Category: Foods

If you ever think you are getting to the age where nothing can surprise you, then I say you aren’t being adventurous enough! I might not have even lived half as long as my grandparents yet, but I know there will always be something new for me to try.

I’ve always loved pickles. When I was a child, my grandmother told me I could be anything I wanted to be. She was talking about women’s liberation, but this nuance was lost my 5 year-old-brain. I declared that I would be a pickle because I loved them so much! That is why it is only natural that my single most favorite new discovery of the past year was Umeboshi.

Umeboshi is a pickled Nanko plum. The origin of this food is Japan, where Umeboshi is served as an accompaniment to rice, green tea, sushi, and many other things. There is also Umeboshi paste, which is great in sushi, and Umeboshi vinegar, which is actually just the brine from the pickles. Adding either of these to sauces makes them rich with sweet, floral, tart, and salty flavors. This little pink pickle is highly regarded as a super food for it’s alkalizing properties. It was even given to samurai soldiers as a part of their rations because it is believed to be a preventative and cure for fatigue and nausea. Some people recommend trying it as a remedy for your New Year’s hangover!

What was the best new food you tried in 2011? What will you try in 2012?

Sometimes the most miserable thing about being vegan is dealing with non-vegan CRAVINGS. In my mind cravings often take on the form of a monster under the bed or horror movie killer knocking down the door. The victim runs, but there is no place to hide. I often have no control over my cravings. Willpower, too, can be a fickle thing; at least that is how I have come to know it. One minute you have an abundance of resolve and the next minute you’re washing down grilled cheese bites with gulps of milkshake. No?! That never happens to you? Umm, Okay don’t judge me, I only did it once!

Maybe there is not much that you can do besides compost the remainder of the offensive thing that you have just ingested, if you wake up in the midst of a somnambulant lapse of judgment. The one trick I do have up my sleeve is this: I have devised a secretly unsophisticated pairing of non-vegan cravings with yummy vegan foods. Some of them I have chosen for no reason other than it satisfied my craving once. Others are based on speculations about why my body might be craving a certain thing. I have never read anything that proves that cravings for food are directly related to nutritional contents, but I don’t think it’s ever bad to keep nutrients in mind. Of course all of these are a matter of personal taste. Some of the items on the list are things that are arguably vegan, but are often excluded or limited the diet of one who is concerned about their health.

Beef - For some reason eating things like kale or broccoli cooked in tamari or soy sauce has helped me with this one. Black beans, kidney beans, and mushrooms are good for this craving too. Who doesn’t love Portobello mushroom steaks?

Candy – Dried fruits, Fruit Leather, and Smoothies

Cheese – Cashews, Avocado, Nutritional Yeast, and Daiya Cheese

Chicken – Seitan! It seems like i’ve had the most “wait this is vegan, right?” moments with seitan. Chickpeas are another substitute that has a name with the power of suggestion.

Comfort – Sometimes the foods I am craving are because I am craving a sentiment that is attached with eating them. What is the feeling you are craving? Try to identify it and it may help you come up with a solution .

Eggs – Tofu! Tofu scramble, tofu eggless “egg” salad. Baked tofu bagel sandwiches are a breakfast time favorite of mine. I also hear one can make a mean crepe using chickpea flour!

Fish – Sushi or really almost anything with seaweed in it. Make a creamy lemon-dill aoli to go on a tempeh or tofu “fish” sandwich. Sea vegetables are packed with trace minerals, so start experimenting with them! I bet you didn’t know that our “Hold-the-Tuna” Salad at Nature’s Express has Dulse added to it!

Fried – Indulge in something fatty, like nuts or avocado. Add a little coconut or olive oil to whatever you’re making. Try some kale chips!

Milk – Learn how to make your own milks. I love making my own raw almond milk because it tastes fresher than any milk that ever came out of a carton. Another thing I eat when I’m craving something rich and creamy is anything made with coconut milk. Tahini can make a nice creamy sauce or dressing.

Pork – I’ve tried some really yummy seitan and tempeh vegan sausages. The list of types of homemade vegan bacons I have tried and liked are endless: tofu, tempeh, eggplant, seitan, and coconut, to name a few.

Rich – Try curries, miso, or roasted garlic.

Sour Cream: I am convinced that guacamole would beat sour cream in a battle on any day. If you want a rich dressing or sauce you can drizzle over something, try using tahini.

Now that so much time has passed, I remember the things I used to eat and I much prefer the vegan versions. Sometimes I think I could just use a bit more reprogramming. I’ve successfully staved off a doughnut craving with a nice hearty salad. Afterwards I felt really good because I made a healthy choice. Try to establish a new set of cravings by trying new foods and eating well.

P.S. Don’t even try and make me give up dark chocolate unless you think you’d like a knuckle sandwich!

That’s right, I said it. We’re talking about vegan junk food and bless your heart if you think that’s an oxymoron. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t know how I would have survived my vegan infancy living deep in the red states if it weren’t for some of these things I’m about to rail on. I am grateful every morning that I wake up on this coast where farmer’s markets happen every day of the week and where Avo-Quinoa Wraps are popular among people over thirty-five.

