A Mimosa for Everyone

Here is a Mimosa even the Kids can enjoy. Martinelli's sparkling apple cider with orange juice. Here I have used Apple-Mango flavor.

Happy Holiday's.

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Gnewvegan

Product and snack Photos

Hi everyone,

Please check out my group on facebook for a few photos I just posted. Some snack photos and vegan products.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=105131089519354&ref=mf

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Gnewvegan

Parmesan-Carrot Risotto - By Everyday Food- Veganized

The other day I made a recipe from Everyday Food and simply veganized it. It was very tasty and I enjoyed the leftovers the next day. I will write about my changes and post the link to the recipe.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/parmesan-carrot-risotto


I used vegetable broth, vegan butter by Earth Balance, a regular onion (I did not have the red), Arborio rice (I did not have white long grain and I really don't use white much), white cooking wine, vegan parmesan cheese, chopped the carrots and onions in a chopper instead of grated and halved the recipe. As you can see it is possible to veganize a recipe with positive results. Especially with the available products we have. As far as risotto it is really not that much of a chore. You just have to stay close by to the pot to stir and add broth frequently. If you do other things like the dishes time goes by quicker and you have made your risotto.


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Gnewvegan

Oodles of Noodles Vegetable Soup

I use to love Oodles of noodles as a quick bite to eat before I became vegan. There is only one flavor I find now that I can have which is the Oriental one. But just make sure to read the ingredients. I do not remember which brand but I recall there was a brand where the Oriental one may have had something in there not vegan. I could be wrong but I seem to remember that. But here is a quick noodle veggie soup with only a few ingredients. I did not measure the final amount but I would say this would serve two people for a meal.

1 package Oriental Oodles of Noodles, break apart into small pieces when added to the pot
1- 10 oz box of frozen mixed veggies (carrots, corn, green beans, etc)
4 cups water
1 packet of broth mix or 1 bouillon (for 1 to 2 cups to taste)
Vegan parmesan cheese


1- In a pot add the water, bouillon/or packet, and seasoning packet from noodles. Mix together and bring to a boil.
2- Add the frozen veggies and noodles then reboil. Stir occasionally.
3-Simmer for five more minutes or until the veggies are done. Stir occasionally.
4- Serve and season with parmesan cheese if using.





The only other ingredients not in this photo are the packet/bouillon for broth and the vegan parmesan cheese.





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Gnewvegan

Raw Veggie and Black Bean Salad

This is another quick salad where there is no cutting required. In the produce section buy a package of fresh cut up stir fry veggies. A nice combination is one that has broccoli, cauliflower, green/yellow/red peppers, snow peas, celery, carrots, and onions. Of course you can choose your veggies of choice but be sure to get a nice full package. Add this to a drained and rinsed can of black beans. I used 1 -15 oz can to one package of veggies. Then season with dried spices such as garlic and onion powder, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley to taste. Add extra virgin olive oil and either a balsamic or a red wine vinegar to moisten or to taste. Mix and enjoy. The one thing I love about this recipe is that you do not need to add a grain such as pasta or rice to make it fuller. If you eat a nice bowl of veggies and beans you will find yourself full.

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Gnewvegan

Past Thanksgiving posts-

If anyone needs some Thanksgiving recipe ideas please type in the search bar "Thanksgiving". You will see previous posts I did on Thanksgiving. Also I posted a pumpkin pie recipe I still have not done. Just type in Pumpkin pie in the search bar to see that post. You will also see a recipe with the pumpkin pie on chocolate chip muffins. Here is the link to a post I did when I finally had a chance to make the muffins.

http://invitationfrom-gnewvegan.blogspot.com/2008/01/i-made-chocolate-chip-muffins.html

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Gnewvegan

Veganize a Recipe Time - “Sausage” and Kale Soup

Tonight’s Dinner – “Sausage” and Kale Soup

Here is a recipe I made from Woman’s day Magazine. Besides making my own recipes I like to show people that you can also veganize recipes. My blog is a combination of many things including the last statement. I will share the link here so you can see the original recipe and what I did to make it vegan. Now, I did not measure anything when I made this tonight. It was tasty and a recipe I will be saving.

http://www.womansday.com/Recipes/Sausage-Kale-Soup-Recipe

My Changes-Ingredients

Of course I did not use meat sausage. You can choose vegan sausage that you like. I like the brand Tofurky and used their Italian sausage. I think the Kielbasa would also go nice here.

I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

I used Russet potatoes

I did not use fresh kale as I had the frozen kale on hand

Cooking Changes

Step one and two are combined excluding the sausage part. After the pot was heated I added some extra virgin olive oil to the pot until heated. I added the onions and garlic I chopped and browned /softened lightly. Add the broth and boil per the directions.

