Saturday, December 19, 2009

PIZZA!!!!!!!!!!

Today was a serious craving day ... I have a feeling it is a hormonal thing, but for whatever reason I could not stop thinking about PIZZA.

Saucy, carby, veggie filled, cheesey, PIZZA!

Over the weekend P and I hit up Whole Foods and managed to find a vegan, cheese free frozen pie that looked like it had some promise. How bad could an oragnic whole wheat pizza topped with marinated organic shiitake mushrooms, roasted red peppers, sweet onions and marinated artichoke hearts be? COME ON, that sounds fantastic. But he was still skeptical due to its costs and size but I convinced him to give a whirl.

And tonight, after a long day at the shop, it was all I could think about.

So when I got home I ran to the freezer, pulled that bad boy out and fired up the oven. And then the magic happened. I remembered I had bought myself a treat.

I have been on a vegan cheese quest for sometime now and had all but given up until I read about Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative and when I spied it on the shelves of Whole Foods I had to give it a go.

So I grabbed it from the fridge, got to shredding and topped the already fabu looking pie cooking in the oven.

And 20 minutes later I AM IN SHEER BLISS.

The Pizza is UNREAL. The veggies and crust are delish and my god, I have found a vegan cheese that is to DIE FOR. Its melty, gooey and tastes JUST like mozzarella

AND - P LOVED IT! Another score on the vegan menu for me!

Pardon me while I finsih enjoying my new found best friend ... Oh cheese, how I had missed you ...


+


= HEAVEN!

Listen to the Pig

Dan Piraro from www.bizarro.com masterfully made this really awesome video. It's a talking pig that explains why eating meat is bad for you.

Moby the Vegan

Moby talks about veganism and how tough it can make touring in foreign countries. He shares tips for maximizing storage space and keeping things spontaneous in a small city kitchen

VEGAN. For the People. For the Planet. For the Animals.

People everywhere are making choices more connected with their values. We are simplifying our lives, buying less and living more because we know that the Earth provides enough to satisfy everyone'...

Chocolate Almond Oatmeal

As much as oatmeal one of my staple breakfasts, is a fantastic source of fibre and protein and a high energy and filling way to start your day, sometimes it needs a little kick to make the morning really start with a bang.

And since I don’t drink coffee anymore this is a great way for me to get a bit of a caffeine jump start too.

Chocolate Almond Oatmeal

1/3 cup steel cut or old fashioned oats (NO instant!)
1 cup soy milk
10 vegan chocolate chips
Handful slivered almonds

In a small saucepan, bring oats and soy milk to a boil
Turn heat down to medium and stir continually for about 2 minutes or until almost all the milk has been absorbed
Add in chocolate chips, stirring to melt

I top with a bit more soymik and almonds

YUM!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

LaRocca Skincare

The more I investigate and research my options for cruelty-free vegan products, the more I am surprised by who is and is not willing to take a stand against animal explotiatin in the name of the all might buck.

This was one of those suprising ones:

Sourcing materials from only ethical manufacturing practices, LaRocca Skincare does not use synthetic fragrances, DEA, TEA, parabens, PABA, urea, phalates, nylon, aluminum, or animal-derived ingredients.

A friend to animals, LaRocca Skincare has stated that it will never test on animals, and it has signed PETA’s statement of assurance that it will never use animals for product testing or use ingredients derived from animals. It proudly uses PETA’s cruelty-free bunny logo on its Web site and products

Meet Your Meat

Heartbreaking and sometime hard to watch, but it is the reality and there is no way to deny it.

I urge you to take the time to to watch this video and think about what it means to you:


Find out more at Meat.org.

Dear L'Oreal



I just wanted to send a quick note to say THANK YOU for introducing the new EverPure cruelty-free vegan line. This is wonderful news for all of us animal lovers who also take pride in our appearance.

I hope that these are but your first steps toward and a indication of your intentions to apply your new ethical philosophy to your entire product line and that L’Oreal will continue to step up and sign PETA’s statement of assurance.

Happy Holidays

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Fructose = THE DEVIL

I found this article both scary and interesting. Its amazing what companies will do to save a buck.

It's even more proof that processed food is evil.

Scientists have proved for the first time that a cheap form of sugar used in thousands of food products and soft drinks can damage human metabolism and is fuelling the obesity crisis.

It has increasingly been used as a substitute for more expensive types of sugar in yoghurts, cakes, salad dressing and cereals. Even some fruit drinks that sound healthy contain fructose.

