Citygarden Park St. Louis

My husband and I took our dog, Xanh, (who just turned a year old last month) to Citygarden in downtown St. Louis today for a picnic.  It was HOT, so it was the perfect day for Xanh to play in the spray plaza (one of those areas where water sprays up at different intervals out of the ground).  He’s never been near a spray plaza before, so he wasn’t sure what to think at first, but he ended up really enjoying it–especially since he could drink as much water as he wanted in this 90 degree weather.  We had a great time!  Xanh LOVES going to crowded areas, because he loves people and he loves dogs.  It always makes me laugh to see him, this ginormous pitbull, sit and wag his tail when other dogs come around.  So much for the vicious pitbull persona.  In fact, he tends to be the most well-behaved dog at these places.  (Of course we do a LOT of training with him to make that happen.)

Anyway, enough about my little guy.  Now to the food!

This morning I cooked our favorite veggie burgers.  The recipe comes from ohsheglows.  This is seriously the best veggie burger recipe I’ve come across.  They are nice and crispy, work just as well with grilling, frying, or baking, and have great flavor.  I highly recommend them for your summer grilling needs.  I put vegan rice cheese on our burgers with a little ketchup.  Perfection!  I also put together a salad with poppy seed dressing and a mixture of strawberries and red grapes.

Ready to go!!

We made a short video of Xanh playing in the spray plaza, but I haven’t had time to edit it yet.  Maybe I’ll post that video another time.  After playing in the water and going for a walk through the park, we got our lunch from the car and found a nice shady spot to sit and eat lunch.

Xanh really enjoyed rolling around in the grass to cool off.

If any of you live in the St. Louis area, you should definitely check out Citygarden.  The unique sculptures, pools, and water features make it a nice place to go for a stroll or have a picnic.  I am so excited to finally have some sunshine and warm weather this week!  This spring has had the longest rainy season I ever remember having around here.  I hope the sun is here to stay!

Garlic Roasted Veggies and Lentils

Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes, washed and cut into 2 inch chunks

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced into 1 inch chunks

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

black pepper, to taste

3/4 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup green lentils

2 cups vegetable broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare the potatoes and carrots, and place in a medium bowl.  In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, and then pour over the potatoes and carrots, stirring well.  Pour the mixture into a casserole dish.  Cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Meanwhile, put 1/2 cup of green lentils into a small saucepan with 2 cups of vegetable broth (lid on) and bring to a boil.  Once it’s boiling, slide the lid over so it’s slightly ajar, allowing more steam out, and turn heat down to low.  Allow to simmer until the broth cooks off.  The lentils should be done cooking around the same time as the potatoes and carrots.

About 10 minutes before the potatoes and carrots finish cooking, cook the peas, drain, and set aside.

Once everything is cooked, add the peas and lentils to the potatoes and carrots in the casserole dish and mix everything together.  Makes 2 entree servings or 4 side servings.

Chickpea “Chicken” Salad

One of my favorite foods as a meat eater was chicken salad, especially this time of year (although as a disclaimer, I never even tried to make my own–I always went to a place in Birmingham called Ashley Mac’s to buy chicken salad).  Anyway, this afternoon, we were supposed to be taking my mother-in-law out for Mother’s Day, but she is very sick today.  Since we had originally planned to eat out with her, I was trying to think of something I could whip up fast for lunch, and chicken salad kept coming to my mind.  I searched online for a vegan “chicken” salad recipe, but it seemed like all I could find were recipes for “Not Tuna Salad” made with chickpeas.  I figured since our plans for the day were canceled, what better time to attempt a vegan version of a spring/summer lunch classic!  I have to say, this Chickpea “Chicken” Salad is really good!  It’s definitely a keeper in my house.  Eat it on bread, inside a pita pocket, on a vegan croissant, or in a wrap.

Ingredients

1  15 oz can chickpeas

1 cup walnuts, roasted and chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 Tbsp shallot, minced

2 cups seedless red grapes, halved

3/4 cup veganaise

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1-2 Tbsp tarragon (I used dried, but fresh would obviously be great, too.)

salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

 

Directions

Drain the can of chickpeas and pour the chickpeas into a medium bowl.  Use a potato masher to mash the chickpeas.

