Summer Adventures Must Come to an End

 This summer has been filled with more cooking and baking than ever before...and my bank account can account for this.

As many of you know, I was asked to cater a wedding. My task was to make around 300 cupcakes with three different flavors. After some consultation with the groom and bride over a delicious vegan lunch a couple months back, I had decided on the flavors. What would everyone be feasting on? Chai-scented cupcakes with a brown sugar buttercream topped with a candied walnut. Originally, this one was my favorite. I just like the spices and, of course, the candied walnut. Also, there was a dark chocolate-blueberry cupcakes with a lemon buttercream. Many people responded with an odd, disapproving expression when hearing about these, but I reassured them that the blueberry would play well with the dark chocolate and the lemon frosting was what was going to set the flavors off---all this with confidence from a person who hadn't tasted chocolate (let alone dark chocolate) in 14 years. And, finally, a orange cupcake with an apricot-raspberry filling with a whipped orange icing. This slowly turned into my favorite. So refreshing.

The week of the wedding was when the fun began. I headed over the grooms house to start baking. After 8 hours of mixing batters, making messes, whipping up frostings we had 25 dozen complete. The day of the wedding, I spent around three hours actually decorating all of the cupcakes. The picture below is how it turned out.

I got so many rave reviews from everyone. Many people came back for seconds and thirds, which of course was the biggest compliment that I could get. Especially knowing that these people were NOT vegans. I got the business cards of the venue space's owner and that of the food caterers. It was hit overall. A lot of work, but definitely an experience I would never want to have missed.

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Besides baking up vegan cupcakes for my friends' wedding, I have also just been experimenting with different techniques and ingredients. Here are some:

Scallion "chicken" with sesame green beans and orange noodles

Sticky buns

Lemon cheesecake with a blueberry-rose water topping

Also, to make my summer (and my life) even BETTER, I got a Vitamix blender!!! This is a raw vegan's dream!!! So, one of my first dishes I made was for a friend's birthday. They were my raw vegan tacos that you may remember posting about that I won a university-wide competition with. Well, because I had a vitamix, they were even better! Especially since I improved my cheez sauce recipe. 

 

My summer has been amazing, but it's time to go, my cardamom-scented blueberry-peach cobbler is ready! 

Jacking Around with Jackfruit

First and foremost, recently the gool ol' United States of America celebrated its independence for the 200th and some odd time (my anti-patriotic sentiment is showing through here). Although I rarely eat processed vegan meat analogues, my roommates wanted to grill out, one being a meat eater and the other a newly-enlightened vegetarian. Because of the novice of grilling without meat analogues, my roommate purchased some vegan brats. We ended up grilling them and serving it up with the tried and true Kansan way with (organic) ketchup and, of course, some (organic waffle) fries. The brat tasted a lot like a corn dog without the corn. It was interesting but this started a downward spiral, although brief, use of fake meat in some dishes. 

Also inspired by my roommates recent eating habits, I wanted to imitate the cream cheese pizza that they have consumed day in and day out, both sober and intoxicated. But, of course, knowing me, I wasn't satisfied with just a cream cheese pizza; I made a buffalo chik'n cream cheese pizza instead. It was really simple, just some Gardein buffalo chik'n prepared as normal on top of a scallion garlic cream cheese spread. Then I drizzled it with buffalo sauce and green peppers. Done. It was really good too!

The next thing that I ate was Gardein's pulled pork. (I also made a vegan chorizo sweet potato hash as a side.) It was actually not that good at all. The poor experience of their pulled pork in addition to its expense and fakeness, I decided to go on a search to make my own vegan version of my favorite childhood meal. I was really tired of, more or less, eating horribly. As you compare the pictures, obviously my homemade version is much more healthy. Not only that, it is more rewarding to cook everything from scratch and say it is your own. 