Step three I followed adding the potatoes and kale. At this point I also added the sausage that I cut into bite size pieces. (I actually thawed out the kale mostly by putting it in a colander and ran hot water over it until it was loosened before I added it to the pot.) Then I cooked it per the directions until the potatoes and kale became tender. I cooked it about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. At the end if you did not add enough broth you could always add some. I did not add the red pepper flakes and instead added vegan parmesan cheese.

I like to do this to show people that recipes can be veganized and you do not have to follow recipes exactly as written. Do not be afraid, change it to your taste, to what you have on hand and mangia!!!

Buon appetite.

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Gnewvegan

Steamed Broccoli and Caulifower

Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower

If you do not feel like messing up a pot, pan or chopping this is a quick and easy veggie snack. You can either buy a regular bag of precut frozen broccoli and cauliflower and steam desired amount in the microwave or buy the frozen bag you can actually steam the veggies in the bag. Then season with onion /and/ or garlic powder, dry minced garlic to taste. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil mixing in and enjoy.

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Gnewvegan

Quick and Easy Veggie meal

For a quick healthy meal buy a 7 - 1o oz box of frozen mixed veggies that come in a steamer bag for the microwave. You will find many combinations of veggies to choose from. Some varieties have barley or beans in them and some are already seasoned with olive oil. Steam in the microwave per box directions. Then I use the microwave brown rice that cooks in one minute.It comes in individual servings. They are really great to have and are so quick and easy. I cook that after the veggies are done and just mix all together. You can also add beans of choice if you prefer instead of rice. If you want add more seasonings. Having a healthy quick meal is easy...

Enjoy

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Gnewvegan

Parmesan Rice Burger

Parmesan Rice Burger

Makes 2 burgers

These burgers have a very nice cheese taste and are easy to make.

1 cup cooked brown rice, set aside until cool enough to handle

3 Tablespoons vegan bread crumbs

2 Tablespoons vegan parmesan cheese

¼ cup (4 Tablespoons) vegan shredded mozzarella or Monterey jack

¼ cup (4 Tablespoons) marinara sauce plus some for topping after cooked

2 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons warm water

1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch or egg replacer *

Olive oil spray

1- Preheat toaster oven to 350 degrees. Line the baking tray with aluminum foil and spray generously with oil spray.

2- Mix all ingredients together except water and cornstarch in a bowl.

3- In a small bowl mix together the water and cornstarch or egg replacer and using a small whisk or fork make sure there are no lumps and it is thoroughly dissolved. Then add to the rice mixture and mix well.

4- Form into two burgers. Place burgers on tray and bake for 20 minutes.

5- Open oven and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes.

6- Top with warmed marinara sauce and enjoy. (About 4 tablespoons each burger or to taste)

G Notes- You can save the other burger in a container in the refrigerator for later. To reheat the burger place it in a microwave on top of a paper towel. Microwave for 2 minutes. (microwave times vary). Top with marinara.

Serving ideas- Steamed veggies go nice with this burger. You could also make a salad.

* Egg replacer has a powder consistency and can be found in an organic or health food store. The Brand I use is by Ener- G.

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Gnewvegan

I posted a video series on You Tube- Freezing Tofu

For the first time I uploaded videos to you tube. This is a 4 part series of short videos on how to freeze tofu.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlxLLnZzNO8


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Gnewvegan

Repost of my Fiesta Bean Salad

This is a post I did almost two years ago. I thought with the summer here and barbecues and parties going on I would repost this recipe. The link is below. I hope you enjoy this salad if you try it.


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Gnewvegan

http://invitationfrom-gnewvegan.blogspot.com/2008/07/fiesta-bean-salad-by-gnewvegan.html

Curiosity about boiling water

The other day I wondered is boiling water an effective way to remove germs and bacteria? I personally do not like the taste of tap water. Part of my growing up we would drink water directly from a spring or bottled water. Now I could taste the difference of the tap so I only drink bottled water. But with bottled water you also have the problem of plastic which is not good for the environment. I know there is also a filter one could pass their water through. I did a quick research online to see about my question. From the few sites I read although boiling does not get rid 100% everything it does the job adequately for the germs and bacteria that could be harmful to us. I found a site also that compared boiling water to filtered water and basically it said either or does the trick. With the boiling you do have to have it at a bubbling boil for at least one to two minutes from what I read for this to be effective. Regarding the taste I saw two different opinions. One site said that the boiled water may taste better than a filter because the filter may have a charcoal type taste. Then I read that some people may not like the boiled water because it may leave it with a flat taste due to oxygen being removed from the water. But a way to assist with that is to pour it between two containers after it has been boiled (and I assume cooled) to add back some of the oxygen. I thought this would be interesting to share and it is nice to know you have a few choices.

