Vegan Guinea Pig: Dairy Alternatives

Showing posts with label Dairy Alternatives. Show all posts

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Plum Genius!

As a vegan mom I get asked constantly if my daughter is vegan or if I'm raising her vegan. I always answer proudly yes! I know many vegan mom's get bombarded with the "so, is that healthy" question but thankfully, being a pediatric dietitian has it perks in that not too many people ask me silly questions when it comes to my child's health. Although I do get the occasional "where do she get her protein" or "how do you handle that at school" as if brown-bag lunches were just invented this decade. But I digress. The funny thing is that there are a plethora of vegan, ready to eat, quick on the go options for vegan kids. The grocery store is swimming with them.

One of my favorite vegan-friendly companies is Plum Organics. I've seen their products every where from Target and Kroger to the Piggly Wiggly (no lie). Here's a list of all of Plum Organics vegan offerings for little ones. We skipped the purees and never did the whole baby food thing but I can attest that their Little Cremes and Crunch O'Las are tasty for both kids and adults.

This Week's Rating

Scale of 1-4 Dancing Guinea Pigs 1 meaning it is destined for the compost bin and 4 meaning it is destined for greatness

Vegan Guinea Pig gives it 3.75 out of 4 Dancing Guinea Pigs

Lil' Guinea Pig gives it 3.5 out of 4 Dancing Guinea Pigs

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Superfood Smoothie Recipes

So you've read the review of Superfood Smoothies but you just aren't sure you're going to love it? Try these two sweet yet healthy treats and you'll be diving, mouth first, into this book!

Mint Chip

Tucked beneath a very convincing ice cream-like flavor, a wealth of beneficial spinach awaits you in

this smoothie. It’s so good it almost makes a person wonder why spinach isn’t used in all minty treats.

I love how the cacao nibs provide a bit of dark-chocolate crunch without being overpowering.

Makes 2 18 -ounce servings

2 cups frozen spinach

2 cups frozen bananas

1⁄4 cup raw cashews

3 tablespoons cacao nibs

2 tablespoons (packed) fresh mint leaves, minced

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups rice milk (original variety)

1⁄2 cup coconut water

sweetener, to taste (optional)

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Taste, and sweeten

as desired.

Superfood Boost:

Add 1/4 teaspoon chlorella (or to taste).

Maqui Banana

Experience the profound beauty of delicious simplicity.

Makes 2 14 -ounce servings

3 frozen bananas

2 ¼ cup coconut milk (boxedvariety)

1 tablespoon maqui berry powder

sweetener, to taste (optional)

Blend together all the ingredients until smooth. Taste, and sweeten

if desired.

Superfood Boost:

Add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Homemade Coconut Milk Yogurt

Making yogurt is a tradition in my family, but making dairy-free yogurt has been a trial and error process. My grandmother has dabbled in the kitchen making yogurt out of soymilk and occasionally mixing in a little almond milk (although I must warn you making homemade yogurt from commercial almond milk is quite literally impossible). For me, coconut milk yogurt is the holy grail of dairy-free yogurts. However, as I have previously blogged about, the price of commercially processed coconut yogurt is enough to make the best yogurt taste sour! Although, I love the store-bought stuff but I hate exposing my little one to all that added sugar in it as well (the typical store bought yogurt has about as much added sugar as 2 tablespoons of frosting).

My go-to recipe is a recipe I found over 4 years ago that I’ve been tweaking ever since and will likely continue to tweak as my yogurt making progresses. I have only ever used a "yogurt maker" that is a warming plate with a lid that is specifically designed to keep yogurt at the correct temperature for fermentation (I have the Euro Cuisine Digital Automatic Yogurt Maker YMX650 ). Therefore if you have any questions about making yogurt in a crockpot, dehydrator I’m not the best resource for a good response. But I’ll work hard to find good links to these methods and update this blog post accordingly.

The biggest downside to this recipe is that coconut milk does not naturally contain any calcium and I love having the addition of calcium in commercially prepared coconut yogurt. I’ve started to play around with adding calcium in the form of calcium to the yogurt. I’m starting small and I’ll gradually increase the amount as time goes on and see if it affects the consistency at all. So if calcium is a concern for you check back periodically to see how the recipe evolves. I’ll also keep you posted via facebook as I tweak the recipe.

Oh! Before I forget, as far as add-in's to the yogurt go, after it's all fermented and chilled I like to mix in fresh fruit, mango chutney is amazing in this yogurt, homemade pineapple jam, apricot preserves, the list goes on! You're only limited to your imagination! It also makes a great add-in to smoothies.

Three 14.5 ounce cans coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon non-dairy yogurt starter/probiotic (I use Custom Probiotics Formula 2 - the company can add in additional strains and customize the blend for you as well)
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 – 1 ½ tablespoons unflavored vegan gelatin

¾ teaspoon calcium citrate powder, divided

1) With boiling water, sterilize your yogurt containers, mixing spoons and other utensils.

