Have you checked out Spencer's Market yet? Discounts and deals on awesome vegan products.
http://spencersmarket.com/
07 March 2012
Watch out for misleading food labels
Not all foods are created equal...
http://m.good.is/post/all-natural-how-to-guard-against-3-misleading-food-labels/
http://m.good.is/post/all-natural-how-to-guard-against-3-misleading-food-labels/
Is it cheaper to be vegan or a meat-eater?
Check out this article from Good:
http://m.good.is/post/is-it-cheaper-to-be-vegan-vegetarian-or-a-meat-eater/
http://m.good.is/post/is-it-cheaper-to-be-vegan-vegetarian-or-a-meat-eater/
Dont get too cocky
We should not be too proud about being a vegetarian, for example. We must acknowledge that the water in which we boil our vegetables contains many tiny microorganisms, not to mention the vegetables themselves. but even if we cannot be completely nonviolent, by being vegetarian we are going in the direction of nonviolence. If we want to head north, we can use the North Star to guide, us, but it is impossible to arrive at the North Star. Our effort is only to proceed in that direction. If we create true harmony within ourselves, we will know how to deal with family, friends, and society.
--Thich Nhat Hanh
--Thich Nhat Hanh
8 creepy mystery ingredients in fast food
Not that anyone needs a reminder of how horrifying fast food is… but OMG!
I knew about the carmine/cochineal (Even Sobe vitamin drinks, Big Red, and Snapple have it!) and the duck feathers, but not the rest. I’ll definitely be adding l-cysteine, dimethylpolysiloxane, TBHQ, and ammonium sulfate to my “stay away from this” list. If there are more than 5 ingredients I don’t recognize, I buy a different product.
Last week, one of our maintenance guys told my co-worker about his brother who works as a butcher for Kroger. His brother told him that at Kroger they brush the meat with a light coating of bleach to keep it from turning color. I have also heard of ammonia used as additives to preserve meat. My advice—as often as possible, purchase and request free-range meats. We need to take care of ourselves and support the small businesses, so please request local, organic, and free-range whenever you can.
I can personally vouch for the fact that just asking about ingredients and preparation makes a difference. Just recently I had a conversation with a restaurant manager who wanted to include more animal-free products on his menu. Praising restaurants and stores that do supply quality items and offering additional suggestions also helps. I have written letters to Rockfish, Chuy’s, Pei Wei, and Kroger thanking them for their efforts to include all-natural products and to offer more vegan items. No one has ever shot me down. In the last three years, the change has been tremendous!
Global Animal Partnership is great animal welfare rating system for meats. Check it out atwww.globalanimalpartnership.org. Whole Foods utilizes this system, but I’m not sure about Trader Joe’s, HEB, or Central Market. There’s a clear scale from 1-5 which describes how the animals were treated and what they were fed. Purchasing meats rated at a Step 4 or above is totally worth the cost, because doing so enables you to support a small business, to keep crap out of your body, and to show respect for the animals you consume. If you live far away from one of these stores, I believe there are online suppliers who can ship meat directly to your home. I often buy organic nuts, baking ingredients, coffee, tea, and grains from a wholesaler at www.nuts.com. It’s less of a drag than fighting the crowds at the store, and there is a great price break as well. There are also dozens of farmer’s markets and co-ops such as Bountiful Baskets (http://bountifulbaskets.org/) in nearly every small town. Many of these also sell organic, and although it is illegal in Texas to sell meat at a farmer’s market, you may be able to ask them if they have meat, eggs, or dairy you can purchase from their home. (Be sure to ask what the animal was fed and how it was raised and butchered!)
Just like the big three beer companies want to deceive Americans into thinking a flavorless yellow liquid is real beer, many fast food companies and food manufacturers want to convince us that items comprised of mostly additives are healthy, convenient, and nutritious, while depriving the small business owner from growing his or her business. Don’t buy into the lies. Read your labels!
I’m getting off my soap box now. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming… …
8 creepy mystery ingredients in fast food
By Melissa Breyer
Sun, Feb 12 2012 at 5:06 PM EST
Would you like a cow eyeball with your burger?
One of the more-enduring urban legends about McDonald’s is that their hamburgers contain cow eyeballs. While this has not proven to be the case, their Baked Hot Apple Pie does contain duck feathers, or at least an ingredient commonly derived from such. Truth can be just as strange as fiction.
How have duck feathers become a viable ingredient in apple pie? Welcome to the world of food additives. People have been adding flavors, spices, natural preservatives and ripening agents to food since antiquity. But as the popularity of highly processed food has risen dramatically since the 1950s, so has the astounding array of bizarre chemical additives used in food manufacturing. Fast-food recipes seem to be born more from the laboratory than from farm or field.
And although the powers that be deem these food-additive chemicals safe, the science fiction of it all is a bit unsettling. How do we come up with these things? Here are some of the wackiest of the bunch.
1. Duck feathers and human hair (l-cysteine)
You thought duck feathers sounded bad? How about human hair? These are the two most-common sources for l-cysteine, an amino acid used to condition dough for increased pliability, which facilitates better machine processing. CNN reported that most human-derived l-cysteine comes from Chinese women who help support their families by selling their locks to small chemical-processing plants.
Although originally the primary source for l-cysteine was human hair, many manufacturers seem to have moved away from hair-derived l-cysteine and on to the more-palatable duck feathers. According to Jeanne Yacoubou, MS, research editor for The Vegetarian Resource Group, 80 percent of l-cysteine is now derived from feathers. During her research, McDonald’s told Yacoubou that the l-cysteine used in its Baked Hot Apple Pie, as well as its Wheat Roll and Warm Cinnamon Roll, was of the duck-feather variety. Many other fast-food joints rely on l-cysteine in bakery products as well.
And not to be sensationalist here, the resultant additive is far-removed from its original source — but still. It may be disturbing to many, and importantly, may fly in the face of ethical or religious dietary restrictions.
2. Sand (silicon dioxide)
Avoiding sand in your sandwich at the beach is obvious, avoiding sand in your restaurant-purchased meal may not be so apparent.
Silicon dioxide, also known as silica (also known as sand!), is used to make glass, optical fibers, ceramics, and cement. Oh, and chili. Used as an anti-caking agent, it is often added to processed beef and chicken to prevent clumping, and is listed in the ingredient panels for chili from both Wendy’s and Taco Bell. Most experts suggest that it isn’t harmful for consumption, but just know that the ingredient keeping that chili meat nice and non-caking is the also the primary component of diatomceous earth, commonly used as a pesticide.
3. Wood (cellulose)
Processed wood pulp, known as cellulose, is used in everything from cheese to salad dressing, from muffins to strawberry syrup. Food processors use it to thicken and stabilize foods, replace fat and boost fiber content — as well as to minimize reliance on more costly ingredients like oil or flour. Powdered cellulose is produced by cooking virgin wood pulp in chemicals to separate the cellulose, and then purified. Modified versions require extra processing, such as exposure to acid in order to further break down the fiber.
Ironically, with the increase in nutritional awareness has come an increase in the use of cellulose — with the addition of wood pulp, products can boast of less fat and more fiber. Just don’t mind the wood.
McDonalds, Taco Bell, KFC, Sonic, Pizza Hut, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Jack in the Box, and many others include cellulose in their repertoire.
4. Silly Putty plastic (dimethylpolysiloxane)Eight-syllable ingredients make sense for Silly Putty, but French fries? Sure enough, dimethylpolysiloxane, a form of silicone used in cosmetics and Silly Putty, is also found in many a fast-food fried thing. It is the secret ingredient that keeps fryer oil from foaming. McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish and French fries have it, as do Wendy’s Natural-Cut Fries With Sea Salt. In fact, most fast-food items that bathe in a deep-fat fryer are imbued with a hint of dimethylpolysiloxane. Should you be concerned? The World Health Organization found no adverse health effects associated with dimethylpolysiloxane, but come on — what’s wrong with using potatoes, oil, and salt for fries?
5. Petroleum-derived preservatives (TBHQ)
Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) is made from compounds derived from petroleum and finds a home in cosmetic and skincare products, varnish, lacquers and resins — and processed food. McDonald’s, for example, uses it in 18 products ranging from their Fruit and Walnut Salad to Griddle Cakes to McNuggets.