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Gnewvegan

Not All Vitamins Are Vegan

This is post I have been wanting to do for a while. I am always learning something new about being a vegan. Throughout my journey one of the things I learned was that the vitamins I was taking were not Vegan. I was not happy about that when I found out. I started doing some research on the internet to find out what is in vitamins that make them not vegan. I won’t get too technical instead just give you the jist of it. Vitamins are made from plant and animal sources, or synthetically in a lab. Examples of non vegan ingredients are lactose, gelatin, insects, and the actual vitamin component. In reading about gelatin there are vegetable gelatin alternatives available. Although I am not sure how their consistency is compared to the animal derived. But, the point is if you see gelatin as an ingredient know it can be from an animal. So what is one to do in this situation? Well, luckily there are companies who make vegan vitamins. The first thing you can do is to call the number on the back of the vitamin bottle/s you currently take and ask them if the product has any animal ingredients in it. I have never had trouble having that question answered. It is from these calls I learned that remnants of insects can be in vitamins and that sometimes the actual vitamin type itself may be derived from the animal. I do not remember the vitamin derivative I was told I had that came from an animal but for reference I am talking about the letter for example Vitamin D or C. Once I found out I needed to change the ones I had I looked at the type I was taking, the mcg/mg/g amount on the back of the bottles and then went looking on line. I typed in vegan vitamins in the search bar and also browsed through vegan stores. There are choices so it is just a matter of choosing what is best for you. When you find vitamins of interest see if you can view the details of the content so as to compare it to what you are taking and then order. To name a few Deva, VegLife, and calcium soft chews by Nutrition Now are brands I currently use. I will re-post here web links to online vegan stores so you could browse through. And when in doubt for the requirements that you may need refer to a nutritionist or your primary care provider. I hope this information is helpful.

Sources of Information
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Vitamin.html

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faqingredients.htm

http://www.archure.net/salus/hidden.html

Online Vegan Shopping
http://www.veganstore.com/

http://www.vegangoods.com/

http://www.veganessentials.com/

http://www.cosmosveganshoppe.com/

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GnewVegan

Banana, Strawberry, Pineapple Cantaloupe Smoothie

This is a quick fruit smoothie I made today with fruit I had on hand. You can make smoothies with what ever fruit you have or like. Have fun with it, get your fruit and cool down at the same time.

Banana, Strawberry, Pineapple Cantaloupe Smoothie

Makes 2 ½ cups

1 banana, cut into chunks
½ cup cantaloupe, cut into chunks
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons crushed pineapple from a can with their juice (no added sugar)
2 strawberries, remove stem and any white part at the top, cut into a few pieces
½ teaspoon agave
¼ to ½ cup ice
2 tablespoons water

1- Blend all ingredients together in a blender or smoothie maker. Use up to ½ cup ice to make desired consistency.


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Gnewvegan

Israel Couscous and Lentil Salad

This is a post I did last year when I made this salad with ingredients on hand. I made it yesterday and thought I would re-post it. You can use whatever salad dressing that you like. Or you can make your own. I used rasberry vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and various seasonings like basil, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste . These are all dry spices and typical spices you would find in Italian dressing. You just use what you like the same way you would when making a salad.


Israel Couscous and Lentil Salad

Serves two

1/2 cup lentils, sorted and rinsed
1/2 cup Israel Couscous
3 cups water
1/2 of a 3 oz small onion, sliced (I like to leave in small rings)
2 medium tomatoes, sliced and halved if pieces are too big
salad dressing of choice or make your own

-Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a 2 quart pot.
- Add the lentils and simmer uncovered, stirring occasional for ten minutes.
- Then add the couscous and the other 1 cup water. Cover leaving a slight opening for steam to escape. Bring to a boil, uncover and simmer for another ten minutes stirring occasional.
- Taste the mixture and see if it is soft and tender.
- Drain into a collander and run cold water over it until it is cooled down.
- Put in a bowl and mix the rest of the ingredients.

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Gnewvegan

Corn and Tomato Salad

Here is a quick salad I made yesterday.

Corn and Tomato Salad

Serves one

1 medium corn on the cob (about 7 oz), remove husk and rinse off excess strands
1 plum tomato (about 4 oz), sliced and then halve the slices
1 medium fresh basil leaf, finely chopped
Smidgen of salt
Pinch of onion powder
Pinch of garlic powder
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1- With knife slice off the corn kernels into a bowl.
2- Combine the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and mix well.


