i doubled this because i need having leftovers for my sanity ;) that's just how we do it. it's super easy and delicious. all you need is some french bread or a salad and you're good to go. seems like it would be light but it's a meal in and of itself. enjoy!
ingredients:
1 yellow onion, chopped 4 celery stalks, chopped 15-20 small mushrooms, chopped 3 medium carrots, chopped 3 tbsp. olive oil 2 c. barley 2 c. chopped kale/collards/etc. (less or more depending on taste; it can become too leafy if you're not careful) tamari/soy sauce, to taste sea salt, to taste cayenne pepper, to taste
Saute all veggies in olive oil for a few min. add barley (pre-rinsed) and 10-12 c. water. cook for 1 hr. or until barley is done. then add kale or other greens for the last few min (could even throw in a can of diced tomatoes). add salt to taste.
Did you know that 1 cup of quinoa has more calcium than a quart of milk?! Yet another reason to ditch the cow juice! Quinoa is the best go-to when you don't know what the hell to eat but you have little time or to add as a side dish. Toddlers & kids seems to love it as well, (I can attest to this as mine can eat an unusually shocking amount in one sitting). I would like to grow it in my backyard b/c it's so damn beautiful, but I don't see that in my near future...It has a good amount of protein (5 g. for 1/2 c., for you pregnant/lactating/bodybuilders out there) and an surprisingly nice amount of iron!). I think it's best with collard greens and blackened tempeh (both recipes below).
Enjoy!
Quinoa
1 cup dry quinoa, red or white 2 cups water shake of sea salt splash of olive oil or earth balance butter
Boil water. Add (thoroughly rinsed) quinoa into boiling water, salt, and butter or olive oil and reduce heat to low/med. Keep lid on slightly and boil for about 10-15 min. Check after 10.
Check out this site for more quinoa recipes and if you're feeling a little less boring than me :http://vegweb.com/index.php?board=396.0
Look what I'm doing here, everything I said I wouldn't by continuously posting desserty recipes. Ladies got a problem and I do reckon it's called laziness. If you've ever seen, "Mermaids" I think I might be Cher's character from the film where all she makes are hors d'oeuvres all day long for her kids. In all seriousness, I do do meals but lately they haven't been anywhere near interesting enough to post.
For the Maple Nut Ice Cream:
1 cup cashews, soaked for 1 hour and rinsed thoroughly
6 Tbsp. organic maple syrup
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil, at room temperature
1 cup purified water
1 tsp. cinnamon
Place all the ingredients into a blender and mix to a smooth liquid.
Pour the mixture into a small dish until it measures about 1-inch thick.
Place in the freezer for three hours or until completely frozen.
For the Chocolate Walnut Cookies:
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. raisins
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/8 tsp. sea salt
Place all the ingredients into a blender and mix well. You'll know it's done when you can hold clumps of the mixture and it sticks together.
Smooth out the dough on a plate or in a large container until it is approximately 1/2-inch thick. (I use a rubber spatula to even it out.) Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden.
Remove the dough from the freezer and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. When no more shapes can be cut, lightly knead the remaining dough with your fingers to thaw it a bit, then smooth it out and flatten again to approximately 1/2-inch thick. Freeze again and cut more shapes until dough is gone.
When the ice cream is frozen, use the same cookie cutter to cut shapes from it. Place one ice cream shape between two cookie shapes. Put them back in the freezer if they have melted slightly or serve immediately.
I got this recipe from the ever-so-inspirational Mimi Kirk (and ya'll better be taking some advice from someone who looks at least 20 years younger than she is - and without resorting to plastic surgery!). It's everyone's new fav around here (I've made this salad weekly since finding this recipe) and sonny boy eats an entire bowl happily, every time I make it. Don't skip the cashew, aka parm cheese, it pulls it all together beautifully!
Caesar Salad (serves 2)
2 cloves garlic (pressed) capers (about two garlic presses full, or approx. 1 heaping tsp.) 1/2 tsp. mustard lemon (to taste, about1/2 very juicy lemon) dash tamari olive oil (slowly pour in and mix until emulsified salt pepper romaine lettuce (be sure get all the water out after rinsing. best if chilled for a few hours)
cashew parmesan "cheese" to sprinkle on top 1/2 c. raw, unsalted cashews pinch salt approx 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast dash garlic powder
food processed all together (you'll have left overs:)
my little boy doesn't dig salads but he ate all of his up in less than 3min.! it's a winner!
