Category Archives: Thoughts

Jun 18 2012
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Thoughts

Veganosity

It’s been almost 7 months since I started Turning Veganese, both in terms of starting the blog and starting a vegan diet. I won’t pretend that I’m vegan 100% of the time, but I have come a long way since this post. I’m still amazed that I’ve stuck with it and that I have no desire to eat meat. I walk into the cafeteria or a restaurant, and I remember how bacon and burgers and fried chicken taste… but I don’t miss it. I also know that they won’t taste the same anymore and that it will probably mess up my digestion.

I’ve said this before, but the best thing about switching to a vegan diet is the discovery and rediscovery of foods. Christie posted just a few days ago about rambutan, and I was thrilled when I walked into my parents’ house and saw rambutan and lychee on the counter.

Alright, I’m gonna say it because it’s never not funny and it’s best to get it out of the way: it looks like I’m cupping hairy balls. Now that I’m done being immature, let me just say that they were yummy! I’m still hoping to eat some fresher fruits next month when I’m in Florida, but these were great for having been bought in Chicago. Go to Argyle for these if you’re in Chicagoland.

Another great thing that’s been a recent development is that people have started to treat me like a serious and respectable vegan. People who used to say, “Come on, it’s just an egg, no big deal, just eat it!” will now say, “Um, excuse me, did you just say you’re craving BACON?! DON’T DO IT!!!” Others who said, “I don’t get why or how you’re vegan” now say, “I understand why you decided to go vegan but I don’t know if I can do it… can you help me?” In general, people have gone from labeling me as “weird” to saying they’re proud of me and actually asking me for advice.

I’ve learned so much about nutrition and health and cooking. I’ll probably say that every time I do a health and emotional check-in. Before going vegan, eating was to satisfy hunger or a craving. Now, it’s about making sure I’m getting all the nutrients I need, knowing what goes into my food, and learning, learning, learning. It’s made me into a smarter and happier person. Yes, really.

Thank YOU for reading the blog, whether you’ve been a reader since the beginning or just stumbled upon us recently. My only regret is that I haven’t been as interactive with all of you as I wish I could be. That said, I’m thrilled to be a part of this community. I can’t thank Christie and Brent enough for all the hard work they put in to the blog. I LOVE YOU GUYS. (Yes, these sappy posts will recur on a regular basis. I hope that’s OK.)

Now, please excuse me while I do some research for my next vegan recipe… stay tuned!!! –Melissa

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Jun 13 2012
14 Comments
Thoughts

Adventures in Fruit: Rambutan!

Rama-lama-ding-dong, you say? NO! Rambutan. Apparently it means “hairy” in Maylay and these babies are definitely hairy. They come in 2 colors that I’ve seen: red and yellow but only one flavor: DELICIOUS!

They taste like lychee except slightly more acidic. They’re delicious and a great source of niacin, manganese and vitamin C. I won’t be snubbing these hairy weirdoes.

 

This is Christie, signing off!

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Jun 07 2012
4 Comments
Thoughts

Milk : It does a body bad.

In a discussion with a fellow student at BJJ, they admitted that they knew that consuming meat was not in line with what they thought was right. They also stated that in addition to meat, they’d be fine saying goodbye to cheese. But what made me cock an eyebrow was when they said ‘But milk? There’s no way I could go without it.’

I would encourage them to try for a few reasons (read : I’ll try to keep this quick and non-preachy).

1) Milk comes from pregnant, nursing cows. Outside of the moral and ethical implications of this happening at large dairy farms, there are direct physical consequences. First, your getting hormones from a pregnant cow. That includes estrogen that would otherwise make you grow fabled soy-mewbs as some media outlets would lead you to believe. Also, the mother cow produces proteins that are there to encourage and strengthen a bond between it and its offspring (ie – introduce addiction). Humans and other breast/teat feeding species do the same, but by drinking cow milk you’re getting addicted to cow boobies. And you’re growing cow boobies. Weird.

2) Milk increases bone loss and osteoporosis and other bad juju. Calcium is awesome when it comes to making and strengthening bones. Acid is not good for your bones. Most milk products weigh in on the acidic side of the pH chart. Large quantities over a long period of time good bones does not make. At all. The science lies in how your body sacrifices minerals like calcium to help neutralize the acidity. More than bones, an acidic environment is a great place for skin problems, allergies and GI problems to root and thrive. A plant based diet, on the other hand, will help keep your body riding the alkaline wave your body craves.

