This is the world’s best grilled cheese sandwich ever! Seriously! It isn’t just the best VEGAN grilled cheese sandwich, it is the best grilled cheese sandwich period. I love these things, can you tell?
Crispy, salty on the outside and creamy and spicy and CHEEZY on the inside!
Ingredients (makes 4 sandwiches)
1 yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic diced
2 Tbsp vegan butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup hot water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp miso paste
1 Tbsp spicy mustard
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos chopped
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
8 slices of bread
butter to spread on the bread
-Saute the chopped onions on medium high heat for 8 minutes, until they are soft
-Add the chopped garlic and continue cooking for another 2 minutes
-Lower the heat to low and add the 2 Tbsp of vegan butter and stir until completely melted
-Add the 2 Tbsp of flour and stir for a minute till the flour is completely combined with the butter, garlic and onion
-Slowly add in the 1 cup of hot water, stirring continually until the flour and butter break down and form a thick creamy consistency with the water
* At this point the mixture will look a bit liquidy and not gooey enough to form a good grilled cheese sammy, have no fear! Once you add the nutritional yeast later on it will thicken up into a thick, cheesy consistency.
-Add the salt, pepper, cumin and jalapenos
-Add the lemon juice, miso paste, soy sauce and mustard
-Slowly stir in the 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast and stir and cook for another minute
-Remove cheese sauce from the heat and allow to come to room temperature while you spread butter on the outside of each piece of bread
-Spoon some of the filling onto a piece of bread NOT on the buttered side, then top with another piece of bread
-On medium high heat in a drizzle of olive oil cook the sandwiches buttered side down until they are brown and crispy. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt and enjoy!
Salad, salad, salad, is that all you ever eat for lunch? Yep, pretty much. But gosh darn, I like it!
Here’s the salad-of-the-day in my two-tier To-Go Ware tiffin. I’m so happy that To-Go Ware has added little Sidekick containers to their line. The lids are stainless steel (no more crying over cracked plastic!) and they fit snug; I haven’t had any leak problems. I used three today to hold black beans, picante sauce, and half an avocado to top my salad with at lunchtime. I love the way they all fit in the tiffin.
Shmoo has now proclaimed that he “only eats pears” and has stopped eating all other fruit. (“Who are you and what have you done with my son?”) I tried to tempt him with some of this fresh pineapple, but ended up eating it all myself. I packed it in the smaller top container from the three-tier tiffin — it can be packed and used alone for small snacks. And look at the pretty food picks I found to eat it with!
I’ve been feeling so good lately! I’ve been improving my eating style and getting back on track with Eat To Live, with the help of my wellness coach, a personal trainer (basically I need people telling me what to do at all times or I wind up face first in a vat of pudding), the support of my friends, and a lot of hard work.
Right now my slightly-modified Eat To Live food plan goes as follows:
What have I modified? Dr. Fuhrman advises people not to snack, but I find I get too hungry and fall off the wagon if I don’t get those snacks. So I snack. I also use a bit of olive oil at times, and I sprinkle salt on something if it means the difference between enjoying it or hating it and feeling sorry for myself.
Apologies for all you non-ETLers out there who might find this post terribly boring. Hopefully I’ll find someone else to pack a lunch for soon! Preferably someone who hasn’t entered the terrible tweens….
I read an article in today’s Telegraph, a British newspaper. The title of the article is Vegan diet increases the risk of birth defects, scientists warn. The subtitle of the article is: “Women who are strict vegetarians or vegans may be a greater risk of having a child with birth defects because they are likely to be deficient in vitamin B12, researchers warned. ”
Study carried out in Ireland has discovered that ladies with low amounts of B12, found in meat, eggs and milk, when they conceive are at higher danger of getting a kid with neural tube flaws.
These problems include spina bifida, which causes partial paralysis, and anencephaly exactly where the brain does not create and is usually fatal shortly following birth.
Women who might turn out to be pregnant or who are pregnant are recommended to take folic acid supplements because it is known that the vitamin folate protects against these defects and it may be advised that taking vitamin B12 might reduce the danger further.
A team from the National Institutes of Health, Trinity College Dublin, and the Health Study Board of Ireland found women with low levels of B12 had been 2.5 to 3 occasions more most likely to have a kid with a neural tube defect although individuals classed as deficient in B12 had been five times much more likely to have a kid having a defect.
The study is published in the journal Paediatrics.
Dr Duane Alexander, director of the Nationwide Institute of Kid Health and Human Improvement, in Maryland, America, who took component in the research said: “Vitamin B12 is essential for the functioning of the nervous program and for the production of red blood cells.
“The results of this study suggest that women with low amounts of B12 not just may risk health difficulties of their personal, but additionally might improve the chance that their children may be born with a serious birth defect.”
Blood taken from one group of 160 women who had been knocked up having a child that had a neural tube defect at the time the sample was taken was compared to ladies who had previously experienced a child having a neural tube defect but whose present pregnancy was unaffected.
The researchers adjusted for folate levels so that you can evaluate the impact of B12 amounts independently of folic acid.
It’s not known how deficiency in B12 and folate increases the risk of neural tube defects but the vitamins are involved in a number of biochemical reactions in the body.
Dr James Mills, senior investigator in the Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research, in America and co-author said that essential events in the formation of the brain and spinal column happen very early in pregnancy–in the very first 28 days following conception–before numerous ladies even realise they are pregnant.
“If ladies wait till they realise that they are pregnant before they start taking folic acid, it’s generally too late,” he stated.
