Check it out!!! Vegan cookies at starbucks!!!

So I had read that Starbucks was going to carry a line of Vegan & gluten- free cookies. I had assumed it would be a west coast only thing.... Yet here I am in Maryland, on the EAST coast with a soy latte AND vegan cookies!!!!! They weren't terribly expensive either. A package of 4 smallish cookies set me back $1.50, which in the realm of GF & Vegan is not too bad. Plus when I turned the package over I saw that they were manufactured in Norfolk, Virginia; mere minutes from my hometown!

A full day's worth of yum!

Today was a busy day as I had both an audition and a rehearsal. Plus they were nowhere near each other, so I decided it was a good time to try out a new convenience food I picked up: Trader Joe's Vegetable Masala Burgers.








When you take them out, they resemble round frozen hash browns!! The box says "fully cooked, just heat and eat" but then directs you to brush them with ghee or oil prior to cooking them. Well thanks to the excellent influences of the vegans over at Fat Free Vegan, I have been trying to avoid as much unnecessary added fat as possible. Well I am very glad I did because check out how much oil "oozed" out of the burger while it was sitting on the plate:



I decided to fix it in a pita with a avocado sandwich spread that I whipped up the other day. It was basically the flesh of a VERY ripe avocado, garlic and onion powder, almond milk to thin the mixture and lime juice to help prevent browning. It is pretty good on sandwiches as a mayonnaise alternative. Here's the finished sandwich:


After my audition, I whipped out my trusty lunch box and ate my burger. It was lukewarm and very tasty, BUT with 8 grams of fat, only 2 grams of protein and only 1 gram of fiber (wasn't this thing supposed to be ALL vegetables?) it won't be replacing my regular lunches very often.



Dinner was much better. For one thing, it wasn't room temperature! And I didn't eat it in my car! Learning about the benefits of Allium veggies (onions, garlic, leeks etc...) during yesterday's health videos gave me even more reasons to load up on the garlic. So I made my FAVORITE Brussels's sprouts, which are simply broiled with salt, pepper and tons of garlic until they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I used to hate the sprout until I had it this way, now...Yum!

(Seriously, I was the only one home for dinner and this pan had been full!)

To go with it I made Seitan stew. I had no set recipe, instead I sort of "winged it" as I went along.




I sauteed onion, celery, carrot, red pepper, mushrooms and garlic. Then I added chopped seitan and seasoned liberally with thyme, rosemary, red pepper, black pepper and a pinch of salt and sage.

Next I stirred in about a cup of white wine and boiled for a few minutes to cook out the alcohol. Then I added 2 cups of water and bouillon cubes to match the volume of water (I chose to use a vegan chicken flavor).

After letting this cook for a while, I added about a cup of almond milk, returned everything to a boil and then thickened it with cornstarch.

For a quick, spur of the moment dinner it turned out tasty and filling!


On a separate note, please send me happy, warm thoughts for tomorrow as I am singing on a benefit for Haiti. It would be nice to not only provide a good concert but also to help earn a decent amount of money to send to our charity, Save the Children. We got a write up in the paper if you want more information: www.examiner.com .

these are a few of my favorite things!

I am such a bad blogger, bad face-booker and emailer too.... It seems I get so busy living life, that I forget to check in with my "virtual" life tools. As a result it has been a month since my last post!

The key lesson I seem to be working on right now is balance! Just like we should balance our diets, we have to balance our lives... and it's that balancing act that can often push people over the edge. So while I realize that my new year's resolution was to be a better blogger, I hope everyone will understand that that is a resolution in progress.

Moving on, here are a few of the things that I am most in love with right now (in no particular order).



Baltimore Vegan Drinks- I know I have mentioned this group/ activity before and there is another event coming up on March 5th! The guys at Dionysus have come up with a great vegan food AND drink menu, so if you are free check it out. Last time I totally fell in love with their organic tomato vodka cocktail. Yum!







Larabars- Recently I picked up one of these little bars, after reading about them on several blogs and even in an old copy of veg news. I honestly didn't believe that they would be so awesome but... they were! The ingredients are all real food, they are 100% vegan, 100% raw and tasty. Man are they tasty, as in ADDICTIVE!!! Plus the one I picked up was very helpful in one of those "emergency" situations we vegans sometimes find ourselves in. You know the one where the non-vegan carefully plans a vegan meal for you (as a guest). They kindly and carefully omit all animal ingredients, but you are left with about 75 calories worth of salad/ steamed veggies. They really meant well and most likely don't realize their gaff. Without some sort of snack I am left hungry AND exceedingly cranky in those situations... with it I am able to remember my social graces.




Chia Seeds- As an alternative to flax seed, these little crunch seeds provided much needed omega 3's and delightful in almost anything associated with breakfast, including smoothies, soy yogurts, and even oatmeal. I have even eaten some straight out of a teaspoon a few times!


and finally I am loathe to admit that I have begun drinking the most fluorescent concoction on earth, GATORADE on all of my runs that last more than 30 minutes. Although I don't exactly love the taste, eight ounces mixed 50/50 with water seems to help with both hydration and fatigue for the next day. And before you swear that its all in my head, you should know that I swore by watered down juice for years on hikes and during hot yoga. But there is something about the makeup of Gatorade that seems to work better when I am running. Better than the juice, better than the various homemade concoctions that are on the net, better than everything except well... Gatorade. Do I like it? NO Is it cheap? NO Is it natural/organic? CERTAINLY NOT.... SO if anyone has a tried and true organic alternative let me know but until then, I guess I am drinking the stuff.


