Raw Determination

Shoot...I am running out of creative titles that include "raw". For the past week, since it has been Winter Break, I have been experimenting and creating many raw vegan dishes. I do not have pictures of many of them; however, most have been a hit. The only downside to this experimentation is that is takes quite some time as dehydration is not a expedient process.

For Christmas I had experimented with carob brownies, flax crackers, and oatmeal raisin cookies. Two of the three were a hit! I personally loved the brownies, but many did not. I think this is attributable to the carob. Many people are not fans of carob, and, indeed, I was not when I first tired it. For me, it has been about 5 years and I have grown quite accustomed to it as I am allergic to normal chocolate. The flax crackers were a hit as many people ate them with hummus or salsa instead of the store-bought, refined flour-ful crackers my mother had purchased. There were many diabetics at this gathering, counted about 5 (out of 11 people...shameful, I know), and the flax crackers are low in carbohydrates and sugar free. The kicker was that we had a table full of pies, cookies, brownies, and many other desserts that would put any diabetic in a fit. I, of course, brought these raw vegan oatmeal cookies. They were indeed my favorite as well as many other family members'. This cookie was pretty low on the glycemic index and fairly healthy...and, don't let me forget, EASY! Oatmeal Raisin Cookies were just walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, salt, coconut butter, and a touch of agave blended in the food processor and then mixed with raw oats. Then I popped them into the dehydrator and warmed for about an hour. Done! So good.

I have also made my FAVORITE raw vegan snack: Kale Chips! I mean, they are out of this world. Not only that, but they probably are one of the most healthy snacks you can possible have. These chips are full of protein, antioxidants, phytonutrients, carotenoids, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and the Bs.  I made a chili-lime version, here is my recipe:

Chili-Lime Kale Chips

Ingredients:

• One bunch of kale, destemmed and torn into small bits
• Raw tahini
• Nutritional yeast flake
• Nama shayu 
• garlic
• cayenne pepper
• lime
• water, to thin

Method:

1. In a food processor, blend a couple spoonfuls of tahini, about the same amount of nutritional yeast flake, a couple dashes of soy sauce, a tsp of garlic, a couple dashes of cayenne, and juice of one lime. 
2. As it is processing, slowly add a much water needed in order to make it a thick but fluid consistency, like that of applesauce. 
3. Pour on top of the kale (that is in a large bowl). 
4. Toss until covered evenly and completely.
5. Transfer pieces to the dehydrator.
6. Dehydrate on mesh racks at 105 degrees for 5-8 hours (depends on humidity and amount of sauce)

This morning (well, and last night) I made a raw vegan breakfast. I started yesterday with the eggplant bacon. It takes 5 hours to marinate and around 8 hours to dehydrate until crispy. I also soaked and sprouted my buckwheat groats. This morning I blended the ingredients for the pancakes and dehydrated them for 2.5 hours. I mixed together a quick fruit salad and there was my breakfast.

It was extremely filling and satisfying, which has been a problem for me recently. I have found that I am not necessarily full like I once would describe it, which perhaps is a good thing. I am not longer full after I eat a raw vegan meal, but oftentimes I am hungry again soon thereafter and must eat again. In this case, I have not been hungry all day since I ate this breakfast. The buckwheat pancakes were quite filling. I was glad to see a healthy, raw vegan alternative to one of my favorite breakfast foods: the pancake.

Another problem that I have been having is the time commitment. Dehydration takes hours. To make a simple breakfast that would have normally taken me maybe, at most, 20 minutes, took me two days. Although it is rewards and tasty, it seems to be a lot of work that might deter a 100% raw vegan diet. 

That is all for now. I have really been enjoying this break. Things to look forward to: raw halva with cinnamon "pita chips". I hope that turns out well. I don't know what else will be in my future for food, but hopefully it doesn't bankrupt me!

This is how a raw vegan spends his winter break: tasting delicious raw vegan treats form la lengua de un vegan. 

Raw Creativity

Making the transition to raw has, indeed, been difficult; however, it seems to be easier ever since my "Christmas" present arrived: a dehydrator. The dehydrator really has inspired a lot of creativity. I have been reading continuously about techniques and recipes that are specific to dehydrators. Through this self-education, I have really learned to think more creatively in order to use the culinary techniques with which I am familiar and use them to create raw meals.

All day today I have been making flax crackers for my Christmas meal on Sunday. I am going to make raw hummus to accompany the flax crackers and veggies. Coincidentally, there is a bowl of sprouting brown rice laying on my counter. It was finally tender enough to eat, so I was pondering on how I can eat it. It's towards the end of the week, so my kitchen is fairly empty as I go grocery shopping once a week on weekends, when it dawned on me. I went to the dehydrator and pulled out the not-quite-done flax crackers and cut off a triangle. I used this as a flexible, but fairly cooked taco shell. The sprouted brown rice was then tossed in a tad bit of raw oil, salt, and chili powder. I spread some organic guacamole on taco shell, spooned the brown rice meat atop the spread, and topped it all off with sunflower seeds and diced pickled jalepenos.

The flax crackers are super simple to make, but take a long time to dehydrate. The recipe (that follows) calls for flax seeds, but I didn't have any, so I used flax meal. This makes the texture a tad like a crisp unleavened bread compared to that of a crunchy cracker. Nevertheless, both types work, but the whole flax seeds are recommended.