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Gnewvegan

I made homemade Jam

Check out my post in my group on facebook. I made homemade Jam for the first time.

:)

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=105131089519354&ref=mf

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Gnewvegan

Calcium in Foods

I posted this in my group on facebook and decided to post these links here also. It is very good information on foods and calcium by the Vegan RD.

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5670-Vegan-Examiner~y2010m4d22-Five-foods-for-vegan-bone-health

http://www.examiner.com/x-5670-Seattle-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m4d7-Meeting-calcium-needs-tips-for-vegans

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Gnewvegan

Video I made for my facebook group

Hi everyone,

Just thought I would share a link to a video I did telling a bit about me and why I started my group , Sharing the Vegan Journey, on facebook. I also talk a bit about why I started this blog. So, If you are interested please check it out. I will be doing another post here soon.


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Gnewvegan

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=105131089519354&v=app_2373072738#!/video/video.php?v=410156686825&oid=105131089519354


If for some reason the above does not work you can copy and paste this link which will take you to my main group page. You will see the video on the wall.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=105131089519354&ref=mf

Steamed Veggie Salad

This is one of my no measure recipes. I think it is nice to remember that you do not always have to measure everything that you cook. Cooking is fun and like tossing a salad together it is nice to have those recipes you just toss together. You are creating what you like and so what if there is a bit too much or too little of this or that. It is an art that can be interpreted in many ways. I have spoken about steaming veggies for a quick snack before in the microwave and how I have a mini microwave steamer which I love. You could steam the veggies on the stove top if you prefer but I think the microwave is quicker. Today I decided to make a quick veggie salad. I always keep frozen veggies on hand not only to be prepared, but they are healthy picked and frozen at their best and also already cut for you. Yeah!! You can use whatever you like. I used a combo bag of broccoli, cauliflower and crinkle cut carrots. I steamed them in the microwave, drained when done and then ran cold water over the veggies until they were cool. Then I mixed with the veggies golden raisins, slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, chopped onions, and raw green squash which I peeled and sliced. Then I mixed in a balsamic dressing and some salt and pepper. It was yummy … Now as I said you can mix and match as you like. When you make a salad you toss in various ingredients and put dressing on to moisten to your taste. That is what you are doing here! Other ideas to mix in with the veggies are tomatoes, cucumbers, beans (drained and rinsed), canned corn drained and rinsed or frozen corn steamed as one of your veggies. Dressings I think that go nice here are the one that I used, a sesame soy ginger or Italian. You could also just season as you would a salad with herbs and oil and vinegar. You could even use lemon juice. This is your play recipe. When you are hungry and want something quick or a quick snack and are trying to get your veggies in this no measure recipe will do the job. I just love the quick go to recipes. I will post the link to my blog post that I did about steaming veggies. There is a link there to the microwave steamer I use.

http://invitationfrom-gnewvegan.blogspot.com/2009/03/steamed-veggies-as-snack.html


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Gnewvegan

Easter Cookie Photos

These are cookies I made in 2008. You can have a colorful, yummy vegan Easter. These were enjoyed even by non vegans.. :) You can scroll down in this blog or look up in the search bar about Easter for some posts on the holiday and cookie making.


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Gnewvegan

Vegan Diet and Nutrition Information

I am posting a link to a brochure I have which is a nice overview on the vegan diet and nutrients.


http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm


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Gnewvegan

Tofu Scramble with Spinach, Peppers and Sausage

Here is my recipe for a tasty tofu scramble.

Scramble Tofu with Spinach, Peppers and Sausage

Serves 1 to 2

1 small potato (approximate 5 oz), peeled, rinsed, diced

4 oz block of tofu (1/4 of a 14 oz tub) firm or extra firm tofu

1 Tofurkey Kielbasa or Italian sausage, sliced into about ¼ “thick pieces

3 oz roasted red and yellow peppers (or just red) from a jar, finely chopped

4 tablespoons frozen chopped spinach, thawed (put it in a small bowl , like a ramekin, with warm water then drain in small colander when thawed or put in a small colander and run warm to hot water over it until thawed, a few minutes)

1 tablespoon store bought sofrito*

¼ teaspoon sazon goya con culantro y achiote (the orange packet)

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil


1- In a bowl place the tofu in between a few paper towels and press out excess water. Drain the water and then mash the tofu with a potato masher.

