Not many people follow my silly little vegan blog. It was mostly something I just did for myself.
I'm going through a breakup. By far the worst of my life. There are stress-eaters and stress-starvers and I'm the latter. Not on purpose. My heart is just broken so I have no appetite. The first day he was gone I ate an apple with some peanut butter on it. Today is day 11. I ate a half a sandwich and a cup of coffee. Eating feels awful.
I'm still vegan. But today instead of my usual shopping trips to get ingredients to make new recipes I just got a bunch of frozen dinners for one, and food for the kids. The most fun part about making food was watching Lars try it and love it, and know I worked hard on it.
I'll be away for a while.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Warming Up with Wild Rice Soup!
It is officially fall! Lars is on the east coast right now, but I didn't want to slip into "meals for one," so I've been cooking a lot and making big batches to share with friends.
My new favorite thing are those microwave rice pouches- especially the wild rice. Wild rice is incredibly easy to mess up but you never know until it's too late. I bought an Archer Farms one from Target, and used it in a recipe for cabbage rolls. I had a whole bunch left over- almost two cups- so I decided to improvise and try making a recipe for a vegan wild rice soup.
I am definitely not opposed to soy cheese, nut milks, or anything else that is meant to directly replace a meat or dairy product, but I like when I can make a recipe without them that is like the original. That means, this recipe happens to also be soy-free!
I always get nervous when I make a new recipe... this one was great! I am so happy with it. I almost can't wait until the weather gets colder so that I can warm up with some more of this.
Vegetable Wild Rice Soup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
10 baby red potatoes
4 carrots, chopped
1/2 carton of sliced button mushrooms
1 1/2 cup cooked wild rice
2 boullion cubes
1 Tbsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes (I did mine unpeeled) in enough water to cover them, until they are just barely soft, then add the carrots to the water until both veggies are soft and fork-tender.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the onion, garlic and mushrooms over medium heat until onions are translucent, garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms are soft.
Process all but about 4 of the potatoes in a food processor. Remove the remaining potatoes and cut them into cubes, then return them to the water. Add the bouillon cubes as well as the onion-mushroom mixture until boiling.
Pour in the wild rice. Make sure the bouillon is fully melted, then add the processed potatoes and stir until the broth looks creamy. Season with thyme and salt and pepper.
My new favorite thing are those microwave rice pouches- especially the wild rice. Wild rice is incredibly easy to mess up but you never know until it's too late. I bought an Archer Farms one from Target, and used it in a recipe for cabbage rolls. I had a whole bunch left over- almost two cups- so I decided to improvise and try making a recipe for a vegan wild rice soup.
I am definitely not opposed to soy cheese, nut milks, or anything else that is meant to directly replace a meat or dairy product, but I like when I can make a recipe without them that is like the original. That means, this recipe happens to also be soy-free!
I always get nervous when I make a new recipe... this one was great! I am so happy with it. I almost can't wait until the weather gets colder so that I can warm up with some more of this.
Vegetable Wild Rice Soup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
10 baby red potatoes
4 carrots, chopped
1/2 carton of sliced button mushrooms
1 1/2 cup cooked wild rice
2 boullion cubes
1 Tbsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes (I did mine unpeeled) in enough water to cover them, until they are just barely soft, then add the carrots to the water until both veggies are soft and fork-tender.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the onion, garlic and mushrooms over medium heat until onions are translucent, garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms are soft.
Process all but about 4 of the potatoes in a food processor. Remove the remaining potatoes and cut them into cubes, then return them to the water. Add the bouillon cubes as well as the onion-mushroom mixture until boiling.
Pour in the wild rice. Make sure the bouillon is fully melted, then add the processed potatoes and stir until the broth looks creamy. Season with thyme and salt and pepper.
Vegan Rosh Hashanah!
Rosh Hashanah is Jewish new year. I'm not super religious but Rosh Hashanah is fun because it focuses a lot on the fall harvest. This year I was committed to making a vegan Rosh Hashanah dinner and to my surprise and delight, everything turned out great! We had dinner outside JUST before sundown so we could enjoy our food in the beautiful weather, then have a fire in the back yard. My friend Rachel Klein joined the boys and me, and was named Captain of Pediatric Wrangling during the hours-long food preparation.
I wanted to blend Eastern European recipes, á la my grandma, along with traditional Israeli and middle Eastern staples. I ended up making my old standby Moroccan stew over Israeli couscous (which you can find in earlier posts), potato and onion borek, eggless challah, cabbage rolls, apple strudel, and falafel with hummus. I found the excellent recipes for the challah and apple strudel on this post by vegkitchen.com What was crazy and I did NOT realize while I was planning this menu, was that I made a ton of "wrapped" foods. Two foods wrapped in pastry and one wrapped in cabbage. Both of these recipes below require some tuck-n-roll.
The recipes I adapted were all either dairy or parve, and some of them require a lot of prep, so be prepared to spend some time in the kitchen! I took some shortcuts like buying microwavable wild rice (I always screw up wild rice anyway) and jarred tomato sauce (I found one with green olives which is what the recipe called for... not having to make sauce saves you a good 40 minutes)! I was terrified I was going to screw up the cabbage rolls but they were easy to assemble and were the standout success of the dinner. You will need a food processor!
