Egg Replacers

Last night my friend Kimberly had us over for a delicious vegan dinner of 'sloppy joes', butternut squash soup, and apple turnovers. In our conversation she asked a great question about what I do for egg replacements. Unfortunately the answer was quite long, as it really depends on the dish.

Luckily, vegcooking.com has a really good outline of egg replacement recommendations...see below

Egg Replacements

There are plenty of egg substitutes available for baking or preparing a dish that calls for eggs. Ener-G Egg Replacer is a reliable egg substitute for use in baking. It is available at health food stores and most grocery stores.

Tofu: Tofu is great for egg substitutions in recipes that call for a lot of eggs, like quiches or custards. To replace one egg in a recipe, purée 1/4 cup soft tofu. It is important to keep in mind that although tofu doesn’t fluff up like eggs, it does create a texture that is perfect for “eggy” dishes.

Tofu is also a great substitute for eggs in eggless egg salad and breakfast scrambles.

In Desserts and Sweet, Baked Goods: Try substituting one banana or 1/4 cup applesauce for each egg called for in a recipe for sweet, baked desserts. These will add some flavor to the recipe, so make sure bananas or apples are compatible with the other flavors in the dessert.

Other Egg Replacement Options

• 1 egg = 2 Tbsp. potato starch
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup mashed potatoes
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup canned pumpkin or squash
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup puréed prunes
• 1 egg = 2 Tbsp. water + 1 Tbsp. oil + 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 egg = 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed simmered in 3 Tbsp. water
• 1 egg white = 1 Tbsp. plain agar powder dissolved in 1 Tbsp. water, whipped, chilled, and whipped again

Egg Replacement Tips

• If a recipe calls for three or more eggs, it is important to choose a replacer that will perform the same function (i.e., binding or leavening).
• Trying to replicate airy baked goods that call for a lot of eggs, such as angel food cake, can be very difficult. Instead, look for a recipe with a similar taste but fewer eggs, which will be easier to replicate.
• When adding tofu to a recipe as an egg replacer, be sure to purée it first to avoid chunks in the finished product.
• Be sure to use plain tofu, not seasoned or baked, as a replacer.
• Powdered egg replacers cannot be used to create egg recipes such as scrambles or omelets. Tofu is the perfect substitute for eggs in these applications.
• If you want a lighter texture and you’re using fruit purées as an egg substitute, add an extra 1/2 tsp. baking powder. Fruit purées tend to make the final product denser than the original recipe.
• If you’re looking for an egg replacer that binds, try adding 2 to 3 Tbsp. of any of the following for each egg: tomato paste, potato starch, arrowroot powder, whole wheat flour, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, instant potato flakes, or 1/4 cup tofu puréed with 1 Tbsp. flour.

Product Review: TJ's Gluten Free Pancake Mix

This gluten free pancake mix can be made vegan or not, the recipe calls for an egg and milk, but you can use a number of egg substitutes, and the of course non-dairy milk or water. For this mix, I like to use applesauce and hemp milk.


I like my pancakes thin, and as thin pancakes theses are great. The flour is made from sweet rice, which is very sticky (think sushi rice/ mochi), so the pancakes have a hint of stickiness, which I actually liked. If you prefer thick fluffy pancakes it may be more difficult to achieve that consistency, overall Dan and I give it a thumbs up.

Savory Rosemary Crepes

Last night while on a walk, we found a beautiful rosemary bush. I picked a bunch and immediately started thinking of what to make. Being that it was evening and the next meal would be breakfast, I thought Rosemary Savory Crepes! So this morning I made Rosemary Crepes, with kale and onion filling, topped with a red wine reduction and heirloom tomatoes.

The batter was easy, just Trader Joes Gluten Free Pancake mix (I will write a product review on that later), of course adjusted to be veganized and crepe like. Recipe below:

Batter:
1/2 bag of TJ mix
1/4 c. applesauce
1 tbs. oil
1 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk, or water
1-2 Rosemary stems, leaves removed and finely chopped
salt and pepper

Mix ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.


Filling:
bunch of kale chopped
1/2 onion chopped

in a small skillet saute ingredients until onions are golden and kale is soft, set aside.

Reduction:
1/2 c. red wine
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic

simmer until liquids are reduced (this evaporates the alcohol)


Process:
pre-heat a medium sized skillet add olive-oil/ butter/ or spray the pan to avoid sticking. Pour about a 1/2 c. of batter into the pan. lift pan, and angle it to spread the batter around in a circle (this thins out the batter). cook until bubbles surface, flip. remove from skillet,

place face down on a plate, fill with kale and onions, roll crepe.

repeat with the remaining batter, then pour the reduction sauce over the crepes and add fresh tomatoes.


Did you know...
rosemary is said to help with digestion, prevent breast cancer and help with headaches?

Tofu Scramble

I can't believe I haven't posted a tofu scramble recipe yet. Maybe because it is so simple and I make them so frequently that I didn't think it merited much attention. But it does! This is such a great go to meal, any time of day. You can add whatever vegetables you have lying around, and make so many variations.

For the most basic scramble you need:
Block of tofu
Turmeric (gives the tofu its yellow color)
Other spices ( I usually use paprika, cumin, oregano)
vegetables

I like to add some miso paste, it gives a great flavor, and nutritional yeast. Here is the recipe for this morning's creation.

1 block of tofu
1 tbs. olive oil
half an onion
1. zucchini
a bunch of kale
2. heirloom tomatoes
1-2 tbs. turmeric
2 tbs. nutritional yeast
2 tbs. miso paste
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper.

