Hi everyone! I am finally back from my overseas vacation, and I have to admit, I missed my blog.
It was an amazing trip and I am so grateful to my girlfriends for taking time from their busy lives so we could all go together. Italy was not as much of a challenge as I thought for a vegan, and when in doubt, spaghetti pomodoro was my best friend.
Fortunately, our accommodations in Tuscany had a small kitchen, so after a long day of sightseeing, we stayed in and enjoyed some home cooked vegan meals.
I noticed something new on this vacation, and it was my lack of jet lag and my never ending energy. Although I have always been an energetic person, there is no doubt in my mind that my endurance has doubled or maybe even tripled since I began a vegan diet.
By eliminating the fat you find in dairy, animal products and processed food, one naturally has more get-up-and-go. For this one reason alone, I am extremely grateful to be a vegan. Life is too short not to do everything you love and sometimes you need a little extra energy to achieve that.
One other thing I would like to point out today is…..there is no downside to becoming a vegan. Don't listen to the naysayers about lack of protein.
There are plenty of ways to get protein and if you follow this blog, I promise to teach you how. Also this is a great time of year to give it a try because of all the delicious produce available at your local supermarkets. Next month you can join thousands of others for “Animal free August.” Give it a try, I promise, the results will be immediate. Now on to food.
First thing I did when I got home was stock the kitchen with all the incredible fruits and vegetables available this time of year. Don't you just love summer? I bought a large bag of fresh peas and a variety of mushrooms at the Farmer's Market and made some yummy stuffed mushroom wraps with a sweet pea pesto.
This meal is very low in calories, high in protein and mushrooms are known for their potent healing properties. It is easy to make and the only thing that takes a little time is stuffing the dim sum won tons. Don't sweat it though. Hope you are all having a fabulous summer. Vegan Day 438 – Wish me luck.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 8 oz mushrooms, chopped (3 cups)
- 2 tbsp sherry
- 24 won ton wrappers
- 2 cups frozen peas, thawed (or 2 cups fresh peas)
- ¾ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp ground pinenuts
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped mint
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp crushed pinenuts (or more to taste)
- Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until translucents and starting to brown. Add garic and thyme cook 1 minutes. Add mushrooms; increase heat and saute 7 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Add sherry; cook 1 minute or until sherry evaporates. Transfer filling to bowl and cool 20 minutes.
- Place 1 won ton wrapper on work surface. Brush edges with water. Put 1 tsp filling in center of wrapper. Fold into triangle, pressing edges to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and mushroom mixture. (Ravioli can be frozen on parchemnt-lined trays and kept in resealable bag in freezer for later use.
- Blend peas, broth, mint and 2 tbsp ground pinenuts until smooth. Add more broth if too thick. Transfer to saucepan and warm over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper to tast and set aside.
- Bring large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add ravioli carefully and cook 2 minutes. Drain. Spoon pea puree onto plates. Top with ravioli and a tbsp of crushed pinenuts.
Ciao a tutti, thanks for the article, very interesting. We are an Italian-American couple living between the US and Italy, we have compiled a little report for vegetarians and vegans in Italy!!
We’d also love to collaborate with other food/travel related website owners!!
Ciao!!
VegItalyGuide.com