I invite you to come on my journey as I develop my vegan dietary lifestyle.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Official Christmas Presents

WOW!! I had a great Christmas. We hung around the house and with each other(this doesn't happen often). We are both parentless without close family in town but our church which is terrific for us.
I received my Canon Rebel T1i a little early along with my recipe books as follows:





All from amazon.ca. All three are great. Isa's onion rings will definitely be on the menu, also Joni's Granola Biscuits, and the Seitan recipe from the first book.
And the real surprise was my dream stand mixer-Kitchenaid. All in all a Great Christmas. Hoping that you alll had a great Christmas and holiday.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!



A Merry and Joyful Christmas to all. REMEMBER THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!
This occurred in a mall in our region. How Blessed can we be!!

FINALLY!! A new camera and "Chicken" Pot Pie

I received a pre-christmas gift that was on sale. The Canon "Rebel" T1i. All the camera I need right now. I realized that a blog without pictures just doesn't cut it.
I was craving a good ol' chicken pot pie. So this is what I did.
"Chicken" Pot Pie
1 medium onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
4 celery stalks chopped
1 potatoe chopped
6 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp Montreal Steak Spice
1 tsp salt
1 cup frozen peas
2 TBSP flour
1 pkg of "President's Choice meatless chicken strips-or any meat substitute you like- about 2 cups cut into small pieces












2 frozen vegan pie crusts or vegan phyllo sheets
DIRECTIONS
1) Put stock in a large pot, add all vegetables (EXCEPT PEAS) and faux
2)Bring to a simmer and cook until vegetables are softened, but not not mushy.
3)Mix flour with 4 TBSP water in a small bowl or jar until lump free. Add to vegetable mixture that is gently bubbling. Cook for 5 minutes stirring gently through mixture.
4) Add frozen peas, cook for another 5 minutes. Let mixture cool.
To Prepare Pie Crusts:
  1. Cook bottom pie crust as per instructions. This keeps it crisp and not soggy when filled.
  2. Fill with cooled vegetable mixture. Add top pie dough as per instructions, cut steam vents.
  3. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes until upper crust is slightly browned.
  4. Let cool for 15-20 miutes before cutting.
For Phyllo:
  1. Prepare as instructed. Fill like a strudel, or fill sections by folding over into triangles.
   2. Bake at 375 degrees 20-25 minutes until golden, keep checking.



"Chicken" Pot Pie with green and white asparagus, Brussel Sprouts, Roasted Carrots with Onion and Roasted Sweet Potatoe.







"Chicken" Phyllo Triangles with baby greens and Tomatoe Salad 














Easy to do and very flavourful. The recipe can make 2 pot pies or up to 3 dozen phyllo triangles that are 3 inches wide. 

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Rotini and Mixed Vegetable Side Dish

October has been a difficult month. First my camera gave up the ghost, then my lap top. I am saving up to replace them.
The Thanksgiving Craft Fair was a success. But 3 days outside left me under the weather(excuse the pun), then followed by a wonderful Italian wedding with very affectionate people ending up with a cold.
I need to be more aggressive at improving my immune system.
Veggies are definitely part of the answer.
There are some frozen veggies with pasta mixes available in the frozen food aisle. These mixes sometimes have skim milk powder listed on the label.
These veggie/pasta mixes are easy to replicate.

INGREDIENTS:
500 gram package of Europe's Best Nature's Balance(a blend of Leaf Spinach,Sugar Snap Peas, Broccoli, Asparagus, Red Pepper, Yellow Pepper, Garlic Sprouts)

2 cups of dry Rotini Pasta
2 TBSP of Earth Balance Margarine
1 TBSP Montreal Steak Spice
2 tsp garlic powder.

Cook pasta separately as directed. Meanwhile cook the whole package of the veggies as directed. I used the microwave.
Drain pasta when cooked, return to pot, add 1 TBSP of margarine and spices.Mix thoroughly. Add hot veggies, mix and add rest of margarine.

