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Showing posts from March, 2012

Creamy Polenta (Vegan)

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This is a variation on my original vegan polenta recipe . That one uses vegetable broth for a different take on the classic Italian recipe. This one will be more traditional, using milk, but will still keep things vegan/vegetarian by using almond milk instead of cow's. Ingredients 1 cup yellow corn meal 1 cup original flavor almond milk 1/2 plain water 1/3 cup nutritional yeast 2 tbls vegan margarine 2 tbls sesame or flax seeds or 1 tbl of each salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and chili powder to season Heat milk and water in a sauce pot until steamy and then began slowly whisking in your corn meal. Once all your corn meal has been incorporated continue whisking and cooking on medium low for about 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of runny mashed potatoes. Turn off heat, but keep the pot on the warm stove burner. Use a spoon to fold in the margarine, yeast and seeds. Add a generous amount (at least one teaspoon each, 2 teaspoons for salt and pepp

Simplest Dessert Full of Flavor (Vegan)

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This is the simplest, cheapest and best tasting dessert. It takes about 30 second to make and costs only pennies. It's also vegan and by extension vegetarian as well. Ingredients 1 Slice Soft Style Whole Grain Bread (Like Stroehmans or Freihoffers or Wonder) Peanut Butter Chocolate Syrup Spread the peanut butter on the bread. Swirl with chocolate syrup. That's it. Eat and enjoy. It's very simple. It super quick to make and is quite delicious really. It really hits the spot when you want something sweet and rich and a little bit filling. The peanut butter adds some nice nutrition, but is also decadent. Some interesting variations also come to mind. Strawberry or caramel syrup or any combination of the three. Other nut butters like almond or cashew or macadamia. You could also use a more desert like bread or even a bagel. Cinnamon swirl or raisin... the permutations are endless. But the idea at it's core is to keep it very simple and still achieve a sweet de

Black Bean and Cream Cheese Sandwich

Today I bring you yet another bizarre, yet delicious vegetarian sandwich idea. Simple, elegant and outrageous. The cream cheese and black bean club. Ingredients 1 sesame seed bun 1 tablespoon low fat cream cheese 1/4 cup black beans 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast 2 cloves garlic minced 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper 1/2 teaspon garlic powder 4-6 slices kosher dill pickle Spread cream cheese liberally on both sides of bun. Sprinkle with pepper and garlic powder. Add beans and minced garlic and top with yeast, then pickle slices. Close sandwich and slice in half. Enjoy this strangely captivating vegetarian circus of flavors. I know it sounds strange, but I swear it's really good.

Vegetarian and Vegan Staple Foods

Vegetarian Staples Lentils. They are fast cooking and full of protein and iron. They are super cheap and really easy to dress up with a store bought dressing, some curry powder or just cook them in veg broth instead of water. Black beans. The very best bean by far. Great straight out the can on bread in a sandwich with pickles and nutritional yeast. Aweseome in a salad with corn and lime juice. THe ultimate veggie burger pureed with panko bread crumbs, nutritional yeast and some spices. Borden cheese slices. The only processed cheese I've ever found that claims to be completely vegetarian (not animal enzymes in the cheese making process). These classic american cheese food slices melt easily and taste great. Cabot cheddar cheese. Delicious animal enzyme free cheddar cheese which enormous flavor. All cabot cheese boast vegetarian origins. Pearl barley. A much cheaper and heartier alternative to white rice. A quicker cooking and just as healthy substitute for brown rice. Pearl barle

Tofurky Faux Cold Cuts

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Tofurky faux cold cut style vegan deli slices recently came to a supermarket near me. Oh the excitement! I've been chowing down on lightlife imitation deli meat products for ages now and loving them. Extremely convenient and very tasty. I know that processed vegan foods are not that much better than ordinary processed foods, but they sure do taste good. Anyway, I'm not in it for the health benefits. I'm in it to not harm the animals. The lightlife deli slices have steadily gone up in price. They started out at $2.50. Then they were $2.99. Now they're $3.49. I like them, but not that much. Then the tofurky brand appeared one day along side them. Looking stylish and new and boasting a much lower price of $2.79. Tempting to say the least. I was wary at first. The flavors were different and I was afraid I wouldn't like them. But since I love a pretty plain tofu I decided to take the risk. I tried the italian deli flavor and it is really delicious. I love the sp

Vegan Black Bean Burgers

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So I finally went ahead and made my idea for black bean burgers. Soooo much cheaper than buying the tasteless frozen variety. So much tastier. So much better all around. Ingredients 1 can black beans rinsed 1/4 cup yellow corn nibblets 1-2 cups panko breadcrumbs 1/3 cup nutritional yeast 7 cloves minced garlic 1/4 medium onion minced 2 tablespoons prepared vegan polenta 2 tsp olive oil black pepper, paprika, chili powder, cayenne powder and garlic powder to season Combine all ingredients except spices and use a stick blender or food processor to lightly puree. Leave the mixture pretty smooth, but with a few chunks. Add breadcrumbs in small increments until the desired texture is achieved. You want a pretty firm, yet ever so slightly mushy consistency. Make sure to taste the mixture as you go along. Adding spices to suit your tastes. If you're into it, some minced jalapeno would make a great addition. Add spices to your preference. Let chill at least 4 hours in