Note: Depending on what type of dishwasher you have you might be able to forgo this step and sterilize in your dishwasher. Mine has a high-temperature wash setting as well as a sanitizing rinse setting. I use both of these settings in combination with a heated dry to sterilize my equipment. This takes more time and water but I like using this option on the weekends I can get everything sanitized while I’m eating breakfast then just reach in the dishwasher and grab the tools I need. This will keep bad bacteria from competing with the good yogurt bacteria

2) Pour coconut milk into a medium saucepan and bring to a low boil, you’re shooting for 180^oF so you’ll need to use a food grade thermometer to check the temperature and make sure it doesn’t go over 180^oF. Once milk has reached 180^oF remove it from the heat. And whisk in the gelatin and then agave nectar until thoroughly combined.

Note: You must use some type of sugar in order for your yogurt to culture properly. This is probably the #1 question I get. Without sugar the culture has nothing to eat and cannot grow. Non-nutritive sweeteners like xylitol and stevia will not culture your yogurt. Using granulated sugar or agave nectar is your best option. The bacteria will eat most of the sugar and very little will be present in your end product.

3) Find a cool spot in your kitchen and allow milk to cool to 95^oF, checking occasionally with a food grade thermometer (make sure you sterilize the thermometer after each check). This is a long process and can take up to an hour, sometimes longer so this might be a good time to pull up a little light reading or get some chores done around the house.

4) Once milk has cooled whisk culture into the milk and continue to whisk until thoroughly combined, at least 60-90 seconds.

5) Pour cultured milk into your yogurt maker jars. Cover and ferment at for 9-12 hours. The longer you ferment the yogurt the more the bacteria will consume the sugar within it therefore longer fermentation times yield a sourer yogurt.

6) Once yogurt has been fermented remove the jars from the yogurt maker and sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon of calcium citrate powder into each jar and stir to combine. Cover jars with lids and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, I prefer overnight and sometimes up to 24 hours. If you peak in on your yogurt and it appears to have separated now worries, just give it a quick stir and you’ll be back on track!

Monday, July 9, 2012

Put Your Top On! (Healthy Top)

Have you ever seen those ultra-expensive gourmet whipped creamed canisters that turns whipping cream into whipped cream with a touch of a button? I'm a bit obsessed with them but for over $100 I'm stuck making whipped cream the old fashioned way. Well not completely and totally the old fashioned way - I'm not about to sit over a chilled bowl with a whisk for 20 minutes but I will break out my kitchen aid mixer and a chilled bowl. For the longest time the only vegan option for homemade whipped cream was soy based but as of last year Mimic Creme came up with a soy-free, gluten-free almond and cashew based whipping cream called Healthy Top that I love!

Each 16 ounce container makes about 4 cups of whipped cream and the calorie count isn't horrific either. I used this yummy fluffy cream to make the Agave Whipped Cream in my Flax Seeds Waffles with Agave Cream recipe (pictured below) from Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food . I'm starting to see this stuff pop-up everywhere from health food stores to your run of the mill conventional grocery stores and, of course, you can always fine it online.

Friday, January 13, 2012

So Pricey Yet So Delicious Greek Style Coconut Milk Yogurt

A belated happy new year to all of my wonderful readers! I have had a fantastic hiatus from blogging taking care of my new baby girl and am finally getting a chance to return to both my blogs and share great recipes and reviews with you again.

First up is So Delicious brand Greek Style Coconut Milk Yogurt. If you've made it past the title of my review on So Delicious Coconut Milk traditional style yogurt then you know I love this stuff but, years later, I'm still debating if it's worth the pricetag and that's where I find myself with this new greek style yogurt. I've never had cow's milk greek yogurt (and never will) so I have nothing to compare this to as far as it's authenticity to being a true greek style yogurt. I can say that I have tried all the flavors that my Whole Foods had on the shelf and with every flavor I didn't so much as taste the fruit that was flavored them but a tartness that permeated through every spoonful. It wasn't an awful tartness, just a tartness. And the tartness didn't stop me from eating it. I'm just assuming that greek yogurts are more tart than traditional styles. What I love about this new greek style yogurt is that it is really high in fiber (8 grams), lower in sugar than the traditional style, and also has the good stuff like calcium, vitamin D, and B 12 without being high in fat.