Makes enough for 6 side dishes.

It would be neat to use tri coloured pasta if you can find it. Here's a net picture of rotini. Hoping to get the new camera soon.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Save a Turkey - Chickpea “Turkey” Burgers or Roast

With the Canadian Thanksgiving just around the corner my thoughts are turning to the aromas associated with the Thanksgiving dinner.
We will be doing the O'Shaving's arts and craft show over the weekend, so I'm not obligated to cooking any large meals. But I still wanted to experience the Thanksgiving flavours.
The "Black Bean Burger" Recipe of the other day inspired me to change things up .
While these Burgers or Roasts are cooking the house fills with the most wonderful smell. I was able to get some photos this time before my camera finally gave out.
Here is the Thanksgiving inspired recipe.


Chickpea “Turkey” Burgers or Roast
Wet Ingredients:
2 - 540 ml/19 fl oz chickpeas-rinsed and drained
1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
2 ½ cups water
1 vegan “chicken” flavoured boullion cube
1 cup finely chopped onion
Dry Ingredients:
3 cups Panko crumbs
1 cup flour
½ cup gluten flour
2 Tablespoons of herbes de provence
1 Tablespoon poultry seasoning
olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Boil water and dissolve the boullion cube, then add oatmeal and simmer  15 minutes or until nice and thick. Stir frequently. Pour into measuring cup-you need 3 cups total, add water to make volume if needed.
2. In a food processor put the chickpeas then add the cooked oatmeal. Puree  together.
3. In a mixing bowl put panko crumbs , gluten flour, flour, herbs and spices.
4. Add chickpea puree, mix together. Then add onion. Mix thoroughly.
5. Make into burger patties or roasts/loaves.
TIP-when shaping burgers or roasts dip your hands into warm water.
For BURGER PATTIES
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Put a teaspoon of olive oil in fry pan on medium high heat, fry burgers for at least 10 minutes browning them on each side.


Put  roasting pan into the oven, add 1 inch of boiling water. Put rack on top covered with foil, spray or brush with oil. Put the browned loaves on top . Cook for 1 hr.
OR- Put in microwave covered on HIGH for 3 minutes.
This ensures that the flour is cooked through.
FOR ROASTS/LOAVES:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil some water.
Shape into 3 loaves. Brown in skillet on all sides using some olive oil.

Put the roaster pan into the oven, add 1 inch of boiling water. Put rack on top covered with foil, spray or brush with oil. Put the browned loaves on top. Cook for 1 hr.


These burgers or the roast have a nice crunchy outside, are moist and full of flavour on the inside.
I made a burger with lettuce and tomatoe and a little mustard. MMMMMmmmmmm!!

I plan to have the roast with a simple gravy, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, mini red potatoes and baby carrots with melted cheddar Tofutti sauce. I'm going to make a pumpkin custard (of course vegan) for dessert. I'm working on a Fall Harvest Machine Bread that would compliment this meal. I'll post it as soon as I've got the kinks worked out.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Vegan Black Bean Burger

I was cruising the web for a bean burger recipe and I happened on a youtube that Guy Fieri of the Food Network posted. He was at the Blue Plate Diner  in Salt Lake City. In the video  the chef gives a list of the ingredients that goes into the vegan bean burger. Naturally, there was no mention of quantities. But never the less I decided to try to make these burgers.
This is the recipe I came up with:


Vegan Black Bean Burgers (Inspired by the Blue Plate Diner in Salt Lake City)


1 can black beans-540 mls/19 fl oz-rinsed and drained
1 can chick peas-540 mls/19 fl oz-rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups cooked and cooled oatmeal
3 cups panko crumbs
½ cup finely chopped onion-about 1 small onion
½ cup finely chopped celery-about 3 large ribs
1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Spice
2 tablespoons  flour

INSTRUCTIONS
1-In a food processor (I used my Vita Mix) puree  ½ cup water with black beans and chick peas. This will be very thick.
2-In a mixing bowl put panko crumbs, bean puree, cooled oatmeal, onion, celery, steak spice and flour. You can use your hands or a food processor. The mixture is sticky-if using your hands to shape the patties, put your hands in a bowl of clean warm water.
3-Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium high heat, use a tsp of olive oil and fry for 10 minutes on each side.
4-Makes 6 large burgers or 8 medium size.

