It's already vegan!

Summer Edition: Ice pops

noreply@blogger.com (jlye) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 17:55:00 +0000

Is there anything better than flavoured ice on a stick on hot summer's day?

Ice pops come in many different varieties and are typically made from flavoured sugar water, or for those who are more health conscious, fruit juices and purees. Ice pops are available in any grocery store, corner store, and gas station; though it's easy to make your own if you don't mind waiting for a few hours. Pour any kind of freezable drink into paper cup, wait a half an hour and put a stick in it, then wait until the freezing process is complete!

You can even forgo the stick and suck your frozen sugar water straight out of a bag. That's right, freezies are vegan too!

Tomato Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (jlye) — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 18:00:00 +0000

Commercial tomato sauce on homemade pasta with nutritional yeast.

Earlier this month I wrote about the quintessential vegan staple, dried pasta. Obviously plain pasta is not very exciting - luckily the basic recipe for tomato sauce is vegan too! You can find basic tomato sauces in the pasta aisle of your preferred grocery store. Full disclosure: the sauce featured in the picture above is a major brand-name tomato sauce. Obviously you'll want to stay away from "meat", "parmesan" or "quattro fromaggi" tomato sauce varieties, and make sure to check the ingredients list to be sure its definitely vegan.

If you have a few extra minutes and are looking to impress friends and family, you can always make your own tomato sauce. It's ridiculously easy! Simple tomato sauces can be made in three easy steps:

1. Throw a tablespoon of olive oil into a saucepan with some minced garlic and herbs (basil or oregano are good choices) over medium heat
2. Add tomatoes
3. Simmer, stir, and mash until optimal sauce consistency has been reached.

If you need something more precise, Jamie Oliver can provide you with much better instructions.

Chinese New Year Edition: Pomelos

noreply@blogger.com (jlye) — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 21:31:00 +0000

Have you been noticing watermelon-sized citrus fruits stocked in abundance at grocery stores lately? The height of pomelo season usually coincides with Chinese New Year (January/February), so if you haven't tried pomelo before, now is your big chance! The thick greenish-yellow rind of a pomelo hides a flagrant, juicy pulp that is not as sour as a grapefruit and not quite as sweet as a tangerine. It may take a half hour to cut and peel but it's totally worth it!

Yummy insides of a pomelo.

During CNY, pomelo (and other citrus fruits) are displayed in houses, given as tokens, and consumed for good luck. I have fond memories of lugging a bag of oranges from house to house, exchanging citrus fruits with friends and family during CNY celebrations. I'd give my auntie or uncle an armload of oranges upon arrival, and they'd give me oranges upon farewell. I assumed that if I didn't break even at the end of the day I was doing it wrong.

Didn't I just give you these oranges?

Not yet convinced?

The latin name for pomelo is "citrus maxima", which sounds pretty badass. Another common name for pomelo is "pamplemousse", which sounds significantly less badass but is really fun to say.

Pamplemousse.

Sweet potato fries

noreply@blogger.com (jlye) — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 18:00:00 +0000

The vibrantly coloured flesh of a sweet potato contains more vitamin A and beta carotene than its potato counterparts, and for this reason, is considered a "healthier" alternative to french fries. Of course, you'll be losing those health benefits if you deep fry your potatoes, sweet or otherwise!

To get the most out of your sweet potato fries always go for baked instead of fried and go easy on the salt to maximize nutrition and reduce fat and calories. You can add extra flavour by seasoning your fries with herbs and/or spices (cayenne, yum!) or drizzling your fries in an infused olive oil (my favourite is jalapeño!).

Photo source

Valentine's Day Edition - Dark Chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (jlye) — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 16:00:00 +0000

Melt some hearts with melted dark chocolate.

Looking for a sweet treat to give the special vegan in your life on Valentine's Day? Look no further than dark chocolate!