Cabbage Rolls
6 large cabbage leaves
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 large carrots, grated
5 oz mushrooms (I used portabello)
1/2 precooked brown rice
1/2 cup precooked wild rice
1/4 cup black beans (the original recipe called for lentils which you could also use)
2 cups veggie stock
3 1/2 oz vegan cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
premade tomato or pasta sauce with olives
Boil a large pot of water and blanche the leaves for about 5-10 minutes. While you're waiting, combine the two rices and set aside.
Chop the onions in a food processor, and sauté them in a pan heated with olive oil, until they are translucent. Process the carrots and mushrooms together in the processor, then add them to the pan and cook until soft. Finally add the rice mixture, beans (or lentils) and herbs as well as salt and pepper to taste, until everything is incorporated and heated through. Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix with the vegan cream cheese.
Borek is similar to a spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) because its a savory pie wrapped in a puff pastry. Awesome fact- Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry is VEGAN! Use that information wisely, because its not exactly low-fat, low-calorie or very good for you, even though it makes some amazing treats and is easy to use. Borek is traditionally served with a tzaziki (yogurt-dill) sauce, but they are totally decadent enough on their own!
Potato, Onion and "Cheese" Borek
1 Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
1 Tbsp Earth Balance, melted
1 onion, finely chopped or processed
3 1/2 oz vegan garlic-chive cream cheese
7 oz cooked mashed potato (I actually boiled my potatoes, peeled and mashed them... time-consuming!)
1/2 chopped italian parsley
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oven to 450 (original recipe says to heat to "446 degrees," which I found so funny! Old recipe books are so odd, especially when they have been translated from another language or converted into different forms of measurement).
Mix all the ingredients except the puff pastry and Earth Balance into a bowl. Lay the puff pastry on a flat surface and cut into 9 squares. This is pretty easy because it's folded into thirds, so if you cut that, and then cut it the other way, you'll have 9.
Fill each square at its base, tuck in the sides and roll up. Be careful not to overfill the pastry, and seal it by pinching the seam after rolling. Place them all on a baking sheet and brush each one with Earth Balance.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
I wanted to blend Eastern European recipes, á la my grandma, along with traditional Israeli and middle Eastern staples. I ended up making my old standby Moroccan stew over Israeli couscous (which you can find in earlier posts), potato and onion borek, eggless challah, cabbage rolls, apple strudel, and falafel with hummus. I found the excellent recipes for the challah and apple strudel on this post by vegkitchen.com What was crazy and I did NOT realize while I was planning this menu, was that I made a ton of "wrapped" foods. Two foods wrapped in pastry and one wrapped in cabbage. Both of these recipes below require some tuck-n-roll.
The recipes I adapted were all either dairy or parve, and some of them require a lot of prep, so be prepared to spend some time in the kitchen! I took some shortcuts like buying microwavable wild rice (I always screw up wild rice anyway) and jarred tomato sauce (I found one with green olives which is what the recipe called for... not having to make sauce saves you a good 40 minutes)! I was terrified I was going to screw up the cabbage rolls but they were easy to assemble and were the standout success of the dinner. You will need a food processor!
Cabbage Rolls
6 large cabbage leaves
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 large carrots, grated
5 oz mushrooms (I used portabello)
1/2 precooked brown rice
1/2 cup precooked wild rice
1/4 cup black beans (the original recipe called for lentils which you could also use)
2 cups veggie stock
3 1/2 oz vegan cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
premade tomato or pasta sauce with olives
Boil a large pot of water and blanche the leaves for about 5-10 minutes. While you're waiting, combine the two rices and set aside.
Chop the onions in a food processor, and sauté them in a pan heated with olive oil, until they are translucent. Process the carrots and mushrooms together in the processor, then add them to the pan and cook until soft. Finally add the rice mixture, beans (or lentils) and herbs as well as salt and pepper to taste, until everything is incorporated and heated through. Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix with the vegan cream cheese.
Borek is similar to a spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) because its a savory pie wrapped in a puff pastry. Awesome fact- Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry is VEGAN! Use that information wisely, because its not exactly low-fat, low-calorie or very good for you, even though it makes some amazing treats and is easy to use. Borek is traditionally served with a tzaziki (yogurt-dill) sauce, but they are totally decadent enough on their own!
Potato, Onion and "Cheese" Borek
1 Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
1 Tbsp Earth Balance, melted
1 onion, finely chopped or processed
3 1/2 oz vegan garlic-chive cream cheese
7 oz cooked mashed potato (I actually boiled my potatoes, peeled and mashed them... time-consuming!)
1/2 chopped italian parsley
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oven to 450 (original recipe says to heat to "446 degrees," which I found so funny! Old recipe books are so odd, especially when they have been translated from another language or converted into different forms of measurement).
Mix all the ingredients except the puff pastry and Earth Balance into a bowl. Lay the puff pastry on a flat surface and cut into 9 squares. This is pretty easy because it's folded into thirds, so if you cut that, and then cut it the other way, you'll have 9.
Fill each square at its base, tuck in the sides and roll up. Be careful not to overfill the pastry, and seal it by pinching the seam after rolling. Place them all on a baking sheet and brush each one with Earth Balance.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Ciabatta Madness!
I picked up these little take-and-bake ciabatta buns from the grocery and was really happy to learn they are vegan! I made two awesome sandwiches with them that quickly became favorites for me.
The first was a portabella sandwich with roasted red pepper and garlic-chive vegan cream cheese. I simply sautéed a mushroom cap in some oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and rosemary, then added jarred roasted red peppers and a schmear of the cream cheese onto a toasted mini ciabatta. Voila.