TBHQ was finally approved after many years of pressure from food manufacturers, though with approval, the FDA mandated that the chemical must not exceed 0.02 percent of a food’s oil and fat content. Why would there be a limit? Because five grams would be lethal, while one gram can cause nausea, vomiting, delirium, a sense of suffocation and collapse. (Although you would have to eat more than 11 pounds of McNuggets to reach that level. And if you're willing to eat 11 pounds of McNuggets in one sitting, well...)
6. Soil fertilizer (ammonium sulfate)
Ammonium sulfate is sold by chemical companies to food manufacturers as “yeast food for bread,” and many fast-food companies list the ingredient in their bakery products.
But that’s just its night job; when ammonium sulfate is not moonlighting as a food additive, it performs its main task: as a fertilizer for alkaline soils. Ammonium sulfate also does duty as an agricultural spray adjuvant for water soluble insecticides, herbicides and fungicides.
7. Beetle juices (carminic acid, confectioner's glaze)
Food dyes approved by the FDA include colors synthesized from petroleum derivatives and coal tar, but with all of the negative attention paid to artificial food color, natural dyes are on the rise. Yet some food dyes based on natural ingredients come from things that you may not care to ingest. Meet carminic acid, a commonly used red food coloring that comes from the dried, crushed bodies of female scale insects called cochineal. Variously known as Cochineal, Cochineal Extract, Carmine, Crimson Lake, Natural Red 4, C.I. 75470, E120 — it is used in a wide variety of products ranging from some meat, sausages, processed poultry products, marinades, bakery products, toppings, cookies, desserts, icings, pie fillings, jams, preserves, gelatins, juices, drinks, dairy products, sauces and dessert products.
From the same family of the cochineal comes the Lac beetle, which is the source of shellac — as in wood-primer-and-varnish shellac. The female beetle secretes a resin that is scraped from trees in Southeast Asia and Mexico. The resin is collected and processed into a shiny coating to be donned by a variety of foods, including candy, vitamins, pills, tablets, capsules, chocolate and waxed fresh fruit. You won’t find beetle excretions on the ingredients list, however, look for its aliases: Confectioner's Glaze, Resinous Glaze, Shellac, Pharmaceutical Glaze, Pure Food Glaze, Natural Glaze, or Lac-Resin.
8. Meat paste-goop (mechanically separated meat)
Mechanically separated meat (MSM) has been produced since the 1960s, but has been enjoying new fame lately courtesy of a photo making the rounds which shows an industrial machine extruding a plump ribbon of pink paste into a box. It is commonly referred to as “pink slime.” Looking more like frosting than pureed meat and bone bits, the FDA defines mechanically separated poultry (MSP) as “a paste-like and batter-like poultry product produced by forcing bones, with attached edible tissue, through a sieve or similar device under high pressure to separate bone from the edible tissue.” Mechanically separated pork is used too, although in 2004 to protect consumers against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, mechanically separated beef was considered inedible and prohibited for use as human food.
After the meat slurry has been produced, it is sometimes treated with ammonium hydroxide to remove excess bacteria. Ammonium hydroxide is also used as a household cleaner and in fertilizers. Since the resultant meat-bone-muscle-tendon-ammonium-hydroxide goop doesn’t taste much like meat, artificial flavors are added to finish the whole thing off.
Mechanically separated meat is to blame for a number of processed meat products; think hot dogs, salami, bologna, burgers and many a chicken nugget. Fast-food restaurants are known for employing pink slime, although recently McDonald’s made clear that it no longer relies upon it in its burgers.
Generally recognized as safe (GRAS)These four little words seem to have become the FDA mantra when it comes to food additives; all of the above ingredients, and an expansive array of other chemical additives, have been generally recognized as safe in scientific studies. Taken out of context and looked at individually, maybe a little ammonium sulfate here and a petroleum product there aren’t going to cause quantitative damage to lab animals. But if you were to add up all of the chemical ingredients consumed during a life of a fast-food fueled western diet, what would that look like? Would it look like an epidemic of obesity, diabetes or cancer?
Michael Pollan's advice, "Don't eat anything your grandmother wouldn't recognize as food" never seemed so appealing.
I knew about the carmine/cochineal (Even Sobe vitamin drinks, Big Red, and Snapple have it!) and the duck feathers, but not the rest. I’ll definitely be adding l-cysteine, dimethylpolysiloxane, TBHQ, and ammonium sulfate to my “stay away from this” list. If there are more than 5 ingredients I don’t recognize, I buy a different product.
Last week, one of our maintenance guys told my co-worker about his brother who works as a butcher for Kroger. His brother told him that at Kroger they brush the meat with a light coating of bleach to keep it from turning color. I have also heard of ammonia used as additives to preserve meat. My advice—as often as possible, purchase and request free-range meats. We need to take care of ourselves and support the small businesses, so please request local, organic, and free-range whenever you can.
I can personally vouch for the fact that just asking about ingredients and preparation makes a difference. Just recently I had a conversation with a restaurant manager who wanted to include more animal-free products on his menu. Praising restaurants and stores that do supply quality items and offering additional suggestions also helps. I have written letters to Rockfish, Chuy’s, Pei Wei, and Kroger thanking them for their efforts to include all-natural products and to offer more vegan items. No one has ever shot me down. In the last three years, the change has been tremendous!
Global Animal Partnership is great animal welfare rating system for meats. Check it out atwww.globalanimalpartnership.org. Whole Foods utilizes this system, but I’m not sure about Trader Joe’s, HEB, or Central Market. There’s a clear scale from 1-5 which describes how the animals were treated and what they were fed. Purchasing meats rated at a Step 4 or above is totally worth the cost, because doing so enables you to support a small business, to keep crap out of your body, and to show respect for the animals you consume. If you live far away from one of these stores, I believe there are online suppliers who can ship meat directly to your home. I often buy organic nuts, baking ingredients, coffee, tea, and grains from a wholesaler at www.nuts.com. It’s less of a drag than fighting the crowds at the store, and there is a great price break as well. There are also dozens of farmer’s markets and co-ops such as Bountiful Baskets (http://bountifulbaskets.org/) in nearly every small town. Many of these also sell organic, and although it is illegal in Texas to sell meat at a farmer’s market, you may be able to ask them if they have meat, eggs, or dairy you can purchase from their home. (Be sure to ask what the animal was fed and how it was raised and butchered!)
Just like the big three beer companies want to deceive Americans into thinking a flavorless yellow liquid is real beer, many fast food companies and food manufacturers want to convince us that items comprised of mostly additives are healthy, convenient, and nutritious, while depriving the small business owner from growing his or her business. Don’t buy into the lies. Read your labels!
I’m getting off my soap box now. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming… …
8 creepy mystery ingredients in fast food
By Melissa Breyer
Sun, Feb 12 2012 at 5:06 PM EST
Would you like a cow eyeball with your burger?
One of the more-enduring urban legends about McDonald’s is that their hamburgers contain cow eyeballs. While this has not proven to be the case, their Baked Hot Apple Pie does contain duck feathers, or at least an ingredient commonly derived from such. Truth can be just as strange as fiction.
How have duck feathers become a viable ingredient in apple pie? Welcome to the world of food additives. People have been adding flavors, spices, natural preservatives and ripening agents to food since antiquity. But as the popularity of highly processed food has risen dramatically since the 1950s, so has the astounding array of bizarre chemical additives used in food manufacturing. Fast-food recipes seem to be born more from the laboratory than from farm or field.
And although the powers that be deem these food-additive chemicals safe, the science fiction of it all is a bit unsettling. How do we come up with these things? Here are some of the wackiest of the bunch.
1. Duck feathers and human hair (l-cysteine)
You thought duck feathers sounded bad? How about human hair? These are the two most-common sources for l-cysteine, an amino acid used to condition dough for increased pliability, which facilitates better machine processing. CNN reported that most human-derived l-cysteine comes from Chinese women who help support their families by selling their locks to small chemical-processing plants.
Although originally the primary source for l-cysteine was human hair, many manufacturers seem to have moved away from hair-derived l-cysteine and on to the more-palatable duck feathers. According to Jeanne Yacoubou, MS, research editor for The Vegetarian Resource Group, 80 percent of l-cysteine is now derived from feathers. During her research, McDonald’s told Yacoubou that the l-cysteine used in its Baked Hot Apple Pie, as well as its Wheat Roll and Warm Cinnamon Roll, was of the duck-feather variety. Many other fast-food joints rely on l-cysteine in bakery products as well.
