Vegan Recipes Vegetarian Recipes. Easy Vegan Cooking.

Vegetarian Mac and Cheese

2012-02-02T11:45:00.000-05:00

Today I found two brands of vegetarian boxed macaroni and cheese. Unlike the sinister Kraft brand which is predicated on the stomachs of dead baby animals (calf, lamb and kid) these wonderful alternatives use only non-animal enzymes in their cheese packets.

Both Annie's and Back To Nature brand boxed mac and cheese dinners specify right on the package that the enzyme in their cheese mix are of the non-animal variety. Awesome!

All cheese containing packages really ought to require such labelling... animal or non enzymes. The people want to know. The governement of course doesnt' care. There's no money in it.

All restaurants need to get with the program as well. You already have the egg, milk and peanut info. It's not unreasonable for poeple to want to know if animal stock, fat or similar is lurking in their menu choice. List on your websties animal containing foods. Things with animals stocks, animals fats, any animal derived ingredients.

Polenta - Easy Vegan Polenta

2012-01-08T00:28:00.004-05:00

Recently I discovered polenta. What a wonderful food. Simple. Cheap. Delicious.

I scoured the Internet for polenta recipes. They all seemed so complicated. But polenta is supposed to be simple. And it can be. It is.

My polenta is easy, inexpensive and tastes great. I like to use it as a condiment. A vegan mayonnaise if you will. It adds great flavor to sandwiches and helps to keep the other ingredients on the bread. Bean sandwiches work much better with some polenta to keep everything intact. It also add texture, lots of flavor and nutrition.

Simple vegan polenta that's fast and tasty.

1 can vegetable broth
1 cup corn meal
5 cloves slice garlic
2 tbls vegan margarine
2 tbl nutritional yeast
black pepper, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder

Warm your broth in a whisk safe sauce pot. When its hot begin slowly whisking in your corn meal until it has all been incorporated. Continue whisking while heating over medium heat until it has reached the consistency of thin mashed potatoes.

Add garlic and continue whisking and warming over low heat for 2 more minutes.

Turn off heat and add in margarine, yeast and spiced. Whisk until margarine is melted and thoroughly combined.

Taste and adjust spices to your preference.

Serve immediate as a warm side dish or turn into a cool storage container and chill in the fridge for later. It's great on sandwiches in place of mayo or mustard.

When I happen to have poppy or sesame seed bread I like to add the excess to my polenta. They make great additions for both flavor and texture. Jalapenos would also be a welcome effacement.

Peanut Butter and Bean Sandwich (Vegan)

2011-10-28T01:25:00.003-04:00

Peanut butter is much more versatile than most people give it credit for. It shouldn't be relegated to just coupling with jelly. It can do so much more.

Like hummus it makes a great sandwich spread. It helps hold beans on bread and readily integrates with savory flavors like garlic and pickles. Give it a try. I enjoyed it.

Spread peanut butter on both sides of bread, roll or bagel. Add kosher pickle slices. Cover with black or pinto beans. Top with black olives, red pepper, garlic and onions.

You'll be amazed as how great these flavors coalesce. It sounds crazy and it probably is, but it tastes delicious.

Low Fat Hummus (No Tahini) and Vegan

2011-10-06T23:21:00.003-04:00

Here's a really simple hummus recipe that doesn't require tahini, but tastes pretty much like the real deal. It's also way lower in fat than classic hummus, yet nearly as delicious.

1 can chick peas, drained, reserving 1/4 cup canning liquid
2 Tbls white vinegar
1-2 Tbls peanut butter
3-5 cloves roughly chopped garlic
Zest and juice from one lemon
salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder to season

In a blender, food processor or with a stick blender combine chick peas, canning liquid and vinegar until fairly smooth, but still a little chunky.

Scrape down sides of container and stir lightly. Add garlic, lemon juice and 1 Tbl peanut butter. Blend a little more.

Add a little bit of all the seasonings and the lemon zest. Stir lightly. Taste and add more seasonings and other tablespoon of peanut if desired. Remember, the flavors will taste somewhat different after chilling in the fridge. So keep the seasoning and flavors light. A few hours mingling together in your cold box will brighten them up a bunch.

Blend a little more if not smooth enough for you.

Let chill in fridge for at least 4 hours.

This makes about 2 cups of hummus. So yeah, a lot of hummus. Cut measurements in half if you want less.

Best part is it's really inexpensive and it tastes really good. Very fresh.

For a different dimension use roasted or sauteed garlic instead of raw. Or use a lime instead of a lemon for a little Mexican flare.

Spread your low fat hummus on whole wheat bread and it's great just like that. Use in place of mayonnaise or in place of cheese on sandwiches. Make a sandwich with it as the main ingredient. It's a really tasty and versatile puree that works in so many capacities.

Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese

2011-09-21T00:04:00.004-04:00

When I googgled macaroni and cheese vegan style I was overwhelmed. All the recipes were so complicated. They had thousands of ingredients and about a million steps to complete. C'mon people... it's mac and cheese. It's supposed to be simple and easy and quick and just plain tasty. Stop over-complicating everything. Delicious vegan mac and cheese does exists and it tastes great.

1/2 box of pasta cooked
1/4 cup almond milk or other dairy free milk
2 tbls vegan buttery spread
5 tbls nutritional yeast
1 tsp spicy mustard
2-5 tbls white vinegar
some reserved pasta cooking water
garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper

Cook pasta. Small pasta shapes with hole or indents work better, but any kind can be used. Drain pasta and reserve the cooking liquid. Add drained pasta back to hot pot on hot, but turned down to very low burner.

In a mixing bowl whisk together softened buttery spread, almond milk, nutritional yeast, mustard, 1 tbls of hot pasta water and spices. You can add vinegar and additional pasta water in small doses until you are satisfied with the taste and texture. Use pasta water as a thinning agent. Use vinegar to add tang, depth and to thin the sauce. To thicken a sauce you've thinned to much add a corn starch slurry or additional buttery spread.

Pour nutritional yeast cheesy sauce over pasta and warm everything through over very low heat stirring vigorously to coat the pasta.

Sprinkle individual servings with raw panko and/or soy based bacon bits.

Add green peas or other legumes for even more protein. Add broccoli, cauliflower or greens for fiber, crunch and vitamins c and a.

This yeast based sauce is tasty, easy and versatile. Enjoy its cheesy, tangy, sweet taste over pasta, rice, and vegetable. Try it on everything. You won't be disappointed.

Black Bean and Corn Salad (Vegan)

2011-08-09T01:22:00.006-04:00

Black bean and corn salad. Not a new concept by any means. But this is streamlined and simplified and 100% vegan. I also added some rice to bulk it up. Veggies are great, but rice costs less. This salad still contains plenty of crisp and crunchy produce. The rice adds filing bulk, saves money and layers on another texture.

Ingredients
1 can black beans well rinsed
1 cup frozen corn niblets
2/3 cups frozen red/green bell peppers
12 cloves fresh garlic
1 cup jasmine rice
1 3/4 cups water
1 lime
olive oil
hot sauce
chili powder, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper

Cook rice in water. When rice is done cooking add garlic, frozen corn and frozen peppers. Return still hot pot to still warm, but turned off burner on stove, cover and let sit about 5 minutes. When frozen veg are thawed, remove from stove and pour pot contents into a heat/fridge safe storage container.

Add zest from lime and all the juice you can squeeze from it.

Add a drizzle of olive oil - just enough to barely lubricate the entire bowl of salad.

Add hot sauce and spices. Adding slowly and tasting often.

Chill in fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.

Sprinkle individual servings with panko breadcrumbs or imitation bacon bits.

One Pot Vegetarian Cooking

2011-07-31T23:48:00.004-04:00

The secret to making everyday cooking easy is timing. Whenever possible make protein, starch and veg all in one pot. The trick is not to overcook them in the process. Combining foods with contrasting colors is always nice too. It can be quite appetizing and even enhance the psychological taste of the food.

A simple example is in the photo. It's garlic mashed potatoes with peas and carrots. the red dust is paprika. A attractive and delicious garnish in this case.

Frozen peas are really easy. Just add them after your food is done cooking. Add them to the hot pot of food. Gently stir in. Cover pot and return it to the warm burner. Let sit at least 3 minutes. Green peas are so small it doesn't take much to defrost and warm them through.

Frozen carrots, broccoli, cauliflower... items of that density take much longer to cook. Generally about 5 minutes of strong heat to thaw and heat up. In the case of instant mashed potatoes you can add them to the water from the get go. Bring the water/veg to a boil as the package suggests. Then turn off heat and stir in potato flakes.

With rice it can vary greatly as different rices have vastly different cooking times. Just add your thick frozen veg when there is about 5 minutes left in cooking your rice. If it's not done when your rice is add a 1/4 cup more water and continue cooking on low heat until your veg is good to go.

When working with frozen greens like mustard greens, collard greens, spinach and kale it's best to cook them longer. Their fibrous and chewy nature will benefit from an extended cooking time. Add them from the beginning. When cooking rice add greens at the same time you add the dry rice. The exception being brown rice. Any rice that takes more than 30 minutes to cook. Don't cook greens for more than 20-25 minutes. When making instant mashed add greens when first add the water to the pot.

You can cook fresh vegetables in the same way. Fresh veg will take a little longer to cook. The very best indication of vegetable doneness is color. Once it's turned a bright vivid color it's time to stop cooking it.

I prefer to keep fresh veggies fresh. Just each them raw. They are great that way and there is less loss of nutrients. But depending on when you became a vegetarian/vegan your body may have different needs.

Every change in diet takes some getting used to. If you're just starting out as a vegetarian, allow your digestive system time to adjust. Eat more cooked veg than raw. Cooking aids in the digestive process. In some cases cooked foods can offer more nutrition. Especially to those not accustomed to consuming large amounts of raw food.

