Vegan Mofo Continues!!

Grilled Artichokes

I made this for the first time today… and the basis for the recipe came from VegWeb.com – but I have changed it up a bit. They’re an amazing resource… of course… but here’s my take.

Serves 4 people.
–
2 Artichokes
Olive Oil (not EVOO)
1 large Lemon
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup Olive Oil (not EVOO)
6 cloves Garlic, pressed or microplaned
1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ cup veganaise, for dip

Method

Prepare the Artichokes
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Cut off the sharp times on every leaf using kitchen shears.
Chop off the tops and the stems with a chef’s knife.
Cut the artichokes lengthwise and “work” all the leaves a bit… just to loosen it up.
Using a serrated spoon or knife, remove the hairy part near the heart while leaving the meat intact.

Using the lemons, rub a small amount of juice over the tips of the leaves where they were trimmed, and put juice on the meat and inside leaves.

Preheat the grill to medium high. Outdoor gas grills work great.

Make the Marinade
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Take the 1/2 cup olive oil, 6 cloves garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, and fresh ground pepper, … and combine in a small to medium bowl. Whisk together until combined and smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix the Veganaise and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the marinade mixture together. Whisk until smooth and consistent in texture and color.

Pre-Cook the Artichokes
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Fill a large pot with water about 5 inches deep. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, 3 cloves crushed garlic, the leftover lemons, and a tablespoon of dried (or sprig of fresh) thyme.

Put the artichokes in the water, stem side down. Bring to a boil and boil for about 20 minutes or more, until the outer leaves move fairly easily. Too short a time, they won’t come off… to long, they’ll come off on their own.

Remove them from the water and drain in colander. Leave them for a few minutes.

GRILL ‘EM
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Brush the outsides of the artichokes with the marinade and place them outside down on the grill, and baste the insides with marinade. Grill at medium high heat for 3 to 5 minutes.

Flip them over and do it again for another 3 to 5 minutes, inside-down. Re apply the marinade prior to flipping.

EAT ‘EM UP!
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Serves 4 happy people.

There won’t be much left… except a pile of artichoke leaves.

ENJOY!

So… someone sent me a link to this recipe today:

VEGAN TURKEY THAT LOOKS LIKE TURKEY (or Flounder)

It looks pretty good! For a vegan Turkey.

I wrestle with that – only because as I get further into my Vegan-o-licious life… I find I want meat substitutes less frequently. And I think that’s a good thing. Because generally, when you’re eating MOST of the sub’s, you’re eating processed stuff. Sure, it’s Vegan, so it’s better than a box-o-brownies with a shelf life longer than military MREs… but still.

Whole foods… has kind of a nice ring to it (and I mean the food, not necessarily the store, though I do like the store… when I’m flush with cash).

One of the recipes on this site… the Rustic Cabbage Soup… is all veggies, and beans, and, well, soup. AND – you can make it in like 40 minutes or less – and it tastes like you’ve been cooking it all day.

But then there’s the Chick’n and Dumplings. It’s amazing, and a family favorite, but I wonder. Does it HELP things by using the fake chick’n? Or would chick PEAS be just as yummy? And more whole-food-y.

BY the WAY… on the Chick’n and Dumplings… I totally cut the prep time (and, more importantly, the CLEAN UP time by … like… a lot.

How? I’m sure you’re begging to know?

Well.. the recipe calls for rolling out the dough on a floured surface (not a weeknight joy)… and then cutting and dumping in the soup.

So… I kneaded in the bowl… and pinched off… and put it in the soup. Fantastic! Brilliant! I am SO impressed!!

I can assure you we’ll make more of THAT meal now that I’ve taken the EASE level up a lot.

But I digress.

I’m curious… what are your feelings about eating meat substitutes? Do you have any? Feelings, that is? About it, I mean?

Me? I’m not going to cut them out entirely… but I definitely don’t have them at every meal, either. Well, not at most meals. Okay, at quite a few… but I watch it.

I do eat a lot of whole foods… but still do opt for the ease, the convenience, and – dare I say – the comfort… of a good substitue meat.

But Morningstar Farms still sucks for putting eggs and milk BACK in their previously Vegan stuff.

So… I eat at home a lot. A whole lot. I work from home and I have a family. So, on average, I eat 6 dinners, 5 lunches, 6 breakfasts, and a number of various snacks each week.