And not to be sensationalist here, the resultant additive is far-removed from its original source — but still. It may be disturbing to many, and importantly, may fly in the face of ethical or religious dietary restrictions.
2. Sand (silicon dioxide)
Avoiding sand in your sandwich at the beach is obvious, avoiding sand in your restaurant-purchased meal may not be so apparent.
Silicon dioxide, also known as silica (also known as sand!), is used to make glass, optical fibers, ceramics, and cement. Oh, and chili. Used as an anti-caking agent, it is often added to processed beef and chicken to prevent clumping, and is listed in the ingredient panels for chili from both Wendy’s and Taco Bell. Most experts suggest that it isn’t harmful for consumption, but just know that the ingredient keeping that chili meat nice and non-caking is the also the primary component of diatomceous earth, commonly used as a pesticide.
3. Wood (cellulose)
Processed wood pulp, known as cellulose, is used in everything from cheese to salad dressing, from muffins to strawberry syrup. Food processors use it to thicken and stabilize foods, replace fat and boost fiber content — as well as to minimize reliance on more costly ingredients like oil or flour. Powdered cellulose is produced by cooking virgin wood pulp in chemicals to separate the cellulose, and then purified. Modified versions require extra processing, such as exposure to acid in order to further break down the fiber.
Ironically, with the increase in nutritional awareness has come an increase in the use of cellulose — with the addition of wood pulp, products can boast of less fat and more fiber. Just don’t mind the wood.
McDonalds, Taco Bell, KFC, Sonic, Pizza Hut, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Jack in the Box, and many others include cellulose in their repertoire.
4. Silly Putty plastic (dimethylpolysiloxane)Eight-syllable ingredients make sense for Silly Putty, but French fries? Sure enough, dimethylpolysiloxane, a form of silicone used in cosmetics and Silly Putty, is also found in many a fast-food fried thing. It is the secret ingredient that keeps fryer oil from foaming. McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish and French fries have it, as do Wendy’s Natural-Cut Fries With Sea Salt. In fact, most fast-food items that bathe in a deep-fat fryer are imbued with a hint of dimethylpolysiloxane. Should you be concerned? The World Health Organization found no adverse health effects associated with dimethylpolysiloxane, but come on — what’s wrong with using potatoes, oil, and salt for fries?
5. Petroleum-derived preservatives (TBHQ)
Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) is made from compounds derived from petroleum and finds a home in cosmetic and skincare products, varnish, lacquers and resins — and processed food. McDonald’s, for example, uses it in 18 products ranging from their Fruit and Walnut Salad to Griddle Cakes to McNuggets.
TBHQ was finally approved after many years of pressure from food manufacturers, though with approval, the FDA mandated that the chemical must not exceed 0.02 percent of a food’s oil and fat content. Why would there be a limit? Because five grams would be lethal, while one gram can cause nausea, vomiting, delirium, a sense of suffocation and collapse. (Although you would have to eat more than 11 pounds of McNuggets to reach that level. And if you're willing to eat 11 pounds of McNuggets in one sitting, well...)
6. Soil fertilizer (ammonium sulfate)
Ammonium sulfate is sold by chemical companies to food manufacturers as “yeast food for bread,” and many fast-food companies list the ingredient in their bakery products.
But that’s just its night job; when ammonium sulfate is not moonlighting as a food additive, it performs its main task: as a fertilizer for alkaline soils. Ammonium sulfate also does duty as an agricultural spray adjuvant for water soluble insecticides, herbicides and fungicides.
7. Beetle juices (carminic acid, confectioner's glaze)
Food dyes approved by the FDA include colors synthesized from petroleum derivatives and coal tar, but with all of the negative attention paid to artificial food color, natural dyes are on the rise. Yet some food dyes based on natural ingredients come from things that you may not care to ingest. Meet carminic acid, a commonly used red food coloring that comes from the dried, crushed bodies of female scale insects called cochineal. Variously known as Cochineal, Cochineal Extract, Carmine, Crimson Lake, Natural Red 4, C.I. 75470, E120 — it is used in a wide variety of products ranging from some meat, sausages, processed poultry products, marinades, bakery products, toppings, cookies, desserts, icings, pie fillings, jams, preserves, gelatins, juices, drinks, dairy products, sauces and dessert products.
From the same family of the cochineal comes the Lac beetle, which is the source of shellac — as in wood-primer-and-varnish shellac. The female beetle secretes a resin that is scraped from trees in Southeast Asia and Mexico. The resin is collected and processed into a shiny coating to be donned by a variety of foods, including candy, vitamins, pills, tablets, capsules, chocolate and waxed fresh fruit. You won’t find beetle excretions on the ingredients list, however, look for its aliases: Confectioner's Glaze, Resinous Glaze, Shellac, Pharmaceutical Glaze, Pure Food Glaze, Natural Glaze, or Lac-Resin.
8. Meat paste-goop (mechanically separated meat)
Mechanically separated meat (MSM) has been produced since the 1960s, but has been enjoying new fame lately courtesy of a photo making the rounds which shows an industrial machine extruding a plump ribbon of pink paste into a box. It is commonly referred to as “pink slime.” Looking more like frosting than pureed meat and bone bits, the FDA defines mechanically separated poultry (MSP) as “a paste-like and batter-like poultry product produced by forcing bones, with attached edible tissue, through a sieve or similar device under high pressure to separate bone from the edible tissue.” Mechanically separated pork is used too, although in 2004 to protect consumers against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, mechanically separated beef was considered inedible and prohibited for use as human food.
After the meat slurry has been produced, it is sometimes treated with ammonium hydroxide to remove excess bacteria. Ammonium hydroxide is also used as a household cleaner and in fertilizers. Since the resultant meat-bone-muscle-tendon-ammonium-hydroxide goop doesn’t taste much like meat, artificial flavors are added to finish the whole thing off.
Mechanically separated meat is to blame for a number of processed meat products; think hot dogs, salami, bologna, burgers and many a chicken nugget. Fast-food restaurants are known for employing pink slime, although recently McDonald’s made clear that it no longer relies upon it in its burgers.
Generally recognized as safe (GRAS)These four little words seem to have become the FDA mantra when it comes to food additives; all of the above ingredients, and an expansive array of other chemical additives, have been generally recognized as safe in scientific studies. Taken out of context and looked at individually, maybe a little ammonium sulfate here and a petroleum product there aren’t going to cause quantitative damage to lab animals. But if you were to add up all of the chemical ingredients consumed during a life of a fast-food fueled western diet, what would that look like? Would it look like an epidemic of obesity, diabetes or cancer?
Michael Pollan's advice, "Don't eat anything your grandmother wouldn't recognize as food" never seemed so appealing.
06 March 2012
Leffe Onion Soup
I made this soup for my boyfriend and his parents, who are non-vegans. All of them are very interested in beer and homebrewing, and the Leffe was a superb choice. The beer gave the soup a spectacularly sweet taste, and the bread and cheese made it a substantial meal. The three of them were talking about this soup for weeks after, and I've been asked to make it again as soon as possible!
I chose provolone cheese for their soups because I am lactose-intolerant and have not yet found a vegan cheese omnivores will enjoy. I am hoping to try cheeses from HeidiHo Organics, and perhaps find more humanely and sustainable produced cheeses at Whole Foods.
I chose provolone cheese for their soups because I am lactose-intolerant and have not yet found a vegan cheese omnivores will enjoy. I am hoping to try cheeses from HeidiHo Organics, and perhaps find more humanely and sustainable produced cheeses at Whole Foods.
Leffe Onion Soup
2 lb medium yellow onions, halved
and thinly sliced lengthwise
2 tbs thyme
2 bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tbs Earth Balance
2 teaspoons all-purpose
flour
3/4 cup Leffe Blonde Belgian Ale, or your favorite microbrew
4 cups reduced-sodium
vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 inch-thick diagonal
slices of baguette
6oz sliced vegan cheese
Cook onions, thyme, bay
leaves, and salt in butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat,
uncovered, stirring frequently, until onions are very soft and deep golden brown,
about 45 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beer and
cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in broth, water, and pepper and simmer,
uncovered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
Arrange bread in 1 layer
on a large baking sheet and toast, turning over once, until completely dry,
about 15 minutes. Top toast with slices
of cheese and microwave until cheese is melted. Float in onion soup bowls.