With a higher percentage of cacao, dark chocolate provides an intense flavour sensation that's like a party in your mouth! Most dark chocolates are made without milk ingredients and contain less sugar and fat than milk chocolate. That's right. Dark chocolate is healthy(er) for you! It's full of antioxidants that you won't find in milk chocolate and it's been shown to boost serotonin and endorphin levels1.

Now for the sad news: some chocolate makers want to ruin dark chocolate by adding unnecessary ingredients like milk fat, whey, or casein. Not only do you lose the intense cocoa flavour, you also lose out on the health benefits as milk has been shown to inhibit the absorption of antioxidants. Read the ingredients list before purchasing - a good habit for buying any food stuff! My general rule of thumb is the fewer ingredients, the better the dark chocolate.

I need all of the chocolates!

1 Source

Chickpeas

noreply@blogger.com (jlye) — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 16:00:00 +0000

Dry-roasted chickpeas

Also known as garbanzo beans or gram, chickpeas are rich in protein, fibre, folate, and iron. Chickpeas are one of the earliest cultivated legumes, perfected over 7000 years!

Most of my favourite vegan foods are made with chickpeas: falafel, hummus, and chana masala to name a few. Throw a handful of chickpeas into a salad or veggie wrap for a quick protein infusion.

Chickpeas also make a great snack on their own. Dry-roasted chickpeas are basically impossible to resist and can be highly addictive! You can buy dry-roasted chickpeas in many grocery stores, though they are easy enough to make at home. Roast chickpeas in the oven, mix with a bit of oil and your favourite seasonings, and enjoy the mouth party!

Dried Pasta (wheat flour)

noreply@blogger.com (jlye) — Fri, 06 Feb 2015 18:00:00 +0000

Every meal I ate in university.

When I first tried vegetarianism at the age of 17, I basically lived on pasta for the first three years. Then my mother gave me a cookbook and I was able to wean myself off the pasta dependency. Even as an adult vegan I'll throw some pasta into a pot for a quick lunch when I'm feeling particularly lazy or nostalgic for my youth.

Basic pasta dough consists of just two main ingredients: water and flour. Fancy restaurant pasta may have eggs in it, but the dried stuff you find in grocery stores often doesn't. Most grocery store brands of regular semolina and whole pastas are vegan (read the label to be absolutely sure!). If you are making pasta from scratch at home, you can skip the eggs and it will turn out just fine.

Photo source

Chutney

noreply@blogger.com (jlye) — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 18:00:00 +0000

Photo Source

If you are worried that chutney may be a little too exotic for your tastes, just think of it as a delicious savoury jam! How can you go wrong with a food that literally means "to lick"?

Basic chutneys consist of a handful of key ingredients: your favourite fruit or vegetable (mine is mango), brown sugar, vinegar, and spices. After a bit of chopping, boiling, and canning you'll have a tasty condiment to serve as a part of a snack or main dish. It's good with just about anything. Seriously. Try an apple chutney sandwich sometime - you will not regret it!

There are chutneys made of yogurt - you'll want to avoid serving those your vegan pals for obvious reasons! If a few bowls of chutney are served together (like the picture) make sure you use a different spoon for each.

The Mighty Saskatchewan Lentil

noreply@blogger.com (jlye) — Sun, 01 Feb 2015 16:00:00 +0000

One of the best things about living in Saskatchewan is that I can buy locally grown lentils direct from farmers. Yes, I know you can buy lentils just about anywhere in the world, but did you know that Canada is the world's leading producer of lentils and 96% of those lentils are grown in Saskatchewan? If that little factoid isn't enough to get your "pulse" racing than I don't know what is!

One cup of lentils packs 18g of protein, 15g of fibre, and plenty of iron, magnesium and B6. Lentils are easy to prepare: rinse, boil, and season to taste.

Available in many varieties, lentils are incredibly versatile and can be used in place of meat in almost any recipe. Wondering how to make meat-free chili for vegan friends? Throw in a cup of french green lentils. Want to add a protein kick to a vegetable soup? Toss in split red lentils. You can even have lentils for breakfast! We give bags of Saskatchewan lentils as birthday and Christmas gifts. Seriously.