Oh and then some good foods! First from Iowa Girl Eats, I veganized her recipe for Crockpot Baked Potato Soup by 1) replacing broth with "not chicken" and reducing to two cups 2) replacing the milk with 6 ounces of almond milk 3) omitting the bacon and butter (it was already rich enough) 4) substituting DAIYA cheese It was unbelievably tasty! And although not vegan, she has many great tips and recipes which can be modified. She is a great blogger AND much more consistent than me!

And then, I found a recipe for veggie lomein in an old newspaper clipping. It took some revisions to veganize and make it taste good, but here is what I ended up with. This makes two generous servings, quickly!

Vegan Veggie Lomein

Ingredients:

4	ounces dry somen noodles
Sauce:
1/4	cup vegetable broth (or use "not chicken" if you prefer)
2	tbs red wine or sherry
1	tbs oyster sauce ( I found a vegetarian one at a local asian mart)
1	tbs cornstarch
1/2	tsp cayenne
1/2	tsp 5 spice powder
3	tsp sesame oil (divided)
Veggies:
3/4	cup onion
1/2	cup carrot
1/2	cup celery
4	tbs garlic
1	tbs ginger
4	ounces pea pods
1/2	red bell pepper
1/2	cup frozen spinach
1	cup frozen chopped broccoli

Method:

1. Prepare all vegetables by chopping into equal sized pieces (mince garlic and ginger)
   
   
2. Put a pot of water onto boil.
   
   
3. While waiting on water combine sauce ingredients in a small container and stir or shake well.
   
4. Add noodles to boiling water, after 3 minutes turn off heat and drain.
   
   
5. Heat a large wok or non-stick skillet and add 2 TBS of the oil. Stir fry the veggies in this order: Onions, carrots & celery, frozen broccoli, pea pods & bell pepper, garlic and ginger and finally the frozen spinach.
   
   
6. Add the strained noodles and stir to combine.
   
   
7. Pour in the sauce and combine everything, stirring for 2-3 minutes.
   

Vegan Cheese Take Two!!

Today on my way home from work I stopped to get Isa Chandra Moskowitz's new book "Vegan Brunch" (which looks fabulous and deserves its own post!!). While I was shopping at the Nest, (which is part of Clarksville's conscious corner), the very friendly employee recommended that I might go next door to Root's market and try out their new vegan cheese, DAIYA.

Huh?? Everything I have read, which is very little I might add, indicated that this cheese was only available in bulk to restaurants.

Well... it seems that the nice people at roots, have been buying it in bulk and repackaging it in more manageable small containers for people like you and me. Wow! After trying it I am thrilled! This stuff is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! As in "I think it might fool my husband" good. It looks like cheese, its smells like cheese, it melts like cheese and it is totally vegan!

It is made for casava root and some spices and have I mentioned, it unbelievably good. I have already had vegan nachos and 1/2 a piece of vegan "cheese toast", which my mother can tell you was one of my favorite childhood snacks. In fact, I am embarrased to admit this, but I was so eager that I ate it all without taking a picture... so here is a picture from their website:




Now don't be mistaken, for something to taste this much like real cheese it isn't exactly health food. The nutritional profile for 28 grams, which I believe is close to one ounce is:

So I wouldn't plan on loading up on this stuff... but for special occasions this stuff is amazing!

Galaxy Foods Vegan Rice Cheese

Yesterday, on my way home from work, I stopped off at the market for a few items. As usual I lingered at the vegan cheese section. Normally I sigh (a little too dramatically, I suppose) and walk on because my relationship with vegan cheese has been sad at best. However, I was inspired by this blog review to give vegan cheese another try. Thus I picked up Galaxy foods' Rice Cheese.




I have never been a a patient sort of person, so I opened the package and unpeeled a slice (this seems like an awful lot of packaging!!) on my way home. The taste is OK, but nothing spectacular with a definite aftertaste of rice. At this point, it's not the worst I have ever tasted but its not anything I am going to scream to the rafters about either.

Once I got home I decide to try to create a food that involves melting since it says right on the package: made for melting. So for lunch I made a grilled vegan "bologna and cheddar" sandwich. Immediately I am struck by how the cheese is not melting and I have to keep adding more and more earth balance to my nonstick pan to help keep the bread from burning (yes it was taking THAT long). I am left with a very greasy only partially melted sandwich for my efforts. As I throw it into my bento for lunch, I am definitely having second thoughts.

At lunch I pull out my sandwich. Heating up the cheese helped the taste and texture some and it is definitely better combined with other ingredients then as a stand-alone snack. I would never want to eat another sandwich this greasy though... there must be a better way!