Process
saute the onions in olive oil until translucent. add the tofu and saute for a few minutes. add the spices/herbs. stir in vegetables, heat until vegetables are cooked to your liking*

*the more the vegetables are cooked the less healthy they become

Strawberry Ice cream

Making non-dairy icecream really is a piece of cake. You just follow the directions on your icecream machine. The tricky part is getting the consistency right.

I used Isa's basic vanilla recipe from Veganomicon. The coconut cream really helps with the consistency issue and is much much healthier than whipping cream. To get coconut cream, just refridgerate a can of coconut milk, the cream will separate from the water, and you just scoop the cream from the top.

Ingredients
1/2 c. coconut cream
1 c. soymilk
3/4 c. sugar (I only used 1/2c.)
6 oz. silken tofu
1 tbs. vanilla extract
1 pint of fresh strawberries, chopped

Process
dump everything into a blender. add to ice cream maker. enjoy.


P.S. Does anyone else think ice cream should be a compound word? Icecream...i like it better!

GDF Italian part due

Making Gluten and Dairy free italian isn't as difficult as I thought. Tonight's dish was inspired by a similar dish from our favorite restaurant Ratatouille. I tried to pay more attention to what I was adding this time, so I do have approximate measurements. This might be one of my favorite dishes yet.

Rolled Eggplant Lasagna

The outside

1 large italian eggplant
1 large heirloom tomato, sliced

Spread
1/4c. sundried tomatoes (i used the ones in oil)
about 10 kalamata olives
1/2 clove garlic
1/2 tbs. oregano
1/2 tbs. basil
salt and fresh pepper to taste

Filling
1/2 lb tofu
1/2 medium onion
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
1/4 c. red wine
1 tsp. braggs amino or soy sauce
oregano, garlic, salt, pepper to taste

Sauce
2c. tomato sauce
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
s&p to taste

PROCESS
Heat a pan with olive oil. Slice eggplant lengthwise into thin (but not too thin) strips, and brown each side in the oil. Set aside.

In a food processor combine all ingredients for 'spread'

In the same pan used for eggplant, heat more oil and saute onions. Crumble tofu into 'ricotta' like texture. saute for a few minutes. add garlic, then add wine. saute until wine is absorbed, add braggs seasoning and nutritional yeast. remove mixture and set aside.

In the same pan, add the tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, s&p. Heat for a few minutes, then remove from heat.


ASSEMBLY
Lay the eggplant slices flat in a baking dish, spoon the sundried tomato spread onto half of each eggplant slice. Then add a spoonful of 'ricotta' filling. Roll the eggplant, making sure the filling does not spill out the sides. Place rolled eggplant snuggly together in baking dish. Pour sauce ontop then place sliced heirloom tomatoes atop each roll. Cover in aluminum foil and bake for 30minutes, remove foil and bake for another 5.

Gluten and Dairy free Italian

Dan and I had a conversation a bit ago, about how now with my wheat intolerance Italian food is almost impossible to eat. Just being vegan at an Italian restaurant is hard enough, so to prove that being vegan really doesn't mean giving up your favorite foods, last night I set out to make vegan and gluten free Italian. Kale and Cherry Tomato Risotto and Roasted Heirloom Tomato Eggplant.
(for 4-6 people)
I roughly based this recipe off an existing one, so I actually have measurements!
Risotto
bunch of kale, chopped
1 c. cherry tomatoes chopped
1/2 c. onion
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. earthbalance (opt., if omitted use more oil)
1 1/2 c. Arborio Rice
2/3 c. red wine
5 1/2 c. vegetable stock
2 tbs. soymilk (optional)
1 tbs. nutritional yeast (optional)
1 tsp. oregano
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp. italian seasoning
salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the Earth Balance and oil in a large, wide pot over medium heat, add the onions and cook until translucent, add garlic. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute. Add the kale and half the tomatoes . Add the wine and simmer until the wine is absorbed. Add 2c. of stock, cover, and simmer until absorbed. Begin adding the stock in1/2 increments, stirring constantly until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. When the rice is cooked, add the remaining tomatoes, soymilk, nutritional yeast, seasonings, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and serve immediately.


Roasted Eggplant
(for two)
1 Italian eggplant
Roughly 1 c. olive oil
2 medium sized heirloom tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
nutritional yeast
oregano
salt and fresh pepper

Preheat the oven to 375. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise and score the soft part in a criss cross pattern

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the eggplant, cut sides down, and brown. Flip the eggplant and brown for a few minutes. Place eggplant in baking dish (with sides, preferably) cut sides up, and season with salt and pepper.

In the same pan, with a little fresh oil, add the garlic. Then add the tomatoes and brown on each side.

Lay the tomato on top of the eggplant, sprinkle nutritional yeast and oregano on top.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, remove foil and bake for 5 minutes more.

Gluten and Dairy free Quesadillas!

¿Quesadillas sin wheat or queso? You bet!

Granted they aren't as melty as real quesadillas (though you could probably get that same melt with store bought vegan cheese), but they were a big hit. I try to stay away from store bought substitutes, but this could be made in a snap with Teese. The "cheese" is more of a spread, and I just made up the recipe as I cooked, so it is very alterable.

