some other flavors.  I also have a winter-breakfast cheerleader, so ALB, I dedicate this tasty breakfast to you!

Breakfast Fried Rice
serves 1 (but easily multiplied)

3/4 - 1 cup cold, cooked brown rice
1 [red] d'anjou pear, diced
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used Tempt unsweetened hempmilk)

Heat pear in a large nonstick skillet 2-3 minutes, until the pieces are golden and begin to release their juices.  Stir in the rice and non-dairy milk.  Bring to a lively simmer/light boil, then lower heat to medium-low.  Stir in vanilla and maple syrup.  Simmer, stirring frequently, 2-3 more minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.

Enjoy and please let me know how it goes for you if you decide to make it!

sunshine on a cloudy day

As if to contrast the oppressive heat and glaring sunlight we "enjoyed" this weekend, I woke up to a dismal, humid, rainy Monday.  It should never rain on Monday - it's like the weather sticking its tongue out at you and saying "yeah, you thought it was hard enough getting up and out on a Monday morning..."

Off I went though, but I sprinkled my day with little drops of sunshine in the form of an email exchange with my sister regarding my upcoming trip to her home in Arizona.  It appears, from a link she sent me, that Arizona or at least Tucson is much more veg-friendly than I thought it would be.  I'm getting more excited by the day, especially now that I have such great dining experiences to look forward to. 

Inspired by the Southwest Adventure looming in the near future, I had Mexican on my mind.  I wanted to go to the Chipotle near my work for lunch, but did not have enough time, so I went to the cafe located inside my building.  Today, of course, seemed to be Anti-Veg Day because everything they were serving had meat.  Normally, I can at least count on one vegetarian soup alongside whatever fleshy treasure they're serving the "normal" folk, but today my choices were chicken or beef.  Unless you're inclined to think similarly to a more recently hired employee in my workplace, chicken is actually considered meat.  Even the pizza was meat-lovers.  I kid you not.  So, my lunch was a container of week-old "vegetable crudites" and a big banana.

To make up for it, I made Naked Burritos for dinner.

If you're feeling a little twinge for Mexican-inspired food, click here for the recipe.

We followed up with this tasty treat for dessert:

I have to admit...it smells kind of awful.  If you can get past that, though, there is a pleasant and surprising interaction between the creaminess of the coconut and the puckering tang of the lime, which is quite pronounced!  I don't think this will be a favorite, but I know we'll have it again, and I'm just happy to chalk up one more successful nondairy-frozen-dessert-that-Mister-likes experience.

And, since I'm always thinking ahead (or maybe just because I really like breakfast - having some, that is), I made granola.  I have come to realize that granola is my summer equivalent to my tasty cold-weather breakfast - various incarnations of oatmeal.  My standby recipe is taken from the brain of Sarah Kramer in La Dolce Vegan and it's a good transition from winter into spring: Apple Cinnamon, much like my oatmeal.  However, as summer approaches and as I let my eyes drift to a sunny southwest place where I've never actually been, I wanted something a little more...well, summery.

Summertime Granola
2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sliced/slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried pineapple pieces
2 Tbsp raw sesame seeds
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup light agave nectar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine everything but the pineapple pieces in a large bowl and mix well
Spread evenly in a 9x13 baking pan and pat down lightly
Bake 15-20 minutes, stirring every 7-10 minutes
Remove from oven.  Stir again and cool slightly before mixing in pineapple pieces

Yield: about 4 cups.

sweet and sour something

I have always hated rollercoasters.  My sister?  She loved them from the first moment she stood on tiptoe to be tall enough.  Not me - there is nothing thrilling about the possibility of dying on an amusement park ride - that's not how I want to go out.

Ironically, I can't escape them.  I am, of course, turning these terrifying and supposedly exhilarating rides into a metaphor at this point.  I feel like all my life I've sought balance and the only way it seems to find me is in the form of presenting me with two extremes almost simultaneously.

I bought these beautiful mini calla lilies at Whole Foods today.  Calla lilies have the most amazing duality and that's exactly what I needed after the day I've had.  Calla lilies have long been used in funeral celebrations and imagery and recently, they have become the "hip" flower to use in your wedding bouquet.  While one could argue that both events mark the beginning of a new voyage, we often avoid that they also represent the end of a different part of life.

When I was finishing high school, I suddenly became aware of the "bigger picture" and the role I hoped to play in it.  Tonight, my husband asked me what I wanted to do with my life and my answer was the same that it was 15 years ago: I want to make a difference.

The boys in this picture are twin brothers.  They are the younger brothers of one of my oldest and dearest friends.  When they were little eleven-year-old ducklings, I was volunteering with the Junior High youth group at my church and I picked them up and took them with me.  To my surprise and delight, they made friends and continued to attend.  When they grew up and returned from college, the one on the left in blue (his name is Dustin) returned to an active role in the church, ironically volunteering with the Junior High youth group.  He is 26 years old and has already served the church more than most people twice his age.

In November of this past year, Dustin was diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease.  His family, friends, colleagues, and the church along with the countless kids he has impacted all drew together.  His best friend created a blog in order to communicate updates on his condition, as well as their fundraising efforts to defray the costs of altering his home now that he was wheelchair-bound.  The most recent post, put up just yesterday, is a letter from Dustin expressing his appreciation of everyone's attendance and hard work for a recent Beef, Beer, and more.  It is beautifully written, and although it's very possible most of you do not know Dustin, I would encourage you to read his words and applaud his humble and ambitious spirit.

Today, Dustin's spirit departed to his forever home.  Although I know it is best and can easily recite the usual cliches about how his pain is gone and he is whole again (I've said these things too many times), it doesn't change the fact that my heart is broken.

