Homemade Vegan "Cream" of Broccoli Soup

I felt like some homemade soup for dinner to warm me up from this snowy whether and I decided to make "cream" of broccoli. It turned out really well, and if anyone has a Vita-mix its super easy, but not mandatory. This soup is full of free vegetables and contains protein without any animal ingredients.

What you need:

3-4 cups Broccoli

2 cups soy milk

1/2 cup onion

vegetable bouillon cube

2-3 potatoes (depending how thick you want it)

1 cup water

What you do:

Peel potatoes and boil until cooked

Boil broccoli until cooked

Chop onion

Dissolve bouillon cube into water

Heat soy milk to a boil

Combine all ingredients in blender or Vita-mix and blend until almost smooth (if you don't have a blender you will need a handheld mixer to puree the ingredients)

Enjoy!

So ok... this soup may look like something a dog would bring up, but C'MON... its broccoli soup and broccoli is green. The canned stuff only has a creamy colour to it because its more like cream soup with some broccoli in it. My broccoli soup is the REAL deal.

Merry Christmas Vegan Style

My boyfriend and I just finished decorating our Christmas tree last night without our puppy Gigi, a toy poodle, attacking a single ornament (thank God).
We had some Soy Nog that I found at Fortinos and it actually wasn't that bad. It is not as thick as regular egg nog but its still had that great cinnamony sweet taste. My boyfriend tried some and said he liked it initially, but then decided that it made him feel sick after. lol. I think its because he knew it had soy in it. lol.
I also bought some soy ice cream, mint marble fudge flavour to get us in that Christmassy kinda mood. lol. Yea I know I am cheesy. It was delicious! The next time I have it though I am planning to put some crushed up candy canes in it to resemble the traditional Candy Cane ice cream I used to eat.

Oh yes.... I almost forgot, I got a Tofurkey Feast for Christmas Dinner. Well... atleast for a part of Dinner, since i am pretty sure i'll be the only one eating it, lol!

Vegetable Pot Pie

I made a delicious veggie pot pie tonight for dinner. My boyfriend (not vegan) really liked it too.

What you need:

Crust
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup soy milk

Filling
2 potatoes
1/2 cup onion
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables of your choice
1 can mushroom gravy
2 tbsp olive oil

What you do:

Chop up onion and potato and saute in frying pan with oil until onion is soft and gold.
Add frozen veggie mix and gravy to onion and potato, simmer for 10 mins.
Mix bisquick and soy milk.
Transfer filling into oven safe dish and cover with bisquick mix
Bake at 400 degrees for 40 mins

It was delicious, hearty, and vegan. YUM!! (Sorry there is no pic)

Christmas Dinner Help

So this year I decided that it would be a good idea that my bf and I hold Christmas dinner at our house... I think its safe to say that now I am a little nervous about what exactly I am going to be serving. I am the only vegan and Christmas dinner has always been pretty traditional growing up.
My Dad has decided that we still need to have a turkey for dinner so he will be cooking and bringing one to my house which is fine with me, I just won't be eating any of it. I also want to make sure that I have a vegan alternative to turkey that tastes great so that everyone can try some. This is where my researching skills have been coming in.
I have heard a lot about Tofurkey's and Celebration Roasts amongst other vegan holiday food alternatives, but these two seem to rank at the top. http://www.chow.com/blog provided an interesting article from The Wall Street Journal that tested four different turkey alternatives. The Celebration Roast ranked the highest in terms of its overall taste and appearances by non-vegans. So I decided that this is what I would get for our Christmas dinner, but I don't think they are sold in Canada. Dilemma, guess its gonna have to be the Tofurkey, which came in second, unless I miraculously find a roast. As for the rest of dinner, I am going to use a mushroom gravy, wait until http://veganvictuals.blogspot.com/ perfects her vegan stuffing, and keep the butter and milk out of all the traditional sides. Dessert is still to be determined, but i am thinking about a vegan trifle and maybe a pumpkin cake of some sort.
Has anyone out there tried either of these alternatives? Which do you prefer?

Yummy vegan treats

I have always had a really sweet tooth and since changing to a vegan diet I have realized just how many desserts I can't eat :( I have only begun to experiment with recipes so I looked for some quick and easy sweet desserts/snacks.

The first one I found is from the grocery store Nyakers Authentic Swedish Ginger Snaps. They're so tasty and I am pretty sure they are also sold at Ikea under the name Anna's. They are cholesterol free, and trans fat free (even better).

The other treat that requires a little more effort than pulling out of a box, but still doesn't involve very much work, are baked apples.

Baked Apples

What you need:

4 Apples

8 tbsp Raw/brown sugar

2 tbsp vanilla

cinnamon (to taste)

water

What you do:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Get your apples and remove the cores

Get an oven safe dish and cover the bottom with about 1cm of water. Add vanilla into water.

