The Lazy Vegan

No Sugar Chocolate Bars

2008-02-01T17:54:00.000-08:00

Get ready for the revolution! Okay, maybe that's a bit extreme. But, as a serious chocolate lover who is vegan and cutting down on sugar, finding any kind of chocolate that I can eat is simple a miracle. Oh, there are lots of vegan products with chocolate. Most are so laden with sugar grams that you might as well just suck on sugar cane like the old commercials.

My sister bought some Amber Lyn Chocolates when they had a food tasting display at CostCo. She was kind enough to share one Dark Chocolate Bar with me. Yeah, just one! Sheesh, what a sister.

The Dark Chocolate bars are dairy free and sweetened with wheat based maltitol. They contain 15 grams of sugar alcohol and no sugar grams.

After trying that first tidbit, I need more! I bought a mixed case from their website. I tried the Dark Chocolate, Dark Hazelnut Chocolate, Dark Mint Chocolate, and Dark Hazelnut Chocolate with Almonds. While all were tasty, the Dark Mint Chocolate was by far the best. I really couldn't taste the difference between the Dark Chocolate and the Dark Hazelnut Chocolate. The Almond version as slightly less sugar alcohol grams than the other bars.

I'm not sure how sugar grams and sugar alcohol grams compare. I know the body converts them differently. I am dividing the bars into the threes and eating a chunk at a time, so that's only 5 sugar alcohol grams.

If you'd like to check them out, here's the website: http://www.amberlynchocolates.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=cb

Low Sugar Cereals are Few and Far Between

2008-01-16T13:34:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to cut back on my sugar grams for health reasons. It sounds like a smart thing to do. I love breakfast cereal. I can't eat anything hot in the morning. Cereal fills me up.

So, I set out on the Internet and at the grocery store to find low or no sugar cereals. Oh, man! What a challenge!

First, anything labelled "no sugar" doesn't mean it's healthy. Most of the time they replaced the sugar with two or three different sweeteners. Because of this, some of the healthy cereals had more sugar grams than your average overly sweetened children's cereal.

Second, finding low sugar and no dairy was next to impossible. Evidentally, they add dairy to cereal to replace some of the taste lost from the lack of sugar. That's what I'm guessing.

I eventually found four cereals that met my criteria of low sugar grams and dairy free/vegan. Just four! They were Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs, Rice Puffs (a couple of brands), Cheerios (1 gram per bowl), and Spoon Sized Shredded Wheat.

Well, I already knew I liked Cheerios. Rice Puffs are fine if I mix them with something, otherwise, I have to eat 3 bowls to get full. I haven't tried the shredded wheat yet, but the Kashi was a pleasant suprise. It's got puffs but also crunchy grains. It's very tasty.

If you've found a low sugar, vegan cereal, post the name in the comments. I am eager to find enough alternatives to bring variety back into my diet.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T17:21:00.000-08:00

I would like to wish all my readers a Happy 2008! May it be a prosperous, enjoyable year filled will whatever you want it to be.

Have you set health goals for yourself for the new year? I plan to cut my sugar intake and find healthy snacks. My biggest downfall is I can't really eat fruit and I'm addicted to chocolate. So, I will be searching high and low for low sugar chocolate snacks.

I hope you will have a happy and healthy new year!

Luna Bars Pile on More Sugar

2007-11-30T13:27:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what's going on in the protein/energy bar aisle. First, NuGo doubled the amount of sugar in their bars. Now Luna has jumped on the bandwagon.

Nutz Over Chocolate used to have 9 grams of sugar per bar. It now has 12 grams. The Caramel Nut Brownie used to have 11 grams. It now has 14 grams.

I don't really understand why they are increasing sugar levels when the bars tasted good right from the start. I used to be able to eat two Nuts Over Chocolate bars and keeping my snacking sugar grams under 20 for the day. But, now I can only have one. Two bars equal 24 grams of sugar! Two brownies come out to 28 grams!

I really wish they would revert back. They had a good snack that tasted great. Now they've got a very sweet, sugary tasting snack that you have to be careful of overdoing. Bummer!

Tempeh Anyone?

