Simple Lunch
- Lunch, Vegan & Vegetarian
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16 Jun 2010
I get really excited when I make a wrap and it actually wraps up nicely. Sometimes I stuff it too full. Sometimes I’m a clutz and just can’t get the thing to roll up without all of the guts falling out. Sometimes I do great, right up to the cut-it-in-half part, and then destroy the whole thing while trying to cut it.
Today, the stars aligned, and I made a pretty wrap!
I really could make a category here called “Adventures in Wrapping,” but it would be nearly empty because most of my wraps are nowhere near photo-worthy.My first foray into the world of making wraps was based on the discovery that cucumbers make a pretty decent sandwich base. You see, I occasionally have a hankerin’ for a Jimmy John’s sandwich. When I went vegetarian, I had to change my normal sandwich order over to the #6 – the creatively named “Vegetarian” (sans mayo and tomato, please – I still can’t stand the texture of tomatoes). It basically amounts to a cucumber sandwich with a wonderful avocado spread.
I started using cucumbers in my wraps, and was really digging them. Then, I worked out my own version of a vegan avocado ranch spread, inspired by a dressing recipe in the You Won’t Believe It’s Vegan!
cookbook.
Ever since, I’ve been using those two as the basis of many delicious veggie wraps.
Today’s concoction features, of course, cucumbers and avocado spread, along with a chopped up veggie burger, about 3/4 of a carrot (shredded), a handful of baby spinach, a handful of arugula, and a drizzle of garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil. (That’s my giraffe friend Milly pictured in the background).I have tried a lot of wraps in my day, and finding ones without offensive ingredient lists can be difficult. Lately, I’ve been using Smart & Delicious Tomato Basil Soft Wraps from La Tortilla Factory. The ingredient list isn’t perfect, but it’s not terribly bad, and they’ve got 12g of fiber per wrap at only 100 calories. They’re nice, big 9″ wraps and are (as the name says) very soft and easy to stuff with goodies (even for a wrap-challenged soul like me).
I swear, wraps taste better when they look pretty.
Posted: June 16, 2010 at 5:20 pm
{Tags: arugula, avocado, carrot, cucumber, spinach, veggie burger, wrap}
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An Un-Winning Smoothie Combo
- Smoothies
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04 Feb 2010
I’ve got another new recipe post coming up soon, but thought I’d jump on and share an un-winning smoothie combo that I came up with today (so that you don’t try it with the same results!)
Two things worked to my disadvantage: first, I was out of vanilla soy milk, so I used regular skim milk. I did not realize just how much flavor I actually get from the soy milk – it’s much more dense, maybe a bit more sweet, and… well, it’s vanilla. Second, the fruit combo I chose was not sweet or powerful enough to mask the taste of the greens – so this tasted more like cucumbers than anything else.
The mix:
1 cup skim milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 carrots
1 handful baby spinach
1/3 of a cucumber
1 whole apple
1 whole pearSo… it seems like fruits with stronger or sweeter flavors are required to mask out the taste of the greens. Strawberries are a standard component of my smoothies, and even when I only use 3 or 4 strawberries, they make a huge difference. I was just trying to mix it up today, and even though I used a whole pear and a whole apple, they weren’t sweet enough to be noticeable. I couldn’t even taste them.
The end result was incredibly bland and tasted mildly of cucumber. I won’t be making this combo again!
Posted: February 4, 2010 at 11:51 pm
{Tags: apple, carrot, cucumber, pear, Smoothies, spinach}
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Purple Smoothie!
- Smoothies
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27 Jan 2010
This morning’s smoothie concoction was PURPLE thanks to strawberries and blueberries!
Tip: stick to 1/2 cucumber. I tried a whole cucumber in the smoothie today (along with 2 carrots, 3 strawberries, and a handful of
blueberries, plus vanilla soy milk and vanilla protein powder), and I could taste the cucumber. Good thing I like cucumbers!Have a great day, everybody!
Posted: January 27, 2010 at 1:54 pm
{Tags: blueberry, carrot, cucumber, Smoothies, strawberry}
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Cool Pink Smoothie
- Recipes, Smoothies
-
25 Jan 2010
In my quest to discover, “Will it blend?” I made up a new smoothie concoction tonight. I call it: the Cool Pink Smoothie.
I suppose it could be called a “green” smoothie, if by “green” you mean, it contains vegetables (or, 2 culinary vegetables but 1 botanical vegetable and 1 botanical fruit). That whole fruit-or-vegetable thing will confound me for life. But anyway….
It’s a delicious, cool, crisp drink full of strawberry vanilla goodness!
As I tossed everything (including 2 carrots, half a cucumber, and 5 strawberries) in the blender, I thought to myself, “That looks wonderful!” I should have run to grab my camera but I was too excited to mix it all up.
Behold:
The verdict: delish! Absolutely wonderful!
In my quest to discover, "Will it blend?" I made up a new smoothie concoction tonight. I call it: the Cool Pink Smoothie.
DetailsPosted: January 25, 2010 at 8:40 pmIngredients
Directions
In my quest to discover, "Will it blend?" I made up a new smoothie concoction tonight. I call it: the Cool Pink Smoothie. I suppose it could be called a "green" smoothie, if by "green" you mean, it contains vegetables (or, 2 culinary vegetables but 1 botanical vegetable and 1 botanical fruit). That whole fruit-or-vegetable thing will confound me for life. But anyway.... It's a delicious, cool, crisp drink full of strawberry vanilla goodness! As I tossed everything (including 2 carrots, half a cucumber, and 5 strawberries) in the blender, I thought to myself, "That looks wonderful!" I should have run to grab my camera but I was too excited to mix it all up. Behold:
The verdict: delish! Absolutely wonderful!
[recipe-show recipe=cool-pink-smoothie]
{Tags: carrot, cucumber, Recipes, Smoothies, strawberry}
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