I am unsure if I will by anymore of this after I finish the package. Here are the pros and cons (based on my experience)


Pros

• Easy to find
• Decent nutrition profile, if you eat just one slice
• Pre-cut slices are easy for sandwiches

Cons

• The rice-after taste
• Regardless of its low cal/low sodium status, it is still junk food
• Way too much packaging from an environmental standpoint
• It certainly would never fool my husband or any other omni.... its just not fabulous tasting
  
• Doesn't really melt well (at least not based on my first usage, in fairness I may need to experiment more)
  

If anyone is curious, here is the nutritional profile per slice:

Calories: 40

Calories from Fat: 20

Total Fat: 2g

Saturated Fat: 0.5g

Trans Fat: 0g

Polyunsat Fat: 0.5g

Monounsat Fat: 1g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 120mg

Total Carbohydrate: 5g

Dietary Fiber: 0g

Sugars: 0g

Protein: 1g

Calcium 20% RDA

take me out to the ball game!

Last night my husband surprised me with baseball tickets. The Red Sox are in town and he is a HUGE fan. So we had great seats for a game that started at 7 PM. Here is a wierd thing about Baltimore Baseball: Normally you can wander down to the game and get in without any problem because people here do not support the Orioles.

When the Sox or those dreaded Yankees (sorry, I have to be loyal because my DH is loyal to the Red Sox) are in town, it can take forever to work through the stadium because their fans follow them here.

This meant we were supposed to have dinner at the game. This ought to be fun... a vegan eating ballpark food in Baltimore. I am a big believer in planning ahead and doing everything you can to take care of yourself, so I packed myself a quick baseball meal of Vegan Mabo Tofu, Brussels Sprouts, and Kabocha Squash. It was very quick and pretty tasty. The Mabo Tofu I made using this sauce mix which according to the packaging (and ingredient list) was totally vegan!



It couldn't have been any easier. Simply snip the sauce packet and put it in a pot with cubed pressed tofu. Simmer for a few minutes. I thought it was pretty good, but if I hadn't been in a bit of a hurry I would have tried to doctor the sauce a bit. It was pretty spicy but didn't have a depth of flavor that I usually like in Asian sauces. If I can find it again, I am definitely going to give it another try, this time with time to play with the seasonings.

The Brussels sprouts were great. I simply sauteed them with a little oil (very little) and lots of garlic and pepper. Then I finished them with a little low sodium soy sauce.

The Kabocha squash I quickly steamed in the microwave and ate with salt and pepper.

The game was great and I had plenty of good stuff to eat, since I brought it from home. At some point a drunk fan from behind shouted: Brussels Sprouts! At a ball game!! Really?!!

I only wish I had some left, so I could have offered him a few!

These are a few of my favorite things....

We spent the day dragging furniture around and cleaning, so we had takeout for dinner. Asian takeout...surprise surprise... but still not bloggable. So I thought I would review a few of my favorite vegan products. These are the ones that I go out of my way to find and use. So here's the lineup:



Road's End Organics Mac and Chreese is my personal favorite version of vegan junk food. I realize that it is merely pasta with a nutritional yeast sauce, but sometimes when all I want is childlike junk food goodness, this is what I turn to. It is slightly salty and garlicky and the whole wheat noodles convince me that it isn't too bad for me. Plus I can always stir in some steamed broccoli or peas.






If I am feeling like going all out on the childhood junk food binge I pair the Mac and Chreese with these: Trader Joe's Soy Nuggets. They are easy to heat using a microwave with a crispy crust and chewy inside. Although they probably taste nothing like chicken, I really don't care as I sit happily munching away. With each ketchupy dip I promise myself I'll eat a salad tomorrow.










Speaking of that salad, although I usually put homemade vinaigrette's on my salad's I do have two favorite store bought dressings: Annie's Naturals Goddess Dressing and Caribbean Banana Ranch Dressing. Both of them are little high in calories and fat compared to my typical homemade vinaigrette BUT they are both so creamy and delicious. I eat them on salads, pizza crusts, homemade french fries and even once on some toasted pita. They are a delicious splurge!




















When I am making soups and do not have homemade vegetable broth or long for something with a little more flavor I like to use Edward and Son's Not chick'n bouillon cubes. Their flavor is excellent and they dissolve nicely. Unlike other cubes I have tried they are not overwhelmingly salty or yeasty.


If its sweets I am craving, and I don't feel like baking I have two options. I can grab an Alternative Baking Company cookie, which will always hit the spot. These cookies are LARGE, nearly the size of four homemade cookies, and delicious. Somehow they are always moist and they have wonderful flavor combinations such as oatmeal raisin, cranberry orange, and pumpkin spice. The other option I have is to walk to one of the local cafes that sells baked goods from our own: Brunie's Bakery. Their stuff is so good, that last year we had vegan birthday cake from them and no one even knew. They sell brownies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes you name it and it is all uniformly good! My personal favorite... are the doughnuts!

So that is just a few of my favorite things... and it should have been much more entertaining to read about than my take out (Monk's Temple Delight Vegetarian Mock Mu Shu Chicken).