2- Heat a 9 to 10” non stick pan for 1 minute. Then heat the oil for 30 seconds to 1 minute. (When heating oil to make sure the oil is ready, flick a small sprinkle of water into pan with oil. If you hear a sizzle then it is ready. )

3- Add the potatoes to the pan and on a low to medium flame stir occasionally for 10 minutes.

4- Mix in the tofu and continue to stir occasional for 3 more minutes.

5- Mix in the peppers, sofrito and sazon. Continue to cook on a low to medium flame stirring occasional for 5 minutes.

6- Then mix in the spinach and sausage. Cook about 3 minutes more until the spinach is cooked and sausage is heated through.

Serving ideas- This can be a main meal for one saving leftovers for another meal. If you have leftovers store in a sealed container and reheat in the microwave about 1 minute and 30 to 40 seconds with the cover off. This can also serve two people with a side of toast for breakfast.

* Sofrito is a Spanish cooking sauce with a mixture of tomatoes, peppers, onion, cilantro and garlic. Goya makes this and can be found in supermarkets. There is Sofrito in the jar and in the frozen section. I used the one in the Jar for this recipe.





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Gnewvegan

Annisette Toast (Biscotti)

Recently I veganized this recipe that my nan had. I just love cooking, creating my own recipes and veganizing the recipes we know and love. I had this for breakfast this morning along with my coffee. They will be eaten tonight at earth hour.



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Gnewvegan

Sweet and Sour Seitan

I made a recipe tonight for Sweet and Sour Seitan over Rice.. It was yummy. Here is a photo.






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Gnewvegan

Vegetable Shortening

I was going through old recipes of my Nan and saw recipes with Crisco as an ingredient needed. I had a feeling it was vegan because it is vegetable shortening but went online to find out for sure. From what I read it appears it is vegan. However, because I also remember a cooking show saying to use non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening I read further. When researching this I read that hydrogenated shortening is not good for you related to the trans. fats. I saw on line there is a product by Spectrum that could be found in an organic or health food store. Here is the link for that product:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/318762/review_of_spectrum_organic_vegetable.html

I also saw non hydrogenated butter as a suggestion. Earth Balance makes vegan butters and margarines that are free of trans fats and hydrogenated oils. I use this product and have never been disappointed. I really do not use vegetable shortening but I thought this would be good information in case I needed to or if anyone else had this question.


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Gnewvegan

Recap of previous Easter Posts....

With Easter approaching I thought I would do a recap of previous posts that I did pertaining to the holiday. I am reposting them all here. They are: Are Food Colorings vegan, Easter Candy, My first Easter as a Vegan, and It's Cookie time..

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Are food colorings vegan?

I used yellow food coloring today and remembered that I have seen natural coloring , pretty expensive in an organic store. So I wondered is food coloring vegan? Then I thought this post would be a good one at this time because Easter is around the corner. Yes, I do not eat eggs so I do not color them anymore. But I have used food coloring in cookies. So, in case you use it in some way for Easter besides eggs I thought let me read up on this. So I did some research online and this is what I found. Some answers by some people stated that some red food coloring is made from beetles but that the other food colorings are ok. I read that yellow number 5 and 6 are vegetarian.. (yahoo) In regard to the red dye when reading another site it also stated that not all red dyes are made from bugs. It stated it would be labeled cochineal, carmine, or carminic if made from the cochineal beetle. FD and C and red number 40 are 99% coal derivatives. (Vegetarian resource group). The latter site also talks about a food guide you can order to help decipher food ingredients. Click on the link number two below in sources. As I was doing further research I began to see why a person would choose to buy natural food coloring. It seems to have to do with additives that are in some of them such as coal tar deritatives (Ehow.com) Spices such as turmeric, saffron, and papikra are also used for some food colorings. Some natural dyes are made of caramelized sugar, beet juice, the seed of the achiote shrub, and algae. Answers.com has a table that shows you where various sources for food coloring come from. An article from the FDA has a table of the various color additives and additives which are certifiable by the FDA. These regulations have to do with the purity and safety of the substance used in the dye. Link number 7 in my list of sources is a short video telling you some of the things I mentioned about natural food coloring and that red may sometimes come from insects. Another source talks about how some people may be concerned with the health risks of certain products used, such as the color derived from coal tar. That source is number 8 on my link list. You can then read about the product that was mentioned in the latter article, FD & C yellow number 5 in the link below from the FDA which talks about that issue. I am not making any claims that I have knowledge that specific additives cause health problems in this post. I have not done the research to support or negate the comment. I just wanted to write about the various possibilities that may impact a persons decision one way or the other. I guess what it boils down to is personal preference. There was only one site I found that had a table showing that yellow may have a source of eggs, or organic meat. But I did not see that anywhere else. There is agreeement that some red comes from insects. That is very good to know so I can look at a label and make sure it does not have the words carmine, cohineal, or carminic in it indicating it came from an insect. The majority I saw was from either the natural spices or coal tar. So it appears that most of these items are vegan/ vegetarian. If one is concerned with safety of the additives that are not from natural sources such as the coal tar then maybe you may want to make sure it is all natural, for example from a spice or plant. Thank you for coming to my blog. Please come back again soon. Gnewvegan


