Pie-eyed

My sister makes the best quiches. I've been craving her delicious creations and so went on a hunt for a good quiche recipe in one of my cookbooks. Found none. SO! I tried to create something on my own. I thought it was a decent replacement.

I had two pie shells and had seen a recipe for a Chocolate Ganache pie in my The 30 Minute Vegan cookbook, so I decided to try that as well.

Quiche

Spinach Filling:

2 tbsp canola oil

1 small white onion diced

1 red pepper diced

1 – 312g package of PC organic baby spinach

Sauté the onion and red pepper till just tender. Throw in the spinach with a bit of water, about one tablespoon. Put a lid on and steam the spinach with the onion and pepper.

Egg mixture:

This was actually a recipe for omelettes out of Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food:

12.3 Ounces extra-firm silken tofu (about 400g – doesn’t have to be perfect)

1 tbsp tahini

¼ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp curry powder

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp potato starch (I didn’t have any so I replaced with instant mash potato mix. ??? Seemed ok – no idea what potato starch is or does)

1 ½ tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tbsp soy milk or rice milk

In a blender combine all the ingredients and blend till smooth.

To make the quiche:

Pre-bake your pie shell.

Mix the spinach filling with the egg mixture. I also added chopped ‘bacon’ and shredded ‘cheddar cheese’ .  Place mixture into the pie crust, top with some more cheese and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache Pie

1 Pre-baked pie shell

1 ½ c vegan dark chocolate chips

½ c pure maple syrup

12.3 oz package of firm silken tofu

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

To Make:

Melt the chocolate chips by heating them in a double boiler over medium heat until the consistency is smooth, lump-free, and creamy, stirring only once or twice.  Should take about 20 min. (I didn’t have a double boiler so I heated it on low stirring occasionally)

Meanwhile puree the tofu, maple syrup, vanilla, and sea salt in a food processor until smooth. When the chocolate is thoroughly melted, add it to the food processor and blend well.

Pour mixture into the pie crust and chill in the fridge for an hour.

My changes to the recipe:

I didn’t have any maple syrup on hand so I used organic brown rice syrup. I definitely would stick to the maple if I had it though. Did you know that maple syrup is actually very healthy for you? Check out the link: http://www.puremapleproducts.com/health_benefits_maple_syrup.html

Also I like using carob chips – they aren’t as bitter as dark chocolate and are better for you too: http://www.natural-health-restored.com/carob-vs-chocolate.html

NOM NOM NOM

Mmmmm blended tofu. Haha, sounds disgusting, but actually...

Anemic Vegan

I was diagnosed with being anemic when I was younger. I can't remember exactly when, but probably when I first started going to give blood with Monica. I guess that would have been about 2004 - 2005 and that would have made me around 18 . I've kept on donating over the years and one of the great things about it is that I get a hassle free iron check every time I go!

Back in the day with Monica, I remember ordering two plain whopper beef patties like an hour before going (No idea if that even has time to absorb, probably not) just trying to make sure my iron levels were at an acceptable level to donate. I was prescribed iron supplements but I was really bad at taking them. I decided soon after that I would just regulate it with food and that worked for the most part. I also sometimes cheated and took an iron pill the day before going to give blood just to make sure I would be alright, but mostly I was able to control it with diet.

I went vegan in March and the next time I went to give blood I did the same thing. Had an iron supplement before going in and the lady said my Iron was great. The next time, I did the same thing except this time even with the supplement I didn't pass. The third time I was rejected again, and they even did two tests just to make sure, but it was even lower the second time. The forth time the lady had a worried look on her face and made me see a nurse, who gave me a pamphlet and made me promise to see my doc.

I'm feeling so dejected about not being able to donate. I can see my body has been changing. I am weaker now and I bruise like a peach. I have bruises on my legs that I have no idea how they got there. I've been constantly having colds, I get one almost every two weeks. I'm tired all the time and have just not been feeling well in general. I got a warning at my work for calling in sick too often, which is what kinda prompted this blog entry. But these colds have seriously been knocking me on my ass. I can't concentrate and am weak and dizzy, I just can't even bear the thought of getting out of bed to go to work when I'm in the worst of the cold. Lack of concentration, dizzy and weak are also symptoms of anemia so I'm sure the colds are just taking it to a whole other level.

The problem for me with taking iron supplements regularly is that they are not vegetarian,  and moreover, I really felt like I could control it with diet. But I'm obviously not, and my body is suffering. So I did some research and found out that not only are there veggie friendly iron supplements, they are also available in the health food stores that I go to, to get some of my vegan products. (Dammit, I could have been healthy all along!!!) They were only $14.99 which isn't bad. I've been trying to remember to take my other vitamins daily (which I haven't been) but now that iron is in the mix and I'm aware of how desperately I need it, hopefully that will get me back on track with all my daily vitamins.

