May 15 2013

Vegan date bars

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Sarah

Found a recipe for date bars and made them vegan and so delicious!

Ingredients

1 8-12oz package pitted dates
1 cup water
1/2 turbino sugar
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup raw brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 cup Earth Balance butter melted

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, chop up the dates. Combine the dates, water and turbino sugar in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring every minute. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and melted butter. Mix with your fingers or a spatula to combine all the ingredients. Spread into a 9×13 pan and bake for 35 minutes or until the top is slightly brown. Let the pan cool for about 15 minutes then serve them up. I couldn’t get enough of them. They are sooo good!

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May 8 2013

Vegan sugar?

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Sarah

Sugar in its purest form is brownish. So why sugar is white? Well I’m her to tell you how, its from a method called “bone charring” yes, bone as in animal bone. Over half of the cane refineries in the United States use bone char (charcoal made from animal bones) as their activated carbon source. The bone char used in this filtering process is so far removed from its animal source that cane sugar processed in this method is deemed kosher pareve, which, according to Jewish dietary laws, means that it contains no meat or milk in any form as an ingredient. A number of vegans disagree with this perspective. Bone char is made from the bones of cattle from Afghanistan, Argentina, India, and Pakistan.

There are two types of sugar, cane sugar and beet sugar. Beet sugar accounts for about 40% of the world’s sugar.

The difference between cane sugar and bet sugar, other than being derived from different plants, is the processing method. Unlike beet sugar, cane sugar processing typically takes place at two locations, the sugar mill and the refinery. During the final purification process, cane sugar is filtered through activated carbon (charcoal) which may be of animal, vegetable, or mineral origin. This step is unnecessary for beet sugar and therefore is never done.

For more information check out these sites Grassroots and PETA-this site has a list of sugars that are bone char free.

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Feb 8 2013

What we had for dinner-delicious baked tofu

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Sarah

This vegan diet has really forced me to be creative in the kitchen, especially when it comes to cooking or baking with tofu. That spongy, watery goo is hard to master. But I did it! The trick is, you really have to press it and get all the water out. Then you can soak it in a marinade and it will take on the flavor, like a sponge…not that I eat sponges…just works the same way.

Here is a recipe I tried tonight and it was yummy.

Ingredients:

1 pkg Firm Tofu, drained and sliced length wise
1/2 c wheat germ
1/4 t garlic powder
1/8 t pepper
salt to taste

Directions:

Place a thick, clean, absorbent towel on a cutting board or flat plate. Place the slice of tofu on the towel. Lay another thick, clean, absorbent towel over the top of the tofu. Place a piece of plastic wrap over that towel then lay a heavy book on top. Let it all sit that way for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. In a bowl, mix the wheat germ, garlic powder salt and pepper together. Place the slices in the bowl, one at a time, and gently press down to coat the entire slice. Once they are all coated, back for 20-30 minutes or until they are a little crispy. serve with a Teriyaki glace (recipe to follow)

Teriyaki glace

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 Cup water
2 Table spoons brown sugar
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 Teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon cold water

Directions:

Mix the cornstarch and water together, set aside. In a medium sauce pan, combine all the other ingredients. Bring to a bowl then add the cornstarch and water. DONT walk away from it because it could boil over, I learned that the hard way…Turn the heat down to medium/low and cook until desired thickness. Pour over hot baked tofu and enjoy!

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Jan 25 2013

Vegan chili

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Sarah

I know, some of you are thinking, “What? Vegan chili? Thats just wrong” Well I’ve got news for you! Its right and its so good you will never know its vegan…unless you made it And its packed full of fiber and protein.

Ingredients

1 15oz can of black beans-they dont have to be organic
1 15oz can of petite diced tomatoes
1 package Light Life Smart Ground
1-2 cans of water-depends on how thick you like your chili
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion-I put mine in the freezer for about 20 minutes so I dont bawl my eyes out while cutting them
2 cloves of garlic
Your choice of chili seasoning

Instructions

Start out by dicing the onion and mincing the garlic. Add the oil to a medium pan. Add the garlic, onion, chili seasoning and Smart Ground. Cook on medium to high heat until the onions are translucent and the Smart Ground is a little brown. About 10 minutes.

Throw everything in a slow cooker on low for about 4 hours.

Serve hot with rice or cornbread. Enjoy!

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Jan 10 2013

Delicious vegan muffins

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Sarah

I make these all the time. They are a big hit with my son. I have made them with several variations of flour. My favorite is whole wheat pastry flour and whole wheat flour. You can use any kind of vegan milk. I buy the bags of over ripe bananas at the grocery store then freeze them until I am ready to use them. They will thaw out in about an hour. Enjoy!

1 Cup unbleached all purpose flour (whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour can also be used)
1 Cup unbleached flour (use one you didn’t you from above)
1/2 Cup turbino sugar
3 Teaspoons baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt ( I have used fine sea salt, kosher salt and regular salt-all work fine)
2/4 Cup almond, soy or coconut milk
1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 Cup oil (canola, vegetable or coconut)
1 Over ripe banana

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray 1 muffin tin with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients until well combined. In a food processor, puree half the milk and the banana until well blended. In another bowl, combine the banana mixture, the rest of the milk, sugar, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Gently fold them together until they are just combined. Dont over mix or they wont rise.

Bake 15-20 minutes. Check them at 15, all ovens bake differently. Let them cool in the pan about 15 minutes then take them out and enjoy! Store in a zip-lock bag with a few paper towels they will absorb the moisture.

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Nov 25 2012

Tofu scramble

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Sarah

This was so good! I dont know why I didn’t try this sooner. The tofu takes on the flavor of whatever spices you add. The texture is like scrambled egg whites. I sauteed half an onion and mixed peppers, then added the extra firm tofu. I cooked it all until the tofu seemed drier than when I added it, about 10 minutes.

1 package extra firm tofu drained and pressed, then crumbled
Desired spices
Peppers and onions
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Add the oil to pan. Cook the onion and peppers until the onions are translucent. Meanwhile, mix spices into the crumbled tofu, add to the peppers and onions. Cook until the tofu is dry, but not too dry, a bout 10 minutes. Enjoy!

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Oct 12 2012

I love Smart Ground®

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Sarah

Since we have converted to a mostly vegan diet, we have had to tap into our culinary creativeness when replacing meat in our meals. Light Life Smart Ground® is a GREAT alternative. You get the texture without the grisly chunks of animal meat and the Smart Ground® absorbs the flavor of any seasoning.

We use it in tacos, lasagna, spaghetti and just about anything else you would use ground meat in.

If you want to make meatballs or hamburgers try Light Life Gimme Lean® Beef. Most grocery stores sell them in the produce section, by the packaged lettuce.

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Sep 1 2012

Vegan Breakfast Bars

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Sarah

This is an altered recipe that I made vegan. They turned out fluffy and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups oatmeal
1 Cup all purpose flour
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Cup orange juice
1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
1/4 Cup vegetable oil
1 Over ripe banana
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Cup walnuts

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13×9 pan with cooking spray.

Combine oatmeal, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a food processor, add the walnuts, 1/4 cup of the orange juice and the banana. Chop until there are no more large chunks of walnuts. Pour the mixture into a seperate bowl. Add the oil, vanilla extract, remaining orange juice and the sugar. Mix until well combined. Pour the mixture into the flour mixture. Fold until well combined.

Pour the mixture into the pan and spread with a spatula. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the sides pull away from the pan.

* Variations*

You can omit the walnuts and add dried fruit instead, or add both.

To make regular (not vegan) add one egg instead of the banana.

Once you spread the mixture in the pan, sprinkle oatmeal on top then bake.

Enjoy!