In your face, Alberta Beef!

Black bean spaghetti

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 19:39:00 +0000

It seems that everyone who's not a vegan/vegetarian is obsessed with the protein shortage from which vegans/vegetarians must be suffering. Of course, I don't think I've ever met anyone who's actually suffered from this protein shortage as a result of their diet or even heard of the proverbial 'friend of a friend' who's this problem.

Of course, as overblown as the protein shortage problem is, that doesn't mean I don't occasionally want protein packed foods. And it turns out that black bean spaghetti is one of those foods. For 50 grams of spaghetti the consumer gets a whopping 23 grams of protein (and a fair number of grams of fibre). On top of all of this, it serves as a replacement for a protein-low food.

And because it cooks quickly, before you know it you too can be having a protein party in your mouth.

It's been a while

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 19:30:00 +0000

So for reasons of extreme laziness I've neglected my It's already vegan! responsibilities. Of course, over the past few months Jeannette has been kind enough to regularly remind me of this fact (with each reminder throwing me deeper into a shame spiral and further lessening the chances of more posts).

Fortunately, Jeannette has now finally thrown down the gauntlet and asked about the possibility of joining me as a contributor to this blog so that there might be more posts. Of course, I immediately and graciously agreed.

Hopefully Jeannette's posts will not only be welcome and incisive contributions, but they'll awaken in me a sense of competitiveness that will overpower my sense of shame and get me posting before long.

Here's to hoping (and maybe our third entry on oatmeal - because that's the food that got Jeannette excited enough to ask about joining).

Fruit Leather

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 16:39:00 +0000

One of my favourite discoveries of the past few months is how easy food dehydration, particularly fruit dehydration, is to achieve. Maybe even more exciting, though related, is that fruit leather is made through the power of fruit dehydration. Also, fruit leather is basically the easiest thing to make.

To make fruit leather all you do it put a bunch of fruit in a food processor and then spread the mixture out on sheets in a food dehydrator. A few hours later you'll have tasty and nutritious fruit leather.

In case you're curious, the stack above is what you get when you fruit leatherize 11 apples and a few hundred grams of blackberries and raspberries.

This stuff is the best.

Pumpkin Scones

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:37:00 +0000

As some of you may have gathered (as evidenced by my repping of Pumpkin Gnocchi), for the past little while I've been on something of a pumpkin kick (which explains why there's almost always a can of pumpkin puree open and ready to go in my fridge).

Anyway, the latest incarnation of the fixation has manifested itself in a desire to crank out some pumpkin scones.

While the recipe I started with wasn't vegan, I was able to swap out the butter for vegetable shortening and the cream for the soy equivalent and we were off to the races (oh, and I omitted the completely unnecessary cinnamon butter component of the recipe).

Anyway, pumpkin scones can totally be vegan (and those picture above are) and they totally are everything you'd expect a pumpkin scone to be! Give'em a shot if you want more non-fall pumpkin in your life!

Espresso

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:19:00 +0000

Source

So when I was a kid my family stayed at a hotel that had a automatic coffee machine that purported to offer things like cappucinos, lattes, and espressos. As I was sub-13 at the time and not really a coffee drinker I asked my mother what these drinks were. Probably because the only one without milk was espresso and because my mother probably described it as being little and concentrated I decided to try a hotel machine espresso.

Perhaps not surprisingly, I don't have a positive memory of the event (though I do seem to recall that I manage to work my way through all 1 oz. of fluid - and probably complained the entire time).

Maybe two or three years later a friend and I went to a newly opened coffee bar and, inexplicably, ordered espresso. After a quick two unsatisfying rounds (and with nothing else to do) we left. Still probably the most baffling $5.00 I've ever spent.