Turning vegan tends to also turn one into a label reader. For me this was an awakening in consciousness; not only to the amount of animal products needlessly used in processed foods, but also awakening to the amount of carcinogenic and nutrient leaching additives often added to our foods. Finding a meal or a snack on the go that is free of refined sugars, animal products, preservatives, or hydrogenated oils can be like finding Atlantis. This search can also lead to an awkward grocery store situation where other shoppers are disturbed by one exclaiming something like this:

“AW, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP! JUICE IS ONLY SUPPOSED TO CONTAIN JUICE!!!”

Or at least it feels like I’m thinking it so loud everyone can hear my indignation.

These processed foods have made my top 5 LEAST wanted list:

Soda or Juice that contains refined sugars or high-fructose corn syrup. I like to drink juice spritzers. If you can’t find at juice spritzer, just make your own by mixing natural juice and mineral water.

Peanut Butter that contains hydrogenated oils and/or cottonseed oil. Hydrogenated oil is impossible for your body to break down and can lead to cancer. Cottonseed oil may be toxic in larger amounts. I always choose all natural nut and seed butters with no added oils or sugars.

Chips from mainstream brands can contain really high levels of salt, as well as hydrogenated oils and flavorings that contain MSG or preservatives. It’s not like I never eat chips, but now I try to choose a brand with a simple list of ingredients like just corn or potatoes, canola oil, and little salt.

Fake Meat Products that contain hydrolysed soy or corn. Some popular brands also contain cellulose, which is just wood. Processed cellulose adds fiber and texture to foods, but does not contain any of the nutrition you would get if you ate grains, fruits, or vegetables. Choose a fake meat that is primarily made from grain like seitan, or wheat gluten, for a safer choice.

Processed Soy Products are something I like to steer clear of. I’m not jumping on the “soy is bad for you” bandwagon, but anything that starts off being good for you, then gets treated heavily with chemicals, will turn out bad for you. Avoid soy protein isolates if possible and go straight for foods that contain Tofu, Tempeh, Miso, and Tamari. I often choose rice or almond milk over soy if possible, just because I feel like soy is the go-to for most vegan food and I don’t want to overdo it. I also prefer hemp or coconut milk ice cream to soy

There are some really great indulgent foods out there for vegans, so let’s all choose healthy foods. We will live long, be strong, and be happy!

Also, holla if you love the Curry Chik-un Salad, my favorite snack on the go!

We hosted about 30 people for a vegan Thanksgiving Potluck at my house. It was AWESOME! For many of us it was the first all-vegan holiday dinner we had ever had.

From Left to Right in the picture:

Sweet Potatoes in Maple Syrup, Cheezy Squash Casserole, Mac and Cheeze, Seitan Roast, Ginger Pineapple Cranberry Sauce, Green Beans, Lemony Kale Salad, Pumpkin Brownies, Citrus Collard Greens, Roasted Yams and Brussel Sprouts, Lentils, Orange and Beet Salad, and Cabbage Salad.

And there’s more….

Stuffing, Roasted Buttercup Squash with a yummy West African Cilantro Sauce, Homemade Tofurkey with Roasted Veggie Stuffing, Polenta with Baked Beans, and Mashed Potatoes with Mushroom gravy.

There was even more food that didn’t make it into the picture: Butternut Squash Soup, Apple Pie, Raw Pumpkin Pie, Banana Rum Cheesecake. I spent so much time stuffing my face that I forgot to snap a photo of it. My favorite was the Raw Pumpkin pie. It was made with coconut and an almond crust.

Though it’s hard to make out in the picture, I invented a Seasonal Roasted Veggie Stuffing for the Tofurkey that I will definitely make again. Here is how I did it:

Roasted Rutabega and Seasonal Vegetables

2 smallish rutabegas cubed

1 small butternut squash, cubed

2 apples, cubed

1/3 cup of tart dried fruit, like apricot, chopped.

2 TBS coconut oil

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Salt, pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Melt the coconut butter in a baking pan. Toss all fruit and vegetables in coconut oil and season with thyme and any other seasonings you are using (I added a pinch of cardamom!). Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, turning half way through. When all the veggies are done, season with salt and pepper.

I have always been intimidated by cooking rice.

Rice is deceptive – it seems like it should be so easy but it is not; or it never has been for me anyway.

I tried again and again over the years to get that perfect fluffy texture that my mom always got when she cooked rice. I would ask her how she did it, she would tell me, I would try, and it never came out as good as hers. I wanted that perfect consistency, not mushy, not too soft, not too hard, just that perfect, fluffy firmness.

I eventually gave up and started a relationship with a rice cooker. Never as good as my moms, but always consistent.

I recently got motivated to perfect a batch of rice. I cook all of the time, and the fact that I could not make a decent batch of rice without relying on my rice cooker was embarrassing.

After a few experiments and some failed attempts, I can finally say that I can cook a batch of brown rice, without a rice cooker, almost as good as my mom. I can’t wait to make it for her the next time I see her!

I’ve made this recipe about a half dozen times now and it always comes out the same.

Makes 3 cups of cooked rice

2 cups water

1 cup brown rice

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/4 tsp. sea salt

• Place all ingredients in a pot
• Stir once to combine and bring to a boil
• Turn heat to low, place a lid tightly on the pot and simmer for 47-50 minutes (check at 45 minutes)
• Turn off heat and fluff with a spoon

Enjoy!