The Well Code

The Nine Best Vegan Substitutions That Don’t Taste Vegan

These nine easy Vegan alternatives will make Meatless Monday that much easier
July 21, 2016
Story By: Mandy Kellogg Rye
Filed Under > Dressing & Sauces

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The best vegan substitutions (you won't even know the difference!), Waiting on Martha

Almost six years ago I gave up meat (I’m a pescatarian) and never looked back.  Honestly, it was one of the easiest changes I’ve ever made.  And while I’d like to say giving up dairy has been as easy as giving up meat, the truth of the matter is giving up dairy has been hard!  But, like many others I struggle with food intolerances caused primarily by dairy, so learning to live without it in my every day life is extremely important.  

Luckily there are so many vegan substitutions for my favorite condiments and toppings these days that taste just as good (if not better) than the real thing.  And just because you’re not completely vegan or even vegetarian, you can still enjoy these vegan substitutions in your dishes, and enjoy the benefits of cutting out those sketchy ingredients and chemicals in the traditional versions.  Plus eating less meat is not only better for your overall health it’s imperative to the survival of our planet.  I’ve turned my husband, parents and friends onto all of these you see here today for the simple fact that they make us feel better eating them, and truthfully it’s rare they can even tell the difference.

A word to the wise though; always choose soy free “meats” whenever possible and like everything moderation is key.  At the end of the day these are still processed foods and the healthiest way to live is always with unprocessed, whole foods. Truly, MKR

No. 1…Quorn Chik’n Tenders.  When I became a vegetarian a few years ago, one of the biggest things I missed were crispy, fried chicken.  Thankfully I can still get my fix whenever the craving hits with Quorn’s alternative that’s meatless and soy free.  Seriously tastes just like ’em dunked in a little ranch, honey mustard or my personal favorite McDonald’s BBQ sauce.

No. 2…SO Delicious Coconut Milk Coffee Creamer. I’ve been a fan of using SO Delicious’ coconut milk for some time now, whether it’s in a smoothie, my morning coffee or in a dessert.  So when I discovered its French Vanilla coffee creamer, I was immediately sold.  

No. 3…Follow Your Heart Pepper Jack Style Slices.  Cheese is by far the most difficult thing to fake in a vegan sense.  But if cheese is a must for you go with the Follow Your Heart pepper jack; it’s the best you’ll find and trust me I’ve tried them all!

No. 4…Field Roast Italian Sausage.  This vegetarian sausage will appease even the biggest meat-lover.  With fresh eggplant and packed with fennel, red wine, garlic and sweet peppers, it’s great in homemade soups as well as backyard barbecues. 

No. 5…Follow Your Heart Veganaise (Soy Free).  There are plenty of recipes and dishes that call for mayo, and they’re better for it (let’s be honest with ourselves).  Hence why this vegan substitution can always be found in my fridge.  I use it in my broccoli salad, my onion spinach dip and so much more. 

No. 6…Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream. I can’t imagine eating Mexican food (and I LOVE Mexican food) without sour cream.  To my pleasant surprise, this vegan sour cream tastes just as good (again, if not better) than the real thing.  I’ve realized quite often it’s a textural thing for me with food and condiments, and this is one that I’m happy to be able to still enjoy thanks to a solid vegan version. 

No. 7…Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese.  Like the sour cream, the cream cheese will make you double-check the label in disbelief.  It’s THAT good.  Whether as a bagel schmear, mixed in your favorite dip, or inside a cheesecake, this vegan cream cheese is a solid, solid alternative.  Dice up some fresh chives and/or herbs for a little extra flavor. 

No. 8…Lightlife Smart Dogs. These “veggie dogs” have been popularly dubbed the best vegan hot dogs around.  They contain no cholesterol and are lower in fat as well as calories than real hot dogs, and needless to say they’re not made up of all of that sketchy stuff that we’ve all heard is in traditional ‘dogs.  I’m a huge fan of these because—let’s be honest here—the secret to a great hot dog is cooking it on the grill with all in the sauces, relish, and for me coleslaw on top! 