So, suffice it to say, my early experiences with espresso were somewhat underwhelming. They were so underwhelming that I stayed away from the stuff for about ten years, because, really, who would want nasty super-strong coffee that you can down in a gulp?

Then, somewhat unexpectedly, I ended up working as a busboy in a grad student bar. And while we weren't allowed free alcoholic drinks were were allowed as much of the other stuff as we could consume. It didn't take me too many mugs of old filter coffee to realize that free long espressos were where it was at. And boy did I indulge.

Of course what I didn't consciously think about at the time (not being as vegan conscious then as I am now) is that not only are espressos (long or short) awesome, but they're also 100% vegan. How cool is it that one of the best forms of coffee is just straight up vegan?

Cinnamon Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 01:44:00 +0000

You know what's the worst?

When people put unnecessary non-vegan ingredients in something that can totally be vegan (it's especially galling when it would have been cheaper and easier to make vegan than otherwise).

Some people are just the worst.

Anyway, while many people may make cinnamon rolls that aren't vegan - they totally can be. And those pictured above totally are! Oh, and those pictured above are also totally still warm.

So instead of trying to justify the obvious awesomeness of fresh vegan cinnamon rolls I'm just going to cram a few into my face (and then I'm going to enter a food-based shame spiral)!

Blood oranges

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 01:38:00 +0000

Presumably because naval oranges are less than exciting as far as fruit goes, until a few years ago I tended to stay away from oranges. Fortunately I've grown as a person and changed my ways with regards to the consumption of non-naval orange oranges - otherwise I would have completely missed out on the best orange of them all: the blood orange.

Not only does blood orange come in a variety of not-orange colours, but it also has a tangy sour flavour that keeps me coming back for more.

And maybe the best thing about the blood orange, aside from its sweet colour and flavour, is that it continues to be somewhat seasonal - at least in the places that I've been living for the past few years. And because it's only available for a few weeks a year I don't ever get the chance to burn out on blood oranges. And what's worse than an awesome vegan food you've consumed so much of the thought of additional consumption brings on a feeling of queasiness?

Oh, and the teenage boy in me loves that blood orange's initials are BO!

English Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 18:02:00 +0000

Is there possibly a better way to ring in the New Year than to get up early and make a batch of English muffins? Nope, it's definitely the best way to kick things off (and I'm so sorry to have not passed this information along sooner).

Anyway, what's totally sweet about English muffins is that you 'bake' them on the stove. Oh, and they're also 100% vegan.

And despite the fact that the recipe I mostly ignored implied that these bad boys might be a little finicky - they were totally easy and don't require any more special equipment than a circular object that you can use to cut the dough (and from one baker to another don't skimp on size because they don't widen during the baking process).

Hope you all had equally delicious New Year's day treats!

Soy sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 23:57:00 +0000

What's brown and liquid and it comes in little plastic envelopes?

No, not molasses you dummies - soy sauce is the answer.

This tasty (and salty) treat is a great way to add flavour to your favourite vegan entrees. That vegan shepherd's pie dulling you out? No problem, just squirt out a few drops of soy sauce and you'll soon be knee deep in a flavour swamp.

And maybe the best thing about soy sauce is that the handy emergency sized envelopes that are provided by so many restaurants can be kept in your bag so they're handy in case you need a sudden flavour kick. You're never more than a tear and a squirt away from flavour country.

But just remember, even though this stuff is vegan - it may not be gluten free (so to all you Celiacs out there - keep your eyes out for this brown scourge).

Source

Buckwheat

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 17:31:00 +0000

Did you know that buckwheat isn't just a word that comes before 'noodle,' and that it's actually it's own completely edible thing?

Sorry for blowing your mind and all, but when you stumble across a truth this potent (and nutritious) it's hard not to pass it along.

Anyway, it turns out that you can boil buckwheat and it turns into a porridge-like substance. I guess you can do other stuff with it as well but, to be honest, I'm still so busy revelling in the porridgification of buckwheat that I haven't had time to really investigate other mind-blowing uses of something that's mostly just thought of as a noodle descriptor.

