Eating Consciously

I had previously posted a recipe for shells and cheese using healthy ingredients such as tofu, carrots, and nutritional yeast for the sauce. Here is a recipe that's a bit more decadent and I have found to be extremely satisfying when you are looking for something REALLY "cheesy!" Mac and Cheese 1/2 lb whole wheat macaroni (feel free to use any small pasta) 2 tbs non-hydrogenated, non-dairy butter (I use Earth Balance) 3 tbs whole wheat pastry flour 1.5 C soy milk 1 C shredded vegan cheddar cheese (or 8 slices of vegan cheddar ripped into pieces if you can't find shredded) 1 tsp spicy mustard hot sauce to taste salt and pepper to taste Cook your pasta and set aside. In a pan, melt the non-dairy butter and mix in the pastry flour. Add the soymilk and mix well until thoroughly combined (use a whisk if you have one). Add the "cheese" and stir over medium heat until the cheese melts. Add the mustard, salt, and pepper. Heat for 2-3 minutes longer until sauce...

Came up with this one last night. Enjoy! Stuffed Eggplant with Penne 1 large eggplant 1 can no salt tomato sauce 1/2 block extra firm tofu 1/2 lb whole wheat penne 1/2 C soy milk 1 large portobello mushroom 1/4 C sun dried tomatoes 1 tbs oregano (fresh or dried) 1 tbs thyme (fresh or dried) 1 tbs basil (fresh or dried) 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional) 1 tbs olive oil, extra for drizzling 1 tsp lemon juice 2 tbs nutritional yeast salt and pepper to taste Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Slice your eggplant into thin slices about 1/4" thick, lay the slices out on a parchment lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until eggplant slices are soft and pliable. Allow to cool slightly. In a food processor, combine the tofu, soy milk, mushroom, sun dried tomatoes, oregano, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Spoon the mixture onto half of each piece of eggplant and fold over the other ...

I knew Oprah's "vegan" cleanse would not do much to promote veganism as a way of life. How could it when she's was referring to it as a cleanse? I remember listening to Vegan Freaks where they had mentioned that her cleanse will probably affirm to many people their thought that veganism is a "restrictive" diet since she was also giving up alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and wheat. It turns out they were right! Last night, Jimmy Kimmel addressed the end of Oprah's 21-day cleanse. He clearly stated, "Oprah Winfrey has successfully completed her 21-day vegan cleanse, which I knew she would, to be vegan you have to give up sugar, alcohol, meat, fish, eggs, and cheese. That means for 21 days all Oprah was eating was fruit, nuts, and thousand-dollar bills." Last time I checked, as a vegan, I can enjoy many types of alcohol and sugar whenever I want. I realize this segment was for entertainment, but when he explained what you have to give up to b...

I have recently had several people asking me exactly how to make seitan from scratch. It can be tricky as first. So, this is how I have learned to get the seitan to come out just right: I use equal parts vital wheat gluten powder to water. Ex. 1 cup gluten + 1 cup water. Put the powder in a bowl and add the water right on top of it. The trick is to just massage the mixture with your finger tips and it will come together in a few seconds. You don't want to overwork or knead the dough, or else it will come out like rubber. There will probably even be a little water left in the bowl at the end. You want the dough the have the texture of a spongy brain, I know, but I can't think of any way else to describe it. It should barely stay together, but you should be able to form it into pieces that will become your "steaks" after they cook. To cook them, fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water. I add tamari, chili powder, garlic cloves, herbs, vegan bouillon cu...

We better be checking our dried beans! Look at this HUGE piece of barbed wire that I found in my dry beans today as I was preparing to soak them!! Crazy, isn't it? Maybe our beans should start going through metal detectors.

Yesterday was our first annual vegan BBQ, consisting of 5 vegans (including 2 dogs), one semi-vegetarian (mom), and one omni (dad). The result? Well, I think we have definitely debunked the myth that you need meat to have a BBQ! That's right, we enjoyed great food, drinks, swimming and sunshine all without the exploitation of animals. Amazing, isn't it?! I haven't gotten the chance to type up my recipes for everything yet, but I will eventually as I accumulate more free time towards the end of this month. In the meantime, if there are any recipes you need to have now, let me know and I'll be sure and get them up for you ASAP! Sorry for the break between posts, but my summer class and internship are wrapping up over the next two weeks so I'm sure to be busy! Enjoy the pics! The food is all set to go! Who says Chihuahuas can't swim? Pineapple-Mango-Coconut Tofu Kabobs! Veggie burgers and BBQ seitan! Mac and cheese with a bread crumb topping! Buffalo seitan...

I have been on a bit of an avocado kick lately and I'm not really sure why. Is it the oddness of skin and pit? The beautiful, green color? Or simply the delicious, creamy, velvety texture it provides? I'm guess it's a combination of all of them, but avocados are quite good for us nutritionally as well. In addition to being a great source of monounsaturated fatty acids, avocados are also great providers of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. Avocados are also a complete protein, providing us with all the essential fatty acids. One cup provides about 3 grams of protein. Not to mention they practically melt in your mouth when they are at the peak of ripeness. I thought the creaminess of the avocado would pair well with some crunchy bread and an acidic tomato. What resulted was a bruschetta-style snack that would be a great appetizer, or lunch. Avocado Bruschetta: 1 whole wheat baguette bread (sliced into 2 inch pieces) 1 ripe avocado (mashed) 1 ripe tomato (dice...