They tasted great on a kaiser roll with tomatoes, lettuce and mustard. A good basic bean burger that will support added flavours.

This has given me an idea-I have Rachel Ray's Big Orange Recipe Book in which she has a number of tasty burger recipes. I think I'm going to try to veganize them.



Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Gail's Jams a delightful treat!!

We did the Milton Farm Craft Show this past weekend-Sept 18th & 19th. The weather was good, the sun was out on Sunday. Right now in Southeastern Ontario its' raining in swathes and buckets. I'm so grateful this waited till now, doing an outside craft fair is not fun in the rain.
Now, about Gail's jams. I was blessed to have our booth next to Gail's Jam's, Gail is passionate about making jams. The recipes are those that she has developed, please check her out at www.gailsgourmetjam.com. I purchased her Red Pepper Jelly, Merlot Jelly and Bumbleberry Jam. As I'm typing this, I'm enjoying some of the Bumbleberry jam on a slice of my homemade machine vegan bread. Nice treat!
Along with us, she will be at O'Shavings Country Craft Fair on October 9th, 10th and 11th. Come check it out.
Along with Gail's Jams, I purchased "Creamed Earl Grey" loose tea (no cream, but an intense vanilla flavour) and spice blends. The tea I'm going to try to make vegan ice cream. The spice blends I'll use with stews and soup, although they are developed for chip dips. I'll let you know how this turns out.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Digestive Tract Health and Healing

Along with fibromyalgia, it is not uncommon that digestive tract problems are also experienced by these affected persons. I'm also included. My own digestion problems started at age 12.
The digestive tract is also where the primary amount of Serotonin (a chemical that aids in relaxation) is produced.
Many antidepressant drugs help with serotonin in the body. For those taking them to reduce pain, this serotonin aids to bring relaxation by reducing muscle tension and stimulating rest/sleep.
So the next question, how can we help our digestive tract absorb nutrients appropriately and produce the essential chemicals, enzymes and hormones we need for good health.
This is not easily answered, as we are all "fearfully and wonderfully made" individuals. What works for one person may or may not help the next person.
I'll tell you what I've found out for myself.
First, identifying that dairy products caused a great deal of the abdominal discomfort I experienced (including several Emergency Room visits for extreme unremitting abdominal pain). Just a side note-I've had multiple allergy tests, but there was never any food allergies or other allergies identified. These sensitivities I figured out on my own with trial and error.
Second, animal meats/fats (all types  including fish) even lean cuts would often cause gallbladder attacks. However, I have no gallstones. One doctor said I had what he called "gallbladder colic"?
Third, deciding that the vegan dietary lifestyle was worthwhile to try.
It has been 4 months now, several in transition to retrain my taste buds.
Results, overall reduced joint pain and swelling, significantly fewer episodes of even a slight abdominal discomfort. Sleep can be still somewhat of a problem. A skin rash on my lower leg is healing finally-it has been there for two years-doctors couldn't tell me what it was. I suspect that the increased allergies I developed-sinus headaches/infections, the rash were Candida influenced due to the lifelong amounts of antibiotics I've taken. Extreme fatigue has reduced moderately.
Next I feel well enough to try to get back in the pool to exercise.
I started taking powder probiotics twice daily (to reintroduce appropriate/healthy bacteria to my gut), morning and night. Also, 2 oz of Aloe Vera juice morning and night . I take Kolinead 2 capsules every morning before breakfast for fibre and bowel health. I also include multivitamins, Vitamin D, Calcium and Co Q10.
I still need to take the medication for Serotonin, but my dosage have decreased.
I take fewer pain pills daily.
I believe that my digestive tract is slowly healing, and is beginning to produce the serotonin in the gut as it was designed to do. It takes time to undo 40 years of digestive tract problems.
In order to also help with healing I added soy protein powder to at least 1 smoothie daily. This protein is easily absorbed and will aid to improve my immune system and cellular healing.
I'm definitely not where I wan't to be in regards to my health, but I know that I'm headed in the right direction. For me, the vegan dietary lifestyle has been the best choice for me.
Happiness : Handsome little young man in a wheat field Stock Photo