The second came from a take-home recipe magazine from Kowalski's Market and inside it was a recipe for a Mexican chicken sandwich that looked pretty good... so I veganized it.
On second thought I kind of wish I had called this blog, "Veganize This." Because I feel like all I do is take "regular" recipes and make them vegan. You can find the original recipe here on their website, and then you can say, "OOOH, I see what she did there."
Mexican Veggie Ciabatta Sandwiches
The first was a portabella sandwich with roasted red pepper and garlic-chive vegan cream cheese. I simply sautéed a mushroom cap in some oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and rosemary, then added jarred roasted red peppers and a schmear of the cream cheese onto a toasted mini ciabatta. Voila.
The second came from a take-home recipe magazine from Kowalski's Market and inside it was a recipe for a Mexican chicken sandwich that looked pretty good... so I veganized it.
On second thought I kind of wish I had called this blog, "Veganize This." Because I feel like all I do is take "regular" recipes and make them vegan. You can find the original recipe here on their website, and then you can say, "OOOH, I see what she did there."
Mexican Veggie Ciabatta Sandwiches
- 1/3 cup Veganaise
- 1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp. grated lime zest
- salt and pepper to tastes
- 1 tbsp. Kowalski's Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tbsp. chopped red onion
- 6 mini sweet peppers, sliced into rings
- 1/4 cup fresh, canned or steamed corn
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- handful of Daiya pepperjack cheese
- 4 mini ciabattas
- 6-8 tomato slices
- Wholly Guacamole or fresh avocado
Heat oven to 350 and heat the ciabattas after cutting in half (open-face style). After removing from the oven, place a handful of Daiya pepperjack on one side and allow it to melt.
Combine the Veganaise with lime juice and zest, and set aside (refrigeration is a good idea). Heat the olive oil over medium, and sautee the black beans, red onion, peppers and corn until heated through but still crisp. Season while still warm.
Spread lime vegan mayo on one side of the ciabatta and top with avocado or guacamole, and tomato. fill the sandwich with the bean and veggie mixture.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Happy Month-aversary!
Its been a month of veganism and I am honestly so content. I feel like this change I made was a pretty big one, but once I committed to it and started doing it, it wasn't hard, it was exciting and fun.
My fingernails are stronger and grow faster (I thought this was just me until another vegan mentioned this). My body feels cleaner. I have lost some weight in a healthy way that wasn't drastic or extreme. And I make better food choices- not because all vegan food is healthy, but because being on a restrictive diet has forced me to stop before I put something in my mouth to eat it. I have to ask: What are the ingredients? Does this contain non-vegan stuff? While I am doing that, I'm looking at the same nutrition label that lists fat, calories, sodium, sugar, not to mention, a potential list of ingredients that are not actually food (even though they are technically vegan) like partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and the laundry list of gross preservatives.
I went to a food court with my youngest son today and realized that a place I used to love to go- a place where food options were everywhere- there wasn't a lot of actually good stuff to eat. When I found vegan options I knew that out of those options, I should pick one that was loaded with as much good-for-me things as possible. It has become second nature and, while not all of the food I eat is super healthy, putting veganism first helped me to let healthfulness flow into my regimen without a whole lot of effort or thought.
My fingernails are stronger and grow faster (I thought this was just me until another vegan mentioned this). My body feels cleaner. I have lost some weight in a healthy way that wasn't drastic or extreme. And I make better food choices- not because all vegan food is healthy, but because being on a restrictive diet has forced me to stop before I put something in my mouth to eat it. I have to ask: What are the ingredients? Does this contain non-vegan stuff? While I am doing that, I'm looking at the same nutrition label that lists fat, calories, sodium, sugar, not to mention, a potential list of ingredients that are not actually food (even though they are technically vegan) like partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and the laundry list of gross preservatives.
I went to a food court with my youngest son today and realized that a place I used to love to go- a place where food options were everywhere- there wasn't a lot of actually good stuff to eat. When I found vegan options I knew that out of those options, I should pick one that was loaded with as much good-for-me things as possible. It has become second nature and, while not all of the food I eat is super healthy, putting veganism first helped me to let healthfulness flow into my regimen without a whole lot of effort or thought.
I realized something about myself: my strength in the area of vegan food, is VEGANIZING food. I can take a recipe with dairy, meat or eggs, and make it vegan, and make it taste good! This is pretty cool!
I'm still looking up vegan recipes, trying ones of my own, and seeking out vegan cookbooks. But being able to improvise is so fun. Looking back on my old eating habits I am honestly quite shocked and a little bit embarrassed. I thought it was cute to be the 28 year-old that made stick-to-your-ribs food like a grandma- slathered in butter and cream and cheese. That food tasted good, because I was eating badly, and because I had a really unhealthy view of food. Food was there to comfort me and make me feel good, food worked for ME. Having to work for food, to make sound choices and to think before I eat has made a tremendous improvement in my life.
Networking with other vegans who were more interested in the animal rights aspects of veganism as most vegans are, I've seen so many things that never would have crossed my mind. I was listening to a podcast a week or so ago, and the two hosts were talking about the thought of how much suffering and fear an animal has to endure just to become food, or produce food. I will be honest, while I have always cared about animal welfare, this vegan thing was for me about wanting a challenge and trying something fun. I have learned so much and become so much more aware even in this short amount of time, and I know that I have no even scratched the surface of all there is to learn. I still want this blog to be about happy things and I really want to veer away from being preachy, but I do know that this new leaf has changed not only the way I eat, the way I cook or the choices I make about food, but the way I look at ethics.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Dairy Withdrawl is REAL, and It Sucks!