2007-10-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

After being vegan for several years, I finally bought tempeh. Have you tried it? It's a fermented soy product that mimics meat in recipes. It can be straight soy bean or it can be mixed with grains.

I don't miss meat, but sometimes I like something else in my sandwiches. I bought LightLife's Three Grain Tempeh and gave it a try.

It looks a little strange, but it's really versatile. I took a hunk, crumbled it into my vegetables, and heated in the microwave. It came out really good! The Three Grain has a kind of grainy/nutty taste.

It freezes well. I put small chunks in freezer bags, then take what I need.

I haven't tried it but it might make a good pattie.

If you're looking for a little more texture to your meals, something on the line of ground beef or tuna (in texture, not taste!), then give this a try. It's a good filler!

NuGo Increases Sugar in it's Double Dark Chocolate Bars

2007-07-31T18:22:00.000-07:00

If you are addicted to the NuGo Double Dark Chocolate bars like I am, take a look at the label. They've almost doubled the amount of sugar in each bar.

The Double Dark Chocolate bars were sooooo good. I loved the fact that they only had 8 grams of sugar. If I wanted to be greedy, I could eat two and it wasn't that big of a deal. Now they have 15 grams of sugar, so you have to be careful. If you feel like two, that's a whopping 30 grams of sugar!

Why did they need to increase the sugar content? It makes no sense to mess with something that already tastes great. They should have left well enough alone.

I guess it's back to Luna bars since the Nutz Over Chocolate only has 9 grams of sugar.

Happy 4th!

2007-07-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a very happy 4th of July filled with great taste of veggie BBQ :)

Summer Squash is Easy in the Microwave

2007-05-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

Get ready for a change in produce. It's spring and it's time for summer squash. Zucchini, Patty Pan, Yellow Squash, Crookneck, and more. This fruit makes a great compliment to dinner meals and it's a nice change over the carrots and peas you've probably been eating all winter.

All of these varieties are easy to cook in the microwave. Scrub them up good under water. Remove the ends. Break them in half so they'll fit in your bowl. I use glass bowls with plastic lids for steaming produce in the microwave. Put the squash in the bowl and add a little bit of water so it doesn't burn.

Microwave for two minutes then check to see if it's done. Some squash has thicker skins so it takes longer in the microwave.

Who'd a Thunk It?

2007-03-25T18:35:00.001-07:00

I've been buying baby carrots for the last year. They are precut and can be sliced or mashed after they are cooked. I thought they were easier to work with.

A couple of weeks ago, I was craving regular carrots. Don't ask me why. I bought a bag and washed them up. Chopping carrots is too hard for me to do, so I went the lazy route and broke them into chunks. I put them in a glass bowl with some water.

I wasn't sure how long to microwave them. Baby carrots can take anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes. I decided to start with 2 minutes.

I sure was surprised when I tested them with a fork and they were done. I couldn't believe they took half the time of baby carrots.

Now all I cook is regular carrots. They may take a little longer to prepare but they microwave better and are sweeter.

Throw it in a Tortilla!

2007-02-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for ways to make dinner quick and easy. I realized a couple of weeks ago that vegetables microwave very well when wrapped in a tortilla. Make sure the vegetables are quick cooking. Fresh broccoli, shredded carrots, chopped zucchini, frozen peas, canned beans, and many others can be thrown in a tortilla.

Here's what I do:
Rinse a handful of broccoli. Break up the florets and throw them in the tortilla.
Rinse some mixed greens and throw those on top of the broccoli.
Wrap it up like a burrito.

Microwave for 1 minute. Let cool a bit. (Although you can touch the outside the inside will be steaming hot.)

It's a really easy way to have a nutritious meal. And, it's filling. You can throw in a variety of vegetables and they steam up really nicely.

Couscous is So Easy to Make

2007-01-06T17:54:00.000-08:00

Couscous has got to be the easiest side dish in the world to make. Takes about 5 minutes total and you've got a nice hot meal. It amazes me that it isn't a staple in all American household especially since we're so pressed for time.

If you've never cooked couscous, it really easy to make in the microwave. In fact, it's much easier than cooking it on the stove. Get yourself a microwave bowl. Put in one cup of couscous and 1 1/2 cups of water. Microwave for 1 minute. Then let it sit for 5 minutes.