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

In the Beginning MIxes

I've not been able to get any serious cooking or recipe experimentation done in the past week. One week ago we began having problems with our electrical supply. Tuesday, Sept 7th the electrician informed me that we need a completely new electrical panel. All will be dealt with on Sept 9th. In the meantime, no air conditioner, no furnace, no fans, minimal electrical usage overall. If the TV is on, no computer. I'm not able to use my small appliances in the kitchen. This is all do to a real fire risk. Thankfully I have a gas stove.
GREENACRES revisited.

So in the meantime I'm reworking and developing some mother or In the Beginning Mixes for Vegan recipes. Lots of ideas that need experimenting when the power is back on.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Ginger and Cinnamon tea

I drink a litre of ginger tea with cinnamon daily. I learned this from an elderly Caribbean lady at my church. She had been English trained as a nurse in the "islands" and ginger tea was used for stomach upset and overall pain. I added cinnamon also due to its' anti inflammatory qualities.

Ginger & Cinnamon Tea

1 TBSP of ginger root grated
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of sweetener-your choice to taste
1 litre boiling water

Put the ginger and cinnamon into a 1 litre (4 cup) measuring cup-fill with boiling water. Cover, steep and let cool to room temperature. Taste and sweeten to taste. Strain into another container and chill in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Epicure Cookware

I received the order for my Epicure grill and frying pan today. The grill pan has a very large surface with pouring shaped areas on either side to decrease the liquid in the pan. The 10 inch frying pan is oven safe up to 400 degrees with a silicone handle. Both great ideas. I had also ordered a set of measuring spoons I never saw before. They measure "smidgen", "pinch" and "dash". I definitely will be using the grill pan this afternoon for some Ribz.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Using Good Fats

Although I'm trying to reduce the fat in recipes, by its very nature the vegan diet already does that. Animal fats are usually not good fats for the body. Many "Good" fats such as Omega 3, 6 & 9 can be obtained from seed, nut and some from fruit oils.  Flax seed Oil  is one of my favourites, full of Omega 3, 6 & 9. Another favourite is Grape seed oil . I also use Olive Oil, which has its' own benefits. Using these oils appropriately in recipes has already lowered my cholesterol count along with the vegan dietary changes.
Fats are not all bad, but we do need to be aware of the types and kind that we ingest in our foods.
Knowing which fats are Saturated Fats or Hydrogenated Fats can help us make wise food choices.

Vegan Raisin Bread

We had a great time at the Zurich Bean Festival-we did well with sales. Lots of interesting people passed through our booth. I'm always very happy and thankful when my husband's oak wood products sell. He puts so much work into them-even professionally finishing them.
I needed to make some bread Sunday. After making my Machine Vegan White Bread-I was inspired to try to make it into a Raisin Bread.
The "Everything Nice Premium Baking Spice" blend I received from www.theepicentre.com would be just right to try making the raisin bread with.
I've updated the Machine Vegan White Bread recipe. I also suspected I would need to increase the vital wheat gluten to support the increased volume and weight of the ingredients. It smelled awesome while it baked.




