Lazy Vegan - Vegan Supreme Burrito

Problem: I am so hungry and there is nothing to eat and even if there was I wouldn't want to make anything because I am too hungry and there is nothing. to. eat.

Solution:

 Thank you, The Higher Taste, for making this!!! This local company sells their goods at New Seasons and many other health food stores. I used my microwave (shhh don't tell Donna) and then stuck it in the toaster over to create a perfect end to my raging hunger.

Who doesn't love heat-and-eat burritos?!

Yes, I could have made this myself. Yes, the beans could have been cooked a little more. But that's all water under the bridge now that my belly is full and I all I had to do was move my arm a little to press some buttons.

Lazy Vegan - gardein™ mandarin orange crispy chick'n

Let me tell you one of my well known dirty secrets. Crap, I guess "well known" sort of negates the whole "secret" part of it, but anyway - I friggin' love Target. Like "carve our initials in a tree" kind of love. So imagine my joy when they started selling this in their frozen section......wait did you know about their grocery section?! Yeah some Targets don't have one yet, but two out of three in Vancouver, do (Vancouver Plaza and Fisher's Landing) and their prices are competitive. Back on topic, drum roll please! - 

That's right delicious, actually vegan, frozen products made by gardein™ (Think your frozen meatless products are vegan? Check again, home fries.) 

Today I sauteed the gardein™ mandarin orange crispy chick'n up with some steamed broccoli and had myself an easy lunch!! The sauce was good, not great, but what you would expect from any frozen meal. Next time I think I will whip up a szechuan sauce to drizzle over instead, but only if I am not lazy, because the sauce is good enough. The chick'n could trick children and drunk adults. It isn't a perfect match, but it isn't chicken, so how could it be. Honestly, I like it a little better, but that may be the self-righteousness talking.

We have our freezer stocked with a variety to try and tell you about. If you have had them or have any of the other gardein™ foods we must try, let us know!

*Small note - so far we haven't come across anything gluten-free. So watch out Celiac's sufferers.

Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving! I hope you were surrounded by loved ones, and of course amazing food! What did you have? We had dinner at my inlaws. Everyone else in the family are dairy, gluten and meat eaters. So I spent some time, tweeking old recipes of mine, to be vegan and gluten-free.  They all came out completely delish and everything was a huge hit! My husband said the gravy was the best he had ever had! Here are a few of the recipes for you to try and enjoy.

Savory Mushroom Gravy

1lb assorted mushrooms finely chopped (I used mini portobellos and cremini)

4 cups vegetable stock

4 tablespoons of earth balance buttery spread

3 tablespoons Pamela's wheat + gluten free flour blend

1 tsp thyme

1 tablespoon Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute

salt and pepper to taste

1. Place 3 tablespoons of earth balance and mushrooms in large pan. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms are browned and all liquid has evaporated. 

2. Add 3 cups of the vegetable stock, stirring to loosen up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.  Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Place remaining Earth Balance and flour mix into a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Cook until browned and fully combined, about 2-3 minutes.  Slowly whisk in remaining stock; bring to boil, continuing to whisk until thickened. Add to first mixture. Stir in Thyme and seasonings.  Serve hot.

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

2lbs green beans

1 1/2 cups 'cream' of mushroom soup (recipe follows)

1 1/3 cups gluten free french 'fried' onions (recipe follows)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Combine green beans, soup, pepper and 2/3 cups of onions in a casserole dish

2. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Stir mixture and sprinkle remaining onions on top.

3. Bake for an additional 5 mins.

'Cream' of Mushroom Soup

2 cups finely chopped mushrooms

3 tbsp Earth Balance

1 1/2 cups cashew cream

2 cups vegetable stock

1/4 of a yellow onion minced in food processor

1/2 tsp garlic powder

up to a 1/4 cup Pamela's wheat + gluten free flour mix

salt and pepper to taste

1. Place earth balance and onion in 4 quart pot. Saute until onion is clear. Add mushroom, cook until browned, and most liquid is evaporated.

2. Add vegetable stock. Bring to boil. Add cashew cream, stirring continuously. Stir in seasoning.

3. make a roux with the flour, and slowly add in to thicken.

Gluten Free French 'Fried' Onions

1 large yellow onion

1 cup Pamela's wheat + gluten free flour mix

1/2 cup corn meal

1 cup almond milk (any dairy free milk is fine)

salt and pepper to taste

Large cookie sheet

Olive Oil

1. Mix flour, corn meal, and seasoning in a bowl. Set aside.

2. Place milk in a bowl. Set aside.

3. Thinly slice onion. Place onion in milk. Allow onion to soak for about 5 minutes.

4. Transfer onion into the flour mixture. Dredge through and make sure onions are coated completely.

5. Rub about a capful of olive oil on the cookie sheet.  Place onions on cookie sheet in an even layer.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top.

6. Bake at 425 for about 10 minutes. stir onions carefully, try to flip them over. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until nice and crispy.

Vegan Whipped Potatoes

10 lbs Organic potatoes 

1/2 cup cashew cream

1/2 cup Earth Balance buttery spread

2 tbsp vegan gourmet cream cheese

2 tbsp chives (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1. Scrub and peel potatoes. Quarter potatoes and place in large pot. Cover with water. Bring to boil; cook until fork tender. Drain potatoes.

