Creamiest Vegan Mac n’ Cheez EVER
Posted by Jhenn in Vegan Recipes on Mar 28th, 2008 | Comments OffLindy Loo personally warned me about how amazing and addicting this recipe. First you start with a little sneaking sauce out of the pan, then you progress to eating it before it’s even baked. Soon, you’re eating it just to feel normal and you’re stealing money out of your mom’s purse to go buy more elbow macaroni.
Now, I like nutritional yeast sauces, but even the claims of the best weren’t that good (like Veganomicon‘s for example. AWFUL), so I took her words wth a grain of salt. I usually stuck with actual vegan cheez to make my Mac fixes. And MaMa Ronin always made it in a crock pot. I never ate baked macaroni! Especially not with, good Lord, CRUNCHY bits on top!
I did not heed Lindy Loo’s words, and now I keep shoveling it my mouth despite my stomach not being able to hold any more of it. YOU WILL BE A BELIEVER!
Vegan macaroni and cheese
You will need to have three pots bubbling away on the top of the stove
First pot: Pasta
2 cups uncooked macaroni
water
1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Add pasta.
3. Cook until done.
4. Drain.
Second pot: White sauce
1/4 cup vegan margarine
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups vegan soydrink
1. Combine margarine, flour, and salt over low heat.
2. When it bubbles, gradually add the soydrink.
3. Cook and stir until it is thick and begins to bubble.
4. Remove from heat and add the “cheese” from the third pot.
Third pot: “Cheese”
1/4 cup “good tasting” nutritional yeast
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1. Mix nutritional yeast, cornstarch, flour, and salt in a small saucepan.
2. Add water, oil, and mustard.
3. Cook and stir until it thickens and bubbles.
4. Add it to the white sauce from the second pot.
**Note from VR: I like to add a little paprika or hot sauce here, just to give it something extra**
Putting it together
cracker crumbs or bread crumbs
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Mix cooked pasta with “cheese” sauce.
3. Pour into a greased casserole dish.
4. Top with cracker crumbs or bread crumbs.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
Note: The leftovers start to thicken up, but at this point in the addiction, it won’t matter to you. You’ll be scooping it out of the fridge cold in a fit of midnight cheez sweat.
You may notice some green bits in there. I was so hopped up on sauce that I had to mix elbows and tri-color fusilli (corkscrews) just to get my full fix.
Personal macaroni baked dishes:
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Food Catchup
Posted by Melissa in Guest Posts on Mar 24th, 2008 | Comments OffI start my final practice teaching placement tomorrow, and that lasts a month. My cooking habits during the previous two were non-existent for the most part, so no promises this time 
although I’m going to try and keep it quick and easy, since cooking does help relieve stress for me.
I hope everyone had a great long weekend, and enjoyed their Easter if they celebrated. Billy is used to getting a chocolate bunny every year, so I decided to make him one. Unfortunately I waited too long and there were no bunny molds left at Bulk Barn, but I did get some molds for chicken lollipops and eggs. It was pretty easy too, just melted chocolate chips in the microwave and poured it into the molds.
I jumped on the V’con bandwagon again and tried my hand at the Leek and Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits. It was very good. Even Billy liked it, well primarily the biscuit part that is baked on top. Very delicious, and definitely comfort food.
Based on that dish, Billy got the idea to make dumplings and put them in one of our favourite soups. The “chicken” and rice soup from La Dolce Vegan. He googled a simple dumpling recipe and we cooked them with the soup. The dumplings ended up taking up most of the pot, but it was yummy. And we also substituted orzo for the basmati rice this time.
Speaking of orzo, I whipped together an orzo salad with zucchini and basil from Vegan Italiano for lunch this week. It has a great lemony taste and the fresh basil is awesome.