 In order to make this pulled pork, I simply sauteed onions, garlic, mangos, oranges, and jackfruit. As that was browning, I mixed together the BBQ sauce of doenjang, agave, orange juice, soy sauce, and ketchup. I deglazed the pan with mushroom stock to give it that rich, meaty flavor. Then added the sauce. I let the mixture boil until the sauce was reduced. Then smashed everything with a potato masher. Served with homemade BBQ sauce (family secret recipe), baked beans, and a mango pecan mixed green salad.

Really the point of this post is two things: 1) jackfruit is a great meat substitute (even though there isn't much protein), and 2) I hate eating vegan meat analogues unless necessarily and this proves you never have to. So the idea is simple: eat whole, as close to nature, foods as possible and do not regret any of it. It tastes so good and is so good for you. Meat analogues are good as a beginner veg*n, but I feel as one advances throughout their evolution as a veggie, they should stay away from them. They are expensive, not very tasty, and just as processed as an oreo.

Orange You Tofu?

Orange glazed tofu with asian broccolini stirfry and rice noodle. The end.

Summer, I love thee.

Lately the weather has been extremely beautiful. Well, some would say it has been hot, I say 90 is my favorite temperature. A wave of nostalgia washes over me at the beginning of every summer. I just get these memories of grilling for the family, eating fruit salads, and having strawberry shortcake for dessert. Of course, all of this while sitting under an umbrella with my cat lazily sprawled out on the patio. I never cared about the juxtaposition of a relaxed, privileged dinner in the middle of urban streets of Kansas City. I love to try to recreate this feeling as much as possible. I have really lamented the disappearance of grilled foods. I grew up on grilled shrimp, KC strip steaks, pork tenderloins, and potatoes, charred to crispy deliciousness. Ever since I became a vegan and the desire to have that charred taste back in my mouth as the summer heat waves starts to creep upon us, I have tried to resurrect the tastes and feeling of my upbringing. So, I came up with a meal that is just the start. It combined a refreshing crunch with an herbaceous fruitiness along side a charred, almost-meaty flavor. It sufficed the craving that has been haunting me since the weather took a turn for the better.

What is this meal you may ask. Well, it was a pineapple jicama salad with a coconut lime dressing. Now, it may sound sweet, but it is really a perfect balance between sweet and savory. The jicama created a savory balance to the pineapple. The dressing in and of itself was a harmonious balance between the two tastes. Coconut milk is kind of sweet and coupled with the lime juice, a sweet flavor was created. The balancing flavors came from the garlic, jalapeno, cilantro and salt. The salad was walking the line of perfect. And don't forget, super healthy too. Raw vegan salad that could satisfy anyone.

The wrap was simple. Tamarind and sesame-marinated mushrooms were charred on an indoor cast iron skillet. It caramelized the the sugars in the tamarind and the added agave to create that smokey flavor that was accentuated by the tamari. The mushrooms acted as a meat analogue and satisfied its role as well. Just add some carrots, red bell peppers, and arugula all wrapped in a multi-grain tortilla and you have a delicious wrap.

This meal was able to satisfy the two things that I wanted: a refreshing salad and a charred flavor. This meal was full of flavor, vitamins and minerals, and was practically fat free. And you might be wondering, what's for dessert? Chia almond pudding with walnut cranberry goji berry topping. It too is raw vegan packed full of some of the most amazing nutrients: omega fatty acids, antioxidants, essential minerals, anti-inflammatories , amino acids, cartinoids, and many other micronutrients. It turns out to be a lot like tapioca pudding with many more health benefits.


I hope you enjoyed. I know I did. ;)

Eating Fud

The pictures say it all....

Organic Sunset: Apples, Carrots, Beets, and Greens

Jack Phish Nachos

Jack Phish Chalupa with side salad

Bread Pudding

*These dishes are from Fud, an all-vegan organic dive, in downtown KCMO.

