Unabashedly Vegan

2009-07-03T08:22:00.005-05:00

Thinking about all the pig that will be eaten this 4th, I'm reminded of a powerful podcast by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau of Compassionate Cooks titled, "Peace for Pigs".

Description of the April 2007 podcast:

Today's episode is dedicated to pigs - how wonderful they are, how we misrepresent them in our society, and what affect that has on our treatment of them. Pigs are exploited and used by humans in a variety of ways: as research tools, as "food animals," in high school science classes, as entertainment in a blood sport called "hog-baiting" or "hog dogging," as victims of hunting. We also talk about how our language shapes our perception of them and, thus, our treatment of them, and we examine the cycle of violence inherent in hiring men to work in slaughterhouses, desensitizing them to violence, and then essentially supporting abusive and sadistic behavior - just because we like bacon. The cycle of violence makes its final stop in the homes of these slaughterhouse workers, where alcoholism and domestic abuse is commonplace. Finally, we end on a positive note with a beautiful poem by Pulitzer-prize winning poet, Galway Kinnell - who pays homage to our porcine friends in "St Francis and the Sow."

Amy's Kids Meals

2009-06-16T08:55:00.006-05:00

Amy's Baked Ziti Kids Meal

My local Kroger just started carrying Amy's Kids Meals. There appears to be only one meal that's vegan, but maybe by the time my little one is ready for solid food they'll have more out. If I was in a pinch, it would be nice to be able to send my child off to daycare with one of these. I just wish Amy's would drop the vegetarian crap and go all vegan.

Nacho Momma's Cheese Dip

2009-06-15T15:23:00.007-05:00

Dreena Burton's Vegveeta Cheese Dip (see her March 31st post)

No, this is not your mama's cheese dip. This is another one of Burton's glorious recipes.

I didn't have paprika on hand and I only used the minimum measurement she suggested on the turmeric, so mine didn't turn out as orange as Velveeta. Instead, mine is more of a "queso blanco". I did swirl in some salsa (picante) as she suggests. What I like about this recipe, as with many of Burton's recipes, is that she doesn't use soy. Anyway, I polished off an entire bowl of this stuff!

Of all the things...

2009-06-08T08:52:00.003-05:00

Of all the products that are available to moms these days, this one would make my grandmother roll over in her grave! But, I think it's important to detect alcohol in your breastmilk -- it saves on waste, right?

Flawless flapjacks, finally!

2009-03-19T02:18:00.021-05:00

Thin, tender, syrup-logged pancakes

Yesterday at 5 a.m. I woke up with a craving for pancakes, which has not been an easily-remedied craving for me, until now. I've finally found a recipe that delivers pancakes that are not too fluffy, dense, or tasteless. But, they're certainly not healthy.

Perfect Vegan Pancakes
modified from recipe found at ThriftyLiving

Dry Ingredients:

3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/8 tsp. salt (a few dashes)
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. soy milk (I used vanilla soy milk)
3/8 cup water (it's about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine wet ingredients then add to dry mixture. Do not over mix/stir (makes pancakes tougher).

Get skillet really hot. I used a non-stick pan, but also sprayed it with non-stick spray. I used a 1/8 measuring cup to pour batter into pan, then spread it around to ensure thin pancakes. Obviously, the less you spread it around the thicker the pancake. Finish off with Earth Balance, maple syrup, etc. Serves 1-2 people.

Thank God I found this recipe because at 8 1/2 months pregnant, it takes an act of Congress to divert me away from my cravings. I thought I was going to have to wait until Sunday to drive 60 miles round trip for Spiral Diner's all-you-can-eat pancakes.

Pizzahhhh!

2009-01-04T17:51:00.012-06:00

My favorite pizza these days.

Jeff Varasano's Famous New York Pizza Dough Recipe

Varasono's dough recipe is the best we've tried yet. For best results, it needs to be chilled the day before you use it.

Base: olive oil rubbed with fresh garlic, all-purpose seasoning, red pepper flakes, and a generous pinch (or two) of kosher salt.

Toppings: fresh tomato, fresh basil, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and thin shavings of Vegan Gourmet Monterey Jack.

I've found that when making a pizza without cheez, or with light cheez, the ingredients have to be placed strategically so that the pizza doesn't dry out. For this pizza, I put the fresh basil down first, followed by thinly sliced tomatoes (overlapping), followed by shaved pieces of the cheez. Pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes have a high oil content and burn easily, so I throw those on the last few minutes of cooking time.

Also, we use a pizza stone preheated to 500 degrees. Finally when the pizza comes out, brush the crust with some olive oil and let it sit a few minutes before cutting.

Beefless Stew

2009-01-04T16:29:00.011-06:00

Beefless Stew recipe from Fatfree Vegan

Use a hunk of sourdough to sop up this full-bodied stew.

The tender potatoes, carrots, peas, celery, mushrooms, onion, red beans, and pearl barley are seasoned perfectly with comfort spices like rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. We enjoyed this stew with hunks of crusty sourdough - a perfect winter meal.

