Anniversary Dinner!

John and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary with this lovely dinner. I did most of the prep work the day before (Sunday) so I could have it on the table at a decent dinner time (Monday). The meal included:

Cashew Nut Loaf stuffed with Garlic and Mushrooms
Silky Chickpea Gravy
Butternut Coconut Rice
Green Beans with Truffle Oil and Sea Salt
Lemon Macadamia Nut Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

So, the loaf is excellent. My mother-in-law made if for Christmas dinner last year and John specifically requested it for this meal. Instead of making a stuffing (an option in the recipe), there is a layer of sauteed garlic and mushrooms in the middle (assembly process shown below). I have always shied away from nut loafs because of a previous, bad experience. Fortunately, this one has turned me back on to the concept.

I used a combo of almonds, pecans, and cashews. For the bread crumbs, I used a combo of panko and crushed spelt crackers (I didn't realize that I didn't have enough crumbs until it was too late to go buy more! But, it worked out very well.)

The gravy is rich and thick and salty and sage-flavored. It went nicely with the loaf.

I do not have a link to the Butternut Coconut Rice, which is a complete shame because it was the highlight of the meal! I am not a huge fan of rice, but I will make this recipe any and every time I can find a butternut squash at the grocery store! It is a combo of garlic and ginger along with sesame oil, shallot, lime, red pepper flakes, and topped off with creamy coconut milk. We also sprinkled toasted coconut on top. It is addictive stuff! And even better, the recipe is from Appetite for Reduction.

The green beans were sauteed in a touch of truffle oil and sea salt.

And finally, the dessert! I bought new cupcake liners (silicon) and was really excited to try them out. They worked very nicely, left no paper waste, released the cupcakes very easily and in perfect shape, and were easy to clean.

The recipe is from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. The cupcakes are tangy and fruity while the macadamia nuts are crunchy and delicious! I did substitute almond meal for the macadamia nut meal and, in the frosting, coconut oil instead of shortening.

We also had Tofutti Strawberry flavored icecream. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed. The flavor was so bad we are considering writing the company. John even suggested that we somehow got a 'bad batch' because of how awful it tastes. It is reminds me of some horrible chemical strawberry flavoring. It is organic and I am usually not disappointed with the brand (LOVE the icecream sandwiches). But, in this case, we will never buy this product again!  

Pad Thai Salad with Peanut-Lime Dragon Dressing

I strongly believe this salad recipe has potential, but I ruined this potential with bad lettuce and too much hot sauce! First, the lettuce I bought was extremely tough. It was organic romaine but has the consistency of cabbage (for the white part) and kale (for the green). Not appetizing!

The dressing was delicious before I discovered my bottle of Sriracha had a little blockage, which quickly became unblocked when I applied a little pressure. The result was about 4 times the amount I can stand! Even John was struggling with it.

We had spring rolls on the side (not pictured) and they helped immensely by offering a bit of cool relief.  

The recipe is from Appetite for Reduction.

Old-Fashioned Chelsea Waffles

One of my new kitchen purchases since finally moving out of furnished housing was a waffle iron! I have wanted one for a long time and am now the happy owner.

I have tried at least 5 recipes for waffles in search of the perfect 'soft on the inside, crisp on the outside' texture that John and I love.

Today, we came VERY close! I followed the recipe in Vegan Brunch but made a slight adjustment. I have been reading that the trick to great waffles is seperating the egg and gently stiring the egg white in last. Since there is no egg or egg replacer in this recipe, I decided to cut a bit of the milk out and try the above steps with an egg replacer. And it worked really well!!! I whisked the replacer into a foamy consistency and lightly stirred only until I couldn't see it anymore.

 The result:

We also included what we refer to as 'Key West Coffee' because this is the way they served it while we were vacationing there. It is coffee brewed normally, then added coconut milk and agave. And, notice the adorable mugs by Bodium that John found at an antique store here in Aarhus!

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

I cleaned out my freezer yesterday and found a batch of cashew cream sauce in there from...who knows when. I also had a box of lasagna noodles in the pantry, also from that time frame! So, I bought a box of garlic flavored tomato sauce (I stopped buying canned since reading this article), a bunch of fresh basil, garlic, spinach, and mushrooms. I topped the lasagna with shredded Mozzerella Sheese.