2. Place potatoes in stand mixer. Place mixer on medium setting and mix for about 2 minutes. Add in remaining ingredients. Continue to mix for about 5 minutes; potatoes should be a light, whipped consistency. 

3. Transfer to a casserole dish and bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until top is golden brown.  

Give these a try, and let me know what you think! 

Tofurky!

Last night we tried our first Tofurky® Roast and Savory Giblet Gravy



We used, yams, carrots and leeks for the surrounding veggies.
Before -

 After - 

Kris carving the bird - 

The inside - 

With the Giblet Gravy - 

The verdict - 


I really enjoyed it. It tastes like fake meat for sure, but it was still yummy and stuffing was great. Kris wasn't as huge of a fan. He was expecting it to be tastier and maybe a little more like the real deal. We both agreed that the Giblet Gravy was excellent!!!


I think it is a winner!

You can't be F*&#ing Serious!! - PETA edition

Remember in Super Mario 3, when you got the Raccoon tale, and then you got fly, and it was the most amazing shit ever?!? Well that Raccoon was a Tanooki and PETA thinks you are sick and Nintendo is a fur mongering monster.

Via LaTimes -

Does Nintendo's new Super Mario 3D Land game promote the wearing of fur?

That's what the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is asserting in the organization's latest attempt to grab attention for its pro-animal, anti-fur agenda.

PETA explains its gripe with Mario, a graphic character from a video game, on its website:

"When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use whatever means necessary to defeat his enemy -- even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers.

Tanooki may be just a suit in the game, but in real life tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing a Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it is OK to wear fur.

The statement is accompanied by a sinister looking Mario in a fur suit dripping with blood, holding the head of a dead raccoon dog.

Talk about using any means necessary to defeat an enemy.

PETA's website also features a deeply disturbing video of actual tanuki -- an animal native to Japan that looks like a raccoon but is in fact more closely related to a dog -- being bludgeoned to death and skinned by people who work in the fur industry.

The video is very upsetting, but whether that has anything to do with Super Mario 3D Land is up for debate.

While it is true that at points in the game, Mario dons a raccoon-ish looking "Tanooki" suit that enables him to float in the air and swat bad guys with his tail, he never slaughters an animal to get it.

Instead, as MSNBC's In-Game blog points out, "the magical Tanooki suits that [Mario] wears in the game typically spring from magical squares that magically hover in the air. These squares magically give up the suits, (which at first look like magical leaves), when Mario bumps his head into them."

Still, PETA has created its own game called Super Tanooki Skin 2D  in which a skinless Tanooki is chasing a flying Mario, trying to get his skin back.

Now do yourself a fun favor and listen to NPR's Last Word in Business on Nov. 16 -


PETA, we love you, we really do. But stick to what you do best - like finding celebrity promoters, so we can feel like they are just like us. As far as Mario wearing fur, I have a question, when my daughter dressed up as a kitty for a Halloween last year, should I have thrown red paint on her, started a picket line, or just called her a murderer?

New Seasons for Vancouver

That's right no more slogging it to NoPo for the nearest* New Seasons. On Nov. 9th New Seasons Market opened it's Fishers Landing location. (Located in the shopping center with Muchas Gracias, yeah you know the one.)

(Image from their website.) 

I went on the day it opened. Not the best idea. I couldn't park anywhere in the entire complex. So yesterday I decided to try checking it out again. Much better, not busy at all. Now I will admit that I have a New Seasons bias. My wicked awesome sister works at the New Seasons in Cedar Hills. So I was expecting to like it, but even with the eagerness to love it, I was still impressed. The prices were good and very comparable to Fred Meyer or Whole Foods, however if you expect WinCo pricing, prepare for sticker shock.

The people were so friendly. It was almost ridiculous. The woman in floral told me they could make any terrarium I would want (don't worry Solabee, I would never cheat on you), people told Cora her coat was cute, people told me my purse was cute, they gave me a foot rub and told me I had the face of a goddess. Well maybe not the last part, but I left feeling like that. Plus my Tofurky Roast and Savory Giblet Gravy came to total of 13 bucks, so I was on cloud nine. (I haven't had the roast or the gravy before so expect a full review later this week.)

So if you haven't, get your self over to the new New Seasons. Drop some coinage and feel shamelessly and inaccurately superior on your way to your car. Trust me it rocks.

* It totally might not be the nearest North Portland is insanely close. It is the shiniest though.

So What's All This Then?

Well, I figure it is time. Time to stop eating like my body is a trash compactor, stop pretending that I am totally down with slaughterhouses and heart disease and cancer. (okay, I was never really down with those but I was sure living comfortably with the inevitability of them.) Time to call on my girls and get to know the town I was raised in and  find out how I can live with better head on my shoulders and more favorable size tag on my jeans.

What do I know about all of this healthy, happy, living - jack all. So that is why I am recruiting some of my friends to help me out. And going to beg or bribe them to become regular contributors.

Right now, I have been meat-free for a couple of months. I have been dairy-free for a couple of hours. (In my defense I haven't cooked/baked with dairy or eggs in about 3 months.)

Tonight I will be watching this - Forks Over Knives: Vegan Thanksgiving Meal Preparation with Julieanna Hever, R.D.

Watch live streaming video from forksoverknives at livestream.com

***I know this video isn't working, I am waiting for FOK to get the YouTube version up. In the meantime check out the recipes here.***

Enjoy and welcome to VanVeggie!