This One's For Jenny (But ya'll can read it too)

Hello, Jenny!! I'm speaking to you on the een-ter-net. This is a valuable tool. So when you have mastered the dishes below you can google "vegan ____" and be able to make anything! Now I understand that sometimes my food can seem confusing and complicated but that is only because when I am making things for you, I'm showing off. On a regular day I do not have the time or energy to prepare a four course brunch. I have decided to write down a simple day's worth of food if I were to make each meal at home. Keep in mind that breakfast is the fastest meal that can be veganized. For example if you are not in the mood to make my tofu home fries just have some cereal with your favorite non-dairy milk, almond is my fave, or you can make oatmeal.



Tofu Home Fries (I'm guessing these will soon be Keegan's favorite. So I left out the cayenne pepper I would usually add so they are baby friendly)



You will need:



3- smallish red potatoes cubed

1/2 a package of extra firm tofu cut into cubes- Make sure it is the kind in the tub

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp curry powder

1 pinch of turmeric

1 tsp oregano (Mexican if you got it)

1 pinch of salt (optional I don't add it because I slather this in ketchup when it's done)

2 garlic cloves minced up (you know I love you, so please, for the love of Gawd, stop using the stuff in the jar)

1/2 a red or green bell pepper (which ever is cheaper) diced

2 green onions chopped up. The whole thing minus the hairy bulb.

1 avocado (optional)

Olive oil



Take you taters and place them in a microwave safe bowl. Put a bit of oil on them and toss them to make sure they won't stick to each other. Microwave them for about 3 minutes stirring once through. Meanwhile, preheat a large non-stick skillet with another bit of oil, you can use your spay oil, to medium high heat. Add your potatoes and tofu cubes to the pan. You should give them another spritz of oil if you haven't just poured some oil in the pan to begin with. Once the taters and tofu are nicely situated with a little oil on them sprinkle all of your spices on top of them. Make a sort of even layer of spices over the mixture then begin tossing to distribute and toast your spices. Cook the tofu and taters in a single layer tossing periodically until they begin to brown. This will take about 6 minutes. Add the garlic clove and toss the ingredients again. Next, like 20 seconds later, add your bell pepper. Toss again. Once the pepper starts to soften slightly (you still want it a little crunchy) and you can smell the garlic take the pan off the heat. Add your onions. Taste to see if it needs a little more salt or something. Place in bowls with some avocado on top.



All done. Time to bask in the glow of your kitchen goddessness.



Oh wait there's still two more meals. Whew! Here we go!!!



Lunch Time: Polenta Mexicanish Style

I have included a link in case you don't know what I'm talking about when I say a tube of store bought original flavor polenta from the organic produce section of Raley's.



What you will need:



1- tube of said polenta cut into 1/4 inch rounds

1 can of pinto beans, or black beans- Your choice! Just drain and rinse them.

1 hand full of chopped fresh cilantro. Do you like cilantro? If not use parsley.

1/2 of red or green bell pepper (the other half from breakfast!)

1/2 cup of fresh or bottled salsa

green onions to sprinkle on top (optional)

Olive oil



Lay out you polenta rounds and spritz them with oil on each side. On an indoor grill pan or in a non-stick skillet grill your polenta on medium heat until it is golden brown on each side. The poleta will take 4-5 minutes per side. Meanwhile saute your bell pepper in a medium skillet until it doesn't look super raw anymore- like 1 minute. Add the beans and heat through. Add cilantro and heat that through too. On a plate put down a few polenta rounds and top with bean mixture and salsa.

Dinner: The Big Show

For dinner I am going to defer to one of my favorite vegan bloggers: Fat Free Vegan. I think this will become one of your favorite sites. Her recipes are super easy with everyday ingredients. She even makes a low fat version of Goddess Dressing! These Red Bean Chipotle Burgers are awesome. In fact, I think this is what we're having for dinner tonight.

Red Bean Chipotle Burgers

I hope I have given you some good ideas. Feel free to make these your own and add what ever you think will make them delicious. I look forward to hearing about how you do. Below you find a list of helpful vegan websites.