Slightly modified from the original recipe posted on Fatfreevegan

Ingredients:

8 small red potatoes -- cut into 1" cubes

1 large onion -- chopped

2 celery ribs -- chopped

8 ounces mushrooms -- quartered (halved then quartered, if large)

2 large carrots -- sliced thick

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon rosemary

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons soy sauce

freshly ground pepper -- to taste

1/4 cup red wine -- (optional)

1 cup beef colored or flavored TVP Chunks (I used red beans instead)

1/4 cup millet -- uncooked (I used pearl barley)

1 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Fill a 5-quart saucepan or dutch oven 2/3 full of water (about 10-11 cups). Add the first 13 ingredients, potatoes through pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, until the onions are cooked and the potatoes start to soften.

Add the red wine (if desired), TVP chunks, and millet. Cook until the millet is completely cooked (not hard anymore). Add peas.

Mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water (or additional red wine, if desired). Stir the mixture into the stew and cook until the stew thickens slightly. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.

I like a thicker stew, so I pureed 1 cup of the cooked stew in a mini-food processor then added it back to the pot.

Serve in bowls with lots of fresh bread.

Per serving: 205 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (3% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 938mg Sodium; 13 g Fiber

More Adventures in Mac 'N Cheeze

2008-12-31T14:21:00.015-06:00

"Krafty Mac & Cheez" recipe by lilacwine

This brilliant recipe was posted on the Vegan Freak Recipe Forum. It truly tastes just like the "blue box" macaroni and cheese. Seriously. The fact that I've found two amazing mac 'n cheeze recipes in the same week is mind-numbing.

Anyway, I could hardly get a portion of this creamy concoction into a bowl so I could take a picture because I just kept eating it straight out of the pan! And once I took a "gourmet" picture of it, I "dirtied" it up with some ketchup, just like the old days. Next time, I might even add some cut up Tofu Pups!

I was intrigued by the unusual cooking method for this recipe and it really was fun to prepare. I suggest following the method for this recipe exactly as it is written -- this lady knows what she's doing!

A few things to mention: 1) I only used 1/4 tsp. mustard 2) I let it cool off the burner for about 10 minutes and 3) I ended up adding more salt (maybe even another tsp.) after it thickened up.

As posted by lilacwine on the VF Recipe Forum:

1/2 lb. skinny elbow macaroni or noodles of choice
6 slices Tofutti cheese, American flavor
1/4- 1/2 tsp. yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. margarine
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1/4 tsp. hot sauce *(i prefer buffalo wing style, if there's a vegan one handy, but franks red hot or any other vinegary red pepper hot sauce is fine).*note: the resulting recipe is not spicy-tasting. the hot sauce simply provides some tang and a little depth of flavor. (your kids/ nephew and niece/whatever will never know it's in there).

Preparation:

Have Tofutti slices unwrapped and other ingredients on the counter in front of you with measuring spoons to measure them out as you go. Have a cup or two of water on hand- you'll need to add liquid as necessary as you go.Grab a large spoon, preferably wooden (breaks fewer noodles as you stir).

Instructions:

1. Dump the macaroni into a medium pot (pref. with a heavy bottom) , and THEN add water until it is just barely covering the noodles (up maybe 1/4 inch). Stir (gently!) to prevent clumping.***

Throughout the rest of the recipe process from here on out, you will CONTINUE TO ADD WATER to the pot, a little splash at a time, enough to keep the macaroni submerged as they boil and to prevent sticking as you stir. I like it a little soupy, so I add enough that there's about an inch of liquid or so above "the macaroni line" as you get toward the end of the recipe.

2. Put pot on stove and turn heat up to medium high. Stir gently every once in awhile -with enough frequency to prevent noodles from sticking together or to the bottom of the pot. Once you reach a gentle simmer, adjust heat as necessary to maintain this and you're ready for the fun part.

3. Stirring gently and more or less continuously, pausing only to add ingredients and water as needed, start dumping in the other ingredients . Do the Tofutti one or two slices at a time every minute-ish, remembering to stir. The other ingredients can be added in any order you like or all at once, it doesn't matter. Just keep adding liquid as necessary and stirring, watching the cheese melt into the boiling water, with the gentle help of your spoon.

Stop and remove from burner when macaroni is just shy of done to your taste. By this time, the cheese will have melted in completely and combined with the water and everything else to form a creamy Krafty sauce.

Let it sit on the stove (off of the burner) for at least 5 minutes in order for the sauce to thicken up. (It will thicken considerably as it cools... so if you want to bake it after this step or plan to save some for leftovers, I recommend adding more water before it cools and stirring it in well. it'll look soupy, but later on will reheat out of the fridge into a nice thick creamy cheesy delicious bowl of goodness).

BLT&A Sammich

2008-12-30T14:30:00.014-06:00

"Bacon", lettuce, tomato, and avocado sammich.

I was inspired by Dreena Burton's "Beats a BLT Sandwich" recipe I came across this morning. Her recipe involves chopping up all the ingredients and mixing them with lemon or lime juice to create a sandwich filling (which can be also used as a dip). However, I couldn't find the Lightlife "Fakin' Bacon" Smoky Tempeh Strips at the store, so I just got their Smart Bacon strips instead. When I got home, I decided to abandon the recipe and just make it the traditional way because I felt the strips I had wouldn't have enough thickness to them to make the recipe work. I did, however, add avocado and green onion to my sandwich per Dreena's recipe. Yummers!