Sandwich Obsession

2011-07-24T22:52:00.002-04:00

10 quick and delicious vegan/vegetarian sandwiches

Simple, tasty and inexpensive sandwiches that make healthy and satisfying meat-free meals.

Summer Lentil Risotto (Vegan)

2011-07-21T23:47:00.009-04:00

This is a summery salad style dish that works equally well cold as it does warm. While it's not actually risotto, I call it risotto because it mimics the texture and creamy sauciness of real risotto. Just give it a try. You'll see what I mean.

It also happens to be super cheap and very easy to make.

Ingredients
1/3 cup dry lentils
1/3 cup dry pearl barley
1/4 cup dry white wine (cheap is fine $8-12 per bottle)
1 can petite cut diced tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen mustard greens
5 cloves roughly chopped garlic
3 tbl smart balance light with olive oil
2 tsp montreal chicken seasoning
1 tsp cornstarch
1-1 1/2 cups water

I like to begin by cooking my barley. I like to cook it a little longer than I do my lentils. Bring barley and water to a boil and then simmer covered for 3 minutes. Add lentils and 1 tsp montreal seasoning. Continue to simmer until only a little water remains. Add mustard greens and wine. Cook until that has gone. Add tomato. Continue cooking uncovered for 3 more minutes.

Taste. Add more water if needed. Lentils and barley should be tender.

Add garlic, smart balance and remaining tsp of montreal seasoning. Heat 1 minute more. Add cornstarch. Warm 2-3 more minutes. Until the liquid has slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

Eat immediately as a hot mock risotto lentil and barley stew/soup. or let chill in the fridge at least four hours for a cooling summer lentil, barley and tomato salad.

The smart balance adds a creamy texture and vitamin b12. the wine creates a depth of flavor that would otherwise be lacking. The cornstarch helps to thicken the tomato/wine/water mixture giving your lentils a viscous sauce to swim in.

Although it's called montreal chicken seasoning it doesn't contain chicken or any other animals. It's just spices and herbs.

You can even eat it as a sandwich. I made a thin layer of mashed potatoes with peas and carrots and then a thicker layer of the lentil barley risotto mix. It was delish.

Panko Tofu and Cous Cous (Vegan)

2011-07-16T00:37:00.005-04:00

Panko breadcrumbs were on sale for $1 last week so I decided to try panko crusted fried tofu. The 4C brand was not vegan. It has milk in it. Even the plain. The A&P america's choice brand plain panko does not contain milk. Yay. Why milk in panko? Just because the milk industry is powerful and sneaks it into many foods where it does not belong. All the major brands of pretty much everything seem to have milk as an ingredient 98% of the time.

I begin by draining, then marinating my tofu. To drain tofu wrap in a few paper or clean cloth towels and weight with a heavy object like a can of beans. After it has drained on the counter for 15-20 minutes remove from towelling and marinate it in the fridge for 2-4 hours in 3-4 tbls soy sauce, 3 cloves fresh sliced garlic and some black pepper.

Then dry fry your vegetables. In my case I used some broccoli and carrots. I just cooked the frozen veg in a large fry pan. Nothing else. No oil. No salt. No water. Just stirring ocassinally and making sure to separate the stuck together pieces. When those were thawed I set them aside in a container to hold the heat. I used the same pan to fry my tofu.

To panko your tofu, drain marinade from container and add 2 tsp cornstarch and some garlic powder and chili powder. Reseal container and shake to coat. Pour panko in a shallow bowl or dish and toss your tofu in a few chunks at time to lightly coat it. Gently shaking off any excess.

Pan fry in hot olive or peanut oil until the panko breadcrumbs are golden brown.

I served my panko fried tofu with cous cous. Mediterranean curry cous cous by Near East.

If it were easier to make I'd eat it all the time. But it's definitely worth making ocassionally. The texture and crunch are awesome. The frying process really lets the tofu pick up the garlic and chili flavors. The mild curry cous cous meshes well with spice and the vibrant vegetables add color and crispy snap.

A vegan meal provided you use dairy free panko breadcrumbs.

Vegetarian Chili and Swiss Sandwich

2011-07-14T00:01:00.005-04:00

This easy sandwich makes a filling and tasty lunch or dinner. I tend to eat it for breakfast, but I am strange and you probably aren't.

Every couple of weeks or so I make myself some hormel vegetarian chili with rice or pasta. hormel vegetarian chili is in fact vegan. With pasta it's more of a bowl and fork kinda meal. But with some rice and veg it's also a super sandwich with spice, crunch and texture.

For this batch of chili I used jasmine rice. It's similar to white rice, but a firmer texture. I first cook the rice. When it has cooked ten minutes I add my frozen kale. Kale tastes and chews similar to spinach, but is slightly sweeter. Then when the rice is nearly, but not quite done I add the chili, diced garlic and a pinch of cumin and a splash of balsamic vinegar and continue cooking uncovered for about 5 more minutes. Until the chili is heated through and its sauce has thickened a little bit. When I'm satisfied my chili is hot and its viscosity is good I turn off the heat, keep the pot on the hot burner, stir in my frozen yellow corn and replace the pot's cover. Leaving the corn to thaw and warm through for about 3 minutes.

