Hungry Vegan

Vegan Holiday KitchenBook Review and Giveaway!

2012-01-30T09:03:00.000-08:00

I have an addiction—an insatiable appetite and one true weakness. I admit it. I am obsessed with vegan recipe books. Maybe it's because when I first became vegan there were so few really great vegan cookbooks available. I was out there stumbling around, hungry for delicious recipes to delight my newly vegan taste buds, and there were very few inspiring options. Now there's a seemingly unending stream of fabulous vegan books to choose from. It seems as though every time I am just getting into a fantabulous new book, there's another one right around the corner! I'm making it my mission to own, review, and share them all. Today's post is about a book I am mad-crazy in love with: Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas. The recipes are superb, and Susan Voisin's photographs are gorgeous. And best of all, the heavy, hardbound edition means the book lays flat when open to any page! I can't tell you how wonderful it is to not have to prop a jar or small plate on a page and get it all dirty with sticky fingers, just not to lose my place in the middle of trying to follow a recipe. Well, I don't have to tell you, my lovely readers. You know exactly what I'm talking about!

You think I'm kidding when I say the pictures are gorgeous? Even with my crummy snapshots of the book's spectacular photos, you can see just how eye-poppingly beautiful they are!

My mouth was watering just thumbing through the pages! Without a doubt, I am making this scrumptious-looking Strawberry Snack Cake for Valentine's Day!

Inside the pages of Vegan Holiday Kitchen, you'll find delectable recipes for holidays, potlucks, and special occasions. But you don't have to (nor will you want to) wait for a special occasion to dive into the recipes. Each and every one will make every day a celebration!

I dove right in to Nava's recipe for Baba Ghanouj, because I go ga-ga for this classic Middle Eastern dip. There used to be a little Lebanese restaurant down the street from where I live that made great baba ghanouj. But they closed their doors a few years ago, and there hasn't been any decent baba ghanouj around since then. The problem with baba ghanouj is that if it's too garlicky or doesn't have enough garlic or has too much or too little tahini, it can be rather uninspired. But the recipe in Vegan Holiday Kitchen turned out the most delicious baba ghanouj I have ever tasted! Who knew it was so easy to make this at home? All this time I have been missing the joy of eating great baba ghanouj, and little did I know, I could create it right here in my own kitchen! If like me, you are in love with baba ghanouj, don't wait another minute. Get your hands on a copy of this book! (You can even get lucky and win yourself a copy. Find out how at the end of this post!)

While in a trippy-dippy mood, I decided to try the recipe for Mock Chopped Chicken Liver. Growing up in New York, one of my fondest childhood culinary memories is of the Sunday meals our family enjoyed at the once-famous Jewish-Romanian-style restaurant, Seymour Kaye's in Forest Hills, Queens. Picture crisp, white linen tablecloths and napkins, smiling servers in black vests and bowties, a gay African American piano player belting out Yiddish tunes, and a Puerto Rican chef turning out the most incredible Yiddish cuisine. That was Seymour Kaye's. Seymour's larger-than-life personality, (he'd make loud "kissy" noises when he wanted to get the attention of one of the servers!), the impromptu designer clothing store "hidden" behind a wall of curtains, the upbeat, boisterous, family-friendly atmosphere, and the incredible Yiddish cuisine made the restaurant a cultural landmark that attracted customers from Manhattan to LA. Celebrities like Walter Matthau loved the place, and I even tended bar there for a short time!

A favorite appetizer at Seymour Kaye's was the chopped chicken liver. My father used to slather it in schmaltz and grebbenes—liquid chicken fat and fried chicken fat and onion cracklings. (Sounds gross, I know, and talk about a recipe for a heart attack!) But I cannot help associating many fond memories with the flavor of this dish, and Nava's cruelty-free recipe for this Yiddish pâté, made with cashew, onion, and mushrooms is a deliciously heart-healthy counterpart to Seymour's dish. Whether or not you've ever tasted chopped liver, you will love this yummy spread!

And while we're talking about great Jewish cuisine, I went nuts over Nava's recipe for Moroccan-Style Vegetable Soup with Matzo Balls! Matzo ball soup is usually enjoyed during Passover, and vegan matzo balls are typically made with tofu. But that's a problem for many religious Jews, because beans and bean products (like tofu) are forbidden foods during the week of Passover. What a brilliant idea to substitute quinoa flakes! Let me tell you, the matzo balls tasted fabulous and held together beautifully (even after reheating), and the soup was hearty, flavorful, and filling!

Vegan Holiday Kitchen is filled with fabulous soup recipes. And when it's cold outside, soup is a staple at our house. Being the coconut fool that I am, the recipe for Coconut Butternut Squash Soup looked too tasty not to try. With a hint of curry and ginger, and the delightful additions of red onion, apple, and kale, this hearty soup was a tantalizingly delicious departure from corn chowder, miso, and tomato soup.

I was lucky enough to receive my copy of Vegan Holiday Kitchen in time for the winter holidays. I couldn't resist including several of the delectable dishes from within its pages at our holiday dinner table. I'll let the photos speak for themselves, and just say this: each and every one of these dishes was beyond scrumptious!

Hearty Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd's Pie ...

Sweet Potato Biscuits ...

Walnut Apple Stuffing (to which I added a few dried cranberries) ....

Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Hint of Chocolate (lusciousness!)...

Ruggelach (sweet cinnamony-chocolate cookies) ...

I hope your mouth is watering at this point, because I know you, too will fall crazy in love with the 200+ festive recipes you'll find in Vegan Holiday Kitchen! And I hope you'll get yourself a copy of this book right away, and start making each day your very own happy little vegan holiday!

Want to win a copy?* Okay, here's your chance: All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me which one of the recipes in Vegan Holiday Kitchen you'd most like to try. It can be one of the recipes above, or you can view the complete recipe index here on amazon.com. (Please make sure I have your email address so I can contact you when you win!) If you'd like to earn additional entries, please do any or all of the following, and leave a comment for each item you complete:

1. Follow this blog by clicking the "follow" link in the upper left-hand corner of this page, subscribing via email, or through NetworkedBlogs.

2. Tweet the following message: Win a copy of Vegan Holiday Kitchen via @Vegiegail & make each day your very own vegan holiday! http://bit.ly/yivhee #cook #vegan #giveaway
3. Like VegKitchen on Facebook!
4. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter!
5. Follow @navaatlas2 on Twitter!

6. Follow @susanffvk on Twitter!

*Sorry international friends. Giveaway is only open to readers with a valid US postal address.

Celebrate Vegan Review and Giveaway

2012-01-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! A new beginning, and a year full of opportunities to show your family and friends just how delicious eating vegan can be! Unbelievably, there are still folks out there who still think that eating vegan is tantamount to some sort of deprivation, when in fact, eating vegan is truly a celebration of taste, texture, and color! To my burgeoning collection of fabulous vegan cookbooks that illustrate this point, I recently added Dynise Balcavage's new book, Celebrate Vegan, a spectacular collection of the most delicious, celebratory vegan recipes you'll find anywhere!

With 200 sumptuous, recipes for every occasion, Dynise invites readers to "use holidays—both our own and those of other cultures, as a conduit to affirming life and to savoring and sharing its pleasures." She writes, "Life, after all, should be a celebration. And vegan food certainly celebrates life in every sense of the word." I couldn't agree more!

Check out the Table of Contents, and you'll find some fascinating holidays represented! There are recipes for Diwali (the "festival of lights" in India), Barbados Independence Day, Eid al-Fitr (an Islamic feast that marks the end of a month-long period of fasting called Ramadan), Earth Day, and even Festivus! Some of the yummy recipes for the aforementioned holidays are respectively, Clementine-Sweet Potato Halwah, Farfalle with Shallots and Chard, "Conkies" (a mildly sweet cornmeal-based pudding), Muhammara (a lovely sweet and spicy dip), and Prismatic Wild Rice Salad. Of course, the book is filled with dishes for more familiar holidays and celebrations like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Passover, and St. Patrick's Day. But I can't tell you how much fun it was learning about international celebrations with names like Vesak and Timkat!

While I received this book just before the winter holidays, I wanted to sample a wide variety of dishes, so I didn't limit myself to recipes designated to Hanukkah, Christmas, and the New Year. One dish that was a part of our Christmas eve dinner, was EZ Tzimmes. While this sweet side dish is normally associated with the the Jewish New Year (celebrated in September), it paired fabulously with the Celebration Roast, stuffing, and gravy I served on Christmas eve. As Dynise points, out, there are as many recipes for tzimmes as there are cooks. But I love her citrusy-sweet medley of carrots, parsnips, sweet potato and fruit, which brought back some very warm family memories.

I like to include greens with our holiday dinners, because they are usually pretty heavily laden with starchy foods. Sicilian-Inspired Kale (for Columbus Day), is a brilliant fusion of garlic-infused olive oil, raisins, and pine nuts which cling lovingly to gently wilted kale. This tasty dish gave our dinner just the right balance.

It was really chilly here just before the holidays, and I had a hankering for soup. (Did I mention the recipes for tailgate parties, slumber parties, and snow days you'll find in Celebrate Vegan?) Dynise's Minimal Pastina with Spinach Soup sounded like just the ticket to warm my cold bones. (It gets awfully chilly inside our house when it's cold, wet, and gloomily grey outdoors.) This tasty soup made with itsy-bitsy pasta and a hint of lemon was a snap to prepare, and was satisfying, warming, and nourishing—just the kind of dish you'd enjoy, even when you're not feeling well!

Since I've talked to so many people lately who are feeling a bit under the weather, here is the recipe for Minimal Pastina with Spinach Soup from Celebrate Vegan reprinted with the kind permission of Dynise Balcavage ©2011.

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup pastina (or any small pasta like orzo or ditalini)
1 cup spinach, shredded or cut (frozen is fine, too)
Nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper to taste
Splash of lemon juice (optional, but I highly recommend it!)

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add pasta, lemon juice if desired, and spinach. Cook according to pasta package directions. Adjust seasonings, and serve. Yields 4 (very yummy!) servings.

When Kwanzaa rolled around, I was still craving soup, and the recipe for Tanzanian Curried Chickpea-Banana Soup sounded intriguing. Boy, were we ever in for a treat! Coconut, tomatoes, chickpeas, and bananas came together to create a happy dance of flavors right there in our bowls! I was so glad that I made a huge pot, because I ate this soup for lunch every day for a week, and with each new slurp, I fell ever more deeply in love with it!

Back in November, I visited Palm Beach County, Florida. As some of you know, for very personal reasons, it wasn't a fun trip. But while I was there visiting with family, my nephew and I dined at a vegan restaurant called Darbster. My nephew's favorite dish there is the Hearts of Palm Cakes, and he urged me to try it. I never ate crab cakes, which is what they are reminiscent of, but holy WOW these were great! So when I spotted Dynise's recipe for Old Bay Cakes (think 4th of July picnic!), I couldn't wait to try them. Made with tofu, instead of hearts of palm, these babies were every bit as tasty as the cakes at Darbster!

Dynise's recipe for Thai-Centric Cheezy Mac takes a classic American comfort food dish and infuses it with my very favorite ethnic cuisine! Made with red bell pepper, carrots, So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer, and just the right amount of nooch, this is the cheesiest, creamiest, most delicately spiced mac 'n cheese ever to cross my lips. It's so good, I almost feel like licking the screen when I look at this photo:

As you can see from the book's beautiful cover, you'll also find lots of taste-tempting dessert recipes in Celebrate Vegan—from Mexican Wedding Cookies to Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Crust! You can bet I'll be delving into all of them!

Now, you can certainly wait for the next holiday to roll around to start celebrating vegan, but I say that everyday is the perfect day to celebrate eating compassionately and deliciously. So, get yourself a copy of Celebrate Vegan, and make every meal a festive occasion and every day a holiday!

Update: Congratulations to Ashley! She won a copy of Celebrate Vegan! Ashley, please send me an email with your postal address so I can send you your book! Thank you to everyone who made this giveaway such a great one! Stay tuned for more great giveaways in 2012!

Would you like to win a copy of Celebrate Vegan? All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me what your favorite holiday is.* (Please make sure I have your email address to contact you when you win!) If you'd like to earn additional entries, please do any or all of the following, and leave a comment for each item you complete:

1. Follow this blog by clicking the "follow" link in the upper left-hand corner of this page, subscribing via email, or through NetworkedBlogs.

2. Tweet the following message: Win a copy of @theurbanvegan's Celebrate Vegan via @Vegiegail and make everyday a holiday! http://bit.ly/tJBteh #vegan #cookbook #giveaway
3. Like The Urban Vegan on Facebook.
4. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter!
5. Follow @theurbanvegan on Twitter!

Good luck!

*Sorry international friends. Giveaway is only open to readers with a valid US postal address.

Maruca Design Eco-Chic Holiday Gift Giveaway!

2011-12-13T09:41:00.000-08:00

For a myriad of reasons, I love supporting ethically operated small businesses that make 100% vegan products right here in the United States. All of the beautiful jacquard-woven handbags and accessories sold by Maruca Design are handmade in Boulder, Colorado, and their unique in-house-designed fabrics are all milled in the USA.

How could you not be charmed by this fun Maruca Design tour video? It looks like such a fun place to work! (I wonder if they're hiring?)

From a variety of slings and accessories like these super cute Chicas, (don't you just want one in every color?!)

to these beautifully functional iPad sleeves, (see how happy my iPad looks!), their vast selection of styles, patterns, and colors will dazzle you! Each padded iPad sleeve has a zipper top and a zipped exterior pocket where you can store your charger along with any other small necessities.

My beautiful Café sling has two exterior pockets and an adjustable web strap, and its zipped interior is large enough to hold my iPad with or without its sleeve!

When I'm not toting it around town, this colorful handbag is a work of art that blends beautifully with my office decor! (Don't you agree?)

All of Maruca's designs are fashionable, colorful, well-constructed, affordably priced, and artsy. You'll even find lots of great stocking-stuffers (cosmetics bags, coin purses, tissue holders, wallets ... ) on Maruca's website. So if you're on the prowl for a high-quality, hand-crafted gift idea for yourself or a friend, check out all of Maruca's lovely handbag and accessory designs. Click on over to Maruca Design, and explore all of the stunning possibilities!

Update: Congratulations to Jenn of Jenn's Adventures! You won the beautiful iPad sleeve! Please email me your postal address, so I can ship it right out to you! Thank you everyone for participating! Stay tuned for my next post and giveaway, and happy holidays!!!!

Okay, my lovelies ... now for the giveaway ... One lucky winner will win one of the iPad sleeves featured in the photo above. The case is designed to hold an iPad 1 or iPad 2, but any comparably sized tablet will fit inside. To enter to win, simply visit Maruca's website, and enjoy browsing around. Then come back here, and leave a comment telling me which item or fabric design you love best. (I know, it will be next-to-impossible to pick just one!) But it will be so worth the effort, because one lucky reader will be selected at random and announced next Monday!* (Please make sure I have your email address, so I can contact you when you win!)

If you'd like to earn additional entries, you may do any or all of the following. Please leave a comment here for each item you complete:

1. Follow this blog by clicking the "follow" link in the upper left-hand corner of this page, subscribing via email, or through NetworkedBlogs.

2. Tweet the following message: Win a beautiful Maruca Design #iPad sleeve in @Vegiegail's #vegan #holiday #gift #giveaway! http://bit.ly/t83KAW
3. Like Maruca Design on Facebook.
4. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter!
5. Share this giveaway and link to this post on your own Facebook page or blog.

Happy shopping, and good luck!

*Sorry, international friends. You must have a valid US postal address to enter to win.

Quick-Fix Vegan Book Review and Giveaway

2011-12-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

When it comes to getting dinner on the table, I'm all about quick! Since I work at home, I'm sometimes still tapping away at my computer keyboard until well past the time I should have been figuring out what we're having for dinner. Vegan chef Robin Robertson has written more than twenty books, including a few of my favorites—Vegan Planet, Vegan Fire and Spice, Vegan on the Cheap, and along with husband, Jon Robertson, Vegan Unplugged. (You can read my reviews of Vegan on the Cheap here and Vegan Unplugged here!) In Robin's latest book, Quick-Fix Vegan, she helps readers prepare fabulous vegan meals inexpensively and deliciously in 30 minutes or less! Drawing on culinary influences from around the world, the book is jam-packed with great-tasting recipes for the most sensational snacks, salads, soups, sandwiches, stove-top suppers, and sweets you'll ever eat!

Take for example, this spectacular gyro! I made it with Butler Soy Curls, instead of seitan, but Robin's seasonings and refreshingly light tzatziki sauce (which I made with So Delicious Greek-style Coconut Milk Yogurt), made this dish our new favorite sandwich!

We often enjoy tofu scrambles for dinner. (As well as pancakes, waffles, tofu omelets, and other breakfast foods!) Robin's Indonesian Vegetable and Tofu Scramble blends together a medley of Southeast Asian flavors to create a tasty twist on this staple dish.

It's hard to believe that this Moroccan Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Spinach sauté can go from stovetop to table in just fifteen minutes. And the blend of no fewer than eight aromatic spices make every bite so delectable, your family's taste buds will be fooled into thinking you spent hours preparing this dish.

I can't crack open a new cookbook and not hone in on at least one pasta or noodle dish. These Thai-inspired Primavera-style Coconut-Cashew Noodles combine the vibrant taste of fresh green vegetables with chewy pasta noodles and a dreamy-creamy, rich sauce. Want to try this delectable dish for yourself? The recipe is at the end of this post!

Rather than relying on packaged, highly processed faux meats and cheeses, I love that Robin's recipes are made from inexpensive, healthful, and hearty whole foods with modest amounts of minimally processed ingredients like tofu and seitan. More recipes from Quick-Fix Vegan that I can't wait to wrap my lips around are Romaine and Pear Salad with Sherry-Walnut Vinaigrette, Sloppy Portobellos, Curried Cauliflower Soup with Roasted Cauliflower "Rice," Catalan-style Crème Brûlée, and Apple Pie Parfaits! (Yes, there is a whole chapter filled with yummy desserts, too!)

With the holidays quickly approaching, it's the perfect time to treat yourself or someone (no—treat yourself and everyone!) you love to a copy of Quick-Fix Vegan! With the bounty of delectable recipes you'll find within its pages, this wonderful book will pay for itself over and over again by saving you time in the kitchen and money at the grocery store. And since I'm getting into the holiday spirit a little early, I'm giving away a copy of Quick-Fix Vegan to one lucky reader!* To enter, simply leave a comment here telling me why you'd like to win this book.

Update: Congratulations to Rebecca (Art You Dream About)! You won the giveaway! Please email me with your postal address, and I'll get your copy of Quick-Fix Vegan right out to you! Thanks to everyone for making this such a great giveaway! Stay tuned for my next post—I'll be sharing something completely different and wonderful, just in time for the holidays!

