Cooking With Que

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Cooking With Que #FauxThanksgiving #PopUp

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I wondered what would happen if I went against the grain and cooked something different this year for the holidays. Everyone expects turkey on Thanksgiving and I wanted to try out a new recipe and see if the turkey would be missed.

I was like a mad scientist trying to figure out what food would be filling to my guests, and then see how I could pull this all together and not spend a crap load of money. My brain said, you have to have a Cooking With Que #FauxThanksgivingDinner #PopUp. That sounds weird right? Oh, but that’s exactly what it was.

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Product of the Week: Vegan Egg

Published on | in Baking, Product of the Week, Tips By
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So I had to tell you guys about a new product that I tried. It’s called the Vegan Egg. This is a 100% plant based egg replacer. I remembered hearing of it, but I couldn’t find it in my local grocery store. Well, while I was grocery shopping for some items for a new Vegan Donut recipe, looked down the flour aisle, and low and behold I see some peculiar packaging. Very clever packaging too. It looks like a mini egg carton. I could have shed a tear. It’s in the flour aisle? I have been looking in the wrong place all along. Every non vegan I asked about this item, their response was to look by the eggs. It would be there if we had it. When I found this, my heart melted, and my day was made.

My first thought was, how is this gonna work? Didn’t really understand. First, I wanted to try it as an egg, so I whipped up an omelette, just to see if it would stick together. Nailed It (not tooting my own horn but.. It was delicious). The secret to this is not to over add the powder. The directions on the container is accurate, and realize the more you “whip it” (like the song.. haha) the fluffier it gets. So think about the food you want to make, and if you want it to be super fluffy or not.

So far, have made, omelettes, and donuts and it worked out perfectly. It’s your turn now. What recipe did you replace with the Vegan Egg. Snap a pic and tag me in it, @CookingWithQue! I’m super excited.

Bok Choy

Published on | in Healthy, Tips By
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Do you ever see this in the grocery store and say hmmm...what’s that? And keep going? Well guess what… it’s BOK CHOY!!!!

For those who have never tried it, it’s a go to food of mine, if I want something that’s quick and filling.

Let me give you the basic details first ok.

100 grams of this leafy green is literally 13 calories. Did you hear me? I’m repeating this, 100 grams of this leafy green is 13 calories (shouts on the inside). So for a person that’s looking to drop a few pounds, you will be full, and excited about the taste of this vegetable.

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Meet Quiana “Que” Broden and learn the “Why” behind Cooking With Que

Published on | in Cooking, Healthy, News By
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Soooo before you understand “Que” I gotta let you in on some things … ok?

The Why …

I have not been Vegan my whole life.  Surprised?  Don’t be.  It’s been a couple of years now.  And I mean a couple of GREAT, LIFE CHANGING YEARS.

10 years ago, I was a person with chronic sinus issues, always had bronchitis, like seriously; I could catch a full-blown cold in the middle of summer.  After a gazillion tests, copays, skin biopsies and even a lung biopsy – I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis and they found that I was allergic to DAIRY (yeah … tears were shed).  Due to the stage of this obnoxious Lung Disease and the aggressiveness of it, I was told that I needed to be put on steroids and that I would have to take them everyday for the rest of my life.  (WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!…. were my words.. VERBATIM, to my pulmonary specialist)

My mind couldn’t fathom taking a drug that would deteriorate my kidneys and break me down – and I wasn’t even 30 yet?  All I could think about were my kids.  I refused to break myself down and kill myself with all of the prescribed drugs that I was going to have to take.  NO!!!!!! …… NoThankYou!!

So I did what any person would do … I searched for alternative holistic methods and recipes and that was how my healthy way of life started.

(For the record, I only take meds on occasion when I’m having major Sarcoid flare ups, outside of that… I don’t take STEROIDS DAILY AND I’M HEALTHY AS EVER!!!!  BOOM!!!)

The Vegan Transition … in a Land of MeatEaters

This came about by fluke of nature people! After the normal Thanksgiving – Christmas feasting… I was feeling tired, overly full, completely bloated and I honestly felt like I weighed as much as a Walrus (No Joke).  My body had enough and so I said … NO MORE. I NEED TO GO ON A 10 DAY CLEANSE!!!!! I had to reboot my insides.  I started #ColdTurkey (no pun intended).  It was immediate.  I told my family and I kept my word.

When my 10 days were up, I didn’t feel the need to go back. And guess what? Till this very day, I’m still on my cleanse!  LOL!

This body of mine is happy, healthy and doing it without anything that had a Momma!

My husband and kids are still MeatEaters, but they are healthy MeatEaters. They have minimal dairy (they don’t know it though) and eat chicken, turkey and seafood, No Pork and No Red Meats.  My grandparents … oh … let me tell you … they  sneak the kids burgers every now and then (smh) they think it’s a treat for them (and you can’t really tell an 80 & 83 year old what to do … it DOES NOT END WELL,  believe me I’ve tried!!!).

