Thanks for the help on the recipes and links everyone so far. Other than yesterday, I'm already feeling a lot better since I've started making vegis and fruits my main staples.
For others who are interested, another place i've been going for recipes is www.recipezaar.com
Great site, it just takes a very long time to figure out if something is good (because I have to cook it first). Of course there are reviews, but they don't have my taste buds. ;-)
How about the recipe sounds great but need portions and I have excellent source for seasoned tofus. do not have time to make it myself the tofu that is......
Sorry, it was a seat of the pants, a little of this a little of that dish.
I am going to try and attend this weekend if anyone else is in Atlanta 4/26-27, maybe Vita-Mix will have a deal at their booth. wait my economic stimulus check has not arrived yet.
ALIVE! Expo is a two day health & wellness event for the entire family. Every year ALIVE! Expo brings together local and national natural product companies, alternative practitioners, chiropractors, health food retailers and community non-profit organizations showcasing information about their products and services to thousands of individuals interested in leading a healthy lifestyle. Our mission is to inspire and encourage individuals to embrace a life of health, wellness and fitness through awareness of natural and alternative solutions, advanced medicine research, education, nutrition, exercise and lifelong benefits of living a healthy lifestyle.
I am going to try and attend this weekend if anyone else is in Atlanta 4/26-27, maybe Vita-Mix will have a deal at their booth. wait my economic stimulus check has not arrived yet.
Trying to make some Apple Pie Muffins. I used to make this recipe, originally from Canadian Living. I found this site, Choose Veg, and took the lead from their apple mufffin recipe. I only had unbleached, not whole wheat flour.
So here's my recipe:
Mix together
3c flour
1 1/4 c rolled oats
1t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
2 1/2 t baking soda
In a seperate container, mix together
2 apples, chopped
4 medjool dates, chopped
2 bits of crystallized ginger, chopped
1 3/4c unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 c chopped raw pecans
Add wet ingredients into dry and mix until dry ingredients are just moistened.
This made 18 muffins. I then mixed 1/4c each chopped pecans, rolled oats and brown sugar and sprinkled onto the tops of the muffins.
Bake at 325F for 25 minutes.
Now, the test will be to see if the taste as good to others as they smell to me right now!!!
So, still warm they are not too hockey puck like and have nice flavor, but I am worried they will be dry.
Vitamix had a booth at the reno show here last month. Priced at $550 cdn. Now, I don't get it, if the Cdn $ = the US.
I am thinking seriously about one, and about a juicer. Costco has the Breville juicer.
Costco has a Vita-Mix kit for sale online, VM5200, 64oz, 2 x 32 oz, bag, ++, but they want $699 for it, but if you buy one extra container it can be almost that much with the VM, 64 & 32 oz. The 32 oz would fit on the counter under the top cabinets.
I am also thinking about selling my Weber grill to buy the Vita-Mix. It has not been used much this year, no burgers or steaks to grill, just a lot of steaming if anything.
I am also thinking about selling my Weber grill to buy the Vita-Mix. It has not been used much this year, no burgers or steaks to grill, just a lot of steaming if anything.
well, bean burgers bbq. And there is nothing quite like veggies done on the barby....
So, still warm they are not too hockey puck like and have nice flavor, but I am worried they will be dry.
Well, next day, they are chewy as though they have been over mixed, and could have had more wet. Still taste good - so baking gurus, any hints or help with getting more moisture into a fat free vegan type muffin?
Well, next day, they are chewy as though they have been over mixed, and could have had more wet. Still taste good - so baking gurus, any hints or help with getting more moisture into a fat free vegan type muffin?
For my normal baking, when the results are dry, I would add a bit of fat in there -- usually butter, cream, milk. For vegan baking, maybe some nut milk? I would also increase the amount of ingredients with high moisture content -- apple sauce, banana, dates, etc.
I'm going to start and attempt some vegan baking soon and I wouldn't be surprise if the stuff shows up at Smug HQ ones of these days.
I had a total lightbulb moment just a few minutes ago ...
I grew up in a vegetarian home, so I'm not really all that familiar with the consistency and feel of things like hamburgers. I've had a few analog substitutes when eating out and they always taste so DRY to me, like the bean burger at Chili's or the whatever they pass off as veggie burger at Red Robin. Then I read comments here that the bean burger recipe I posted was a bit .. wet! .. for pretty much everyone, and it got me wondering why I thought everything was always so dry (and that led to my recipe being more juicy!)
