Cheese please!

Or should I say "cheeze pleaze"?  Spell it however you want, what I'm talking about here is vegan cheese alternatives.  There's not a huge variety of flavors that can be bought at the store, mostly mozzarella style or cheddar style.  Here's my take on the most popular and readily available brands:

Daiya cheese, mozzarella or cheddar, comes shredded in 8-oz. baggies.  A nice thing about their cheese is that it contains no soy or gluten products.  It melts easily and is amazingly yummy on pizza, pasta bakes, nachos, veggie burgers, etc.  It's not very good cold.  This is the most expensive brand at about $5 a bag.

Follow Your Heart, the awe-inspiring creators of Vegenaise (vegan mayo, so much better than the animal-product-laden version), also make mozzarella, cheddar, Monterrey jack, and nacho cheeses.  These are gluten free but do contain soy.  They come in 10 oz. blocks and range from $3 to $4.  I like this cheese both cold and melted.  It doesn't melt quite as easily as Daiya, so be sure to put the oven on broil if you are using it on pizza.

Honestly, these are the only two brands I recommend.  Our local Hy-Vee also carries Vegan Rella which is mainly made of tapioca starch and rice flour.  It does NOT taste good cold and becomes liquid mush when heated.  Don't do it.

What's your favorite vegan cheese?

Next week: making your own vegan cheese

Creamy Steamy Latte

I got this idea from a healthy living website and I just have to share it with you.  I am a coffee-lover first and a vegan second, just fyi.  Having lived in Italy, I have since found it near impossible to live without my daily espresso.  But soy lattes just aren't the same as their dairy counterparts.  Soy milk steams well enough, but the taste just isn't as creamy and decadent as dairy milk.  Here's our solution!  COCONUT MILK!!  I'm talking about real, thick and creamy coconut milk in a can, not the "coconut milk drink" you can buy in a tetrapak or half gallon jug.  You will want to use the canned variety to achieve creamy and deliciousness.  I use the light coconut milk (from Trader Joe's, only 99 cents a can) to cut back on the saturated fat content since I drink this so often.  However, if you are having this only as a treat, you may want to indulge in the full fat coconut milk.  Sure to please vegans and nonvegans alike!

Coconut Latte

1. Espresso shots - however you make it and however many you want, this is up to you
2. Sweeten - this is optional and varies by taste, but I put about 1 teaspoon of agave nectar in my mug before adding the espresso
3. Milk - steam together 1/2 cup almond milk and 1/3 cup coconut milk or if you don't have a milk steamer, bring them to a boil on the stove or microwave them in a glass dish for 1-2 minutes, froth if desired then top it on your espresso
4. Enjoy your delicious vegan latte.  Share with friends.

Exciting News!!

taken from www.traderjoes.com

The Kansas City Star announced recently that Trader Joe's is finally coming to KC!  I know that's not exactly Kirksville, but hey, it is about 30 minutes closer than StL.  On second thought, it's about the same distance, because TJ's is opening on Ward Parkway, which is in South KC.  Oh well.  Also, for any of you who may be originally from the KC area, such as myself, it will give us a good reason to go back. 

Here's a map showing the most direct route from Kirksville to Whole Foods and then Trader Joe's in KC:

View Larger Map

More information about the opening date to come soon!  Aren't you guys so excited??

Wait.  I feel like I should divulge that the closest TJ's to Kirksville is actually in West Des Moines, IA.  It's a 3 hour 10 minute drive.  But there is no Whole Foods there!  Why go?  lol

Vegan 'Fast Food'

In today's fast-paced world, sometimes (or a lot of times) we need a meal ASAP!  Oftentimes we find ourselves in this situation and it seems like we have nothing on hand to whip up something quick.  And don't forget, we're trying to be healthy!  I've been dealing with this for the last few weeks of classes/finals.  Here's some ideas and tips of what to do when you're caught in this food vs. time bind.

Local (Kirksville) places to grab a vegan meal/snack:

• Washington Street Java Co. offers vegan bagels w/ hummus, fresh veggies, some vegan soup options, and COFFEE
• Steve's Garden Deli has a yummy veggie panino!  Be sure to get it without mayo.
• Ruby Tuesday's salad bar is delicious with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.  Also, their veggie burger minis are vegan, HOWEVER you must ask for it with no cheese or butter on the bun.
• Burger King- has a veggie burger, don't forget no cheese/mayo/etc.
• La Fuente- I'm personally not a fan, but rumor has it that they don't put lard in their refried beans.  Order veggie options without cheese and sour cream.  Ditto for Taco Bell if you're really broke and strapped for time.  lol
• Pizza Hut/Papa John's/Dominos/etc.- I believe they do not put dairy or eggs in their crust, so you could get a veggie pizza without cheese.  You might wanna check to make sure about the crust, but I've heard that this is actually tasty.

