Filipino Spaghetti

Growing up, I could tell just from the look of Spaghetti and sauce if it were made by a Filipino because it had hot dogs in it. Hot dogs in spaghetti are just as Filipino-American as serving hamburger patties with rice (instead of buns) at an outdoor cookout. I tried to make a version of that Spaghetti using Smart Dogs. Filipino Spaghetti is also sweet and a hint of sour.

My mother made this spaghetti that made her famous with all of my friends. She never used hot dogs but the taste was that distinct sweet and a hint of sour taste. Naturally, I always liked her spaghetti the best out of all of the spaghettis I had been served by aunts, uncles, cousins, cousins' cousins, etc. Whenever I recreate the sauce and the minute I taste it, I am transported right back to my childhood.

Recreating my mother's spaghetti is challenging without the use of oil or meat. Here is what I did.

Ingredients:

1 Can of Tomato Sauce (I also added 3 chopped tomatoes I skinned after boiling for some texture, and because I had tomatoes that were about to go bad)

1 Medium Onion chopped

3 Smart Dogs (sliced)

3 Cloves of Garlic

Mushrooms (to make the sauce a little more meaty)

Tomato Paste

Sugar*

Soy Sauce*

Vegetable Broth

*Soy Sauce was my mother's "Secret Ingredient." The combination of the soy sauce and sugar gives the sauce this really great flavor that's sweet and salty but does not overpower the tomato so you can tell you are still eating red tomato sauce.

What to do:

Brown chopped hot dogs in a non-stick pan (using veggie broth). Add onions, garlic and mushrooms and sautee.

Add tomato sauce, some veggie broth and tomato paste to thicken. Add tomato paste as desired to make the sauce thicker.

I don't exactly know how much soy sauce I used (maybe 2 TBS) and 2 TBS of sugar. I just tasted the sauce to my liking adding soy sauce or sugar as I needed. 

Let the sauce cook on medium heat for sometime so the flavors meld. Season with a little bit of dry rub sage and S&P. Taste the sauce while cooking.

Pour over some whole wheat spaghetti and enjoy.

That stuff on top is this strange thing called Nutritional Yeast. I got some from Whole Foods and according to the trusty Internet, you can use it like you would parmesan. You can add it on popcorn or like in this case, on top of pasta sauce. I haven't made up my mind about it yet. I don't know if it made a difference.

The Smart Dogs gave the sauce a bit of a smoky flavor which I think worked well. This would be a poor man's spaghetti if it were real hot dogs. The dish was pretty good although it was not exactly like my mothers, but I am satisfied.

This dish is good for: Broke-ass people who don't have any ground beef but only cheap hotdogs as a protein (that is if you planned on using real hot dogs).

star shaped snack

This was going to be a post about how I made some amazing whole wheat vegan oil-free pizza dough but on Saturday I couldn't do anything without having to stop every 30 seconds to blow my nose or wipe my watery swollen itchy eyes.  I had experienced the worst allergy attack ever. All I could do was lay on the couch and  I watched an ENTIRE season of The Next Iron Chef (with commercials and then some). When you watch the Food Network and the Cooking Channel all day, you end up wanting to eat and cook. Inspired by the contestants of The Next Iron Chef, I whipped up this Iron-Chef-Worthy snack...

Just kidding. They're sprouted wheat bread I cut in a star with a Christmas cookie cutter and I spread  strawberry preserves on top. 

This dish is great for: Kids and creepy adults who like to eat fun-shaped foods.

I want to introduce you to Dating On Demand

I complain about Comcast a lot but I have to admit I really like the On Demand feature. You can watch past t.v. shows and movies. You can even shop for cars, look at real estate and find yourself a date." That's right. Dating on Demand (it's under the local section, so they're all people from the city you live in). Every now and then I will check out the ads so I can have something to laugh at.

The ads are short (about 1-2 minutes) and the people give a quick bio about themselves (their dream girl/guy, favorite thing about themselves, craziest place they've fooled around, hobbies, etc.). The ad also lists their name, age and occupation. I noticed that under occupation, a lot of them says, student, artist or (my favorite) N/A.

My favorite of the night is Maurice.
Age: 29
Username: CowboyReece
Occupation: N/A

He ends his ad with these words:
"You should date me because I am the best man you don't know about. I could show all that and uh.. I wanna say a whole lot more but my mother is sitting right here so once again I'ma keep it PG for TV. But if this was HBO, I'd be on Cat House and ya'll know what that is."

Rant: Project Runway Winner

I don't know what is worse, the judges picking Anya as the winner of Project Runway, or me getting so worked up about it that I have dedicated the rest of my night googling what the press is saying about the finale and then googling the past winners' collections to compare.


(I recognize that I am one step away from cutting out letters from a magazine to use to write a threatening note to the show's producers.)

If you don't watch PR, you can save yourself from this rant and stop reading right now.