Flax Seed Crackers/Taco Wrapper

Ingredients:

• 2 cups golden flax seeds
• 2 cups water
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomato, soaked
• 1/2 cup baby carrots
• 1 tbsp salt

Method:

1. In a large bowl mix the flax seeds and water. Let stand until extremely gloopy and slimy.
2. In a food processor, blend the sun-dried tomato, baby carrots, and salt until well incorporated and finely chopped.
3. Once the flax seeds have become a "paste" add to the food processor and pulse until all ingredients are combined. 
4. Spread the mixture on nonstick sheets of the dehydrator to about a quarter of an inch thick.
5. Place in dehydrator for 5 hours.
6. Flip onto a mess screen and dehydrate for 4-6 more hours (until desired crunch is achieved).  
7. [For the taco shells, I took the cracker out at 7 hours of dehydration]

I hope you all enjoyed this recipe. I came up with this recipe out of necessity and what I had. I did, however, get the inspiration from Ani Phyo's flax cracker recipe (adding other ingredients that I had in my kitchen). I know that I make a lot of vegan and raw vegan tacos. I promise the next raw meal will not be a taco. 

Happy Holidays and Merry Winter to all!

Eat Me Raw!

Raw Veganism.... to be lazy and to quote Wikipedia...."is a diet which combines veganism and raw foodism. It excludes all food of animal origin, and all food cooked above 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit). A raw vegan diet includes raw vegetables and fruits, nuts and nut pastes, grain and legume sprouts, seeds, plant oils, sea vegetables, herbs, and fresh juices.... Sometimes the definition of a raw vegan diet is loosened to include vegan diets with at least 75% raw foods."


Ugh, so many people look at me crazy when I try to explain it. I have been accused of being an elitist and out of my mind. I've been interrogated about my nutrition and my weight. Socialization of meat consumption goes much further than simply being meat-centric in food consumption and completely ostracizing vegetables; moreover, it starts attacking people who choose not to conform, those who think about their health and their earth. The decision to transition to raw veganism has not been without much contemplation. I am starting to introduce raw into my diet now, while slowly removing un-raw foods. After finals, I am going to do an entire raw vegan organic cleanse and adhere to a solely raw diet. 


I don't know how long this will last. As of now, I think of this as a way to get healthier and eliminate ALL processed foods, refine sugars, and gluten. The goal is to become a healthier vegan that actually eats 70% raw at every meal while simultaneously increasing the intake of superfoods and decreasing bad-for-you foods. I will be 100% gluten-free at the end of this as well.


Although veganism is healthier than the standard American carnivore diet, veganism can be unhealthy as well. Consuming exorbitant amounts of soy products, consuming only cooked food, consuming high levels of processed carbohydrates, and sticking to high-gluten meat substitutes. All of these products are detrimental to one's health. 


I recently watched a documentary that pushed me over the raw edge. I learned that our body goes through autoimmune responses (i.e. digestive leukocytosis) when eat a diet comprised of 51% or more cooked food. Also, this documentary elucidated the benefits (and the science) behind vitamins and minerals. In addition to the documentary, my previous knowledge of autoimmune responses to gluten and negative aspects of soy consumption persuaded my decision to change my diet. 


I expect to resume my normal veganism at some point, but it will be all organic (no exceptions), completely non-GMO, gluten-free, and 70-90% raw. There will be no processed foods or foods that contain soy. 


Here is what I have been eating recently. Let me clarify that I understand that somethings might not be 100% raw or may be pasteurized, but this is a transition. 


Lately for breakfast I have been eating Muesli with almond milk along with a banana and some kind of fruit smoothie that is enriched with veggies and a superfood complex. For lunch, I tend to eat some kind of nut mix or raw bar. The Raw Revolution or Larabar bars are my favorite. They are tasty. The Raw Revolution bars are live, certified raw, and have spirulina in them (at least the one I tried does). For dinner, I have been trying to explore the raw aspects of veganism. So the first night I ate Asian broccoli with almonds. Tonight, I tried a new recipe (that I thought up as I was roaming the store): raw vegan tacos. 

Raw Vegan Tacos

Ingredients:

• head of organic romaine or butter lettuce
• red pepper hummus
• 1 organic red onion, mined
• 2 small organic Haas avocados
• 2 small organic Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 small organic red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 ear organic corn, decobbed
• 1 organic lemon
• 1/3 cup raw, unsalted, organic almonds
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• spices
• salt, to taste
• olive oil, cold pressed

Method:

1. Make the almond meat by blending the almonds, garlic, spices, and oil in a food processor until small chunks like ground beef.
2. Make the guacamole by putting the avocados in a bowl and smashing them with salt and lemon juice. Add onion, tomatoes, and corn. 
3. To assemble, take one leaf of lettuce and spread on the hummus. Atop the hummus, spread the chunky guacamole. Top with almond meat and julienned peppers.
4. ENJOY!

They were definitely delicious and filling. It has protein, omega fatty acids, fiber, and tons of different vitamins and minerals. For dessert I had a banana and these spirulina carob treats. They are so addicting. They are soft, but crunchy with this sweet, fake-chocolately flavor. They are also high in B-vitamins (for energy) as well as vitamin A and E. 

Recently I have been trying other snacks as well like kale chips. I have been wanting to make them, but without a dehydrator it is near impossible.  Luckily my mom is getting me a dehydrator for the Jesus holiday!! I bought these and they were expensive: $5.00 for a small bag. I can make tons more for about a dollar. 

Overall, I am going to give it a try. I want to be healthier and this is going to be my chance to really eat the way I want to eat without sacrificing my profound enjoyment of food. I think once this trial run of raw veganism is over, I will no longer be conforming to labels as a raw foodist or a vegan. I don't think I will really fall into any special category. I will just be healthy. 

We have the option to be in control of our health and our life. This is my decision to be healthy and happy. 

I'm Vegan and Still Ate a Philly Cheezsteak!

I was going to update this blog each day during my trip, but I literally had no time to be on a computer. So, here it is, an entire recapitulation of my vegan exploration from start to finish.