Labels:
Recipes by The Queen
30 September 2011
Bourbon Cupcakes
These cupcakes are super rich, nutty, and warm. They are both vegan and gluten-free. Based on a recipe from The Sweet Spot bakery in Fort Worth.
5 oz unsweetened dark chocolate (70% or higher cocoa)
1/4 cup ground espresso
1/4 cup carob powder
1 cup Woodford Reserve Whiskey (vegan and GF)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup Earth Balance
1 1/2 cups beet sugar
1/2 cup raw brown sugar
4 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer, 10 tbs water
1 tbs vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup kamut flour
5 tbs agave nectar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt dark chocolate, and let cool.
2. Put espresso powder and cocoa powder in a measuring cup, and add boiling water up to the 1 cup measuring line. Mix until the powders dissolve. Add bourbon and salt; let cool.
3. Beat Earth Balance until light and fluffy. Slowly add in sugars. Add in Ener-G mixture. Beat in the vanilla, baking soda, and melted chocolate, scraping down the sides after each ingredient.
4. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the bourbon mixture and the flour, beginning and ending with the flour.
5. Pour into cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 the way full. Bake for about 19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely, then top with chocolate ganache and sprinkle with nuts.
Chocolate Icing
4 tbs almond milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup carob powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
Melt chocolate on medium-low heat. Do not burn. Add Earth Balance, almond milk, brown sugar, carob powder, and maple syrup. Stir until smooth, and keep burner on very low heat so mixture stays semi-melted. Add carob powder and Earth Balance as necessary to thicken. Add maple syrup and sugar as necessary to sweeten.
Labels:
Recipes by The Queen
15 September 2011
Easy Split Pea Soup
1 package Tabatchnick Split Pea Soup (parve, meaning it is dairy and meat free, plus the ingredients list no eggs)
1/4 cup dried moong peas (chilka)
3/4 cup water
1/2 vegan vegetable bouillon cube
1 cup clove and radish sprouts
1/2 cup torn kale leaves
1 tsp flax seeds
1/4 tsp salt
Boil 1 cup water for the moong peas. Add peas and boil until soft. You may need to add more water. Meanwhile, heat 3/4 cup water, bouillon, and Tabatchnick soup together on medium heat. Add sprouts, kale, flax seeds, and salt. When peas are soft, drain excess water and add to soup.
Labels:
Recipes by The Queen
12 September 2011
Zesty Greens Salad
The dressing is warm and zesty, and the fruit pieces offset the spicyness with a welcome sweet flavor.
2 cups mixed field greens
1/4 cup diced dried fruit (like cranberries, raisins, apples, apricots)
1/2 cup broccoli slaw
1/2 cup red cabbage
1/2 cup sprouts (clove and radish)
3 tbs herb vinaigrette
Herb Vinaigrette
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup red onion
Several stalks of basil and Rosemary (I used more Rosemary than basil)
1 tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water
Salt/Pepper to taste
Blend until everything is liquefied.
Labels:
Recipes by The Queen
Why I Stopped Being a Pescatarian
Resources: Compassionate Cooks, "Fish Consumption and Bycatch;" Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran-Foer
For years, I called myself vegetarian while eating a variety of sea creatures. I knew there was something a bit "off" about the fishing industry, but I ignored it for the sake convenience, fine dining, for eel rolls, seared tuna steak, and octopi. But Jonathan Safran-Foer's book Eating Animals opened my eyes. Once I knew the truth, I could not ethically justify eating one sea animal when I knew dozens of others died in the process of bringing that one animal to my plate.
It is well known that 10 billion land animals are killed in the United States annually for food. The actual number goes unreported, but it is estimated that around 17 billion aquatic animals are killed annually through commercial fishing. Another 245 million are killed by sport fishing. In total, over 27 billion animals are killed each year for human consumption.
Yet as vast as these figures are, they do not include the additional millions of animals caught as bycatch. Bycatch is any "unintended or unwanted animals caught by the fishing industry," and over an estimated 4.5 million animals are "accidentally" killed each year as bycatch (Patrick-Goudreau).
Shrimp fisheries have the highest level of bycatch, with shrimp trawling accounting for 33% of global bycatch annually. 80 to 90% of a catch can consist of bycatch. This means that 26 pounds of other marine animals die for every 1 pound of shrimp harvested. Nets are dragged across the ocean floor to catch shrimp, trapping other animals in the process. Shrimp nets also destroy coral reefs and habitats, with a single pass of a trawler removing up to 20% of the seafloor's plants and animals. Trawling also traps whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea turtles, and many endangered species.
Longlines are responsible for the deaths of cetaceans, sea turtles, marine birds, and endangered species, and can reach up to 75 miles in length. These fishing lines kill 145 other species in addition to the ones they seek. This means that 145 other animals may have died to bring us a single tuna salad sandwich, a blackened halibut filet, or yellowtail sashimi. In particular, tuna and trout fishing results in the deaths of several thousand dolphins per year.
And are farmed fish any better? No.
While touted as a health food rich in omega-3s and essential to a balanced diet, it is easy to see how farmed salmon is, in fact, detrimental to human health. Often, salmon are crowded together so tightly that they contract sea lice, which can devour their flesh down to the bone. "A single salmon farm generates swarming clouds of sea lice in numbers thirty thousand times higher than naturally occur" (Safran-Foer). They live in filthy water, contract painful skin diseases, cannibalize one another, and nutritional deficiencies. They are also fed chemicals to give their flesh that distinctive pink color. The idea of farmed salmon as a "health food" is an illusion. Sick and diseased animals are passed off as "health food" through false advertising. (And doesn't it stand to reason that a better source of omega-3s would be the plant foods that the salmon consume? In order to be rich in omega-3s, the fish have to obtain it from somewhere. We can easily find it in flax and chia seeds, vitamin supplements, and other plant sources.)
Here are more staggering figures:
300,000 cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises) are killed annually by commercial fishing industries.
100 million sharks and rays per year are accidentally caught and discarded.
100,000 albatrosses per year are caught and killed by longlines.
Several thousand dolphins are killed annually as bycatch in nets targeting tuna and trout.
More than 20,000 sea turtles die annually from longlines. Note that 6 of the 7 species of sea turtles are endangered.
Is it right for so many other animals to die for the sake of a $15 dinner at Rockfish, or Tuesday nights at the dollar sushi buffet? No. It's not. No tuna sandwich or shrimp cocktail is worth the deaths of so many other animals.
With this knowledge, I cannot ethically justify eating seafood.
Herb Steamed Veggies
Serve alongside Gardein brand Chick'n Scallopini for a delicious meal of only 250 calories, and 21 grams of protein.
Sherry and Herb Veggie Marinade
Sherry and Herb Veggie Marinade
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup cooking sherry
2 tbs water
1 tbs lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup clove and radish sprouts
several sprigs of rosemary and basil
salt to taste
Blend all ingredients until liquefied. The mixture should smell like pesto, and be thick and "buttery." Set mixture aside.
Steam together baby carrots, green beans, broccoli florets, and cauliflower florets. After they are 1/3 of the way cooked, add 1 head of kale (torn into small pieces), broccoli slaw (Eating Right/Safeway brand), shredded purple cabbage, red bell pepper. Steam until veggies are soft, but not mushy, and make sure they retain their color. Do not oversteam.
Pour marinade over veggies and toss to coat.
Sure beats the hell out of those prepackaged Jolly Green Giant steamer bags! The taste is rustic, warm, and fragrant. The marinade can be used on any combination of veggies. I think it would do nicely with some squash and zucchini thrown in!
Labels:
Recipes by The Queen
11 September 2011
Save 198's Store
Save 198 now has a CafePress shop where you can buy t-shirts, buttons, and tote bags! Check us out.
All proceeds will be donated to Mercy for Animals.
10 September 2011
Becoming Vegan
Like most vegans, for most of my life I did not eat a plant-based diet. In fact, I didn't even like most vegetables. Growing up in Texas, my exposure to vegetables was limited to creamed corn, fried okra, canned green beans, cheese potatoes, and pinto beans cooked with salt pork. The main focus of the entree was always some cut of animal: fried chicken or fish, steak, pork chops, roast beef, or turkey.
Gradually, I refused to eat certain things, much to the chagrin of my family, who found it inconvenient that "that kid just won't eat anything!" I hated the flavorless, greasy taste of hamburgers and the heavy feeling they left in my stomach, and would only eat chicken nuggets at fast food chains. As I got older, "red meat" dropped out altogether. Then as a teenager I heard about all the disgusting effects of pork, and refused to eat anything containing it.
