Vegan Challenge

The Challenge: So I've been vegetarian for almost 2 years. It's been great. I've always held the vegan title on a high pedestal, surrounded by glimmering clouds and angels singing. Not sure if I'd ever make it to that glorious place. So for Lent, even though I'm not currently a practicing Catholic, I challenge myself to go Vegan for 40 days and 40 nights minus Sundays.

Currently: I've been easing in vegan products and reducing my dairy/egg intake. I've been practicing with flaxseed and cornstarch instead of eggs. I've been experimenting with cooking vegan dinners. I made a beautiful round of vegan cinnamon rolls with vegan icing. I found this link (yes, I know crazy old Peta) to actually be quite helpful in exchanges for baking: Vegan Exchanges

-Things I'm finding:
*Earth Balance is fantastic ( I actually ate a spoonful of buttery spread-by itself!).
*Vegan Tofutti is better than cream cheese and faintly sweet.
*I made a vegan carrot cake with vegan icing and the omnivores crushed that haus in less than 2 days.
*Eating vegan-ish things =ability to eat more food. I am a chow-hound.
*Alfredo cashew cream might save my life. I need to find the creator of it and shake their hand.

My goal: Go vegan for roughly 1 month and see how well I do.
* I hope to successfully make tofu cultured yogurt
* Make more cashew cream
* Incorporate more vegetables
* Challenge myself
* Eat more cauliflower, possibly try to eat kale

Recipes XX: Vegan Freezer Burritos

Its been a while since August. The winter slump, has not visited me. I almost feel a little sad about this. In fact, December became the highest speed month so far. Thanks to our newest family member, Rufus, our Brittany puppy. I still manage to find time to create something between yoga school, work, Rufus, and chores. I'm working with an 100 year old potato bread culture passed to me by a friend. I'm dabbling in vegan food and tried my hand at almond yogurt last night. But here is one recipe I must share with you. It is clutch when you're running out of the door to yoga class or don't have enough food in the fridge to make a proper meal. Its brimming with protein and fiber. My omni husband crushed through the remainder I had after running out of burrito shells.

Vegan Freezer Burritos: when life is just too f^cking busy

Makes 8-9 burritos. Roughly 410 calories per burrito. 

1 package of burrito shells (I like the Mission flour 200 calorie ones)
1 can of black beans
2 jars of taco sauce
2 ripe avocados
1 can of organic corn
1 cup of organic quinoa
1 cup daiya shredded "cheese"
1 roll of wax paper
1 roll of tape

Start by soaking the quinoa in a bowl of water for 5+ hours. There are saponins naturally occuring in quinoa and they are rough on your system.

Rinse beans and corn in strainer. Cook quinoa in broth of choice until moisture is driven off. While its simmering, peel, deseed and mash avocados in small bowl.

In a large bowl, combine: beans, corn, faux cheese, cooked quinoa, avocado mash and taco sauces. Stir gently to homogenize.

Roll out a 9-10 in piece of wax paper on the counter. Place tortilla shell on top. Scoop heaping 1/2 cup of mixture into center of shell. Fold up the tortilla (instructions on package for novices). Wrap the wax paper up well over the burrito, secure shut with piece of tape and then insert into freezer. Repeat until all mixture is gone or shells run out. If the shells run out first, grab some tortilla chips and start dipping. :)

Thoughtful Perspective: Gelatin

I love jello, especially the blue raspberry. I also love jello shots. But a little over a year ago I dropped jello like it was the plague. Unfortunately, gelatin is an utterly grotesque, morbid ingredient. They could probably make a whole horror film based solely around gelatin.

My friend was happily munching on gummy worms (swoons), oh how I miss those. She offered me one; I declined. She asked why not. I told her it had gelatin. She looked very nervous to ask of what is gelatin made. I grimaced and said she probably didn't want to know. A year later she said she was finally ready to know of what gelatin is made. Prepare yourself mentally and hold you stomach.

Gelatin is a protein substance derived from collagen, a natural protein present in the tendons, ligaments, and tissues of mammals. It is produced by boiling the connective tissues, bones and skins of animals, usually cows and pigs. Gelatin's ability to form strong, transparent gels and flexible films that are easily digested, soluble in hot water, and capable of forming a positive binding action have made it a valuable commodity in food processing, pharmaceuticals, photography, and paper production.