This past week I packed my bags and went to Philadelphia for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Annual Convention, where 12,000 speech-language pathologists, audiologist, hearing scientists, speech scientists, language scientists, psychologists, cognitive neuroscientists, interpreters, teachers and every other professional that communication is important. As I packed my bags, my veganism was on my mind. I was worried that I would not have anything to eat for the next five days. So I packed my backpack full of rice cakes, a huge bag of flavored almonds, and some granola bars. I was revolted at the thought of having to eat these unsatisfying subpar snacks. Thus, I headed to the airport. All was good until I reached Georgia and I had to wait an hour for my layover. I was hungry. I took out the large one-pound bag of toffee flavored almonds and ate a handful after the next. I soon realized that this bag was not going to last me for five days. I finally flew into Philly around 4pm EST. I was nervous if I was going to find food. I started to feel the rumblings within my stomach. I checked into my hostel. I immediately saw that there were a lot of hippy people around. I thought, "they must know where vegan food is!" Unfortunately, no one knew of any vegan or vegetarian restaurants around, even those who live in Philly year round. I suited up to battle the stinging night winds of Philly in search of dinner.

I walked down 3rd street until I hit a place that seemed really promising. Restaurants lined the street going for blocks. As I entered South Street hoping to be able to quell my hunger and to warm my fingers, I saw a lot of pizza and cheesesteak restaurants. My heart sank and my hunger turned to nausea in disappointment. I continued down one side of the street until 8th. I did not find anything. I crossed the street and continued the path back as I came. I passed a couple erotica shops and a couple more pizza shops. I walked past a cheesesteak place. My eyes glanced pass the glass window thinking that there was only dead cow on their menu, but then I saw the word "Veggie". At first, I thought it was just talking about the grilled onions and peppers that went on their cheesesteaks. As I continued to read it said, "Veggie Steaks". It intrigued me. I stood outside of the shop re-reading "Veggie Steaks" over and over again, trying to parse what it possibly could me. I was apprehensive about going in and asking or even reading the menu. I had no desire to look like some dumb white kid from the midwest. My numb fingers screaming at me for warmed overpowered my shy conscious. I walked in the door and asked about their "Veggie Steak". Indeed it was a vegan cheesesteak with a tempeh-esque meat with peppers, onions, broccoli rabe and soy cheez. I sat down with my vegan cheezsteak. As I down this foot-long hoggie filled with fake meat as a mock representation of Philadelphian tradition, I realized my insatiable appetite to explore the world via my mouth was going to be gorged with delicious vegan food. And this was just the beginning.

As I walked away full with my cheezsteak I wanted to go back to my hostel a different way. As I semi-sprinted back in order to avoid the cold, I walked past a store that at first I thought was just a vitamin store. I stopped in place, turned around, and, as I had before with the cheesesteak place, read the window again. I re-read again and again, trying to ensure I did not look like a fool. I went in, with no desire to eat anything, and I walked out with a raw vegan smoothie and a vegan scone. The smoothie was actually exactly what I needed. According to the very eccentric store owner, the smoothie would burn fat. Luckily, I had just had a very fatty meal and it really did balance out the cheezsteak. I decided to head back to my hostel and pass out. The journey really started the next day when I had to find three meals...

After getting ready, I went down to the kitchen in the basement of the hostel to have a glass of orange juice and the vegan cranberry scone that I saved from the previous night. It was a fulling and a delicious breakfast to the start of my day. Thursday was most seminar-packed day of my entire trip. I ended up eating the backup granola bar and a handful of almonds throughout the day until I had my mid-afternoon lunch. I had not had time to really explore Center City yet, so I went to the closest Panera-esque store in the gay district and got a greek salad. After another long stent of seminars, I ended up in China town looking for some food. I stumbled across an all vegan chinese restaurant. Here in Lawrence, there is a vegan-friendly Pan-asian restaurant, but it is kind of upscale, nouveau food. I really miss the cheap, $4 deep-fried general's chicken that I would get at places like Tryyaki or New Peking. So, when I stumbled upon this place, I almost had a heart attack. I was seated next to a hippy couple that was shoeless and had dreads. This was a sign of true culinary excellence.  The menu was entirely vegan and was 5 pages long. I had no idea what to order, the options impeding my decision making. When the waiter asked if I was ready, I blurted out the generals chicken with brown rice. Luckily, when the plate came with glazed cubes of tempura battered bean curd with broccoli tossed with a spicy brown sauce in a cabbage bowl, I died a little on the side. I took the bite as fast as I could, unfortunately burning my palate little, as submitting to the vegan Asian-American bliss. With an empty plate and an extended stomach, the waiter handed me the dessert menu. I wanted one of everything, was too poor and too full to do that, but there was one thing that I have always craved as I heard my friend talk about state fairs and that was deep fried cheesecake. I ordered myself strawberry vegan cheesecake. My life ended when I took that first bite. I threw all of my personal health codes out of the window and just indulged in the most decadent, yet simplistically white trash, dish. I could barely pull myself from my seat to force myself to take the 20 minute walk back to my hostel. As I walked back to my hostel, I saw people carrying Whole Foods bags, and my heart fluttered. My pace increased with the beat of my heart. I dropped off my bag onto my bed and pulled out my laptop. Google has never failed me before. There was a Whole Foods on 9th and South. Before you know it (even though it was another 20 minute walk) I was at Whole Foods, my home away from home. I needed to grab breakfast. Breakfast is the most difficult meal to find vegan and the one meal I have the least amount of time to grab. I bought a banana, pumpkin vegan donut holes, and a raspberry lime juice. I dragged myself back to my hostel as the exhaustion of my day was starting to set in.

