Virtually Vegan Mama

Baked Better Organic Bread Mixes: Just add water!

Jennifer — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:30:47 +0000

I was lucky when the owners of Baked Better contacted me and asked if I would like to review their bread mixes. These bread mixes are amazing because they are vegan, organic, preservative-free, sugar-free, non-GMO and whole grain. And all you have to do is open the pouch add some water, mix and bake. You end up with perfectly baked artisan bread that is wholesome and delicious.

Baked Better was founded by two friends who shared a passion for baking and healthy eating. They created products that allow old-fashioned baking to fit into our busy, modern lifestyles. Their custom mixes include Dumbo Delicious, Cobble Hill Crave, and Park Slope Staple.

Dumbo Delicious is named after their headquarters in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Dumbo has some of the most beautiful views of the Brooklyn Bridge. Inspired by our neighborhood’s industrial past and its current vibrant culture, Dumbo Delicious is an easy-to-make, organic, delicious, and filling bread. Full of nutritious seeds, grains, and oats, this bread is a healthy and tasty addition to your diet.

Cobble Hill Crave is their tribute to cozy Cobble Hill, a neighborhood with beautiful brownstones, tree-lined streets, and a friendly vibe. Cobble Hill Crave is an easy-to-make, organic, delicious, and textured bread. This walnut, cranberry bread, accented with rolled oats, has the nutritious grains found in all of our mixes, and has the added taste and texture of walnuts and cranberries speckled throughout.

Park Slope Staple is inspired by beautiful Park Slope, a neighborhood whose residents love the outdoors, their community, and the arts. Park Slope’s residents are vibrant and creative, and this easy-to-make organic bread mix serves as a perfect canvas for their creative expression. Park Slope Staple is a simple, natural bread that allows you to create your own unique breads without interfering with the flavors you choose.

Every one of the mixes I tried baked to perfection and were utterly delicious! You can add your own twist to the breads as well. I threw in some rosemary and fresh garlic into the Park Slope mix and it was amazing. I did get one picture of the first one I made. The Cobble Hill Cave was my first choice because I adore cranberries and walnuts in baked breads and I knew this would be a hit with the kids. I was right. =)

A big thanks to Daniel and Nushin for sharing their incredible bread mixes with me!

There’s Gluten in That? Surprising Foods, Cosmetics, and Pills That Contain Gluten

Jennifer — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:45:06 +0000

I don’t have a gluten allergy, but do know several friends that battle with this and know how difficult it is. I wanted to share this very informative article with you because I didn’t have a clue before reading this of all the hidden places you gluten is hiding.

Digestive Health: Hidden Sources of Gluten

By Madeline Vann, MPH Medically reviewed by Farrokh Sohrabi, MD

It’s not always obvious on consumer product labels that gluten is an ingredient. Here are some tips for finding hidden gluten.

If you have celiac disease, you may respond strongly and negatively to even small amounts of gluten. So you scour packaged foods labels before you buy, and you question your servers carefully at restaurants. But you might be surprised to learn that certain products, including non-food items, can contain various forms of hidden gluten. And while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has developed and will soon begin implementing “gluten-free” labeling standards for food products, these standards do not apply to every item that could contain gluten.

Sniffing out hidden gluten may require some extra attention. Here are some sources to put on your radar.

Medications. This one may surprise you. “When you look at the word gluten, think glue.It is often used as a binder,” explains Alice Bast, executive director and founder of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. The group has successfully educated the public about the issue, leading to an effort on the part of the FDA to address medication labeling, which today does not include specific mention of gluten or wheat products.

Bast acknowledges it can be difficult to figure out whether a medication has gluten in it or not. . In general, she says, generics seem more likely to contain traces of gluten.

Beauty products. Research presented at the 2011 annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology demonstrated how difficult it is for consumers to find out whether their beauty products contain forms of gluten. Even though you’re not actually eating cosmetics, even a small amount of gluten in a lip balm could cause a problem— think of how often you bite or lick your lip. Researchers have raised the question of whether gluten-containing lotions and moisturizers might trigger a response in the skin of a person with celiac disease. The investigation was prompted by case studies of two women who had contact irritation on their skin that went away when they stopped eating gluten in their diet and stopped using beauty products containing gluten. In beauty products, hydrolyzed gluten is used to make both emulsifiers and stabilizers. This is an area of research that requires further exploration, but people with celiac disease who want to live a gluten-freelifestyle should be aware of the ingredients in their cosmetics.

Vitamin supplements. As with prescription medications and cosmetics, gluten may appear in vitamin supplements purely as a binding agent, says Bast.

Pickles. “The problem with pickles is beer,” says Bast. And you thought you were being so good by cutting out the suds. Some pickling processes include malt vinegar (a beer-like liquid), which may contain gluten.

Bouillon cubes. This seemingly harmless soup base can be a gluten landmine. As with many packaged spice combinations, you’ll find gluten in some bouillon cube brands. The ingredient to avoid is maltodextrin, a gluten product. A better bet, if you have the time, is to make your ownstock on a Sunday afternoon and freeze it in containers for future soups and stews.