Turn a small skillet to medium-high, add the walnuts, and keep flipping them in the skillet until they are browned.  If you use whole walnuts, use whatever you have to chop them.  Add walnuts to the mashed chickpeas along with the rest of the ingredients (celery, shallot, grapes, veganaise, red wine vinegar, tarragon, salt and black pepper).  Mix well and it’s ready to serve!

The number of servings this makes will really depend on what you put the chickpea “chicken” salad in.  For example, if filling pita pockets, this would have less servings than if you used regular bread because you can fit more inside a pita.  My guess is 6-8 servings.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Why Dairy Free?

There are so many important reasons to go dairy free, whether you are vegan or not.  First off, human beings are the only species to continue drinking milk into adulthood, and we are the only species to drink the milk of another species.  That may not seem like such a big deal (I mean, we need calcium, right?), but there are health risks associated with dairy.  For example, cows are often given hormones which seep into their milk.  When we drink the milk, those hormones get into our systems just like medicines get into the systems of nursing babies.  In addition, cows are also fed genetically modified corn, so even if you choose to avoid GMO foods, if you don’t buy organic dairy products, you could still get the poison in your body.  And we don’t just get hormones and screwed up genetic information in our bodies through dairy products; we also get pesticides, because the corn fed to cows often have pesticides genetically engineered to be inside of the plant itself, plus they are sprayed with tons of chemicals since the concept of having the pesticides within the plant failed.  Furthermore, dairy products are acid forming.  Our bodies must have a balanced pH level, and one of the ways our bodies balance this is through our bones.  If we intake lots of dairy, then we are putting too much acid in our bodies, which can cause our bones to become brittle and fragile overtime.  In fact, research shows that countries with the most dairy usage have higher rates of osteoporosis.  And isn’t that the most common reason given for why we need milk?  That’s because the dairy industry is lying to us.  Milk is NOT the best source of calcium, and research proves that milk intake does not prevent or lower our risk for osteoporosis.  I’ve also heard from several people that once they went dairy free, they no longer suffered seasonal allergies, because dairy products are mucus forming (Cook, 11 Reasons to Stop Eating Dairy).

Those are the reasons dairy is bad for our health, but what about the ethics behind the dairy industry?  As vegans will tell you, dairy farms are nothing like what you see in cartoons or commercials.  The industry wants you to picture a pristine little farm with a big red barn and a field full of cows grazing on grass.  That is NOTHING like the dairy farms of today.  Today, dairy cows are kept inside, never to see the sunlight.

They are continuously impregnated through insemination, because cows, just like humans, do not produce milk unless they are pregnant.  So what happens to their baby calves?  They are taken from their mothers shortly after birth and locked in stalls.  The female calves are kept alive and inside away from sunlight just as their mothers, because as soon as they are old enough, they will be inseminated and used for their milk as well.  And the males…  Well, they are isolated and kept alive only for a few months so they can be sold as veal.  Those that die before then are used to make ground beef.

Maybe you’re thinking this is all a part of life for cows (although I’d argue that’s never what God intended for us to do to animals when He put them in our care), but what about the way farmers treat these animals?  The cows are beaten, dragged by their legs, injected with hormones to make their muscles abnormally large so they produce more meat, etc.  Do a little research for yourself.  Watch documentaries, such as Vegucated or Food, Inc., on Netflix.  Watch youtube videos about the dairy industry.  Maybe try visiting a dairy farm yourself.  I really think it will open your eyes to a cruelty you never realized was a part of getting that gallon of milk or that package of cheese.