Now, being Vegan in a house full of MeatEaters is a normal way of life for me.  I cook some pretty awesome meals for my family everyday and “Cooking With Que” is the space I have created to show people from any kitchen, healthy ways to satisfy everyone at the table.

So, Welcome Family!!!!!!!

Que

Que Tips #1 Substitutes for Shortening, Butter, and Sweeteners

Published on | in How To, Tips, Video By
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#QueTips #1

Here are some #QueTips on small changes you can make in your kitchen that will make a big difference on your journey to Eat To Live! These are small changes that you can make to make a huge difference. We all know that we have to start somewhere.  Start with the things that you use the most. Here are a few of the items that I swapped out and the whole family made the adjustment, and without one complaint! 

Check out this video and see for yourself 🙂

Until next time, May your tastebuds be  forever satisfied!!

Que 🙂

Is Eating Healthy Expensive?

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Why does it cost so much to eat healthy? Why? Why can I get a burger for $.99, but if I want a salad it's like $7.00. These are the types of questions I get all the time. So of course, if I hear it, I know that there are people that are thinking the same thing and want answers.

We live in a society where everyone loves instant gratification so food chains, have recognized that and are capitalizing off of it. Is it wrong? Meh. They go after consumers who want to be satisfied instantly, and it works.

Walking into a grocery, the food in the inner isles are cheaper than the food around the perimeter of the store. Let me break that down. Canned veggies are way cheaper than fresh veggies. It’s crazy, I know. It’s the truth though.

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Eggplant is a Fruit?!

Published on | in 357 Vegan Challenge, Cooking, Healthy, How To, Video By
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At first glance, you notice the beautiful deep purple color. It looks more like a work of art than a vegetable. The eggplant is regal, I imagine the eggplant being high society in the fruit world.

Eggplants belong to the nightshade family of fruit, which also includes tomatoes, sweet peppers and potatoes. They grow in a manner much like tomatoes, hanging from the vines of a plant that grows several feet in height. While the different varieties do range slightly in taste and texture, one can generally describe the eggplant as having a pleasantly bitter taste and spongy texture.

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Food Allergies, Dietary Needs, ASK QUESTIONS!!

Published on | in 357 Vegan Challenge, Allergy, Dietary Needs, Healthy, Tips By
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Hi, welcome to my world. I have sarcoidosis, I’m allergic to dairy, yes that means milk, eggs, cheese, etc. Oh yeah and I’m also Vegan. My friends call me #SmallPrint (rude), but it's true!

Imagine going out to dinner with me? LOL!

I’m usually the last person to order, because I take longer, the waiter/waitress usually has to go talk to the chef to double check ingredients, because they NEVER know what is in what. We must go through this process because they don’t want to be the reason someone has to use an epipen on me in their establishment (lol, its not funny.. But it's true, lol).

Being a person with allergies, or dietary restrictions, is not the easiest thing to live with. You can’t just say hey I’m gonna go grab some fast food, for fear of cross contamination plus you never know what all of the ingredients are and so on.

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The Funniest Vegan Grocery Shopping Trip Ever

Published on | in 357 Vegan Challenge, Healthy, How To, Tips, Video By
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Listen, it's the day before Labor Day and one of my great friends, Damon Johnson, decides he wants to do the #357VeganChallenge. Please understand that he does not like to follow rules. He wants to do it now, not when he is supposed to, the last week of the month. He wants to do it right after the holiday, and he wants me to be his personal grocery shopper ( I didn’t even know that was in my title)!

Now, this all sounds well, but he picked a day where I have no staff; I have my 2 sons and that’s it. My daughter was at Grandma's, my Husband was sleeping, Liz was in a different state, and both of my peeps, Jordette and Angelyn, were on completely opposite sides of town.

I know my son who just turned 14 was not the videographer of choice for this this experience, but sometimes you have to make it work.  He was not prepared for us, because when Damon and I get together, it’s a spontaneous combustion of, personalities, attitude, fun… actually I don’t even know what to call it. IT’S FANTASTICAL!!!!

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Veganism from a Non Vegan

Published on | in 357 Vegan Challenge, Tips, Uncategorized By
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If you have stumbled across this post you are actually a part of one of the most momentous times of my life ... my first blog entry.

Ironically my first blog entry would be on a Vegan site when I am NOT a Vegan. But if you are like me, and Que has gotten you in the mood to go to the store and make a Kale sandwich (or something along the line of that) THEN THIS IS THE POST FOR YOU.

I know what you’re thinking already, "Liz, why would we take Vegan advice from someone who isnt even Vegan?? Are you high?" Well first off I’m not high, and don’t call me Shirley. Now, let’s get started.

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