Holy Grail Found

2008-12-28T13:13:00.020-06:00

A heaping helping of Dreena Burton's Mac-Oh, Geez!

I have yet to meet a vegan who isn't perpetually searching for that one vegan mac 'n cheeze recipe that even comes close to the real thing. Well my friends, the search is over. No, really it is. I've tried at least a dozen recipes claiming to be "The Best Vegan Mac 'n Cheeze Recipe Ever" only to be let down by the usual flaws: too mustardy, to garlicky, too yeasty, too lemony, too much soy, or just plain wrong!

So, at the risk of sounding like the countless message board and blog posts I've fallen victim to: You must make this mac 'n cheeze recipe tonight.

Dreena Burton, you are a genius.

Prior to baking, Burton warns it will look like there's too much sauce and not enough pasta, but do as she says and "...trust the pasta!" Speaking of pasta, the brown rice pasta she suggests using cooks up perfectly.

Breadcrumb topping added. The only thing I will change the next time is to reduce the amount of breadcrumbs. Burton gives the option of 1-1 1/2 cups of the crumb topping, but for my taste I think I'll try about a quarter cup.

Enlightened by Avocado

2008-12-24T10:40:00.016-06:00

Can you see the halo that this pita sandwich is wearing?

It's as if rays of Heavenly light are shining through the lightly-toasted pita and Annie's Naturals Goddess Dressing that swaddle the tender chunks of avocado, tomato, and mixed baby greens. This is my latest pregnancy craving savior. Okay, maybe I'm listening to too much Christmas music.

Giving Thanks Without Exploitation

2008-12-22T16:11:00.036-06:00

This Thanksgiving I tried out new recipes for green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and stuffing. A Celebration Roast and mashed potatoes rounded out our plates (and our bellies).

The Best Vegan Green Bean Casserole from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

This casserole was just as creamy as the non-vegan version (picture doesn't really show its creaminess, but trust me, it tasted just as naughty as the traditional version!)

The Best Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Beans:

2 quarts water

1 tablespoon table salt

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces

Bring the water to boil in a large pot. While it's heating, cut up the beans. Add the salt and beans to the boiling water. Cover and cook for 6 minutes. Drain beans in a colander, and then spray for a minute with cold water to stop the cooking. Let them drain in the colander, shaking every now and then to get off all the water.

Sauce:

10 ounces mushrooms
Generous pinch cayenne pepper

Salt to taste

Fresh pepper to taste

2 tablespoons flour

3/4 cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon dry sherry (I omitted this, didn't have it on hand)

3/4 cup soy creamer or full-fat unsweetened soy milk

Trim and discard the mushroom stems and chop the mushrooms into pieces. Spray a non-stick pan with canola oil and heat it. Add the mushrooms, garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are very soft and exude their juices. Whisk the flour into the vegetable broth and add to the mushrooms along with the sherry. Simmer, stirring, until mixture thickens. Add the soy creamer or soy milk and simmer until thick, about 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and stir in the beans.

Topping:

1 1/2 slices whole grain bread

1 tablespoon Earth Balance margarine

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/16 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 3-ounce can of French fried onions

Put the bread, margarine, salt, and pepper into a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Pour into a bowl and add the onions. Stir to combine.

To Assemble:

Put the green beans into an oiled casserole dish and top with the onion mixture. Bake at 425 F for about 15 minutes. If you are not serving this right away, refrigerate the topping separately; bring to room temperature before sprinkling the topping on the casserole and baking for about 20 minutes or until hot throughout.

Praline Sweet Potato Casserole
Recipe posted by Marianne Evans on Vegweb.com

Ingredients

4 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (or yams)
3 tablespoon melted soy butter
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon brandy (we used dark rum)
1/2 ts ground ginger (1 tablespoon fresh grated)
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp grated orange peel (we used dried)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix well with an electric beater. Pour into a well-oiled 2 qt. shallow casserole dish. Spread with praline topping. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Topping

1/3 cup brown vegan sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine ingredients and mix until well blended.

Crockpot Vegan Stuffing
Recipe posted by Puddy at VegSource.com

This was a great way to cook the stuffing because it allowed the spices of Thanksgiving to fill the house for a few hours as we prepared the rest of the meal. Plus, it freed up our oven to prepare other things. This recipe yields a moist stuffing. I initially put too much broth in and, after cooking it in the crockpot, had to transfer it to a casserole dish and bake uncovered for 10 mins. or so at about 350. After it cooled a bit it was perfect.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 (12 ounce) pkg sliced mushrooms
12 cups breadcrumbs (I tore up wholegrain bread and dried it out for a couple of days prior)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Salt to taste (I used about 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon)
1 1/2 teaspoons sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
3 1/2 - 4 1/2 cups veggie broth (start with 3 cups and add more as needed)

Sauté onion, celery, mushroom, and parsley in a little veggie broth. Pour sautéed veggies over bread crumbs in a very large mixing bowl. Add all seasonings and toss together. Pour in enough broth to moisten. Pack stuffing lightly into crock pot, and cover. Set on High for 45 minutes; reduce to Low and cook for 3 - 4 hours. Makes 8 large servings.

