Snack On This! The New Blueberry Hemp Power Snack

A couple months ago I got an email asking if I would like to try the latest "superfood" by Navitas Naturals. It had all the buzzwords of the moment - blueberry, hemp, superfood, gluten free, no refined sugars the whole nine. The word "superfood" is a huge turn off to me but I thought "what they hey, why not" and I decided to give it a try. The official name of the product is Blueberry Hemp Superood Power Snack (now that's a mouthful). They are bite size snacks (about the size of one of those fun size Snickers bars) and if anything were to ever look like what non-vegans think vegans eat this would be it. They are brownish-purplish little bars dotted with all sorts of seeds. The ingredients on the back just sound like it should be good for you - organic camu camu powder, organic lucuma powder, organic maca powder, organic chia seeds, the list goes on! I have no clue what most of that stuff is but I assume they're supposed to be...well...superfoods. I could go on and on describing these things but let's just say this, think of every buzzword for every healthy thing you could imagine and it's in this stuff.

I carried them around in my purse for a week then one day, while sitting in my pediatric nutrition class, I decided to give them a try. Everyone around me was slightly intrigued and slightly horrified by their appearance but, after one bite I had to admit, these things are darn delicious. I mean, really really good. They are super sweet without being high in sugar (sweetened by dates), have a great blueberry flavor and a little crunch thanks to the sesame seeds. As far as all the other fancy ingredients on the label, it's nice they are there but the flavors that really come through are the dates, sunflowers and blueberries. I have to say, these are one of the best on the go snacks I've tasted in awhile and they are also incredibly filling so a little goes a long way. I highly recommend these little snacks.

Quick & Easy Low-Calorie Vegan Comfort Food is here! (Plus it's giveaway time!!!)

IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! IT'S FINALLY HERE! As of May 15, 2012 Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food is officially in a bookstore near you (or on your favorite online store). Writing this book has been a true labor of love as I balanced work, school, blogging, pregnancy and writing - and I couldn't be more proud of how it turned out. Every recipe has complete nutritional analysis plus I give you 4-day menu plans for 1,400 to 2,000 calories. So whether you're trying to lose weight or are happy with where you are and just want to maintain your weight or heck, if you just love good food and want more of it in your life this book is for you!

Now on to the most important part - the recipes. I've got your covered for breakfast, lunch/dinner, snacks, homemade breads, jams, homemade sodas, shakes, smoothies and desserts (oh yes, there are desserts my friends).  Start your day off with Fluffy Flaxseed Waffles with Agave Cream (pictured above) with Grapefruit Brulee and Crustless Quiche Lorraine. Then move on to BBQ Popcorn (pictured below) or Spinach Artichoke Dip with Farfalle Chips as a snack.

 

For lunch lunch try a Caesar Salad with Chickpea Croutons (pictured below) or forget the rabbit food and go for a big messy Chili Dog with Eggplant Fries on the side. 

For dinner try Chik'n Fried Seitan, Andouille Gumbo, White Lasagna, Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce (pictured below) or go for the cover recipe - Seitan Cheesesteaks. 

 For dessert you have a lot of options. You can sneak over to the beverages chapter and make strawberry milkshakes, home-brewed ginger ale, or lemon grass soda OR you can head straight for the desserts section and chow down on this insanely good Lemon Cornmeal Cake with Lemon Glaze and Blueberry Sauce (pictured below), Moon Dusted Donuts, Ooey Gooeys or Butter Pecan Ice Cream. 

Needless to say this isn't your typical restrictive, bland, low-calorie cookbook. I believe in real food and bold flavors so if you haven't picked up your copy of Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food yet what are you waiting for! It's available online, in-stores and on kindle (available May 22) and nook. And for the next 7-days enter, below, to win a free signed copy of Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food! Just fill out the information below and I'll announce the winner on Friday, May 25th. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Match Meats Vegan Crab Meat

Although I’ve never actually had a crab cake made of actual crab I am a sucker for a good tempeh cake with a little tartar sauce or a spicy remoulade. I’ve generally steered clear of vegan crab meat as the thought of handling something that was remotely crab like kinda grossed me out plus why go out and buy expensive mock products when tempeh is just a couple bucks and readily available? 

Somehow, while veganizing Paula Deen recipes for my blog The Lady and Seitan  I found myself with a need for mock crab meat, on more than one occasion. So it was time to bite the bullet and order this strange beige stuff. I was surprised at how nutrient rich and high in protein Match Meats Mock Crab meat is. I was also surprised that immediately upon opening it my entire kitchen smelled like the Fisherman's Wharf in San Fransico. Every dish I've used this stuff in from my own impromptu crab cakes and She Crab soup to Paula Deen's Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes have turned out phenomenal with a great, chewy texture and, what I assume, is a crabby flavor. Match Meat's Mock Crab Meat is now I staple item that I keep in my fridge just in case since it cooks up quickly and really hits the spot. However, the smell alone makes me think not once, not twice but thrice before making anything with it. I only cook with it on warm days when there is a great little breeze going outside so I can open my windows, light a candle and let the scent waft out the house.   

Quorn's New Vegan Burger

There's a fungus among us - and it is damn tasty. When the folks at Quorn contacted me about their new vegan burger I was over the moon with excitement. Their products have always looked soooo yum-tastic but none of them are vegan. Finally Quorn heard to pleads of its vegan audience and came out with a vegan burger. But not just any vegan burger, a smoky, savory, meaty vegan burger that is completely soy-free! New vegan meat analogs pop up in the market nearly everyday  but it is very rare that a soy-free product enters the market and I couldn't be more excited. Don't get me wrong, I love soy but honestly, it seems like every commercial vegan product is made of it!

Like most veggie burgers these patties can be cooked in the oven, microwave, grill or stovetop. After trying all four methods I think the stovetop method is my favorite hands down and produces the most juicy burger. I love these burgers so much that I want to make sure that you guys get a taste of these new treats as well so I'm doing a little giveaway. When I 1000 "likes" on facebook I'll give away 3 free quorn products to 3 of my facebook followers. Just head on over to facebook, hit the like button and I'll announce the winners the moment we hit 1000!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alicia-Simpson/106078829430735

Book Review: Vegan For Life by Jack Norris and Virginia Messina

As a student of nutrition I can't tell you how frustrating it is when I hear misinformation and hysteria about nutrition and veganism. The scientific literature is filled with solid, reproducible evidence that a vegan diet is not only safe but abundantly healthy for humans at all stages of life from birth and beyond including pregnancy and lactation. This has been echoed in position papers for years and is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetics Association).
In Jack Norris and Virginia Messina's new book Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet , the authors lead you through a thorough, evidence based journey on the nutritional needs of vegans for every stage of life and give new vegans tips on how to make the transition. I knew this book was a winner when my mom picked it up, read it cover to cover and then said to me "I now feel 100% comfortable with you raising a vegan child, it's completely normal and so healthy for them!" This, coming from my mother is a BIG DEAL.

Norris and Messina, both registered dietitians, discuss protein from plant sources, vitamin b12, calcium, vitamin D and bone health, fats, iron, the vegan food guide, vegan diets during pregnancy and breast-feeding, raising vegan children and teens, vegan diet for people over 50, the health benefits of veganism and how to manage weight, heart disease and diabetes with a vegan diet. Vegan for Life is an essential book for all vegans. Not only will it educate you on a healthy vegan diet but it will empower you with the knowledge to tackle most any nutrition related question that comes your way about a plant based diet.