Of course, at $2 a cup this won't be something I eat everyday, or even every month. I wish the price would come down on both lines of So Delicious coconut milk yogurt. I would eat this stuff everyday if it did. But $2 for 6 ounces of yogurt is just ridiculous. It cost me more to buy the 4 flavors of yogurt that were available at my Whole Foods than to eat a full meal at my favorite restaurant. That being said, if you happen to win the lotto in the next couple of weeks So Delicious Greek Style Coconut Milk Yogurt is a great investment, if not then I'd say give it a try if it's ever on sale or there's a coupon.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Quick & Easy Chik'n Quesadilla w/We Can't Say It's Cheese

A new vegan cheese has entered the market. But it’s not up to same old tricks. Wayfare Foods has created a new line of products called “We Can’t Say It’s Cheese” that is incredible. The entire product line is soy free, wheat free and of course dairy free but what makes it so unique is its ingredient list. The main ingredient in all four of “We Can’t Say It’s Cheese” flavors is Whole Grain Oatmeal! And it contains healthy oils like coconut, olive and safflower oil. Each serving is only 50 calories, has 4 grams of fat and no saturated fat. I am head over heels in love with this stuff. The kind folks at Wayfare were nice enough to send me over samples of all their flaors so as I work through Wayfare foods whole line of products I’ll post the recipes I come up with for each but here’s the first.

As you probably know by now when it comes to food I like it to be quick, easy, delicious and of course nutritious. For lunch today I had a Chik’n Quesadilla made with Gardein Chicken Scaloppini and We Can’t Say It’s Cheese Mexi Cheddar-Style Dip. There’s no concrete recipe here. Just follow these instructions and you’ll have lunch in less than 5 minutes:

What you’ll Need (to make 1):
1 breast Gardein Chicken Scaloppini (thaw in the microwave for 45 seconds and cut into thin strips)
Bell pepper, any color, sliced thin
Red onion, sliced thin
1 large flour tortilla
We Can’t Say It’s Cheese Mexi Cheddar-Style Dip
Canola Oil

In a large pan or griddle, sauté chicken scaloppini with bell pepper and onion for about 3 minutes. While that is cooking spread the Mexi Cheddar-Style Dip over the entirety of the flour tortilla. Add cooked ingredients to one side of the prepared tortilla. Fold over and cook on the griddle (or in the pan) until lightly browned on both sides. Cut in half and serve!

We can't say it's cheese is available at select store locations and online at http://www.veganessentials.com/

Monday, October 5, 2009

A Cheesy Vegan Mofo - Chick Cheeze Spread Recipe

Whew! Just making the midnight deadline on this Monday Mofo! I’m knee deep in a week full of tests, papers and quizzes so everything I put in my mouth for the next 7 days must take no more than 10 minutes to prepare unless I happen to have a little extra time on my hands then I can stretch it to 15.

A little more than 3 years into being vegan and the thought of the taste of cheese kinda makes my stomach turn. I’ll be doing a review of Daiya cheese later but that stuff is so much like real cheese I can barely stand it at times – mine actually turned to mold before I could finish a full pack of cheddar and Italian blend. But on to the subject at hand. A great hybrid of a cheeze spread that isn’t overpowering with the cheeze flavor and hummus. I’m in love with Jo Stepaniak’s The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook because I think it has perfect cheesy recipes that aren’t too cheesy for my current liking. This Chick Cheeze is an adaptation of her recipe. I added flax oil to give myself a quick and easy way to get some omega 3’s in without having to think about it. Enjoy!

2 cups cooked chickpeas
3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons light miso
¼ cup flax oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dry mustard

Combine all ingredients in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until smooth, stopping and scraping down the sides when necessary. Can be eaten immediately but is even better when it’s had a chance to chill for at least 8 hours.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Coconut Bliss - 7 Minutes in Ice Cream Heaven

It's official. Coconut is the new soy. Everywhere you turn there is some new hot coconut based product. Coconut ice cream, yogurt, milk and even coconut flour. Luna & Larry have thrown one more hat into the coconut crazy ring with the addition of their Coconut Bliss line of dairy free, soy free and sugar free ice creams. I must admit as I tried each one of their 8 flavors and slipped into a soft, happy, place somewhere between the feeling of a 2 hour massage and sleeping on a bed of soft feathers (faux feathers of course. Down is so not vegan!), I started to feel like I was cheating on Purely Decadent's Coconut Ice Cream. I started to wonder how I would explain myself to you guys. How I could go from loving Purely Decadent's Coconut Ice cream more than newborn puppies to being lost in a sea of love and emotion over Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss. But then it all came to me. You can love them both equally and feel unashamed.

Coconut Bliss and Purely Decadent Coconut Ice Cream have 4 flavors in common: coconut, vanilla, chocolate and mint chocolate. But they also each have 4 unique flavors as well. So you can try Coconut Bliss' Cappuccino, Cherry Amaretto, Strawberry Lemon Love, or Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge while still being able to enjoy Purely Decadent's Cookie Dough, Mocha Almond Fudge, Passionate Mango and Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl (I've also seen a snickerdoodle flavor out there once but only at Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe).