I think it's my frame of reference. I like things "wetter" because that is what I'm familiar with; for me it wasn't about trying to re-create a substitute meatless burger, it was about creating a juicy, fat patty! I asked my husband why he never said it was too wet, and he said he thought it was just supposed to be like a sloppy joe .
It was REALLY driving me crazy trying to figure out why everyone thought it was so wet and if anyone has suggestions to amend my recipe to make it more appropriate to the preferences of masses let me know and I'll edit my OP to add the input. And if you're a mod who has input, gosh use your superpowers to edit in your own variation of it - maybe it'll save some other people a step or two in the honing process! I'm totally game for trying new twists on an old recipe
(I was so bummed, too, to have finally found a copy of ETL at the library but had to turn it back in before I had a chance to read it. I even paid an overdue fine on it before I realized that I just wasn't going to have time to read it until the school semester is over. Is there a download? ... like could I put a copy of it on my iPod? I'm SO techno-challenged. Where does one even look for this sort of stuff? My iPod was a gift, complete with my entire library already on it so I have no clue how to use it or add to it. Help?)
Great season!
I love this time of year. I'm eating strawberries and kiwis for breakfast. Artichokes and asparagus for dinner. There are so many types of greens in season to keep my salads interesting.
By the way, I tackled my easy meal problem from a couple of weeks ago, by setting aside an hour or two each Sunday to build a menu for the week. When I don't have to think about what to eat and I already have all the ingredients, cooking isn't too big of a hurdle. Plus, I love the in-season veggies right now, so I'm keeping it really simple.
I also picked up a copy of "The Art of Simple Food". It's not anywhere close to an ETL cookbook, but it has a lot of great info on cooking basics - which I need. I refer to it regularly for the best way to cook veggies. I just skip right over all the ones that involve heavy use of cream and butter.
By the way, I tackled my easy meal problem from a couple of weeks ago, by setting aside an hour or two each Sunday to build a menu for the week. When I don't have to think about what to eat and I already have all the ingredients, cooking isn't too big of a hurdle. Plus, I love the in-season veggies right now, so I'm keeping it really simple.
That really is the key. I'm glad it finally worked out for you!
But people in this thread already know about this... :ivar
Highlights:
-- Nutrient-dense are filled with vitamins and minerals for the calories
-- Canned fruits, frozen veggie are good too, just watch out for the sodium and sugar
-- Dark greens are good for you and are filled with high antioxidant, vitamin levels
-- When you can, pick the natural, unprocessed version of the good.
I sent you a copy of The China Study and it will be there tomorrow. Don't worry about the money, I'm not the slightest bit concerned. I only want the satisfaction of knowing I did some good in the world today.
So Monday I took a page out of the Book of Baldy; I sent a copy of The China Study to a coworker after we chatted about diet and health and stuff. I wanted to repay Baldy's kindness by passing it on, I just did not want to give away my copy. I got the call that he got it and leafed through it and has admitted that he is intrigued.
On a tangent that makes me shake my head, I found out that our local supermarket has a tool that lets one enter a bunch of things from recipes and then it will concatenate them together and give you a shopping list. Plus give you a map of where to find the stuff in the store. Seemed like it could help...
So I also figured I would check out the Vegetarian Recipes they had listed, one is called "ABC Snack Mix" here are the ingredients:
4 cups POST ALPHA-BITS Frosted Letter Oat and Corn Cereal
3 cups assorted festive candies
2 cups caramel popcorn
1 cup peanuts
1 cup small pretzel twists
No one said healthy... but now I am beginning to realize some of the perceptions that people might have and how companies might categorize things.
Look What I Found
So, whilst trying to look for vegan resources in our area I came upon this mouth-watering blog. It hasn't been updated recently, but still - vegan challah and General Tao's Tofu!!! :eat
This was my photo of the day today. Dinner! Just thought I would share because we all enjoy enormous salads here in this thread but I know that we all have our own "recipes" for these things. (And I think we are photographers, too, or something? Sometimes? )
Today I had romaine, baby spinach, bell peppers, sunflower seeds, chick peas, avocado and dulse. Topped with a generous splash of that tahini goddess dressing.
