Monday, January 30, 2012

Cashew Cream

Alright, I use Cashew Cream a lot. It is super easy to make, works as a great substitute for any recipe that calls for cream, and will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.

You will need -

1lb Whole Raw Cashews ( I use Trader Joes packaged )
about 3 cups boiling water (enough to cover Cashews)
bowl to hold Cashews
food processor or blender

1. Place Cashews in bowl


2. Pour boiling water over cashews with enough water to cover



3. Cover bowl with a plate, and let sit for at least 2 hours up to overnight

4. Drain off liquid, and pour into the food processor


5.  Turn food processor on, and process for 5 minutes. Keep a cup full of hot water to add as its processing to thin it out a bit, and keep it smooth



6. Place cream into a container to store in fridge for up to 7 days. (I like to use a large mason jar)



Enjoy!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Recipe - Potato & Leek Soup

I made this incredibly easy and super delicious soup the other night. It was based on every recipe for Potato & Leek Soup out there. There are really only a few ingredients so I trusted my gut and made it!

Sadly, I didn't take a picture but it looked an awful lot like this soup seen on the Always Order Dessert blog.



This completely Vegan and Gluten-free recipe is sure to warm the hearts of your carnivorous and herbivorous friends alike.

Potato & Leek Soup
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes - About 3 fist sized ones
2 large leeks 
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Vegetarian Base (make it a heaping one)
4 cups warm water
Salt and Pepper to taste

Peel and cube your potatoes. Just chop them to a size that will make them soften up quickly. Boil until they are tender and then drain. Slice up your leeks (white and light green parts) and wash*. In the same pot add the oil and warm it up - so medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until nice and tender. While they are cooking add your bouillon to your warm water. You can use vegetable broth instead, but I love this bouillon.  When you leeks are ready, add water/bouillon mix and potatoes. Bring everything to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium. Like a rapid simmer. When you can see that the potatoes has started to absorb some of the bouillon, turn the heat off. Take your immersion blender and blend in all until smooth. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. Then turn heat back on and bring to a simmer.

Serve with something yummy like Full Sail Amber Ale. You can even put it in a bread bowl if you can eat bread.


*To wash leeks - Slice them up and then put them in a large bowl of water. While submersed, separate all the little rings. Then swish all the little rings around in the water. I basically just use my hand as a big spoon. Then drain the rings in a colander and rinse under water. It seems like a lot of work, but you aren't trying to make you leeks win a beauty contest so you don't have to be ginger and it is worth it. Dirt can get way down into the leeks.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Vegan is the new Viagra


This features snippets from Forks Over Knives. If you haven't watched it yet, get on that!!! I love it and it is probably still on Netflix. If you are really interested, maybe I will get a viewing going at Kiggins. Thoughts?

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Wool - Will I? Won't I?


So I have always been curious about wool and whether or not it is cool to use in the Vegan community. The short answer is  - no. It's not cool at all.


Why?

Well, places that mass produce yarn have been sited treating their animals the same way you see at factory farms. Inhumane handling (punching, mutilating, and other horrid abuses), an abundance of felled animals (animals that can't get up for any reason, even something as simple as dehydration, are left to die) and unclean living conditions. This is more of a problem outside of the US, but since much of our wool products come from other places this is something that I, personally have to consider. (Just Google cruel wool and grab a box of tissues.)

I am an avid knitter and sewer (and beer drinker which really isn't related to crafting, but I am and thought you should know). So I feel like this is something I need to pay attention to because, I love wool and other animal fibers like alpaca or llama.  They are so soft and warm and, to me, feel so much more pleasant.

But come on, I don't love the fiber enough to subject any animals to abuse. So why do I even waiver?

I waiver because I have a hard time imagining that the yarn I buy at these little local yarn shops, have this cruelty ridden wool. I simply cannot picture any local spinner or wool supplier abusing their animals. I am betting I can even go and see their animals. 

Am I wrong in picturing this? Well I am going to find out. My goal is to take several field trips to the places my favorite yarn comes from and see if I like what I see.