Machine Vegan Raisin Bread with “Everything Nice” Spice Blend

Wet Ingredients:
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or any other light flavoured oil such as canola)
1 3/4 cups warm water
¼ cup warm water-add only if necessary during mixing cycle-scrape bowl with spatula as bread mixes dribble water in a little at a time

Dry Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups unbleached white wheat flour    
2 heaping tablespoons ground flaxseed-use spice mill if you have whole flax seed
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup “sweetener” or sugar
¼ cup soy milk powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 TBSP “Everything Nice Premium Baking Spice” blend from http://www.theepicentre.com/ (or use 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon,1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice)                                                    
½ cup  vital wheat gluten
1 pkg active bread yeast = 8 grams
1 cup of raisins-best to use smaller raisins or chop jumbo raisins into smaller pieces
 
This is a bread machine recipe. Makes 1 - 1.5 pound loaf.

1) Mix warm water and oil, put in bread bread machine bowl.
2) Measure dry ingredients(NOT Yeast) into a separate bowl. Blend together, then put on top of wet ingredients.
3) Put yeast on top of the dry ingredients in the bread machine bowl.
4) Add the raisins when your machine indicates or the manufacturer instructions suggest.
5) Set the machine to bake on a light coloured crust.



Next time I'm going to chop up the jumbo raisins. 
Monday morning breakfast was a slice of the raisin bread with Ontario peaches and tea. It tasted even better when toasted with vegan margarine.











Thursday, August 26, 2010

Heavenly Spices


My order from Epicenter-purveyors of spices and such, has arrived. I placed the order Monday and received it today by good ol' Canada Post. I had juniper berries, culinary lavender, "Everything Nice Premium Spice" and Herbes de Provence sent. The aroma when the tins were opened was heavenly. Ideas to try just whirling through my mind. I'll have to wait until next week though. I need to be in craft fair mode. We will be at the Zurich Bean Festival on Saturday, Aug 28th - http://www.zurichbeanfestival.com/.  I usually have a scribble pad with me to jot down jewelry and painting designs. I'll be playing around with recipe ideas too!!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Update for Tofu Scramble Spice Blend

I forgot to add that you will need to shake the bottle before you use it as the tumeric needs to be redistributed through the mix. Otherwise you will have some very pale scramble.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Machine Vegan White Bread

I've been trying to find a bread recipe that both my husband(omnivore) and myself would like. He REALLY enjoys the fluffy super soft commercially made bread. With some poking around I found "Gary's Vegan Bread" recipe on vegweb.com . It sounded pretty good, it used banana as the sugar source. But my husband only likes real bananas, not baked goods with banana flavour. The following is my adaptation. 


Machine Vegan White Bread

Wet Ingredients:
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or any other light flavoured oil such as canola)
1 3/4 cups warm water
¼ cup warm water-add only if necessary during mixing cycle-scrape bowl with spatula as bread mixes dribble water in a little at a time

Dry Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour    
2 heaping tablespoons ground flaxseed-use spice mill if you have whole flax seed
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup soy milk powder
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup vital wheat gluten

1 pkg active bread yeast = 8 grams
 
This is a bread machine recipe. Makes 1 -  1.5 pound loaf.

1) Mix warm water and oil, put in bread bread machine bowl.
2) Measure dry ingredients(NOT Yeast) into a separate bowl. Blend together, then put on top of wet ingredients.
3) Put yeast on top of the dry ingredients in the bread machine bowl.
4) Set the machine to bake on a light coloured crust

Here it is. The texture was light, the crust a little crunchy! Don't mind the dent, it had a little accident on the way out of the pan.
Best of all my husband declared that it tasted good! And actually asked for more.

Tofu Scramble Spice Blend

I've been looking for an easy spice blend for my tofu scramble. Mornings can be a blur and trying to get all the spices out and measured for the tofu scramble at times can lead to disaster. I didn't find what I was looking for, so I came up with a simple blend that can be either shaken on or measured out.
Here it is:
Tofu Scramble Spice Blend

Into a small spice jar put

1TBSP garlic powder
1TBSP onion powder
1TBSP McCormick’s Montreal Steak Spice Seasoning
1tsp of tumeric

With lid on shake bottle to blend. If you want to shake out the spices, you will need to enlarge the holes in the cap for the spice jar, as the Steak Spices are larger. Note: I picked a small spice jar up at the Bulk Barn.
For your tofu scramble add 1 tsp or more to taste.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Land of Spices Discovered in Ontario!!!