This was my photo of the day today. Dinner! Just thought I would share because we all enjoy enormous salads here in this thread but I know that we all have our own "recipes" for these things. (And I think we are photographers, too, or something? Sometimes? )
Today I had romaine, baby spinach, bell peppers, sunflower seeds, chick peas, avocado and dulse. Topped with a general splash of that tahini goddess dressing.
Looks delicious! A quick google search tells me that dulse is a seaweed, but I've never heard of it. Is it different from the seaweed I eat with sushi? Is it just another leaf in your salad?
Looks delicious! A quick google search tells me that dulse is a seaweed, but I've never heard of it. Is it different from the seaweed I eat with sushi? Is it just another leaf in your salad?
I am not sure, to be honest. It's harvested and distributed by a company in Maine...? It does have a seaweed smell/taste but it's a different texture than the stuff you get with sushi. I picked it up from WF on David's recommendation - it's got so many vitamins and minerals I just couldn't say no and the $5 bag goes a long way if you just snip a bit onto your salad as a garnish.
I'd say that it's not really a full-on component of the salad. The taste might get overwhelming! I like it, and it's worth a try.
On the basis of a recommendation in Anne McBean's Blog I needed to try this recipe for ratatouille. I am not a fan of eggplant because it is always soggy. This looked like a way to prepare without soggifying it.
So, that's what we had for lunch today.
Fresh out of the oven, the smell is heavenly.
I am out of parchment paper, so we cooked it in a casserole dish with lid. Result is a bit too juicy/saucy, but not soggy. No thyme, so used basil. No yellow squash, so used 2 zucchini.
Hubby wanted to try tofu - this is a big deal because many, many years ago we had a bad tofu experience and have avoided all forms ever since. So, hubby tried extra firm and a baked recipe that seasoned it with oil, vinegar and chili. I had some on the side, crumbled like cheese. I thought it was okay, but hubby is just not ready for tofu!
Drizzled the ratatouille with balsamic vinegar, and since hubby insisted it was bland, added a small pinch of sea salt. It was delicious - like summer in a bowl.
Well, since we're sharing pics and inspiration, I made vegan chili this week, based off of Anne McBean's recipe here. We tweaked it a bit here and there (added corn and dried mushrooms, etc...) and pronounced it a huge success! Our 6yo even liked it, enough to ask for seconds on our second night of having it for dinner. My husband declared it was the first meatless chili he's had where he didn't miss the meat. I agree! Thanks, Anne!
Elaine
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
The other nights menu here was to be beef tacos - one of those kid picks that gets agreed to because it takes no time. So I made stirfry's bean burger mix. We were really low on good ingredients so all I could put in it was onion, cilantro, salsa and chili. I used rolled oats and probably ended up with double the amount to help 'dry' it out a bit. Then I ladled it into a non stick fry pan and cooked it as though I were cooking ground beef for tacos. It was really yummy, and my hubby pointed out that it was, in effect, refried beans. I have scorned refried beans for ever!!!
We froze the extra without making patties, so we can use it again this way or any way we wish.
Then the next night was bbq burger night, so I made more bean mix, this time I had mushrooms to add in. We blended everything but the beans in the food processor, then added beans trying to get a non mush consistency. Then cooked the patties on foil on the bbq. Mmmmmm-mmm-good.
I went to the wellness expo in Atlanta yesterday, hoping Vita-Mix would have a deal, but the deal was only no shipping. I'll just keep saving up. The 5200 did look nice, hard to tell how noisy it is inside a convention hall. I was surprised they did not bring any other models with them, maybe a Vita-Prep 3? I would think a lot of small juice bars, raw food restaurants and others (me ) would have like to have seen a little more. I think I will end up with a Vita-Mix eventually.
Well, next day, they are chewy as though they have been over mixed, and could have had more wet. Still taste good - so baking gurus, any hints or help with getting more moisture into a fat free vegan type muffin?
Well, next day, they are chewy as though they have been over mixed, and could have had more wet. Still taste good - so baking gurus, any hints or help with getting more moisture into a fat free vegan type muffin?
