breaking news: my oats are back

My oats are back and I couldn’t be happier!  Exaggeration?  Yeah, right.  Well, first off, I was very indecisive this morning, so I took my dilemma to snapchat {@emvalerioti}, “Oats or Eggs for my b-fast?”  The polls came rolling in and you all said oats!  I probably would have made oats anyway.  Does anyone else do this?  You think you are indecisive on something, then ask around or flip a coin and you are unhappy with the result and go the other direction?  I do this constantly.  Eh, that’s okay because it brings me to a decision doesn’t it?  Anyway… this morning I made an old staple: Apples & Cinnamon Oats.

defining diet

Yup.  That is chicken.  Take away my label as a “pescatarian” or a “vegetarian that eats fish” or a “vegan who eats fish/eggs/honey” or whatever you once classified me as.  The truth is, I was always bothered by those labels anyway because one word cannot define my diet—and my definition of the word diet, the way it should be used.  Be aware, this post will have some food and recipe ideas, but it is also filled with my thoughts and feelings toward the modern use of the word “diet.”  

p.r. for pizza

Call me crazy, but I have never been a huge fan of pizza.  In fact, I use to despise it as a kid.  I recall going to friends’ birthday parties on several occasions where their parents would kindly order something different for me–the weird kid that hated pizza and loved broccoli.   As I grew up, I developed more of a taste for pizza (must be my Italian roots).  I have to really be in the mood for it though, and it has to be pretty darn good for me to eat it.  This weekend was one of those times.  For some reason, I was craving pizza–a very rare occurrence indeed.  Instead of running to Beau Jeau’s and ordering their gluten-free, lactose-free pie, I made my own Lactose-Free Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza.

spinach mushroom quinoa

This is such a simple, yet filling clean meal to cook.  I have been making A LOT of quinoa dishes lately, mostly because quinoa is a great vegan protein source and fills me up!  It is also so easy to make on my meal prep Sundays and store for the week.  Sometimes (a majority of the times), it is difficult for me to get a good “after” picture of my recipes.  This is attributed to my tendency to take tastes (eat the entire thing) before I snap a pic.  That just means it’s that good right?

vegan quinoa chili

You have no idea how many times I have begun to post this recipe, but failed miserably.  Why? Because it’s that delicious!  The first couple of times, I never got the pretty “after” shot you see above. It was just too good looking and calling my name to devour it–so I did.  When I finally got a good, presentable picture and begun to write up this blog post, I kept looking through my pictures and sorting the ingredients all out until my stomach literally begun growling… It is really a miracle that this recipe is finally making it to the world, but I knew I had to share it!  I am on a mission to spread this scrumptious meal to the world–er, my readers anyway.  Here is the infamous, Vegan Quinoa Chili…

texas wheat waffles

Y’all, I could not be happier this morning!  Can you just look at these Texas waffles?  Pure heaven!  I cannot tell you how excited I was that these turned out the way I had hoped!  Yayayay!  Rejoice with me!  You can take the girl out of Texas, but not the Texas out of the girl y’all!

homemade hummus

Who knew how easy hummus was to make?  So economical too!  If you are a common cook, it is very likely that you have all of the ingredients already stocked in the pantry and fridge, maybe you just have to pick up a can of chickpeas and tahini, but that it!  Here is my base hummus recipe, but feel free to add in some avocado or roasted red peppers to create a delish take on your hummus!  

the breakfast or brunch burrito

Back in Colorado, but my breakfast (brunch) game is stronger than ever.  Maybe it is just because classes haven’t started yet and I am feeling energized and creative!  Yesterday, I woke up late and decided to wait for lunch, but I was still craving breakfast foods.  As a compromise, I made gluten-free, Veggie Brunch Burritos!  

cranberry brussels sprouts

View the full recipe on Kitchenbowl.

orange miso thai

What is more satisfying than a colorful, flavorful, vegan Thai dish?  Not much… well desserts, but that is a given.  I made this dish several times during my vegan challenge month.  I had it for dinner, then stored the left-overs in the fridge to pack for lunches and have for dinner again later on during the week.  It is a great dish for meal preparation.  (The dish was inspired by Angela Liddon.)