Experts believe that the sweetener — which is found naturally in small quantities in fruit — could be a factor in the emergence of diabetes among children. This week, a new report is expected to claim that about one in 10 children in England will be obese by 2015


Continued here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article6954603.ece

Monday, December 14, 2009

Brrrr – It’s time for Chili!

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!


I have been making this chili for a long while now, and it all started as a “what the heck do I do with all these cans of beans” experiment. An experiment that turned out so well its now one of my all time favourite winter dishes.

I’ve served it many ways, au natural, sided with a few slices of hearty sprouted whole wheat bread or a few vegan cornbread muffins, over rice or mashed potatoes, but no matter how you enjoy it, you can always count on its warm and comforting goodness.

Over the years I have been asked for the recipe but have always been a tad hesitant to give it away (its my baby we talking about here PLUS it such a simple recipe that I fear all the awe and wonder of its greatness would be lost if people only knew how easy it really was …), but in the seasonal sense of sharing and caring … here it is, in all its glory.

Happy Holidays – Enjoy

3 BEAN VEGETARIAN CHILI

1 onion, diced
1 tbsp safflower oil
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 can tomato soup
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp paprika
2 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 ½ tsp oregano
2 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 medium yam, peeled and cubed
2 cups frozen corn niblets

Over medium heat, sauté onions in oil until clear and set aside

In a 6 quart crock-pot combine tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato soup, and all spices. Stir to combine

Add in onions, beans, yam and corn

Cook for 3- 4 hrs or until bubbling.

Excellent for dividing up into single servings and freezing for a quick and delish dinner on a blustery winter night.

Lemon Pepper Vinaigrette

Another simple and quick, yet flavourful dressing.

LEMON PEPPER VINAIGRETTE

1 cup EVOO
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic, minced
5 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp lemon pepper mix

Combine all ingredients in a mason jar and shake, shake, SHAKE!

Let sit for about an hour so flavours can fully mingle and become acquainted with one another.

Kitchen Gadget Bliss

As much as I love to roll my sleeves up and get into it, sometime endless chopping, mincing and dicing makes this gal go MAD. I decided it was time to stop the insanity and get some help.

So while I am not in the position to hire a "sous-chef de cuisine", I opted to go the more economical route and purchase a budget friendly handy, dandy food chopper.

Now, I live in a very tiny condo where kitchen space is at a premium, so I needed something that would be up for the tasks at hand, yet take up very little working & living space, so …

VOILA!

The madness has ended, the onion tears have stopped and the culinary escapades are back in full swing. And all thanks to little guy:



Everything from dicing veggies, mincing parsley and dill to chopping chocolate and nuts is now SO easy.

Thank you Black and Decker One-Touch Chopper - THANK YOU!

Now back to the kitchen …

Basic Tomato Salsa

Quick, easy and super tasty!

BASIC TOMATO SALSA

2 tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 tbsp fresh basil, minced
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving

NOTE: When seeding jalapeno – WEAR GLOVES! Those feisty little seeds will get under your nails and cause you days of fiery agony

CURRIED RICE & VEGGIE LOAF

This is a spin on the tried and true Rice & Lentil Loaf I’ve been making weekly, but I felt it needed a bit of spicing up, literally. So here we go:

CURRIED RICE & VEGGIE LOAF

1 ½ cup uncooked Basmati Rice
2 tbsp Cumin
2 tbsp Curry Power
2 cups Red Lentils
3 ½ cups Water
2 tbsp safflower oil
1 large onion, diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup carrots, diced
1/3 cup mild salsa

Preheat oven to 350

Combine rice, cumin, curry powder and 3 cups of water in rice cooker. Stir to incorporate spices and set to cook.

Sort and rinse lentils. In medium saucepan combine remaining water and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer & cover. Cook until all water is absorbed, about 5 minutes

Heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat in large skillet. Sauté onions until clear and set aside

Add remaining oil, carrots, peas and corn to hot skillet and cook about 4 minutes, stirring constantly

When lentils are cooked, mash with potato masher in large bowl. Add in onions, carrots, peas and corn, stirring to combine

Once rice is cooked, add into lentil and veggie mixture, stirring to combine

Firmly pack mixture into a lightly oiled loaf pan, topping with salsa

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes

Let stand at least 3 hrs to cool completely before removing from pan (it will fall apart!)