In the meantime, I am no longer buying wool from big chains. It is time for me to start embracing, bamboo, cotton, hemp and yes, even acrylic (that squeaky, pilly, yarn from hell).

So tell me friends - Do you use/wear wool? Tell us by leaving a comment below.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Veggie Dog

Happy Wednesday everyone!  Sorry it's been a while between posts...Gretchen has been busy with all the joys of being a new Auntie, and I have just been busy with, well...life. However, we have some very exciting things planned, so stay tuned...you will love it!

Today's post is about dog food. Some of you know my furry, four legged child, Davis. For those of you that don't, let me introduce you. =)

This is Davis. He is our 6 year old Bullmastiff. He is a silly, cuddly, flirty, sensitive guy that recently went veggie...And if you meeting him in person, he would kiss you.



Yes, you read that right. Davis is now a vegetarian.  For pretty much his whole life, Davis has been a 'Hot Mess'.  He would get double ear infections about every 5 weeks.  His ears were always an issue...I would have to clean his ears out about 3x a week, and his earwax was always dark, almost black, and I would have to use about 16 q-tips. (I'm sorry, I know that's gross) Once his ears were infected, he usually would get yeast infections in the folds of his face that would lead to open, seeping hot spots, then his eyes would get swollen and infected from rubbing his face so much, which would usually lead to a corneal abrasion or ulcer...regardless if they were infected or not, he always had yucky, goobery eyes. Poor guy. When he would be 'infected' my day would consist of 2-3 kinds of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory. 3 different ear drops/ointments, ear wash, anti-fungal face wipes, antibiotic cream for his folds. 2 eye drops. 1 eye ointment. All these things 2-3 times a day. Imagine me, wrestling down a 140ish pound dog 2-3x a day, who really didnt want anyone near his face, and trying to administer everything. Oh yeah...and keep him from rubbing it all off (did I mention e-cones aren't made big enough for his neck?) So he would spent his day trying to 'hide' from me.




The vet thought he might have a corn allergy, so we would try to find him food that was corn free. It did help a little.  Then, recently I started researching vegetarian dog food, and we found this...

Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin & Coat Vegetarian Recipe

I can not even begin to sing enough praises about this. It has been like Magic.  Within about 4 days, his eyes were clear, and  goober free. Within a week and a half, his ears were producing normal colored earwax in normal amounts (now only use 4 q-tips). After 2 weeks he was a completely different dog...acting like a 2 year old, full of energy, galloping through the house (which can get a little chaotic in our 1100 sq foot townhouse) not napping all day, but playing with his toys, his eyes are bright, and he just seems super happy....Not to mention he loves the food, and wags his tail the whole time he eats.

The food is more expensive than some (about $40 for the 35lb bag, which lasts Davis about 3 1/2 weeks) But its worth it, and in the long run we are saving $ not having to buy all the drops, ointments, meds, wipes, and q-tips.   Nature's Recipe does have awesome coupons on their website, and you can register to receive regular offers.  Check them out http://www.naturesrecipe.com

I encourage you to do your dog a favor, and try this food out. They deserve to have good nutrition, just as much as we do.  And I'm positive they would disapprove of the way meat based dog-food is made...they are animals too, you know ;)

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Review - The Happy Herbivore Cookbook


Not all vegan food is healthy, you can still be a big fatty and eat vegan if, for instance, all you eat is French Fries. Lindsay S. Nixon, author of The Happy Herbivore Cookbook: Over 175 Delicious Fat-Free and Low-Fat Vegan Recipes, created a cookbook that has recipes as delicious as they are healthy.


All of the recipes have no or very little added fat which is great for your heart, but can take a little getting used to when it comes to cleaning your pans. (Honestly, I haven't had that much trouble with clean up yet, but I keep expecting to.)

I haven't made all the recipes in this book (there are over 175 of them remember), but I have made quite a few and haven't been dissappointed. The Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are probably the #1 winner so far. The Ghandi Bowl is our favorite quick fix and we love the Mac and Cheese.

