Vegan recipes: Sausage Onion and Tomato Pie

Sausage Onion and Tomato Pie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sausage Onion and Tomato Pie

Serves 4

Necessary ingredients

- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 450g veggie sausages
- 3 medium onions, chopped finely
- 2 stick celery, chopped finely
- 225g mushrooms, sliced
- 6 tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp chilli powder (optional)
- 50g frozen peas
- salt and pepper
- 675g mashed potatoes

Cooking Method

Fry the veggie sausages in the oil until cooked, chop into bite-sized chunks and put aside.

Fry the onions and celery in the oil for 3-4 minutes (add a little more oil if necessary)

Add the mushrooms and fry for a further 3-4 minutes.

Ad the tomatoes and stir well.

Add the basil, chilli powder (if using) and the salt and papper to taste.

Cover the mixture and simmer on a low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Add the frozen peas and the sausage pieces and stir well before pouring the mixture into a deep, ovenproof dish.

Cover the mixture with the mashed potatoes and place under the grill until the top has browned and serve immediately. If the pie has been prepared in advance and has cooled down, cook in a moderately hot oven 190C/375F for about half an hour until the mashed potato has brownder.

Vegan recipes: Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Makes 12 to 18 squares

Necessary ingredients

- 2 cups crispy rice cereal, crushed
- 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons nondairy butter, such as Earth Balance, melted, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup nondairy semisweet chocolate chips

Cooking Method

Generously oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the crushed crispy rice cereal, peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup of the nondairy butter, and vanilla. Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan. 

In a small saucepan (or double boiler), melt together the chocolate chips and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Spread the chocolate mixture over the top of the peanut butter mixture. Set aside for 1 to 2 hours to set. 

From The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.
www.compassionatecooks.com

Some nice tips for tasty vegan cooking

Some nice tips for tasty vegan cooking

Some nice tips for tasty vegan cooking

This is a chapter with notes on how to make food tasty, interesting and varied. Some of them are notes on general cooking, some on meal planning and variation, some on making leftovers interesting. 

Use oil well to maximize flavor

 

It is the oil in foods that carries much of the taste, and that gives much of the satisfied feeling after eating.

If you skimp too much on your oil, you will probably find your cooking unsatisfying and not very tasty. It does no good to cut down on oil in cooking and then be craving fatty foods like milk and cheese to compensate. While you don’t need to use large amounts of butter or lard as in some older cookbooks, you can use a reasonable amount of healthy oils like olive or peanut, or some butter for flavor mixed with canola to make it lighter, and come out with food that is very tasty, satisfying to eat, and healthy for you.

Part of the reason you need to allow for sufficient oil is that good soups, stews and sauces, depend on this cooking ‘secret’ - get your seasoning flavors, your spices and your condiment vegetables like garlic, ginger, onion, bell peppers and celery, cooked in the oil before adding the flavored oil to your cooking water or sauce. 

That’s the reason why the usual meat-based bean soup and bean recipes use a ham hock, bacon or sausage to cook with - they are all sauces of strongly flavored salty oil. That is also why most oilfree soups are so bland, and why spices that are just thrown into cooking water for soups are often flavorless.

Sauteing Onions

Cook onions very slowly and they become smooth, sweet and rich tasting. Cook them on a higher flame and they are less sweet and have more of an edge, sometimes with a slightly scorched taste. The tastes have different uses. The rich, sweet taste is good for rich soups, stews and gravies. Onions cooked more quickly with more of an edge are good in tomato sauce, and with stronger tasting veggies and beans, especially with Mediterranean style spices. 

Cooking grain with oil

Adding the oil and spices to grain before it is cooked, gives a milder, subtler and more pervasive taste than if oil and spices are added after the grain is cooked, where the flavor coats rather than permeating the grains. 

Varying tastes and textures

In meals with more than one dish you generally want the tastes and textures to complement rather than be too similar. For example, a rich wet stew is best complemented by a dry grain dish. Or, a very spicy rice dish could be complemented by a sweet and smooth tasting soup or stew, or vice versa. 

If you think of tastes as being in 5 major categories - salty, sweet, sour, bitter, pungent - it’s a good idea not to have the same taste dominant in all your dishes - so, a spicy sour stew with a sour cabbage salad and rice cooked with lemon juice would not work. 