I think the judges have lost their minds (or I think they were under a lot of pressure to pick a "fan favorite" winner so they can keep their ratings because last year they picked Gretchen who was one of the most hated contestants and people got all up in arms on Twitter about it). The winner was a beauty queen from Trinidad who learned how to sew only four months before competing on the show. Throughout the entire competition, people helped her sew more complicating garments and she took a lot of shortcuts by sewing the models into the clothes instead of actually sewing on buttons and zippers. Yes, she designed some interesting clothes throughout the season but her collection in the finale were nothing but maxi dresses with a plunging v-neck. The judges commended her on her choice of patterns and fabrics, but I don't see how fabric choice can make you a good designer. In fact, the credit should go to the people who made the fabrics and the patterns.

The other designers were more interesting and innovative. Josh designed crazy looking clothes but he used unconventional materials and made clothes that at first glance were really loud and strange but I found them interesting. Kimberly and Viktor also made really great clothes that were chic and cool and can be worn anywhere. Anya's clothes you can only wear at the beach when you're on vacation. I was shocked the judges never mentioned Uli (from season 8) because that is who she reminded me of and the judges kept calling her clothes "resort wear" (and they didn't mean that in a good way). By the way, here is Uli's collection in the finale and her clothes are so much more diverse and designed than Anya's.

Anyway, it has been a disappointing season. I think I stopped being really impressed with this show after the season Christian Siriano won. By the way, Christian Siriano's 2012 Spring collection he showed at NYFW is fantastic. I love every single piece.



I am by no means a fashion expert, just someone who likes to go shopping and has too much time on her hands. Why are we so obsessed with fashion and why do people spend so much money on clothes? It's like a drug. I recognize how stupid it is but I also just can't help myself.

Reflections on Occupy Wall Street: I don't get it

I'm just going to say it. I don't understand Occupy Wall Street. I don't get the movement's goal. I get they are angry about the growing economic disparity. Who isn't besides the "1%"? I get that they are angry they can't pay for college or health care. I get that they are outraged by the corruption on Wall Street. What I do not get is what exactly do they want to happen? Is there some sort of legislation they are urging the President to sign? Do they want legislators to create policy preventing banks from raising interest rates or putting caps on fees? Do they want the government to forgive student loans? By the way, I just read today that the President is going to reveal a new student-loan plan. As history proves, public demonstrations are extremely powerful when done right. Like, when women hit the streets demanding for their right to vote, or when African Americans marched to put an end to segregation, or when farm workers walked to fight for better labor conditions and when people today protest to pull out troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. Those public demonstrations I get. Hell, I even get the Berkeley Tree Sitters who lived in the trees for an entire year to prevent the destruction of the trees to make way for an athletic center. From what I gather about Occupy Wall Street, there is no clear leader, there is not one single goal and it is just a bunch of frustrated (and rightly so) people making a bunch of noise and wanting to make themselves feel better. I have no idea what they hope to accomplish in the end, because OWS will eventually end, you know when they bring out the tanks.

Plant-based Diet: The End

Today was the official last day of my plant-based diet trial and as stated in my previous post, I would like to try to keep eating this way, at least when I am at home and when I can help it. So, as a final post for the PBD, I give you... popcorn that sort of mimics this Mexican snack called Durros or Duritos. I've only seen them at flea markets and once in a great while at a Mexican grocery store. The only way I can describe them is that they are like chips (but flour), deep fried, light, airy and shaped like a wheel. You pour this spicy lime sauce into the bag and shake it up and you can't stop eating them. They are usually sold at the stands where they have all the candy that may or may not be contaminated with lead. Anyway, this is suppose to be a "healthy" version of that using popcorn.

What you need:


Air popped popcorn (naked - no butter no salt). By the way you can get air popped popcorn just with kernels and a paper lunch bag closed then put in the microwave. That's how I do it. I'm cheap.
Lime juice (doesn't have to be freshly squeezed)
Tapatio

What to do:


Stir lime juice and Tapatio in a small bowl (and you can add as much Tapatio as your tongue can handle).
Pour over the popcorn and toss. Yes some of the popcorn gets soggy so eat fast and don't pour too much. I actually do like the popcorn a little soggy.

Enjoy with a beer while watching biker dudes make some heads roll-- literally. Tonight's episode of Sons of Anarchy is brutal.

Saturday Night Arts and Crafts... One step away from Scrapbooking?

I like to think I could be one of those crafty people who can DIY like a mo' fo'... but I'm not sure I can, nor do I have the patience.

Here's a really cool pumpkin decorating idea I got from The Swede Records blog and hers turned out so much better than mine, but it was fun to do. A little messy, a little dangerous-- that's how I like to spend my Saturday night.

What you need:


A pumpkin (I used a fake one from Target)
Crayons (I got a 24 crayon box for 66 cents)
A lighter (a bbq lighter works best)

What to do:

Just melt the crayon and let it drip over the pumpkin. Be careful no to splatter everywhere because melted crayon on your dining table is bad. Take it from me.

I didn't have a BBQ lighter so I had to improvise. The pocket lighter kept burning my thumb so I had to keep lighting matches. I eventually would let the paper of the crayons burn and let the crayon drip. If you choose this method, keep a bowl of water nearby because the paper can suddenly burn fast so you have to throw in the crayon into the bowl of water. Just go get yourself a BBQ lighter.

