tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82754988236093125242024-03-04T21:30:12.128-08:00SpinachI'm vegan and healthy and generally pretty amazing, and you can be too! Ethical issues, health topics, saving money on your grocery bills, recipes, and more vegan fun.Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-63259071140243390022013-10-14T13:00:00.003-07:002013-10-14T13:00:35.667-07:00Giving Thanks: a vegan cashew cheesefestIf you are a regular reader of this blog, you'll know that I can't get enough of Autumn or Thanksgiving. I wait for them all year round. I love the sense of change in the air, I love the changing of the colours (the amazing golds, purples, and reds are something I miss des-per-ate-ly about Canada), and I love the idea of the Earth giving up its bounty for us. And I love that we have an entire holiday devoted to feeling gratitude for this bounty. Sound a little hippyish and cashew cheesy? Get used to it.<br />
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I know sometimes vegans have a hard time feeling gratitude. Gratitude for what, you might be asking. For the billions of animals who live and die in terror everyday? For the millions of people, lacking real nutritional education and healthcare killing themselves with animal products? For the disappearing rain-forest being used to farm cows for human consumption? Yeah, for those things. Kidding! And yet, I feel that I have plenty for feel thankful for, especially as a vegan. And if you'll be so patient, I'd like to enumerate some of the reasons. <br />
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So many people see vegans as judgmental and self-righteous, thinking that we see ourselves as superior and holier-than-thou. Truthfully? I mostly just feel grateful. Grateful that some niggling little thought in the back of my mind drove me to return to the idea of veganism before I ever even realized I was interested. Grateful that I had the time to read the information. Grateful that for whatever reason, at that time, I was open and receptive and willing to act. Grateful that this little word, vegan, came into my thoughts and heart and actions and changed my life forever. <br />
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I'm so grateful for every little thing that lead to this change. Access to the internet. An affection for research. Living in a country with easy access to abundant, healthy vegan food. Farmer's markets. Tofu and tahini and cashews and kale and spinach and chocolate and almond milk and potatoes. The knowledge of how to feed myself cheaply and healthfully. <br />
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And I'm grateful for specific people. A lot of them. Here's just a small sampling. Thank you to Alicia Silverstone, Rory Freedman, Kim Barnouin, and Colleen Patrick Goudreau for giving them information that blew my mind wide open and left me with no other option than to become vegan. Thank you again to CPD and Alicia, as well as, Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero and the Moosewood Collective (not vegan, but they always have plenty of plant based recipes) for keeping me in delicious, interesting vegan recipes.<br />
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Thank you to Jack Norris, Ginny Messina, Joel Furhman, John McDougall, Caldwell Esselstyn, and Colin Campbell for giving me endless amounts of nutritional advice, information, and resources, and turning me into a leafy green fanatic.<br />
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Thank you to my big brothers, whom I'm sure will never ever read this, for paving the vegetarian way for me in our family, and for teaching me to question the world around me. Thank you to my mother for teaching me to view the world with compassion. Thank you to my father for teaching me it's okay not to accept the status quo. And for teaching me how to hold a kitchen knife properly. <br />
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Thank you to my sweet Daniel for, despite his carnivorous ways, supporting me, going to vegan events and restaurants with me, and interrogating our waiters and waitresses on every ingredient in my dinner. Thank you to my dear friend Lindsay for opening her mind and heart to the information I gave her, and attempting to change her cheese loving ways. Thank you to my other dear friend Jean for deciding to take a stand for the fishies. Thank you to my wonderful and witty partner-in-crime Emma, for constantly seeking out new information and flirting with vegetarianism. Thank you to my lovely, kind co-worker Natalie, for opening her great big heart to new information and jumping into veganism with full-force. <br />
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Thank you to those who do work <i>I could not do</i> to give animals a voice. Investigative journalists and slaughterhouse workers who document what goes on behind closed doors are rare, valuable heroes, and I'm so thankful that they do the work that most people would not be brave or strong enough to do. <br />
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Thank you to Sparky, Stanley, Buster, Sophie, Molly, Jasmine, and Livia for letting me love you for your too-short time on this earth. Thank you to all the animals who learn to forgive and love humans, despite everything we do to them. <br />
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And thank <i>you, </i>dear readers, for just being awesome.<br />
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<br />Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-66773974557203382992013-09-23T12:55:00.004-07:002013-09-23T12:55:52.632-07:005 Online Resources Every Vegan Should KnowSo, you've recently turned vegan, and you're walking around, happily slurping green smoothies and snuggling every stray cat you see. And then suddenly you realize your favourite wine has fish bits in it, you have no idea how to make chickpea salad, and everyone you know is acting like a t*** about your new food choices. Your cries are being heard, and rest assured you are not alone. Here are a few online resources that have helped me on my vegany way, and I hope they help you too.<br />
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5. <a href="http://www.barnivore.com/" target="_blank">Barnivore</a><br />
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Fish bladders, pig fat, and chicken's eggs. Some of the delights which may lurk in your merry glass of wine. As weird and gross as it sounds, your alcohol may not be vegan. The subject of vegan alcohol is perhaps not that commonly discussed, but those who are concerned about avoiding animal additives and processing methods can head on over to Barnivore, where countless beers, wines, and liquors and listed as vegan friendly or not. And I do mean countless. The site is very reader-supported, meaning that most of the information comes from devoted vegans who have taken it upon themselves to email various alcohol companies to clarify their ingredients and practices. The owners of the site are also working on an app!<br />
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4. <a href="http://www.happycow.net/" target="_blank">Happy Cow</a><br />
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Is Happy Cow sick of people lavishing praise on them? Anyway, they deserve it. Happy Cow is a magical place where you can enter pretty much any city in the world into their search engine, and they will tell you where you can eat as a vegan/vegetarian. I've found results for Buenos Aires, Lagos, Sofia, Suva, and Little Rock. London alone has 308 results. Happy Cow organizes their establishments into four different categories: vegan, vegetarian, veg-friendly, and health food stores. They have all the location and contact information you need, and they even include reviews from other visitors. The site also has a ton of other veggie information, including tips and recipes, but I've mostly used the travel information. I don't really know how I used to travel before I met this site. I must have just wandered around aimlessly trying to beg food from strangers in the streets.<br />
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3. <a href="http://www.theppk.com/" target="_blank">Post Punk Kitchen</a><br />
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The ultimate vegan food blog. If you want culinary inspiration, you need look no further than chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz's playground of creative vegan recipes. Chocolate pumpkin loaf? Ranch salad with buffalo tempeh? Dilly stew with rosemary dumplings? All such delights can be found here. Post Punk Kitchen also has a very active forum, with vegans from all over the world coming together to gripe about their grandmothers trying to feed them chicken stock and brag about how much kale and oreos they ate today.<br />
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2. <a href="http://www.veganhealth.org/" target="_blank">Vegan Health</a><br />
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Registered dietitian Jack Norris has put a lot of effort into obtaining and dispersing reliable, hocus pocus free medical advice for vegans. If you have a question about single nutrients, supplementation, or common myths and confusions regarding vegan health, his site should be the first place you look. Very specific recommendations and plenty of resources abound. He's also posted things like possible meal plans if you can't imagine what a vegan day would even look like. If you want to find out about B12, Veganism and cancer, raising healthy vegan children, and protein, this resource is the place for you!<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.compassionatecook.com/publications/food-for-thought-podcast" target="_blank">Vegetarian Food for Thought Podcast</a><br />
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So, we've covered your health, your stomach, your next trip, and your next pint. Now it's time for your soul's education. Does that sound a little crazy and over-the-top? You obviously haven't been listening to Colleen Patrick Goudreau's earthshaking podcast. But now you will, and now your life will change. Everything you need is here: education about animal issues, education about animals themselves (every thought about whether you want to cuddle a loving turkey, or nuzzle a calming donkey? You will now.), health issues, how to respond to your co-worker, family member, or anyone else who might challenge you. My explanation isn't doing it justice. Just go over there right now and listen to: How to Talk to Hunters, Animal Advocacy and Emotional Stress, Conversations with Strangers, or Life Without Cheese. You're welcome.<br />
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<br />Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-57668007105942954392013-09-15T13:31:00.001-07:002013-09-15T13:31:56.474-07:00Documentary Review: BlackfishThe poster for <a href="http://blackfishmovie.com/" target="_blank">Blackfish</a> is undeniably creepy. I'm a big wimp when it comes to anything gory or spooky, so <br />
I was quite frankly a little nervous. Especially because I was going to watch it right before bedtime. Eek.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Z6XDU6dO8i1H75aYppgHel_WeulAlmn5yBKzks-yLjtOfhdhkRJiaeN2a51iz_07MACw6gltCtuNxqzXo6hha7Cr3hIschAypRgz_qCKca1hXv2VZWBoiYuMLVh2CTNOQVE9hT_PTT4/s1600/blackfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Z6XDU6dO8i1H75aYppgHel_WeulAlmn5yBKzks-yLjtOfhdhkRJiaeN2a51iz_07MACw6gltCtuNxqzXo6hha7Cr3hIschAypRgz_qCKca1hXv2VZWBoiYuMLVh2CTNOQVE9hT_PTT4/s200/blackfish.jpg" width="135" /></a>But I sucked it up and watched it, and shall be forever thankful that I did. Or thankful for awhile, anyway. Blackfish is indeed chilling and haunting, but it's also fascinating, heartbreaking, and beautifully constructed.<br />
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The documentary tells the story of Tillikum, an orca whale who made headlines a few years ago when he killed one of his trainers, Dawn Brancheau. The documentary covers the lives of orcas in captivity comprehensively, illustrating the disturbing and illegal practises of the marine park industry in capturing whales from the wild, sometimes resulting in the death of whales before they reach the sea parks. Soft-hearted? You won't enjoy hearing about the training methods these parks use and the conditions the whales are kept in. The inferior health and quality of life of whales in captivity are shown in sad, frustrating detail.<br />
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And Tillikum. The story of a whale taken from his family when he was two, kept in essentially a large swimming pool in Victoria, BC, and bullied by his fellow whales. We see injuries that he suffered at the hands of the other whales, who have turned aggressive due to frustration and unnatural socialization. We see his dorsal fin collapse, a condition symptomatic of poor health that occurs in almost all male orcas in captivity, and less than 1% of male orcas in the wild. Eager to please and loving towards his trainers, Tillikum seems to have lived in frustration, resulting in what some believe to be a psychosis, and ultimately causing him to turn fatally aggressive towards humans. This aggression is mirrored in many other whales in captivity, and Dawn Brancheau is not the other trainer to lose her life, or suffer from injury at the hand of a captive orca.<br />
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On the other hand, the film portrays the incredible intelligence of these beautiful whales. From one of the interviewees, we learn that orcas have a part of their brains that humans don't have. Most fascinating to me was the research that found that orcas not only communicate with a complex system of sounds, these sounds differ between difference families of whales. Meaning that orcas speak different languages. The pain of the subjects of the film is interspersed with absolutely beautiful, peaceful images of orcas in the wild, swimming with their families, free to live as they please. My god, what beautiful animals they are.<br />
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At the end of the film I was left with one thought. Mom and Dad, in retrospect, I'm really, <i>really </i>glad you never took me to Marineland.Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-75610598542961557052013-09-08T03:24:00.002-07:002013-09-08T03:24:40.906-07:00Vegan Heroes: Dr. Melanie JoyAt the end of my last post about lentils I promised that recipes were soon to follow. That was in May and it's the end of August now, so clearly I lied. And it was kind of a big lie, because this post is not comprised of lentil recipes. Oh no, my friends. This post is so much bigger than lentil recipes/nothingisbiggerthan lentilrecipes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLU_YZae3W8k6M26fJApeQUJvA12fI4CSofQx1Kr9DtNZT58xH6WM73MCYmJM6tf9Ur3J06v-FpP_xayiij3Js1xUJYxNSd5JE6_k2DWgW10QwBKzxMMZgNipWpg8UmQDfAQYTH3_FiA/s1600/MelanieJoy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLU_YZae3W8k6M26fJApeQUJvA12fI4CSofQx1Kr9DtNZT58xH6WM73MCYmJM6tf9Ur3J06v-FpP_xayiij3Js1xUJYxNSd5JE6_k2DWgW10QwBKzxMMZgNipWpg8UmQDfAQYTH3_FiA/s200/MelanieJoy.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://spinachblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/brighton-vegfest.html" target="_blank">Earlier in the year</a>, I wrote about meeting the amazing Dr. Melanie Joy at Brighton VegFest, and I'd like to use this post to tell you more about Melanie's interesting and important work. She a professor of psychology and sociology at the University of Massachusetts, a Harvard graduate, a talented speaker, the author of Why we Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows, and the founder of <a href="http://carnism.org/" target="_blank">CAAN, the Carnism Awareness and Action Network</a>. Um, I feel inadequate.<br />
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What the heck is carnism? Melanie coined the term to describe the philosophy of eating animals and their products. Essentially, it's the opposing belief system of veganism. Whereas vegans believe that humans have no right to consume the flesh and secretions of animals, carnists believe they are entitled to the bodies of animals. <br />
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Why do we need a word for this philosophy? Melanie argues that without naming the ideology that allows us to use animals for our own pleasure, it remains hidden in our culture, naturalising and normalising the practice. Meaning that because the mindset that allows us to eat animals doesn't have a name, we can't see it, talk about it, or even really think about, allowing us to continue without questioning, or seriously questioning, why we all accept that animals are there for our consumption.<br />
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I'm not going to say much more. Melanie explains the idea better than I could ever hope to. Instead I'll <b>strongly</b> encourage you to all watch her incredibly moving, inspiring speech on carnism.<br />
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Watch it, watch it, watch it now!! You will feel so inspired and motivated afterwards. Note: there are about five minutes of upsetting footage starting at about 28:30 in the video. It's difficult to watch, although not the worst footage available. Melanie resumes her talk at 33:12, if you feel that you need to skip this part.<br />
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Aside from watching the speech, I highly recommend Melanie's book: <a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/philosophy-psychology-social-sciences/why-we-love-dogs-eat-pigs-and-wear,melanie-joy-9781573245050" target="_blank">Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows.</a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/philosophy-psychology-social-sciences/why-we-love-dogs-eat-pigs-and-wear,melanie-joy-9781573245050" target="_blank"><img alt="Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism" border="0" src="http://images.foyles.co.uk/large/books/img/1/5/7/9781573245050.jpg" /></a></div>
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The book explores the same themes as the speech, looking at the ways in which animal exploitation is both normalised by animal industries, and kept out of our sight. If you've never read an animal rights book before, I think this is a great book to start with, as it's engagingly written and not too heavy on theory. And I've got a <i>signed </i>copy. Jealous?<br />
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This post has not been sponsored by Dr. Joy and her people in any way. I just think she's that freaking cool.<br />
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<br />Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-69130178600627248272013-05-26T07:52:00.002-07:002013-05-26T07:52:57.496-07:00The Hows and How Nots of LentilsLentils. Why? How? Where? Huh? I know these questions have been milling around your head for years. And I have the answers.<br />
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<b>What are lentils?</b><br />
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Teeny tiny lentils, despite their humble appearance and flavour, can be surprisingly mysterious. In most English speaking countries, they're underused and misunderstood. Like beans, but not. How do I cook them? Why would I want to do that? Will the vegans show me their secret handshake if I eat them once a day? The answer to that last question is <i>yes</i>, by the way. Not only that, but lentils are amazingly nutritious and so cheap it's kinda stupid. They have more protein than any other type of legume, and have good bits of dietary fiber, folate, and iron. <br />
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There are a lot of different kinds of lentils and a myriad of ways to use them, and I'm not going to talk about each and every one of both here because I have stuff to do, people! But a few of the most common of each are detailed below:<br />
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<b>What different types of lentils are there?</b><br />
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<i><b>Red Split Lentils</b></i>: These are the first kind of lentils I ever learnt to cook with, so I feel a certain amount of loyalty to them. And they are super easy to cook, only taking about 15 minutes. They're <i>supposed </i>to turn to mush, so they're pretty forgivable. By that I mean that once red split lentils are done, they won't really hold a lentil shape, they will be soft and formless. Don't freak out. This is natural and as it should be. Red lentils are widely available, and have an array of uses, including soups, stews, dals, and curries. They're also orange. I have no idea why they're called red. Weird, eh?<br />
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<i><b>Brown/Green lentils (aka continental lentils)</b></i>: Brown and green lentils are, confusingly enough, the same kind of lentil (this type of green lentil is different to Puy lentils, below). Like red lentils, you can get them anywhere, and are probably the most commonly called for type of lentils in cookbooks. They take about 30 mintues to cook properly, and hold their form somewhat, but they can turn mushy if cooked a little longer. If that's what you're into. So they're good in all kinds of applications: soups, stews, meat subs, salads, and loaves, etc. Just chuck them into anything you want.<br />
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<i><b>Puy Lentils</b></i>: Also known as French lentils and lentilles vertes. These pretty little suckers come from the volcanic region of Le Puy-en-Velay, France. And they are So Pretty! The lovely green little pulses are not only a beautiful, jade-green colour, but they hold their shape very well once fully cooked, which takes about 20 minutes. Puy lentils are especially good in lentil salads, both warm and cold, but they also work well in soups.<br />
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<i><b>Black Beluga Lentils</b></i>: Again, so pretty. So much prettiness! These glossy black gems are very similar to Puy Lentils. They hold their shape well and can be used in the same recipes as their green counterparts. Weirdly enough, they are named for their resemblance to Beluga caviar, seen them used to replicate caviar in appetizers (for appearances only). They also take about 20 minutes to cookand work well in salads and soups.<br />
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<i><b>Yellow/Green Split Peas</b></i>: These aren't really lentils, but I've included them here as they can often be used in the same way. These monkeys are nutritious and cheap as can be, and so should be staples in any student's kitchen. There is no difference between the two types except for the colour. Split pea soup is a classic use of them, and the smoky flavour that pig's meat sometimes adds can be replaced with a curious little ingredient by the name of liquid smoke. Split peas can also be used to make stews (especially in a slow cooker), curries, and dals. They take longer to cook than lentils: about 40-45 minutes, and they should be pretty mushy by the end of things.<br />
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<b>How do you cook them?</b><br />
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In a pot. Ha! Rinse your lentils, and keep an eye out for little stones (although little stones in your lentils are pretty rare nowadays). One cup of dry lentils will generally equal 2.5 cups of cooked lentils. There are two ways of cooking them: 1) cover with a good amount of water and salt (optional), cook for the time mentioned above, and drain and rinse; 2) use 1 part lentils to two parts water and check the lentils periodically and add a bit of water as needed. This way you don't have to drain the lentils, meaning you don't have to wash your strainer, which everyone knows is the worst part of washing up. <br />
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Of course, you can also sprout the lentils, but I don't really know anything about it, so I can't offer any advice. <br />
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<b>What types of dishes can you make with them?</b><br />
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<i><b>Soups and Stews:</b></i> Happy, warm, soupful tummy. Lentil soups are pretty common even outside of vegan land, and even in the pulse-phobic UK these bowls of homey bliss have stood the test of time. <br />
Best type of lentils: red, yellow/green split peas. Both of these types of lentils will cook down until they're soft, making a thick, blended-esque soup. Green split pea soup is a classic, and the smoky flavour of ham can be replaced using liquid smoke.<br />
Good types of lentils: brown/green lentils, puy lentils, black lentils. There's no bad lentil for soup. Brown and green lentils can still be cooked into a sort of mushy texture, and make a thick soup. Puy and black lentils will make a brothier soup.<br />
Flavours: cumin, coriander, cinnamon, garam masala, tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, lemon, ginger, and basil are all common.<br />
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<b><i>Dals and Curries:</i></b> If you're unaware, dal is a type of smooshy, lentil based Indian curry, although it can be made with other types of pulses. Dals are usually thick in texture, although sometimes they have a thinner, more soup-like texture. Outside of dals, lots of curries will accept a handful of lentils thrown in for extra bulk.<br />
If you visit a middle eastern or Indian grocery store, you'll see a lot of pulses with names like chana dal (split chickpeas), toor dal (yellow pigeon peas), and urud dal (black gram). Try currying them up and see how you like them.<br />
Of the lentils in this post:<br />
Best: red lentils, green/yellow split lentils (not commonly used in India, but suit this type of dish very well.<br />
Good: green/brown lentils<br />
Flavours: cumin, coriander, tomato paste, mustard seeds, garam masala, fenugreek seeds...general Indian-ish flavours. <br />
