Irish Nachos

A teensy  (hey I said teensy!)  bit better for you than traditional nachos, this "Irish" version is made with potato slices and then topped with traditional nacho toppings. It tastes almost like an exploded baked potato supreme from heaven.

To make the potatoes:
 Slice 4-6 potatoes thinly and place in a single layer on 1 or 2 oiled baking sheets.
Bake at 425 for 12 minutes, then flip. Bake another 12 minutes or so, then remove from heat and pile them up onto one baking sheet.

Top with cheese, beans, chilis and bake until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven and finish by topping with salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole!

Seitan from Scratch and Seitan Guinness Stew

Just in time for St. Patty's day!

Seitan is a "vegan meat" made from flour and water.

To make, mix 4 cups whole grain flour with 1.5 cups water, to make a ball of dough. Let rest for 30 minutes or more.

Then place the dough in a collander, with a bowl underneath it and rinse with water until the water runs clear. What is left is the vital wheat gluten.
From here, boil the seitan in a bit of veggie stock and spices until cooked through, about an hour.

Use some as you would any other meat, saute, stew, etc.

Guinness Stew
3 each, carrots and stalks of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped
1-2 bottles of Guinness, depending on taste
1.5 cups broth
2 tbsp. steak sauce or soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. thyme or mixed seasoning

Saute seitan in olive oil until browned. Add in steak sauce or soy sauce and turn to coat. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, saute celery, carrot, potato, onion, garlic for about 5 minutes. Combine the rest of the ingredients (sans seitan) and stir. Add in seitan and simmer until thickened, about 45 minutes.

Favorite Breakfast Smoothie

I'm not huge on breakfast, unlike my husband, who can jump out of bed and scarf down a stack of pancakes quicker than I can get to my cup of coffee. My tummy just isn't ready for that level of commitment in the morning.

So that being said, the best way for me to get my metabolism going is with a smoothie.

This one is quick, packs in my antioxidants and vitamins into one fell swoop! Smoothies are super easy, you can mix 'em up with what you have on hand. Be sure to add a scoop of something packed with vitamins for an added energy boost!

1 cup soymilk

1 cup frozen berries
1 banana

1 scoop Super Green powder

1 packet of Emergen-C

1 tbsp. flax oil

Blend and enjoy!