So you see, there's enough coconut ice cream love to spread around between both brands. And this summer my freezer will be well stocked with a little of both. Ice Cream party anyone?!

Update: June/July 2009 Coconut Bliss is adding 3 new flavors to their arsenal. Chocoalte Peanut Butter, Naked Almond Fudge and Pineapple Coconut. I can't wait!!!!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Soy Free & Gluten Free Vegan Mac & Cheese

For over a year now people have been raving over Allison Rivers Samson’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese recipe featured in VegNews magazine and now featured on VegNews website. It has been hailed by VegNews as the best mac ‘n’ cheese on the planet, and while I wouldn’t go that far I have to say that it is one amazing vegan mac & cheese recipe and one that I come back to time and time again.

What most people don’t know is that the recipe is actually an adaption of the Unprocessed Cheez Sauce in the Ultimate UnCheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak which I used as a template for the mac and cheeze recipe in my upcoming book Vegan Comfort Food. So hats off to Jo for inspiring so many great mac and cheese recipes!

Although I really enjoy Samson’s recipe I still wanted something a bit more creamier and to be soy free and gluten free. I also wanted to take down the number of ingredients and steps that Samson used in the original recipe to make it an even more user friendly recipe. So here’s my twist on this now famous vegan mac & cheese recipe.

8 ounces brown rice macaroni or spirals
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup peeled Yukon gold potatoes, chopped
¼ cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup white or yellow onion, chopped
1 cup water
1/3 cup raw cashews
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
1 clove garlic, chopped
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon breadcrumbs, optional

Prepare brown rice pasta according to package directions (minus one minute of cooking time). Drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking combine potatoes, carrots, onion and water in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. The smaller you cut the vegetables to less time it will take to cook them.

In a blender add cashews, garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, cayenne pepper and cooked vegetables with their water. Process until completely smooth.

In a large bowl toss cooked pasta with blended cheese sauce until completely coated. Spread mixture into a lightly oiled 8x8 inch casserole dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs if using. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese sauce is bubbling.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Almond-Licious Ice Supreme Raw Ice Cream

The world of vegan ice cream has come a long way in the past 5 years or so. There’s an ice cream for every taste, allergy/sensitivity, or nutrition concern. Rice -based ice cream, soy-based ice cream and frozen yogurt and even coconut-based ice cream. But there is a new kid on the block and its Raw Ice cream also know as Almond-Licious Ice Supreme.

What sets Ice Supreme apart from all the other vegan ice creams out there? It’s raw, soy free, rice free, gluten free, free of refined sugars, has a low glycemic index, is trans-fat free and has zero preservatives. The ingredients list showcases its pure and simple ingredients: water, almonds, cashews, raw agave nectar, raw vanilla bean and Himalayan salt. With just this handful of simple ingredients the makers of Ice Supreme were able to make a rich, smooth, creamy and decadent ice cream in strawberry, chocolate, vanilla and pecan (which taste just like butter pecan). Out of their four staple flavors the strawberry and pecan are my absolute favorites! I haven’t had anything that even taste close to butter pecan ice cream in over 4 years and to my knowledge Ice Supreme is the only vegan ice cream brand to make this flavor. In addition to their staple flavors Ice Supreme also has seasonal rotating flavors that are available on their website.

Currently Ice Supreme is available at Whole Foods, various co-ops and health food stores throughout the Atlanta Area as well as Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. But no worries, if you don’t live in any of these areas you can have Ice Supreme delivered right to your door! Check their website for more details.

While Ice Supreme is one of the best ice creams I have ever had it does have one Achilles heel and that is the price. In retail stores it averages about $7.50 a pint and for online orders it is nearly $10 a pint. However, because of the low glycemic index and use of ingredients like almonds and cashews, having only about ¼ cup of Ice Supreme is more than enough to satisfy any sweet tooth without leaving you feeling like you need to eat the entire pint in one sitting (which is also great for your waistline). Despite the price I highly recommend trying this amazing product. No freezer should be without at least 1 pint of Ice Supreme.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Vegan White Chocolate Chips By Oppenheimer

Oh how I love love love white chocolate! However, for the last 3 years I have been without this luscious treat. White chocolate is just one of those treats that I had to part with forever when going vegan, I accepted it and moved on. But it looks like I moved on too soon and thanks to Oppenheimer white chocolate has come back into my life.

The taste, the texture, the sweetness, the creaminess it is all there. Oppenheimer’s vegan white chocolate chips taste even better than I remember white chocolate to be. At first I was afraid to try the chips alone so I whipped up some white chocolate macadamia nuts cookies (pictured below). Heaven! Pure bliss! I was on cloud nine. I decided to try a couple chips alone and well, by now you can guess my reaction. This is the best $3.99 I have spent this month thus far. I’m not a huge sweets person but I will be keeping a bag of these delicious vegan treats on hand as a permanent part of my vegan pantry.