Vitamin C, D and E, Q10, Multi, Flax oil,
Garlic, Kelp, Ginseng and Iron!



 



I was always borderline anemic even with eating LOTS of meat before going vegan, so I thought I should add in this article as well:

Anemia has many causes and vegans do not have a higher incidence of the condition than do meat eaters. Still, many people believe that if a person is anemic, he or she should eat more red meat or that the person’s diet is inadequate. In reality, eating meat is an unnecessary step and is not even a healthful option (as vegans know), but diet might still be the cause of the problem, especially in newer vegans who might be eating a starchy diet or one with more processed foods than produce. Learning about the condition and causes, as well as what to eat if anemia is the result of a poor diet, are steps you can take toward feeling better.

Read more: How to Eat for Anemia as a Vegan | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2301619_eat-anemia-as-vegan.html#ixzz1fJFmybFK

Fast Food

We all have busy lives. Sometimes you just need a quick meal. The one major downside to being vegan is the fact that fast food restaurants may have vegetarian options but definitely not good vegan ones.

Even the vegetarian options don't pass for some people. The main problem being they have to use the same area to cook the patties as regular meat. I'm not that uptight about things like that, but I know some people that are.

KFC has a veggie chicken patty but they cook it in the same vat as the chicken. Burger Kings patty is cooked on the same part of the broiler as the grilled chicken. A&W's veggie patty contains egg. McDonald's discontinued their patty (good riddance) and Wendy's hasn't even thrown an option into the mix.

Out of all the fast food restaurants here in Winnipeg I think Burger King has the best option by far.  At least they have tried to separate it somewhat: that part of the broiler obviously isn't used as often, so you can hope that all the chicken stuff is burnt off by the time your veggie is thrown on. But on the other hand, if it's busy you might even have your veggie falling into the same tray as the chicken. The worst part of it all is, a vegan isn't able to eat all the good parts of the burger, like the mayo and cheese!! And if you're lucky they'll give you a patty that's been sitting for an hour so it's like cardboard too. Yummy! So I say it's the best option, but I still prefer something home cooked.

So what do you eat when you're on the go? Fries, fries and more fries? Even fries are chancy. I found out that McDonald's fries in the states have "Natural beef flavour" added to the coating. WTF? WHY?

Well, what I try to do is eat out as little as possible. And when I do eat out, I usually just eat vegetarian to save myself from the hassle, the monotony and the headache.

Here are some of the quick meals that I’ve been having this week:

Egg sandwiches - Breakfast style

You'll need:

· Tofu - Silken

· English Muffins

· Veganaise (optional)

· Ketchup (optional - I don't, but lots do)

· Tofutti cheddar cheese slices

· Lettuce

· Tomato

· Cornstarch

· Salt and pepper

I buy this kinda tofu, it's the most "egg like" when cooked I find:

The tofu in the package is already cut into two blocks. Slice like so:

Pour a mound of cornstarch, and dredge your tofu pieces. Be gentle or they will fall apart.

Heat your oil in a pan on medium heat. Place your tofu pieces in the pan without touching.

 Cook till golden brown. That's what the cornstarch is for, and it also gives it this delicious crispy coating that isn't that far off from a fried egg. Tofu is bland so once cooked drain on some paper towel and salt and pepper both sides of the tofu.

Assemble however you like.

Red Peppers and such

Cut up and fry the red peppers on a low – medium heat till they are soft and have some colour. Add salt to the peppers once they are cooked.

Cut up veggies to go with it, and plate.  I was originally given a version of this to eat in Europe. The dish I was served had a fried/scrambled egg, sliced cucumber, tomatoes, the peppers, a piece of raw onion and some olives. They cooked the peppers in olive oil and then sopped up the flavourful oil with their bread.

I didn’t have any cucumbers on hand and I love avocado so I substituted.

BLT Sandwich

I was in Zellers the other day and found they have a decent vegetarian section. I was in the downtown one under The Bay. They had Yves Bacon which is an 'ok' bacon substitute. I try to stay away from the overly processed foods but I’ve been craving a BLT lately.  Very important tip* - Don’t overcook the bacon. I put in just enough oil to coat the frying pan then only heat the bacon. It will turn hard like plastic if overcooked.

Nothing too surprising: just Veganaise, Tofutti cheddar cheese slices, the bacon, lettuce and tomato.

QUICK AND EASY!!