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<i><b>Cows' Meat Substitute:</b></i> Lentils can often be used instead of minced cows' meat (blurg). If you're trying to avoid the more processed soy protein or commercial veggie minces, lentils can take their place. Don't use this method expecting the lentils to taste exactly like cows. They won't. This is a garden of new delights you'll be entering. In particular, try lentils substituting for cows' meat in spaghetti bolongnese, in lasagne, tacos, sloppy joes, and casseroles. <br />
Best: brown/green lentils.<br />
Good: red split lentils.<br />
Flavours: whatever the recipe calls for. Mediterranean herbs, Mexican spices, bay leaves, garlic, etc.<br />
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<b><i>Lentil Loafs: </i></b> Welcome to the 70's. The 70's of deliciousness! Oh, time tested loaf of hippie goodness. You are so much better than the hideous meatloaves of my childhood nightmares. And you usually come with delicious tomato-y sauces too. Mix together cookied lentils, grated carrots, nuts/seeds, oats, maybe some breadcrumbs, and some herbs, and bake. Serve with ketcup or tomato sauce or whatever the heck you want.<br />
Best: brown/green lentils<br />
Good: red lentils<br />
Flavours: you can be creative here, but traditionally these are made with woodsy flavours, such as rosemary, sage, basil, parsley, and thyme.<br />
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<b><i>Salads: </i></b>Variations of lentil salads are endless, and putting them together is easy as pie. There's not really much to say about them...salads made of lentils. Sometimes combined with rice.<br />
Best: Puy lentils, black lentils<br />
Good: green/brown lentils.<br />
Flavours: whatever you want! Dressings: lemony, orange uice with jam, vinegar, mustard and thyme, tahini and miso. Salad ingredients: nuts, seeds, raw veggies, berries, tropical fruit, peaches, apples, pears, raisins and other dried fruit, spinach. Dang it, now I want one.<br />
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<i><b>Mujaddara:</b></i> Yes, this dish needs its own entry. One of the oldest recipes that's still with us today, it is reputed to be a descendant of of the dish with which Jacob buys Esau's birthright (bible stuff). And the dish is so simple. Lentils and rice are cooked together with a few spices and topped with carmelized or fried onions. Vegetarian comfort food.<br />
Best: Brown/green lentils.<br />
Ok: Black lentils, Puy lentils, red split lentils<br />
Flavours: cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, allspice.<br />
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I hope this answers your lentil-based questions and I hope you make mujaddara <i>tonight.</i> Recipes soon to follow.<br />
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<br />Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-51035842773017160782013-04-22T03:36:00.000-07:002013-04-22T03:36:02.517-07:00Sitting in Judgement: how to tell people that you're vegetarianI know all you meat-eaters think that giving up cheese is a gigantic, oppressive cross that vegans have chosen to wear. It's not. <a href="http://www.compassionatecook.com/writings/podcast-media/life-after-cheese-2" target="_blank">Life after cheese</a> is not that hard. I rarely ever even think about cheese. But what is often truly difficult about plant-based living is dealing with the social aspects of being vegan or vegetarian. New vegetarians are often surprised at the reaction they receive from other people when announce that they follow a different diet from the norm. These reactions can range from mild disrespect to mockery, or from vitrolic insults to uncomfortable silence. Of course, it's not all bad, sometimes people are just curious, interested, politely baffled, or completely non-plussed. <br />
<br />
I don't think I know any vegetarian hasn't had someone challenge their eating practices in a disrespectful way. And this situation is strangely contrasted by the perception that vegetarians are judgemental extremists who simply can't stop themselves from shoving carrots up the noses of all the meat-eaters they encounter. <br />
<br />
Why on Earth would anyone care, let alone react badly when someone tells them they're a vegetarian? I've come to believe that I understand the reasons for these reactions. The key word up there is judgemental. Obviously, no one likes being judged. The realization that we don't always control other people's perceptions of us makes most of us feel panicky and defensive. Most people have a general desire to be seen as compassionate, kind, and intelligent, and it's rude awakening whenever we realise that other people have come to different conclusions about us.<br />
<br />
But is the label of Judgy McJudgerson a fair one to slap onto vegans? Are some vegens judgemental? Sure. For a long time, 10 years or so, I would have said no. I genuinely hadn't encountered it. But since becoming vegan, and entering online VeganWorld, I've noticed a species of vegan that are absolutely up on their high, pleather-saddled horses. And this behaviour is completely misguided. None of us are perfect vegans, and very few of us became vegans or vegetarians the second it occured to us there might be something unethical about eating animals. And it's not exactly appealing behaviour that's going to convince others that veganism is a club they really want to be part of. But these vegans don't speak for the majority of us. <br />
<br />
Truthfully? I'm absolutely a judgemental person. I judge people all the time. It's something I'm working on doing less, but I have to admit: I love judging people. And I usually find people who don't share this past-time kind of boring. It's <i>fun.</i> But I am really not a judgemental vegan. I don't care what you are or aren't putting in your mouth. Believe it or not, I don't spend that much time thinking about your eating habits. Do I want everyone to stop eating meat, dairy, and eggs? Yes. Absolutely. Do I waste my time judging individual people for eating meat, dairy, and eggs? No! I have bigger potatoes to fry, and I spent years ignoring the truth of the dairy and egg industries myself.<br />
<br />
What does "judgemental" mean anyway? We all make negative moral judgements about other people all the time, and plenty of these judgements are useful. If I said that I thought we needed to take some more time to understand the reasons behind Stalin's behaviour and not be so quick to label his actions as "evil", I wouldn't arrouse much support. Because it would be idiotic. Saying that child abuse, genocide, murder, sexual assault, and not give your seat to old ladies on the bus is wrong is a judgement. But a useful one. One that lets us know what kind of behaviour we don't want to be involved in. What we really mean when we call someone judgemental is that they make a negative judgement about someone that is unfair. We take a slice of their behaviour or beliefs and using it to make a wider negative judgement about their worth as a human being, or their intelligence as a whole. <br />
<br />
Put into perspective, if I say that I believe eating animals is morally wrong, does that make me a judgemental person? I don't believe that it does. If I say that I believe that someone is an immoral person based soley on their consumption of animals and their secretions, does that make me a judgemental person? Yes, I believe it does. And I don't honestly hear the latter judgement come around too often in vegan and vegetarian circles. I'm perfectly aware that someone who eats meat might donate plenty of his/her time to other charitable or social justice calls. Maybe they spend hours letting friends cry on their shoulders after their friends have been dumped. Maybe they call their grandmother every weekend. I don't think I'm a better person than a meat eater is. But I still think eating animals is wrong.<br />
<br />
I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's perfectly possible to disagree with a moral position or lack of position that another person has, without thinking that they are an immoral person. I don't have to agree with everything someone says or does in order to think they are a kind and intelligent person. <br />
<br />
Sooooooooo, what does all of this have to do with vegetarians telling people about their veggie munching lifestyle? I think understanding why people react against vegetarians is hugely important for us. and I think it's important for us to have the confidence to talk about these issues without feeling that we <i>are</i> being judgemental. And I think it's even more important that vegetarians keep telling people that they are vegetarian. Who benefits from you keeping quiet? The animals? Even the people who are supposed to be fighting for their rights are too afraid to speak up for them. You? Does it really sound reasonable that you should have to hide something important to you so that someone else doesn't feel momentarily uncomfortable? The other person in the conversation? I guess if you stay quiet they don't have to feel momentarily uncomfortable. But one of the most common things I hear vegans saying is that they wish that had known all this information before. They wish the vegan they lived or worked with 10 years ago had spoken up. They feel pain at the idea that they contributed to cruelty so often for so many years.<br />
<br />
So my advice for speaking up and telling people that you're vegetarian? Tell them you're vegetarian. My advice for answering tactfully when people ask you why you're vegetarian? Tell. Them. Why. You're. Vegetarian. I'm so tired of hearing other vegans start threads on vegan forums asking how to "handle the conversation" with their co-workers, or their family members, or their spouse's relatives about the reasons for their veganism. As though they are supposed to squeak out their reasons quiet as a mouse and then rock the other person softly and comfortingly back to their happy place. Just tell them! But tell them YOUR reasons for becoming vegetarian. You don't need to tell them all the reasons under the sun for veganism, or tell them why they should be vegan. Tell them what made sense to you and moved you the most. If you are talking about what matters to you and what moves you, how is that judgemental?<br />
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If they react against your calm explanations of your own beliefs, recognise that you can't control their reactions. Recognise that they may feel judged and that may not be your fault (assuming you really didn't shove those carrots up their nose). You don't have to engage with anyone you don't want to. You can walk away from the conversation if they react disrespectfully. You can even point out to them that they are reacting disrespectfully. You end here. They begin there. You don't control their reaction.<br />
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We live in a world in which people don't feel comfortable telling other people that they have opinions different to the norm. We live in a world where people don't feel comfortable telling other people that they actually act in accordance with their beliefs. We live in a world where it's considered normal and reasonable to believe one thing, and behave in the opposite way. Fix that. Speak up.<br />
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<br />Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-14594273373778548392013-03-24T05:23:00.002-07:002013-03-24T05:24:07.500-07:00Pizza Hummous!Two weeks ago I blogged about <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8275498823609312524#editor/target=post;postID=5076550422730339552" target="_blank">food cravings</a> and our misconceptions about what they tell us about our bodies. So today, I give you a recipe combining the one thing all vegans crave beyond reason and one thing almost everyone craves: hummous and pizza.<br />
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A huge variety of different flavoured chickpea dips are making their way around the internet, so when I saw the idea for pizza hummous on another blog, I had to try to create my own version. I think I'm a little addicted to coming up with bastardized, creative versions of hummous now, so be warned, this probably won't be the last time I post a non-traditional garbanzo recipe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBy3RoCi_z30W4a8HNDXF0a03-jgG2MeAy7I5mYjH_mfBfiaE2LW9iNCYw86CyfNioqgs7lFZmxKG_ev3FZ7K33sucZlMr3O9stHFni_QZNY0F1SrpmRdo6r1ZXhOEwxKLNYI6L5m4Bk/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBy3RoCi_z30W4a8HNDXF0a03-jgG2MeAy7I5mYjH_mfBfiaE2LW9iNCYw86CyfNioqgs7lFZmxKG_ev3FZ7K33sucZlMr3O9stHFni_QZNY0F1SrpmRdo6r1ZXhOEwxKLNYI6L5m4Bk/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Pizza Hummous:<br />
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1 can chickpeas<br />
1 large spoonful tahini (1-2 tbsp)<br />
Either 1/2 cup prepared pizza sauce OR 1/2 cup of simple sauce recipe below<br />
4 olives, any variety<br />
1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast <br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1/2 bell pepper (in the photo above I used a PURPLE bell pepper! What???)<br />
<br />
Tomato sauce (use only half of this recipe):<br />
1/2 tbsp olive oil<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 tbsp italian seasoning (or 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp oregano, and a pinch each of rosemary, sage, and marjoram)<br />
1 500g tin tomatoes<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
<br />
Blend chickpeas and tahini together in blender.<br />
<br />
If making your own sauce, heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Saute garlic gloves for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add dried herbs and saute for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes. Simmer over medium heat until reduce slightly (5 minutes or so), and then add the salt. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.<br />
<br />
Add either the 1/2 cup of pizza sauce, or 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, olives, nutritional yeast, and salt to the chickpeas and blend until smooth. Taste, and add more salt if necessary. Fold in bell pepper and serve with pita bread, or strips of plan pizza crust!Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-87559800557414641312013-03-17T10:48:00.000-07:002013-03-17T10:48:19.546-07:00Brighton VegFestAn hour into attending the annual Brighton VegFest, my omnivore boyfriend turned to me and said, "you know what I've learnt today? Vegans are just like normal people. I thought they'd be all weird, but most of them look just like people." Um, thanks, honey. <br />
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The Brighton VegFest, which I attended for the first time this year, is a happy annual event where animal products are checked at the door, and vegan food sellers, animal organisations, beauty product producers, and clothing stalls mingle happily with vegan-related workshops, speakers, and performers. The air is heady with free samples of strawberry coconut milk, vegan pastry and cake, nut cheese samples, and animal-free bath bombs.<br />
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Two years into my vegan wagon-ride, I'm starting to realise that actually associating with other vegans is an essential part of vegan well-beaning. Not being much of a joiner, this thought has mostly occurred to me and then drifted away aimlessly. But with this thought in mind, I decided to spend the afternoon among my own people.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIH6Tr2reCsYB6ngoxWnhLPHjEAloiXMyLlE-8X7EMFPecCABt9suMdDeRzxfoAZaysdLdqDA3ooztUqZZJW4Ycav-qGrSh1VYf77YJAjhxj7ybemh3H6_NKPiOI4s0u5TSl35-FXDVBQ/s1600/carrotbubble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIH6Tr2reCsYB6ngoxWnhLPHjEAloiXMyLlE-8X7EMFPecCABt9suMdDeRzxfoAZaysdLdqDA3ooztUqZZJW4Ycav-qGrSh1VYf77YJAjhxj7ybemh3H6_NKPiOI4s0u5TSl35-FXDVBQ/s200/carrotbubble.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrot Bubble Bar from Lush!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, from 11-3pm I frolicked around three floors of stalls, and aquired a vegan Snickers-type bar, signed multiple petitions, tried coconut milk samples, raw chocolate samples, bought <a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Joy-Vegan-Baking-Colleen-Patrick-Goudreau/9781592332809" target="_blank">The Joy of Vegan Baking </a>for £5 (yay!), thought about investing in a weekly delivery box of organic veggies (jury is still out on this idea, what do you think?), and gelatin-free vegan jelly candies (I'm not usually a fan of jellies, vegan or not, but <a href="http://www.goodygoodstuff.com/" target="_blank">these</a> were good!), and used my feminine wiles to convince the boyfriend to buy me a carrot shaped bubble bath thingy from Lush. Okay, I just asked him to buy it for me and he did. And then I had a sugar-rush so had to have some real food, and dug into a super-yummy chickpea curry, and once full promptly spilled the remains of it over myself. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mPekRORqfhwi61NxalaqngPHeJn6UcCgf0ROIkEAPgKfQqcPNSgJ4GnAk7OZeyPgprErfhICNfL8L7ZQzmoneEuDFfhhe0VHecXCBX1yUreL9jGGtE451Pd0RzddxPnCPvqykF3bwFU/s1600/melaniejoyandi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mPekRORqfhwi61NxalaqngPHeJn6UcCgf0ROIkEAPgKfQqcPNSgJ4GnAk7OZeyPgprErfhICNfL8L7ZQzmoneEuDFfhhe0VHecXCBX1yUreL9jGGtE451Pd0RzddxPnCPvqykF3bwFU/s200/melaniejoyandi.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melanie Joy and I!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
By far and away, the most amazing, inspiring, and moving aspect of the event was the beautiful speech by Dr. Melanie Joy, a professor of social psychology, and author of the book that I had coincidentally just finished reading, <a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Why-We-Love-Dogs-Eat-Pigs-Wear-Cows-Melanie-Joy/9781573245050" target="_blank">Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows</a>. Melanie talks about the means through which most people are able to cultivate a gap in their consciousness, allowing them to ignore the true origins of what's on their plates. I wouldn't be able to express it as articulately as she does, so I'm not going to try, but I urge you all to read her book. I left the speech feeling motivated and re-devoted to the cause.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhny1BqTMU01jzf9j1CNj_49xpkThwgM-wG5_-ZlKNRGxlXOW2l4lyRWLWz4Hwv3I5NtsTNld_pSpq3kBIHaZRv0yS0wa1xKBa7LOmeXS4AFP-bS_piVWG8tdH_jW6Fsm4SrOV9VQGMo0E/s1600/mscupcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhny1BqTMU01jzf9j1CNj_49xpkThwgM-wG5_-ZlKNRGxlXOW2l4lyRWLWz4Hwv3I5NtsTNld_pSpq3kBIHaZRv0yS0wa1xKBa7LOmeXS4AFP-bS_piVWG8tdH_jW6Fsm4SrOV9VQGMo0E/s200/mscupcake.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferraro Rocher Cupcakes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After we let the speech we made one more stop to <a href="http://www.mscupcake.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ms. Cupcake</a>'s stand, which is the happiest place in Brixton: a vegan bakery. The boyfriend bought himself a ferrero rocher cupcake (a chocolate and hazelnut cupcake so chocolatey it might be illegal), and I got a gigantic cookie sandwich, which was a meal in itself and AMAZING. Like a big oreo cookie, but actually good. <br />
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Who knew that a rainy day in Brighton could turn into a trip to Vegan Disneyland? <br />
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For anyone interested, there is another Vegfest in <a href="http://bristol.vegfest.co.uk/" target="_blank">Bristol</a> in May (admission £2), and one in <a href="http://london.vegfest.co.uk/index.php" target="_blank">London</a> in October (admission £10).Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-50765504227303395522013-03-07T06:43:00.001-08:002013-03-09T11:40:36.577-08:00Food Cravings and Why You aren't as Smart as You Think You AreAlthough vegans are frequently accused of being hippies, there's plenty of hippy fodder than annoys the kale out of me. Granola, Simon and Garfunkel, and not shaving your legs, all good stuff. Slippery Elm food, people named Rain, and optimism, all bad stuff. Carob I could do with or without. But the particular New Age-y, bullshiitake concept that I'd like to talk about today is one that's seeped out of the hippie realm and into everyday usage. And it goes like this: you need to listen to your body.<br />
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I'm not talking about listening to your bodies signals for basic functions, like sleeping and washroom trips. This concept pushes forward the idea that once you strip away the conditioning of society that makes you want to chug Coke and scarf cheeseburgers, you will be beautifully intuned to your body's signals, which will always be sensible and perfectly aligned with your true nutritional needs. So if you're lacking in beta-carotene, your body will crave carrots. If you're lacking in vitamin C, you'll crave broccoli. Whatever your body needs, it will naturally crave, and if you only learn to interpret your body's signals, you'll be bouncing off the walls with vibrant, sparkling energy.<br />
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And at face value, the idea doesn't sound that crazy, does it? It sounds pretty comforting. Once you reset your body's dials, you'll never have to fight its desires again. You will want exactly what you need and you can trust yourself totally. And if you aren't craving things that are healthful, than you simply haven't learned to listen to your body yet. How nice and neat and bundled into a little package of gobledegook. <br />
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Maybe my body speaks Portuguese. Maybe I need a hearing aid. But my body doesn't do much talking to me. At least, not any talking worth listening to. And its not for lack of me trying to become attuned. For years, I toed the line between thinking one day my body would be able to communicate beautifully and flawlessly to me about its needs, and thinking that the whole idea was poppycock.<br />
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And then one day, I sat listening to someone telling me that she ate meat only in small amounts, but every once in a while she craved meat strongly, and then she figured that she really needed it. Now, immediately this line of logic struck me as fallacious. If I'm strongly craving a can of Dr. Pepper (which is frequently enough the case), does that mean my body really needs a whack of sugar and food colouring devoid of any nutritional value? I don't think so. And aren't most people's cravings for...junk? True, I often crave healthy food, like kale, or berries, or sweetcorn, or more hummous than you might think any one human could consume. But I'm pretty sure your average diabetic, angina-suffering, meat-and-potatoes guy doesn't crave any of those things. And I think it's fair to assume he'd benefit from eating them. So it seemed more likely to me, in this moment of revelation, that I crave these healthy things simply because I often eat them, and was privy to their many charms.<br />
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And thusly, after this conversation and my reaction to it, I did what I am wont to do, and researched my butternut squash off. And what I found is that once upon a time, medical researchers hypothesised that food cravings were routed in specific nutrient deficiencies. But they haven't been very successful at demonstrating this relationship in the lab. Instead, modern research points to the relationship between what we crave and what we perceive as indulgent or forbidden. We crave chocolate partly because we're told that we crave chocolate. And partly because we believe that we're not supposed to eat it. <br />
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According to research, another possible cause of our cravings could be biological instinct. Our bodies haven't exactly evolved to deal with the western world. We crave fat and sugar because things high in fat and sugar have a high level of calorie density, which used to keep us alive back when food was scarce and required actual effort to come by. Now, these cravings hindering us instead of helping, and the excess fat and sugar we are consuming is making us ill.<br />
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There's also evidence to suggest that we crave what we eat a lot of, which is why I dream about a big, lemony forkful of spinach, and the meat and potatoes heart disease patient doesn't. Western women craving chocolate is so predictable it's a little embarrassing, but in countries where chocolate is seldom consumed the inhabitants crave more savoury foods. <br />
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Those of you reading this who are involved in the online vegan community will probably have guessed why I wrote this post now. Last week, a well-known vegan health counsellor (whom I have no intention of naming) shocked everyone by revealing that after 12 years of veganism, she was going back to eating animals and their secretions. Her reasoning? She had been experiencing uncontrollable cravings for animals. Now, she has not said she was experiencing health problems, but the implied sentiment of her announcement seemed to me to be that if she was craving animals, she must need them. So, without judging, I felt it was timely to present an accurate view of cravings and their true sources, insofar as we currently understand them to be. I hope that it will help not only those who feel crippled by their cravings on their way to better health, but more importantly those who still experience cravings for animal flesh and fluids. You do not have to bow down to your cravings.<br />
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I mean, let's face it, we're just not that <i>smart</i>, are we? Our bodies are not insightful, magical instruments that, if we only learn to listen to them, will lead us to good health. And neither are our minds. We consciously and unconsciously continue to make stupid decisions about our health, our work, our extra-curricular activities, our relationships, and just about every aspect of our lives under the sun. We gravitate towards foods we <i>know</i> are bad for us, and avoid foods we know are good. We value the wrong things. We fail to appreciate people who care for us. We procrastinate on things to the level that it seriously mucks up our lives. So why do we think that our cravings for stuff indicates anything other than simple, sometimes inadvisable, desire?<br />