Videos to Watch

Dairy Farming

Veal Calves

Animal Abuse at Dairy Farm

 

Vegan Vietnamese Curry Stew (Cà Ri Đậu)

One of my favorite foods is Vietnamese curry!  My husband is from Vietnam, and my mother-in-law taught me how to cook, so throughout our marriage (up until we became vegan), I cooked exclusively Vietnamese meals.  I’m trying to work my way back to that, but when we became vegan, I wasn’t familiar with what kind of flavor combinations to use or how to replace meat protein with other forms of protein without having to use tofu in everything, so now that I’m more familiar with vegan cuisine, I’m working on improving my old Vietnamese recipes to make them vegan.  First up:  Viet Curry Stew.

Vietnamese curry is different from many other Asian curries in that it is a stew rather than a sauce that covers veggies or meat.  Typically it contains chicken, but I have replaced the chicken with chickpeas and a small amount of vegetable broth (to make up for the chicken juice that normally adds to the flavor).  That is why I’m calling this “Cà Ri Đậu”–it means bean curry, or curry with beans.

Ingredients

1 can chickpeas, drained

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2  14 oz. cans coconut milk

1/2 large red onion, diced

1  2 in. knob ginger, minced

1 shallot, minced

2-3 Korean sweet potatoes (The store I went to was out of Korean potatoes, so I used jewel yams this time–what you see in the photos–and it turned out just as well.), 2 chopped into bite-sized chunks; about 1/2 of a potato cut into thinner 1 inch pieces–This will fall apart while the curry cooks, helping to thicken the stew.

5 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 Tbsp Madras curry powder (I use a Vietnamese brand, but any madras curry powder would work fine.)

2 Thai chili peppers, minced

1 stalk lemongrass, bruised

vegetarian fish sauce (nước mắm chay), to taste (You can buy this at Asian markets, and I think I saw some at Whole Foods once.)

black pepper, to taste

French bread or rice to serve with the curry stew.

 

Directions

Prep all the veggies, placing the onion, garlic, shallots, and ginger in a small bowl together, and the carrots and potatoes in a medium bowl together.

In a large stock pot on medium heat, drizzle about 1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and saute the onion, garlic, shallots, and ginger until the onion sweats.  Then, add 1 Tbsp of curry powder to release the fragrance.  Mix well, and then add in the chickpeas.  Stir around for a few minutes, and then add the vegetable broth.

Add in 1 can of coconut milk plus 1 can of water (using the same can).  Stir, and then add 1 more heaping Tbsp of curry powder, 1 more can of coconut milk, and 1 more can of water.  Add in the minced Thai chili peppers at this time and stir.

Turn the heat to high, and add in the potatoes and carrots.  Bring to a boil.  While you are waiting for it to boil, bruise the stalk of lemongrass (just place it on a cutting board and use the handle end of a large knife to hit and bruise up and down the stalk), tie it in a knot, and place it in the center of the pot.

Once the stew is boiling, turn the heat down to low or medium-low, put a lid on the pot, and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.  About halfway through the time, add in some nước mắm chay to taste.  At the end of the 45 minutes, remove the lemongrass, do a taste test, and add in nước mắm chay and black pepper until you like the flavor.

Serve the curry in a bowl with a side of rice or French bread.  I prefer eating it with bread because it tastes so good dipped in the curry!

This recipe will make a large pot of curry, and it tastes great reheated (although it’s usually spicier after it’s been the fridge because the flavors have more time to mingle).  It will last 3-4 days in the fridge.

Vegan Protein Shake

I don’t remember where I originally found this recipe, but I have always struggled to maintain a healthy weight.  I have a high metabolism, and I’m very active.  So, I started taking this vegan protein shake every morning after doing yoga, and it tastes so good!  This is a great shake for vegan athletes.  Most protein shakes use animal protein, but this shake does not.  And like I said, it tastes really good!  You should drink this shake within an hour after a workout in order for the protein to work best at helping you build muscle (and therefore weight, in my case).

Ingredients

1.5 cups almond milk

2 Tbsp peanut/almond butter

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed

1-2 Tbsp coconut oil

2 Tbsp chia seeds

2 scoops vanilla protein powder (See note below.)

