Vegan Crepes!

Breakfast is the best meal of the day! These crepes are absolutely deliciousJ They are also very easy and quick to whip up.

*Six 6 inch crepes

Ingredients:

½ c. soymilk

2/3 c. water

¼ c. vegan butter, melted (I use Earth Balance)

1 c. whole wheat flour

¼ tsp. salt

1 tbsp raw sugar (I use Stevia)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp water (to thin)

Berries (topping) I use a frozen berry medley containing blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. I just defrost some in a bowl.

Additional toppings:

Sliced peaches, bananas, strawberries, or any fruit for that matter

Powdered sugar

Maple syrup

Nut butter

Directions:

1.       Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.

2.       Whisk until smooth and thin. Add water if it still needs to be thinned.

3.       Put a little bit of vegan butter or oil in a skillet.

4.       Pour a small amount of batter on the skillet so that it is thin and round. You can make them as small or as large as you want!

5.       Flip carefully when the top is covered with bubbles. Cook until lightly browned on each side.

6.       Top with berries or whatever you would like. I also add some maple syrup to them.

Vegan Pizza!

My favorite food before going vegan was pizza! I loved itJ After becoming vegan, I made a lot of vegan pizza to satisfy my cravings. There are many ways you can make vegan pizza. There are many different toppings, sauces, and crust you can use.

Makes two 9 inch pizzas.

1.       Make the pizza dough. Start preparing toppings while pizza dough is rising.

Pizza Crust Ingredients:

1 ½ c. warm water

¼ ounce packet yeast

1 tsp. salt

3 c. flour

Pizza Crust Directions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2.       Whisk water and yeast until dissolved.

3.       Add salt and whisk again.

4.       Stir in flour and knead.

5.       Set aside and let dough rise for 20 minutes.

6.       Knead again. Let rise for another 10-20 minutes.

7.       Split the dough in two. Spread dough out on two pizza pans. You can also make one big pizza pan. Use a cookie sheet if desired. Make sure to grease the pans with olive oil!

8.       Spread olive oil on the top and bake for 10 minutes. Take out and add your favorite toppings.

Additional Crusts:

-Use a bagel or a tortilla for the crust!

-You can also buy a store bought pizza dough mix. Pillsbury makes one!

Directions for pizza toppings:

1.       Saute ½ an onion and 4 cloves of garlic in olive oil. Season with black pepper, crushed red pepper, oregano and parsley.

2.       Saute 1 can of artichokes in olive oil with lemon juice and paprika.

3.       Brown ½ of a Gimme Lean ground beef tube or any mock vegan meat. I seasoned the meat with mesquite seasoning.

4.       To make the pizza, spread the two pizzas with tomato sauce. I buy tomato sauce at the store that doesn’t have any sugar in it. Spread the onion mixture, then the artichokes, then the meat onto the pizzas. Sprinkle daiya cheese (I like Mozzarella) on the pizzas.

5.       Cook the pizzas at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

6. Add basil, parsley, or oregano.

Additional toppings:

Tomatoes

Olives

Basil

Spinach

Avocado

Vegan pepperoni (Yves makes them!)

Mushrooms

Red/green bell peppers

Pineapple

Tempeh

Tofu

Seitan

Additional sauces:

Hummus

Bbq sauce

Pesto

Vegan Burritos

I love vegan burritos! I make a lot of them and freeze them.

Ingredients:

1 small onion, diced

½ tsp salt

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1 small tomato

1 14 ounce can refried beans

1 ½ c. cooked brown rice

1 avocado, diced

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Juice of ½ lime

Salt to taste

Daiya pepper jack cheese

Spinach

5 large whole wheat tortillas

Directions:

1.       Cook rice while preparing onion, red pepper and tomato.

2.       In a large skillet, sauté the onion with the salt over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook for 10 minutes more.

3.       Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

4.       Add the black pepper and chili powder.

5.       Add the tomato. Turn off the heat.

6.       Heat the refried beans in a saucepan.

7.       Make the guacamole. Mix avocado, cilantro, lime juice and salt to taste. Mash the pieces of avocado.

8.       Spread a tortilla with the refried beans, then the rice, then the onion mixture, then the guacamole, then the daiya cheese. Put it in the microwave or oven to melt the cheese. Top with spinach and fold into a burrito.

9.       Enjoy!

Additional Ingredients:

Black beans

Tempeh

Tofu

Zucchini

Vegan sour cream

My Path to Veganism

I have been following the blog, zenhabits (zenhabits.net). It is a great blog and I am interested in and agree with his blog posts. I had been reading zenhabits before I became a vegan. Leo Babauta writes about simplicity, health & fitness, motivation, frugality, happiness, goals, and living in the moment. I am interested in all of these subjects. In May 2011, I happened to read a blog post he wrote about veganism. http://zenhabits.net/diet/ This blog post got me thinking. This is how my thought process went: If Leo writes about all of these topics and I agree with them, why am I not vegan? I decided to research further.

