Meatless Monday: Quinoa, Guacamame and Spring Greens Soup

As I mentioned in my post, 5 Meatless Monday Dinner Ideas, Kalyn Denny's Meatless Monday column on BlogHer has inspired me to share with you some of the vegetarian and vegan dishes I cook during the week.  (Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative of The Monday Campaigns.  Their goal is to help reduce meat consumption by 15% to improve personal and planetary health).

 Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette from Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Very yummy, plus, it lasted for a few days.  My only suggestion (unless you really like red onion) is that when it says to use 1 small red onion, use a small onion.  This is a great dish if you're worried about getting enough protein.  According to the book, a serving has 12g of protein.

Purée of Spring Greens from Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons by Nava Atlas

After having a string of vegetable-less dinners, I knew I needed to have some GREENS. It's been crazy cold in California, so a green smoothie didn't sound very appealing, but a soup did.  The greens include bok choy, spinach, lettuce and parsley. Potatoes thicken the soup up. The recipe is available on VegFamily.com.

Guacamame from Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

For folks who prefer eating small meals/snacks all day, this guacamame is a good option.  According to the book, a cup of edamame blended in with the avocado provides 3g of protein per serving.  This particular recipe isn't available online,  but if you google, guacamame, you'll find others, like the guacamame recipes on Kitchen Addiction, and Whole Foods.  The Meatless Monday website even has one for Broccoli Guacamame.

Quinoa Salad With Black Beans and Mango from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

I didn't actually make this recipe last week, but I've made it multiple times, and it's always delicious.  I wanted to give you another recipe that is available online (you'll find it on Post Punk Kitchen).  Again, the quinoa and beans combo gives you lots of protein. If you want to learn more about quinoa's nutritional value, check out the Mother Nature Network article, Quinoa Nutrition Facts.

What did you cook on Meatless Monday?

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Friday Fun Links: Teahouse Studio, Generosity Plans and Cookies

A list of some of the people, things, and events that inspired me, or added fun to my week.

• Finished Kathy LeMay's book The Generosity Plan, and interviewed her for the Big Vision Podcast. I'll post our conversation next week.

• Started Jane McGonigal's book, Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World.  I know next to nothing about gaming (the last game I played was probably Lady Bug on my Colecovision), so I'm finding it super interesting.  I'm looking forward to the chapters about social changey games like they have at Games for Change.

• Interviewed Kim Rosen, author of Saved by a Poem, for the Arts and Healing Podcast.  I'll post our conversation next week too.

• Ate plantains at Caña with the hubs. I meant to take a photo, but they were so yummy, I forgot (:

• Baked Chocolate Fudgy Oatmeal Cookies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar to bring to lunch with friends today. 

• Went to a wonderful gathering last night at Teahouse Studio.  Chatted with all kinds of creative ladies:

Andrea Sher
Mati Rose McDonough
Maya Stein
Jennifer Hewett
Jen Lemen

Jennifer Lee
Lisa Sonora Beam
Rachel Cole
Samin Nosrat
Sherry Richert Belul
Stefanie Reneé
Tiffany Moore
Willo O'Brien

• Listened to my 1-hour Get up and Go Morning Mix on my iPod each day.  Does anyone know how I can share my mix with you now that iTunes has gotten rid of iMixes? My favorite song of the moment is an oldie by Mama Cass, "Make Your Own Kinda Music." I've posted a video of her singing it below.  Enjoy!

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20 Juicy Blogging Tips

 “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

Last week, I shared these 20 juicy blogging tips during a talk at the Breakfast Blogging Club of the East Bay. I thought that all of you who are bloggers, or who want to start a blog, might find them useful too.  What tips would you add to the list?