Tortillas
Brown rice tortillas from Trader Joes

Cheese (i will try to give rough measurements, very rough....just let your taste buds guide)
2-3 tbs. of yellow miso
1/4 c. unsweetened soymilk
1/3 c. nutritional yeast
1 tbs. wheat-free tamari (or soysauce if you don't care about the gluten thing)
1 tsp. mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Filling
olive oil
onion
corn
mushrooms
kale or spinach
pinto beans

Process
combine 'cheese' ingredients in a small pot over low-medium heat, starting with the miso and milk stirring regularly. add nutritional yeast/ milk until you get the consistency you like (nutritional yeast will make it more pasty, milk more runny...obviously)

in a pan heat olive oil, add onions and saute until golden. add mushroom, corn and beans. add kale/spinach right before removing from heat. season with salt/ pepper or cumin and paprika.

once you have the filling and the cheese, you can do the rest.

ice scream!

dan and i recently discovered this new line of dairy free ice cream

it's creamier than rice milk, and healthier than soy, and so so delicious. when comparing ice creams, we usually compare mint chocolate chip. so i can confidently tell yo that this mint chocolate chip is better than any other brand we have had...as for the other flavors, no sé. what is your favorite non-dairy ice cream?

Thai Rice Noodles

I have been trying to cut out wheat, as I am 95% sure I am wheat intolerant, so I have been experimenting with some alternatives. At the Asian market I picked up rice noodles and made a cold Thai salad for tonight's dinner. It turned out great.

Recipe (very rough, as I made zero measurements)
thai rice noodles
broccoli
cilantro
tomatoes
onion
(i just used what i had around the house, mung bean sprouts would be great)

Sauce
peanut butter
peanut oil
chile oil
lime
cilantro
tamari or soy sauce
agave

Process
Boil noodles until soft.
While waiting for water to boil, saute onions, broccoli and tomatoes, until slightly cooked- but not soft.

In a small sauce pan combine the sauce ingredients to taste.

Strain noodles, combine sauce and vegetables. Refrigerate until cold.

Mochi

In Kyoto, when asked what do I miss most about home, I always said first Dan then food. But what do I do once I get back to the states? I go to the Asian market and buy natto, miso, adzuki bean paste, aloe juice, and nori.

And tonight, I made Mochi...or atleast I call it mochi, mochi just refers to the sweet rice flour. The real name is Daifuku. I used this recipe, and it turned out perfectly.

some say that mochi is a sexy food...what do you think?

tee hee hee

soy icecream

at one of my favorite places in Kyoto- Arashiyama. I got the black sesame flavor, they also have a black soybean which is just as tasty

finally!

my first vegan restaurant experience in kyoto!
Cafe Proverbs was just what I needed. The flavors were fantastic and the service great. But perhaps what excited me most about my visit was the fact that i could have ordered anything off the menu. There have been too many experiences where my options are limited to one item, and I am certain I have eaten/drank meat unknowingly. So to walk into a restaurant and know that I could point to anything on the menu and eat it was such a wonderful feeling. after 20 minutes of debating, i had the satay and taco rice.

sorry no food photos, i was so excited to eat i forgot about the camera

from kyoto

for those who still check my blog, i am apologize for the lack in posting.
for those who don't know, i am in kyoto.
why am i not blogging about all the wonderful japanese food?
because it is so hard to find anything vegan in this town! in the land of tofu, all restaurants use meat/fish in some form. but the tofu, soymilk ,soy ice cream that i have had are fantastic, and i will make more of an effort to blog about those.

sorry for such a lame blog these days.


caitlin

We don't have any vegan babies yet, and probably won't for another few years, but I can't help wanting to buy this book prematurely! Just the cover makes me so happy, what great illustrations!

Sunday I wanted to make a nice dinner for our 1 year anniversary, but we had limited time and no groceries. I was going to make our typical quinoa dish, but instead I threw together something really delicious! I don't remember everything I put in, but I will try my best. I think this post is more for me to remember and so I can go back and rework the recipe. I would like to switch the zucchini for eggplant (sorry no photos, we ate it too fast)

Sautee onions in olive oil until golden, add garlic and tempeh. Add red wine and let simmer for a bit. Add zucchini and beets, then a can of diced tomatoes (with sauce). Add salt, pepper, and fresh basil. More wine to taste, and some balsamic vinegar too. Cover and let simmer for half hour.


Serve over quinoa and rice.

raw sushi

I was so excited to make raw sushi because I could finally use my Nama Shoyu! I won Nama Shoyu in a blog contest. Nama Shoyu is a sort of 'raw' soysauce. Aged for years and imported from Japan.


So sushi....

For the Rice
head of cauliflower
agave
salt
rice wine vinegar

Combine ingredients together in a food processor

For the filling
obviously anything, we had limited veggies so we used cucumber, chard, lettuce. I recommend avocado, carrot, mung bean sprouts.


ps. isn't my plate great! I got it at the lonely pot sale for $10

i recently found out that gum has aspartame! I was shocked. Firstly because I read labels on everything just for sheer curiosity and somehow this has slipped my radar the past few years.; and secondly because I chew gum religiously, or did anyway.

Aspartame is so so so bad for you, anyone who drinks diet soda needs to stop. And if you know aspartame is bad and still drink diet soda, shame on you. It is linked to cancer, neurological damage, memory loss, etc. What irks me most about diet soda is that it is most Mormon's drug of choice (given the whole no coffee and tea thing[herbal is ok]). We Mormon's are lucky to have the Word of Wisdom, basic guidelines to keep you healthy and clear-minded, and we should embrace the spirit of this decree. Yet many members see the Word of Wisdom as restrictive and try to skirt the guidelines... so instead of drinking of coffee they drink soda (although I bet if soda existed in the 1800s it would be included in the WofW). Our bodies are gifts and should be treated as such.