Foods to have on hand at home for quick eatin':

• Lara Bars: burst of energy from dates/nuts, also view my post about making homemade larabars
• Bagels w/ hummus or vegan cream cheese or nut butters/jam
• Amy's frozen veggie burgers
• Amy's canned soup- I highly recommend the Lentil, Spanish Black Bean, and No Chicken Noodle
• Canned beans & premade rice to put in wraps
• Noodles- asian, Italian
• Sauce for noodles- tomato, pesto, or asian sauces (you could just whip something up while the noodles are cooking)
• Salad- I like to buy an organic herb salad mix and add a head of romaine, and toppings like dried cranberries, black olives, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), carrot, cucumber, scallions...
• Make a bean chili in your crockpot and eat it all week.  lol

What 'fast foods' do you turn to?

Quick P-i-z-z-a

Who doesn't love pizza?  Just because we're vegan doesn't mean we don't crave a good hearty pizza on a weekly basis.  haha  Here's my tips for awesome vegan pizza with endless variety to keep you satisfied week after week (or day after day, depending on how serious your pizza addiction is).

Quick & Easy Pizza Crust
makes one 12 to 14 in crust
Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (equivalent to one packet)
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 heaping cups all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour or mixture

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Dissolve sugar and yeast in the water.  Mix in oil and salt. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine liquid mixture with the flour, a bit at a time.
4. Knead the dough 5-10 times.
5. Let dough sit for 10-20 minutes.
6. Roll dough onto pizza stone or baking sheet.  Prebake for about 8 minutes.
7. Take dough out of oven.  Add desired sauce and toppings.
8. Bake for 10-15 more minutes, depending on desired doneness.
9. Take out of the oven, let cool off, enjoy!!

Sauce Ideas

• canned pizza sauce
• homemade pesto sauce (see archives for my recipe)
• jar of "bruschetta" spread (usually various marinated veggies and tomato sauce)

Yummy Pizza Toppings

• tempeh, any variety, be sure to steam first and then brown in a bit of oil
• tofu, firm variety, crumble up with hands and add things like fresh basil, a bit of salt, some nutritional yeast, etc.
• canned olives
• onion
• tomato
• broccoli...  ok, any veggie you want
• fresh herbs
• vegan cheese- I recommend either Daiya or Follow Your Heart mozzarella flavors

What is your favorite homemade pizza?

If you're in a time crunch, Amy's Roasted Veggie No Cheese frozen pizza is delicious.  It is available at HyVee.  You can add toppings or cheese to it if you like.  We ate it as is and it was yummy, although a bit on the light side.

Side note:  If any of you ever make it out to St. Louis, Pi Pizzeria has delicious vegan pizza!!!!!!

Simple Veggie Soup

Cold weather is here, and there's no better time to make a warming pot full of hearty vegetable soup.  Here's a quick and easy recipe for the soup I whipped up for lunch today,

Simple Veggie Soup

 Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced
• 2-4 clothes garlic, minced
• 2-3 carrots, shredded
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 head cabbage, chopped
• 1 large portobello mushroom, chopped
• 2 cans great norther beans, or any kind you prefer
• 4-6 cups water (depending on how brothy you want it)
• 1-2 vegetable boullion cubes
• 1 Tbsp miso paste (optional)
• Soy sauce to taste
• 1 cup of a whole grain, such as rice, millet, or quinoa

Directions:

1. Cook grain in rice cooker or pot, according to package directions.
2. In a large stock pot on medium-high heat, saute' the onions in a bit of olive oil, until translucent.
3. Add the garlic, saute' a few minutes more.
4. As you prepare the veggies, continue to add them to the pot.  Allow to cook down for as long as you desire, probably 10 minutes.
5. Add the water, vegetable boullion, and miso.  Cover with lid.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10-20 mins.
6. Add soy sauce to taste.  
7. When serving, place grain in bowl with soup.  Enjoy!