For sandwiches I cool the mix on the counter for at least 15 minutes and then put in the fridge to chill overnight. On a kaiser roll, whole wheat toast, or a bagel lay one thin slice of vegetarian swiss cheese (sargento for example) and then pile on your chili mix with as much as your bread will safely hold. Most people don't think of rice mixtures as being sandwich bases, but I've concocted some of my favorite sandwiches this way. As long as the rice mix is flavorful and contains some bean or soy protein and a little vegetable crunch it has awesome sandwich potential.

Try using hummus instead of cheese for a vegan version.

Don't forget though, not all cheese is vegetarian. Check manufacturer websites or email them if you are not sure about the origins of their cheese enzymes. Even cheese makers with vegetarian cheeses often have flavors that are not. It varies greatly by kind of cheese and by brand.

More Vegan Rice Mixes

2011-07-13T23:24:00.008-04:00

Update: my mistake. vigo rice contains dehydrated chicken. don't know how i missed that the first time around. but i found a carolina yellow saffron rice that was animal and dairy free. the spicy yellow is not vegetarian. but the saffron yellow is vegetarian/vegan.

i also learned mahamtma rice is the same as carolina rice. different branding depending on your location.

visit their website for more detailed info on ingredients. you can quickly look up the nutritional info and ingredients of any of their products.

http://www.carolinarice.com/en-us/products/categories/15/RiceMixes.aspx

also go to the mahatma site. http://www.mahatmarice.com/en-us/products/categories/2/RiceMixes.aspx

notice how it is the same as the carolina one. one brand for the east coast, the other for the west i would guess.

The other day I was browsing amazon for vegan food. Rice mixes in particular because I love flavored rice, but do not love buying lots of expensive spices. What I was really craving was saffron yellow rice. That stuff is soooo goood. I used to eat carolina rice brand spicy saffron rice, which was cheap and delicious, but it has chicken stock in it. So I was searching for vegetarian, hopefully vegan saffron rice. I found two brands at amazon that seemed promising. Vigo and Mahatma. They both rang a bell, so I assumed I'd glanced them in my local supermarkets at one time or another.

When I got to the supermart I sadly could not find the mahatma brand. I was at pathmark. Perhaps I'd seen it in a different grocery store. I did find vigo and was very excited about it. Right on the front it stated yellow rice with saffron. Yum and yay! It was $1.99 for an 8 ounce packet at regular price. I read the ingredients. No animals, no milk, no eggs. I was all set to buy it and probably still will sometime soon, but then I spotted a box of Vitarroz Spanish rice for only 89 cents for the same 8 ounce supply. It didn't specify that it contained saffron. It said hot and spicy spanish rice. It's kinda orange, not yellow. Still at 89 cents I decided to try it anyway and grabbed myself two boxes.

It may or may not contain red saffron. The ingredients spices can be any number of things. But it was such a bargain and it was supposed to be spicy, so I was more than satisfied with my selection. I made it right away because I was very curious to know how good of a flavor 89 cents could buy me with this brand. Turns out pretty darn good.

When I put it in the pot, a big lump of orange spice came out at the bottom of the packet. Maybe paprika, chili powder, perhaps red saffron powder. Maybe some spanish spices I'm not even familiar with. It's hard to be certain. I just have an ordinary palette, no special ingredient detecting super powers.

It was very spicy. Tasted a lot of hot peppers and hot pepper powder. There were many small pieces of hot peppers in it. Jalapeno I would guess, but I'm not a hot pepper expert by any means. By whatever means it used, it very much delivered on its hot and spicy claims. I was immensely satisfied with price, value, ease and flavor.

To my spicy spanish rice I added broccoli, carrots and tofu. I cooked by frozen broccoli and carrots in a fry pan on a dry heat. No oil. No water. Then I used the same pan to sear my tofu which was marinated in soy sauce, garlic powder and a little bit of chili powder.

A dry stovetop cook is my favorite way to cook frozen and fresh vegetables. They turn bright beautiful colors. There's no water to leech away nutrients. It's quick and easy. There's no added fat. It's nice to ocassionaly cook veggies in olive oil, but for day to day cooking I prefer to reserve my fat allotment for other things like potato chips, cookies, nuts and hummus. Vegetables taste really good cooked plain provided you don't overcook them.

Tofu tastes its best when fried. Pan or deep fried. The oil really helps the tofu retain the flavors you add to it. But it's very good just seared on high dry heat too. Just use a little cooking spray so it doesn't stick. The soy sauce and spices give it just enough flavor that it can integrate nicely with a strongly flavored rice. This again reserves our daily fat quota for treats like french fries, oreos and almonds.