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So if you are reading this and experiencing omnivorous cravings, give in to them. In a way. Don't try to decode your bodies signals. Sit down and eat a big, indulgent, vegan meal. Try the chickpea patties from Veganomicon. Or the chocolate peanut butter cups from The Kind Diet. Or the scalloped potatoes from The Vegan Table. And by that I mean, eat all those things in one delicious meal. Indulge. Without being self-indulgent.<br />
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<br />
<i>Resources</i><br />
<h1 class="articleTitle" style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Clemens, Roger M.D. and Peter Pressman, M.D., "Are food cravings the body's way of telling us that we are lacking certain nutrients?" <i>Scientific American</i>, May 23 2005.</span></h1>
<h1 class="articleTitle" style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Hormes, Julia. "Towards a Socio-Cultural Model of Food Cravings: Evidence from the Case of Perimenstrual Chocolate Craving" <i>University of Pennsylvania Scholarly Commons</i>, 2010.</span></h1>
<h1 class="articleTitle" style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Pelchat, Marcia, et al, "Images of desire: food-craving activation during fMRI," <i>NeuroImage</i>, 2004. </span></h1>
Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-8887629237668002442012-12-09T13:04:00.000-08:002012-12-09T13:04:15.863-08:00"Everybody knows, Tofurkey and some mistletoe..." A Guide to a Vegan ChristmasTradition is pretty comforting. As Tevye tells us, tradition reminds us of who we are and have been. Change is terrifying. So it's no surprise to me that people don't like to imagine changing their traditions in the name of protecting animals. And so many of our holiday traditions are centered around animal flesh and bodily...outputs, that the idea of changing these rituals, ingrained in and treasured by us since early childhood, seems unnerving or even ridiculous. It's one thing to say that you believe that animals have the right to roam, fly and snooze as they please. It's quite another to give up the Christmas turkey and chocolate orange you've looked forward to all year for as long as you can remember. <br />
I love Christmas. And I love tradition. And I understand these fears completely. But I think traditions, like everything else, are in flux. Maybe that's a depressing thought to you, but traditions can be modified to reflect the you that you are now. So those of you who are experiencing your first vegetarian or vegan Christmas, I hope the following post will help your transition be a little easier. Relatives of vegans may find some helpful ideas below for incorporating vegan food into their usual menu, and even if you're just leaning towards veganism, you might find some ideas for increasing the vegetable ratio of your Christmas. <br />
1. Replacing the Turkey. Finding another option for the big dead bird in the centre of your table is probably the most stressful, or unimaginable part of a vegan Christmas for most people. But there are plenty of delicious options! <br />
<ul><br />
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"> Vegetable Pot Pie. When I'm cooking Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner, the Winter Vegetable Pot Pie from Moosewood Celebrates is my absolute favourite. The original recipe is not vegan, but I simply replace the butter with a vegan margarine, and omit the haverti cheese. See my recipe below. There are lots of different pot pie recipes that might be to your liking. I like this option partly because it's a nice, pleasing big centrepiece in the middle of your table, that provides a focal point, just like a turkey. </span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Nut Roast. Maybe you've heard some mocking in the media about this vegan holiday standby. Forget everything you've heard, my friends! Nut roasts are deliciously delicious! For years now, my mother has made a really lovely nut roast with pine nuts and cashews, with a tomato gravy to go on top. I don't actually understand what sounds bad about a nut roast. Nuts. Roasted. Um, yes?</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Tofurkey. You're all making a face, aren't you? If nut roasts receive mocking... Tofurkey is the classic vegan "meat" in the form and flavour of a turkey. I tried one once. It's not the kind of thing I'm really crazy about, but if you're in that transitional phase of craving animal flesh, you might find Tofurkey the thing for you. Plus, then you get to say the word tofurkey a lot.</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Stuffed Squash, Pumpkin, or Sweet Potatoes. Baked starchy veggies filled with grain, spices, dried fruits and nuts...delicious, nutritious, and all familiar food. And also really easy to make super pretty.</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">No Main Dish. You can skip trying to find an edible centrepiece, plop your kid's weird Christmas art project in the middle of your table instead, and just have a plethora of delicious, familiar, vegan side dishes. Just make sure you make enough to feel disgustingly full afterwards.</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">2. Side Dishes. This is the easy part. Most of your usual side dishes are probably already vegan or effortlessly veganised. Use Pure, Vitalite, Earth Butter, or olive oil instead of butter. Soy, almond, hazelnut, rice, oat, or coconut milk instead of cow's milk. Pick up almost any vegetarian cookbook you will see an amazing array of delicious options, both traditional and creative. Roasted veggies, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, garlic green beans, cranberry sauce...YUM. Here are a few classic things you might want to think about:</span></div>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Stuffing: Its so easy to make your traditional stuffing vegetarian. Just cover it in vegetable stock and bake it in the oven. I promise you it's delicious this way. And if you want to step outside the traditional bread stuffing (um, why?), I've seen many tempting stuffing recipes with nuts, dried fruit, apples, even vegan sausage!</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Gravy. Again, it's so easy to make a good vegan gravy. You can use miso, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, onions, mushrooms, or even just a good vegetable stock as your base, and you will not feel at all deprived of the fat laden animal-based version. And no one has to drink the fat.</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">3. Dessert. Most any dessert can be veganised with a little creativity. There are so many options I can't even list them all here. If you are looking for a traditional Christmas pudding recipe, try the one on The Vegan Society's website, found <a href="http://www.vegansociety.com/lifestyle/food/recipes/christmas/christmas-pudding.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>. For a cream or custard option, Apro makes a nice soy custard option in both vanilla and chocolate. You can try soy cream, oat cream, or even coconut cream! Think about a cranberry and orange cake, poached pears in cinnamon red wine sauce, a chocolate and cranberry tart, or a trifle with soy custard or cashew cream. Oooh, I'm thinking about all of those things right now.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">4. Christmas Cookies. Who doesn't love a Christmas cookie? It's even fun to say. There are about 1,690,313 vegan cookie recipes online. If you want to veganise your traditional recipes, here's a crash course in vegan baking: for butter, use margarine or canola oil. For milk, use...non-dairy milk. For eggs, in cookies try either a good quality egg replacer, flax gel (1 tbsp ground flax/linseeds mixed with 1 tbsp of water), or use a pre-existing recipe for vegan cookies that doesn't use a replacement as your guide for ratios. And try my super simple, healthy and delicious recipe for date rolls below. For your gingerbread needs, look at these <i>adorable</i> <a href="http://www.theppk.com/2008/12/the-ghost-of-gingerbread-past/" target="_blank">gingerbread</a> men from PPK (Post Punk Kitchen).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">5. Stuff your sorries in a sock! Also known as stocking stuffers. Candy canes, apples, oranges...already vegan! For some vegan milk chocolate ideas, try MooFree vegan chocolate. The make kid friendly, cute milk chocolates with rice milk. They also make a vegan advent calendar that I was VERY pleased to purchase. You can also use hard candy, vegan trail mix, roasted nuts, or dark chocolates. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">6. Chocolates. Gifts of chocolate truffles are an unavoidable part of Christmas. Obviously, I don't mean unavoidable in a bad way. Try Booja Booja truffles, Green and Blacks dark selection, or Allison's Gourmet Vegan Truffles. Turkish Delight, although not chocolate, is another nice option that's usually vegan. You may also find that conventional chocolate shops or sellers have a range of dark chocolates that will be vegan. BUT, please don't just assume that dark chocolates are vegan, you really have to check the label to make sure there are no milk products, eggs, or gelatin in the chocolates or the fillings. And of course, you can just make your own chocolates and truffles. There are a gazillion recipes online for this purpose.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br />Here's the bottom line. Christmas traditions like turkey, roast beef, or chocolate oranges are completely arbitrary. They have no connection whatsoever to the birth of Jesus, or the winter solstice, or whatever you believe the real origins of this holiday to be. And they are replaceable with equally delicious alternatives that in time will come to mean as much to you, and that you will look forward to just as much. There's nothing inherently wrong with arbitrary traditions, but I think I'd like some traditions in my life that mean something to me. I'd like the tradition in my household of valuing life, my own, and that of all the other animals. Perhaps you, Dear Reader, would like to teach your children that in your house it's more important to have compassion than to have turkey. I think that sounds more like a tradition worth handing down the generations than bread cooked in a turkey's rear end.<br /><br />Peace to all creatures on Earth.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br />Ethical Eats!<br /><br />Winter Vegetable Pie<br /><br />This recipe is one of my favourites. It's fairly time consuming, so I only make it a couple of times a year, but I dream about it the rest of the year. As I said above, the original recipe, found in Moosewood Celebrates, includes cheese, but just omitting it will still give you a delicious, creamy sauce. You could also add, say, a 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast to the sauce to give it a cheesy flavour, and I think it would be really scrumptious.<br /><br />Pie filling<br /><br />1 tbsp vegetable oil<br />1 large onion, chopped<br />3 bay leaves<br />2 1/2 cups cubed potatoes (about 2 medium taters)<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 1/2 cups chopped celery<br />1 cup vegetable stock<br />2 cups cut green beans about 1 in pieces<br />3 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash (I'm usually not a fan of pre-prepared veggies, but if you can buy the squash already cubed, it will be a huge help to you)<br />2 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms<br />3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley<br />1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (dill and I are going to get married one day)<br /><br />Sauce<br /><br />1/4 cup vegan margarine<br />1/3 cup unbleached white flour<br />2 cups vegetable stock<br />1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes (optional and untested, but potentially yummy)<br />salt and ground pepper to taste<br /><br />Pastry<br /><br />1 3/4 cup unbleached white flour<br />1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary<br />1/2 cup vegan margarine of vegetable shortening<br />1/4 cup ice water<br /><br />For the filling:<br /><br />Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onions and the bay leaves and saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, salt, celery, and the vegetable stock. Cover the pot and bring to a boil then lower the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the beans and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the squash and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms, parsley, dill, and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Cover the pot and lift to stir occassionally and enjoy the delicious, country soup aroma. Once the vegetables are just tender, not too mushy here because you will be cooking them again a long time in the oven, remove the bay leaves (or, as I understand it, you will choke and die). Cover the pot and set the vegetables aside while you prepare the sauce and the crust.<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 375F/190C.<br /><br />For the sauce: <br /><br />Melt the vegan margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to make a roux. Cook for a couple minutes stirring the whole time so the roux doesn't burn. Whisk in the stock and cook on medium heat, stirring often until the sauce thickens. You know you've done it right when the sauce starts to thicken in beautiful, smooth swirls. If you're using the nooch, add it now and stir until smooth. Add the sauce to the filling, and pour it into your baking dish.<br /><br />I've used a big 9x13 baking dish, a large oval Le Crueset dish, or just a large, oven proof mixing bowl, all to happy results.<br /><br />For the pastry:<br /><br />Mix together the flour and rosemary in a large bowl. Work in the margarine or shortening with two forks or a pastry cutter until the dough resembles course meal. Sprinkle the ice water over the dough 1 tablespoon at a time and lightly mix it in. Form a ball with the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. You have a few options: you can make one big crust with a few slits to allow steam to escape, you can do a lattice top with strips, or you can cut the pastry using shapes. Fit your cutouts or crust on top of the filling and then pop the whole thing in the oven and cook for 40 or 50 minutes. The filling will get bubbly and the crust should turn golden and puff just a little.<br /><br />Eek, I want to eat it now!<br /><br />Healthy Chocolate Cherry Truffles<br /><br />Makes 7-10<br /><br />I made these one day when I realised how much money I was spending on Nakd snack bars (I think they're the same as Larabars across the pond) as snacks for work, and figured it couldn't be that hard to make my own. And it wasn't, but they're so good that I eat them all for dessert and now I still don't have any snacks at work. The flavour combinations are vast and varied here, but I thought chocolate and cherries were particularly Christmas-y.<br /><br />100g (about 1/2 cup) pitted dates (if your blender or food processor isn't very strong, I'd suggest soaking the dates for an hour or so beforehand)<br />60g cashews (about a scant 1/2 cup)<br />50g dried cherries (about 1/3 cup)<br />2 tbsp cocoa powder<br />1 tsp almond extract<br /><br />Roughly chop the dates and cashews. Add all ingredients into your food processor and process. Stop to savour the ambrosial smell of the almond extract. I like to leave the ingredients a little chunky so that I get nice chewy bites of dried cherries. Once blended, form the mixture into little tablespoon sized balls with your hands. If they are a little moist, you can roll them in cocoa powder. </span></div>
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<br />Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-47031694192965994802012-09-21T02:56:00.001-07:002013-03-17T15:07:21.200-07:00Vegan accommodation review: Fern Tor B&BYou know that daydream that you have? The one where you quit your tedious job in the city, stop unwillingly smelling other people's armpits on public transport, leave the Saturday night crowds of puking students behind, and escape into the countryside? And then you fix up a charmingly delapidated farm house, surround yourself with roaming animals, locally-grown fresh vegetables, and feed breakfast to lonely wanderers? Well, Jane and Cliff Strehlow have done just that, although even better...they've done it VEGETARIAN!<br />
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Okay, I don't actually know if Jane and Cliff were living in the city before they moved into <a href="http://www.ferntor.co.uk/" target="_blank">Fern Tor Vegetarian and Vegan Guest House</a>. And I don't know if the farm house out of which they operate was delapidated before they got to it. And I don't know if they've ever found themselves fighting through crowds of puking teenagers. But I <i>do</i> know that they run a beautiful bed and breakfast nestled amongst peaceful Devon fields, and I know that they serve delicious vegetarian meals chockful of local produce, and I know that they provide a loving home for many rescued farm animals.<br />
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I know this, because a little over a month ago, Dan and I took our spinachy selves out for an anniversary trip to Devon, and stayed at Fern Tor for two happy nights, right outside the little village of Meshaw, Devon, surrounded by waves of green hills dotted with snoozing sheep.<br />
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We stayed for two nights, one in the twin room upstairs and one in the lovely double room downstairs. Both rooms are spacious and comfy, with ensuite bathrooms (with bathtubs). From the twin room you get a great view of the garden where you watch the pigs happily snort. And when you wake up in the double room with the sun shining in through the windows and gaze over at the leafy garden just outside your door, you will think you've woken up in a countryside hazy morning dream.<br />
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Of course, my main reason for visitng Fern Tor was to increase my proximity to the rescued animals they give sanctuary to. On their fair banks they house a multitude of rabits, two Scottish pigs, several chickens happily snuggling with each other, at least one very disgruntled goose, several shy sheep, and a handful of friendly, curious goats, one of whom came over to me for a little cuddle. Fern Tor is no zoo; the animals need their privacy, but we couldn't resist a wee tip toe around to watch the peaceful, unthreatened animals be, well, peaceful and untreatened.<br />
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As I said, my main reason for wating to come to Fern Tor was the animals, but my over-riding memory is of the amazing, plentiful vegan food on offer. We were fed ooddles of aduki bean pie, fresh salads, butternut squash and rosemary soup, mushroom cassoulet, grilled veggie skewers, lemon and ginger "cheesecake", and vegan ice cream sundaes, alongside hearty vegan breakfasts. Amazing. We left the table in pain.<br />
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And we left Fern Tor well-rested and well-fed. Happy vegan travels. <br />
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<br />Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-63313565266576502972012-06-22T05:57:00.001-07:002012-06-22T05:59:10.304-07:00Break the Fast with Vegans<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Never let it be said that I don't listen to the pleas of the masses (okay, the one-time request of one person). Here it is, an ENTIRE post devoted just to the breaking of the fast, veganly. Herein we will discuss many options for the vegan breakfaster, both healthy and indulgent, cheap and, well, mostly just cheap.</div>
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A few posts ago, I suggested that if you're looking to adopt a more healthful diet, fixing one meal at a time was a good idea, and suggested starting with<a href="http://spinachblog.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/ch-ch-changes-health-edition.html" target="_blank"> breakfast first</a>. I don't want to repeat that maxim about breakfast that we've all heard a million times since birth (you know which phrase I'm talking about), but it's true. The quality of your breakfast will affect how you feel on a particular day more than anything else you eat. That's reason one to fix breakfast first. Reason two, healthy breakfasts are often the cheapest. Reason three, when you wake up first thing in the morning, you're generally too sleepy to give into cravings for crappy foods; therefore, simply by getting yourself into the routine of eating healthy, plant-based breakfasts, you will stay in that routine. Reason four, a lot of traditional breakfast food is either already vegan, or very easily made vegan, so it's an easy adjustment.</div>
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I hear from a LOT of people that they often just don't feel like eating in the morning, or even that they feel a little nauseated if they try. I used to be one of you. I really had to force food down my throat at 7:30am, and left the table feeling queasy. But I whole-heartedly believe that once you start eating breakfast, you will eventually not only be able to eat it without any problems, you will need to eat it, or suffer for the rest of the day. And I'm sure I don't need to quote at you the many studies that have found that those who eat breakfast have higher rates of this good thing and lower rates of that bad thing, because I know you've heard them, and you all know that you're supposed to be eating breakfast. </div>
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But, you don't want to puke on your morning train in the meantime. I get it. A reasonable request. So my suggestion would be to simply start small, and start light. Grab an apple or a banana. Maybe mix together some dried fruit and nuts. Try a small fruit salad. You could even try the pre-run breakfast I used to eat in the mornings, back in another lifetime when I actually ran (ha!). Nuke a banana for a few seconds in the microwave, then add in a little spoonful of natural peanut butter and mix it together. I know it sounds gross, but it's kind of like a warm peanut butter and jam sandwich, without the bread. Once these lighter breakfasts become old hat to you, try adding a little more until your ready for a proper breakfast.</div>
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So, for the rest of you who, just like I do, think about food the second you open your eyes in the morning, here's a collection of vegan breakfast ideas. They're roughly ordered from most healthful to most indulgent.</div>
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Everyday breakfasts:</div>
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1. <b>Porridge.</b> </div>
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Are you sick of hearing me talk about porridge yet? Too bad, I'm not going to stop. Porridge is amazingly nutritious, easy, and cheap. And it can be dressed up in so many ways. Try it with dates, dried apricots, raisins, sliced almonds, walnuts, frozen or fresh blueberries, jam, frozen or fresh raspberries, apples and cinnamon, or even a little dark chocolate, if you're feeling indulgent. </div>
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Porridge need not be limited to oat porridge. Try a porridge of brown rice, quinoa, or cornmeal if you don't like oats, or have trouble digesting them.</div>
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2. <b>Muesli.</b></div>
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When the weather turns warm, or theoretically when the weather turns warm because it doesn't happen in the UK, sometimes you don't want want a nice steaming bowl of porridge. Sometimes you want essentially the exact same thing, but cold. Try making your own out of rolled oats, dried fruit, nuts, and maybe some wheatgerm, or look for a brand that contains no added sugar. You can vary up the flavour by trying a more traditional combination of dried raisins, dried apples, and cinnamon, or you could go foresty and make one with dried blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, and strawberries, or you could go CRAZY and make a tropical version with dried pineapple, mango, papaya, and coconut. Serve with soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk, or hazelnut milk. The oat milk might be overkill.</div>
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4. <b>Fruit Salad.</b></div>
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A salad of fruit. Doesn't really need an explanation, does it? I tend to like my breakfasts a little grainier, but some people like it. </div>
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5. <b>Fruit Smoothies</b></div>
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If you've got a blender or a hand held blender and a tall container, chuck in a frozen banana, some berries, a spoonful of nut butter, a splash of non-dairy milk, and a little natural sweetener. And then blend it. </div>
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7. <b>Peanut butter and jam sandwich/peanut butter and banana sandwich</b></div>
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Why
not, eh? Wholemeal bread, natural peanut butter, fruit juice sweetened
jam. Wholefood goodness and delightfully immature, to boot. </div>
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6. <b>Toast.</b></div>
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Top it with vegan, non-hydrogenated margarine, with fruit jams, with nut butters, with Marmite, with peanut butter and sliced bananas, with a little sweetener (maple syrup, agave nectar, brown rice syrup), cinnamon, and sliced apples, with vegan chocolate spread, with baked beans, or with sauteed mushrooms. Please note, the last two can only be consumed if you are living in the UK. Otherwise, too much confusion will ensue.</div>
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Commercial sliced bread is the work of the devil! It tastes like how my brothers' shoes used to smell after their various sporting activities! Even the supermarket brand unsliced stuff is so much better, and no more expensive.</div>
