Posts Tagged ‘vegan recipes’

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Blissful Bites by Christy Morgan

Saturday, October 15th, 2011

Blissful Bites: Vegan Meals That Nourish Mind,Body, and Planet is jam-packed: it is dense with recipes, photos, and information. It is a lovely book, with glossy pages and beautiful photos throughout. There are useful tidbits of information tucked in, such as needed kitchen tools, important ingredients, and why you may want to avoid use of the allium family in your diet. There is even a section about sea vegetables for those who like to push the edges of culinary experience, yet there are many recipes that would find favor with traditional eaters. With over 175 recipes, there is something for nearly every palate.

Recipes From Easy and Delicious to Exquisite and Challenging

I happily tagged a multitude of pages to try, some based on the ingredients and some based on the lovely photographs.  First to try was the Sizzling Tempeh Bacon. The flavorings are a perfect blend, the texture delightful, and placed on a bun with Vegenaise, lettuce and freshly sliced tomatoes, it was reminiscent of the best BLT ever. Ever. This one will be used again and again.

Next up was the Lemony Lime Hummus. I have tried many hummus recipes and loved nearly all of them: those with roasted peppers, with hot and spicy elements, and those with mellow, creamy texture. But Lemony Lime and Hummus together? This was surprisingly good and one that I will also use repeatedly.  I like a bit of lime in my regular hummus, but this took the tang to a whole new level – and I loved it!

Finally, I tried the Pan Fried Tofu with Carrot Ginger Sauce. The photo of this creation was quite exquisite, and as I had a fresh loaf of Tofu on hand, it sounded like another winner. This one was bit trickier. The temperature to make a good pan fried tofu must be just right and the carrots must be cooked thoroughly before blending to result in the proper texture of sauce. The flavors do blend nicely and the finished product is lovely to behold. Just be aware this one is a bit more difficult to create.

Blissful Bites is a Bountiful Bargain!

The price for this overflowing book of vegan goodness is no more than books with much more limited information, so it seems like a bargain to boot. I had only heard a little bit about the release of this cookbook and was pleasantly delighted by its arrival in the mail. There are so many truly excellent vegan cookbooks available, the only difficulty for the vegan or vegan-curious is how to decide upon just one. If you have the means to add this one to your cookbook shelf, it will most likely become a well used source of delicious vegan meals.

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Forks Over Knives by T. Colin Campbell, PhD, and Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr, MD

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

Forks Over Knives is a book for human beings, aimed at helping them live healthier lives. It is about the heart disease, diabetes, and cancer that appear epidemic in our culture. It is about the curative power of a plant-based diet and the steps necessary to achieve one. Included are  brief bios of some of the major contributors to the film of the same name (Neal Barnard, MD of PCRM; Gene Bauer of Farm Sanctuary; Rip Esselstyn of The Engine 2 Diet, and many more).  There is nutritional information, a guide to reading food labels, a list of some of the problems with animal agriculture, and tips for transitioning to a new, healthier lifestyle.  It is also a book with over 125 vegan recipes to help you on your journey.

A Primer for Plant-Based Eating

This would be a good book for someone who is interested in a plant-based diet but lacks the needed information to achieve one. It only grazes over the plight of animals and does not go into any depth with environmental impacts, since this is, after all, about promoting a healthy lifestyle. However it is popularized, the book created by these two physicians has the ability to reach multitudes more people in impacting their purchasing and consuming behavior than do a myriad of grassroots activists; recent research appears to support the idea that more people may accept a plant-based diet for health reasons than any other. There is enough information about the torment of farmed animals, presented in a succinct manner, that some people are bound to learn enough to become concerned about the origins of their food. If that is not enough, there is a chapter, too, on the environmental impacts of our food choices. Again, these are a brief few pages, but it is enough to make the case that our current way of eating is not sustainable, is environmentally destructive, and needs to change. (It will be left for other authors to make the case for the cessation of human exceptionalism.)