Salty or sour dishes are complemented by mildly sweet dishes - and grains and most vegetables and beans are basically very mildly sweet. 

Salty and sour in the same dish intensify each other - you will see them together often in the recipes. Using lemon juice or vinegar in your cooking lets you use less salt. Salty and sweet tend to complement or balance rather than intensify each other. A little bit of sugar added to a dish with a primarily salty taste, like soy sauce, will mellow and smooth out the flavor a bit. 

Hot dishes, those using peppers or chilis,are best complemented by bland grain dishes, and by smooth creamy side dishes like yogurt.

Varying Leftovers

This becomes very important when you are cooking ahead a lot, and making stews or rice dishes to last for 3 to 5 days. Here are some suggestions.

· Vary the side dish. If you have a bean and vegie stew, have it with plain rice one day, with toast another day, over rice another day.

· By the 3rd day, vary or ‘perk up’ your leftover by adding a little extra seasoning - a little extra salt and lemon to make the taste a little sharper often helps. An extra touch of cayenne or pepper can also liven it up. Or, add a garnish like seeds, nuts or grated cheese.

· For a rice and veggie dish you can make a half-new dish by sauteing some veggies with spices and adding the leftovers to that. A cold rice salad can be turned into a hot rice and vegetable dish with a little extra oil, cooked onion and spices.

· If you cook ahead with whole beans, say for a stew, make enough beans that you can keep some of them plain, to be mixed in vegie and rice quick sauteed dishes.

· Keep an interesting bean dip around to have as a snack with bread, or as a complementing side dish with a plain grain dish.

· When you make rice for a meal, cook your rice plain and make extra, so that you have it available as an ingredient to stir into a fresh dish.

· If you are planning a week’s worth of meals, make Tuesday or Wednesday your ‘Eat Something Else’ day as a change of pace, and do a quick cooking meal with a convenient food like mock duck, or pre-cooked beans with rice and veggies with a different spice pattern.

Pasta also makes a good change of pace. You might also consider having a soft cooked cereal like cream of wheat or rice, either sweet like a breakfast cereal or cooked with soft vegetables and spices.

· Use a topping, dip or relish as a side accent to vary the taste of dishes.

Expand your thinking about appropriate foods, especially for breakfast or dinner. For instance, I often like to start the day with a vegetable soup for breakfast, and cooked cereal makes a onderful and warming quick dinner.

article source: Charles Obert / LBVeg

Vegan recipes: Low Oil Omelette

Low Oil Omelette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Low Oil Omelette

For today's cooking lesson, we have one of the easy to cook recipes. It is an omelet with a little oil. If you want a quick and easy vegan meals, then this recipe is definitely for you.

Necessary ingredients

- 2 1/2 cups tofu (mashed)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp Bragg’s liquid Aminos
- 1 tsp Spike
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- black pepper to taste

Method of cooking

 
Cooking this omelet is no different from cooking most famous omelettes. In a bowl, mash all the ingredients together. Place mix into a lightly oiled fry pan and pat down. Cook on one side, then flip. 

Batter will get firm and golden colored. 

Top Five Tips for Raising Vegan Babies and Children

Top Five Tips for Raising Vegan Babies and Children

Top Five Tips for Raising Vegan Babies and Children

When we were looking for a quality theme for the process today, we ran into this great article that you want to publish it in its entirety. These are referred to as Crystal Hansen. Crystal has been vegan for fifteen years, and is currently raising two young boys on a plant-based diet. She shares some of her favorites vegan baking recipes at [http://www.bestvegancookierecipes.com].

All articles you can read below.

  

1) Know the appropriate health requirements: Realize that a vegan diet can meet all of your baby and child's nutritional needs, but only if it is done correctly. All newborn babies get the greatest benefit by nursing from their mothers. When that isn't a possibility, soy formulas work for many infants. You may have to contact individual companies if you have questions about whether a soy formula is completely vegan. 

Make sure to note that there's a big difference between soy formula and soy milk. Feeding an infant soy milk or rice milk as a substitute for breast milk or infant formula does NOT meet all of a newborn's nutritional requirement, and has even led to some tragic deaths.

Older children often thrive on fortified rice or soy milks. Silk soy milk, for instance, contains 50% of the RDA of vitamin B12 per serving (which can be challenging to incorporate into a vegan diet). It's also a good source of calcium and protein. Then of course, make sure your kids are getting enough protein through nuts, beans, and meat substitutes, and don't forget the whole grains, healthy fats, fruits and veggies!