1 tsp maca root powder

1 banana

1 tsp vanilla

4 ice cubes

 

Just put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Note:  I use Raw Protein, which I bought at Whole Foods, because it is raw, vegan, organic, gluten free, and has no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives.  I really like that the protein in it comes from a diverse group of sources, including quinoa sprout, garbanzo bean sprout, adzuki bean sprout, etc.  It also contains probiotics, which are vital for a healthy immune system.  It even has chlorella in it, which is well-known as a superfood.  I feel this is the best and most complete protein powder I’ve seen, and the vanilla gives it a nice flavor.

Falafel Tacos with Mango Salsa

I tried rubyredapron’s recipe for falafel tacos (her spin on fish tacos) this past week, and they are now one of my favorites!  Before I became vegan, my husband and I used to go to this cute little Cuban cafe near our home to eat their fish tacos with salsa, which were amazing.  These falafel tacos definitely taste as good as those fish tacos, and we don’t have to feel bad eating them.  Another plus is my husband’s meat-eating coworker from Mexico tried one of these tacos and loved them!  He even asked how I made them.

Ingredients

(Note:  My recipe below has doubled the original recipe to make 6 tacos–2 falafel per taco.)

2 1/2 cups chickpeas (I used canned)

1/2 cup of onion, chopped (I used less onion than the original recipe since we don’t like a lot of onion.)

2 Tbsp dry parsley

1 tsp garlic powder

4 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (I used half the amount of salt called for in the original recipe, as we found her recipe to be VERY salty!)

1 tsp ground coriandor

1 tsp baking soda

Tahini Sauce Ingredients

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup cold water

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

Directions for Falafel

1.  Add chickpeas, onion, parsley, garlic powder, cumin, salt, coriandor, and baking soda to a food processor.  Process until coarsely ground.

2.  Place mixture in a medium bowl and add 2-3 Tbsp of flour.  Stir well.

3.  With wet hands, form balls, and set aside on a plate for about 15 minutes.  (I made 12 balls, which yielded 6 tacos.)

4.  Heat oil in a skillet on medium high.  Add chickpea balls (my skillet fit 4 at a time), flatten with a spatula, and cook until golden brown on both sides.  Note:  Do not flatten the balls too much or they kind of fall apart.

5.  Make the tahini sauce by adding all the ingredients to a bowl and whisking them together.

Mango Salsa

1 mango, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

2 Tbsp cilantro, minced

1 jalapeno, chopped

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a medium bowl, stir together all the ingredients and let the flavors mingle for 15-30 minutes.  You’ll probably want to make this before the falafel.

Warm whole grain or spelt tortillas, add 2 falafel patties, drizzle with tahini sauce, and put a spoonful of mango salsa on top.  Enjoy!

Protein in a Vegan Diet

A lot of people wonder where vegans get their protein from.  There are so many great sources of protein out there that are much healthier than animal protein.  Let’s start with vegetables.  They have more protein than people realize.  Some good sources of vegetable protein include, avocado, broccoli, spinach, and peas.  Legumes are probably one of the best sources of protein for vegans.  The most common types of legumes are beans and lentils, both of which are very delicious and very filling!  Some of my favorites include lentils (18 grams of protein per cup), chickpeas (14.5 grams of protein per cup), tofu (which is made from soy beans and has 22 grams of protein per cup), and tempeh (which is also made from soy beans and has 30 grams of protein per cup).  Nuts and seeds also pack in a lot of protein (as well as healthy fats).  Some good sources of nut/seed protein include peanut butter/almond butter (8 grams of protein for every 2 Tbsp), cashews (4.4 grams of protein per ounce), and sesame seeds (6.5 grams of protein per ounce).  Non-dairy milks, such as almond milk, coconut milk, and soy milk, typically contain around 8 grams of protein per cup.  Even grains contain protein!  Oats are often eaten for breakfast by vegetarians and meat eaters alike because it’s packed with protein (6 grams of protein per cup) and therefore very filling.  In addition, quinoa has 9 grams of protein per cup and sprouted grain breads contain around 8 grams of protein just in the bread for your sandwich!  I think those numbers speak for themselves.  Vegans with a well-balanced diet should have NO problem consuming adequate amounts of protein.