So it kind of looks like a bird crapped out a rainbow on the pumpkin... but I still think it's cool.

Plant-based Diet Days 25-27: Green Bean Casserole (Thanksgiving Sides)

I only have three days left of the plant-based diet and since it's Sunday, this morning was my official weigh in, so today might as well be the last day. Today I weigh 7.3 lbs. less from when I started the PBD 30 (or 35, if you count my cheating week) days ago and I could not be more pleased with the results. I am amazed that I lost that weight without very much exercise and with all of the cheating I did! I cheated almost everyday, but significantly decreasing my intake of oil, meat and dairy still made a huge difference. So, I have decided that I am going to adopt this as a lifestyle. I will occasionally eat meat and dairy, but certainly not on a daily basis or a weekly basis. I have decided that any food I keep or cook at home will be oil-free, dairy-free and meat free (unless I have guests). I wouldn't call myself a vegetarian or a vegan, but someone who does not often eat meat, dairy, oil or processed flour. 

{Sidebar rant about vegans and vegetarians: I can't stand most vegans or vegetarians because they don't eat meat for really stupid reasons like they don't want to hurt animals or some hippie dippy sh*t. I was watching Iron Chef the other night and it was a vegetarian battle. The competitor was a vegetarian chef but she used like 5 lbs. of butter and deep fried everything. Obviously, she is not vegetarian for health reasons. She might as well eat bacon because it's so much more enjoyable than broccoli drenched in butter.}

Thanksgiving is coming up and my favorite part about the Thanksgiving meal are the sides. I don't get excited about the turkey, not even the ham. The side dishes for me are the star. Over the weekend, I wanted to try to make one of my favorite sides, the green bean casserole, but oil and dairy free. I am really pleased with the result. I have been having a lot of success in the kitchen lately. Either my palette is evolving to like this type of food better, or I am just getting better at cooking.

The Healthiest and Easiest Green Bean Casserole

What you need:

(Serves about 2-4 people depending how much you eat. If you eat it as a main dish like I do, this yields 2 large servings) 

1 or 1.5 14.5 oz cans of chopped green beans

A package of white mushrooms (sliced)

1/2 of an onion

3 Cloves of garlic (or 1.5 TBS of pre-minced garlic)

2 TBS of whole wheat flour (or pastry flour which would work better)

3/4 cup of soy creamer (or full-fat unsweetened soy milk)

3/4 cup (and some) of vegetable broth

1 TBS white whine (or sherry. I think red wine vinegar would also work here)

1 TBS of sage dry rub (or just dry sage, or herbs de provence)*

S&P

2 (or more depending how much you make) slices of sprouted whole wheat bread. I used the ends of old bread I had. 

Onion powder or Onion salt

*You can really take liberties with how you season the green beans. You can add cayenne pepper, use some type of pre-mixed seasoning like Emeril's special seasoning. I found that the sage dry rub gave the beans a really good earthy flavor and went well with the mushrooms. Also, remember to be liberal with the seasoning because since you aren't using any fat, you really want the dish to be full of flavor from the seasoning.

What to do:

Pre-heat the oven to 415 degrees.

THE TOPPING

Tear the pieces of bread and put in food processor to make bread crumbs. Add onion powder and salt (or just onion salt). This topping will give you that breaded deep fried onion flavor without the deep fried crunchy onions.

THE GREEN BEANS AND MUSHROOMS

1.) Chop the onions and sautee/braise in a little bit of vegetable broth along with the garlic and mushrooms. S&P and cook until onions and mushrooms are cooked. 

2.) In a small bowl, whisk the flour and vegetable broth so you don't get large lumps. 

3.) Pour the vegetable flour mixture into the pan with onions and mushrooms along with the tablespoon of sherry. Stir. The mixture gets very thick because of the wheat flour so you will likely need to add more vegetable broth. 

4.) Add green beans and soy creamer. Add sage or any other seasoning you like. Continue to stir and add more broth if the mixture gets too thick. The mixture looks a little weird and almost too thick but you will cook off the flour flavor in the oven.

5.) Pour the green bean mushroom mixture into a casserole dish and top with the bread crumbs. 

6.) Bake for about 15 minutes or until the bread crumbs are browned.

The bread crumbs brown without butter or oil and still gives a little bit of a crunchy texture to contrast with the creamy green beans.

You will end up eating a lot of this dish :)

Next I want to try:

Stuffing, Whole-wheat pizza dough and cupcakes (which is going to be a huge challenge!)

New Whips

I love my new car not because J.Lo did a commercial for it--that is just an unfortunate coincidence. The worst part about J.Lo doing that commercial is that people keep telling me that I have the same car as J.Lo and now when I drive I hear that stupid song in my head Jenny from the Block. I wanted this car before J.Lo's commercial. Ok. Rant over.

I love the FIAT 500 because...
It's got everything I want in a car (hatchback, affordable, doesn't sit low, has lots of cup holders.. These are my non-negotiables).

The inside looks like a MAC product, but also looks sort of vintage.