No. 9…Field Roast Breakfast Sausage. Some mornings just call for breakfast sausage.  But as a vegetarian, I won’t get anywhere near the real thing.  Fortunately, this vegan version tastes incredible (even the Mr. agrees).  I’ve served them many times to guests around the brunch table and to my delight, nobody knew the difference. 

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Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha

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Roasted Zucchini, Corn, Fava Bean & Orzo Salad with Shrimp Skewers

Celebrate Some of Summer's Best Flavors with This Easy Dish
July 20, 2016
Story By: Mandy Kellogg Rye
Filed Under > 30 Minute Meals

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Blog-Food-GrilledOrzo2
Blog-Food-GrilledOrzo

I’ve been on a summer clean eating kick, with my heirloom tomato salad and my fresh frisee salad.  Today’s dish is another favorite recipe of mine that celebrates so many simple summer flavors all in one bite.  Welcome to my orzo salad with sautéed zucchini and corn, Fava Beans, shallots and cilantro. 

I’ve always loved orzo; it works so well in a dish when you need some sort of carb or starch, but want to make sure the vegetables are the star of the show.  I gravitate to this rice-shaped pasta especially when sautéing zucchini, squash and fresh summer corn zipped from the cob.  Like pasta, it will pick up any flavor you’re cooking it up with.  It’s also great to have on hand because you can cook it in bulk, freeze it, or even keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days to use with salads, side dishes and soups. 

You’ll also notice I use Fava Beans here; a  smoother, richer bean than any else.  Fava beans may be new to some, and truthfully they aren’t the easiest to find, but if you see them please give them a try!  This delicate bean gives an almost creamy consistency to each forkful, and feels like a treat to eat by the time you’re done preparing it.   Before they’re peeled, they look like an overgrown sweet pea, and they MUST be double-peeled before cooking (a little lesson I learned from (Food Network’s Chopped).   Here’s a great how-to if it’s your first time peeling the beans. 

The rest of the ingredients for my orzo salad really speak for themselves, and preparing for this simple dish as I’ve shared below is as straight-forward as you’ll find.  As for the shrimp skewers: they’re just as easy and can be prepared and grilled in less than 10 minutes.  Simply toss the shrimp (after peeling and deveining of course) in any spicy seasoning (I prefer THIS one or Old Bay, and is also what I use for the zucchini) and place onto skewer sticks for quick grilling.  And in fact, this entire meal is one of those 30-minute-and-under gems!  But something to note: there is a lot of multi-tasking that needs to happen for this recipe, so take your time and read through the recipe in its entirety before beginning, and have all your components prepped and ready to go.  Enjoy!  Truly, MKR

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Roasted Zucchini, Corn, Fava Bean & Orzo Salad with Spicy Shrimp Skewers
Yields 4
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Prep Time
7 min
Cook Time
23 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
7 min
Cook Time
23 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 1-11/2 peeled and deveined shrimp
  2. 3 ears of corn, zipped
  3. 2 zucchini halved lengthwise
  4. 1/2 lb. orzo
  5. 1/2 lb. fava beans peeled
  6. 1 large shallot, diced
  7. juice of 2 fresh limes
  8. 4 Tbsp. olive oil
  9. Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
  10. spicy seasoning, or Old Bay
  11. Cayenne Pepper
  12. salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees, light/start your grill.
  2. Toss your shrimp with a tsp. of olive oil and spicy seasoning, place on skewers and set aside.
  3. Toss zucchini with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spicy seasoning. Place on a roasting pan and roast for approximately 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender and cooked through, but not mushy.
  4. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the orzo al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside.
  5. While zucchini is roasting and the orzo is cooking heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium/high heat in a large saute pan or dutch oven. Add shallots and cook till translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add corn and fava beans cook an additional 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. While everything is sautéing place your shrimp on the grill and cook 2 minutes per side.
  7. Add orzo to your corn and bean mixture, plus 2 additional tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch (or two) of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Cook an additional 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  8. On a large platter lightly mix the orzo mixture, zucchini, fresh cilantro, a bit more cayenne (if you like it spicy, salt and pepper. Serve with shrimp skewers.
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Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha

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5 Ways to Create (Or Break) a Habit

How to Form The Groundwork For Better Behaviors
July 13, 2016
Story By: Mandy Kellogg Rye
Filed Under > Health & Wellness

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The other day, MKR and I strayed on our morning call to wonder about what it takes to form new habits and what it takes to break the bad ones.  We both agreed that it’s quite a fascinating topic really; the psychology behind what makes us do the things we do, and what it takes to actually change our behavior when we’re on auto-pilot.  We talked about how habits affect our eating behavior, fitness routine, productivity and just about every arena of our day-to-day life…and we wanted to know how to better control them. 

With my interest peaked, I started doing some digging, and I listened to this NPR interview with Charles Duhigg, the author of The Power of Habit.  Duhigg shares some interesting insight about the psychology of the habit loop (there’s always a trigger or cue, as well as the behavior itself and then a final reward).  I especially thought the fact that we’re more likely to break certain habits when we’re on vacation was SO interesting. (One more reason to pack our bags, right?!)

But with vacation over a month away, I also wondered how long it would take to create or break a habit.  Perhaps you too have heard it takes 21 days to form a new habit.  Three weeks to quit smoking, three weeks to stick to a consistent gym routine, three weeks to start making your bed, 3 weeks to apply sunscreen everyday…doesn’t seem so hard to do, right?  Unfortunately, the magical 21 number may actually be just a myth (derived from Psycho-Cybernetics, a book originally published in 1960 by Dr. Maxwell Maltz).  In reality, it probably takes a lot longer than that (looks closer to 66 days even) to form or break a habit, and it’s been widely up for debate with researchers for decades. 

In my quick research, I discovered five ways to help create (or break) a habit.  Click on the image above to read more.  Will you be putting any of these tips to work?  Cheers, Kat

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Plan for The Habit (For a Month)

Plan for The Habit (For a Month)

Before you dive into it, focus on changing habits for a month before actually changing them. Take time to write down the reasons why you do the things you do, and list the reasons why you want to change. This will make you more invested in the long-run and more aware of the obstacles when you face forming a new habit or breaking an old one.

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VIA ANNE STREET STUDIO
Discover the Triggers for the Habit Loop

Discover the Triggers for the Habit Loop

By recognizing and understanding the cues and triggers causing the habits to happen, you're more likely to put an end to (or change) them. It's thought that every cue falls into five categories (location, time, emotional state, other people, and an immediately preceding action). Make note of these factors when you notice the habit happening, and see if there's part of the pattern you can disrupt. Read more here.

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Change Your Surroundings

Change Your Surroundings

According to this NPR article, one of the best times to try to break a habit is when you're on vacation. Author of The Power of Habit Charles Duhigg explains, "changing a habit on a vacation is one of the proven most-successful ways to do it. If you want to quit smoking, you should stop smoking while you're on a vacation — because all your old cues and all your old rewards aren't there anymore. So you have this ability to form a new pattern and hopefully be able to carry it over into your life."

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VIA BUNGALOW 1
Create an If-Then Plan

Create an If-Then Plan

By recognizing what's triggering your habit loop, you can put concrete plans of action in place for when the questioning situation arises. Life Hacker explains that having an If-Then Plan mapped out will eventually help strengthen new habits to form.

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Set Reminders

Set Reminders

For a little extra boost, set reminders for yourself in your planner or Google Calendar about the habits you wish to change. This added reinforcement will only help you as you carve a new path of behaviors.

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VIA THE PAPER CHRONICLES

Featured image, Anne Street Studio

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