Surprise Sugar Cookies

I know what you're all thinking, and the answer is NO, I do not eat desserts only.  It just seems that way.  But things aren't always as they appear...  I may have eaten some chocolate for breakfast.  That's not my point.  The weather quickly went from warm and sunny October to freezing cold "arctic tundra" November.  So of course we're all craving baked goods.  Here's a delightfully delicious recipe for the classic winter cookie, The Sugar Cookie.  I call them "Surprise Sugar Cookies" because of the unexpected ingredient, coconut oil.  This is available at HyVee.  I get my coconut oil from Whole Foods.  You could also get it on Amazon.  I use the Nutriva brand, but Spectrum Organics is very dependable.

Surprise Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (a vegan margarine), at room temperature
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (you may have to warm it up a bit in the microwave if it is cold outside)
• 1 cup sugar, preferably evaporated cane juice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 cup plain nondairy milk

Directions:

1. Sift together flours, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.  Set aside.
2. In a seperate bowl or mixer, cream together margarine and coconut oil with the sugar.
3. Beat in the extracts and milk.
4. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, about a cup at a time.
5. Take a few feet of wax paper and empty dough onto it.  Roll into a log with paper and hands.  Wrap in paper.
6. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
7. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F.
8. Slice cookies from your dough log, place on cookie sheet.
9. Bake for 10-13 minutes, depending on softness level desired.  Cool.  DEVOUR.

Cheesecake, mmm

B.V. (before veganism), I was a huge fan of cheesecake, a.k.a. saturated fat + sugar + more sugar + more fat + dairy + eggs = slow death.  Hahahha.  My favorite was chocolate chip peanut butter cookie dough cheesecake from, yes, The Cheesecake Factory.  Where else would they create such a ridiculous combo??

With my history in cheesecake, I was very leery of vegan "cheesecake".  Why bother if it contains practically none of the same ingredients??  So I never truly considered making one.  Enter Hy-Vee's sale on raspberries, combined with my husband's adoration for raspberry cheesecake.  Hmm.

Since I have Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet, I decided to have a go at the Mixed Berry Cheesecake on page 192.  The two main ingredients are silken tofu and nondairy cream cheese.  Bonus, it's only sweetened by 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup.  I added the fresh raspberries to the top, and we were all shocked to discover how delicious and cheesecakey this tastes!  It could even be considered better than "real cheesecake"-- it's much lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sugar.  No heavy feeling afterward.  No sugar highs.  Just satisfaction.

Anyone else tried vegan cheesecake?  What's your favorite recipe?

Let's Talk: Tempeh

What is tempeh, you ask?  Only the bestest food ever.  But if you're looking for more objective info, tempeh (pronounced "tem-pay") is a fermented soybean cake.  There are many varieties, with added ingredients such as grains or seasonings.  Some common packaged tempeh you can find includes 3-grain tempeh with soybeans, barley, and brown rice.  Etc.  One serving, or half a package, has approximately 10g fiber and 20g protein!  WOW.  Not to mention that it is low in fat, high in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and others.  All for the economical price of $1.69 (Trader Joe's) to $2.99 (Whole Foods, Hy-Vee) each!  Note: TJ's three grain tempeh is NOT gluten free because one of the grains is barley.  The brand Whole Foods sells IS gluten free.

Try making tempeh sausage, tempeh bacon, chick'n salad, tunafree salad...

It's versatile and delicious!  Like tofu, tempeh has a mild flavor that pairs well with virtually any spices or sauces.  To cook, crumble a package of tempeh into a medium sized pot.  Add water just to cover the tempeh.  Place heat on medium-high and boil off all of the water.  This will take 10-20 minutes.  When the water is gone, add oil and spices of your choice.  Brown the tempeh, and serve.  Or you could add the plain boiled tempeh to a chick'n salad base of vegenaise, mustard, walnuts, carrots, raisins, celery, etc.  Go wild!

What's your favorite way to eat tempeh?

Vegan EVERYTHING

These past few days I've seen it all.  First, at Whole Foods in St. Louis we were looking at the Match vegan meats.  They have vegan crabcakes!  Obviously, this is not health food...but it's great for satisfying those occasional cravings.  I'd like to try those someday.  I think.  lol

Yesterday I went to HyVee to get some goodies for homemade pizza when I stumbled across vegan pepperoni in the health section.  Vegan pepperoni??  What??  I'm not even a fan of the real thing, but we had to try these for fun.  In my opinion, they tasted awful cold.  We put them on top of the daiya cheese on our pizza, so they'd get crispy.  It was pretty delicious after baking for 18 minutes.  Definitely junk food...  :)

Chocolate.

I'm a chocoholic...openly...
My new quick-fix is making homemade chocolate frosting.  It's meant for cupcakes (obviously), but I've been eating it with fresh berries or by itself.  Yum!  It hits the spot.

