Good afternoon!
I really should have worked out this morning when I had the chance because now I don’t have time before school and I’ve just been sitting all day long at my job and feel a little stir-crazy. I’m sure all that will come to an end though once I get in the kitchen tonight! We are making pound cake and more muffins I believe, and tomorrow night is my second practical! I’m all out of tofurky so I just packed a simple pb&j sandwich on Ezekiel bread for lunch with pear slices. It filled me up (that and about a gallon of decaf green tea I’ve been sipping on all day long because I’ve been SO freezing all day!!!) for a couple hours til I broke into my afternoon snack I brought: Luna Tea Cake. YUM! I am in love with these. I turned my mom onto them as well and now she is addicted to! I hated luna bars but love these…so good..the texture is the best. But yeah…then I got home around 4:15 and I was starving! I dug into the bag of veggie crisps and ate a handful while I thought about dinner.
I decided to save my last black bean burger for tomorrow’s lunch and finish the rest of the chickpeas tonight so I wouldn’t have to throw them away. Inspired by another blog I read, Romina’s last post on “pasta e ceci” really sounded good tonight….extra good because I get to use my leftovers instead of wasting them! I hate to waste good food. It’s chilly outside and I wanted something warm before I headed off to school. So…I made just that! Pasta and chickpeas! I used about 2.5 ounces of whole wheat spaghetti, some organic tomato sauce (spiked with red pepper flakes!) and about 1/2 cup of chickpeas…on top I sprinkled a little bit of nooch (nutritional yeast) for some more flavor/nutrition. The result is a great combo filled with protein and whole grains. I made another big salad on the side.
Yay for tomorrow being Friday–I can’t wait for the weekend! 🙂
Simple, fast and FILLING! Love it!
Allyson
February 28, 2008 at 10:46 pmWhat kind of jelly do you use? Also-what is the purpose of nutritional yeast?
Thanks! 🙂
Serena
February 28, 2008 at 11:05 pmI love Wikipedia!
Nutritional yeast
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Nutritional yeast from German natural food storeNutritional yeast, similar to brewer’s yeast, is a nutritional supplement popular with vegans and the health conscious, who use it as an ingredient in recipes or simply as a condiment. It is a deactivated yeast, usually Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Nutritional yeast flakesIt is a source of protein and vitamins, especially the B-complex vitamins. It is also naturally low in fat and sodium. Some brands of nutritional yeast, though not all, are fortified with vitamin B12. The vitamin B12 is produced separately from bacteria and then added to the yeast.
Nutritional yeast has a strong flavor that is described as nutty, cheesy, or creamy, which makes it popular as an ingredient in cheese substitutes. It is often used by vegans in place of parmesan cheese. Another popular use is as a topping for popcorn. Some movie theaters are beginning to offer it along with salt or cayenne pepper as a popcorn condiment.
It is commercially available in the form of flakes,photo or as a yellow powder similar in texture to cornmeal, and can be found in the bulk aisle of most natural food stores. In Australia it is sometimes sold as “savory yeast flakes.” In Canada it has been known to be called “good tasting yeast”.
Though “nutritional yeast” usually refers to commercial products, inadequately fed prisoners have used “home-grown” yeast to prevent vitamin deficiency.[1]
Nutritional yeast is different from yeast extract, which has a very strong flavour and comes in the form of a dark brown paste. Other species of yeast are used for making beer, wine, and bread.
VeggieGirl
February 28, 2008 at 11:08 pmNo worries about not getting to exercise this morning – you’ll DEFINITELY be moving around in the kitchen, I’m sure! :0)
Love your lunch – simple, yet satisfying. And speaking of satisfying, I love ALL of Romina’s pasta variations – she’s very creative with pasta meal ingredient-combinations. That Ceci looks especially enticing!! Yum!!
Have fun tonight at class!!
Romina
February 28, 2008 at 11:32 pmI’m so happy you enjoyed pasta e ceci!! I was so surprised to see my name, and that you tried it. =) I too topped it with some nutritional yeast, because it reminds me of when I used to put cheese on it, yum yum.
So sorry to hear you didn’t get to work out this morning. I hate that feeling. I always get so restless. But it sounds like you’ve got some great stuff in store for tonight.
Nadia
February 28, 2008 at 11:42 pmTHAT sound/looks so tasty..i love chickpeas. planning on making this for my sister when she comes over this weekend for dinner. Yum!
Ok so I’m making banana bread tonight and had a suggestion for anyone interested…this banana bread is always a hit with everyone and it’s lowfat/vegetarian – not vegan…i use eggs but you can always sub those ofcourse. I also don’t ever find the need for oil/applesauce with this recipe. It really is delicious and simple. Everyone who has had it loved it. My recipe…
1 and 3/4 cups all purpose flour – I used to always use an aunt jemima mix which doesn’t require baking soda (already has it) but I don’t have it on hand
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 to 3 extra ripe bananas – I use 3 medium ones or 2 large ones
8 tbsps. smart balance lite butter (I’ve had earth balance but prefer the taste and texture of smart balance)
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste – I use a lot of cinnamon – abt. 2 tbsps
1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or almonds (I usually reserve a bit to sprinkle on top 30 minutes into the baking process so the bread looks “pretty” and has a nice crust)
Note: I don’t do the whole mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients seperately thing that’s usually recommended. Instead I just mix everything together so there’s less clean up…i’m lazy
1. use an electric mixer to combine all ingredients except nuts in the order listed until the texture is smooth
2. mix in the walnuts or almonds with a spoon
3. pour into a reg 9 by 5″ loaf pan
4. bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 50 minutes to an hour
5. If using the nuts for sprinkling purposes pour them on 40 minutes into the baking when the bread is still a bit underbaked and moist
Nadia
February 28, 2008 at 11:44 pmoh and if anyone is interested the loaf makes 12 slices at about 190 calories a slice or 8 slices if I’m eating it lol for about 280 cals.