Rest in peace, Dustin.  You made a difference.

Now for the upside of the Life Rollercoaster.  Today has been a prime day for existential pondering.  Between the devastating news of Dustin's death and the interaction I had with one of my students today, I have spent hours today contemplating my place in this world and how I am using the life I was given.

I currently have three piano students, two of whom I have been teaching for a little more than 7 years.  The only one who I taught today will be celebrating her 17th birthday in a couple of weeks and she has become a beautiful, talented, and intelligent young lady.  As she nears the end of her Junior year of high school, she is starting to consider colleges, since she'll have to apply over the summer.  When she arrived for her lesson today, she told me she had spent Wednesday visiting a local university:

Eastern University was just a college when I went there.  It was also very small - about 2,500 students, both undergrad and grad students, when I entered as a freshman, but it expanded rapidly over my time there.  The year after I graduated, it was granted University status due to absorbing the Seminary from which it had sprouted in the mid-1950s, as well as creating a few satellite campuses to extend their ministry and education into the city of Philadelphia.

Katie visited my alma mater and absolutely fell in love.  To be honest - you can't help it with a campus this beautiful:

She and her mother excitedly shared their experience, including interactions with some of my own former teachers, who remembered me!  My mind is racing with appropriate songs for her to use for her audition for their outstanding music department, but also with the simple word she spoke today that touched the very innermost parts of my heart.

Me:  So, why did you look at Eastern?

Her:  You.

Kinda makes you feel like you make a difference.

Enough smushiness - I don't want to find out if I've used up all my tears.  I made the Pasta with Beans and Chard tonight.  It's very easy to make and to eat, which Mister and I both needed today.  I don't have any fun stories about dinner, really, but here's a picture:

It doesn't look too different than the last time I made it, but it's still pretty.

This week's menu is pretty diverse - it doesn't stick to any one cuisine and certainly not to any one cookbook.

1. Naked Burritos - this started out as another Use It or Lose It dinner, but it was really good and I wanted a Mexican-inspired dinner so I could follow the advice of this comment and try the Coconut Lime Tempt "ice cream."

2. Greek Quesadillas

3. Yakisoba from The Accidental Vegan.  I teeter on the fence of Japanese cuisine - most of the time that is because of the intense influence of the sea, but other times it's just because I find the flavor combinations bizarre and not terribly enticing.  Nevertheless, every time I've flipped through this cookbook, I've paused to consider this recipe.  The time for contemplation is over - I'm going to give it a try.

4. Seitan Gyros also from The Accidental Vegan.  I may have mentioned one or two [dozen] times that my husband's family is Greek.  He will have you know that the correct pronunciation of the second word is "yee-rose."  I think this will make him happy and it was actually one of the reasons I bought the book, but it got lost somewhere.

5. Chickpea Stew with Fried Polenta from my Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook.  I have made this several times and it's just easy and tasty.  I'm really hoping we have a cool-down day, because right now, it's past midnight and still in the upper 70s.  This is not hot-weather food, but I really wanted to make it.

oreGONEo

Sorry - I got a little more excited than I anticipated about the fact that tonight's dinner, though selected from The Complete Vegan Cookbook, did not contain even a dash, not even a conservative sprinkle of oregano.  It was a great dinner:

Tonight, I made Bulghur and Red Lentil Pilaf with Kale and Olives.  It was spectacular, honestly, and not just because oregano was conspicuously absent.  I love everything about the ingredients.
Bulghur has a fabulous texture and an overall pleasant flavor.
Red Lentils subtly provide the missing amino acids to create a complete protein in combination with the bulghur, meanwhile also acting as a thickening and binding agent, holding the whole mess together.
Kale is a delightful "dark leafy green" with a heartiness to it I haven't found in other greens.  I'll admit - this vegetable is so strong the idea of eating it raw is both stimulating and terrifying.  Not planning to try it anytime soon, but if I ever work up the courage, you can trust you'll hear about it.
Kalamata olives are among the most amazing edible treasures my husband and his crazy Greek family have brought into my life and for that, I will always be grateful.  The only thing I can think of that would not be improved by their flavor is ice cream (maybe oatmeal, too).

glamour shot - not as pretty as it was tasty

So, speaking of ice cream, I do believe Tempt hempmilk "ice cream" has earned a more or less permanent place in our freezer.  I picked up the Coffee Biscotti flavor at Essene last week and we tried it the other night.  It was just as creamy as the Mint Chip was, but the coffee flavor was much richer than the mint was.  The chunks of chocolate cookie were a little dry, but I figure, so is biscotti, being all twice-baked and whatnot.

I don't care if you are vegetarian, vegan, or if you think chicken is a fruit - find this somewhere, buy it, and then eat it very slowly, savoring every moment.  Then, once you've placed your spoon in the empty bowl, realize that this is a product that is better in every way than ice cream made with cow's milk and chicken's eggs.

It tastes better.

It is lower in calories (140 for a half cup versus 270*)

It is lower in fat (7g with 1g of sat. fat versus 18g with 11g of sat. fat)

It is lower in cholesterol (NONE versus 120 mg)

It is cruelty free - nothing that breathes and has a heartbeat was hooked up to a metal machine to be milked electronically and run the risk of being cut by the clamps on the udders, resulting in infection, which ultimately leads to:

It is pus free.  Yes.  That's what I said - pus free.  With no infected cow udders anywhere near it, there is no chance that there was a government-guidelines-acceptable amount of pus in the milk that became the ice cream.

It is allergen free - my sister could eat it and not break into hives or have trouble breathing.

(all nutritional comparisons made to Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream)

Have I convinced you to try it yet?  You don't want to miss out on this - go!