Today for kicks, I wanted to try the Black Bean Brownies. The recipe can be found here - http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/vegan-blackbean-brownies/ as well as in the book. To be honest it was the only thing that I have had that I wasn't thrilled with.

They had too much cinnamon and tasted too much like banana.  So next time I am going to follow the alternative recipe - green bananas but added sugar. And no cinnamon. Maybe decaf instant coffee.

Batter

Baked

My tester. She only took one bite...wah wah.

I am going to try again soon, because the had all the potential for total deliciousness.  But seriously everything else has been great! And so healthy. Totally worth picking up at your local bookstore. Maybe with it's help I can lose this damn holiday weight.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Another Lasagna!

I have officially started my 21-day Kickstart. Pretty simple - eat completely Vegan, no cheating. The other part is not eating anything that has more than 3 grams of fat per serving. So as much as I wanted to eat the lasagna Donna made without even using a fork, I needed something on the low-fat side.

I found this recipe for Spinach Lasagna after reading about people eating it in the book. Just to be clear, this recipe is not in the book; I had to go looking for it.

This contains the magic food - Tofu. Tofu is a great replicant for many things, but not a perfect one. I have never thought "mmmm this doesn't seem different at all!". No, most of the time it is either "meh, that is pretty tasty" or "different, but still good".

That is, until last night. This lasagna literally didn't taste any different than lasagna I had growing up, minus the mozzarella on top (which I will probably add a Daiya version of when these 21 days are over). I don't know if it was the delicious Trader Joe's sauce (Tomato and Basil) or the tofu ricotta, but Kris and I were actually moaning over it.

This picture is not very pretty  (Where is Aly Medina when I need her?!) but, it still is making my mouth water. That is how good it was.



I only used about 12 noodles and I would have liked a little more "ricotta". Quick note about lasagna noodles - if you buy the "no-boil" kind they contain eggs. Read the labels carefully folks.

Okay so off you go!! Go make some and yes, your family will be saying "lasagna again?!" and then they will shut their mouths only to open them again for more bites.

Enjoy!

**************
Recipe from website if you don't feel like following the link  -


SERVINGS
8 to 10
INGREDIENTS
1/2 to 1 pound (225 to 455 g) lasagna noodles
2 packages (10 ounces, or 280 g, each) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 package (16 ounces, or 455 g) firm tofu (not silken)
1 tablespoon (13 g) granulated sugar (optional)
1/4 cup (60 ml) nondairy milk (such as rice, oat, soy, almond, or hazelnut), or as needed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 peeled garlic cloves
Juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons [30 ml])
2 tablespoons (5 g) minced fresh basil (about 20 leaves)
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt (or to taste)
4 to 6 cups (980 to 1470 g) tomato or pasta sauce of your choice
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; (180 degrees C, or gas mark 4).
Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions or use "no-boil" lasagna noodles. Drain and set aside.
Squeeze as much water from spinach as possible and set aside. (If using fresh spinach, blanch first.)
Place tofu, sugar (if using), milk, garlic powder, lemon juice, basil and salt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. The tofu "ricotta" should be creamy but still have body.
Transfer to large-size bowl, and stir in spinach. Continue tasting until you get amount of salt just right.
Cover bottom of 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of noodles (use about one-third of noodles). Follow with half the tofu filling. Continue in the same order, using half the remaining tomato sauce and noodles, and all remaining tofu filling. End with remaining noodles, covered by remaining tomato sauce. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until hot and bubbling.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS AND VARIATIONS
Add meatless meat crumbles to your tomato sauce for more texture and body. For more cheesiness, add shredded nondairy mozzarella cheese to each layer.
This recipe is also great for making stuffed shells. To do so, stuff pasta shells with the tofu ricotta from this recipe, place them in a baking dish, pour on tomato sauce and bake in a 350 degrees F (180 degrees C, or gas mark 4) oven for 20 to 30 minutes.
Excerpted from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. © Fair Winds Press 2009

Sunday, January 1, 2012

A New Recipe For The New Year

First off, Happy New Year!