The next morning I woke up and devoured my vegan donuts. I had not had a donut in about a year. It was time. I was ready to take my 3 hour lunch break and explore Center City on Friday. I walked up and down each street between Market and Walnut and 12th and 16th. I found this place, only blocks away from the convention center. It was a vegan falafel bar!!! I died and went to heaven. In heaven, there is a huge pita filled with hummus, falafels, and every topping you can think of. I got a class of freshly squeezed orange juice. It was a cute setup. The bar was unlimited. When I would eat all of the ghobi and broccoli out of my pita, I could go and put more in. It was cheap too! After my belly was full, I went to find where I would have dinner. I wanted to get a feel for all cuisine that would offer me something vegan. Once I found an Indian restaurant, I was sold. I knew that was where I was going to go back for dinner. After a long day at the conference, I had only 2 hours to eat before a party I was supposed to go to. The Indian restaurant did not have as many vegan vegetarian dishes (without saag) as I had hoped, but they had something that most do not, it was ghobi alo. As I sat and took in every last floret of cauliflower and every grain of rice, I looked out the window and saw people walking together and having a fun time. As I sat alone, as I had so many times in the last couple days, I realized that this vegan food is my company. I had to find more. Alas, I had to go to a party, where all of the hors d'ouveres were cheese and meat. I must wait until the next and last day of my trip to enjoy more.

The vegan Asian restaruant on 9th and Cherry

For breakfast on Saturday I found myself at Whole Foods again buying a vegan apricot ginger muffin. Across the street was a Starbucks, where I ordered a pumpkin spice hot soymilk (creme). It warmed my heart and soul as I walked a 15-minute walk in the cold to the convention. Not only did it warm my literally, but it also warmed my lust for pumpkin and fall flavors. My day was to end early as I had to be back at the airport by 3:30. Nevertheless, I had a break from 11-3 to shop and to find my last vegan Philly place. As I bounced from H&M, Urban, and other stores, I continually searched for the next place. None popped out at me. I found myself sitting in the same dark restaurant with the pink table clothes with chopsticks and tea kettles atop next to hippies. The lunch specials proved to be cheaper and more plentiful. I ordered sweet and sour pork with crab rangoon and wonton soup. Never had I felt like a glutton before having ate all of the soup, the entire plate of rangoon (6), and all of the "pork", veggies and rice (I never eat rice when I have Asian food). The same waiter asked again if I wanted dessert. I proudly declined as I prepared for my sojourn back to my hostel. That was the last meal I ate in Philly.

Philadelphia surprised me providing a lot of options and a cultural awareness of veganism. I found (on Friday) other Asian places that served all of the meat dishes with imitation meat and their sauces were vegan (it was on South and that's why I didn't eat there for my last meal, too far away). I also discovered places within Reading Terminal (a huge market next the convention center) had vegan cheesestakes. There were so many options that I did not explore due to time, transportation and money. Philly not only surprised me giving me options but also the quality of the food. I was never hungry or dissatisfied. I left Philly the my insatiable appetite satiated.

I hope you enjoyed reading about the tasty travels of la lengua de un vegan.

Inventive with Leftovers

Kansas weather has been quite tricky lately. It has almost decided to skip fall altogether and skip right to winter. Mother Nature's games have forced me to move to warm food to combat the bone chilling coldness. The epitome of winter weather is soup, but where I'm from it is more like chili. I decided to make vegan chili and cornbread (you CANNOT have chili without cornbread). I went to the store and bought all organic beans and vegetables and everything. This chili (and cornbread) was low in fat (just the oil to saute the veggies), cholesterol-free, vegan and organic! Here was the recipe:

Vegan Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can organic pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 bag organic prepared yellow, green, and red bell peppers
• 1 can organic fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 can organic tomato sauce
• 1 box organic mushroom stock
• 1 organic sweet potato, diced
• 1 organic red onion, diced
• 1 organic carrot, diced
• 1 organic jalapeno, minced
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 bunch organic scallions, chopped (for garnish)
• olive oil for sauteing 
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tbsp grilling seasoning
• 1 tbsp paprika 
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. In a hot dutch oven (or large pot), heat the oil until shimmering. Add sweet potato, carrot, and garlic. Saute until browned and starting to slightly soften.
2. Add red onion. Cook until translucent.
3. Add peppers mix. Cook until soft. 
4. Add seasonings.
5. Add jalapeno, beans, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce and entire box of mushroom stock.
6. Cook until thickened and potatoes are tender. 
7. Garnish with scallions and serve over cornbread.

It was definitely my kind of chili. Spicy, thick, hearty and super healthy. So, this is where the inventive side starts to creep its way through. I needed to eat all of this chili before I go out of town for 5 days. I already had it for dinner for two nights. This morning I used it in a tofu scramble. So, instead of eating another bowl tonight, I made....wait for it....a veggie burger. I added garbonzo bean flour and vital wheat gluten. Pan seared it and baked it to dry it out. I topped it with organic ketchup. So sweet and a perfect addition. I put it between two pieces of toasted 8 grain bread with a side of carrots! Today was a day for inventiveness! 

Oh, as a post scriptum, here is a picture that was on my camera. Don't know when I made this dish, but it was smoked tofu with sweet and sour veggies atop rice. Enjoy!

Shriveling to Nothing

The pizza that started it all.

It has absolutely been a long time since I updated this blog. Mainly it has been due to the craziest semester of my life!! But I sure did save some of the most delicious food I've eaten in a long time for this post. I just recently bought a million pounds of spinach that I was going to use for a party; however, I never used it. So, to use it up before it went bad I made spinach pesto. In order to make sure that does not go to waste, I made pizza a couple of weeks ago with sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. As per usual, my dishes come from my creativity in not wanting to waste food. So, I came up with this dish from scratch:

Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 lb quinoa pasta
• 1 c button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 c artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 3/4 c tofu ricotta, recipe follows
• 1 block non-GMO tofu, crumble
• 2 small lemons, squeezed
• 1 tsp italian seasoning
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 oz vegan cream cheese
• 1 c fresh baby spinach
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flake
• salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
• vegan "parmesan" topping, recipe follows

Method:

Homemade Vegan Parmesan Topping

1. Cook pasta according to directions.
2. Saute mushrooms until soft. Add the artichoke hearts and garlic, saute for a couple of more minutes. 
3. Add the tofu ricotta mixture. (With a fork, mix the tofu, lemon juice, and seasonings until it is small crumbles like normal ricotta.) Saute for at least 3 minutes.
4. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.
5. Add nutritional yeast and spinach. Cook just until spinach is wilted.
6. Season to taste.
7. Top with topping. (In a food processor, blend salt, pine nuts and nutritional yeast flake until it resembles parmesan cheese. *see picture*)

This dish surprised me. Since I just made it off the top of my head, I was worried it would be too thick, too salty, too tangy, too chunky. But really, there was a nice balance between them all. I would say one of my favorite pasta dishes that I've made. It tastes so close to what I would normally have at an Italian-American restaurant that would be full of cheese, fat, cholesterol, and all of that fun stuff. 