Read more: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Gelatin.html#b#ixzz2cQzD6pAL 

 Unfortunately it gets worse. It also includes, eye balls, spinal cords, bones, and hides. Now that really puts it over the edge. I'm a huge fan of using everything, but this just crosses the line. I almost feel violated knowing that the tasty poptart with the super fun icing is really made of some cow's eyeball. Real mood killer.

Its important to be aware of what's hiding in your food. I would have never fathomed ground up cuddly animals are in marshmallows, frosted mini wheats, yogurt, candies, etc. Its absolutely heartbreaking. But this is gives me more gusto to hunt down the noble and harmless ingredients, such as agar agar and vegan marshmallows. Its all about social awareness.

References:
http://www.vegparadise.com/news39.html
http://vegetarian-problems.tumblr.com/gelatin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelatin#Uses

Recipes XIX: Summer Soup

Ahhh!! Harvest time is in full swing. Tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, mmmm...Before you take your excess zucchinis and sneak them into unlocked cars, consider this recipe. If you don't have oodles of fresh veggies, support your local farm/farm stand.

Summer Soup yields 6-8 cups
1 cup= 55 calories (without wine)

4 cups water
2 cups of veggie stock
2 vegan chick'n bullion cubes (1 cube to 2 cups water)
2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 tsp poultry spices
Couple cranks on the pepper mill
3 small cloves of garlic crushed
2 pinches of salt (if desired)
Splash of dry white wine if you have it ;)

1 medium summer squash
1 medium zucchini
1 peeled carrot
1 garden fresh tomato (no GMO tomatoes allowed)
handful of small yellow cherry tomatoes
2 fresh basil leaves
small cluster of  fresh rosemary
small cluster of fresh parsley

Combine the liquids and spices into a medium size pot on the stove. While the liquids are heating chop tomatoes into cubes, peel carrot, slice the zucchini, carrot and squash into medallions. Carefully dump the veggies into the pot. Mince the fresh herbs and stir into the pot.

Close the lid and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. When complete, serve with butter-drenched crusty bread.

Bonding over Bread

My grandmother came to visit (sqee!). We had some much fun together during the short 2 day visit. One of the activities I had planned was making bread together. I don't buy that rubbish at the store they call "bread" because we all know its not really bread. She had experienced several problems that I had encountered when I first started making bread a few years back. I am, by no means, a bread professional. But, I do have some possibly helpful advice for the next time you attempt to make bread. We're going to use this bread recipe as a walk through with helpful tidbits.

Recipes XVIII: Pesto Naan

Recently, I've been making naan to go with our daily lunch salads. Its a simple flat bread, a little thicker than pita. Great for wiping up extra salad dressing and cheese bits. We had some pesto getting close the end of its shelf life and I wanted to use it up. In this recipe I substituted olive oil for pesto. I had hopes it would turn the bread a greenish hue; but it didn't. The end result: absolutely fantastic, aromatic flat bread that is excellent with pesto (duh), vinaigrette, olive oil, salad dressing, you name it!

Adapted from CanuckCuisine

1 tsp of active dry yeast
1 cup of whole cream heated to 115-117 degrees F
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp pink salt
2.5 cups bread flour or white wheat
3 tsp vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup pesto

Proof the yeast in the sugary milk to it get a nice foamy cap. Combine the dry ingredients and stir together until uniformly mixed. Pour in yeasty, sugary milk. Still well. Let sit covered for 10 mins for autolysis. I like to clean up during this time. Then come back and kneed bread until well combined. Dough should be post-it note tackiness. In a well oiled bowl, preferably glass, allow to rise for 1 hour. Then punch dough down and divide into 8-10 balls. Flatten dough into "pancake" shape. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake on preheated, oiled pizza stone or ceramic tile for 3 mins/side. Flip and repeat. When naan is golden tan, remove and allow to cool. Feast away!

Thought You Should Know....