Mashed Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy
Recipe by Moi

Boil some potatoes and mash them. Add plain soy milk and Earth Balance until you get the consistency you want. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Gravy

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 large pkg of pre-sliced, pre-washed mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup plain soy milk
1 Tbsp. flour

Over medium heat, saute garlic and mushrooms in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk soy milk and flour together. Add to mushroom mixture and reduce heat to low. Stir constantly until thickened (about 2 mins). Serve immediately.

A clean plate.

:o)

Being Vegan for Two

2008-12-22T14:57:00.014-06:00

So I've been M.I.A. for a while, but I have a good excuse: I've been busy growing another human inside of me! I'm five months along in my first pregnancy. Our little girl is thriving and will join us in early-May. Hooray for vegan babies!!

Anyway, the first trimester was NOT fun. No vomitting, but I had aversions to all of my favorite things: garlic, beans, hummus, peanut butter, guacamole, marinara...it was a struggle. I basically sustained on Fig Newman's, Fuji apples, and Van's Organic Homestyle Waffles for the first three and a half months. Thankfully, I'm now back to eating most of my favorites - except beans.

Next post will be about the fabulous, cruelty-free Thanksgiving feast we prepared.

Woofer Love

2008-08-31T11:24:00.006-05:00

Maggie, a lab/pit mix, is one of four pack members (feline and canine) in our household.

Back to School

2008-08-17T10:28:00.006-05:00

Well, today is the last day of my summer vacation. Tomorrow, I return to campus with the other teachers to prepare my mind and classroom for our students' arrival on August 25th.

I haven't regretted one single day of my vacation. I did it all: traveled, cooked, vegged-out, read, kayaked, enjoyed festivals and farmer's markets, discovered my love for photography, and organized my closet.

Tonight, when I meet a friend for one last "whenever" photo shoot, I will capture my summer vacation expiring with the sunset on Lake Grapevine (sigh).

Makin' Cakes

2008-08-17T09:20:00.009-05:00

Behold! Moist, yellow cake decked in chocolate frosting (as if a description was necessary!)

Once again, Ryan Splint delivers in his Hot Damn and Hell Yeah: Recipes for Hungry Banditos cookbook. His Vanilla (Yellow Cake) and Chocolate Cake Frosting recipes are easy to follow and produce moist, melt-in-your-mouth results.

I also tried a new chocolate cake recipe this week. I forgot to take a picture of it before I whisked it away to a friend's party, but it was delightful (I used Splint's Chocolate Cake Frosting recipe for this cake as well).

Super-Moist Vegan Chocolate Cake

(I doubled this recipe found on Vegan-food.net)

Ingredients:

3 cups of all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons of sifted good quality cocoa

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups white or brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt (optional)

10 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups cold water

Directions:

In a bowl mix together the cocoa, choc chips, baking soda, sugar and salt. Add the oil, vinegar, vanilla and water and mix until smooth. Pour into two greased and floured 9” x 9” baking pans and bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Test with a toothpick and let cool completely before removing from pans.

Seitan Reubens

2008-08-12T14:21:00.014-05:00

Thinly sliced "Toikey" Seitan piled-high with Gundelsheimer Barrel Sauerkraut, smothered in Thousand Island dressing, and sandwiched between two slices of French Meadow's Sprouted Healthy Hemp Bread.

It's been a while since I've made this sandwich, so when I sunk my teeth into this sucker today I remembered why I ate so many of them earlier this year. And, then I remembered why I stopped eating them: my waistline.

But, this ultimate comfort food is also packed with protein: 14 grams in the bread alone, and over 20 grams in the "meat". As a fellow blogger puts it, "Seitan is my motor".

"Toikey" Seitan
(modified from several online recipes)

Dry ingredients:

2 cups of Vital Wheat Gluten

2 Tbsp of All-Purpose Flour

1/4 cup of Nutritional Yeast

1 Tsp. Onion Powder1 Tsp. Garlic Powder

Wet Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup of Bragg's Liquid Aminos, Tamari, or Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Ketchup
1 Tbsp Canola Oil (or Olive Oil)

Preheat oven to 325°. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.

Pour the wet mixture into to the dry ingredients. Mix well with spatula and knead with your hands for a couple of minutes.

Form dough into a log (6-8" long) then wrap tightly in foil, twisting ends. Bake for 90 minutes.

When done baking, unwrap and leave out to cool all the way. Then wrap it foil or plastic and refrigerate. Slice to use as desired.

Vegan Thousand Island Dressing
(modified from "Vegan With A Vengeance")

1/3 cup Vegenaise
2 Tbsp. organic ketchup
1 Tbsp. minced onion
2 Tbsp. organic sweet pickle relish (like Cascadian Farm's brand)

Grapevine Farmer's Market and "Happy Meat"

2008-08-10T09:33:00.023-05:00

Lucious, velvety peaches.

Sun-ripened melons.

Yesterday morning, I headed next door to photograph Downtown Grapevine at sunrise. By mid-morning the small Farmer's Market there was in full-swing. After nearly 5 years of living next to Grapevine, this was the first time I'd ever been to their market. There's only a handful of stands, but the produce was amazing and I enjoyed talking with the farmers. It is way too easy to blow money at these little places though. Thirty bucks only got me one beautiful melon, a half dozen tomatoes and peaches, and a handful of yellow squash. Oh well.

