Ecorazzi News Ticker

I really enjoy this website.  They have daily additions to their news ticker that include vegan issues.  Right now there is a lot of Oscar related posts, of course, but soon it will be back to everyday business.  It's paparazzi for the ecology.  They post news on celebrities that are involved in environmental and vegan issues.  The good and the bad.  Give it a try... http://www.ecorazzi.com/

This is an example of their posts:

Vegetarian Book “Eating Animals” Tops Colleges Summer-Reading List

Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) have chosen Jonathan Safran Foer's book "Eating Animals" as the official summer-reading selection for 2011.

This past week, a selection committee consisting of faculty, staff, and students, chose the vegan author’s book—which discusses Foer’s struggle with and commitment to vegetarianism—out of six finalists.
Duke and UNC often work together on initiatives that support both campuses and, to that end, have merged their summer-reading program for 2011. The initiative chooses one book for incoming freshmen to read the summer before entering their respective universities.
“Any student reading this book will look at the research that the author did and realize that that’s what they should think about doing for all the big decisions in their lives,” say UNC summer-school dean Jan Yopp, who also served as a selection-committee chairwoman... (continued on Ecorazzi).

Gardein Contest

Gardein is having a contest!  Here is the link to make your entry.  http://www.gardein.com/contest.php  You give them a meal idea, using a Gardein product, in 50 words or less.  10 winners get a copy of Kathy Freston's book, "The Veganist" and some Gardein products.  There are only a couple days left to enter the contest.

Gardein has some quick and inexpensive meals available in mainstream grocery stores.  They are pretty good and sure are easy when you are short on time.  I take them when staying with non-vegan friends.  You never know if there will be anything you can eat at someone else's house.  These meals can be taken right back home if you don't need them.

Here is a link to their full product line http://www.gardein.com/foods_we_make.php.  I haven't tried them all.  The selection differs in my local stores.  Not all are available at mainstream grocery stores.

Roasted Jalapenos

I'm going to a vegan-potluck and fondue party this weekend.  I'm trying to think of items to contribute.  I'm definately bringing these roasted jalapenos that my friend, Vina, makes for parties.  So Easy!  Chop off the caps and cut in half lengthwise.  Scrape out the seeds and membrane.  In a bowl, mix the jalapenos with a little vegetable oil, salt and pepper.  Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and spread the jalapenos on the tray.  Bake at 400 degrees until they have some black areas.  I stir them around a bit about halfway through cooking.  Cook time varies but check them after 20 minutes.

I love these roasted jalapenos all by themselves.  It's like candy to me.  They are not very spicy after the roasting process.  Roasted jalapenos are a great addition to veggie sandwiches and wraps. I bet they will be good dipped in fondue pots. 

California Mushroom Farm

If you live in Ventura County, RUN to the California Mushroom Farm in Oxnard! 

 They have incredibly fresh mushrooms and they are so inexpensive.  I got all this for $11.00!

The farm's selection of mushrooms varies by day and time.  They seem to always have cremini, portabella and white button mushrooms, but the oyster and shiitaki go fast.  It depends on when they were picked and when you happen to shop.  The farm shop is open to the public until 3pm on weekdays and noon on Saturday.  They have a better selection in the morning but you get little extra added to your bag if you shop near closing time.

I had to have some mushrooms right away, so I made a "pizza" and it was delicious.

This is just a flour tortilla topped with marinara and Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds.  I baked it until the tortilla was crisp and the "cheese" melted and golden.  While the pizza was cooking, I sauteed the mushrooms in olive oil with a little salt and pepper.   I put the mushrooms on the pizza after it was already cooked.  Really good.

I got this idea from Vegan Pandamonium.  Great blog - http://veganpandamonium.blogspot.com/.

SugarBeets Restaurant in Oxnard

My husband and I went to SugarBeets the other day and I'm not sure what to think about the experience.  They have vegan options on the menu so I think the owner wants to cater to us.  But, I'm not sure the chef is on board.

I had the soup special which was Carrot Ginger.  It was excellent!