3) Milk is mucous forming. Now, I like to hawk loogies and snore like a diesel engine as much as the next person, but excess mucous isn’t really my bag. For one, it can introduce respiratory issues. What’s more is it can affect sleep and increase ones susceptibility to seasonal allergies. The bottom line is that by eliminating dairy, you can breathe easier than if you eat a block of cheddar and chase it with a gallon of 2% before bed. Don’t do that, by the way.

There are scads of other reasons not to eat dairy. To me, hormones, acidity, and mucous clock in as top factors in deterring me from consuming dairy. I hope you learned something through this post, and if it’s all old hat to you, hopefully it will help aggregate conversation with someone you know who refuses to give up the moo juice.

Peace, my vegans.

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Jun 06 2012
3 Comments
Recipes, Thoughts

Candied Kumquats

I’ve had two experiences with kumquats. The first was in a French restaurant. The kumquats were on a stick and coated in syrup. They were a sweet delight and totally different from anything I had tasted before. Until I was told they were kumquats, I thought they were some sort of mini orange-cherry hybrid. My second experience was with a raw kumquat. Ew. I was disturbed. Let’s leave it at that.

I saw some kumquats at the store so I thought I would try them again. I didn’t try eating them raw. I decided to candy some of them.

Candied Kumquats
15 or so kumquats, quartered and pitted — I saw some recipes where the pits were left in, but the seeds are bitter so I would take them out
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar (I used turbinado)
vanilla bean or a splash of vanilla extract (optional)

 

In a small pot, bring the water and sugar to a boil, stirring so that the sugar melts. Add the kumquats and vanilla. Bring back to a boil and then let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Let it cool. Here’s the finished product:

I’m still not entirely sure what to do with this. I put some in chia seed pudding. It’s an acquired taste, but it was good. There are savory uses for candied kumquats as well. All I know is that I can’t eat them raw.

I don’t know why I’m so desperate to love kumquats, but I am. I need ideas! Share, share!! –Melissa

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May 30 2012
4 Comments
Main Dishes, Thoughts

Kadios and Langka!

Full disclosure: My dinner wasn’t totally vegan because it was cooked with pork, which I did not eat. I could not resist being a vegetarian for one meal because this is one of my favorite dishes that I don’t often get to have (maraming salamat to my Aunt who brought it over). I’m extra excited because it’s a dish that can easily be veganized simply by not cooking it with meat.

The beans are kadios or pigeon peas. The meaty-lookimg stuff is langka or jackfruit. For real! I’ve seen jackfruit used in many interesting ways in the vegan blogosphere. This jackfruit is unripe. You should be able to find it in an Asian grocery store labeled as “young green jackfruit.” It’s hearty, picks up flavors nicely, and has a good texture to it. (In case you’re wondering, the green stuff is bok choy. My mom added it so there was more non-meaty stuff.)

What’s great about this dish is that the meat is almost an accessory. This is in comparison to other Filipino dishes where meat takes center stage and the veggies are for decoration. The flavor and color comes in large part from the kadios, which is the real star of the dish.

For dessert, I had ripe jackfruit, which was bought frozen:

This is a definite notch above the canned ripe jackfruit that I’m used to. Hmm… if only I could travel to a place where I can get fresh jackfruit… I will say that jackfruit is not for everyone. When I was little, the smell was a turnoff. It still is a bit of a turnoff, but the taste of the fruit more than makes up for it. Take this with a grain of salt; no one else I know has an issue with how jackfruit smells.

In other news, I just took some vegan spinach artichoke dip out of the oven. I followed Christie’s recipe. Yay! Time to nosh! –Melissa

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May 25 2012
5 Comments
Cooking, Main Dishes, Thoughts

WTFennel!?

Fennel is something I periodically see at my farmer’s market and when I made daikon a week or so ago, I mused about adding the anise flavors in fennel to the turmeric and paprika infused radish. Well, I went and did it.

We separated the bulbs, stems and leaves. I froze the leaves for later and put the stems and bulbs into a bamboo steamer.

I cooked my daikon as before, adding a few chopped leaves to  the reduction I made while deglazing the pan with a crisp pinot gris diluted.with water. This works without the wine too but I dig wine. I poured it over the fennel before serving it.

