vegan

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Vegans like ranch too. Ranch dressing, or as my friend Brien once called it, American dressing, is the perfect condiment for just about anything. This being said everyone deserves to eat our national treasure & vegans are no exception. Here is a super easy recipe for it:

1 cup of Vegenasie
1 cup of unsweetened soy or non-dairy milk
1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
a splash of red wine vinegar
fresh ground pepper to taste

Dissolve the ranch flavoring into a teaspoon of water & let stand for 5 min, this re-hydrates the spices & releases the flavor. Then combine all ingredients into a jar & shake, shake, shake! Done. Ranch dressing.

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Not a baking disaster. A few weeks ago, when my winter cabin fever was full blown, I had an urge to bake cookies. I opened up my Joy of Vegan Baking cook book only to find I didn’t have the ingredients to complete any one recipe. I made a variation of the sugar cookie recipe found in the book with a 1/2 empty bag of trail mix I found in the pantry. & by variation I mean I only used 1/2 the amount of earth balance the recipe called for. So I shut the book and decided to wing it! I substituted substitutions, I added oil for some reason & ground flax seeds to substitute the egg replacer. Truthfully, the only reason I went on with the baking is because I already put most of the stuff in the bowl before I realized how bare the pantry was! They say baking is more of an exact science, something not to really mess with. Somehow I made cookies though. I can’t pretend I’m not surprised that they were not only edible, but REALLY GOOD! Next time I’ll plan ahead and have the necessary ingredients, but the addition of trail mix with dates, almonds, raisins, & seeds is a great mix in to any vegan cookie recipe!

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The evolution will be accessorized. No longer can vegans say in good consciousness that there are no good looking cruelty free shoes. Olsen Haus shoes are more than just eye candy, they are making the world a better place. Designer Elizabeth Olsen is very self conscience, meaning she is very conscience on the toll the individual takes on the earth. For over twenty years, she has been an outspoken advocate against the use of animals for food, clothing, experimentation, and entertainment, as well as for the environment and social justice. The eco-chic Babylon flat (*see pic below) is made from 100% Post Consumer Industrial Waste. Waste that was either a television screen or tv cables in its past life. The Micro-Fiber made from recycled polyester from old Televisions uses a process that reduces energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 80%. Not only does this show stopping flat come in 15 different colors, it boasts that it is breatheable, colorfast, resists sagging, cracking and pilling, (some things that other synthetics cannot say) all while being manufactured under most advanced environmentally secure standards.

Check out this interactive guide to the truth behind the cruelty in traditional shoe materials HERE. Still not convinced? An except from Olsen Haus’ eco-green mantra states “Olsenhaus believes in accountability. The livestock/leather industry is the largest contributor to global warming, land devastation, environmental pollution, usage of valuable natural resources and water supply contamination. The leather industry is more harmful to the environment than the textiles, medicine, fertilizer, and paper industries. It is a 1.5 billion dollar industry that directly relates to abuse and death of 100 million animals from factory farms and slaughter houses.” Read the rest of this entry »

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Vegan Sushi, not an oxymoron. By defintion, sushi is only defined as cold rice dressed with vinegar, formed into various shapes, and garnished with bits of raw seafood or vegetables. That’s right OR vegetables! There are many blogs out there which can educate you on sushi techniques, here I’m sharing my secrets & recipes to make various types of vegan sushi. Get ready to branch out of the world of avocado & carrot only rolls. Here we go … Read the rest of this entry »

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Raw Vegan Cashew Cheese. In an effort to eat more whole foods & less processed vegan treats I have been reading some blogs dedicated to raw food. Many of these sites have crazy ingredients that I cannot pronounce & take days to make. I decided to use a recipe I found on VegWeb.com as inspiration, but this is my own variation on the recipe. It is a really quick and easy alternative. Best of all it is even more delicious than I imagined it would be. It will be a while before I buy tofuttii again! This can be used in place of ricotta, cream cheese or sliced cheese on a sandwich. It would make a snazzy cheese ball for a party, as I enjoyed it with some crackers & a glass of red wine.

1 1/2 cups raw cashews (not salted, not roasted)
1/4 to 1 cup water
1-2 cloves garlic finely minced
2 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)
couple dashes salt & black pepper

Place the cashews in a medium sized bowl. Fill water two inches above cashews. It doesn’t matter if some float, and most won’t. Soak for three hours.

Now drain the cashews. Place them into a food processor & add the rest of the ingredients, pulse. Slowly add some of the water and blend & repeat until smooth. You will most likely only use 1/2 the water.
Once it is thick & fully blended scoop into saran wrap and form into a small ball or log. Cover completely & place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The “cheese” will set and become firmer by the next day.  Then it lasts about a week in the fridge.

Makes: 4-8 servings, Preparation time: 1 day

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close up

Below is my new recipe for Vegan Potato Chorizo Pizza. & if you just said that picture looks to good to be vegan, then shame on you!