Recipe For Change

There are recipes in many categories: breakfast, smoothies, appetizers, soups, salads and dressings, sauces and snacks, main dishes, side dishes and desserts. Most appealing to this reviewer were the many simple-to-make salad dressings, perfect for adding a bit more taste and zing to my raw food salads. There is the Quick Barbecued Tempeh which is incredibly easy and ready for the grill with only minutes of preparation (and an hour marinating). The Cherry Pineapple Cake is quick to assemble and has an interesting combination of tastes and textures. There are many contributors to the recipe section of the book, giving it a diverse view of the plant-based world of eating. Best of all, the recipes are designed to make transitioning to a plant based diet easy and healthful. However, this is not the glossy-paged colorful vegan cookbook like many that line my shelves; this book has a much wider purpose than that. Whether new to this type of diet, or a long-time vegan in search of something new, Forks Over Knives offers a healthy sampling of recipes for a better world and information for the journey to plant-based eating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Podcast #30 – The Road to Raw

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

Price Tag by Xenia

Witnessing the Road to Health

I recently watched an inspirational film, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, about a successful man who had overindulged in all the wrong things and whose body was paying the price for his materialistic lifestyle. He was barely into midlife, but his body was bloated, diseased, and wearing out quickly. He was on several medications and he wanted to make radical changes, so he set about a raw juice fast for several weeks and dropped 90 pounds. On his journey he helped other people heal too, using the nutrients in plant foods to recover. Watching two of the men in this video transofrm from bodies with bellies hanging over their waistbands to fit, healthy, and active men was really moving to me.

About the time someone invited me to a raw food cafe in Dallas, I received a review copy of Ani Phyo’s Raw Food Essentials too. Simultaneously, I had been hearing about Green Smoothies seemingly everywhere, and about the high energy eating raw would give you. I checked out the menu at the raw food restaurant and was eagerly looking forward to indulging in this new type of food. Unfortunately, the outing ended up being at a Mexican restaurant in Dallas that offered vegan food – not a bad meal at all, but not quite as adventurous as what I was expecting.  After reading Ani’s book and trying out some of her recipes, I realized there was much more to this whole raw food phenomenon that I had previously considered. It was time to dive in.

Traveling the Road to Raw

One of the few requests I first had when becoming an admin at ARZone (Animal Rights Zone), a (dot)ning site that provides guest speakers from the AR community, forums, transcripts, videos and discussions, was to post one of my favorite recipes on a shared document to go to Lisa Viger at Raw on $10/Day (or less). I shared my carrot/beet/orange salad, which Lisa then turned into a beautiful breakfast beverage. Carolyn Bailey, the ARZone creator, had Lisa develop a recipe that children would like – and she came up with a Mango Ice Cream, sure to please without age restrictions.  Admins Tim Gier and Roger Yates both shared main course meals, with Tim sharing a Marinara recipe and Roger a spicy tofu dish. I tried both with good results, and perused Lisa’s blog further searching for more inspiration. It is a gorgeous food site, with a day’s worth of menus developed weekly.  One of the first things I decided to try was her Pad Thai, a lovely blend of raw “noodles” (created with a spiralizer) and a tangy peanut sauce for the topping. It is difficult to spend any time at all on Lisa’s blog without wanting to dive in and try something. I was held back only by the food I had on hand.

Since I knew that Lisa was a vegan, most likely an abolitionist, and a fan of ARZone, I thought it would be interesting to interview her for the Veganacious podcast, to possibly interest other people in her beautiful blog and an intriguing way of eating a very healthy plant-based, cruelty-free diet. Lisa even gives you the cost per day as well as the nutritional breakdown for each meal, as well as the day’s totals. She even adds helpful hints and beautiful photos to assist you in making these simple foods. I love produce and have always eaten a certain amount of raw food salads and vegetables, along with lots of fresh fruit so this seemed like a great place to discover a more innovative way of appreciating the bounty of plants.