All in all, some wonderful vegan rice mix finds to be had from the convenience of your regular supermarket. Smaller brands tend to have less animal and chemical ingredients. So they should definitely be supported and recommended whenever possible. Vitarroz, Vigo and Mahatma. Three great rice mix brands that offer spanish style pre-seasoned rice mixes that are vegetarian and vegan.

Something to Chew On

2011-07-05T23:03:00.003-04:00

Dear People @ Stride Gum,

Your gum really doesn't seem to last all that long.

Perhaps I'm chewing it incorrectly.

Please advise.

P.S. I like the added vitamin B12. I was going to buy trident, but then I noticed your stride gum package stated it was fortified with vitamins B6 and B12. So I bought your gum instead even though it was 30 cents more for the three pack.

P.P.S. I'm curious what made you decide to add those two vitamins in particular. Why not C or E. People seem to like those a lot. Were you consciously targetting vegetarians and vegans or was it just a happy accident?

P.P.P.S. Where's the goat? I've been waiting for the goat. I like goats.

Sauted Pasta Salad (Vegan)

2011-07-04T00:10:00.001-04:00

This is a simple pasta dish that's great both hot and cold. Pasta in garlicky olive oil with lots of crispy vegetables and some beans and nuts.

Instead of cooking your pasta in a big pot of water make your life simpler by using a really big non stick frying pan with high sides. Some people call them chicken fryer pans. They're about 14-16 inches and have extra tall edges. Fill that half way with water and bring to a boil. Once it's come to a boil add hafl a box of pasta and 1 tsp of salt.

Ingredients

1/2 box pasta
1 red or green bell pepper diced
6 cloves garlic diced
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen cauliflower
1/2 cup frozen crinkle cut carrots
1/2 cup dry white wine or zest and juice from one lemon
1 cup rinsed canned black beans
3-4 tsp olive oil
3 tbl smart balance light buttery spread
salt, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to taste

I like to use a mix of fresh and frozen produce. It helps keep the cost down and the flavors bright. I add the smart balance because it is fortified with B12, calcium and other good things. You can leave out the butter spread and add nutrutional yeast instead. Or if you take a supplement and B12 isn't an issue you can use olive oil all on its own.

When pasta is finished cooking drain and remove from pan using a large slotted pasta spoon. It's less clean up than using a colander. Set aside temporarily in the storage container you will use to hold the finished product.

Add pan back to burner and heat on medium. Cook frozen carrots and cauliflower covered in dry pan for 3 minutes or until mostly thawed. Add oil, some salt and black pepper and pasta. Saute uncovered for 3 more minutes. Add bell pepper pepper, corn and buttery spread. Cook 2 more minutes stirring often.

Add garlic and saute one minute longer. Add wine (or lemon if avoiding the wine) and beans and cook about 3 more minutes to cook off the wine. Taste. Add more salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to taste.

It's great hot from the pan or delicious after a stay in the fridge to chill.

Optionally, sprinkle individual servings with a small handful of almonds for texture, crunch and additional flavor.

Sandwich Love Vegan Style

2011-07-02T23:39:00.009-04:00

As is evidenced by my many posts on them, I love sandwiches. A lot. Pretty much everything tastes better when in sandwich format. Don't believe me... try it. Take any food and stick it on a roll and I guarantee it will satisfy you better and taste great. It's also easier to eat. Hand-held is the way to go.

Here is a pictorial run down of some of great vegan sandwiches. They use uncommon sandwich ingredients, but taste way better than the typical meat and cheese kind.

Lightlife bologna style on a bagel. Two slices of the lightlife with pickle and roasted garlic hummus between.

Curry lentils and barley on a kaiser roll. Roll is buttered with hummus. Mix of lentils, barley, cauliflower, garlic and mustard greens fill out the sandwich.Recipe for curry lentils

Mexican rice on whole wheat bread. It's not much to look at. Kinda beige, but don't let that fool you. The flavors are plenty colorful. Bread is buttered with hummus before adding the rice mix. Recipe for rice mix.

Three great vegan sandwiches that will satisfy both your hunger and your tastebuds.

Lamb and Pig in your Mac and Cheese

2011-06-29T01:38:00.005-04:00

Let's badger the FDA until they have to do what we want. The government and its plethora of agencies are all pretty useless.

I can't believe it's 2011 and vegetarians and vegans still have to wonder what's in their food. Mystery chemical ingedients and presrvatives have many possible origins both animal and vegetable. Naturals flavors can be pretty much anything. Cyanide is a natural flavor. Cheese is the a big issue for vegetarians. 99% of cheeses just list rennet or enzymes with absolutely no indication whether they are derived from plants or mammals. You would think cheese makers would be proud to say their cheese is vegetarian. Are they all dim? It would sell more cheese. Don't they want to sell more cheese?

So in protest I've decided to send an email per day to the FDA continually making the same simple request. That food labeling standards be updated to indicated whether animals or animal byproducts were sourced.

