I have always loved egg nog and was doing research on the internet to find a recipe for vegan egg nog. There are quite a few and I even was thinking of making my own (which I still may do). But, I was happy to find a product by silk called nog. I bought it and was pleasantly surprised. It had a very nice egg nog taste and I enjoyed it. So, I wanted to let my readers know of this product in case you may want to try it. Here is the website to explore silk products.
http://www.silksoymilk.com/Products/SilkSoymilkRefrigerated.aspx
Merry holidays and a very happy and healthy new year.
Thank you for coming to my blog and I hope to see you again soon.
Gnewvegan
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Egg substitutes
When I first became vegan I wondered how would I get along without eggs. It seems as if eggs are in many recipes. Of course, there are those recipes like dunking your bread in a soft boiled egg I miss, but I have been doing fine without using eggs. I test out various substitutes, either suggestions from online or ones that I think of and I have had success. Here are a few websites that I found useful in giving suggestions about egg replacers. I hope you do as well.
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/catering_and_cookery/eggfree.php
http://www.vegcooking.com/vegcooking-eggreplace.asp
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=egg%20substitute
Happy Vegan Cooking
Gnewvegan
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/catering_and_cookery/eggfree.php
http://www.vegcooking.com/vegcooking-eggreplace.asp
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=egg%20substitute
Happy Vegan Cooking
Gnewvegan
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Peanut sauce by Gnewvegan
After I posted my recipe for "Tofu crisp strips" a comment was posted about serving it over rice and veggies with a peanut sauce. In my post in November "what do I eat", I have my stir fry which uses veggies and rice. Here is a peanut sauce I made that I use on veggies or this stir fry. I wanted to post it in case my readers wanted to try it.
Peanut Sauce
yields 4 teaspoons
1 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 ½ teaspoon ketchup
2 teaspoons vegan worcestershire sauce (see note)
1/8 teaspoon paprika
smidgen red cayenne pepper
Mix the above ingredients together until nice and smooth. Serve over vegetables or Chinese stir fry.
Note: I was surprised when I was reading the back of the worcestershire sauce bottle and saw that anchovies were in it.. I never thought that would not be vegan. If you can not find a vegan brand in your local stores or need to find out a brand name, go to my first post and at the end you will find a list of web sites for online vegan grocery stores. You can find the sauce there.
Happy vegan cooking
Gnewvegan
Peanut Sauce
yields 4 teaspoons
1 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 ½ teaspoon ketchup
2 teaspoons vegan worcestershire sauce (see note)
1/8 teaspoon paprika
smidgen red cayenne pepper
Mix the above ingredients together until nice and smooth. Serve over vegetables or Chinese stir fry.
Note: I was surprised when I was reading the back of the worcestershire sauce bottle and saw that anchovies were in it.. I never thought that would not be vegan. If you can not find a vegan brand in your local stores or need to find out a brand name, go to my first post and at the end you will find a list of web sites for online vegan grocery stores. You can find the sauce there.
Happy vegan cooking
Gnewvegan
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Tofu Crisp Strips By Gnewvegan
In my post this past November, “ What do I eat ” I wrote one of my quick stir fry recipes. Here is a recipe of mine for tofu crisp strips you can put on top of the stir fry, mix in and enjoy.
Tofu Crisp Strips
makes 8 strips
1 oz firm or extra firm tofu, cutting two slithers (I use a scale when measuring certain ingredients. It is handy to have)
Pinch Chinese five spice powder
Vegetable oil spray
Salt and pepper to taste
1- Take the 1 oz of tofu and pat as much of the water out as you can between a paper towel. Cut each slither lengthwise into 4 strips. Put the strips in a small bowl, like ramekin size, and season with salt and pepper to taste, and the Chinese five spice powder. Mix the tofu with the seasonings to coat well.
2- Preheat a 8 inch non-stick pan for about one minute. Then spray with cooking spray.
3- Place the strips in the pan, laying each one flat, on a low to medium flame, brown both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning with tongs. Then serve on your Chinese stir fry.
