I bought a couple of items at Westerly today that I am would like to mention.
1) GT's Organic Raw Kombucha - I spoke with one of my super awesome veggie friends today and she recommended this drink, but warned me about the weird taste. I am drinking it as I type and well...I love it! The first sip was very weird, the second better and now...yum! I can only describe the flavor as tea with liquefied sour candy. I just wish I saw this around more and that it was a bit cheaper.
2) Lisanatti Almond Garlic and Herb Cheese - Yes, almond cheese. I am still looking for a good alternative to fatty, dairy cheese. I tried this one and, while very mild out of the package, it tasted pretty amazing melted. I got excited until I turned the package around and saw that the product was not vegan. It contains casein. Well, I guess my gradual transition is still just that- gradual.
3) SweetLeaf Stevia - I decided to finally break down and buy a bottle of stevia - which runs like $13 a pop. Stevia is a natural zero-calorie sweetener that is completely plant-based. It is also like 100x sweeter than sugar. The bottle that I bought comes equipped with a dropper. I placed one drop onto my finger and tried it. Wow! It was indeed super sweet. I am going to love playing around with this ingredient. I look forward to using it in smoothies, drinks, and baked goods (once I learn how to control the flavor). If you would like to read up more on stevia, check out this article on WebMD.
Other than that, I picked up a lot of essentials, including Vital Wheat Gluten flour for when I attempt to make seitan later this week. Now, THAT should be an adventure.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
LifeThyme Natural Market
Yesterday, I decided to take a walk down to the Lifethyme Natural Market on 6th ave. and 9th street. I heard it was pretty small but I was curious, especially because I saw that they stocked Sheese (vegan cheese), which I have been looking for forevah!
Lifethyme was your typical small, health store with some yummy essentials and an insane stock of Yogi tea. What really stood out about the market was their delicious selection of buffet foods and pre-made goodies. Their bakery treats also looks irresistible and they have a juice bar! I would have loved to dig into one of the above mentioned treats but since I'm watching my calories, I did not.
As far as Sheese goes, they only had the creamy product in stock and while I would have loved to try it, it was around $11 a package (since it's imported from Scotland and all). Also, I don't mind Tofutti cream cheese so I'm really looking for a hard/melty cheese substitute.
Overall, I think I will visit the juice bar at Lifethyme as a weekly treat to myself (after walking down), but for a major healthy grocery shopping adventure, I'll stick with Westerly.
Lifethyme was your typical small, health store with some yummy essentials and an insane stock of Yogi tea. What really stood out about the market was their delicious selection of buffet foods and pre-made goodies. Their bakery treats also looks irresistible and they have a juice bar! I would have loved to dig into one of the above mentioned treats but since I'm watching my calories, I did not.
As far as Sheese goes, they only had the creamy product in stock and while I would have loved to try it, it was around $11 a package (since it's imported from Scotland and all). Also, I don't mind Tofutti cream cheese so I'm really looking for a hard/melty cheese substitute.
Overall, I think I will visit the juice bar at Lifethyme as a weekly treat to myself (after walking down), but for a major healthy grocery shopping adventure, I'll stick with Westerly.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Fat-Free Vegan Strawberry Banana Muffins
I've been updating this blog like a mad woman!
Today I decided to make fat-free vegan muffins that sounded super delicious. The recipe was actually posted by another chikkie in the vegan cooking community on Livejournal. I decided to give it a go since the recipe was super simple and well...yum! I'm SO glad I did!
Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. soymilk
1 tsp. vanilla
15 or so strawberries, chopped.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. "Cream" together bananas and sugar. Mix together dry ingredients and add, then blend in soy milk and vanilla. Make sure it's well mixed, then quickly stir in the strawberries (the more you stir once they're in, the more squished-up they get). Grease muffin tins, and spoon in. This made 12 large muffins for me. Bake 25-20 minutes.
These muffins are about 170 calories a pop and super delicious! Even my vegan-food hating boyfriend liked them!
Today I decided to make fat-free vegan muffins that sounded super delicious. The recipe was actually posted by another chikkie in the vegan cooking community on Livejournal. I decided to give it a go since the recipe was super simple and well...yum! I'm SO glad I did!
Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. soymilk
1 tsp. vanilla
15 or so strawberries, chopped.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. "Cream" together bananas and sugar. Mix together dry ingredients and add, then blend in soy milk and vanilla. Make sure it's well mixed, then quickly stir in the strawberries (the more you stir once they're in, the more squished-up they get). Grease muffin tins, and spoon in. This made 12 large muffins for me. Bake 25-20 minutes.
These muffins are about 170 calories a pop and super delicious! Even my vegan-food hating boyfriend liked them!
Tofu Loaf
Last night for dinner, I really wanted a hearty meal - something to hit the spot. Since I didn't eat much throughout the day, and kinda felt like baking, I decided to attempt making a tofu loaf. Although it didn't turn out quite "loafy," I thought it was utterly delicious.