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3. <b>Granola.</b></div>
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Granola
has had a long-undeserved reputation as an undisputed health food. In
truth, most commercial brands of granola are loaded with processed sugar
and oil, and even a lot of healthier recipes contain large amounts of
oil and concentrated sweeteners of some form. That being said, granola
is generally pretty delicious, and its base is healthful oats,
nuts, and dried fruit, so it's certainly not the worst option
available. Try serving it with a non-dairy milk, or with a non-dairy
yogurt, or with some fresh fruit. Or even some applesauce.</div>
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8. <b>Cereal with non-dairy milk.</b></div>
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If you like. Plenty of commercial cereals are vegan, just check the box.</div>
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You might be reading this list right now thinking, what the heck? These are just foods I already eat for breakfast. That's because vegan food is just food.</div>
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<i>More time-consuming, cooked, savoury breakfasts</i></div>
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1.<b> Tofu scramble</b></div>
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Tofu scrambles are a mainstay of vegan breakfasts and brunches. They're pretty much exactly what they sound like: scrambled eggs made with tofu. Crumbled tofu is mixed usually with soy sauce and nutritional yeast for taste, and turmeric to add a yellow colour. Tofu scrambles are also normally loaded with veggies like spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms. I think they will surprise you.<br />
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2. <b>Tofu Omelets </b><br />
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Similar to a tofu scramble. I've never tried one, but they sound interesting. Silken tofu, non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, and some seasonings are mixed together and cooked to turn into a firm omelet, which you can then fill with whatever veggies you like.<br />
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3. <b>Aga's TomMarmite Toast</b><br />
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See recipe below. <br />
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4. <b>Spanish toast</b><br />
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I'm the only person in the world who refers to this dish as Spanish toast. When we were in Spain a year or so ago, I kept finding offerings of crispy, toasted bread topped with olive oil and pureed tomato on cafe breakfast menus. Kind of like lazy bruschetta for breakfast. </div>
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5. <b>Full English Breakfast</b><br />
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Soooo...Brits do this weird thing wherein they eat a much of stuff you wouldn't think of as breakfast food as breakfast food all together on one big plate and they call it a full English, or more affectionately, a fry up. I know, it's weird. But it grows on you. Traditional components are generally bacon, eggs, fried tomatoes, fried mushrooms, toast, sausages, hash browns, and baked beans. Most cafes offer some sort of vegetarian option, but making your own vegan version is certainly possible.<br />
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Vegan bacon: I mentioned this in the <a href="http://spinachblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/5-crazy-vegan-foods-and-what-to-do-with.html" target="_blank">5 Crazy Vegan Foods post</a>. Fry some tempeh or tofu marinated in soy sauce, maple syrup, etc. There are also commercial vegan bacon products available.<br />
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Eggs: Try some scrambled tofu.<br />
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Sausages: Commercial vegan sausages are readily available, in various levels of processing. Some people make their own vegan sausages. This seems crazy to me. Go for it.<br />
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Obviously you can healthy this breakfast up as much as you want; cook the vegetables with a little respect, and add as many other veggies as you like.<br />
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<i>Happy Tummy Yummy Crazy Indulgent Weekend Breakfasts</i><br />
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Everyone needs them. <br />
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<b>1. Vegan muffins or quick, sweet breads</b><br />
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Just as easily accomplished without animal bodily fluids. Try replacing the egg in recipes with 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tbsp white or cider vinegar per egg. Replace butter with canola oil. Replace cow's milk with soy milk. <br />
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<b>2. Vegan Pancakes</b><br />
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See link to recipe below.<br />
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<b>3. Vegan Waffles</b><b> </b><br />
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Pretty much the same replacement techniques listed above, and recipes can easily be found on the internet. <b><br /></b><br />
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<b>4. Vegan French toast</b><br />
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See link to recipe below. The recipe below is a little more complicated, but you can also try a simple mixture of non-dairy milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. <br />
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<b>5. Vegan Crepes</b><br />
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I've never made vegan crepes, but you should be able to find recipes with ease. For gluten-freebies, buckwheat flour is apparently a very good substitute in crepe recipes.<br />
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<b>Recessionpe</b><br />
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Giving you just one recipe for a breakfast post seemed kind of cheap, so you lucky ducks, you get several. Or at least links to several.<br />
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<i>Blueberry Almond Porridge</i><br />
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A note about cooking porridge in the morning. It sounds time consuming, but actually porridge requires very little babysitting while cooking. Throw the oats, water, and salt in the pot, stir together, then walk back into the kitchen once or twice and stir the mixture to stop it from sticking. Then you're done.<br />
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1/2 cup oats<br />
1.5 cups water<br />
pinch of salt<br />
1/3 cup frozen blueberries<br />
2-3 tbsp sliced almonds<br />
1 tbsp ground flax seed<br />
splash of non-dairy milk<br />
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Put oats, water, and salt together in a small pot on medium high heat, and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until thick and sort of...burping. Pour into a bowl and add in berries, almonds, and flax seed and stir. Add in the splash of milk to taste.<br />
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<i>Aga's TomMarmite Toast</i><br />
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My friend Aga is graciously lending us this recipe that she surprised and delighted me with once while I was staying with her.<br />
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1 tbsp olive oil<br />
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half<br />
freshly cracked black pepper to taste<br />
4 slices wholemeal bread<br />
enough vegan margarine to cover 4 slices of toast (optional) <br />
enough Marmite to cover 4 slices of toast<br />
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Heat the oil in a sauce pan on medium high heat. Add the cherry tomatoes, and black pepper (more is better), and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft and juicing a bit.<br />
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In the meantime, toast the bread, and spread on the margarine, if using, and the Marmite.<br />
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Once the tomatoes are cooked to your taste, top the toast with the tomatoes and serve. Aga says "a fork and knife make this breakfast easier to eat elegantly." You heard her. Eat it elegantly!<br />
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<i>Vegan Blueberry Pancakes</i><br />
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See recipe at the bottom of this <a href="http://spinachblog.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/why-wont-those-wacky-vegans-eat-cheese.html" target="_blank">post</a>. Don't just stick to blueberries. Try any kind of berries, apples and cinnamon, chocolate chips, bananas and walnuts...let your mind and ingredients wander free and unfettered!<br />
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<i><br />Vegan French Toast </i><br />
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<a href="http://www.theppk.com/2008/10/fronch-toast/" target="_blank">This recipe</a> is my favourite vegan French toast recipe. Chickpea flour is also known as gram flour, and you should be able to find it in any middle eastern grocery store.</div>Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-70501684563327486082012-05-27T10:54:00.002-07:002012-05-28T13:59:16.974-07:005 Crazy "Vegan foods" and What to do with themI tell people a lot of the time that being vegan doesn't mean eating weird food that you've never heard of before. You've likely eaten vegan meals before, you just weren't thinking about it. Apples, carrots, walnuts, rice, bread, kidney beans, pasta, tomato sauce...all vegan and all "normal." On the other hand, it's absolutely true that you're culinary horizons will broaden once you become vegan, and you will almost certainly start eating some foods that you've never encountered before. And some of them sound positively, well, weird.<br />
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So in an attempt to make these foods a little more accessible, I've demystified a few of them below.<br />
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<b>1. Tofu</b><br />
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Okay, I'm assuming you've all heard of tofu, but most non-vegetarians are baffled, nay, terrified of the stuff. Don't be scared. Tofu is simply made from soymilk (which is really just soybeans that are blended with water, and then strained), with a coagulant added, then formed into a solid little cake. It's kind of like making cheese, but without the pus.<br />
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You can buy blocks of tofu that usually come in soft, firm, or extra firm, or silken tofu. The first kind is what you commonly find in the refrigerated section of your supermarket. Silken tofu (the kind that almost falls apart in your hands) is usually found shelved in aseptic boxes with other Chinese/Japanese style food.<br />
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Been served tofu that tastes like, well, nothing? Or worse, used gym socks? Naughty chef. Tofu isn't usually eaten by itself. That's just weird. The point of tofu is that it's got all these little pores that suck up flavour like Paris Hilton sucks up...never mind. Even more so if the tofu is frozen beforehand and then thawed. Take a firm or extra-firm block of tofu, wrap it up in either a clean tea towel or paper towels, and press it underneath a plate or cutting board weighed down by <i>The Joy of Cooking</i>. Don't own <i>The Joy of Cooking</i>? And you think tofu's weird. Just use any big, fat book. Press it for ten minutes and then chuck it in some marinade for 30-60 minutes. Any marinade you like will do, but try a simple Asian-style one, or even an Italian marinade with white wine, Italian herbs, and tomato paste. Bake it, grill it, or fry it. Eat it as the main protein in your meal, or throw it into a curry, miso soup, stir-fry, or fried rice. Silken tofu is used a lot in desserts as an egg replacement, or as a different way to make puddings and mousses.<br />
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You can buy tofu in your regular grocery store, but in the UK I make the extra effort to buy it from an east Asian grocery store, where you will find it for about half the price. <br />
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Note: Japanese seasoned tofu, especially the tofu used to make inari sushi pockets has a secure place on my top 10 favourite foods. Ask your local Asian grocer about it.<br />
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<b>2. Tempeh</b><br />
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What the what is tempeh? Still not a very commonly seen food outside of vegetarian world, tempeh is tofu's artsy little sibling. A traditional Indonesian food, it is technically a cake of fermented soybeans. And it looks weird as heck. But stick with it! Tempeh is very nutritious and even some people who have a sensitivity to soy find that they can tolerate tempeh much better. It's got a fairly unusual taste...it tastes to me of wine, nuts, and yeast. Tempeh can be used in loads of different ways. Try cutting it into the form that you want it, steaming it for 10 minutes to remove any bitterness, and then marinating it for a while and frying it. Lots of vegans like to make tempeh bacon by slicing it into strips, steaming it, marinating it in maple syrup and soy sauce, and then frying it. Uses for tempeh abound, so check out a vegan cookbook and see what looks good to you.<br />
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In the UK, it's not an easy thing to find, but independent health food shops and Wholefoods carry the Impulse brand in their refrigerated section. I've also found it in Chinese grocery stores in the freezer section, but I haven't been too keen on this type; I much prefer the Impulse kind. In Canada, I've seen it beside the tofu in regular grocery stores.<br />
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<b>3. Seitan</b><br />
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Seitan rounds out what vegan gurus Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero refer to as the holy trinity of tofu, tempeh, and seitan, otherwise known as three traditional, relatively wholefood sources of protein that can kinda be used on a dinner plate in the same way meat is. Seitan is another import from Asia, created from cooked wheat gluten, the protein from wheat. And it's very yummy! And it's very, very hard to find in the UK! And don't feed it to your celiac suffering friends; it's exactly what they can't eat!<br />
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Seitan is usually sliced or cubed and used instead of meat in a multitude of dishes. It's texture is very meaty and it's taste, um, it's just kind of...savoury. It's a pretty easy sell for newbies...there's no adjustment period like there might be with tempeh or tofu.<br />
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I have only ever found seitan sold pre-made in the UK twice for £8 a jar, so I make my own. And I can't find wheat gluten (the flour used to make it) in bricks and mortar stores here, so I order it online for £5 per kilo bag. Luckily, I don't make it very often, so I've only ever had to do this once. Yes, I really needed to spend that much money on a bag of flour. You have no idea how much frustration it was causing me. My impression is that both seitan and wheat gluten are much more easily found in Canada and the States. Try Bulk Barn.<br />
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<b>4. Agave Nectar</b><br />
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Ah-Gah-Vey. Not A-Gave. Agave nectar has risen in popularity as of late as a natural sweetener, famed for being very low-glycemic. Vegans often use it instead of honey. Made from the agave plant, which is also responsible for tequila (which is responsible for many poor decisions around the world), it's got a mild sweetness that makes it a good alternative to honey. Originally thought to be gentle on your blood sugar levels, resulting in the health-inclined and gullible to pour it on top of everything, a really boring debate has struck up around it, and whether or not its really any better than sugar and other sweeteners. My own, half thought-out opinion is that being less processed and closer to it's natural state, it probably is a healthier product, but I would have thought that it was common sense that any concentrated sweetener has to be consumed in moderation. Apparently not.<br />
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Agave nectar can be found in both light and dark forms, the dark being less processed and stronger flavoured, and both can be found in your regular grocery store. It costs around the same as a good quality honey.<br />
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<b>5. Nutritional yeast</b><br />
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We're in VeganWorld now, my friend! Nutritional yeast, or nooch, as it's affectionately called by it's followers, is really the height of crazy vegan food world. What is it? It's a powder or flakes (the flake kind is better) made from cultured yeast. What do you do with it? High in B-complex vitamins and a complete source of protein, it's sometimes used as a vitamin supplement, but it's mostly loved by vegans for having a cheesy taste.<br />
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Some brands are fortified with vitamin B12, which has caused some confusion with people thinking it's a natural source of the nutrient, but it's just fortified with it. Not every brand does this, so be sure to check the label before your rely on it as your source of B12.<br />
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The first time I ever opened a container of this stuff I was scared and confused. To the novice nooch nose, nutritional yeast doesn't exactly smell like a round of freshly baked brie. Cut to me a few years later, and my mouth waters whenever I smell that weird, vegany, cheesy smell.<br />
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I love sprinkling it on top of pasta or a risotto in the same way you might use parmesan cheese. It's often used in cheese sauces or vegan cheeses. Throw it on top of some popcorn or kale chips, or put a few spoonfuls into your mashed potatoes. Once you start using it its very addictive and you'll want to use it in everything.<br />
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You can find nutritional yeast in your local independent health food store (Holland and Barrett's does not carrying it). It's not too expensive, usually about £2 for tub that will last you quite awhile. <br />
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<b>Ethical Eats</b><br />
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<i>Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo with Spinach*</i><br />
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Last night I was sternly reprimanded by a friend for making a spinach pie into a chard pie in the last edition of <a href="http://spinachblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/what-vegans-eatmarket-madness-may-5th.html" target="_blank">Market Madness</a>, when my blog is called Spinach. How could I? Thusly, I thought I'd better make my next recipe a spinach one. This recipe is a nice way to introduce nooch into your life; it just adds a nice little savoury kick to your sauce. This sauce is also much lighter than both the dairy original and a lot of the vegan versions out there. And just because it's vegan, doesn't mean that you shouldn't eat it with the traditional golden fork. Um, you do have a golden fork, don't you?<br />
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500g of wholewheat fettuccine pasta (spaghetti or linguine will work just fine if you can't find fettuccine)<br />
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1 can of coconut milk<br />
1 clove of garlic, minced<br />
3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes<br />
1 tbsp flour<br />
1/3 cup water<br />
2 tbsp canola oil<br />
dash of nutmeg<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
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approximately 250g of spinach<br />
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Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water until al dente (or however you prefer it).<br />
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Meanwhile, steam the spinach until just wilted. Cool and try to squeeze as much liquid from it as possible.<br />
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Heat the oil in a medium-sized sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and sauteed for a few minutes until it's just starting to turn brown and fragrant. Add the coconut milk and nutritional yeast flakes. Turn the head down to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.<br />
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Mix the flour and water together in a small bowl. Add to the coconut milk mixture and stir until it reaches a thick consistency.<br />
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Add the spinach and stir until combined. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.<br />
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Mix with the cooked pasta and serve. <br />
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*Modified from a recipe that I found on VegWeb that I can't find anymore.Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-55879489061086402262012-05-05T01:53:00.000-07:002012-05-05T01:53:12.890-07:00What Vegans Eat/Market Madness May 5th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKRWF4CjE8yaC79qW71zVd9ZehBsjukQDy5NmskNGqaBOn6IrLIB2CyQCDCqZ4gTpJQ8z3T-KSLv4P-KpCqig32pk7UD08D8Yk4Mp-sQm8zxbx0OrMtmolVrsMIPveomfDmP5KIfo1RE/s1600/farmers+market+may+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKRWF4CjE8yaC79qW71zVd9ZehBsjukQDy5NmskNGqaBOn6IrLIB2CyQCDCqZ4gTpJQ8z3T-KSLv4P-KpCqig32pk7UD08D8Yk4Mp-sQm8zxbx0OrMtmolVrsMIPveomfDmP5KIfo1RE/s400/farmers+market+may+5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Isn't she pretty? What we bought this week: Curly Kale, cauliflower, Swede (rutabaga--cuter word), beetroot, portabellos, one big bunch of wild garlic (heck yes!), and ruby chard.<br />
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Cost: £7.65<br />
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What I made this week:<br />
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<i>Popeye's <strike>Spinach</strike> Ruby Chard Pie with Zukes and Purple Cabbage</i></div>
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(From <i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Great-American-Detox-Diet/dp/1405077719" target="_blank">The Great American Detox Diet</a></i>. The first couple of times I made this I liked it, but I think I need to adjust it.) </div>
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<i>Maple Roasted Parsnips</i></div>
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(Own recipe. Simple and yummy) </div>
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<i>Wild Garlic Soup</i></div>
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(Own recipe. This was only the second time I've ever cooked with wild garlic and I was very pleased with the results.)</div>
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<i>Portobello Mushroom Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing</i></div>
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(From <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Veganomicon-The-Ultimate-Vegan-Cookbook/dp/156924264X" target="_blank"><i>Veganomicon</i></a>. Delicious! Hearty too...chickpeas!)</div>
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<i>Cauliflower Vegan Cheese</i></div>
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(Own recipe. Used Redwood foods' Cheezly. Yummy)</div>
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<i> Portuguese White Bean Soup</i></div>
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(From <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-Cooks-Home-Recipes/dp/0671679929" target="_blank">Moosewood Cooks at Home</a></i>. Okay, but not amazing.)</div>
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<i>Homemade Pizza!</i></div>
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(Pizza-y)</div>
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<br />Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-25877360020648714532012-04-28T04:01:00.000-07:002012-04-28T04:01:28.590-07:00What Vegans Eat/Market Madness April 28th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What we bought this week: one bag of Swiss chard, one bag of curly kale, one bunch of purple sprouting broccoli, 2 freakishly large parsnips, a pile of carrots, one big leek, and four portabello mushrooms.</div>
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Cost: £8.50 </div>
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Some weeks are full of culinary disappointments. Some weeks everything I make turns to gold. This week was of the latter kind. </div>
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<i>Wholewheat Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce, topped with Swiss Chard and Carmelized Onions</i></div>
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(Chard recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Vegan-Table-Unforgettable-Entertaining/dp/1592333745/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335610162&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>The Vegan Table</i></a>, rest my own recipe) </div>
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<i>Marinated Portabello Burgers with Salad topped with Miso Tahini Dressing</i> </div>
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(Portabello recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Vegan-Table-Unforgettable-Entertaining/dp/1592333745/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335610162&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>The Vegan Table</i></a>, dressing from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Veganomicon-The-Ultimate-Vegan-Cookbook/dp/156924264X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335610221&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><i>Veganomicon</i></a>. Holy freaking frack this meal was amazing. It knocked my little vegan socks off.) </div>