Spicy Black Bean Soup

 I have a cold so I've been trying to get in as much soup as possible. I like it spicy to help get my nose running so I can clear it all out. I don't know if this helps, but I like it.

Last night I made Spicy Black Bean Soup, and as usual, I tweaked it a little, and it turned out great!

I got this recipe out of:

I love this cook book

 Spicy Black Bean Soup

1 tbsp. canola oil
1/2 c chopped spanish onion (Whatever that is. I used regular ol' yellow)
1 garlic clove, minced (I cheated and bought a jar of pre-minced garlic)
2 - 15oz cans of black beans drained and rinsed well
1 - 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes with juice
4 c veggie broth
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice (Hah, yeah right like I have fresh limes. I didn't even have my usual bottle of lime juice, I guess I had one too many Fog Horns. So I put in a couple squirts of lemon juice.)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/3 c vegan sour cream
1 c fresh chopped cilantro (I didn't have, so I used 1 tbsp dried parsley and added with other spices)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic until tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in the beans, tomatoes, vegetable stock, bay leaf, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove soup from the heat. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the lime juice and cayenne. Serve immediately garnished with sour cream and cilantro.

So I thought this sounded good but that it could be better. Along with the onions and garlic I also added in a chopped green pepper. I also 'messed up' the recipe again because of not reading it carefully and added in the cayenne with all the other spices, but it still turned out great. I think it helps the flavor build so I'll still do it like that again. After that was all cooked up it was just very chunky stuff with broth... so I puréed half the soup to give the broth some body.

The soup turned out even better than I expected. I'm not a huge soup fan so trust me, if I put it in this blog it is worth making. This was delicious. The sour cream added, made me think: Mexican Borscht. It was very easy to make, which is great when you're sick because you don't want to slave over a stove. And the spice was perfect. Loved it!

Moussaka and Avocado Fries

On the weekend I made Moussaka. It turned out really good but I did make some changes:

The recipe was from ethnicvegan.com:

Moussaka

Moussaka is a layered eggplant casserole that traditionally contains lamb or beef and a rich dairy-based sauce. Although Greece seems to be the birthplace of moussaka, many other regions of the world claim their own versions, including the Middle East, Ethiopia, and Eastern Europe. Our version uses broiled eggplant instead of fried and includes a creamy vegan sauce.

1 large eggplant (I used three chinese eggplants)
2 Tbs. olive oil plus additional for brushing eggplant
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup red wine
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. vegan cream cheese (used Tofutti's Better Than Cream Cheese)1/2 cup soy milk (This is the only part of the dish that really needed tweaking. The sauce was way too runny and didn’t thicken up under the broiler. I would start with about three tablespoons of flour and 1 tbsp. marg. Make a roux with the milk then add the cream cheese.)

1. Oil an 8 x 8 baking pan; set aside. Heat the broiler. Trim both ends of the eggplant and cut 1/4" lengthwise slices (peeling the eggplant is optional, I didn’t.). Place slices on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Slide baking sheet under the broiler and bake until slices are nicely browned. Turn slices over, brush with olive oil, and brown the other sides. Remove from oven and set aside. (I cooked them under high and they browned really fast so I set the broiler to low and let them cook while I made the sauce. It turned out well)

2. While browning eggplant, heat 2 Tbs. olive oil in a large saucepan. Cook onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add next 8 ingredients (red wine through black pepper); stir to combine. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes.

3. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine vegan cream cheese with soy milk. Stir occasionally until cream cheese is melted. (Strongly suggest using something to thicken the sauce. This is the imitation béchamel sauce.)

4. Place half the eggplant in the baking dish. Spoon half the tomato sauce over the slices. Repeat with remaining slices and sauce. Spoon the cream cheese sauce over the casserole. Place baking dish in oven under broiler until top is nicely browned. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes. Serve with a green salad. (I didn’t really read the recipe to well. I ended up cutting the eggplant into round slices for browning. I also threw it into the sauce before putting it in the baking dish. Both ‘mistakes’ didn’t affect the dish. Tip: the ‘béchamel’ sauce will burn. Lower the rack so it’s not too close and don’t walk away. I had to keep popping bubbles that were getting to close to the element)

Variation: If you like to cook with meat substitutes, add a vegan beef or sausage to the tomato sauce mixture.   (I added in a whole brick of crumbled firm tofu. I would suggest just half a brick for next time.)

Also

A friend sent me a recipe today for Baked Avocado Fries. Haven’t tried them yet, but just bought another batch of avocados yesterday, but once they ripen… oh baby, I can’t wait.