Chocoholic Frosting

1 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/4 cup nondairy milk (soy, almond, rice, hemp, coconut...etc)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Melt chocolate with milk for 15-30 seconds in the microwave, be careful not to overcook.  Mix all ingredients together and voila`!  It is more like a chocolate sauce when it is hot.  It thickens/stands up when refrigerated.

Vegan Dinner Par-tay

Tonight my husband and I were the hosts of a dinner party. Fun! We made a yummy and light summer meal for nonvegan friends. Nothing was missing. I made whole grain fettucine with homemade fresh pesto, rosemary carrots, and an herb salad with creamy garlic aioli dressing. Dessert was a decadent dark chocolate pie with berry sauce and rice dream vanilla ice cream...mmm...

Farmer's Market Pesto
YOU. MUST. MAKE. THIS. PESTO!!!!!!!!!!

1/2 cup sunflower nuts, roasted & unsalted
1 cup basil, fresh
1 cup lemon basil, fresh
1 cup thai basil, fresh
1/2 cup to 1 cup cilantro, fresh (optional, yet delicious)
juice of one fresh squeezed lemon
1/2 cup olive oil, add more if needed
salt to taste (around 2 teaspoons)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)

Directions: Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until pasty but not creamy.

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Rosemary Carrots

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon rosemary

dash of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Put carrots in medium sized pot with broth and bring to a boil. Add other ingredients, cover pot and simmer for 20ish minutes until carrots are cooked through.

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Dark Chocolatey Pie

This is actually the Smlove Pie from Veganomicon.  I only used the basic recipe for the chocolate pie part, I did not add any of their toppings (peanut butter caramel sauce and chocolate sauce).  It is a pie with a silken tofu and baking chocolate base.  It is incredibly rich and decadent and, in my opinion, you cannot even tell there is tofu in it.  It has a graham cracker crust, so you could use any vegan store-bought one or veganize a recipe by using vegan butter and graham crackers.  Also, the pie filling is gluten free and the crust can be made that way by using GF grahams or subbing chopped nuts.

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Berrylicious Sauce

1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced

1/2 pint fresh blueberries

1/4 cup agave nectar (or to taste)

Directions: Place all ingredients in a medium sized pot, setting aside 1/4 of each fruit for end. Simmer fruit w/ agave for about 20 mins. Blend half of the sauce and return to pot. Add the remaining fruit and cook 3-5 more minutes. Chill until use.

Sun-dried Tomato & Mushroom Risotto

Who doesn't love risotto? It's hearty, creamy, and Italian! It might take what seems like a lifetime of stirring, but the end result is worth every drop of sweat (eww, just not in the risotto pot, ok?). Try out this yummy combo...

Sun-dried Tomato & Mushroom Risotto

Makes 4 servings

6 cups vegetable broth (preferably unsalted, but if it is just don't add salt later)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely minced

mushrooms, thinly sliced (use whichever variety and amount you prefer, I used 8 oz baby bellas)

2-4 oz vac pack sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (could sub sun-dried tomatoes in oil)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon rosemary

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

black pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups arborio rice (do NOT sub any other type!!)

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan, then set to simmer on a back burner. In another large pot on medium-high heat, saute' the onion until translucent, then add the mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, cook until the mushrooms are tender. Add the garlic, herbs & spices, and salt. Saute' for about 3 more mins.

Add the rice and incorporate it into the veggie mixture. Add one ladle of broth and, stirring often, simmer until the broth is absorbed. Continue this ladle by ladle, until you run out of broth. The rice should be tender and creamy and all of the broth should be absorbed. This should take 20-30 mins at medium-high heat.

Notes for Kirksville Vegans

My vegan journey so far, in the past two weeks, has taught me much about my community. Contrary to popular belief, it IS possible to find good vegan ingredients in Kirksville, MO. There are really only three places to do so, but they do a good job at it. Surprisingly.

The Kirksville Farmer's Market has been a great source for finding fresh, local produce. Some farmers actually have a program in which you buy a share of their crops for certain periods of time. This year, my husband and I chose to buy a 6-month share (that's the entire growing season) from Green Valley Farms out of Yarrow, MO (just southwest of KV). For about $13 a week we get to pick out as much of whatever we want! So far, in just May and June, they've had asparagus, spinach, cilantro, parsley, mint, peas, mulberries, strawberries, arugula, and an endless variety of salad greens. Nothing tastes so fresh as local produce! If anyone else is interested in signing up for one of these programs, ads appear in the spring in local papers.