2) Find the right pediatrician: All pediatricians are not created equal. Before your child is born, speak with several pediatricians to find someone you feel comfortable with and trust, and make sure to ask them how they feel about a vegan diet. Doctors who are open-minded and have up-to-date knowledge about nutrition will recognize that vegan diets can be nutritionally sound, and often healthier than diets including Happy Meals. They can also be a great source of information for how to keep your child healthy if you have specific questions about vegan nutritional guidelines.

3) Enlist supportive caregivers: If you're a working parent, you may have to search for an understanding daycare provider who will make a valiant effort to stick with your child's vegan diet. Most often, it works best for everyone involved if the parents of the vegan child provide all meals and snacks. Usually, daycare providers are more willing to work with parents who make it easy, and don't demand that they learn all of the ins and outs of veganism. 

Mistakes may be inadvertently made (for example, my two-year-old once grabbed a meatball from another child's plate and took a bite), but if your daycare provider recognizes that this kind of thing is a problem, and tries vigilantly to avoid it, things usually work out fairly well.

4) Substitute treats: When your child is going to a birthday party or encountering classroom treats, bring a vegan substitute. Your child will probably want to feel included, and being a vegan most definitely doesn't have to mean being left out of the fun! Each quarter, I give my son's kindergarten teacher a bag full of Alternative Baking Company cookies, Fruit Leather, and crackers.

Around Halloween, or other "candy-heavy" holidays, I give her some extra treats (such as Mambas) and let her know how I'd like my son to deal with getting non-vegan candy. (If his teacher is unsure about whether a treat is vegan, she usually sends it home in my son's backpack and lets us decide.) 

Work with your child's teacher to find a system that works for you. Most teachers will be willing to work with you. Also, when you're going to family parties, bring fun snacks and treats that your child will be excited about. This doesn't always work out perfectly, but with a little extra planning and effort, eating socially with non-vegans doesn't have to be awkward, and it doesn't have to make your child feel deprived.

5) Complain with composure, and know your facts: If teachers or grandparents give your child a non-vegan treat, your first reaction can be anger. I've been in that position before, and it's a natural reaction; however, explaining to the person how important veganism is to you and your family can be helpful. For many people, being vegan is about more than a diet. It often encompasses spiritual beliefs and personal ethics, and these things deserve respect in any situation. 

In the case that you've explained that, and a teacher has been repeatedly unwilling to work with you, take your complaint to the principal. Most problems can be resolved with more understanding. Keep in mind that veganism isn't well understood by everyone, and some people will even think you are harming your child by feeding them a vegan diet. In this case, information is your best asset. The more evidence you are able to provide skeptical grandparents or teachers on the benefits of vegan living, the better.

Some people have concerns about phytoestrogens in soy mimicking estrogen and causing hormonal imbalances. If you have those concerns, speak with your pediatrician, or simply cut back on the soy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Crystal_Hansen

Vegan recipes: Turkey-Lurkey’s Teriyaki Tofu

Vegan recipes: Turkey-Lurkey’s Teriyaki Tofu

Serves 6

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- 1 1/2 pound firm tofu
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 or 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
- 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 10 bamboo skewers

Cut the tofu into strips about 1/4 inch thick and 3/4 inches wide. Place them on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Sprinkle with the soy sauce. In a cup,mix together the nutritional yeast, onion powder, and garlic powder, and shake the mixture over the tofu strips.

Bake for 15 minutes, then flip over, and bake for 10 more minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Brush the baked strips with the teriyaki sauce and olive oil, then thread on the skewers. Heat under the broiler for 5 minutes.

Do not allow to burn. Serve on a bed of brown rice or with toothpicks as hors d’oeuvres.

I cooked this recipes from Instead of Chicken, Instead of Turkey. United Poultry Concerns. If you wanna buy this book, click on the picture below.

Instead of Chicken, Instead of Turkey. United Poultry Concerns

Quick Vegan Glossary

quick vegan glossary

 

Quick Vegan Glossary

Vegan: People who choose animal-free foods are vegans. Vegan foods are free of animal products including poultry, red meat, dairy, eggs, and fish.