You can also earn additional entries by doing any or all of the following. Just leave a comment for each item you complete:

1. Follow this blog by clicking the "follow" link in the upper left-hand corner of this page, subscribing via email, or through NetworkedBlogs.

2. Tweet the following message: Win a copy of Quick-Fix Vegan from @Vegiegail & make delicious dinners in under 30 minutes! http://bit.ly/sEhr1n #vegan #giveaway #recipe
3. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter!
4. Follow @GlobalVegan on Twitter!

Ingredients:

12 ounces linguine

1 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil

5 scallions, minced

1 carrot, shredded

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 cup snow peas

1/3 cup fresh Thai basil, cilantro, or regular basil (I used Thai basil)

2 Tbsp cashew butter

1 Tbsp sriracha sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp light brown sugar

1 13-oz can unsweetened coconut milk

Directions:

Cook the linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, carrot, ginger, and snow peas, and cook until the snow peas are softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the basil and cook, stirring gently, until hot.

In a small bowl, combine the cashew butter, sriracha, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir in the coconut milk until well blended. Stir the mixture into the vegetables and keep warm. Drain the cooked pasta and return to the pot. Add the sauce and vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

*Sorry, international friends. You must have a valid US postal address to enter to win.

The Vegan Slow Cooker Book Review and Giveaway

2011-11-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

I was bubbling with anticipation for the release of my friend, Kathy Hester's first book, The Vegan Slow Cooker: Simply Set It and Go with 150 Recipes for Intensely Flavorful, Fuss-Free Fare Everyone (Vegan or Not!) Will Devour. You may wonder why, because when I first heard that she was writing a book, I didn't even own a slow cooker. But I've been a fan of Kathy's blog, Healthy Slow Cooking, ever since I learned that she can whip up the most enticing oatmeal recipes in her slow cooker. (Rather, in one of her many slow cookers!) She drew me in with her recipe for Carrot Cardamom Oatmeal (inspired by Indian Carrot Halwa), and she kept me coming back to her blog every day with recipes like Vanilla Fig Oatmeal Topped with Baklava Filling and Pear Applesauce Cake Oatmeal. Although you can make any of her recipes on the stove top, since Kathy created them in her slow cooker, how could I not get one? Here's a photo of the Slow Cooker Kheer Oatmeal I made back in March. I think I ate this for breakfast everyday for two weeks! It was just that yummy!

When my copy of The Vegan Slow Cooker arrived in the mail, I had to stop what I was doing, rip open the package, and start picking out recipes to try! I was completely floored by the stunning collection of intensely flavorful recipes and gorgeous photographs nestled within its pages. (Kudos to photographer Bill Bettencourt. The photo of Balsamic Brussels Sprouts is downright sexy!) While I couldn't wait to dive in to each and every recipe in this book, quite possibly the most exciting find for me was the recipe for Tea-Scented Tofu, which I made with Mountain Rose Herbs Lapsang Souchong tea. This tea's strong, smoky fragrance is reminiscent of a campfire, and it enveloped our home throughout the night. I never imagined that I'd ever be making my own smoked tofu, but the results were so much more delicate and delicious than anything store bought, I don't think I can go back to eating packaged smoked tofu again.

Inspired by the mouthwateringly appealing photo on page 119, and being a fan of sweet-and-sour dishes, with my homemade Tea-Scented Tofu all ready to go, I set out to make the recipe for Sweet and Sour Smoked Tofu. Prepared with just a few simple ingredients, this dish was colorful and flavorful.

Confession time: Before becoming vegan (many moons ago), my boyfriend and I would dine out weekly weekly at an elegant (read pricy) restaurant. During these hedonistic excursions into gluttony, we'd polish off two bottles of chardonnay and indulge in the most decadent appetizers and entrees, finishing off these dinners with one of everything from the dessert cart. (I kid you not!) I won't go into the gory details about all of the animal products that comprised such meals, but the Eggplant Rollatini appetizer is the dish I remember most fondly. Each forkful of Kathy's Italian Eggplant Casserole with Cashew-Tofu Ricotta was every bit as delicious and transported me back to a very happy place and time.

It would never have occurred to me that one could make bread in a crock pot. Nor would I have ever thought of making cornbread with fruit. Again, Kathy amazed and delighted me with her Scrumptious Strawberry Cornbread recipe. Its perfect tender crumb and sweet corn flavor pair perfectly with strawberries. A little shmear of Earth Balance Coconut Spread, and I was on cornbread cloud nine!

Dessert in a slow cooker? Yep, you can make that, too! By now my readers know that I'm a rice-pudding fool, and this luscious Mango Coconut Rice Pudding not only tasted sensational, but the whole house smelled like coconut while it was cooking!

No need to worry if you've never cooked in a crock pot before. The Vegan Slow Cooker contains all the handy tips and slow-cooker basics you'll need to start creating mouthwatering recipes for everything from simmering soups to decadent desserts. So dust off your mother's crock pot—you know, the one that's been sitting idly in your cupboard—or buy yourself a new one. (They're not outrageously expensive.) Just think how nice it will be to wake up to a hot breakfast or have dinner waiting for you when you come home from work! With the The Vegan Slow Cooker, you'll be able to start enjoying delicious home-cooked meals that are ready when you're ready to eat!

I'm so excited about this book, I'm giving away a copy to one lucky reader! Simply leave me a comment telling me why you enjoy cooking in a slow cooker or why you think you might like to start! (Please make sure I have a way to contact you when you win.) That's it!*

Update: Congratulations to Sarah, who won a copy of The Vegan Slow Cooker! Please send me your postal address, so I can send it right out to you. You are really going to love it! Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway! Stay tuned for more great giveaways to come ...

You can also earn additional entries by doing any or all of the following. Just leave a comment for each one you do:

1. Follow this blog by clicking the "follow" link in the upper left-hand corner of this page, subscribing via email, or through NetworkedBlogs.

2. Tweet the following message: Win a copy of The Vegan Slow Cooker via @Vegiegail and dinner will be ready when you're ready to eat! http://bit.ly/tu8CmF #vegan #giveaway
3. Like Healthy Slow Cooking on Facebook.
4. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter!
5. Follow @geekypoet on Twitter!

And to whet your appetite even further, following is the for recipe Mango Coconut Rice Pudding from Kathy Hester's The Vegan Slow Cooker, excerpted by arrangement with Fair Winds Press. Copyright © 2011.

Ingredients:

2 mangoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 can light coconut milk
1 1/2 cups vanilla-flavored non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious Sugar Free Vanilla Coconut Milk)
1/2 cup sugar or maple syrup or agave
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Oil the crock of your slow cooker. (I used coconut oil.) Add all teh ingredients and cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add a little more non-dairy milk if the mixture is not wet or creamy enough.

*Sorry international friends, you must have a valid US mailing address to enter.

World Vegan Day Super Giveaway!

2011-11-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

Happy World Vegan Day! I'm celebrating with a few of my favorite things! OK—I'm not Oprah. But I do love sharing, so I'm giving my readers a chance to win a fantabulous prize package containing every one of my favorite things! So let's get right to it! Here are the very special gifts that await you ...

1. So Delicious Coconut Nog and Mint Chocolate Holiday Beverages

Not only are these the most decadent-tasting holiday treats to come along in ages, (this is seriously the best vegan nog I've ever tasted!), you can also make some spectacularly festive and delicious dishes with them, too—like this fabulous French Toast! (Imagine waking to the sweet smell of cinnamon and nutmeg wafting through the house on a chilly morning!)

Or how about this luscious Mint Chocolate Macaroon Tapioca Pudding? The recipes for both dishes are right on the cartons! Visit So Delicious Dairy Free's website, and explore their many delicious dairy-free possibilities!

2. Mac-n-Mo's Morselicious Treats

What's not to love about these luscious little morsels? These guilt-free treats were created out of a daughter's love for her father and her desire to help him heal and achieve vibrant health. And now you can enjoy them, too! They're salt-free, low in sugar, and made with yummy wholesome ingredients like brown rice, organic coconut, almonds, and flax meal. Whether you buy the mix or the morsels, you will enjoy eating them with your favorite dairy-free milk! Here's the yummy batch I made with pumpkin and cranberries, along with a delicious glass of sugar free coconut milk! Visit Mac-N-Mos and check out Mac's favorite flavor!

3. Libre Tea Glass

When I first posted about these lovely, useful, eco-friendly tea carriers, I had just become the proud new owner of my very own Libre Tea Glass. It's lightweight, durable, practical, and beautiful. More than six months later, I am still madly in love with mine, and I rarely drink tea from a cup or a mug. Is it because the Libre Tea Glass is made from lightweight BPA-free polycarbonate surrounding a glass interior that keeps nine ounces of tea warm for up to an hour? I'm not sure. I think it's more likely that I just love the way it looks and how comfy it feels in my hand. Sipping herbal tea from a Libre Tea Glass makes me feel special. This is the most elegant way I know to tote around your coconut nog, hot cocoa, or chai tea on a crisp autumn or cold wintry day! And WOW! I just noticed they have a new glass 'n poly mug! I'm going to need one of those! To see how cute it is, click here!

4. Dark Chocolate Fantasy Stevia-Sweetened Hot Cocoa Mix

It has become my bedtime ritual: sipping a cup of hot cocoa made with Dark Chocolate Fantasy, So Delicious Sugar-free Vanilla Coconut Milk, and a sprinkle of Sweet Spice. It's sweet, chocolatey, sugar-free, creamy, rich, deliciousness. It feels like a naughty indulgence, but each cup contains just 54 calories! (There are only 9 calories in a one-tablespoon serving of Chocolate Fantasy!) Treat yourself to a cozy chocolate indulgence! You can order your very own Chocolate Fantasy right here on their website.

5. Chocolate Brownie from Allison's Gourmet

Speaking of chocolate, I've been a fan of Allison's Gourmet for more than a decade. Nowhere else will you find the kind of vegan baked goods and confections that will exceed the expectations of even the most discriminating palate (vegan or not!) Whether you choose Mexican Chocolate, Toasted Coconut, Pecan (my favorite!), or Original, you will think you've died and gone to chocolate vegan heaven when you bite into one of Allison's deep, dark, sin-sationally scrumptious chocolate brownies. Want to explore all of Allison's tantalizing options? Satisfy your sweet tooth with everything from cookies to candies and so much more. You can even choose a Cookie, Brownie, or Fudge of the Month Club and start enjoying your favorite delectables discounted and delivered each month right to your door! Visit Allison's Gourmet for details.

6. Glass Drinking Straw from Glass Dharma

I am crazy about my Glass Dharma Straw. Their motto is "sip the world, taste the difference." And you really can taste the difference when sipping your favorite hot or cold beverage through one of these elegant, eco-friendly straws. They come in several sizes, some are straight and others have the classic bend, and their smaller gauge "shorty" straws are perfect for children, juice glasses, single-serve beverages, and even martinis! They also make decorative dots straws like the ones you see above, in Green, Blue, Amber, Clear, and Black. I drink my morning smoothie with a Glass Dharma straw, and I take one with me when I go out to eat. It makes drinking Thai iced tea (one of my few decadent indulgences!) even more special. Get yourself a Glass Dharma Straw, and discover just how much fun sipping your smoothie (or anything else) can be!

7. Vegan Unplugged

So many fabulous vegan cookbooks, so little time ... (sigh!) It would be impossible to choose just one favorite, but when it comes to preparing knockout meals using simple, inexpensive ingredients in lightning-fast speed, Vegan Unplugged: A Pantry Cuisine Cookbook and Survival Guide by Jon and Robin Robertson is my go-to choice.

Don't let the book's unassuming cover deceive you! Although it may look like something you may only want to keep on hand for emergencies, consider that anytime you are short on time can become a "what the heck will I make for dinner tonight?" emergency! Within the pages of Vegan Unplugged you'll discover a bounty of taste-tempting recipes, like this delightfully colorful Tuscan Chickpea Stew. Made with garbanzos, potatoes, artichoke hearts, and roasted red bell peppers, this dish showcases how easy it is to create a spectacular meal using ingredients you can always keep on hand.

Whether you're the kind of person who plans ahead for emergencies, or you just want to sink your teeth into some super delicious, easy-to-prepare dishes, Vegan Unplugged is a must-have. You'll come back to its recipes again and again. Want to learn more about this wonderful book and several other great vegan titles? Head on over to the blog at Vegan Heritage Press!

8. Vegucated DVD

What happens when you challenge three meat-and-cheese-loving New Yorkers to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks? Documentary filmmaker Marisa Miller Wolfson's award-winning tour de force is taking America by storm!

Travel with veg-novices Brian, Ellen, and Tesla as they uncover the hidden side of animal agriculture and discover for themselves just what's inside the burgers, cheese, and egg omelets formerly resting on their plates! With compassion, creativity, and a healthy dose of comedy, Vegucated is an inspiring and insightful account of the journey towards creating a healthier, more sustainable, and kinder world, one delicious bite at a time. Take a peek at the trailer, and find a screening near you by clicking here.

9. Hurraw Lip Balm

Finally, a vegan lip balm that is smooth (not sticky!), shiny, sleek, and long-lasting! And wait until you get a load of all the amazing flavors, (like vanilla, chai spice, black cherry, almond, and chocolate!)

I love my tasty grapefruit flavor lip balm. It smells just like freshly cut fruit, and makes my lips feel silky smooth! Visit Hurraw's website, and explore all the yummy options! The only problem you'll have is deciding which flavors to choose!

10. Mountain Rose Herbs Firefly Chai and Make Tea Not War Ceramic Mug

I am a chai drinker from way back when, but caffeine and I don't get along. So when I discovered Mountain Rose Herbs Firefly Chai, it was like a gift from the gods. Its perfect balance of exotic spices and red rooibos tea delivers the most intoxicating fragrance and flavor experience. (Think: bliss in a cup!) For a delightful steamy, hot November brew, check out this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Coconut Chai!

Visit the Mountain Rose Herbs website, and immerse yourself in the most heavenly, organic herbs, spices, teas, essential oils, and skin, body, and pet care products on Earth!

Update: The giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Lauren, who pens Everyday Revelry! She won the whole vegan enchilada! Lauren, please send me your postal address, so we can send you all of your lovely prizes. Thanks so much to everyone who made this the most amazing giveaway ever! Stay tuned for my next post, and more chances to win some of my very favorite vegan things!

Well, there you have it, dear friends! One lucky winner will take home a prize package containing ALL TEN of my favorite things! To enter, browse the wonderful prize sponsors' websites by clicking on the links above. Find one or more fabulous things, and leave a comment here telling me which vegan-wonderful things you might like to give as gifts this year! That's it! (Please make sure I have your email address so I can contact you when you win!) And if you would like to earn extra entries, do any or all of the following, and leave me a comment for each one you do:

1. Follow this blog by clicking the "follow" link in the upper left-hand corner of this page, subscribe by email, or through NetworkedBlogs.

2. Tweet the following message: It's Vegan Awareness Month! Enter to win the super #vegan prize package on @Vegiegail's Hungry Vegan Blog! http://bit.ly/thr3MV

3. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter!

4. Like So Delicious on Facebook or follow @So_Delicious on Twitter.

5. Like Mac-n-Mo's on Facebook or follow @macnmomorsels on Twitter.

6. Like Libre Tea on Facebook or follow @libretea on Twitter.

7. Like Chocolate Fantasy on Facebook or follow @fantasyDrink on Twitter.

8. Like Allison's Gourmet on Facebook or follow @AllisonsGourmet on Twitter.

9. Like Glass Dharma on Facebook or follow @GlassDharma on Twitter.

10. Like Vegan Heritage Press on Facebook or follow @GlobalVegan on Twitter.

11. Like Vegucated on Facebook or follow @vegucated on Twitter.

12. Like Hurraw on Facebook or follow @HurrawBalm on Twitter.

13. Like Mountain Rose Herbs on Facebook or follow @MtnRoseHerbs on Twitter.

* Prize package contains the following:

1. Two VIP coupons redeemable for free So Delicious for Coconut Nog and Mint Chocolate Coconut Milk Beverages or the products of your choice. (Expires 12/31/11.)

2. One package of Mac-n-Mo's Morselicious mix.

3. One Libre Tea Glass.

4. One package of Dark Chocolate Fantasy.

5. One individual chocolate brownie from Allison's Gourmet.

6. One Glass Dharma straw.

7. One copy of Vegan Unplugged.

8. One DVD copy of Vegucated.

9. Three flavors of Hurraw Lip Balm.

10. One 3-oz bag of Mountain Rose Herbs Firefly Chai and one Make Tea Not War ceramic mug.

Prizes will be sent to the winner individually from each of the prize sponsors. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery. (Vegucated will be shipped in December.)

Sorry international friends, you must have a valid US mailing address to be eligible. Canadian readers may enter to win the Libre Tea Glass.

Book Review and Giveaway Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson and World Vegan Feast Winner!

2011-10-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up in the neighborhood of Long Island City/Astoria, in the borough of Queens, in the city of New York, I couldn't wait for Friday nights after dancing school, because that was when my mom would take me out to dinner at the Bel Aire Diner. It's sad to say, but I look back on those meals with great fondness, because they were a welcome reprieve from my mother's cooking. Burgers, onion rings, macaroni and cheese, BLT sandwiches, malts, and rice pudding were (and still are) true comfort foods to me and could be had just two blocks from our home.

Bel Aire Diner then

Bel Aire Diner now

How exciting to find delicious recipes for vegan versions of these dishes and so many more in Julie Hasson's new book, Vegan Diner! With recipes like Breakfast Benedicts Florentine, Malted Waffles, Skillet-Baked Panko Cutlets (think: parmigiana), Not Your Mama's Pot Roast, Pastrami-style Seitan Roast, and even a Blue Plate Special, you'll think you've died and gone to vegan diner heaven! The book is sprinkled with gorgeous food photos to whet your appetite and vintage diner shots that will put you in the perfect mood to plan your diner-style meal!

As you can see from the photo, Julie's Cheezy Mac is dreamy creamy.

I'm a huge fan of Soy Curls. They're made from whole soy beans, instead of isolated soy protein. Nobody cooks Soy Curls better than Julie. And her recipe for Smoky Curls with lettuce and tomato makes the most scrumptious vegan BLT ever!

The recipe for Sandwich Slaw paired perfectly with this sandwich! But next time I will try making her husband Jay's Creamy Horseradish Potato Salad.

I honestly can't remember the last time I had dumplings. But I do remember the ones my bubbie used to make, and Julie's Veggies and Dumplings brought me right back to my childhood. Not only was this dish filling and delicious, it was really fun to make and went from stovetop to table in just slightly more than 30 minutes!