1. Write about what you care about.  What moves you?
   
2. Write about what other people care about.  What will move them?
   
3. Be a problem-solver. How can you help?
   
4. Be a human. What does your blogging voice sound like?
   
5. Keep it short, except when you need to be long. Can you say what you need to say in 100-200 words?
   
6. Use images. Can you take photos that inspire you throughout the week with your cell phone?
7. Invite guest posts. Who would you love to write a post for your blog?
8. Write guest posts. Whose blog would you love to write a post for?
9. Build relationships online and offline. Is your blog's URL listed on your business card?
10. Share the link love. What topics do you naturally read a lot about?
11. Make it easy to share. Do you have an AddThis, ShareThis, or TweetMeme button on the bottom of each post?
12. Make it easy to subscribe. Do you have a prompt to subscribe by RSS and email near the top of your blog?
13. Share your posts, but not only your posts, on Twitter. Are you sharing other people's posts too?
14. Share your posts, but not only your posts, on Facebook. Are you sharing other people's posts too?
15. Numbered lists are magical. What kind of how to, best of, or tip list posts can you write?
16. Write regularly. More is good (but not if it’s boring).  How many posts can you commit to writing each week?  One post per week is better than no posts.
17. Create goals you can measure. Why are you blogging? How will you know if your blog is a success?
18. If you have goals, you’ll find the time. How much time do you want to give to your blogging goals and dreams each week?
19. Treat blogging like the creative process it is. When do you write best (morning, afternoon, evening, weekends)?
20. People will forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made the feel.  How do you want your readers to feel after they read your blog?

Come blog with me!

 

My Juicy Blogging E-Course starts June 1st.

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Do Good Graduation Gift Giveaway: Work on Purpose from Echoing Green

When I graduated from college, I was a mess. I'd gained all kinds of knowledge and ideals, but had no idea how to use them in the real world. I knew I wanted to make a difference, but didn't how.

I wish I'd had a book like Work on Purpose by Echoing Green's Senior Vice President, Lara Galinsky, with Kelly Nuxoll. Work on Purpose tells the stories of five changemakers:

• Andrew Youn, Founder, One Acre Fund
• Cheryl Dorsey, President, Echoing Green
• Mark Hanis, Founder, Genocide Intervention Network
• Mardie Oakes, Founder, Hallmark Community Solutions
• Socheata Poeuv, Founder, Khmer Legacies
  
  

Their stories are told within the framework of how integrating and balancing their heart (passion) and their head (talents) created hustle (personal fulfillment and societal impact). Reflection questions are sprinkled throughout the book, and there are 150+ career resources and programs listed in the back.

*I have 3 copies of Work on Purpose to give away to 3 young graduates.* Wahoo!

To enter, please leave a comment describing why a young graduate you care about (it could be you) needs this book. The deadline to leave a comment is May 31, 2011 at 8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PM PT.  Please include a way for me to contact you (e.g. email, website, Twitter name) if you win. The winners will be notified by June 3rd.

Full disclosure: I was the host of Echoing Green's Be Bold Podcast, and contributed to the Work on Purpose Instructor's Guide (coming soon).

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Your 19 Vegetarian and Vegan Cookbooks Recommendations. Which Recipes Do You Love?

Last week, I shared the 12 vegetarian and vegan cookbooks I cook with the most, and asked for your recommendations.  The response on the blog, Facebook, and Twitter was awesome!

Here are your favorites:

• Cafe Flora Cookbook by Catherine Geier and Carol Brown  
• Caribbean Vegan by Taymer Mason  
• Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson   
• Hollyhock Cooks by Linda Solomon, Moreka Jolar, and Maria Robledo 
• How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman  
• Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey  
• La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer  
• Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites by Moosewood Collective    
• Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special by Moosewood Collective
• Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers by Moosewood Collective  
• Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon 
• Rebar Modern Food Cookbook by Audrey Alsterburg and Wanda Urbanowicz 
• Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson 
• Vegan a Go-Go! by Sarah Kramer 
• Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz 
• Vegan Express by Nava Atlas  
• Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison 
• Viva Vegan! by Terry Hope Romano
• Vegan Yum Yum by Lauren Ulm 

A couple websites were also recommended:

• 101 Cookbooks
• Vocal Vegan

So, here's my next question, which cookbook should try next?