Place the cored apples in the dish and put the 2 tbsp of sugar in each apple and sprinkle cinnamon as desired. Bake 10 to 12 mins.

Some people add walnuts, pecans, or even raisins as the picture shows.

Vegan Shepherds Pie

Last night I was looking for a hearty, stick to your ribs kind of a dinner so I decided to make a vegan shepherds pie. Usually I would make two separate meals because my boyfriend eats meat but I decided that that would just be too much work since making a shepherds pie take a while already. It turned out really well. My boyfriend knew it wasn't meat cause I told him but he said he really really liked it. The only change I would make for next time is to cut out the Worcestershire sauce because the veggie meat replacement I used already has a lot of flavour in it.

Here's what you need:

1 lbs ground beef replacement (I used Yves)
1 onion chopped
1-2 cups vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas (to save time and work I used frozen mixed veggies)
1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)

1/4 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tsps vegetable oil (I used olive)
Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice


What you do:

1 Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

2 add oil to frying pan.

3 Saute onions in oil (5 mins). Add vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat replacement has initially cooked. If frozen you don't need to worry about that

4 Add ground beef replacement and saute (8 mins). Add salt and pepper. Add Worcestershire sauce (or don't). If it is getting dry you can add some vegetable stock.

5 Mash potatoes in bowl with soy milk, season to taste.

6 Place meatless mixture in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. This is not meant to be smooth or neat, play around a bit

7 Cook in 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown the top.

It Serves fourish. My boyfriend was really hungry so it was pretty much gone by the end of the night.

Enjoy!

Protein

If anyone had any of the same questions about protein I had, here is some information I found at http://www.chooseveg.com/ about how a vegan can get protein by eating vegetables.

Vegan Protein Powerhouses

Many vegan foods are packed full of muscle-building protein, while being low in saturated fat and free of cholesterol. Try these versatile and delicious high-protein foods in your next dish:
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) - a dried soy product that can be used in place of ground beef in stews, chili, tacos, pasta sauce, etc.

Lentils - a small but nutritionally mighty member of the legume family, loaded with minerals, B vitamins, and protein--all with virtually no fat. Lentils are excellent in soups, stews, and curries.

Tofu - a product made from soybeans, is the king of versatility. It has a bland taste on its own but it absorbs the flavors of the other foods and seasonings cooked with it. Firm tofu can be used in place of meat in stir-fries or marinated and baked, while soft tofu can be used in dips and deserts like pudding, pie, and smoothies.

Seitan - also known as “wheat gluten”, is a chewy meat-substitute that is the protein part of wheat which is left after the starch and bran are removed.

Tempeh - a fermented soy product with a slightly nutty flavor and a firm texture similar to meat.

Worried about protein and nutrients

Does anyone know how much protein you should have per day???? I have been eating a vegan diet for a couple of weeks straight now and I'm feeling really great but I know I'm not eating very much protein. Does anyone have simple high protein vegan recipes (wow that was specific). I don't know how credible this particular source is but I have been finding a lot of article along the same lines as this one http://chetday.com/strictvegandiet.htm. I have also found articles opposite on websites that promote veganism, so thats kind of biased. Has anyone found any clinical evidence that veganism can cause nutritional deficiencies???

I'm a Cheater

Shame on me. I cheated... and in a really big way, so disappointed. I was doing so well. This is what happens when your hungover. Okay, I'm gonna say it, I went out for dinner with my boyfriend and ordered a steak. I felt really disgusting after though, not only mentally, but physically. My stomach was bloated and I was really tired. I think I need to refresh my mind of the Skinny Bitch.

In the mean time, Alisa Miller at NursingDegree.net gives over 50 health benefits for going vegan. The entire list can be found here:
http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/19/57-health-benefits-of-going-vegan/, here are just a few of them.

Reduced saturated fats. Dairy products and meats contain a large amount of saturated fats. By reducing the amount of saturated fats from your diet, you’ll improve your health tremendously, especially when it comes to cardiovascular health.

Cardiovascular disease. Eating nuts and whole grains, while eliminating dairy products and meat, will improve your cardiovascular health. A British study indicates that a vegan diet reduces the risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Vegan diets go far in preventing heart attack and stroke.

Weight loss. A healthy weight loss is a typical result of a smart vegan diet. Eating vegan eliminates most of the unhealthy foods that tend to cause weight issues. Read more about weight loss and a vegan diet here.

Energy. When following a healthy vegan diet, you will find your energy is much higher. This blog post in Happy Healthy Long Life describes how NFL tight-end Tony Gonzalez started eating vegan and gained energy–while playing football.

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!

BOO!

Every Halloween I cook a themed dinner because I'm cheesy like that. Anyway, this year and in keeping with my Vegan diet, I decided that we would have worms and eyeballs for dinner, along with witches brew to drink. This actually worked out really well. I have to admit its not totally 100% vegan because after I bought the veggie meatballs at the store I realized that they contained modified milk ingredients (whatever that actually means).