Love,

Nicole

Vegan Dietitian (Alanna's Blog)

VegWeb.com

VeganOutReach.org

"Run For the Border"

Hooray!!! No more nights spent second guessing my abilities or poor choices. I have been accepted to the Orvis School of Nursing. Take that, ER!!! Yipppee!! Whooo hoooowaa!

Okay... Just had to redeem myself after that dramatic and let's just say it, teen angst ridden post upon receiving my rejection letter in January. Everything is on track and I will be a practicing nurse in less than 2 years. And we all know what this movement needs... more vegans in health care!

Okay, we need more vegans in every field. What I want is more vegan friends! I just read an update about an upcoming friend's surprise party. The list of things to bring is very specific and includes an "appetizer" of tri-tip followed by baked brie. I saw "big salad" on the list and was relieved only until I noticed the next words, "with Gorgonzola". Come on! This list should read, "Please bring a calculator and a defibrillator. The latter to save anyone whose heart might stop and the former to add up how many years we are shaving off our lives by eating three different types of saturated animal fats in one sitting. Please RSVP"

To be fair there was a line on the list specifically for Justice and I. It just said, "Something vegan friendly". "Something vegan friendly"!? We go from super specific details about the particular muscle from the dead animal being served to "something..." Well, we just need to do better. "Something vegan friendly" could mean that Justice and I are going to crowd a bowl of Barbecue potato chips all night. Let me tell you, those flimsy chips do not soak up alcohol. So, I am left with my only choice when I spend an evening with Necrophages, (cool new word huh?) I have to bring something super duper awesome and delicious and watch it get eaten up. With every bite I see my ratio of edibles to non edibles at the party disappear.

Here are some of the common scenarios surrounding a vegan dish at a Death Eater's house party...

Scenario 1: "What is it supposed to be?"

Expect this question if you have opted to bring a faux dish. There are many delicious ways to recreate the taste and texture of some of our favorite American fair without exploiting the innocent. Be careful with these dishes. You will be expected to describe in detail how much it tastes like "the real thing". This can be counter productive as many Necrophages will insist on discussing why anyone would choose not to eat carcasses but still flavor their meals like one. Better just to keep your favorite "cheesy" or gluten-y goodies at home where you and a loved one can feast in peaceful solitude.

Scenario 2: "The curious one"

There are many Necrophages out there who really would be vegan. They for one reason or another just can't make the transition. For them a new and cruelty free dish is very interesting. They want to know how anything can taste good without killing or raping and milking something. These party goers are actually usually pretty sweet and good natured. They have a compassionate heart but an insatiable appetite for the flavors that meat affords. To them your food is so appealing that they will talk it up to every person in the room. Be careful. If a curious one gets wind of your vegan dish on the pot luck line, they won't stop until everyone has tried a bite. Depending on the size of the party this could mean no food for you.

Scenario 3: "That dish is vegan-host"

This really is your best case scenario if you are trying to hoard what you brought in an effort to have something to sober up on after the pint sized crock pots have been switched off. You know the dwindling hours of the party when the cold left overs are scoured over by buzzed party guests like the scene in "Charlotte's Web" when the rat goes to the carnival after it closed. Man that part of the movie makes me so hungry... Anyway... This is my ideal situation. Yes, I totally get off watching people eat my food and enjoy it, but I am also very stingy when the only thing at the party without some other creature's bodily fluid in it is what I prepared. During these times a host like this one is optimal. This host will tell everyone going down the food line that your meal is vegan. She will say it with a slight ting of warning in her voice. The other things are foods in her mind, but yours is vegan-food. If you have brought homemade pierogi this is the woman you want introducing your food.

We can't avoid these awkward party moments but with a glass of wine and a friendly attitude you might just push that "curious one" over the edge. And if nothing is left for you to eat, just make a Taco Bell run. Fourth meal, anyone?