It came together in under 20 minutes, baked for about 30 and was really delicious!

Scrambled Tortillas

Definitely comfort food! But, also healthy (well, maybe not if you and your husband eat the entire 'serves 4' in one sitting!)

The recipe calls for corn tortillas. I had originally planned to make my own, but I ran out of time and settled for tortilla chips instead. They totally worked!

Isa Chandra Moskowitz describes it as 'little morsels of heaven' and I couldn't agree more! She also says it does not photograph well. Don't let that stop you from trying it though!!!

Courico Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Last time I was in the U.S. I bought two jars of chipotles in adobo sauce (Embasa brand) because they are impossible to find here in DK. Now, I am really stingy about using them because I want them to last! But, this recipe has been one I have wanted to try for a long time.

Here is the recipe.

We do not have a grill, so we just sauted the pineapple for a while, letting the outsides brown a little.

Instead of wrapping it all up in tortillas, we opted for taco salad style with tortilla chips. The courico is very spicy but in a smokey, vinegary, and sweet way. We had a little avocado on the side to cool things down!

Hoison-Mustard Tofu with Unfried Fried Rice

The original recipe for the tofu includes lettuce wraps. That would have been delicious, but we did not have the right lettuce. So, we just served it alongside the rice and were very happy!

Both recipes are from Appetite for Reduction (my other cookbooks have been getting dusty lately!)

The recipe for the tofu is here. I bought a huge jar of hoisin sauce from the Asian market a few weeks ago, so fortunately we really enjoy the flavor!

The Unfried Fried rice is nothing really special, just rice cooked with sesame oil, shallot, garlic, ginger, soy and green onion. We added carrot and snow peas.

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans & Toasted Cumin Seeds

I have made almost half of the salads in Appetite for Reduction. This was good but not my favorite. I had such high expectations for the flavor of toasted cumin seeds. The book says they taste smoky, but I did not get that effect.

At any rate, it was an extremely quick recipe that includes quinoa, toasted cumin seeds, tomatoes, lime juice, agave, black beans, scallions, and mixed greens.

I also made Chickpea cutlets :-)

Trattoria Pasta Salad with White Beans

The salads alone make the cookbook Appetite for Reduction worth the purchase. Everything else is great also, but the salads...yum! They are meals. They do not leave you with the feeling, "All I had for dinner was salad..."

Pasta, northern white beans, arugula, red onion, roasted red pepper, kalamata olives, pepper and a Sun-dried Tomato-Walnut dressing make this meal complete.

The dressing blends the flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, fennel seeds, shallots, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and marjarom.

Catalan Couscous Salad with Pears

John made this salad, from Appetite for Reduction, for dinner one night and it was delicious and filling. The basics include spinach topped with whole wheat couscous, toasted almonds, pear slices, and Romesco dressing.

The dressing is oil-free and addicting! It consists of almonds, shallots, roasted red peppers, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, agave, salt, pepper, and water.

The salad takes very little time to put together and has the combo of sweet (pears) and savory (dressing).

Brussels Sprout-Potato Hash with Silky Chickpea Gravy

Wow. I haven't blogged for a long time! Life has been, as always, busy. We moved into a different apartment in Aarhus, Denmark. Both John and I have permanent contracts here now, and we are settling in to stay for more than 8 months!

For the first time in 2 years, we are in an unfurnished apartment (we were previously in furnished, company housing), meaning we had to buy all new stuff. I was able to pick up some really fun kitchen items. Although I do miss my old stuff (it is still in storage in Portland, Oregon), I am adjusting nicely.

I have actually cooked a lot in the past month, but many of the things I made have already been posted, or the cameral was packed, or I forgot, or I was lazy!

This meal was one of my favorites for a variety of reasons. 1) John did the cooking AND cleaning! 2) Brussels are my fav. 3) Silky Chickpea Gravy...no more words needed.

The recipes are from Appetite for Reduction.

Here is a recipe for the gravy. Also included in this link is a recipe for Caulipots from the same cookbook. I have not tried them yet!

Here is the recipe for the hash. The flavors of garlic, thyme, and lemon are fantastic.

Veganism and cancer treatment: One success story

The question: Can you follow a vegan diet if you have cancer?