Back in Astoria, the best part of any diner meal was dessert, and there were three sweet treats I used to enjoy at the Bel Aire more than any other: Napoleons, Apple Crumb Cake a la mode, and Rice Pudding. Julie has very thoughtfully provided recipes for two of the three—there's even a recipe for vanilla ice cream for my a la mode! I haven't had a vegan Napoleon yet, but I have been enjoying a life-long love affair with rice pudding, and I feel compelled to try every recipe that comes my way. Julie's foolproof recipe for Old-fashioned Rice Pudding was every bit as good as the Bel Aire's.

So what dish will I endeavor to make next from this wonderful book? With so many taste-tempting recipes, it's going to be hard to choose. But one thing I know for sure is that any recipe I try will be wonderful. If you want a cookbook that is going to bring good 'ol American comfort foods right into your own kitchen, Vegan Diner was written for you. Don't wait another second to get your hot little hands on a copy, and get cooking, deliciously!

Ingredients:

1 cup medium-grain sushi rice (such as calrose)

1/2 cups raisins (optional)

1 1/2 to 2 cups plain or vanilla non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious Original Coconut Milk)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Freshly ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 cups water, rice, and raisins (if using), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Removed saucepan from heat and let sit, covered for 5 minutes. Remove the cover.

Add 1 cup of the milk and the sugar to the cooked rice, stirring until combined. Return the saucepan to stove. Cook over medium heat, stirring often. Continue adding more milk as the pudding cooks and thickens, stirring as needed. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pudding is very thick and creamy. If the pudding is too thick, stir in a little more milk as needed to thin slightly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Scoop the pudding into serving dishes and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Refrigerate pudding until ready to serve. Makes 4-6 servings.

Congratulations to Christina Katz, who won a copy of Bryanna Clark Grogan's World Vegan Feast! Please send me your postal address, so I can arrange to have your copy sent to you! Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! If you'd like a chance to win a copy of Vegan Diner, here's all you do: just leave me a comment telling me your favorite diner food. That's it!* And if you want to earn additional entries, you can do any or all of the following, and leave me a comment for each one that you do:

1. Follow @everydaydish on Twitter.
2. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter.
3. Tweet the following message: Enjoy a homemade vegan blue-plate special! Win a copy of @everydaydish's Vegan Diner via @Vegiegail http://bit.ly/qNztt0 #vegan #giveaway
4. Follow this blog! (Click in the upper-left corner of this page if you are on google, subscribe via email, or follow via NetworkedBlogs on Facebook.)

Good luck!!

Update: Congratulations to Julia P., who won a copy of Vegan Diner! Please send me your snail mail address, Julia, so we can get your book right out to you! You are going to love it! Many thanks to everyone who entered and made this such a great giveaway. Stay tuned for my next post, and check out the prize package for the next giveaway. You won't want to miss it!

*Sorry International friends. Giveaway is only open to US residents.

World Vegan Feastby Bryanna Clark GroganReview and Giveaway And Chipotle Sauce Winner!

2011-10-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

My friend, Bryanna Clark Grogan, had been teasing me (read: torturing me) by posting tantalizing photos of recipes from her new book, World Vegan Feast: 200 Fabulous Recipes from Over 50 Countries on her Facebook page for months. So by the time the book was published and I was able to get my hot little hands on a copy, I was practically foaming at the mouth with anticipation.

I got my palate ready to embark on a journey to delicious with a bounty of delightful dishes from the four corners of the earth, beginning with fantastically flavorful dishes such as ...

Pasta with Cauliflower and Spicy Tomato-Creme Sauce

I adore cauliflower. Like broccoli, I much prefer it cooked, rather than raw. Roasted cauliflower has become a favorite lunch dish, and I'm always looking for recipes that contain this oft-maligned cruciferous vegetable. This delicately flavored dish boasted a creamy sauce that lingered on the tongue after each bite.

Persian Stew with Spinach and Prunes
Give me a good khoresht (Farsi for stew) any day! One of my oldest and dearest friends is from Iran, and Persian cuisine is among my favorites. I never before tasted this particular stew, and it's quite possibly the most delectable I have ever eaten. I mean it was slurpy-lick-the-bowl good. (I never lick the bowl, but this time I just couldn't resist!) I used seitan to make it, but I'll bet it would also be incredible with tempeh.

Ugandan-Style Peanut Butter Stew
I've discovered that I really love stew! I didn't love it when I was a meat-eater, because I guess I never really loved the taste of meat. But I'm crazy about soy curls, and they were perfect in this flavorful peanutty dish! People often ask why vegans would want to eat food that imitates meat. I love the chewy texture of substitutes like tofu, tempeh, and seitan, and the way they soak up the flavors of spices, sauces, and marinades. And I really love how they satisfy the palates of omnivores, who are accustomed to eating a meat-centered diet and would otherwise never believe that a vegan dish could be so satisfying.

Peruvian Purple Corn Pudding
Okay—so there's not really any corn in this pudding. But it's so fruity, sweet, and delicious, you won't miss the corn a bit!

Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

(Gianduia in Italian) is creamy, rich, and fabulously decadent! I loved toasting my own hazelnuts, creating a "butter" with coconut oil, and watching the finished spread get all melty on my toasted English muffin! Eating it felt like the naughtiest thing I have done all year—and I enjoyed it with a huge smile on my face!

Following is the for recipe Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Spread from Bryanna Clark Grogan's World Vegan Feast excerpted by arrangement with Vegan Heritage Press. Copyright © 2011.

Ingredients:

12 oz vegan semisweet chocolate chips or baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup non-dairy milk, heated just to the boiling point (you know which one I used!)
3/4 cup hazelnut butter or 1 cup peeled, toasted, hazelnuts
1 Tbsp coconut oil (omit the oil if you use hazelnut butter)
2 Tbsp confectioners' sugar
1 Tbsp soy or rice protein powder
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Place the chocolate in a food processor. Pulse briefly and then let the machine run until the chocolate is ground into very small pieces.
2. Heat the nondairy milk to the boiling point, in a small pot on the stove over medium-high heat, or in a microwave in 2-cup microwave-safe pitcher, at 100% power for 1 minute.
3. With the machine running, pour the hot milk slowly through the open tube. The chocolate will melt as you run the processor. Quickly open the processor, scrape the chocolate down from the sides fo the bowl, and add the hazelnut butter. (If you are using whole hazelnuts, grind them along with the oil in the food processor first. Scrape out of the food processor and place in a cup, leaving as little behind as possible.)

Process briefly to disperse hazelnut butter (or hazelnuts and coconut oil) evenly throughout the chocolate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more. Add the remaining ingredients and process again until mixture is smooth.

World Vegan Feast is your passport to delectable dishes from around the globe. Don't wait another second to get your very own copy, and start cooking like the culinary world traveler that you are!

If you'd like a chance to win a free copy of World Vegan Feast, simply leave me a comment below telling me what your favorite world cuisine is or what country's cuisine you'd most like to "visit." That's it! One lucky winner will be selected at random. And if you want to earn additional entries, you can do any or all of the following, and leave me a comment for each one that you do:

1. Follow @VeganFeaster on Twitter.
2. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter.
3. Tweet the following message: Travel to deliciousness! Win a free copy of @VeganFeaster's World Vegan Feast via @Vegiegail http://bit.ly/qvN2MH #vegan #giveaway
4. Follow this blog! (Click in the upper-left corner of this page if you are on google, subscribe via email, or follow via NetworkedBlogs on Facebook.)

Good luck!!

Congratulations to Melinda Dalke, who won the giveaway for Karry's Chipotle Sauce and So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream! Please send me your postal address, and let me know which flavor sauce you'd like: Peach, Raspberry, or Marionberry!

Update: Congratulations to Christina Katz, who won a copy of Bryanna Clark Grogan's World Vegan Feast! Thanks to everyone who participated in this giveaway!

Fire and Ice

2011-09-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice
~Robert Frost

The longer I live in the Pacific Northwest, the shorter the time between rainy seasons. Last year it didn't stop raining until July 1st. (And then it actually rained some in July and August.) It started raining again at the end of September. This year it also seems like the sunshine made a late appearance. I don't remember signing up for ten months of grey, wet weather out of twelve, but it could be worse. It's still sunny now! I did get spoiled living in places like Santa Barbara and Albuquerque, where the sun shines 300 or more days out of the year. (Heaven!) I think Bend, Oregon is beckoning to me.

We received the first few drops of rain yesterday, so fall is surely on it's way! Before the clouds set in, I spent some time catching a few remaining precious rays in my backyard. While basking in the sun, I became thoroughly enchanted with the way the sunlight played off of the leaves on my fig tree, so I snapped the photo above. I thought this particular leaf had a really interesting pattern, too—almost like a nautilus.

Recently, I've been busy in the kitchen playing with recipe ideas for the new So Delicious seasonal coconut milk beverages that will be coming out this fall. (Coconut Nog and Mint Chocolate!) These Coconut Nog Muffins were mighty tasty.

We may be short on sunshine most of the year, but one thing we're not short on is fabulous food companies. Oregon is home to Turtle Mountain, Turtle Island, Chocolate Decadence, Dave's Killer Bread, Bob's Red Mill, Soy Curls, Living Harvest, Chocolate Fantasy, and Heidi Ho Organics. A few weeks ago I discovered a new company, Karry's Chipotle Sauce, while shopping at my local Market of Choice. Karry was sampling her deliciously sweet and spicy sauces, and I was charmed by Karry and blown away by the flavor of these fruity sauces.

There are so many ways to enjoy them, I couldn't wait to start experimenting. I knew they'd be great with peanut butter, but I wanted to try something a bit bolder, so I paired the Raspberry Sauce with a bit of Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. WOW! That was crazy good!

I poured some of the Peach flavor over some succulently sweet fresh strawberries, and all I can say is "Oh, yeah!"

But what I really wanted to do was pour some Marionberry sauce over a scoop of So Delicious No Sugar Added Vanilla Coconut Milk Ice Cream. Sweet and spicy, fire and ice. Major yum. Very nice.

There are lots more great recipe ideas on Karry's website. I am looking forward to making salad dressing with the raspberry sauce. What would you make, and which flavor would you choose? Leave me a comment with your most creative culinary idea, and I'll pick a winner at random and send you a jar of Karry's sweet and spicy chipotle fruit sauce and a free VIP product coupon for your favorite So Delicious Coconut Milk frozen dessert!*

Speaking of winners, the lucky person who won a copy of Hannah Kaminsky's spectacular book, My Sweet Vegan is ... Andrea Gardner! Congratulations! Please send me an email with your postal address, and we'll get that book right out to you!

Who will win today's delicious giveaway?

Update: Congratulations to Melinda Dalke, who won the giveaway for Karry's Chipotle Sauce and So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream! Thanks to everyone for participating!

*Sorry International friends. Giveaway is only open to US residents.

My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminsky Book Review and Giveaway!

2011-09-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

Desserts are an indulgence I allow myself more than occasionally, and they are my one true weakness. So when I finally became the proud owner of a copy of Hannah Kaminsky's My Sweet Vegan I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the recipes contained within its specatcular, full-color pages.

And oh, what glorious recipes they are! The fact that each and every one of the more than 75 recipes in this book is accompanied by a mouthwateringly tantalizing, drop-dead-gorgeous color photo, only increased my already excited sensibilities. I had to dive in. There was no stopping me. And with a refrigerator filled with So Delicious Coconut Nog and Greek-style Coconut Milk Yogurt, (coming to stores soon!) I had to start with Hannah's recipe for Not-Nog Cupcakes.

The gooey-chewy, sweet caramel topping was the perfect companion to the lusciously moist nog cake. I don't know what these babies are like made with soy yogurt (which is all that was available at the time the book was published in 2008), but the thick, creamy coconut milk Greek yogurt gave these cupcakes incredible texture.

When I got home with my copy of My Sweet Vegan I did what I always do with a new cookbook—now don't think this is weird—I read it from cover to cover. (I usually do this at bedtime, which explains why some mornings I wake up feeling famished.) When I landed on the page for Black and White Cookies, my heart skipped a beat. These were one of my most favorite childhood treats, and I have long dreamed of a vegan version. If you have never tasted a Black and White Cookie, you are missing out on one of life's luscious little luxuries. Perhaps you remember this scene in a bakery from an episode of Seinfeld:

This sums up how I feel about Black and White Cookies—chocolate and vanilla are delicious together, and if you could actually eat a whole one of these giant cookies with a bit of chocolate and a bit in vanilla in each bite, you'd be a magician, given that most of the black and most of the white are on opposite ends of the cookie! As a child vanilla-worshipper, I would eat all of the chocolate first and leave the vanilla half of the cookie for last. But for my first vegan Black and White Cookie, I ate all away around the outside of it, savoring a little chocolate, then a little vanilla, and round and round and round I happily ate my way around the whole cookie! All those years of dreaming about a Black and White Cookie. It was even better than I had remembered! Thank you, Hannah!

I experienced a minor disaster when I removed the cookies from the oven. When I opened the oven door, I heard a loud "bang!" and one side of the oven door broke. Hanging down a bit more on the left than the right now, it no longer closes properly, but with a tree full of plums, there was one more recipe in My Sweet Vegan I had to make before writing this post. And oh, how sweet it is! Plum-Good Crumb Cake doesn't begin to describe how good this cake is. I love a good crumb cake, and making crumbs is so much fun! Adding chopped plums made this cake even more memorable. Just look at the vibrant color!

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that all of the amazing recipes in this book were created and published by Hannah at the tender age of eighteen. I can only imagine the future accomplishments and extraordinary life this brilliant young woman has before her!

A further sampling of what you'll find in this spectacular book are such yumminess as Green Tea Tiramisu, Coconut Custard Pie, Dried Fruit Focaccia, Golden Glazed Donuts, Orange-Hazelnut Biscotti, and Whoopie Pies. There's even a Canine Cake recipe you can make (and share with) your dog!

All of the lucky duckies who attended Vida Vegan Con walked away with a copy of My Sweet Vegan. But if you're like me, and somehow you went through the last few years without owning copy, wait no more. Click on the link above, and head on over to Amazon.com (or your favorite bookseller) and grab a copy for yourself and second copy for someone who thinks that vegan desserts are anything short of spectacular. They'll be pleasantly surprised at just how sweet vegan can be.

If you haven't visited Hannah's blog, Bittersweet Vegan, head on over for some eye-poppingly amazing photos, delicious recipes, and all kinds of great vegan inspiration. Oh, and Hannah's second book, the aptly titled, Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season is filled with even more heavenly delights like: Roasted Apricot Ice Cream, No-Bake Pumpkin Crème Brulee, Chai Poached Pears, and Golden Saffron Pound Cake! It sounds like she's outdone herself in this book, which is at the top of my holiday wish list! (Hint, hint!)

One last thing—I promised you a giveaway, didn't I? OK then: One lucky reader will receive a copy of My Sweet Vegan. All you need to do to enter is leave me a comment below telling me what your favorite dessert is. That's it! One winner will be selected at random via the handy-dandy number generator at random.org. And if you want to earn additional entries, you can do any or all of the following, and leave me a comment for each one you do:

1. Follow @BitterSweet_on Twitter.
2. Follow @Vegiegail on Twitter.
3. Tweet the following message: Love desserts? Be inspired! Win a free copy of @BitterSweet_'s My Sweet Vegan via @Vegiegail! http://bit.ly/qvWpmg #vegan #giveaway #dessert
4. Follow this blog! (Click in the upper-left corner of this page if you are on google, subscribe via email, or follow via NetworkedBlogs on Facebook.)

Good luck!!

*Sorry international friends. Giveaway open to US residents only.

Vida Vegan Con: A Photo Diary

2011-09-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

Just as you might expect, there was an endless stream of tasty vegan food at Vida Vegan Con. But what I'll remember most about this past weekend is not the bounty of food, the plethora of amazing workshops, or even the cupcakes and champagne reception or Saturday night Galarama. What I'll remember for the rest of my days is the extraordinary sense of camaraderie among all of the lovely vegan spirits who came together to share their experiences and support, nourish, and learn from one another. I've been to many vegan events in my lifetime, but never before have I seen so many beautiful, happy people in one place. The atmosphere was jubilant. We were all so appreciative to be together in this very special place and time!

And it is a very special time. I've said this before: vegan is going mainstream, baby! We old-timers can feel it, and we have waited patiently these last decades knowing that someday the day would come, the lights would shine, and the mainstream would awaken from its collective state of unconsciousness. We haven't yet achieved critical mass, but what a glorious moment in vegan evolutionary history this is! The sheer number of vegan blogs out there, (those attending VidaVeganCon represented but a fraction of them), is evidence that the tide is turning in favor of compassionate, sustainable, plant-based eating.

Before I arrived at the Portland conference venue, I met up with my amazing VFFs, (each of them an author, chef, and culinary goddess!) Julie Hasson, Bryanna Clark Grogan, Dynise Balcavage, and Fran Costigan, at Julie's vegan food cart, Native Bowl. They were already camped out at this table when I arrived, and I was overjoyed to see all of my gorgeous girlfriends. Having my favorite Mississippi Bowl for lunch, well, that was just an added treat!

While I was checking in at the front desk of the hotel, a charming young woman walked up to the desk. She began speaking in the most lovely Australian accent. I had no idea who she was or that she was attending (let alone speaking!) at Vida Vegan Con. But when I asked her if she would say my name (because the Australian pronunciation of my name makes it sound like music), she happily obliged. "Gai-yllll," she purred. (Can't you just hear it?) She made my day! Every time we ran into each other throughout the weekend, Viva La Vegan's Leigh-Chantelle would make it a point to say my name. I smiled so hard each time, it almost made my face hurt. Your friends in the States miss you already, Leigh-Chantelle! Come back soon!

What can you say about finally getting to meet someone face-to-face whom you've already fallen in love with online? That's how I felt about Kathy Hester, who pens Healthy Slow Cooking. I was so happy to meet her that it felt like being reunited with a long, lost sister. She and her partner, Cheryl, are just about the cutest, sweetest couple I have ever met. (I call this photo, "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!")

And what words have been left unsaid about the two amazing women who started a vegan revolution? Here I am with PPK's Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Not only do they each boast three names, but if you look on my bookshelf, you'll find that their cookbooks are the ones that are most well-worn. (Complete with crinkled spines, dog-eared pages falling out, and food stains galore!). The enigmatic John McDevitt of The Laziest Vegans in the World (how he chose that name I'll never know. He is anything but lazy!) rounded out the photo. I think Terry's face must have hurt from too much smiling by this point, don't you?

I appreciated the opportunity to take a break from work and hang out at the Galarama for a spell with my favorite vegan food scientist, Turtle Mountain's Ken Viscidi. (Great job on the Greek yogurt, Ken!)