Wish I could help. But baking is it's own world. I never liked baking, mush too precise to my taste. I cook by taste, not by measure. :eat
Comments
For others who are interested, another place i've been going for recipes is www.recipezaar.com
Great site, it just takes a very long time to figure out if something is good (because I have to cook it first). Of course there are reviews, but they don't have my taste buds. ;-)
Thanks again for all those links so far.
Sorry, it was a seat of the pants, a little of this a little of that dish.
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Alive Expo
Vitamix had a booth at the reno show here last month. Priced at $550 cdn. Now, I don't get it, if the Cdn $ = the US.
I am thinking seriously about one, and about a juicer. Costco has the Breville juicer.
My Galleries My Photography BLOG
Ramblings About Me
So here's my recipe:
Mix together
3c flour
1 1/4 c rolled oats
1t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
2 1/2 t baking soda
In a seperate container, mix together
2 apples, chopped
4 medjool dates, chopped
2 bits of crystallized ginger, chopped
1 3/4c unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 c chopped raw pecans
Add wet ingredients into dry and mix until dry ingredients are just moistened.
This made 18 muffins. I then mixed 1/4c each chopped pecans, rolled oats and brown sugar and sprinkled onto the tops of the muffins.
Bake at 325F for 25 minutes.
Now, the test will be to see if the taste as good to others as they smell to me right now!!!
So, still warm they are not too hockey puck like and have nice flavor, but I am worried they will be dry.
My Galleries My Photography BLOG
Ramblings About Me
Costco has a Vita-Mix kit for sale online, VM5200, 64oz, 2 x 32 oz, bag, ++, but they want $699 for it, but if you buy one extra container it can be almost that much with the VM, 64 & 32 oz.
well, bean burgers bbq. And there is nothing quite like veggies done on the barby....
My Galleries My Photography BLOG
Ramblings About Me
Well, next day, they are chewy as though they have been over mixed, and could have had more wet. Still taste good - so baking gurus, any hints or help with getting more moisture into a fat free vegan type muffin?
My Galleries My Photography BLOG
Ramblings About Me
I'm going to start and attempt some vegan baking soon and I wouldn't be surprise if the stuff shows up at Smug HQ ones of these days.
I grew up in a vegetarian home, so I'm not really all that familiar with the consistency and feel of things like hamburgers. I've had a few analog substitutes when eating out and they always taste so DRY to me, like the bean burger at Chili's or the whatever they pass off as veggie burger at Red Robin. Then I read comments here that the bean burger recipe I posted was a bit .. wet! .. for pretty much everyone, and it got me wondering why I thought everything was always so dry (and that led to my recipe being more juicy!)
I think it's my frame of reference. I like things "wetter" because that is what I'm familiar with; for me it wasn't about trying to re-create a substitute meatless burger, it was about creating a juicy, fat patty! I asked my husband why he never said it was too wet, and he said he thought it was just supposed to be like a sloppy joe
It was REALLY driving me crazy trying to figure out why everyone thought it was so wet
(I was so bummed, too, to have finally found a copy of ETL at the library but had to turn it back in before I had a chance to read it. I even paid an overdue fine on it before I realized that I just wasn't going to have time to read it until the school semester is over. Is there a download? ... like could I put a copy of it on my iPod? I'm SO techno-challenged. Where does one even look for this sort of stuff? My iPod was a gift, complete with my entire library already on it so I have no clue how to use it or add to it. Help?)
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I love this time of year. I'm eating strawberries and kiwis for breakfast. Artichokes and asparagus for dinner. There are so many types of greens in season to keep my salads interesting.
By the way, I tackled my easy meal problem from a couple of weeks ago, by setting aside an hour or two each Sunday to build a menu for the week. When I don't have to think about what to eat and I already have all the ingredients, cooking isn't too big of a hurdle. Plus, I love the in-season veggies right now, so I'm keeping it really simple.
I also picked up a copy of "The Art of Simple Food". It's not anywhere close to an ETL cookbook, but it has a lot of great info on cooking basics - which I need. I refer to it regularly for the best way to cook veggies. I just skip right over all the ones that involve heavy use of cream and butter.
That really is the key. I'm glad it finally worked out for you!
Now I need to get back into that habit..
Photos that don't suck / 365 / Film & Lomography
But people in this thread already know about this... :ivar
Highlights:
-- Nutrient-dense are filled with vitamins and minerals for the calories
-- Canned fruits, frozen veggie are good too, just watch out for the sodium and sugar
-- Dark greens are good for you and are filled with high antioxidant, vitamin levels
-- When you can, pick the natural, unprocessed version of the good.
