Not-yo'-nacho cheese sauce, baby!

NACHO CHEESE...

I actually prefer vegan nacho cheese.  I truly don't think the difference is all that noticeable.  Well, nacho cheese can be sort of a staple in regards to Mexican food.  I often drizzle it on my black beans and rice or on a burrito.  Lately, I've been really busy teaching the future of tomorrow and just haven't had the time to do the things that feed my soul, like cooking.  The good news is that I've been indulging in lots of raw food. I've eaten a salad almost every single day.

Tonight, I found myself longing for more.  I was in need of some corn chips sprinkled with a fountain of  nacho cheese sauce.  "Yes, please!"  There's lots of vegan nacho recipes online, but lately, I am committed to trying different recipes from my various vegan cookbooks.  So, I decided to try a recipe from Skye Micheal Conroy's book, "The Non-Dairy Formulary."  Just like many vegan chefs, his cheese recipes center around soy milk and nutritional yeast.

Tonight's nachos are courtesy of Skye Micheal Conroy.

I knew that I would not hate it, so I got the blender and whipped up a batch. I had to cook his for about 15 minutes though, until the mixture became creamy, bubbly, and shiny.

Cook until bubbly and shiny.

Put all the ingredients in the blender.

It was worth the wait though!  I thought I'd share the pictures with you!  You may purchase his book on Amazon or at any local bookstore.

I decided to continually try recipes from the current vegan cookbooks to share which ones I love and which ones I'd never make again.  This one, I'll make it again because it is to taste.  You may add the amount of heat you want and the amount of salt you want.  I actually stuck to the recipe this time and did not veer from it.  Next time, I may try this with coconut milk instead of soy.

So, though this was "not-yo'-nacho" cheese sauce, it was very much like your nacho cheese sauce.  I am extremely happy to have my cravings for nachos satisfied the vegan way!

If you have any questions, go ahead and ask away!

Quinoa for the being you are ("ah")!

QUINOA...

One of my mother's favorite whole grains is quinoa.  You can use it as a substitute for rice or pasta.  Today, I decided to make a garlic herb recipe, which I usually use with couscous.  In truth I think quinoa taste very similar to couscous, which is a pasta product.

Organic Quinoa is a whole grain food.

Quinoa is a whole grain food.  As a whole grain, it is found in sprouted spreads, whole grain breads, cereals, and even muffins.  It has been processed as pasta because it taste very similar to pasta.  Personally, I prefer quinoa in its whole form, usually found in breads, cereals, and cooked as is.  I'm really not a fan of the processed pasta products.  Now, many gluten-free folks may enjoy the pasta, but I love spelt pasta better than quinoa.

Quinoa is a low-fat, no cholesterol food. It is high in protein with one cup having as much as 8.5 grams of protein.  It also contains 5 grams fiber per serving.  Though it is a energy food with high carbohydrate, it is nutritionally beneficial with an array of vitamins (Vitamin C and Vitamin B-12) and minerals (Calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and zinc).  As always, google for yourself the wonderful benefits of quinoa!

Not only does the below dish taste great, it is packed with nutrition from the fresh basil, thyme, and parsley in it from my herb garden.  I have blogged about these ingredients already.  If you have not done so, be sure to start in herb garden.  It is pretty easy to maintain and that benefits of having one is priceless.  Now, without further ado, here's today's recipe.

Garlic, onions, lemon thyme, parsley, and basil.

GARLIC HERB QUINOA (Vegan)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked Quinoa

• 1 1/2 cups Imagine's No-Chicken Broth (or vegetable broth)

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/4 cup onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

• 2 tsp fresh lemon thyme, chopped

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

• 2 tsp Smart Balance butter (Use 1 tsp to saute onions and garlic and 1 tsp after)

Instructions:

1. Combine quinoa, broth, and water in a pot over and bring to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
2. In a saucepan, sauté onions and garlic over medium heat until soft, about 5-7 minutes, then set aside.
3. Once quinoa is finished cooking, pour in sautéed onions and garlic, 1 tsp of Smart Balance, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and herbs.   Combine thoroughly and serve.

Garlic herb quinoa ready to serve.  Yum!

NOTE:  You may also use olive oil for this dish, but if you do, increase salt amount to taste.

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I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I have.  If you do, I'd love to hear from you!

Vegan Olive Gardenish salad dressing. Yay!

OLIVE GARDEN DRESSING...

Okay, ask anyone who knew me in college and, hands down, my favorite restaurant was the Olive Garden. Back then the eggplant parm and the manicotti with all of the salad I could eat were my absolute favs.  Back then (and I'm not going to tell just how far "back then" was or I would commit the abominable for women, especially women my age) the Olive Garden was very expensive.  Sometimes I would only have the salad ($4.00) and bread sticks.  I would still be absolutely happy with just that selection.

However, anyone who truly knows me knows that I love to make anything that I love in restaurants at home.  In truth, I hate to eat out because of shows like "Mystery Diners" or "Restaurant Stakeout."  Additionally, you really never know what truly goes into your food (you may think it's vegan, but it's really bugs, oysters, or has chicken stock in it).  I truly enjoy knowing what's in my food.  Therefore, it's only natural to try to replicate things.

For the main salad, you want iceberg lettuce as the main base, but I also cut up about a head of romaine because I think it's more nutritious than just iceberg.  Next, cut up a tomato or a half cup to a cup of grape tomatoes, olives, and a half of a small onion (thin slices).  You may optionally throw in a few jalepeno peppers.  Lastly, some Italian seasoned croutons will nicely round out this salad.  Wait!  You're not done yet, because now you must add the dressing (to taste) to the bowl.