Maxine's Back to Nature health food store, although tiny, has some great vegan resources. They carry many staples, such as vegan butter, mayo, and meat substitutes. Some of the lesser-known ingredients can be found here, such as hard-to-find baking ingredients. They also have Teeccino, my new favorite, an herbal coffee. Anyone wanting to lower their caffeine intake should try it. I love it.

Hy-Vee. Of course we all know and love our local Hy-Vee grocer. Especially since they recently have set up a health foods section. Yay! Numerous vegan foods can be found here. They might only carry one variety, for example they only have cubed Seitan, but it's better than nothin'! I hope to see their health foods area expand in the near future.

Local libraries have some of the best vegan cookbooks to borrow. That's where my inspiration began. Check it out.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups!!!!!

Ge the recipe here: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Finally, I can truly understand what all the rage is about, Alicia (Silverstone, that is). These treats from The Kind Diet are the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and bitter. It involves melting peanut butter with vegan butter, graham cracker crumbs, and a bit of sugar. Seperately, you melt nondairy chocolate with some nondairy milk. These are so easy to make! Basically you melt the stuff and then put it in muffin tins and let it set in the fridge for at least 2 hours. I will definitely be making these again. Nums! These could easily be made gluten free with gf cookie or graham crumbs. Too bad we already ate all of them... :(

Cold Udon Noodles w/ Peanut Sauce & Seitan

From one of my favorite cookbooks, Vegan With A Vengeance, the whole family will love this delicious asian noodle dish! The seitan carries all the likeable properties of meat and the peanut sauce is slightly spicy and all the way awesome. It's a great summer meal, as the noodles are served cold, the sauce is at room temperature, and you add chilled juicy veggies (cucumber, bean sprouts, red bell peppers, and scallions). This is one of my top vegan recipes so far, it's gonna end up being a staple around here...yuuuummy...

The Best Vegan Pizza EVER.

Ok, maybe that's not the fairest title, as this is the only vegan pizza that I've ever tried. But seriously, you are all doing yourself a huge injustice if you do not make Isa's Pizza from Vegan With A Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. It may seem like a daunting task, as this pizza is actually a blending of four recipes from the book: Pizza Dough, Pizza Sauce, Classic Pesto (ohh this is actualy made with walnuts instead of pine nuts), and Basil-Tofu Ricotta. It's the scrumptious combo of the last two recipes that make this totally yummy and unique. I was worried that a pizza without cheese would be sorely lacking. I had not faith in it right up until the point when I took my first bite. It was then that my life changed... THIS PIZZA IS SOOO AMAZING! It's refreshing, unlike heavy, meat-and-dairy laden pizzas from my past. Just make sure that you starting preparing the different recipes about two hours in advance, as the dough needs time to rise, the ricotta time to chill, and the pizza has to bake of course. Do it do it do it.

Say Yes to Banana Date Scones!!!

Isa is a genius! These Banana Date Scones from, you guessed it, Veganomicon are my new favorite! They are only sweetened with mashed bananas, dates, and a bitsy boop of brown rice syrup. Except I cannot find brs anywhere in nowheresville, so I subbed maple syrup- delish! You can't go wrong with these. This is the third time that I've made them in the last month. Mmm... Love me some scones!

The Kind Diet - Pecan Crusted Seitan

Very mediocre... Alicia says it's so delicious and could even be loved by meat eaters at parties... I think not. The ingredients all sounded yums (hence I wanted to make and eat it). The seitan was marinated in soy sauce, red wine, orange juice, some spices, and a lot of tomato paste. Then you make a breading of pecan crumbs, flour, and more spices and finally sautee it in olive oil. I was so disappointed- it basically tasted nothing like any of those delicious ingredients. And we even like seitan by itself. So I don't know what the deal is. We ate it, but mostly because it cost about $20 for the ingredients and we didn't want to waste it. Not recommended.

Simple Salad & Rice Dinner

For a dinner in a hurry (like ours was last night), go for some simple tastes that don't take too long to whip up.

Coco-Veggie Brown Rice

First, I put a cup of brown rice in a pot (there are only two of us) and added 1 cup of low fat coconut milk and 1 1/4 cups of vegetable broth. The result is a semi-rich, flavorful rice that could complement almost any dish. Mmm.

Simple Summer Salad

Then I threw a fresh salad together from our farmer's market greens, adding one sliced avocado, one shredded carrot, some sesame seeds, sesame oil, and tamari. Toss it up and you've got a simple, fresh tasting delicious salad!