Another dish that sprouted this week was because of some left overs that I had. Every week our local ECM has a free veggie lunch. There they have two tables just overflowing with vegan bread from a local bakery. They allow you to take as much home that is left over at the end of the lunch as you want. I took two loaves home: one sourdough and one raisin walnut. I have also been craving something pumpkiny. Also, I had two apples left over from the party I was going to use the spinach at. What did I do? Make pumpkin bread pudding!!

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

• 2 loaves (8ish cups) local vegan bread, cubed
• 1 can pureed pumpkin
• 6 c favorite non-dairy milk (I used mixture of unsweetened almond and hemp milk)
• 2/3 c any sweetener (I used all-natural maple syrup and brown sugar)
• 1 tbsp vegan buttery spread, melted
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 c raisins
• Apple Compote
• 2 granny smith apples, peeled and diced
• 1/4 c cane sugar
• 1/4 orange juice
• salt, cinnamon, cardamom, to taste
• Cinnamon Cream, topping
• 1 block silken tofu (non-GMO)
• 1/4 c agave
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 13x9 pan.
2. In a skillet, saute apples, sugar, oj, and spices. Once caramelized, take of heat and let cool.
3. In large bowl, mix together the bread, raisins, apple compote and cinnamon.
4. In another large bowl, mix together remaining ingredients until a homogenous, custardy texture. 
5. Pour the wet mixture over the bread mixture. Let stand for at most 5 minutes (depending on the crustiness and staleness of your bread).
6. Pour into pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. 
7. Top with cinnamon cream. (Place all ingredients in food processor and puree.) 

This dessert is the taste of fall. It did not require to go to the store for anything and it is extremely filling and comforting. Another great dessert to accompany a great meal. I hope you enjoyed, these are the dishes the satisfied the busy lengua de un vegan. 

Dinner of Marathon-esque Runners!

After a long run (I mean nearing about 1.75 hours total), I wanted a hearty, but healthful meal. So, I had spaghetti with italian sausage and asparagus.

But, of course, there were minor changes. The pasta, first off, is gluten-free. It is made from quinoa, which is a superfood and complete protein! The veggies in the pasta are red, green, and yellow bell peppers, onions and spinach. There are Tofurky sun-dried tomato italian sausages cut up inside too. The sauce was a garden vegetable, organic sauce. All with a side of asparagus. This meal is full of protein and tons (TONS!) of vegetables. All with low-sodium, cholestrol-free and nearly fat-free.

Great post-run dinner. Too bad is was a dinner for one!

Anyway, this was a quick post that satisfied la lengua de un vegan!

Quick Post

I don't have time to cook or to update but here was my IHOP inspired breakfast.

Gluten-Free Pancakes topped with Blueberry Coconut with a side of Sweet Potato-Apple Hash

Veganism Means War (Or Does it?)

Since I don't think the veganism is just about food, I thought I would post this conversation/debate/contemplation I had with someone. Here it is:

Someone made a simple and good argument today that I thought it'd be interesting to contemplate: "To be a pacifist, you must be a vegan. How can a pacifist justify exploitation and violence against innocent beings, regardless of their species?"

• Person #2 

I think a large majority of people make a serious distinction between humans and other species... But we are kind of totally different than any other being, non?

• Me 

To say that humans are totally different is true insofar as we are capable of things that no other species can. However, if pacifists believe humans should not inflict or perpetuate violence against one another, they should do the same for all other sentient beings, because regardless of species we both have that in common. 


Some religions (such as Jainism) that practice pacifism believe that human life is valued as unique--- the only species able to reach enlightenment; however they still practice compassion to all humans and non-humans requiring their followers to be vegetarian**. 

I researched this topic because I’m the biggest nerd ever!! Here is what a great scholarly journal article said: “Ethical vegetarianism may express for some, then, the conviction that to be fully human is to have reverence for all life, especially sentient life. Part of this involves a rejection of violence. As Twigg (1979, 1983) points out, ethical vegetarianism has traditionally been associated with pacifism as well as a host of unorthodox, radical and oppositional stances. In this it is as much motivated by the need to define what it is to be human as it is from concern with the welfare of animals. As Tester (1991) argues, animal rights, although assimilating animals to the category of the human and vice versa, is also, and perhaps more importantly, about differentiating humans from animals as moral creatures who are alone capable of compassion” (Hamilton, M. Eating Death: Vegetarians, Meat and Violence. Food, Culture & Society v. 9 no. 2 (Summer 2006) p. 155-77)

In a study that they preformed, they wanted to see the stance of vegetarianism on non-health related issues such as war and nuclear weapons programs: “…Ethical vegetarians were rather more opposed to these things than health-oriented vegetarians or those motivated by other reasons, as one might expect. When asked whether they were in favor of or opposed to Britain possessing nuclear weapons 52 percent of ethically motivated vegetarians said they were opposed, while only 28 percent of health-motivated vegetarians and 44 percent of vegetarians motivated by other concerns were opposed, and only 18 percent of non-vegetarians” (Hamilton). They subsequently concluded that vegetarians tend to be “radically” liberal and abstain and oppose from all forms of violence compared to those of non-vegetarians. 