OLIVE GARDENISH DRESSING (Vegan style)

In a separate container make base dry mix or use Good Seasonings Italian Dressing packet:

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons oregano

1 teaspoon Monk's pepper

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon basil

1 tablespoon parsley

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

2 tablespoons salt

Dressing Mixture:

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons dry mix

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon Monk's pepper

½ tablespoon vegan mayo

1 ½ tablespoons water

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¼ cup cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Pour Good Seasonings Italian packet into a jar and go to step #2 or in mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for dry mix.  Then store in an airtight container.  Use only 2 tablespoons for this recipe. (I always make my own dry mix because I am not fond of all of the stuff in the Good Seasonings packet, but if you don't mind, then you can use that.)
2. Next, combine dressing mixture in a jar.  Cover and shake vigorously. 
3. Pour on top of lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, and croutons and enjoy!

Yesterday and today, I had a hearty salad with the Olive
Gardenish dressing.  Yum!!!

Note:  You may add all of this to a mason jar and shake vigorously.

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I hope you like this recipe.  If you don't think it is an exact match, then I hope you think it's pretty close. Enjoy!  

Strawberry lemonade that's above grade!

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE...

Just the other day, my little niece handed me a red-colored drink, which seemed like paradise in a cup when I tasted it.  On that hot day, this cool strawberry lemonade hit the spot all over!  I was hooked.  I even admit that I've had it every day since.  I'm promising to stop making this drink once I run out of strawberries, which will be in the next day or so.  I feel as if I'm addicted.  I really hate that feeling.

However, it's good to have good things in moderation.  I will probably limit my intake of this drink to no more than twice a week.  This recipe is super easy to make and that could be why I'm so addicted.  If my buds are craving sweets, I turn to this drink and I'm satisfied.  It's that yummy!!! This has me wishing that I owned my own strawberry farm and lemon trees.

Strawberries and lemons are simply good for your health.  I know that I told you about them in other blog posts, but now I will probably recount how lemons and strawberries are so good for you.  Lemons contain vitamins (Vitamin A, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin C) and minerals (calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc).  They also provide a boost to the immune system, fighting sickness, due to their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.  Strawberries also contain vitamins and minerals and  boost the immune system with phytonutrients that help fight diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. They are also high in fiber and low calorie.   As always, google the amazing nutritional and health benefits of lemons and strawberries for yourself!


Now, let me give you the ingredients to this super-easy and tasty drink.  It's literally dessert in a glass!


NAE-NAE'S STRAWBERRY LEMONADE
Servings: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 organic lemon, juiced (or an organic lime may be an adequate substitute)
• 6 organic strawberries, medium to large  (throw in seven if you want)
• 1 tablespoon vegan organic cane sugar (or 2 teaspoons agave, light raw honey)
• 1/4 cup ice (more if desired)

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or Nutri-bullet.  
2. Blend until smooth or desired consistency is obtained.  

Using less ice makes this strawberry lemonade a drink.

Note: The more ice, the more of a slushy you get (see below photo).  The less ice, the consistency is more liquid-y (see above photo).

Adding more ice makes a strawberry lemonade slushy! Yum!

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Enjoy it!  I think I'll have me another one!  It is better than any strawberry lemonade I've had at a restaurant. I  have the ripe, juicy strawberries right now and that may be the key thing!  If you like this drink as much as I do, I'll love to hear from you!  Again, enjoy! Salud!

Cheese please! Vegan muenster that makes you wonder!

MUENSTER VEGAN CHEESE...

In my vegetarian college years, I would eat muenster cheese by the block.  I loved the stuff.  It had the softness and saltiness I craved.  However, the sickness that followed my cheese consumption was never favorable to me and feeling bad is never wonderful. Therefore, once college ended, I heavily slowed my cheese consumption.  I read once that cow cheese was so damaging to the body that it should not even be considered food.  We stomach it because it tastes so good, especially since most folks have a degree of lactose intolerance. 

For anyone who ever saw a documentary on dairy cheese and how it's made, the reasons for not eating cheese (or any dairy for that matter) are obvious.  If you've never watched a documentary on cheese, I highly encourage you to do so.  Now-a-days, even vegetarians have come to realize that cheese can be made with animal rennet and they have to be cautious of which cheeses are made with this animal ingredient.  Many of us know that cheese is a mucus-forming substance, and debilitates many people with asthma, sinusitis, and other mucus-related ailments; but the taste keeps us coming back.  Many of us would be vegan except that we love dairy so much.  I understand.  I REALLY do.  In my undergraduate college years, I'd joke with friends that I had turned into a mouse because I ate so much of this stuff.  However, now, I am striving to be rid of all animal by-products for a healthier lifestyle; and therefore, I have been looking for palatable alternatives to dairy and cheese.

So, here's where I'm at right now.  Most vegan cheeses on the market that are free of casein (an animal protein) make me gag.  I found Miyoko Schinner's book "Artisan Vegan Cheese" and I started trying the recipes in there.  Now, if you haven't purchased this cookbook yet, you should know that most of the cheeses take some time to make.  However, there are a few that are pretty quick to make. I've also found that I have to stick exactly to the recipe (which is very hard for me because I like to change things up so much).

Blended mixture first in sauce pan.

