Veganacious

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The thought of luscious red cherries and the almond flavoring reminiscent of marzipan were beckoning to me. Thus was the inspiration for this recipe.  I added some cherry frosting and a big cherry on top (not shown in this photo) and was all set to give to my favorite Valentine in the junior set – you can see by the photo below it was well received.

Cherry Almond Cupcakes

• 1/2 C. cherry pie filling
• 1/3 C. vegan buttery spread (or oil)
• 1-1/4 C. soymilk or almond milk
• 1 tsp. almond flavoring

Blend the above ingredients until smooth. Set aside.

In another medium large bowl, mix:

• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1-1/2 C. unbleached flour
• 1/2 C. vegan sugar

Stir to mix well.

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I frequently shop at the local Asian market, where I can find beautiful produce and inexpensive tofu, among many other unique items. Because there are so many produce items that are unfamiliar to me, I have decided to try something new every other visit or so.  Last time, it was a package of interesting looking green things which I later learned were snap pea shoots.  These are the part of the plant that many of us never eat; it is just thrown out.  But this part of he plant is rich in fiber and protein and makes a wonderful addition to wraps, salads, and stir fry.

Look in your garden for the leaves and tendrils of the plant, typically harvested from snow pea vines, but may come from any pea plant. Choose young and tender plants which are unblemished only. They should be fresh and a bright green in color. They are best used within a day or two of picking or purchasing. Wrap them in paper towels placed in a plastic bag, open, in the vegetable bin drawer of your refrigerator.

Pea shoots may be wilted by steaming or stirfrying. Add garlic or lemon juice to them. Soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and a bit of sugar or pepper sauce will also flavor them well. When adding to your stir fry, do not add until near the end of additions, as they should not be overcooked.

The nutrition for pea shoots is very high. Per Washington State University,* for only 10 calories and zero fat, 2 cups of pea shoots are packed with:

RDA per day for adults:
Vitamin C – 35.5%
Vitamin A – 15.0%
Vitamin E – 8.75%
Vitamin K – 132.0%
Folate – 10.5%
Thiamin – 5.75%
Riboflavin – 7.00%

They are a source of fiber, too, and have valuable phytochemicals, which may fight cancer and have other beneficial properties.

*Washington State University, Extension, Food from the Field Series.

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Premiering on May 27th, 2009, is a new animated comedy show brought to you on ABC.  The premise, as seen above, is that a family of vegans is really hilarious. While this brings the term “vegan” into the mainstream, it also portrays us as something less than reasonable, intelligent, or thoughtful. I love a sense of humor, and we all need to laugh at ourselves on occasion. So here is the Goode Family: the father, Gerald, is a liberal bicycle-commuting administrator at the local community college; his wife, Helen, is a struggling vegan from a blue-collar, carnivorous family; their son Ubuntu is a (surprise!) white kid they adopted from South Africa, thinking he would be black; and their daughter Bliss finds her parents to be a royal pain. But it is their dog that concerns me most: he is a vegan dog portrayed as “craving meat” so severely that he is eating all the squirrels and other small animals in the neighborhood.

On one level, The Goode Family takes a poke at our current impossible situation in a decaying world environment.  The Goode family struggles daily to live lightly on the earth and to “erase their carbon footprint.”  They appear to feel guilty for being alive in a world that cannot sustain them; their response is to do it all: recycling, bicycling, drive a hybrid, save rainwater, adopt a child, become a vegan. Is this a good sign that veganism has arrived since it has become the topic in a new television show? Or is it a sign that veganism is being used as the vehicle to deliver laughs, which disparages the movement towards compassionate living?

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