Nutritional Yeast: Flavorful golden flakes or powder give a delicious cheesy taste and texture to gravies, sauces, casseroles, and salad dressings. Sprinkle on pasta and soups like parmesan, use for breading, whip with vegan buttery spread or vegetable oil in mashed potatoes, and add to stir-fries. Nutritional yeast is non-leavening and does not cause yeast infections.

Seitan: High protein food made of wheat gluten with a meat-like texture. Seitan is sold in many food stores in oven-ready and ready-to-eat forms, and is the grilled, baked, and sizzling “meat”in many vegetarian entrees. Like stirfried shitake mushrooms and grilled Portobello mushrooms, seitan makes giving up meat a lot easier that you think.

Tempeh: Highprotein, somewhat meat-like food with a nutty flavor made from fermented soybeans. Delicious cubed or thinly sliced in stir-fries.

Tofu: This versatile soybean product and meat replacement can be breaded, marinated, stir-fried, and baked in many different ways. A good source of protein and calcium, tofu (also called bean curd) absorbs the flavors of sauces and spices. 

It can be found in just about any supermarket in 1-lb packages ranging from extra-firm for meat-like textures, firm or soft for vegan scrambled eggs, and silken textures for puddings, mousses, pumpkin and cream pie fillings.

Vegan food pyramid - video explained

Vegan food pyramid

 

Vegan food pyramid - video explained

If you hate to read all the information on the Internet about Vegan food pyramid, then we're for you have a great video. This is a video explaining the Vegan Food Pyramid, which is for all of us on youtube by a user Inga A. Enjoy!

Vegan recipes: Best Vegan Macaroni and Cheese Ever

Vegan recipes: Macaroni and Cheese

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan recipes: Best Vegan Macaroni and Cheese Ever

When it comes to vegan cooking, then this is one of the easiest and best recipe for macaroni. It's easy and quick to cook, and the flavor is fantastic. If you are a beginner vegan, then this is the ideal meal for you.

Serves 6

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- 1 1/2 cups plain soymilk

- 1 cup water

- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce

- 1 1/2 cups nutritional yeast

- 1 tablespoon paprika

- 1 tablespoon garlic powder

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 3 ounces firm tofu

- 1 cup canola oil

- 1 1/2 pounds macaroni noodles

- 2 teaspoons mustard (optional)

Boil water in a big pot for macaroni noodles. Put all other ingredients in a blender to create the cheeselike sauce. Once noodles are cooked, drain and put in a baking pan and pour sauce over the noodles. Bake until the top of the pasta looks slightly browned and crispy – about 15 minutes.

Is Vegan food Halal?

Is Vegan food Halal?

Vegan diets (or sometimes referred to as pure vegetarian diets) are diets made up of plant-based materials such as beans, fruits, grains, legumes, vegetables and/or combinations of them.  

Vegan diets prohibit the use of any animal products i.e. materials derived from animals (including by-products and derivatives) such as dairy products (milk), eggs, meat (from cows, sheeps etc.), poultry (e.g. chickens & ducks) as well as seafood (like fishes & prawns) due to ethical considerations or moral convictions with regards to animal rights.

Halal foods are foods that can be consumed by Muslims according to Islamic law. According to the Quran, all foods are considered halal with the exceptions of (which are haram):

a) Alcoholic drinks and other intoxicants
b) Animals that are not slaughtered in the name of Allah or dead before slaughtering
c) Blood
d) Carnivores & birds of prey
e) Pork and its by-products
f) Foods contaminated with any of the above products

Alcohol in vegan food

Let's talk a bit about alcohol. Alcohol (or more specifically alcoholic beverages) are drinks that contain ethanol. Alcoholic beverages can be classified into 3 broad classes namely beers, spirits and wines. In general, a beverage fermented from starch-heavy source (such as grains) whereby they are broken down into sugars (by malting for example) is called a beer; or if the mash is distilled, then it's called a spirit. Wine on the other hand is derived from fermented grapes. Alcohol is haram in Islam because alcohol by nature is a psychoactive drug that has a depressant effect on those who drink it. It slows down the function of the central nervous system as well as blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain thus altering a person's emotions, hearing, movement, perceptions and vision.