What an enormous surprise when an old friend arrived! Bodybuilder Robert Cheeke really got the party going into high gear with an impromptu strut out on the dance floor.

The weekend was filled with surprises—it was so great meeting all the people you tweet with all day long. One of them is Vegan Mainstream's marketing maven, Stephanie Redcross.

Susan Voisin is one of my heroes. She helped me through my early McDougall days with an endless stream of delicious fat-free (and nearly fat-free) vegan recipes. What a thrill to meet the beauty and brains behind the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen!

A few weeks ago I took my first vacation in over a year and hooked up with Vegan Radio's Judy Petullo and Barb Troyer, hosts of All Things Vegan Radio in Bend, Oregon. I hope to see you again in a couple of weeks! You and Bend totally rock!

To Jess Scone, Janessa Philemon-Kerp, and Michele Truty—the three of you put together an amazing event, and I sincerely hope you are enjoying a well-deserved sense of accomplishment. I can't wait until the next VVC. It will no doubt be even bigger and better!

And a very warm shout out to all of the exquisitely beautiful souls I met this weekend, but did not get the chance to memorialize in pictures. I consider it an enormous gift that I had an opportunity to spend a weekend with you. Until we meet again, let's keep doing what we do best: inspiring others to eat healthfully, compassionately, and sustainably and showing them that going vegan is just so incredibly delicious!

Sensational Samosas

2011-08-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

Have you tasted ajwain? Also known as carom seed, this lovely little grayish-green seed is closely related to thyme and cumin. It has a very fragrant aroma, which comes alive when cooked, and it is used in small quantities in dishes because of its distinctively sharp, pungent taste. Although most prominently featured in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, ajwain was discovered first in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries, where it was used in Persian and Afghani cooking and as a digestive herbal remedy. Today ajwain is a common ingredient throughout the South Asian Subcontinent, where it is used in pickles for its preservative qualities and in vegetable dishes for its distinctive taste. It also compliments dals, parathas, rotis, and one of my favorite finger foods of all time—samosas. If you have an Indian grocery near in your city or town, you'll have no trouble finding ajwain. Even though we have a lovely little Indian grocery here, I get my organic ajwain seeds from Mountain Rose Herbs. You can order them online, too, by clicking here.

I tinkered with several different recipes before creating this lovely little dish. My husband said that these were the best samosas he'd ever eaten. I think part of the reason is that they are baked, instead of the more traditional way of making them, which is fried. Brushing them with a light coating of coconut oil also added an extra flavor dimension, and it never hurts to have the aroma of coconut oil wafting through the kitchen to whet the appetite.

I hope you'll try my recipe for samosas, and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ajwain
1 cup Original So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk Beverage (kefir) or Coconut Milk Yogurt

For the filling:

2 medium-size potatoes, diced
1 Tbs canola oil
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup onions, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, grated
1-2 tsp green chiles, finely chopped (optional)
1 cup green peas (fresh or thawed, if frozen)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup water
1 tsp coriander
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup raw cashews
oil for brushing*

Directions:

To prepare the dough, mix the flour, salt, and ajwain seeds together in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center, and add the cultured coconut milk. Mix together to form a dough. Add extra flour if needed, to keep the dough from being sticky. Tightly wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the samosas.

To prepare the filling, peel potatoes and dice into 1/4 inch cubes. Place in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil until very soft. Drain and set aside. Some people like to mash their potatoes at this point. It facilitates the process of filling the samosas, but I find that if I dice them small enough, I don't need to mash. But either way is fine.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds and stir fry for about 30 seconds until cumin turns darker brown and mustard seeds begin to pop. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and green chiles (if using) and saute over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, or until onions are soft. Add the peas, potatoes, raisins, water, coriander, salt, garam masala, and lemon juice. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add cashews and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat, uncover, and allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 400°.

To assemble the samosas, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes until it is smooth and soft. Divide dough into 10 equal portions. Roll each portion between your hands to form smooth balls. Pour 1/4 cup water into a small bowl and set aside.

Roll each ball into a 6-inch circle and cut in half. Take one half, dip your finger into water, and run it along the straight edge. Fold in half, overlapping on end about 1/4 inch over the other, making a cone. Press to seal.

Fill the cone with potato filling. Dip finger in water and run along the inside of the cone mouth and press the lips together to seal. Plase each samosa as it is made on greased cookie sheet or silpat. Brush each samosa with coconut or vegetable oil.* Although non-traditional, I like to use coconut oil, for that little extra flavor dimension and wonderful aroma. Bake for 12-15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350°, turn the samosas over, brush the remaining sides with oil, and bake for 8-10 minutes more, until samosas are golden brown.

When samosas are done, serve immediately with mint or tamarind chutney. Makes 12 samosas.

For the Love of Lavender and a Winner!

2011-07-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

What a glorious way to spend a summer day—visiting some of Oregon's lavender farms! This weekend the annual Oregon Lavender Festival took place, and I visited four lavender farms—two I'd visited two years ago during the festival, and two I hadn't been to before.

My first stop was Moonshadow Lavender Farm in Albany, where I tasted some lovely hibiscus and lavender iced tea, picked up some very fragrant lavender hydrosol and hand cleanser (much nicer than the generic hand cleanser I usually carry with me in the car), and snapped this fun photo of a small lavender field and vineyard with a snow-covered peak in the background.

My next stop was an hour north in the quaint town of Yamhill, where there are several lavender farms. Wild Rain Farm was the first Oregon lavender farm I visited two years ago. This year, the fields were not quite as mature as they were the last time I was here, but beautiful, nonetheless.

Here is where I picked up a jar of their lovely Lavender Blackberry Jam. I think I might have to make those yummy Lemon Poppyseed Muffins again. They went so well with the jam!

The next stop was Willakenzie Lavender Farm, the largest of all the farms I visited. They grow six varieties of lavender and their display beds feature dozens of others.

The owner's house is surrounded by lush gardens, sitting high up on a hill overlooking the lavender fields and valley below. It's such a spectacular setting.

It was fun to watch visitors picking fresh-cut lavender, taking photos, and just enjoying the beautiful summer day. I was inspired to come home and cut some of my own lavender.

I made my way inside the large gift shop and managed to escape with only a tiny vial of Grosso Bleu lavender oil. Outside, I met Kathy Gerht, author of Discover Cooking with Lavender. She was sampling her sensational Summer Mango Salsa (made with lavender, of course!) It was so delicious, I'm looking forward to making some this week. You can find the recipe right here on her blog!

My last stop was Lavender Lake Farms in the tiny town of Independence—about an hour south of Yamhill, and midway between Yamhill and my home.

At each farm, my favorite moment was walking by the distiller, where the fragrance of lavender was so intense, it almost put me in a trance. That's likely why I failed to take even one photo of a distiller. After driving around for hours and walking through all of these lovely lavender fields, I didn't even notice how hungry I was. So when Seth of Rolling Stone Pizza Company (who just happened to be at Lavender Lake Farms with his wood-fired oven on wheels), told me he could make me a cheeseless Purple People Eater Pizza, (purple cauliflower, purple onions, and eggplant on lavender-infused dough, I was more than ready to indulge. A seasoning blend of lavender, garlic, thyme, and pepper made the flavor come alive!

Here's a photo of all the spoils of my trip, along with the gorgeous cutting board I scored last weekend at a local arts festival.

Congratulations to The Vegan, who won a fabulous gift pack of Sweet Spice, Chocolate Fantasy, and So Delicious! Please let me know where to have the companies send you your booty! Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway. Stay tuned for the next one. I love sharing my delicious finds with you!

This is Guilt-free Pure Decadence: Sweet Spice and Chocolate Fantasy Review and Giveaway!

2011-06-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

Today I have two delightful new treats to share with you. I stumbled upon each of them completely by chance, and both are making life so much more delicious! Both of these culinary treasures will bring sweetness to your life without adding unnecessary calories, sugar, or fat. You can enjoy them together or on their own, and the ways in which you can savor them are limited only by your imagination.

Heather McClees is the creator of The Soulful Spoon's Sweet Spice, a special blend of five sweet spices. Heather started using her favorite sweet spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg pretty much every day, and then began learning about and experimenting with other exotic spices. She honed in on two spices that are beneficial to health and taste great together with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. These two "secret" spices make up the remainder of ingredients in Sweet Spice, a truly unique blend, unlike any other five-spice.

What are some of the ways you can enjoy Sweet Spice? Well, in smoothies, for one. It has added a delightful flavor to every smoothie combination I've tried so far. (You'll LOVE the recipe below!) It's also fantastic in hot cocoa. (More on that in a minute.)

Sweet Spice is perfect for adding a touch of exotic flavor to baked goods like cookies, muffins, dessert breads, and cakes. I'm going to try adding it to a coconut nog scone recipe I'm working on, and I can hardly wait to taste the results!

I heard about Inspired Foods Dark Chocolate Fantasy Sweet Ground Cocoa from one of my readers. This lovely product evolved out of Daria and Darrin Danielson's passion for food and beverages. Daria grew up in a home immersed in tea culture, as her mom was a wholesale supplier of tea for many years. Daria and Darrin launched Eclipse Beverages (a Sparkling Tea company), and during their research into healthy alternative sweeteners, they discovered and fell in love with stevia. With their increasing passion for healthy and convenient beverages, they discovered the health benefits of cocoa and knew they needed to create a stevia-sweetened cocoa powder. The result is a delicately sweetened, ethically traded African rainforest gourmet cocoa that has just 9 calories per serving.

You can use Chocolate Fantasy with your favorite non-dairy milk beverage. I make the most delicious cup of hot cocoa ever with Dark Chocolate Fantasy Sweet Ground Cocoa and So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk. A 12-oz cup has just 84 calories, but is so rich and chocolaty, it tastes fantastic. Add half a teaspoon of Sweet Spice, and now you've got an exotic hot chocolate! (See, I told you these are great alone or together!) I'm sipping one right now!

I also make a delectable smoothie with Trader Joe's Very Cherry Berry Blend, but you could use any frozen berries, cherries, or any other fruit you like. It tastes like something out of a dream!

Choco-Cherry Spice Smoothie

2 ripe bananas
1 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1 Tbs Dark Chocolate Fantasy
1 cup frozen cherries and/or berries
1 medjool date
1 handful spinach
1 tsp Sweet Spice

Blend all together, pour into two tall glasses and serve!

You can order your very own jar of exotic Sweet Spice online right here. To fulfill your own Dark Chocolate Fantasy, click here to order. But wait—would you like to win a delicious prize pack? One lucky winner* chosen at random will receive a free coupon for their favorite So Delicious Coconut Milk, a jar of Sweet Spice, and a container of Dark Chocolate Fantasy! To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below telling me how you might enjoy these lovely treats. To earn extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. (Please leave a separate comment for each one you do):

1. Follow my Hungry Vegan Blog by clicking the "Follow" link in the upper left-hand corner of this page.

2. Follow The Soulful Spoon Blog.

3. Follow me on Twitter. 4. Follow Heather McClees on Twitter. 5. Like Chocolate Fantasy on Facebook. 6. Follow So Delicious on Twitter 7. Like So Delicious Dairy Free on Facebook

Good luck!

*Sorry international readers—Giveaway open to US residents only.

Avocados: A Taste of California Sunshine!

2011-05-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

I'm crazy about avocados. So I was very excited when my box of California Avocados arrived at my doorstep today. As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received the beauties you see here:

I love the pretty little magnets that were thoughtfully tucked inside the box with them. They're now decorating my new fridge, and they make me smile whenever I look at them.

Avocados are one of nature's most amazing foods and were once a luxury reserved only for royalty. They're a nutritional powerhouse packed with vitamins A, C, and E and minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron all wrapped up in a package of buttery-like goodness. They also contain the highest concentration of dietary fiber of any commonly eaten fruit.

Here are some other interesting avocado facts: California produces about 90 percent of the nation's avocado crop, and San Diego County is the Avocado Capital of the US, producing 60 percent of all the avocados grown in California. A single California Avocado tree can produce about 500 avocados (or 200 pounds of fruit) a year! There are over 400 varieties of avocados, and the ones I received are my favorite—of those I've had the good fortune to taste—Hass variety, which is known for its rich, nutty taste and creamy, pale green flesh.

Scientists believe that avocados have been cultivated in Mexico for about 10,000 years, so a Mexican meal seemed like the perfect way to enjoy them.

A Mexican meal would not be complete without a nice bowl of guacamole. I like my guacamole on the simple side, without onions, garlic, or cilantro, so that the flavor of the avocados really shines. I mash one with a spoon, mix it together with a splash of lime juice, sprinkle in some salt, pepper, and a touch of cumin, and add in a small chopped tomato.

Here's our little fiesta table of fajita fixins, salsa fresca, guacamole, and oven-roasted sweet plantains.

While not traditionally Mexican, this luscious raw lemon pudding is so crazy simple and creamy-dreamy delicious, I couldn't resist making it for dessert. It's super rich, so even a dainty portion will make you feel happy.

Ingredients:

2 large ripe avocados, chopped
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Please call ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Makes 4 servings.

Winning Sandwich and A Winner!

2011-04-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

When I visited Sacramento last year, one of the highlights of my trip was dining at Sugar Plum Vegan Cafe, where I enjoyed one of the most delicious sandwiches that I have ever tasted, a Sweet Po and Avo Panini. (They now call it a "Garnet Yam and Avocado Panini," which is more accurate, but I like the old name better!) Either way, I'm sure it's just as incredible as it ever was, but since I didn't return to Sacramento as soon as I'd hoped to, I decided to venture into creating this sammie at home. Coming up with a tasty Lemon Poppyseed Aioli was a bit challenging, until I figured out that I like it better without garlic. (Typically, aioli is made with olive, oil, garlic, and eggs.) The most challenging part was figuring out how to assemble this sandwich so that it doesn't fall apart when you pick it up. But no matter how I layered the avocado, yam, grilled onions, tomatoes, and creamy dressing, it still was one sloppy sandwich. Some breads work better than others, (ciabatta and hard rolls were no less messy), but the combination of flavors is so delicious, it's totally worth getting your hands dirty. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes or yams, cooked and sliced
1 tomato, sliced
1 large red onion, sauteed in water
1 avocado, mashed
Lemon-Poppyseed Aioli (recipe below)
Ciabatta bread, grilled (or use your favorite hearty bread)
Earth Balance for grilling
Daiya cheddar (optional)

Lemon-Poppyseed Aioli:

1 10.5-oz pkg Mori-Nu silken tofu
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp agave
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dry mustard
⅛ tsp white pepper
2 Tbsp poppy seeds

For the Aioli:

Place all ingredients except the poppy seeds in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add poppy seeds and pulse a few times to thoroughly combine.

To assemble the Sandwiches:

Lightly brush one side of ciabatta with Earth Balance and place face down on grill. Lay some Daiya (if using) on other side of bread and place face down, and grill for a 1-2 minutes.

Spread mashed avocado over daiya side of bread, layer with yams, onions, and tomatoes, and spread aioli on other slice of bread. Repeat with other sandwich.

I'd like to extend my most heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in my So Delicious Dairy Free Ice Cream and Sorella Luna giveaway. It was the most successful Hungry Vegan giveaway to date, and I had so much fun sharing all the tasty new ice cream flavors and gorgeous Italian pottery with you. Congratulations to Cara, who won five free So Delicious product coupons and two lovely Deruta ceramic bowls. You can thank the handy-dandy random number generator for choosing your name! Check your email inbox, and as soon as you send me your snail mail address, your goodies will be on their way!

Ice Cream and Art, An Incredible Giveaway, and a Winner!

2011-04-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I am pretty excited about the new No Sugar Added Coconut Milk Ice Cream from So Delicious. As you may know from my earlier post, after reading Dr. Klaper's thought-provoking article, "Slaying the Sugary Beast," I've been drastically cutting back on my sugar consumption. And as if premature aging wasn't enough reason to tame my sweet tooth, a few days ago, I came across the New York Times article, "Is Sugar Toxic?" after my friend, Julieanna Hever posted it to her facebook page. (It's quite lengthy, so do save it for when you have time to read it.) Sweetened with erythritol (a plant-based sugar alcohol) and monk fruit extract, what a gift to dessert lovers these new No Sugar Added Coconut Milk Frozen Desserts are! They come in these five mouthwatering flavors and in two tasty bars:

The dreamy creamy Fudge Bars taste like frozen chocolate mousse on a stick! And weighing in at just 80 calories, it's a sweet treat I can enjoy every day, if I like! (And I do!)

I couldn't wait to sink my spoon into the Chocolate and Toasted Almond Chip flavors! They have all the sweet deliciousness of So Delicious agave-sweetened ice cream, but only 1 gram of sugar per serving!

The Vanilla Bean flavor just screamed to be enjoyed in a sundae. With just 100 calories per serving, I could add some delicious toppings like sliced banana, chopped walnuts, marionberry syrup, and Soyatoo Whipped Topping for a totally indulgent, but low-calorie Banana Split!

So right about now, I'll bet you're wondering where I got all these pretty bowls from, aren't you? They're on loan from my favorite new art gallery, Sorella Luna in Portland, Oregon. Sorella Luna means "Sister Moon" in Italian, a phrase taken from the Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon of St. Francis of Assisi:

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,

In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

These gorgeous Italian ceramic bowls are hand-crafted and hand-painted, making each piece a unique one-of-a-kind treasure! (And I know what you're thinking—and the answer is: Yes! It will be difficult to part with them!)

Mark and I got to visit Sorella Luna as part of my belated birthday celebration. Being surrounded by so much vibrant color was a breathtaking sensory experience. This feast for the eyes was totally intoxicating, and it was easy to get lost for hours in the beauty and wonderment of all this eye candy!

Speaking of eye candy, gallery owner Giovanni Angello is busy at work on his computer totally undisturbed by me (or at least pretending not to notice), as I'm going around snapping all these photos! And as I watch him I'm thinking how magical it must be to come to work each day surrounded by so much color and beauty! Can you imagine traveling to Italy to find all this stuff? (Dream job!!!)

Looking for an extravagant wedding gift? This jaw-droppingly exquisite place setting not only caught my eye, but had me oohing and ahhing. And although I'm not getting married again anytime soon, it's certainly on my personal wish list!

So now that I've let you in on my two greatest passions, I'm going to share the love. Would you like to win 5 FREE So Delicious product coupons so you can try their new No Sugar Added Coconut Milk Ice Cream? And would you like to own 2 gorgeous hand-crafted ceramic bowls from Deruta, Italy? Then here's all you do: Simply visit Sorella Luna's website, come back here, and leave a comment telling me which items are now on your own personal wish list. (This is mandatory for entry, but fun! Just peruse the fabulous eye candy, and pick something pretty to tell me about!) Please make sure I have your email address, so that I can contact you when you win. Here's what your prize will look like:

I'm so excited about this giveaway, I'm going to give you 10 ways to earn additional entries! For each of the following you complete and leave a separate comment for, you'll earn another entry!