That's it! You've made a really good side dish and it took almost no time.

If you like you can add to it. Before cooking through in some frozen peas or broccoli (fresh or frozen--takes about the same time). Microwave for 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Now you have a meal.

You can use other vegetables, just make sure they are quick cooking. Otherwise, the couscous might dry out before everything is cooked through.

Enjoy!

The Beauty of Braising Mix

2007-01-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I never liked kale, chard, and many of the other greens. They were too bitter or too stiff for me.

A few weeks ago, I happened upon braising mix which is a collection of mixed greens. Feeling adventurous, I bought the bag. Now, I am addicted.

Each bag has a variety of greens. Some I can figure out (kale, spinach, red chard, beet greens, friese) and other's I've got no clue about. They are so delicious though! I have been tossing greens in everything. It's an improvement over plain old lettuce on a sandwich. I've thrown it into tortillas filled with veggies. It can be steamed by itself or added to anything you like.

Greens are good for you. You get a variety of vitamins and minerals. A bonus is the good bacteria in your intestinal tract feed on greens. The more greens you eat, the happier you are.

So, now I've added something new to my diet. I probably should have tried this sooner. I'm the type of person who likes my food mixed. I never care for one vegetable at dinner. I always have three or more. By getting mixed greens, the more bitter leaves are camouflaged by the gentler tasting ones. And, if you get beet greens, you get to make everything red! (An extra added bonus! LOL)

Luna Bars are Delicious

2007-01-01T19:57:00.000-08:00

When I first read the ingredients on the Nutz Over Chocolate Luna Bar, I thought, hmmm...Green Tea extract? Yuck! But, I bought it anyway. You know what, it was good!

Since then I've had the Peanut Butter Bar and the S'mores. All three are very tasty, though the Nutz Over Chocolate is my favorite.

Each bar is packed with nutrition and only 8 grams of sugar. That's pretty darn good! They also have something called inulin which is supposed to helped regular insulin in the body.

They're satisfying too. One bar is good for an afternoon snack.

Be aware that the bars are produced on machinery that produces dairy, nuts, and wheat products. If you have severe sensitives, read the label to make sure that you aren't getting something you shouldn't have.

Here's a link to the website: http://www.lunabar.com/index_main.cfm

Season's Greetings!

2006-12-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

My Christmas Eve wish for you...

May your celebrations be festive.
May your feast be enjoyable.
May you be surrounded by family and friends.
May you remember those whose Christmas may not be so merry.
May the spirit of giving shine through you.
May their be peace at your dinner table and peace on Earth!

Merry Christmas!
Happy Hannukah!
Happy Holidays!
Joyous Winter Solstice!
And a Happy New Year to All!

Sharing in the Holiday Meals

2006-12-22T12:34:00.000-08:00

It can be really rough for people with stomach woe's and food allergies to enjoy the holiday season. Someone is always tempting you with a gooey cookie or a tantalizing smell from the kitchen. Saying "sorry, I can't have any" can make a person feel left out. Everyone else is digging in why you're clinging to the green salad and bread. And, then they give you those pitying stares. "How sad that so and so can't eat this".

The easiest way out is to cook for yourself. It's really too difficult to make others understand that you can't have milk, wheat, gravy, fatty foods, or whatever. There isn't anything preventing you from baking your goodies or buying some that you know can eat.

I have to be a bit careful. Even safe foods can be overdone. With holidays like Christmas where the festivities drag over two days, I am careful. I bring my own food. The important thing is to share dinner. I don't lament the things I can't have.

Christmas Evening after all the required functions are over and I'm safe at home (and near the bathroom), I will indulge in my favorite chocolatey "safe" treats. I may even have a glass of Ahlaska hot cocoa. It's just reward for being good with so many threats around. And, I deserve it!

Just a Good Cup of Soup

2006-07-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

I miss having easy to cook foods. Sometimes I'm just plain lazy and I don't feel like making anything. I could have a sandwich, but that gets old really quick. I guess I could have a salad, but I never really consider salad a meal.