Lisa Viger interview

Rawkin’ On

I am continually impressed with the generosity of so many of the vegans in our community who give of their time and talents to share with other humans and make life better for the animals and all beings on the planet. Lisa is certainly in that camp, a delightful woman who is a talented artist, a photographer, as well as a blogger, who shares her love and joy in discovering raw vegan food with the rest of us.

Another good source for information is Steve Prussack of Raw Vegan Radio. Steve has now joined forces with Will Tuttle in a program to promote veganism and health to the world through The World Peace Diet Facilitator Training program. Here is a clip from Steve’s radio show with some ideas about transitioning to raw foods and how such a change may help promote health.

 Raw Vegan Radio – Steve Prussack

This is just the beginning of one of many interviews Steve Prussack is doing to apprise us of information in the raw vegan movement. Personally, I have no plans to go 100% raw, but will embrace some of the wonderful recipes I have discovered over at Lisa’s blog. Being a vegan has opened up a celebratory world of life-affirming foods to me, and I hope this information about the raw vegan movement will only increase your own exploration of the bounty of the world. I just learned that animal products contain no fiber; is it any wonder that the world is so tied up in knots, pursuing those unhealthy lifestyles  based on the torment and suffering of fellow earthlings, rather than dancing through life with the colorful and delicious foods we were meant to enjoy?

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Dining With Friends – a Cookbook by Priscilla Feral & Lee Hall

Sunday, March 27th, 2011

Upon receipt of the beautiful Second Edition of Dining with Friends, I was immediately impressed with the heft, look and feel of the book. While the quality of the recipes is paramount, the quality of the paper, the beauty of the pages and the ease of finding a particular recipe are all important to me. I always insert markers for recipes I want to try and must admit, I used more markers in this volume than in any recent cookbook I have reviewed.* The ingredients are easy to read and the directions are simple to follow. In the back of the book are holiday menus, a temperature conversion chart, a glossary of terms, a shopping guide, information about kitchen equipment, and the all-important index of contents. The foreword to the book was written by John Robbins, and includes a lovely prayer by teacher Thich Nhat Hanh which reads in part:

Let us pray that all living beings
realize that they are all brothers and sisters,
all nourished from the same source of life,
Let us pray that we ourselves cease to be
the cause of suffering to each other.

Everything From Gluten-Free to Raw Foods

Not having much experience with vegan cakes, I tried the German Chocolate cake recipe immediately. This was so much easier than I expected, and the result was a very moist and delicious cake that would surprise the most ardent omnivore. There is a must-try raspberry cheesecake for my next special event, too, and numerous recipes for everything from cookies to crisps, from pies to flummery. There is even a Gluten Free chapter, sure to please those who must avoid those food products.  In keeping with one of my new favorites in food patterns, Dining With Friends has a chapter devoted to raw foods, too. There are also helpful make-it-yourself recipes for things like vegan sour cream,  salsa and salad dressings; I tried the Spiced Tahini Dressing which was both creamy and delicious.

Since I had few ingredients on hand, I was delighted to find a recipe for Carrot and Potato Soup – one that is not only delicious, but a great recipe to pull out when supplies are limited. After I restocked the cupboards, I was ready to try Pasta with Artichoke Hearts. This was again a very easy recipe, but one that is so delicious, I will take this to the very next vegan potluck I attend. Using shallots cooked in oil with garlic, fresh tomatoes, dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes…..well, you just have to try it. It is great left over as well. I would recommend making only half the pasta (8 to 10 ounces) rather than the full pound in order to get plenty of the vegetables in every bite, but this one is going to join my perennial favorites.

Dining With Friends is an Important Contribution to Vegan Cuisine

While I am exposed to many world dishes, I have a dearth of Italian recipes in my repertoire (or I did, until I was enlightened by this book and its companion book, The Best of Vegan Cooking, another truly wonderful cookbook). After making the first Italian recipe, I realized what I had been missing. While Feral and Hall occasionally disagree with me about theoretical perspectives, I know we share a belief in the importance of veganism, and believe that creating and making available delicious and simple vegan recipes is part of helping save animal lives. In that vein, they have added a beautiful and important edition to the current collections of vegan cookbooks. If you have missed this one, be sure to add it to your personal library; it is one of my all-time favorites!