These went over quite well this weekend. Three years ago this little boy of ours was born in the kitchen in the wee hours after labor day, and this year he helped out in the kitchen making these delicious brownies in celebration :) He's taken quite an interest in the baking process....Enjoy~
1 1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 c. water ( i used grain coffee I had left over, not sure if it made a difference as I haven't made yet without.)
1/3 c. oil (i used safflower)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder. Add maple syrup, vanilla, water, oil and walnuts and mix together gently. Spoon into lightly oiled 8x8" pan and bake 25-30 min.
(From "How It All Vegan" cookbook)
This is our new fav. So far it's been for adults only and I plan to give to the babe, minus the cayenne at a later date. It's super good w/ tahini, greens/or salad and brown rice. It takes minutes!
Blackened Tempeh
1 tsp.each of: paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, dried oregano, & dried thyme.
1/2 tsp. black pepper
dashes of sea salt
dash cayenne pepper
Brush tempeh patties with oil, (pre-steamed for 10 min. See tempeh bacon recipe below for how to steam tempeh for a better taste). Coat them with the spice mixture, and sear in a hot frying pan. Let the spices smoke for 5-10 seconds to blacken.
Tahini dressing
(I never measure anything when I make tahini. It's all to your liking, so experiment to see what you like best. I like the constancy to be a little bit more thick when I'm using it to pour on top tempeh. I find myself craving this stuff like I imagine one would crave crack. You'll have leftovers :)
a few Tbsp. tahini
dash of soy sauce
dash sea salt
dash cayenne pepper
dash cumin
squeeze lemon
water (add tsp. at a time to get the consistency you want. It takes a while to mix and it's tricky b/c it separates but you can do it, I believe in you;) i usually end up adding about 1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp water).
This dessert recipe was given to me from one of my best friends mom, Farah. She was born and raised in Tehran, so she knows her dates better than most people! I'm so in love with dates and this is so rich, I can only have a little slice at a time (they're that divine!). Farah recommended I drink with tea, and I agree. So have a little tea party and enjoy~
Date bars
-1 package of date paste (they sell this at any persian market, it's just dates & oil (you can also make your own date paste by food processing pit-less dates (maybe about a cup) and just enough veggie/safflower or canola oil to form a thick, moldable paste).
-chopped walnuts (a small handful)
-coconut oil
Over low heat mix date paste with tsp of coconut oil at a time, just enough to be able to mix together. It should be the consistency of play-doh. Then add walnuts and stir. Take off heat and place on plate. Mold to desired shape and refrigerate.
Tempeh (sliced the long way about 1/8" thick (it will expand slightly when you steam) 1/4 c. soy sauce splash maple syrup splash liquid smoke teeny bit of cayenne pepper teeny bit of cumin
Slice tempeh and place in a steamer and steam 10-15 min (usually only takes 10). This is to get the bitter taste out (which tempeh tends to have).
Place in a container with all the rest of the ingredients and thoroughly saturate the tempeh. Let sit for as long as possible (overnight is ideal) then fry and enjoy in sustitute of bacon (tlt's are the best!).
The little one can eat about 5 slices of these in 5 min :)
i found the BESTfarmers market and it so happens to be right around the corner from our adorable little beach casa (remind me never to move away from california again!). i immediately steered towards the only organic booth and the couple there, well lets just say i feel in love with them and their produce. warm and caring farmers, totally passionate about organic farming! everything on their table looked incredibly luscious, (spots and all!).. so i practically bought them out of the most adorable looking little baby squashes.... i found this recipe online (http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/08/sunny-summer-squash-soup.html) when i got home with the help of my two favorite guys we pulled it together. bon appetite!
Squash Soup
add all optional ingredients to taste. for a creamier and richer soup, add the nutritional yeast and tahini. (***if you go the yellow squash route you may want to add turmeric for a prettier color).
