Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

When I was in the supermarket the other day I stumbled upon a new offering in the frozen food section. Dr Praeger's Vegan Burgers. They caught my eye. I'm always on the hunt for new and interesting meat free fare. They were also on sale. And they were vegan. I'm always up for some egg free veggie burgers. There aren't nearly enough of those. I sometimes make my own vegan black bean burgers with lime and peanut butter. While they taste really good, they are a lot of work. The frozen sort are so much more convenient. There were several flavor of Dr Praegers's. California, Bombay and one other I can't quite recall. The curry one intrigued me. I love some good curry. I'm Asian at heart. Usually I avoid frozen faux burgers. They are typically disappointing. But I tried the Bombay burgers. Just because of how much I love curry. A good vegan or vegetarian knows that burger doesn't mean the same thing when you're meat free. and also doesn't care....

Trouble sleeping? Try nutritional yeast. Usually reserved as a dietary supplement for vegetarians and vegans nutritional yeast is high in tryptophan and other essential nutrients. I find that when I make sure to get enough of it I sleep easier and better and more restful. If you're wondering what it tastes like, that's an easy question to answer. It has a cheesey taste. But with note of bitterness. Like a french cheeese. It also has some nutty qualities. It makes a great aaddition to boxed macaroni and cheese. Vegans like to use it to make faux mac and cheese. Which is good by the way. But it also enhances the flavor the of classic store kind. I use it to make a low fat, low cal version. Instead of lots of butter or margarine. I use only one tablespoon of fat. 1/4 cup almond milk and about 1/3 cup water and 1/4 cup nutri yeast added to the cheese powder packet. It gives it a more complex cheese flavor and ups the nutrients considerably. Nutritional yeast can be treated and used...

Posted below are my latest food purchase tallies for vegetarian vs. omnivore shopping. The price of hummus drove up the cost of my veg shopping at $3 even with a dollar discount. But it's so worth it! Even so, my total still came in well under the omnivore's. On top of that I generously attributed all veggies purchases solely to my total even though she'll eat plenty of the corn, potatoes and frozen veggies. I've also broken down the purchases by the various local grocery stores. Shoprite 1.40 lb @ 1.29/lb Romaince Lettuce = $1.81 5 lb Bag Russet Potatoes = $2.99 Sabra Roasted Garlic Hummus = $2.99  Total = $7.79 Pathmark 12 oz Frozen Peas = $1.68 16 oz Frozen Cauliflower = $1.68 16 oz Frozen Chopped Broccoli = $1.68 8 oz Kraft Swiss Cheese Slices = $1.73 Fresh Garlic = $0.45 Fresh Jalapeno = $0.20 3 Ears Fresh Corn = $1.49 Total = $8.92 Grand Total = $16.71 A&P Half and Half = $1.99 2 Black and White Cookies = $2.58 Total =$4.57 Pathmark ...

Here's an idea that occurred to me this afternoon because of Labor Day. A healthier and better tasting potato salad everyone will love. It's vegan, but doesn't require vegan mayonnaise. It's easier too. And has hardly any ingredients. Potato Salad Dressing Ingredients 1 cup hummus (your favorite variety) 1/3 cup white vinegar 1 tsp hot sauce (optional if you love heat) In a large bowl combine the hummus and vinegar (and hot sauce if desired). Set aside. Potato Salad Ingredients 3 lbs russet potatoes 1/2 cup shredded carrots 1/2 cup scallions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray. Wash potatoes thoroughly and cut into 1/4 inch chunks. Leave the skins on. Roast potatoes for 15 minutes. Stir and roast 12 minutes longer. Shred or mince carrots. Or buy pre-shredded. Mince scallions. Let potatoes cool at least 30 minutes. Then add potatoes, carrots and scallions to the bowl of dressing. Stir to coat everything in the sauc...

Here in this post I have a more in depth account of cost of foods for myself and my mother. I am eating vegetarian and she is not. I just find the disparity fascinating. It's important to note that shared foods like bread are not included in these totals. And other supermarket purchases such as cleaning supplies and paper products are also not included. It's also interesting to see how convenience foods regardless of meat content drive up costs. And how yogurt is really pricey. It's fortunate for me that I find yogurt to be vile and disgusting. But those that  enjoy it will notice it's very expensive. And the oft touted mantra that fresh produce is expensive is clearly debunked. If you shop seasonally and locally it's cheaper than processed alternatives. You'll also notice my list has far less content. It's missing snacks, desserts and nurtionless add ins like coffee creamer. Even though I made an unplanned purchase in the Kitchen of India pouch which ...

One of the main things that's wrong with the world today is how we perceive beans. They are thought of as a side dish or a poor substitute for missing meat. The fact is they ought to be the star of your dishes. Even vegetarians and vegans are guilty of this crime. Trying endlessly to transmogrify beans into some sort of pseudo meat alternative. With bean burgers and soy faux meat products. I say let the beans shine. Don't try to make them into something they're not. Don't waste time trying to morph them into a substitute for dead cow or murdered chicken. Beans deserve better. They are so healthy and delicious on their own. We should be savoring them rather than trying to alter them to resemble something they are not. I dare you to swap out beans in any place you would normally use meat and not be amazed at how much better it is. Make yourself a bean sandwich. A bean patty. A bean loaf. A bean salad. The bean plays second fiddle to no one. Embrace the bean an...

I've been conducting this experiment of sorts.About the cost of eating veg versus the cost of eating meat. I've been keeping track of weekly food expenditures for myself and my mother. Eliminating shared foods like loaves of bread and bags of rolls. The data I've gathered so far, after only 4 weeks is pretty interesting. It's a pervasive belief that eating veg is more costly, but real life paints an entirely diffferent truth. I haven't documented the actual foods purchases. I should have. And will in the future. But suffice it to say that she eats meat and I don't. I've maintined a spreadsheet of weekly spending on food. The results of which are quite eye opening. Date Mom Me 7/29/2013 16.84 24.74 8/12/2013 26.28 11.98 8/05/2013 25.32 14.82 8/19/2013 32.94 9.63 101.38 61.17 My first week includes the cost of cola. I am a Pepsi fan and she is not. And while I don't drink too much of it at some point there's a need to replensih resouce...