*Bookmarked selections include:

  • Believable “Bacon”
  • West African Peanut Soup
  • Vegetable Bisque
  • Greek Bean Soup
  • Classic Mediterranean Salad with Fresh Mint
  • Orange with Spinach and Romaine
  • Italian Vegetable and Potato Stew
  • Tempeh London Broil
  • Spiced Orange Broccoli
  • Sweet Dessert Cream
  • Chocolate Marble Cheesecake
  • Ginger Lemonade

 

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Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Saturday, January 29th, 2011

The acclaimed best-selling author of Veganomicon has a new cookbook out that inludes 125 “Fat & Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes,” just perfect for losing that excess baggage from the holidays.  It is also dedicated to reducing animal suffering, environ-mental impact, and grocery costs. My book is an approximately 9″ x 7.5″ paperback, with a few rather ordinary color photos stuck in the middle of the book. The quality of the paper is nothing extraordinary and I would have to admit that based on physical appearance, this one was not my favorite of the lastest crop of new bookbooks. The physical characteristics of a book, while important to this writer, are often overcome by the quality of the recipes and information inside. In a nation overflowing with, well, overflowing waistlines, this book might be just the ticket to encourage some of us to dig in and slim down.

Various Vegetables in Appetite for Reduction

First up, I tried the OMG Oven-Baked Onion Rings. I have not tasted an onion ring for years, at least not the crispy, greasy type I remember from earlier days.  These are very easy to make and had the crisp without the grease. They are admittedly a bit different that the originals, but that is a good thing – the old variety would be busy clogging up arteries and adding a ton of calories, not to mention the possible use of non-vegetable oils for frying.  While a bit messy to make, this one kept to all of those promises: reduce calories, inexpensive, little environmental impact.  Then it was on to the Sweet & Salty Maple Baby Carrots.  This one takes about five minutes to prepare, then heads directly into the over for about 30 minutes. The carrots absorb the flavors of both the salt and the sweet and would be a quick way to add a “wow” factor to a special dinner for guests.  I tried them with regular carrots sliced into strips and it worked out just fine.

Isa Chandra Moskowitz Strikes Again!

Then it was on to one that was  fast and super good, one of those recipes you will want to use for potlucks (easy to transport), for sandwiches (traditional on pita bread), and for a hit of protein when you just want a salad or some greens: Baked Falafel. Warning: you may be able to pop these babies right into your mouth like popcorn (popchicks?poppeas?) so prepare for them to disappear quickly – may I suggest a double batch?  Easy, and with just a bit more dishwashing, very clean and simple to make, these overcame all doubts about the layout of the cookbook. I scooped the batter into a two tablespoon measure and they came out just right — crispy, flavorful, light and absolutely scrumptious.

On the down low, I do not appreciate cookbooks that make you turn the page for the rest of the recipe. I have a heavy glass cover on my recipe stand, and this is a real feat of maneuverability when my hands are filled with chickpeas and spices. I wish the publishers would check this kind of thing out before they print these amazing books. But it was so worth it, nonetheless. And, you have been forewarned!

Other recipes to be tried soon include Black Bean, Zucchini & Olive Tacos, Eggplant Provençal, Red Thai Tofu, Broiled Blackened Tofu and many more. She has included a Big Fat Glossary, Metric Coversions (yay!!), and nutrition tips are sprinkled generously throughout the book. Chapters range from Rub-Your-Tummy Veggies, to Full-On Salads, to Talk-Pasta-to-Me. There is an entire chapter about tricks with beans and another devoted to tempeh and tofu. Each recipe includes prep and cooking time, and gives a per-serving rundown on calories, fat, carbs, fiber, sugars, proteing, cholesterol, sodium, vitamins, calcium and iron. She has even included a further breakdown on fats: saturated and trans, too.

Best of all, she dedicated the book to “the world’s best Grandma.” You gotta love a girl like that!