Anyway, so apparently all sugarless gum has aspartame, anyone know of a good substitute?

Thai Dessert

We had the missionaries over for dinner tonight, and because this week was so crazy, I just didn't have time to cook a full meal. So we ordered thai take out, and I made some more tempeh lettuce wraps and a sticky rice dessert.
....once again, no measurements, just made it up as i went.

Coconut Mango Sticky Rice

Ingredients
1c. sticky rice (sushi rice)
2c. coconut milk (i used light)
1c. water or almond milk
fresh mango
fresh banana
shredded coconut
agave

Method
cook the rice using 1c. coconut milk and 1c.water/almond milk (reserve the other cup for later)
once liquid is absorbed, stir in remaining coconut milk, add agave to tase, stir in coconut flakes and leave some for garnish, cut fruit, you know the rest.

it was a big hit, i try to limit how much white rice i eat, so i doubt i will be making it often, but its a good treat.

Tempeh Lettuce Wraps

I came up with this recipe this evening when I really did not want to go to the store. It actually turned out great, so I will share it. Mind you, I never measure, so I have not given any measurements, just do what feel right.

For the wraps:
lettuce!
cucumber

Filling:
package of tempeh, marinated
onion
garlic
carrots

Marinade
Sesame oil
Chili oil
soy sauce

Dipping sauce: just combine the two rice wine vinegar
ginger sauce (from store)

Marinade tempeh, I was short on time so I only did 10 minutes, but longer is usually better. In a pan saute onions and garlic. Crumble the tempeh and add to the pan, cook until browned. Add carrots and continue to saute until carrots are softened.

if you are wondering why our food is on the floor,
we have been consigned to eating dinners down here
since our dining table has been converted to an apartment manager's office.

we also had vegan gyozas (just found in the freezer aisle of trader joes)

and the winner is...

4!

congratulations to angela! i want to thank all 5 of my participants, and I am sorry I couldn't make all of you winners...next time. if you still have an interest in teff, it can be found in the bulk section of most healthier markets. angela, shoot me an email at camillson@gmail.com with your mailing address, and i will send you some nutrient packed delciousness, as well as preparation ideas.

easy summer dinner

Salad with sauteed tofu

the salad is just lettuce, kale, tomatoes, and hemp seeds

the tofu was just cubed and thrown into a medium heat pan of olive oil. I seasoned it with oregano, basil, s&p, nutritional yeast, lemon juice.

for the dressing i blended tahini, parsley, lemon juice, honey, herbs. (the dressing was good, but not great)

Q&A

I just found this comment on a past post, and I was so excited!! So I am answering it now even though swore I would go to bed. Writes Natalie,

"As far as going vegan goes, i think i am most concerned about how much money i will spend on groceries each month and how many hours per week i will spend cooking. i was wondering if maybe you could write a post about that?"

So there are a few answers to this question:
1. you may be buying more produce, but meat and cheese is pretty expensive and by cutting that out you could actually save quite a bit of money...grains are cheap. make sure you buy produce in season to get the best deals.

2. being vegan doesn't mean you have to change your eating habits completely, if you eat taco bell cause its cheap, order a bean burrito (they don't use lard) sans cheese and ask them to throw some lettuce and tomatoes in there. You can find something to eat at almost every restaurant, just be creative and ask questions...plus the vegetarian options are always a few bucks less than everything else

3. it may seem like a lot upfront as you try to stock your fridge and pantry with vegan staples, but eventually you will have most things you need at home and your weekly grocery bill will be low

4. don't feel like you have to follow every vegan recipe exactly. this is difficult to do at first because the recipes may be foreign to you but rarely do i have all the ingredients required, just whip something together with what you have. If you come across an ingredient that you question if it is worth buying/ keeping stock of, ask me and I will tell you my input.

Here is a quick list of good starter staples:
Nutritional Yeast
Non-dairy milk (almond or hemp recently, but soy is good too...everyone has their own preference, try a bunch)
tofu/ tempeh/ beans
vegan margarine/ olive oil

V&M 3- Stewardship

first i want to say I am disappointed by the number of responses to my proposed contest. this means either:
1) only Amanda reads my blog
2) only Amanda will admit she reads my blog
3) only Amanda has any real interest in trying teff....i love you manda!
one week to posts your comments!

So moving past the word of wisdom I would like discuss the issue of stewardship. When Adam left the garden of Eden, he became a steward over the whole Earth, this stewardship did not imply control or dominance, but rather care and responsibility. Hugh Nibley wrote a great article entitled "Man's dominion" here are some excerpts, though I encourage you to read the whole thing.

Man's dominion is a call to service, not a license to exterminate. It is precisely because men now prey upon each other and shed the blood and waste the flesh of other creatures without need that "the world lieth in sin"

we are answerable for them: "The Lord will not judge a single animal for its treatment of man, but He will adjudge the souls of men towards their beasts in this world, for men have a special place."

"Always keep in view," Brigham Young exhorts us, "that the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms—the earth and its fulness—will all, except the children of men, abide their creation—the law by which they were made, and will receive their exaltation."²⁸ We are all going to move together into the eternities, and even now look forward to "heaven, the paradise of God, the happiness of man, and of beasts, and of creeping things, and of the fowls of the air; that which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal; . . . the spirit of man in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created" (D&C 77:2). What an admonition to proceed with reverence and care! It is only because the Latter-day Saints are ignorant of these things, according to President Young, that God has not already cursed them for their brutal and callous treatment of God's other creatures.