Remember my first post, where I briefly touched on the addictive characteristics of dairy? I knew factually that dairy is addictive and contains small amounts of opiates. But I truly was not prepared for experiencing it first-hand. "Cheese addiction" sounds really silly, and lots of people who eat dairy joke about it. I had an idealistic mindset that immediately after starting a fully vegan diet I would feel cleansed and refreshed.
I feel terrible right now.
I have had issues with anxiety and depression in the past. They're real, and they can be intense! The last time I cut dairy out of my diet was when my son (now one year old) started violently projectile vomiting after I would breastfeed him. He was only a couple of weeks old. I breastfed my older son and knew that this was just not normal. I did some research and discovered the most common reason babies vomit after nursing is due to the mother ingesting dairy products- sometimes, apparently, the proteins are too complex for their little tummies to break down. Lars told me I was being reactionary and jumping to conclusions, but I talked to the baby's pediatrician and she said it was safe to cut out dairy and see if it made a difference. Within three days, Baby Mills stopped vomiting. When he was three months old I slowly reintroduced dairy back into my diet and he was tolerant of my breastmilk.
What I wasn't consciously aware of at the time, was what happened to ME a couple of days after ditching dairy. I had been feeling great after birthing Mills naturally, and managing the wave of hormonal adjustment with surprising ease (I credit this to natural birth, having the experience of birthing two older kids, knowing what to expect and having an amazing partner who was supportive and helpful- and still is). When I cut out dairy was around the same time I locked myself in Lars' office and called my doctor. I couldn't stop crying, I was exhausted and I kept getting headaches and stomach pain. She told me this was common for mothers who were recently post-partum. We agreed to monitor how I was feeling (to stay on top of post-partum depression if that was what was happening). Within a couple of days, all the weird symptoms went away.
Never in a million years did I think that these symptoms may have been dairy withdrawal. New mommies are tired and emotionally sensitive, and pregnancy/birth makes your body ache in all kinds of ways, from headaches to cramps to muscle soreness.
The difference today is that my child is a year old and I feel exactly as I did when I called my doctor. I couldn't figure out why even though I've been getting a full night's sleep, I couldn't seem to drag myself out of bed. And today, I kept fighting back the urge to cry. I sent a text message to a friend and said "I hope it's not the vegan diet- I really want to be successful at this!"
Suddenly it hit me and I did some Googling- what I was feeling was the same set of symptoms listed over and over in other blogs and articles. It was dairy withdrawal, and even non-vegans and non-vegetarians who had abstained from dairy for various reasons reported the same things. It sounds funny but I immediately felt better just knowing what it was. Feeling that bad and not knowing why was a scary experience.
Per Jennifer's suggestion I am picking up a detox tea to hasten the process of starting to feel normal again. Right now I am absolutely disgusted with dairy! I am angry that we are told it's so good for us and is essential to consume every day. I always knew that it was not good for me but never realized the dependency I had on it. I don't drink, smoke or use any drugs anymore- I was a smoker for 10 years though, and the withdrawal symptoms I'm feeling right now are much worse than after I smoked my last cigarette.
I feel terrible right now.
I have had issues with anxiety and depression in the past. They're real, and they can be intense! The last time I cut dairy out of my diet was when my son (now one year old) started violently projectile vomiting after I would breastfeed him. He was only a couple of weeks old. I breastfed my older son and knew that this was just not normal. I did some research and discovered the most common reason babies vomit after nursing is due to the mother ingesting dairy products- sometimes, apparently, the proteins are too complex for their little tummies to break down. Lars told me I was being reactionary and jumping to conclusions, but I talked to the baby's pediatrician and she said it was safe to cut out dairy and see if it made a difference. Within three days, Baby Mills stopped vomiting. When he was three months old I slowly reintroduced dairy back into my diet and he was tolerant of my breastmilk.
What I wasn't consciously aware of at the time, was what happened to ME a couple of days after ditching dairy. I had been feeling great after birthing Mills naturally, and managing the wave of hormonal adjustment with surprising ease (I credit this to natural birth, having the experience of birthing two older kids, knowing what to expect and having an amazing partner who was supportive and helpful- and still is). When I cut out dairy was around the same time I locked myself in Lars' office and called my doctor. I couldn't stop crying, I was exhausted and I kept getting headaches and stomach pain. She told me this was common for mothers who were recently post-partum. We agreed to monitor how I was feeling (to stay on top of post-partum depression if that was what was happening). Within a couple of days, all the weird symptoms went away.
Never in a million years did I think that these symptoms may have been dairy withdrawal. New mommies are tired and emotionally sensitive, and pregnancy/birth makes your body ache in all kinds of ways, from headaches to cramps to muscle soreness.
The difference today is that my child is a year old and I feel exactly as I did when I called my doctor. I couldn't figure out why even though I've been getting a full night's sleep, I couldn't seem to drag myself out of bed. And today, I kept fighting back the urge to cry. I sent a text message to a friend and said "I hope it's not the vegan diet- I really want to be successful at this!"
Suddenly it hit me and I did some Googling- what I was feeling was the same set of symptoms listed over and over in other blogs and articles. It was dairy withdrawal, and even non-vegans and non-vegetarians who had abstained from dairy for various reasons reported the same things. It sounds funny but I immediately felt better just knowing what it was. Feeling that bad and not knowing why was a scary experience.