1. Follow Hungry Vegan by clicking the "Follow" button in the upper left-hand corner of this page.
2. "Like" Sorella Luna on Facebook.
3. "Like" So Delicious on Facebook.
4. Follow me on Twitter.
5. Follow Sorella Luna on Twitter.
6. Follow So Delicious on Twitter.
7. Follow Hungry Vegan on Networked Blogs.
8. Post a link to this giveaway on your Facebook page.
9. Post a link to this giveaway on your blog.
10. Tweet this message: Enter to #win 5 FREE @So_Delicious coupons and 2 Beautiful @thesorellaluna Italian Ceramic Bowls! http://bit.ly/hEfhZP #vegan #giveaway (This one earns you two entries!)

Ooh, and I almost forgot some unfinished business—I have a winner to announce from my last post, too! Congratulations to Noelle who pens An Opera Singer in the Kitchen! She won a fabulous Mediterranean Bread-Dipping Gift Set from Olive Grand! Thanks to everyone who participated, and good luck in this week's giveaway!

*Sorry dear international friends. Coupons are only redeemable in the U.S. and giveaway is limited to entries with a U.S. postal address.

Olive Grand Tasting Bar and Delicious Giveaway

2011-04-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

I spent the night of my birthday in the emergency room with my husband. (He's feeling much better now!) But as soon as he was well enough, we decided to celebrate my special day in grand style! We began our celebration with a trip to our local Olive Oil tasting bar, Olive Grand. I've never been much of a barfly, but that could all change now. This fabulous marketplace sells the most wonderful olive oils and balsamic vinegars (balsamic is my one true weakness), along with an assortment of teas, pasta, spices, cookbooks, and artistic treasures.

As part of Eugene's First Friday Artwalk, several artisans were in attendance at Olive Grand the evening we visited. Giovanni Angello, owner of Sorella Luna Gallery in Portland was there showing off his spectacularly beautiful imported pottery from Deruda, Italy. (I'll write more about Giovanni and his amazing gallery in a future post, so stay tuned!)

How blessed I feel to have been gifted with this gorgeous cheese plate. Thank you, Giovanni! It makes me wish I had some lovely Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheeses or Ste Martaan on hand. (Click on the pic to see a more detailed closeup of this colorful plate.)

Michelle McLaughlin of Copper Moon Artisans was there, with some of her partner Chardin Reascos' beautiful pre-Columbian-inspired embossed copper designs on handmade paper made from recycled newspaper and banana leaves.

Owners Tamara and Michael have created a beautiful and inviting haven for foodies and art lovers, alike. But the centerpiece of Olive Grand is the tasting bar, where you can sample shots of delectably flavored extra-virgin olive oils paired with some of the most amazing flavor-infused balsamic vinegars. Here, Tamara is pouring Mark one of his favorites, Blood Orange Olive Oil with Chocolate Balsamic!

As with wine tasting, there's an art to tasting olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You want to first warm the cup between your hands, then swirl the oil and vinegar around, take a small sip, and let the flavors melt on your tongue before swallowing.

I prefer to dip a small piece of Italian bread into the delicious mixture. This time it's a citrusy Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Blueberry Balsamic. It reminded me of a lemon and blueberry poppyseed muffin. So good!!!

The most difficult part of visiting Olive Grand is deciding which flavors to take home with you. They're all so amazing. In addition to the two pairings mentioned above we also tasted Peach Olive Oil with Cherry Balsamic and Rosemary Olive Oil with Chocolate Balsamic, which were both crazy good!

Explore these along with all of their other incredible flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars online at Olive Grand. And don't fret if you find something that sounds enticing. (Did I mention their Chardonnay Wine Vinegar?) They can ship to anywhere in the US and Canada.

Here's a quick and easy appetizer that will make your tongue dance. You can choose any combination of olive oil and balsamic. Let your creativity run wild!

Dreamy Basil and Balsamic Bruschetta

1/2 cup balsamic (I used fig)

2-3 Tbs olive oil (I used lemon)

1 large tomato, diced small

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped fine

salt and pepper to taste

10-12 slices Italian or French bread

Directions:

Place olive oil and balsamic in a small bowl. Stir gently to combine. Add chopped tomato and basil and mix to coat. Toast bread slices, and spoon mixture over bread. Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.

And now for the really fun part: One lucky reader is going to win a fabulous Mediterranean Bread Dipping Set—complete with a delicately balanced Spanish Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a sweet and syrupy Fig Balsamic Vinegar (my personal favorite!), and Olive Grand's own Mediterranean Bread Dipping Spice Blend with hints of Lemon and Garlic. The set also comes with two beautiful pour spouts so you can control how much you pour and savor the precious contents of your new bottles awhile longer. This is truly a Mediterranean food-lover's dream!

To enter to win, simply visit Olive Grand's website and come back here and leave a comment telling me which oil and vinegar pairing sounds most delicious to you. Please do make sure to include your email address in your comment so I can contact you if when you win.

If you'd like to earn additional entries, you can do any or all of the following. (Please leave a separate comment for each action you take, and you'll receive an additional entry for each one!)

1. Follow this blog by clicking the "Follow" link in the upper left-hand corner of this page.

2. "Like" Olive Grand on Facebook.

3. Follow Hungry Vegan on Networked Blogs.

4. Follow me on Twitter.

5. Tweet this message: Enter to #win a Mediterranean Food-lover's Olive Oil & Balsamic Bread-Dipping Set from @Vegiegail & @OliveGrand! http://bit.ly/fXT0xx

The winner will be chosen at random before my next post. Good luck! Oh, and I'll be sharing the rest of how we celebrated my birthday in my next delicious post. Ciao!

The Perfect "Cup" of Tea and The Most Sublime Sweetener Libre Tea Glass and Just Like Sugar

2011-04-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

If you've been following Hungry Vegan, you know that I'm in love with glass. I never go anywhere without one of my pretty Glass Dharma straws. Now I'm taking my herbal tea to go with my new Libre Tea Glass. It's lightweight, durable, practical, and beautiful. A BPA-free polycarbonate surrounds a glass interior that keeps nine ounces of tea warm for up to an hour. The pretty flower in the bottle? That's a flowering jasmine tea bud from Mountain Rose Herbs.

I take my Libre Tea Glass with me everywhere! It's so much prettier and more stylish than a coffee mug. It also fits perfectly in my car's cup holder!

Notice the gorgeous detailing on the lid.

Underneath the lid there's a stainless steel filter that allows loose tea leaves to steep. (Alternately, you could place a tea bag inside the glass jar.) Simply fill the glass, wait a minute or two to allow the steam to dissipate, screw on the filter and lid, turn it upside down and let sit for a few minutes, and voila! Freshly brewed tea for one! If you love tea and want to treat yourself to something beautiful and practical, a Libre Tea Glass will make you feel elegant while you sip your favorite tea. It would also make a lovely gift for the tea aficionado in your life.

Speaking of tea, just how do I sweeten mine? After reading Dr. Michael Klaper's illuminating article, "Slaying the Sugary Beast," I began weaning myself off sugar, and I no longer have these insatiable urges for sweets. That's not to say I won't ever enjoy a little something sweet. I just don't feel like I'm going to rip someone's head off if I can't get to the next vegan Boston cream donut. Stevia is a wonderful option, but its sweetness is very different than that of sugar, and it isn't always an ideal substitute for many recipes. That's why I love Just Like Sugar and have been using it to sweeten everything, not just my tea!

Just Like Sugar's sweetness comes from chicory inulin, a naturally occurring non-digestible carbohydrate. It's also nature's best example of a prebiotic, selectively stimulating the growth of friendly intestinal microflora. So Just Like Sugar tastes sweet, has zero calories, and it's actually good for you!
And unlike artificial sweeteners, which are not only toxic, but actually increase your desire for sweets, Just Like Sugar satisfies without making you crave more. So now I'm sprinkling Just Like Sugar on my morning grapefruit, and it tastes just like sugar!

And I'm enjoying my bedtime hot cocoa-like beverage made with raw carob powder, Unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk, Foods Alive Mesquite Powder, and Just Like Sugar!

The real test was baking with Just Like Sugar. I decided to first try it in Dreena Burton's Chocolate Pumpkin Pie recipe, which called for a scant two tablespoons of sugar. The pie was super rich and sweetly delicious

with a lovely cheesecake-like texture.

I've since made cookies, chocolate pudding, and slow-cooker oats with Just Like Sugar, all with superb results. While Just Like Sugar isn't cheap like sugar, it's comparably priced to stevia, and so much more versatile. If you're looking for ways to reduce your consumption of sweets but still want to have your cake and eat it too, Just Like Sugar may be just right for you!

Book Review: Vegan Unplugged by Jon Robertson with recipes by Robin Robertson

2011-03-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

I had never given emergency preparedness much thought. But when my refrigerator gave out last week, I was very glad I had a copy of Vegan Unplugged: A Pantry Cuisine Cookbook and Survival Guide to get me through a week of living refrigerator-free. It could have been an expensive week of take-out and eating out, but we had some of the best home-cooked meals ever, made them with simple, inexpensive ingredients, and prepared them in lightning-fast speed—thanks to this wonderful book.

While the recipes in Vegan Unplugged are phenomenally easy-to-prepare and delicious (and worth the cover price alone), it also offers priceless solutions to a variety of challenging situations like eating vegan while traveling, when visiting non-vegan family and friends, when camping, remodeling, when the power goes out, and on those days when you just don't feel like cooking.

Within its pages you'll learn how to shop for a safe, reliable, and efficient non-electrical heat source and stock your pantry with everything you need to create a bounty of delectable globally inspired pantry cuisine. With recipes like Curry-Spiced Pumpkin Bisque, Thaiphoon Tofu Stir Fry, Asian-Style Vegetable Pancakes with Dipping Sauce, and No-Fuss Chocolate Fondue, your meals will taste more like painstakingly prepared gourmet cuisine than making-do-with-what's-in-the-pantry fare. Bear in mind that these recipes are not to be put on the back burner only to be called upon when disaster strikes or when you're on the road. The recipes are all completely flexible, and you can upgrade them with fresh ingredients for spectacular meals anytime.

So what did we eat for dinner while the fridge was out? We started with Kitchen Sink Capellini made with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, chickpeas, black olives, capers, and basil over angel hair pasta. I added some greens, as I wanted to start using up the produce I had before it spoiled. This gorgeous dish was so scrumptious, I'll be making it again and again.

Tuscan Chickpea Stew is a delightful combination of garbanzos, potatoes, artichoke hearts, and roasted red bell peppers. Again, I upgraded the recipe with some lovely purple kale. Colorful and delectable!

I first saw the recipe for Samosadillas on Jon's Facebook page. It looked so good, I had to jump right in and make it. And we enjoyed it so much the first time, I made it again last week. This recipe turns a samosa on it's head by wrapping its curried potato filling inside a warm flour tortilla. It's a fabulous fusion of Indian and Mexican food.

Moroccan-Spiced Vegetable Stew starts with an enticing medley of dried mixed fruits (I used blueberries, cherries, apricots, raspberries, and raisins), green beans, onions, carrots, tomatoes, and chickpeas, infused in a fragrant blend of cinnamon and cumin. Served alone, with warm pita, or over couscous or rice, you couldn't ask for a more sensuous dish.

Whether you're the kind of person who plans ahead for emergencies, or you just want to sink your teeth into some super delicious, easy-to-prepare dishes, Vegan Unplugged is a must-have. You'll come back to its recipes again and again. Want to win your very own copy? Head on over to the new Vegan Heritage Press blog, and enter to win a copy of one of three great books: Vegan Unplugged, Vegan Fire & Spice, and American Vegan Kitchen! (But before you head on outta here, check out the recipe below, and please leave me a comment letting me know which one of these dishes made your mouth water or your tummy growl.)

Ingredients:

1 16-oz can white potatoes drained, or 3/4 cup dehydrated potatoes, rehydrated (I used 1 fresh russet)

1 4-oz can green peas, or 1/4 cup dehydrated peas, rehydrated

1 4-oz can hot or mild diced green chiles, drained

2 Tbs raisins

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs curry powder

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

Salt and black pepper

4 flour tortillas

1 small jar chutney (I used tamarind chutney)

Directions:

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan and mash them with a potato masher or ricer. Add the peas, chiles, raisins, soy sauce, curry powder, coriander, cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and heat over medium-high heat until hot, stirring as needed, about 5 minutes.

2. Cut the tortillas into quarters. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the filling onto each piece of tortilla. Fold one side over the filling and press lightly to flatten. Set aside. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

3. Arrange the samosadillas in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. cook until lightly browned and heated through, turning once, about 8 minutes total. Serve hot with chutney.

Book Review: Vegan Bite by Biteby Marilyn Peterson

2011-03-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

Today is March 20th, the first day of spring, the eve of my birthday, and the official beginning of this year's Meatout, the world's largest grassroots diet education campaign. I dedicate this post to the thousands of caring individuals across the globe, who share the joys and benefits of going vegan with countless others, making Meatout an enormously successful annual event.

I've waited twenty-five years to say this: Vegan is going mainstream, baby. The "v" word is no longer just kicked around like some kind of hot potato with cooties or regarded as "weird," "fringe," "faddish," or "radical." Articles in major magazines and newspapers have extolled the virtues of going vegan, and millions of Oprah and Ellen viewers have heard about the multitude of benefits to be gained from eating a pure plant-based diet. Only a few years ago, most people couldn't wrap their brains around the concept of giving up meat, dairy, fish, and eggs. But now more than ever before, Americans are beginning to not only accept, but embrace the idea that eating exclusively plant-based foods is good for their health, the animals, and the planet.

I admit to cringing when I hear Veganist author Kathy Freston suggest that people "lean into veganism," because I want cruelty to end and people to stop eating animals now. But if I am honest with myself, I must take a step back and reflect that I didn't become vegan overnight (how many of us really did?) I did quite a bit of leaning myself—first giving up veal, then red meat, and eventually chicken, fish, eggs, and dairy. (The last animal foods to leave my plate forever were cream cheese, (there was no palatable non-hydrogenated and casein-free vegan option back then), chopped herring, and unagi (eel) sushi. I can still remember the last time I thought about ordering unagi, and my friend, Sangeeta, looked at me and said, "Are you sure you want to eat that? Think about the poor eel." She was so calm and gentle about it. I thought of the poor eel, and that was it for me. No more leaning.

Today there are delicious vegan options for almost every food imaginable—even vegan cheeses are starting to rival the real deal. (Have you tasted Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheeses?) And talented chef/authors like Jenn Shagrin take their culinary creativity into the stratosphere with vegan recipes for everything from scallops to short ribs and flank steak!

In perfect synchronicity with all the new vegan awareness, chef and author Marilyn Peterson, (herself a leaner for many years and a vegan for the last thirty), offers a gentle, step-by-step guide to overhauling your diet and achieving your most vibrant health in her wonderful new book, Vegan Bite By Bite.

In Vegan Bite By Bite Marilyn becomes both mentor and cheerleader, offering a clear and simple path to healthier, more compassionate food choices that can be made over the course of two stages. Stage One includes packaged comfort foods like mock meats and cheeses, allowing the palate and the body to ease into the elimination of animal-based foods without giving up many familiar tastes and textures. In Stage Two, whole plant-foods predominate, and more raw foods are included. There are no time restrictions, and readers are encouraged to lean in at their own pace. The transition is presented joyfully and light-heartedly, and as you read, you will feel as though you have a partner and friend holding your hand and guiding towards more vibrant health and vitality.

At 75-years-young, Marilyn Peterson is the perfect vegan ambassador.

How many 50-year-olds do you see every day who don't look nearly
this youthful, trim, attractive, and fit?

The book opens by asking (and answering) the questions, "Why Vegan?" and "How?" and is peppered with thought-provoking, inspiring, and humorous quotations from famous vegans. There's a chapter on karma that connects readers to her own inner voice and shows us the connection between our food choices and our spiritual evolution.

What Marilyn succeeds at doing next in her book, is something I have done often in people's homes. She walks readers through a complete kitchen makeover, teaching them how to organize, store, substitute, and shop for healthier vegan foods. And since so much of the apprehension people have about going vegan is centered on wondering what they will eat, in Vegan Bite By Bite Marilyn offers more than 100 delicious recipes along with six-week menu plans so that readers don't even have to think about what to shop for or prepare.

In later chapters, readers will gain insightful health and nutritional information from medical doctors and be inspired by transition stories from celebrities, students, authors, and others. Don't be surprised if many of these stories sound a lot like your own. It's comforting and supportive to know that other people had the same questions, doubts, and struggles with their diets as you do. From these stories we also learn that there's no one right way or single path, and that we're all still fine-tuning and tweaking our diets.

My favorite chapter by far, is the one in which Marilyn shares her own story. It's a moving survival narrative detailing an extraordinary life journey filled with suffering, joy, challenges, and successes.

Readers won't feel stranded when they reach the end of the book, as Marilyn has thoughtfully provided supportive books, websites, and other resources for newbie vegans. One of those is her very own website, veganbitebybite.com. And it's filled with photos, recipes, and other valuable resources. You can even sign up for workshops and cooking classes with Marilyn!

Whether you are fully committed to taking the great vegan leap or only ready to dip your toe into vegan waters, Vegan Bite by Bite will not only answer the question, "so now what do I eat?" but will show you how to lean into eating vegan with flavor and ease.

I couldn't get through the whole book without preparing at least one of Marilyn's recipes. Eggplant Minestrone Stew beckoned to me, so I went shopping for all the needed ingredients. To my astonishment, there was not an eggplant to be found anywhere! (First it was raw pistachios—I still can't find them—and now it's eggplant!) I went to three different stores, and at each one they told me they'd been out of them for several days. I had already purchased all the other ingredients, including my new favorite pasta, Ancient Harvest Gluten-free Elbows, and while I had a real craving for eggplant, I decided to substitute potatoes and carrots, rather than figure out an entirely new dish to prepare. As it turned out, this almost entirely new dish was flavorful and filling. (So good, that yes, I added it to our dinner rotation!)

Here's my version of Marilyn's Minestrone Stew (with potatoes and carrots, instead of eggplant!) Buon appetito!

Ingredients:

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into ½" cubes
8 oz elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
1 Tbs olive oil
6 cups plus ¼ cup vegetable broth
1 medium onion, diced small
2 carrots, peeled and sliced ¼"-inch thick
4 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
2 15-oz cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 14.5-oz cans fire-roasted tomatoes
3 large bay leaves
2 tsp thyme, dried
2 tsp oregano, dried
1 Tbs basil, dried
1 cup packed fresh basil, roughly chopped

Directions:

Boil potatoes for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water, drain, and return to pot. Stir in olive oil, and set aside.
Heat ¼ cup broth in large soup pot on medium-low heat. Brown the onion and carrots. Add the salt, pepper, and garlic. Stir and cook until carrots are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients, except the pasta. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve. Makes 6-8 hearty servings.