There are many famous vegans out there, but I think three of them are especially important to mention in this post.  Let’s start with Mike Tyson.  He is well known as a former heavy-weight boxing champ; he’s also vegan.  As a disclaimer, Tyson was not vegan when he was a boxer; however, after retiring from the ring, he gained a considerable amount of weight.  More than four years ago, he decided to embrace veganism, originally because his wife was doing it, but after he made the change, he saw how it transformed his health and decided to remain vegan.  In fact, he has shed all the weight and is back to a healthy, fit size.

You can read a recent interview with Tyson about his vegan lifestyle on abcnews here.

It may surprise you to learn that Venus Williams is also vegan.  She has an autoimmune disease called Sjogren’s syndrome, which causes joint pain and fatigue.  Since a vegan diet reduces inflammation in the body, Williams gave it a try and noticed an immediate improvement in her condition.  She hasn’t looked back since.

Last but not least, I want to mention a famous NBA player who is now vegan:  Amare Stoudemire.  It started off as a short term vegan fast back in 2010, but he officially became vegan after a knee surgery in 2012.  He hasn’t been vegan for long, but he says he feels great, and it looks as though he will stick with it.

I bring up these three athletes because they are proof that vegans get plenty of protein.  Look at their muscles, their athletic abilities, etc.  Clearly they are eating a well balanced diet–and they are vegan.

Sources: Natural News, Vegan’s Health, Famous Vegan Athletes

Samosa Wraps

(Adapted from fatfreevegan)

Ingredients

2 medium gold potatoes

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1/2 sweet onion, minced

1 cup frozen peas

1 medium tomato, diced

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced

1 Thai chili pepper, minced

1/2 cup water

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp curry powder (I used the Vietnamese brand ca ri ni an do, but you can use any madras curry powder–the yellow powder)

1/2 tsp ground coriander

3/4 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

6 whole grain or spelt tortillas

Directions

1.  Peel and chop potatoes into 1/4 inch cubes.  Boil until cooked through.  Strain and set to the side.

2.  Heat a nonstick skillet on medium, and add onion.  Cook until onions sweat (about 5 minutes).  Add peas, tomato, ginger, pepper, and 2 Tbsp of water.  Stir around until peas thaw out.

3.  Add potatoes and chickpeas along with 1/2 cup of water, salt, curry powder, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice.  Cover the skillet and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.  Add a little more water if necessary.  Remove the lid and cook uncovered until the water has evaporated.  Do a taste test before removing the skillet from heat.

4.  Place a few spoonfuls of the mixture onto the middle of a warmed tortilla.  Fold in the sides, and then roll up.  I like to have this with a side of fruit.

Apple Nachos

Ingredients

3 granny smith apples, thinly sliced

1/2 lemon, juice only

1 Tbsp peanut butter, melted

vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

shredded coconut

coconut whipped cream (see recipe below)

Directions

Place apple slices in a medium bowl and squeeze the juice out of half of a lemon.  Toss the apples so that all of them are covered with lemon juice to prevent browning.  Spread the apple slices out on a platter.  Melt 1 Tbsp of peanut butter in the microwave, and then drizzle across the apples.  Sprinkle a handful of vegan chocolate chips across the apples, and then do the same with the shredded coconut.  Spoon dollops of coconut whipped cream onto the apples.  Either serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for a later time.  This makes a great healthy snack!  You can really add anything you want to the apples–nuts, caramel, or melted vegan chocolate might also be nice.

Coconut Whipped Cream (adapted from ohsheglows)

1 can full-fat coconut cream (not coconut milk–coconut cream), refrigerated overnight

3 tsp raw turbinado sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Place a medium sized bowl in the freezer for about 5 minutes while you get out the ingredients.  Empty the can of refrigerated coconut cream into the bowl.  Using a hand mixer, whip the cream until it’s fluffy.  Add in the sugar and vanilla and mix again until well blended.

You can use this coconut whipped cream just like dairy whipped cream.  It can go on pies, fruit, cupcakes, or apple nachos!  Store leftovers in a sealed tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.