Vegan Iron Boost Salad

I hate it when friends or family invite me out and, when I ask what kind of food the restaurant has or whether they have any vegan food, they respond, "They have salad." Vegans don't eat nothing but salad!!!! I love hearty, savory food. To me, salad is a side dish, not a main dish. So I generally don't eat just salad. But of course, there are exceptions. I eat this salad as a meal. It makes me feel zippy! Probably because it doesn't weigh me down and the iron helps my blood deliver oxygen to my body. As easily psychosomatically influenced as I am, I also think it helps me feel warmer when my extremities start feeling constantly cold (my nose, my hands, etc.), which I blame on poor circulation. Also, it is great if you, like me, have issues with portion control - too much of this salad this isn't quite as harmful as too much spaghetti!

I created this salad because recently a loved one was diagnosed as anemic. So I went over and made her this fabulous, iron-rich salad. She is a card carrying carnivore, but I know that some people say that vegans don't get enough iron. So I thought I would share this information and this recipe for anyone who needs a little extra iron in their diet. The spinach, peas, and chickpeas give this salad a hearty, earthy flavor. Then the hearts of palm, bell pepper, and mandarin orange slices add a whallop of zing. If you have never tried hearts of palm, the white, crescent shapes in the picture, I recommend them. They are unlike anything else I have ever tasted. I find them in a can above the olives and pickles at wild oats. I rinse them thoroughly first to get that canned water taste out of them. In the picture above you can also see little dark spots - that's balsamic vinegar because I put balsamic vinegar and oil on as a dressing. I think anything else would overpower the rest of the flavors. However, my husband enjoyed it with green goddess dressing and my daughter enjoyed it with annie's french dressing. There's usually enough for me to save some and take if for lunch for a couple of days.

As for the nutritional content, the spinach, peas, chickpeas, and surprisingly the hearts of palm are good sources of iron. The chickpeas also add a little protein. The bell peppers and mandarin are there for the vitamin C, which helps, if not is essential, for iron absorption. Also, avoid calcium in the same meal, as it reduces iron absorption.

1 bunch of spinach, rinsed and torn into bite sized shreds
1 can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen peas, cooked
1 fresh bell pepper, chopped
1 can of hearts of palm, rinsed and chopped
2 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented

Combine all ingredients, add dressing and enjoy!

Apple Maple Bran Muffins

I am not a muffin fan. Nor am I a muffin connoisseur. So don't take my word for it when I say these muffins are acceptable - because I don't have a clue. I do like the rich and sweet flavor. I also like the moistness. But, to me, the muffins also taste the exactly the same as the gooey batter that I put in the muffin tin before baking, which manages to hold together after being cooked. So if anyone has suggestions or recipes for knock-off-your-pants-fabulous (take that however you want) vegan bran muffins (that a 5 year old would also eat) I would appreciate them.

I started experimenting with bran muffins for the sake of my 5 year old, who, well, let's just say that after a trip to the doctor I increased her fiber intake by as much as I could. I tried several types. But this recipe is the favorite so far.

2 tbsp vegan margarine
2 cups apple sauce, sweetened or unsweetened
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups oat bran
3 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease muffin pan.

In a large saucepan heat the margarine and applesauce together over medium heat until the margarine is just melted. Remove from heat, stir in molasses and maple syrup. Set aside. Combine the dry ingredients. Add the diced apple and wet ingredients, stir quickly to moisten, and pour the batter into the muffin pan.