In my last post I've finally mastered the vegan yogurt (Yay!).  I found that I had to use organic unsweetened plain soy yogurt to culture organic unsweetened plain soy milk.  I tried to use coconut milk (MAJOR FAIL) and  almond milk (though it turned to yogurt, the whey separated).  I also found that the "potent" probiotic I used was lacking in strength to culture my yogurt.  So, sticking to Miyoko's recipe paid off.  It's a good thing it did because I needed this yogurt to make the vegan cheese that I'm blogging about today.  It's muenster cheese!  Fast and delicious!!!

After blended mixture has thickened after 5 minutes.

Though I'm not posting Miyoko's recipe for muenster cheese (it's not mine to give), I am giving everyone a link to her YouTube video.  It's the easiest of all of the cheeses I've made so far because it takes only 5-7 minutes from start to finish.  It sat in the refrigerator for only 3 hours and I put paprika around it to mimic the red on the muenster cheese.  I've tasted it and it is SO VERY similar to the cow version. This will become a staple in my house. I can have my vegan cheese now without gagging.  No animal protein or unsafe ingredients, period.  Here's Miyoko's video on muenster cheese: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zbPLXONzXA

Once poured into the mold, it started to firm immediately.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, let me know.  Some of these cheeses take days to get to the finished product.  I will post them as they become ready, but for now, I am so EXCITED about making tasty cheeses the vegan way!

Finished muenster cheese rubbed with paprika.  It's pretty spot on. Yum!

Vegan yogurt at last, baby!

VEGAN YOGURT...

I like yogurt, but I have struggled with the brands of vegan yogurt out there.  Silk makes a pretty good blueberry yogurt and I'm okay with the plain coconut yogurt by So Delicious.  However, I think they cost too much.  When things cost too much and I'm just iffy with the flavor, I get motivation to make it myself.  I'm that type of person.  I don't want to pay too much for things that I consider staples (things I eat more often than not) and I want to love what I'm eating!  

Last year, I began the process of making vegan yogurt.  It was a complete fail.  I used almond milk and added probiotics to culture it, but it was a complete flop. I threw the whole thing out.  This year, I bought Miyoko Schinner's book "Artisan Vegan Cheese" and I love it!  It has a cashew yogurt recipe in there (you'll have to buy the book for the recipe) that I tried to make three separate times this month (the first two times I did not stick with the recipe and they were a complete fail), but the last time was a charm!

I highly recommend Miyoko's book.

So, cashews and soy milk are not all that cheap, especially if you buy certified organic products. Making mistakes can be costly.  So, just like when life throws you lemons, make lemonade, I've learned to make vegan buttermilk from my flop yogurt experiments.  Instead of using a nondairy vegan yogurt to culture the milk, I tried using probiotics again, but again it was a flop.  Instead of throwing the whole thing out again (like I did last year), I decided to drain the clumped probiotics off of the milk, which had considerably thickened, but not cultured.  This left a thick buttermilk-like vegan milk, which I will use in various ways.

Vegan homemade yogurt on the left with a
failed attempt, now vegan buttermilk,
on the right.

Now, one of the main reasons to eat yogurt is for the probiotics.  Active cultures, such as L. Acidophilus, B.Bifidum, L.Bulgaricus,  and S.Thermophilus, are in most vegan yogurts. These cultures help give the body good bacteria to fight (or eat) the bad bacteria.  Probiotics also help in digestion and relieve constipation.  Google the many splendid benefits of yogurt cultures!

Now you may also buy probiotics in other forms (pill form, drink form), but I love variety.  Also, after so many failures in making yogurt from the pills, I'm beginning to think that the bacteria in pill form may have deactivated.  When trying to make yogurt from the pill form, I had failures.

I've finally used the nondairy vegan soy yogurt to culture and that worked.  Praise God!!!  If you're dying for the recipe, though I can't give it to you, Miyoko has a YouTube video regarding this recipe (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYMJZkbDH9g).  When I made it just like she did, it worked.  I did not change a thing, but maybe in the future.  For now though, I'm going to stick by the original recipe until I'm sure I can do it by changing the ingredients!!!  This yogurt is delicious and creamy and I have not even added any sweetener to it yet.  I have a whole 32 ounce quart jar of it.  I'll be using this yogurt as my starter for my next batch.  I'm thrilled.

Cashew yogurt with a bit of agave drizzled on top with one
little lonely blueberry.

One of the main reasons I'm making yogurt is so that I can make vegan cream cheese.  I can tell this will be a tasty cheese.  I look forward to it in the days ahead, but first, I have to make my second batch of yogurt.

If you have made vegan yogurt, I would love to hear of your success or challenges.  If you love Miyoko as much as I do, chime in as well. 

Eggplant Dip that makes you flip!

EGGPLANT...

Yes, I write about a bunch of things I like to eat.  In truth, I have to have a taste for it before I'm motivated to make it.  Today, it's all about the eggplant.  I love eggplant and I eat it in various ways, but in the summer nothing is better than light foods.  Eggplant dip to the rescue!  You may know it as Baba Ghanouj.  It's a Mediterranean dish and I love Mediterranean foods.  So, decided to make some today for lunch.

When I was little, I could not imagine why they called this eggplant.  I remember looking for the egg in this plant. I knew that folks breaded it, dipped it in egg, and fried it up, but why they called it an eggplant, I did not know.  However, I came to find out that we can thank the 18th century Europeans for that name because they thought that a whitish variety of the eggplant resembled goose eggs.  Another little known fact is that there is some confusion of whether eggplant is a fruit or a vegetable.  Though we often think of eggplant as a vegetable and generally consume it with other vegetables, botanist label it as a fruit.