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<i>Three Bean Chili with Steamed Kale and Brown Rice, topped with Avocado</i></div>
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(Own recipe. I've made similar chilis before and they were good, but this one was delicious and I don't know what I did differently. More corn? Maybe I used more corn. I don't think I would use the kale in quite the same way though.)</div>
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<i>Leek and Potato Cakes with a side of Steamed Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Cheezy Sauce</i></div>
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(Cakes own recipe. Cheezy sauce from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Veganomicon-The-Ultimate-Vegan-Cookbook/dp/156924264X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335610221&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><i>Veganomicon</i></a>. Yum! I was pleasantly surprised by the cheezy sauce.) </div>Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-78496464728194095982012-04-22T14:32:00.001-07:002012-04-23T01:43:12.816-07:00Waitress - "I Hate my Husband" Pie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjCLwrCfC-D7dR9eiOkb6_lhjMfB11_et1bHKJSXQXyTu5t5rH6VjQwYg74on_w8f6a3eSSS1WStt9Ep5HHLtbX1bSeF1pZpOXzEdT2haN8QNNSo9l7dXAepalIIQasz0QOjGnqIPQsI/s1600/waitress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjCLwrCfC-D7dR9eiOkb6_lhjMfB11_et1bHKJSXQXyTu5t5rH6VjQwYg74on_w8f6a3eSSS1WStt9Ep5HHLtbX1bSeF1pZpOXzEdT2haN8QNNSo9l7dXAepalIIQasz0QOjGnqIPQsI/s200/waitress.jpg" width="134" /></a>Pie. Canadians and Americans, admit it. Somewhere, in the back of your mind, you're always thinking about pie a little bit. Stop giggling. I'm not talking about that kind of pie. Ever since my brother gave me the bakebook <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Pie-Sky-Out-This-World/dp/0738212741" target="_blank">Vegan Pie in the Sky</a> for Christmas, my obsession with making pies has taken centre stage.<br />
<br />
In the middle of a pie reverie, I remembered the movie <i>Waitress</i>, in which Keri Russell plays a small town waitress, Jenna, who tries to pie-bake her way out of a bad marriage and dull life. And the pies! Oh the pies! Jenna comes up with pies that go along with significant moments in her life. And I've been pre-occupied with the idea of coming up with vegan recipes for each of the pies she names.<br />
<br />
And I've finally put my plan into action, and started with Jenna's "I Hate my Husband" Pie: "you make it with bittersweet chocolate and don’t sweeten it. You make it into a pudding and drown it in caramel..."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNK6f09hV8vCo6F4mna-sqyW8NOlQeju5QkdrvOPyRIua79PkdNsDdjVmEylaF3GW9j1pIwHg4mo7tVojVPVQG4WQULgMAaFHflaJKVilGv7lBz0wEfp3NFTFAcb1ifhAWYZQf-EQwZUc/s1600/I+hate+my+husband+pie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNK6f09hV8vCo6F4mna-sqyW8NOlQeju5QkdrvOPyRIua79PkdNsDdjVmEylaF3GW9j1pIwHg4mo7tVojVPVQG4WQULgMAaFHflaJKVilGv7lBz0wEfp3NFTFAcb1ifhAWYZQf-EQwZUc/s320/I+hate+my+husband+pie.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is what I tried as a recipe:<br />
<br />
1 single crust pie crust<br />
<br />
Bittersweet chocolate pudding:<br />
<br />
1 bar high cocoa content dark chocolate, broken into pieces ( I used a bar of 85% Green and Blacks)<br />
2/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used coconut milk)<br />
<br />
Caramel topping:<br />
1.5 cup brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used coconut milk again)<br />
2 tbsp coconut oil (you could also use canola oil or vegan margarine)<br />
<br />
I baked the pie crust for 15 minutes and then cooled it fully.<br />
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Chocolate: I melted the chocolate in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat in the milk until all melty and smooth, stirring frequently. I poured the chocolate into the pie shell and refrigerated it for an hour.<br />
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Caramel: I whisked all of the caramel ingredients together in a medium saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolved, and then turned the heat up to medium-high until the caramel was bubbling. I cooked it on this heat while whisking constantly for about 4 minutes. Then I poured the caramel into the pie shell, and refrigerated it overnight.<br />
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The results? The chocolate is BITTER, and the caramel is SWEET. But I kinda like that. It's intense. It's good coffee-time pie. But it's definitely for adult tastes. But the caramel keeps leaking! It's super thick and sticky, but it won't stay put in the pan! Anyone have any ideas for how to fix the leaky caramel problem?Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-27758497366329990912012-04-21T04:57:00.000-07:002012-04-21T04:57:38.334-07:00Market Madness or What do Vegans Eat? April 21<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Il0nfZApAdxGYwoZGojgUxLRAOS_IGJqOKmIxvItMJGxobJJk0N0I8VkwzMFtZmJarb-E7VVxr3bG5cQ-xg5oHEGZadbswwsT4Dee9GvN34vZACN7TLSpdB7XTG2h0JyAsHz_0go4h0/s1600/076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Il0nfZApAdxGYwoZGojgUxLRAOS_IGJqOKmIxvItMJGxobJJk0N0I8VkwzMFtZmJarb-E7VVxr3bG5cQ-xg5oHEGZadbswwsT4Dee9GvN34vZACN7TLSpdB7XTG2h0JyAsHz_0go4h0/s400/076.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Welcome to my new weekly section of Spinach, wherein I finally master the art of quick and breezy posts by showing off my weekly farmer's market haul, and bragging about what I made for dinner every week. Fun, yes? <br />
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What we bought this week: One head of cauliflower, 4 large white onions, one bag of white potatoes, one bowl of jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes), one head of purple cabbage, one swede, one butternut squash<br />
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Cost: £5.30<br />
<br />
These humble ingredients turned into:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Butternut Squash Thai Curry with Coconut Brown Rice</div><div style="text-align: center;">(own recipe) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Jerusalem Artichoke Soup</div><div style="text-align: center;">(own recipe) </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TAAZUQnengDpQ71RrIxCM4VLu8rrdmgshjGvBaRqOcukbYJEHZKEQiq0jYiBGboaikXeCBe9tIbxyjpfvvDG4KgcLfbCKk8jf9yOpZaevR6VxAahEV5ZSPFD1nvml6F5dUxYyEAQrOE/s1600/051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TAAZUQnengDpQ71RrIxCM4VLu8rrdmgshjGvBaRqOcukbYJEHZKEQiq0jYiBGboaikXeCBe9tIbxyjpfvvDG4KgcLfbCKk8jf9yOpZaevR6VxAahEV5ZSPFD1nvml6F5dUxYyEAQrOE/s400/051.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pureed Swede and Potatoes with Carmelized Onions</div><div style="text-align: center;">(own recipe) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Tibetan-style Seitan Burritos</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Moosewood Celebrates)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Cauliflower and Mushroom Pot Pie</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Vegonomicon) </div>Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-11187963510188731662012-04-17T02:25:00.000-07:002012-04-17T02:25:22.651-07:00Hard, Cold-Pressed Truths: the Problem with Olive OilI'm going to tell you all something, and I would like you to remain calm and not throw things at your computer screen. Olive oil is not health food. You don't need it in your diet. It's not really that good for you.<br />
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Are you still reading? Have you closed the window and walked away? I can feel you glaring these words as you read them. It's okay, I felt the same way you do. What I'm saying goes against every magazine article, every sloppy evening news story, every piece of Mediterranean ancient wisdom that you've encountered in the last 10 or 15 years.<br />
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Usually the magazine articles go something like this: "Studies have discovered that olives/sunflower seeds/walnuts/avocados contain large amounts of healthy, <i>good</i> fatty acids, which have been associated with a reduced risk of heart disearse and a reduction in LDL cholesterol. We recommend adding a few tablespoons of olive/sunflower/walnut/avocado oil to your daily diet to gain these benefits. Keep in mind that olive oil is high in calories, so don't eat too much of it!"<br />
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Well, what's wrong with that? The science is accurate, studies really <i>have</i> found those things to be true about olives, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and avocados. But there is a leap of logic here. And it's the same leap of logic that causes people to read stories about the health benefits of cacao beans, and then go delve into a box of Godiva chocolates, believing that they're doing something good for their health. The problem (and solution) with fats is the form in which we eat them.<br />
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Olives, nuts, seeds, and avocados are full of healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats, fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. As Dr. Joel Fuhrman says, they have nature's protective packaging with them. Whole, plant-based fats are necessary for our diets. They provide nutrients, essential fatty acids, and they make us feel full and satisfied. The problem with oils is that they aren't whole fats. Oil is a processed product. Olive trees exist. Olive oil trees do not. Olives whole. Olive oil processed.<br />
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But is there really always a problem with eating processed food? Are there actually specific health problems with consuming oils? Well, different oils pose different problems, but they all share the common problem of being very high in calories and very low in nutrients. This means that oils take up space in your diet that could be used for foods that contain healthy fats along with a plethora of nutrients. They are essentially junk food. One tablespoon of olive oil contains about 120 calories, and little in the way of nutrients. You would need almost a cup of olives to get up to the same amount of calories, and along with it you would be getting fiber, beta carotene, vitamin E, calcium, iron and more. As we're focussing on olive oil, it's worth mentioning that at least one study has found that meals rich in olive oil impair the dialation of arteries after said meal, a problem which can contribute to heart disease. <br />
<br />
So why has olive oil got such a good reputation? Well, for one thing, there are health benefits that arise from switching from saturated or trans fat to olive or canola oil. That shouldn't come as any shock. But this means replacing butter or lard or hydrogenated oils with an equal amount of olive oil, and ensuring that you aren't consuming any more calories in the process. It does not mean dipping cheese laden white bread into olive oil and claiming that you're now European.<br />
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Now, I can hear you thinking, that plenty of cultures have consumed plenty of olive oil for plenty of years, and these cultures tend to have much lower rates of heart disease and other "diseases of civilisation" than other countries. Which is true. A little. Much has been made of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, without anyone stopping to question which of 20 plus countries with different diets we're talking about, and we've generally interpreted these health benefits to mean that we should add olive oil, fancy cheese, and red wine to our diets without altering anything else. C'mon. The thing is, the reason that some traditional (note the word traditional, not necessarily current) Mediterranean diets are good for you isn't because of single ingredients like wine or oils. The diets that have shone in research have been rich in veggies, fruits, beans and other legumes, and whole grains. The people eating these diets also walked about 9 miles a day. So a little wine and olive oil wasn't going to hurt them. <br />
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So, what does this mean in practical terms? Do I avoid oil in my own diet? <br />
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I love olive oil. I cook with it all the time. But I've definitely changed my own cooking practices since learning more about its inflated health reputation. For general, everyday use, I've limited the amount of oil I use to one tablespoon per dish (not portion), and I usually use less than that, actually. When I've been able to remove the oil without compromising the taste or texture of my dish, I have. I've also had a lot of success in cooking in just a little bit of oil, and some water. But I do fry in lots of oil, once in a blue moon, because it just makes life happier. And for a special meal, I use as much oil as I please.<br />
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And for you? Well, this information is most vital to those who are undergoing serious health issues related to heart problems or obesity. For those people, I wouldn't consume more than <b>one teaspoon</b> a day. And if you are someone who eats a generally healthy diet based on wholefoods and is fairly active but you can't seem to lose weight (assuming your goal isn't unrealistic or unhealthy), you might want to try limiting or cutting out oil. Try cooking in water or even a little vegetable stock instead. For salad dressings, try nut butters or tahini, or pureed nuts instead of oils. You'll be getting more nutrition, fewer calories, and more taste.<br />
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<i>Resources:</i><br />
Fuhrman, Joel, MD, <i>Eat to Live</i>, Little, Brown and Company, 2011.<br />
Fuhrman, Talia, "It's About Time the Olive Oil Myth was Laid to Rest", Diseaseproof.com, 2012<br />
"The Truth About Olive Oil", Pritikin.com, 2012<br />
<h3><b>Vital Vittles</b></h3><br />
<b>Super Simple Beet Soup with Cashew Cream</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpxKpjot6nKI4HEaHBBE_Cy3DDBxLeIfP7QqVy7lYag8ta5GRBs9nssVwheZ5XWJabKZLO0m4qNwAqfWvY0tqcVSwt7aMvOFsZbqi70YaS4DJSCgznMiXHt3u7icUp2iSgPxf5DCB3po/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpxKpjot6nKI4HEaHBBE_Cy3DDBxLeIfP7QqVy7lYag8ta5GRBs9nssVwheZ5XWJabKZLO0m4qNwAqfWvY0tqcVSwt7aMvOFsZbqi70YaS4DJSCgznMiXHt3u7icUp2iSgPxf5DCB3po/s200/022.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
I find that soup is particularly good for oil-free cooking. As the title suggests, this is a very fuss-free soup that looks as nice as it tastes. The cashew cream is a vegan substitute for sour cream. It doesn't really taste that much like sour cream, but it's still delicious, and adds some nice whole fat into our oil free soup. I would serve this soup with a bean or lentil salad, or some nice dark rye or pumpernickel bread.<br />
<b> </b><br />
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<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
1 beetroot, peeled and cut into 1" pieces<br />
1 potato, peeled and cut into 1" pieces<br />
1 tart apple (granny smith or cox), peeled and cut into 1" pieces<br />
4-5 cups of veggie stock, or water with two stock cubes<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
3/4 cup raw cashews<br />
2 tbsp lemon juice<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
salt to taste<br />
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Peel and chop the vegetables and apple and chuck them into a soup pot. Put enough water or stock in to cover the vegetables and simmer until the beetroot pieces easily with a fork about 20-30 minutes. Add the remaining stock/water and stock cubes and heat until simmering. Take off the heat and blend with a hand-held blender until completely smooth. Season to taste.<br />
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Add the cashews, lemon juice and water into a blender (if you only have an immersion or handheld blender, just use a tall container). Blend until creamy, adding water if necessary. Salt to taste.<br />
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Serve into bowls and add a spoonful of cashew cream to each bowl, and swirl it around to make it pretty as you please.Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-81546895562915195992011-12-11T15:02:00.001-08:002012-04-15T01:29:33.805-07:00Ho-ho-herbivore! A Guide to Vegan Christmas ShoppingGot a vegan in the family? Did your teenager "go crazy" and start wearing hemp shoes and throwing your chicken pot pie out the window? Are you a new vegan and you're feeling lost and adrift in a cold, meaty world? Are you a vegan and you want to spread the green word without bashing people on the head with your soapbox? Here are a few ideas for gifts for vegans, animal rights activists, people on the fence, and people who won't stop badgering you about what you eat and you would rather a book or a DVD answered their questions for you. This list is made up mostly of books, but if your vegan refuses to read, just buy them a good chef's knife. Watching my friends try to cut up carrots with a 2 inch paring knife is a deeply painful experience.<br />
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<u>General Vegan Guides</u><br />
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<i>The 30 Day Vegan Challenge, </i>by Colleen Patrick Goudreau<br />
<br />
If you, or anyone you know, is thinking about becoming vegan but you have some questions about how you would accomplish such a feat, this is the book for you. Vegan activist Colleen Patrick Goudreau (you've read my raves about her marvellous podcast, <i>Vegetarian Food for Thought</i>) expertly lays out 30 days full of information about food, health, social situations, and practical matters such as how to stock a vegan kitchen, how to bake without eggs, and getting the right nutrients. A perfect book for anyone, man/woman, intellectual/practicalist/granola cruncher, who is interested in veganism.<br />
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<i>The Kind Diet,</i> by Alicia Silverstone<br />
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If vegan activists were sitting around waiting for a poster girl to champion their cause, they couldn't have asked for better than sweet, enthusiastic, and beautiful Alicia Silverstone and her gentle, occasionally slightly silly, but inspiring introduction to veganism. Coming from a semi-macrobiotic point of view, Alicia lays bare the ethical, environmental, and health reasons for veganism. She offers practical advice on making the change, allowing room for both people who want to "flirt" with a vegan diet and people who want to jump right in and eat a wholefoods vegan diet. She also includes a fair amount of recipes, some of which contain fairly unfamiliar, and sometimes pricey ingredients, but many of which are very simple and surprisingly delicious. A good, very unintimidating book for women.<br />
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<i>Skinny Bitch,</i> by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin<br />
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While some people find the irreverant and frequently profane tone of this book a little off-putting, I have to admit that I think Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin are kind of geniuses. When you pull the book off the shelf, it reads as just another diet book, but it is actually a thorough explanation of the horrors of the animal agriculture industry and a sensible guide to wholefoods eating. Rory Freedman has point blank admited that the snappy title was simply a marketing ploy, saying "I am well aware that in this day and age, in this society, people care more about their appearance than they do about almost anything else. It’s sad that that’s the case. I wrote the book so that women who only cared about how they look would learn about what they were contributing to in terms of animal torture, how they were poisoning their own bodies, and how being skinny is bullshit meaninglessness." I can't express to you how much I f***ing love that. Another good book for women, but there is also a counterpart, <i>Skinny Bastard</i>, which is aimed at men.<br />
<br />
<u>Ethical</u><br />
<br />
<i>Eating Animals</i>, by Jonathan Safron Foer<br />
<br />
Fiction writer Jonathan Safron Foer had a baby, and then decided that he had to feed that baby. This thought process led him to investigate the conditions of farm animals raised in the modern agricultural system. And THIS process led to him becoming vegan. <i>Eating Animals</i> is personal, creatively written, and pretty devasting. The book wanders through personal experience, story-telling, and overwhelming factual information. Safron Foer remains free of judgement of the reader's choices, fairly representing multiple perspectives on the subject of animal industry, and never pushing his point. A good volume for the philosophically inclined or those on the fence who can't handle more dogmatic, black and white reasoning.<br />
<br />
Stuff I haven't read:<br />
<br />
<i>Professor Gary Francione's Books</i><br />
<br />
Gary Francione is the father of the abolitionist approach in animal activism, meaning he is opposed to welfare reforms in the industry, and instead focuses his time on vegan outreach and education, in an attempt to <i>abolish</i> animal use in our society. I follow his podcast avidly, but haven't read any of his books yet. <i>Rain Without Thunder</i> is the standard.<br />
<br />
<i>Earthlings, </i>directed by<i> </i>Shaun Monson<br />
<br />
I haven't watched this documentary, and I have no intention of watching it in the future. But that doesn't mean I don't think YOU should. This documentary, narrated by vegan actor Joaquin Pheonix, is reputedly incredibly full-on, examining animal abuse in our society without skimping on the graphics. People walk out of the movie theatre and become vegan instantly.<br />
<br />
<u>Health</u><br />
<br />
<i>The Great American Detox Diet</i>, by Alex Jamieson <br />
<br />
I really like this simple little guide to healthy eating, written by the wife of <i>Supersize Me</i>'s Morgan Spurlock. Based on the diet she put Morgan on after his month of McGrease, Jamieson enthusiastically lays out 8 weeks of cutting out dietary nasties, including caffeine, sugar, animal, protein, trans fats, and simple carbs. The book also contains a final section of several recipes, and most of these that I've tried have been pretty yummy. This book is a good introduction for anyone who is just starting to show a burgeoning interest in a healthy diet.<br />
<br />
<i>The China Study, </i>by T. Colin Campbell <br />
<br />
Everyone needs to read this book. Now. Read this book and understand cancer growth better, just how very much our diet affects our chances of getting cancer, heart problems, and autoimmune diseases, and how collosally, infuriatingly corrupt the American Food Standards Agency is in deciding what information and regulations make it to the public. Respected Cornell medical researcher T Colin Campbell has spent his long career examing the relationship between the standard Western diet and disease and a wholefoods, plant-based diet and good health, and he chronicles many years of findings in this book. Some animal activists object to the book on the grounds that some of Campbell's earliest work involved experiments on animals. Of course I don't approve of these methods, but I think that to ignore such a compelling and important work is simply shortsighted. Like I said, this book is a good idea for everyone. EVERYONE.<br />
<br />
Also see: <i>Forks Over Knives, </i>directed by Lee Fulkerson<br />
<br />
This documentary is pretty much a summary and film version of <i>The China Study</i>, and talks about the work of Campbell, Dr. Carl Esseylstyn, and Dr. John Mcdougall. The movie also includes interviews with several people who were on death's door, and have used a plant-based diet to turn their lives around become healthy, active people at an older age. And some of them are just so...adorable! A great introduction to the ideas in <i>The China Study.</i><br />
<br />
Stuff I haven't read:<br />
<br />
<i>Becoming Vegan, </i>by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina <br />
<br />
I feel a little silly admitting that I haven't actually read this book, but this is the quintessential guide to the nutritional considerations of turning vegan.<br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
<u>Cookbooks</u><br />
<br />
<i>Veganomicon, </i>by<i> </i>Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romano<br />
<br />
Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romano are the quirky, creative kitchen goddesses of Veganworld, and this all-purpose cookbook will stand on the shelves of all vegans for years to come. The book includes a comprehensive guide to stocking your kitchen and instructions for how to cook various vegetables, grains, and beans. The recipes are amazingly creative and delicious, with options such as potato and kale enchiladas, mole skillet pie, and jelly donut cupcakes. The only drawback to the book is that a lot of the recipes are very time consuming, and I would pay close attention of the time guidelines before you decide to make one of the dishes for a weeknight dinner. A good book for any vegan or vegetarian, or anyone who is truly interested in the endless possibilities of their kitchen.<br />
<br />
<i>The Vegan Table, </i>by<i> </i>Colleen Patrick-Goudreau <br />
<br />
The second entry on this list for a Colleen Patrick-Goudreau book, this cookbook focuses on holiday and entertaining meals for <i>the vegan table. </i>Ironically, most of the receipes in this book are less complicated and quicker than the recipes in <i>Veganomicon</i>. This book is peppered with bits of cooking tips, foodie knowledge, entertaining ideas, and advice for the social challenges of eating as a vegan. The recipes are nearly all winners, including macaroni and cashew cheese, carmelized tempeh shwarmas, and FRUIT SUSHI. Patrick-Goudreau uses mostly familar, easy to find ingredients, and thoroughly explains any unfamilar ingredients. An all around good book for those new to the diet, or those who love to entertain.<i> </i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i>Moosewood Cooks at Home, </i>by the Moosewood Collective<i> </i><br />
