A Phase of Curious Looks

I have noticed that there are phases in my "vegan life" during which time I am confronted with a great deal of hostility. If it's not something you agree with, it can be difficult to understand that being a vegan isn't about losing weight or denying yourself chocolate cake. It is my conclusion that many people assume that they know a great deal about you once they learn your diet choices and in some ways, this is true. When I mention I'm a vegan, I can see eyes begin to glaze over and I can almost hear their inner monologues; "is this girl crazy? She must be a hippy. Is she on a diet?". Answer: No. Well, some might consider me a wee bit of a hippy but who isn't?... don't answer that.

Like I said, some of the assumptions made about vegans are true. First of all, there is a certain amount of idealism. That's not to say that I think my being a vegan will save all the animals on the earth. I am accountable to myself and personally I think factory farming as unethical and cruel so I'm making an effort, albeit small, to not turn a blind eye and participate in it's profitability.

Secondly, veganism is a healthy lifestyle so I won't completely discredit the diet claim. It's not about losing weight and if that were to be a 'vegan's' intentions I would give them a week before they go back to cheese and meat. Instead, changing your dietary habits is an educational process that benefits you in the long run. It could just be me, but every week I seem to come across some food product that has been banned or recalled. Am I being extreme? Probably. But there are many foods that we eat everyday and we have no idea where they're coming from or what's inside of them. Eliminating as many chemicals from your body might be a good idea! Milk, cheese, meat are all very good for you. They provide iron, protein and essential vitamins but just its equally important to be conscious of where your food is coming from.

And since when did it become uncool or stupid to try to be healthy? If eating vegetarian or vegan means that you choose fruit over cupcakes, why is that a bad thing? It is as if not eating a slice of greasy pizza makes you an outsider!

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Ciabatta Lunch Goodness

I love making sandwiches for lunch; not those gross sliced bread ones with PB & J but fresh vegetable, fresh cheese, fresh bread bun type sandwiches...yum. Here is one sandwich I especially like to make. It's perfect on the weekends right after you've gone grocery shopping at the market.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium eggplant, cut lengthwise
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into 8
• 1 red bell pepper, quartered
• ciabatta bread! (or any type of fresh crusty bread)
• Fresh mozzarella (optional)
• Fresh basil leaves

Directions

Coat your baking sheet with a bit of cooking spray; place vegetables on the sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant and zucchini with vinegar mixed with olive oil; add a little salt for taste. Put it in the oven at 300 for 7 to 8 minutes, or until soft. Turned them once. Lightly brush the bottom slices of ciabatta with remaining vinegar mixture; pile veggies and basil on each of the slices. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and toast your sandwich for about 4 minutes. Enjoy!

Other options: add mozzarella cheese or pesto.

Polenta for Dinner

A month later....

Since I've been MIA in the blog world for a bit it seems appropriate to start with a difficult, if not time consuming recipe; just for all 'em ambitious folks!

My sister sent this recipe to me and it's very tasty. It seems like a lot of work but in all honesty it doesn't have to be. For a quick version, roast a few vegetables with olive oil in the oven, bake the polenta and add pre-made (eek) tomato sauce. Enjoy Moody's delicious vegan polenta!

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked instant polenta
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan, divided (optional but you can buy soy parmesan at Capers on 4th)
• 1/8–1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or oregano) or 1 tbsp dried
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 asparagus stalks, ends trimmed
• 8 scallions, trimmed
• 2 small Japanese or Italian eggplants, trimmed and halved
• 1 medium-large yellow squash (about 1/2 lb), cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes

Sauce

• 1 jar (12 oz) prepared roasted red peppers, drained
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, basil or parsley (plus extra for garnish)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions

Bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add polenta in a stream, whisking to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/3 cup Parmesan and season with cayenne and salt. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Transfer polenta to pie plate, smooth into an even layer and let cool 15 minutes.

Whisk garlic, thyme, lemon juice and oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss vegetables with dressing. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange vegetables in 1 layer (or in 1 layer in a grill basket). Broil vegetables about 4 inches from heat until tender and slightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter.

Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Sprinkle polenta with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan. Broil polenta in pie plate until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, then cut polenta into 8 triangles. Divide polenta among 4 plates. Top with vegetables, drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with chives. Yum!

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