To get your own bag head over to Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe

Friday, November 28, 2008

Not-So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt

I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that Turtle Mountains So Delicious Ice Cream made with coconut milk is just as the name states "purely decadent". The bad news is this same great taste does not translate into their coconut milk yogurt.

The blueberry and raspberry flavors were good but not great, certainly not worth the $1.99 spent on each of them. In general they were way too sweet and had a bit of an after taste that sticks with you until your brush your teeth. The vanilla was completely inedible. The slight aftertaste of the blueberry and raspberry flavors was the entire taste of the vanilla flavor. Everything was wrong with it. Too sweet and yet tart at the same time. I was starving so I tried to finish it but I just couldn't bring myself to do it, instead I just brushed my teeth to get the taste out of my mouth and left the house hungry.

If you feel like shelling out $1.99 for yogurt that is just ok then I would recommend the blueberry and raspberry flavors. Steer clear of vanilla. But honestly, that money can be better spent elsewhere.

Update: It's very rare that I reject a comment on this blog but I have to say for this particular review I've had to reject at least 4 from people with some really mean-spirited comments regarding my review. And trust me using the term "mean spirited" is an extremely watered down version of what has been written - all this over a little coconut yogurt review. I wanted to take this time to clarify my review, especially for those who just read the title but not the entire review. I really liked the blueberry and raspberry flavor (hated the vanilla). But overall I don't recommend this yogurt not based on the taste but on the cost. I had a little extra food income this month so I splurged and bought some blueberry, passionate mango and strawberry banana flavored coconut yogurt. At Whole Foods it was about $1.89 and at Publix/Krogers it was $2.59! And that's just for one little cup of yogurt! Frankly, that's absolutely ridiculous.

What makes the whole situation even worse is that I'm now head over heels in love with the strawberry banana flavor and in a semi-like with passionate mango. I wake up in the morning wanting a cup but who can afford $2.59 each morning for just yogurt? I've also heard rumors that there's a pina colada flavor out there that I would love to try. Really the only flavor that I don't like is vanilla. As you read above. It makes my tastebuds revolt against me.

So hopefully this has cleared up my position on coconut yogurt and the hate mail can stop now.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Purely Decadent Ice Cream (made with Coconut Milk)

I’m the kind of girl who likes a good cup of hot tea in the summer and ice cream in the fall & winter. What can I say, I’m weird that way. The folks over at Turtle Mountain (the makers of Purely Decadent Coconut Ice Cream) must have felt my autumn cravings emerging and in turn created a new line of vegan ice creams made out of my latest obsession coconut.

Growing up I hated coconut with an unnatural fervor. However, when I became vegan my taste changed and all of a sudden me and coconut’s were BFF’s. I started experimenting with everything I could get my hands on from Thai curries and soups to raw coconut ice cream. Although I love the taste of raw homemade ice cream it does require that you crack open 2-3 Thai coconuts. After doing this about 4 or 5 times I realized that I had wasted at least an hour of my youth cracking open coconuts. Even though the rewards were great it ultimately wasn’t worth it.

Purely Decadent’s Coconut Ice Creams, although not raw, are a dream come true! When I saw them in my grocers freezer I immediately wanted to try every flavor but opted for trying their Vanilla Bean (because if you can’t make a good tasting vanilla then what’s the point?!) & Cookie Dough. The vanilla bean was perfect. I mean perfect. There was a light hint of coconut taste but otherwise it tasted like a traditional vanilla bean ice cream. This says a lot considering that I don’t like the soy based Purely Decadent Purely Vanilla. With a couple spoon full’s of vanilla bean settling down happily in my stomach I moved on to the Cookie Dough. After the first taste it was like finding your one true love. Fireworks went off, a gospel choir appeared in my living room and began singing “O Happy Day” and I swear the pups started doing the electric slide. Did I mention that I liked it?

Aside from the amazing flavor this new line of ice cream offers it also has a huge plus for those who suffer from allergies. The chocolate, coconut and vanilla bean flavors are all soy free and the cookie dough is gluten free. As an added plus, all flavors are made with agave nectar which has a low glycemic index.

In Atlanta, this frozen treat runs about $4.99 for a pint. If you’re on a budget, like most of us are, the Turtle Mountain website does offer coupons so check it out at http://www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com/index.html.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Vegan Mac & Cheese Two-Ways

When it comes to vegan mac and cheese everyone is a critic! As a new vegan you’ll probably see a vegan mac and cheese recipe in every cookbook and on almost every blog – and this blog will be no exception!

Because of the diversity of recipes I typically never make the same mac and cheese recipe twice (I am a guinea pig after all!) So far I have two favorites: The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook’s Mac & “Cheese” Casserole and Vegan Dad’s Mac and Cheeze. If you like baked mac and cheese I would recommend you try New Farm’s version first and if you like your mac and cheese on the stove top then I would go with Vegan Dad’s version first. No matter which recipe you try first you should definitely try both.