<br />
Some may find the inclusion of the Moosewood cookbooks on this list to be controversial: they aren't vegan, or even technically vegetarian, a small amount of the recipes include fish, but my formative culinary years were shaped by the Moosewood Collective, and this cookbook is such a great introduction to vegetarian cooking. Many of the dishes are vegan, and quite a few can be easily veganised (although a few are centred around eggs, dairy, and fish). The cookbook is fantastic for weekdays, full of simple, uncomplicated recipes with mostly familiar ingredients that you can find in any ol' grocery store. Some of the recipes I've already featured on this blog, but other favourites of mine include the African peanut and pineapple stew, bulger burgers, cajun skillet beans, and pan bagnet (a pressed, garlicky baguette sandwich). A great cookbook for those just starting out in the kitchen.<br />
<br />
<i>Moosewood Celebrates, </i>by the Moosewood Collective<i> </i><br />
<br />
I love this cookbook! We're focussing on entertaining and celebrating again here, and reading this book will make you want to cook (and eat). Divided into season and then into different holidays, each seasonal introduction will get you excited about seasonal cooking, and each description of each holiday will make you want to entertain, travel, and learn more about world food. The various holidays include familiar Western ones, as well as, also Diwali, Chinese New Year, Tibetain-American Losar Dinner, Juneteenth, and Setsubun (Japanese Bean Day). I have many favourite recipes from this book, some of which are greens and cashew curry, Indian potato pancakes, potato latkes, Tibetan style seitan burritos, and vegetable pot pie (this one isn't vegan, but I'm determined to figure out how to veganize it). Again, a few (very few) recipes have fish in them, although several of those recipes include a vegetarian option. Vegan recipes are helpfully indexed in the back, and plenty of the LO veggie recipes are easily veganized. A great book for any cook, but especially those looking to expand their horizons.<br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, </i>by<i> </i>Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero <br />
<br />
We're back with Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, and this adorable little book is as cute as cupcakes themselves. This book includes many delicious and creative recipes, most of which use ingredients omnivore bakers will have on their shelves (agave nectar makes only the briefest appearance in this book*). The recipes are pretty much foolproof, but in case you are particularly foolish, there is an introductory section of helpful and clearly explained baking tips and troubleshooting. Try the banana split cupcakes (I love these and I don't even like banana), almond and apricot cupcakes, pumpkin and chocolate chip cupcakes with cinnamon icing, and the low fat vanilla cupcakes with berry topping. A great little gift for anyone...except a diabetic.<br />
<br />
*note: I have nothing against agave nectar, but it seems odd to me that many vegans want baking books made entirely of recipes with agave, brown rice syrup, agar agar, and garbanzo bean flour, and then complain when veganism isn't mainstream enough.<br />
<br />
Stuff I haven't read:<br />
<br />
<i>The Uncheese Cookbook, </i>by <span class="ptBrand">Joanne Stepaniak</span><br />
<br />
I don't have a copy of this, but I would like one! Stepaniak has gone through the exhaustive trouble of creating non-dairy recipes for many different kinds of cheese. My guess would be that the alternatives don't taste exactly like their dairy counterparts, but I thought I would include this book partially because cheese is the thing that omnivores cling to the most, and partly for the pure culinary innovation. And the cute title.<br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>The Joy of Vegan Baking, </i>by<i> </i>Colleen Patrick-Goudreau <br />
<br />
One more Colleen Patrick-Goudreau book (that I don't have), from what I can tell this book is exactly what it says on the tin: a comprehensive go-to book for vegan baking. UK readers, in case you're confused by the title, the <i>Joy of Cooking </i>and the <i>Joy of Baking</i> are longstanding, beloved cookbooks that every avid North Americn cook has on his or her shelf, given to them by their grandmothers.<br />
<br />
Ethical Eats<br />
<br />
Christmas Eve Cranberry and Dark Chocolate Cupcakes<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfup9BwTWZWVLqyxYQRghjXdvUfLybf1_VXfpWxHkaIr7KJYM-vsWN6TqOf6Le7pjxVk1GMErn6OJw1XLy0zkg0AaRbmkWns7FjNGP0wWDCd66yTWwXi5DT6Q7yDsBbTshMFezukRAHc/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfup9BwTWZWVLqyxYQRghjXdvUfLybf1_VXfpWxHkaIr7KJYM-vsWN6TqOf6Le7pjxVk1GMErn6OJw1XLy0zkg0AaRbmkWns7FjNGP0wWDCd66yTWwXi5DT6Q7yDsBbTshMFezukRAHc/s320/023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The taste test is over, and these pink little pleasures have come through the winner. And by that I mean, I liked them the best of all the cranberry treats I tried and I'm not too bothered about what everyone else thought. These cupcakes are for more mature, intense flavour-loving palates, with bitter dark chocolate and tart cranberry. And they're ever so cute and pretty in pink. I've included a simple recipe for a cranberry jam-like concoction that you can use for a variety of purposes, but if you have a simple and sweet cranberry sauce at hand, you can just use that instead. The basic vanilla base for theses cakes are from <i>Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World</i>.<br />
<br />
Makes 12 cupcakes.<br />
<br />
Base:<br />
<br />
1 cup soy millk<br />
1 tsp cider vinegar<br />
11/4 cups flour<br />
2 Tbs cornstarch<br />
3/4 baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1/3 cup canola oil<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1/4 tsp almond extract<br />
1 cup good quality dark chocolate chunks<br />
1 cup dried cranberries<br />
<br />
Line a muffin tin with cupcake wrappers, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Add the vinegar to the soy milk, whisk together with a fork and leave to curdle for a few minutes. Mix together the oil, sugar, soy milk mixture, and extracts. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, and stir until no large lumps remain. Fold in dark chocolate chunks and dried cranberries. Using an oiled ice cream scooper or 1/4 cup measure, fill each wrapper two thirds full. Bake on the middle shelf of your oven for 20-22 minutes.<br />
<br />
Cranberry Sauce:<br />
<br />
This makes way more than you will need for this recipe, but you can use this sauce to fill a tart, spread on toast, or top a variety of things, including your morning porridge.<br />
<br />
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries<br />
1/3 cup sugar<br />
1/2 tsp lemon juice<br />
<br />
Place the cranberries in a pot on medium heat and stir until the cranberries begin to get juicy. Add the sugar and lemon juice, and simmer, stirring often, until the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Because you are going to use this sauce in the frosting, I pureed it quickly with a hand held blender. At this point it should be quite gelatinous, and not at all runny.<br />
<br />
Frosting:<br />
<br />
1/2 cup vegetable shortening<br />
1/2 cup vegan margarine<br />
31/2 cups icing sugar<br />
3-4 Tbs cranberry sauce<br />
<br />
Beat the shortening and margarine together until fully combined and fluffy. Add the sugar, one cup at a time, and whisk until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the cranberry sauce, and whisk until fully combined. Taste the frosting. If it's not cranberry-y enough for you, add a little more sauce. If the frosting is to liquidy, add some more icing sugar. If it's too stiff, you can add either a little more cranberry sauce, or a little dash of soy milk.<br />
<br />
Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, frost them to your own taste (the cranberry sauce makes this frosting not ideal for a pastry bag, use a knife instead). Top each cupcake with crumbled dark chocolate (if you don't have any left over, just chop up tiny little bits of chocolate with a knife.)Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-3589166037829512712011-11-20T14:16:00.000-08:002011-11-27T11:37:18.697-08:00My Life - The Vegan YearWell, folks, it's coming up to that time of year when we spend too much time reflecting on our life choices and we wonder what, if anything, we've gained from the last year of our lives. Up until this point, I've been a bit hesitant to make any bold statements about my transition to veganism, but at 11 months in, I think I'm finally ready to summarise some of my thoughts and feelings about my life as a vegan so far.<br />
<br />
So what have I gained or learned or lost? <br />
<br />
Well, perhaps surprisingly, the food related aspects of becoming vegan have been the easiest part. No, I don't miss cheese. No, seriously, I really don't. I will admit, about a month and a half into the year (for those of you not aware, I became vegan on New Years Day), I had some pretty powerful urges to eat cheese and store-bought, dairy laden pastry. Solution? I made some cupcakes out of the super-awesome-amazing-califragalistic <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World/dp/1569242739/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322421428&sr=8-1">Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World</a> (thanks Patty!). I bought <a href="http://www.redwoodfoods.es/cheezly.php">Cheezly</a> and put it on my pizza. And amazingly, my cravings have largely disappeared. I don't even think about what I'm not eating now.<br />
<br />
To be honest, I think I've just been having to much plain ol' fun<i> </i>with food to miss dairy. I thought my culinary horizons were pretty broad already, but vegan cookbooks aren't messing around when it comes to gastronomic experimentation, and I've been making at least three new dishes every week. If you really want to make something no one at your dinner table has ever had before, pick up a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Veganomicon-Ultimate-Isa-Chandra-Moskowitz/dp/156924264X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322421458&sr=1-1">Veganomicon</a>. Mole skillet pie? Butternut squash summer rolls with Cranberry dipping sauce? Yes please. <br />
<br />
My tastes have lightened up, and I've become more in tune to dishes that are full of flavour but are lacking in heavy fat. That's not to say that you can't eat very heavy, creamy, fatty food on a vegan diet; those recipes are out there in droves, but I think I've learned that even as a lacto-ovo vegetarian, I was still quite addicted to animal fat, and I think a lot of dairy and egg eating vegetarians have a similar addiction. I've stopped relying on something fatty and unhealthy to provide the happy in a recipe (note: that doesn't mean I've stopped <i>liking</i> fatty and unhealthy things). My palate has really opened up in the last 11 months, and I get more enjoyment out of simple, clean, flavourful food than I ever have before. A good peach isn't just a good peach anymore. It's like a religious experience of peach holiness. <br />
<br />
By throwing food out the door that I was probably actually addicted to, as many people are addicted to the casomorphines in cheese, I think I've learned that I can give up any one food without inflicting trauma on myself. My happiness is not reliant on cheese. If this seems like an overly-obvious statement to you...well, no, I don't think this does seem like an overly-obvious statement to anyone. I've come to realise that a significant proportion of people really <i>do</i> believe their happiness is reliant on cheese. <br />
<br />
The health aspects of becoming vegan are pretty self-evident, and to be honest, I don't have that much to say about my own experiences health-wise. I didn't really have any significant health problems before becoming vegan, so it's kind of difficult to report on any changes in this area. What I can say is that besides saturated fat and dangerous animal protein, there is a lot of processed junk that many people eat mindlessly at the office, or the way home from work, or at parties that is automatically left out of the vegan diet. So in a way, there is a certain amount of effortless improvement to your diet that comes along with veganism.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, I wouldn't be doing anyone any favours if I suggested that veganism is a panacea for all health problems, and that personal responsibility doesn't factor into your health at all. There are still health traps for the vegan. Sugar, white flour, added oils, and processed vegan foods can show up much too often in many vegans' diets. If I have noticed a significant change in my health it would be that in avoiding a wider array of unhealthy foods in my diet, I have started to really notice the difference in how I feel after consuming different foods. Eat fresh green salads, vegetable soups, whole grains and beans and I feel light and happy. Eat too much sugary food, white bread, and alcohol and I feel crappy and moody.<br />
<br />
Easily the most difficult part of the transition has been the social aspects. Dining out, going to other people's houses for dinner, or trying to navigate through the mire of misinformation out there about animal products and animal rights has not been easy.<br />
<br />
But on a positive note, I know a lot of people run into confrontations with others when they stop eating animal products, and while I have definitely experienced some very bull-headed and flat out rude behaviour in regards to my eating habits, I haven't really encountered very much of this as a vegan. Keep in mind, I am writing this from a country famed for its polite and reserved residents, so perhaps it's not that surprising that while living in England I haven't received a lot of flak about my diet. <br />
<br />
The most difficult thing has been dining out, particularly in any British restaurant/pub. I've had to send back a few things that came with little bits of diary even after asking for the dish without. I've encountered odd situations, such as:<br />
<br />
Waiter: Hmm, let me see...is it a milk allergy that you have?<br />
Me: No, I'm a vegan.<br />
Waiter: Oh, I know we don't have anything vegan. Absolutely nothing. Even the vegetarian stuff has diary in it.<br />
Me: Oh really? Could you ask the kitchen if they could maybe make the vegetarian tomato and basil soup without dairy? <br />
Waiter: Wait, let me see. It might not have any dairy. Just a second." <i>(calls down the kitchen)</i> "Yeah, it's vegan.<br />
<br />
Or:<br />
<br />
Waitress: So the chef can do a soup and a tagine, and some roast potatoes. <br />
Me: Great!<br />
Waitress: Are potatoes vegan?<br />
<br />
My best advice is to never use the word vegan when trying to specify what you can or can't eat at a restaurant. No one knows what it means and it seems to terrify the living daylights out of servers. And yes, if you're wondering, I managed to respond that last waitress without laughing. <br />
<br />
What I have found is that, firstly, calling ahead to the restaurant is the best idea. Secondly, being both polite and optimistic will go a long way. If you act like you are putting people out, they may believe you. If you act like you expect people to offer you the world, you will not be well received. However, if you are polite and cheerful, clear about what you can eat, and come prepared with some ideas of how the restaurant can modify something already on their menu for you, you will find most people surprisingly accommodating. Afterwards, be grateful, and be sure to thank the chef if he or she went out of their way to make you something special.<br />
<br />
As for going to other people's houses, I find it's best to offer to bring something for yourself. Since I like to cook, I genuinely don't mind bringing something. And if someone wants to try to make something for you, at least you've offered, so you don't have to feel like you are a burden to your host. <br />
<br />
The last social aspect that I've mentioned can be the hardest. Listening to other people talk about meat or hunting, or watching meat being cooked on TV has become much more painful for me than it ever was before. To be honest, I haven't found a great way of avoiding it. I've become acutely aware of the many, many different ways that non-human animals are abused by humans, and sometimes I find it hard to have a conversation with people without the subject coming up. I don't want to upset anyone, and I don't want to be constantly bringing the subject of animal rights up with people. I've yet to find a balance between speaking my mind when I really need to, and leaving something alone when it's just not the time and someone isn't going to be interested or open-minded. Often people have been more interested in what I know than I expected, and I've left the situation feeling that I should have been more open and honest with them, and given them more credit.<br />
<br />
As for the personal aspects, these have been the most powerful but also the most distressing. Discovering how much abuse is in our society, and how inherent this abuse is was, and continues to be, very disturbing to me. On the other hand, I've seen my friends be open-minded and willing to change when hearing the truth about the animal agriculture industry or the health risks of animal products, and I've been amazed and thrilled with their reactions. People want to and can change. I know this for certain.<br />
<br />
But the bottom line is, when I think over the last year and the decision I made, and the information I now know about the abuses inherent in dairy and meat production, I'm amazed at the change in my mindset more than in my practises. Making the decision to give up all animal products and attempting to make a change in the world with one little action, or rather lack of action, has been the best decision I've made in a long, long time. I can't imagine my life, or the person I would be without veganism, and thank God, thank Buddha, thank Zorathustra, or thank pure dumb luck that I found it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifC19y_adNWBS67LRuO_RNoXSBB5WJSCNdX8l8xWUTn6AmyDJKdRaRKUtuFMRImSdHvR_UBYMPWi-1uCETUjsH083lLAudvj6D21JNYMYU1GIhJFym5HmNP0ptXV75yA1ZS6zVgtKEg3o/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifC19y_adNWBS67LRuO_RNoXSBB5WJSCNdX8l8xWUTn6AmyDJKdRaRKUtuFMRImSdHvR_UBYMPWi-1uCETUjsH083lLAudvj6D21JNYMYU1GIhJFym5HmNP0ptXV75yA1ZS6zVgtKEg3o/s200/007.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>Ethical Eats</b><br />
<br />
<b>Roasted Beets 'n Apples</b><br />
<br />
Speaking of simple, flavourful food, this easy peasy dish will make a beet lover out of you. How can anyone not love beets anyway? Look how pretty!<br />
<br />
Olive oil for drizzling<br />
2 large beets or 4 small ones, peeled and sliced into centimeter thick slices<br />
2 large apples, of a medium acidity variety, peeled and sliced into centimeter thick slices<br />
juice of one lemon<br />
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 400/200 degrees.<br />
<br />
Place the beet and apple slices on a large roasting tin or pan. Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice over the beets and apples and toss to coat. Season to taste.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Roast the beets and apples in the oven for about 20 minutes or so, tossing them after 10 minutes. You can roast them until they are just tender, or a few more minutes until they are a little sticky and chewy. Toss the walnuts in for the last 5 minutes of roasting.<br />
<br />
Serve!Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-70019210540278438142011-10-02T12:46:00.000-07:002012-06-12T04:07:41.868-07:00Ch-Ch-Changes (the Health Edition)It's that time again, when the leaves turn orange and red, the air gets crisper, and I start to wax poetic about the bounty of the harvest. Last time around this year, I thought the autumn was a good time to talk about transitioning to vegetarianism. This time, I'm going to ask you all to put down the donuts, and think about transitioning to a more healthful diet. Here are some hows and whys. <br />
<br />
1. Swap out your bread<br />
<br />
This step comes first partly because it's essential to good health and partly because it's so <i>easy.</i> 20 years ago, dumping white bread for wholemeal might be tricky, but today you almost have to make a commitment to eating white bread to avoid wholemeal. Supermarkets bread aisles are lined with wholemeal products, and even restaurants; heck, even fast food places will often offer you the option of wholewheat bread or pizza bases. So swap out your daily bread, pizza bases, breadcrumbs, pasta, bread wraps and tortillas, couscous, and pita bread for wholemeal breads and bread products. And while you're at it, you should also oust white rice and replace it with chewy, nutty brown rice. <br />
<br />
2. Green your life<br />
<br />
Dark, leafy greens are the most healthful foods on the planet. Nothing else holds a candle. Kale, spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, romaine lettuce, watercress, bok choy (pak choi), and collard greens are full of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and phytonutrients; in fact, the only thing they don't have a lot of is calories. What's more, they are super easy to chuck into whatever you happen to be cooking. Alternatively, you can saute them up with a little garlic and olive oil, or steam them and drizzle them with a simple lemon juice dressing and serve them on the side. Try to eat them every day and feel your body glow with greeny goodness.<br />
<br />
34. <a href="http://spinachblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/hard-cold-pressed-truths-problem-with.html" target="_blank">Olives are a whole food, oil is not</a><br />
<br />
I know I said that we would talk about the dangers of using cooking oils rather than using the nuts, seeds, and fruits that they are sourced from in a later post, and I really meant it. But for now, I'll just tell you that there are dangers when using cooking oils rather than using the nuts, seeds, and fruits that they are sourced from, so try not to do it. In a salad dressing, use nut butters or grind up some nuts or seeds to mix in with the rest of your ingredients. Saute vegetables in water or vegetable stock (or a combination of no more than one teaspoon of oil and water) and add olives, avocado, nuts or seeds later as a component of the dish.<br />
<br />
4. Don't eschew the cashew<br />
<br />
This step is super fun and very delicious. Dairy is dangerous to your health, but is much beloved, partly for it's creamy manifestations. Cashews in particular are perfect for making healthy creams that don't involve saturated fat laden dairy. Try cashew sour cream, cashew cream in replace of creme fraiche, or soft cashew "cheese" spreads instead of cream cheese. The flavour is not the same as the dairy foods you are used to, but it doesn't need to be. These creams are delicious, satisfying, and healthful in their own right.<br />
<br />
5. Five a day is a minimum<br />
<br />
I know that it's very popular in the media right now to encourage people to aim for five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, but I just think five a day is so <i>weak</i>. Yeah, most people aren't even reaching that meager goal, but the mediocrity of the masses should not be the ruler with which you use to measure yourself. Aim for 10 servings a day, and you will certainly reach five. Try to get a mixture of different kinds of vegetables: leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, root vegetables, starchy vegetables, and squashes. Even better, try to eat as many different colours everyday as you can: dark green broccoli, red tomatoes, orange carrots, purple plums, and white parsnips. Fans of Rainbow Brite will enjoy this endeavour.<br />
<br />
6. Make sugar a treat<br />
<br />
And a treat only. Eliminate this sneaky fiend from your regular diet. Sugar does absolutely nothing beneficial for your health. Nothing. Once or twice a week in a sweet treat, or on special occasions is fine, but cutting it out of your regular meals is essential to health. Watch out for sugar in your peanut butter, canned tomato sauces, juices, and any and all processed foods. <br />
<br />
7. Fix breakfast first<br />
<br />
Overwhelmed by all the changes you have to make? Fix one meal at a time, and start with breakfast. Taking all the simple carbs, saturated and trans fat, animal protein, and dangerous processed additives out of one meal at time allows you to adjust slowly in bite-sized pieces of change. Why breakfast first? Well, for one thing, it's the easiest meal to fix, most people are used to eating a simple breakfast. Secondly, it's the most import...oh, you don't want to hear that again. Lets just say, try starting your day with a bowl of raisin and walnut porridge with no added sweeteners, and compare how you feel all morning to how you feel when you start the day with a bowl of frosted flakes with some sugary flavoured yogurt on the side.<br />
<br />
8. Plan for snack attacks<br />
<br />
We can all argue till we're blue in the face about the necessity of including snacks in our daily diet, but the bottom line is, at some point your train home is going to be delayed, or your boss is going to forget that he's not the only in the office who eats, or your roommate is going to eat your dinner when you aren't looking (Aga, I'm looking at you). Keep some fruit (sturdy fruit not prone to juicing inappropriately), trail mix, or whole grain crackers in your bag or briefcase, and you won't storm and pillage the first pizza place you see when unplanned for hunger strikes.<br />
<br />
9. Become additive aware<br />
<br />