The answer to my prayers...Dr. McDougall's Right Foods. You may be familiar with Dr. John McDougall and his philosophies on vegetarian diets. A couple of years ago, he came out with a food line based on that diet. There are a variety of soups, side dishes, and breakfast meals all in handy cups that can be made in about 5 minutes. I liked some of their soups and side dishes, but I always had a problem with the serving size (too small) and the seasonings (too much).

The Right Foods folks have solved my problem. First, they've made each cup bigger. Add a piece of bread, crackers, or a rice cake and you have a meal. Second, the seasonings now come in individually sealed packages. Now, I can add as little seasoning as I like and still enjoy my meal. What a great idea!

The meal cups come in a variety of flavors and all can be heated easily by adding boiling water (microwaving water for 1 minute works perfectly)

Where For Art Thou, Schmookies?

2006-07-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, you might think I've flipped my lid. That's okay. I can take it. A year or so ago, I fell in love...with a cookie. Schmookies were by far the best store bought dairy free cookies on the planet. There were made by a small company and tasted like home made. They came in varieties like Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Coconut Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, and so forth. They were shipped in little boxes with tissue paper making you feel like someone had made them special just for you.

But last Summer, Schmookies went out of production. The owner needed more money to continue. She promised that they would be back. But, a year later, still no Schmookies.

It's frustrating because as a person with stomach problems, it's very rare that I find something that tastes so good that doesn't leave me with rocks in my stomach. You just get to really like a product and then poof! it disappears. Well, hopefully, Schmookies will be back. They definitely have a cookie worth eating. It would be said to see them go out of business.

Grainy Side Dishes from Casbah

2006-04-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Some nights I need help preparing dinner. I don't have the energy to make something from scratch. There are plenty of side dishes in easy to make mixes but I can't eat most of them. They are either laden with salt, dairy, and other things I can't digest. Or, you must mix them with butter, milk, or oil in order for them to come out right. Since I don't eat any of those things, I'm limited.

Casbah, a division of Hain Celestial Group, has a line of side dish grain mixes that are easy to make and taste pretty good. The mixes are based on rice or couscous. The mixes come with seasoning packets so you can pour in as little or as much as you like. All cook easily in the microwave. Also, if you'd like to make a full meal of it, you can add 2 cups of your favorite veggies such as broccoli, peas, spinach, etc.

I have three favorites in the Casbah line: Rice Pilaf with Organiz Orzo, Nutted Pilaf, and Couscous Pilaf. I also like the Spanish Rice, but my stomach doesn't like the peppers that come with it.

The Couscous only takes 5 minutes to cook, while the others take about 15 minutes depending on the cooking method.

A look at the Casbah website shows that they are increasing their product line, although the website isn't fully functioning yet, so you can't see what they are. Looks like more good stuff is on the way! (By the way, they also have a line of grains such as couscous and basmati rice if you'd like to create your own side dish.)

Bumblebar

2006-04-14T17:40:00.000-07:00

I don't normally like health bars. Usually they have too many ingredients that disagree with my stomach.

I came across Bumblebars last year. I didn't realize that I couldn't live without them.

Bumblebars are made with a minimum of ingredients. Ingredients vary, however, you'll find an abundance of seeds and nuts in each bar. All varieties are certified organic and are gluten, dairy, and wheat free. Each is chewy and tastes a bit like a granola bar. They are rich in fiber, so if fiber is lacking from your diet this is one way to get it.

I really like the Chocolate Crisp. It's chocolatey enough for my taste buds, but not like a candy bar. I also enjoy the original flavor. I can't eat the others as they contain honey. For some reason, honey and I don't get along.

You might find Bumblebars as a local health food store. You can order direct from www.bumblebar.com as well. If you order from the website, sign up for the newsletter. Each month they offer a case discount on one flavor. When it's Chocolate Crisp I stock up.

This is snack you can indulge in. It taste good and it has nutritional value. You can check out the different varieties to see if you'd like to try them at the Bumblebar website.

Cocoa Mix that Tastes Great

2006-03-28T13:25:00.000-08:00

I have always been addicted to chocolate milk. I never even liked regular milk. If it didn't have three scoops of chocolate, I didn't want to drink it.