Out of the two recipes the “cheese” sauce I love the most is my adaptation of Vegan Dad’s. It goes perfectly on cheese fries, nachos (just add a little cayenne and chili powder), over veggies or you can take down the amount of dry pasta you use by 1 ½ cups and add broccoli, peas, chickpeas and other veggies to make a filling casserole.

Another important thing to note about vegan mac and cheese is it never tastes anything like mac and cheese made with cow’s milk (unless you are using store-bought vegan cheeses like sheese, cheezly or follow your heart). But the best part is that it tastes 1000 times better. I’ve made various versions of vegan mac and cheese for my omnivore friends and relatives and they all loved every version. But I do always serve it to my omnivore friends with the preface that it will not taste like cow’s cheese.

I never make the same recipe twice but I also never follow the recipe to the letter when making a mac and cheese recipe. So below are my versions of both of these recipes:

Mac & Cheese Casserole Adapted from The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook by L. Hagler & D. Bates

3 ½ cups dry macaroni, cook according to package directions
½ cup Earth Balance Margarine
½ cup flour
3 ½ cups hot water
2 tablespoon Bragg's liquid aminos
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
¼ cup canola oil (optional)
1 cup nutritional yeast
paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a saucepan, melt margarine over low heat. Whisk in flour and continue to stir over medium heat until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Whisk in boiling water, Bragg's, garlic powder and turmeric.

Cook the sauce until it thicken and bubbles. Stir in oil (optional) and nutritional yeast until completely incorporated.

Add cooked pasta to sauce, transfer to a casserole dish, sprinkle with paprika and bake for 15 minutes. Then put under broiler for a few minutes until the top is crisp (checking often).

Creamy Mac and Cheeze
Adapted from Vegan Dad (vegandad.blogspot.com)

½ cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons macadamia nuts (about 8 whole nuts)
2 ½ cup unsweetened soy milk, divided
2 tablespoon canola oil
½ cup nutritional yeast
1 cup firm silken tofu
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon turmeric
¾ teaspoon Hungarian paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons white miso
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon arrowroot

16 ounces brown rice macaroni or shells, cooked according to package directions

Place all ingredients (except 1/2 cup soymilk) in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Add remaining 1/2 cup of soymilk and blend until incorporated. Add sauce to a large dutch oven, over medium heat and cook until sauce begins to thicken (about 5 minutes). Add pasta and stir until pasta is completely coated.

At first it will seem like there is way too much sauce for the amount of pasta used but as pasta sits the sauce with absorb and take on a perfect texture.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

A Vegan’s Guide to the Universe – Part 2: Nutritional Yeast

Chances are before you became vegan you never heard the words “nutritional yeast” muttered a day in your life and now it seems to be in every vegan cookbook you look up! So what is this stuff and why are vegans so crazy for it?

Nutritional Yeast is an inactive dry yeast filled with a healthy dose of vitamins and protein. It is coveted for its “cheesy” taste and if you haven’t already noticed nearly all vegan mac and cheese recipes call for it in varying amounts. But it is more than just a cheese-tasting substitute it adds a rich flavor and a creamy texture to a range of dishes. It’s perfect on popcorn (and yes, I’ve snuck it into the movie theatre on more than one occasion). It’s great in soups, casseroles, gravies, salads, steamed veggies, etc. Damn near anything you eat goes great with nutritional yeast. As an added bonus it is loaded with vitamins, minerals and 8 grams of protein for every 1 ½ tablespoon serving.

Nutritional Yeast is available in the bulk section of most health food stores and co-ops and is fairly inexpensive. 1 pound will run you somewhere between $5.99-$7.99 in the bulk. Typically I get a couple cups at a time which runs me about $2 or less. One important thing to make sure of when getting your nutritional yeast in bulk is that it is the Red Star brand. Red Star brand has the highest vitamin and mineral content and, in my humble opinion, the best flavor. Here’s the macro and micro nutrient content of Red Star Nutritional Yeast:

1 ½ tablespoon servings contains:
60 calories
1 gram of fat (1% daily value)
5 mg of sodium (0% daily value)
7g carbohydrates (2% daily value)
4 grams fiber (16% daily value)
8 grams protein (17% daily value)

9.6 mg Thiamine/B1 (640% daily value)
56 mg Niacin (280% daily value)
240 mcg Folic Acid (60% daily value)
22.4 mcg Selenium (32% daily value)
0.77mg Iron (4% daily value)
9.6 mg Riboflavin/B2 (565% daily value)
9.6 mg Vitamin B6 (480% daily value)
8 mcg Vitamin B12 (133% daily value)
3.2 mg Zinc (21% daily value)

Other vitamins and minerals less than 20% daily value: biotin, pantothenic acid, magnesium, copper, manganese, calcium, potassium

We’ve establish that nutritional yeast, despite it’s funny name, taste great and is really good for you now here are a couple recipes to get you acquainted with the taste of nutritional yeast.