It's compact for city living. No more backing into cars when parallel parking.





and... Luigi is a FIAT 500... A character from Cars, one of my favorite movies of all time (my favorite Pixar movie). Well except he's yellow and a cabriolet.









- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Plant-Based Diet Day 24: Fashion trends to get excited about

I had a terrible affair today and like all affairs, you go home at the end of the day trying to wash out the dirty-- in my case sweat it out on the bike.

This morning I had another record low weigh-in, but I am pretty sure it will all go up again next week... but for now here's the stats:


Weight Loss since Day 1 of PBD: 7.3 lbs.
Total weight loss since I've been tracking my weight back in March: 30 lbs.

I went down one pant-size a couple of months ago and I didn't blog about it because I had only bought one pair of jeans so I wasn't sure if I really did go down a pant-size. But, I recently went shopping for a bunch of pants and I guess I have officially gone down a pant-size.

Since we are on the subject about pants... I have noticed a couple of trends I am super pumped about. First, I should say I am OBSESSED with fashion blogs and I have no idea why. One day, I just stumbled onto some random girl's blog and she posted her daily outfits, then the next thing I'm following like 20 girls and spend most of my work day looking through their blogs. The girls are all skinny bitches with perfect skin.
Anyway, I have seen the girls on these blogs sport elastic waisted pants and skirts. If elastic waisted pants in jersey material come back, I will be in heaven. It'll be like wearing sweat pants. I'm also excited about boxy sweaters and tops and no more super-tight-the-girls-are-popping-out-and-my-back-fat-is-showing tops.

Plant-based Diet Day 23: Domestic

How domestic am I that I am making and freezing my own frozen dinners to bring for lunch? Pretty damn domestic.

This generic food saver I got from Woot.com during a Woot-Off is one of my favorite purchases ever.

Things I bought that I love or regret

I'm going to start posting about things I bought because really, I want you all just to validate my purchases for me. I'm posting them under the tag "Things I bought, love it or regret it?". As you can see, I have sort of remodeled my bog. I wanted to make the blog a little less random and have a more organized chaos to it, so, I have created "categories" and will tag each blog under a category from now on.

Voluspa Candles

Candles are romantic and set the mood. One of my favorite things to do when the day is over is to light up these candles, sit on the floor, blog or watch t.v. These candles keep your house smelling like you've just walked into an Anthropologie Department Store. Love.

Plant-based Diet Day 22: Eventful Night

Last night I skipped dinner.
I cheated at Lunch.
I spent the entire night laying on the couch flipping channels (I know, how 90s of me).
I fell asleep on the couch.
I fell asleep watching Gillian's 30 Day Shred Workout video On Demand. I didn't fall asleep working out, I was already laying on the couch when I turned it on and said to myself, oh yeah, I could totally do what she's doing.

On the bright side, I hit another record low weigh-in.

Plant-based Diet Day 21: I had an affair

Day 21 Rundown:

1.) I'm coming clean and I had an affair. At Sizzler of all places. I was at a lunch with my family for my dad's bday. I had plenty of options, but yet, I couldn't resist.

2.) I tried to exercise away the guilt of the affair.

3.) The latest episode of Boardwalk Empire has unnecessarily a lot of boobies.

4.) I started a Tumblr a few months ago and decided to tell you now. I don't know why I started one. I guess because all of the kids are doing it. I have no followers and I follow one person. You don't have to follow me. I don't care.

5.) It's going to be one of those nights I can't sleep.

6.) I spend too much time on the computer and I am going to try to quit.

7.) I made a gigantic pot of Lentil and potato soup. I didn't write down the recipe I just kept adding stuff to the soup as I cooked and tasted. It turned out pretty good, but I haven't really eaten a big bowl of it yet.

8.) I had a really good Saturday and Sunday

9.) This morning's weigh in is what I call an "official" weigh in since it's Sunday morning and I weigh 5 lbs. lighter than when I first started the PBD. I looked back on my previous weigh-ins from when I was counting calories and I lost about 5-6 lbs. a month when I counted calories and exercised everyday. I lost 5 lbs. in about 4 weeks on the PBD (without counting cals or exercising regularly). I'm counting the week I cheated.

10.) I hope you and your loved ones are well and happy. (I wrote this because I need the list to be 10, not 9 because that would be weird. Instead of writing something stupid, I decided I would write something stupid and cheesy but genuine).

Plant-Based Pancakes

I have had this craving for pancakes (and I hardly ever eat pancakes). I wanted to see if I could make a pancake without using oil, butter or eggs and, shockingly, it is possible AND it's good (and super easy)!

You can make this batter the night before and have it for breakfast the next day like what I just did -- but for the purposes of this blog (and an excuse for a night snack), I assembled a stack.


What you need:


1 cup of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (pastry flour works best)
1 tbs. Sugar
2 tbs. Baking powder
1/8 tsp. Salt
1 cup soy milk
2 tbs. apple sauce (this is the substitute for oil)*
1 tsp Vanilla extract (optional)

*Apple sauce can be used as an oil and butter substitute-- but only for some food. Apple sauce would not work for cookies but it can be used for brownies and I'm not sure about cake.