sources-
1- http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061204155216AAj616x
2- http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faqingredients.htm#red
3- http://www.ehow.com/about_4596406_what food coloring made.html
4- http://www.answers.com/topic/food coloring
5- http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/colorfac.html
6- http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/stuff/8134foodcoloring.html
7-http://www.expertvillage.com/video/165231_what food coloring made.htm
8- http://www.wisegeek.com/what is food coloring made of.htm


Thursday, March 19, 2009

Easter Candy

With the holiday approaching I wanted to post these online stores again. Just because you are vegan does not mean you can not enjoy that Easter Bunny. The first link brings you to Easter candy. You can look through the others for their chocolate or candies. I do not remember which site I ordered from last year but the candy and chocolates I purchased were well received even by non-vegans. I also had made Easter cookies last year which I plan to do again. I used a sugar cookie recipe that I veganized by just using vegan ingredients and bought Easter cookie cutters. In my archives there are two posts, 12/17/08, and 3/26/08 where I talk about cookie making and my first Easter as a Vegan.. Hope these websites and my posts are of some help.

Online vegan stores

http://www.veganstore.com/gifts-and-candles/easter-gift-ideas.html

http://www.vegangoods.com/

http://www.veganchocolate.com/

http://www.cosmosveganshoppe.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvchttp://ethicalplanet.com/food-and-snacks.html

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Gnewvegan

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

My First Easter As A Vegan

As with my first Thanksgiving and Christmas Easter was no exception to a nice holiday. I went to a friends house for dinner and she is really great. I have known her for many years and she is like family. She so kindly told me to bring my soy milk and margarine and she would put mashed potatoes aside so I can make it my way. She liked them too when she tasted it :) I used some vegan margarine in a dish of pasta.. The sauce had meat in it so a dish was taken out for me pre the sauce added. The veggies her and her husband made were delicious and they purposely did not put anything in them I could not eat. She also made a very nice salad and put oil and vinegar on the table because the other dressings had ingredients I could not have. I made the orzo I posted in the “Thanksgiving post” and sugar cookies. I never made sugar cookies for Easter but I saw these really cute Easter cookie cutters so I decided to make cookies. I did it just like Christmas as I wrote on my post “It’s Cookie Time”. I just substituted vegan ingredients and everyone enjoyed the cookies.. As always I had my vegan sugar with me and this time I had the soy milk for my coffee. At the end of the day I was full and had a very nice Easter dinner.. It is not impossible to have a holiday dinner when you are the only vegan. It has worked out well and it always is made easier when you have wonderful friends that do what my friend's did when cooking.. I am touched at the caring and find it really wonderful when people are interested in learning about my veganism. I will be posting one of my pasta recipes in a few days.. Come back soon and maybe try it out. Thank you for coming to blog. Please come back again soon.

Gnewvegan


Monday, November 12, 2007

It is cookie time :)

I was not going to talk about sugar so soon in the blog but being that the cookie season is approaching I thought it would be a good idea. Recently I learned that sugar is not vegan. I did research and here is a website I found about this topic. It also lists brands of sugar that are non-vegan and vegan. I thought the information may be of interest especially around the holidays when sugar cookies are popular. And do not worry about finding the sugar because it is out there. I found it at an organic whole food store and the local supermarket.

http://www.vegfamily.com/articles/sugar.htm

When I looked into colored vegan sugar I did not find that. But I did find vegan sprinkles that one uses on ice cream on one of the web sites I listed in my previous blog for vegan groceries. I thought to myself you could probably make your own colored sugar with vegan sugar and food coloring. Well I researched it and others had the same idea. This website has a recipe for making your own colored sugar.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Colored-Sugar/Detail.aspx

I also noticed that some other recipes use cinnamon plus sugar for coating. Here are some web sites I found with sugar cookie recipes that seem worth trying.

http://www.vegfamily.com/vegan-recipes/desserts/holiday-sugar-cookies.htm

http://www.vegout.info/recipe_show.php?title=Vegan%20Sugar%20Cookie&ID=43
http://www.johnandkristie.com/archives/2005/10/perfect_sugar_c.htmlhttp://www.recipezaar.com/202592