Nutritionally, eggplant has a host of vitamins (B-Complex vitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin K), minerals (copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium), and antioxidant phytonutrients, which include phenolic compounds (caffeic and chlorogenic acid) and flavonoids (nasunin). Nasunin if found on the skin and protects the body from free radicals.  It has also been called brain food because it helps the cell membranes in the brain.  Eggplant is also beneficial in cardiovascular health and is a good source of fiber.  Google the amazing nutritional properties of eggplant for yourself!


The original recipe I used came from Mama's Lebanese Kitchen ... I usually stick to the recipe (http://www.mamaslebanesekitchen.com/dips/baba-ghanouj-recipe/).  The only thing I tweaked was the white vinegar.  I used about 1/4 cup of lemon juice instead.  I also used large eggplants and so I do not use as many.  Two large eggplants would suffice for this recipe in my humble opinion.  I do not remove as much of the seeds (only the very noticeable large clumps of seeds, which I generally eat), but feel free to remove them to your heart's content.  Though I think it highly unnecessary to remove all of the seeds, removing some will make it less seedy.  The more seeds you remove, the more eggplant you may need.

Also I cut the eggplant lengthwise and put olive oil on it and sea salt and roast in a 375 degree oven for an hour.  I let them stand for about 30 to 40 minutes before taking a spoon and scraping it out into the food processor.  Well, I guess I did tweak the original recipe more than I thought, but when I'm cooking, it has to be my way of doing things.  You can make it your way too.  However, I must say that I have messed up a few dishes by tweaking things too much on my first try.  Because of this, I suggest sticking to the recipe the first time and then changing things up after you know the process.

One eggplant sliced down the middle sprinkled with olive oil and salt
to roast for about an hour.

Garnish the Baba Ghanouj with whatever you like, I used chili powder, olive oil, and pickles.  I usually eat these with dry toasted bread (similar to zwieback) or toasted pita chips, but veggies are good too.  Enjoy!

Baba Ghanouj with dry toasted bread.

If you like Baba Ghanouj as much as I do, I'd love to hear from you!  Again, enjoy!!!

Cucumber mint sandwiches....all vegan!

CUCUMBER SANDWICHES...

You may find cucumber sandwiches as an edible fare at daytime socials for genteel women; however, I eat them when I want something light even at night. I've discovered a recipe by the Paupered Chef that makes this sandwich with mint and I love mint.  So, I decided to veganize it by substituting the dairy butter and cream cheese with vegan alternatives, which seem to work VERY well.  The original non-vegan recipe is found: http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2006/02/cucumber_sandwi.html

It's summertime and it's hot.  I often want something cool.  Lately, I've been pretty busy and so I also wanted something easy to pull together.  Cucumber sandwiches are light and easy.  However they require cream cheese.  Vegan cream cheese must be made ahead of time. Lately, I've been experimenting with vegan cheeses from the book "Artisan Vegan Cheese" by Miyoko Schinner.  Perhaps if I ever followed a recipe to the "T," I would have had success, but I'm always substituting something not in the recipe and ended up with failure.  So far, I've failed on making the vegan cream cheese but I will make it again in the next few days sticking strictly to Miyoko's recipe.  I've learned my lesson and it was an expensive one.  So, what's a girl to do!?!....

Instead of using the homemade cream cheese for my cucumber sandwiches, I settled on the trusty processed non-GMO vegan cream cheese store version along with some diced mint and earth balance.  I also used an English cucumber and the sandwiches were light and wonderful.  The sandwiches came out wonderfully tasty, light, and so refreshing (mint makes everything refreshing!). I could truly eat this everyday.

Lonely cucumber mint sandwich (I'd eaten its buddy already)
made from showcased vegan ingredients (left) with a side of grapes. 

Now, cucumbers are a low calorie food, which serve as a mild diuretic.  It has an abundance of potassium as well as antioxidants that help rid the body of free radicals that damage our skin and health.  It is a great source of fiber and it helps rid the body of constipation.  Cucumbers are also well-known for their anti-aging properties.  In another blog, I've already cited the great benefits of mint.  Google both for more information as always!

If you like this sandwich as much as I do, holla!  I'd love to hear from you!  By the way, I'll update this post once I perfect the cashew cream cheese recipe in Miyoko's book.  Until then!...

Have a go at vegan pimento...cheese that is!

PIMENTO CHEESE...

Well, with pimento cheese, you either love it or you hate it.  I ate it all my life made in the vegan way.  It's one of those things that I only want now and then.  I find that it is good for finger sandwiches when having intimate socials.  Actually, at a small social after work, I remember having my first taste of non-vegan pimento cheese.  "Whoa!" I thought.  I remember discreetly spitting it out into my paper napkin and discarding the package. It may have been the catering company's fault (I don't know), but in truth, I never wanted a non-vegan pimento sandwich again.  I like the vegan version much better.  Not that the taste is all that different, but something was amiss..yes, a "miss." Perhaps if done properly, I'm sure, some of you pimento cheese zealots will highly disagree with me.  For me, the vegan version wins this taste test hands down!