Casey
February 29, 2008 at 12:30 amOoh, I’m intrigued! How do the Luna teacakes differ from regular Luna bars, in terms of flavor/texture/size?
Aimee H.
February 29, 2008 at 1:37 amI tried Dreena’s chocolate chip cookie recipe tonight. I’m not a vegan or vegetarian and have never tried. After all the rave reviews, I knew they’d be delicious and they were! I didn’t even tell my boyfriend a thing about the vegan part (b/c that would turn him off to them.. he also doesn’t want to know when things are “healthy” or “diet”) but he loves the cookies too. =)
arimcg
February 29, 2008 at 1:48 amThat banana bread looks great Nadia! I love banana bread.
blueberrybabe
February 29, 2008 at 1:53 amhey strangers! quick (DUMB) question… Jenna always measures pasta in ounces- how do you convert this to cups? for example tonight she had 2.5 ounces of pasta, so what would that be in cups? thanks!
Ashley
February 29, 2008 at 2:53 amHey everyone! Just read through all the earlier posts about running buddies for marathons, I’m running a full marathon in June (my first) and I’d love to be part of the running buddy group lol I’m nuch a nerd 🙂 seriousley though, I’m nervous but excited about this marathon I took the training marathon off of runnersworld that they customize for you and modified mine a bit where I’m running two days (one long run) doing speed work (short 30 min fast run possibly one day) and crosstraining the other day a week or if I don’t do the speed work instead, cross training on that day. I typically take only one day off a week from exercise but I’m thinking I should take two now so I don’t tire my legs out, is that what you guys are doing? Also, how are you changing your eating habits now that you are running?
Ashley
February 29, 2008 at 2:53 amI meant how are you changing your eating habits now that you are training for a marathon? Also, feel free to email me, my email is ashley.goss@hotmail.com. thanks!
Betsy
February 29, 2008 at 3:06 amAshley
I’m a runner and although I’m not training for a full marathon, I’m training for a half and hope to run a full this fall. I think the most important thing to remember when training for a marathon is to not tire yourself out and don’t under nourish-make sure you’re getting enough food! If you want to chat more, email me at betsycookshealthy@gmail.com
oh-and jenna. as always, LOOKS AMAZING!! i love chickpeas/ceci/garbanzos whatever you want to call them. also, what does nutritional yeast taste like? Alot like cheese? The name kinda sounds scary and I’m scared to try it!
Anna
February 29, 2008 at 3:16 amHave you tried Zen Soy’s pudding?? It is soooo good!! I found it at Whole Foods. I am allergic to dairy and nuts and have been trying a lot of new types of foods after reading your blog…THANKS!! Soynut Butter is also DELICIOUS for anyone who is also allergic to nuts!!
I too am not eating much meat/animal products anymore- I’m not a vegan by definition- but close enough!!! I am finding your blog very helpful 🙂
One question… what food group would hemp milk fall under???
Thanks again for all your hard work on the blog!!
Anna
Bev
February 29, 2008 at 3:40 amJenna, I ran across this : http://www.delicioustv.com/ …..sounds good
Kim
February 29, 2008 at 4:03 amAshley,
Are you running the San Diego Marathon? I’m currently training for it and I’ve never run a marathon before so it’s been interesting. I’ve been running 5 days a week with one progressively longer run usually on the weekends. We should share nutrition/running tips.
Kim (kranc@ucla.edu)
Sarah
February 29, 2008 at 5:09 amHey Kim! I am running the San Diego marathon as well, this will be my third year. Are you using a particular training schedule?
linds
February 29, 2008 at 9:29 amI realize this is a vegetarian and definitely vegan friendly-blog but I just have to give a lil shout out to the meat eaters here- I am by no means a red meat girl (might eat it once every few months) but I just had the best burger of my life today, seriously… It wasn’t dry and made with that ground beef stuff but it was a premium steak cut burger from an organic family farm in Scotland (I’m in Scotland right now too just to clarify that the meat hasn’t been shipped any great distance). I can’t even begin to describe how delicious it was…I got it fresh off the grill at a farmer’s market and two girls who actually worked on the farm served it to me. Now how often does something like this happen?!?! This is the way we’re supposed to eat food!! I don’t think I will ever eat another burger, I just can’t see how I will ever be able to obtain this kind of quality ever again and anything less would just be a disappointment. I didn’t think I would ever feel this way about, of all things, a burger….haha
Lizzy
February 29, 2008 at 11:02 amEver sicne I started working out again every day I notice how bad I feel when I skip it one morning(sometimes my alarm clock refuses to go off).
Yumm, I’m totally craving the pb&j sandwich. Such an all-time favorite!
The pasta looks good, I really need to soak some chickpeas!
Mel H
February 29, 2008 at 1:26 pmHey Jenna!! Just wanted to wish you a happy Friday and a relaxing weekend!! Do you all get out for SB soon? My break is in two weeks (and my b day!!) and I can’t wait to relax! Jenna, hope you and everyone else has a great day!! xoxo
Mel