1 large onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 small hot pepper, seeds removed and chopped 2 ribs celery, strings removed and chopped 2 medium (12-14 ounces) gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice 1 1/2 pounds small yellow squash, chopped (or young zucchini, or any summer squash) 1 pinch white pepper 4 cups vegetable broth (we use 3-4 vegan boullion cubes & 4 c. water) 1 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional, for color) 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional) 1 tablespoon tahini (optional) salt and white pepper, to taste (optional)
Garnish: slivers of red bell pepper
Heat a large non-stick or enamel-coated pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, covered but stirring every minute or so, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes (add a little water if it tends to stick). Add the garlic and hot pepper and cook for another minute.
Add all remaining ingredients except the optional ones. Cover and cook until the potatoes are completely tender (they will mash if lightly pressed with a spoon), about 25-40 minutes.
Remove half of the soup and put it into a blender* and puree at high speed until completely smooth. (Be careful–hot liquids can erupt from your blender; I always remove the center cup from the lid and cover the opening with a kitchen towel.) Once it’s blended, pour the soup into another pot. Add the remaining soup to the blender, along with any optional ingredients you choose to use, and blend well. Add to the other half of the soup, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls, garnish with slices of red bell pepper, and serve.
If I fry, I try to fry with this stuff. I use it all the time.. on everything. So i'm sending you over to this ladies blog so you can see what you can do with coconut oil, like making popcorn (insane!)......
We view kale around this house as the kind calcium source. We put it in our smoothies in the morning, steam it and add ginger/garlic/soy sauce and olive oil with dinner, make dinosaur kale salads (the name alone makes j happy! see below for recipe) for lunch, and now our new big thing is KALE CHIPS! The kid will eat these up in about 10 min. We can both go through two heads too quickly. Hope you like as much as we do!
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt or sea salt
Preheat an oven to 350. Oil a cookie sheet.
Remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces.
Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner.
Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 15-25 minutes. Turning every 10-15 min. Watch carefully in those last few minutes.
Not a big surprise that one of the most progressive cities in the U.S. participated in the World Wide Vegan Bake Sale to support local animal sanctuary "Sunny Day Farms". An awesome rescue farm outside of San Antonio run by an even more awesome woman: Brooke Chavez. She rescues abused, neglected and displaced farm animals and brings them "home" to her amazing and loving sanctuary. She is a true St. Francis! Brooke is also a mom and a wife and puts in a TON of her own money every month to keep the place up and running. The bake sale raised $1,033 for Sunny Day Farms! I was proud to be a small part of it and my little food critic LOVED the cupcakes I made. He even TRIED to snag another before we left but that wasn't going to happen ;).....As we were driving away he said he was sad to leave and that he "loved vegan bake sales!" He can't wait to go visit the animals!
Brooke Chavez (my hero!) with a couple of vegan kids :)
Vegetarian cop; the fittest one on the dept., no doubt!
It's the best I've found yet! "Daiya" cheese is better than "Follow your Heart" in my opinion
6 slices of bread (whole wheat or whole grain is best) Earth Balance Butter Daiya Cheddar Shreds 1 tomato 1 avocado 1 jalapeno pepper Veganaise Salt and pepper, to taste
Cut off the stem off Jalapeno and then slice the pepper down the center to the tip. Remove the seeds and membranes. Cook the pepper in one cup of boiling water for 2 -3 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse in cold water. Drain and dry it off with a paper towel. Slice into small pieces and set aside.
Slice tomato and avocado into thin slices. Set aside.
Butter one side of each slice of bread with Earth Balance. Melt butter on a griddle or large pan. Over medium heat place the bread in the pan, buttered side down. Spread Daiya Cheddar Shreds over three of the six slices. Put a lid on top and watch CAREFULLY so your bread doesn't burn. Once your bread has reached a golden brown color remove it from the heat. Place the slices with the cheese on it onto a plate.
(The microwave step is optional; if your not anti micro like me than just do it, as it's easier. Although putting a lid on the top of griddle does the job just as well, you just have to watch carefully) Microwave the bread 15-20 seconds per slice (depending on your microwave) until the cheese is melted. Arrange each sandwich by piling on the tomato, avocado and peppers. Salt and pepper to taste. Microwave each assembled sandwich for about 10-15 seconds to warm the sandwich up. Remove the top slice and spread some Veganaise.
It's really easy to veganize this bread, that I enjoyed quite a bit growing up. My maternal Grandma (an Irish immigrant, who moved from Limerick to Chicago at age 17) made it almost monthly and usually had a loaf for us to take home when we went to visit. To replace the buttermilk, apple cider vinegar is used and Earth Balance butter replaces dairy butter. The little one loved it and had three (pretty big) slices this morning! Enjoy!