What to do:


In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk.
Add wet ingredients and whisk until well combined (no lumps)

Heat on med-high heat a non-stick pan, then pour batter onto the hot pan and use a spatula to turn. I like to make mini pancakes so I use a small ice cream scoop. The pancake cooks fast (especially the mini-ones) so turn over the pancake after about 30 seconds. 

(Three minis make about one large)

Top with 100% Maple Syrup and the fruit of your choice.

The pancakes were nice and fluffy and not dry at all, which I expected because I didn't use oil. 

I highly recommend this recipe. It literally takes 15 minutes to make and minimal dishes which is a huge plus.

Plant-Based Diet Days 19-20: Tips and Sweet and Sour Chow Mein

I do not remember what I ate Friday, but I think I stayed "good." I do think my cheating may be catching up with me because I am not really losing as much weight at the rate I was when I started in the first week and my weight is fluctuating too much.

What I love about a non-busy weekend is the time you can spend planning your meals and cooking.
This morning I made hash browns with "Sausage"and mushrooms. For dinner, I made Sweet and Sour Chow Mein and it is one of my more successful dishes because so far it is one of my favorites.

Before I share the recipe here are a few tips I've learned while doing the PBD.

Tip #1: Stock your pantry with plenty of vegetable stock/broth...
And always keep it where you can easily reach it while cooking. Cooking without oil has been the most challenging thing for me. I have ruined 2 non-stick pans while "sauteing" onions or just trying to cook potatoes. I use veggie stock as a base to saute or braise vegetables and because it evaporates quickly, always have it on hand and use more when things start to stick. You can also use water but the stock will give you much more flavor.

Tip #2: Seasoning
Stock your pantry with a wide variety of seasonings. Because I've been cooking without meat or any type of fat or dairy, the food can get very bland. When you cook a really good piece of steak, all you really need is salt and pepper but I can't say the same for vegetables or mushrooms. Some of my favorites are chili powder, cumin, paprika, curry powder, grill seasoning, creole seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder and some dry herbs.

Tip #3: Sauces
Like seasoning, keep a pantry full of sauces (which also works for lazy cooking). The must haves are hot sauces (get a variety), soy sauce, tamari or liquid aminos (which I don't have but is highly recommended by the PBD), BBQ sauce, Sweet & Sour/Stir Fry, etc. All of these sauces are oil-free and use wheat flour.

Tip #4: Frozens
I highly recommend buying some frozen vegetables, frozen fruit and frozen brown rice. I have a hard time going through all of my fresh produce before they go bad, so for some vegetables and fruit I buy frozen. I recommend frozen green beans, zucchini, broccoli, strawberries/berries (for smoothies) and frozen brown rice you can cook in the bag using a microwave (this is incredibly convenient). Fresh vegetables, however, do taste much better than frozen.

Tip #5: Canned and pre-packaged
I'm not as concerned about being "green" as I am concerned about being inconvenienced. I like to buy canned tomatoes, canned beans and pre-packaged vegetable mixes. I know buying pre-packaged produces more pollution and I love the rain forest and all, but I like significantly reducing my cooking time better.

Sweet and Sour Chow Mein
1 very large serving or 2 servings 


What you need:


- Broccoli Slaw (pre-packaged and from Super Wal-Mart. You can also cut up your own broccoli, carrots and any vegetables of your choosing. The pre-packaged saves you so much work).
- Onion (a quarter)
- Minced garlic (half a TBS.)
- Fresh pack of chow mein noodles (use the Annie Chun brand because there is no oil and it is within the PBD rules. Also, there are two packs in the bag and I only used one).
- Celery (1 Stalk)
- Sweet and Sour Sauce (a generous 4 TBS)*
- Soy Sauce (2 TBS if low sodium)
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- S&P
- Vegetable Stock (for braising)

*A little bit of the sauce goes a long way but use your own judgement on how much you use. Just make sure to use enough to coat all of the ingredients.

What to do:


Heat up a wok then reduce heat to medium and cover the bottom with vegetable stock. Throw in the chopped onions and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes to soften the onion then add celery and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add half a bag of the broccoli slaw mix along with the soy sauce. Cover the wok and cook for about 3 minutes. Season with a little S&P (not too much because you still have to put in the sauce!) The key is to not over cook the vegetables so make sure they still have some crunch. Put the vegetables aside on a plate.

Using the same wok, cover the bottom of the wok with stock and add one pack of noodles. The noodles come out in a block but just be patient it will start to separate after about 5 minutes. Watch carefully and keep adding broth if the noodles start to stick to the pan. Make sure not to add too much broth because you don't want a soup--just enough to not make the noodles stick. Cover and let cook for five minutes, but keep checking (carefully breaking up the block with a spatula because you do not want to end up chopping up the noodles into small pieces).

When the noodles have loosened up, turn the heat from medium to low (this is important because you don't want the noodles to get soggy). Add about two tablespoons of the Sweet and Sour sauce, stir and cook for 1 min. Then add the vegetables and add more Sweet and Sour Sauce along with red pepper flakes. Give it a good careful stir, take it off the heat and serve.