Note: The strips may break either when mixing with seasoning or in pan. That’s ok..
If you want a bit more spice try adding a smidgen of red cayenne pepper when you are seasoning the tofu strips.
Happy Vegan Cooking
Gnewvegan
Tofu Crisp Strips
makes 8 strips
1 oz firm or extra firm tofu, cutting two slithers (I use a scale when measuring certain ingredients. It is handy to have)
Pinch Chinese five spice powder
Vegetable oil spray
Salt and pepper to taste
1- Take the 1 oz of tofu and pat as much of the water out as you can between a paper towel. Cut each slither lengthwise into 4 strips. Put the strips in a small bowl, like ramekin size, and season with salt and pepper to taste, and the Chinese five spice powder. Mix the tofu with the seasonings to coat well.
2- Preheat a 8 inch non-stick pan for about one minute. Then spray with cooking spray.
3- Place the strips in the pan, laying each one flat, on a low to medium flame, brown both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning with tongs. Then serve on your Chinese stir fry.
Note: The strips may break either when mixing with seasoning or in pan. That’s ok..
If you want a bit more spice try adding a smidgen of red cayenne pepper when you are seasoning the tofu strips.
Happy Vegan Cooking
Gnewvegan
Monday, December 17, 2007
What should a vegan eat?
As I have said in previous blogs, I am not a nutritionist. So I am writing based on things I researched either learning from the internet, books, or asking people with knowledge on the subject. To know what you should be eating, exact amounts such as grams of protein, calcium etc, you need to consult with your own Doctor/Nurse Practitioner / Registered dietician.
When I first started doing this, personally I did not focus so much on exactly what I needed as far as amounts. I wanted to see what foods were out there to show me my options. If you go to my first post, “Welcome to my vegan journey”, you will read how I started. Reading information from PETA and taking that trip to the grocery store and whole food store. Learning about the various food substitutes and changing recipes. Before I was vegan I really just tried to eat right and get a balanced diet so at the end of the day I should have eaten what I was suppose to from the food groups. Of course, that did not always happen, but I tried. I was already taken a daily multi vitamin and calcium supplement so that I have continued. My first concern was the protein from the meat. So, I asked someone who had knowledge on nutrition if they had a handout I could read on vegetarian eating. That was during my initial transition when I started off as vegetarian. The handout was from the “American Dietetic Association”. Their website is www.eatright.org. An excerpt from the handout on protein and more is:
“Protein is found in most plant foods as well as in animal foods.Vegetarians do not need to combine specific foods within a meal as the old "complementary protein" theory advised. The body makes its own complete proteins if a variety of plant foods - fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, plants, nuts, and seeds, and enough calories are eaten during the day.
Calcium- Many plant foods contain calcium. Some especially good sources are dark, leafy greens (example kale and mustard, collard, and turnip greens), bok choy, broccoli, beans, tofu prepared with calcium, dried figs, sunflower seeds, and calcium fortified cereals and juices. Vegans may have lower calcium needs than non-vegetarians since diets that are lower in protein help the body retain more calcium. Until more is known about calcium requirements for vegans vegans should strive to meet the calcium requirements for the general public by regularly including plant sources of calcium.
Iron- Good plant food sources of iron include dried beans, dark green vegetables (for exam. Spinach and beet greens), dried fruits, prune juice, blackstrap molasses, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, soybean nuts, and iron fortified breads and cereals. Foods that are high in vitamin C (for exam. Citrus fruits and juices, broccoli, tomatoes and green pepper) help the body absorb iron from plant sources.
Vitamin B12- Vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria in the soil and in animals. It is found in animal foods so an adequate intake of vitamin B12 is not a concern for most vegetarians who consume dairy products or eggs. It is a concern for vegans, who should add vitamin B12 fortified breakfast cereals or a vitamin B12 (cobalamin) supplement to their diets.