Ingredients: (Serves 4 people)
1 lb. Tofu, Firm
1 cup Dried Bread Crumbs
1/2 medium White Onion
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
4 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoons Italian Herb Seasonings
1 teaspoons Pepper, Black
1/2 cup Carrots (I used 1 cup of canned mixed veggies since I didn't have anything fresh)
1/2 cup Celery
(I also added a long squirt of Dijon mustard, which was probably overkill and contributed to the consistency problem)
Some of my ingredients. The asparagus and chopped garlic were served on the side.
Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 350°F.
2) Drain and press the tofu for about 15 minutes.
3) Dice up the tofu and put all the ingredients in a food processor, except for the carrots and celery.
How gross does THAT look?
4) Blend until smooth. Add the carrot and celery, and blend in the tofu mixture.
Looks like hummus!
5) Put in a greased loaf pan and bake for one hour.
Don't mind the white stuff, just some excess seasoning.
Now, while this loaf was baking, I fried up the asparagus and made some (instant, boo!) mashed potatoes. When it came out, I was sooo starving, and it smelled sooo good that I completely forgot to take a picture of it, or of my delicious looking, full plate. The best I could do is this, which is clearly after I had already taken my share.
The only major problem with this loaf was that, although it doesn't look like it here, it's texture was actually that of mashed potatoes. It was definitely not slice-able. Also, it was a bit too pungent for the normal person (at least according to my boyfried). I'm not sure how I could modify the recipe for next time. I would definitely omit the mustard, and probably add a tiny bit less soy sauce. The tofu might have to be a bit drier, as well.
It was very good though and I would DEFINITELY make this again. As a matter of fact, it's my lunch today!
Ingredients: (Serves 4 people)
1 lb. Tofu, Firm
1 cup Dried Bread Crumbs
1/2 medium White Onion
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
4 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoons Italian Herb Seasonings
1 teaspoons Pepper, Black
1/2 cup Carrots (I used 1 cup of canned mixed veggies since I didn't have anything fresh)
1/2 cup Celery
(I also added a long squirt of Dijon mustard, which was probably overkill and contributed to the consistency problem)
Some of my ingredients. The asparagus and chopped garlic were served on the side.
Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 350°F.
2) Drain and press the tofu for about 15 minutes.
3) Dice up the tofu and put all the ingredients in a food processor, except for the carrots and celery.
How gross does THAT look?
4) Blend until smooth. Add the carrot and celery, and blend in the tofu mixture.
Looks like hummus!
5) Put in a greased loaf pan and bake for one hour.
Don't mind the white stuff, just some excess seasoning.
Now, while this loaf was baking, I fried up the asparagus and made some (instant, boo!) mashed potatoes. When it came out, I was sooo starving, and it smelled sooo good that I completely forgot to take a picture of it, or of my delicious looking, full plate. The best I could do is this, which is clearly after I had already taken my share.
The only major problem with this loaf was that, although it doesn't look like it here, it's texture was actually that of mashed potatoes. It was definitely not slice-able. Also, it was a bit too pungent for the normal person (at least according to my boyfried). I'm not sure how I could modify the recipe for next time. I would definitely omit the mustard, and probably add a tiny bit less soy sauce. The tofu might have to be a bit drier, as well.
It was very good though and I would DEFINITELY make this again. As a matter of fact, it's my lunch today!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Low-Calorie Tofu Alfredo Sauce
Today, I decided to make something healthy yet satisfying for dinner. Since I haven't been shopping in a while, I had to try to make something using the bare ingredients I had on hand, so I experimented and made tofu alfredo sauce...which came out rather...odd. I'm going to post the recipe I made with suggestions for improvement in parentheses. This is what happens when you try to make alfredo without cheese. :/
Ingredients:
- 1 package of Soft Silken Tofu (no problems there)
- 1 cup of vegetable broth. (I used garden vegetable broth which gave the sauce a orangey hue and I would recommend using plain old veggie broth here. Also, I would probably only use 3/4 cup since the sauce was a little thin)
- 3 tablespoons "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter - Light" (again, no problems)
- 1/5 cup garlic powder (No! No! No! - I only used it because I had no Parmesan cheese. Next time, I'd definitely fry up some cloves and wait until I had Parmesan to make this).
- 2 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese
- 1 box of Rigatoni pasta (or whatever kind you enjoy)
- 1 box of frozen broccoli florets
Directions:
1) Cook the pasta and defrost the broccoli.
2) While both are cooking, combine all the other ingredients in a blender and mix well, until a creamy sauce is formed.
3) Transfer the sauce into a medium sized pot and heat to pour over pasta and broccoli.