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The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Neal Barnard, M.D. and Robyn Webb

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

I have a stack of beautiful cookbooks to review; some are glorious examples of vegan cookery, with gorgeous photos and thick, luxurious pages.  When I first opened The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook, it seemed rather lackluster in comparison. The pages are not high quality and the photos are just a few, thrown into the center of the book — not my favorite style of cookbook. I prefer the photos to be right next to the recipes and I really appreciate a good thick page.  But I dove in anyway, and tried a few of the recipes to see what this book would offer.

First of all, each recipe includes nutritional information, which is very helpful. There is also a “Did You Know” section on many pages, filled with interesting facts of use to the vegan cook.  The recipes are clearly presented and very easy to follow.  Best of all, I was pleasantly surprised by the recipes I tried – I loved them!  The first one I tried was the pizza crust; I had just tried one with regular flour and feared this one, which has whole wheat flour in it, might be a bit tough. It was anything but – pleasantly crispy and very tasty, and simple to make as well. First happy surprise.

The second dish I tried was the Toasty Tortilla Soup.  With onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, squash, corn and kidney beans, it is a delicious mixture. I added a dose of hot sauce to spice things up, but the suggested topping of toasted tortillas was wonderful.  I made enough for leftovers and never got tired of it, it was that good. Surprise number two.

Next to try was the Stuffed Cabbage recipe.  This is much quicker to prepare than I would have thought. It includes onions, tomato paste, crushed walnuts, lentils, rice and wonderful spices all rolled into a steamed cabbage leaf and rolled up.  This is a great recipe for parties or potlucks because it may be prepared beforehand and reheats very well. To boost the nutritional punch, the recipe suggests using red cabbage and gives the nutritional differences (increased vitamins A and C and pigments called anthocyanins, which protect against cancer).

The beginning of the book has information about tailoring your diet to your health goals, whether that is slimming down, avoiding high glycemic food,or lowering cholesterol. There is information about fiber, digestion, and chronic diseases. There is also basic information about the ingredients and types of food that are included in the recipes, and supportive information for making a change to a healthier, vegan diet. There is even a three day menu plan in the last chapter of the book. The appendix includes an easy shopping list, convenience foods, and a metric conversion chart – all very useful.

I checked online and, while the list price is about the same as most paperback cookbooks ($18.95), Amazon had it listed for only $11.99. If you have reason to watch your nutritional intake, this just might be a good cookbook to add to your collection.  I would have overlooked this cookbook had it not been sent to me; and I still have another half dozen recipes bookmarked to try later this month. I guess it is the old saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” or in this case, its pages.  While it is not the most lovely book in my collection, I have a feeling it will be well-used.

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The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

If anyone has heard Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s wonderful podcast, you are well aware of her congeniality, her positive approach to vegan education, and her courage to help the world face the ugly truth about what is happening to animals.  Well known for her first cookbook, The Joy of Vegan Baking, Colleen has surpassed even that remarkable standard in vegan cookbooks with the addition of her new book on entertaining.  Like Colleen herself, this new cookbook is filled with helpful ideas; it is like having a lovely visit with the compassionate Colleen.  “Compassionate Cooks’ Tip,”  “Food Lore”, and “Did You Know” segments are scattered throughout the book. There is even nutritional information included following each recipe. The pictures are plentiful and stay with the recipe, rather than being inserted in the center of the book, making it easy to see how things are supposed to appear and glance to see how much trouble each recipe is to create. The paper is high quality and the size is just right, a large square paperback with over 300 pages of recipes and entertainment suggestions.  Even if you only use the book to create four or five meals, it would be worth the reasonable price of the cookbook.