So, if you don't know what pimentos are, I should tell you.  Pimentos are small sweet red peppers usually soaked in brine.  I only buy the ones in glass jars and they're fairly inexpensive.  You may usually find these stuffed into green olives ("Oh! That's what they are!").  They have very little nutritional value about 1% of DV of Vitamin C and 2 mg of potassium.  They are often more full of sodium than anything else.  However, folks who love pimentos, love pimentos.

Now, vegan pimento cheese mainly consist of cashews, tahini, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. However, I always add my extra with throwing in some extra-firm tofu.  You may find the basic vegan pimento recipe anywhere on the Internet, under "Cashew Pimento Cheese" or "Cashew Pimento Cheese Sauce."  Lately, folks are making it with the addition of veganaise and Daiya cheese or some other processed vegan cheese, which are fine as well.  You can also find these recipes online.  However, I am more inclined to stick with the recipe my mom used since I was a child.  Without further ado, here's the recipe...

VEGAN PIMENTO CHEESE

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cashews, rinsed (with 1/4 cup divided out)

1/2 cup pimento peppers (with 1/8 cup divided out)

1/2 cup extra-firm tofu

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon tahini

1 heaping teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoon onion powder

1 cup water

Processed cashews, pimento, and tofu.

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions:

In a food processor, pulse 1/4 cup of cashews until crumbly.  Add 1/8 cup of pimentos, and pulse once.  Lastly, add extra-firm tofu and pulse twice.  This should resemble pimento cheese without the color.

Next, in a blender, combine all of the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  Pour into a small pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring regularly, until thick (this should be no more than 3-5 minutes) and it will thicken quickly.  Once to desired thickness, let cool and combine with the food processor ingredients.  You may refrigerate before making sandwiches or if you like it at room temperature, make sandwiches. 

Vegan pimento cheese sandwich for lunch!

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It really hits the spot every now and then.  I don't make it often, but when I do make it, I love it!  Let me know how you like it.  Your feedback is always welcomed. 

Stevia is a plant believ-a-ba (believeable)!

STEVIA...

This plant is growing in popularity because of its low-caloric properties.  More folks are flocking to supermarkets to purchase the extract or the dried (sugar-like) stevia.  Folks use it as just another artificial sweetener, but truly there is hardly nothing artificial about it.  In fact, if the processed varieties of stevia make you nervous, simply buy a plant and let the leaves make you a believer.

As a child, my mom was the sugar-Nazi!  She would often say, "No sugar for YOU!"  Heck, we could hardly have all the honey we wanted, but if we were getting anything sweet, it was usually going to be honey or a stevia leaf.  She would simply drop a dried stevia leaf into our hot tea.  It was great!

Now, I must admit that a fresh leaf must be chewed in order for the sweetness to release.  It is said that the  leaf (raw or dried) is 10-15 times sweeter than sugar in its natural state and more like 200-300 times sweeter than sugar in its processed state.  Now, simply just dropping a fresh raw leaf in hot tea will not release the stevia sweetness, you'll have to blend it up with your steeping tea and strain it.  In general, folks pick the leaves from the stevia plant, dry them in the sun, and crush them up for future use.  You can also make an extract.  The following site gives the history of stevia and how to make an extract.  Buying it from stores remain an option, but it's good to know all of the options.  Stevia information site: http://www.stevia.com/Stevia_Article/Frequently_asked_questions_FAQ/2269

Letting the blended stevia and mint, along with
a handful of fresh mint steep in the sun.

On Sunday, I decided that I needed some flavored water.  As important as what we eat is what we drink.  Sometimes, we want a flavor to drink. I had a bunch of mint and peppermint growing in my container garden and I thought that mint flavor water sounded like a great idea!  I'll make flavor water and sweeten it with leaves from a stalk of my stevia plant.  So, after trimming my plants, I bought them inside and blended about a cup of mint with leaves of the stevia stalk together. I stuffed more mint into a 32 ounce jar and filled it up with water.  I then put it back in the sun so that the heat and rays of the sun could release more of the flavors. I actually didn't drain the blended peppermint or stevia from the jar until the next morning.  The taste was just what I was after, a watery mint flavor that had a subtle hint of sweet.  It was truly mint flavor water. I've been drinking it ever since, one 8 oz. glass at a time.

Enjoying a glass of mint flavor water today.

I feel as if I am getting a host of nutritional benefits, not only from the mint, but also from the stevia because stevia reduces blood sugar levels.  It has flavonoid properties, such as Kaempferols, that reduces the risk of pancreatic cancer. Therefore, it taste good and is good for you.  Google the nutritional and health benefits of the natural stevia leaf, or plant, for yourself!

There's a host of information in books and online that relate how you can cook and bake with stevia.  Though I confine my stevia to drinks, that's what I'm used to doing... and unfortunately many of us are creatures of habit.  Maybe one day, I'll bake with the dried leaves.  That will have to be an experiment for sure.

Your feedback is always welcomed.  If you like stevia as much as I do, just let me know.  In the meantime, at least enjoy a dried leaf of stevia in your tea!

Vegan "egg" salad that will make you sing ballads!

VEGAN EGG SALAD...

Well, I must admit, I never really liked the Whole Foods' version of vegan egg salad made from tofu.  Though I have nothing against tofu, I felt that they could do more with it to make it more palatable. In truth, it's not disgusting, but if I'm going to eat vegan egg salad it has to taste more like egg salad!  Eating vegan egg salad at Whole Foods really made me long for something more; so I looked!