I found the most exciting website that sells various spices and spice blends. www.theepicentre.com. Often I'm disappointed by the selections available in the Hamilton area. The bulk stores are Ok, but not exhaustive. Same as the grocery stores. But I was trying to come up with a Black Forest Ham Wheat Meat (Seitan) recipe, but the flavourings that were recommended included juniper berries.
I happened on this website and the best part is that they are Canadian and in Ontario. For those south of the border, the extra costs with customs and increased shipping and handling can be frustrating. I'm going to order the juniper berries and some some of the spice blends that they have. I'll let you kow how this turns out-i.e.-service and product quality.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Okara Bread

I tried the Okara Mountain Recipe for bread. The results were pretty good. It turned out to be a moist, dense bread. Next time I think I'm going to add a little gluten flour this may help the bread rise some more.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Homemade SoyMilk

I received my SoyQuick Soymilk Maker and made my first batch of soymilk. What an easy quick process. The soymilk tastes great with a little sweetener. Now what to do with the Okara? Okara is the pulp that is left after straining the milk. I found the Okara Mountain blog. I'm going to try the Whole Wheat Bread recipe using some of the Okara I've got. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Out of Commission!!

Sorry. Gone for a couple of days. Made the mistake of trusting in the list of ingredients on a commercially made chocolate flavoured cold cereal. I swear it did not list any type of milk product whatsoever. Another food to add to my "No eat list". Thankfully with recognizing the all too familiar symptoms quickly, I'm able to reduce the inflammatory response. And now 48 hrs later things are pretty well back to being Ok.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Zurich Bean Festival

We are going to be vendors for the first time at the Zurich Bean Festival . It is located in Western Ontario between Grand Bend and Goderich .  It is in the middle of agricultural land with fields of beans, corn, soy, canola and wheat. The locals celebrate their agricultural heritage with oodles of bean dishes. I'm going to try to get away from our booth and see what they have to serve. I hope I can find some dishes that are thoroughly vegan. By the way, we will be selling painted glassware, jewelry and my husband's fabulous oak designs.Zurich is in a beautiful area of Ontario, even the air smells sweet and clean. If you are able, come take a look, August 28th is the date.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Tough Enough Cookware

I have a great neighbour that does home shows for Epicure. This company sells food related products and mixes. Not all their mixes are vegan, but they do list the ingredients. I've been experimenting with some of their mixes with good success. But these recipes still need some tweaking. The pots and the wok I've received are amazing to work with. Easy clean, no flaking of the surface, can finish your recipe in the oven if needed. I'm starting to replace my fry pans, then next the griddle. At some point I hope to have the complete collection. The prices are comparable to high end cookware, but without the inflation of retail stores. I use the wok for so many recipes. Risotto, stews, making my breakfast oatmeal/spelt, rice only, steaming and of course stir fries. It has a large surface, easy to clean. Above all able to handle the high heat I use it for without it degrading or flaking. Traditional non-stick surfaces are recommended not to use high heat.
This company hails from British Columbia. Check them out at www.epicureselections.com.

Monday, August 2, 2010

A New Journey!!

I've come to the proverbial fork in the road. Mid fifties is looming. Joint pain, fatigue and fibromyalgia have taken their toll. Researching info about food and health-the vegan lifestyle has been proven to help with these issues.
I've discovered that with removal of all milk products my allergies have reduced. The "burning" in the joints has also reduced. This has all happened in just a few short weeks!!
As I'm researching recipes, I realize I can do this with easily obtained ingredients. Being Vegan is not scary!!

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