Baked Avocado Fries

http://morethanmary.com/2011/01/heavenly-and-healthy-delicious-dish-baked-avocado-fries/

You’ll need:

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten (vegan replacement is 2 tbsp. ground flax with 6 tbsp. water. Let sit half an hour)
• 1 1/4 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• 2 firm-ripe medium avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced into 1/2-in. wedges
• Grated parmesan for serving (optional) Mary Note: Not optional in my opinion.

Vegan parmesan is available at Superstore:

Simply:

Preheat oven to 450.

Coat avocado slices in the four, then egg, then panko. Spread on a cooling rack that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, then place on a cookie sheet.  Spray the top of the wedges with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then bake for about 20 minutes at 450, or until they are golden brown (I turned my oven up to 500 for the last 5 minutes).

OMG
I want these so bad.

Vegan or Veganist

So this last month has been pretty hard. I've moved into my new house and now don't have access to a computer at home. I could try writing these up on my phone. That may be a bit challenging with pictures, but may be necessary.

So Vegan or Veganist?

It's been really hard to call myself a vegan lately. The veggie days have started to creep in more and more often, especially on the weekends. I have people asking why I don't just become straight vegetarian. And I almost feel guilty, but really I shouldn't. When my extended family makes their snide comments at family dinners or when I eat something before I even stop to consider whether or not it’s vegan, I should just say to myself, "I'm trying". I'm doing what I can, when I can, at the pace I feel comfortable with to keep this going.

The reason I started going vegan was because I read the book Veganist by Kathy Freston. It's about making changes at your own pace. Here is an excerpt off her website:

What’s a veganist?  Someone who moves toward eating a plant based diet so that they are as physically healthy as they can be, environmentally friendly, and a kind and thoughtful human being.  And it’s not about being pure or strict; it’s about being informed and having fun while living according to values like kindness and thoughtfulness.  Truly, I believe in progress, not perfection!

http://www.kathyfreston.com/kathy_freston_veganist.html

Not perfection. I will never be a perfect vegan, and accepting that will help at being a better vegan. It doesn't mean that I've failed or am failing. I've made a lot of changes and every little bit helps. I find myself saying "Well I've already eaten some dairy... might as well make a whole day of it" This is the next bad habit I am going to try to kick. No more vegetarian 'days', just vegetarian meals. I really have to focus on whether I can go without that non-vegan item, and make a decision before every single item that I'm about to eat. A huge part of it is just being too lazy. I am recommitting myself. I can be better. I will be better. 

Crap... just realized Christmas is around the corner. No cookies. No milk chocolate. No vinatarta. Damn. This will definitely be a challenging few months.

I just called my mom to double check if her vinatarta was vegan. And it isn’t. So that really is sad, but she said that she’s changing all her tarts to vegan. So at least that’s something!

On to food!  My favorite part.

Though I was feeling dejected yesterday and the craving for a cheesy pizza was definitely floating around my head... I fought the urge! And made Spicy Peanut Noodle soup instead. Delicious! (It is actually my attempt to replicate the soup I had at Delicious Vegetarian - Great restaurant!!)

I didn't take pictures cause I was rushing to clean while cooking, before heading out to a friends, but if you want to try it, here is the 'somewhat of a' recipe.  (Sorry I cook by sight and taste, a lot)

I added 4 cups of broth. One can of coconut milk. About a cup of peanut butter. A single serving package of udon noodles, and cayenne pepper to taste (About four dashes with the shaker). And I cooked that for about 20 minutes. Adding in about 1 tbsp of chopped peanuts in the last five minutes. The soup shouldn't be too thick. If it is, just add more broth. If you have some green onions or chives you can throw some in, it looks great.

Here's a pic just in case you don't know what udon noodles look like:

They are like 50 cents to a buck depending on where you buy them. So it’s overall a really cheap and super easy dish.



 

My Addiction

So I'm pretty much addicted to avocado sandwiches. Actually I'm addicted to avocados period. I think it's probably safe to say that they are my favorite food. They're great in sushi, guacamole, soup, mexican food, salads, sandwiches and in many other things. I could eat them everyday.

And every time I need a quick meal my mind always goes to avocado sandwiches.

To make: 

1. Get your bread and cover half with mustard (don't be skimpy) and half with mayo (veganaise)

2. Place cheese slices on one side of the sandwich. I use Tofutti's cheddar usually, but I only had mozza.

3. Slice your avocado into small thin pieces. If it's over ripe just spread it like chunky butter. Mmmmm.

4. Add sliced tomatoes and salt and pepper - I put lots of both.

5. Butter up your bread and fry in a pan at 4 or 5 till beautifully golden brown. Then enjoy!

I'm hungry now.