As you can probably guess by now worms and eyeballs is better known year round as spaghetti and meatballs. I cooked the whole wheat spaghetti like normal and with the meatless meatballs, I waited for them to defrost a bit so that I could press little slice of olives into them to resemble eyes. hahaha. Yea I'm totally cheesy but it turned out really well and it was fun. Anyway I really need to get back to my witches brew a.k.a beer with red food colouring (the best part).

Everyone be safe tonight!!!

Skinny Bitch is a bitch!

Alright so its harder than I thought it was going to be. Do you know how many foods that you dont think would have animal products in it have animal products in it. Grocery shopping takes way longer than usual and so does planning and making meal (nutritious meals anyway).

Aside from this, I haven't cheated and I am feeling great. I don't feel bloated after I eat and I never get too full. Since I was having soo much trouble coming up with meal ideas i decided to take a look on the internet to find some quick, nutritious, vegan recipes to try and there are a tone of websites out there. One site in particular I found really helpful because all of the product were easy to find and there were good suggestions http://www.vegan-food.net/. Another had a ton of recipes that look really great but I haven't actually found the time to make a meal from scratch lately.

Tried Skinny Bitch Recipe

"Chicken" Noodle Soup

What you need

1 tablespoon refined coconut oil
1 carrot, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice4 ounces
white or cremini mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 bay leaf
8 cups vegan "chicken" stock (hot water mixed with vegan bouillon according to package directions)
2 teaspoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or 1 1/4 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce)
8 ounces vegan "chicken" strips or chunks (if frozen, no need to thaw)
4 ounces whole wheat or brown rice pasta

What you do

Heat the coconut oil in a four-to six-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp tender -- about two minutes. Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and curry powder and cook until the mushrooms release their juices -- about two minutes. Stir in the stock, Bragg's Liquid Aminos and bay leaf. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the vegan chicken and pasta. When the soup returns to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook until the pasta is tender.

This was a pretty good alternative to actual chicken soup, and clearly more healthy. I didn't go with all the ingredients exactly because I didn't have everything. I didn't use the bay leaf, my vegan chunks were tofu, and instead of coconut oil I used olive oil. Oh yea and I don't even know what liquid braggs aminos or cremini mushrooms are! lol.

I used to make chicken noodle soup a lot during the cooler whether and I used rice instead of pasta. I might try rice with this recipe instead of the pasta next time.

Skinny Bitch

Since I began my blog with totally randomn news about Holly and Hef's devastating breakup, I thought I would be consistently randomn in this weeks entry, writing about Skinny Bitch. So I am assuming that atleast a few people have heard about this book since it has been on the New York Times Best Seller list, and the authors/creators have appeared on many morning shows, and even Ellen Degeneres.

Anyway I picked this book up at chapters last week and finished in a couple of hours. WOW. The first thing that attracted me to it was obviously the title, Skinny Bitch. I mean who doesn't want to be a skinny bitch... (lol). So I thought it was a diet book(and to some extent it is), but its more or less a pro-veganism book. Its not only from an animal cruelty kinda standpoint (and you can visit PETA for more info on this subject http://www.peta.org/) but it discusses all of the nasty chemicals and hormones that are injected into animals to make them produce more of everything so that the farming industry makes a bigger profit.

This book was a real eye opener (be careful if you have a weak stomach). I definately recommend it to anyone concerned with their health. So I have decided to try veganism out. I haven't eaten any type of animal products for the last five days (pretty good for someone whose favourite food is chicken wings), just the thought of consuming animals really grosses me out now. I am gonna to try it for as long as I can to see what kind of health benefits i'll see. I already notice that I feel a lot better after I eat a meal, meat free meal don't sit as heavy or something.

So i will be updating everyone on my progress as I go along

So I'm sure that everyone by now have learned that Holly and Hef are officially over (I'm so sad), but has everyone seen the twins the Hef has recently been spotted with?? Nineteen year old Karissa and Kristina Shannon, who have apparently had a brush with the law. Despite this, and no immediate comment from Playboy reps the chances of them moving into the mansion are looking pretty good.

What may come as a surprise to most people (mostly people who don't watch Girls Next Door), is that I was actually SHOCKED that Holly and Hef decided to call it quits because they seemed to be in love. Their personalities are so similar and they just seemed to click. Hef even told USmagazine.com he said that "I was road kill a couple of weeks ago," when asked about the breakup. http://www.usmagazine.com/news/hugh-hefner-speaks-out-on-holly-madison-split Needless to say I'm pretty sad about the split, but I am even more devastated that this means the end of Girls Next Door. All the girls are rumoured to be going solo and maybe this will be good for all of them to start concentrating more on their careers.

Anyway good luck to all the girls, I miss you already Holly