Now if each vegetarian and vegan does this, sends one email per day to the FDA requesting animal ingredient disclosure, they will be inundated and overwhelmed and the media will pick up on the story and people will tweet about it and it will spread through facebook and the truth will finally be exposed and they will have to do something.

write to the FDA once per day and politely request all food labels clearly indicate any animal derived ingredients. everyone needs to keep sending their same email once a day until the labelling rules are revised. tell your friends. you don't need to be a vegetarian to want stricter food labelling policies.

even meat eaters can be unwittingly consuming animal byproducts they are opposed to eating. Pork, lamb, beef, any animal can be hiding in seemingly innocuous foods. Candy, cake, vitamins, yogurt, bread. You name it, dead animals might be in it.

We all have a right to know what exactly it is we are eating and feeding to our children. When it comes to something as vital as food full disclosure is essential.

write to the FDA. just a few sentences. I want food labels to show animal ingredients and animal byproduct ingredients. Something along those lines. Keep sending the same simple email one each day until something changes. Tell your friends to do the same.

consumer@fda.gov

And don't forget to praise them on the great job they've done all these years. Ecoli adds flavor.

Nueva Concina Vegan Rice Mixes

2011-06-28T00:51:00.004-04:00

The other day I tried Nueva Concina Mexican Rice. To it I added some frozen kale, frozen cauliflower and canned pinto beans. I also added some fresh sliced garlic as well. I pretty much add fresh garlic to just about everything I eat. There is no such thing as too much garlic.

I really like the product. Mild, but very nice latin flavor. I'm not sure it's really mexican rice. It was peppery and a little bit spicy, but didn't feel mexican per se. I'd call it more of a latin fusion. It's a way better deal than a lot of other pre-flavored rices. The package is much larger for the same or only a little more money. There are a lot of nice big vegetables in it. Whole green peas, big cuts of carrot and celery. Something I"m not accustomed to from other prepared rice mixes. A high quality product to be sure. The flavors with beans seem an even better deal. I've not even them yet, but if the veg in their mexican rice is any indication, there should be a generous portion of beans in their product. This of course saves you more money in that you needn't add your own beans.

The box indicates it'll take about 25 minutes to cook after it comes to a boil, but I found it cooked much faster than that. It took about 10 minutes to come to a boil and then another 15 of covered simmering for the rice to become tender. Knorr rice cooks faster, but rice a roni generally takes longer. But as far as wholesome ingredients and being vegan and vegetarian friendly this wins hands down. Simple, tasty ingredients. No animal products. Not even the may have come in contact with warning. Easy to prepare. Very fair regular price. Bargain sale price. Good flavor even when diluted with add ins.

Vegans and vegetarians should definitely get behind this product in a big way. Buy it and promote it. It's exactly the kind of food we all desire. Big flavors with simple, honest, totally animal free ingredients at a more than reasonable price.

Rock on with your vegan self Nueva Concina!

All Hummus Is Not Created Equal

2011-06-22T00:12:00.007-04:00

I've eaten exactly two brands of pre-made hummus. Sabra and Athenos. The difference between them is astonishing.

I used to make my own faux hummus with chick peas, lemon, garlic and white vinegar. Not traditional by any means, but I loved the taste. Just didn't love the effort involved.

When I tried Sabra hummus for the first time I was in love. The roasted garlic flavor is literally one of the best foods I've ever eaten. If I had to pick only one food to eat for the rest of my life it would be a toss up between Sabra roasted garlic hummus and Lightlife veggie burgers. If I could live a nutritionally sound life eating only those two foods I would have no complaints at all.

So when Athenos hummus was on a big half price sale I grabbed two tubs. How strangely different it is. I can't call it bad, just not quite right.

I read the ingredients like three times on both brands and can see very little difference. Athenos uses olive oil where Sabra uses soy bean oil. Olive oil sounds better in theory. But the Sabra is superior. Maybe it's just that Athenos doesn't have enough fat. It has half the fat of Sabra. As Alton Brown is so fond of telling me, fat holds flavor. It think Sabra also has a lot more salt than Atheno. Everyone knows salt makes things taste better.

So now I have two tubs of Athenos hummus and I'm not too crazy about it. But not to fear. I've discovered a few ways to make it taste good. So even if you're like me and don't like some brands of hummus you might want to try these suggestions. Perhaps with these techniques, you can save some money when a brand you're not particularly fond of is on sale.

One way it came out pretty good was on a sandwich. Sandwich fixings can save almost anything. I thoroughly covered the bottom of a kaiser roll with the hummus. Then added dill pickle slices, roasted red pepper chunks, raw white onion and some salt and pepper. It made a big difference.

It's also pretty good as a spread on plain bread if you top with fresh pressed garlic powder and black pepper.

But they way it came out really good was with a curry. I had previously made curry lentils and barley. Had not planned on eating them as a sandwich. But with an abundance of bread and a hummus to utilize I gave it a try.