Get Activated

I have just finished Why We Love Dogs Eat Pigs and Wear Cows by Melanie Joy Ph. D. I first heard of this book in the last issue of VegNews Magazine. The book was not just a retelling of the countless horrifying truths about the meat, dairy, and egg industries but it had something completely new to offer. In her book, Melanie Joy, tells us about the world we have constructed in our minds. A world that we have internalized and now believe is normal and just. This world is based on the tenets of a new and amazing term that until Joy, we were missing from our language: Carnism. Carnism is all around us and it can be difficult as vegans to see it everyday. It is strangely comforting in a very primal way to put a label on what I see when I'm at a party or watching TV. Being vegan, it can be very alienating to have to stand back and watch people I love and respect rocking themselves like infants to sleep in the face of the completely disgusting practice of torturing and murdering animals. Though it is still painful at least I am sated by the knowledge that a very smart woman was able to deconstruct the entire world we live in and explain why carnism is able to persist. Please read this book and give it to your friends. No it is not perfect, yes there are some very disturbing parts. Read it anyway.

Thanks for listening

inspired to write. The Smiths. I didn't get in. I did literally the very best I could do. No one could tell me I told you so because no one told me so. I cannot blame myself without a time machine. Exactly how many nachos did I eat during my undergraduate? How many bean and cheese burritos? There were so many egg salad sandwiches. I slept through a test once in a Geology class. Why did I take Geology? That grade still counts. Its like a pair of jeans I charged when I was 21. I'm still paying interest. I'm publishing this. I'm not publishing this. I'm going to publish this. It needs a recipe. It's been too long without a recipe. Here's what I ate today:

Peanut Butter Puffins with Soymilk

VegNews califlower raw mashed potatoes in a whole wheat pita with spinach and Isa's mushroom and sour Kraut perogi filling.

Salad

Amy's pizZA

A lot of bar-b-Q potato chips

I love everyone who reads my blog.

My Story Part II

I was vegetarian in high school. Man, that would make a great t-shirt. We could print them and hand them out to dozens of our friends. I too could wear one. When I was a Junior in high school, my brother took his now wife on a trip to visit family in Seattle. In the airport on the way home a young man with a shaved head, and I always imagine an orange robe, handed my brother some literature on becoming vegetarian. My brother was changed immediately. If my brother was waiting for something to believe in, I'm glad that the Hari Krishna got to him first. Because if he dove head first into, say, Scientology as quickly and devoutly as he became vegan, he might be living in Tom Cruise's basement by now operating the rainbow making machine that distracts the aliens from stealing our baby's brains while they sleep. Isn't that what they believe? Anyways... Not willing to be out hipster-ed by my older and let's just say it cooler big bro, I became vegetarian too. I didn't really know why. I just did it and thought nothing about eating cheese, milk and eggs. Being "vegetarian" was enough. Having no real convictions, I am proud to say that I remained vegetarian until well into college. That's not bad for not really caring. And that is how I remained, a "lazy vegetarian" as my brother once introduced me - until November of this year. November, you see, is world vegan month. Yes, it is a little cheesy(tee hee) but I went totally vegan for November. Not much of a stretch seeing as how it is the only way I know how to cook and my true love and partner is vegan, but still I did start to notice how often I was eating animal products outside my home in the absence of eating animal products outside my home. Whew! For the first time I was eating my values and that was the warmest most satisfying feeling of being full I have ever indulged in. If I am being totally honest, I will have to tell you that the reason I never crossed over completely into being vegan outside my home is because I was scared. Yes, I was scared that by limiting myself I would be missing out in life. It is difficult to describe that what I felt during November was a limitless freedom I could not have anticipated. I will tell you a story. During this last semester I spent many hours studying with a close omnivore friend. I knew that I would be heading over to her house at 6pm straight from school. I did not want to eat any animal products so I packed myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. When I arrived at her house she proudly placed a plate of left over chicken pizza in front of me. She had saved it for me knowing that I would be hungry. I felt trapped. This was not freedom. If I was Justice, I could just say, "I'm vegan". End of story. But being me, the girl who didn't want to limit herself out in the real world, I had no recourse. I had no religion to fall back on. What I did next still makes me feel sad that I was unable to say, "No thank you". While my friend went upstairs to check on her baby I picked off the chicken and ate the pizza. Never again. I am vegan - is the greatest mantra I have ever uttered. It is my magic incantation that saves me from ever feeling obliged to take part in what I believe is the senseless, cruel, angry, and unhealthy practice of enslaving animals.
I'm back blogosphere, and this time its personal.