Vegan Potato Chorizo Pizza

4 small or medium red potatoes
1 package of soy chorizo, Trader Joe’s brand
2 tsp of grapeseed oil
1 sweet onion
2 TBS. of Earth Balance non dairy butter
1 package of pizza dough
1/4 cup of Red Mill ground polenta (optional)
3 chopped cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
dash of sugar
salt & pepper
graded parmesan soy topping (optional)

Read the rest of this entry »

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lettuce wraps

Cilantro Lime lettuce wraps:
1 8oz package of savory flavored tofu (soyboy brand smoked flavor works well)
1 box earthboun farms orgainc butter lettuce leaves
3/4 cup of loosely packed fresh cilantro
1 cup of chopped baby bella mushrooms
1 cup of loosely packed chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves
2 julienned carrots
2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 limes
salt & additional lime juice to taste
Saute garlic, chopped mushrooms & 1 tsp tammari sauce in 1/4 cup water until mushrooms are fully cooked. Remove from heat, drain & discard any liquid that is left in the pan.
While the mushrooms are cooking, cut the tofu into thin strips for frying. In a separate large skillet fry tofu with enough oil to thinly coat the pan. Turn frequently to keep from burning. Squeeze one lime wedge directly on the tofu while cooking. Once the strips are crispy and browned on both sides remove from heat.
Dice tofu into smaller pieces. In a large bowl combine mushrooms, cilantro, tofu, carrots, the juice of 2 1/2 limes, 2 Tbs. tamari sauce, the crushed red pepper flakes, and salt.
To serve place the pre washed lettuce on a plate with limes as garnish & filling in a small bowl. Guests can assemble their own wraps. Serves 4 – 6

Cilantro Lime Lettuce Wraps

1 8oz package of savory flavored tofu (soyboy brand smoked flavor works well)
1 box earthboun farms orgainc butter lettuce leaves
1 cup of chopped baby bella mushrooms
1 cup of loosely packed chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves
2 julienned carrots
2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 limes
salt & additional lime juice to taste

Saute garlic, chopped mushrooms & 1 tsp tammari sauce in 1/4 cup water until mushrooms are fully cooked. Remove from heat, drain & discard any liquid that is left in the pan.

While the mushrooms are cooking, cut the tofu into thin strips for frying. In a separate large skillet fry tofu with enough oil to thinly coat the pan. Turn frequently to keep from burning. Squeeze one lime wedge directly on the tofu while cooking. Once the strips are crispy and browned on both sides remove from heat.

Dice tofu into smaller pieces. In a large bowl combine mushrooms, cilantro, tofu, carrots, the juice of 2 1/2 limes, 2 Tbs. tamari sauce, the crushed red pepper flakes, and salt.

To serve place the pre-washed lettuce on a plate with limes as garnish & filling in a small bowl. Guests can assemble their own wraps.

Serves 4 – 6

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tea II

Red Pepper Tea Sandwiches

1 jar of Trader Joe’s roasted red pepper & eggplant spread
6 slices of Italian bread
1 broccoli floret, all the stems removed
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped finely

To assemble the sandwiches, spread a thin layer of the red pepper spread on each slice of bread, and top with the cherry tomatoes, cilantro & sprinkle on the broccoli spores. Remove the crusts before cutting into triangles. Arrange on lovely dish and you are ready for tea!

 
tea sandwhich
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final kabob
 

1 package of Trader Joe’s Tempeh
3 Tbs. of maple syrup
3 Tbs. of grape seed oil
4 Tbs. of balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. of hot sauce
1 Tbs. of tamari or soy sauce
3 Tbs. of McCormick’s taco seasoning or something comparable
1 tsp. of smoked sea salt
3 tsp. of paprika
Chop the tempeh into kabob size peices. Steam the tempeh until soft (aprox. 20 min) this releases the bitterness and makes it easier for the marinade to soak in. Empty the remainder of the ingredients directly into a plastic baggie with the steamed tempeh. let marinade for 30 min. place on skewers  grill until outer edges are crispy but not black.1 package of Trader Joe’s Tempeh3 Tbs. maple syrup3 Tbs. grape seed oil

4 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs. maple syrup
2 Tbs. hot sauce
1 Tbs. tamari or soy sauce
3 Tbs. McCormick’s taco seasoning or something comparable
1 tsp. smoked sea salt
3 tsp. paprika

Chop the tempeh into kabob size peices. Steam the tempeh until soft (aprox. 20 min) this releases the bitterness and makes it easier for the marinade to soak in. Empty the remainder of the ingredients directly into a zip-lock bag with the steamed tempeh. Let the tempeh marinade for 30 min. then place on skewers. Grill until outer edges are crispy and only slightly blackened. A great alternative to dogs & patties. 

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This is my favorite summer dish and like most of my recipes, its conception stems from what’s on hand. This is something you can make very quickly so keep this recipe in mind when you get that last minute invite. It makes a great side to grilled veggies and burgers. It is also satisfying enough to be a main dish. The leftovers pack up well for a lunch for the next day.

close up couscous_rounded

1 cup of prepared whole wheat couscous (I prefer Trader Joe’s Brand)
the juice of 2 lemons
2 carrots
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/2 of an english cucumber
1 tomato
1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley
1/8 cup of chopped fresh dill
1 Tbs. dried dill
1 Tbs. sea salt

Chop all veggies into nickel sized pieces. Add the lemon juice directly to the couscous as it fluffs. When it is cool to the touch and fluffy combine it with the veggies and chopped herbs. Mix well and add dried dill, salt and pepper to taste. refrigerate for 30 min. Serves 4 as a main dish & 6 as a side.

couscous plate rounded
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