The answer: Yes – but even the most devoted vegans must be prepared to significantly alter their lifestyle.

The experts: Debbie Farrell is a two-time cancer survivor. As part of her treatment program, she follows a strict vegan diet, one she will remain on for the rest of her life.

Shani Fox, ND, specializes in treating cancer patients. While Fox did not treat Farrell, she believes there are strong benefits to following a plant-based diet during cancer treatment.

Four years ago, Debbie Farrell, 54, was diagnosed with fallopian tube cancer. Surgery was successful, and chemotherapy was recommended. However, Farrell chose not to undergo chemotherapy and instead opted for a vegan diet consisting of carrot juice and a product called Barley Green. This is all Farrell ate for the next six months. After that, she followed the completely vegan Halleluiah diet: 85% raw food, 15% cooked.

Farrell says, “Unfortunately, after a couple of years, we got off track and went back to the standard American diet. I believe this was the cause of the return of my cancer” in April 2010.

While Fox is not aware of any definitive studies proving that a vegan diet prevents certain kinds of cancer, there are studies that show hormonal cancers, like breast and prostate, can be linked to animal-based diets. “Antibiotics can be powerful drivers of hormonal cancers,” she says.

Because vegans avoid animal products, they are less exposed to antibiotics, which may prove beneficial in terms of long-term health. “You can find studies of the harmful effects of animal products. You can derive that avoidance leads to a better position,” Fox adds.


What is true of any cancer treatment: Nutrition is critical. And reducing inflammation is key, Fox says.

“The most important role when fighting cancer is to keep inflammation down.” One cause of inflammation is an animal-based diet that includes meat, dairy, and eggs. Eliminating these foods “is an advantage for a vegan diet,” Fox says.


Farrell’s Cancer Returns


Last spring, following an abnormal blood test, a PET scan revealed a half-dollar sized tumor between Farrell’s spine and rectum. She was told by her oncologist the cancer was “treatable but not curable.” Not willing to accept this diagnosis, Farrell chose a homeopathic doctor in Carson City, Nev. who practices a form of treatment called IPT: Insulin Potentiation Therapy.

Along with IPT, Farrell followed an extremely strict, all-organic vegan diet from the book Healing the Gerson Way.

Her diet, then and now, consists of oatmeal and raisins for breakfast and a salad and soup for lunch and dinner. Farrell prepares the soup with potatoes, tomatoes, leeks, onions, and distilled water.

Juicing is also a main component of the diet. The book identifies this “as being your medicine,” Farrell explains.

Although the book advises 13 8 oz. servings per day, Farrell’s protocol has been modified to eight. She begins with orange juice in the morning, then consumes five servings of a carrot- apple juice combo throughout the day. She also drinks a green juice twice daily. Farrell’s recipe includes raw ingredients such as beet leaves, red leaf lettuce, Swiss chard, red cabbage and one apple.

Farrell once asked her doctor how long she had to follow this diet. His response: “You will never eat like your neighbor again.”

The monotony is worth it to her: Four weeks after beginning treatment for her second bout of cancer, Farrell is again in remission. She is convinced that the IPT, plus the vegan diet, has saved her life.


Cancer and the vegan diet: More than raw vegetables


Fox says the main concern with following a vegan diet during cancer treatment is ensuring the patient is getting enough digestible protein. This is important because many factors in cancer treatment cause the breakdown of tissue. Protein is necessary to tissue repair.

During treatment, “It is possible to be vegan and consume enough protein, but it is more challenging without animal products. There could be a place where a vegan diet is outweighed by the need for protein,” Fox explains, but this would be carefully planned with the patient in order to “stay with their ethical concerns as to why they are vegan in the first place.”

Chocolate Chip Chai Spice Shortbread

The flavor of these cookies was great but they did not turn out as well as I had expected. I did not have vegan shortening, so I substituted extra vegan margarine instead. The dough was extremely soft and I had to add extra flour. This caused the dough to taste too much like flour! So, I added more powdered sugar. All in all, they turned out fine. But, my chocolate spread out a lot while baking and the shape of the cookies is not as neat as it should have been.

The recipe is from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. 