Vitamin D- Few foods are naturally high in vitamin D. In the U.S. dairy products are fortified with vitamin D. The body can make its own Vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight. People who choose not consume dairy products and who do not receive direct exposure to sunlight on a regular basis may need to consider taken a vitamin d supplement containing no more than %100 of the daily value DV. Large doses can be dangerous and should be avoided. “
This is what I read when I first became vegetarian to give me an idea of how I could get the proper foods. Below is a website for a vegetarian food pyramid which I got from the internet which I keep on my fridge. This is a guide I use to help me with my daily eating. I tried to copy and paste it here but it would not.
website source: for the pyramid- http://www.poly.asu.edu/ecollege/nutrition/research/photos/vegetarian_pyramid.jpg
For sample menus and further information- http://www.poly.asu.edu/ecollege/nutrition/research/vegetarianism.html
Recently, I bought a book written by Registered dieticians about getting the proper amount of nutrients from plant foods. I would recommend this book and the title is “ Becoming Vegan, the complete guide to adopting a healthy plant based diet” by Brenda Davis RD and Vesanto Melina, MS, RD.
Other websites that may be helpful are: (Both vegan and vegetarian eating are mentioned)
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4777
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vegetarian-diet/HQ01596
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/governance_5105_ENU_HTML.htm
I hope this information will be helpful in showing you a vegan diet can be done. And as I said in the beginning the information presented here is not my own and you would need to consult the proper medical advice for your personal diet.
Thank you for reading my blog and come back soon.
Happy Vegan Cooking
Gnewvegan
When I first started doing this, personally I did not focus so much on exactly what I needed as far as amounts. I wanted to see what foods were out there to show me my options. If you go to my first post, “Welcome to my vegan journey”, you will read how I started. Reading information from PETA and taking that trip to the grocery store and whole food store. Learning about the various food substitutes and changing recipes. Before I was vegan I really just tried to eat right and get a balanced diet so at the end of the day I should have eaten what I was suppose to from the food groups. Of course, that did not always happen, but I tried. I was already taken a daily multi vitamin and calcium supplement so that I have continued. My first concern was the protein from the meat. So, I asked someone who had knowledge on nutrition if they had a handout I could read on vegetarian eating. That was during my initial transition when I started off as vegetarian. The handout was from the “American Dietetic Association”. Their website is www.eatright.org. An excerpt from the handout on protein and more is:
“Protein is found in most plant foods as well as in animal foods.Vegetarians do not need to combine specific foods within a meal as the old "complementary protein" theory advised. The body makes its own complete proteins if a variety of plant foods - fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, plants, nuts, and seeds, and enough calories are eaten during the day.
Calcium- Many plant foods contain calcium. Some especially good sources are dark, leafy greens (example kale and mustard, collard, and turnip greens), bok choy, broccoli, beans, tofu prepared with calcium, dried figs, sunflower seeds, and calcium fortified cereals and juices. Vegans may have lower calcium needs than non-vegetarians since diets that are lower in protein help the body retain more calcium. Until more is known about calcium requirements for vegans vegans should strive to meet the calcium requirements for the general public by regularly including plant sources of calcium.
Iron- Good plant food sources of iron include dried beans, dark green vegetables (for exam. Spinach and beet greens), dried fruits, prune juice, blackstrap molasses, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, soybean nuts, and iron fortified breads and cereals. Foods that are high in vitamin C (for exam. Citrus fruits and juices, broccoli, tomatoes and green pepper) help the body absorb iron from plant sources.
Vitamin B12- Vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria in the soil and in animals. It is found in animal foods so an adequate intake of vitamin B12 is not a concern for most vegetarians who consume dairy products or eggs. It is a concern for vegans, who should add vitamin B12 fortified breakfast cereals or a vitamin B12 (cobalamin) supplement to their diets.