Pizza Mia

A fairly simple recipe that finally satisfied that craving for pizza after weeks and weeks of complaining. It has a lot of parts, none of them complicated, but it is super simple to make after you combine them. It is a great balance of sweet, salty, savory, crunchy, chewy, doughy and saucy. I'm not going to say more, but make it for yourself. (Note: this makes two pizzas; I just like the recipe math easier.) 

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Crust:

• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 2 tbsp (2 packets) rapid yeast
• 1 tsp sugar, agave, honey
• 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp italian seasoning

BBQ Sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp liquid smoke
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder

BBQ Chicken

• 1 pkg seitan "chicken style"
• 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup corn starch
• salt
• grill seasoning
• oil, frying

Garlic Bechamel Sauce

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp flour 
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1 cup non-dairy milk (soy)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 chopped parsley

Crispy Onions

• 1 yellow onion, slice extremely thin
• 1/4 flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch 
• oil, frying

Garnish:

• diced scallions
• raisins 
• extra BBQ sauce

Method:

1. Make the pizza crust by mixing the water, sugar and yeast. Do not mix salt in yet, it will kill the yeast. After the mixture has become frothy, whisk in oil and salt. Add to the flour and italian seasoning. Mix until pulls away from sides. Throw onto a cutting board and knead with flour until elastic and smooth. Cover in oil and place in a bowl. Let raise while preparing other ingredients.
2. Make the BBQ sauce by mixing all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Make the BBQ chicken by draining the seitan and patting it dry. Then toss in the flour, cornstarch, and spices mixture. Deep fry until crispy. Then toss in the BBQ sauce. Place on a baking sheet and bake on 425 for 8 minutes or until caramelized. 
4. While the BBQ chicken is baking, make the béchamel sauce. In a pot, melt the butter and saute the garlic. Then add the flour and cornstarch. Cook for a couple of minutes until browned. Then slowly add the liquids, whisking well, until thickened. Once thickened, turn off heat, and add the parsley.
5. Place the pizza dough on a greased pizza pan. Throw in a 425 degree oven for 5 minutes. Then place the béchamel sauce and BBQ chicken. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. While baking, fry the onions by tossing them in the flour and cornstarch mixture and placing them in oil.
7. After 15 minutes, top with the onions and cook for 5 more minutes.
8. Once out of the onion, throw on raisins and green onions. Add more BBQ sauce if desired.
9. Enjoy!

It is definitely a lot of steps and can take awhile, but it is totally worth it for a really flavorful, fairly, healthy vegan pizza.

ENJOY!

Nouveau Vegan Colombian Food...huh?

Pulpusa con tofu y ensalada citrica con chile verde crema

A picture says a thousand words. In this case, it doesn't even come close to the deliciousness. In all seriousness, the best thing I've made all year. It is an pulpusa (thick corn tortilla) topped with a green chile sour cream topped with fried lime tofu and a chipotle citrus slaw. I think I was most addicted to the crema. I will provide it below. The crema with the sweet corn pulpusa was so good. The citrusy, crunch salad created texture and a bit of flavor. The orange juice and chipotle played well together and added just the right of amount of picante flavor. I just thought I would update really quickly. I hope you ate as much as me! 

Chile Verde Crema

1/2 cup toffuti sour cream

1 small can green chiles

3 tbsp cilantro, chopped

1/8 cup tomatillo salsa

1 lime, juice

salt, to taste

Whisk together. Serve. THAT EASY. THAT TASTEY!

ENJOY!

My mom would be proud...

I made my weekly meal today. It is an original recipe, but for some reason, I feel like someone would have come up with this a long time ago. Nevertheless, I made whole wheat farfalle pasta with chipotle sausage in a pumpkin cream sauce. It was so simple to make. I sauteed vegan sausage with chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and garlic. I then added a can of pumpkin puree, light coconut milk, paprika, a touch of cinnamon, and a dash of ancho chile powder. Let that reduce, add the pasta with some salt and pepper to taste. Tah dah! It was delicious. Full of protein, healthy fats, and full of vitamins A, C, K, and beta carotene! Also, because I am crazy (and I actually like them) I added a side of oven roasted brussel sprouts. Tossed lightly in oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. It added a tangy counterpart to the creamy pasta. Also, you always need a vegetable! Plus, brussel sprouts have a bad rep; they have tons of vitamin C and B and even some protein! Like broccoli and other cruciferous veggies, it contains anti-cancer properties. So, please eat your brussel sprouts!