Per Jennifer's suggestion I am picking up a detox tea to hasten the process of starting to feel normal again. Right now I am absolutely disgusted with dairy! I am angry that we are told it's so good for us and is essential to consume every day. I always knew that it was not good for me but never realized the dependency I had on it. I don't drink, smoke or use any drugs anymore- I was a smoker for 10 years though, and the withdrawal symptoms I'm feeling right now are much worse than after I smoked my last cigarette.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
The Impromptu Scone.
I need to concede that I dislike fake meat. Most fake meat, anyway. I do like tofurky and the soy Bacos, but most of the time it doesn't sit right with me. I made an otherwise-awesome enchilada recipe today (with avocado instead of cheese) but the fake chicken ruined the experience for me.
I've been a really good girl lately. I'm exercising (not well, but still) and trying to eat well. I needed a treat after this sadness. I didn't have much in the fridge- we just got back into town and all the bills were due the moment the plane landed- but we had some coconut milk I knew was destined for something good.
I was unsure about the batter when I first saw it because it was so moist, but it was amazing, tender and delicious- not too sweet and melt-in-your-mouth. My only criticism was that I couldn't taste the lime much. I think next time I will use lime zest instead of lime juice, or a personal household favorite- rose water. I modified this recipe to make it my own (out of necessity) but the original is on Art of Dessert (theirs is an adaptation too) and calls for adding fruit and nuts!
I cannot wait to eat one of these for breakfast, warmed up and buttered with Earth Balance.
Vegan Coconut Milk Lime Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lime, orange or lemon zest (or rose water- play with the options! Maple might be great too)
1 cup canned coconut milk (cold)
1 small container Amande vegan almond milk yogurt (I used coconut flavor)
...and...
A couple tablespoons of sugar for sprinkling
Heat oven to 425. Combine all dry ingredients, then add coconut milk, vegan yogurt and your flavor add-in.
Place heaping ice cream scoops of the batter onto a baking sheet about a half-inch apart. Generously sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
I've been a really good girl lately. I'm exercising (not well, but still) and trying to eat well. I needed a treat after this sadness. I didn't have much in the fridge- we just got back into town and all the bills were due the moment the plane landed- but we had some coconut milk I knew was destined for something good.
I was unsure about the batter when I first saw it because it was so moist, but it was amazing, tender and delicious- not too sweet and melt-in-your-mouth. My only criticism was that I couldn't taste the lime much. I think next time I will use lime zest instead of lime juice, or a personal household favorite- rose water. I modified this recipe to make it my own (out of necessity) but the original is on Art of Dessert (theirs is an adaptation too) and calls for adding fruit and nuts!
I cannot wait to eat one of these for breakfast, warmed up and buttered with Earth Balance.
Vegan Coconut Milk Lime Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lime, orange or lemon zest (or rose water- play with the options! Maple might be great too)
1 cup canned coconut milk (cold)
1 small container Amande vegan almond milk yogurt (I used coconut flavor)
...and...
A couple tablespoons of sugar for sprinkling
Heat oven to 425. Combine all dry ingredients, then add coconut milk, vegan yogurt and your flavor add-in.
Place heaping ice cream scoops of the batter onto a baking sheet about a half-inch apart. Generously sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
GF Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
Today was a day of discovery for me. I rifled through my entire Pinterest account and re-pinned my own pins into categories called "Veganize This." I made four- Breakfast, Lunch/Dinner, Dessert and Snacks. While doing this I found a great resource for some fun vegan recipes. I got lost in it!
http://foodgawker.com/tag/vegan/page/2/#1
Of all the things I can cook, my Achilles' heel was always eggplant. I'm not sure why but I always messed it up. Today I tried again and the results turned out pretty good!
I did a little research and discovered that peeling eggplant helps smooth out the texture, and soaking it in salt water for a few minutes gets it pliable. I did this before I started.
Funny thing is that I went to all these extra lengths to make this recipe gluten-free, even though I was pretty sure he would hate the texture. Autistic kids almost always have texture issues and my son is no exception. He is very picky and didn't care for this, but ironically my middle son who inquired and subsequently scoffed the eggplant LOVED it. Kids... What are you gonna do?
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium eggplant (peeled, sliced 1/4 inch thick, soaked in salt water and patted dry)
2 slices Udi's gluten-free bread (you can use regular bread too)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup shredded or sliced vegan cheese
3 cups pasta sauce (I know it's not very foodie but my very favorite sauce of all time is Prego)
2 Tbsp Vegan Parmesan
1 box quinoa pasta, any type
Place the eggplant on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Broil until the eggplant is browned on both sides.
Toast the Udi's bread and pulse it in a food processor with the Italian seasoning. Place in a shallow bowl.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Set the oven to bake at 350 degrees. Boil the water and cook the quinoa pasta.
Dip each slice of eggplant into the almond milk and dredge them one by one into the bread crumb mixture. Return them to the baking sheet and sprinkle them with shredded vegan cheese (or top each one with thinly-sliced vegan block cheese). Pour pasta sauce evenly over the top of the eggplant and bake until the pasta is al dente, drained and rinsed, and cheese is melted.
To serve, plate the pasta and top with the eggplant, then scoop the sauce over the top. Generously sprinkle with vegan Parmesan or nutritional yeast.
http://foodgawker.com/tag/vegan/page/2/#1
Of all the things I can cook, my Achilles' heel was always eggplant. I'm not sure why but I always messed it up. Today I tried again and the results turned out pretty good!
