Eating Consciously

Spooky! Well, not really, but I figured it should be for Halloween. Feel free to throw some fake spiders on top! I used to think bread pudding sounded absolutely disgusting until I actually tried it. It's really the best dessert ever. Spongy, creamy, and sweet! I happened to have a pack of whole wheat hamburger buns in the freezer and those worked really well in this. I think hot dog rolls would work equally as well, but you can certainly use plain old bread. If you have never had it, or are already a bread pudding fan, you won't be able to stop eating this one. I'm serious! Try it!! PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING 4 hamburger rolls (I use whole wheat.) 1 TBS earth balance 1/2 C currants 1/2 C canned pumpkin puree 2 C soymilk (any non dairy milk will do) 1/2 C sugar 1/4 C brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground ginger sprinkle of ground cloves 1/2 vanilla bean (1 tsp of vanilla extract will do just fine) 2 TBS maple syrup Smear the earth balance around inside of a bu

I love polenta! It's great as a substitute for scrambled eggs and can even be mixed with crumbled tofu to create an even eggier look. I have always thought making polenta was time consuming, but I have not found that to be so. When purchasing polenta it may also be called corn grits and may come in an instant version. I have used the instant version and the regular, coarser version and they both work well. The instant variety does have a smoother texture, but they are both equally delicious. Here is how I prepare my polenta and as you can see I have served it with toast and a little earth balance: Perfect Polenta: 1/3 C cornmeal 1 C water 2 TBS nutritional yeast (or more if you like!) 1 clove garlic 1 TBS olive oil salt and pepper to taste (I like a lot of black pepper in this) In a pot, combine the cornmeal, water, nutritional yeast, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low-med and cover. Stir every two minutes or so to avoid sticking

It's been a while since I've done a recipe posting. Here's a quick and easy cookie recipe that has all of the familiar flavors of the season! Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies 1 TBS ground flax seeds 1/2 C canola oil 2/3 C sugar 1/4 C soymilk 1/4 C molasses 1 1/4 C whole wheat pastry flour 1/4 C cocoa powder 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground cloves In a large bowl whip together the flax seeds, canola oil, sugar, soymilk, and molasses until thick and creamy. Add dry ingredients and stir to combine. Scoop out 2 TBS for each cookie onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet. Makes about 12 cookies.

I do intend to finish the tofu tips, but there is just so much more exciting stuff going on right now. I apologize for the lack of updates recently, but you know how it goes.... I've been SUPER busy lately. I just got back from Boston yesterday where I visited the Natual Products Expo. It was so exciting to see how many vegan products were available. If you have never been to a trade show, it's quite an exciting experience. It's mind-blowing to see how many natural products are out there. There are also some really elaborate setups. It took me over 8 hours to quickly skim through about 50% of the floor. It's also exciting because it's like going on a mini shopping spree. Everyone wants to give you their product and I have a TON of stuff to try out. Seriously, look at all this crap I got. I also got some pretty awesome bags and even a yoga mat! I'll of course be trying it all over the next couple of days. I'll keep you posted on what great and exci

Not too sure on all the details, but make sure you watch Oprah today. She is doing an episode called "How We Treat the Animals We Eat". It should be a historic and eye-opening event for many people across the country. Be sure and check it out and for more detailed information visit her website . ++++++Update+++++ For anyone that got to see this today, it was unfortunate how the topic was addressed. I will talk more about this on my next podcast episode as this is certainly a topic for discussion. I will say this, if you took notice, they showed how "good" the lives of animals on free-range farms are, but they omitted the slaughtering process and failed to even allude to the fact that that is the only purpose of those farms' existence... The animals on free-range farms, happy or unhappy as they may be while alive, are all being just as exploited and used as commodities as any factory farmed animals. The first guest even said he eats meat, but recognizes th

Sorry to interrupt our Tofu Tips, but I have some breaking news! Thanksgiving is not far away and I've begun planning! It was around this time last year that Eating Consciously all began. I remember planning for Thanksgiving dinner last October and it's about that time of year again. Here is the tentative menu (subject to changes and/or alterations), but I think this is pretty set. "Meat Loaf" with Truffle Gravy Tofurkey! Side Dishes: Cranberry-Blueberry Ginger-Orange Relish Roasted Fennel and Brussels Sprouts Ginger-Glazed Carrots Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Golden Raisins and Toasted Pecans Dessert: 3-Layer Chocolate Gingerbread Cake with Mocha Cinnamon Icing Pumpkin Cookies Drink: Spiced Apple Cider The recipes will be posted over the coming weeks. So Stay Tuned!

Stuff it! Tofu makes the perfect stuffing and uncannily resembles cheese. I have used it to stuff lasagna, ravioli, and even collard greens! Using the ricotta recipe I gave in Tip #1 , I whipped up some DELICIOUS and healthy stuffed collard greens. This is not only a great use for tofu, but it's also a great use for grains and collard greens. It's pretty easy to make too! Stuffed Collard Greens I bunch of collard greens (about 10 large leaves) 1/2 C buckwheat (or other grain) 1/2 C amaranth (or other grain) 2 1/2 cups water 1 tbs miso 1 batch of tofu ricotta 1 can diced tomatoes 1/2 C sundried tomatoes 1/2 C basil 2 tbs lemon juice 4 cloves garlic (minced) olive oil for drizzling salt and pepper to taste Add the grains, water, miso, salt, and pepper to a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and cover. Let simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until all water has been absorbed. Add the tofu ricotta , sundried tomatoes, and basil to a food processor. Blend until well

Pumpkin "Cheesecake" So, I've found a way to turn tofu into a lovely pumpkin "cheesecake". Here's the recipe: Pumpkin "Cheesecake" 1 can pumpkin 2 tbs flax seeds 1/2 cup soy milk 1 block extra firm tofu 1/4 cup chopped pecans 1 cup dates 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour 2 tbs canola oil 1 cup sugar 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1 tsp vanilla In a food processor, combine the dates, flour, and oil and pulse until crumbly. Push into bottom of 9' pie pan. This will be the crust. Again, in the food processor, add the soy milk and flax seeds, pulse until foamy. Add the pumpkin, tofu, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and vanilla. Blend until creamy. Spread evenly into pie crust and bake at 350 degreed for 1.5 hours. After you remove it from the oven, sprinkle with chopped pecans! *Tip* The tofu pretends to be the "cheesecake" part of the pie. Feel free to leave it out and replace it with another can of pumpkin f

Sorry for the ten-day hiatus. You know how it goes when you're trying to juggle your academic, professional, and online lives right? Anyway, as I promised, I will give you ten tips for tackling tofu. Here's tip number one: Blend it! That's right, tofu is no stranger to the food processor in my house. You can substitute a food processor with a blender. There are actually quite a few things you can make by blending tofu, which I will show you as we move throughout our tips. The most basic thing to make is a vegan ricotta cheese that can be used as a topping, in lasagnas, to stuff eggplant, and I'm sure you will find many other uses for this delicious "cheese". I'm sure I have showed you how to make this as part of other recipes I have posted in the past, but it's so versatile and simple, I figured this would be a nice entryway into tackling tofu. Watch how easy it is to make. Vegan Ricotta Cheese 1 block extra-firm tofu 1/4 cup soymilk 1/2 tsp lem