Obviously, you can use Stir Fry or Chow Mein sauce (though it may contain oil), but the sweet and sour gave it so much flavor. For a meat option, you can add leftover chicken (like if you buy the rotisserie from the grocery store) or stir fry some meat with the sauce. Trust me, you do not miss the meat in the vegetable version :)

Ride or Die Chicks

The Ride or Die Chick is the type of woman who inspires rap songs (but then so do strippers). The type of woman who sticks with her man no matter what he is involved in. Dr. Phil had a show about Ride or Die Chicks and according to Dr. Phil, the Ride or die chick is the type of woman who will never leave her man even if he cheats and is involved in a criminal activity. Now, you may think that woman is weak, pathetic and desperately needs to be rescued--but I think that they are more than that. The way I see a  ride or die chick is a woman who does whatever it takes to keep herself happy and if keeping herself happy is to keep her man happy, then that's what she'll do -- even if it takes cleaning up after him.

I write about the ride or die chick because it just occurred to me that the women in some of my favorite shows are the perfect representations of the ride or die chick (and frankly I'm getting bored blogging about my plant-based diet).

Margaret Schroeder, Boardwalk Empire

She was a battered wife and is now the woman of an important, powerful and very corrupt man. Her man now (Nucky Thompson), ordered the death of her husband and she was outraged when she found out about the order and when she found out about his other illegal activities, but she put her morals aside and eventually looked the other way. Why? Because now she lives the life of a privileged housewife. Margaret has even gone as far as destroying incriminating evidence for her man without him knowing or asking. Now, that is a big gesture of loyalty to him and to their status quo.

Skyler White, Breaking Bad

Skyler is on the cusp for me because when she found out her husband was cooking meth, she divorced his ass and wanted nothing to do with him or his money. Of course until she needed that money for something else like pay for her brother in law's physical therapy and rehab. She then helps her ex-husband (Walt) keep his meth cooking hidden and she is now fully engaged in some illegal activity.

Gemma Teller-Morrow, Sons of Anarchy

Gemma is the quintessential ride or die chick in my book. She not only does whatever it takes to keep her man and son happy but to also keep the "club" together, even if that means keeping the secret of who murdered the father of her son. She is also always packin' heat.

Here' a scene from the latest episode (with some background info):

A nasty skanky porn star is at their shop and won't leave (because she just banged one of the married dudes). Gemma (along with her soon to be daughter in law) both get their cat claws out to ward off the porn star. The porn star won't leave and her daughter in law his all up in the skank's face telling her to leave . Gemma says to the porn star (in referencing to her daughter in law), "Bitch, she will rip your little tits off." Yep. Gemma is a ride or die chick.

Plant-based Diet 18: Veggie Sando

Today I had white rice noodles in a little bit of chicken broth and that was my only cheat, and to me, that is just flirting with someone when you're married.

I went out to happy and after having almost 3 beers, I was really hungry. That means if I had drank a full 3 beers, I would've fallen asleep early but I wouldn't be able to share with you this awesome dinner I just had.

Veggie Sandwich

What you need:

Sprouted Wheat Bread (or any bread without oil. I prefer the Alvarado St. brand. In this case I used hot dog buns, but you can also use regular bread slices).

Cucumbers (a couple of slices)

Lettuce

Pickles

Pepperoccinis

Tomato

Avocado

Red onion

Mustard (I like dijon)

What to do:

First make a guacamole. This is optional but used the guacamole to spread on the bread and it was fantastic. Smash up the avocado in a small bowl with onion powder, garlic powder and salt. Taste and add seasonings as you wish. I also added a couple of splashes of Cholula hot sauce (optional)

Build the sandwich: 

Spread generous amount of mustard on one side of the bun and another generous serving of the guacamole on the other.

Layer the veggies: lettuce, tomato cucumbers, pickles onions and pepporccinis. 

Eat leftover guacamole with oil-free tortilla chips (which are almost impossible to find) but I found the La Reina baked chips at Whole Foods (make sure it's the unsalted kind. The salted have oil).

Weight: +1.2 lbs. from yesterday and that could be from the cheating or from eating salty foods. Anyway, my weight fluctuates throughout the day and throughout the week so I am not too worried about it.

P.S. Tonight, I am watching that show Revenge (the "g" is actually an infinity sign). This show is about a young woman getting revenge on a bunch of rich people in the Hamptons. The dudes wear double popped collars and khakis with crabs on them. 

Plant-based Diet Day 17: Rules Revised

Before I get to my post I would like to go on a rant (since I have no one physically around me to rant to) about how annoyed I am with my DVR. I recorded the season finale of Breaking Bad which aired Sunday. I finally got around to watching the show and I am very confused in the first couple of minutes because it seemed like the ending. I thought maybe it was a Tarantino-esque episode where things are out of order. I was wrong. It was the ending. My stupid DVR has decided to record the encore episode and since the show doesn't quite start exactly on the hour or end on the hour, it overlaps and records the end of the previous episode. Now I know how it ends before I know how it begins. Nice.

