I know you just began following me here, and for that I love you all! But I have begun to contribute to a blog called "The City That Feeds," which is run by a person that actually knows something about blogs. (Refer to the first post here on BVS.) Even though it is a Baltimore food blog, and not a vegan blog, I think this will be a great chance to possibly get some people out there a tad more interested in veg food. And I'm interested to see if we can make this website great!
And so, I have decided to put all my extra-time efforts into The City That Feeds. Please think about checking me out over there! I will try and figure out a way to get links to my posts on Facebook to remind you ;) I consider Baltimore Vegan Slop to have been good practice for what I'm about to get into, and I hope to keep offering vegan slop pictures for people everywhere!
Thank you,
Laura
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Snackies
I was grateful to be able to come up with some snacks for the past few days because I was studying for exams and putting off grocery shopping. Sometimes I am able to find something fairly healthy in the kitchen, and other times, well, you know how it goes. I won't deny putting peanut butter and jelly in a tortilla, or putting Daiya cheese and mustard in a tortilla, in those times of need. I heart tortillas.
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| Spike Popcorn |
Popcorn might be the best snack ever. But I have heard, and not thoroughly researched, that microwave popcorn is pretty awful stuff for you. It tastes great and is super easy, but it makes sense to me that it would have to have lots of added chemicals to be microwaveable and have uniform, flawless taste. So Spike Popcorn is mostly J's invention, since I was an avid microwave popcorn eater up until recently.
I am still trying to perfect the art of popcorn, but I do have a few tips. A super hot pot or pan is helpful to start - one that has a lid! We then use peanut oil because it tastes good and handles high heat well. Use just enough to coat the kernels. And use only about 1/4 cup or less of kernels! I always pour too many kernels, because I think it's not enough, and I'm always surprised at how much popcorn it ends up making. I wonder when I'll catch on.
When it starts to pop, I think it's helpful to shake the pan over the heat and keep moving it so nothing burns. And then, like microwave popcorn, I listen for the pops to slow down and remove from heat. I use SPRAY canola oil, BUTTER flavor (vegan), and Spike seasoning and shake it all around while keeping the lid on. This, I believe, is what makes popcorn amazing. Spike is basically salt and spices and dehydrated vegetables, and it tastes good on everything.
I've tried nutritional yeast on popcorn, and I'm not a fan. I would inhale it, literally, and it makes for an unpleasant eating experience. Anyway, popcorn goes well with movies. It also goes well with funny little novellas about zombie apocalypses, where vegans have conquered the Earth because they didn't eat the meat that contained the virus.
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| Tofu "Egg" Salad |
Yay for tofu egg salad! I used to be hooked on Tofu Inc. Tofu Egg Salad and traveled far and wide to get to it, as it would be in select health food stores in my sales territory (when I was in sales). But this version has nothing to do with that, since I got this basic recipe out of Naturally Thin.
Mainly, this recipe is about vegan mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and Spike (see above). I also like to add turmeric, dill, pepper, and black salt, which has a sulphuric egg-y taste about it. Go easy on the salt, though! Especially if you are eating with salty crackers. The Spike adds a bit of salt and sneaks up on you.
Also, tofu egg salad is a whole lotta tofu protein, and it's easy to eat, so you may ingest a half or whole block of tofu before you know it! (Better to spread it out over a few days, and saves well.) I will sometimes add celery to bulk up the recipe and get those veggies in there.
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| "Peanut Fruit" |
I sort of invented this on the fly, since I loves peanut butter but it's not the healthiest thing that ever happened to me. When I do eat it, I tend to eat a lot at one sitting, and then I feel a bit of guilt. To tone down the fat and calories a bit, I thought to add applesauce, and I tried this concoction on celery. I just put one spoonful of peanut butter together with one spoonful of applesauce and mixed it well.
Don't think of peanut butter if you try this! That will ruin it for you because it is not the salty you are expecting, and it is not the creamy you are expecting (if you eat creamy). Applesauce makes it sweeter and gives it sort of a strange texture, but I think it tastes pretty decent. I had to make up a name so that I don't think of peanut butter while eating it. If you try this out and come up with a better name than "peanut fruit," then please help.