Anyway, just as I was leaving with my small fortune, some "happy meat" vendor was setting up their coolers of "grass-fed", "locally-raised" (and slaughtered) animal carcasses. Blah. People are so frickin' in love with their "happy meat". I think most folks who buy these lies are trying to do the right thing because they feel they "need" meat, dairy, and eggs. They think they have to choose between their survival or the animals'. I'm living proof that one can live a robust and joy-filled life without animal products. And, it's the people who refuse to hear this that friggin' infuriate me.

I was once ignorant too, but I was willing to hear other viewpoints and, at the end of the day, I was also willing to do a little of my own research. You just have to be brave because the truth is excruciatingly painful in the realm of animal and human relations. We're failing miserably.

Just how miserably are we failing? Check out the documentary Earthlings (WARNING: clicking the link starts the movie). It's about our "use" of animals in the various industries. I went vegan virtually overnight after watching similar footage. Emotionally, it was life-changing and it is why I never waiver in my commitment. I simply refuse to be a part of the problem.

Vegan Eats in Los Angeles

2008-08-01T07:38:00.035-05:00

Courtyard fountain at Green Temple Vegetarian Restaurant, Redondo Beach (website photo).

Last weekend my brother, who lives in San Francisco, and I flew to Los Angeles to visit our Mom. I think it had been close to 2 years since we'd all seen each other, so it was great to be able to connect sans internet or phone.

When it comes to non-vegan families, I have it REALLY, REALLY good. My family is wonderfully supportive and accommodating and they're also willing to try vegan food. My brother recently found out he is gluten-intolerant, so many of the restaurants and food products available to him also happen to be vegan.

So, on Thursday night we kicked off our weekend together at The Green Temple vegetarian restaurant in Redondo Beach. I really fell down on the job taking pictures of my food before eating it all, so I don't have a picture of my Simple Salad with tahini dressing or the Broccoli Bowl with brown rice, beans, broccoli, asparagus, and tofu sauce. Anyway, it was delicious. The Temple has seating in their courtyard so we enjoyed the gorgeous California weather while we ate.

Robin Robertson's Linguine and Oyster Mushrooms with Gremolata.

Friday we decided to fix dinner at home and rent movies, so we went to Whole Foods and I picked up fixin's to make Robin Robertson's Linguine and Oyster Mushrooms with Gremolata. I didn't have the recipe handy, so I had to wing it by memory. I also used gluten-free pasta, for my brother's sake, and the only difference I noticed about it was the price tag (nearly $5 a pound!) Anyway, it turned out just as good as the first time I made it (pictured) and my Mom and brother LOVED it. And my brother made an awesome mixed green salad that was perfectly dressed with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and fresh ground pepper. He topped it with sweet cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and fresh avocado. It was the perfect compliment to the pasta.

Truly delicious food on Hollywood Blvd.

Silver Lake neighborhood in Hollywood (photo from Yelp.com listing)

Seitan Reuben at The Vegan Spot (photo from Yelp.com listing)

Saturday we made the trek to Hollywood to connect with my cousin and her boyfriend. Before meeting up with them, we had lunch at Truly Vegan Restaurant in West Hollywood. Once again, I spaced out and forgot to take pictures of our food. Anyway, I ordered the Simply Veggie Soup. The veggies were perfectly cooked in a flavorful broth. My Mom had the Fajita Me Wrap and my brother had The Breakfast of Champions with wheat-free pancakes and soy chicken sausage. We all ended up sharing and my brother was so impressed that he said he may very well end up going vegan (at which point I whipped out Gary Francione's Animal Rights pamphlet that I just so happened to have in my purse :)

For dinner we went to the Vegan Spot in funky Silver Lake. I had the seitan reuben followed by a vegan chocolate orange cupcake from a Lark Cake Shop down the street. Word.

Spiceh!

2008-07-22T21:08:00.007-05:00

Dried Italian spices: rosemary, oregano, thyme, basil, red pepper flakes, sea salt, fresh cracked pepper.

I like to keep a mortar bowl of Italian spices in my cupboard so I can quickly spice up pastas, pizzas, vegetables, or garlic toast. Before adding to a dish, I mash the spices with a pestle to "release" the flavors.

I know there are bottled dried spice blends out there, but I like to create my own with generous pinches of whatever I'm in the mood for. Plus, it just makes me feel more "cultured" to do it this way!

Flavor-packed Pizza

2008-07-08T20:38:00.016-05:00

Pizza with olive oil, garlic, Italian herbs, carmelized onions, sundried tomatoes, cremini mushrooms, and pine nuts.

Robin Robertson's Traditional Pizza Dough from Vegan Planet.

My husband and I collaborated on this effort last week.

For the first time, I used our food processor with a dough blade to to mix the dough, which worked out beautifully. And for a flakier crust, my husband suggested we stretch two 8-9" pizza crusts instead of one 12" crust suggested in the recipe. We also used a pizza stone preheated at 500 degrees.

I had a general idea of how to carmelize onions, but we referred to the method Robertson lists in her Free Form Carmelized Onion Tart recipe. We opted to cook the onions over a higher flame and my husband is responsible for perfectly seasoning them with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. The delicate crust allowed these sweet, tender onions to steal the show.

A little wine, a little pizza, what else do ya need?