And there's more from other leaders:

"Blood shall not be shed, only for meat, to save your lives; and the blood of every beast will I require at your hands" (JST Gen. 9:11).

"I exhorted the brethren not to kill a serpent, bird, or an animal of any kind during our journey unless it became necessary in order to preserve ourselves from hunger" (Joseph Smith)
"Kindness to the whole animal creation and especially to all domestic animals is not only a virtue that should be developed, but is the absolute duty of mankind ... It as an unrighteous thing to treat any animal cruelly" (Joseph F. Smith)

President Joseph F. Smith said, "We are a part of life and should study carefully our relationship to it. We should be in sympathy with it, and not allow our prejudices to create a desire for its destruction. The unnecessary destruction of life begets a spirit of destruction which grows within the soul. It lives by what it feeds upon and robs man of the love that he should have for the works of God. It hardens the heart of man... The unnecessary destruction of life is a distinct spiritual loss to the human family. Men cannot worship the Creator and look with careless indifference upon his creation. The love of all life helps man to the enjoyment of a better life. ...Love of nature is akin to the love of God, the two are inseparable." (Juvenile Instructor, April 1918, p. 182-3)

Now you may say, I eat chicken nuggies, I buy my meat the supermercado, I don't hunt, so how do my habits reflect unrighteous dominion? Your actions might not, but your dollars do. If you have any interest in knowing what happens to the animals you eat, you may watch the video below. If you are prone to vomiting, watch on an empty stomach. Hey, its narrated by Alec Baldwin!

Is this treating God's creations with respect and righteous dominion?

teff

Taking a break from the passionate Veganism and Mormonism posts, I would like to share with you our new grain discovery...teff! If you have heard of teff, bravo, if not I would like to introduce you. Teff is a staple grain of ethiopia, and is the smallest grain in the world, which makes it one of the healthiest because it is made of mostly the bran and the germ. It has a deeper flavor and an interesting consistency when cooked (slighty sticky).

apparently you can make pancakes with it, breakfast cereal, and many other things, but I just prepare it the same way I do quinoa. Boil it with sauteed vegetables and herbs until the water is absorbed (3c. water to 1 c. teff).

So now that you have become acquainted with the grain, I would like you to try it. But because you may be apprehensive to rush out and buy some, and in order to encourgae more blog participation I will be giving some away. Here's how to win:

Post a comment below, about anything...your thoughts on my blog, on other grains, on veganism in general. Next week I will select a person at random and mail you some teff of your own (must live in the US).

V&M 2- health continued..

Still on the topic of health, and word of wisdom, here are some other references:

John A. Widtsoe, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, wrote in a book on the Word of Wisdom, "It was shown in the history of plant science that plants contain all the necessary food substances: proteins, fats, starches and the carbohydrates, minerals...water [and] vitamins. The Great builder of the earth provided well for the physical needs of His children. Countless varieties of edible plants, vegetables, cereals, fruits and nuts are yielded by Mother Nature for man's daily food. If one uses meat it must be used sparingly and in winter or famine only.... They who wish to be well and gain the promised reward stated in the Word of Wisdom must obey all of the law, not just part of it as suits their whim or their appetite, or their notion of its meaning." (The Word of Wisdom, a Modern Interpretation, 1950)

President David O. McKay said, "Too many members move along the lines of least resistance and yield to a craving appetite developed by disobedience to the Word of Wisdom of God, thus depriving themselves of spiritual as well as physical strength... Neither the Church nor the world at large can hear too much about the Word of Wisdom." (Improvement Era, 1953, p. 376)

"Elder Benson, "To a significant degree, we are an overfed and undernourished nation digging an early grave with our teeth, and lacking the energy that could be ours.... We need a generation of young people who, as Daniel, eat in a more healthy manner than to fare on the 'kings meat' ---and whose countenances show it." (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson pp. 476-7) His reference, of course, is to the biblical Daniel who, as a student in the Babylonian royal court, opted for simple vegetarian food and whose superior health quickly became visible to others. See Daniel, Chapter 1 in the Old Testament or the wonderful account in Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus, Book 10, Chapter 10, verses 1-2 for details." -quoted from JimCatano

I want to be very clear that I do think vegetarianism is requisite for salvation, I am not writing these installments to persuade you, or make you feel guilty. I am not on the offensive, but rather defensive. After hearing about Rachel's encounter, I asked the vegan missionary in our area if he faced challenges, he said that in almost every area he has served he has received harsh criticism from other missionaries, to the point of being told he was disobeying the commandments of God. A friend of mine, upon hearing I was vegan, said he wanted to give me some church talks that would show me this was a wrong way to live. I will no longer sit back and have my religious conviction challenged. I also want to make clear that the behavior of these 'criticizers' is not representative of the Church as a whole, it just demonstrates the varying perspective of individuals within the church

V&M installment 1-word of wisdom

Before I begin with these installments I have to recognize Bob for giving me a good jumping off point. Much of the first few installments will based on scriptures and quotations that he has already noted, I will just expound.

I will start with the word Word of Wisdom:
"Flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine" (D&C 89:12-13 aka Word of Wisdom, emphasis added).

God has provided animals for our use, yes, but we are not in famine..look around, we (in America) actually have an overabundance of food. Therefore we should refrain, or at the very least use sparingly (not have it be the focal point of every single meal).