Mack the Spork's Cheeze Sauce (Check out what other PPKers like to do with Nutritional Yeast or "nooch" on the PPK Forums)

2 cups water

1 cup nooch

4 oz. jar pimentos, drained

1/4 cup raw cashews

2 Tb cornstarch

1 Tb lemon juice

1/2 Tb mellow white miso

1 Tb dijon mustard

1 & 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Blend everything in a blender/food processor until completely smooth. Pour into a saucepan and whisk over medium heat until thickened. Add a dash of black pepper, and taste for salt/lemon.

Notes from Mack the Spork: It’s my modification of the “Nacho cheeze sauce” from Jennifer McCann’s blog (of Vegan Lunchbox – recipes are at Shmooed Food) which I think in turn is based off of something else. It’s so easy and sooooooo good. And it doesn't have that "feet" smell that some nooch sauces have. My pantry is filled with jars of pimientos and cashews because I live in fear of not being able to make this on the spot. I actually made some last night with just 1c water so it would be thicker, and a little extra nooch and cornstarch. Added thawed chopped broccoli, and stuffed it into a basic dough for cheezy broccoli pockets. Leftovers for luuuuuuncchh, blarrrrgghhhhhharghargggh *Homer Simpson drool noise*

Spicy Popcorn (courtesy of redstaryeast.com)

4 cups Popcorn
1 to 2 tablespoon Olive or canola oil
¼ cup Red Star ® Vegetarian Support Formula™ nutritional yeast flakes
½ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Chili powder
1 teaspoon Dried oregano leaves

Place the popcorn in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the oil and tossed well.

Place the nutritional yeast flakes, salt, chili and oregano in a small container. Cover tightly and shake well.

Sprinkle the nutritional yeast mixture over the popcorn, and toss until evenly distributed.

Guinea Pig Note: As far as cheese sauces go every vegan has their favorite and you can rarely find more than a handful who will all rave about the same recipe. I've only run across a couple I don't like and about a dozen I'm in love with. Do a google search and you'll find dozens and dozens of different variations of vegan mac and cheese trial and error will be the only way to determine which one you love the most!

One More Guinea Pig Note: Although nutritional yeast is an amazing addition to any recipe I recommend finding places where you can use it without having to expose it to the heat of cooking (as this destroys some of the vitamin B complex content).

Friday, January 4, 2008

My Ricera Obsession

Back in my vegetarian days strawberry yogurt was a staple in my refrigerator. It was perfect for breakfast with a little granola or a great snack when I got home from work. However when I went vegan my favorite little snack was corrupted by well meaning soyogurt companies. You name it, I hate it. Picture a toddler spitting out everything you put in it's mouth or throwing it on the floor. That's me with soyogurt. Well...there is one exception I love love love Wildwood plain soyogurt in my smoothies, but that's another blog.

When I saw Ricera on the shelf I was, of course, skeptical. But, being the adventurous vegan I am, I bought the blueberry, strawberry and peach flavor to give it a whirl. HEAVEN. The second I tasted Ricera I was hooked! The best part is it helps me with my New Year's Resolution of cutting down the soy in my diet.

And what could be better than getting in more whole grains? Ricera has 1 1/2 servings of whole brown rice in each little cup. It also has 3 grams of protein and is certified organic. Right now it's only available at Whole Foods, local co-ops and natural food stores. Lately I've seen it on sale a lot and since it has such a long expiration date you can stock up for about a month if you catch it on sale. If your local co-op or natural health store doesn't carry this, you must demand they do. It will change you life...seriously. :)

***UPDATE***My Ricera Retraction:

Oh Ricera, Oh Ricera! How I loved thee! Rice based, soy and gluten free, full of whole grain goodness, what wasn't there to love about you? But as is the case with so many relationships, around the one year mark you made a change on me. You went missing from the shelves of my co-op and then from Whole Foods. I asked for you but no one knew where you were. Finally, while back home in California, I found you again. Hanging out at the local Whole Foods. I jumped for joy! My love was back! I scooped you up in my arms and carried you home. And then, the honeymoon was officially over. You changed in your absence. You were no longer that little piece of heaven that I remembered. You've turned into an overly sweet, runny mess. I guess it was inevitable. Not all relationships were meant to last forever. I just thought we had what it took to make it last forever.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Let's go milk an Oat!

When you first go vegan everything is soy. Soy milk, soy yogurt, soy ice cream, soy chicken, soy hot dogs, the list goes on forever. One day I looked up and I realized I was having something soy at nearly every meal. Variety is the spice of life and my diet definitely needed some spice.

