Off to VidaVeganCon!

Rick and I are heading for Portland, OR, to attend VidaVeganCon. I’ve been looking forward to this for months! I’ll be on the road for 2 weeks, going from Portland to Seattle to see my kids, and then to San Jose to see my family and run the See Jane Run 1/2 Marathon in Alameda on June 8th.

It’s a lot to do in 2 weeks, but this is exactly how I visualize my “perfect life” - traveling, exploring the awesome vegan-ness of the world, running, meeting people, eating great food, and blogging about all of it as I go. All I need now is to get paid buckets of money for doing it, and I trust it will happen!

Stay tuned as I take you along with me. We’re going to have so much fun!!!

(Source: positivelyvegan.blogspot.com)

Greek Salad with Creamy Dressing

My daughter says that a Greek Salad should have at least as much “stuff” as lettuce. I agree. I made this one for a little Mother’s Day dinner, and it was a huge hit.

Creamy Greek Dressing

1 cup raw cashews, soaked 20 minutes or longer, up to overnight

1-2 T fresh oregano

2 T nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

about 1/2 cup juice from a jar of pepperoncini

Place all ingredients except the pepperoncini juice in a blender or food processor.

Add the juice gradually as you blend, until the dressing is smooth and creamy, and has a nice thick consistency.

Greek Salad

chopped lettuce and/or other greens of your choice

chopped tomatoes

chopped cucumbers

chopped red onions (I leave these big enough to pick out, because I don’t like them)

artichoke hearts packed in water, cut into large bite-size pieces

pitted kalamata olives, cut in half

sliced pepperoncini

Tofu Feta

Toss everything together in a large bowl, with enough Creamy Greek Dressing to coat the salad well, but not to smother it.

I served this up with pita bread and Oil-Free Hummus. Perfect!

PS - I made it again for a potluck, only this time substituted brown rice pasta for the greens. They cleaned out the bowl! Fortunately, I left some at home, and it’s great layered on top of some greens for a full meal salad.

Power Bites - My Favorite Healthy Energy Snack

This is not a post about the evils of too much power… It’s about food, of course!

With only a few short weeks until the See Jane Run 1/2 Marathon in Alameda, CA, I’m starting to think about what sort of fuel I’ll want to carry with me on race day. I don’t want anything to do with packaged bars, gels, or drinks. Yuck. I want something real. This recipe is a cross between the more complicated Power Balls and the super simple almond-stuffed-dates I sometimes take with me on longer runs. Of course you don’t have to go running to eat them. They make a great snack any time!

Power Bites

makes about 20

1 (packed) cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped into halves or thirds

1/2 cup almonds, soaked in water overnight and drained

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well chopped.

Form small 1-2 bite sized “pellets”.

Cut small squares of waxed paper, and roll the Bites up, twisting the ends of the paper in the same direction (like candy) for easy un-spinning on the move.

These don’t really need to be refrigerated, but I keep them cold anyway, stored in a glass bowl with a lid.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Stew is Perfect for a Busy Meatless Monday

This easy dish was inspired by a big, lonely sweet potato, a busy day with no time to cook, and a neglected slow-cooker. It’s perfect for a busy Meatless Monday! To cook it on the stove, I think I’d steam the sweet potato chunks first, and then throw it all together.

Sweet Potato Stew

serves 4

1/2 onion, chopped

1 large sweet potato, cut into bite-size pieces

2-4 cups chopped kale

1 can lite coconut milk

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes, with juice

4 cups vegetable broth

2 T tamari

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 T curry powder

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Stir everything together in the slow-cooker. Cook on high heat for about 4 hours, or until the sweet potatoes are soft. This was extra good the second night, served over brown rice.

(Source: positivelyvegan.blogspot.com)

Everything-Free Banana Oat Cookies

I’m so excited this morning! I just launched the new Positive Motion page on my website! It’s designed to help you get up off the couch, get moving, and keep moving. We all need a little extra motivation sometimes, and I’m here to be your very own Personal Motivator. Come check out Positive Motion! We’re going to have a lot of fun!

Now, to get you going on a new healthy habit right this minute, here’s a terrific little recipe for super healthy cookies that will satisfy your sweet tooth without sabotaging your fitness goals. It’s adapted from one I saw on Facebook, but can’t seem to locate now that I want to give credit for it. I will gladly post a link if somebody knows where it is. 

These cookies are vegan (of course!), sugar free, oil free, wheat free, and can be gluten free if you use certified GF oats. Miraculously, they’re still really good! And because they’re mostly made of bananas and oats, they’re super healthy. I think they bake up more like little flat cakes or muffins. I would classify them more as a “real food treat” than a “real cookie.” If you’re not expecting a Mrs. Fields sort of experience, you’ll love them! In our house, big man Rick and little man Jacob both gobble them up. As for me, I’m just a few short weeks away from the See Jane Run 1/2 Marathon in California, and these make a great pre-run snack!

I changed a few things to make these work better at high altitude, so if you’re in the lowlands, you might need to make adjustments the other way. These are so simple though, I think they’ll work pretty much anywhere. Try them at sea level and let us know how it goes!

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

makes about 1 dozen cookies

3 very ripe bananas

2 cups quick oats

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup almond milk

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup toasted, slated sunflower seeds - optional

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment, silicone liners, or a light coating of oil.

Mash the bananas, and stir in all the other ingredients.

Place large tablespoon sized cookies on the prepared cookie sheets, and flatten them slightly. They will not spread or rise as they bake.

Press about a teaspoon of sunflower seeds into the top of each cookie before baking (optional).

Bake 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned.

(Source: positivelyvegan.blogspot.com)