Monthly Archives: January 2013

Pasta a la Fauxlognese

As a kid, spaghetti bolognese was a favorite. It’s a rich meaty sauce wth lots of tomato and onion served with whatever pasta you tend to fancy. In this case, we’re using shirataki noodles and no meat. Shirataki noodles are great for those who are concerned about gluten and calories. If you use regular noodles, your fauxlognese will be more attractive than ours but just as tasty. You’ll want the following

1 onion, diced

3.4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp oregano

1 16oz tin of diced tomato

1 cup of TVP (reconstituted with water) or soy crumbles (Marion tofu crumbles work well here), chopped mushrooms can be substituted for those sensitive to soy

1 cube of “beef bouillon”

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp cumin

salt and flake red pepper to taste

olive oil

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Add a dash of olive oil and the onion and garlic to your pan and saute until the onion starts to carmelize, stirring occasionally. Add the tofu crumbles or TVP and the dry spices.

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When everything is hot and fragrant, add the tomato. Mix it all up, stirring occasionally until hot and adjust the seasonings to your taste.

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Your sauce should look deceptively meaty. Top with some vegan parmesan, shredded basil or Daiya or just serve as is.

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This is a very kid friendly preparation of vegan fare, tasty and healthy to boot. I hope you get to try it!

This is Christie, signing off!

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Flu attacks!!!

Brent and I have been out with the flu for the past week. Just pat yourself on the back and know that vegans don’t contribute as much to genesis of new virulent flu strains because they don’t encourage animal husbandry. That’s important because “swine flu” and “bird flu” aren’t coincidental names for strains of influenza. Chickens and pigs are known hosts for flu virus and common mixing grounds for the virus when one [underpaid and marginalized] worker at a pig farm also moonlights at a chicken farm, particularly when the animals are kept in crowded unsanitary conditions. Avian flu vaccines, common on factory farms to protect inventory (as if animals are little more than a commodity), have also been cited as possible sources for novel virulent strains of flu.

Now, Brent and I will continue to lounge in our malaise of alternating night sweats and cold spells, hacking phlegm and sniffling (or more likely snorting), with our sore throats, prickly skin, headaches, gastrointestinal discomfort and my one clogged ear.

This is Christie and Brent… sniffling off.

Alexian Earthy Mushroom Vegan Pate

I was browsing Vegan Essentials and saw vegan pate by Alexian. I just had to try it, of course! Alexian makes a lot of traditional pate so they’re not a totally vegan company, but I have to give them props for making a vegan-friendly version of a product they are experts at.

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One look at the ingredients and most vegans will think that I thought: this would be easy to make at home. I chose the Earthy Mushroom flavor for my first taste. It is made up of tofu, veggie broth, onions, mushrooms, celery, garlic, potato starch, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, carrageenan, parsley, salt, tarragon, and pepper. A serving size is 2 oz (there are 2.5 servings per package) and has 25 calories and 2 grams of protein.

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I ate the pate with crackers and white wine. It’s a good product and looks impressive, but it was kind of bland. That said, I didn’t feel any need to embellish it with more spices or even hot sauce. I think once I got over the idea that it would taste like real pate instead of being a tofu-based pate-like product, I was much happier. I also want to point out that it has a really good texture and stayed “in shape” while being easily spreadable. It definitely makes a great appetizer or fancy hors d’oeuvre.

I’m looking forward to trying the other flavors of Alexian vegan pate. I’m also thinking about trying to make some of my own some time! –Melissa

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