Although I've found a ton of alternatives to soy out there I couldn't seem to find one that really worked well as a full time soy milk alternative. I tried almond milk which is WONDERFUL but it didn't have the protein content I was looking for. I tried hemp milk (and still keep my pantry stocked with it) but it's extremely high in sugar and the nutty flavor doesn't lend well to baking. Then Oat Milk went on sale at my co-op and I thought, why not?!

Who would've thunk it! Oat milk is amazing. Oats are actually a natural source of calcium and oat milk provides slightly more calcium than cow's milk without all the fat, cholesterol, puss and cruelty. The brand I've been using (Pacific Natural) has also been fortified with vitamin D and riboflavin. Oat milk works everywhere soy milk does including baking (which is where I usually use it). So take a pause from your soy or rice milk and try something new! It has protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin A, iron, vitamin D and a phenomenal taste.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

The Verdict On Cheezly

Let's just start with the bottom line. Cheezly is better than Sheese. If you're going to shell out over $7-8 for a faux cheese product I would choose Cheezly over Sheese hands down. Sheese has held the long time advantage of being available in more flavors in the U.S., but the fine folks over in Cheezlyland are starting to catch up. Currently Cheezly is available in mature white cheddar, mozzarella, garlic & herb, nacho and cheddar with faux bacon bits.

I taste tested Cheezly straight out of the package, in a loaded baked potato soup and in cheese enchiladas. By itself it was surprisingly good. The texture is perfect, it's not soggy or wet (like other meltable cheeses) and it is true to the flavor it represents. My omni friend even tried it more than once and he didn't go running for the hills so that's a good sign. In the other two recipes it was definitely good but, the flavor didn't really stand out. Frankly, this had more to do with the flavor of Cheezly I used (mature white cheddar) rather than the product itself. I really wish that the traditional cheddar flavors were available in the U.S. The white cheddar was delicious but it had a very subtle flavor that I wish was a bit more bold. But the white cheddar would go perfect for a panini or even mixed with other faux cheeses in a man & cheese dish or casserole. The mozzarella was dead on and perfect! I'm actually going to order some more and try my hand at making mozzarella sticks.

Not only are the flavors spot on but Cheezly melts like real cheese as well. If you've ever used Follow Your Heart brand melting cheese then I would use the same guidelines with Cheezly when baking - always bake at 450 degrees and give it a couple minutes under the broiler if it doesn't completely melt. In my loaded potato soup, it melted immediately but still left little pieces for me to get a burst of flavor as well, just like real cheese.

So if you're going to shell out $7-8 (plus shipping and handling) I would say go for Cheezly. If you're looking for a more bold cheddar flavor then you might want to stick to Sheese or even Follow Your Heart's cheddar flavor for now until Cheezly's version becomes available in the U.S. But if you know of anyone smuggling cheddar Cheezly across the pond let me know! :)

If you live in the Atlanta /Marietta area Cheezly is available at Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe and online at http://www.cosmosveganshoppe.com/ it is also available at Vegan Essentials.

Try cheezly with Vegan Calzone recipe or Garlic & Herb Twice Baked Potatoes.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

The Cheezly Has Landed....

Yep. I did it, I shelled out the $7.49 (temporary price) plus shipping and handling and bought two packs of Cheezly Vegan Cheese Alternative in the Mature White Cheddar Flavor. In all I spent $20.93 for two Cheezly's (I really just like saying the name). I'm leaving the country next week for a couple weeks so I'm not going to crack them open and give them a try just yet but, as soon as I get back I'm lining up a complex Cheezly obstacle course full of panini's, casseroles and pizzas to give you guys the full scoop.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Shells & Chreese Please

For the last 3 weeks I’ve been working out like a maniac and eating like the perfect vegan in preparation for my 5 year reunion homecoming this upcoming weekend at Hampton University. But after sitting in a nutrition class for 3 hours I came home starving and all I wanted was mac & cheese and French fries.

Lucky for me I already prepared for such a moment. I had one lonely little russet potato and a box of Road’s End Organics Dairy Free Shells & Chreese tucked away in my pantry. At the beginning of my vegan experience I tried their dairy free Fettuccine Alfredo and it made me swear off of boxed foods forever. In a moment of weakness I picked up these Shells & Chreese and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting bland and boring but what I got was a subtle yet delicious flavor. It reminded me of a toned down (much quicker) version of The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook’s Mac & “Cheese” Casserole.

I made a couple modifications to turn up the subtleness of flavor in this dish and make it stand out. I added about 1 tablespoon margarine, and although I don’t usually add salt to things just a pinch of salt really made this dish phenomenal. Next time I might even add another tablespoon or two of soy milk.

With these little modifications you have a great side dish (or main dish if you’re being bad). Now that I think about it, I’m going to go have second helpings right now!

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