Showing posts tagged snack
Classic Vegan Potato Salad A common misconception about vegetarians and vegans is that we are a bunch of psycho health-nuts. Sure, as we are more conscious about what goes in our bodies, our food choices may often be more ‘healthy’ than our carnivore friends. I consider myself a very healthy eater. That being said, I am human, and therefore subject to normal desires such as to load myself full of grease, sugar and carbs, and feel no shame. I get so annoyed at restaurants when the menu makes ‘healthy’ choices for me- example: I recently ate at Denny’s, and my veggie burger came with about 2 pieces of celery and a cucumber slice, while my friend’s meals came with a pile of greasy salty french fries. My choice to not eat meat and dairy do not come from a desire to avoid calories, it comes from a belief that my food choices should not harm any living being. I am a firm believer that ‘healthy’ eating means finding a balance between nutritious food and ‘good for the soul’ food. This brings us to potato salad. I take potato salad very seriously, and always have. I have vivid memories of late night trips to Safeway with my friend Z, to load up on deli potato salad and M&M’s. My love for potato salad has not dwindled in my transition to veganism, so I am required to satisfy my cravings in the comfort of my kitchen. I loosely used the Hellman’s recipe http://www.hellmanns.com/recipes/detail/6609/1/the-original-potato-salad for proportions, but made my own editions. This is your classic creamy, heavy, chunky, tangy potato salad.  Ingredients: 3 Pounds potatoes 1 Cup Vegan Mayo (TJ’s has a vegan version, nayonaise or veganaise work as well) 1 TBS yellow mustard 4 dill pickles, chopped 3/4 cup onion, chopped 2 TBS vinegar 2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper A few tsp sugar to taste Dash of pickle juice Directions: Chop potatoes (and peel if desired) into 1 inch chunks Cover with an inch of water, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer until cooked through, and strain  Meanwhile, mix the mayo, mustard, vinegar, pickle juice, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl Mix in the potatoes, onions, and pickles Stir all ingredients together gently, and refrigerate for a few hours, or until cool. Serve and enjoy -N View high resolution

Classic Vegan Potato Salad

A common misconception about vegetarians and vegans is that we are a bunch of psycho health-nuts. Sure, as we are more conscious about what goes in our bodies, our food choices may often be more ‘healthy’ than our carnivore friends. I consider myself a very healthy eater. That being said, I am human, and therefore subject to normal desires such as to load myself full of grease, sugar and carbs, and feel no shame. I get so annoyed at restaurants when the menu makes ‘healthy’ choices for me- example: I recently ate at Denny’s, and my veggie burger came with about 2 pieces of celery and a cucumber slice, while my friend’s meals came with a pile of greasy salty french fries. My choice to not eat meat and dairy do not come from a desire to avoid calories, it comes from a belief that my food choices should not harm any living being. I am a firm believer that ‘healthy’ eating means finding a balance between nutritious food and ‘good for the soul’ food.

This brings us to potato salad. I take potato salad very seriously, and always have. I have vivid memories of late night trips to Safeway with my friend Z, to load up on deli potato salad and M&M’s. My love for potato salad has not dwindled in my transition to veganism, so I am required to satisfy my cravings in the comfort of my kitchen. I loosely used the Hellman’s recipe http://www.hellmanns.com/recipes/detail/6609/1/the-original-potato-salad for proportions, but made my own editions. This is your classic creamy, heavy, chunky, tangy potato salad. 