However, the Roasted Vegetable Sandwich was awful.  It tasted so horrible, I had to dissect it.  I found out the portabella mushroom was burned to charred flecks.  When I removed it from the bread my finger nails were filled with black ash that I couldn't get out for quite a while.  I don't know why the chef would have served this meal.  The mushroom had to have fallen into the ashes.  I was pretty disturbed.

The sandwich looked pretty good and the sweet potato fries were great.

Steamed Artichoke Vegan Style

In my pre-vegan life, I loved steamed artichokes dipped in butter and mayo.  We can still enjoy artichokes that way because of fantastic products like "Earth Balance Buttery Spread" and  "Vegenaise."  But, give this recipe a try.  So easy, great for guests, and you can make it a day ahead.

Whack off the bottom stem of the artichoke.  Cut off the top, leafy part with a big knife.  Trim off the points of each leaf with scissors.  Rinse the artichoke well and then stand it up in a sauce pan. Run water over it until you have about an inch of water in the pan.  Put a lid on the pan and bring to a boil.  Turn the temp down a little so that it is a very soft boil.  Steam the artichoke like this for 50 minutes.  It's done when you can poke the stem very easily with a fork.  Turn the artichoke upside down to drain for a couple minutes.

Put the artichoke in a bowl just big enough to hold it.  Pour your favorite vegan vinaigrette all over it and in the leaves.  Cover with wrap and refrigerate.  It can marinate like this for an hour or a day.

I pull the artichoke out of the refrigerator a little ahead of time so that it gets up to room temperature.  It's delicious and doesn't need any butter or mayo.

 In this picture, you can see little sesame seeds because I used an asian-style vinaigrette.  And, it was good!

The Sidecar Restaurant Likes Vegans

Last night, I went to the Sidecar Restaurant in Ventura.  Fabulous!  My meat-eating friends loved it and I loved it.  They have a great vegan choice on the menu but there was also a vegan "special of the day."  It was incredible!  Seared tofu cooked in coconut milk served on a bed of sauteed mushrooms and baby bok choy.  Crispy leeks topped the dish.  It really had incredible flavor.  I also had the mixed green salad which was topped with strawberries, sugared walnuts and a meyer lemon vinaigrette.  Ask the waiter to leave off the goat cheese.  It was delicious.

If you are local, please give it a try.  The waiter and cooks go out of their way to make you happy.  Check out their link:  http://www.thesidecarrestaurant.com/

Convenient Vegan at Costco

I found this two-pack of soup from CedarLane at Costco.  It is vegan, convenient and inexpensive!  So, shop those mainstream stores and buy their vegan foods so they will continue stocking and expanding their vegan options.

Vegan Comfort Food

Ah!  Comfort food!  Cold rainy/snowing day?  Make Chipotle Mac & Cheese.  This version was veganized from a "Cooking Light" recipe.  It is quite yummy and "cheesy." 

Chipotle Mac & “Cheese”

4 ½ cups dry large macaroni

2 T. vegetable oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 chipotles + 1 t. adobo sauce, finely chopped

3 T. flour

2 – 10 oz. cans Rotel tomatoes mild with green chiles

1 pint (2 cups) soymilk cream

8 oz. Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds

8 oz. Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds

Boil macaroni according to package directions, drain and put back in pot or large bowl.  While the macaroni is cooking, saute onion, green and red peppers, and chipotles in vegetable oil.  Add flour and cook while blending in to vegetables.  Add Rotel tomatoes and cook a couple more minutes.  Stir this mixture into macaroni.  Also add soymilk cream and “cheeses.” Spray 9”x11” pan with cooking spray.  Pour mixture into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sometimes, I chop a little cilantro and sprinkle it on top just before serving.  It gives it a fresh taste.

Tomato and White Bean Soup

For those of you in the cold and snowy parts of the country, heat yourselves up with this delicous soup recipe from Giada De Laurentis.  I veganized it and added zucchini.  It's very easy and homemade... kind of.  I use a jar "Basil Garlic" marinara sauce from Vons/Safeway.  It contains whole garlic cloves.

Serve this soup with slices of crusty garlic bread.  Just slice some French bread and spread with Earth Balance Buttery Spread.  Sprinkle minced garlic on top and bake in the toaster oven until golden brown.  Fabulous!