I did a little research and discovered that peeling eggplant helps smooth out the texture, and soaking it in salt water for a few minutes gets it pliable. I did this before I started.
Funny thing is that I went to all these extra lengths to make this recipe gluten-free, even though I was pretty sure he would hate the texture. Autistic kids almost always have texture issues and my son is no exception. He is very picky and didn't care for this, but ironically my middle son who inquired and subsequently scoffed the eggplant LOVED it. Kids... What are you gonna do?
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium eggplant (peeled, sliced 1/4 inch thick, soaked in salt water and patted dry)
2 slices Udi's gluten-free bread (you can use regular bread too)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup shredded or sliced vegan cheese
3 cups pasta sauce (I know it's not very foodie but my very favorite sauce of all time is Prego)
2 Tbsp Vegan Parmesan
1 box quinoa pasta, any type
Place the eggplant on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Broil until the eggplant is browned on both sides.
Toast the Udi's bread and pulse it in a food processor with the Italian seasoning. Place in a shallow bowl.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Set the oven to bake at 350 degrees. Boil the water and cook the quinoa pasta.
Dip each slice of eggplant into the almond milk and dredge them one by one into the bread crumb mixture. Return them to the baking sheet and sprinkle them with shredded vegan cheese (or top each one with thinly-sliced vegan block cheese). Pour pasta sauce evenly over the top of the eggplant and bake until the pasta is al dente, drained and rinsed, and cheese is melted.
To serve, plate the pasta and top with the eggplant, then scoop the sauce over the top. Generously sprinkle with vegan Parmesan or nutritional yeast.
Friday, July 27, 2012
How Vegan Treats Restored My Trip to PA
I made a revelation this week, about food. But let me spin you a yarn first.
As all of you reading this (yes, all three of you!) know, this trip to Pennsylvania has been full of mishaps. The one thing that was very important for me to do while I was here was visit Vegan Treats in Bethlehem, PA.
It was over an hour away from where we were staying, but a last-minute photo shoot in Atlantic City made it possible for us to not only take a (very temporary) break from the chaos, but to go on an adventure. Bethlehem wasn't exactly on the way there, but the fun, road-trip vibe of our journey made me even more excited for the visit. We finally found Vegan Treats, in all of its adorable glory, and as Lars pulled the door to let me in, the extension of his arm came to a screeching halt.
Vegan Treats was closed on Mondays. It was Monday.
Did I burst into tears? Yes. Not just because the delicious pastries were calling to me, but because I just had no stress capacity left. Lars was a mix of annoyed and empathetic. This trip was crazy for both of us. We drove to Atlantic City, stopping at WaWa for a surprise selection of vegan foods on-the-go: pita with hummus, carrots and celery with peanut butter dip, fresh fruit and an incredible sun-dried tomato and fruit pasta. Who would have thought WaWa?
The next day we ventured back toward Northeastern Pennsylvania and finally made our long-awaited stop.
Vegan Treats isn't the easiest to find unless you're local- it's got a colorful storefront quietly tucked away on a quaint street with lots of free parking- something I'm definitely not used to seeing. The inside resembles a cross between a gourmet New York City cake shop and a 1950's soda fountain, with cheeky nods to punk rock and an entire wall plastered with sparkling reviews by everyone from the local college newspaper to national publications like VegNews. The staff was friendly (an adorable redhead named Lauren helped us) and the selection… nothing short of overwhelming. They even had a complete row of gluten-free desserts that stretched across the entirety of the display case.
We tried the gluten-free mango cheesecake with walnut crust and a chocolate cheesecake topped with a pretzel. Presentation alone had every vegan bakery in Minneapolis beat by a landslide, not to mention, they were both better-tasting than most dairy-based cheesecakes. We sampled the vanilla bean soft serve ice cream and Lars and I both agreed it was the best we had ever had- vegan or not. We took home a gluten-free butterscotch cookie, a double chocolate cookie, a chocolate-glazed donut… and a cute souvenir scarf too.
Later that night, we dove into our remaining treats. Sometimes referred to as "The Donut Police" (only by me), Lars inspected and reluctantly tasted the donut he purchased. A moment after the first bite, he rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"How is it?" I asked.
He looked at me and said, "Angela… this donut tastes exactly like the ones from Rewe in Germany."
This is a compliment most high. You see, Lars' family comes from Weinheim, a west German town near Alzey. Americans love our desserts sickly-sweet, but Germans concentrate on a buttery finish, the highest quality chocolate and flour that is so fine it feels silky. We Americans just don't make donuts like they do. On his last trip to visit his aunt Gertrud, Lars smuggled back a donut for me (well it was actually a half a donut… I think he may have not been able to resist). Even two days old, from a German gas station and exposed to a couple of x-ray machines, it was like nothing I ever tasted before. After trying it for myself, the chocolate-glazed donut from Vegan Treats did indeed taste like a two-hundred year-old recipe in rural Europe, except it had been made that morning and had no layovers.