I am a huge fan of Ellen DeGeneres. I found out that Ellen is vegan. In an interview, she said that she became vegan after watching “Earthlings”. I decided to watch it. I was able to watch the entire thing for free online at earthlings.com. It was difficult to watch. After watching it, I decided to become a vegan. My husband and I decided that from that point on we would no longer buy non-vegan food, clothing, or support zoos and circuses. We became vegan in June 2011.

●I am vegan because I don’t want animals to suffer.

●I am vegan because I want to help the environment.

●I am vegan because I want to eat healthy.

●I am vegan because I want to reduce my risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure.

My transition into becoming a healthy vegan:

1^st Stage:

1.       An easy transition is to stop eating white flour, white rice, and white sugar.

2.       Eat whole grain bread, whole grain pasta and brown rice.

3.       Use olive oil instead of other unhealthy oils.

4.       Take a multi-vitamin.

5.       Don’t eat French fries, fried potato chips and donuts.

2^nd Stage:

1.       Don’t buy candy even if it is vegan.

2.       Don’t buy anything with high fructose corn syrup or white sugar.

3.       Eat vegan cookies, cakes, desserts once in a while.

4.       Eat frozen, processed foods once in a while. (Boca burgers, Amy’s Kitchen, Gardein, Tofurky)

5.       Eat pancakes/French toast once in a while.

3^rd  Stage: (This is the goal stage that I have not yet attained)

1.       Eat 80% raw.

2.       Eat more beans and nuts.

3.       Buy and use a dehydrator.

4.       Take a B-12 supplement.

5.       Sprout

6.       Stop toasting bread. Acrylamides are cancer causing substances. Toasting your bread increases the presence of these toxic substances.

*I will write a blog article about how to make a gradual transition into veganism.

I want to hear your stories!!! Comment and tell me why you became vegan and how you are trying to eat healthier.

Vegan Bagels

Serves: 8           Preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 c. warm water

1 package yeast

3 c. whole wheat flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

2 tbsp. vegan sugar

Optional toppings and seasonings:

Sesame seeds

Poppy seeds

Cinnamon and sugar

Pumpkin pie spice

Raisins

Garlic

Sundried tomatoes

Directions:

1.       Add warm water to a small bowl.

2.       Sprinkle the package of yeast to the water. Do not stir. Cover for 5 minutes.

3.       Stir and let sit for an additional 3 minutes.

4.       In another bowl mix together the flour and salt. (Add additional seasonings if desired) Add yeast mixture. Knead.

5.       Cover and set aside to allow the dough to rise for about an hour.

6.       Grease a cookie sheet.

7.       Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.

8.       Roll each piece into a rope about 1 inch thick. Wet the ends and stick together.

9.       Place on cookie sheet. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

10.   Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

11.   Fill a wok or pot with about 3 inches of water.

12.   Place vegan sugar in the water and bring to a boil.

13.   Add bagels for 1 minute, turning them as they boil. Drain.

14.   Place bagels on cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle bagels with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, cinnamon and sugar etc. before baking if desired. Dipping the bagel into a plate of seeds works well.

15.   Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are delicious and healthy!

*Makes about 15 cookies

Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 15-18 minutes

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed               

1 tbsp vanilla

¾ cup peanut butter (chunky or creamy)

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 c. rolled oats

½ c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

½ c. vegan chocolate chips or raisins

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.       In a large bowl, mix bananas, vanilla, peanut butter and maple syrup into a creamy consistency.

3.       In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder and salt.

4.       Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until they are well combined.

5.       Fold in the chocolate chips.

6.       Place heaping tablespoon-sized balls of batter onto an ungreased baking sheet.

7.       Bake for 15-18 minutes.

8.       Let cool and enjoy!

3 Books to Learn About Veganism!!!

1.       Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

This is a must read for everyone, vegetarian or not! When Jonathan became a father he wanted the best for his child. He asked himself, Why do we eat animals? And would we eat them if we knew how they got on our dinner plates? His quest for animals led him to visiting factory farms in the middle of the night and delving into the fictions we use to justify our eating habits. He discusses everything: genetic manipulation, animal shit and how it is an environmental disaster, animal suffering, the slaughter process, health risks, and the agricultural methods. He doesn’t preach and is not one-sided. He visits humane farms and discusses humane practices.

2.       Veganist by Kathy Freston

Freston wasn’t born a vegan. She admits that she grew up on chicken-fried steak, ribs, and milkshakes. It wasn’t until she was in her thirties that she adopted a plant-based diet. She believes people should become vegan for their personal well-being and to benefit the environment. The path she took to becoming a vegan was very gradual. She can help anyone ease into the veganist life. Freston discusses the benefits of veganism including weight loss, disease reversal, environmental responsibility and spiritual awakening. She includes expert commentary and real life success stories.

