Yes, even Bobby Flay can provide inspiration for the vegan chef! His Chinese Chicken Salad is one of my favorite salads of all time: shredded Napa cabbage, sugar snap peas, cilantro, carrots, and peanuts with a zippy red chile peanut dressing. I veganize it by substituting agave for the honey and topping it with grilled tempeh instead of chicken. The flavors sing!Today, however, I tried topping the salad with cashews and Orange Cashew Dressing, basically because I had some in the fridge. I also packed a kiwi fruit (I like to slice them in half and scoop them out with a spoon) and one of my new favorite snacks: Millet Rice Manna Bread. Manna Bread is made entirely of sprouted wheat kernels, which are said to be easier to digest than regular wholewheat flour. The loaf is cakey, dense, and moist, excellent plain or topped with cashew butter. This fall, when it stops being hotter than blue blazes round here, I plan to bake my own.
Verdict: I liked the cashews, but missed the more assertive peanut dressing. 4 stars.
P.S. Yes, this was a little lunch just for me; shmoo is eight now, and has been really into cooking for himself these days (his specialty is smoothies). I'm happy to step back and let him choose his own meals; it's fun to watch him learning to cook, and I'm not about to give him a complex by jumping in to take pictures.
I have a question for fellow vegans. I have been vegan for about 7 months as well as my sister-in-law. We got in a discussion the other day about how it was going and noticed we were both experiencing the same thing. Our hormones seem to be out of wack? PMS is almost unbearble as far as mood swings and craving go. Is this just our bodies adjusting, has anyone else experienced this? I love this blog by the way!!!
ReplyDeletelooks a fabulously healthy lunch - inspiring as always.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about the hormone thing - that area really improved for me when going vegan (10 years ago) and I've never looked back. You would be eating a lot less hormones now so maybe it is an adjustment thing?
Lucy
vegan family house
that looks so yummy!
ReplyDeleteIs that a giant kiwi or is it just the angle?
ReplyDeleteIn my experience with PMS, I have found that my symptoms have disappeared since going vegan. I feel much more in balance hormonally and emotionally. I would ask you, what is your and your mother-in-law's diet like? Fatigue during your period is usually caused by iron difficiency. How much soy are you eating? You may want to reasearch this further, as it seems to be diet-related. Good luck! BTW Jennifer, LOVE the blog!!
ReplyDeletesister-in-law! sorry!
ReplyDeleteHmmm...PMS I don't know about, but I have found the mood swings have become more severe. However, it may have nothing to do with the vegan thing, because I've been vegan for a while and the mood swings are a lot more recent, only in the last few months.
ReplyDeleteOoh! I love peanutty chinese salads. When you make the Bobby Flay dressing, how do you make it ETL-friendly?
ReplyDeleteYou are all awesome!..Thanks you so much for your input. I hope its ok that I ask this question in the blog. This seemed like a great place to discuss my questions on becoming vegan. I have done some more research and think my symptoms may be due to a magnesium deficency. I am learning so much about this lifestyle and I am greatful for great blogs and friendly vegans!!
ReplyDeleteShmoo's 8 now... that's great he's into cooking. Smoothies are probably fun for children to make (and even for me at 25, I love seeing the colors blend up together)! Oh, and that salad looks great too, I like your spin-off of it.
ReplyDelete>>When you make the Bobby Flay dressing, how do you make it ETL-friendly?
ReplyDeleteWell, I was hoping the Orange Cashew Dressing would be a nice ETL-friendly substitute, but it didn't quite cut it for me.
I don't think it's 100% ETL, but I would substitute cashew butter for peanut butter and use a bit more than it called for, then leave out the canola oil but keep the toasted sesame oil for flavor, and use low sodium soy sauce. I would also leave out the honey/agave nectar; I think you could probably blend it with a couple dates if you miss the sweetness. Play around and see what you come up with. :-)
Hey Jennifer!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness that is so awesome that shmoo is getting into cooking--you've inspired him. It may even become a life-long passion of his, you never know. That's just so great. Not too many 8 year olds can say they're learning to cook, and what a way of developing independence and healthy-living skills!
Tere
Good tip on the bread. Is it true there are only seven slices in a package?!
ReplyDeleteI went vegan 3 weeks ago and my face broke out. I have never had acne before. Has any else experienced this problem? I was lacto-ovo for about 21 years and I am 40 years old.
ReplyDeleteShmoo will be a great cook soon!
>>Good tip on the bread. Is it true there are only seven slices in a package?!
ReplyDeleteIt's unsliced, and I can usually slice it into at least eight slices. It's a teeny tiny loaf, so it's really pretty spendy for something that's mostly wheat berries. I've bought some organic wheat berries in bulk and will try sprouting and making my own as soon as it's cooler outside.
I might even try some different combinations: maybe carrot pulp (leftover after juicing carrots) and pineapple, or nuts and cinnamon. Mmmanna!
Stephanie, thanks for the book recommendation! :-)
stephanie, I was omni before. I became vegan overnight after reading the China Study. I too have wondered if my body is adjusting to not having all of the extra homones that it was used to getting through food. Thanks for the input, Im hoping to have this problem level out soon!
ReplyDeleteCooking already eh? what a wiz!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of peanut dressing, juust with a little kick to it. hm that sounds good
Teddy
lol-sometimes I feel like a pathetic vegetarian, watching the food network for any veg. morsels they'll throw my way, and shielding my eyes when they're, say, barbequeing steaks or something! But your post validates me that we can learn tips even from the most barbeque-y of them all!
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be a great world if all Food Network shows were more like this:
http://www.delicioustv.com/
sigh!
P.S. rock on Schmoo!
Sorry for the misspelling, I meant, "rock on, Shmoo!"
ReplyDeleteThat salad looks scrumptious! I've only just switched to eating vegan and have been scouring the internet for yummy recipies. :) I have all this tofu and soy milk that I just don't know what to do with.
ReplyDeleteMay I ask, what sort of container you used in this pic? It looks like a stackable/bento type thingy. I'm also on the look out for a nifty lunch box or two so I can eat decently at work.
I like Bobby Flay's show and find that even when he'snot doing strictly vegan meals (as he has in a couple episodes I've seen), most of his meals can be easily veganized.
ReplyDeleteLooks good, I had great tofu tonight. The classic, still the best.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a perfect summery lunch. So cool that Shmoo is into cooking for himself already! You've taught him well.
ReplyDeleteNice salad!
ReplyDeleteI went to a vegan potluck tonight and one couple brought their 9 year old daughter. I asked if they were vegan, and they said they were mostly vegan and that their daughter was vegetarian. I asked if they had heard about the "vegan lunchbox site," but they hadn't, so I started telling them about it. The mom says to the little girl, "So what do you think, would you like a vegan lunchbox?" and the girl says, "NO, I like cheese!" It was really funny and opened my eyes to how hard it could be to raise a vegan child. I'm really proud of you and Shmoo both, keep up the good work with those smoothies! :-)
ReplyDeleteI love scooping my kiwis out like that too! You get every last bit that way. I am training my 4 year old how to eat them that way so I can stop peeling them. It's been messy but will be worth it!
ReplyDeleteWhere would I find a recipe for sprouted bread? I've always been interested in making it, now that I've moved somewhere that I can't purchase it, I'm truly in need.
ReplyDelete