As much as we had fallen in love with Vegan Treats, I made the assumption that perhaps Bethlehem wasn't a hub of vegan culinary arts. It made me wonder, with such a high population of vegans and so many restaurants catering to vegans in Minneapolis, why didn't the stuff from Minneapolis taste better? The answer lies in how hard Vegan Treats had to work to establish itself. If you're in an area of the country where vegans will patronize your food business whether it's good or not, you get lazy. You can always rest comfortably on the notion that because it is a specialized type of food, customers' expectations are unrealistic if they don't like how it tastes. By stark contrast, if you live in a community where you need to impress vegans AND non-vegans in order to keep your doors open (except on Mondays! Write that down! Learn from my mistake!), your vegan desserts better be able to take business from the dairy-fueled ice cream shop a half a block away. To pull this off is a feat in and of itself, but to gain national acclaim and become a vegan landmark, you must be truly exceptional. Vegan Treats accomplishes this while making it look effortless.
If you're a vegan foodie who has felt like you had to settle for the mediocre or just create desserts at home, Vegan Treats will change your expectations of what a restaurant free of animal products can offer you. This place convinced me there are no excuses for great food. Vegan or not, if the food a restaurant serves you doesn't taste good, they're not trying hard enough.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
The Vegan Traveler
Well, we are 5 days into our trip to PA. I have learned so much about myself:
1. When you carry a bag onto a plane because it has valuable things inside it and you don't want it lost, and there's a crazy-looking lady clutching her bag and refusing to part with it, DO WHAT THAT CRAZY LADY DOES. The airline didn't lose her bag. The airline DID lose ours. (Thankfully, we got it back)
2. I am a sucker for egg sandwiches. I think I made a good decision slowly transitioning to a vegan diet, because it's allowing me to try some things and determine if they will be my go-to foods and letting me enjoy some stuff while in PA that I can't get in Minneapolis. Again, saying goodbye to meat has been no problem. But I've been eating egg and cheese sammies almost every morning. As soon as I get back, I am going to find the most incredible vegan breakfast sammy and eat it like it's going out of style.
In regard to the traveling vegan, or vegan on the go, I've actually been finding some great stuff that is in mainstream restaurants. Are they super healthy? Probably not. It's fast food, after all! But adhering to vegan guidelines at a couple places wasn't too tough.
My biggest successes have been at coffee chains like Starbucks. They don't bat an eyelash when you ask for soy milk (although they will charge you extra), their mochas are vegan if made with soy and no whip, and while their baked items are not to be blindly trusted (I have read that their molasses cookies, bagels and Sesame Noodle Box are all vegan-friendly), they've got lots of little items right by the register that are pre-packaged and have the ingredients clearly labeled. Some of these include granola bars, mixed nuts, fruit twists (a sort of licorice/fruit leather hybrid) and fresh fruit cups.
Sandwich shops are also great places for vegans to eat. The ingredients are typically a la carte so you control what does into your food, and they have a lot of variety in terms of dressings. The first place I went when we got to Pennsylvania was Quizno's. I got one of their veggie sandwiches with no cheese or mayo and I felt completely satiated.
This isn't so much a fast food option, but I had to throw in that I just recently learned one of my favorite foods is vegan: tempura. If you're a sushi fan you have probably tried it, and every Japanese restaurant I know has fried veggie tempura in addition to their animal-ingredient counterparts. I never liked fish so when I would go out for sushi I got a plate of tempura. I was bummed that I would be missing out on this because I assumed that the fry batter contained egg like American fry batter does. I was wrong! It's just rice flour, salt and club soda. While learning this information I unfortunately learned that the sauce you dip your tempura INTO sometimes contains fish sauce, and this whole time, I may have been consuming fish juice. Ick. Eating tempura plain is amazing, otherwise you can use soy sauce, or order a cup of miso and mix the soy sauce and miso soup together to create a similar dip to the original.
Finally, my favorite option: Mexican food. You can replace cheese with guacamole, load it up with veggies, and replace animal proteins with beans (just make sure they aren't cooked in lard or with bacon). While some fast food relies on meat or cheese to make it taste good, Mexican food is easily accessible via fast food, its easy to modify to fit a vegan diet, and the seasonings and fresh ingredients leave you knowing you made the right choices, both in the way it tastes and in your burden-free conscience.
Moroccan Stew, Peach Almond Milk Smoothies, and Vegan GF "Overnight" Treats!
The trip to PA has been quite a roller coaster. Our luggage was lost (all of our camera equipment was inside), and the blog I wrote to distract myself was eaten by Blogger. I dug around and found an odd, fragmented autosave, so I will fill in the bits it decided not to include! Don't worry- the airline found our luggage safe and sound in New Mexico- only about 2,000 miles away from where it was supposed to go!
I have made a revelation- I'm addicted to the kitchen. I thought our 100+ degree heat wave was over, but a week before we left for PA, Mother Nature had another hot flash. Like any sane, logical person, I went into the kitchen and started cooking hot vegan food. You know, to distract from the weather.
This is an adapted version of a recipe where meat takes center stage. The original is called Moroccan Beef Pot Roast with Honey Glaze. I got it from a foodie publication made by a Twin Cities-based grocery chain called Lunds Holdings, Inc., which owns both Lunds and Byerly's stores. Maybe it's because Minnesotans love food, but to my knowledge you don't see a lot of areas of the country with "luxury" grocery stores. The only other place I know of (besides the Whole Foods chain) is AJ's in Scottsdale, Arizona. Inexplicably, AJ's entryway features a light mist which sprays out into nothing about every 30 seconds. I presume this is to refresh their customers' make-up, cool their skin from recent plastic surgery, or simply to justify the cost of a $3 green pepper. To quote Lars, "While the rest of the country is going to efforts to be 'green,' AJ's sprays water into the air in the middle of the desert to say, 'F$%& you, we're rich." Lunds and Byerly's, however, have a distinctly more accessible feel (in Minnesota, friendliness is the most important pillar of any successful business).