*end of rant*

I have revised my rules. Also, to make up for my cheating (in categories 3 and 4), I have to exercise a half hour extra and not break the rules the following day. Hopefully this will encourage me to not break the rules because I really hate to have to spend extra time on the exercise bike. If I don't cheat at all, I don't have to exercise. I think I can live with these rules enough to adopt this as a lifestyle.

Level 1: Checking out a hot guy or lady while married
Whole wheat bread with oil in it 
Spray olive oil (as long as I only use no more than 2 sprays)

Level 2: Flirting with a hot young guy or lady while married
White Rice 
Veggies that were sauteed in oil
Dressing with oil 
Fish (if it is baked and not breaded) - as long as it's only once a week
One slice of cheese on a sandwich 

Level 3: Engaged in some sexual act with someone else while married
Breaded fish - baked
Shrimp
EggsCheese - Lots of cheese like a mac and cheese dish or nachos
A big bag of potato chips
French Fries 
Deep fried veggies (like tempura veggies)
Chocolate candy bars


Level 4: Involved in an affair and you're keeping two cell phones, one for your real life and one for your ho.
Chicken
Steaks
Hamburgers
Pork (Carnitas, pork chops, bacon, pork belly, etc.)
Any deep fried meat (that includes breaded fish)
Donuts, Cakes and anything that has heavy cream like custards.


This morning I weighed in the lowest I have ever weighed since I started tracking and I really think it's because of my beer only dinner, which means I need to rethink about stopping that. The bad thing about weighing the lowest is it makes me want to cheat and I did today. I engaged in some sexual act with someone else while married, but I did get some exercise in (not the extra time though).


This dish literally took 15 minutes -- maybe even less (3 min. prep time).


BBQ Portabella Mushrooms over Brown Rice (1-2 Servings)


Ingredients:
2 Portabella mushroom caps
Oil-free BBQ sauce (about a cup or cup and a half)
Hot sauce (optional and if you want it spicy you can use spicy bbq sauce)
Vegetable Broth (a couple of table spoons)


Sautee cut up mushroom caps in a non stick pan, pour a couple of tablespoons of broth to help the sautee. Cook for about 2 min. until the caps reduce and release some liquid. Reduce to low heat and pour  BBQ sauce of choosing enough to cover all of the mushroom and add hot sauce if you want. Mix and cover and let cook until mushrooms are tender and cooked to your liking.

You can add a little salt and pepper but the BBQ sauce already has so much flavor that you don't really need it. Serve over brown rice or a bed of steamed veggies. Portabella mushrooms are very meaty so they work great as a main dish. 

You can also bake the mushroom caps whole with BBQ sauce and eat it in a bun, but baking takes a lot longer.


Weight: -5.8 lbs. since day 1 of PBD

Plant-based Diet Day 16: New Rules

I cheat everyday and I am starting to feel less guilty about it which is bad, but I think because in my mind there are different degrees of cheating. It's kind of like sin, you know different degrees of sin (except I don't think that's right. I think I remember learning in Sunday School that a sin is a sin).

Here's the foods in regards to how bad the "cheat" was:

Checking out a hot guy or lady while married
Whole wheat bread with oil in it
Spray olive oil (as long as I only use no more than 2 sprays)

Flirting with a hot young guy or lady while married
White Rice
Veggies that were sauteed in oil
Dressing with oil
Fish or shrimp
One slice of cheese on a sandwhich

Engaged in some sexual act with someone else while married
Fried Chicken
Cheese - Lots of cheese like a mac and cheese dish or nachos
A big bag of potato chips
French Fries
Pretty much deep fried foods

Involved in an affair and you're keeping two cell phones, one for your real life and one for your ho.
Steaks
Hamburgers
Carnitas
Bacon, or Pork Belly
Also deep fried anything


Meals for Day 16
Breakfast: Bowl of fruit
Lunch: Bowl of udon vegetable soup (I think Udon may not be allowed on this diet, but I have to double check. Also, the broth had some sesame oil in it).
Dinner: 3 beers, which again, makes me look like an alcoholerexic so I'm going to have to stop doing that. The thing about getting just the right amount of "drunk" is that you aren't hungry, you end up going to bed at 8 p.m. and wake up feeling great because you've just gotten so much sleep.

Plant-based Diet Day 15 (Again)

I think Day 15 is where it all totally fell apart for me so I am going to pick up at Day 15.
I weighed in this morning and I weigh 2.7 lbs. less than when I first started, but that is not the lowest I have weighed because I did gain back about 2 lbs. from all of the cheating.

Meals

Breakfast:
Black beans over brown rice topped with fresh scallions and tons of Cholula.
Iced Coffee

Lunch:
Veggie sandwich from the Sandwich Spot (no mayo, no special sauce, no cheese). The sandwich was still delicious and completely satisfying. It is made up of lettuce, avocado, tomato, pickles, cucumbers, pepperoncinis and mustard on a whole wheat roll. The wheat roll I'm sure contains oil because it is nearly impossible to find oil-free bread but this "cheat" I am going to let slide.

Dinner:
I had fish and rice from a restaurant, so obviously that is a cheat but I was out for my dad's birthday. At least I stayed away from the bbq pulled pork ;)

Plant-based Diet Days ???