( this person uses applesauce instead of margarine. I saw someone mention that on a website. Thought I would plug it in here for more options) If you have your own sugar cookie recipe you use either from a book or your family recipe, read through the ingredients and see what really needs to be substituted. I compared a recipe I use from a cook book to the ones in the web sites I mentioned above and it was very similar. I would only need to replace sugar with vegan sugar, the egg with an egg replacer ( see note following this paragraph), and the sour cream with tofutti’s sour supreme. I have not tried the latter product yet so I can not comment. In one of the above recipes someone uses tofutti cream cheese. And if you are not really comfortable changing things around yet then try one of the above recipes. I suggest doing a trial run before the holiday. Cut the recipe in half and then in half again if you want (depending on the yield of the original recipe) and give it a test try. You do not even have to decorate if you do not want for the trial run, just make the cookie and see if you like the dough. And then you will be on your way to a vegan holiday. Note: I bought the Ener- G egg replacer in an organic food store. It is in a box and I think it was in the baking section. You can not make scrambled eggs with it because it is for baking purposes. It is a powder that is mixed with water. I have used it in some recipes which called for egg and it worked fine. I have also seen the other products I have in bold in the organic food store/ whole food store. A note on margarine: Butter is dairy so it is not vegan. According to the PETA handout I talked about in the previous blog most margarines are vegan. In case you want to have an idea of particular brand names I have copied and pasted a paragraph on margarine from a website. The website also talks about other products and replacements.
"Butter is obviously made from milk so it is easiest to switch to margarine, many of which are vegan. Some margarines contain milk derivatives such as whey or E-numbers from an animal source, but most supermarkets stock at least one suitable own brand margarine or look for Pure’s Dairy Free Soya Spread or Dairy Free Sunflower Spread. Health food shops will also stock a selection of vegan margarines including: Granose’s Vegetable margarine; Suma’s Sunflower Spread, Organic Reduced Fat Sunflower Spread, or their Soya Spread; Biona Organic Vegetable Margarine and Organic Olive Extra Margarine – made with olive oil; Vitaquell Extra Dairy Free or Bio Organic margarine. If you like a block of ‘butter-style’ margarine for baking, try Rakusen’s Tomor, available from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and many health food shops"

http://www.viva.org.uk/guides/l-plate/vegan/p02.htm.

After I make the cookies I will post how they came out and any tips used to make them that I may use. I always welcome your experiences as well. Happy cookie making. :)

Thank you for visiting my blog. Come back again soon.

Gnewvegan

Facial Products

Here is a link I saw on twitter and thought it would be good to share.

http://www.thekindlife.com/post/natural-products-facial-cleansers

Thank you for coming to my blog. Please come back again soon.

Gnewvegan

Interesting article on the food pyramid

I thought I would post this article about the food pyramid. I saw the link on twitter from Vegetarian Dish whom I am following.

http://www.thisdishisvegetarian.com/2010/03/0181doctors-introduce-new-healthy.html

Thank you for coming to my blog. Please come back again soon.

Gnewvegan

Tomato Noodle Soup With Roasted Garlic

My Nan liked Tomato soup so I came up with this to make for her. I was very happy that she enjoyed it. She also use to like to have her soup with crackers.


Tomato Noodle Soup With Roasted Garlic

Serves 4 or 2 for a main meal(Yields 4 ½ cups,1 cup equals 1 serving)

Do not let the roasted garlic deter you. In thirty minutes the soup is done because you cook the soup as the garlic is roasting.

Ingredients

3 to 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled, cut off tips only (* see G note)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup (4 oz) spaghetti, break apart with fingers into 1 inch pieces
4 cups water *
Bouillon to equal 4 cups * (see G note)
1 (8) oz can Tomato sauce
½ teaspoon dried parsley

G note- * When choosing the garlic, if one clove is large and looks like it could be two cloves then use 2 of that size. If not then use 4 average size cloves.
* For the bouillon you can use 4 cups of boxed vegetable broth instead of 4 cups water plus bouillon.

Directions

1- Preheat toaster oven to 400 degrees. Put unpeeled garlic in aluminum foil. Drizzle oil over garlic. Close foil over garlic leaving a small opening at the top to vent. Bake for 30 minutes.

2- Meanwhile in a 2 qt pot add the water plus bouillon (or boxed broth), tomato sauce and parsley. Mix, cover and bring to a boil over medium flame. Stir at least two times.

3- When soup boils, uncover and add pasta to pot. Mix well stirring occasionally on a low- medium flame and simmer for 10 minutes.