I would say that since humans, Westerners really, have made such a clear and devastating distinction between humans and non-humans, it is hard to say that we can equate pacifism for both. I'm not saying this is a completely sound argument; I would, however, agree it is a really good one. We must keep in mind, like many other moral-ethical viewpoints, that pacifism has many different stances and variations. It is, therefore, impossible to blindly conflate veganism and pacifism for their seemingly foundational stances on violence, because it could come down to something as simple as: "Pacifism has nothing to do with food, only war" (if that is one's standpoint). 

Sorry that this was a really long response. But I ended up researching this topic a little further as it really sparked an interest. I never linked the two in such a way. After reading many different scholarly journal articles and vegetarian/vegan blogs as well as pacifist readings, I can see a connection. However, I do want to concede a little and say that Hitler was a vegetarian who was obviously not a pacifist. There are always examples of the exceptions but that does not nullify over-arching conclusions. Also, I am aware of much of the bias that can be surreptitiously written in vegetarian rhetoric. Nevertheless, I believe that there is a clear connections and fundamentally I believe that vegetarianism/veganism** goes hand in hand with pacifism and visa versa. I would not necessarily require a pacifist to be a vegetarian; however, depending on their stance, it could be hypocritical not to. 

**I am going to treat vegetarianism and veganism as the same words in the response. It is simply because semantically vegetarianism is technically a form of dietary veganism. Veganism is ethical vegetarianism that goes beyond food in every aspect. Therefore, I will use these terms interchangeablely. 

• Person #2

Really interesting Josh! I totally understand all your contentions, except the one about pacifism going hand in hand with ethical vegetarianism. Like you mentioned, there are many reasons someone can choose to be a pacifist which could include being strongly against human war (like me!) that doesn't in any way relate to animal rights.

I agree that vegetarianism is uniquely related to pacifism, but pacifism as a whole is only in some parts related to vegetarianism. They can be mutually exclusive. I grew up in a religious community that had a strong sense of pacifism, but I don't remember ever meeting a vegetarian. It was also possibly this belief that led me to become a vegetarian for a year, though, too!

• Me 

It's interesting how a small comment made by some rando on a blog sparked such an interesting debate and analysis. I think that though both of our analyses we can conclude that pacifism and vegetarianism can be related, but don't have to be! To be honest, I think it's more that vegetarians should be pacifists and not vice versa. We (veggies) can't claim pacifism towards animals and not towards humans (and their actions). Overall, I think we agree! :)

Hope you enjoyed this conversation and it really gets your brain a-turnin'. Today it wasn't the la lengua de un vegan that was satisfied, but rather el celebro. 

A Real Day of Labor

Today is Labor Day and really the only significance that bares for me is that I do not have any responsibilities. Even though that I did do some work emailing out to businesses, I did spend the way that I love when I have a free day, which is with exercising, cooking, and eating. This Saturday I received two fruit baskets from my job and so I had literally pounds of apples and oranges. So, I started off the day baking an apple-orange spiced cake with a caramel glaze. Again, it was hard to get a good picture because the lighting in my apartment is so horrible during the night. It just turns everything so brown. This is how it turned out. I didn't want to use any oil and I had some bananas left-over, so I decided to use that as a base for the cake. So, this cake was very low in fat and packed full of fruit too. There is a thin layer of apples sliced in the middle as well as on the top. When a cake is so full of fruit and low in fat, I feel like I want to eat the entire cake at one time. Then I realized that this is pretty high in sugar. Although it was made with brown rice syrup to cut down on the refined sugar, it is till pretty sweet. The weird-looking top is a caramel sauce. This sweet, yet fruity, cake was a perfect ending to my dinner.

My dinner was an original recipe. I thought of it just randomly one day and started writing down my idea. I wanted to make an empanada, but I didn't know what kind of filling I wanted. I wanted something that seemed meaty, but wasn't the fake ground tofu beef. So, of course I thought of my almond meat recipe, but I wanted something more substantial. So, I decided to add crumbled 5 grain tempeh. Then to add some more heartiness, I added some black beans. Then to make it creamy and to bind all of those loose ingredients, I added a can of cream corn. The filling was perfect! Turned out better than I ever imagined. I stuffed the empanada and topped it with a black bean spinach cream sauce and served it with a side of brown rice and quinoa ensalada con pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds). Here's the recipe:

Empanada Dough

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup soy butter
• 1 egg replacer
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup water, cold

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Then cut in the butter until dough is crumbly.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.
3. Slowly add the liquid into the flour mixture until the dough starts to form. 
4. Once it is together as a dough, break into 6 balls. Roll out into patties. Fill with filling (recipes follows), crimp ends with a fork and cook at 350 for 15 minutes.

Empanada Filling

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. 5 grain tempeh
• 1/4 cup almonds, ground
• 1/3 cup black beans
• 1 can of creamed corn
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp ancho chile powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• a dash of cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, grind up almonds with the tbsp olive oil.
2. In a pan, saute the tempeh and black beans until browned.
3. Add the spices.
4. Add the can of creamed corn.
5. Transfer to a bowl and mix with the almonds.

Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice, cooked
• 1 cup red quinoa, cooked
• 1/2 cup each of onion, red, yellow and green bell pepper
• 1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions:

1. Saute the veggies until browned and cooked through.
2. Throw all the ingredients in the pan and serve.

Black Bean-Spinach Crema

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1 can black beans
• 8 oz tofutti sour cream
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Throw it all in a food processor until smooth. Serve.

Okay, that was a lot of recipe-age. I hope that you guys enjoyed. This recipe really satisfied la lengua de un vegan. 

Hasta la otra vez!

The Biggest Meal Ever!