In America all women of childbearing age are suggested to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid every day to make sure they have enough amounts if they fall pregnant unintentionally.
Dr Mills said it would be wise for ladies to complete the exact same with B12.
“Our outcomes offer evidence that women who’ve sufficient B12 amounts before they become knocked up may further reduce the occurrence of the class of birth defects,” Dr. Mills stated.
—————-
How can one get sufficient B12/ folic acid?
There are actually solution to this issue – Avocado!
“The avocado can be called the fruit of life because it is sodium and cholesterol-free and contains life’s essential vitamins and minerals including folate, potassium, and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat,” said Dr. Aliza. “And, since it’s never been so important as now to eat right and to make every ingredient count, avocados are an excellent addition to a mother’s nutrition.”
Ounce per ounce, avocados contain more folate than other fruits. Folate (the natural form of folic acid) is necessary for healthy fetal cell and tissue development. Pregnant women should have 600-800 micrograms a day to protect against neural tube birth defects like spina bifida. Avocados are also the highest fruit source of potassium, which helps balance the body’s electrolytes, particularly important during pregnancy when blood volume expands up to 50 percent. In addition, potassium aids muscle activity, nerve function and energy metabolism, which helps babies and children grow.
Avocados can even aid in one of the most common ailments of expecting mothers — morning sickness. A valuable source of vitamin B6, avocados have been shown to relieve nausea associated with pregnancy. Besides easing queasiness, vitamin B6 also strengthens the immune system, assists with energy metabolism, aids nerve impulse. transmission and synthesizes red blood cells, which is important at all ages.
In addition to the many nutritional benefits, avocados serve as valuable time-savers for pregnant and nursing mothers, who neither have the time nor the energy to prepare nutritious meals. With no cooking time involved, an avocado is a quick nourishing snack eaten right out of the shell or as a luscious topping when served over a salad, soup or entrée. Dr. Aliza Lifshitz “Healthy Moms, Healthy Kids”
Resource Wholesomebabyfood.com
I often find myself craving tofu and like it prepared in a variety of ways. One recipe that has a regular spot in my menu rotation is the Red Hot Chili Tofu from Vegan Fire and Spice. The tofu gets dredged in cornstarch and cooked to a crisp golden brown. It is then cloaked in a spicy red sauce that coats the tofu with flavor.
The “red hot” in the title has as much to do with the color as with the heat. With one teaspoon of chili paste, I’d call it moderately spicy, and since we like our food extra-hot, I usually toss in an extra “oops” of chili paste into the sauce. This recipe makes just enough sauce to coat the tofu, so if you want extra sauce, simply double the amount of sauce ingredients in the recipe.
Red Hot Chili Tofu
The tomato paste and chili paste combine to turn the tofu a lovely red color. Add more or less chili paste according to your heat tolerance. (From Vegan Fire and Spice: 200 Sultry and Savory Global Recipes.)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon soy sauce
3 teaspoons sake or dry white wine
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch strips
3 tablespoons cold-pressed canola oil
1/4 cup minced scallions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon hot chili paste (or more, to taste)
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste, water, soy sauce, sake, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.
In a shallow bowl, combine the cornstarch and salt. Dredge the tofu strips in the cornstarch mixture, shaking off any excess.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in batches and cook until golden brown. Transfer to a platter.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, and chili paste, and cook, stirring for 15 seconds. Add the reserved tomato paste mixture and stir until well blended.
Add the reserved tofu and toss gently to coat with the sauce, cooking until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with cilantro
Serves 4
Yes, I know February is over… all the Valentine’s Day flowers have shriveled and died, the last few half eaten truffles have been forgotten in the heart-shaped box, and all the card companies have moved on to the next commercialized holiday (I guess that would be Easter?). But I still thought I would blog about an amazing dinner and everyone’s favorite on Valentine’s, boxes of chocolates.
For dinner, I made seitan piccata and stuffed mushrooms, both from the Candle Cafe cookbook along with roasted beets sprinkled with celtic gray sea salt and a dribble of balsamic glace. I had to use my heart cookie cutters on the beets, because honestly, when else can you use them if not on Valentine’s day?
After seeing a post on the always fabulous Girlie Girl Army about the delicious treats from Allison’s Gourmet, I decided to splurge and buy myself a box of truffles (thinking there was no way that John would figure out a way to get vegan chocolates). The box included three types of truffles (hazelnut, mocha, and almond) and three types of caramels (pecan, peanut, and chocolate) Next year I will be ordering a box full of the caramels (pecan was my favorite)! Not that I didn’t like the truffles as well, but I had plenty of those to choose from….
Because to my surprise, John did a little online searching on his own and ordered me a box of truffles from Rose City Chocolatier. I was seriously impressed with his effort. This one had all kinds of flavors (hazelnut, vanilla, mandarin, coconut, pistachio, strawberry to name a few). Quality-wise they weren’t quite up to the standard of Allison’s truffles, but it was kind of fun to eat a box of chocolate the way I used to… take a bite and if it was a less than stellar flavor (the mandarin), I just put the uneaten half back in the box!
And as if I didn’t have enough chocolate… I made chocolate covered strawberries drizzled with the last of my white chocolate chip stash. What the strawberries lacked in ripeness, the chocolate more than made up for in sweetness. The strawberries, chocolates, a bottle of champagne, and the Lush sex bomb bath bomb made for quite a relaxing evening.
Vege Island