Posted: April 11, 2008
One of my favourite left-overs is boiled spuds. Growing up I picked up a few spud habits from people around me that have stuck. For one, soup and spuds. Thick vegetable soup with a dollop of mashed potato (cold) is fantastic.
Another favourite was boiled spuds in a bowl with a good layer of milk and absolutely tonnes of pepper. I picked that one up for my granny, who rarely ate sweets unless there were visitors, but loved to pick out her peppery spuds. Since going on the soya milk, I haven’t quite enjoyed this as much. I have yet to get the taste for soya milk on it’s own, but now I’ve got something new: Spuds with soya butter and tonnes of pepper.
Awesome, in particular because the soya butter was bought at tesco! Up until a few months ago, all of the olive oil of other non-dairy spreads contained buttermilk, and thus were not vegan. This meant that we had to buy our soya spread in a health food store at about twice the cost. Now tesco sells Pure, regular and organic dairy free soya spread, and it’s fantastic. Quite creamy and salty, which is the perfect combination for a tasty vegan snack. Developed for the lactose intolerant, but enjoyed by vegans 
According to the website the Pure brand was developed for people with food sensitivities in mind, particularly those who have an allergy or intolerance to dairy. It’s free from:
- Dairy
- Artificial colourings & preservatives
- Added flavourings
- Gluten
- Hydrogenated oils
- GM ingredients
Posted: April 9, 2008
Here’s another recipe inspired by my nutritional kick. Quinoa and lentils with any sort of vegetables and a good lashing of stock makes a super comforting food to curl up with but can also be a great source of protein and vitamins. There is a similar recipe over at eatpeacepleaserecipes.blogspot.com, but they have made theirs quite spicy. My spicy threshold is pretty low, and I try to avoid it as it gives me itchy ears!
For this one, I really wanted to sneak in some of vegetables that are good for you but a lot of people hate, in particular my boyfriend. I used celery, cauliflower, and even carrots, probably three of the vegetables that he dislikes the most, but the stew went down a treat!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed
- Quinoa is a great complete food. It has a very high protein content, a balanced set of amino acids, good source of fiber and iron and phosphorus and magnesium as well as being gluten free
- 1 cup red lentils
- Like I said in my Sweet and Spicy Lentils, these guys taste great and are a good source of protein and dietary fiber
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic crushed
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- Good if you are interested in weight loss because it is a negative calorie vegetable. It is high in dietary fiber, vitamin A, C, K, Potassium, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorus
- 1 cup frozen baby carrots
- 1 cup frozen cauliflower
- Has a high nutrient density. It is low in fat and high in fiber and vitamin C. There are claims that it improves liver function as well as slow or prevent cancerous tumors in the breast and prostate.
- 1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
- Good for the heart and high in antioxidants.
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon fennel
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a fairly large pot
- When hot, add the onions and cook until translucent then add the garlic
- Add the rest of the vegetables, the tomato, and spices and give a good stir until everything is coated
- Add the stock, lentils and quinoa and stir
- Cover and simmer until the lentils are soft
- You may need to add more water as the stock is absorbed
- Once soft, blend to the consistency you prefer. I like to blend the whole lot, but you can do half and half if you like a chunky stew
- Serve with a large slice of bread and soya butter
Posted: April 3, 2008
I was in hospital back in October for some scans, everything came back clear, but I got the impression that some of the doctors were not necessarily happy about my vegan diet and signed me up for an appointment with a nutritionist. I didn’t realise until the appointment letter came in the post, but figured that it was probably a good idea. I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive at first. My boyfriend has had one GP tell him that he should do back eating liver (*yuck*), but the lady was lovely. She herself was a vegetarian and she even managed to root out some information about the levels of calcium and iron in vegan foods. Awesome.Pretty much what she was telling me I knew already, but hadn’t been putting into practice. It was just the boot up the butt I needed to start experimenting more in a more healthy way. My obsession with vegan enchiladas (Recipe coming soon) must end!