Which is a huge change. Two years ago, I ate out for lunch six days a week. Dinner was eaten out six days, too. It’s almost funny, because although we’ve always made an effort to eat as a family, often it was in a restaurant. Often. We did hold Sunday night’s somewhat sacred, though. Those were always our “Family Dinner” nights. We’d cook. At home. From scratch. Every Sunday.

Was a good plan for the times.

Now? Nearly every night is “Family Dinner” night.

And due to that, I often have the luxury (normally it’s a nice thing) to be able to eat leftovers for lunch. But not always. And not always what I have a “taste” for.

And I know we all need variety. We need to change things up from time to time. I’m actually feeling a little self conscious becuase I sent Todd to work with the same lunch two days in a row. Working on changing THAT up, too. But for me, I’m here. So I can do more to be flexible.

I might have some “Chicken” Salad… on a piece of warm toast… and a salad.

Or, I might heat up the pannini press and make a kick-ass wrap. My favorite? A BIG vegan wrap… whole wheat, tomato, jalapeno are among my favorites. Put a little veganaise on it… some mustard… maybe some pickles or relish… a slice of vegan cheese… some Tofurkey non-meat deli slices… and give it a few minutes on the paninni press. MMMMMMMM. Good stuff.

But now I’m reading Vegan Dad’s blog. Seems he doesn’t buy the Tofurkey brand stuff. And I know I’m TRYING to cut back… more whole foods, fewer (almost no) packaged ingredients… and steer as clear as I can away from things I can’t pronounce. I give myself a bye when it comes to Seitan and Tempeh… seems there are LOTS of ways to pronounce those words. I’m talking about mono-whatever-gluto-somineate-orbisol type things. And while my word is clearly fictional, the absurdity and incomprehensibility of many “ingredients” is just as absurd.

So I normally make a salad. Four colors, every day. Cuke? Tomato? Great lettuce? Red onion? Check! Or whatever I’m feeling like that day.

And then, some soup! Or leftovers! Or a wrap!

There’s such a long list of great things to eat… Many of which are on this site, with still hundreds of recipe options on other great sites.

Maybe I’ll do a “lunches” section on the blog… hmmm.

It’s an idea worth looking into!

Thanks to the amazing Isa Chandra of Post Punk Kitchen fame… and KitteeKake … we’re now in day FOUR of #Vegan MoFo. That’s Month of Food. Vegan. Vegan Food. Vegan Month of Food. You’ve probably got it. You’ve probably heard of it.

And because of this wildly successful PROMOTION (See LA TIMES ARTICLE on it) … more people, bloggers, and media folks are talking about the benefits of Vegan eating.

You know that 40 percent more greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming come from farm animals … than CARS, right? You know that rainforests are being cut down because the land is “needed” to put farm animals (70 percent of deforestation) and the crops to feed them (nearly 30 percent).

You know that – if everyone in the world were vegan… there would be NO HUNGER. SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER RATES of Disease and death from disease. And, I think, a more compassionate planet.

So… I read a lot of books, magazines, blogs, and whatever else I can get my virtual hands on about #Vegan Cooking. You might notice that when we started this blog, I was vegetarian (thus the use of eggs and butter and dairy and cheese in some earlier recipes). But after reading The China Study

… and now, more recently, Skinny Bastard…
,

I’m done with even trying to justify “eggs are okay” and “but I like cheese.” Please. As if the pus, poo, antibiotic factor weren’t enough.. the harsh, cold realities of how factory farming works (see FOOD INC) does.

I know, the “Smug” is getting really thick. But I do feel good about what I’m personally doing for me. For my body. For my family. For the planet. AND for the animals. In our family alone, we’re preventing the painful, inhumane raising and slaughter of over 400 animals each year because we are vegan or vegetarian (one is still vegetarian… which is great).

I feel strange when I open a box. Or sometimes even a can. Or a bag. I just want to work with, cook with, and eat… REAL food.

You know?

Give Peas a Chance… and I hope you have a GREAT week.

Okay… this is a winner. This is from the incredible, amazing, wonderful Vegan Dad. I bought his cookbook, and can’t wait to try everything in it. Read his blog. Try his stuff. Buy his cookbook. You’ll be glad you did.

So… I’ve started cooking using his great stuff.