4- When the garlic is done take out of toaster oven, unwrap foil and let cool a few minutes. Peel off skin (will come right off) Mince the garlic into the tomato soup and mix well. You will notice the broth will become slightly thicker. (If you do not have a garlic press then you can use a small chopper. Put the garlic in a small chopper and add a small ladle of broth. Chop until garlic is completely chopped like a puree. Then add to the pot and stir as above)

Meal tip- This could be a light dinner for two with salad and garlic bread or a light lunch at 1 cup and 2 Tablespoons per serving for 4. Salad and bread would also go well if serving as a lunch.

Thank you for coming to my blog. Please come back again soon.

Gnewvegan

Vegan Tip for a Quick Chick'n Parmesan Sandwich

Chick'n Parmesan Sandwich

Preheat toaster oven to about 375 degrees. Cook one vegan chicken patty (I use Boca) per box directions in the microwave. Put the cooked patty on a slice of bread. Top it with 1 ½ Tablespoons of slightly warmed marinara sauce , spread 1 and ½ Tablespoons of shredded vegan mozzarella evenly on top of sauce (can use less if you like) and top with the other slice of bread. Put in toaster oven and bake about 4- 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Keep an eye on the bread so it does not burn. I use the brand follow your heart for Cheese. Cut on a diagonal with a serrated knife and enjoy. I made this with steamed broccoli. I am going to put the link here for an earlier post I did on steaming veggies in the microwave with the steamer I use.

http://invitationfrom-gnewvegan.blogspot.com/2009/03/steamed-veggies-as-snack.html

This post was done on March 10, 2009. If the above link does not work right you can find it by clicking on my archives.

Thank you for coming to blog. Please come back soon.

Gnewvegan

I am on twitter

I am on twitter and thought I would post the link here . Hope everyone is gearing up for the snow storm.

Thank you for coming to my blog. Please come back soon.

Gnewvegan

https://twitter.com/Gnewvegan

It is Ok If you Slip......

I wanted to write about the occasional slip up in the life of a vegan. I remember one time I had went out with a group of people. There was a person there talking about how she had some kind of fish and she was vegan . Fish is not part of a vegan diet. You could sense that she was trying to rationalize this and her sense of guilt. I could hear the hesitancy in her speaking voice. We are all human and we can slip. I do not feel we should have to rationalize or excuse our behavior to anyone if we do slip. Yes, we will feel guilty but that is human nature. Think about how you are vegan or vegetarian most of the time and that is what counts. That you are actually making a difference, even with your occasional slip, compared to the person not doing anything at all. For example, sugar is in practically everything and occasionally there may be a product you want that has sugar in it that you are unsure where it came from. It is a personal choice if you have it and do not come down on yourself if you do. The same thing goes with honey. You may slip when you are under stress, at a special occasion or just because. I remember a friend said to me once if you have to have that “one thing” once a year to get through the other days of the year, that’s ok. You are still doing so much more then the person who does not do anything at all. So, if you slip do not come down on yourself so hard. You are human and veganism goes on.

Thank you for coming to my blog. Please come back soon.

Gnewvegan

Vegetable and Tomato Stew

It has been some time since my last post. I am very sad to say that the reason why is because my nan, whom I loved so dearly and forever will, passed away on Dec. 21, 2009. I decided to post a recipe that I made for her when I was trying to find things that she would still enjoy. She was ill and it was not always easy to find the right thing for her. Either because her taste buds had changed or she just was not up to eating what she normally would. I would make variations of soups and this was one of them. I hope you enjoy it.

Vegetable and Tomato Stew

Serves 4 at 1 ¼ cup per person

(Makes 5 cups)

(4 oz) 1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 14.5 oz can vegetable broth (or bouillon mix)
1 cup water
½ teaspoon dry parsley
½ teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped
Pinch of black pepper
1 16 oz bag frozen stew vegetables or soup, (carrots, celery, onions, potatoes)
½ cup elbows
Vegan parmesan cheese, as desired

-Heat up a 3 qt pot for one minute and then the oil about one minute.
- Add the onions and garlic to the pot, brown lightly, stirring occasional.
-Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth and water. Cover and bring to a boil.
-Add the vegetables and seasonings. Cover and bring to a boil.
-Uncover and simmer on a low to medium flame, stirring occasional.
-After 10 minutes add the elbows, and continue to simmer, stirring occasional for 8 to 10 minutes more
until vegetables are tender.
-Serve and sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

Note- After a while if this is not served right away you will have to add a bit more water just to keep a stew consistency and then adjust seasonings if desired. If you reheat the next day you can add some water at that time or do not add water and heat and serve like a pasta dish.

Thank you for coming to my blog.

Gnewvegan