When I started college, I was eating only poultry and fish, and thought my diet to be vastly superior to most people's choices. Then one day, the poultry made my stomach turn. The sensation of sticky, chewy muscle fibers clinging to my molars was what did it. I never ate poultry again. Fish was another story.
I loved all fish. Pan-seared, blackened, raw... You name it, I ate it. Octopi, squid, conch, shellfish... sushi was a favorite. Sadly, I still have a picture of myself chowing down on baby octopi from only two years ago... and the ridiculous part is, I called myself vegetarian. But then one day I had a tilapia fillet for dinner. As I was chewing, I recalled that same bizzare sensation of eating poultry. The tilapia tasted entirely too much like "meat." I asked several times, "Are you sure this is fish and not chicken?" The texture was all too similar. I couldn't finish my dinner. After that day, fish was off the menu for good.
I was truly vegetarian for my last year of college. Yet the absurdity doesn't end. I had been complaining for years about how sick dairy made me feel... yet I was still eating it. And why? For convenience's sake. I simply did not think I could go full vegan and still find things to eat at restaurants, or snacks to grab while on the way to class or work. There was just no way. Being vegan would be impossibly inconvenient, and I was too busy to have to think about what I would eat. Where would I get my protein? How could I ever enjoy pizza again? How would I fit in at social gatherings? Even though it made me sick, I just couldn't give up the cheese. Increasingly, my lactose intolerance got worse, and finally, at 23, I gave up dairy, and at last admitted to myself I was lactose intolerant.
I struggled for months with whether or not I should call myself vegan, and for that matter, why I should become one in the first place. I had some idea that vegans were insane, human-hating and animal-glorifying weirdos who blamed all their problems on whoever was president. And while cheese made me sick, I still craved it, and I didn't see what was really wrong with honey or free-range eggs. Pressure from my family didn't help any, either.
A few weeks before my graduation party, I told my mother was I was no longer vegetarian, but vegan, and wouldn't be able to eat any fish or dairy products at the party. She freaked. "I don't know how to cook for you anymore! You can't eat anything! I'm concerned about your health, and I don't know how we will ever be able to have a sense of togetherness at family meals because of your diet." She was so completely upset-- devastated, even-- that I caved. At the party, I ate pasta salad coated in Parmesan, and peppers filled with cheese. I may have even eaten some kind fish-meatball concoction. No surprise-- I spent the entire evening sick as a dog, bloated up like a balloon, and wondering like an idiot why I didn't feel well.
Then finally, one day, it clicked. I shouldn't be eating things that make me feel sick just for the sake of pleasing others. So I quit. I became vegan. No dairy. No fish. No honey. No eggs. No Guinness on St. Patrick's Day, and no cheese on my enchiladas. In the months that followed, a beautiful transformation took place.
I realized a vegan diet was in no way restrictive. I no longer felt weak or fatigued, but energetic and joyful. I learned that the trick to being vegan is to not base your diet on carbs, sugars, or novelty foods (like veggie burgers or tofu chicken), but instead base it on variety. I began cooking for myself, and centered my diet on whole foods instead of processed foods. I realized that the problem with my vegetarian diet in college was that I did not cook, did not eat whole foods, and instead relied on the microwave. As a result, I frequently felt weak and sick. Now, eight months later, I hardly use that machine anymore. I have become a creative and thoughtful cook, and delight in sharing the gift of quality food with others. I discovered a new world of plant foods I didn't know existed and didn't expect to enjoy. I've made dishes like Swiss Chard Pesto (what the hell is a chard?!), discovered that kale is the food of the gods, enjoyed dragon tongue green beans, cactus, parsnips, leeks, heirloom tomatoes, all variety of peppers, Thai ginger, beets, radishes, red onions, cabbage, daikon, bean sprouts, yellow carrots-- and the list goes on. Most wonderfully, my vegan diet has taught me to notice the beauty in small things. I am delighted by the color and texture of heirloom tomatoes. I get excited when I find the perfect purple onion, or the brightest bunch of rainbow chard. I'm even happy to peel garlic cloves. It's a beautiful feeling to realize how many wonderful things the earth provides for us, and to really appreciate them for all their variety and color.
I can't imagine ever changing my diet. I never, ever feel deprived, out of place, or restricted by what I choose to eat. I feel joyful, and healthy. I never envy what others eat, and I don't think myself better than those who do eat meat. But I do wish I could help other see the benefits of basing their diet on plant foods. There is so much research on how vegetarian and vegan diets have cured chronic illness, reduced the effects of diabetes, reversed hypertension and high blood pressure, and even cured cancer. I fully believe that a plant-centric diet will benefit anyone.
Today, I live the truth that I am vegan. I joyfully look forward to whole foods-based meals that have not caused any suffering and won't bring any harm to my body. My family has gradually gotten used to the idea, but of course, the jokes about it being "inconvenient" continue. They may always continue. But I approach the topic with love, sharing dishes and recipes with them at gatherings, and answering any questions they have with an open-mind. I believe in the healing power of food, and hope my influence may inspire them to make more thoughtful food choices.
Being vegan is fantastic. I can truly say that these past few months have been the happiest of my life.
Gradually, I refused to eat certain things, much to the chagrin of my family, who found it inconvenient that "that kid just won't eat anything!" I hated the flavorless, greasy taste of hamburgers and the heavy feeling they left in my stomach, and would only eat chicken nuggets at fast food chains. As I got older, "red meat" dropped out altogether. Then as a teenager I heard about all the disgusting effects of pork, and refused to eat anything containing it.
When I started college, I was eating only poultry and fish, and thought my diet to be vastly superior to most people's choices. Then one day, the poultry made my stomach turn. The sensation of sticky, chewy muscle fibers clinging to my molars was what did it. I never ate poultry again. Fish was another story.
I loved all fish. Pan-seared, blackened, raw... You name it, I ate it. Octopi, squid, conch, shellfish... sushi was a favorite. Sadly, I still have a picture of myself chowing down on baby octopi from only two years ago... and the ridiculous part is, I called myself vegetarian. But then one day I had a tilapia fillet for dinner. As I was chewing, I recalled that same bizzare sensation of eating poultry. The tilapia tasted entirely too much like "meat." I asked several times, "Are you sure this is fish and not chicken?" The texture was all too similar. I couldn't finish my dinner. After that day, fish was off the menu for good.
I was truly vegetarian for my last year of college. Yet the absurdity doesn't end. I had been complaining for years about how sick dairy made me feel... yet I was still eating it. And why? For convenience's sake. I simply did not think I could go full vegan and still find things to eat at restaurants, or snacks to grab while on the way to class or work. There was just no way. Being vegan would be impossibly inconvenient, and I was too busy to have to think about what I would eat. Where would I get my protein? How could I ever enjoy pizza again? How would I fit in at social gatherings? Even though it made me sick, I just couldn't give up the cheese. Increasingly, my lactose intolerance got worse, and finally, at 23, I gave up dairy, and at last admitted to myself I was lactose intolerant.
I struggled for months with whether or not I should call myself vegan, and for that matter, why I should become one in the first place. I had some idea that vegans were insane, human-hating and animal-glorifying weirdos who blamed all their problems on whoever was president. And while cheese made me sick, I still craved it, and I didn't see what was really wrong with honey or free-range eggs. Pressure from my family didn't help any, either.
A few weeks before my graduation party, I told my mother was I was no longer vegetarian, but vegan, and wouldn't be able to eat any fish or dairy products at the party. She freaked. "I don't know how to cook for you anymore! You can't eat anything! I'm concerned about your health, and I don't know how we will ever be able to have a sense of togetherness at family meals because of your diet." She was so completely upset-- devastated, even-- that I caved. At the party, I ate pasta salad coated in Parmesan, and peppers filled with cheese. I may have even eaten some kind fish-meatball concoction. No surprise-- I spent the entire evening sick as a dog, bloated up like a balloon, and wondering like an idiot why I didn't feel well.
Then finally, one day, it clicked. I shouldn't be eating things that make me feel sick just for the sake of pleasing others. So I quit. I became vegan. No dairy. No fish. No honey. No eggs. No Guinness on St. Patrick's Day, and no cheese on my enchiladas. In the months that followed, a beautiful transformation took place.