First up – this winner of a family pleaser he calls “Chick’n (or Chickpea) Pot Pie. It is wonderful… even pleased my meat eating sister as a great Saturday night meal. I changed it up a TINY bit… changed the type of veggie broth and when it’s added. But he’s a master… and you’ll love every bite.

NOTE: This takes a while. Give yourself about 2 hours for complete prep to serving. BUT – you can make salad, dessert, watch a tv show, or do your nails while it’s in the final stage. You can also do your dog’s nails. Maybe your neighbor’s, too.

Okay… so here goes.

From: Vegan Dad
Chick’n (or ChickPea) Pot Pie

Servings/Yield
1 pie (about 5 to 6 servings, less if you’re really hungry).

2 cups All-purpose flour
¾ tsp salt
1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
5-6 teaspoons ice cold water
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, diced
1 stalks celery , diced or chopped
2 carrots sliced
4 potatoes , peeled and cubed
2 cups cubed seitan (or 1 can chickpeas, rinced, or fake Chick’n)
water, to cover (see recipe)
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
1-2 tablespoon cornstarch
1-2 tablespoon veggie broth paste
Method

FOR THE CRUST
1. Mix together flour and salt in a large bowl
2. Cut in shortening with two knives or a pastry cutter
3. stir in enough water (5-6 tblsp ice cold) and mix with a fork for the pastry to come together in a ball.
4. roll out on a floured surface in a shape that fits your baking dish.

FILLING AND PIE
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Saute onion and celery in a saucepan.
3. Add carrots and potatoes and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are soft (15-20 minutes).
PVO NOTE: I added the veggie broth paste toward the end of step 3… wanted it to cook in.
4. Add (either Seitan, Chickpeas, or “Fake Chick’n), corn, and peas.
PVO NOTE: Stir it up nicely… bring it together for just a few minutes, keeping it simmering.
5. Mix cornstarch in a few tbsp of cold water … and add to the veggie mix. Continue to cook until mixture thickens, add more if still too thin (PVO Note: I used about 2 tbsp corn starch and 6 tbsp cold water… worked great). Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pour into glass or corningware dish (9×13 or so). Put crust on top of veggie mixture. Cut a few slits in the crust to allow steam to escape. Bake for 40-60 minutes, until crust browns. PVO NOTE: Don’t forget the slits… and lean toward the 60 minutes in the range).

Then… SERVE!

Oh, and don’t expect to have any leftovers unless you’re making this for yourself. People WILL go back for seconds.

WANT TO BUY HIS COOKBOOK? I highly recommend it!!

Want to buy it? Here’s a link:

FROM: The Joy of Vegan Baking Cookbook (buy this if you don’t already own it)

Bran Muffins with Raisins

Servings/Yield
6 servings
6 large to 24 tiny muffins

Ingredients:
6 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
½ cup water
2 ½ cups Wheat Bran
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar, organic
2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup nondairy milk
⅓ cup canola oil
1 cup raisins, organic

Method

This is a fantastic recipe. Easy, fast, and sure to please (but only they like BRAN!) VEGAN MOFO Month of Food…

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease muffin tin(s).

In a food processor or using an electric hand mixer, whip the egg replacer and water together until it’s thick and creamy. (PopVegOnline note: on the Blendtec, it’s one cycle at number 1 speed). This can be done by hand, but a food processor (PVO NOTE: or Blendtec or Vitamix) works really well for this.

In a large bowl, combine the bran, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. (PVO NOTE: use a wide wire whisk and make sure all the ingredients thoroughly combine). Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg replacer mixture, milk, and oil until smooth. Stir in the raisins. Add to the combined dry ingredients and stir until JUST blended. Do not overmix.

Spoon into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack.

PVO Notes: Stuff works wonders. Tastes great. OH – and you can re-heat in the micro for about 45 seconds – WRAPPED IN A PAPER TOWEL to seal in the moisture… great with non-dairy butter, too. MMMMMM.

So… was a very cool and interesting day today. My sister, definitely NOT vegan… joined us to cheer at the Farm Sanctuary walk here in Orlando. We had lunch afterward at Ethos Vegan Kitchen… a wonderful vegan spot we like to frequent. My sister… had vegetable soup. And noted that it was missing something. Like beef. Or chicken.

Oh, well.

Fast forward a few hours… I made dinner tonight. I used the FABULOUS Vegan Dad cookbook…and made Chickpea Pot Pie… and Key Lime Pie for dessert. MMMMMMMM.