Food For Lovers Vegan Queso

2011-03-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

In the days leading up to Super Bowl Week, it was impossible not to notice the giant end-cap display at my local supermarket featuring dairy-laden tortilla chips and queso dips. Not long after that, I reviewed Nacho Mom's Fire Roasted Vegan Queso. (And some months earlier, I also reviewed their Ultimate Vegan Queso.) I love the stuff! It's cheesy, spicy, and fat-free. What's not to like? Then I learned about another company making vegan queso, and I thought, really? But then why not? There can never be too many vegan companies out there giving people healthier, delicious, cruelty-free options. So I decided to try Food For Lovers Vegan Queso. Like its competitor, it's cheesy flavor comes from nutritional yeast. It's smooth, creamy, and has a nice spicy kick.

It made wonderful nachos,

and really jazzed up my Chez Gourmet Oregon Harvest Veggi Burger (shown here with Trader Joe's Smoky Peach Salsa on a Dave's Killer Bread Blues Bun.

If these photos make your mouth water, grab yourself a jar of vegan queso as soon as you can. I still can't find them locally and must order them online at Pangea, VeganEssentials, and Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe. But then, you might get lucky and find a store near you that carries at least one brand. You'll save yourself a small bundle in shipping. Either way, don't miss out on enjoying such a delicious guilt-free indulgence. Happy eating!

Book Review: Speed Vegan:Quick, Easy Recipes with a Gourmet Twist by Alan RoettingerAnd a Great Giveaway!

2011-03-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

When I first met Chef Alan Roettinger at Portland VegFest last year, I was struck by his commanding presence. Maybe I was simply awed by his stature, or maybe it was the white chef's jacket—(they have that effect on me). But Chef Alan also reminded me of myself twenty-something years ago. Those first few years of going to veg conferences surrounded by like-minded people and all kinds of delicious vegan food made me feel very much like a kid let loose in a candy store. Perhaps he felt the same way.

In the introduction to Speed Vegan, Chef Alan wrote that he had started eating an exclusively vegan diet only a few weeks before going to press with the book. Like so many other newbie vegans, he reported that his body was "ecstatic with the change" and that he was enjoying more energy, needing less sleep, and was feeling invincible in all of his athletic activities. (No surprises, there!)

He also penned some of the most encouraging words about cooking that I have ever read. Among them is my favorite line:

"What will make your food extraordinary is not the recipe, or even the ingredients—it's you."

With so much inspiration at the outset of his book, I decided to make an entire Sunday dinner with recipes from Speed Vegan. My menu looked like this:

Campari-Braised Radicchio Salad with Grapefruit
Orecchiette with Herb Sauce
Balsamic Mushrooms
Dried Fruit Compote

That sounded impressive and challenging to me, but even though all of the dishes were complex in flavor, they were also a snap to prepare!

I've been eating a lot of pink grapefruit lately, but mainly for breakfast. So finding a recipe for grapefruit salad was a real treat! Campari-Braised Radicchio Salad with Grapefruit sounded like a winner to me, not only because of the grapefruit, but for its two leafy vegetables that are seldom-enjoyed at my house—radicchio and watercress, and also for relying more on Campari than oil for its dressing. (It even comes with ideas for what to do with the leftover Campari.) The salad was alive color and bursting with a mingling of earthy and citrusy flavors!

I love balsamic, and I have a pantry filled with several varieties, so I'm always thrilled to find new ways to use them. Balsamic Mushrooms is a mushroom-lover's delight, blending together the woodsy flavor of baby bellas, the fruity acidity of balsamic, and the sweetness of agave.

Talk about a delicious way to get your greens on! Orecchiette with Herb Sauce is one of those dishes I would never have thought of creating myself. The sauce is sort of like a pesto, but not really (there are no pine nuts, basil, or cheese in it). But what you do have is a rich, creamy, green sauce made from baby spinach, watercress, fresh tarragon, and flax oil, that just kind of clings lovingly to the pasta and fills your taste buds with joy. Have you ever seen a more brilliant shade of green?

If I had been in a wine-drinking mood, this meal would have paired perfectly with a bottle of Organic Wine Works Radical Red. But as it turned out, I got to use the bottle of sweet dessert wine I'd received at a white-elephant gift exchange last Christmas to make dessert. (I knew that bottle was going to come in handy one day!) With raisins, apricots, blueberries, cranberries, cherries, and strawberries, the recipe for Dried Fruit Compote had more fruits in it than you can shake a stick at! I was able to find everything but dried strawberries, so I substituted blackberries. And in one of my most classic perimenopausal moments, my newly purchased dried apricots disappeared within minutes after taking them out of my shopping bag. (I still haven't found them!) I had a couple of dried apricots in the pantry and some prunes, so I used those instead. Delicately flavored with tangerine and served over Purely Decadent Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Ice Cream, this dessert was a delectable indulgence.

True to the book's title, all of the recipes in Speed Vegan came together in no time and went from prep to table in less than thirty minutes, at what I consider, lightning-fast speed. The dishes were all exceedingly flavorful, which will give your dinner guests the impression that you slaved for hours in the kitchen. And why would you want to spoil that fantasy?

I loved the Balsamic Mushrooms so much, I wanted to share them with you. So here is the recipe from Speed Vegan excerpted by arrangement with Book Publishing Company. Copyright © 2010.

Ingredients:

1 lb mushrooms, preferably cremini or baby portabello
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced shallots
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs dark agave nectar
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, or 1/4 tsp dried
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Wash the mushrooms well and pat them dry. Quarter them, taking care to keep the stems attached.

Heat the oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the shallots and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the mushrooms and stir well. Cover the pan and cook until the mushrooms begin to release their liquid, about 1 minutes. Remove the cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, agave nectar, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mushrooms are lightly glazed with a smooth sauce. Serve at once. Makes 4 servings.

Are you a fan of mushrooms? What are you favorites? Please let me know if you try this dish and what you think of it. And if you enjoyed this post, please let me know by leaving a comment below.

You can find out about all the newest vegan book titles from Book Publishing Company by following them on their Facebook page. And if you'd like to win your very own copy of Speed Vegan or one of five other fabulous vegan books from Book Publishing Company, simply click on the "Live Delicious, Eat Vegan" link below! Good luck!

I Want to Let You in on a Little Coconut Secret

2011-02-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

I'm all about coconut! (One could say I'm quite cuckoo for coconuts!) Slather me in coconut oil, bake me some coconut cupcakes, let me slosh them down with a tall glass of chocolate coconut milk, pass me the French vanilla coconut creamer for my red rooibos chai tea, and please dollop some coconut milk yogurt
all over my bowl of fruit. (You get the picture.)

And then there's Coconut Secret. Hats off to my friend, Bryan Au, for turning me on to these wonderful raw coconut products. I'd heard of coconut flour, but coconut vinegar, coconut nectar, coconut crystals, and coconut aminos were all brand new to me, and I was quite eager to try them all!

As much as I adore the flavor of coconut, coconut vinegar, nectar, crystals, and aminos don't taste at all like coconut. That's because they're made from the nutrient-rich sap that exudes from coconut tree blossoms, rather than the coconut fruit. (This makes them perfect for those coco-phobes out there!) What you do get are raw enzymatically alive products that are grown without chemicals, pesticides, or herbicides, and taste as good or better than the alternatives.

I've been enjoying the delightful earthy flavor of Coconut Crystals in place of sugar with my morning grapefruit and Coconut Nectar instead of agave with my afternoon herbal tea. Both are low-glycemic and sweetly delicious.

A broiled grapefruit sprinkled with ginger, cinnamon, and

Coconut Crystals brings a bit of sunshine to the start of my day!

I fell in love with Coconut Aminos Soy-Free Seasoning Sauce. It's a blend of aged coconut sap and sun-dried mineral-rich sea salt that boats a smoky, much lighter-than-soy-sauce flavor. I preferred it with sushi over tamari or soy sauce, as it has a wonderfully mellow flavor that does not overpower with its saltiness.

I tried cooking with Coconut Aminos in place of soy sauce, and I was delighted with the flavorful results. It worked beautifully in the Unfried Fried Rice and Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Mustard Tofu from Appetite for Reduction. And I was thrilled to see that my local Market of Choice carries Coconut Aminos Soy-free Seasoning Sauce, as it will now be a staple in my pantry.

I added little bits of "tofu egg" to the fried rice to remind me of the rice we used to order at the Dragon Seed Restaurant in Jackson Heights, NY every Sunday night when I was growing up. I recall that we always had to order everything without bean sprouts, because my mother would be horrified if a bean sprout came within 100 feet of our table.

Coconut Vinegar was a nice departure from other vinegars. I like the idea of using it instead of apple cider vinegar to make "buttermilk" for baking, by mixing it with So Delicious Coconut Milk.

I love to cook and bake with Coconut Flour. Chocolate Chip Coconut Flour Pancakes with Raspberry Sauce seemed like the perfect way to treat myself after a long, hard week at work. So we had these for Sunday brunch!

Now that I've let you in on my little coconut secret, you can explore Coconut Secret's website, share, and enjoy!

Chocolate-Chip Coconut Flour Pancakes

adapted from a recipe on http://vegweb.com

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Coconut Secret Coconut Flour
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour -or- gluten-free flour mix
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbs evaporated cane crystals
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs canola oil -or- coconut oil (thank you, Karen!)
1 1/4 cups So Delicious Original Coconut Milk Beverage
1 Tbs pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat a large skillet or pan for 2-5 minutes. Lightly spray the pan with cooking spray.

Mix dry ingredients until well combined. Make a well in center, and fill with wet ingredients. Add chocolate chips, and mix until combined, but still a little lumpy. Spoon batter onto pan. I use 3 tablespoons per pancake. Cook until bubbles appear on top, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Serve with raspberry sauce. Makes 8 pancakes.

Simple Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients:

4 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup Coconut Crystals
1 Tbs cornstarch or arrowroot mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 15 minutes until the sauce is thickened. (If using frozen raspberries, it will take a little longer.) Remove from heat, and let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes: 3-4 servings.

Random Musings and Shatter-Resistant Glass Water Bottles!

2011-02-22T15:44:00.000-08:00

My Christmas Cactus finally decided it would bloom—on Valentine's Day! It gifted me with just a single solitary flower, but boy, is it spectacular!

My galangal plant, which I received as a 6-inch single stalk in a tiny 3-inch pot is now almost 3 feet tall, bushy, and breathtakingly beautiful! I'm still waiting for it to flower, as I'm told the blooms look just like orchids. And I don't have the heart to dig up the roots to make Thai coconut soup. It's time for a bigger pot, don't you think?

I finally broke down and bought myself a pair of Vibram Five Fingers barefoot shoes. They're vegan, of course, and crazy comfortable, once your toes figure out how to wiggle themselves into each little toe slot. I saw someone wearing these last summer and thought they looked insanely ridiculous. But when I tried on a pair on, I was totally hooked! While trying to snap a photo of them, Chaya decided it would be better if the photo was more about her than the weird-looking shoes!

Chaya and Thelonious sometimes get into little skirmishes. They never stay mad at each other, and it's wonderful to watch them rub up against each other when they make up. It's also nice to see them quietly hanging out together.

I'm on this glass kick. I'm loving glass jars, glass straws, glass bowls. I mean, what's purer and cleaner than glass, right? So I recently got these wonderful glass water bottles. I know, you're thinking, "Glass water bottles? Aren't you worried about them breaking?" But here's the thing: Pure Glass Bottles have a non-removable, shatter-resistant coating that is also BPA-free. So your beverages are happy inside the glass, and you'll be happy, too, because if you happen to drop the bottle, it probably won't break. (And even if it does, you won't end up with shattered glass everywhere.) I dropped my 17.5-oz Traveller bottle filled with water on my wood floor, and it didn't even crack! (Even more impressive, the floor didn't get damaged, either.) Stainless steel bottles are a great improvement over plastic, but I love these glass bottles, because now I don't have to deal with the metallic taste anymore. It's just pure, delicious water, smoothies, lavender lemonade, and iced herbal tea.

What new products have you recently discovered that are making your life more delicious?

Book Review: Asian Fusion~A Culinary Odyssey of Vegan Recipes by Chat Mingkwan

2011-02-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge fan of Chat Mingkwan's earlier book, Buddha's Table: Thai Feasting Vegetarian Style. Its pages are well-worn and separating from the spine, because it's been propped open with weights on my kitchen counter so often. I seemed to have completely missed the release of his second book, Vietnamese Fusion: Vegetarian Cuisine, so now I'll have to track down a copy. But how exciting it was to learn that he's now created a third book filled with recipes from countries throughout Asia!

In the preface to Asian Fusion: A Culinary Odyssey of Vegan Recipes there are translations of the phrase "thank you" in ten Asian languages, only five of which I am familiar with. After tasting many of the recipes in this book, I 'd like to learn how to say thank-you to author Chat Mingkwan in all ten!

At the beginning of the book, you will familiar yourself with all of the special ingredients used in the recipes that follow. I quickly discover how cleverly Mingkwan utilizes plant-based seasonings to recreate the flavor-enhancing characteristics of many non-vegan ingredients—like shrimp paste and fish sauce—that are typically used in Asian cooking. With exotic names like salam leaves, shiso, and lesser ginger, and recipes from Burma, Sri Lanka, and Laos (to name but a few), I was quickly expanding my culinary horizons!

Since I can honestly say that I've never eaten Filipino food, I decided to delve right into Mingkwan's recipe for Pancit Noodles (Pancit Guisado). This flavorful dish heavily emphasized the Asian influences of Filipino cuisine (which also has Spanish influences). I loved working with pancit noodles, and the sauce was quite different from anything I've eaten before. Fermented bean curd was also new to me. Although an optional ingredient in this recipe, I'm really glad I used it, as it added a layer of complexity to the finished dish.

Of all the mouthwatering photos in this book, the one that really caught my eye was the Singaporean Sweet and Sour Plate (or Peal Wan Puk). And since Mark and I are both huge fans of Thai sweet and sour dishes, I decided to see how this one might compare. Well, as you can see, it served up beautifully:

The sauce was sweeter than Thai sweet and sour, with just a hint of citrus. It far exceeded both of our expectations, with Mark commenting that this was the best sweet and sour he'd ever eaten. I loved frying up the slender slices of tofu and found that I only needed to use half the oil called for in the recipe.

I am looking forward to making at least one recipe from each of the thirteen countries represented in Asian Fusion, especially some of the yummy-sounding desserts like Sri Lankan Spiced Coconut Custard, Chinese Braised Pears in Sweet Wine, and Indian Baked-Spiced Bread Dessert. If you enjoy Asian food and have a yen to expand your own culinary horizons, then this book is just for you!

Ingredients:

2 Tbs light soy sauce, or more to taste

2 Tbs vegetarian or mushroom stir-fry sauce

1/3 cup sweet chili sauce

3 Tbs rice vinegar

2 Tbs sugar, or more to taste

2 Tbs cornstarch

1 Tbs tomato paste (for red color; optional—but I used it!)

1 Tbs sambal oelek (Indonesian hot chile sauce) or sriracha sauce (I omitted this ingredient)

1 small orange, zest and juice

3 Tbs vegetable oil (I used 1 1/2 Tbs)

2 cups julienned tofu (3/4 - 1 lb)

3 Tbs minced garlic

1 cup finely diced water chestnuts

1 cup finely diced onion

1 cup finely diced pineapple or apple

1 cup finely diced colorful bell peppers

Salt and ground pepper, to taste

1/2 cup roasted cashew nuts (optional—I used raw)

1/2 cup sliced green onions, both green and white parts, cut into 1-inch-long strips

4 springs fresh cilantro, leaves only, for garnish

Directions:

Combine the soy sauce, stir-fry sauce, sweet chile sauce, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, optional tomato paste, optional sambal oelek, and orange zest and juice in a small bowl. Stir to mix well. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the tofu and cook for 2-3 minutes, until light brown and crispy all over. Add the glaric and cook and stir for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the water chestnuts, onion, pineapple, and bell peppers. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the mixture from the wok and set aside.

In the same wok, stir in the soy sauce mixture. Cook and stir for 2-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens into a gravy. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add a little water if the sauce is too thick or too dry. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Stir in the reserved tofu mixture and toss to coat evenly with the gravy. Just before removing from the heat, stir in the cashew nuts and green onions.

Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with cilantro. Serves 6.

No Calories, No Fat, No Carbs, No Kidding! Oh, and a Winner!

2011-02-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

If you're counting calories, fat, or empty carbs and you're passionate about pasta or nuts for noodles, then this post is for you!

Have you heard of Miracle Noodle? I first learned about it from my Facebook buddy, fitness coach Sincere Hogan. Because of his enthusiasm, dedication, and commitment to empowering people to achieve their health and fitness goals, Sincere is an inspiration to me. He often shares photos and recipes from his collection of "New Warrior Grub," and I am always excited when he posts something vegan. So when I happened to catch one of his posts featuring a high-fiber, calorie-free, fat-free, vegan noodle, I had to take a closer look.

A calorie-free noodle? Get outta here! But here's the scoop: Gluten-free, soy-free shiratake Miracle Noodle is made from the root of the konjac plant, also known as Devil's Tongue.

Seriously, is this not the most provocative-looking plant you've ever seen?

Known as konnyaku in Japanese, konjac is grown in the warm subtropical to tropical regions of China, Japan and eastern Asia. It has been used for centuries to make flour and jelly and has more recently been used to make a plant-based substitute for gelatin. Konnyaku noodles, known as shirataki in Japan, are filling, because they're made from water and a highly soluble fiber, called glucomannan. It makes you feel full, without adding calories, empty carbs, or fat. You'll be surprised how much like your everyday Miracle Noodles are. But a word of caution: you don't want to overeat this stuff. After all, your body does need nutrients other than fiber! But replace your pasta and noodles with shirataki, and you won't have that weighed-down, heavy feeling the morning after you consume it.

When I received my first bag of Miracle Noodle (angel hair style), I prepared it according to package directions, first draining and then rinsing the contents in cold water to remove their somewhat odd aroma, and then drying them on a clean kitchen. Drying the noodles is an essential part of the preparation, to remove the bitterness, or "aku" as it is referred to in Japanese. Then I blanched the noodles in boiling water for 1 minute, drained them again, and set them aside while I prepared the sauce for the Hot or Cold Sesame Noodles recipe found on Miracle Noodle's website. You definitely do not want to overcook these babies, as it would change their texture and make them too chewy.