And finally, also from V’con, the carrot pineapple sunshine muffins, or something along that line. I haven’t tried these yet, but they should taste good…they’ve got carrot, pineapple, raisins, ginger, cinnamon and a bunch of good stuff. It should be a good pick me up after those grade sevens run me ragged 
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Why Do We Want to Adopt a Vegetarian Diet?
Posted by LizzyQ ~ Vegan Mother in Go Vegan on Mar 17th, 2008 | Comments OffI thought an appropriate place for this essay that I wrote would be on my blog. School essays are a great place to research and write convincing papers and articles on the benefits of a vegetarian/vegan diet. I take every opportunity I can to educate people on vegetarianism, especially in a non-confrontational way.
My essay below was written for my English class last semester. It barely touches on the aspects of a vegetarian diet, because of length restrictions. We all know that we could write 1000 page novels on the subject!
We live in a time where obesity rates are soaring, heart disease related deaths are climbing, and global warming concerns are on the nightly news. Meat-consumption related deaths are probably the single most preventable diseases, comparable to or above tobacco related deaths. We certainly would not give our children cigarettes, why would we feed them meat? Adopting a vegetarian diet is an ethical decision that is beneficial to both your health and the environment.
Adopting a vegetarian diet is an easy and healthy way to lose weight without much effort to the dieter, according to the article, “Lightening the Load.” In an April 2007 edition of Nutrition Review, studies were conducted to see how a vegetarian diet affected weight control and weight loss. They found that a vegetarian who consumes no animal products (vegans) do not have to portion control, and burn more calories than non-vegetarians. A vegetarian diet works because they “are filling, but low in calories.” Plant-based foods are also “used more efficiently as fuel for the body, as opposed to being stored as fat” (Lightening the Load). Vegetarianism is an easy diet to adopt, and many traditional foods can be adapted to a vegetarian meal.
Some people believe that eating fish is healthy for you, so they think vegetarians should also eat fish in order to get protein and essential fatty acids. First of all, vegetarians do not consume any animal, including fish, and second, the mercury levels in certain fish are so high, doctors warn pregnant mothers not to eat too much of it in order not to harm the fetus by high mercury levels. According to Dr. Neal Barnard, “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that women who ate fish just twice a week had blood mercury levels that were seven times higher than those of women who did not eat fish. A woman who eats just one can of tuna per week will be 30 percent over the EPA cutoff for safe mercury levels” (Barnard, 4). As for fatty acids, flax, hemp seeds and walnuts are a few of the many sources of omega-3s. Fish is also high in fat and cholesterol, which further makes it an unhealthy choice (Essential Fatty Acids). And finally, the oceans are being over-fished and are destroying the ecosystems of ocean life. The world’s fisheries continue to be heavily subsidized, which encourages over fishing, and factory-farmed fish are a breading ground for disease (Hilborn).
A vegetarian diet can prevent many other diseases and cancers. Some of these include, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, obesity, colon cancer, and vegetarians have stronger immune systems than meat-eaters (Campbell).
“How do you get your protein?” That is the questions most people ask when told someone is a vegetarian. “As long as the diet contains a variety of grains, legumes, and vegetables, protein needs are easily met” (The Protein Myth). The typical American diet is actually double the daily requirement of protein. Studies also show that excess protein is actually harmful, not healthful, to the body and fad diets like the Atkins Diet is extremely unhealthy and unwise (The Protein Myth).
Even pregnant vegetarians can grow another human being solely on plant-based foods. I, for example, had a vegetarian pregnancy from conception, and gave birth to a perfectly healthy, full term baby. Protein requirements for pregnant and breastfeeding women are more than the daily recommended value, but adding an extra peanut butter sandwich or a glass of fortified soymilk every day will provide the extra protein intake needed for pregnancy and lactation (The Protein Myth).