Of course I had to have dessert! I made a quick raw vegan dessert. It is strawberry creme pie!! First, I needed to make the crust. Simply, this is a half cup of walnuts and another half cup of pecans. I pulsed this with a teaspoon of orange zest. Once the nuts reached a course texture, I slowly added 1/3 cup of raisins. Processed that until a sticky crust was formed. I placed the crust in a muffin tin to make the cups and put in the freezer to let set up. In order to make the filling, I added one cup of cashews to the food processor. This must be a FINE powder. We are trying to make a cream and we don't want any pieces of nuts. Once the cashews reach a fine powder consistency, add a pint of chopped strawberries. This will create a thick paste. Then slowly add the juice of one orange with a dash of vanilla. Once rich and creamy, add two tablespoons of agave or honey. Finally, slowly drizzle in two to three tablespoons of melted coconut oil. This should result in a very smooth and creamy filling. Place two spoonfuls in the prepared nut cups. Place in freezer until set. Serve with some left over chopped strawberries!

This was so good! I wanted to eat three. And really, that is the best part. Although this is raw vegan and has little to no sugar and is packed full of fruit, it is high in fat. Albeit good fats, it still can be kind of damaging to that summertime waistline. So, the small portions are GREAT! This was a perfect end to a filling meal and added the acidic fruity finish to a heavy meal. This dessert has a ton of protein, thiamine, folate, manganese, omega-3 and -6 acids, vitamin C, and have anti-inflammatory properties.

Until next week, I hope you enjoyed this post!!!

Emaciated to Plump: A Long Wait

I apologize for starving everyone of any new recipe or update of any kind for a couple months. My life has been beyond busy and hectic. I have had no time to blog let alone cook a meal! But wait no more, as I have a great meal that will fill your desires!

The meal (left) is a recipe that I just thought of one day (when I was hungry, of course). It started with the wild rice salad to the right. It is a Wild Rice and Blueberry salad (recipe fallows). I love the idea of sweet and savory. While flipping through several raw vegan blogs, many sprouted wild rice dishes kept popping up everywhere. I wanted to take my spin on it....and this was the result. The mild sweetness juxtaposed with the saltiness from the rice, almonds, and the savory mild onion flavor from the spring onions balance perfectly on the tongue---no flavor taking over another. It was perfect. I wanted to play with textures as well and the almonds added the subtle crunch that my palate craved. It is one of the best salads that I have made.

After this salad recipe formulated in my head, I was trying to think of a way to incorporate it into a meal. Granted, it could be a meal in itself, but I wanted something more substantial to fuel my over-exercised body. It did not want tofu, seiten, tempeh, or really anything made out of beans. After searching through all of my mental culinary encyclopedias and recipe books, I thought that potato cakes would go well with it. They are blank canvases that can be flavored in anyway to match the meal. They have a bit of crunch with a soft interior. I thought it was perfect. Plus they're filling! However, my mental recipe alarm went off telling me that that would be too startchy and oily in order to be satisfied. Of course I knew the solution to this: add an acidic sauce. This cuts through the grease and starch and revitalizes the palate. Luckily I had some red bell peppers that were starting to turn bad and I wanted to charbroil them anyway. What was this taste bud-awakening sauce? A lemony roasted red bell pepper chipotle sauce! Not only did it add the needed acid, but it added some spice, which also revitalizes the grease-laden taste buds and give them a jolt of spiciness.