Since becoming vegan, it's come to my attention that some people are really horrified by the prospect of reading labels to find out what's actually in a food product. It's not that bad, people. Get some reading glasses! Anyhoo, we all need to be on the lookout for unnecessary unhealthful additives like sugar and it's various other names (glucose, dextrose, HFCS, etc), E numbers (i.e. E102), and hydrogenated oils. Look out for subversive words like flavourings and colouring. Food should be made up of ingredients that the average person can pronounce and find in their kitchen cupboards.<br />
<br />
10. Start your own nutrition mini-library<br />
<br />
More reading, I know. This one is partly for your own edification, and partly for motivation. Reading books for nutrition has the obvious benefit of teaching you more about nutrition, but also when you find that you've lost your way and have gone back to chips and soda, you can read these books to remind you of how bad these foods are for your health, and why you made the change in the first place. C'mon guys, reading nutrition books is <i>fun</i>!<br />
<br />
11. Tell everyone in your life what you are doing<br />
<br />
Okay, your postman probably couldn't care less, but let your spouse, partner, roommate, best friends, coworkers, and family members know that you're trying to adopt a healthier diet; otherwise, they may unintentionally sabotage your diet by continually offering foods you shouldn't be eating, but find very hard to resist. You will have to very specific; telling people that you are eating healthier and expecting them to understand exactly what you mean isn't going to work very well. Tell them exactly what foods you are eating more of, and what foods you are avoiding.<br />
<br />
Now, it may be the case that some people in your life will continued to try and sabotage your new diet even after this point, either because they aren't taking you seriously, or because they resent your new habits. Sit these people down and tell them exactly why you are making the change. Did you have a warning from your doctor? Have you been feeling sluggish and ill? Does your parent's failing health make you more attentive to your own? Be direct and honest, and don't be intimidated by any one's attempt to belittle your choices.<br />
<br />
12. Remember that diet really does make a difference<br />
<br />
There exists a common misperception that you can't really do much to control your own health; that genetics are the determining factor. Bull. Thousands of studies have confirmed that people who eat healthy diets live longer and have lower incidents of disease, and in fact, research suggests that genetics only determine about <i><b>2-3%</b></i> of your total cancer risk. So why do people from the same families get the same diseases? Uh, because they eat the same diet?<br />
<br />
13. Consider the cost of an unhealthy diet<br />
<br />
Eating an unhealthy diet doesn't just affect you and your life. It doesn't even just affect your friends and family who have to deal with the emotional repercussions your bad heath, or even your death. Everyone in your country has to pay for your illness. Think of the relief on the healthcare system of your country if diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and autoimmune diseases stopped being a major problem. Large drug companies get rich off of the high prevalence of these diseases and struggling taxpayers shoulder the burden.<br />
<br />
14. Don't get caught in the trap of thinking you have to "give everything good up"<br />
<br />
How many times have you heard (or maybe said) some variation of the following statement: "Sure, if you give up white flour, sugar, meat, cheese, saturated fat, donuts, cheesecake, and alcohol, you might live longer, but who would want to?" This thought is a trap. There is plenty of pleasure, even gleeful joy, in healthy eating. Most healthy eaters I know love food way more than junk food junkies, and their love of food is broader and more adventurous.<br />
<br />
Consider this passage from T Colin Cambpell's <i>The China Study</i>: "Not long ago, one of my best friends suffered a difficult surgery for cancer and spent his last years paralyzed in a nursing home. During the many visits I made to the nursing home, I never failed to come away with a deep appreciation for the health I still possess in my old age....The enjoyment of life, especially the second half of life, is greatly compromised if we can't see, if we can't think, if our kidneys don't work or if our bones are broken or fragile. I, for one, hope that I am able to fully enjoy not only the time in the present, but also the time in the future, with good health and independence." (Campbell 222)<br />
<br />
15. Give yourself time off<br />
<br />
Don't worry, no one is expecting you to be a nutritional martyr. Let yourself have a meal off every now and then. Feel free to bake you and your friends some treats every other week or so. Enjoy holidays and the treats that always surround them. A little bit of most things won't kill you, but if you are ill or overweight aim for no more than 10% of your calories to come from unhealthful foods. <br />
<br />
<b>Vital Vittles</b><br />
<br />
<i>Lunchbox Black Bean Burritos</i><br />
<br />
I created these burritos one day when I was making my lunches for the week and trying to use up various things in my kitchen that looked like that were on their last legs (bad choice of phrase for a vegan burrito?) Feel free to experiment with throwing different veggies into the mix, and add some guacamole if you are so inclined.<br />
<br />
1 cup uncooked brown rice<br />
2 cups water<br />
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro<br />
juice of one lime<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
3 tbsp water<br />
1 tsp olive oil<br />
1 onion, sliced<br />
2 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 carrot, peeled and grated<br />
1 courgette, grated<br />
1/2 cup corn (frozen, fresh, or canned)<br />
1 can (or 1.5 cups) black beans, drained and rinsed <br />
1 tsp ground cumin<br />
1 tsp ground coriander<br />
1 small green chili, chopped, or a pinch of crushed chili flakes<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
3/4 cup raw cashews<br />
2 tbsp lemon juice (or if you want to keep up the lime theme, lime juice)<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
salt to taste<br />
<br />
4-6 wholewheat or corn tortillas<br />
<br />
For the rice:<br />
<br />
In a small, covered pot, bring the rice and water to a bowl and immediately lower to a simmer. Cook until the rice is tender, about 45-50 minutes. Once the rice is ready, mix in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste and add a dash of salt and pepper if you like.<br />
<br />
For the cashew sour cream:<br />
<br />
Add the cashews, lemon or lime juice and water into a blender (if you only have an immersion or handheld blender, just use a tall container). Blend until creamy, adding water if necessary. Salt to taste.<br />
<br />
For the rice and vegetable mixture: <br />
<br />
Heat the oil and water in a large frying pan, and add the onion, sauteing until soft (about 7 minutes.) Add the garlic, and saute for another minute or so. Add the cumin, coriander, and chili or chili flakes, and saute for 30 seconds, then add the carrot, courgette, and corn. Saute the vegetable mixture another 5ish minutes, or until the veggies are soft. Add the black beans and stir to heat through. Taste, adjust seasonings.<br />
<br />
Heat each tortilla wrap gently in a clean frying pan, just until warm and pliable. Divide the rice evenly between each tortilla, then top with the veggies and bean mixture, then top with cashew cream (and guacamole, if you want). Wrap and serve immediately.Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-7248720540602364512011-08-27T05:58:00.000-07:002011-08-27T05:58:10.069-07:00Is a Vegan Diet too Expensive?“I would eat vegetarian more often, but vegetables are so expensive.” “I can't afford to eat healthy.” “Don't vegan ingredients cost more than normal ones?” Even from vegetarians, I hear these attacks of irrationality: “our grocery bills wouldn’t be so expensive if we weren’t vegetarian,”or “it’s a sad state of affairs that meat is cheaper in this country than vegetables.” Um, no it isn’t. Granted, meat and dairy are subsidized in many countries by the government, which means that meat and dairy are much cheaper than they <i>should</i> be, but they still aren’t cheaper than their vegan alternatives. Stop spreading lies!<br />
<br />
I wouldn't have thought that the fact that sources of animal protein tend be amongst the most expensive things on our shopping lists was any big secret. If I were to make the bold claim that steak is more expensive than brown rice, I don't think I would shock anyone. So I'm truly baffled when anyone claims that veganism, the base of which is vegetables (any kind you want, they don't have to be fancy), fruits (ditto), grains, beans, nuts, and spices, is more prohibitive in cost than omnivorous diets that use the most expensive items in your grocery store as their staples. Saying that you would be vegan except that the diet is too expensive is like claiming that you would watch <i>One Tree Hill</i> but you don't think the show takes itself seriously enough.<br />
<br />
To demonstrate this claim to those of you who are impudent enough to not just take my word for it, I’m going to compare a typical day of vegan fare to a day of typical omnivore fare. And before you get up in arms claiming that I’ve skewed the results to my own liking, I interviewed two (not one, two!) omnivores about their daily diets as the basis for my omnivore day, and used my own diet for the vegan day.<br />
<br />
Although I love to shop at the <a href="http://spinachblog.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html">farmer's market</a> and rarely do my weekly shopping at a big supermarket, for the practical purposes of the post I’ve used the website <a href="http://mysupermarket.co.uk/">http://mysupermarket.co.uk/</a> to price out the day on Tesco. I’ve generally chosen the cheapest option available, unless it was too budget even for me.<br />
<br />
<b>Typical Vegan Day</b><br />
<br />
<i>Breakfast</i>: Porridge with Raisins and Walnuts<br />
<br />
<i>Morning Snack</i>: 1 Apple<br />
<br />
<i>Lunch</i>: Vegan Caesar Salad and North African Cauliflower Soup<br />
<br />
<i>Afternoon snack</i>: 2 Plums<br />
<br />
<i>Dinner</i>: Butternut Squash Timbales with Walnuts and Arborio Rice<br />
<br />
Total cost of day: £2.70 <br />
<br />
<b>Typical Meat Eater Day</b><br />
<br />
<i>Breakfast</i>: Cereal with Milk<br />
<br />
<i>Morning snack</i>: Banana<br />
<br />
<i>Lunch</i>: Ham and Cheese Baguette<br />
<br />
<i>Afternoon snack</i>: Individual Sized Yogurt<br />
<br />
<i>Dinner</i>: Spaghetti Bolognese<br />
<br />
Total cost of day: £4.32<br />
<br />
<br />
You may notice that my vegan menu does not include so-called substitutes, and most people think these foods are more expensive than their animal alternatives. But I've drawn up a little comparison to show that most vegan staple substitutes aren't really any more expensive than the cruelty-full items.<br />
For example:<br />
<ul><li>In the UK a stick of butter costs £1.60, or <b>64p per 100g</b>. A container of Pure vegan butter is £1.57, or <b>31.4p per 100g</b>. </li>
<li>A carton of 1.1 litres of cheap milk costs 89p, or <b>7.8p per 100ml</b>, and a container of cheap soy milk costs 59p, or <b>5.9p per 100ml</b>. </li>
<li>Everyone who does eat dairy should only consume organic milk, aside from the ethical considerations, as the added hormones in regular milk are very questionable substances for your health. From a gastronomic perspective, basic soy milk cannot hold a candle to higher quality soy milk brands, so I've compared the price of a carton of 1.1 litres of organic dairy milk: £1.10, or <b>9.7p/100ml</b>, to the price of my favourite Alpro Original soy milk: £1.09 per litre, or <b>10.9p/100ml</b>.</li>
<li>A 500g container of Onken yogurt costs 99p, or <b>19.8p per 100g</b>. A 500g container of Alpro yogurt costs £1.00, or <b>20p per 100g</b>. </li>
<li>While I wouldn't consider cream a basic some people do (especially you cream-loving Brits), so it's worth noting that a 300ml container of Tesco single cream costs £1.00, or <b>33.3p/100ml</b>, compared to a 250ml container of Alpro soy single cream, which costs 74p, or <b>29.6p/100ml</b>. </li>
</ul>You get the idea. Sometimes a vegan product might cost a little more than the dairy alternative, but often the price is competitive. The average price per gram/millilitre for the non-vegan items listed above comes out to <b>26.9p per 100 grams or millilitres</b>. The average price per gram/millilitre for the vegan items comes out to <b>19.5p per 100 grams or millilitres</b>. But of course you know that these processed substitutes shouldn't make up the bulk of your diet.<br />
<br />
<span id="ProductPpuLabel"></span><br />
In my <a href="http://spinachblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-year-more-money.html">New Year's post</a>, I mentioned that lentils and beans were the cheapest source of protein around. Beans are not only nutritional powerhouses full of iron, protein, complex carbs, fibre, and micronutrients; they are not only versatile nutritional powerhouses; they are dirt cheap versatile nutritional powerhouses. Despite all of the attention that soy gets, I think that most vegans consider beans to be their mainstay sources of protein. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Let's compare them to a standard source of comparatively cheap animal protein. One 1.23Kg package of chicken thighs costs £3.00 or <b>£2.44 per Kg</b> (priced at Tesco). A 400g can of kidney beans costs 24p, or <b>60p per kilogram</b>. Cans of beans are very cheap, but it's even cheaper to buy dried beans and cook them yourself. While a 500g bag of kidney beans costs 79p, or <b>£1.59 per Kg</b>, in order to properly compare the price of canned and dried beans we must account for the drained weight of the cans and the cooked weight of the dried beans. Isn't this fun? Would you judge me if I told you that I really think it <i>is</i> fun? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Since the weight of the drained canned beans is about half the original weight, and the weight of the cooked dried beans is roughly double that of their dried weight, we can estimate this difference fairly accurately simply by doubling the price of the canned beans, and halving the price of the dried beans, meaning that the canned beans cost <b>£1.20 per kilogram</b> and the dried beans cost <b>76p per kilogram</b>. So dried beans are even cheaper than canned beans, and both are so much cheaper than the chicken it's silly. Dried beans are only a little more than <i>one quarter</i> of the price of cheap chicken!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">I don't think that the perception that vegan foods are more expensive comes from the actual cost of vegetables, fruits, beans and grains, I think it comes from the prices at stores such as Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic, and other uber trendy, organic-esque halls of granola. I've come to realize that many people believe that doing the bulk of your shopping at these over-priced hippy traps is a requirement for your annual vegan membership. The uncomfortably well-groomed organic produce sold at Whole Foods et all is no more of a requirement for the vegan diet than it is for the omnivore diet. Most vegans shop at the same stores that meat-eaters do (unless you do all your shopping at the butcher's), and only visit these shops every once in a while for hard to find specialty items. </span><br />
<br />
<span id="ProductPpuLabel">I have to confess, the cheapness of veganity uncovered in this post has amazed </span><span id="ProductPpuLabel">even </span><span id="ProductPpuLabel">me. Go forth and buy beans. </span><br />
<div class="ProductInfo" id="ProductInfo" style="color: black;"><span class="PriceCell" id="PriceLabel"></span><a class="NameCell GrayText" href="http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/tesco-price-comparison/Cheese/Tesco_Double_Gloucester_Cheese_250g.html" id="ProductNameLabel" style="text-decoration: none;" title="Tesco Double Gloucester Cheese (250g)"><br />
</a></div><span id="ProductPpuLabel"></span><br />
<b>Recessionpe!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Butternut Squash Timbales with Walnuts and Arborio Rice</b><br />
<br />
These little constructions of yum look and taste fancy enough to serve at a dinner party or holiday meal, but I've made them for weeknight suppers without much fuss. The recipe is adapted only slightly from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Table-Unforgettable-Entertaining-Occasion/dp/1592333745?ie=UTF8&tag=spinach03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Vegan Table.</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=spinach03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1592333745" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
2 cups of peeled and cubed butternut squash<br />
2.5 cups vegetable stock<br />
1 cup Arborio rice (this is the kind of rice used to make risotto)<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 large onion, finely chopped<br />
1 clove garlic, minced<br />
2 tbsp fresh parsley (2 tsp dried)<br />
1 tsp fresh thyme<br />
1-2 small sun-dried tomatoes<br />
Black pepper<br />
1/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts<br />
several leaves of dark greens such as kale or collard greens (about 2 per person)<br />
<br />
Lightly oil 4 ramekins, mini-loaf pans, or smallish sized cereal bowls. Note: this step is optional. If you are making this dish for a weekday meal and aren't too fussed about presentation, you can just serve everything in a big old mess on a plate.<br />
<br />
Steam or bake squash until just tender, about 10-12 minutes for steaming, 30 minutes for baking.<br />
<br />
Bring stock and rice to a boil in a large saucepan. Add salt, and reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 20 minutes, stirring often (the rice should ideally be tender with some liquid remaining). Uncover, give a good stir, and take off heat.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, toast the walnuts in a single layer on a small baking pan in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Saute the greens in either water or a little olive oil in a frying pan.<br />
<br />
Heat oil or water in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute onion until translucent and just browning. Add garlic, parsley, and thyme, and stir for a few minutes. Add the sun dried tomatoes and squash. Remove from heat.<br />
<br />
If serving in a big mess, simply arrange the greens on each plate, top with rice, then squash mixture, and then sprinkle with walnuts.<br />
<br />
If serving fancy-like, place a quarter of the squash mixture in each ramekin/bowl, and press down to pack. Top with 1/4 of the rice mixture, and press down firmly again. Arrange the sauteed greens on each plate, and turn over each bowl/ramekin onto the bed of greens. If the timbale doesn't come out on its own, gently run a knife around the edge to dislodge it. Reshape carefully if needed. Sprinkle with walnuts and black pepper to taste.Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-70349732559395040392011-07-10T12:29:00.000-07:002011-07-10T12:37:32.097-07:00I buy free-range eggs. So there's no problem, right?<div style="margin: 0px;"><div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwi0tH8YXIeHo2nW4ItXj5FeoK0mfGblYCl7rZIxYnGuAXuio2cbqdZQ0bQl5lo4hwVuWC9uu5bcYUqHUL6wSrY3YnmEfzt1NH1J7WPYoYzd0RStthiZoOSfP7Xi5vnl0zBju3G_jlSkY/s1600/wildchicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwi0tH8YXIeHo2nW4ItXj5FeoK0mfGblYCl7rZIxYnGuAXuio2cbqdZQ0bQl5lo4hwVuWC9uu5bcYUqHUL6wSrY3YnmEfzt1NH1J7WPYoYzd0RStthiZoOSfP7Xi5vnl0zBju3G_jlSkY/s200/wildchicken.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Wild Chicken</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Despite having eaten plenty of them in my lifetime, I've always found eggs a little disturbing. I mean, think about what an egg is, and think about what the human equivalent might be, and then think about eating that human equivalent. Now do you feel like eating frittata tonight? But I continued to eat eggs, partly out of habit and convenience, and partly because I couldn't really see a reason not to eat them.</div><div></div><div><br />
Well, I've found some reasons.</div><div></div><div><br />
Most of you probably already know what's wrong with battery farm eggs. We've seen the images of the tiny cages, the dark, dismal barns, and the crowds of birds smothering each other, often resulting in injury and death. We all know that in these systems, injured birds often go unnoticed, and are left to die a slow death while being trampled on by other birds. We all know that sometimes the corpses of these birds are not removed quickly, disturbing and distressing the other birds, and spreading disease.</div></div><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">We all know that a hen living in one of the cramped cages will often suffer from osteoporosis, broken bones, and sores on her body. We know that, despite being a very social animal, she will be cut off from any contact with other birds. We know that the feces from other birds will drop down on her constantly. We know that she will never see daylight.</div></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">You all ready have all of this information, so I didn't need to tell you. When I first saw the images of caged hens, I did the same thing a lot of other people did. I felt a wave of guilt, and started buying free range eggs instead. I thought the problem was largely solved. Was it? Is there a problem with free-range eggs?</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">Well, for starters, although hens would normally live more than 10 years, in the egg-laying industry they are considered spent (a charming expression) after 1-2 years, and are sent to die an unimaginably cruel death in a slaughterhouse. Just as with the dairy industry, the egg industry props up the meat industry, and anyone who has a problem with the meat industry must qualifying have a problem with the egg industry.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">Unbeknownst to many, the free-range label also doesn't mean a heck of a lot. In the USA, in order to label their eggs free-range, a farm simply has to open a window or a door for some part of the day. The cramped conditions can remain the same, the unbearable temperatures can remain the same, everything else stays the same. Does anyone really think that the hens care or even notice whether or not a window is open? In Canada, there is no regulation whatsoever on what gets labelled free-range.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">In the UK, regulations are a little stricter, but the living (and dying) conditions for these birds are still a cruel joke. Under UK law, free-range birds supposedly have access to the outside throughout the day, and under European Union law, each bird must have 4 square metres of space in the open-air range. Inside the barn, hens may be "stocked" (another charming expression) at a density of 9 hens per square metre.</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">In free-range systems, there are several factors that make regulations ineffective. The first of these factors should be obvious: farmers don't always do what they are told. Undercover investigations have shown farms that proudly proclaim the term free-range, or even Freedom Food stamps from the RSPCA, blatantly disregarding the rules of these terms, keeping the birds in cramped conditions, failing to remove the corpses of dead birds, and allowing injury and disease to run rampant. </div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">Undercover operations have taken video footage of some of these farms, and some of that footage is available for you to see. The UK group Viva! and Sky News have done an expose on a free range farm <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozym6POFfOU">here</a>. Five News has done an expose on a free range farm in Norfolk that can be found <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HMiTlNN_Uw">here</a>, and the sanctuary Peaceful Prairie has done a video on free-range farming in the US that can be found <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7Gbq3lkKwY">here</a>.</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 6px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1j73bUeC7K3D4LS8Aq55lBdfdXLnvd50iDhOX1AjTJPBolOOHiGTxpBSwB6bfYxBJ6gt7dg2LQbw9flx9GdSIxY_gfSOJlyeh0swRAfwcHm7kV-6CvDNWdbLXwuLBCa9E-UNnJld7MOg/s1600/wildhenandchicks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1j73bUeC7K3D4LS8Aq55lBdfdXLnvd50iDhOX1AjTJPBolOOHiGTxpBSwB6bfYxBJ6gt7dg2LQbw9flx9GdSIxY_gfSOJlyeh0swRAfwcHm7kV-6CvDNWdbLXwuLBCa9E-UNnJld7MOg/s200/wildhenandchicks.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;">A Wild Hen and Her Chicks</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin: 0px;">Although chickens are social animals, the flocks that farms keep them in are unnaturally large, and large flocks result in aggression in some of the birds. Aggressive birds will often guard the opening to the open air range, stopping other birds from getting outside, and keeping them in the cramped conditions indoors. As a consequence, many of the birds will rarely, if ever, see the outdoors.</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">Another consequence of aggression in these birds is a tendency towards pecking, which is not as cute as it sounds. Aggressive birds will give other hens sores and defeather them by pecking at them. They may also engage in cannibalistic behaviour that sometimes causes these birds to wound other birds fatally. This destructive pecking is stereotypic behaviour that occurs because of the stressful conditions the birds are kept in; it is not natural behaviour.</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">In order to combat pecking, one of the cruelest practices in chicken egg farming is almost universally used in free range systems. At a young age, each hen will have her beak seared off with a hot blade. Hen's beaks have a large nerve supply, and debeaking is a painful process that will often stop a hen from engaging in natural behaviour such as preening, indicating that she feels the pain of the hot blade long after the procedure has been completed.