I covered both sides of toasted bread with the Athenos hummus and then generously dished my curry lentil and barley mix on top. For some strange reason which I don't understand my curry lentil concoction makes the Athenos hummus taste quite good and the Athenos hummus makes my curry lentil mix taste even better than it already did. Really liked this combo a lot. One of my favorite vegan sandwiches so far.

Lentil and Barley Curry Vegan

2011-06-21T23:42:00.004-04:00

So I made my lentil and barley curry as planned. Well, not exactly as planned, but I did make it and it came out pretty good if I do say so myself. Try some yourself and you be the judge. Considering how bland lentils can be I consider the dish a wild success. It was very easy and had only a few ingredients. Sadly I forgot to buy jalapeno, which I think would've been great. I also eschewed the tomato I originally planned to use. Not because I think it would be bad that way. It'd probably be very good. Just wasn't in a tomato sorta mood.

This is a simple, very american style curry. Still, it has a lot of nice flavors and a respectable amount of spice. Best of all it's totally vegan. I did the best I could with the picture. I am a lousy photographer. It looks much tastier in real life.

Ingredients
1/2 cup dry pearl barley
1/2 cup dry lentils
1-3 tsps curry powder (I used McCormick because that was all I could find)
5 large cloves roughly sliced garlic
Zest and juice from one lemon
1/3 cup frozen kale
1/4 cup frozen cauliflower
1 tsp garlic powder
water
olive oil
salt and pepper

Add barley, lentils, 1 tsp of curry powder and 1 1/2 cups water to a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil. I always add my water in increments. You can always add more water/liquid, but you cannot remove what you've already put in. Let lentil mix simmer covered for about 10 minutes and then add kale. Simmer 5 more minutes.

As the water is absorbed add more as necessary. Taste a lentil and a piece of barley occasionally to determine softness and add more liquid as required.

After 15 minutes add garlic, olive oil and a few dashes of salt. Continue cooking, tasting after several minutes and adding more liquid as is needed.

When you're certain there are only a few minutes cooking time left add cauliflower. In about 2-4 minutes when cauliflower is warmed through turn off heat, leave on warm burner, add salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice. Taste. Add more curry powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Serve immediately or store in fridge for up to 10 days.

If you happen to have jalapeno (unlike me) that would be a great addition. add it when you add the garlic or even use uncooked sliced rings as a spicy garnish.

It's great with garlic toast.

Easy vegan garlic toast is as simple as using your toaster. Toast whole wheat bread. The heels of the loaf make the best garlic toast. It's also a great way to utilize the food we normally discard. Toast til hot and golden brown. Slather with vegan buttery spread. Sprinkle with garlic powder and black pepper.

Curried Lentils and Barley

2011-06-20T00:42:00.004-04:00

I bought curry powder in the supermarket the other day. Yes, I'm well aware that it's 'wrong' to buy curry powder. That one is supposed to buy the individual spices are combine them in their own tested and preferred preference. But to buy all those spices did not seem practical. Even buying the curry powder didn't really seem practical. It was $3.19 for this little tiny jar. I guesstiamte it's 7-10 uses. But I really love curry and it's cheaper than buy pre-made. Beside that, I"m kind of interested to create my own, even if it's the half ass curry powder kind, I think there are still many details one can add to make it their own.

The use of fresh garlic enhances any dish. In my opinion big chunks of lightly cooked garlic are just about the best thing one can possibly put into one's mouth. I kind of plan on borrowing from several pre-made curries I've tasted and adding a few tricks of my own. I don't plan on a entirely authentic Indian curry, but rather a fusion of sorts. I'm going to try it with some lentils and barley. Mostly because lentils are kinda bland and I have a bunch of dried barley and lentils hanging around. I've cooked with them a lot and created a few interesting dishes, but I've never attempted a homemade curry before and I love a new adventure.

I'm thinking, lentils, barley, can o tomatoes, lotsa garlic, a jalapeno or two and some curry powder. I'll probably change things up when I actually get to cooking, but that seems a mighty tasty starting point.

I definitely hope to keep it vegan and am confident this is a dish that can live up to the task.

More to come...

Vegan Sausage Risotto

2011-06-15T23:31:00.005-04:00

My apologies. I have not been creating new veg dishes lately. Have just been cycling through eating the ones I've already detailed here. I like them, so I revisit often. But new posts that does not make.

However, I have been contemplating a new vegan recipe lately. It's a bit time consuming and requires some ingredients I don't currently have on hand. But it's a re-make of something I used to make before I went veg. Back then I was famous (amongst family anyway) for my turkey sausage risotto. They would beg me to make it. Now they don't beg me to make anything cause it won't have meat. sigh. Well, no, that's not entirely true, they really do love my vegetarian lasagna with beans.

But having had the good fortune to get a free sample of lightlife smart ground sausage flavor not that long ago and having enjoyed it very much, got me to thinking. It might be a perfect way to recreate the risotto I was once so beloved for without killing any turkeys. I don't see why it can't be just as delicious, if not better.