When I became lactose intolerance, I gave up on milk and went to soy milk. Trying to find a chocolate milk substitute wasn't easy. Most of the premade beverages weren't very chocolatey. Some were gritty and others had a distinct cardboard taste. I also tried powders that could be mixed with soy milk or water. Most were unsweetened. You had to be a chemist to figure out how much chocolate powder and how much sweetener to use. Others were sweetened but didn't mix well.

I came across Ah!laska's Non-Dairy Hot Cocoa Mix while browsing an online store. This is one of the best hot cocoa mixes I've tried. It makes a chocolate tasting hot cocoa even when mixes with soy milk. It also works well as a cold chocolate drink. If you're like me and like to indulge in the chocolate that sits on the bottom of the glass, you'll be pleased. This stuff tastes great!

Try this mix hot or cold. It makes a great glass either way. You won't be disappointed with this mix.

A Note about my Absence

2006-03-06T17:25:00.000-08:00

I apologize for not blogging this past week. My dog was diagnosed with a soft tissue tumor three weeks ago. We saw a specialist who laid out the treatment plans. The options were so extreme! Choice one was surgery to remove the tumor, skin graphs, and then radiation treatment. Choice two was to amputate her leg.

They lead us to believe we had several weeks to decide on how to handle the situation. However, within the short two week period she went from happy go lucky to losing blood. She was bleeding through bandages twice a day by last Monday. It was horrible to see her suffer.

On Tuesday 2/28, we arranged to go to our regular veterinarian to see if there was any hope. We had talked to several people including another vet about amputation. After talking to our vet, we decided this was her only chance. She would not survive another month bleeding the way she was.

To make a long story short, Sierra went into surgery that day and is now a week into recovery. It takes all of my time as she needs round the clock care. She can walk already (in fact, she walked 7 hours after the surgery) but must be watched so she doesn't hurt herself.

The vet bills are mounting up. If anyone would like to make a donation, we would appreciate in very much. I've set up a page for donation and also updates on her recovery.Here's the link: http://www.islandroutes.com/donation.shtml

She is doing amazingly well. She is such a great dog with an incredible spirit.

I hope to be back blogging next week.

Thanks for your support and patience!

Recipe: Mel's Oil Free Granola

2006-02-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that I worked on and modified over the years. It's an easy to make oil free granola--crunchy too!

8 cups Oats
1 cup Sunflower Seeds
1 TB Sesame Seeds
1 cup brown rice syrup
3/4 cup water

Add After Baking (Optional)
Raisins
Chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in parts. Mix well. Spread granola out on 2 cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn granola with a spatula, then cook for an additional 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes so granola gets crunchy. Add raisins and/or chocolate chips.

Note:

Don't bake the raisins or chocolate chips. The raisins will come out crunchy and the chips will melt.
You can substitute honey, barley malt syrup, and sorghum for brown rice syrup.
Don't use your best cookie sheets as the granola will stick.

Sjaak's Organic Chocolate is Pure Heaven

2006-02-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

My name is Melody and I'm a chocoholic. When I had to cut back by diet because of IBS, I really, really, really missed chocolate.

I went through practically every dairy free candy bar on the market. None of them satisfied my sweet tooth until I found "Sjaak's Organic Chocolates". Man, oh man, this is the real deal! Since I'm an expert at eating chocolate, I should know. It doesn't taste fruity or have a weird texture. It's just good ol' chocolate that melts in your mouth. The best part is it doesn't irritate my stomach so I can indulge in a bar and not have to worry about, um, repercussions.

One bar is one serving. None of this "3 servings in a bar" stuff! As if I'd be able to break the bar into threes. I attempted halves once and ended up eating the other half before it had time to cool in the fridge.

I've tried the Dark Chocolate and the Dark Chocolate with Almonds bar. Both are delicious, but I prefer the regular Dark Chocolate bar over the almonds. They do have other varieties, I haven't found them in stores yet. If you want to try Sjaak's candy, be aware that they also have items with dairy.

You can see the entire line of Sjaak's Chocolates on their website.

Learning to Cook with a Microwave Oven

2006-02-22T18:42:00.000-08:00

As my disease progresses, certain things have become very difficult. Cooking is now a challenge. Sometimes my hands don't grip the way they should. A heavy pot is a recipe for disaster (no pun intended!). Chopping vegetables can be so painful. Standing by the stove kills my feet. I want to healthy meals, so I've had to teach myself news ways to cook.

