Sep 28, 2010

Kickin’ in the kitchin’.

hey friends! (and happy tuesday, jess!)

thanks so much for your sweet words about my insomnia. i really appreciated all those who chimed in with personal experiences, but i wish you guys didn't struggle too! it breaks my heart that insomnia is so common these days, ya know?

by the way, if you're interested in extra better sleep tips, check out the expert advice in the comments from tatianna, both melissas, peace be me (what is your first name?), and bitt.

but now that we're all awake, how about a picture/recipe/life update, shall we? i finally found the darn escapist camera cord, so no more excuses for me. in no particular order, here are some recent happenings:


first day of school. look out VCU.


pinto bean and plantain stew, sans parsnip chips

this soup is crazy good! i didn't make the chips because i'm poor and parsnips are like gold around here, but hello - a little recognition for cooking with a plantain!!! they were on sale for 54 cents at waldirtmart, so one magically jumped into my cart somehow.

but no, your eyes don't deceive you - i did finally made a recipe from Veganomicon, one of the cookbooks i got for my birthday. i was super excited about this book specifically because i see jessica, matt, the other jess, the other other jess (haha ok enough), and many others refer to it as "the vegan bible" and cook from it fairly regularly. good enough for me!

... honestly? i hate to say this, but i was a tiny bit disappointed. for someone who doesn't see the appeal in "mock meat" or soy meat substitutes, i wasn't thrilled to see a good portion of the book devoted to seitan, tofu, and bean cutlets.

don't get me wrong - certainly all those things have their place in the freezer section, and if you dig 'em, it's totally cool! i'm just not a fan of eating food that mimics other food... if i wanted meat, i would eat it, ya know? i'm already cool with soybeans and black beans, so i don't feel the need to "transform" them into a substitute. 

i like food that just is what it is. no imitations. but that's just my deal, yo.


spicy coconut curry squash soup

after i just ragged on their cookbook full of homemade tofurkey, i gotta give the ladies at the Post Punk Kitchen a shoutout... those girls can make some SOUP, man. hopefully that makes up for it?

i modified this recipe because, well, i had squash and not sweet potatoes, and can't leave well enough alone!


i made guac. alton brown's guac. no explanation needed.

and what's not pictured? in the last week or so, i've made gluten-free millet and flax crackers (like sami's bakery, but waaay cheaper), mom and i tag-teamed some delicious veggie bean chili, then some enchiladas (with beef for my brother, and without for us lettuce heads), various kitchen sink saladsgluten-free orange sweet potato muffins, quinoa coconut "rice pudding," homemade peanut butter and tahini, chocolate coconut cherry laraballs, pesto, and two kinds of hummus: roasted red pepper and jalepeno cilantro.

um, yeah. i've been busy. if you want details on how to recreate anything i made, comment or shoot me an email! mostly i just throw stuff in the pot and cook, but i'd be more than happy to share my "recipes" with you guys!

................................................................................

to continue on in this insanely random post, remember how i finally got around to a gluten-free trial? yes? well houston, we have a problem.

i gave it a month gluten-free before i "tested" my stomach again with my old foods, and let's just say that yes... it's clear that the remainder of my ibs issues are from gluten.

i won't die if i eat it (like when eating out), but for what i can control, i'm sticking with eating gluten-free. practically, it just means i avoid sandwiches and wheat pasta (almost everything in our kitchen is safe because of my sister), which is cool because i'm not a huge fan of those foods anyway. we have plenty of gluten-free bread should i get the urge for a sandwich, but that's pretty rare.

it's awesome though because i thought i was doomed to being bloated all my life, and hooray - no more! if you struggle with this, you might want to test for a gluten-intolerance... why not? and head's up you guys, unless i mention otherwise, the recipes i post from here on out will be gluten-free.

phew. you guys have been along for quite an interesting journey with me, no? now i leave you with the most hilarious food face i've seen in a while:


mom's blueberry goat cheese english muffin. oh snap, he has a moustache!

10 comments:

  1. "i'm just not a fan of eating food that mimics other food... if i wanted meat, i would eat it, ya know?"
    That's pretty much how I feel! I'm okay with bean cutlets 'cause I don't think they're anything like meat, anyway. :P But really, it rings true for me when it comes to dairy/egg products. I own Vegan Planet, which is a great book, but it has a lot subs for mayo and yogurt and milk and I don't like those things not for ethical reasons - they've just always grossed me out. So eating potato salad with fake mayo is just gross to me as eating potato salad with real mayo. ;)

    I'm glad you've been well and that your IBS problems are getting better (even if it means no gluten, which I'm not sure I could live without)! :)

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  2. is it selfish that you'll be featuring gluten free recipes from here on out ;) i can't eat bread (due to the gluten) and i refuse to try the substitute GF breads, they all feel so dense! it's forced and challenged me to enjoy/embrance a whole world of foods that i never would have thought to try. it's a win win for my taste buds and gut :)

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  3. Haha.. the last picture is cute. :)

    I'm actually not a huge fan of Veganomicon either. I bought it because everyone raved about it and then I got it, tried some recipes.. and was disappointed. Now it spends most of its time in the cupboard while I use other vegan cookbooks (ED&BV and Vegan Yum Yum!).

    I've been thinking about testing out GF for awhile but I never get around to it. I really don't know why.. right now the only wheat thing I eat is Oat Bran so it would be super easy for me to just replace it with some GF cereal and hit GO.

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  4. You have been busy in the kitchen! Holy moly - I love it!

    I think my husband needs to get tested for a gluten-intolerance...

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  5. Holy smokes Rebekah! You are absolutely stunning (... so apparently your outsides match your insides :P)

    You have truly been busy, haven't you? I've been the exact opposite lately... wanting to make everything but never really getting around to it. Haha. Anyway, I am in totally agreement over the meat substitute thing. If I want meat, I eat meat... and if I want black beans, I surely don't turn them into some form of burger :P

    Congrats on finding out the cause of your belly symptoms. I know the news isn't fabulous, but at least you know what the problem is!
    <3 Tat

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  6. One of my best friends has struggled with stomach issues for years and told me today that she has gone gluten free. I'm excited that you'll be posting gluten-free recipes so I can cook for her when she visits!

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  7. I need that plantain stew recipe! I'd heard of it but can't find anything that resembles the recipe as good as yours looks! We'll catch up on all the other stuff you wrote later as well. Take care Rebekah!

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  8. You are too cute! I love the picture of you! I totally feel the same way about mock-meat. If I wanted to eat meat... I'd eat it! ;)

    I hope the sleeping improves!

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  9. I need to try the gluten free thing more, though I barely eat gluten once in a while I eat ezekiel bread. I need to focus on my bloat if its related to the gluten. and the soup looked yummy!!! and I love the make-up thing bc I NEVER wear makeup once in a while I wear tinted moisturizer or blush but not everyday woooooooo

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