A vegetarian diet also has an effect on our environment. Global warming is an issue of growing concern, yet most environmental groups do not advocate the most effective way to reduce greenhouse gasses, by adopting a vegetarian diet, according to the article, “A New Global Warming Strategy,” by Noam Mohr. Environmental groups are only focusing on CO2 emissions from vehicles and factories. According to James Hansen, “CO2 emissions are not the main cause of observed atmospheric warming” (Mohr). CO2 does not have near the impact on global warming that the public is lead to believe. That is not to say we can continue emitting excessive CO2, because it still has in impact. However, the best strategy to overcome and slow global warming is to adopt a vegetarian diet. Methane produces more greenhouse gasses than any other sources put together, and animal agriculture is responsible for the majority of methane released into the atmosphere. Methane emissions cause almost half of human caused warming, and growing animals for food “produces more than 100 million tons of methane a year” (Mohr). By eliminating animal consumption, “we can eliminate one of the major sources of emissions of methane” (Mohr). Reducing methane would be easier than reducing CO2, and would have less of an impact on our economy.
Raising meat for food also has devastating effects on the rainforest. In South America, in countries like Brazil, the rainforest is being slashed and burned every day in order to make grazing grounds for cattle. Scientists say destruction of the Amazon is a problem that should concern us all because Amazon deforestation contributes significantly to global warming. There are 60 million head of cattle in the Brazilian Amazon, the largest herd of any country in the world. About 40 percent of the Brazilian Amazon is protected in some way, yet 40 percent is not nearly enough to sustain the fragile hydrological cycle that maintains the rain forest. Most of the beef exports go to Europe, however, there is still a strong demand in America for imported beef (Tangley).
Many people are overwhelmed and feel helpless at the thought of stopping global warming. It would be a lot simpler for them switch to a vegetarian diet, than to stop driving, take on big corporations, and change government policy. The easiest thing that everyone can do is to eliminate animal consumption in their diets, and other animal products. Mohr suggests that environmental groups should encourage a vegetarian diet, and the government should advocate vegetarianism through public education and stopping farm subsidies for animal agriculture.
In the book, “Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating,” the author, Erik Marcus, explains how the dairy and beef industry is treating cows inhumanely for the purpose raising them for food and milk. Cows naturally live to be about 25 years old, but according to Marcus, they are only allowed to live until they are 5 years old, assuming they are not male calves on their way to the slaughterhouse at only 16 weeks of age. The dairy cow is kept pregnant through her whole reproductive life, and right after she gives birth to her baby, the calve is taken, without even being allowed to suckle the milk from her. The newborn calve and the mother experience great sorrow and separation anxiety, and just a few months later, she is artificially inseminated with another pregnancy, without even fully recovering from the previous. This is all done in order to maintain her milk supply. The young calve, that is destined for veal, is then forced to stand in a small crate, is given an iron-depleted diet and is not allowed to exercise, thus being “forced into anemia” as a way to make the meat the white-pinkish color that is desired (Marcus, 130). Beef cattle also experience much abuse during their lives. “There are three major traumas inflicted on young cattle: branding, dehorning, and for males, castrating” (Marcus, 132).
Animals do feel pain. We don’t treat our dogs and cats with violence and let them live a life of torture and fear, why would we think that pigs, chickens, fish and cows do not feel the same as cats and dogs? Pigs are smarter, and every bit as friendly, loyal, and affectionate as dogs (Broom, 12).
Adopting a vegetarian diet, is not only healthy for our bodies and our planet, it is also an ethical decision to protest the mistreatment of animals raised for meat. The time has come for every person to do their part to save our youth from a lifetime of sickness and obesity, to do our part to stop the pollution and curb global warming, and be compassionate by not harming innocent animals for our taste buds. There are several reasons to not want to participate in the meat industry, and as they say “your dollar is your vote.”
Annotated Bibliography
Barnard, Neal. “Isn’t Fish a Health Food?” Vegetarian Starter Kit: 4.
Many reasons and resources for a adopting a vegetarian lifestyle. Includes recipes and expert advice.
Broom, Donald. “Amazing Animals: Pigs” Vegetarian Starter Kit: 12.