Ingredients:

  • 3 Pounds potatoes
  • 1 Cup Vegan Mayo (TJ’s has a vegan version, nayonaise or veganaise work as well)
  • 1 TBS yellow mustard
  • 4 dill pickles, chopped
  • 3/4 cup onion, chopped
  • 2 TBS vinegar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • A few tsp sugar to taste
  • Dash of pickle juice

Directions:

  1. Chop potatoes (and peel if desired) into 1 inch chunks
  2. Cover with an inch of water, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer until cooked through, and strain 
  3. Meanwhile, mix the mayo, mustard, vinegar, pickle juice, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl
  4. Mix in the potatoes, onions, and pickles
  5. Stir all ingredients together gently, and refrigerate for a few hours, or until cool. Serve and enjoy

-N

Vegan Grilled Cheese I grew up on soy cheese. We had every kind of gushy, soggy, strangely colored ‘cheese’, all with that weirdly bitter aftertaste. This lasted until my sister and I refused to eat one more bite and demanded our cheese come from cows. This is why, when I went from vegetarian to vegan about half a year ago, I silently swore never to eat fake packaged cheese. I didn’t see the point, it didn’t taste like dairy cheese, it doesn’t have much nutritional value, and I was perfectly happy with my diet. As time has progressed however, I have become increasingly curious about all the vegan products out there, and my judgements that they won’t taste like the ‘real thing’ have faded. When you go long enough without ‘real’ cheese or ice cream or yogurt, the vegan version tastes just as good, better even because you feel morally sound about what you’re putting in your body. I now go nuts for a bowl of coconut bliss ice cream, or nachos with vegan sour cream, and as of this morning, for Daiya vegan cheese. Let me tell you, vegan cheese has made leaps and bounds since I was 12 years old grimacing at pale orange-almond-soy-mush in my parents fridge. This snack takes about 5 minutes to make, and is absolutely delicious.  Ingredients: Bread (I used whole wheat) Daiya (I used mozzarella style. You can find it at natural food stores for $6 a bag) Optional: Earth balance or oil Directions: Put earth balance/oil in a pan or turn on a panini maker Spread Daiya on your bread, place in maker/on pan Cook on both sides until the Daiya has melted and the bread is slightly crispy Serve immediately with some veggies on the side (I had cucumbers) and enjoy thoroughly :) -N View high resolution

Vegan Grilled Cheese

I grew up on soy cheese. We had every kind of gushy, soggy, strangely colored ‘cheese’, all with that weirdly bitter aftertaste. This lasted until my sister and I refused to eat one more bite and demanded our cheese come from cows.

This is why, when I went from vegetarian to vegan about half a year ago, I silently swore never to eat fake packaged cheese. I didn’t see the point, it didn’t taste like dairy cheese, it doesn’t have much nutritional value, and I was perfectly happy with my diet.

As time has progressed however, I have become increasingly curious about all the vegan products out there, and my judgements that they won’t taste like the ‘real thing’ have faded. When you go long enough without ‘real’ cheese or ice cream or yogurt, the vegan version tastes just as good, better even because you feel morally sound about what you’re putting in your body. I now go nuts for a bowl of coconut bliss ice cream, or nachos with vegan sour cream, and as of this morning, for Daiya vegan cheese. Let me tell you, vegan cheese has made leaps and bounds since I was 12 years old grimacing at pale orange-almond-soy-mush in my parents fridge. This snack takes about 5 minutes to make, and is absolutely delicious. 

Ingredients:

  • Bread (I used whole wheat)
  • Daiya (I used mozzarella style. You can find it at natural food stores for $6 a bag)
  • Optional: Earth balance or oil

Directions:

  1. Put earth balance/oil in a pan or turn on a panini maker
  2. Spread Daiya on your bread, place in maker/on pan
  3. Cook on both sides until the Daiya has melted and the bread is slightly crispy
  4. Serve immediately with some veggies on the side (I had cucumbers) and enjoy thoroughly :)

-N

Ghetto Rice Bowl

This is a meal I make when I’m ravenous but don’t have time to cook something complicated. It’s cheap, easy, and can be made with just about anything you have lying around your kitchen.

I like to keep a big bag of brown rice in my pantry at all times. After a childhood of despising the stuff, I’ve finally been converted by Massa Organics whole grain brown rice. Unlike the dry, flavorless brown rice I used to hate, this stuff is chewy, nutty and delicious. The Massa family grows their rice just East of here in the Sacramento Valley; you can find it at the West Berkeley Farmer’s market on Tuesday afternoons, or at most Bay Area health food stores.