Sesame Noodles with Peanut Dip and Veggies

I used a package of precooked soba noodles. They are sauteed in sesame oil. The dressing (delicious!) consists of peanuts, oatmilk, soysauce, tahihi, sesame oil, sake, maple syrup, ginger and garlic, all blended in a blender. We served it with sauteed veggies. The recipe is from Love Bites.

Lentil Daal with Basmati Rice

This recipe is from my new cookbook Love Bites by Heather Mills. It was very easy to prepare and was filling because of the veggies, lentils, and rice.

I soaked the lentils overnight so they cooked very quickly. The sauce consists of coconut oil, cauliflower, tomatoes, onion, lime, cilantro, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, cumin, salt and tumeric. It is served over basmati rice.

Carrot, Apple, Ginger Soup

I roasted 4 large carrots and 2 apples with a bit of olive oil and salt. I sauteed 2 pieces of celery and an onion along with about a tablespoon of shredded ginger. This was all added to around 4 cups of veggie broth and cooked for a while. After it cooled for a bit, I put it all in a blender and it turned out really good! On the side is a Gluten free roll that I found in the frozen food section. Four come in a pack and they have a great flavor, lots of seeds, and the texture is not any different from any other frozen roll we have ever bought.

Polenta Stuffing

This is definitely on the menu for Thanksgiving this year! It is from Appetite for Reduction and is really good. Polenta is cooked and cooled flat so that it can be cut into squares. It is then cooked with an onion, celery, garlic, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. It tastes so much like the traditional stuffing my mom used to make!

Salsa Scramble

Tofu sauteed in olive oil with nutitional yeast, oat milk, yellow mustard, salt and pepper.

Potatoes roasted with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.

Roasted veggie and salsa.

Tortilla chips.

A fantastic breakfast!

Herb-Roasted Cauliflower & Bread Crumbs with Salad

Continuing on with our salad kick...The cauliflower is chopped, coated with seasonings and bread crumbs, and then baked. The recipe is from Appetite for Reduction and in the recipe it suggests tossing the cauliflower into a salad. To the lettuce I added red pepper, zucchini, carrot shavings, and pumpkin seeds. The dressing is the following added to a blender and blended until smooth: a shallot, red wine, agave, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. The salad reminded me of  a healthier version of panzanella because of the breadcrumbs on the cauliflower.

Braised Cabbage with Seitan

John bought a huge head of cabbage that we have been slowly working our way through, we had leftover seitan from a stew recipe earlier in the week and leftover brown rice. So, this came together really quickly. We were out of garlic so I sprinkled garlic powder and onion soup in for flavor. The recipe is from Appetite for Reduction (Big suprise! I have been making something from it almost everyday since I brought it home).

Portobello Pepper Steak Stew

I am working my way through the recipes in Appetite for Reduction and have not been disappointed with one so far. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants more veggies in their diet, no (or less depending on who you are!) meat, and lots of low-fat nutrition.

As for this recipe, it will be made again...many times! We dumped the stew over crusty ciabatta rolls. The flavor of red wine, fennel seeds, and portobello mushrooms was mouthwatering.

Garlicky Mushrooms and Kale with Chili-Lime Rubbed Tofu

The tofu was great. The concept of "rubbing" the spices on saves the time of marinating. The mushrooms and kale were very tastey also. Both recipes are from Appetite for Reduction and there is a nutritional bit about kale that states it provides around 10% of our daily requirement in one cup. Because kale shrinks down so much, it is easy to eat 4 or 5 cups in a meal.

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Tofu

So. Good. Another score from Appetite for Reduction. The salad is topped with a Peanut-Mint Gremolata that is heavenly. The dressing is sweet and spicy with soy and lime flavors. A combination of tofu, lettuce, vermicelli noodles, veggies, and mint made this salad such a satisfying meal.

Chickpea and Chorizo Style Soup

When we were in London in December we went to an Animal Rights Fair. Heather Mills was there selling her cookbook, Love Bites, so I bought an autographed copy (all profit goes to charity). The first recipe I followed from it was this really delicious soup. Coconut oil is used in most of the recipes and I love the subtle addition of the flavor. The ingredients for the soup are tomatoes, chorizo style sausage (I made this recipe), onion, garlic, celery, kale, chickpeas, veggie stock, salt and pepper. It all cooks into a really flavorful and filling soup. Half of it is blended in a food processor for a bulkier base.