I am going to erase this past week because I cheated. I cheated like the way Don Draper cheats on his wife.

I have gained back some of the weight I lost while I was on the plant-based diet. The good news is that even in the short amount of time I have adopted the plant-based diet, I feel like I have conditioned myself to stock my pantry and fridge with healthier options. When I grocery shop, I do not buy any meat, eggs or cheese. I also try to buy oil-free products. Eating plant-based only foods at home is easy. I cheat when I am out. This past week, there was catered food in my office (breakfast and lunch) everyday. When I walk into the office (hungry because I am always starving in the morning) and the first thing I smell is bacon and eggs, I just cannot resist.

Anyway, on this Saturday night, I am sitting on the floor (which I like to do), laptop in front of me, have my scented candles lit up, drinking a chocolate strawberry smoothie while watching a movie about Amanda Knox on the Lifetime Movie Network (I have a strange relationship with this channel. I hate them, they hate women, but yet, I think we need each other).

Here's a quickie smoothie I like to treat myself post-workout (except tonight I skipped the work out)

What you'll need:

A handfull of frozen strawberries, Chocolate Almond Milk and an immersion blender.

Pour in about a cup and  half of the almond milk (or however much you want depending on your desired consistency. I like to start with a little bit first), then blend away.

It kind of has this purple-y color that may turn you off but it is delicious and refreshing.

Plant-based Diet Days 15-18

I've been slacking with blogging, with my diet with my thesis and with life in general. I am a slacker.
I live in America. I can spend a majority of my days in front of a computer and in front of a television. Don't judge me.

Thursdays are the best nights for comedy:
Community
Parks and Rec
The Office
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
(Project Runway - which isn't a comedy but it can be)

A list of things to do at 3:00 a.m.

So I woke up thinking it is about 5:30 a.m. and figure I will stay up (since I am wide awake) until I have to go to work around 8:00-8:30. It turns out it's 3:00 a.m. What does one do when wide awake at three in the morning?

Just to name a few at the top of my head:

Watch infomercials and online dating commercials
Knit a sweater
Read an inspirational book because usually when I am up this early and can't get back to bed it typically means I am in an either bad, irritated or sad mood (or ill).
Play words with friends
Rethink my life goals and plans
Work on my music/poetry/art -- you know if I were the artsy type.
Write an essay
Facebook stalk people
Online shop
Scrapbook -- if I were a suburban housewife
Drink a bottle of wine while browsing the web for photos of Tyson Beckford-- if I were an upper middle class suburban housewife.

Does anyone remember Party Line? Where you'd call (from your land line) some 800 or 900 number and group chat with  random people? You'd have to come up with some sort of alias like SweetBaby or CuteChick or IAmSlutty. It's the AOL Chat Room versions for people who weren't rich enough to have the internet back in the 90s. I think I remember calling that number when I was in junior high this time of night. I am pretty sure that is when all the rapists and pedophiles called in. I can't believe I am still alive.

Plant-based Diet Days 13 & 14: The Weekend

The weekend was full of cheats, but even with cheating, cutting back on just meat alone (and most oils and dairy) seems to have a really big impact on my weight loss. I am also probably getting healthier just cutting back on red meat (which I ate a lot of) and oil.

I don't know why I keep posting photos of my food because I don't even think they look all that appetizing, but here's some of what I had all weekend.

Saturday Breakfast: "Sausage" breakfast tacos
I used Gimmelean breakfast sausage that is oil-free. Cooked it up with some onions and ate it with a green chile corn tortilla, Cholula hot sauce and scallions. What this taco needed was some roasted potatoes.

The fake sausage was not as bad as I thought it would be because it still had a lot of the "sausage" flavor which I was craving, so it satisfied.

Saturday Dinner: Garlic Mashed with gravy, steamed green beans and grilled corn

I have trying to perfect gravy. This time,  sauteed the onions in white wine and veggie broth, put a lot of soy sauce, only a little bit of wheat flour and a corn starch slurry (corn starch with a little bit of water) to thicken up the gravy. I let that simmer and reduce for a long time. The flavor was intense because of the soy sauce so at little goes a long way. Also, to make things easier for me, I microwaved the green beans (which were frozen) and the fresh corn. I then placed the corn on the stove to get the burned parts, which  I like.

Sunday Dinner: Mushroom Cacciatore

I used a Rachel Ray recipe which I modified a little and the dish turned out fantastic. I have made enough cacciatore for a family of 10 so I guess I will have cacciatore for breakfast lunch and dinner... for an entire month.

*Modifications: Instead of using a red chile, I used red pepper flakes and I used red peppers instead of cubanelle peppers and I added about two or three tbs. of tomato paste. I also did not use any oil. The portabella mushrooms holds a lot of liquid they release when cooked down. I did not need oil to saute or brown them. Quick tip, do not salt the mushrooms until they've been browned because the salt draws out the liquid and it takes the browning process a lot longer.

Since it is Sunday, I am going to count this morning's weigh in as actual weight loss. I am down 4.7 lbs. from when I started 13 days ago.