Many reasons and resources for a adopting a vegetarian lifestyle. Includes recipes and expert advice.
Campbell, T. Colin, and Thomas M. Campbell. The China Study. Dallas: Benbella Books, 2006.
The most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted and the startling implications for diet, weight loss, and long-term health.
“Essential Fatty Acids.” Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. 24 Nov. 2007 .
A credible website of studies by physicians that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research.
Hilborn, Ray, Trevor A. Branch, , Billy Ernst, , Arni Magnusson, Carolina V. Minte-Vera, Mark D. Scheuerell, and Juan L. Valero. “State of the World’s Fisheries.” Annual Review of Environment and Resources 28 (2003): 359-399. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 24 Nov. 2007. Keyword: Fisheries.
Annual journal about the conditions of the world’s fisheries.
“Lightening the Load.” Good Medicine 15.2 (Spring 2006): 14-15. EBSCO. 12 November 2007.
An article about weight loss through a vegetarian diet.
Marcus, Erik. Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating. 2nd ed. Ithaca, NY: McBooks Publishing, 2001. 125-137.
A book about how you eat and it’s affects on your health, the environment and animals.
Mohr, Noam. “EarthSave Report: A New Global Warming Strategy.” EarthSave. 8 Nov. 2007. .
An article about how the meat industry effects the environment and contributes to global warming.
Tangley, Laura. “AMAZONIADRYING.” National Wildlife 44 (2006). Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 24 Nov. 2007.
This article presents information about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.
“The Protein Myth.” Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. 24 Nov. 2007 .
A credible website of studies by physicians that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research.
Popularity: -1% [?]
Lots of Food!
Posted by Melissa in Guest Posts on Mar 13th, 2008 | Comments OffToday, is my last day of class!! But I’m not done school. I have next week off and then I have a month of practicum teaching…then I’m done! Woot!
Popularity: 1% [?]
Pudding, tofu and tea
Posted by Melissa in Guest Posts on Mar 8th, 2008 | Comments OffI made the chocolate pudding from “125 Best Vegan Recipes” but I didn’t have cocoa powder, so I just used chocolate chips. The recipe made four little pudding cups worth, but you could easily double the recipe. It was really good pudding! Not too sweet and the perfect texture. I think you could even leave the chips out and make vanilla pudding.
This morning, I was actually up at a decent hour, so I made brunch, courtesy of Veganomicon. I made the tofu florentine with home fries and cheezy sauce. Its basically braised and broiled tofu on a bed of home fries and steamed spinach, topped with a nutritional yeast sauce and chopped tomatoes. I’m not a huge fan of slabs of tofu, seasoned or not, but this was actually really good. The tofu in combination with all the other foods was a good balance.
I also had some Spring Morning green tea brewed in my cute tea set, which Billy’s mom got me for my birthday. 
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Fashionably Chickpea Cutlets
Posted by admin in Vegan Recipes on Mar 3rd, 2008 | Comments OffMake myself a chickpea cutlets that is delicous and yummy.
Chickpea Cutlets. Picture Wanda Embar, Vegan Peace.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated with a microplane grater
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- Olive oil for panfrying
Directions
In a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left. Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed.
Preheat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, divide the cutlet dough into four equal pieces. To form the cutlets, knead each piece in your hand for a few moments and then flatten and stretch each one into a roughly 6 x 4-inch rectangular cutlet shape. The easiest way to do this is to first form a rectangular shape in your hands and then place the cutlets on a clean surface to flatten and stretch them.
Add a moderate thin layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Place the cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minutes. Add more oil, if needed, when you flip the cutlets. They’re ready when lightly browned and firm to the touch.
Just in case you were wondering, you can also bake these too! Baking these patties gives them a tooth-some chewy texture and firm bite. Preheat oven to 375˚F, lightly oil baking sheet. Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil, place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip patties over and bake another 8-10 minutes till firm and golden brown.
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