Irish soda bread
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 cup vegan butter, cut into pieces
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup currants (you can substitute raisins if needed.)
2 teaspoons caraway seed, optional
3/4 cup Soymilk (I used the full-fat kind--Eden brand is best)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and grease a cast iron skillet.
Stir or whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until evenly blended.
Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
Stir in the raisins, currants (if using), and caraway seeds (also if using).
Make a well in the center of your mixture and pour in the soymilk and vinegar. Stir with a spoon until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface, and knead gently 8 to 10 times.
Place dough in skillet. It will flatten out a bit in the pan. Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about an inch and a half deep in an "X" shape. (The purpose of the scoring is to help heat get into the center of the dough while it cooks). Transfer to oven and bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. It may take a little longer as it takes longer for the pan to heat up. Check for doneness also by inserting a long, thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.
Hint 1: If the top is getting too dark while baking, tent the bread with some aluminum foil. Hint 2: If you use a cast iron skillet to cook the bread in the oven, be very careful when you take the pan out. It's easy to forget that the handle is extremely hot. Cool the handle with an ice cube, or put a pot holder over it.
Remove pan or sheet from oven, let bread sit in the pan or on the sheet for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool briefly. Serve bread warm, at room temperature, or sliced and toasted. Best when eaten warm and just baked.
I've been drinking this delich drink for YEARS now! I tried a while back (and failed miserably) to make the grain Kombucha (see down page a bit). It started to get disgusting (taste-wise) and it was like having another child with the responsibility; water had to be changed every few days, etc. etc. Soooo, my midwife gave me a "baby" of her kombucha and I tried again. It's much easier; you change the water every two-three weeks (much more doable) and it tastes like synergy or GT brands; it's good! If anyone wants a scoobie, mine is rapidly growing and I'd be happy to share!
1/2 Cup Pitted Dates 1/2 Cup Soaked Walnuts 3/4 Cup Raw Almonds 3 Tbls Agave Nectar 1/4 Cup Raisins 1/4 Cup Oats 1/4 Cup Mix of Dried Cranberries and Goji Berries (or a mixtuere of whatever dried fruit you have on hand) 1/4 Cup Sunflower Butter (or another nut butter) 1/4 tsp Salt 4 Dried Apricots, chopped
Place walnuts in a jar with a tight fitting lid and fill with water, let soak overnight. Place Almonds in food processor and chop until a "meaty" consistency. Add everything else and grind into a dough. Take out of the food processor and place into a bowl. Take very small handfuls and roll them into balls (have a small bowl of water to dip your hands into so the energy balls don't stick). When they are all rolled, put into a container and save in the frig.
1 Large Onion chopped (white or red onion) 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin 1/2 Teaspoon Coriander 1 Teaspoon Dry Oregano 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder 3 Minced Garlic Cloves 2 Large Diced Tomatoes 8 oz Sliced Mushrooms 2 (4oz) canned green chilies 1 bag smart ground (Mexican seasoned) 1/2 cup vegetable stock 1 can black or pinto beans (rinsed) Salt as needed
Chopped Green Onion (on side) Grated Cheddar (on side)--Daiya or "Follow Your Heart" Vegan Cheese.
1 Block Silken Tofu 1/2 Cup Vegan Mayo 1/4 cup Water 1 Packet taco Seasoning 1-2 Tablespoons Red Palm Oil 1 Tablespoon Paprika to taste: your favorite Hot Sauce; Chalula, Tapatio, Tabasco Blend in Blender and serve warm or in crock pot. Add the chili and nacho cheese to chips to make great vegan nachos. Add jalapeos for extra spice. Field Roast brand vegan sausages were also on display. Can be bought at Whole Foods.
J absolutely LOVES papaya (no wonder it's reputably called "fruit of the angels")! also might have something to do with the fact I CRAVED these smoothies when preg, along with olives and grapefruit juice and he loves those as well; kids got a weird palate;)......................It's rich in vit A & C (both essential vits for boosting that immune system; esp. during flu season), has more vit C than oranges! Also rich in folate,vit E, and helps with digestion (maybe another reason I craved when growing fetus was rearranging my insides). See, this is what happens when you're a stay at home mom: You get really excited about papaya (and Elmo).