Vegan Education Made Easy—Part 3: An Abolitionist Pamphlet

2008-07-02T20:01:00.001-05:00

Vegan Education Made Easy—Part 3: An Abolitionist Pamphlet

Posted using ShareThis

"Praise Seitan!"

2008-06-29T09:16:00.018-05:00

BBQ Seitan Strips from The Vegan Chef.

Several Vegan Freak culinary geniuses on the forums suggested this recipe. I always have fun working with Seitan. And I'm always amazed at how it starts out as a powder and ends up as "turkey", "ribs", "meatballs", etc.

Seitan dough before hitting the oven.

I finished them off on a panini griddle, instead the additional 12-15 minutes in the oven.

"Praise Seitan!"

I used Randy Jones' All Natural Original Baseball BBQ Sauce (spicy flavor), instead of the one posted within the seitan recipe. Why? Because I'm lazy! I'm very picky about my bbq sauce, and this one was perfectly sweet, smoky, and spicy. Plus, there's no scary ingredients in it either.

The potato salad is Yvette's Aunt Cathy's Potato Salad recipe out of Ryan Splint's Hot Damn and Hell Yeah: Recipes for Hungry Banditos cookbook that I was able to purchase in person, while shopping at Herbivore Magazine's store in Portland a couple of weeks ago.

My very first vegan cupcakes

2008-06-28T09:06:00.011-05:00

Dreena Burton's Vanilla Cupcakes from her Eat, Drink & Be Vegan cookbook.

Before yesterday, I'd never attempted to make cake batter or frosting from scratch. Burton's cupcake recipe was simple and had just the right amount of sweetness.

Quick Cake Frosting from Ryan Splint's Hot Damn and Hell Yeah cookbook.

This frosting was "slap me!" good and simple to make. Basically, it's just EB and powdered sugar, but I can't tell you the rest of the ingredients out of respect for the chef and because you need to buy this $9 cookbook, just for the title and concept alone: "Hot Damn and Hell Yeah: Recipes for Hungry Banditos". The back of the book (actually, it's the front of the second half of the book; you have to turn the book upside down to see the second half of the recipes) is titled "The Dirty South Cookbook". How cute is that?

The finished product.

The kitchen is open!

2008-06-27T19:39:00.015-05:00

White Bean & Walnut Bruschetta from Dreena Burton's Eat, Drink & Be Vegan cookbook.

Linguine and *Crimini Mushrooms with Gremolata from Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet cookbook.

I think it's safe to say that I'm in full-swing now with one of my summer goals: trying new recipes.

The husband was in the mood for Italian this evening, so I summoned the culinary wizardry of Burton and Robertson. As usual, I was not disappointed. Tomorrow...three new recipes. Stay tuned!

*The pasta recipe actually called for oyster mushrooms, but my grocery store didn't have any. And around here we like it spiceh, so I added red pepper flakes as well.

Shameless Kitty Worship

2008-06-27T07:16:00.006-05:00

Seriously, is there anything cuter than kitty noses and toes?

Rocco is one of my favorite people to practice my photography with.

SWEET Potatoes!

2008-06-25T13:17:00.012-05:00

We found these sweet potato dog chews at the Portland Saturday Market and our dogs LOVE them. Our vet said not to give our dogs anything that we can't indent with a thumbnail, as it would be too rough on their systems. I've been on the look out for a while now for something that's vegan AND gentle. So far, I think Snook's is the answer!

Tonight, we feast!

2008-06-24T19:21:00.015-05:00

A simple mixed greens salad with cucumber, scallion, and carrot dressed with Annie's Naturals Shiitake Sesame Vinaigrette (with a touch of agave nectar added).

During my first summer off as a teacher, I have three major goals in mind: cook, read, and exercise. Fortunately, travel has become a major component of my vacation as well. Having just gotten back from our Northwest vacation, I hadn't planned on attempting any new recipes until next week sometime. However, today after updating my blog with pictures of the glorious food we ate in Seattle and Portland, I became inspired to start tonight. So, I emailed my husband at work with the subject line, "Tonight, we feast!"

I pulled down Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet cookbook, as all of the recipes I've used of hers so far have been fabulous. Her recipes are easy to follow and don't involve a ton of ingredients. I just realized she has a number of cookbooks out, including a new one called, Vegan Fire & Spice: 200 Sultry and Savory Global Recipes. Robertson also has several free recipes on her website and blog.

Sesame Soba Noodles from Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet cookbook. Sheer comfort food!

Northwest Vacation - Part Two (Portland)

2008-06-24T12:09:00.032-05:00

Garden Veggie Sandwich from Blossoming Lotus

We hit the motherload when we went to Portland: scenery, food, art, and people. Hands-down, Portland will be a place we return to again and again. And we'll have to return in order to experience every vegan and vegan-friendly eatery the city has to offer.

There were a couple of places we ate at, but forgot to take pictures of the food: VooDoo Doughnuts (Mighty-O kicks VooDoo's ass, I have to say) and Bye and Bye bar (they serve up a gigantic and delicious "Meatball" Sub).

At the Bye and Bye, I had the privilege of meeting up with some incredible vegans I met through the Vegan Freak forums. It's been so important to connect with people who understand and reject the system of animal exploitation, in all of its forms.