A few weeks ago, I started looking for a vegan hard-boiled egg recipe and came across the below version of vegan egg salad for my sandwiches.  Though I did not use this recipe, I think her sandwich looks appetizing and tasty!  I thought I'd share just in case you wanted to try it.  One day, I may try it myself!  Egg Salad recipe: http://mouthwateringvegan.com/2013/04/06/first-best-ever-vegan-egg-mayonnaise-egg-salad-sandwich/

I finally found my hard-boil egg vegan recipe made from coconut milk, which I posted last Thursday (see below vegan egg salad recipe for link).  In short, to make the egg salad, simply make that an'geled' eggs recipe and then combine it with the ingredients I've listed below.  You'll have leftover 'yoke,' which you can use when making egg salad again!  It makes me sing ballads!

Before I go on, I should say a thing about pickle relish.  I cannot find it without the unnecessary food coloring in it.  So, you can make your own and not worry about that poison. I've included a recipe from TastyKitchen.com that makes four pints below.  I think the taste is pretty similar.  You can use honey or agave in the place of sugar, if you like.  It's all about being consciously comfortable with what you are eating.  I don't use relish enough to run out fast, but if you do, just make more.  Recipe: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/canning/dill-pickle-relish-2/

I am thoroughly enjoying this summer sandwich in all its vegan glory.  I have come to love egg salad with sprouts.  However, I didn't have any sprouts on hand, so I went for the romaine lettuce instead.

Diced ingredients layered for egg salad.

VEGAN EGG SALAD (My version)

Pre-Instructions:  Make eggs according to the An'geled' Eggs recipe:  http://experientialvegan.blogspot.com/2013/06/vegan-angeled-eggs-that-will-make-you.html

Simply do not pipe the vegan yoke into the 'egg whites.' Instead, dice up the egg whites and reserve about three tablespoons of the vegan yoke for the vegan egg salad (store the rest for more vegan egg salad or an'geled' eggs), adding the following ingredients ...  


Ingredients:
3 tablespoons an'geled' eggs yoke
1 small celery stalk, diced
2 tablespoons grapeseed veganaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/8 cup tomatoes, diced
1/8 cup onions, diced
1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon Monk's pepper, optional
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Relish, about a tablespoon, if desired

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in one bowl.  Add extra relish  if desired (aside from what is already in the an'geled' eggs).  Also add more salt if you like, but I find it's salty enough!

Serve on your favorite homemade bread (I toast my bread first) with lettuce or sprouts.

Vegan egg salad on homemade agave-spelt bread
ready for consumption!

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Yes, this was totally delish!  I hope you like it as much as I do!  Feedback is always welcomed, especially if you have any suggestions on how to make it even more spectacular!  

Vegan An'geled' eggs that will make you beg!

VEGAN EGGS...

Yep, the eggs pictured in this blog are vegan, and, believe it or not, they taste very much like eggs. So, yes, now you can have your vegan and eat hard-boiled eggs too!  It's truly amazing!!!  I bet you can't wait to try this recipe for yourself, especially if eggs are something that you miss about being vegan.  Now, no more sacrificing the taste for health!  These are not full of harmful ingredients.

Okay, in all truthfulness, this is my first success with making vegan eggs. As my mother always said, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again."  Last Friday, I found two separate recipes, one using almond milk and the other using soymilk, both equally disgusting to me.  The egg whites made me gag. I could not imagine that the bean or tofu yolks would be much better.  I did try the bean yolks and though they weren't too disgusting, the recipe had so much salt in it, I ended up throwing it all away.  

Over the weekend, I discussed my failures with my sister, who insisted that I use plain coconut milk,  because it's nearly flavorless.  I quickly returned home to search for a coconut milk egg white recipe.  Though the egg white recipe was the same for all of them, I must say that the coconut milk made the difference. Also, I decided to try the mash potato yolks, which was awesome as well.  

Coconut milk egg whites poured into
mold and place in the refrigerator.

Once set, these resemble eggs.

In other blogs, I related the nutritional benefits of agar powder, a seaweed derivative, and the benefits of coconut; so in this blog I decided to relate the nutritional benefits of potatoes.  I used red potatoes for this recipe because they are so soft and easy to work with.  Red potatoes are a high energy food, packed with calories and carbohydrates, however they are a mild glycemic food.  This is probably why the military uses potatoes so much.  Especially with their skins attached, they have an array of vitamins (Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K) and minerals (calcium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium, selenium, sodium, and zinc).  Red potatoes are free of fat, cholesterol, and extremely low in sodium and low in natural sugar. One medium red potato also contains about 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber.  Google the nutritional benefits of red potatoes for yourself!

So, I embarked again making my substitutions and additions to the recipe I found (see original recipe below).  I believe it's a winner.  I hope you love it too!  For me, there's nothing evil about these eggs.  These eggs are all good! Without further ado, the recipe is next!

VEGAN AN'GELED' EGGS (Because there's nothing deviled about these eggs!)

Original recipe: http://livingwhilelivingwithout.blogspot.com/2013/05/vegan-deviled-eggs-egg-dairy-soy.html

Whites: 

• 1 cup unsweetened plain So Delicious Coconut Milk
• 1 tsp agar powder
• 1/8 tsp black salt

Yolks:

• 1 medium red potato, skinned, cooked, and mashed
• 1/3 cup unsweetened plain coconut milk
• 1 Tbs prepared mustard
• 1 tsp vegan mayo, such as grapeseed veganaise
• 1/8 tsp tumeric powder
• 3/4 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp black salt
• 1 Tbs dill relish
• Paprika to garnish

Instructions:

In a small pot, bring ingredients for egg whites to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently. During this process, you will create a bunch of bubbles while whisking, but don't pay any attention to that as you can use a large knife against the pot to pour the egg white mixture into the molds, thus reducing the bubbles in the mold. Once the mixture it at a boil, remove from heat and pour egg molds. Refrigerate until set, between 20 and 30 minutes.