My microwave oven has become my best friends. It is so much easier to put something in the microwave, sit down, and wait. I can't really do this while pots are boiling on the stove. They have to watched diligently. The longer I stand, the harder it becomes.

Cooking in a microwave is a challenge and involves a whole new set of rules. Preparation must be considered if you have joint problems. I have trouble gripping a knife. My solution is to buy vegetables that don't need to be cut. Frozen vegetables are a time saver, but baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, potatoes, baby corn, and other vegetables can either be torn up by hand or cooked whole.

Vegetables that were thrown into a pot and left on the stove have to be done with care in the microwave. Baby carrots need to be covered with water or they shrivel up. Broccoli only needs a little water. Frozen foods are always done before the time on the bag. I feel like a chemist as I mess up one batch and the other comes out just right.

Vegetables are the easiest thing to cook in the microwave. Grains take more care. Pre-made mixes give you the directions, but cooking from scratch is much more difficult. I'm learning as I go. Couscous has turned out to be the easiest and quickest item to cook. A cup of couscous can be microwaved for a minute, then set aside for 15. Viola! It's easy and perfect! Other grains like brown rice take almost as long in the microwave as on the stove, but they do come out better.

In addition to working out how to cook foods in the microwave, you need to find the right bowls and pots. Although plastic bowls are easy to use, they don't always hold heat well. I have found that glass bowls work best for microwave cooking. They seem to hold heat, bring water to a boil, and cook evenly. There are also special pots that can be used in the microwave. I have a microwave cooker/steamer made of plastic that can cook up grains or steam veggies. I recently bought a microwaveable pot. It has a long handle like a regular pot, so it's easy to grab. It also has a lid with holes that is placed on the pot while cooking. It's a great feature because you don't have to worry about spilling boiling water all over the place and it is easy to drain.

I am still in the early stages of my new cooking feats. I've yet to attempt pasta though I've heard it works pretty well in the microwave. I'm still attempting certain vegetables--and messing up more than I'd like to admit. It's important to me to maintain good tasting meals that are healthy. I can't get that from fast food or take out, so I've got to relearn something my mother taught me in elementary school.

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Tips:
Baby carrots can be microwaved whole. Make sure they are covered almost completely with water. A cup of baby carrots takes about 2 minutes 30 seconds.
Broccoli can be microwave in large chunks with stalk. Water does not have to cover broccoli. Depending on the amount, broccoli takes about 1-3 minutes.
Frozen vegetables come out much better in glass bowls than plastic. Vegetables are not soggy and the texture is more like fresh cooked.
Couscous can be cooked easily in the microwave. Use 1 cup of couscous and 2 cups of water. Microwave 1 minute then let stand 15.
Brown Rice cooks up much better in the microwave then on the stove. Follow the directions on bag/box.

Recipe: Noodles Lo Mein

2006-02-22T18:40:00.000-08:00

This recipes makes a very satisfying meal.

1 TB ginger powder or fresh ginger (peeled and cut into cubes)
2-3 TB lite teriyaki sauce
8 oz pkg linguine, vermicelli, or spaghetti
4 cups cold water
1 large clove of garlic, minced
16 oz. frozen vegetables or equivalent of chopped fresh vegetables (about 2-3 cups)
1 small onion, sliced (optional)

In a large stockpot, bring water to a boil. Add ginger, teriyaki sauce, garlic, and pasta. Simmer 2 minutes. Stir in vegetables and onion. Return to a boil. For frozen vegetables, simmer 2-3 minutes until tender. If using fresh vegetables let simmer for about 10 minutes. Serves 6.

Notes:

You can add 1 cup of vegetable broth to variate the flavor.
Pasta can be cooked and added to the pot (sometimes helpful when using longer cooking fresh vegetables).
Some vegetables to use: carrots, broccoli, snow peas, baby corn, cauliflower, peas, bean sprouts, and zucchini. Try different combinations!
When using fresh vegetables, you can steam or microwave them first to cut down on cooking time.