Let's talk food, shall we?  So I have always loved lasagna...well, anything that had a noodle/sauce/cheese combination, honestly. So obviously, being someone that is a celiac sufferer and allergic to dairy, it's not the best choice for me. So I decided to play around in the kitchen, and try to come up with a gluten free/vegan lasagna type dish. What I came up with is everything I wished it would be...and has become a family favorite that we indulge in about once a month. I made this tonight for dinner.  And since you all have been so good, I am going to share the recipe with you ;) One thing to remember-It isn't the most low-fat vegan dish...so add a nice side salad and a steamed veggie for the sides to round it out a little. Enjoy!


Lasagna Bake with Cashew Creme Béchamel

You will need:

1 16oz bag of Brown Rice Noodles (I used Trader Joes Brown Rice Penne)

2 Cups Marinara Sauce (you can make your own, or use your favorite jarred sauce. I used Trader Joes)

1 1/2 Cups Cashew Creme Béchamel (Recipe follows)

1 bag of Daiya Mozzarella style shreds

casserole dish
Pre Heat oven to 375

1. Boil pasta as directed on package. Drain. Set aside.

2. Heat up Marinara Sauce in pan. 

3. Add pasta to sauce and stir to combine.


4. Take half of pasta and place in casserole dish.


5. Pour Béchamel over pasta. Spread to create even layer.



6. Take half of  'Mozzarella' and layer over Béchamel.



7. Layer the rest of pasta over 'Mozzarella'.

8. Put the remainder of 'Mozzarella' on top.


9. Cover casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes. 


Then uncover and turn broiler on for about 3 minutes to brown the top.

This what you will find when you pull it out of the oven:





Now you can have your 'lasagna' and eat it too ;)


Cashew Creme Béchamel

you will need:

2 cups Cashew Creme 
1 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 cup non dairy milk (I light to use cashew or hemp milk for this)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place butter in heated sauce pan. Start to simmer.


2. Add Cashew Creme to butter and start to melt together.
3. Add milk and seasonings. Stir to combine. Bring to boil while stirring.  Cook down until most liquid is gone, and you have a thick consistency.





*(Please excuse the flax seed oil pill bottle and paper towel roll in the back ground...and the fact that I haven't mastered the art of food photography yet)

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2012!


The end of 2011 kicked my butt on a personal level. It also did on a veggie level. I ate way too much dairy. Like way too much. I get a little jealous Donna sometimes because she is allergic. Stupid? Yes, but true. If my reaction to dairy was more than a tummy ache and the feeling of guilt picturing the cows that have never seen pasture, or the thought of their babies torn away from them, sometimes cruelly, then I might be able to avoid the awesome melting pot of ¡Qué Bueno! (although I do have serious doubts about how much dairy there actually is in that, which is also gross.) That's right guilt and gas can still not be enough of a deterrent


But I am not really going to beat myself up. This is a learning process for me and my family. I can say, right now, I can not possibly think of anything that would possess me to willingly/knowingly eat meat again. I won't prepare meals at home that I am going to eat that contain eggs or dairy. But I am still going to eat my Mother's molasses cookies. Why? Because they are her molasses cookies. They mean something else, they aren't taquitos or mini quiches from the store that someone flopped on a plate and I am expected to be polite and eat because "hey, sometimes I have dairy". They have a story, that is more important than the butter and egg? ( I have no idea how to make them) that is in them.


~Part of this outlook I owe to Jonathan Foer, author of Eating Animals. A full review will come later.~ 


I do however feel the need to really get back in the saddle. So I am going to start the year with 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart: Boost Metabolism, Lower Cholesterol, and Dramatically Improve Your Health By Neal D. Barnard. A few holiday pounds shed, a better feeling in my body and some new ideas, will help remind me why this is the best choice I have made for myself and for my family.

Again Happy New Year from VanVeggie and may 2012 bring you peace and happiness. I know it will for us.