Nutrient-dense food article
So Monday I took a page out of the Book of Baldy; I sent a copy of The China Study to a coworker after we chatted about diet and health and stuff. I wanted to repay Baldy's kindness by passing it on, I just did not want to give away my copy. I got the call that he got it and leafed through it and has admitted that he is intrigued.
On a tangent that makes me shake my head, I found out that our local supermarket has a tool that lets one enter a bunch of things from recipes and then it will concatenate them together and give you a shopping list. Plus give you a map of where to find the stuff in the store. Seemed like it could help...
So I also figured I would check out the Vegetarian Recipes they had listed, one is called "ABC Snack Mix" here are the ingredients:
- 4 cups POST ALPHA-BITS Frosted Letter Oat and Corn Cereal
- 3 cups assorted festive candies
- 2 cups caramel popcorn
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1 cup small pretzel twists
No one said healthy... but now I am beginning to realize some of the perceptions that people might have and how companies might categorize things.Pictures | Website | Blog | Twitter | Contact
SmugMug Technical Account Manager
Travel = good. Woo, shooting!
nickwphoto
So, whilst trying to look for vegan resources in our area I came upon this mouth-watering blog. It hasn't been updated recently, but still - vegan challah and General Tao's Tofu!!! :eat
Oh yeah, the pictures are pretty too!
Today I had romaine, baby spinach, bell peppers, sunflower seeds, chick peas, avocado and dulse. Topped with a generous splash of that tahini goddess dressing.
Photos that don't suck / 365 / Film & Lomography
Mmm that looks good. We're having fresh whole wheat pasta with basil-almond pesto, asparagus and sugar snap peas for dinner. I love spring veggies!
Looks delicious! A quick google search tells me that dulse is a seaweed, but I've never heard of it. Is it different from the seaweed I eat with sushi? Is it just another leaf in your salad?
I am not sure, to be honest. It's harvested and distributed by a company in Maine...? It does have a seaweed smell/taste but it's a different texture than the stuff you get with sushi. I picked it up from WF on David's recommendation - it's got so many vitamins and minerals I just couldn't say no and the $5 bag goes a long way if you just snip a bit onto your salad as a garnish.
I'd say that it's not really a full-on component of the salad. The taste might get overwhelming! I like it, and it's worth a try.
Photos that don't suck / 365 / Film & Lomography
So, that's what we had for lunch today.
Fresh out of the oven, the smell is heavenly.
I am out of parchment paper, so we cooked it in a casserole dish with lid. Result is a bit too juicy/saucy, but not soggy. No thyme, so used basil. No yellow squash, so used 2 zucchini.
Hubby wanted to try tofu - this is a big deal because many, many years ago we had a bad tofu experience and have avoided all forms ever since. So, hubby tried extra firm and a baked recipe that seasoned it with oil, vinegar and chili. I had some on the side, crumbled like cheese. I thought it was okay, but hubby is just not ready for tofu!
Drizzled the ratatouille with balsamic vinegar, and since hubby insisted it was bland, added a small pinch of sea salt. It was delicious - like summer in a bowl.
Thanks, Anne, for the inspiration.
ann
My Galleries My Photography BLOG
Ramblings About Me
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
The other nights menu here was to be beef tacos - one of those kid picks that gets agreed to because it takes no time. So I made stirfry's bean burger mix. We were really low on good ingredients so all I could put in it was onion, cilantro, salsa and chili. I used rolled oats and probably ended up with double the amount to help 'dry' it out a bit. Then I ladled it into a non stick fry pan and cooked it as though I were cooking ground beef for tacos. It was really yummy, and my hubby pointed out that it was, in effect, refried beans. I have scorned refried beans for ever!!!
We froze the extra without making patties, so we can use it again this way or any way we wish.
Then the next night was bbq burger night, so I made more bean mix, this time I had mushrooms to add in. We blended everything but the beans in the food processor, then added beans trying to get a non mush consistency. Then cooked the patties on foil on the bbq. Mmmmmm-mmm-good.
My Galleries My Photography BLOG
Ramblings About Me
A touch more unsweetened applesauce?? maybe