Food, besides sex, is one of the most intimate activities you perform everyday. You stick it inside your mouth and you body digests, extract nutrients and releases it. You know the joke, " you are what you eat". We're seeing more and more obesity, cancers, ailments and disease. Its time to give the food we're eating a thought.

How Monsanto Went From Selling Aspirin to Controlling Our Food Supply

Sunday, 21 April 2013 09:28By Jill Richardson, AlterNet | Report

Monsanto researchers in Stonington, Ill., are working to develop new soybean varieties that will be tolerant to agricultural herbicide and have greater yields in July 2006. (Photo: Monsanto via The New York Times)Monsanto controls our food, poisons our land, and influences all three branches of government.

This article was published in partnership with GlobalPossibilities.org.

Forty percent of the crops grown in the United States contain their genes. They produce the world’s top selling herbicide. Several of their factories are now toxic Superfund sites. They spend millions lobbying the government each year. It’s time we take a closer look at who’s controlling our food, poisoning our land, and influencing all three branches of government. To do that, the watchdog group Food and Water Watch recently published a corporate profile of Monsanto.

Patty Lovera, Food and Water Watch assistant director, says they decided to focus on Monsanto because they felt a need to “put together a piece where people can see all of the aspects of this company.”

“It really strikes us when we talk about how clear it is that this is a chemical company that wanted to expand its reach,” she says. “A chemical company that started buying up seed companies.” She feels it’s important “for food activists to understand all of the ties between the seeds and the chemicals.”

Monsanto the Chemical Company

Monsanto was founded as a chemical company in 1901, named for the maiden name of its founder’s wife. Its first product was the artificial sweetener saccharin. The company’s own telling of its history emphasizes its agricultural products, skipping forward from its founding to 1945, when it began manufacturing agrochemicals like the herbicide 2,4-D.

Prior to its entry into the agricultural market, Monsanto produced some harmless – even beneficial! – products like aspirin. It also made plastics, synthetic rubber, caffeine, and vanillin, an artificial vanilla flavoring. On the not-so-harmless side, it began producing toxic PCBs in the 1930s.

According to the new report, a whopping 99 percent of all PCBs, polychlorinated biphenyls, used in the U.S. were produced at a single Monsanto plant in Sauget, IL. The plant churned out toxic PCBs from the 1930s until they were banned in 1976. Used as coolants and lubricants in electronics, PCBs are carcinogenic and harmful to the liver, endocrine system, immune system, reproductive system, developmental system, skin, eye, and brain.

Even after the initial 1982 cleanup of this plant, Sauget is still home to two Superfund sites. (A Superfund site is defined by the EPA as “an uncontrolled or abandoned place where hazardous waste is located, possibly affecting local ecosystems or people.”) This is just one of several Monsanto facilities that became Superfund sites.

Monsanto’s Shift to Agriculture

Seitan Stroganoff: A 3 Part Saga

Seitan Stroganoff

A Three Part Saga

Seitan Stroganoff

1 cup of seitan
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of mushroom broth
dash of curry, basil, pepper,
tiny flick of powdered ginger
3 tbsp olive oil
3 oz mushrooms

In a cast iron pan, sautee diced up mushrooms and diced up seitan in olive oil over medium / medium high heat. When the seitan is browned, sprinkle in the herbs and spices. Pour in cup of mushroom broth. Next add the can of soup.  Turn down heat to low. Stir well. Allow the heat to meld the flavors. During this time cook the egg or eggless noodles. Drain noodles. Serve.

Seitan recipe

Dough
1.5 cup vital wheat gluten
.5 cup soy flour
2 tbsp mushroom bullion
1 tsp garlic powder
water

Broth
1  cartons of prepackaged organic vegetable broth
1 cup of water with 2 tbsp mushroom buillion
1 3x3 piece of kelp
3 bay leaves

Mix the dry ingredients and slowly add water until it is a tacky dough. Knead dough well. Roll into a log. Slice into medallions. In a medium size pot, pour in broth and water, bullion, any desired spices, bay leaves and kelp. Gently add the seitan dough medallions. Cover and simmer on low heat for 2 hours. For cross reference: http://www.instructables.com/id/Seitan-Made-Easy/ is a great example.