Brown and white rice actually come from the same plant. To make brown rice, the outermost layer (aka hull) around each kernel is removed, but most of the nutrients in the rice remain. To make white rice, that same layer plus the next two layers, the bran and the germ, are removed. This strips the rice of many of its nutrients, including B vitamins, iron and magnesium. For for info about the benefits of brown rice, check out this page: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128

To make a Ghetto Rice Bowl:

1. Cook your rice. For those of you who are like me and forget how to do this sometimes: boil water, THEN put your rice in, cover the pot, and turn the heat down low. Let rice simmer for about 20 minutes. Do not take the lid off at poke at it every five minutes like yours truly. If the water dries up and your rice is still crunchy, add some more water. The water:rice ratio should be 2:1 (twice as much water as rice).

2. Scrounge around your kitchen for some tasty additions, dump them in, and nuke if necessary.

Some combos I like:

  • Black beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream, avocado
  • Steamed broccoli and veggie protein
  • Avocado, tomato, cucumber, feta cheese, balsamic vinegar
  • Cheddar, avocado, sauerkraut
  • Faux Risotto: tomato sauce and cheese (This one sounds simple but is unbelievably good- try Trader Joe’s tomato basil marinara)

Happy Eating! -e

Snacktime: Whole Wheat English Muffin with Hummus & Avocado This is one of my favorite snacks. Not only is it tasty, but you get some good carbs, some protein, some good fats and a vegetable/fruit (avocado is technically a fruit, feels like a veggie, or feels like a delicious creature of heaven for that matter). I used Sabra Hummus, you can find it at Safeway or other grocery stores, an avocado from the Berkeley Farmers Market (another shout out to Will’s Avocados), and Orrowheat 100% Whole Wheat English Muffins. If you are feeling less than inspired to eat whole wheat, maybe the 6 grams of protein 1 muffin has will be an inspiration. Also, they are delicious and taste, in my opinion, better than white muffins, and are way healthier for you. Quick lesson on why whole wheat is better: White products are stripped of the more nutrient dense parts of the wheat, whereas whole wheat uses all parts of the wheat, hence, ‘whole wheat’. For more info check this out  http://www.vegetariantimes.com/features/editors_picks/389 Contrary to many people’s belief, fat is not a dirty word. Avocados have monounsaturated fats (good for you fats) which provides important minerals and vitamins. They also have lots of potassium and fiber, among other things.  http://www.avocado.org/nutrition I don’t think anyone needs convincing that hummus is delicious and wonderful.  In conclusion, this is a speedy, yummy, healthy snack/meal, and I highly recommend it.  -N View high resolution

Snacktime: Whole Wheat English Muffin with Hummus & Avocado

This is one of my favorite snacks. Not only is it tasty, but you get some good carbs, some protein, some good fats and a vegetable/fruit (avocado is technically a fruit, feels like a veggie, or feels like a delicious creature of heaven for that matter).

I used Sabra Hummus, you can find it at Safeway or other grocery stores, an avocado from the Berkeley Farmers Market (another shout out to Will’s Avocados), and Orrowheat 100% Whole Wheat English Muffins.

If you are feeling less than inspired to eat whole wheat, maybe the 6 grams of protein 1 muffin has will be an inspiration. Also, they are delicious and taste, in my opinion, better than white muffins, and are way healthier for you.

Quick lesson on why whole wheat is better: White products are stripped of the more nutrient dense parts of the wheat, whereas whole wheat uses all parts of the wheat, hence, ‘whole wheat’. For more info check this out 

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/features/editors_picks/389

Contrary to many people’s belief, fat is not a dirty word. Avocados have monounsaturated fats (good for you fats) which provides important minerals and vitamins. They also have lots of potassium and fiber, among other things.

 http://www.avocado.org/nutrition

I don’t think anyone needs convincing that hummus is delicious and wonderful. 

In conclusion, this is a speedy, yummy, healthy snack/meal, and I highly recommend it. 

-N