Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

When I was in the supermarket the other day I stumbled upon a new offering in the frozen food section. Dr Praeger's Vegan Burgers. They caught my eye. I'm always on the hunt for new and interesting meat free fare. They were also on sale. And they were vegan. I'm always up for some egg free veggie burgers. There aren't nearly enough of those. I sometimes make my own vegan black bean burgers with lime and peanut butter. While they taste really good, they are a lot of work. The frozen sort are so much more convenient. There were several flavor of Dr Praegers's. California, Bombay and one other I can't quite recall. The curry one intrigued me. I love some good curry. I'm Asian at heart. Usually I avoid frozen faux burgers. They are typically disappointing. But I tried the Bombay burgers. Just because of how much I love curry. A good vegan or vegetarian knows that burger doesn't mean the same thing when you're meat free. and also doesn't care.

Trouble sleeping? Try nutritional yeast. Usually reserved as a dietary supplement for vegetarians and vegans nutritional yeast is high in tryptophan and other essential nutrients. I find that when I make sure to get enough of it I sleep easier and better and more restful. If you're wondering what it tastes like, that's an easy question to answer. It has a cheesey taste. But with note of bitterness. Like a french cheeese. It also has some nutty qualities. It makes a great aaddition to boxed macaroni and cheese. Vegans like to use it to make faux mac and cheese. Which is good by the way. But it also enhances the flavor the of classic store kind. I use it to make a low fat, low cal version. Instead of lots of butter or margarine. I use only one tablespoon of fat. 1/4 cup almond milk and about 1/3 cup water and 1/4 cup nutri yeast added to the cheese powder packet. It gives it a more complex cheese flavor and ups the nutrients considerably. Nutritional yeast can be treated and used

Posted below are my latest food purchase tallies for vegetarian vs. omnivore shopping. The price of hummus drove up the cost of my veg shopping at $3 even with a dollar discount. But it's so worth it! Even so, my total still came in well under the omnivore's. On top of that I generously attributed all veggies purchases solely to my total even though she'll eat plenty of the corn, potatoes and frozen veggies. I've also broken down the purchases by the various local grocery stores. Shoprite 1.40 lb @ 1.29/lb Romaince Lettuce = $1.81 5 lb Bag Russet Potatoes = $2.99 Sabra Roasted Garlic Hummus = $2.99  Total = $7.79 Pathmark 12 oz Frozen Peas = $1.68 16 oz Frozen Cauliflower = $1.68 16 oz Frozen Chopped Broccoli = $1.68 8 oz Kraft Swiss Cheese Slices = $1.73 Fresh Garlic = $0.45 Fresh Jalapeno = $0.20 3 Ears Fresh Corn = $1.49 Total = $8.92 Grand Total = $16.71 A&P Half and Half = $1.99 2 Black and White Cookies = $2.58 Total =$4.57 Pathmark

Here's an idea that occurred to me this afternoon because of Labor Day. A healthier and better tasting potato salad everyone will love. It's vegan, but doesn't require vegan mayonnaise. It's easier too. And has hardly any ingredients. Potato Salad Dressing Ingredients 1 cup hummus (your favorite variety) 1/3 cup white vinegar 1 tsp hot sauce (optional if you love heat) In a large bowl combine the hummus and vinegar (and hot sauce if desired). Set aside. Potato Salad Ingredients 3 lbs russet potatoes 1/2 cup shredded carrots 1/2 cup scallions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray. Wash potatoes thoroughly and cut into 1/4 inch chunks. Leave the skins on. Roast potatoes for 15 minutes. Stir and roast 12 minutes longer. Shred or mince carrots. Or buy pre-shredded. Mince scallions. Let potatoes cool at least 30 minutes. Then add potatoes, carrots and scallions to the bowl of dressing. Stir to coat everything in the sauc