Hump Day!

This morning we had Trader Joe's Soy & Flax Clusters cereal for breakfast, with blueberries and rice milk. Devout vegans wouldn't consider this a vegan breakfast because it has honey in it, but we've decided not to be that strict. On the box, it boasts 6g Fiber, 7g Protein, 650mg Omega-3s, Low Fat -- per one cup serving. We ate this cereal most mornings before going vegan, and we're glad we can eat it this month because it's mighty tasty!

After dropping David to work, I headed to the dentist's office for my first check up since March 2008! Shameful! Sorry Mum! Despite the overdue nature of my visit, I was given double thumbs up - no cavities - and was praised for my healthy, pearly whites :) Thanks for taking care of me Pat, Dr. Stroup and Tricia! Dr. Stroup asked me about the toothpaste I use (Jason Sea Fresh) and asked me to share some information, so:

An all-natural sea-sourced toothpaste, this formula is made with certified organic blue green algae, sea salts and trace minerals. Not only that, it contains three natural whitening polishers as well, including bamboo powder, calcium carbonate and silica, which help prevent plaque build-up and are more gentle on teeth than other whitening products. Anti-bacterial Grapefruit See Extract and Perilla Seed Extract help block sugar acids and bacteria from forming in your mouth. Certified organic aloe vera gel helps soothe and relieve gums from irritation, and essential oils of mint bring the Deepsea spearmint flavor – this products has been the “Best Taste Award Winner” by the American Culinary Institute in 2003, 2004 and 2005! 6 oz. tube is $6.49. (http://www.veganessentials.com/catalog/jason-sea-fresh-toothpaste.htm)

For lunch, I had a veggie burger like what David had for dinner last night - and it was delicious. I had an apple for "dessert". David had another PB & J. Unlike Monday and Tuesday, we both felt super hungry when we got home - we need to get more snacks to have at our desks. We ate salsa and whole grain tortillas when we got home - such a good snack! Need to always keep salsa in the house - fat free, gluten free, vegan, yum!

So ... dinner. Tonight we had Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing. It was really yummy, and we have enough to make lunch or turn the left over mushrooms into burgers. That being said, I don't know that we'll be in a hurry to make it again. There are so many other really good-lookin salad recipes in all of the books I've checked out, and I have a feeling that others will trump this one. Plus, David found that the mushrooms took on a bit of a steak-like persona that, while super flavorful, was maybe a little too robust for our current taste. I tried to take an appealing photo, but I was too tired and too hungry to go into presentation mode 3000! I'll try and incorporate photos soon ...

Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing
from Veganomicon

Serves 4 as a main course, 8 as a side
45 minutes, including mushroom cooking time

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:
1/4 c. prepared spicy, smooth mustard
3 tbs. grapeseed oil (hooray resveratol!)
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 tbs. pure maple syrup

Mushroom Marinade:
1/2 c. cooking wine (I found non-alcoholic wine at TJ's)
1 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. soy sauce
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 4 portobello caps

Salad: 8 c. mixed greens (we used romaine) 1 avocado, sliced thinly 1 sm. red onion, sliced into v. thin half moons 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed To prepare the dressing: Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Done.

To prepare the mushrooms: Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a shallow dish. Place the mushrooms gill-side up in the marinade and spoon a lot of the marinade into each cap to form a small pool. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and marinate for about 20 minutes. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, flip caps over and cook, uncovered, for another 10 minutes. Let mushrooms cool, then slice thinly on the diagonal.

To finish: Throw together all salad ingredients except mushrooms in a large bowl. Pour dressing on and toss. When ready to serve, place the dressed greens on a plate and add the sliced warm portobellos. Fini!

Over dinner, David and I looked up the health benefits of romaine. We were impressed, so thought we'd share. Rememer, this is referring to lettuces only, not other leafy greens.

This is, of course, from the Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray:

In general, the darker the lettuce, the greater the nutrient content; therefore, romaine > looseleaf > butterhead > iceberg. All lettuce is a good source of vitamin K. Iceberg is a surprisingly good source of choline. Romaine lettuce is generally the most nutrient-dense lettuce and is an excellent source of vitamin A, folic acid, and vitamins C, B1 and B2. It is also an excellent source of the minerals manganese and chromium.

That's the news from London, good night!