Overall, this was a great, original meal to start off my long hiatus of not cooking. But, now I must go to the gym in order to prevent those carbs from turning into fat. The recipe for the wild rice salad follows. Enjoy!!

Wild Rice and Blueberry Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wild rice, uncooked
• 2 cups filtered water
• 1/2 cup wild blueberries, thawed and drained
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup spring onions, sliced
• 1/2 tsp raw honey, raw agave, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup (any liquid sweetener)
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

Method

1. In a rice cooker (or follow package directions), place wild rice and water. Cook until rice cooker is done.
2. Chill the wild rice.
3. Then add the remaining ingredients until well combined.

ITS THAT SIMPLE!!!!

I hope you enjoy. Also, you can make this version raw by just sprouting the wild rice for about 2 days. I wasn't that patient. 

Washing off the Dirt

I have not written here for quite sometime, so I have decided to write a quick entry to update recent events. In terms of exploring food or experimenting with raw veganism, I do not have much to say. However, recently I had an experience that I feel as though I should share.

I recently ate at Fud, an all-vegan and somewhat raw vegan restaurant in downtown KCMO, and it probably had the best vegan food of my life. I ordered Jackphish Tacos with a side salad and for dessert a White Tiger shake.

The restaurant itself was a fairly small venue that maybe seats 15-20 people. It is located in a fairly off-the-beaten-path manner. It is only a couple of blocks from the Power and Light District, but yet is in a neighborhood tucked away by distribution plants. Nevertheless, it was staffed by indie, gay-friendly staff that really loved what they did.

The food was absolutely spectacular. Not only was it the best vegan food I had ever had, it was the best meal I ever had. It trumped the previous reigning champ, Eden Alley's Eggplant Parmesan. The guacamole was a perfect accompaniment to the meal, which was, by the way, one of the best guacamole that I had ever had including Latin restaurants. The taco was made from jackfruit. That's right, jackfruit. None of that texturized soy protein or anything that is bullshit and unhealthy. It was topped with a goji berry-cashew cheese and a cashew sour cream. The side salad was of mixed greens, pecans, blueberries, and a basil-lemon dressing. It was absolutely superb and I did not feel guilty for ordering the shake for dessert (especially since I only had one taco). The shake was a cashew ice creme with ice and a raw caramel sauce. I have no idea how they make their caramel sauce but I was HOOKED! I wanted a glass of the caramel, forget the shake. I will definitely be going back soon for more!

I just recently got back from a week-long trip to Youngstown, Ohio for Alternative Breaks to the Mahoning Valley LBGT Center. It was a challenging week culinarily, especially with a group of seven must battle a modicum allowance for food and small town mentality while trying to balance a vegan, vegetarian, and 5 omnivores tastes. This resulted in a dead and unhealthy, although completely vegan, week of food. Don't get me wrong, the food tasted good, was filling, and got me through the week; however, there was little to no live foods, raw foods, or anything that wasn't packed full of soy, chemicals, preservatives, gluten-laden and other antinutrients. I practically relied completely on my daily vitamin supplements to offer the a percentage of the vitamins, nutrients, minerals, probiotics, and other life-sustaining goodies to which I had been accustomed. As I enter into a week following the trip, which was one of the funniest times ever, I have entered into a hyper-nutrient diet with a liver detox. I am trying to bombard my body with the nutrients that it was lacking and cleanse it of the chemicals in in-took. Not only did the diet not support nor promote healthfulness, but my week was void of any exercise beyond lifting furniture, going up and down stairs, and the occasional booty-shaking at the clubs.

As part of this detox, I am drinking a LOT of water (without inducing hyperhydrosis), every meal includes a green of some sort, increased probiotic intake such as homemade raw vegan yogurt and kombucha, increased fiber, no gluten, no processed foods, decrease in sodium intake, and exercise every day.

I am now off to try a shake made from homemade almond milk, hemp protein powder, maca, and powdered multi-probiotic!

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!