Tomato and White Bean Soup

3 T. olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini, cut in half and then sliced

1 – 26 oz. jar marinara sauce

32 oz. vegetable broth

1 – 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

½ t. red pepper flakes

¾  cup small pasta (recommend small shells)

½ t. salt

½ t. pepper

In large stock pot, sauté carrots, onions and garlic in olive oil until soft.  Add zucchini and cook 2 more minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to just boiling.  Turn down heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Another Easy Vegan Appetizer

Ok, just one more Trader Joe's item -- "Thai Vegetable Gyoza."  It's another great easy appetizer to serve guests.  Just fry in 1 T. oil for 4 minutes and then add 2 T. water and cover.  It will steam like this for 4 more minutes.  Done!  I cook these gyoza and the "Bird's Nests" and then keep them both warm in the oven until company comes.  I make great veggie sushi rolls ahead of time and serve this trio together.  It's a great appetizer spread.  I plan to have a blog post on the sushi rolls in the near future.

Easy Vegan Appetizer

Here is another convenience food that is a great appetizer.  I took it to a Super Bowl Party on Sunday.  It's "Vegetable Bird's Nests" from Trader Joe's frozen food section.  Just bake 15 minutes, flip, bake another 10 minutes.  Easy and delicious!

I'm not trying to advertise for companies but I do want to push convenient foods so that the "doubters" out there will see that they can go vegan.  No more complaints about how veganism is hard or expensive or unappetizing!

Fancy Pasta Salad

I've made this pasta salad forever... before I became vegan.  The only item I had to change?  Mayo became Vegenaise.  You probably have a lot of old family recipes that can be easily converted.  

Fancy Pasta Salad is a great side-dish or entree.  This is a flexible recipe.  If you don't have some of the ingredients in your cupboard, try adding something else.  Fabulous recipes come from necessary substitutions.

I like to use the artichoke hearts bottled in oil but canned in water is fine too.  Use any vegan vinaigrette that you like.  I also change up the pasta shapes.  In this picture, I used rotini and orecchiette.  Farfalle, medium shells, etc. would all be excellent choices.

Fancy Pasta Salad

1 lb. pasta (rotini is good)

1/3 cup red onion, chopped

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

½ cup black olives, sliced

2 cups artichoke hearts, sliced lengthwise

3 T. capers

½ cup Kraft Balsamic Vinaigrette

½ cup Vegenaise

½ t. salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced in half

Boil the pasta according to package directions and drain.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and chill.  I add the tomatoes last, after stirring other ingredients, so that they won’t break down too much.

Wasabi Potato Salad

A yummy potato salad that would go great with yesterday's sandwich post.  Non-vegan's will not realize it is vegan.  Tell them after they eat it.  It's medium-spicy but the heat can be increased by adding more wasabi.  It truly is delicious. 

Wasabi Potato Salad

2 lbs. red-skinned potatoes

2 T. wasabi powder

4 T. water

1 cup Vegenaise

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 green onions, white and green parts, chopped

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Chop the potatoes into bite-size pieces.  Boil potato pieces until just tender.   Drain and cool a little.  In a large bowl, mix wasabi and water until there are no lumps and then stir in Vegenaise.  Add potatoes and all other ingredients to the Vegenaise mixture.  Cool in refrigerator.

Convenient Vegan Food

I recently visited one of my family members for a week.  Near the end of the visit, she said, “I could become vegan if it were more convenient.”  Well, I was a tad angry.  I wanted to yell, “It’s not about you!  It’s about the animals and the environment.  Activism isn’t convenient!  You have to make an effort if you believe in something.  After my bitter moment passed, I starting thinking about how I could make it convenient for her.  There are so many convenience foods out there in grocery and specialty stores.  Everybody needs some “go-to” foods when they are feeling lazy.

 Today’s convenient food is from Trader Joe’s --  “Misto alla Griglia.”  This marinated grilled eggplant and zucchini is kept in the freezer.  To make a sandwich, I use two pieces of eggplant and three zucchini slices.  Just microwave it for two minutes and then put in on nice crusty bread with Vegenaise, roasted red peppers, tomato, and arugula.  YUM!  Seriously, this is fabulous and easy.  Guests are always impressed.