Okay, it really isn't the biggest meal I've ever eaten, but it was fairly substantial. Regardless of its size, it was healthful and I am, therefore, void of any gluttonous guilt. What was this dish you ask? It was a Mediterranean feast fit for Zeus himself. A bed of spinach topped with falafel accompanied with baba ganoush. The side dishes were a fresh fruit salad and a fenugreek-curried couscous with pistachios and cranberries. It was extremely filling and filled me with beans, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables. It was low in fat as well! Here is a quick recipe for the couscous:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup couscous
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fenugreek
• 1/2 tsp curry
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 2-3 tbsp dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp chopped pistachios
• salt (if needed)

Directions:

1. Bring to a boil in a medium saucepan the water, oil, spices and cranberries. 
2. Once to a boil, add the couscous.
3. Stir until well incorporated.
4. Take off heat, cover, and let sit for five minutes.
5. Stir in pistachios (they are salty and therefore should be used as the salt component, if not salty enough add some extra to taste).

Voila! Look how easy that was. A couple of simple ingredients and literally a 6-minute dish. And there are plenty of leftovers in order to have a quick lunch tomorrow.

As a dessert, I made a blueberry-peach crumble topped with an a praline almond ice cream. It is a perfect match for the cooling weather. Lately, there have been some beautiful peaches on sale at the grocery store. As an impulse-buy, I picked up a couple of peaches. I, however, had no idea what I was going to do with them. So, I picked up a pint of blueberries to go along with them. And then it struck me, it's getting cooler, why not make a crumble? I mean, it's easier than a pie, that's for sure. So, I made a quick crumb topping with some brown rice flour, brown sugar, oats, coconut, cinnamon and a small amount of oil. I baked it off for 40 minutes and then served it with Almond Dream Praline "Ice Cream". 

Tonight, for the first time in years, I am going to be eating popcorn!! I have not eaten popcorn since I've became a vegan. I could never find any that didn't have butter. Well, to be honest, I never looked hard enough, it was only when other people had popcorn that I could not have any. I recently came across whole-grain, low-sodium, butter-free popcorn. So, I decided to grab it up. Of course, I can't be as simple as just popping a bag (I'll leave that for later). I decided to make scratch-made vegan caramel corn. Again, I couldn't be simple and just make normal caramel corn. I had to make cardamom-spiced caramel corn with toasted coconut. It turned out great. Now, I have to really test it out with a bowl of my middle-east inspired caramel corn and a good movie. So, let me get a-watchin'!

I hope you enjoyed the dishes that satisfied la lengua de un vegan. Watch out for another post tomorrow. I have an original dinner planned. Hopefully it turns out well!

Gettin' My Cultural Diversity On!!

I've been so busy lately that I've had NO time to cook. These two following dishes are actually really quick and easy. It was the first time I've made either of these dishes and I'd say it took less than 20 minutes to make both. Let's explore:

This first dish is Persian halva. Now halva has many different names and regional variations. Arabic halva is different from Indian, which is different from Mediterranean halva. I would say that these variations are quite unique and really can taste completely unrecognizable. Also, some people cook the same regional variations differently to change the flavor profiles as well. I've tried an Iranian halva that contained no flour, whereas mine did; however, I did not darken mine as much as other do. My point is here that there are so many variations that mine might not look like one you've had before, but nevertheless, mine is vegan and beyond delicious. I had to censor myself from eating the entire plate at once.

I actually got a really bad picture and only had this plate clean, which the color drains the color from the halva. But here is the basic recipe:

Ingredients:


1 cup organic raw sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup rosewater
3-4 threads of saffron
1 cup of melted coconut oil
1 1/2 cup of unbleached purpose flour
pinch of cardamom
crushed pistatios
unsweetened shredded coconut


Directions

• Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan.. Stir until all sugar is dissolved, and then add the rosewater and saffron. Cover, remove from heat and set aside.
• Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over low flame. Add the flour and stir to form a smooth paste. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the paste is golden brown, between 5-10 minutes.
• Using a whisk, slowly beat the sugar syrup into the flour paste.
• Cook in the cardamom.
• Remove from heat and spread the halva paste evenly onto a plate or platter. Top with pistachios and coconut.

It was great! I ate it with cinnamon pita chips. That was the best idea ever! It just set it off and married all of the flavors!! It was better than I was expecting because I've never cooked it before and also I've never had this kind of halva. It's not the healthiest dish ever, but I realize that and I ate it sparingly over a week and doled some out to my bestie. 

This next dish is a raw vegan dish. I've been wanting to make a raw pasta dish forever. But I have been putting off ordering a vegetable spiralizer. But, I got this great deal and so I ordered it. Basically, this turned vegetables into spiraly shreds. Zucchini is the main vegetable used for raw vegan pasta. There's a picture of it to the right.

So the pasta part was simple and took two minutes to create. Much, MUCH shorter than waiting for a pot of water to boil and then pasta cooking for 11-13 minutes. So, there was a plus to it already! More importantly, however, it is not processed and made from unrefined flours. It's probably ninety thousand times less carbohydrates. Zucchini pasta is much better than regular pasta noodles. It will not stop me eating "real" pasta dishes made from quinoa flour, but it's a great alternative.

But, of course, I did not just eat plain zucchini. In a food processor, I threw in a red bell pepper, a tomato, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and herbs with some salt and pepper. Blended it up and there was the marinara sauce. I tossed the sauce with the zucchini pasta. I needed to use of some cashews that were on the verge of spoiling as well as some spinach that I had yet to open. So, I decided to make a Spinach cheez sauce. Again, in the food processor, I just added the cashews, garlic, spinach, oil, water, salt, nutritional yeast flake (yes, I know that some consider it raw, others don't). Pulse, pulse, blend blend---Cheez sauce that is rich in protein, food fats, beta carotene, vits A, B, C, E and K. Very nutricious. That combined with the pasta sauce and noodles, it was a low-fat, high-vitamin rich meal. It was, more importantly, quick and effortless. Really, that is my biggest draw towards raw veganism. It is so simple and quick. Cooking is the tedious part sometime. 

I hope you all enjoyed. This is the little I've cooked, but it still has satisfied la lengua de un vegan. 

Happy Birthday!

This is going to be really short because I'm tired.