The beautiful presentation of the food is a bonus, too.  With entertaining, we always want something that is pretty well fool-proof and looks grand as well as being tasty and appealing.  I tried her pizza dough recipes and made the marinara sauce for starters. The pizza was very easy and with her tips on checking for viability of the yeast (I keep a jar on hand because I bake so much), it was a touchdown. I made her marinara sauce, too, which was simple to make and tasted great, although I wanted to add something to it for a pizza topping. With pasta – terrific.  I also tried her baked falafels – the greasiness of most falafel recipes turned me off in the past, but these were simple and easy to make. They have a little kick to them, too, which I loved.  Tucked into a pita bread with lettuce and tomatoes, they made a most satisfying and beautiful lunch.

After perusing the cookbook, I found I had so many pages bookmarked to try that it will take me til Christmas to get them all made.  Colleen has ample ethnic cuisine offered, including kugels, risotto, masoor dal, lasagna, latkes, timbales, spring rolls, and Swedish meatless balls. Tips for entertaining are plentiful and very useful, as well as complete menus for different types of entertaining. Organized by the type of entertainment as well as by season, it is an easy book to maneuver. With articles on The Intimacy of Food and Creating a Romantic Dinner as well as helpful ideas for the vegan cook as well as those who are hosting vegans, it is overflowing with good ideas.  It is one I know I will be returning to again and again over the years. And, I still have to try the Beet Bundt Cake, the Elegantly Simple Stuffed Bell Peppers, the Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies, the Flourless Chocolate Tart, the Lavendar Lemonade… .

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FatFree Vegan – Susan Voisin

Friday, April 9th, 2010

One of the most popular vegan food sites on the internet is Susan Voisin’s Fat Free Vegan. With so many people searching for low-fat cuisine, her site gets a lot of traffic from non-vegans, too.  ”I’m happy to be able to expose them to vegan food that’s delicious and good for them.  One less animal eaten is one less animal suffering, whether that comes about from someone turning vegan or someone cutting back on the amount of meat they eat. I try to maintain a welcoming tone because almost all of us were non-vegetarians at some point,” Susan relates.

Sharing Vegan Resources on Fat Free Vegan

Susan became a vegan in 1994 and joined an email list called Fatfree. Several years later, the list had been discontinued and Susan was missing the support and all those great recipes; she decided to develop a new group, and from that her website grew so the group’s recipes would be available for others and be easily searchable, too. With a background in web design that she has since abandoned, she was off to a good start, adding a blog to the site after another year and a half (see Fat Free Vegan Kitchen).

Keeping her eyes open for inspiration, Susan peruses cookbooks, magazines, and stays open to “wild ideas.” Sometimes she will find a recipe that might be good if rendered fat free or vegan; other times she creates something new by using what is left in the refrigerator when dinner time is beckoning. Maintaining a family while busy with so many projects is a balancing act; luckily for Susan, she can combine dinner preparation with a post for her site.

Susan Voisin – More to Follow!

With a successful website and blog, an online forum, a marriage and a child, what is left for Ms. Voisin? “I’ve beeen planning to write a cookbook, but all those other things you mentioned keep me very busy. I’ve also just started a big photography project, taking the photos for Nava Atlas’ next cookbook, The Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Eventually you’ll see the Fat Free Vegan cookbook in the booktore (though it probably won’t be called that).”

Susan's daughter with a feline friend

Susan lives with a husband, a child, four cats, and a dog. A life-long lover of animals, she’s been vegetarian for over twenty years. What is next for this busy, creative woman? Her website is under construction, being redesigned to make it more interactive, so that readers can submit their own recipes and interact with others on the site.

Like many fans, I owe Susan Voisin a debt of gratitude for the resources she has made available for so many people around the globe.  If you have not yet searched her site, you are in for a pleasant surprise. It is easy to find any type of recipe and offers many other features that are not easily found on other food sites. And be sure to check back soon to see that newly designed website!

All photos courtesy of Susan Voisin and Fat Free Vegan.


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A Vegan at the Market

Thursday, March 4th, 2010


The above photo is one trip to the local Kroger’s market.  As you can see, there is plenty of food there for the vegan cook. There were only two prepared items that were included: soymilk and tempeh.  I admittedly purchase bargains; I bought a huge amount of broccoli for $3 on special. Here is what was purchased for under $45:

(more…)

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