We also steamed some rutabaga. When it was soft we mashed it and mixed in some Daiya and Earth Balance buttery spread. I would do it again, It was a weird alternative to mashed potato. I like weird, especially when it involves buttery dairy-free cheese. Next time that I mash rutabaga I plan to make 2 changes: substitute nutmeg for Daiya and use a food processor instead of my favorite mashing man for a more even texture. They’re kind of fibrous.

This was definitely an experiment. Overall I was pleased with how it worked out, especially using so many ingredients that aren’t common in my kitchen.

This is Christie and Brent, signing off!

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May 24 2012
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Reviews, Thoughts

The Cheese Post 3.0

We’re back reviewing more vegan cheeses because even when the ‘cheese’ is gross… at least it’s entertaining. I love cheese and it’s something I really miss as a vegan. Fortunately, some clever folks have acknowledged and filled this niche market. If you’re looking for reviews of  cream cheese or other traditional cheese substitutes we’ve got those covered. Bacon is NOT an Herb also has a comprehensive review of some vegan cheeses. Now on to the new reviews.

Daiya Daiya started making “wedges” as an alternative to their indispensable shreds. We tried the cheddar, jack and havarti with jalapeño and garlic. We tried the jack first. It blew both of our minds the minute we put it in our mouths. It’s cheese! It tastes just like mid-priced jack cheese. It melts into a molten cheesy liquid that would be better as a dip, not so great for grilled cheese (try Follow Your Heart mozzarella instead for sandwiches: it’s usually cheaper and lower calorie) but their shredded Daiya is an excellent stand in for cheese that needs to be stretchier instead of melty.

We put the havarti with jalapeño and garlic into the microwave and used it as a dip for corn chips. It was creamy, cheesy, spicy and gone in just a few minutes. Side note: the packaging doesn’t say “not microwave safe” or “do not microwave this container” but we can assure you, it should. The cheddar rose to the Daiya standard and was distinctly cheddar and delicious. We ended up mixing it with salsa and microwaving it for queso dip. It’s dairy-, gluten-, soy-, and nut- free, except for coconut. The ingredients were processed and it has about the same nutritional profile as regular dairy cheese in terms of fat but without the cholesterol. I wouldn’t say it’s particularly good for you but it’s an excellent comfort food and doesn’t give me pimples like dairy does. They were $6 for just over 7 ounces, possibly less at your local market. I think it’s a good value.

Nacho Mom’s Vegan Queso This brand comes in 3 flavors, one of which contains gluten. We tried their spicy gluten-free flavor, “Voodoo”. It wasn’t particularly spicy and wasn’t so much queso as bean dip. Based on the ingredients, nutrients, low calorie count, price and that it was delicious enough to convince two omnivores, we’d definitely buy it again and recommend it again. Their line is soy- egg- nut- and dairy-free and all but one flavor are gluten-free.  It costs $5.50 for 15 ounces.

Punk Rawk Labs We tried their cashew line because the macadamia nut and cashew/mac lines were more expensive and we needed some convincing. We were VERY convinced by the cashew varieties. The smoked cashew was lightly smoked and very creamy and cheesy. The “plain” is anything but plain. The herb was lightly coated with herbs and delicious. Any of these would make an excellent substitute for goat cheese. They didn’t include any nutrition information on the packaging which made me sad but the ingredients themselves were all minimally processed and inoffensive. It reminds me of Dr. Cow for the great raw ingredients and excellent presentation. Being convinced we went ahead and bought the macadamia nut cheese and the blend of cashew and macadamia nut cheese.

We agreed that we really wanted to like the macadamia nut versions but it wasn’t quite our thing. It had a distinct smell that was cheesy and the texture was lovely and te flavor was subtle and mellow. I think having both at your cocktail party would offer a good variety for all sorts of people, but are favorites are definitely the cashew line.  That being said, the cashew nut varieties are a better value than Dr. Cow. Sadly, some cannot enjoy these cheeses because they’re made of nuts. It was $10 for 6 ounces. I don’t think anyone who didn’t know more jiu jitsu than me could keep me from buying this again. I WILL EAT YOUR [cashew nut] CHEESE, PUNK RAWK LABS!!! *ahem* Moving right along…

VegCuisine I tried the Mediterranean Herb Feta and Blue Cheese alternatives and wasn’t impressed. The herb feta was definitely herb but not feta. The blue was also bland. The flavor reminded me more of halloumi than their namesakes. The texture was crumbly bordering on a rubbery feel in my mouth, also reminiscent of halloumi. They were decent additions to salad in terms of adding some texture, nutrition and a vehicle for the salad dressing. I did like most of the ingredients and calorie contents (about half that of traditional cheeses). It cost $4.50 for 6 ounces. I might buy it again for the value, mild flavor and the low calorie count.