Gravy. Homemade gravies made with flour are obvious sources of gluten, but so are many instant gravy packets, making this cooking convenience not so helpful after all. At home, you can use cornstarch as a thickener. Away from home, it might be best to skip the gravy.

Bleu cheese. There are conflicting messages about these blue-veined cheeses. Bread mold may be used to make them, but any potential gluten they contain is a miniscule amount, below the 20 parts per million considered the FDA uses as a cut-off for “gluten free”labeling. However, if you really like cheese, Bast suggests opting for a hard cheese instead.

Hot dogs. Yes, your favorite ballpark snack could be hiding gluten. Read package labels to find a variety without it.

Soy sauce. Wheat is perhaps the last thing you associate with salty soy sauce, but it is a key part of the manufacturing process, making the condiment problematic for people with celiac disease and gluten insensitivity. Try gluten-free tamari instead.

Frozen veggies in sauce.What could be easier than popping a bag of frozen vegetables into the microwave and getting back a hot, tasty side dish? Check the ingredients first— many of the sauces contain gluten products or soy sauce. Look for unadulterated frozen vegetables when shopping.

Hot chocolate. There’s something so comforting about a warm cup of hot cocoa on a cold day —if you’ve made it yourself from scratch with cocoa, sweetener, and milk. Beware of handy prepackaged cocoa mixes, which may be processed on machines exposed to wheat products and subject to gluten cross-contamination. Good news when making your own steamy brew: If you love to toss in marshmallows, rejoice —they are gluten free.

French fries. When you eat out, you also run the risk of cross-contamination, Bast points out. While an order of French fries is gluten-free (made from potatoes, oil, and salt), if the fries are dipped in the same frying oil as breaded onion rings or hush puppies, it’s gluten-free no longer. Ask before you order.

Items labeled “wheat free.”Gluten comes from wheat, right? So that labeling should make shopping easy. However, says Bast, gluten also comes from other grains and grain combinations, including spelt, barley, and rye. So, just because a product is labeled wheatfree doesn’t mean it is gluten-free.

While it might seem like there’s something watch for on every grocery-store aisle, your choices aren’t as limited as you might think. “Go with whole foods if you possibly can,” Bast advises. Yes, you’ll have to prepare meals from fresh ingredients, but you’ll gain control over what you eat and how it tastes. For non-food products, make sure you read labels and do your detective work to protect your overall health.

Here’s the link to the original article: There’s Gluten in That? Surprising Foods, Cosmetics, and Pills That Contain Gluten.

Thanks to Kathleen from Everydayhealth.com for sharing this article with me, so I could share it with you!

Do you have a gluten-allergy? How does it affect your daily life and food/product choices? Was this article helpful?

xoxo,

Jen

Easy and Delicious Roasted Rosemary String Beans

Jennifer — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:14:44 +0000

Something I like to have in the house at all times, are a few healthy and delicious sides that I can serve up to the family throughout the week. This is my new favorite side. I throw it over a green salad with a splash of balsamic and I’m good to go. It’s easy to make and comes out prefect every time. I love the addition of nutritional yeast in there for the flavor and the nutritional benefits. I gave the option in the recipe for folks that use oil in their cooking – but of course you don’t need to add it – the veggie stock does the trick just fine. Diced shallots and/or chopped walnuts are a nice addition to this side as well.

You cannot go wrong with roasting veggies in my opinion and a little maple syrup makes this side slighty sweet and oh so yummy. This makes everyone in my household very happy.

Easy and Delicious Roasted Rosemary String Beans

Recipe type: side

Author: Virtually Vegan Mama

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 lb string beans, trimmed and washed
2 tbsp no salt added vegetable stock
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tsp date syrup or pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tsp healthy oil like avocado (optional)
pinch onion powder
fresh black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss the beans with remaining ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
Place string beans on non-stick baking pan.
Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes or until beans are tender and slightly browned in spots, turning once.
Serve.

WordPress Recipe Plugin and Microformatting by EasyRecipe

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite way to roast veggies?

And the winner of Vegan Holiday Kitchen is…

Jennifer — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:45:25 +0000

Wendy from Healthy Girl’s Kitchen! Congrats Wendy, I know you will looooooove your new cookbook.

Don’t be bummed if you didn’t win this time around. Fortunately, I have received several awesome cookbooks to offer up to all you fabulous people.

Have a wonderful day!

xoxo,

Jen

Vegan Holiday Kitchen Giveaway and Vegan Matzo Ball Soup

Jennifer — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:07:49 +0000

I know, it’s been the month of Giveaways, but I had the pleasure of receiving several complimentary copies of vegan cookbooks and couldn’t resist checking these amazing cookbooks out and sharing some wonderful recipes with you.