</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8-Z17Yjt8UZIlPmYDun98YrZhgArIVGe5-n1tQ4Lzz7zUh3UP9I9xjkzURh_dokvK20tc-VQBPqCXtDJjuNbglwqVYmKD4nhM0mJUvVjBp1mfMR2bhOpHKQcZ4u6zNgPavaZw8GuVPM/s1600/chick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8-Z17Yjt8UZIlPmYDun98YrZhgArIVGe5-n1tQ4Lzz7zUh3UP9I9xjkzURh_dokvK20tc-VQBPqCXtDJjuNbglwqVYmKD4nhM0mJUvVjBp1mfMR2bhOpHKQcZ4u6zNgPavaZw8GuVPM/s200/chick.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="141" /></a></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Rats, mice, and red mite infestations can run rampant in free range systems, causing panic in flocks, often leading to hens been trampled and suffocating to death. These infestations spread disease, and make the hens stressed, increasing aggressive pecking behaviour. </div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div> </div><div>In our society, baby chicks are admired not only for their fuzzy and adorable appearance, but also as symbols of innocence, youth, and spring fertility. Most people would agree that to hurt one of these sweet birds would be an act of incredible brutality. But what happens to these male chicks is perhaps the most shocking aspect of egg farming, and this aspect is something that occurs across the board in every single kind of egg farm: battery farms, free range farms, or organic farms. Considered useless by the egg-farming industry, each male chick is killed at one to two days old. Many are killed by being thrown alive into a macerator that grinds them alive. Many are gassed to death. Many are killed by being thrown alive into a garbage and left to suffocate. </div></div></div><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">If you feel compelled to eliminate eggs from your diet after reading this information, great. If you feel disturbed by the information, but are not ready to completely stop eating eggs, don't bother buying into the clever marketing lie known as free range eggs. Just eat fewer eggs, and keep your mind open to the possibility of an egg-free life.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><i>References</i></div><div style="margin: 0px;">DEFRA, "Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock: Laying Hens," London: DEFRA, 2002. http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb7274-laying-hens-020717.pdf</div><div style="margin: 0px;">DEFRA, "The Welfare of Hens in Free Range Systems," London: DEFRA, 2001. http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb7274-laying-hens-020717.pdf</div><div style="margin: 0px;">Farm Animal Welfare Council, "Report on the Welfare of Laying Hens," London: FAWC, 1997. http://www.fawc.org.uk/reports/layhens/lhgretoc.htm</div><div style="margin: 0px;">The Vegan Society, "Hens and Eggs," Birmingham: The Vegan Society, accessed July 2011. </div><div style="margin: 0px;">http://www.vegansociety.com/resources/animals/hens-and-eggs.aspx.</div><div style="margin: 0px;">United Poultry Concerns, "Chickens," Machipongo: UPC, accessed July 2011. http://www.upc-online.org/chickens/chickensbro.html</div></div></div>Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-24696003317453469502011-05-17T12:37:00.000-07:002012-04-21T06:11:50.019-07:00What's the deal with B12?It's said by some that in in the vegan community the issue of vitamin B12 is sometimes swept under the carpet, or mentioned as an afterthought. The vegan diet has a lot going for it from a health perspective, including lower rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases, and a good vegan diet will have ample amounts of all nutrients, but there is one dastardly little vitamin that escapes a plant-based diet: vitamin B12. Yes, it's true. The vegan diet is lacking in one nutrient. And the kicker is that we need such a tiny amount of it. In a whole lifetime, the average person only needs about 40 milligrams of B12! But I personally don't think we should ignore this problem and pretend it's not there, but rather bring the issue out into the forefront. Everyone starting out as a vegan needs to be aware of the need to either consume B12 fortified foods, or take a supplement. <br />
<br />
When I first starting contemplating veganism, I was well-aware that vegans needed to supplement with B12. But it was only when I was collecting a plethora of positive health claims about veganism that I started to wonder why. Why would such a tiny nutrient, required in only <i>micro</i>grams a day, be left out of this otherwise incredibly healthy diet? So I looked the subject up, and here's what I found.<br />
<br />
B12 is not inherent in animal products. It grows on bacteria. Meat is rich in bacteria because the bacteria is attracted to...dead flesh. Aren't we all? The story goes that herbivore animals usually obtain B12 from eating their own feces. Now, apparently in communities where a plant-based diet is the norm, such as in certain parts of India, B12 deficiency does not seem to occur; however, when people from these cultures migrate to more developed countries, they develop a deficiency. The culprit appears to be our "lifeless" soil that has been overly sterilised from pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals. Since B12 is produced by bacteria, it doesn't seem to want to grow in this squeaky clean soil. Studies have also noted that countries such as India often seem to have water that is contaminated with bacteria, including bacteria from feces, and that B12 is sometimes obtained from that water.<br />
<br />
Personally, upon hearing that my options are either eating bacteria-ridden dead flesh, my own feces, or drinking water contaminated with other people's feces, my reaction is, um, I'll take the little supplement pill, thanks<i>.</i> I don't know about you.<br />
<br />
Some people have suggested that several plant-based sources of B12 might be used instead, including seaweeds and our own intestinal bacteria, but none of them have been found to be very reliable sources so far. There is some evidence that organic produce, a certain type of algae, or tempeh might turn out to be reliable, but at the moment, the best we know is that vegans should take either a supplement, or be sure to eat sufficient amounts of B12 fortified food. I myself take a supplement. I don't want to be bothered to try and drink a certain amount of non-dairy milk a day, and I don't eat a lot of meat analogues, nutritional yeast, or breakfast cereals, which are the foods typically fortified with B12. If you are abstaining from both meat and dairy, you really need to be doing one of the following: eat fortified foods with at least 3 micrograms of B12 per day, take a B12 supplement of 10 micrograms a day, or take weekly supplement of 2000 micrograms.* <br />
<br />
Even though it's true that many people have a built up store of B12 for several years when they first become vegan, assuming that you are one of these people is not very wise. Overt B12 deficiency is no sweeping-under-the-carpet matter; it can ultimately result in blindness, deafness, or dementia. Early symptoms can include fatigue and a tingling in the hands and feet. Mild B12 deficiency may not come along with any symptoms, but will cause elevated levels of homocysteine, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. <br />
<br />
If there is any tendency in the vegan community to keep quiet about the need for B12, I think it may be due to the concern that in lacking one little vitamin, veganism might seem like an "unnatural" diet. I think this supposition is illogical on three counts. First of all, vegans are not the only people who get B12 deficiency. Lacto-ovo vegetarians and meat-eaters also suffer from it. In fact, doctors recommend that people older than 50 years take a B12 supplement anyway. Secondly, while we don't know for sure, the evidence certainly seems to suggest that our soil is the problem, not the vegan diet. Thirdly, and here's the part where I give these members of the vegan community a little tough love, who cares? Don't monkey around with your health like that! You're worried that people won't think veganism is a natural diet? What does a natural diet even mean? None of us are eating what our cave people ancestors ate. We've moved past that. And I think we need to give people a little credit. If people are compelled by the ethical reasons of veganism, have heard of all of the fantastic health benefits, and they're at the point where they think they might be willing to actually change their diet, they're not going to be dissuaded from doing so by the fact that they have to take a pill once a week. And if they are, they were never serious about the change in the first place.<br />
<br />
Vegans should be supplementing with B12, and we don't need to make this recommendation in a whisper. Take the supplement, and tell others to take the supplement. Unhealthy vegans are a much worse advertisement for veganism than a pill. And keep in mind that when you are taking that supplement, you are missing the saturated fat, unhealthy animal protein, trans fat, and cholesterol that come along with the B12 in meat and dairy.<br />
<br />
*click <a href="http://veganhealth.org/articles/dailyrecs">here</a> to see a complete list of age appropriate B12 recommendations.<br />
<br />
<b>Vital Vittles</b><br />
<br />
<i>Vegan Caesar Salad</i><br />
<br />
Since we're talking about a nutrient that's not really food based, there isn't really a related recipe. So instead I'm giving you Alicia Silverstone's recipe for vegan caesar salad, only slightly modified, because I've been obsessed with it lately. It's quite salty and tart, so if you're sensitive to these tastes, you might want to add the mustard and soy sauce sparingly. The original recipe can be found in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100660?ie=UTF8&tag=spinach03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Kind Diet</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=spinach03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1932100660" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1605296449/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=spinach-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1605296449">(UK)</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1605296449/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=spinach03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=390961&creativeASIN=1605296449">(Can)</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
Croutons<br />
1/2 tsp dried rosemary<br />
1/4 tsp sea salt<br />
3-4 slices wholemeal bread, cut into cubes<br />
Olive oil<br />
<br />
Dressing<br />
2 tbsp blanched or roasted almonds<br />
3 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1.5 tbsp mustard<br />
2 tbsp soy sauce<br />
1 tbsp tahini<br />
2 tbsp lemon juice<br />
2 tbsp olive oil<br />
<br />
1 large head romaine lettuce, washed, torn and patted dry<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 325 F/160 C. Toss together the bread cubes, rosemary, and salt in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and then toss again. Spread bread cubes onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until dry and toasted. Cool completely.<br />
<br />
Combine the almonds, garlic, mustard, soy sauce, tahini, lemon juice, and oil together in a food processor or blender, process until well-blended.<br />
<br />
Toss the lettuce, croutons, and dressing together in a serving bowl. Serve immediately.<br />
<br />
<i>References</i><br />
<span class="citation book" id="harvnb">Campbell, T. Colin, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100660?ie=UTF8&tag=spinach03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The China Study:The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=spinach03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1932100660" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />. Dallas: BenBella Books, 2006.</span> <br />
National Institutes of Health, "Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin B12," http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb12/, accessed 17 May 2011. <br />
Norris, Jack, R.D., "B12: Are you getting it?" Veganhealth.org, accessed 17 May 2011.<br />
Norris, Jack, R.D., "What every vegan should know about B12," Veganhealth.org, accessed 17 May 2011.<br />
<span class="citation book" id="harvnb"></span>Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275498823609312524.post-8441503256604801182011-04-20T07:26:00.000-07:002012-04-21T06:12:27.081-07:00What do I need to give up and how do I do it? A guide to vegan substitutes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQW2DI09WdWWDSV-sj3Ya2r1uY0b8SaXSlsrYOx0WebjhEnMlWbTHc9yG9Y21XdcSSpWOFIHnHnOc7m_6Aids3J2Vt2y7WZpxVf9QG8UhbNMAbgmguR5EDlFwvLKH9M834QRGlfFVunk/s1600/soy+milk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQW2DI09WdWWDSV-sj3Ya2r1uY0b8SaXSlsrYOx0WebjhEnMlWbTHc9yG9Y21XdcSSpWOFIHnHnOc7m_6Aids3J2Vt2y7WZpxVf9QG8UhbNMAbgmguR5EDlFwvLKH9M834QRGlfFVunk/s200/soy+milk.jpg" width="152" /></a></div>When people are contemplating veganism, I don't think it's any secret that a lot of people get stuck dwelling on what they have to "give up." The popular public perception of vegans is one of asceticism; apparently we all sit around joylessly chewing on dry spinach leaves, waiting for Anna Wintour to walk by in her fur coat, so that we can throw red paint on her (c'mon, who <i>wouldn't</i> throw red paint at Anna Wintour?)<br />
<br />
I assume that you, dear reader, are informed enough on the subject to know that there is an amazingly broad world of delicious vegan food out there. But I know that plenty of people still get confused, and even a little scared, at the prospect of giving up food that they have eaten since childhood, and a lot of people aren't really sure what exactly vegans do or do not eat.<br />
<br />
OK, so, here is the basic lesson. Vegans do not eat meat, fish, eggs, dairy, and some do not eat honey. In this post I will explain and recommend some substitutions for these products; as well as, put your minds at ease regarding some items of confusion. Some of the products I'll recommend to you will be things that I haven't tried myself, but that are so highly regarded in the vegan community that I feel pretty confident in including them. The recommendations are as multi-regional as I can make them.<br />
<br />
Let's start with the easy stuff. <u><b>Milk</b></u>: Substitutes for milk are Plentiful with a capital P. There are many different kinds: soy milk, rice milk, oat milk, almond milk, hemp milk, hazelnut milk, quinoa milk...I'm sure I've left some out. If you don't like one, keep trying others. Soy milk is most common, and is still my favourite, especially for putting in my tea and coffee. Note that while many people find the initial taste of soy a little off-putting, after drinking soy milk regularly, they either don't notice the same taste anymore, or they start to enjoy it.<br />
<i>Brand</i>: Quality varies hugely from brand to brand, even for the same variety of milk. In the UK, I would recommend Alpro Soy Milk (I'm particularly fond of the long-life original), Rice Dream, So Good, and Oatly. In Canada and the States, I would recommend Silk and Rice Dream. <br />
<i>Uses</i>: Pretty much the same as dairy milk.<br />
<i>Where to buy</i>: Soy milk is available EVERYWHERE, even corner shops and gas stations. I really doubt that you live somewhere with no access to soy milk. Rice milk is probably the second most common, and can often still be found in your regular grocery store. For other varieties, try a health food store.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Butter</b></u>: Butter is easily substituted by margarine, or canola oil in baking. Be careful when you are buying margarine, most brands use some amount of milk as a cheap filler or texture regulator. <br />
<i>Brands</i>: In the UK, I buy Pure, which comes in either a soy version or a sunflower version. In Canada and the States, I haven't ever tried it, but I've heard many, MANY recommendations for Earth Balance. <br />
<i>Uses</i>: Same as dairy butter. Canola oil works very well in many baked good recipes.<br />
<i>Where to buy</i>: Your regular grocery store. In the UK canola oil is usually labelled as rapeseed oil or just vegetable oil.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Eggs</b></u>: Replacing eggs in cooking in baking is probably a large enough subject that I'll do a separate post on it one day, so I won't really go into detail here. In cooking, tofu is often used to substitute eggs successfully in a variety of different dishes. In baking, a multitude of techniques exist, including a mixture of baking powder/soda and vinegar, a commercial egg replacer, flax gel, or fruit puree such as applesauce or mashed banana.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Meat</b></u>: This topic also begs it's own post, so this is a very brief overview. Meat is sometimes very successfully replicated, sometimes not. I would recommend veggie burgers, vegan sausages, and ground/minced not-beef pretty confidently. However, if you are looking to replicate having a hunk of meat at the centre of your plate, meat substitutes might be a little hit and miss. Besides commercial meat subs, try tofu, tempeh, and seitan as the hunk of meaty protein in your meal (again I will do a separate post on these items).<br />
<i>Brands</i>: In the UK, try Redwood, Fry's, and Goodlife. Quorn and Cauldron, the major meat substitutes available in UK grocery stores are NOT vegan, and have outright rejected proposals develop a vegan line (should this make us suspicious of their ethical motives? I think so). In Canada and the States, Yves veggie burgers and veggie ground round are pretty dead on replicates of fast food burgers and ground cow, but without the blood and gristle. You should also try Gardein and Boca products. <br />
<i>Where to Buy</i>: Try your local healthfood store for Redwood and Fry's. Goodlife can be found in Waitrose. Yves, Gardein, and Boca can be found at regular grocery stores. <br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
<u><b>Cheese</b></u>: Oh, the quest to find a true cheese replicate. I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but again, cheese deserves it's own post. Cheese subs also vary hugely in quality from brand to brand, and work best as a component of a meal, rather than as the focus. Cheese subs are often made from soy, rice, and nuts. You can also make your own substitutes at home (try Joanne Stepaniak's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Uncheese-Cookbook-Delicious-Dairy-Free/dp/1570671516?ie=UTF8&tag=spinach03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Uncheese Cookbook</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=spinach03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1570671516" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />,<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1570671516/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=spinach-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1570671516"> UK</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1570671516/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=spinach03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=390961&creativeASIN=1570671516">CAN</a>).<br />
<i>Brands</i>: In the UK, I quite like Cheezly, although I think differing opinions exist. Scheese is also controversial, while I haven't tried it, I've really good things about their cheddar subs, and really bad things about their blue cheese subs. Tofutti makes a cream cheese substitute that'll do. In Canada and the States, I've heard good things about Daiya, Follow your Heart, and the pricier Dr. Cow.<br />
<i>Where to Buy</i>: Tofutti, Cheezly, and Scheese are both available in health food stores, Cheezly more widely that Scheese. Daiya is available in health food stores in Canada, and I think more widely available in the US.<br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
<b><u>Yogurt</u>:</b> Soy yogurt is a good substitute for dairy yogurt, and I think you won't notice much of a difference. I've heard rave reviews of coconut milk yogurt, which I haven't found yet in the UK.<br />
<i>Brands</i>: In the UK, Alpro yogurt is the standard, and comes both in large tubs of plain, and individual servings of flavoured. In the States, I've heard recommendations for So Delicious Coconut Yogurt. In both Canada and the States, Silk has a soygurt product.<br />
<i>Where to buy</i>: Alpro and Silk are ubiquituously available. <br />
<br />
<u><b>Mayonaise</b></u>: Commerical non-dairy mayos are good replicas. You can also try making your own, just search online for a recipe.<br />
<i>Brands</i>: In the UK, Plamil makes a variety of different vegan mayos. In Canada and the States, Vegenaise is the gold standard.<br />
<i>Where to buy</i>: Plamil is sold in health food stores. Your local chain grocery store will probably carry vegan mayo in their Free From aisle. Veganaise is widely available.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Sour Cream</b></u>: Sour cream is also something that can be made at home using tofu or ground up cashews and lemon juice. Like I said before, yogurt can be substituted for several different uses, such as a dollop in your borscht.<br />
<i>Brands</i>: Tofutti makes a non-dairy sour cream I haven't tried but that seems to be well-liked.<br />
<i>Where to buy</i>: Health food store.<br />
<br />
Now that we're done with the obvious stuff, here's the confusing stuff:<br />
<br />
<u><b>Bread</b></u>: Vegans eat bread. 99% of the bread available is probably vegan, but occasionally milk products are used as cheap filler, so check the ingredients list just in case. Note: egg bread contains eggs.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Chocolate</b></u>: Fear not, you will not have to put down the chocolate, but you might have to switch brands. Good quality dark chocolate will almost never contain any milk products, but crappy dark chocolate brands sometimes use it again as...cheap filler. I don't want to blow anybody's mind, but milk chocolate contains milk. In terms of baking with chocolate, or making hot chocolate at home, you won't notice a difference, as cocoa powder is vegan. Cocoa butter, in case the inclusion of the word butter incites confusion, is also vegan. Smile.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Peanut butter</b></u>: This misconception is a pet peeve of mine. Peanut butter DOESN'T CONTAIN ANY BUTTER! On the same note, neither does apple butter, pumpkin butter, or other similar foods wherein butter is used to refer to the texture, not the ingredients.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Pizza bases, pre-prepared pastry, and other surprises</b></u>: Traditional Italian pizza bases never, ever contain dairy or eggs, but we here in the modern world are in the business of bastardising other cultures' cuisine, so check with your local pizza place to make sure. Phyllo pastry is also traditionally and typically vegan. <i></i>Surprisingly enough, in the UK, Jus-Rol makes vegan puff pastry and shortcrust pastry, and in Canada and the US, Pepperidge farm frozen puff pastry is vegan as well. <br />
<br />
In short, check the label, and you might be surprised what is vegan. Of course, sometimes you might be surprised at what isn't. But no matter what the product is, chances are, someone has come along to make a vegan version.<br />
<br />
If anyone reading this has any brand recommendations, feel free to add them in the comments. Next time we revisit this subject, I'll talk about vegan clothing and other inedible products. Excited? <br />
<br />
<b>Recessionpe</b><br />
<br />
<b>Asparagus and Thyme Quiche-ish</b><br />
<br />
This recipe is timely for this post for two ways: one, the very short asparagus season is in swing right now; grab 'em while you can. Two, this recipe is a good example of a way to create an equally pleasing vegan version of a traditional, non-vegan dish.<br />
<br />
<b> </b><br />
For the pastry:<br />
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour if you have it)<br />
1/2 cup white flour<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1/3 cup vegan margarine<br />
1/4 cup ice cold water<br />
<br />
For the filling:<br />
1 tbsp olive oil, or water <br />
1 leek, sliced into half-moons<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced <br />
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into inch-ish long pieces*<br />
1 tsp dried thyme<br />
1/2 tsp salt <br />
1/2 of a 420g package of extra-firm tofu (not silken)<br />
3/4 cup non-dairy milk<br />
2.5 tbsp flour<br />
1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (optional)<br />
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For the pastry, combine the two flours and salt in a mixing bowl. Divide the margarine into small chunks, and toss into the flour mixture, and work quickly with your fingers or a pastry cutter to combine until small crumbs form. Sprinkle in the water a few spoonfuls at a time, and combine until the dough holds together in a firm ball. Refrigerate until you are ready to use it.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 375/190 degrees. Heat the oil in a medium sized pan, and add the leeks and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes or so, until soft. Add the asparagus, thyme and 1/4 tsp salt, and saute for another five minutes or so, or until the asparagus is tender-crisp.<br />
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Blend together the tofu, non-dairy milk, flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and nutritional yeast, until smooth. You can do this with either a food processor or a hand-held immersion blender. Combine the tofu mixture with the leek and asparagus mixture.<br />
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Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and place it into a pie plate. Prick some holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork, make the edges of the crust look as fancy as you like, and then add the filling, and bake for 45 minutes, or until the filling is set and the pie pleasingly golden.<br />
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*to stem the woody ends of asparagus easily, bend the lower half of each stalk with your hands. The stalk will naturally and crisply snap right where the woody part ends.Kallie Wattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958251350453817631noreply@blogger.com3