I Suck

Well, I have no new recipe to update or pictures to show you because I've been a fucking horrible vegan.

This morning I had a McDonald's fruit n' fibre muffin with a large decaf coffee with Triple cream. (OMG it's like dessert in a cup) and yesterday I pretty much ate a handful of chips over the course of the entire day. That is me being: a) To lazy to make something for myself. b) nothing appealing to me c) things that are non-vegan appealing to me, but trying my best not to break my resolve.

So yeah, I pretty much suck. But I did do some snazzy eye make-up today! Maybe I'll leave you with a picture of that.

Breakfast for Dinner

I love eating breakfast foods at anytime of the day. I made this for dinner last night:

Hearty Breakfast Bowl – Everything for this dish can be found at any regular supermarket. (At least I know I got all my ingredients at Superstore)

Makes two servings

30 Tater tots – throw in the oven and cook to packaging directions. If done before your toppings just keep warm in the oven.

For the scrambled eggs:

• 10 ounces extra-firm tofu , drained and pressed (I used half a brick of firm)
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (explained below)
• ½ tsp garlic powder  - I used one clove minced
• ½ tsp onion powder - I used half an onion finely chopped
• ¼ tsp turmeric (gives colour more than flavour)
• ¼ tsp black salt - This is supposed to give an egg flavour but I don’t have any so it was omitted from the recipe.
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying

To make the eggs:  In a bowl, crumble the tofu mixture and add the seasonings. Stir together until well incorporated. Cook in oil on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, tossing continuously, till heated through.

I wanted more veggies in this dish so I also sliced some mushrooms and green peppers. I sautéed the onions, peppers and mushrooms, till cooked, before adding the rest of the ingredients. Once the tofu was added and heated, I threw in a diced tomato and just heated that through as well. If you make it with all the extra veggies you probably will have left over egg mixture. It makes a great quick breakfast burrito for the next morning. Just heat it up and throw it in a tortilla.

Nutritional Yeast

Yellow in color and with a nutty cheesy flavour, nutritional yeast is inactive yeast that is a favourite amongst many vegans because of its unique flavour and similarity to cheese when added to foods. Sprinkle some on hot popcorn or garlic bread, or add a generous spoonful to a stir fry or pasta sauce. Nutritional yeast is also the only reliable food source of vitamin B12, so if you're vegan, it's a good idea to add some to your food regularly.  http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/g/nutyeast.htm

Nutritional facts for Nutritional Yeast: http://www.bulkfoods.com/nutritional_yeast.htm

For the cheesy gravy:

• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp non-dairy butter
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup finely ground raw cashews (Use a blender – mix repeatedly while grinding)
• ½ cup non-dairy sour cream – I cheated, look below.
• Salt and Pepper to taste

To make the gravy:  In a saucepan bring the broth and butter to a boil. Reduce to medium-high heat and add the remaining ingredients. Cook until thickened.

For the non-dairy sour cream: I just used veganaise and added 2 tsp of lemon juice. (Trust me. It’s just as good)

Alternate for vegetable broth: McCormicks has All Vegetable beef and chicken broth. I love the stuff. I actually used up all my stores of it and only had veggie broth on hand to make this recipe. It’s still good; I just wanted you to be aware that alternatives are out there.

For the non-dairy butter I use PC lactose-free Celeb because it’s cheaper than Earth-Balance and spreads better on bread. I also prefer the flavour, it really is awesome.

In two bowls split the tater tots, pile on the egg mixture then cover with cheesy gravy. Top with imitation bacon bits and enjoy!

I love avocados. I thought they would go well with this dish so I added them in between the eggs and the gravy.

To get the pit out without ruining the flesh: Cut the avocado in half, twist and pull apart. Tap a sharp knife into the pit and twist. The pit should pop out.

You can just peel the skin away from the slices and then cut into chunks if you so desire.

Also I didn’t have any bacon bits on hand, but it was excellent even without them.

It doesn’t look half as good as it tastes.

Cookbooks

A while ago I realised that I was never actually using the cookbooks I was buying. On the odd day that I would sit down with a few books and look through for something to make, it would take me forever to find a recipe that interested me. By the time I was done I was to tired to even be bothered with cooking anymore. So I started a habit of sitting down with a newly purchased cookbook and I marking each recipe that actually sounds good and that I'm interested in making.

It took me a while to get to "Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites" but I finished this morning. I feel like it was almost pointless. The book has so many amazing sounding recipes that I was almost marking every page.

I think I might be a little OCD when it comes to marking the pages. But doesn't it look pretty?!!