Enjoy~
ingredients:
2 cups chopped peeled seeded papaya 1 cup pineapple juice 1/2 cup soy or almond milk 1 banana sliced banana 4 ice cubes 1 tablespoon agave 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
I was talking to my sweet hubby the other night about the upcoming gluttonous holiday (we've been unenthusiastic about it for years). It's difficult to be part of a celebration meal that butchers approximately 50 million innocent, sweet turkey's every year and then half that amount for Christmas just a few weeks later....... So.....aside from keeping the meal, just eating normal portions and no animals, my creativity fails me and we'll just do what I did last year, veganize the hell out of it and pray for compassion to be born, maybe next year.
little one sampling the Tofurky below...
I cannot give credit to where credit is due, but this man blogged this a few years ago and I saved it because it was so simply brilliant.
"On Thanksgiving: All holidays are a bit bizarre in their own special way, and Thanksgiving is no exception. I'm not sure what you were taught about this holiday, but I was taught it was a celebration of all the happiness, abundance and friendship that existed between the American Indians and the European colonials who settled North America. Of course, that whole mythology turned out to be yet another piece of fictitious history invented by textbook authors who were probably too ashamed to admit that explorers like Columbus treated the American Indians like slaves, killing them for sport and stealing their food, women and land.
And then the next wave of colonial imperialists took it upon themselves to virtually wipe out American Indians altogether, regarding them as wild animals who lacked "civilized" behavior (the "civilized" imperialists were the ones doing most of the killing, of course). The White Man came to the Americas and exterminated native peoples all the way from modern-day Canada to the tip of South America, and much of it was done in the name of religious conquest. "We're bringing God to these natives by killing them all!" If you don't believe me, read, "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn for a dose of historical reality.
These days, I'm not sure what Thanksgiving is really supposed to be celebrating. Most Americans, of course, remain woefully ignorant when it comes to history, and thus the whole concept of any holiday having some historical significance doesn't even enter their over-medicated minds. To the average American consumer, Thanksgiving is simply another day to stuff themselves full of manufactured food products thereby adding on another couple of pounds to their ever-expanding waistlines. (And heck, there's still Christmas and New Year's to go!) Thanksgiving is a day to buy a mutant turkey that's engineered with such an artificially-large breast that it can barely walk without tipping over. Does anyone really think these artificially-raised mutant turkeys are real birds like our ancestors ate?
Thanksgiving is apparently a day to be thankful for the fact that the average American family WASTES more food on this holiday than most families in third-world countries would hope to even EAT during some celebration. Yes, it's all about "more." More turkey, more stuffing, more food, more land and more oil. For America, there's no such thing as enough. We have turned abundance into excess. We have made overindulgence a virtue worth celebrating with a day off from the nine-to-five grind.
Look around this Thanksgiving. Do you see anybody honoring the miracle of food from nature? Do you see people thanking Mother Nature, with humility, for providing the nourishment that we require to exist in physical form on this planet? With few exceptions, I don't see that. What I mostly observe is a nation of mouth-stuffing idiots engaged in a mindless tradition of overindulgence accompanied by meaningless gab. Call me a cynic, if you want, but don't do it with your mouth full of decomposing turkey.
If anything, we should all be fasting on Thanksgiving to remind us how much food we're all so lucky to have all the other days of the year. We should be humbled on Thanksgiving. And hopefully, we will take this precious time to reflect upon ourselves and our place in the universe, to examine our actions, our beliefs and our distortions with the intention of emerging from this holiday with a little more awareness of our true nature and how we impact the world in which we live.
If more of us could manage to do that, Thanksgiving would indeed be a day worth celebrating and not just an empty shell of yet another commercial holiday designed to sell food and trinkets to a population so easily entertained by bread and circuses.
If you are one of the few who spends some time on Thanksgiving in meditation, or prayer, or silent self-reflection, then good for you. You truly honor this holiday in a way that almost everyone else has forgotten".
~some lovely man (wish I remembered your name and website :( but i love you nonetheless.
our future daughter (we hope!)....
This lady's website is awesome. Full of DELICIOUS recipes and info:
I know this has little to do with food but everything to do with animal rights. I've rejected wool for years because of the cruelty involved in the obtainment. Especially now with a family (it's a little more challenging) I steer towards the more comfortable alternatives (humane fabrics like: cotton, flannel, acrylic, polyester fleece, gore-tex, polarguard, polartec, and thinsulate). I honestly can't imagine putting scratchy wool on my little boy.