I realized a vegan diet was in no way restrictive. I no longer felt weak or fatigued, but energetic and joyful. I learned that the trick to being vegan is to not base your diet on carbs, sugars, or novelty foods (like veggie burgers or tofu chicken), but instead base it on variety. I began cooking for myself, and centered my diet on whole foods instead of processed foods. I realized that the problem with my vegetarian diet in college was that I did not cook, did not eat whole foods, and instead relied on the microwave. As a result, I frequently felt weak and sick. Now, eight months later, I hardly use that machine anymore. I have become a creative and thoughtful cook, and delight in sharing the gift of quality food with others. I discovered a new world of plant foods I didn't know existed and didn't expect to enjoy. I've made dishes like Swiss Chard Pesto (what the hell is a chard?!), discovered that kale is the food of the gods, enjoyed dragon tongue green beans, cactus, parsnips, leeks, heirloom tomatoes, all variety of peppers, Thai ginger, beets, radishes, red onions, cabbage, daikon, bean sprouts, yellow carrots-- and the list goes on. Most wonderfully, my vegan diet has taught me to notice the beauty in small things. I am delighted by the color and texture of heirloom tomatoes. I get excited when I find the perfect purple onion, or the brightest bunch of rainbow chard. I'm even happy to peel garlic cloves. It's a beautiful feeling to realize how many wonderful things the earth provides for us, and to really appreciate them for all their variety and color.
I can't imagine ever changing my diet. I never, ever feel deprived, out of place, or restricted by what I choose to eat. I feel joyful, and healthy. I never envy what others eat, and I don't think myself better than those who do eat meat. But I do wish I could help other see the benefits of basing their diet on plant foods. There is so much research on how vegetarian and vegan diets have cured chronic illness, reduced the effects of diabetes, reversed hypertension and high blood pressure, and even cured cancer. I fully believe that a plant-centric diet will benefit anyone.
Today, I live the truth that I am vegan. I joyfully look forward to whole foods-based meals that have not caused any suffering and won't bring any harm to my body. My family has gradually gotten used to the idea, but of course, the jokes about it being "inconvenient" continue. They may always continue. But I approach the topic with love, sharing dishes and recipes with them at gatherings, and answering any questions they have with an open-mind. I believe in the healing power of food, and hope my influence may inspire them to make more thoughtful food choices.
Being vegan is fantastic. I can truly say that these past few months have been the happiest of my life.
09 September 2011
DFW Vegan Groups and Websites
Dallas Vegan: http://dallasvegan.com/
Meet Ups: http://vegan.meetup.com/cities/us/tx/dallas/
DFW Vegans and Vegetarians: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32303408972
Dallas Vegetarian and Vegan: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=166879487165
Fort Worth Vegetarian and Vegan: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=157477836792
Texas State Veggie Fair: http://www.facebook.com/TxStateVegFair
Vegan City (Arlington): http://www.facebook.com/groups/147053432178/
Vegan City (Fort Worth): http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=166745009179
Texas Vegan Bakers: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=387469543046
Texas Vegans: http://www.facebook.com/groups/texasvegans/
Meet Ups: http://vegan.meetup.com/cities/us/tx/dallas/
DFW Vegans and Vegetarians: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32303408972
Dallas Vegetarian and Vegan: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=166879487165
Fort Worth Vegetarian and Vegan: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=157477836792
Texas State Veggie Fair: http://www.facebook.com/TxStateVegFair
Vegan City (Arlington): http://www.facebook.com/groups/147053432178/
Vegan City (Fort Worth): http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=166745009179
Texas Vegan Bakers: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=387469543046
Texas Vegans: http://www.facebook.com/groups/texasvegans/
08 September 2011
Thoughtful Quotes
"The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn."--Gloria Steinem
"Veganism is defined as a philosophy which seeks to exclude as far as possible and practical all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to animals for food, clothing, and any other purpose."--Donald Watson
"It is a great delusion to suppose that flesh of any kind is essential to health."--William Booth
"Do what you're able and willing to do. But don't do nothing because you can't do everything. Each step will bring you closer to the person you really want to be and the animals you really want to help."-- Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
"I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being." --Abraham Lincoln
"If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."-- St. Francis of Assisi
"Our task must be to free ourselves...widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.”--Albert Einstein
From Native Americans:
"The animals had rights-- the right of man's protection, the right to live, the right to multiply, the right to freedom, and the right to man's indebtedness-- and in recognition of these rights the Lakota never enslaved an animal, and spared all life that was not needed for food and clothing... the Lakota could despise no creature, for all were of one blood, made by the same hand, and filled with the essence of the Great Mystery."-- Chief Luther Standing Bear, Teton Sioux
"The spirit of God is not breathed into humans alone, but that the whole created universe shares in the immortal perfection of its Maker... The spirit pervades all creation and that every creature posesses a soul in some degree... the tree, the waterfall, the grizzly bear, each is an embodied Force, and as such an object of reverence... We humbly accept the sacrifice of their bodies to preserve our own."-- Ohiyesa, Santee Sioux
"Our respect for the immortal part of our brothers and sisters, the animals, often leads us so far as to lay out the body of any game we catch and decorate the head with symbolic paint or feathers. We then stand before it in an attitude of prayer, holding up the pipe that contains our sacred tobacco, as a gesture that we have freed with honor the spirit of our brother or sister, whose body we were compelled to take to sustain our own life."-- Ohiyesa, Santee Sioux
"If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys." - Chief Dan George, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, Canada
"Veganism is defined as a philosophy which seeks to exclude as far as possible and practical all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to animals for food, clothing, and any other purpose."--Donald Watson
"It is a great delusion to suppose that flesh of any kind is essential to health."--William Booth
"Do what you're able and willing to do. But don't do nothing because you can't do everything. Each step will bring you closer to the person you really want to be and the animals you really want to help."-- Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
"I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being." --Abraham Lincoln
"If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."-- St. Francis of Assisi
"Our task must be to free ourselves...widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.”--Albert Einstein
From Native Americans:
"The animals had rights-- the right of man's protection, the right to live, the right to multiply, the right to freedom, and the right to man's indebtedness-- and in recognition of these rights the Lakota never enslaved an animal, and spared all life that was not needed for food and clothing... the Lakota could despise no creature, for all were of one blood, made by the same hand, and filled with the essence of the Great Mystery."-- Chief Luther Standing Bear, Teton Sioux
"The spirit of God is not breathed into humans alone, but that the whole created universe shares in the immortal perfection of its Maker... The spirit pervades all creation and that every creature posesses a soul in some degree... the tree, the waterfall, the grizzly bear, each is an embodied Force, and as such an object of reverence... We humbly accept the sacrifice of their bodies to preserve our own."-- Ohiyesa, Santee Sioux
"Our respect for the immortal part of our brothers and sisters, the animals, often leads us so far as to lay out the body of any game we catch and decorate the head with symbolic paint or feathers. We then stand before it in an attitude of prayer, holding up the pipe that contains our sacred tobacco, as a gesture that we have freed with honor the spirit of our brother or sister, whose body we were compelled to take to sustain our own life."-- Ohiyesa, Santee Sioux
"If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys." - Chief Dan George, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, Canada
DFW Vegan Restaurant Guide
Below is a list of DFW's vegan restaurants. If I have missed any, please let me know!
Bliss Raw Cafe (Dallas): blissrawcafe.com
My #1 favorite vegan restaurant in DFW. My experience here has always been outstanding. A friend and I came on a Sunday after they had already closed. The owner invited us to come back later and have a free desert on the house. I wasn't able to make it in that same week, but I visited again nearly a month later, and not only did she remember me, but delivered on the desert as promised. And it was so worth it! I have never tasted a better chocolate in my entire life.
The food is lovingly prepared, the presentation is beautiful, the atmosphere is warm, and the taste is delicious. Their raw pizza, young coconut milk, and raw brownies make my head spin! The proprietors are full of love, vitality, and they always remember you!
V-Spot: (Coming soon, owned by Bliss)
I can't wait. Rumor has it that this restaurant will serve cooked as well as raw vegan dishes.
Spiral Diner (Dallas and Fort Worth): spiraldiner.com
A very enjoyable restaurant. All kinds of fun foods vegans may "miss," such as Philly Cheezsteak, barbeque sandwiches, and other novelties. Excellent deserts. I wished they offered more "whole" foods and fewer novelty items, but they are a perfect choice if you've been craving something out of the ordinary. A great date-night, and an ideal place to take non-vegans.