What usually gets me to buy a cookbook is when I flip through and immediately see recipes that I'm dying to try.  If you use the cookbooks listed above, or even the ones on my list, I'd love to know: 

Which recipes do you love?

If you can find a link to the recipe online with a photo, even better (:

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (pictured) were both recommended more than once.

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Your (Free) May/June Grow and Let Go Worksheet

 

This weekend I have my monthly Big Vision Circle meeting where six friends get together to discuss our big visions, celebrate our successes, and brainstorm solutions to our challenges.  In September we'll have been meeting for 10 years!

Over the past year, the hubs has been illustrating beautiful Big Vision Worksheets for us to record what we want to grow and let go of between now and our next meeting.

Inspired by our recent viewing of the film, Queen of the Sun, he's created a sunflower and bees themed worksheet, which you can download for free from Dropbox at http://bit.ly/mayjunegrowandletgo.

You can write what you want to grow and let go of on, or around the flowers and bees. Writing with a black sharpie works best.

I've been thinking about creating a virtual Big Vision Circle for folks who would like to have accountability for their goals and dreams.  The calls would be once a month for 1-1.5 hours with a limit of 8 people per call.  You'd make a commitment to work with the group for a season/3 months.

Is that something that would interest you? 

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5 Meatless Monday Dinner Ideas

Inspired by Kalyn Denny's new Meatless Monday column on BlogHer, I decided to cook five meatless meals for dinner last week. Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative of The Monday Campaigns.  Their goal is to help reduce meat consumption by 15% to improve personal and planetary health.

I thought I'd share what I made in case you'd like some inspiration for your Meatless Monday dinner tonight!

 MONDAY


• Cannellini Beans Braised in Tomato and Herbs

A friend sent me this recipe clipped from a Martha Stewart Magazine in 1991!  I make it all the time.  According to the clipping, it's originally from Verdura: Vegetables Italian Style by Viana La Place.


• Slice of Celebration Roast by Field Roast Grain Meat

• Sauteed Asparagus with Aged Gouda Cheese from Martha Stewart Magazine.  I usually just grate a little parm on them, rather than use aged Gouda.

• Near East Brown Rice Pilaf

TUESDAY

• Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce from Giada De Laurentiis's Everyday Italian on the Food Network

• Lettuce with Green Salad Vinaigrette from Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten (not pictured).

I make this dressing constantly, but don't include the egg yolk.  The version I've linked to on the Food Network is a little different than the one in the book, but I'm sure it's still good. I've never made anything by Ina Garten that wasn't delicious.

WEDNESDAY

• Greens with Carrots, Feta Cheese and Brown Rice from Whole Food Market Recipes

• Chickpea Toss from The Garden of Vegan by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer

I make the Chickpea Toss a lot too, but without the olives.  It's a super quick, and yummy side that adds protein to your meal.

THURSDAY

• Spinach Pasta with Edamame Pesto

• Strawberry-Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

All of these recipes are from Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Super tasty, but it took some time to make.  That said, if you made the vinaigrette and pesto the night before, it would be quick to wash the spinach, and make the pasta when you got home from work.




FRIDAY

• Potato, Leek, and Feta Tart from Real Simple recipes

Very tasty.  I like Real Simple recipes 'cause they're quick to make.  This would have gone even faster if I'd remembered to take the store-bought pie crust out of the freezer!

• Sauteed Carrots from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

This is another recipe I make regularly.  Garten's veggie side dish recipes are always simple and delicious.

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I love trying veggie and vegan recipes, so please share your favorites in the comments.

I'm also going to do a round up later this week of your favorite vegan and veggie cookbooks, so please share those in the comments of, 12 Vegetarian and Vegan Cookbooks. What Are Your Favorites?

Happy cooking!

All photos are taken with my iPhone, and made pretty with Instagram.

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