Oatmeal Stout cake from Vita Cafe

Tempeh Reuben from Paradox Cafe

Breakfast Buffet at Veganopolis

A megamall in the vegan-world. The store fronts of Sweet Pea Baking Co., Herbivore Magazine, Food Fight! Grocery, and Scapegoat Tattoo.

When we visited the vegan megamall (pictured above), we had just eaten at Blossoming Lotus downtown, so I wasn't quite ready for round two at Sweet Pea Baking Co. even though we had walked 5 miles to get there. But, I did go inside to view all the vegany goodness I thought I would return to try, but sadly we didn't make it back.

Sweetpea was one of about half a dozen other places I didn't get to: Backspace Cafe, Bellafacia Pizzeria, It's a Beautiful Pizza, Nutshell, Proper Eats, and Red and Black Cafe are among about 100 vegan and vegan-friendly haunts Portland has to offer. Sigh.

Northwest Vacation - Part One (Seattle)

2008-06-23T07:55:00.013-05:00

The BBQ Burger at Hillside Quickie's in Capitol Hill.

Our trip to Seattle and Portland last week was phenomenal. Vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants were everywhere. This post will be fairly short, as I will let the pictures tell the story.

Vegan Cinnamon Roll from Cinnamon Works at Pike Place Market.

Menu notations such as, "available vegan" were not uncommon in the restaurant scene in Seattle.

I hadn't had a doughnut since going vegan over 2 years ago. Fortunately, there was a little coffee shop a few blocks from our hotel called Cafe Leito that offered Mighty-O Donuts. Otherwise, we would have had to take a cab about 5 miles to experience the Mighty-O (and we would have). Anyway, these suckers lived up to the hype. Even my omni husband was impressed. We shared a glazed chocolate cake and a french toast doughnut.

Innocent chocolate?

2008-06-10T19:06:00.009-05:00

Since I joined the Vegan Freak community nearly a year ago, I've become aware of so many issues beyond animal rights, like the slave labor that's often involved in coffee and chocolate products. So, in my quest to do right by both the non-human and human animals I recently found a vegan, fair trade chocolate called Innocent Chocolate in the freezer section of Whole Foods (Whole Foods is a whole other issue for another blog post). Inside the 4 Pleasures sampler were eight mini-bars in INCA, Cherry Pecan, Blueberry, and Dark Pecan flavors. The samples were just the right size to satisfy a rogue craving for chocolate. And, what makes this find even sweeter is that it's sweetened with agave nectar, not cane sugar. My favorite flavor is the Cherry Pecan.

Eats from this week

2008-06-07T08:19:00.024-05:00

There are a ton of vegans out there who are cranking out some truly innovative cuisine, but I'm just not there yet. In the meantime, I'm enjoying some of the old stand-bys: sauteed veggies with quinoa, oatmeal, spinach salads, flaxseed crackers with hummus, and black bean burgers to name a few. So much for the twigs and berries that vegans supposedly eat!

Sauteed Veggies with Quinoa
(One Serving)

Ingredients:

1 cup broccoli florets, raw
1/4 cup zucchini, sliced
1/4 red bell pepper strips
Handful of spinach
2-4 tbsp. favorite bottled Asian sauce (like Annie Chun's Thai Peanut Sauce)
Chili garlic sauce, to taste

Directions:

Prepare quinoa per package directions.

In a saute pan, heat a few tablespoons of water over med-high flame. Add broccoli florets, cover and steam for a couple of minutes. Add zucchini and bell pepper, cover and steam another minute or two. Add a handful of spinach and the Asian sauce and toss a few times so that the already heated veggies start to wilt the spinach and heat the sauce through (you may add another tablespoon of water to thin out the sauce if veggies start to stick to pan). Re-cover for another one to two minutes and remove from heat. Serve over quinoa and top with chili garlic sauce (optional).

Note: I cook-off enough quinoa for the week and just add it to the saute to heat through. I also prep all of my veggies for the week at once, which makes this nutrient-packed meal a snap during the work week.

PETA and KFC: “no differences of opinion about how animals should be treated”

2008-06-03T18:11:00.002-05:00

PETA and KFC: “no differences of opinion about how animals should be treated”

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He cooks what?

2008-06-02T18:17:00.011-05:00

When my omnivore husband cooks, he cooks vegan food. Are you following this? Anyway, I dont question it I just scarf it down. Last night, I enjoyed homemade black bean burgers sandwiched between toasted artisan rolls and served up with hand-cut, spicy fries.

He's also slam-dunked Isa's Tempeh Bacon and "Fronch" Toast recipes. And, he made a mean Barley Risotto with Wild Mushrooms and Fresh Herbs out of Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet cookbook. I think I ate an entire loaf of French bread just sopping up that full-bodied sauce he cooked up with ease. This guy is a natural (all the more frusturating that he's not vegan, but I'm working on it!)

Black Bean Burgers (by Liz on VegWeb.com)

Ingredients:

1 can black beans
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 egg substitute
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Rinse black beans. In a large bowl, mash black beans then add onion, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, egg substitute, vegan bread crumbs and cilantro. Blend until all ingredients are mixed well. Form bean mixture into patties and place on a baking pan or cookie sheet (spray pan with non-stick spray). Bake at 350 for 10 mins. Serves 6.