Although vegan diets appear to be halal in the sense that plant-based materials are used, vegans allow the use of alcohol in their diet. As you can see, alcohols are obtained from plant-based materials and thus vegans are allowed to drink or use them in their diet. Many vegan recipes use wine as ingredients to bring out the true flavour of the food. As mentioned above, alcohol is strictly forbidden in Islam and as such not all vegan diets are indeed halal.

Due care be taken. Always check ingredients before consuming any food.

Vegan Food Pyramid

Vegan food pyramid

Food Group of Vegan Food Pyramid

Vegan food pyramid - whole grains and total grams per serving:

- 1 slice bread 30g, 

- 1 cup dr cereal 30g, 

- 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta 100g,

- 6-in tortilla 30g, 

- 1 small roll or muffin 30g, 

- 3-4 crackers 30g.

Dietary purpose for this group: provide energy, dietary, fiber, iron, zinc and B vitamins. 

Health benefits of grains: 

They may reduce risk of CHD constipation, help with weight management. 

Vegan food pyramid - legums and soy and total grams per serving:

- 1/2 cup cooked dry beans, peas, limas, lentils, soy, 100g,

- 1/2 cup tofu, soy product, 125g, 

- 1 cup fortified soy beverage.  

Dietary purpose for this group: Protein, B vitamins, trace minerals,

Health benefits of legums and soy: 

Proteins - building block for muscle, bones, blood, skin, 

B vitamins - important for nervous system and formation of red blood cells,  

Minerals - iron, zinc and magnesium.

Vegan food pyramid - Vegetables and total grams per serving:

- 1 cup raw leafy vegetables or salad 50g, 

- 1/2 cup chopped raw vegetable 50g, 

- 1/2 cup cooked vegetables 80g, 

- 3/4 cup vegetrable juice,    

Dietary purpose for this group: Rich in vitamins and minerals, fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and naturally low in fat and calories - none has cholesterol.   

      
Health benefits of vegetables:

May reduce risk od stroke and CVD, type 2 diabetes, developing kidney stones, protect against certain cancer, help decrease bone loss.

Vegan food pyramid - Fruits and total gram per serving:

- 1 medium apple,banana, orange, 150g, 

- 1 cup berries 150g,

- 1 cup chopped fresh fruit 150g, 

- 3/4 cup fruit juice 175 ml, 

- 1/4 cup dried fruit 35g, 

Dietary purpose for thi group is same as vegetables.

Health benefits of fruits: 

Same as vegetables.

Vegan food pyramid - Nuts and seeds and total grams per serving:

- 1 oz. nuts and seeds 30g,

- 23 almonds (1/4 cup), 

- 14 walnut halves (1/4 cup), 

- 15 cashews (1/4 cup), 

- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 

- 2 Tbsp peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, 

Dietary purpose for this group: Protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, essential fatty acids, vitamin E,

Health benefits of Nuts and seeds: 

Lower risk of heart disease.

Vegan food pyramid - Vegetable oil and total gram per serving:

- 1 Tbsp plant oils (14g), 

- 1/4 avocado (50g), 

- 1 Tbsp sald dressing (14g), 

- 23 olives (100g), 

Dietary purpose for this group: Essential fatty acids, Vitamin E

Health benefits of Vegetable oil:  

Improves cholesterol.

Vegan food pyramid - Dairy products and gram per serving:

- 1 cup non-fat ot low fat milk or yogurt 250ml, 

- 1/2 cup low fat cottage or ricotta cheese 125ml, 

- 1.5 oz low fat fresh cheese 42g. 

Dietary purpose for this group: Rich in calcium for strong bones.

Health benefits of Dairy products: 

Help build and maintain bone, my reduce risk of osteoporosis.

Vegan food pyramid - Eggs - Good sourc of protein and iron

Vegan food pyramid - Sweets and gram per serving:

- 1/8 fruit pie, 

- 1 tbsp fruit preseres (15 ml), 

- 1/2 cup ice cream 125ml, 

- 1.5 ozchocolate bar (42g) 

- 1/2 cup ice cream

Health benefits of sweets products: Psychological

For our pyramid you should :

Adults - exercise for 30 min /day if you want to avoid chronic diseases.
           - exercise for 60 min /day for weight loss.

Water:  At least 8- ounce glasses of water every day,

And you need to enjoy at least 10 minutes on sun every day to activate vitamin D.

Vegan Food Pyramid