Next, peel and dice one medium red potato and boil for about 20 minutes or until tender enough to mash.  Remove any excess water and mix in the coconut milk and tumeric and cook for an additional 2 minutes, so that the tumeric can release its color.  Then add the rest of the yolk ingredients and be sure to remove any clumps so that the resulting mixture has a smooth consistency.  Once done, set aside.

Scooped out the middle with a small spoon to fill with
yoke mixture.

Once eggs whites are set, use a small spoon to carefully scrape out half sphere holes near the middle of each.  Using a cake piper or a plastic bag, pipe the yolk mixture onto eggs and garnish with paprika.  Serve or refrigerate up to 3 days.

The end product was truly pleasing to my
taste buds.  Try it for yourself!

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I am so happy to have had success with this recipe!!! I will be using it again.  There are so many things I will make now that I have this recipe as a base.  My creative mind is a'buzzin'!

If you make this recipe, I would love to hear from you, especially if you love it as much as I do! I'd also appreciate any of your additions to the egg yolk mixture as we all put our own touch on our dishes.  Enjoy!!!

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Vegan parmesan using brazil nuts!

VEGAN PARM...

Well, there are so many versions of vegan parmesan to try out, but for years, I've always thought that brazil nuts reminded me parmesan.  In truth, I hated brazil nuts and parmesan cheese for years until my taste buds matured in recent years.  That's when I found lots of ways to use dairy parmesan in pesto, in salad dressings, and, of course, as a topping.

Now, for those of you who don't know, brazil nuts are full of nutrition. Brazil nuts contain vitamins (Vitamin B-Complex, Vitamin E), minerals (copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc), and antioxidants. Though these nuts have a high caloric value, they are a great source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), the same as those found in most Mediterranean diets.  Therefore, brazil nuts help lower the bad cholesterol to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by improving the healthy blood lipid profile.  This nut is also known as a non-gluten food, as is almonds and pine nuts.  Google the nutritional benefits of brazil nuts for yourself!

Though I thought that brazil nuts mimicked the taste of parmesan, it took years before I realized that raw vegans often use this as a parmesan substitute.  Though I tweak every recipe I find, I recently found a recipe online that required baking the nuts.  I do not recommend roasting nuts over 110 degrees due to the breakdown of the oils.  I'd rather have the raw nut instead of the roasted one.  I know that I may be in the minority here.  Anyhoo, the original recipe I tweaked came from Dreena Burton's blog: http://plantpoweredkitchen.com/2-vegan-parmesan-substitutes-brazil-nut-parmezan-and-cheesy-sprinkle/

Up-close look at vegan parm right after combining ingredients.

BRAZIL NUT PARM (My version)

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups raw brazil nuts
• ½ tsp (little scant) sea salt
• 1 ½ tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp fresh organic lemon zest

Instructions:

Pulse the brazil nuts in a food processor or blender until crumbly. Do NOT over pulse or over blend, or you will end up with paste due to the oil in the brazil nut. Pour into dish and toss in the salt, nutritional yeast, and lemon zest. Use your fingers to work these ingredients through the crumbled nuts.  Once done, transfer to a container to refrigerate. 

Basil tomato pasta topped with vegan parm.  Yum!

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If you love this vegan parmesan topping, let me know. 

Lemon bars are lemon stars!

LEMON BARS ...

I am a lemon bar fanatic.  As a vegetarian, I would make them on the regular using eggs.  However, vegan lemon bars cannot contain any animal by-products.  Consequently, now when I want some lemon bars, I simply tweak a recipe from one of my favorite vegan cookbooks, Veganomicon.  There are a few vegan recipe books I highly recommend, and as I use recipes from them (whether I tweak them or not), I'll let you know what they are.  I will not post recipes that I have not tweaked because I believe that to be unethical without being given expressed permission by the author.  In the cases that I do not tweak the recipes, I'll simply refer you to the book.

These lemon bars are made by substituting the egg ingredients with agar.  As a mentioned before in my previous blogs on gummy bars and vegan jello, agar is a nutritious seaweed and vegans use it to gel various foods, especially desserts.  Agar combined with fresh organic lemons are both essential parts of this dessert. You want to make sure you only use organic lemons for this recipe because you zest the lemons and you want to avoid any harmful pesticides that may be on lemons not grown organically.  

Lemons are so good for you!  Let's talk a bit about their nutritional composition.  One lemon provides vitamins (Vitamin A, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin C) and minerals (calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc), but it is widely known as a source for Vitamin C.  One lemon provides 139% of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin C.  This is important to fight sickness, such as the flu, and boost the immune system.  Lemons also have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which also make it a great food for healing.  They also have a variety of other uses. For example, to relieve constipation and flush the liver, enjoy at the start of each morning a warm (almost hot) cup of water with 1/2 of a lemon squeezed into it.  Who doesn't know that lemon water (sans the sugar) aids in weight loss?  If you didn't, now you know.  Google the other wonderful nutritional and health benefits of lemons!