Granted, this was basically an all-fat meal, so it's not one I would eat everyday. But it was very easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. It even brought back fond memories of the cold sesame noodles I used to enjoy at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in New York City, T.S. Ma. (We're talking 25 years ago, and I still remember it!)

I next decided to get a little inventive. I threw together some ingredients I had on hand and created a tasty Mexican Pasta. As luck would have it, I just happened to have a jar of Nacho Mom's Vegan Fire-Roasted Queso in the cupboard! If you haven't yet tried Nacho Mom's Queso, get your hands on a jar. (You can also see some mouth-watering photos and read my earlier review here.)

My colorful Mexican Pasta concoction was scrumptious and a snap to prepare! And for all the Weight Watchers out there, it may not look like it, and sure didn't taste like it, but this was a completely zero-point meal!

Ingredients:

1 3.5-oz bag Miracle Noodles
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 cup spinach, packed
1 tomato, diced
2 heaping Tbs Nacho Mom's Ultimate Vegan Queso

Directions:

Prepare Miracle Noodles according to package directions, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

In a large skillet, sauté onions in broth for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add tomatoes and then spinach, stirring to combine. Cover, and heat until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add queso to pan , and stir all together, heating through for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add noodles to vegetables and sauce, serve, and enjoy!

Miracle Noodle makes several varieties of shiratake, including fettuccine and angel hair, and they even make rice! I can't wait to try the rice. What about you?

My heartiest thanks to everyone who entered my Glass Dharma giveaway. The lucky winner is Anna of GreenTalk! Congratulations! You'll soon be receiving an email confirmation from me and your gift certificate will also be emailed to you from Glass Dharma. Please let me know when you receive your straws.

In a State of Sipping Bliss Glass Dharma Straws Review and Giveaway!

2011-01-24T12:11:00.000-08:00

What's your favorite beverage? Is it a smoothie, bubble tea, iced coffee, or a piña colada? Whatever you love, isn't it much more fun sipping it through a straw? I have the cheeriest childhood memories of slurping chocolate milk through flexible paper (and later, plastic) pastel-colored straws. Drinking anything through a straw (even maté tea) just makes me feel like a kid again.

But paper and plastic straws are disposable, and aren't we all looking for ways to live more sustainably? Enter Glass Dharma Straws—They're reusable, sustainable, and beautiful. They're so durable, they come with a lifetime guarantee! If you accidentally damage or break your straw, they will repair or replace it for free! And this is the part I love best: You don't have to choose between paper or plastic anymore!

Glass Dharma straws are also:

• Made in the USA
• Non-porous and hypoallergenic
• Handmade from borosilicate glass—the strongest type of commercially available glass on the market
• Great for all hot and cold drinks
• Perfect in specialty drinks like bubble teas, shakes and smoothies, and iced drinks
• Beautiful in cocktails—they make a highfalutin' accessory to any martini glass
• Kid-friendly and kid-safe
• You can even use them for drinking wine, coffee and tea so you don't stain your teeth. (Okay, maybe you'd raise a few eyebrows sipping your Merlot through a straw. Although maybe not—check out the snazzy little decorative dots number further down in this post.)

If you plan to take your eco-chic Glass Dharma straw with you when you dine out, I encourage you to buy a neat little hemp sleeve carrying case that will fit easily into your purse, pocket, or backpack. You can see mine on the table in the lower right-hand corner of the photo below. I brought my GlassDharma straw with me out to Manola's the other night and enjoyed sipping my Thai iced tea with coconut milk so much more. I already carry my own chopsticks, so why not my own straw? The chopsticks even fit inside the carrying case along with the straw! BYOS, is my new motto when eating out, which stands for: bring your own stuff! Speaking of which, did you know there's a movement to have restaurants encourage patrons to bring their own reusables and even offer reusables for sale as an upgrade to menu items? Check out TakeOutWithout, a company whose mission is to reduce restaurant waste. I learned about them on Glass Dharma's blog.

No, Johnny Depp didn't just walk in to the restaurant.

I'm simply in a state of sipping bliss!

Glass Dharma straws are available in several sizes, and I really like their smaller gauge (7mm) "shorty" straws. They're 6.25" long and perfect for small children, juice glasses, martinis, and my favorite new grab-and-go beverage: So Delicious single-serve vanilla coconut milk beverage! This straw is thin enough to fit in the little punch-hole where the plastic straw would normally go in. My straw has red decorative dots on it. They also make decorative dots in Green, Blue, Amber, Clear, and Black. Yes, come to think of it, that straw would look quite grand in a glass of red wine!

I recently got a bag of acai powder from Mountain Rose Herbs and thought I'd use it to make a breakfast smoothie. Since I am prone to gulping down my smoothies rather than sipping them, I thought that sipping one through a Glass Dharma straw might encourage me to slow down and savor the the flavor. Check out the vibrantly beautiful fuchsia-like color of this one:

To make this smoothie, I blended together 1 cup cranberry juice, 1 tablespoon Acai berry powder, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, and 2 teaspoons agave.

I've had no problem cleaning my GlassDharma straws either by hand or in the dishwasher (which we seldom use). But if I ever forget to rinse one out right after using it, it's kind of nice to have a cleaning brush on hand. They're available as an optional accessory, but one is included when you buy a set of four straws.

I'm really tickled about my new glass straws. Like Dorcas Lane from the BBC series, Larkrise to Candleford, these straws are my one weakness. (If you've never seen the show, this character says that about everything she loves.)

Would you like to win your very own Glass Dharma straws and make them your "one weakness"? One lucky reader will win a $25.00 Gift Certificate from GlassDharma! To enter, visit GlassDharma's website, and then leave a comment here telling me which straw you'd most like to own or give as a gift. The winner will be selected in a random drawing and notified by email. Glass Dharma will also email the gift certificate to the winner. (What I'm saying here, is please make sure that I can access your email address when you enter!) Open only to US and Canadian residents, please. Contest ends 1/31/11 Good luck!!!!

If you'd like to earn extra entries you can do any and/or all of the following: (You don't have to do any of these to win, but you'll earn 1 additional entry for each one you do and let me know about in your comments.)

• Follow this blog.
• Tweet this: Make sipping your smoothie sustainable and fun! Win a $25 gift certificate from @GlassDharma Straws! http://bit.ly/dEzLPk
• Follow Glass Dharma on twitter
• Follow me on twitter
• Mention this contest on your blog and include a link to this post.
• Post a link to this contest on your Facebook page.

A Pizza, Some Sushi, and A Winner!

2011-01-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

The other night, just by chance, Mark and I created the most amazing Artichoke, Asparagus, Spinach, Sun-dried Tomato, Mushroom, Onion Pizza!

I usually take the time to make homemade dough, but sometimes not. (Mark rolls it out. He has professional pizza-making experience!) Sometimes I have the time to make a homemade sauce, and sometimes not. Either way, homemade pizza is still delicious! And with enough tasty toppings, you don't even miss the cheese! Because friends have been asking for the recipe since I posted this photo on my facebook page, here's the quick and easy recipe for when you're short on time:

Ingredients:

1 packaged pizza dough (I like the pizza dough made by a local company, The Bread Stop)

1 16-oz jar Trader Joe's Fat-free Pizza Sauce

1/2 yellow onion, sliced into 1/4-inch rings

8 asparagus stalks, tough ends removed

1 cup spinach, roughly chopped

1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 15-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced into 1/4"-thick rings

sundried tomatoes

fresh basil, roughly chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Roll out pizza dough and place on a lightly-oiled pizza pan or pizza stone. Bake on the bottom rack for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and gently press down any parts that have risen.

While dough is baking, using a large skillet, gently cook onions in a tablespoon of olive oil, or for a fat-free version, use 1/4 cup water. (If you have more time, you can caramelize the onions for even more flavor!) Remove from heat, and set aside.

Place asparagus spears in a steamer basket, and steam for 3 minutes, just until bright green in color. Remove from pot, and set aside.

Spread sauce over par-baked pizza dough, and then evenly place asparagus spears over pizza, so that each pizza slice will have an asparagus spear at its center. Arrange spinach, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, onions, and basil around asparagus spears, decorating as you please. Bake on center rack for an additional 15-20 minutes, until outer crusts begins to turn slightly golden-brown.

Monday nights are sushi night at our house! It's a cooking-free night for me, and an opportunity to indulge in my favorite veggie sushi rolls: Gail Rolls (avocado, cucumber, and inari), and Crop Burning (marinated shitake, avocado, cucumber, and hot sauce) which we take-out from Sushi Domo. Aren't they pretty?

Okay, enough about food, already. Let's get to the good stuff! The winner of a copy of my favorite new cookbook, Appetite for Reduction is ....~Cee~! Congratulations! Please check your email in-box for my message. Thank you to everyone who participated in this contest. Stay tuned for more to come!

Appetite for Reduction Book Review and Giveaway!

2011-01-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

I adore the cover artwork, don't you? It's so beautiful, I'm inspired to write another book just so I can ask Lisa Diercks to design the cover. Wouldn't you love to own a copy of Appetite for Reduction? Read on for a chance to win one!

Did I mention that Isa wrote this book just for me? Well, not really. It only feels like she wrote it for me. Actually, she wrote it for her own personal reasons. But let's be honest: Who among us hasn't eaten more than our fair share of vegan cupcakes and cookies? (Thanks in no small part to Isa.) After all that indulgence, I celebrate Isa for creating Appetite for Reduction and for filling it with so many gorgeous, delicious, low-fat, low-calorie, winning recipes.

AFR is written in Isa's characteristic easy, breezy style,—and it's peppered with lots of helpful sidebars, like the "Ingredient Scavenger Hunt". The introduction to each recipe is sprinkled with amusing tidbits like "Don't be like Dick Cheney, cook your pasta properly!" This will make you smile a lot, which is a very good thing to do when you're playing with food.

You won't find any tempting desserts in this book, but what you will find are more than 270 pages of super-satisfying soups, salads, sandwiches, sides, stews, bakes, bowls, casseroles, curries, and pasta dishes, many with whimsical names like Unfried Refried Beans, Cajun Beanballs and Spaghetti, and 2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma residing in equally adorable-sounding chapters like "Rub-Your-Tummy Veggies" and "Talk Pasta to Me (& Noodles!)." These dishes are made with easy-to-find ingredients, and you won't have to spend hours in the kitchen preparing them (many can be made in under 30 minutes!). The 14-page insert of full-color photographs will make your mouth water, even if you're not hungry and will inspire you to roll up your sleeves and get cooking. (The photo of Spinach Lasagna with Roasted Cauliflower Ricotta & Spinach is jaw-droppingly spectacular.)

If you haven't already sampled the recipe for Isa's OMG Oven-Baked Onion Rings, you'll want to go straight to page 55 as soon as you get this book in your hot little hands. (Or maybe you'd like to take a quick detour to the color insert facing page 146, where you'll find a mouth-watering photo of Isa's onion rings.) These babies brought back happy childhood memories of paper-mâché masks and huge side orders of onion rings from the Belaire Diner—but without the newspaper and the high-fat grease. Making them was gobs of fun. Eating them was even more fun!

Deciding what to make next was a bit more challenging. OK, maybe not so much. Everybody knows how much I love barbecue. I honed in on the recipe for Tamarind BBQ Tempeh and Sweet Potatoes. This was seriously the most delicious barbecue sauce I've ever eaten and by far, the easiest to make. I marinated the tempeh for over an hour and was glad I did, because the sexy-sweet, tangy-tart flavor of tamarind made the sauce really sizzle. This dish would have been great with onion rings, but since I'd already eaten like a hundred of them that day, I served it with Polenta Stuffing (one of Isa's recommendations.) It wasn't even Thanksgiving, but it sure seemed like a holiday meal!

I really wanted to try the recipe for Quinoa, White Bean, and Kale Stew, but I didn't have any white beans on hand. So instead of substituting, I chose Smoky Tempeh and Greens Stew, as I always seem to have tempeh in the fridge. (Interestingly, Isa says you can substitute white beans for the tempeh in this dish, if you happen to be out of tempeh). The seasonings in this dish (think: lots of smoked paprika) were very mellow, but blended together beautifully. Only Isa could get me excited about a dish that has lima beans in it. And this one tasted better with every bite!

Mark and I were really in the mood for pasta. But which recipe? (Pasta de Los Angeles and Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine were both contenders). I decided on Fusilli Roasted Veggie Primavera, because fusilli is fun to say and tickles your tongue when you eat it. This was one of those dishes that makes you want to sing Italian love songs while you're making it, and makes you feel like you're in Little Italy while you're eating. In a word: magnifico!

If you want to treat your taste buds to lots of delicious new recipes and your be very good to your waistline at the same time, don't wait another second to get yourself a copy of Appetite for Reduction. And if you'd like to win your very own copy, here's all you have to do:

1. Follow this blog.
2. Leave a comment on this post telling me what dish sounds most appealing to you and/or why you'd like to own a copy of this book.
3. Make sure I have a way to get in touch with you to let you know you've won.
4. That's it!

I'll use the magic random number generator to select a winner next week. Good luck!

I'm Mad About Mesquite!

2010-12-30T11:41:00.000-08:00

2010 has been a glorious year of discovery for me. From astragalus root to holy basil and from chia seed to maca powder, my kitchen is now filled with the most amazing plant-based wonders. So I could not have been more excited when my package of goodies from Foods Alive arrived!

My most favorite discovery of the year is mesquite powder, a nutritious treat made from the bean pods of the algorroba tree (Prosopis juliflora), native to the Southwest, Northern Mexico, and desert areas of South America.

Mesquite is a nutritional powerhouse—high in protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, fiber, and the amino acid, lysine. Its flavor is a bit hard to describe: Think malty, smoky, nutty, sweet, and sultry. It's not quite like molasses or maple, but has undertones of both. From the moment I opened my first bag of Foods Alive Raw Organic Mesquite Powder and got a whiff of its hypnotic aroma, I fell in love. While most mesquite powders on the market are coarse and grainy, I prefer the finely-ground texture of Foods Alive Mesquite Powder. This is what I call a spoonful of golden bliss:

I first went in search of mesquite powder when I came across a recipe for raw caramel apples on rawbeets.com. It looked so simple and sounded intriguing—I couldn't wait to get my hands on some mesquite powder so I could try it. I searched all over town but had no luck finding any mesquite powder in Eugene. (They must be hiding it in a big warehouse somewhere in Springfield along with all the raw pistachios!) Foods Alive shipped out a box of goodies to me right away (why not stock up on other essentials?), and as soon as it arrived, the first thing I did was make some of that caramel! It was soooo good, I started eating this every day!

It's very simple to make. Just soak half a dozen or so nice, big, fat medjool dates in water for several hours (don't forget to remove the pits) in a jar that will fit onto your blender base, add two tablespoons of mesquite powder, and blend until smooth and creamy!

One day after making a batch of caramel I was really naughty and stuck a caramel-covered spoon in some raw cashew butter—it was pure decadence!

It's been so cold here that Mark and I have been drinking hot cocoa every night after our post-dinner walks. It suddenly occurred to me that some mesquite powder might be a nice way to spice up my cocoa. I've been enjoying hot cocoa chai and Mexican hot chocolate, but adding a tablespoon of mesquite powder gave me a delicious new recipe to add into the rotation.

This morning I woke up and found myself craving mesquite, so I made myself an incredible smoothie. I call it my Carob-Mesquite Dream. It was so dreamy-creamy good that I drank it all before I remembered to take a photo of it! (Sorry!)

It's loaded with nutritious ingredients and tastes like heaven in a glass. Here's some of what you'll be getting:

•So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage is fortified with calcium, magnesium, vitamins A, B12, and D, and is a great source of heart-healthy medium-chain fatty acids.

• Carob Powder is rich in copper, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and selenium, and is especially rich in calcium and iron, and it contains vitamins A, B2, B3, B6 and D.

• Maca Powder contains B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and iron, and trace minerals zinc, iodine, copper, selenium, bismuth, manganese and silica.

• Mesquite Powder because it is ground from the entire pod, including the seed, it is high in protein (11–17%). It is also rich in, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, fiber, and the amino acid, lysine.

• Chia Seed—One ounce contains as much omega-3 as eight ounces of salmon, as much calcium as a cup of milk, as much fiber as 1/3 cup of bran, as much iron as 1/3 cup of spinach leaves, as much vitamin C as 2 oranges, as much potassium as half a banana, and 20% protein, 2-3 times more than most other seeds and grains.

Ingredients:

1 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage (If you want a completely raw beverage, coconut water or freshly squeezed orange juice would work deliciously, too.
1 medjool date, pit removed
2 frozen bananas
2 Tbs (you could use Foods Alive Raw Carob Powder cacao powder, too)
1 tsp Foods Alive Maca Powder (don't worry, you won't even taste it!)
1 Tbs Foods Alive Mesquite Powder
1 Tbs Foods Alive Chia Seed
1 Tbs raw cashew butter

Blend all together, pour into a tall glass, and enjoy!

I'm enjoying the superb quality of all of the wonderful products from Foods Alive. Owner Matt Alvord is a joy to do business with, and I highly encourage you to check out their website, order some mesquite powder, and discover for yourself the sheer joy of this delicious superfood. Shipping is a flat rate of only $4.95, so take advantage of the opportunity to stock up!

Festive Coconut Wild Rice with Cranberries and Pears

2010-12-23T09:59:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post before I dash off to do my holiday meal grocery shopping. If you're looking for a tasty last-minute side dish to serve at your holiday table, this colorful recipe is a snap to put together and will impress your guests.

Ingredients:

1 cup wild rice
1 cup long-grain brown rice
3 3/4 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage (I used Original)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 pear, diced
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

Rinse wild rice in cold water and drain thoroughly. Place wild rice and brown rice in a large saucepan with the coconut milk, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender and milk is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and fold in cranberries, pear, and nuts (if using). Serves 6-8.

Book Review—Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook

2010-12-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

My hardcover copy of Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook is sitting on my coffee table instead of hiding on my bookshelf. Like its stunning author, it's just that gorgeous! If you're up against the clock and wondering what to get your favorite vegan cook for Christmas, you'll certainly score points with this book. The photographs are as sexy as any eye candy has a right to be, and the recipes are far above the ordinary—exciting enough to inspire even the most seasoned vegan gourmet.

Kim Barnouin, who is coauthor of the wildly popular Skinny Bitch, has created a collection of knockout vegan recipes. The mouth-watering photographs and descriptions peppered throughout the book made me want to sink my teeth into each and every one of them. But where to begin?

Let's see ... thumbing through the pages, I arrive at something that looks like a fusion of Asian cuisine and Italian food. (That's two-thirds of what Elizabeth Gilbert [and Julia Roberts] ate in Eat, Pray, Love!) And here are both in one sublime recipe: Asian Macaroni and Cheese. Coconut milk, miso, and Panko breadcrumbs give this dish a distinctly Asian twist.