And for the record, if I was starving, I would have no problem feeding myself and family meat.

after biting my tongue...

I have refrained from discussing veganism in conjunction with my religious beliefs (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) because I believe everyone has the right to eat as they choose, and it is not my place to interpret doctrine. With that said, 71% of voters (out of 7) and a portion of Rachel's email has prompted me (not a spiritual prompting) to speak on this matter.
Rachel, my sister in law, who is serving a mission in Argentina wrote this today:

"i got hasseled for being a vegetarian again by the elders, scriptures came out, fingers were pointed, modern revelation misquoted... it was great. I clearly can't be one now, but less meat consumption is suggested in the scriptures. save the vacas."

clearly hermana gilman has taken this reproach in jest; however, I am irritated that the other missionaries would 'doctrinally' reprimand her personal decision to abstain from meat. so, you want to play that game? i will share with you how i can justify my eating habits with my spiritual teachings. this will be done in installments, as this blog post would be painfully long if i tried to squeeze it in all in.... stay tuned.

and as for the missionaries and their judgements, i will leave you with a message from Roman 14 verse 3:
Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
(I will talk more on this chapter later)

happy earth day!!!

to celebrate i ate all raw!

Breakfast: apple
Lunch: zucchini pasta with sundried tomato and pine nut sauce
Snack: homemade sprouted rye bread (with wayyy too many caraway seeds) with honey and raw almond butter, raw carob bite
Dinner: a mix of raw salads from Sundance Market
Dessert: orange

I have been making zucchini pasta quite frequently, it is so easy and filling. Here is a rough method, add or subtract anything you like (try to use organic):

Ingredients (for one):
Pasta:
1 large or 2 small zucchini

Sauce:
sundried tomatoes
olive oil
raw pine nuts
basil, oregano, etc.
salt/pepper

Shred zucchini into pasta like strands (i just use a peeler). In a small food processor combine all the saucey ingredients. Mix everything together....simple!


Sprouted Rye Bread
raw rye berries, soaked and sprouted a few days
caraway seeds

in a food processor mix the two, add some water until moist, but easily shapeable. Mold into a small loaf, dehydrate about 20 hours.

caution: my rye bread tasted really really strong, maybe less caraway seeds will help, or sprout the rye a for a shorter amount of time.

vegan diary day 1

breakfast: half a banana (we running late to church and split a banana in the car)
lunch: i made raw sushi. for the 'rice' i used left over almond pulp from the milk i made last night and sprouted wild rice (which actually isn't rice at all)
dan made polenta with sauteed onions, mushrooms, spinach and bell peppers (same veggies i used in my sushi)...we shared.
snack: some granola with my almond milk...soooo good! olives, hummus
dinner: soup (method below)

I call this a method and not a recipe because i literally just threw everything in there...
parsnips, carrots, celery, canned tomatoes, onion, kale, lentils, split peas, wild rice (mistook them for the lentils at first), salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, vegetable stock (everything organic).

Ratatouille and Almond Milk

Tonight's dinner was fantastic, I wish I had brought my camera, so beautiful and delicious. We talked for a while with Eric, the owner, he used to own Sparks restaurant in San Francisco (a high end vegetarian restaurant) but moved to Eugene when he became a father. Eugene is a tough place to have a higher end restaurant, not a lot of money here, so go eat there you'll love it. I can't wait though, Eric told me his new passion is raw food and is working on some raw desserts and more raw entrees...I'm still on my raw kick.

Speaking of raw...tonight I finally made fresh raw almond milk. I had been apprehensive about making it because we don't own a vitamix, but I found a recipe that calls for only an everyday blender.

Raw Vanilla Almond Milk

1 cup soaked almonds
3 cups water
1 vanilla bean, seeds scooped out
3-5 soft pitted dates (or soak hard dates in water for 1/2 hour) or
other sweetener to taste such as honey or stevia

To make raw almond milk blend the soaked almonds with the water until smooth. Then strain the mixture through a sprout bag, cheesecloth, or strainer into a big bowl. Save the almond pulp in a container and put in the refrigerator for later use.

Put the almond milk back into the blender carafe and blend in the vanilla seeds and dates or other sweetener until smooth. This milk will last in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days. Shake well before using.

So one thing about soaking almonds: It's great to soak your almonds even if you aren't making milk. The skins of almonds, and most other nuts have enzyme inhibitors. This means that your body has to use its own enzymes to digest them (same premise as cooked food...cooking foods kills their natural enzymes meaning you have to use yours).

To soak almonds:
put raw almonds in a bowl, fill with water. let soak for 24hours, keep in water. You should change the water about once a day.

That's it...super easy. They are great too, they plump up.

I still dream about...

David Bann.

One of the best vegetarian restaurants i have ever had the pleasure of dining at. I would tell you all to go immediately, but its in Edinburgh, Scotland. Which adds to its fantasticness. Imagine wandering around Europe trying to find good vegan food (we actually fared quite well, minus the lentil soup in Paris that was cream based-sick for 2weeks), and happening upon this little gem in Scotland. The food is very gourmet, not unlike Milenium or Greens in San Francisco, but the prices are insanely low in comparison. The closest thing we have here in Eugene is Rataouille, where we will be eating tonight.

Vegan Mac and Cheese

I think I may be slightly wheat intolerant, I had small allergic reactions to something and ever since I started eating mostly raw my symptoms have disappeared. Until....