The original version of this recipe takes 3-4 hours and the meat alone costs around 25 dollars. The vegan version costs around 12 bucks, takes under an hour (including prep time), and I never missed the meat! Did I mention it also feeds about 6 people? Its a winner all around!
I didn't get a good picture of it with the mushrooms on top, but you can use any meat substitute you'd like to top this dish, if you choose. I think mock duck would be amazing but I didn't have any on hand. I did however, have some mushrooms. The original recipe glazes a pot roast with honey, mint and lemon- to re-create this I broiled the mushrooms after brushing them with a blend of brown sugar, mint leaves and lemon juice. It tasted lovely! The key to veganizing any dish that involves water is to substitute the water with vegetable broth. When meat is being cooked in a stew, it flavors the water and becomes a broth. I used Swanson's Organic Vegetable Broth, but I am sure there are many other good kinds.
*Side note: butternut squash can be a pain to peel and cut when they're raw, so you have two options: either cheat and buy a bag of them pre-cut, or do what I did and heat the squash on a baking sheet for 30 minutes on at 350 degrees. When its cool, it should be soft enough to peel, seed and cut. Even with this time-consuming step, I had this dish done in an hour.
Moroccan Stew over Couscous
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups chopped onions
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp dried mint
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
¼ cup cilantro stems, finely chopped (save leaves for garnish)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp lemon juice (or more to taste)
2 cups cooked chickpeas (freshly cooked or canned)
4 carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
3 cups butternut squash, cut into 2-inch chunks (or cheat with a couple of bags of pre-cut ones if you are short on time)
2 cups instant couscous (I used Odem Israeli Couscous- unlike typical couscous, its a big fat pearl pasta instead of a cornmeal consistency, but you can use any couscous you like)
If you're using a whole, uncut butternut squash, preheat your oven to 350 and follow the instructions above. You can get started on the rest of the recipe once your oven is preheated- this should time correctly and you'll be adding the softened squash pieces at just the right time.
In a stock pot, heat olive oil and sautee the onions and garlic. When they're soft, season them with the spices, stir and cook until fragrant. Add the broth, tomatoes and lemon juice and bring it to a gentle boil until the flavors are incorporated.
Start the couscous (just follow the directions on the bag- the units are usually 1 cup couscous to 1 1/4 cup water, covered and simmered for 8-10 minutes).
Add chickpeas, carrots and butternut squash, and simmer until the vegetables are fork-tender, about 10 minutes- while this is cooking if you want to add a protein/meat substitute you can whip up the glaze, set your oven to broil and throw it in until your stew is done.
To serve, heap a spoonful of the cooked couscous into a deep bowl. Then ladle the stew over the couscous. Top with cilantro leaves and serve.
The kitchen got HOT, so I blasted the fan and made us all smoothies out of some fresh peaches I needed to use before we left for our trip. Its so easy to make a great vegan smoothie and the combinations are endless. Fresh fruit and ice are great, as are simple frozen fruit. You can use any variety of non-dairy yogurt or milk. This one was made with three peaches, almond milk, ice and vanilla bean, thrown into a bullet blender for a few seconds and poured into kid-sized cups. As you can see below, it was a hit.
My middle son has always loved to help in the kitchen. We have a very small work area in our house, and once he started to spend quite a bit of time in there, my older son felt compelled to stand in there with us. Then the baby was born and it started to get pretty crowded, so we started a "no kids in the kitchen rule." However, since the big kids were going to be staying with their dad and stepmom while Lars, the baby and I went to PA, I wanted to do a small special family activity. We decided to make gluten-free, vegan, no-bake treats.
Oddly enough, everyone lost interest after the measuring was done, and immediately after putting them in the fridge I heard the call of "Are the treats done yet?" Haha!
The original recipe called for oats, which you could and should definitely use (if you're using oats use only 3 cups of them as opposed to the 6 cups of GF Rice Krispies). Because of the trip coming up, I had to do some improvising with the ingredients I had on hand. If you're gluten-free, Bob's Red Mill does make gluten-free oats (according to my ex-husband who works for Whole Foods, oats ARE gluten-free in and of themselves; they're just typically grown in close proximity to wheat fields and there is a high likelihood of contamination due to wind). It could have been the vegan ingredients or the fact that I used Krispies instead of oats, but the batter looked soupy. I thought for sure this would be my first vegan fail, but after chilling them overnight, the treats got cohesive and tasted great.
No-Bake Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate "Overnight Treats"
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder (we used some vegan hot chocolate mix- SUCCESS!)
pinch of salt
1/2 cup Earth Balance vegan butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats OR 6 cups Gluten-Free Rice Krispies (they are brown rice as opposed to the traditional white)
Combine all of the ingredients except the peanut butter, oats/GF Krispies into a sauce pan. Bring to a gentle boil, then stir for one minute. Remove the pan from eat and stir in the peanut butter until it's smooth. Then add the oats or Krispies.
Let the mixture sit about 10 minutes to thicken. If you're cooking with the oats it will have a firmer consistency- if you're using Krispies, don't panic if the batter is a bit thin.
On a wax-paper lined baking sheet, form round, cookie-sized treats about an inch apart (remember, you're not baking them, so they won't expand! They can cuddle close to one another as long as they're not touching). Place them in the fridge for at least an hour but preferably overnight.
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