My sister, the confirmed non-vegetarian… loved both. And was surprised she liked both quite a lot.

I don’t have an expectation that she’s going to switch or anything… but was great to prepare a completely vegan meal that she really enjoyed.

I’m sharing the vegan thing… don’t want to be preachy, or pushy, or anything… but great to let people know there are great alternatives to “what we’ve always done.”

Oh – and I’m almost finished reading “Skinny Bastard.” Great stuff… confirms a lot!!

Happy Vegetarian Month and Vegan Month of Food!

So… if you know me or if you’ve read my blog before, you know that I’m a fairly new vegan… vegetarian before that… and haven’t eaten cow or pig since Clinton’s first term (1996).

There is so much good information, tying a better diet (read: more fruits, vegetables, whole grains) to better health with less disease. I wrote a few days ago about a woman repping a pet food at Petco who struck up a conversation with me… who had diabetes herself, but just “loved the taste of meat.” Kills me.

This whole VEGAN MOFO (That’s Month of Food if you didn’t know)… is an amazing awareness campaign.

I’m participating in the Farm Sanctuary Walk for Animals (click if you’d like to donate!)
… which starts and ends, I believe, at Ethos Vegan Kitchen in Orlando, Florida. It’s a small part of a big thing. Something I hope is a movement.

Why would someone be or become vegan? For their health, for the health of the planet, and to live a life of compassion free from horrific cruelty. Shana, co-host of the cooking show (which WILL come back)… announced she’s vegetarian as a result of reading Skinny Bitch. Might even be vegan. Very cool stuff, now THAT book (and it’s alternative, Skinny Bastard) is on my must-read-next list.

I feel awkward “preaching” about it. But almost a fifth of the greenhouse gasses come from – cows. There are simply too many. And their treatment too awful.

Think about this: to raise one pound of beef, it takes 12 pounds of grain, 55 sq feet of rainforest, 2500 gallons of water, Source(s): EarthSave.org. Yet there are millions of human children who don’t have access to that same water. Seems a bit skewed, to me.

Seventy percent of deforestation in the Amazon is caused by a need for pastures, and crops for feed are a big part of the other 30 percent.

There are plenty of other statistics to further explain and persuade. It takes something like 1 70th – 1/70 – .01425 of the land and water resources to provide a vegetarian meal versus a non-vegetarian meal. That’s pretty compelling. We can reduce our footprint by a staggering amount… just by eating what’s good for us and makes us healthy.

I’m just one guy… and I am glad to see increasing “acceptance” and options at restaurants. Does indeed show that progress is being made. But not enough, and not fast enough.

Dr. Campbell makes compelling arguments in The China Study. Incredible, solid connections between diet including animals and diseases including cancer, diabetes, parkinson’s, and so much more. And he tested on animals (not an animal rights guy). The Skinny Bitch book… funny as hell, but makes you think BIG time. Does talk about animals, and environmental impact, and so much more. But it does it in a funny way… very funny… with the goal being a healthier, skinnier, more attractive you (turns out it’s inside AND out).

I’m rambling here. Most of my posts are about great meals and fun things to eat – that are vegan. And earlier on in this blog… I did have quite a few things that were just vegetarian (but all pretty easily veganized).

So look forward to more vegan foods… treats… and fun conversations.

I’ll try not to hop on the soap box too much… but it’s kind of fun (not to mention important).

But do it for yourself! Or do it for the Environment and the planet! Do it for the children! Do it for the animals!! Everyone is helped every time one more person makes the healthy choice… and becomes vegan.

Special thnaks to @LinzSeiber for giving me the heads-up on this one. I should have known, right? I mean, my office is IN LA… how could I miss that?!

Anyhow… it’s a really cool concept. Bloggers all over the world… focusing each day during October… on Vegan food and cooking and stuff.

I do that MOST days, anyhow… but I’m going to make a concerted effort to do more in October. Every day… at least something… on popvegonline.

So… here’s a link to KitteeKake’s roundup: Cake Maker to the Stars: Vegan MoFo Roundups! MoFo Maps ‘n More More More!!!

Here’s a link to the LA Times article in today’s paper on Vegan MoFo.

So I’m going to get all Julie and Julia on you. Every day a note. Because I’ve got so much free time. Not really. But I do think it’s important.

Look for more on this… well, every day this month!