It was edible at first but I did not want to finish it. This is a recipe I definitely have to play around with a bit more. Once I have my Parmesan, I will try again. After all, it would be amazing to find an alternative to the fatty original Alfredo sauce. To be continued!
Ingredients:
- 1 package of Soft Silken Tofu (no problems there)
- 1 cup of vegetable broth. (I used garden vegetable broth which gave the sauce a orangey hue and I would recommend using plain old veggie broth here. Also, I would probably only use 3/4 cup since the sauce was a little thin)
- 3 tablespoons "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter - Light" (again, no problems)
- 1/5 cup garlic powder (No! No! No! - I only used it because I had no Parmesan cheese. Next time, I'd definitely fry up some cloves and wait until I had Parmesan to make this).
- 2 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese
- 1 box of Rigatoni pasta (or whatever kind you enjoy)
- 1 box of frozen broccoli florets
Directions:
1) Cook the pasta and defrost the broccoli.
2) While both are cooking, combine all the other ingredients in a blender and mix well, until a creamy sauce is formed.
3) Transfer the sauce into a medium sized pot and heat to pour over pasta and broccoli.
It was edible at first but I did not want to finish it. This is a recipe I definitely have to play around with a bit more. Once I have my Parmesan, I will try again. After all, it would be amazing to find an alternative to the fatty original Alfredo sauce. To be continued!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Delicious Veggie Fast-food!
Today it's a billion degrees outside here in NYC so the last thing I feel like doing is cooking a meal that actually requires effort. Because of this, I decided to try the Yves Good Dog veggie hot dogs that I purchased at Westerly. I also decided to try the Boca Chick'n Spicy Patties.
I had a horrid experience with Smartdogs veggie hot dogs so I was a bit skeptical. Instead of boiling them, as I did previously, I decided to cook them in a hot pan with some cooking spray. They browned pretty nicely and after a few rotations, looked fairly done. I tried a piece without toppings and it was actually not bad! That was most definitely a step up from Smartdogs. I enjoyed the veggie dog immensely. I had it with some bread and ketchup for dipping. Yum! I'm so happy I found a delicious veggie hot dog! Yves rocks! I can't wait to try their other meat-less sausages!
As far as the Boca Chick'n Patties go...also super delicious!!! I don't think anyone would be able to tell they weren't chicken! They had a nice aftertaste of spice and were just sooo yummy! I also cooked these in a small pan with a spray of cooking oil.
I'm so happy that both of these products were good. I feel like I definitely have more options now, especially at cook-outs and the like. I've been a vegetarian for 1 1/2 months now and I still love it!
I had a horrid experience with Smartdogs veggie hot dogs so I was a bit skeptical. Instead of boiling them, as I did previously, I decided to cook them in a hot pan with some cooking spray. They browned pretty nicely and after a few rotations, looked fairly done. I tried a piece without toppings and it was actually not bad! That was most definitely a step up from Smartdogs. I enjoyed the veggie dog immensely. I had it with some bread and ketchup for dipping. Yum! I'm so happy I found a delicious veggie hot dog! Yves rocks! I can't wait to try their other meat-less sausages!
As far as the Boca Chick'n Patties go...also super delicious!!! I don't think anyone would be able to tell they weren't chicken! They had a nice aftertaste of spice and were just sooo yummy! I also cooked these in a small pan with a spray of cooking oil.
I'm so happy that both of these products were good. I feel like I definitely have more options now, especially at cook-outs and the like. I've been a vegetarian for 1 1/2 months now and I still love it!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Westerly Natural Market
I got out of work a bit early today so I decided to check out the Westerly Natural Market on 54th st. and 8th ave. It was absolutely amazing!! Aisles and aisles of veggie-friendly foods. I totally felt like I was in heaven. Best of all, it's certainly the cheapest health store I've been to.
I spend $54 and came out with 24 items ranging from tofurkey slices, frozen entrees, and rice. I would definitely recommend this Market to anyone in the NYC area that is looking for a healthy shop with decent prices. Oh, I have to add that their prepared food (sandwiches and salads) looked very yummy. I just didn't want to chance it since I am trying to watch my caloric intake.
Next I plan on trying the LifeThyme market downtown, so we'll see how it goes. :)
No dinner recipe tonight as I just had some shirataki fettucine noodles with Laughing Cow Light Swiss and shredded cheddar.
I spend $54 and came out with 24 items ranging from tofurkey slices, frozen entrees, and rice. I would definitely recommend this Market to anyone in the NYC area that is looking for a healthy shop with decent prices. Oh, I have to add that their prepared food (sandwiches and salads) looked very yummy. I just didn't want to chance it since I am trying to watch my caloric intake.
Next I plan on trying the LifeThyme market downtown, so we'll see how it goes. :)
No dinner recipe tonight as I just had some shirataki fettucine noodles with Laughing Cow Light Swiss and shredded cheddar.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Falafel!!