"Where does wool come from? How do we get it? We just shave the sheep gently, right? And make them feel better in the heat? Uh no!!! Animals are cut and hurt in the process of collecting wool - there is nothing gentle about it. Then at the end, there isn't a retirement farm for these sheep. They are sent to slaughter.
According to PETA, a gruesome practice called “mulesing” is still inflicted on sheep in Australia, where millions of Merino sheep are raised. These sheep are bred to have wrinkly skin because that produces more wool. In the Australian heat, however, the excess wool causes sheep to die from heat exhaustion – but worse, for their wool to get infested with maggots, which literally eat them alive. Farmers’ solutions to this is to cut off chunks of skin from lambs (without anesthesia) so that the scarred flesh will deter maggots. However, the lambs’ wounds often become infected before they heal.
The good news is there are many alternatives to wool. Now, I know wool seems more environmentally friendly than say, vinyl. But consider how bad it is for the environment to raise these animals, and use all the resources and land it takes to feed them. Unless you rescued a bunch of sheep from a slaughter house, and live somewhere where in the summer they beg you to free them of the wool, and you gently take it off, and always treat the sheep with kindness and respect, I am not a fan. In order to collect wool in a kind way, you would not be able to run a business – it would have to be a sort of hippie side fun project. I’m not sure how many situations there are like that, but I can assure you that 100% of the wool you purchase in the store is not produced like that.
In winter, I do just fine – you can read about some awesome vegan winter clothes here. If you have wool already, use it and love it until it’s time to give it away or say goodbye to it. Just try not to support cruel practices by buying new wool. If you feel comfy in wool, get used wool – although I have to say it always made me itch! But if you are going to buy it, it’s better to get a used product.
Now I’m sure that there are some exceptions to all of this... I recently read about The North Circular, a company started by models Lily Cole and Katherine Poulton. The North Circular rescues sheep and works with grandmothers (literally!) to knit chic apparel and accessories. It sounds pretty decent, but again, this is not the wool that you purchase in any mainstream store. So if you find a story or situation that sounds really compassionate, then that might work for you. I’m usually pretty suspicious when I’m told that certain wool came from a good, cruelty free place... I always wonder, well what exactly happens to those sheep? How are they sheared? Is this a business? I would need to fully research each situation that I hear about to make sure it seems kosher to me. " ~Alicia
1 double pie shell 4 cups fresh rhubarb, sliced into 3/4-inch pieces 3/4-1 cup agave or maple syrup 6 tablespoons arrowroot 2 cups thickly sliced fresh strawberries 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1. Fit bottom crust into a 10-inch pie plate. Refrigerate the dough and rolled-out crust.
2. Put sliced rhubarb into a colander with a bowl underneath. Pour agave over rhubarb and allow to drain 1 hour. In a saucepan, mix arrowroot with half of the drained agave. Heat until thickened over low heat, then add the rest of the agave.
3. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. Mix rhubarb and strawberries together in bowl. Add agave mixture along with cinnamon and flour. Gently toss to mix.
5. Pour into prepared pie shell. Roll out top crust and place on top. Join crusts, fluting edges. Slash top (so steam can escape).
6. Bake one hour in preheated oven. Allow to cool, then refrigerate a few hours to set.
...got a problem with it. Can't really eat it unless it has a good, firm consistency. Now, mind you, I've been eating tofu since I became a vegetarian at twenty but when I'd cook it at home I'd never be completely happy with the outcome so I'd end up using it in desserts and sauces mainly or having it at restaurants, whose cooks could pull it off better that I could. Well, a few months ago, looking for unsweetened soy yogurt for J (they make a brand that I'm still trying to hunt down), I stumbled upon this brand and IT IS THE BEST! Finally a tofu that I can cook with. J absolutely loves it and calls it "toe foooot".
serves 4-6 sandwiches depending on how thick you make them
2 cups vegan chicken shredded (pulse in food processor or shred with a fork). I used Yves brand. 1/4 cup red onion, diced small 2 celery stalks, diced small 1/4-1/3 cup veganase mayo 1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 Tablespoon dill relish (I didn't have) salt and pepper to taste bread
Optional: 1/4 cup sliced almonds or sunflower seeds
Cook your vegan chicken according to the package instructions. Pulse 1 c. at a time in your food processor to get a nice shred or just shred w/ a fork by hand and then chop a bit more. Throw in a large mixing bowl and add all the rest of the ingredients except the bread and mix well. Spread a little more vegan mayo and/or mustard on the bread then scoop onto bread and serve.