Lovin' Hut (Arlington): lovinghut.us/arlington_01/about.html
A little place on Matlock in South Arlington, but one I love. Their food is similar to that of Spiral Diner, but with an Asian twist. It is owned and operated by wonderful people who are always glad to have a chat with you. The wraps are excellent, and the service is great.
Potager Cafe (Arlington): potagercafe.com
Potager is a tiny cafe that serves locally sourced foods, vegan and non-vegan. The chef serves you himself, and he is always happy to cater to vegan diets. The room is filled with an awesome air of positivity, relaxation, and warmth. Most people bring a bottle of wine and converse about food, travel, and books. It is absolutely one of my most favorite places to eat, and an excellent choice for vegans and non-vegans.
Cosmic Cafe (Dallas): cosmiccafedallas.com
Cosmic Cafe is the vegetarian restaurant Dallasites have been mistaking for a Hari Krishna Temple over the past twenty years. It serves mainly Indian-inspired dishes, and attracts everyone from non-vegetarians to the Tibetan Buddhist Monks who build the mandalas at the Crow Collection. Cosmic Cafe was formerly the Cosmic Cup and owned by Kumar Pallana, who has starred in several Wes Anderson films. Indeed, Anderson's Bottle Rocket was written here in the 1990s.
Do note that the owner is not vegetarian, and the veggies of the day (also the veggie side on the Buddha's Delight) are deep fried, but this is something no one will tell you. I do not believe the cheese to be rennet-free, or the other milk products to be sustainably sourced.
The clientele are honest, ethical people who come here to relax, and who are always glad to have a conversation with a stranger over a cup of chai. It's a beautiful place with a few negative points, but on the whole, I love it. A great place for vegans, non-vegans, and those interested in trying ethnic cuisines.
Non-Vegan Restaurants with Vegan Options:
Trinity Hall Pub (Dallas): trinityhall.tv
Offers vegetarian items which can be veganized.
I LOVE the mulligatawny, and their veggie burger is also excellent. The cocktails, whiskys, beers, scotches, and atmosphere make for an excellent date, or night out with a group of friends. I cannot even count the hours I have spent in this place, and I am so appreciative of the fact that the owners have thoughtfully included some delicious items on the menu perfectly suited for my diet. Note that the soda bread is outstanding, but does include buttermilk and eggs. On the whole, this place just kicks ass.
Fadi's (Dallas): fadiscuisine.com
Offers vegetarian items which can be veganized.
A delicious trip to the East. I am a HUGE fan of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food, and the offerings at Fadi's always taste incredibly fresh and delicious. They offer many salads (some do contain cheese) and vegetable sides. Usually when I order the vegetarian platter, I am left with enough food to eat across three meals! Excellent price, great atmosphere, beautiful owners, outstanding food.
Chuy's (Dallas, Arlington, Fort Worth): chuys.com
Offers vegetarian items which can be veganized.
I have learned throughout my travels that you simply can't take the Tex-Mex out of a Texan. Chuy's is my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant because all the ingredients taste very fresh, the Mojitos are excellent, the salsa is as addictive as heroin, and the servers are always helpful and willing to accomodate my diet. The veggie enchiladas (without cheese) are a vegan favorite, and should you become bored with it, there are plenty of different sauces that can go on top. My favorite thing to eat is quite simple: a side of charro beans (vegan), a side of chili-lime rice (vegan) which I mix together with a bowl of their salsa. As an appetizer, I order their blue corn tortillas and lots and lots of extra salsa. I've been known to leave with a 32 ounce container and use it as a topping for salads throughout the week. Great price, great atmosphere!
** Note that nearly all non-western cuisines offer vegan options, including Indian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Ethiopian, Asian, and Italian. Experience, experiment, and enjoy!
Free Range on a Budget
The foremost reason why many people continue purchasing factory farmed products is because they are cheaper and more easily obtained. Many American families experiencing financial strife may choose cheaper factory farmed goods in order to be financially responsible. Free range is simply not within the budget, so many feel insulted by the pressure to eat only free range and organic.
Their hostility is understandable, because no one wants to be told they are making a poor choice, especially if they feel they are forced to buy a factory farmed product for financial reasons. However, it is absolutely possible to make the switch to free range products without breaking the bank. How? Here are several ideas.
1. Since any type of meat is more expensive than plant foods, it will be financially beneficial to purchase fewer meat products. While this may seem like a drawback, it is in many ways extremely beneficial for one's health. Free-range ground beef may be substituted for ground turkey in many dishes, and this will contribute to a leaner body and lower cholesterol.
2. It is possible to obtain free range meats in bulk from wholesale food stores such as Costco or Sam's. This may benefit fixed-income families as a whole because they offer a wide range of products in bulk amounts at a very low cost.
3. A family might choose to eat smaller portions of meat. One might switch from a 10 oz steak to a 6 oz steak and thereby save money, reduce one's cholesterol, lose weight, and benefit one's health overall.
4. Tasty and inexpensive veggies, grains, or fruits may be added to the meal to replace a smaller amount of meat. A family can save by adding more vegetables to their diets because veggies are much cheaper than meat products.
5. Soy or Quorn products are extremely convincing substitutes for real meat. Meatless products benefit one's health because they are extremely low in fat and cholesterol. Beef broth may be substituted for a combination of tomato juice and vegetable broth with a cube of Not-Beef bouillon.
6. One might eat one free range egg and a piece of cantaloupe for breakfast instead of two battery eggs. Or substitute four pieces of bacon for two pieces of turkey bacon.
7. ANY meat or dairy product can be substituted with a cheaper, vegetarian product. It is even possible to make delicious cheeses from nuts.
8. A low-income family with a small plot of land in the backyard could plant their own garden and grow their own vegetables. A rural family might purchase their own hen. A city-dwelling family could contribute to a community garden, or grow herbs in their kitchen.
9. Eating at home and eating out less will also be financially beneficial. Cooking and gardening together will promote a sense of togetherness.
It is absolutely possible for those on fixed incomes to switch from factory farmed products to free range products. A little knowledge and know-how are the only things necessary to save money and improve one's health.
Remember, it's okay if you can't do it all. Any change you can make will benefit your health and the welfare of animals. "Don't do nothing because you can't do everything."-- Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
For more on this topic, please listen to Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's excellent podcast, "The High Costs of Cheap Meat." This episode debunks the claim that a "vegan diet is more expensive than a non-vegetarian diet" by looking at a cost comparison of the equivalent amount of animal versus plant protein, by looking at the government subsidies that make food artificially cheap, and by looking at the government subsidies that make food artificially cheap, and by looking at costs that go beyond mere dollars: those of the environment, the lives of the animals, our health, and our peace of mind. For information specific to saving money during an economic recession, please listen to, "The Compassionate Kitchen," which refers to eating healthfully affordably, not eating cheap food. Colleen offers five suggestions for eating healthfully while being budget-conscious.
06 September 2011
Wise Compassion for Animals
Steve Hagen neatly sums up what I believe to be a pragmatic and balanced approach to veganism:
"In the world of our ordinary mind, everything is divided up: left and right, good and bad, above and below.
For example, we see the puma stalking the deer and we want to call out to the deer to help him escape. And when the puma pounces on the deer, our heart goes out to the deer.
So we look for a way to protect the deer. We put bells on the puma so the deer knows when she's around. As a result, the puma suffers. Eventually, she starves.
With no more puma to keep the deer population in check, the number of deer increases. Before long there are more deer than the local environment can support. The deer overgraze the land and strip the trees and shrubs bare of leaves. And eventually, due to overpopulation, the deer, too, begin to starve.
We believe that we're expressing compassion. But compassion must be balanced with wisdom. To the extent we don't see, we waste our compassion.
If you see Reality in its fluidity and its fullness, then you see the puma as well as the deer. You see how the two fit together as parts of a seamless Whole."
--from Buddhism: Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen
Many times, vegans adopt an all-or-nothing approach to meat-eating and animal rights. Compassion must be absolute: No meat-eating and no killing of animals. This type of thinking is neither practical or logical. Organizations like PETA are paper tigers because of their inflexiblity. Vegans who see ethical eating in terms of absolutes lack vision. Such approaches cannot be sustained in present circumstances unless we completely eradicate domestic animals bred for food and restore natural predator-prey ratios. Expecting either of these things to happen is pure idealism. There can be no absolutes in an imperfect and ever-changing universe. Change is neither good nor bad, yet it requires flexibility, and to demand that all creatures stop eating other animals is foolish. Our compassion for animals, and our choices to eat or not eat them, must always be tempered by wisdom. Wise vegans realize compassion is useless if it is rigid.