I'll need to get some arborrio rice, some vegetable broth and some smart ground sausage too. I'll also need to convince someone in my family to at least give it a try. All daunting tasks. But I feel inspired by this idea and have to give it a try. Heck, even if I eat it all by myself, their loss and my gain.

Will report back with recipe and pic once the deed has been done.

Wish me luck.

More Hummus Goodness (Vegan)

2011-06-10T01:01:00.004-04:00

A great little sandwich I made the other day was hummus and lightlife bologna style with some dill pickle. Really simple.

I built my sandwich on a thomas' bagel (which has no egg or milk). The important step is to lay down one slice of lightlife then slather that with hummus and cover with another slice. Top with pickle, onion, pepper, or any combo thereof.

So easy to make in the morning for breakfast or prepare and wrap for a take to work lunch. Really filling. The hummus and lightlife really pack the protein and iron. The thomas' bagel has a good amount of protein and iron too.

Another filling way to eat hummus is just have half a bagel and cover it with hummus and eat with a side of low salt lays potato chips or dry roasted edammame.

I find both these meals very filling, satisfying and enduring. My taste buds are satiated and my stomach doesn't nag me for at least 3 or 4 hours after.

Garlic Lemon Jasmine Rice (Vegan)

2011-06-09T00:01:00.007-04:00

The other day I made a really summery flavored rice starting from scratch. It just hit the spot in this hot, hot, hot weather. Full of citrus and garlic in was cooling and fresh. The best part of all, very few ingredients and quick to cook.

No box. No flavor packet. I just basically used plain jasmine rice, some garlic and lemon.

Ingredients
1 cup jasmine rice
1/2 can vegetable broth
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup frozen chopped broccoli
6 cloves sliced garlic
1 lemon
1 tsp olive oil
salt, pepper and garlic powder

Begin by adding rice and broth to a pot, cover and bring to a boil Once it has come to a boil lower heat and let simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Add wine and olive oil. Keep simmering covered again until there is only about a 1/4 cup of the liquid remaining.

Add garlic, olive oil, zest and juice from lemon. Simmer uncovered 1-2 minutes more. Taste. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. A lot of pepper is really good. It plays nicely off the lemon and garlic flavors. Be sparing with the salt. Vegetable broth already has a fair amount of salt. The garlic powder enhances the flavor of the fresh garlic.

When you are satisfied with the flavor stir in frozen broccoli and add back lid. Let hot pot sit covered on warm burner for about 3 more minutes. Your frozen broccoli should be perfectly defrosted and warmed through, but not overcooked in the least.

Serve immediately or turn out into a room temp storage container and immediately refrigerate to keep from over cooking.

I had mine for breakfast with some black beans over the top. It was really great chilled. Like a citrusy rice based salad of sorts. The rice tastes as if it's been dressed with lemon garlic vinaigrette. But it has virtually no fat. The little bit of oil we did use was just enough to make sure all the flavors really pop.

It was also equally as delicious warmed up the next day.

Best of all, not only is it vegetarian, it's also 100% vegan as well. Full of protein, vitamin c, vitamin a, potassium and iron.

Hummus and Bean Sandwich (Vegan)

2011-06-05T00:24:00.004-04:00

Beans make some of the best sandwiches. I have proof. The other day I made the most delicious sandwich. Totally vegan too. And very healthy and nutritionally diverse.

My special ingredient was hummus. Lost of people eat hummus. It's nothing new. But I doubt most folks know what a great sandwich it can help to make.

I built my sandwich on a kaiser roll. Slathering each side with some roasted garlic hummus. Then added pinto beans. The hummus is great because it helps keep the beans in place. Then added some nutritional yeast and topped with dill pickle slices.

I would've never believed it had I not eaten it myself. But the combo of pickle, yeast and hummus really made a superb sandwich. When I think about all the sandwiches I've augmented with cheese I wish I tried using hummus sooner. It has about the same amount of fat as a slice of cheese but so much more flavor. The pickle juice and hummus run together and create this delicious, drippy, gooey ooze. The yeast add the perfect finishing zip.

As I ate my sandwich I was thinking to myself, this is far better than cheese. This is how I can stop eating cheese.

Since then I've made several bean and hummus sandwiches and have loved them all. While the nutritional yeast is a great addition, the combo of hummus and pickles is what really does it for me. I can see hummus and fresh onion being just as great. Hummus is just so packed with flavor. It's great all by itself on plain bread. But when you add the meaty texture of the beans it's satisfying beyond compare.

Not only does hummus handily replace cheese, but it also dispatches with mayonnaise just as easily. It's like getting two for the price of one.

If you haven't done so already, you have to try a hummus and bean sandwich. It's one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.

New Venue - Yahoo

2011-06-02T01:16:00.003-04:00

I've begun publishing articles on the yahoo contributor network. Check it out.

http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/1104895/savatoons.html

Informing the world one keystroke at a time.