Raw Dinosaur Kale Salad
Serves about two.
I think most dark, leafy green (raw) salads are kinda gross but I promise this one isn't!
1 bunch dinosaur kale Apple cider vinegar (splash or two; to taste) Olive oil (splash or two; to taste) Nutritional yeast (a good amount; maybe two heaping Tbsp.) Garlic powder Coriander Cumin Sea salt
Throw everything in a large bowl and mix. Add vinegar and olive oil to taste and then spices and nutritional yeast; all to taste.
My old buds (and by buds, I mean the dudes in the back who do all the cooking) at "The Spot" in Hermosa used to whip this bad-boy up for me. They knew how to make it best for some reason but I won't give up trying to replicate it. We make this a few times a month when we really don't want to labor over dinner. O.k., it does take a few more minutes than fast food but you won't keel over afterwards. I really need to be eating more raw foods and this has so much good stuff and is so light but you're not hungry afterwards, so... it works.
Quick Salad w/ Tahini Dressing & Corn Tortillas
Lettuce ( I like romaine best) Shredded beets Shredded carrots Sliced Cucumbers Sliced Avocados Garbanzo or black beans (drained and rinsed). Handful or two. Nutritional yeast sprinkled on top (or in my case- loaded; love the stuff) Organic Corn Tortillas (steamed)
Tahini Dressing
A few tablespoons of raw tahini (this stuff has a nice amount calcium and good fats for babies/toddlers) Squeeze (or two or three) of lemon Splash of tamari (healthier version of soy sauce; look for non-gmo) Shake of garlic powder Shake of sea salt Shake (be careful kids!) of cayenne pepper Add water (a tablespoon at a time until you get the consistency you want)
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and stir really well. You kindof have to play with the amount of water you want. It should be the consistency of salad dressing (although I think it's best a wee bit thicker) and it stirs up weird so be patient and just add more water, if needed.
This is kinda like a mock-tuna. J digs it and it's much healthier than mercury-laden fish. I usually triple this recipe and it lasts all week. J loves it with Veganase on toast. I also throw in the food processor some carrots and celery to taste and for extra vegetables because the kid won't eat anything lately but good'ol kale and he needs variety! :)
Enjoy~
Walnut Pate'
1 cup raw walnuts (soaked in water for at least 1 hour before hand) 1 tsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp cold pressed olive oil 1 tsp tamari 1/4 tsp garlic pwd dash of high mineral unprocessed salt 1 tsp minced fresh parsley 1 tsp minced onion
Drain water from nuts. Combine w/ remaining ingredients into a food processor. I add a little water just to get to the consistency of a pate'. Make sure to stop the processor a couple of times throughout this process to scrap sides of food processor. Keep processing until the mixture is a nice thick pasty consistency.
I'm just a Mama trying to feed her family easy, delicious, nutritious, vegan food, without spending hours in the kitchen everyday. Saving almost a thousand animals annually (our family of four) and not contributing to the destruction of our environment is the heartbeat of it all.
"By far the most important non-CO2 greenhouse gas is methane, and the number one source of methane worldwide is animal agriculture".
“The way that we breed animals for food is a threat to the planet. It pollutes our environment while consuming huge amounts of water, grain, petroleum, pesticides and drugs. The results are disastrous.”-David Brubaker, PhD, Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins University
Environmental News Network
"Antibiotics in farm animals leave behind drug-resistant microbes in meat and milk. With every burger and shake consumed, super-microbes settle in the stomach where they transfer drug resistance bacteria into the body, making one more vulnerable to previously treatable conditions".
“A single dairy cow produces about 120 lbs of wet manure per day, which is equivalent to the waste produced by 20–40 people. That means 1.4 million dairy cows produce as much waste as 28–56 million people.”-U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
"But for the sake of some little mouthful of flesh, we deprive a soul of the sun and light and of that proportion of life and time they had been born into this world to enjoy." ~Plutarch