"In the world of our ordinary mind, everything is divided up: left and right, good and bad, above and below.
For example, we see the puma stalking the deer and we want to call out to the deer to help him escape. And when the puma pounces on the deer, our heart goes out to the deer.
So we look for a way to protect the deer. We put bells on the puma so the deer knows when she's around. As a result, the puma suffers. Eventually, she starves.
With no more puma to keep the deer population in check, the number of deer increases. Before long there are more deer than the local environment can support. The deer overgraze the land and strip the trees and shrubs bare of leaves. And eventually, due to overpopulation, the deer, too, begin to starve.
We believe that we're expressing compassion. But compassion must be balanced with wisdom. To the extent we don't see, we waste our compassion.
If you see Reality in its fluidity and its fullness, then you see the puma as well as the deer. You see how the two fit together as parts of a seamless Whole."
--from Buddhism: Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen
Many times, vegans adopt an all-or-nothing approach to meat-eating and animal rights. Compassion must be absolute: No meat-eating and no killing of animals. This type of thinking is neither practical or logical. Organizations like PETA are paper tigers because of their inflexiblity. Vegans who see ethical eating in terms of absolutes lack vision. Such approaches cannot be sustained in present circumstances unless we completely eradicate domestic animals bred for food and restore natural predator-prey ratios. Expecting either of these things to happen is pure idealism. There can be no absolutes in an imperfect and ever-changing universe. Change is neither good nor bad, yet it requires flexibility, and to demand that all creatures stop eating other animals is foolish. Our compassion for animals, and our choices to eat or not eat them, must always be tempered by wisdom. Wise vegans realize compassion is useless if it is rigid.
01 September 2011
Hatch Chile and Cactus Soup
1 cup water
1/2 cup tomato juice
24 oz vegetable stock
4 tbs lemon juice
2 cans cilantro-lime Rotel tomatoes
1 can sweet corn, rinsed
2 cans black beans, rinsed
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 tomatillos
2 cacti leaves, spines and eyes removed, scrubbed, and sliced into 1/4'' strips
6 green New Mexico chiles, peeled, seeds and stems removed, chopped
1 poblano pepper, peeled, seeds and stems removed, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, peeled, seeds and stems removed, chopped
3 tablespoons textured vegetable protein (optional, adds texture)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional, adds texture)
1 bunch cilantro
1 cube Not Beef bouillion
3 tbs taco seasoning
2 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
Puree the tomatillos, red onion, garlic, half the cilantro with 4 tbs lemon juice in a food processor or Magic Bullet. Pour into a large cooking pot. Add vegetable stock, water, tomato juice, Not Beef cube, nutritional yeast, textured vegetable protein, corn, beans, and tomatoes. Add spices. Simmer while you "clean" the cacti leaves. Slice cacti leaves into thin strips and add to pot. Simmer 20-30 minutes.
Top with cilantro, tortilla strips, and Daiya cheddar cheez.
This recipe was inspired by an article from the Dallas Morning News.
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27 August 2011
Lentil-Veggie Stew
Simple, flavorful, and filling. :)
1/2 cube Not Beef bouillon
1 tbs basil
1 tbs thyme
1 tbs garlic powder
1/2 tbs coriander
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup dry red lentils
1/8 cup whole wheat couscous
3/4 cup broccoli slaw (broccoli, carrots, red cabbage, Eating Right brand)
3/4 cup mixed greens
2 tbs textured vegetable protein
1 tbs nutritional yeast
Boil the water, bouillon, and herbs together for about 5 minutes. (You can use this mixture to season noodles or rice as well.)
Add lentils and couscous and boil 3 minutes. Add TVP and nutritional yeast and simmer on medium heat for another two minutes. Finely shred broccoli slaw and greens, add to pot, and simmer 1-2 minutes.
Serves two.
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02 July 2011
Summer Edamame Salad
This salad goes well with Mint Green Tea (1:1 ratio of mint tea to decaf green tea).
Layer on a large salad plate:
mixed greens
cooked rice, couscous, quinoa or other grains
mix of julienned carrots, apple, radish (I use an inexpensive mandolin grater, like this one.)
diced cucumber
diced tomato
diced Belgian endive
boiled and shelled edamame
seitan, veggie meat strips, or a veggie burger cut into bite-sized pieces
a few Greek olives
sunflower, alfalfa, daikon, or other sprouts
shelled pumpkin or sunflower seeds
cracked peper
Cover lightly with Ginger-Soy Dressing and serve.
Ginger-Soy Dressing
small piece of ginger, maybe small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, peeled.
small chunk of scallion, comparable to the size of the ginger
1 part lime juice
1 part low sodium soy sauce
1 part sesame oil
2 parts olive oil
2 part rice vinegar
Place all in a food processor and blend until smooth.
--by The Queen
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Power Vegan Sandwich
2 slices flaxseed bread
1 tbs hummus
1 tbs basil pesto
1 tbs veganaise (from grapeseed oil)
2 tbs ground flaxseeds
4 pieces Smart Choice "Bacon"
1 slice of tomato
sprouts mix (alfalfa, beans, etc.)
Layer all on bread, slice in half, and serve with a few Greek olives
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Summer Minestrone Soup
2 carrots, diced
1 parsnip, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 onion, diced
5 oz fresh green beans, ends removed and snapped into medium pieces
1 bunch kale, stems removed and torn into medium-sized pieces
2 red potatoes, boiled beforehand and diced
14 oz cannelini beans
28 oz canned tomatoes, or 4 fresh, diced
12 oz tomato juice
24 oz low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
3 tbs garlic powder
3 tbs thyme
2 tbs basil
2 tbs paprika
salt, to taste
Mix tomato juice, vegetable broth, and water in a large pot. Sautee carrots, parsnip, celery, zucchini, onion, and green beans in olive oil. Add veggie mix, kale, and potato to broth. Sautee until kale is soft. Add cannelini beans, canned tomatoes, and seasoning. Sautee on medium-low heat to let flavors blend.
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Thai Curry
I was taught how to make this years ago by a Cambodian friend. I have recently developed my own vegan variation. Enjoy!
2-3 4oz jars red curry paste
2 14 oz cans lite coconut milk
24 oz low sodium veggie broth
3-5 oz brandy
2 tbs peanut butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1 sweet potato, large, diced into 1.5' cubes
4-5 celery stalks, diced into 1' chunks4-5 carrots, diced into 1' chunks
1 white onion, diced into 1' chunks
4 green onions with stalks, diced into 1' chunks3 serano peppers, diced
can of water chesnuts
can of bamboo shoots
can of baby corn, cut into bite-sized chunks
handful of fresh Thai basil
soaked peanuts or cashews
21 oz tofu, moisture drained, and sauteed in skillet with oil
rice noodles, vermicelli, or rice
toasted french bread
You will need a massive cooking pot to make this. I use a large crawfish boil pot, without the basket, of course.
Add the coconut milk and vegetable oil and simmer on medium heat. Add the sweet potato and raise heat to med-high. Cook until the sweet potato is very soft, but not mushy. Add celery, carrots, onion, green onion, and peppers, and cook until tender. Add water chesnuts, bamboo shoots, and baby corn. Cook until tender. Add curry paste. Add brandy, sugar, and peanut butter. Add basil and nuts. Sautee a few minutes longer.
The liquid should be enough to cover all the veggies, but if it doesn't, add more coconut milk and vegetable broth at a ratio of 2/3 coconut milk to 1 part broth.
Serve over any kind of grain or noodles, and use french bread to soak up the broth. This is excellent with Thai Iced Tea!
--by The Queen
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Sloppy Joes
I can personally vouch for the quality of these Sloppy Joes. Tested and approved by carnivorous young bachelors!
3 oz tomato paste
2/3 c fresh chopped onion2 tbs barbeque sauce
Fantastic World Foods Sloppy Joe Mix
Upton's Naturals Original Seitan
Cibatta bread or hamburger buns
Boil 2 cups water. Add Sloppy Joe mix and onions. Stir well until mix becomes thick. Add seitan. Add barbeque sauce. Add additional water if necessary. Serve on cibatta bread or buns with extra onion.
--Recipe by The Queen
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