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| Black Bean Brownies |
I had such high hopes for these things! Maybe that is what made them horrible for me. Got this recipe out of Happy Herbivore and she built them up quite a bit. Basically these are black beans, banana, agave, and oats. They seemed to be done after baking, but they were so mushy when I cut into them. So I baked them more, and it didn't really help. I'm refrigerating some, which helps a little, but there is also too much cinnamon in these for my liking.
This is the healthiest brownie recipe I've ever seen, so I'm determined to make this recipe work. I'd like to keep it gluten-free, so I was thinking about adding some more oats and maybe oat flour. Also, it won't be as super-low-fat, but this stuff is screaming for some walnuts. If I can make it right, then I will post my version of the recipe. To be continued!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Behold the Green Smoothie!
This has got to be the ugliest health food slop EVER. That's why I thought you might like to see it in action. I was eager to try some vegan protein powder I just got my hands on called Peaceful Planet's Supreme Meal. If I've tried this before, I don't remember, but I might have just tried it with water and dismissed it. I recommend NOT just mixing protein powders with a liquid (unless it's an emergency) but instead adding them to an already-palatable smoothie.
Other ingredients I threw into the blender: Banana, frozen peach pieces, soy yogurt, water, flax seed, and beet greens that I had frozen while fresh. The great thing about green smoothies (and the greens are essential to round out all the fruit sugar!) is that they are an anytime food. Keep fruit, greens, and bananas on hand and in the freezer and you won't even need to add ice. It's nice to be able to put whatever you want into it, whenever you want.
For all you independent coffee-shop lovers out there, don't hate on the Starbucks cup! I love this thing because it's perfect for smoothies (and Sbux passion tea lemonade). I have a fond, fuzzy memory of taking green smoothies to work, but I can't remember if I was working at Starbucks, at the gym, or in sales... Anyway, some guy looked at my smoothie and actually grimaced at me, as if I was going to pour my breakfast down his throat while splashing patchouli in his eyes. I won't force healthy food on you unless you want me to, generally. Besides, it's just a cup full of brownish-green liquid that I'm sipping on... don't be such an assparagus.
Slop I Am Eating This Week
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| Tamale Casserole |
I'd like to get across is that many of my meals are not very pretty. I know there are vegans posting their fanciful dishes out there, but I tend to think that a lot of healthy foods look boring and ugly even if they taste good. Oatmeal, soup, rice and beans, slow cooker delights. Winter especially brings out the uglies but need those nutrients, people! (Summer foods are nice and light and colorful - it will be a fun vegan summer this year.) Maybe if you are lucky I will work on adorning my slop with cute props and sassy dinnerware.
I had a recipe request, but I modified it so much that I will just post my own version here:
Tamale Casserole
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 c favorite salsa
1 c frozen corn
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (4 oz) can sliced black olives
2 T chili powder
2 t oregano
2 t cumin
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1 recipe Cornbread, uncooked (see below)
-Preheat oven to 400.
-Combine all ingredients except Cornbread batter into a greased large casserole dish (9x13).
-Mix ingredients well to combine, and pat down mixture firmly and evenly into dish.
-Pour Cornbread batter over the mixture and try to evenly distribute into a thin layer on top.
-Bake for 30-40 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. The top should be slightly browned.
-Serve with hot sauce, salsa, sliced black olives, non-dairy cheese or Tofutti sour cream on top.
Cornbread
1 c cornmeal
1 c whole-wheat pastry flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 c non-dairy milk
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c pure maple syrup
2 T raw sugar (optional)
-Preheat oven to 400.
-Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
-Add non-dairy milk, applesauce, maple syrup, and sugar, if using, on top.
-Using a spatula, stir until just combined.
-Pour batter into a greased or nonstick shallow 9-inch pie dish, cast-iron skillet, or square casserole dish.
-Bake for about 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes:
T = tablespoon
t = teaspoon
c = cup
I don't use onions, but if you want to add an onion to the Tamale Casserole recipe, then chop and saute it in a pan with some minced garlic in oil or water. Add that mixture in the casserole dish before adding the batter. Be sure to omit the garlic and onion powder.
I love this Cornbread recipe and can't wait to make some muffins outta this stuff!