Oh, and because it's just grain it's totally vegan!

And you all thought that I wasn't going to give you anything this holiday season.

Dosa

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 01:40:00 +0000

After reading that post about how quick and easy rum balls are to make a number of you are probably wondering if I also know of any more drawn out and cumbersome recipes. It turns out that I do.

Dosa, a pancake-like flat bread made from rice and lentils, has only a few ingredients but becomes a little more cumbersome when you start dealing with the time that is required for the ingredients to ferment.

Basically, if you think you might want dosa you need to start planning two days ahead of time so that nature will have the time to work it's magic.

Of course, if you do have the time and patience to wait for the natural fermentation process to take place you won't be disappointed. The resulting tang is quite nice.

Oh, and let's not forget that because they're primarily rice and lentils dosa are also frequently gluten free! It's almost like they're some kind of super food (at least in terms of general eatability if not in terms of healthfulness).

Rum Balls

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 01:25:00 +0000

Some of you may be inclined to think that the best part of the Holiday season is the rampant consumerism common throughout the more populous parts of North America.

Of course, if you think that you'd be wrong because the best thing about the holiday season is that it provides me with an annual excuse to make a batch or two of rum balls.

These rum balls are great for two reasons. First of all, they're incredibly simple. Basically you just mix all of the ingredients together and then form them into balls. Secondly, they're totally vegan!

Oh, and they taste great.

If you're wondering what the recipe is, it's as follows:

2 c. chocolate wafer crumbs
1 c. finely ground walnuts or pecans
1/2 c. icing sugar
1/4 c. corn syrup
2 tbsp. cocoa
1/4 c. rum

Combine the above ingredients and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Roll into smallish balls and coat with something like sprinkles, cocoa, or ground nuts. Store in a container with each layer separated from the other by wax/parchment paper.

Bang, you're done.

They're really that easy.

Raisin Bran

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:25:00 +0000

Despite the fact that it is often knocked for coming with sugared raisins, raisin bran is a tasty vegan food option.

While most people opt of have their daily dose of raisin bran in the morning for breakfast I like to pour some in a pint glass and drink it dry whenever I'm in the mood for a slightly sweet treat. The great thing about raisin-bran-as-a-snack is that it doesn't feel nearly as gross to sit down and overindulge in a few glasses of raisin bran as it does to sit down with a family-size bag of potato chips. Despite the fact that it's still overindulgence, it almost even feels healthy.

That's enough of this - I've got a pint of raisin bran on the go that's calling my name.

Couscous

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 22:48:00 +0000

Are you hungry for something starchy but unwilling to wait more than a minute for your food to be ready? Well, as-fast-as-instant-without-without-being-'instant' couscous may be for you.

Almost as soon as you add this wheat based food stuff to water it's ready for you to eat. And because it's basically just processed wheat you know it's solidly in the vegan camp.

And is there anything better than close-to-instant food that's also relatively healthy?

Oh, and couscous goes with basically everything.

Hot sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 22:38:00 +0000

Sure, hot sauce may not be what I reach for when I want to give my food a little extra kick, but that doesn't mean that this stuff isn't a typically completely vegan way to season your food.

For the most part hot sauce is basically just a combination of vinegar and hot peppers. And what's not vegan about those two ingredients!

Cherries

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 18:56:00 +0000

Cherries (both red/dark and white), where have you been all of my life?

Oh, wait. I know where the cherries have been - they've been in central North America where they grow, not in sub-par grocery stores along the North Atlantic coast.

Anyway, I'm just glad that I managed to reacquaint myself with cherries. The only downside of such easy cherry access is that I am now allowing myself to consume pounds of these tasty vegan treats in a single sitting.

So if you're looking for a vegan snack suggestion and you live in a place where cherries are relatively accessible give them a shot, odds are you won't regret it!