To sum, I need get back on the vitamin tablets, in particular iron, B12 and calcium. I also need to be more conscientious about my protein intake. Meat is a whole protein and is absorbed into the body very quickly, whereas in nuts seeds and pulses it is released more slowly so it is necessary to incorporate some carbohydrates into each meal.
So I came up with this, the reasoning behind some of the ingredients are listed after them
Ingredients:
- 1 onion.
- I pretty much put and onion in every dinner. They do contain antioxidants, which lower the risk of heart and neurological disease.
- 1 pepper (Whichever you prefer).
- I can’t eat too much peppers, the seem to irritate my stomach, but they are a good source of vitamin C
- 2 garlic cloves.
- I love love love garlic, but I don’t use it enough. It’s good for cholestoral and high-blood pressure
- 1 can chickpeas (or about a cup if you are soaking them)
- Taste great, good source of protein and carbohydrates
- 2 cups of cooked red lentils
- Protein and good dietary fiber
- 1 can tomatoes
- vitamin A & C and a whole bunch of other good things, tasty too ^_^
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder
- 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
- Good for digestion
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon tumeric
- 1 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons of molasses
- This portion contains 400mg of calcium, which is more than a cup of collard greens
- 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
- Protein, reduces cholesterol, reduces the chances of heart disease and even cancer
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Rice or pasta to serve
Directions:
- Pour the oil into a pot and let it heat
- While it is heating, chop up your vegtables and crush the garlic
- Add all three to the hot pot, and cook until the onion is translucent
- Stir in the mustard and all of the spices
- Add the lentils, chick-peas, tomatoes, molasses and peanut-butter
- Mix well, and leave to simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally
- Serve with some rice or pasta
This makes two massive servings, so there will be plenty left over for lunch. It was inspired by a recipe called Sloppy Lennys sandwich spread that I found in one of my favourite vegan cookbooks: Vegan Vittles. Oh, and even though I’d recommend this with brown rice, the picture above is with mashed potatoes, some soya milk and nutritional yeast flakes. Nick wanted some comfort food the night I was cooking so I did mash instead, and it tasted fab too. A big pile of spuds doesn’t fair as well on the healthy scale although ^_^
Category: mains, recipe | 3 Comments
Posted: April 3, 2008
After my last post about teese vegan cheese, I sent an e’mail inquiring about the possibility of postage and the costs it would incur. The guys over at teesecheese.com got back with a speedy reply as follows:
Sorry Vicki.. . too much paperwork, too much $$. You MAY be able to through veganessentials.com… who will be carrying it within the next few days.
Over at veganessentials.com they have added teese cheese to their shop. It’s going on sale on the 7th of April. The page also says:
This item can be shipped outside of the USA, however, it must be done at the risk of the customer, as we cannot guarantee that it will arrive in perfect condition if you live in a very hot climate. Most likely the item will be fine, however, as noted above, this is shipped at your own risk.
I’ve been wanting to try out the dairy free white chocolate chips for a while, so I think a test order might be called for after my next pay day. mmmMelty.
Category: ommnomnom, products | Leave a Comment
Posted: April 1, 2008
Never have I seen vegan cheese melt quite like this.
The folks over at teesecheese.com have from what I can see the meltiest vegan cheese ever! They are of course, an American based company, however they do have an online shop. I’m not quite sure about the legislation governing the postage of vegan cheese from America to Ireland. So, to find out I have sent them an e-mail. Results will be posted
Category: products | Leave a Comment
Posted: March 31, 2008
A quick and tasty sauce that will turn regular fried vegetables into ommnomnom
Ingrediants:
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 a veg stock cube
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon dark soy
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
Directions:
- Stir everything together in the cup
- Add to veg about 2 minutes before you are ready to serve
- Tip: If you’re using tofu with your veg, throw in a good dash of the sauce to get it started
Posted: March 28, 2008
I hold a warm place in my heart for the woman charmer that he played in Star Trek, and the quick witted lawyer in Boston Legal, and I adore the fact that he played host and narrator to a short documentary supporting vegetarianism: The Vegetarian World.