After simmering save broth and store seitan in it for up to 2 weeks. Extra broth can be frozen and reused in meals or making seitan again.

General Mushroom Broth

A great substitute for beef broth.
Get yourself down to your local Asian food purveyor for some fun treats and treasures. For me Sunrise Grocery is amazing!!! I purchased a good quantity of dehydrated small capped shittake mushrooms for less than $5. I found powder mushroom bullion, loads of bay leaves, kelp, etc.


Makes 2 quarts

8 cups of water
12 tsp of mushroom boullion
10 dehydrated small capped mushrooms
3 bay leaves
dash ginger
1 3x3 piece of kelp
splash of good quality soy sauce

Combine all and over medium low heat simmer for 2 hours. Still occasionally. When complete, strain off large particulate. Collect broth in container of your choosing. Store or use.

Simple Ones: Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse with a Hidden Vegetable:

Avocados!

I figured since everyone else is posting their swell vegan mousse recipes, I should add the one I whipped up this weekend. Its top notch and wicked easy.

Makes 3 cups in about 20 minutes

2 ripe haas avocados, pitted

1 cup sweet chocolate baking chips

2 tbsp creme de cacoa (of course!)

Agave nectar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 pinch salt

In a double boiler, melt the baking chips. Mash the 2 avocados in a small bowl. Measure out dry ingredients and combine in bowl with avocados. When chocolate is melted, carefully pour into ingredients bowl. With a mixer or immersion blender- blend together. Then refrigerate for 1 hour or eat it in a hurried crazed fashion. Its good either warm or cold. The creme de cacoa is what really sets it apart from others. You need that little boozy spike. 

6ish Month Mark: Ovo/Lacto/Veg'n

So here we are, at the 6.5 month check in on Vegetarianism as we know it. Doing better each day, really being conscious about my food intake. I thought I'd include some easy foods for those who are thinking about transitioning over or just cutting down on the animal intake.

Some Foods I Love and Their Replacements

Chicken Ramen Noodles--> Top Ramen Oriental Ramen
Hot dogs --> Yves Good Dogs or Morningstar Hot Dogs
Chicken Patties--> Boca Chick'n Patties
Chicken Nuggets-->  Fried Tofu Nuggets
Chili--> Chili recipe with TVP
Tacos--> TVP Tacos or even Quinoa Tacos
Chicken Sandwich-->Here it is-Tasty Bean Burger
Shepherd's Pie--> (recipe to ensue) Meatless Shepherd's Pie
Beef/Chicken Broth-->Vegetable or Not Chicken/Beef Boullion
Chocolate Mousse Pie-->Chocolate Fudge Pie
Hamburgers--> Boca burgers or Bean Burgers


I'm finding its really easy to be vegetarian. If a recipe calls for meat, I just use lentils or tvp or even just more vegetables. It doesn't have to be hard or elaborate. Your favorite family recipes are just too easy to tweak. Vegan Dad, despite the blogging has ended on there, has some great Seitan recipes for steak or meat alternatives.

I eat a big 4 cups of salad for lunch, cottage cheese or yogurt (homemade, of course). Later a snack bar or banana. Its important to have fresh produce on hand: bag of apples, oranges, lemons, limes, bananas, box of organic salad, cukes, tomatoes, potatoes, acorn/ butternut squash and onions. Fresh produce is quite inexpensive. Especially in comparison to 1 steak at $12 vs. 1 bag of organic apples ($4) 2 quarts organic yogurt ($4), bag of blue corn chips ($3). That's a lot more food at a cheaper price. Have these items replace the usual junk: chips, cookies, crackers, box lunches and the like.

 Then when you want something unhealthy, you have to make it. If I want brownies or that awesome fudge pie, I have to take the time to make it from scratch. Result: Laziness usually prevails and I eat an apple or I make an amazing dessert that has quality ingredients and is worth it.

The freezer should be your dear chum. I like to make many things up in advance such as bean burgers, sandwich rolls, fried spring rolls, cookie dough, soups and freeze them. So when I'm home from work and am on lazy lane, the food is in the freezer ready to go. Its cheaper, produces more product and is far healthier to make things in bulk and freeze, can, or preserve them.