Many of the recipes call for a specific brand of meat substitute, one I think Heather Mills was a part of creating. Because I do not have access to the brand, I will figure substitutions out. The cookbook is full of curries, salads, soups, dumplings, tarts, and really simple recipes.

2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma

This curry recipe is very basic (flavored with curry powder, garlic, ginger, and other spices) but pleasantly a low-fat version from Appetite for Reduction. We served it with Basmati Rice. The cook book says active time is 20 minutes and total time is 30. It took the full 20 prep minutes just to wash and chop all the veggies. So again, these times are not realistic for us! But, I still say the recipes are worth the extra few minutes they take us.

Hodge-podge meals this week...

I have been in a slump so cooking has been very simple recently. John and I pooled our energy one night to make roasted veggies, tofu, and sauteed cabbage.

The veggies were coated in a mixutre of white wine, dijon mustard, oregano, and pepper and then (over)roasted. The green beans shriveled up a bit too much!

The tofu was cooked on the stove with olive oil and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.

The cabbage was cut into shreds and cooked on the stove with an onion, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

This is quinoa salad with sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives. The dressing is a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. 

And we had this for breakfast one morning. A tofu scramble consisting of red peppers, broccoli, spinach, garlic and a splash of soy. The potatoes are diced sweet potatoes roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Chipotle Chili with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

When I was in the U.S. recently, I bought two cans of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce because they are awesome, so many recipes I have call for them, and they are nowhere to be found in Denmark.

This was the first recipe, from Appetite for Reduction, that I cracked a can for and it was fantastic! It recomfirmed my love for the peppers and the sauce. Smokey, spicey, and stores well in the freezer because you will never use the entire can in one recipe.

I must say, I continue to love each recipe that I make from this cookbook but I am ready to acknowledge that the time estimates are not reasonable for me. This chili said that it should take 20 minutes to prepare but it took me significantly longer. Washing and/or chopping, dicing, or slicing  an onion, 4 garlic cloves, chipotle peppers, sweet potatoes, and brussel sprouts was well over the 20 minute mark for me! And that didn't include the measuring and adding of the other ingredients. With that said, I am not bothered by the extra time, it is just worth noting to others that might expect something this delicious in an overly impressive amount of time!

Baked Falafel and Black Bean Hummus

John had a "guys night in" and I was recruited to make snacks. I kept it simple with chips, salsa, and homemade guacamole. Then I added a bit of complexity by making Baked Falafel from Appetite for Reduction, Black Bean Hummus from this recipe, and Whole Wheat pita bread from this recipe.

The falafel (gluten- and soy-free) had a nice flavor but due to the lack of oil, it was a little dry. I also started with dried chickpeas, soaked and boiled them. I feel like this is a cost-effective technique for salads and things that use the chickpeas whole. But, for a recipe requiring the chickpeas to be creamy, canned seems to work better for me. For a low fat version, I give it a thumbs up. If you are expecting greasy, crisp falafel, find a different recipe!

The Black Bean Hummus was a little bland. I am not sure what it needed, but I will find a different recipe next time.

I have only positive things to say about the pita! I can't imagine ever buying pita again knowing how easy it is to make.

Sushi Roll Edamame Salad

I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this salad! Both John and I want to reduce our portion sizes this year and eat more salads. And, this is going to be easy and delicious now that we own Appetite for Reduction! There is an entire section dedicated to salads that are complete meals on their own, or could have tofu or a side veggie added, if you are really hungry or serving it to guests.  

My favorite part of this salad is the sliced pieces of a Nori sheet. Combined with rice, edamame, veggies, and a homemade Green Onion-Miso Vinaigrette, it is like eating an open faced sushi roll and getting salad greens at the same time!

The salad is also completely gluten-free.

Bhutanese Pineapple Rice with Red Thai Tofu

Both recipes are from Appetite for Reduction and both are delish! When I make each of them again it won't be together. They both use basically the same spices and flavors: garlic, ginger, red curry paste, etc. The green beans are simply roasted with salt and pepper and a light spray of olive oil.

I have been cooking many recipes from this cookbook and none have failed me so far. I have noticed a significant difference in the amount of oil that remains in the bottle since I brought the book home. One of my goals for this year with cooking was to reduce our use of oil...check!