Vitamin D- Few foods are naturally high in vitamin D. In the U.S. dairy products are fortified with vitamin D. The body can make its own Vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight. People who choose not consume dairy products and who do not receive direct exposure to sunlight on a regular basis may need to consider taken a vitamin d supplement containing no more than %100 of the daily value DV. Large doses can be dangerous and should be avoided. “
This is what I read when I first became vegetarian to give me an idea of how I could get the proper foods. Below is a website for a vegetarian food pyramid which I got from the internet which I keep on my fridge. This is a guide I use to help me with my daily eating. I tried to copy and paste it here but it would not.
website source: for the pyramid- http://www.poly.asu.edu/ecollege/nutrition/research/photos/vegetarian_pyramid.jpg
For sample menus and further information- http://www.poly.asu.edu/ecollege/nutrition/research/vegetarianism.html
Recently, I bought a book written by Registered dieticians about getting the proper amount of nutrients from plant foods. I would recommend this book and the title is “ Becoming Vegan, the complete guide to adopting a healthy plant based diet” by Brenda Davis RD and Vesanto Melina, MS, RD.
Other websites that may be helpful are: (Both vegan and vegetarian eating are mentioned)
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4777
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vegetarian-diet/HQ01596
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/governance_5105_ENU_HTML.htm
I hope this information will be helpful in showing you a vegan diet can be done. And as I said in the beginning the information presented here is not my own and you would need to consult the proper medical advice for your personal diet.
Thank you for reading my blog and come back soon.
Happy Vegan Cooking
Gnewvegan
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Vegan pumpkin pie and more
I found this recipe for pumpkin pie on the net. I have not made it yet but the reviews were good. With the holidays I know readers may be looking for holiday recipes so I wanted to share this one. I am also posting here a recipe for vegan chocolate chip muffins which also look good. If anyone tries these I always welcome comments.. The below comments are from the person who posted the recipe.
"We're talking the best pumpkin pie on the planet! Deprivation? No way! This is taste-bud celebration! Don't forget to slather on the Soyatoo Whipped Cream Topping, and for something really outrageous, serve pie warm with a scoop of Purely Decadent Dairy Free Purely Vanilla ice cream"
PUMPKIN PIE
1 1/2 cups soymilk (vanilla or plain)
4 Tbsp. cornstarch - or - arrowroot
1 1/2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin
1/2 cup raw sugar or other sweetener
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell or ready-made graham cracker crust
In a large bowl, whisk together soy milk and cornstarch or arrowroot until smooth, then blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into an unbaked 9-inch pie shell or ready-made graham cracker pie shell. Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 45 minutes. Cool before cutting.
Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients:
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2-3/4 tsp baking powder
2 TBS sugar (and more for topping)
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg's worth of Ener-G egg replacer, or other replacer
1-1/4 cups soymilk
4 TBS canola oil
1 12oz bag of Gharadelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips (or other vegan choc. chip)
smart balance or pam spray for the pan
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.2. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl.3. Add the oil, soymilk, and egg replacer to the flour mix and stir until fully moistened.4. Add the chocolate chips to the batter.5. Grease or spray the muffin tin, and fill the muffin tins 1/2 to 2/3 full.6. Top each muffin with sugar and bake for about 25 minutes.Check the muffins after 20 minutes. My oven runs high by about 20 degrees and I only had to cook them for 18 minutes. When inserted with a fork, the batter shouldn't leave marks but it should still be moist.
site source- http://aveganlife.blogspot.com/
Happy vegan Cooking
Please come visit my blog again
Gnewvegan
"We're talking the best pumpkin pie on the planet! Deprivation? No way! This is taste-bud celebration! Don't forget to slather on the Soyatoo Whipped Cream Topping, and for something really outrageous, serve pie warm with a scoop of Purely Decadent Dairy Free Purely Vanilla ice cream"
PUMPKIN PIE
1 1/2 cups soymilk (vanilla or plain)
4 Tbsp. cornstarch - or - arrowroot
1 1/2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin
1/2 cup raw sugar or other sweetener
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell or ready-made graham cracker crust
In a large bowl, whisk together soy milk and cornstarch or arrowroot until smooth, then blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into an unbaked 9-inch pie shell or ready-made graham cracker pie shell. Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 45 minutes. Cool before cutting.
Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients:
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2-3/4 tsp baking powder
2 TBS sugar (and more for topping)
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg's worth of Ener-G egg replacer, or other replacer
1-1/4 cups soymilk
4 TBS canola oil
1 12oz bag of Gharadelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips (or other vegan choc. chip)
smart balance or pam spray for the pan
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.2. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl.3. Add the oil, soymilk, and egg replacer to the flour mix and stir until fully moistened.4. Add the chocolate chips to the batter.5. Grease or spray the muffin tin, and fill the muffin tins 1/2 to 2/3 full.6. Top each muffin with sugar and bake for about 25 minutes.Check the muffins after 20 minutes. My oven runs high by about 20 degrees and I only had to cook them for 18 minutes. When inserted with a fork, the batter shouldn't leave marks but it should still be moist.
site source- http://aveganlife.blogspot.com/
Happy vegan Cooking
Please come visit my blog again
Gnewvegan
Monday, December 10, 2007
Polenta- My first taste
I have seen a few cooks on TV make recipes with Polenta but I did not think I would like it. Well, today I decided to give it a try and I am glad I did. I love to cook and I have ideas buzzing around my brain of things I can make already with polenta. I love when I try a new product that can be versatile. I tried polenta from a recipe in a book I have mentioned in my first post by Nava Atlas, "The Vegetarian 5 ingredient gourmet". This book is not vegan but as you will see in my blog, recipes can be made vegan. I would highly recommend her book for it has helped me into a new journey of eating. I also had my first taste of tofu with one of her recipes. Thanks Nava!!
Here is the recipe I made tonight from her book. I did not use the exact amounts she states because I did not want to make 3 to 4 servings. But it still came out great...
Polenta with sauteed Bell Peppers
3 to 4 servings
one 16 oz tube polenta
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 large onion, quartered and sliced
2 medium green or red bell peppers, or one of each, cut into narrow strips
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano or 1/4 tsp dried oregano, optional
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1- cut polenta into 12 equal slices, each about ½ inch thick. Heat one tablespoon of the oil on a nonstick griddle or wide skillet. Arrange the polenta slices on the griddle. Cook both sides over medium heat until golden and crisp at least 10 minutes per side.
2- Meanwhile heat the remaining one tablespoon oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until golden. Add the bell pepper strips and continue to saute, stirring frequently, until tender and just beginning to be touched with brown spots.
3- Stir in the optional oregano and season with a little salt and pepper. To serve, place 3 to 4 slices of polenta on each plate and spoon some of the pepper mixture over them.
If you have never tried polenta this recipe by Nava is a good start. It is very good and easy to follow. If you like polenta maybe you might want to give this one a try.
Thank you for coming to my blog.
Happy vegan cooking
Gnewvegan
Here is the recipe I made tonight from her book. I did not use the exact amounts she states because I did not want to make 3 to 4 servings. But it still came out great...
Polenta with sauteed Bell Peppers
3 to 4 servings
one 16 oz tube polenta
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 large onion, quartered and sliced
2 medium green or red bell peppers, or one of each, cut into narrow strips
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano or 1/4 tsp dried oregano, optional
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1- cut polenta into 12 equal slices, each about ½ inch thick. Heat one tablespoon of the oil on a nonstick griddle or wide skillet. Arrange the polenta slices on the griddle. Cook both sides over medium heat until golden and crisp at least 10 minutes per side.
2- Meanwhile heat the remaining one tablespoon oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until golden. Add the bell pepper strips and continue to saute, stirring frequently, until tender and just beginning to be touched with brown spots.
3- Stir in the optional oregano and season with a little salt and pepper. To serve, place 3 to 4 slices of polenta on each plate and spoon some of the pepper mixture over them.
If you have never tried polenta this recipe by Nava is a good start. It is very good and easy to follow. If you like polenta maybe you might want to give this one a try.
Thank you for coming to my blog.
Happy vegan cooking
Gnewvegan
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