My friend's birthday was just last night and a group of us decided to make him birthday cupcakes instead of a cake. We made it vegan because he is a vegetarian but likes to dabble in veganism from time to time as well as some of the cooks are dairy-free (I'm vegan; Sarah is a dairy-free flexitarian).  We brainstormed with the things that we had in all of our apartments and we came up with these two ideas: Apple Spice Cupcakes with a Maple Brown Sugar Buttercream and Chocolate Pudding-filled Banana Cupcakes with a Peanut Butter Buttercream.

Here are the recipes:

Center: Banana; Sides: Apple Spice

Apple Spice Cupcakes

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flax oil or coconut oil

3/4 cup apple butter

1/2 cup almond milk

1 egg replacer

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup flax meal

1 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose unbleached flour (or 50:50 AP:Whole wheat)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup shredded apples (optional)

1/3 cup chopped, toasted pecans (optional)

1. Cream together sugars and oil.
2. Add the egg replacer, then almond milk. Follow with apple butter and vanilla.
3. Sift in the rest of the ingredients. 
4. If adding optional ingredients, fold in now.
5. Bake in a prepared cupcake/muffin tin and cook for 15-20 minutes at 350.

Maple Buttercream

2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegan margarine

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

dash of salt

1. Whip brown sugar and margarine in a large bowl.
2. Slowly drizzle in maple syrup and vanilla.
3. Add salt.
4. While mixing, slowly add powdered sugar until you reach the desired texture (for piping).

Since I'm being uber lazy and the banana one is basically the same, I will leave it at this. I do want you to know that the brown sugar in this icing recipe should not be substituted with more powdered sugar because it adds a slightly crunchy aspect to the icing, which sets it apart. Also the salt contrasts the sweetness and doesn't give you such a bad sugar rush. These were so good, and the birthday boy deep throated an entire cupcake in one bite. So, you know they are spectacular! Also, people at the party who did not know that these were vegan ate them right up. So, don't be afraid to bring this one to Thanksgiving or even a brunch. They tasted pretty much like a pancake cupcake!

Enjoy! This was a recipe that satisfied the la lengua de un vegan and so many others!

Behind on the Times!

I've been putting off writing this blog for a while, no reason in particular. I just wanted to include everything in one blog. I have, however, realized that means there has to be one really long post. I am going to try to make it as short as possible though.

Let's talk about late night cravings first. One night, not want to really make anything, and not really having anything in my kitchen to really cook, I was really craving something sweet and bad for you. I know that I say that part of being a vegan is being as healthy as possible. But sometimes, it's okay to splurge, especially when I run every day and eat as healthy as I do. I sometimes want something bad. So, what did I turn to? Cinnamon rolls!!! Now, I've made homemade cinnamon rolls in the past, but they are really time intensive. So, I looked through my fridge and saw a roll of crescent rolls. Now as a note, many people consider them vegan. There is a little controversy about trace ingredients that may or may not be vegan. However, it is almost impossible to know if something that is molecular is derived from veggies or animals. So, for times when you're in a pinch, they are fine. So, I made cinnamon rolls with vegan butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, chopped pecans and a touch of salt. Rolled them up. Baked them off and coated with an almond milk glaze. They were delicious and they hit the spot. Even though they were made with a prepackaged dough and a lot of vegan butter. You might call me a hypocrite, I just say that it was a worth-while indulgence.

Next, it was my friend birthday. So, she just loves to eat up my treats. I know that she loves brownies, but I thought that I would try something else out. Not only have I been wanting to make vegan cupcakes for a long time (I've never made a vegan cupcake...can you believe that?!!?), but I have also been wanting to try to do more creative things lately. So, I decided to make a vanilla cupcake with a strawberry, raspberry filling and a plain vanilla buttercream. I went out an bought piping bags and tips and everything! I was memorized in Michael's for hours! It was a fun experience and they turned out delicious. They were a little too sweet for me, but you know, that's what birthday cake is all about. Luckily they were nice and small cupcakes. Here's my recipe:

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Vegan Cupcake

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cup almond milk
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
salt
vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a measuring cup, mix the vinegar and almond milk together. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix together coconut oil and sugar and whip until light and fluffy.
4. Slowly incorporate the almond milk mixture. Add vanilla.
5. Sift into the bowl the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 
6. Mix until well-incorporated and airy.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes in muffin tins.

The filling was just a pint of strawberries diced with agave nectar, cornstarch and raspberry preserves. Just melted it down in a sauce pan and reduced. I let it set to cool. The buttercream is a typical butter cream with vegan ingredients. Here's my recipe:

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup vegan butter

3 1/2 cup powdered sugar

vanilla

1/4 cup soy creamer

Basically whip all of these ingredients together until you have a fluffy white icing. Super simple.

These cupcakes turned out better than I was expecting and were good, but just really sweet.

Here comes another dessert. I had a dinner party and we were wanting something with rhubarb. So, we decided to make a strawberry, blueberry, rhubarb pie with a crumb topping. This was gluten-free again. It was beyond what I was expecting. I don't really like pie. And rhubarb scared me because I don't like celery and it looks just like it. But our pie turned out sweet, not too tart, and had a great balance between the sweet and savory. Overall, I was extremely pleased. I would make this again.

Last, but not least, is my vegan BBQ pulled "pork". I was at the grocery store the other day and they were having a huge 13-hour sale and they had certain vegetables on sale. So, I picked up some broccoli and spaghetti squash. I had no idea what I was going to do with that though. But then I thought, since summer is coming to a close, I should finally have the bbq that I have been craving for years. I knew the spaghetti squash has been used for so many different dishes, but the stringing texture reminded me of pulled pork. So, I just oven roasted the squash and shredded it. I cooked it in barbeque sauce. I topped it with sauteed red onions. I decided to oven roast the broccoli with some grilling seasoning. It really tied the dish together. It definitely satisfied my life-long craving for the best food on earth...BARBEQUE!

These were the meals and recipes that satisfied la lengua de un vegan and his amigos too.