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?!!

Vegan = Healthy

Since I've become vegan I've noticed that a lot of people automatically think that vegan equals healthy. This is really not true. Not in the least.

 I brought in cupcakes to work and more than one person has said... "Oh, they're vegan. So they're healthier than a regular cupcake." Nope. Still a crap ton of sugar, flour and oil.

The whole thing that started me becoming vegan is because it is easier to maintain and loose weight when following a vegan diet, that, and eating meat never really sat well with me. I just chose to ignore it. The losing weight part has proven true for me. Since becoming vegan I have fluctuated, but as a whole have lost weight. And as the recipe below will tell. I don't eat healthy all the time. I try to get in my veggies, but like most people. I know I could be doing better.

Yesterday my sister invited me over for dinner. They were all have battered fish an shrimp with the usual fixin's (potatoes and veggies). I've had my sister's fish before and Oh Lordy is it good. So, my sister being the kind and loving sister that she is, took me into consideration and she said she'd make me fishy fried tofu. She has been buying tofu to keep around the house and she's actually started eating it when I'm not around, which is great! I encourage everyone to start up a "Meatless Monday" every little bit helps animals and the planet, plus it starts you exploring other options. But I digress. So she has tofu and she's also bought flax to keep around for me as well.

The flax seed carries one of the biggest nutrient payloads on the planet. And while it’s not technically a grain, it has a similar vitamin and mineral profile to grains, while the amount of fiber, antioxidants, and Omega-3 fatty acids in flax leaves grains in the dust. ( http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/flaxinfo.htm )

Flax seeds make a great substitution for egg washes. I didn't believe it at first but if you take one tbsp ground flax and mix it with 3 tbsp of water and then let it sit for half an hour, it will actually turn into an egg like goo. And then you get to reap all the awesome benefits of flax as well! Yay!

Warning: Don't use in baking unless the recipe calls for it. Baking really is chemistry, so... don't mess around with it. (Ferdi's birthday cake: Not so yummy!!)

Then for the Tempura Batter she made:

3/4 c Flour
1/4 c Corn Starch
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
2 Egg whites (replaced with flax mixture)
1 tsp Salt
1 c Water
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Parsley
1 tsp Paprika

• Mix all the ingredients together.
• Wash whatever you're frying: fish, shrimp, etc. If using tofu, it is already wet so you just need to drain it and slice it. We used firm tofu but I think next time I will try it with extra firm.
• Coat your pieces in flour
• Dip into the tempura batter
• Fry till crispy golden brown. (Medium high heat. Around 7 - it shouldn't be spitting, but it definitely should start to sizzle when it hits the oil. If it just kind of lies at the bottom of the pan with a few bubbles around the edges the oil isn't hot enough.) If using a pan instead of fryer make sure there is enough oil for it to be able to float.

Here was the end result of the tofu:

 I've heard that using kelp granules will give a fishy flavour. I have yet to pick some up, but if I find them I'll give you an update on whether or not it does the trick for fishiness.

We ate our fried foods with homemade Pina Colada Sauce (especially good on the shrimp, or so I'm told) and Tarter sauce.

Day One

I was told by a friend that I should blog about being vegan. So here goes. I hope you find my posts interesting or at least thought provoking.
While going through a vegan cookbook today, a recipe called for vegan beer. I've never thought till today a beer could be anything but vegan. I had even forgotten that once upon a time I heard wine can contain fish. It really made me think about all the animal products we consume unknowingly.
The cookbook listed a handy website that will let you know what alcohol is vegan: www.barnivore.com