Note: These can also be grilled on a George Foreman.

Spicy Fries (by Elizabeth on VegWeb.com)

Ingredients:

3 large potatoes, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Add all ingredients to a large tupperware container, seal lid, and toss to coat potatoes evenly. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes or so. Serves 4.

Welfarism at its finest

2008-05-28T22:03:00.038-05:00

While doing a little research on rose veal, one of the many versions of "happy meat" being demanded by guilt-ridden consumers, I stumbled across the RSPCA's mind-numbing, "higher-welfare" farm assurance program called Freedom Food.

So far, it appears this welfarist "scheme" (their word, not mine) is only available in the UK, but when consumers see the "Freedom Food" logo on the packaged animal carcass they're buying they can rest assured that the poor soul was able to kick around a soccer ball before it was killed. I'm NOT even kidding. Oh yes, by providing soccer balls for the chickens to peck and kick around, this "Environmental Enrichment" allows for healthy stimulation (read: better meat quality, which equals mo' money fo' shizzle).

At this time, I'd like to invite you to take an ANIMATED tour of a Freedom Food chicken shed. Check out the room these birds have. It's amazing! Hmmm, animation...that's a little curious. Anyway, I shouldn't be so cynical. I'm sure it's Kosher seein' as how RSPCA stands for R....Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (I have no clue what the frickin' "R" stands for. Does it really even matter?)

Hey, if you're still not convinced how good these birds have it take a look at these photos from a few RSPCA approved farms. Can you say Photoshop? Jesus.

I'm sorry, there's just one more thing I want to point out here. One of the spokespeople for this initiative is chef Jamie Oliver, so you know he's going to tell it to you straight. It's not like he's in the business of selling this stuff to you.

I can't believe anyone would ever doubt that the RSPCA is "...dedicated to improving the lives of as many farm animals as possible, including chickens..."

In all seriousness, Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary has a great letter on their blog about "humane" animal products and the faces and stories that go with them. Also, Gary Francione has covered this issue extensively in various places on his blog and in his books.

I'll take a double shot, lite foam, almond milk latte...hold the slave labor, please!

2008-05-27T22:20:00.036-05:00

Me love me some espresso `a la almond milk latte in the mornings, however, swapping out cow secretions for almond milk may not not be enough. Lately, I've been hearing about the human slave labor involved in most of the coffee (and chocolate) we consume.

There's a documentary called Black Gold that I want to see regarding this issue. Until then, I've decided to err on the side of humanity (non-human animals included) and spring for some fair trade espresso. The only kind I could find around here was Green Mountain's Fair Trade Organic Espresso

Fortunately, we have an espresso machine and now I can make my own lattes with fair-trade espresso and with almond milk, which Starbucks doesn't offer. Now, about the clothes I wear, the car I drive...will it ever end? Perhaps when the world implodes from all of our exploitative actions. Sigh.

Guac, It's What's for Dinner

2008-05-27T20:20:00.028-05:00

Guacamole 'round here doesn't come out of a package. Okay, it did for the last 8 years in our household (WTF?) But, tonight I outdid myself. Am I a "Self-respectin' Texan" now?

4 ripe avocados, scooped
1/2 lemon, squeezed
2 roma tomatoes, deseeded and diced
1/4 small red onion, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. dried ancho chile powder

Mash avocado. Add remaining ingredients. Lick the bowl.

Serves 4 (recipe and photo by me)

Playing with our new camera

2008-05-26T20:38:00.009-05:00

In anticipation of our trip to Seattle and Portland June 14-22, we bought a new camera. And, thanks to Herbivore Magazine's Travel Issue 14, I'll be able to document how we ate our way through these two vegan meccas. In the meantime, I'm quite satisfied documenting our fur-babies. This is Murphy (a/k/a Smurfy-smurfers, Smurph-dog, Buddy, Smurf-a-licious, Wiener Man)

Oprah's "O Ambassadors" participate in goat sacrifice

2008-05-26T19:59:00.012-05:00

An episode aired today featuring footage of 12 of Oprah's O Ambasadors who traveled to a remote village in Africa to build a school. Sounds sweet, right? Well, you know you can't very well build a school without having a good ol' fashioned goat sacrifice. The footage from their trip shows a very, very reluctant goat being led in by a rope around his neck. While he's being led onto the school ground construction site, all of the participants are drinking some of the goat's milk from a gourd being passed around. They don't show the actual sacrfice, but they do show the goat lying there afterwards. Many of the teenage ambassadors were uncomfortable with it, some didn't watch, but most of them accepted it. One said, "A goat is like very valuable, so it was a big deal for them to do this." Another said, "Like, they were making that personal sacrifice, I definitely appreciated it. They have so little." Yet another said, "It was a great honor for them to sacrifice that goat and let us drink its milk." One kid who was really upset about the whole scene said, "I admit it, that was difficult for me. Like, I'd never seen a life, even the life of an animal, being taken before." After the audience watched the footage, Oprah focused on the fact that many of the kids were too grossed out to drink the milk from the gourd. They all had a good laugh about the fact that many of them "fake drank" the milk. It's a shame that the one kid who really, really had a hard time with it felt like there was something wrong with his feelings. This is a prime example of how our compassion for animals is shamed out of us when we're young and continues to be until we die.