We had the missionaries over (one who was vegan!) and they requested vegan mac and cheese. I avoid the processed cheese, so the recipe is below. I have posted this recipe on my other blog, but will repeat here because it's just delicious.

From Vegan Yum Yum:

Mac and Cheeze
Serves 2-3

1/3 Cup Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 1/2 Tbs Low Sodium Tamari or Soy Sauce
1 Tbs Lemon Juice, fresh
1 Tbs Sweet/White/Mellow Miso
1 Tbs Tahini
1 Tbs Tomato Paste (not sauce!)
1 1/4 Cup Soy Milk
1/3 Cup Nutritional Yeast
1 Pinch Salt
Black Pepper, to taste

Begin by heating a sauce pan and adding the earth balance. Once melted, add flour and whisk vigorously until a smooth paste forms, called a roux. Be careful not to add flour to a pan that is very hot, or your roux will be lumpy and you’ll need to start over. If you mix in the flour as soon as the margarine is melted and you should avoid any problems.

To this paste, add tamari, lemon, miso, tahini, and tomato paste and whisk until well incorporated. The mixture should still be paste-like. Then slowly pour in the soymilk, whisking constantly, until it is completely incorporated. Add the yeast and mix well. Cook the mixture until it thickens, whisking often. This should take approximately 5 minutes, but it’s flexible. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The only alteration I made to this recipe was adding some Paprika.

So with the wheat allergy, there could obviously be a number of factors; but I have been reading a lot about wheat and have decided that it should be generally avoided. I won't eliminate wheat completely because then I couldn't reintroduce it, but I am definitely going to minimize it.

Advice for going vegan

#1 don't run out of food!

this may sound obvious, but it is very important when you are first starting to change your diet. if you let your pantry run dry, in a state of extreme hunger you will resort to what you know is easy and accessible....most likely a meat/ dairy solution.
i learned this lesson tonight. i have been about 95% raw this past week, the 5% consisted of rice cakes and a bite of dan's vegan waffle. tonight though, when faced with an empty fridge and limited time dan and i went to a mexican restaurant and got veggie burritos, with a vegan brownie for dessert. its an easy trap to fall into, but this leads me into my next mention of advice....

#2 don't be hard on yourself!
maybe this should be number 1, it is perhaps the most important. don't set too many limitations, and if you mess up or given into cravings, don't get frustrated. this will most likely cause you to give up all together.
so for instance, tonight i say to myself too bad you couldn't keep it up longer, i felt great all week and now i feel tired and heavy... so all the more reason to start back up again tomorrow.

Raw coconut fudge

I don't remember exactly how I made this, I adapted a few recipes, but here is the general gist

raw carob powder, raw almond butter, shredded coconut, vanilla extract....uhh i think thats it. if you like carob they are very delicious and satisfying. just half of one would satisfy sweet cravings.

raw pad thai!

noodles of squash, zucchini, and bean sprouts
sauce of raw almond butter, chopped almonds, braggs, paprika, orange juice

raw crepes!

It is general conference weekend, normally I make vegan crepes, but in an attempt to eat more raw food I made raw crepes! I adapted the recipe from Alissa Cohen's book "Living on Live Food"

You will need a dehydrator and food processor for this recipe.
Note: anything in brackets is my adaption
for the crepes
5-6 bananas
[cinnamon]
-blended until smooth, spread onto teflex dehydrator sheet, dehydrate for 10- 14 hours (I prepared these last night)
- when finished cut into crepe like slices

filling
1/2 c. [almonds]
1/2 c. [walnuts]
[1/2 apple]
juice of 1 large lemon
[3] tsp. honey
2 tsp. bragg liquid aminos (this is kind of like a soy sauce or tamari, but better)
1tsp. vanilla
2 tsp water
-blend everything together, spread on 1/2 of crepe and fold crepe on itself

strawberry syrup
1c. strawberries
1 tbs. honey
-blend everything together, and smother on top.

some food!

For dinner Dan and I had a homemade pizza and a vegan caesar salad.

Pizza is the easiest dinner. We get the fresh prepared, uncooked dough from Trader Joes, smother it in tomato sauce and top it with whatever left over veggies we have lying around. Tonight we used kale, mushroom, and bell pepper. For those who want a more cheesy pizza you can get non-dairy cheeses, but we usually use crumbled tofu mixed with nutritional yeast and some other spices.

For the caesar I used crispy romaine lettuce. Toasted some Ezekiel bread and seasoned it with olive oil, italian herbs, and paprika for croutons and the dressing recipe that I adapted is as follows:

• 1/2 c. vegainaise (sounds gross, its actually good- and before i went vegan i hated mayonaise)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 Meyer lemon, juiced
• 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Pepper to taste

update and my own two cents

the other night we decided to make a raw dinner of zucchini pasta with a homemade tomato sauce. for the sauce i blended some fresh tomatoes with sundried ones and herbs, and raw pine nuts. The sauce tasted good, but we discovered blended tomatoes turn out frothy. Frothy tomatoes apparently make Dan sick to his tummy so we put in a cheeseless frozen pizza instead. hahah.


To change topics....
I will share with you some reasons why you should stop drinking milk, or if you have no interest in not drinking milk why I refrain.