The rich, creamy sauce makes it unforgettable.

I thought I might escape reviewing this book without embarking on a personal culinary challenge. Then the recipe for Crêpes with Raspberry Sauce beckoned to me. I've always been intimidated by the thought of making these ultra-thin pancakes. Kim made it sound easy though, and I figured it was a good time to give my new crêpe pan a workout. After a bit of trial and error, I finally figured out how to get the batter just the right consistency, and I found myself humming the melody of Jamais Seule by Loane and enjoying the process.

The raspberry sauce was simple and sweetly satisfying. Eating my homemade crêpes was like transporting my palate to Paris!

My favorite recipe in the book's entire collection is this fancy-shmancy Caramelized Pear and "Cheese" Crostini with Balsamic Reduction. You'd think that something so complex and tantalizing ought to be reserved for dinner parties or romantic rendevous, but I had so much fun making and eating them, I won't be waiting for a special occasion to enjoy them again. In all honesty, you could just give me a shmear of vegan cream cheese on toast, and I'd be happy. But add the sensuous flavors of caramelized pears and a really good balsamic (I used Bistro Blends Black Mission Fig Balsamic Vinegar), and you've transformed it into an incredible indulgence. I'll be making these lovely little canapés anytime I want to feel special.

When it came to choosing a baked good recipe, I really wanted to try the Pistachio and Cardamom Cookies. To my astonishment, there wasn't a raw pistachio to be found anywhere in Eugene! And while roasted, salted pistachios are abundant, I still wondered if there might be a pistachio shortage, so I googled it. According to at least one source in November (S. Kamberg & Co. Ltd.), the 2010 pistachio crop is at a record high, at least 25% larger than the record 2007 crop! So why no raw pistachios? No one here seems to have a clue.

So while my cookie fantasy had to go on the back burner, I settled on this enticing recipe for Pumpkin Pecan Banana Bread. (Yes, you read that right!) If you're like me, you love pumpkin bread and you love banana bread, but would you have ever thought of combining the two? (I wouldn't have.) When I peeked into the oven to see how this baby was coming along, I was amazed to see how high it was rising! (So high in fact, that it almost didn't clear the rack above it.)

Since Mark is avoiding nuts at the moment, I decided to substitute chocolate chips for the pecans. This was one seriously tasty dessert bread.

Just in case my little review has not thus far convinced you that this is a cookbook you'd love to give or receive, here's the for recipe for Kim's Pumpkin Pecan Banana Bread from Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook excerpted by arrangement with Running Press Book Publishers. Copyright © 2010. Enjoy!

Ingredients (for 10 servings):

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup almond milk (I substituted So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage)
1 cup evaporated cane sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 banana, mashed
2/3 cup chopped pecans (I substituted dark chocolate chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly oil a large loaf pan and dust with flour.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. In a separate large bowl, beat together the pumpkin purée, oil, and milk with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the sugars, vanilla extract, and banana, and beat until creamy. Stir in the pecans (or chocolate chips). Add teh flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until all of the ingredietns are well combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 1 hour. Remove from the oven and put on a wire rack to cool completely.

Persimmons, Some Coconut Milk, Corn Chowder, and a Book

2010-12-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

It's not often that a recipe on someone's Facebook page gets me so excited that I feel the need to jump out of my seat and make it on the spot. But Noelle Ferrada-Kelly's Persimmon Ginger Smoothie had just that effect on me yesterday morning. And since I just happened to have two very ripe Hachiya persimmons, a healthy stash of So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverages, and some fresh ginger hanging around, I had everything I needed to make myself one helluva tasty breakfast!

No sooner did I finish drinking that absolutely sublime smoothie, than So Delicious posted a link to recipe for Vegan Bailey's Irish Cream recipe! I'm not a big drinker, but seriously, one of the things I've really missed since going vegan is Bailey's Irish Cream. I didn't have any coffee on hand, so I'll have to make this another day. But it sounded so incredible, I just had to share the link with you.

The next thing I knew, So Delicious posted a link to a recipe for Vegan Corn Chowder on Jen's A Life of Sugar and Spice blog. It looked very rich and creamy, and it was such a cold, wet day, that by lunchtime, this sounded like the perfect pick-me-up. Basically, Jen substituted So Delicious Coconut Milk and Earth Balance for the dairy called for in the original recipe from allrecipes.com. She noted that it wasn't as creamy as she'd hoped it would be and that she'd try using So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer and a little less water the next time she made it. That sounded good to me, but I also wanted to reduce the fat, so I used half the Earth Balance called for in the original recipe. I also omitted the parsley, and in hindsight, I wish I would have added some nutmeg. Still, it was dreamy creamy and very warming!

Here's how I made it:

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread
2 cups water
2 cans cream-style corn
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer (Original)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

In a large soup pot, saute onion in Earth Balance until tender. Add the water, corn, and potatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 16-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the creamer, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

And the best part of my day arrived courtesy of Bob the mailman. I couldn't have been more excited to rip open the package he delivered today and find that my copy of Appetite for Reduction had arrived! Isa wrote this book especially for me. (She doesn't know that, but I do!) I can't wait to sink my teeth into it! Review to follow soon.

Oh, What a Feast! and A Few of My Favorite Things

2010-11-26T09:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's Thankful Day meal was truly a feast! I made Allison Rivers Samson's Meatloaf Remixed, Mushroom and Apple Stuffing with Mushroom Gravy, Healthy Exposure's Sweet Potato, Pear, and Chickpea Tzimmes, Bryant Terry's Citrus Collards Redux (with cranberries instead of raisins), C'est La Vegan's Chocolate Chip Date Cake, and Jennifer Raymond's never-fail Pumpkin Pie.

The most fun I had all day was whipping up the Soyatoo for the pumpkin pie!

Today is Black Friday, the day when consumerism runs at its most rampant. I prefer to celebrate Buy Nothing Day today and thought that instead, it would be a great day to share a few of my favorite things that you might like to buy on some other day. (It goes without saying that whiskers on kittens are a few of my favorite things). Any of these would make a wonderful gift for yourself or someone you love. Enjoy!

I can't begin to express how much I love my Moo minicards! They're half the size of standard business cards and are a creative, fun way to introduce yourself! They're completely customizable, and you have the option of selecting a different photo for every card. Here are just a few of my cards featuring photos from my food blog in all of their full-color glory:

Lulu's Raw Chocolate Alchemy Bars are handcrafted in small batches and made with low-glycemic coconut palm sugar and organic, fair-trade cacao beans.

I once read a blog in which someone said they thought that maca tastes like feet. Well, I don't know what feet taste like, but admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of the taste of maca. But I am impressed with all of the health benefits attributed to maca, including its ability to: increase energy, stamina, and endurance, regulate hormonal imbalances, enhance memory, and act as an anticarcinogen and antioxident. So when I heard that Lulu's Chocolate Bars contain maca, I thought this might be a delicious way to get some maca into my diet and indulge my chocolate obsession at the same time. My favorite flavor is the Coconut Cin Bar, which ... well ... doesn't contain any maca. It's an infusion of cinnamon, dark chocolate, coconut, and the sensuously smoky flavor of my new favorite superfood: mesquite! I also love the Aztec Crunch Bar, and Chocolate Maca Chunk, which does contain maca. The Maca Green Bar and Chocolate Maca Chunk are also very tasty ways to get your daily boost of maca.

Anyone who has ever met Robert Cheeke can't help but be wowed by his energy, enthusiasm, effervescent personality, and yes, his stunning physique. He's a walking bundle of compassion in action, who lays to rest the myth that award-winning muscles of steel can only be built upon a diet that contains animal protein. In his book, Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness, Robert shares an inspiring road map to help you go from flab to fab no matter what your starting point, and from unhealthy omnivore to totally ripped, lean, mean, and vibrantly healthy vegan, if that's your goal. Robert's motivational style of writing got me pumped up enough to get my butt back into the gym. And if this book can do that for me, it will make the perfect gift for anyone who needs a little fire lit under their tush to help get them off the couch or away from the computer and back into action.

You've heard of Latisse? It's touted as "the first and only FDA-approved prescription treatment for 'inadequate or not enough' lashes." Nothing could horrify me more than the idea that a healthy woman would use a glaucoma drug to grow longer, darker, or fuller lashes. What I find most astonishing, is that when you look at the before and after photos on Allergan's website, there is nothing wrong with model's lashes in the before photos! Now, what woman wouldn't love to have longer, fuller, darker lashes? I know I would. But would you really want to use a drug that can permanently change the color of your from blue or green to brown? And is it really worth the the risk of any of a number of other "side" effects like eye redness and irritation, uveitis, macular edema, cataract, reduced intraocular pressure, and vision problems, just for longer, more luscious lashes?

There are many non-prescription products on the market that will do the same thing, without such harmful side effects and for significantly less than the $120/month Latisse will set you back. One such product, GrandeLASH-MD recently came to my attention. I wanted to be sure that this was a cruelty-free product, so I wrote to the company's owner, Alicia Grande. She promptly replied, "GrandeLASH-MD has not been tested on animals. It was tested on 55 humans through a plastic surgeon and opthamologist. There are no animal-based ingredients, and it's paraben-free." Made with peptides, vitamins, and botanicals (see the full list of ingredients here), the company claims that you will see results in as little as 4-6 weeks. Of course, I was skeptical. While I would love longer, darker, fuller, lashes, I felt that my wimpy eyebrows needed more immediate help, so I decided to try GrandeLASH-MD on my eyebrows first.

Seeing is believing! The before and after photos were taken 60 days apart. And although I have no idea how it works, I am astounded by the results.

Lunchsense lunchboxes intrigued me for quite a long time before I finally got my hands on one. I'd seen them at trade shows and thought they were the ultimate in lunchbox organization.

The lunchbox is lead free, and all the nifty little storage containers it comes with are lockable, microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe, 100% airtight and watertight, stain resistant, and BPA free. It comes in three sizes, and I chose the medium sized one for myself, but wish I would have gotten the large size since Mark is the one who packs a lunch everyday. Still, I packed up Thanksgiving leftovers for him to take to work today, and it all fit! Get yourself one of these babies, and it's guaranteed to be the last lunchbox you'll ever buy!

Here's one of those it's got-nothing-to-do-with-the-holidays-but-it's-a-delicious-discovery-nonetheless ideas. I've never been a huge fan of deep-fried foods, but since becoming a McDougall girl, one of the foods I've sorely missed is onion rings. Then I came across a post for Isa's OMG Oven-Baked Onion Rings (that woman is a vegan culinary genius!), and I couldn't resist trying them. They are better than any fried onion rings I've ever eaten in my life! They've got so much flavor and none of the greasiness!

A Festive Holiday Treat! Rosewater-Glazed Lemony Cranberry Cookies

2010-11-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

I love Autumn! It's the season of colorful foliage, pumpkin pie, and the time of year when Pizza Research Institute starts putting cranberry sauce on their vegan Chef's Choice pizzas! My recipe for these super-moist and chewy Rosewater-Glazed Lemony Cranberry Cookies was recently featured on my friend Millie's Nuestra Cena blog. But just in case you missed it, I'm sharing it with you here. I sometimes make these cookies with a lemon glaze, but the rosewater glaze looks so festive, I can't resist making them this way for the holidays! But the glaze is completely optional. These cookies are very rich and delicious without any glaze at all!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread, at room temperature 
1/2 cup evaporated cane crystals 
1/3 cup firmly-packed organic brown sugar
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp Egg Replacer plus 2 Tbs water 
2 tsp pure vanilla extract  
1 cup all-purpose flour 
1 tps aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans  
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cranberries 
Rosewater Glaze (optional—see recipe below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease two large cooking sheets. Whisk together Egg Replacer and water in a glass measuring cup and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl mix together on medium speed, Earth Balance, sugars, and lemon zest. Beat in Egg Replacer mixture and vanilla until combined. Set aside

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, then gently stir in the pecans and cranberries.

Drop by large teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven, and let cool slightly before removing to cooling racks.

Prepare Rosewater Glaze while cookies are cooling. Drizzle the glaze over the top of completely cooled cookies. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Rosewater Syrup and Glaze

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups evaporated cane crystals
1 cup of Organic Red Roses (I buy them from Mountain Rose Herbs)
1 cup water

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes, until syrup has thickened. Remove from heat, and when cooled, strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Pour syrup into a squeeze bottle, and place candied rose petals into a container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate syrup and candied rose petals for up to two weeks. Candied rose petals can be enjoyed as a sweet treat just like candy, and the syrup is divine on crackers or toasted English muffins, over Purely Decadent Vanilla Bean coconut milk ice cream, and as a glaze for cakes and cookies!

Happy World Vegan Day!Living Vegan on the Cheap

2010-11-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

If not for the heavy taxpayer subsidies to the meat and dairy industries, the prices consumers would pay for them would be so high, as to be out of reach for most Americans. The impact of meat consumption on the average family's food bill today is less than half of what it was in 1970. But the cost of consuming animals can't be calculated in one's food bill. The impact of intensive factory farming and its end result, cheaply produced animal products, is doing more damage than ever to human health and the environment, not to mention the animals themselves.

Still, I get sticker shock each time I fill up my grocery cart. Organic produce is still significantly more expensive than conventional pesticide-laced options, and I'm hard pressed to find a decent whole-grain bread for much less than five dollars a loaf. Buying from bulk bins rather than cans, boxes, and plastic packages and making everything from scratch are certainly money savers, but who has time to soak dried beans or make her own bread every day? I certainly don't. And even though I've all but eliminated every last vestige of fake meat from my diet, tofu still costs 50% more than it did just two years ago, and let's not even begin to talk about the cost of Daiya vegan cheese. I've calculated that the average meal costs me between four and five dollars per serving, which is one reason why lately, I've slipped back into depending on takeout several times per week. By the time you calculate in the time and energy used for meal preparation, a tasty vegan meal from one of favorite food carts really doesn't cost that much more. But I've joyfully discovered that there is a way to create deliciously satisfying vegan meals on the cheap and do so without spending hours in the kitchen. Enter my new favorite book—Robin Robertson's Vegan on the Cheap.

Robin Robertson is one of my favorite vegan chefs. She has eighteen cookbooks under her belt, including the ground-breaking Vegan Planet, which holds a treasured spot in my extensive cookbook collection, showing many pages that are well-worn and stained. Her latest book, Vegan on the Cheap: Great Recipes and Simple Strategies that Save You Time and Money features 150 enticing recipes that cost between 50¢ and $2.00 per serving. Now that's a money-saving idea I can really wrap my lips around!

Vegan on the Cheap contains a cost comparison chart, meal-planning tips, menu ideas, and other smart-shopping tips. Searching through the recipe index, I found many familiar favorites like Lasagna and Coconut Curry Rice, and a few surprising dishes with intriguing names like Skordalia, a creamy Greek garlic sauce, Pot au Feu, a French mélange of root vegetables, and Bobotee, a South African curry-seasoned casserole. The apples, raisins, and almonds in Robin's Tempeh Bobotee tempted my taste buds enough to dig head-on into this recipe first. The casserole looked great out of the oven,

and even better on my plate!

Pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable, bobotee (or bobotie) is traditionally made with ground meat and an egg-custard topping. There's a surprise in every bite, which has nothing at all to do with animal-based ingredients, but instead comes from the apples, raisins, and almonds. It's a bit like eating your favorite stuffing, but heartier, because of its protein-rich tempeh base. Making Robin's bobotee inspired me to create my own curry blend, since I wanted a mild curry, and the only curry powder I had on hand was rather hot. And I impressed myself with Robin's recipe for Cheepskate Chutney. Pineapple, assorted dried fruits, ginger, brown sugar, and just a tiny bit of red pepper blended beautifully together. It was so gorgeous that it almost made up for my sloppily plated casserole, and it was quite possibly the best chutney I've ever eaten!

The next recipe I tried confirmed that there is no sacrificing taste for economy. I first came across photos of this dish on Keri's I Eat Trees blog. (Go there if you want to see stunning photos of this dish and several others from Vegan on the Cheap.) Take a look at the Deconstructed Enchilada Bake:

Doesn't it look a little like a Jackson Pollock painting? Made with mashed pinto and black beans, it was deliciously wholesome and hearty and a snap to put together! (There was no need to fill and roll enchiladas or make a complex enchilada sauce.) I just love finding tasty new money- and time-saving ways to enjoy beans, don't you? Beans have never sounded very appetizing to me, but put them together creatively with a few well-chosen ingredients, and they open a whole new world of culinary magic. The Cheezee Sauce topping made the dish taste rich and creamy while going easy on the fat and calories.

With recipes for Walnut Crusted Tofu with Spinach and Orange, Indian Spiced Lentil Ragu, Pumpkin Spice Cake with Chocolate Glaze, and Chocolate Chip-Walnut Rice Pudding, I can't wait to sink my teeth into all of the recipes in this wonderful book. And I'll be buying several more copies to give away as Christmas and Chanukah gifts.

Following are the recipes for the Deconstructed Enchilada Bake and Cheezee Sauce from Vegan on the Cheap excerpted with permission from John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2010 by Robin Robertson. Happy World Vegan Day! Enjoy! And don't forget to check out my holiday recipe for Rosewater Glazed Lemony Cranberry Cookies on Nuestra Cena this Friday!

Deconstructed Enchilada Bake

Ingredients:

1 Tbs olive oil (I made this McDougall friendly, and substituted 1/4 cup vegetable broth)
1/4 cup minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 15.5-oz can pinto beans, drained, rinsed, and mashed
2 Tbs water
1/4 tsp salt
Black pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 15.5-oz can black beans, drained rinsed, and mashed
1 24-oz. jar tomato salsa
8 7-inch flour tortillas
1/2 cup Cheezee Sauce

Directions:

Heat the oil (or broth) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, cover and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the pinto beans, water, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the flavors have blended and the mixture is well combined, about 5 minutes. Add the black beans and 1 cup of the salsa. Mix until combined. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking pan. Spread a thin layer of the remaining salsa on the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange half of the tortillas on top of the salsa, overlapping as necessary.

Spread the bean and salsa mixture over the tortillas in the baking pan, then top with the remaining tortillas.Spread the remaining salsa on top of the tortillas and drizzle with the Cheezee Sauce. Cover with foil and bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Removed from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot.

Cheezee Sauce

Ingredients:

2/3 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tbs cornstarch
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 cups plain unsweetened soy milk
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine the yeast, cornstarch, salt and garlic powder. Turn the heat on medium and whisk in the soy milk. Cook, stirring until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. (I cooked it for 3 minutes.)

Remove from the heat and stir in the oil, lemon juice, vinegar and mustard. The sauce is now ready to use. If not using right away, refrigerate the sauce in a container with a tight-fitting lid, where it will keep for several days.