I’ll admit, it’s a rather PG introduction to vegetarianism, but anything narrated by that wonderful voice goes down easy. Shatner believes “Vegetarianism is not just a diet, it is a whole approach to life” which, I guess, is the reason I became a vegan. He goes on to talk veganism as the purest of the vegetarian diets.
It’s sad that at the time of making, back in the early 80s, there was a realization that if the world could reduce it’s consumption of meat by 10%, it could feed 60 million more people. As it stands, about one third of cereal grown is used to feed the rich countries live-stock. According to a report by the UN, entitled Livestock’s Long Shadow in 2006 the number of overweight people (1 billion) outnumbered the malnourished (800 million). Mmm, they have also gone as far as to state that livestock products are one of the major contributing causes. Their current statistics for world obesity weighs in at 300 million.
Of course, it would be naive to think that you have to be an omnivore to be over-weight. Shatner himself nearly died during a hip replacement because of heart complications that were due to excess weight.
William Shatner is not the only geeky vegetarian that I have a soft spot for. Leonard Nimoy would have to be up at the top of that list. As Mr Spock, the first officer aboard the Starship Enterprise, he played the first vegetarian to appear regularly on television. Vulcans did not consume meat, although they did use futuristic technologies to replicate food to taste like meat. A 24th century quorn no doubt.
Category: famous people, humor | Leave a Comment
Posted: March 26, 2008
The folks over at My Urban Garden is telling us to forget the bbq and frankly I’m excited.
While these bad boys aren’t available in Ireland, you can buy them online at UnitedSolarEnergy.com
A feature that I find strangely awesome is that it floats!
That photo from USE looks strangely dated, according to their site they have been doing solar research since 1977. Personally, I’m going to get in touch with the old man and see if his solar installation-abilities could be used to manufacture a home-grown version. Bring on the Summer, and roasted toasted veggies!
ommnomnom
Category: ommnomnom | 2 Comments
Posted: March 25, 2008
Ingredients:
For the Salad:
- 2 tablespoons dried Wakame kelp
- 1/2 cup cold water
- Cucumber, peeled and julienned
- 3 chopped Spring Onions
- Cherry Tomatoes cut in half
- Daikon, boiled and julienned (These are even tastier if you stew them in a Konbu stock)
For the Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons of light miso
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup good olive oil
Directions:
- I used dried pre-cut wakame from the Asian Market on Drury St.
- You need to reconstitute the wakame in the cold water for about 6 or 7 minutes
- Meanwhile you can make the dressing. I usually keep a few empty jars around the house for sauces. The easiest way to make this is to throw all of the dressing ingredients into a jar.
- Make sure the lid is tight and shake vigorously
- Shake the wakame dry and toss with the other salad ingredients
- When you are ready to serve drizzle the dressing over your salad
Category: recipe, salad, side-dishes, starters | Leave a Comment
Posted: March 25, 2008
Proof of my mac fan-girl-dom and <3 love of tasty tasty buns
Ingredients:
- 2 cup flour
- 2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup coca powder
- 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup rapeseed oil
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped vegan dark chocolate
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Icing-sugar to sift
- Cardboard and a Sissors
Directions:
- Turn on the oven at Gas mark 5. It should be hot by the time you have finished mixing the ingredients.
- Sift flour, coca and baking powder into a large bowl
Add sugar and salt
Whisk in the water and oil
Add chopped nuts and dark chocolate
Mix in the molasses and peanut butter with a wooden spoon until gloopy - Dollop the mixture into each bun case; they should only be about half way full.
- Pop in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes, until they are soft, but the knife comes out dry.
- You can either eat them now, or wait for them to cool down and make a cardboard stencil for the mac-tacular effect ^_^ Tastes better with HB Soya ice-cream
mmmMac ^_^
Category: baking, dessert, recipe | 4 Comments