3.       The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

Silverstone shares her insights that encouraged her to become vegan. She also outlines the spectacular benefits of adopting a plant-based diet, including weight loss, clear skin, energy and smooth digestion. She explains how meat, fish, milk and cheese are the culprits behind escalating rates of disease and the cause of permanent damage to the environment. Silverstone introduces delicious food and shows how to cover every nutritional base, from protein to calcium and beyond. She understands that people cannot switch to a vegan diet straight away and that there needs to be a transition. Therefore, the book encompasses three levels, from flirting with veganism to becoming a true vegan to becoming a superhero which relies predominantly on grains and vegetables.

Who Doesn't Like Sushi?

Sushi is a great vegan dish because it is healthy and it is easy to make it tasty without raw fish.

*Makes 8 rolls

*2 Servings

Ingredients:

2 large sheets nori

½ c. brown rice (you can also use sushi rice)

½ large carrot

¼ cucumber

½ avocado

Wasabi (optional)

Bragg’s (optional) This is an alternative to soy sauce.

1 tbsp Seasoned Rice Vinegar

Directions:

1.       The first step is to cook the rice. Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a saucepan.

2.       Once the water is boiling, put ½ c. brown rice in the saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat.

3.       While the rice is cooking, cut the carrot, cucumber and avocado. Cut the carrot and the cucumber into matchsticks. Cut the avocado lengthwise. Take the pit out. Cut ½ the avocado into slices with the skin in place. Take a spoon and spoon out the avocado.

4.       Once the rice is done, put 1 tbsp of seasoned rice vinegar in the rice and stir.

5.       Let the rice cool.

6.       Place 1 sheet of nori on a cutting board, rough side up. It should be vertical.

7.       Spread rice evenly on the bottom ½ of the nori.

8.       Add the carrot, cucumber, and avocado on top of the rice.

9.       Roll it up tightly. You can also use a sushi mat. Before reaching the end, water the top edge with water so that the rolls stay together.

10.   Cut into fourths. Use a serrated knife and saw your way through.

11.   Place on a plate.

12.   Repeat with 2^nd sheet.

13.    Serve with wasabi and Bragg’s if desired. You can put the wasabi and Bragg’s in small bowls or you can put directly on the rolls. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the rolls.

14.   Enjoy!!!

*Feel free to create your own!!!

Additional ingredients:

Green beans

Red bell pepper

Tempeh

Mushrooms

Scallions

Peanut Butter

Peanuts

Radish

Ginger

Eggplant

Celery

Asparagus

*Thank you Trevor and Sarah for inviting us to your apartment and teaching us how to make sushi!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is easy, fast and the cookies are delicious!

*Makes two dozen

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 9-12 minutes

Ingredients:

2 c. unbleached flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

2/3 c. vegan chocolate chips

1 c. raw sugar

½ c. oil (canola or vegetable)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 c. almond milk or water

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.       In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

3.       Stir in chips.

4.       Add sugar, oil, vanilla, and water.

5.       Add more chips if desired.

6.       Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.

7.       Bake for 9-12 minutes. The cookies are done when they seem a little bit softer than you want them to be. They will harden up a little as they cool.

8.       Let them cool on cookie sheet before removing.

9.       Enjoy!

Revisions if desired:

*You can use applesauce or Earth Balance instead of the oil.

*Add walnuts and/or coconut.

*Add nutmeg and/or ginger.

Vegan Hamburger

Ingredients:

Hamburger bun

Boca burger (you can also make your own!)

Lettuce

Pickle

Tomato (1 slice)

Onion (1 slice)

Avocado (3 slices)

Ketchup

Dijon mustard

Salt, black pepper, oregano, parsley, garlic powder

Olive oil

Directions:

1.       Toast hamburger bun in a skillet with olive oil on medium heat. Slather ketchup and mustard on bun and put on a plate.

2.       Sauté onions in olive oil on medium heat. Cut tomato, avocado, and pickle while the onion is cooking. Place cut ingredients as well as the onions on the plate off to the side.

3.       Cook burger in the skillet with olive oil on medium heat. Season with salt, black pepper, oregano, parsley and garlic powder on both sides. Cook until browned on both sides.

4.       Place burger on bun. Put some lettuce on top. Put tomato slice, onions, avocado and pickle on top of the lettuce.

5.       Enjoy!

Pigs in a blanket

This is a quick and easy recipe that kids will love or for you to love and remember your life as a kid. They are fun to make and they taste great!

5 minute prep time

12-15 minute bake time

makes 8

Ingredients:

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp cornmeal

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp raw sugar

1 tsp baking powder

4 vegan hot dogs, halved (smart dogs, tofurky, tofu pups)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix together all of the ingredients except the hot dogs.
3. Add water, little by little until a dough ball is formed.
4. Roll the dough out, as thin as a tortilla.
5. Wrap the dough around each hot dog half.
6. Back 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
7. Dip in mustard, ketchup, etc.