Meal #1

I know I've been on this diet for a few weeks now (with a break in Mexico) but since I just started blogging I'm going to start with recipes I do from this point forward. So here's Meal #1 that I got from a great cookbook called Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. I've also decided at the end of each post about meals I've cooked, I'll choose one ingredient to feature with a health benefit tip.

Friday night I made:
Mellow Yellow "Sniffle" Soup: It came out GREAT! It was full of great flavor from many complicated spices and thick and filling!

Gimmee Chimees (Pictured above - sorry about the quality, it was taken with my camera phone): This was a brown rice tortilla filled with zucchini, bell peppers, onion, tomato, Tempe, garlic, and an array of spices. It was spicy and delicious :)

Quinoa: The recipe I used called for Mulled Cran-Apple Cider. I didn't have this so I just used Apple Cider. It turned out OK. I could definitely see how the extra flavor of the Mulled Cran-Apple Cider would have transformed this dish. Perhaps next time.

All in all, these recipes were easy to make, full of veggies and healthy grains and low in fat. I felt very healthy eating them and completely satisfied and full.

Health Benefit Tip:

Quinoa is high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142#healthbenefits