• The cattle industry is the number ONE cause of global warming .(http://www.purpleslinky.com/Offbeat/Cow-Farts-and-Global-Warming.117060)*
  
• We are the only species that drinks the milk of another species
• We are the only species that drinks milk into adult hood (cows milk is for baby cows!) would you feed your cat your breast milk? sounds ridiculous huh.
• Casein, the protein found in milk and cheese has shown to greatly increase cancer cell growth (book: China Study)
• Milk from the grocery store is often loaded with hormones, pesticides, even blood and puss
  
• Treatment of the cows is inhumane, they are fed hormones to increase milk production and they are often milked until there udders are sore and bloody (hence the puss in the milk) to ward off infection they are given antibiotics, that goes into your milk
• Many many studies have shown that milk actually causes OSTEOPOROSIS...yes, not only does it not actually prevent it, it causes it.
  
• Why then have we been made to believe that milk is necessary? The milk industry spends millions of dollars on advertising, it's all about the money. And the FDA is just a joke.

*There are many other sources for this information you just have to seek it out.

About two years ago, I started a facebook group, "Friends don't let friend's drink milk" most of this is posted there, but a lot of the members (almost 400 now!) have posted some great links in the comments section.

current status

When I first became vegan, I was so amazed by all the things I could actually eat! The desserts that tasted just as decadent as the unhealthy version, comfort foods that could taste fattening without being so, and store bought snacks that qualified as vegan. Every meal I prepared was an exciting challenge. Anyone can make chocolate chip cookies, but what an accomplishment to make them vegan and delicious. While I sometimes still get excited by 'imitation' recipes, I am no longer shocked by vegan deliciousness. I now know with a certainty that anything can be made vegan.
With that said, Dan and I have decided to embrace foods in their natural form and to try and make meals that don't focus on being "just like the real thing!" We are also trying to incorporate a greater number of raw meals into our diet (raw food is just incredible, the way you feel after a raw meal, and the amazing things it does to your body) and eat less refined sugar and processed foods.
I don't really know the purpose of this post, this is just what has been on my mind lately regarding food, I will keep you posted on how it goes.

Past few days

Sorry for the lapse in writing, I have been busy hosting dinners and this weekend Dan and I were in Ashland.

Wednesday night we had the missionaries over, I prepared vegan lasagna. I used Isa's recipe from Veganomicon. It looks just like the real thing, the filling is spinach and a tofu ricotta. I also made garlic bread just using Earth Balance instead of butter.
Earth Balance: I usually try to avoid 'fake' things or really processed foods, but Earth Balance really is a great alternative, it tastes the best and is probably the healthiest 'margarine' out there.

Thursday we had a family from the ward over. I made snobby joes, also from Veganomicon. That book is a must. I liked this recipe because it used lentils (we are trying to eat less soymilk and tofu- more on that later). I then made a vegan cole slaw on the side, with brownies for dessert.

sorry for the unappetizing photo

The vegan brownies were actually from a box, I was just feeling too lazy. The mix called for eggs and butter, but I just used EnerG egg replacers, and applesauce and earthbalance. *When using mixes, be sure to check the ingredients. Don't get it if it has CASEIN in it! That is a milk by-product and is posion. A lot of "non-dairy" cheeses use casein, so beware!

vegan on the go

Many people have told me that they just don't have the time or energy to be vegan, so I thought I would share some of my quick fixes when I am short on time.

Breakfast

• toast w/ pb&j
• cereal with soymilk
• soy yogurt
• oatmeal
  

Lunch/ Dinner
Trader joes has a great selection of vegan friendly frozen/packaged goods, we like:

• Their vegan frozen pizza
• Black bean and tofu enchiladas
• Vegan burritos
• Indian fares (they have two vegan kinds)
• Vegetable potstickers
• Soups and vegan chili

Other suggestions:

• Pasta and a non-cream sauce is always easy
• Stir fry with tofu
• Tofu scramble
• PB&J
  
• Amy's packaged products

Dessert/ candy

• soy ice cream from trader joe's or any store
• Tofutti cuties
  
• oreos
• junior mints
• Any cake/ brownie mix using substitutes (soymilk-milk, earthbalance-butter, enerG-egg, the options are limitless)

These are just a few, but eating on the go Vegan-style is really easy.
Here is a huge list of "I can't believe it's Vegan snacks"

somewhat ironic post

One of my main reasons for starting this blog is to show how accessible and easy it is to be vegan, so what is my first food post? Chia and hemp milk, two things I guarantee most people don't have lying around the house or can pick up at Albertsons. But it was delicious and so healthy that I thought I should blog about it anyway.

What is Chia? think chia pets ...its a seed.
Why eat it? it is the highest known vegetable source of Omega 3 fatty acids, and 1oz. has 4g. of protein.

I used the recipe from this blog.

I just soaked the chia in hemp milk overnight (you can use soy, almond or rice too), added some cinnamon and topped with fresh fruit. Perfect breakfast.

Welcome...

Those of you who read my other blog may know that I live a busy life and rarely have time to write new posts. And you may ask, why start another blog? Well...

When I am not thinking about architecture I am thinking about food/nutrition. I cook to unwind and love testing new recipes. Most of my leisure computer time is spent browsing vegan blogs, and half of my posts from my other blog involve something vegan/food related, so I figured why not start my own.

I also hope this blog will be a helpful resource. Some of the most common questions I get after telling someone I am vegan are:

• What in the world do you eat? anything! and i will prove it in this blog, I will share my recipes and those from other sources that I have tested.
  
• Why did you want to be vegan? long story...so over time I will share my experiences and beliefs.
• Is it difficult to be vegan? not at all. I will share what I choose to eat when I go out to restaurants, what I cook for non-vegans, how easy it is to use healthy substitutes, etc.

Happy reading... happy eating