Lemons just aren't a tough sell!.  They have a wonderful scent, which is used in a variety of cleaning products, but they are also one of my go-to foods when cooking.  Lemon add a tart and tangy flavor to many recipes.  Who doesn't love lemonade in the summer?  It's refreshing!  Many desserts are made with lemons as well.  As I said before, I love lemon bars because lemon bars are lemon stars to me!

Once set, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into slices.

LEMON BARS (about 24 small squares)

Crust:

• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose winter spelt flour
• 1/3 cup cane sugar
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine (8 tablespoons)

Filling:

• 1 1/3 cups water
• 3 tsp agar powder
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (1 large organic lemon)
• 1 1/4 cups cane sugar
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 3 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1/4 cup So Delicious Coconut milk, unsweetened
• confectioners’ sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. 
2. Pulse the spelt and sugar in a food processor, then add the margarine in spoonfuls and pulse to blend the mixture spreadable.  With a spatula, spread the mixture into the prepared baking pan, evening the layer and forming slightly raised sides to hold the filling. Bake the unfilled crust for 20 minutes, remove from the oven, and let cool.
3. While crust is baking, prepare the filling.  In a sauce pan, let agar powder dissolve in the water for about 30 minutes.  Zest the lemons and squeeze the lemon juice.  Mix the arrowroot into the lemon juice to dissolve.
4. Once the agar has been dissolved for 5-10 minutes, turn on the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.  Boil for about 3-5 minutes, or until the agar is completely dissolved.  
5. Add turmeric into the agar first and combine and then add sugar and combine, and boil until they have dissolved, about 3 minutes.  
6. Turn down the heat to medium and add the arrowroot mixture, then add the lemon zest and coconut milk.  Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes, but do not rapidly boil (low bubbling allowed).
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust.  Let cool for 20-30 minutes and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours (I usually make it at night and let it refrigerate overnight), until the filling has set, slightly jiggly.  Use a fine-mesh strainer to sprinkle the bars with confectioners’ sugar.  Slice in squares and serve.

To serve, sprinkle a bit more powdered sugar and
watch them disappear!

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If you like lemon bars, tell me all about it!  I'd love to hear from you!

Fasting with grapes (or any fruit)!

FASTING...

There are various ways to fast.  Most healthy people would admit that fasting at least one day a week greatly improves your overall health.  The reason being that when you fast, it gives the body's digestive system a chance to rest.  For me, a true fast is not eating anything for 24 hours.  However, for religious reasons, I may be inclined to fast about three days, but I generally will not go any longer than that!  I do not fast every week, but I am striving for that, and so I am exploring various ways to make fasting easier to do.  To that end, for the last 24 hours I fasted with fruit.

Some people fast to cleanse their bodies of cooked and processed foods.  On these cleansing fast, they may eat only one thing. like one particular fruit.  A fruit fast is a great way to clean out the system because that's what raw fruits do, they cleanse the system while vegetables build the system.  So, when I want to fast without doing a true fast, I generally stick to only one fruit.  I'd usually do oranges, grapefruit, or grapes (all organic if possible).  I'd drink plenty of water for 24 hours.  It usually takes about two hours for fruits to digest and so I give my stomach an extra hour to rest before eating again.  I generally stop eating after 7 p.m.

Many people believe that fasting from morning to morning is the best way to fast.  I usually don't fast that way because I tend to get REALLY hungry at night if I do.  Instead, I'll fast from noon to noon, which is better psychologically for me.  I am just not as hungry.  You can choose what's best for you as well.  As always, I urge you to google various ways of fasting to see if you want to incorporate this into your lifestyle.

So, today I'm ending my fast (I started yesterday at 2 p.m.) of eating grapes, just grapes.  I've had  plenty of water too.  I wanted to post to the blog, but I did not want to cook to tempt myself, so I decided to write about my fast. I figured I could give you a bit of nutritional information on grapes and urge you to google the nutritional information on the fruit of your choice should you ever choose to fast with fruit.

Grapes contain numerous health promoting phytonutrients, such as polyphenolic antioxidants, vitamins (Vitamin A, Vitamin B-complex, Vitamin-C, Vitamin K), and minerals (copper, iron, manganese, potassium).  Grapes get their color from the polyphenolic pigments in them, which contain various antioxidants concentrated in the skin.  Red and purple varieties are rich in anthocyanins, while white and green varieties contain more of tannins, especially, catechin, which is a flavonoid antioxidant.  Both antioxidants, anthocyanins and catechin, are anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial, and have anti-cancer properties.   Red grapes are especially known to contain resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant which protects against colon and prostate cancers, heart disease, nerve disease, Alzheimer's, and a host of viral or fungal infections.  Google the amazing health benefits of grapes.  Though seedless grapes are abundant, grapes with seeds in them are going to better for you.  However, if seedless grapes are all you can get, eat them!

One thing's for sure, once a fast is over, you are going to be so happy to eat; however I find I make healthier choices once my fast is done.  Therefore, one of the biggest reasons I fast is because I find it makes me more temperate and able to resist the unhealthy choices I may have been making before the fast.  Something in my brain goes, "If you didn't need it for 24-hours, you don't need it now!"  That's why I want to continue fasting at least once a week on simply one raw fruit or vegetable at a time. It will act as a focused and meditative meal to allow my body to easily digest and cleanse out the bad.

Today's red grapes ready to eat!

If you already fast once a week, biweekly, or once a month, let me know.  Any tips that help you make it through the day are also welcomed.  The easier you make fasting, the more enjoyable it will be and the more you'll be able to stick with it.