Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

On my routine bicycle travels I often get to encounter some amazing wildlife. It's amazing to think that such an urbanized area can still be so rich with wilderness and fauna. I guess that's why they call us the garden state. My most favorite by far is the little black ducks I was lucky enough to come across on the side of the road. They appeared to be a couple working together. They were just about as cute as you could ever hope to imagine. It's not easy to photograph animals. They're easily frightened. But these little black ducks had no fear. They let me get very close. And they didn't care about the cars whizing by They just went about their duckly business as if I wasn't even there. But they were as cute as can be. All feathery and fat as ducks tend to be. And waddling around together just the same as any old married couple of the human variety.. If it's wrong to eat dogs and cats, which it is, then it ought to be wrong to eat ducks too. They deserve ...

I've always wondered about the whole fusion thing they're always going on about on various food network programs. There are no such style restaurants around here. They're all just one cuisine at a time. But I took it upon myself to give some fusion a try in my own kitchen. Mostly just because I love ginger so gosh darn much. I'd pretty much put that stuff in anything at all. I love the smell. I love the taste. I even love the name. My fusion was an admittedly odd confluence. It was cajun/asian/mexi and little bit of kosher. I know. I know. What the? But honest to goodness, it came out tasting great. Yes, I was shocked by this. Some of the best lentils I've ever eaten. And I've eaten a lot of lentils. The very reason I'm writing this post is so I can replicate the dish in the future. I don't want to forget how I did it. Ingredients 1/2 cup dry lentils 1/4 pearl barley 1/4 cup kosher garlic pickle juice 6 cloves minced garlic 1 cup frozen collar...

So I heard that Ruby Tuesday had a new veggie burger on their menu. Of course I was interested to sample it. In the past I have not been a fan of their food. Though their salad bar is awesome. It was two veggie patties on a pretzel bun. Topped with pepper jack cheese, spicy chipotle mayo and fried jalapenos. Good stuff. Very good. I would've preferred just plain jalapeno rings over the fried variety. But the spicy mayo was really tasty. And the pretzel bun was good as well. I did not need two patties. I took one off and brought it home to eat the next day. All in all, a stellar effort. Good texture on the patty and great toppings that really made it tasty to eat. Would recommend it for sure. Bonus, if you get the salad bar, you have all those other toppings to add yo your veggie burger. Support the new Ruby Tuesday veggie burger. It deserves a permanent place on their menu.

Those pre-flavored rice mixes are not the healthiest option, but they sure are convenient and inexpensive. I like to augment them for better end result. It's minimal effort for a pretty nice payoff. But today something really unexpected happened. What I thought would just be pretty good rice, turned out to be awesome! Hit me over the head to stop me from eating it awesome. It all started with one box of rice-a-roni broccoli au gratin. It's pretty decent straight up. Cheese has that power. Let me just say, I rarely follow the package direction on rice-a-roni. It's a hassle and only mildly improves the flavor. I usually just cook as I would any plain rice. Add water, little butter, rice and spices to the pot. Cover. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, Let simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. What the rice-a-roni and carolina brands have over the knorr brand is that they take longer to cook. This may seem like a pitfall, but it's an asset when you want to add lent...

So I learned something new and interesting recently. Apparently a vitamin D deficiency can cause dandruff. I got a bad case of dandruff last year and had no clue why. I tried different shampoos and conditioners. Vinegar helped, but only a little. Extra brushing also had some mildly positive effects. Side note: I totally endorse vinegar as the best hair conditioner. No more frizz and no more oily build up. Just happy, shiny hair. Anyway, was totally lost as to the cause of the flakeage. I never did figure it out. I just resigned myself to the circumstances. Then quite by accident I found the cure. I started having cereal with almond milk again. Just cause I was craving the sweet crunch. Almost immediately my dandruff was gone. Since vitamin D is so hard to come by, I'm guessing that was the culprit. And thinking back now, to other outbreaks I can see the connection between lack of vitamin D and flake attacks. In short, the cure for dandruff is almond milk or soy milk...

Would like to share some helpful tips about keeping fresh produce that I've learned over the years. Eating as much fresh veggies as I do daily, one quickly learns how to keep it preserved and in optimum condition for as long as is possible. These are just some interesting tidbits of knowledge I've gleaned along the way. Romaine. Romaine is pretty hearty for a lettuce. I generally buy 3 heads a week. The trick is not to prep them all. Take off the twist tie if there is one and return it to the plastic baggy and store in the fridge. Be careful not to store any lettuce at the very bottom or very back of your fridge. If lettuce freezes it kinda disintegrates. Only pull off and wash as many leaves as you estimate you'll use in about 3-4 days time. Store those washed leaves in a stainless steel bowl with a loose fitting lid or loosely covered with plastic wrap. For some reason romaine seems to do much better stored in metal as opposed to plastic. After I wash the 3 days worth...

Here's what the world needs to know right now... beans. I am so sick of vegetarian recipes that are full of vegetables and cheese. That just doesn't work. It's not filling. It's no wonder only 3% of the population is vegetarian when they are misled into thinking they must eat avocado, pepper and feta for sustenance. Beans are the key. Beans are the alternative to meat. Where you would otherwise stuff your meat simply replace it with beans. Keep all your other add ons. Just swap your meat for beans. It's that easy. And I swear, it really does taste good. Black beans have a great texture and taste that substitutes well for ground beef. Use them in lasagna, 'meat' sauce or on regular sandwiches. Kidney beans are also very 'meaty'. They have a strong nutty flavor and a rich hearty bite. Instead of roast beef or turkey cold cut, just add beans to your sandwich. I adore bean sandwiches. They taste awesome and are so filling. Even though I sometimes eat mea...