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Springdale, Arkansas, United States
Yoga and reading are my passions - followed closely by jewelry-making and cooking plant-based meals. My husband is my guinea pig for my recipes and thankfully he's a willing subject! Be sure to visit my Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBookishYogini?ref=search_shop_redirect

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

21-Day Vegan Kickstart Program - Day 1

Happy 2014!!  I hope that this New Year will bring wonderful things to everyone!

Have you made any New Years' Resolutions?  I no longer make "official" resolutions.  I do like to think about what is really important to me at this point in time and recommit to making time for those things.  One of those important things is healthy eating.  So, just like we did in 2011 when we first adopted a vegan lifestyle, we are jumpstarting or kickstarting our eating plan again using PCRM's 21-Day Vegan Kickstart plan.  Over the past year in particular, we have not been as diligent in eating a totally vegan menu.  It is very difficult when eating out or visiting family to completely avoid ALL animal products (i.e. milk, butter, eggs, cheese).  So rather than making a big fuss about it, and trying to avoid making others uncomfortable with our choices, we have eaten in more of a vegetarian style than vegan.  I will still not knowingly eat any meat, poultry, or fish.

Today is the first day of the program, and I am actually picking and choosing recipes from former and current programs.  For lunch today, we had Couscous Confetti Salad and seasoned Black-eyed Peas (in honor of New Years' Day traditions!)  




Couscous Confetti Salad

Makes about 8 1-cup servings
Couscous is pasta from northern Africa that cooks almost instantly and makes a beautiful and flavorful salad. Whole-wheat couscous is sold in natural food stores and some supermarkets.
1/2 cups dry whole-wheat couscous
2 cups boiling water
3 - 4 green onions, finely chopped, including tops (I left out)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 carrot, grated
1 - 2 cup finely shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (I used about 1 T. dried parsley)
1/2 cup golden raisins or chopped dried apricots (I left this out)
1 juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoons salt 

In a large bowl, combine couscous and boiling water. Stir to mix, then cover and let stand until all the water has been absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Add green onions, bell pepper, carrot, cabbage, parsley, and raisins or apricots.

In a small bowl mix lemon juice, vinegar, oil, curry powder, and salt. Add to salad and toss to mix. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Per 1-cup serving
  • Calories: 194
  • Fat: 2.1 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
  • Calories from Fat: 9.8%
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Protein: 5.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 40.2 g
  • Sugar: 10 g
  • Fiber: 4.2 g
  • Sodium: 283 mg
  • Calcium: 33 mg
  • Iron: 1.1 mg
  • Vitamin C: 40.9 mg
  • Beta Carotene: 1157 mcg
  • Vitamin E: 0.7 mg
Source: Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Diabetes by Patricia Bertron, R.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.


Tonight we will have one of our favorite's - Southern Beans and Greens, which I have written about here:  Southern Beans and Greens.

Namaste'
Carrie




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