Tag Archives: soy-free

Apr 02 2013
2 Comments
Desserts, Lazy Vegan, Main Dishes

Breakfast Wrap

This particular item more resembles dessert than breakfast but the nutritional profile doesn’t disappoint. All I did was take a flax gluten-free tortilla and topped it with the following

1 tbsp chocolate peanut butter (I used Peanut Butter and Co. but really any vegan nut butter will do)

2 tbsp dried blueberries (dried cranberries or raisins would work well too)

1/2  banana, sliced

1/4 apple, sliced

1/4 cup granola (I used Cascadian Farms)

I microwaved it for 20 seconds so it would soften and then ate it… It kept me full until lunch time. The crisp acidic apple and the soft sweet banana were perfectly balanced with the chewy blueberries and nutty chocolate crunch of the granola and peanut butter. Next time I might add some slivered almonds.

This is Christie, signing off!

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Mar 26 2013
3 Comments
Reviews

“Shrimp” Jambalaya

This was one of those nights when we wanted something fun, but didn’t want to work too hard for it.
IMG_2487
This Vigo Jambalaya rice mix was an easy base for our next ingredient. Brent made that while I prepared the rest. I diced an onion and sauteed it in Earth Balance buttery spread, chardonnay, flake red pepper and garlic.
IMG_2488
We’re using a different kind of vegan shrimp than our usual Ocean’s Best. Visually it was a decent substitute for shrimp.

This particular variety is soy and gluten free and has the texture of overcooked shrimp. I don’t mind that chewier texture, in most dishes I prefer it. It gave a good contrast to the tender rice and soft onion.

At this point I’m neutral to the two. Sophie’s has a slightly better nutritional profile because they’re made with konjac flour instead of potato starch like Ocean’s best. In the end, they’re both tasty, very processed, taste not unlike the real thing but won’t convince most picky carnists. I’d get them if you’re really missing shrimp. Real shrimp are harvested by ocean dredging which is the ecological equivalent of clear cutting a forest. These are better for your conscience.

If you get to try them, let me know what you think!

This is Christie, signing off!

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Mar 08 2013
1 Comment
Thoughts

Black Trumpet Mushrooms!

These babies are relatives of another subtler favorite, the chanterelle. They’re similar in shape but they’ve got a richer flavor and beautiful smoky color. These hail from the Pacific Northwest and I left the gathering to the professionals this time. Wild mushrooms are something you should only partake in if they’re gathered by someone who really knows what they’re doing.

IMG_2481

These were beautiful when sauteed with some vegan butter and garlic salt. In a wrap or over pasta they made a nice meaty addition to my dinner.

This is Christie, signing off!

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
Mar 01 2013
Leave a comment
Reviews

Beer Review : Hornsby’s Amber Draft Hard Cider

In today’s vlog, we try an easy to find cider by Hornsby’s. It’s not boring. And that’s good.

Thanks for dropping in, and peace out my vegans!

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
Feb 21 2013
Leave a comment
Reviews

Vegan Beer : Crispin Bare Naked Hard Cider

Here’s your lesson on yeast and fermentation as a bonus to this week’s cider review. Nice cider, Crispin!

Hope you enjoy it, and enjoy yourselves! Peace out, my vegans.

Tagged , , , , , ,
Feb 14 2013
Leave a comment
Reviews

Vegan Beer : Julian Hard Cider – Black and Blue

TV is back with a brand new addition. Something that’s been holding us tightly, just kidding it’s another cider review you can view nightly. This time it’s Julian Hard Cider’s Black and Blue. It’s delicious.

Happy VD Day, as my father would say. And as always… Peace out, my vegans.

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
Jan 31 2013
Leave a comment
Reviews

Vegan Beer : Redbridge

Ahoy, gang! This time, we’re trying a sorghum beer called Redbridge. It’s kind of… well. Meh.

Let us know what you think. And as always…
Peace out, my vegans.

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
Jan 22 2013
4 Comments
Main Dishes

Spinach Pesto!

Brent and I have been pretty lazy lately and that’s mostly burrito kick since we found gluten-free wraps made from teff. This wasn’t one of those nights.

IMG_2296

All you need is the following in your blender.

1 cube of veggie bouillon

juice from a lemon

1/4 cup of hemp hearts (pine nuts work too but hemp is cheaper and more sustainable)

5-6 cloves of garlic (more if you like it spicy)

1 large bunch of spinach (frozen is fine)

1 tsp flake red pepper

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 block of silken tofu (use a cup of dry cashews, soaked overnight if you’ve got a soy allergy)

IMG_2297

BLEND! We served ours with pasta that we tossed with chickpeas, sun dried tomato and porcini mushrooms.

IMG_2301

It was definitely a worth while experiment because it was tasty and loaded with nutrients.

IMG_2302

This is Brent and Christie, signing off!

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Jan 11 2013
3 Comments
Cooking

Stock!

This post is about making stock for soup, mashed potatoes, French Onion soup, gravy, risotto or whatever you would normally use soup stock for and it’s crazy simple. Even if you like to compost (or have bunnies to ‘process’ your leftover veggies) this is a great way to get more out of your veggies before you throw them in your bin. Get yourself a big old freezer safe storage container. Every time you peel the skins off onions or garlic, cut the ends of carrots or celery, stems from parsley and other herbs, stumps from mushrooms or broccoli… really anything. I add lemon peel from time to time for certain recipes like pho and orange peel for zesty soy curls. Dump it into the container (I like to use a freezer bag) and store in your freezer.

When your container is full of veggie scraps, dump the contents into a pan, cover with water and simmer for at least 2 hours. Strain the liquid into a container and freeze for whenever. Now the veggies are extra mushy for composting or your sink disposal.

The stock will have no added fat or sodium and full of flavor. I like to store the stock in zippered freezer baggies too. If the bag is full enough for about 1/2 inch thickness when lying on its side, then you’ll be able to thaw it quickly.

This is Christie, signing off.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Dec 04 2012
3 Comments
Lazy Vegan, Reviews

Lazy Vegans: TV Dinner 4

So we’ve been throwing ourselves on these TV dinners with reckless abandon. Well, not literally throwing ourselves since they’re in the freezer.

This one is another Indian delight: vegetable korma. This is something I’m used to from a favorite Indian restaurant. This version was much lighter than the restaurant styles I’m used to and I am a fan. The korma was lightly spicy and flavorful. The vegetables had a good texture. The rice was fluffy and the peas were firm. The daal was savory and smooth.

I’d do it again… if I’m feeling lazy.

This is Brent and Christie, signing off!

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
← Older posts
Newer posts →