My Story Part I

I miss my electric kettle. It was stolen from a friend's car outside my work yesterday. It, along with my friend's purse and an over sized glass jug of rum was taken. Somewhere, someone is impersonating my poor friend while drunk on rum and tea. They should be easy to spot. How did my kettle end up in such an unfortunate circumstance? I'm glad you asked...
I wanted the big bottle of rum. Justice was buying and the small bottle was on sale for 14.99 where as the much much larger one was only 19.99. I think I've made my point. All of this rum was intended to be the star player in some hot buttered rum. How do you get the rum hot? Well that's where the kettle came in. I hauled all of this over to my buddy's house for our holiday party. Not wanting to be a party pooper I left my supplies for any guests who were still thirsty after I went home. Hence during its journey home to me my favorite kitchen staple was lost forever.
Why do you care about my less than sad story? And how could I possibly feel like the victim while my friend is now going to have to piece her life back together one ID at a time? Well, you don't. I don't blame you. I am only trying very hard to get to the point of this post. With hat in hand I am about to speak the words that no one in my immediate circle ever anticipated. So humbly and quietly but with no less vigor I would like to announce that I am no longer "vegan at home". I am now vegan everywhere.

Grateful Gardeners

Yes, this is embarrassing. It has been too long since I have recorded my daily adventures in veganism. The funny thing about my long absence is that it has nothing to do with the cooking block I was dealing with last year but more to do with how busy I have been creating new meals. I should just start from the beginning though...

This Spring my new family-in-law lost their patriarch, Joseph Manha. Sadly I was not given enough time to get to know him very well. Since his passing though I have learned that he was a very caring, creative, and loving father, husband and grandfather. I have since learned this from his widow, my grandmother-in-law, from the stories she has shared with me when I come over to her house to work on our garden. You see, she was generous enough to allow Justice and I to make a garden in one of the raised garden beds that Joe built for his own gardening. Joe was an amazing gardener. The plot we were given was 40ft by 6ft! I am so grateful to my grandmother-in-law for this amazing gift. I only wish Joe could know how much joy it has brought us all summer. We are already talking about what we will plant next year!

My GMIL has been so helpful- giving Justice and I advice about what to plant and how to plant it. She barely even teased us when we made the rows 2 feet across and about a mile high. (We learned quickly why this was a huge mistake...) After some trial and error, our garden is doing remarkably well. We have several varieties of tomatoes, enough crookneck squash and zucchini to feed a small village, green beans, peas, Swiss chard, carrots, jalapenos, green bell peppers, green onions, and pumpkins. Not only do we have our own vegetables to enjoy but we are surrounded by other gardeners who have shared their veggie wealth. We have enjoyed Yukon gold potatoes and mustard greens, arugula and fresh basil. I have never eaten so many locally grown vegetables!

There has been no chance for cooking block to set in as I have had no time to waste so as not to waste my bounty. Below is a tomato soup recipe I came up with tonight to pair with some Tuna-less sandwiches from Vegnews. A note to Brett: If you want these to taste like Mama's tuna-fish use sweet pickles instead of dill and green onions instead of red onions.

Reno Represent Tomato Soup

4 cups Mirepoix

6-7 homegrown tomatoes quartered

4 tbsp. olive oil

4 ounce can tomato paste

handful fresh chopped parsley

8 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a stock pot. Add Mirepoix and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook on medium for about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and another pinch of salt. Cover once more and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add tomato paste to water and dissolve. Add this to the pot. Add parsley and a tsp. pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook uncovered for about 30 minutes. Blend the soup and strain it to remove any seeds. Give it one last season with salt and pepper and serve with the Tuna-less sandwiches.