We Can’t Say It’s Cheese Wayfare foods makes cheese spreads in 4 flavors. We tried cheddar, Mexi-cheddar and hickory-smoked cheddar. Their hickory-smoked cheddar was distinctly hickory-smoked with a mellow cheesy flavor. The Mexi-cheddar and cheddar were also mild and cheesy but didn’t taste particularly different from one another. We did some damage control and came out with something that was both cheesy and spicy. They don’t need hot sauce to be tasty but we’re all about melt-your-face-off spicy food. It’s 50 calories per 2 tablespoons and the ingredients are fairly processed but they’re soy-, gluten- and nut-free. It cost us $5 for 8 ounces. I would buy it again: it’s low calorie, the flavors are good, it’s a good value for what you get and it’s got some reasonable nutrition to offer like [among other things] calcium and iron. I might even use it instead of cream cheese on toast or in nori rolls!

So this is where the Cheese Post 3.0 has led me: Diaya makes indispensable shredded cheeses and delicious wedges that aren’t particularly good for you but will fill that void for comfort food that dairy cheese used to fill when snacking. I would buy Daiya wedges for occasional snacking and their shreds for pizzas, quesadillas and burritos. Punk Rawk Labs and Dr. Cow make delicious cheeses that are good for you. I would buy it as an appetizer for a nice dinner with guests. Follow Your Heart and Teese make mozzarellas that are fabulous for baking and grilled cheese, are cheaper and lower calorie than some of the competition. Wayfare Foods and Nacho Mom’s make great low calorie dips and spreads. Tofutti cream cheese wins for health and value in the cream cheese department. Eat in the Raw makes a great parmesan style topping for pastas, pizzas, vegetables or whatever you’d normally sprinkle a little parmesan on except that this is a healthful alternative to dairy parmesan.

This concludes this installment of the Cheese Posts. We hope you find the good stuff!

This is Brent and Christie, signing off!

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May 21 2012
5 Comments
Desserts, Snacks, Thoughts

Mango Madness and a Milestone!

Guess what?! Today is the six month anniversary of Turning Veganese! Wooot!!!! It’s been six months since I decided to go vegan. I can’t believe it. I never dreamed that the blog would become what it is. I had no idea how much I would learn about cooking, food and myself. I can’t believe that it’s only been six months! I’m so thrilled and… goodness, I wish I had planned better for this day because I have so much to say but no idea how to say it.

So, I’ll say this: I am so grateful. Grateful that I can share this with Christie and Brent. Grateful for how rewarding going vegan has been for me personally. And I am especially grateful for you. Yes, YOU! Our lovely and loyal readers. All of your support, comments, knowledge sharing and humor has meant a lot to me. I think I speak for Christie and Brent when I say that we are happy to have met you and to have joined your community.

Lest I embarrass myself, let me get back to business. It is our anniversary week, but I feel like we should declare this week MANGO WEEK on Turning Veganese.

Noooo, not THAT Mango. The fruit!

Oh hello, delicious goodness! This concoction was fresh and easy. I took a manila mango and made three big slices, cutting as close to the pit as I could. I took the two “ends” and used a melon baller to scoop out the meat. Why? Because balls are pretty. Heh. Balls. Ahem. Next, I cut up some strawberries and threw it in the mix. I still had some mint, so I topped it with some mint. Finally, I spotted some crystallized ginger, so I finished it off with some ginger bits.

It’s funny… I used to hate mangoes as a kid. I think it’s because my first memory of mango was in dried form. We use both ripe and unripe mangoes in my household. The unripe ones are eaten in a savory style and can be quite tart — another turnoff for a little kid.

It’s a small victory for me whenever I have fruit because I used to be very fruit deficient. I kept a food diary a few years ago and went over a month without eating fruit. Unbelievable!