For my birthday, which was on May 30th, I got lots of awesome kitchen supplies such as a rice cooker, a blender, and a food processor!! Since I finally had a real human-sized processor, I decided to finally make some falafel. I must warn you, there are A LOT of pictures in this post.
First, I decided to make tzatziki (yogurt) sauce. This is the only part of the recipe that is not vegan. If you follow a vegan diet, you can use a tahini-based sauce such as the one found here.
Simple Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain lowfat yogurt
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeds removed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- a dash of dill (optional)
My ingredients.
Directions
In a small bowl (I used my mini food processor), mix all of the ingredients well.
Once mixed, let cool in refrigerator, to maximize flavor.
Now that we have our super delicious cucumber sauce, it's time to make the falafel.
Ingredients*
- 1 lb. dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- oil for frying
*These measurements make enough to serve 6 people
My ingredients.
Directions
*Soak the chickpeas in cold water in the refrigerator overnight.*
The next day, drain the chickpeas and mix with onion and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor.
Mix it very well, stopping the processor occasionally to scrape the mixture. Once it looks complete, process the mixture for a second time for 2-4 minutes.
Mmm...chickpeas.
Next, pour some oil into a large pan on medium heat. Take the mixture and clump it together to form walnut sized balls.
Place the balls in the pan and fry them up until golden-brown.
While the falafel fries, slice up some tomato and lettuce for serving. Also, halve pita bread.
Some of my falafel came out well-done. :P
And that's it! Stuff the pitas with lettuce, tomato, and falafel, using cucumber sauce to drizzle over the top. I also served this with extra sauce on the side because the falafel was a little bland.
My pita bread was too dry. :(
Overall, this was a very good dish and very easy to make (although pretty messy). The only change I would make next time is to add more spices into the falafel mix such as curry, red pepper flakes, and more garlic. Other than that, A+ and super filling too!!
First, I decided to make tzatziki (yogurt) sauce. This is the only part of the recipe that is not vegan. If you follow a vegan diet, you can use a tahini-based sauce such as the one found here.
Simple Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain lowfat yogurt
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeds removed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- a dash of dill (optional)
My ingredients.
Directions
In a small bowl (I used my mini food processor), mix all of the ingredients well.
Once mixed, let cool in refrigerator, to maximize flavor.
Now that we have our super delicious cucumber sauce, it's time to make the falafel.
Ingredients*
- 1 lb. dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- oil for frying
*These measurements make enough to serve 6 people
My ingredients.
Directions
*Soak the chickpeas in cold water in the refrigerator overnight.*
The next day, drain the chickpeas and mix with onion and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor.
Mix it very well, stopping the processor occasionally to scrape the mixture. Once it looks complete, process the mixture for a second time for 2-4 minutes.
Mmm...chickpeas.
Next, pour some oil into a large pan on medium heat. Take the mixture and clump it together to form walnut sized balls.
Place the balls in the pan and fry them up until golden-brown.
While the falafel fries, slice up some tomato and lettuce for serving. Also, halve pita bread.
Some of my falafel came out well-done. :P
And that's it! Stuff the pitas with lettuce, tomato, and falafel, using cucumber sauce to drizzle over the top. I also served this with extra sauce on the side because the falafel was a little bland.
My pita bread was too dry. :(
Overall, this was a very good dish and very easy to make (although pretty messy). The only change I would make next time is to add more spices into the falafel mix such as curry, red pepper flakes, and more garlic. Other than that, A+ and super filling too!!
Veggie Dogs ::shudder::
Two weeks ago, I purchased "Smart Dogs," which are 100% vegan hot dogs. They're soy and they're also horribly disgusting.
I decided that for breakfast today, I wanted chilli with hot dogs. I got my Amy's Organic Chill (which is yummy) and decided to google the best methods for cooking Smart Dogs. Every website recommended steeping them in boiling water as the best method. I tried it out and yuck! I mean, hot dogs are pretty disgusting to begin with but I was hoping I could find an alternative to veggie burgers, which I adore.
My experience with faux meats/cheeses has been pretty horrid so far. I'm scared to try any veggie cold cuts because of this. I think I'll stick to more natural foods which agree with my taste buds better. The only positive I've found is Tofutti cream cheese. Mmm...
I decided that for breakfast today, I wanted chilli with hot dogs. I got my Amy's Organic Chill (which is yummy) and decided to google the best methods for cooking Smart Dogs. Every website recommended steeping them in boiling water as the best method. I tried it out and yuck! I mean, hot dogs are pretty disgusting to begin with but I was hoping I could find an alternative to veggie burgers, which I adore.
My experience with faux meats/cheeses has been pretty horrid so far. I'm scared to try any veggie cold cuts because of this. I think I'll stick to more natural foods which agree with my taste buds better. The only positive I've found is Tofutti cream cheese. Mmm...
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