Up next is the fabulous Vegan Holiday Kitchen from Nava Atlas. Trust, me you are going to want to enter to win this fabulous cookbook. I made her Vegan Matzo Ball soup and I was overwhelmed with the result. This is one recipe that was on my list to veganize, but I was a little wary of doing this. I mean I have in my memory traditional Mom-made perfect Matzo Ball Soup and wasn’t sure if I could ever recreate it vegan. Boy, was I wrong! Seriously, the only difference is removing the chicken broth, all the flavors are there from the vegetables, seasonings and fresh dill. Nava took care of the matzo balls falling apart with out the use of eggs by using quinoa flakes as a binder and it worked perfectly. This is a no-fail recipe and unbelievably delicious, my family absolutely loved it. Nava, thanks for this wonderful recipe, you nailed this one. =)

This gorgeous and exciting cookbook by author Nava Atlas brilliantly fills the biggest gap in the vegan repertoire with more than 200 delectable, completely doable recipes for every festive occasion. Atlas, one of the most respected names in vegetarian and vegan cooking, addresses everything from Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas –to celebratory brunches, lunches, dinners, potlucks, and buffets. Such mouth-watering dishes as Coconut Butternut Squash Soup, Green Chili Corn Bread, Hearty Vegetable Pot Pie, delicate Ravioli with Sweet Potatoes and Sage, and Cashew Chocolate Mousse Pie will convince even the most skeptical eater that vegan cooking is well worth celebrating.

Nava Atlas is both the author and illustrator of many well-known vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including Vegan Express, Vegan Soups, The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, and The Vegetarian 5-ingredient Gourmet. Her first book was Vegetariana, now considered a classic in its field. Nava is also a visual artist, specializing in limited-edition artists’ books and text-driven objects and installations. Her work has been shown nationally in museums, galleries, and alternative art spaces and is part of many museum and university collections.

I almost didn’t want to giveaway away this cookbook it’s so awesome.

PRINTABLE VERSION

Simple Vegetable Soup with Vegan Matzo Balls – Gluten-free (by omitting matzo balls), soy-free, nut-free

Vegetable Soup

8 Servings

This soup served at traditional Passover seders is very much akin to this one, except that’s made with chicken broth. In truth, the Passover soup course functions primarily as a venue for the matzo balls

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil or other healthy vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 celery stalks, diced

1 32-ounce carton vegetable broth

6 medium potatoes, peeled and finely diced

6 to 8 medium carrots, sliced

Handful of celery leaves

1 tablespoon all-purpose seasoning blend, or use a Kosher for Passover brand

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, or to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Vegan Matzo Balls (recipe follows)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and celery and sauté over medium heat until golden
Add the broth, potato, carrots, celery leaves, seasoning blend, and 2 cups water. Bring to a rapid simmer, then cover and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Stir in the dill, then season with salt and pepper. If time allows, let the soup stand for several hours off the heat to develop flavor. It can also be made a day in advance.
Just before serving, bring to a simmer. Adjust consistency with more water if needed be, and taste to adjust seasonings. Add warmed matzo balls to individual servings of soup.

Vegan Matzo Balls – soy-free, nut-free, can be made Gluten-free using gluten-free option

Makes about 24

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa flakes

2 cups boiling water

1 cup matzo meal (see gluten-free variation, below)

1/4 cup light vegetable oil (such as safflower)

1/4 teaspoon salt

A few grindings of black pepper

Pinch of onion and garlic powder, optional

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, cover quinoa flakes with the water. Let stand for 2 or 3 minutes.
Stir in the matzo meal along with the oil, and mix until well blended. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Just before baking, preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
Roll the matzo meal mixture into approximately 1 -inch balls; don’t pack them too firmly. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, carefully turning matzo balls after 10 minutes, until firm to the touch; don’t let them brown.
If making ahead of time, let the matzo balls cool completely. then cover until needed. Warm them briefly in a medium oven and distribute them among the soup bowls, allowing 3 or 4 matzo balls per serving.

Variation: to make these gluten-free, substitute 1 1/4 cups quinoa flakes for the matzo meal. Don’t add them to the original quantity of quinoa flakes; this is a separate measure to use dry. A bit more is needed than the quantity of matzo meal for the purpose, as the quinoa flakes are less dense.

Learn more about Nava at VegKitchen.com, and navaatlasart.com.

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!

One lucky reader will win Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas!

To enter the contest, leave a comment telling me what’s your favorite recipe(s) to serve during the Holidays. Don’t forget to leave your contact information so I can let you know if you win. =)

BONUS ENTRIES

You MUST leave each entry as a separate comment or only one comment will count.

Subscribe to Virtually Vegan Mama
Like Virtually Vegan Mama on Facebook and leave a comment on my wall.
Follow Virtually Vegan Mama (@virtveganmama) on Twitter
Tweet about this giveaway and tell me that you tweeted in the comments section; “I just entered to win Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas @virtveganmama”
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***This Giveaway is now closed…thanks to all for entering!***

~~All entries must be completed no later than Monday, April 16th 2012, at 11:59 p.m. EST.~~

Winner will be announced on Tuesday, April 17th 2012, on my blog, and the winner will also be notified via the email address they provided in the comments section.

Good Luck!!!

xoxo,

Jen