Okay, I’m back to being really excited about this being our six month anniversary. Yay! I hope you will all do a celebratory dance for us!! –Melissa

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May 17 2012
8 Comments
Reviews, Thoughts

The Cheese Post 2.0

CREAM CHEESE CHALLENGE!
This edition of the Cheese Post focuses on the breakfast favorite: cream cheese. I’m reviewing 4 different varieties of cream cheese and hope it informs your decisions. We have reviewed other vegan cheeses in the Cheese Post 1.1 and hope you’ll give it a look.

Follow Your Heart This cream cheese mostly had processed ingredients and about 90 calories per 2 tablespoon serving. This variety is reminiscent of just about everything else Follow Your Heart makes. That’s a good thing. This is definitely a the most accurate representation of cream cheese flavor and has a great spreadable texture. It was $4.50 for 8 ounces. I think this one is the most convincing for serving to omnivores, but I wouldn’t buy it for myself.

Galaxy Vegan cream cheese from Galaxy had 90 calories for every 2 tablespoons you put on your plate. It tasted more like unsalted butter than cream cheese. It has a little protein and some calcium but not enough to make it worth the effort or money. The texture is okay but the flavor bordered on off putting. If I wanted butter, I would buy Earth Balance. It was just over $4 for 8 ounces. I don’t think I’ll be buying it again.

Sheese This particular cream cheese had a very strong soy flavor. The ingredients were similar to the other varieties of cheese made by Sheese. It was 80 calories for 2 tablespoons and cost $6.50 for 9 ounces, making it the most expensive variety we tried and also the most difficult to find. Don’t worry, I don’t think you’re missing out.

Tofutti This particular cream cheese, “Better than Cream Cheese”, is milder in flavor than some of the others but definitely tastes like cream cheese. It’s got a good texture. The ingredients are okay; most are processed and have almost no nutritional value. It’s 60 calories per serving (2 tablespoons). It cost just under $4 for 8 ounces. This one is definitely mine and Brent’s favorite.

None of the cream cheeses offered much in terms of protein, vitamins or minerals. We liked Tofutti because it was lower in calories than the others, was a decent representation of the traditional spread and is the cheapest.

This wraps up the second edition of vegan cheese reviews. Good luck finding your favorites!

This is Christie and Brent, signing off!

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May 10 2012
6 Comments
Thoughts

Cute Baby Animals and Cognitive Dissonance

I don’t think either of us really knows where to start with this particular post but it happens enough that we wanted to write about it and here’s my take on the issue. The scenario goes like this: Brent posts a picture of me petting a cute animal on FaceBook and moments later an assortment of people make remarks about how delicious the animal looks, how they would prepare it, or compliment the presentation of the “dish”. Some of them delete their comments, others apologize, some do neither and there’s often a lot of backpedaling [and desperate grab-backs, and then more backpedaling, but I digress]. It wouldn’t be an issue except that this kind of trolling never happened before I came out as a vegan.

I’m aware that people eat animals and their reproductive secretions. I used to myself. Still, I realize there’s something different in how people regard me because I’m openly vegan. I choose to refuse animal products and claims of “it’s really good” or “you have to have some” or “it’s all natural” aren’t enough to convince me otherwise. What I mean to say is that I realize my choice makes some people uncomfortable and they are merely trying to return the favor. The trolling in question is a symptom of congnitive dissonance: when one simultaneously holds two beliefs that conflict with one another. I make this judgement because this trolling behavior is especially common from those who publicly pat themselves on the back for pampering beloved family pets and those who trumpet about how their beef is free range and grass fed… as if that makes slitting the throat of a living creature without anesthetic and scalding it to get the fur or feathers off while it bleeds to death somehow less injurious to the animal.

I suppose I should take triumph in knowing that the seed is planted. I shamefully remember the time a good friend asked me why I was vegetarian and not vegan and the excuses that I babbled. Pardon my language; in retrospect I sounded like an asshole. Looking back, I am much more aware of the hypocrisy of calling myself an animal lover and participating personally in the slaughter of sheep and chickens on the family farm and outsourcing most of my slaughter to 9 conglomerate slaughterhouses that process most of the meat in the United States. Killing something and tacitly condoning it’s suffering is not commensurate with loving it unless perhaps you’re psychotic. The cognitive dissonance will rattle in each of their brains and maybe resolve and maybe not… but the seed has been planted.

This is Christie, signing off.

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