Breakfast, Take 2
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| Perfect Nomelet |
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| Mushroom, Spinach and Mozz Daiya Nomelet with Home Fries |
I present to you... the Nomelet. Please see in Exhibit A that J's nomelet is perfect, while my nomelet in Exhibit B happens to be falling apart and spilling over the sides. They were both good, but way too much food so next time we will split one. I'm very impressed with this recipe from Happy Herbivore, it uses silken tofu and chickpea flour and is baked. Silken tofu is probably not for everyone, but I looove this made-up food. Eggs are a toughie to recreate. I admit, I was being skeptical so I added Daiya cheese (forking awesome if you haven't had it!) just to be safe on taste.
For some reason I have it in my head that putting a lot of things in the oven makes them not cook as well. Did I make this up or is this a true story? I was worried to put two omelets and a big batch of home fries in the oven at the same time (especially since they called for different temperatures, whoops!) but it turned out to be okay. It just took more time and some adjusting, and it was worth it to me to have everything done at the same time. Truthfully, it makes me downright giddy when that happens. Mental note for future reference: Sweet potatoes cook faster than white ones, so cut them up into bigger pieces.
Breakfast, Take 1
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| Banana French Toast |
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| Berry Oatmeal Muffins |
Vegan French Toast not too shabby! This recipe used chickpea flour with almond milk, and it was minimal and fast. I infrequently make pancakes, waffles, and French toast, and I do not have an innate "feel" for what level heat to cook on (it was also unspecified in the recipe). So I generally get a good browning by the third or fourth try, which is usually the last pancake, waffle, or piece of gooey bread. I suppose late is better than never, or whatever. Need more practice.
The idea of muffins is very pleasing to me. I wanted something that I could snack on throughout the week or have for a quick breakfast if needed. Turned out well, and I'm excited to try the other similar muffin recipes. The only problem was that I decided to use frozen mixed berries instead of the called-for frozen wild blueberries, and I forgot about the awfulness of blackberries. The seeds got stuck in my teeth a lot and were uncomfortable - I hate that. Blackberry seeds got me down!
These recipes were out of Happy Herbivore, and I wasn't too sure about this book until now. It's a fairly new book, I've found mistakes in it, and I initially thought it was really lacking on the vegetables. I made a few recipes at first that I wasn't crazy about, but then decided that many of the baked recipes are decent. Between this cookbook and Appetite for Reduction, I am definitely good to go with vegan, low-fat recipes for a while. The AFR is my new bible, and Isa rocks my socks off. The HH is a good supplement for what I need.
Heart-y
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| Heart-Beet Rosti with Tempeh and Chard |
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| "Red" Velvet Cupcakes |
I was feeling romantically domestic for Valentine's Day and made a Heart-Beet Rosti (Party Vegan) with some chard and sauteed marinated tempeh. The heart-shaped pans from Target that I used for the Rosti worked surprisingly well, so the hardest part about making it was actually shredding the beets. I used my mandoline slicer (which I never use since it scares me) for the beets and potatoes because I thought it'd look prettier. The Rosti was under-salted and the tempeh was over-salted, so it turned out pretty well when I mushed it all together.
I managed to squeeze in some cupcake-making too. Well, I thought I could squeeze it in quickly so that these could bake and cool during dinner and be timed perfectly, etc. But I can't ever remember making any cupcakes, especially not vegan ones, so I encountered problems. Pretty basic baking no-no's such as forgetting that a liquid cup does not equal a dry cup AT ALL. I put my boyfriend J in charge of frosting and verbally gave the wrong instructions. He made it work anyway by doubling the recipe, and he even remembered Alton Brown's ziplock-bag make-shift piping-bag trick for pretty frosting (swoon, J's a genius).
These things turned out fluffy! (Thanks, Vegan Celebrations!) Probably because of shortening, which I've never used before. Kinda gross, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. On top of everything, the natural vegan food dye that was indeed very expensive DID NOT make my cupcakes red, so it's a good thing they were fluffy. Despite the mistakes, I felt very 1950's because I cleaned the house that day and wore a skirt, apron, and lipstick to make dinner. It was a nice change from my usual pajama ensemble.
I used to shrug off flowers and hearts and romantic things when I was a younger, boot-stomping feminist. I'm definitely more of a sap now and trying to be a more amorous person overall. I have a new-found respect for silly heart-shaped things because I want to be a Cardiac Sonographer and have recently become obsessed with learning about the heart. Flowers are better than candy, making vegan meals together can be more romantic than restaurant food, and expressing love is good for the heart and mind.
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