Enjoy over a bed of fresh organic spinach with a good douse of Lemon Pepper Vinaigrette




Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Mark Bittman on what's wrong with what we eat

A fascinating lecture ...

A billion bottles of pop a day globally ... damn



"Eat more plants and less other stuff - live longer"

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Ola! CUCUMBER, TOMATO AND JALAPEÑO SALSA

I love a good Mex meal, but this takes salsa in a new direction, and I just cant get enough of it.

Another gem from the Wild Rose Detox Recipe Book.

I really enjoy this tossed with fresh greens or spinach or stuffed into a whole wheat pita with some cumin and paprika sauted tempeh ... mmmmm

CUCUMBER, TOMATO AND JALAPEÑO SALSA

1 medium cucumber, diced
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
3 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 TB fresh dill, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
2 TB lemon juice
2 TB EVOO
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix everything together

Refrigerate for at least a few hours before serving

if slaughterhouses had glass walls

Music legend and activist Paul McCartney delivers a powerful narration of this must-see video. Watch now to discover why everyone would be vegetarian if slaughterhouses had glass walls


Find out more at Meat.org.

And this former Beatle just keeps getting sexier by the minute:

I am FISH

We have a unique opportunity to protect Canada’s oceans before it’s too late. A conservation plan including a network of marine protected areas in the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area can help turn things around. But we need your help to make it happen.


I AM FISH from David Suzuki Foundation on Vimeo.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Chickpea Squash & Yam Patties

WOW – A little bit of heaven in this dish.

I first got a taste of this slice of fried veggie heaven last week when my friend Melissa brought some in to school for me to check out (I have been swapping recipes with a few friends over the last little while and some fantastic things have come of it), as she had just started the Wild Rose Cleanse and this was one of the dishes in the book.

So I decided to make this my first attempt at cooking with squash (yes I know, 30 yrs old and never cooked a squash of any kind – sad) and dang, I’m glad I did!

These babies were SO good even P asked for seconds – That right there is a Gold Star.

Now, while I’m not doing the cleanse right now, the recipes she passed my way are so crazy yummy I am heading out to pick up the cookbook this weekend.

And I have to share the love …. Enjoy

CHICKPEA SQUASH AND POTATO PATTIES

• 1 1/2 cups mashed chickpeas (16 oz can)
• 1 cup of squash grated (I used acorn but you can use any variety: banana, butternut, pumpkin spaghetti)
• 1 cup potato grated yam (or sweet potato)
• 2 tbsp fresh diced green onion
• 2 tbsp fresh diced parsley
• 1/2 tbsp dried dill
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like it hot or less if you don’t)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
• Safflower oil for frying

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl.

Add flour and use clean hands to work mixture together. Don’t over work it or it will not keep together.

Form patties in a size of your liking and fry in medium heat pan until browned on each side.



NOTE: The patties can crumble when hot if not careful. Let cool before serving

SERVING SUGGESTION: Bed of organic fresh baby spinach with a drizzle of EVOO, 2 patties on top

Friday, December 4, 2009

10 SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO CHANGE THE FOOD SYSTEM

Learn more about these issues and how you can take action on Takepart.com

1. Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages.
You can lose 25 lbs in a year by replacing one 20 oz soda a day with a no calorie beverage(preferably water).Eat at home instead of eating out.

2. Eat at home instead of eating out.
Children consume almost twice (1.8 times) as many calories when eating food prepared outside the home.

3. Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards.
Half of the leading chain restaurants provide no nutritional information to their customers.

4. Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food, and sports drinks.
Over the last two decades, rates of obesity have tripled in children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years.

5. Meatless Mondays—Go without meat AT LEAST one day a week.
An estimated 70% of all antibiotics used in the United States are given to farm animals.

6. Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides.
According to the EPA, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the U.S.

7. Protect family farms; visit your local farmer's market.
Farmer's markets allow farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.

8. Make a point to know where your food comes from—READ LABELS. The average meal travels 1500 miles from the farm to your dinner plate.

9. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you.Each year, contaminated food causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths in the U.S.

10. Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections.
Poverty among farm workers is more than twice that of all wage and salary employees.

Source: http://www.foodincmovie.com/get-involved.php

Food Inc.

Yet another moving and informative documentary that I feel EVERYONE needs to watch.

This has cemented and reaffirmed my decision to overhaul my personal diet & lifestyle and become a budding animal rights activist:



Adding this to my recommendation list, along with:

The Future of Food


Fast Food Nation