Rob and Heather’s Hummus Dressing!

My friend Rob sent me this recipe that he and his lady Heather make, and it sounds amazing! I wanted to post it since it’s so versitile, you can put it on salad or dip veggies in it or even use it with pita chips. I haven’t tried it but I know Rob’s cooking and let me tell you, it’s killer. Here it is!

• 4 parts of your favorite hummus
• 2 parts rice win vinegar
• 1 part soy sauce
• salt
• pepper

 This sounds really good and I’m going to try it this week for sure! Thank you Rob and Heather! They have a blog as well called City Spot Live, it’s an awesome blog about cool places to eat and shop in Southern California so please check it out! You can click below to visit!

 

Skinny Bitch.

 

I love love love this book. It’s a great tough love starter for anyone who is struggling with the idea of going vegan. These two books give you hard facts without sugarcoating anything (I had to skip the truth about animal abuse chapter because I cried after one paragraph) and give you the straightforward truth about the shit you’re putting in your body, as well as some great animal- friendly recipes that I’ve tried and have loved.

If you’re the kind of girl (or guy…buy “Skinny Bastard,” made for men) who makes excuses, this one is for you. Not to mention, I’m a huge fan of reading and research…you’ll get that here too!

 

Nya’s Kale Chips!

 

 

My bestest best friend Nya told me the other day how much she loves kale chips but wanted to make them herself because of how expensive they can be at one of our local health food stores. SO…I gave her my “recipe” (it’s so easy it’s hard to call it that, but we’ll go with it for a lack of a better word) but I’m naming them after her because quite frankly, she’s the shit.

Never heard of kale? This little wonder green is a type of cabbage that most people consider only to be a garnish at your local diner next to your burger and fries. It’s not! Kale is high in antioxidants, vitamins K and C, and is also rich in calcium. It comes in a green or purple variety, you can make chips with both colors and make them pretty!

 

Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of kale (either color)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt, to taste

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper (optional, for easy clean up).
• With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces.
• Wash and thoroughly dry kale with paper towels. Drizzle kale with olive oil, toss and sprinkle with salt, but be careful not to over-salt, kale is typically a little salty on it’s own.
• Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes. You have to really watch them, they can burn fast!

 

Easy right? You can also season these many ways, this is just the basic bare minimum. Some other seasoning ideas:

• soy sauce in place of salt
• fresh cracked black pepper
• garlic powder/salt
• rosemary
• chili powder
• brown sugar
• vegan parmesan cheese (Galaxy brand makes a great one)
• crushed red pepper
• granulated onion
• paprika

Anyway you get the idea. Be creative and enjoy!

 

 

Amy’s Kitchen Kills It.

(click photo for link to site)

 

Amy’s Organic foods is a really great brand that caters to all types of specialty diets from soy free to gluten free to vegan, and their food is super delicious. My grandma actually brought me Amy’s products when I first started the vegan thing, and I’ve loved them ever since! Some of the ones I love:

 

If you’re a big breakfast person these are fast and taste like they were homemade. She even uses California strawberries!

 

 

This is the Mexican Tamale Pie that is awesome! I crave Mexican food a lot and it’s not always easy with all the animal products used in typical Mexican dishes. This is organic beans and vegetables in a mild Mexican sauce with a golden polenta topping.  How good does that sound?

 

This is perfect for a winter night or just when you need some comfort food. The sauce is really rich and it’s full of organic vegetables and in this, I even love the tofu!

 

Who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese? It’s one of the things that I hadn’t been crazy about as far as vegan versions, but this stuff is so good, I’m telling you. I love how creamy the sauce is and I don’t have to miss mac n’ cheese anymore! Win.

 

 

Amy’s carries about 15 or so great vegan soups/chilies and most of them are wonderful. I love love love spicy food. Like burn your mouth & tears spicy, and I also love a good chili. I remember my college had this insanely good vegan chili and I crave it often, so this chili from Amy’s does the trick! If I’m sick (which is rare) I almost always crave soup, specifically chicken noodle. Her “No Chicken Noodle” is great and just as comforting as mom’s.

 

 

If you’re craving Asian food I highly suggest you try this. This is one of my favorites. I love the sweet and sour teriyaki sauce, and the organic brown rice soaks up the flavors really well. A must try if you like rice bowls!

 

My love for pasta has me hooked on this one. She uses organic tomatoes in her sauce with Italian herbs and organic peas, and even dairy free ricotta. With garlic bread this is a really great Italian meal.

 

 

Indian food seems to scare a lot of people, and it actually did scare me until about 2 years ago after trying this little place in Costa Mesa. I was so surprised that a lot of their traditional food is vegan! And I got hands-down the spiciest dish I’ve ever eaten there, killer. This Samosa wrap curbs my cravings when I get them without the trip!

 

 

Chocoholics! This one’s for you. This cake that Amy’s makes is really rich and moist with an intense chocolate flavor. I don’t know how they did it and to be honest, I don’t care. I’m just glad they did.

 

I tried to cover a little of everything as far as food genres, I hope you give this stuff a try! Amy’s is even carried in a lot of mainstream grocery stores so check out your freezer section and soup aisles!

XOXO!

Hallelujah…for Christina Grimmie

 

So I know this isn’t fitting much with my vegan theme in this blog, but I also have a secondary love for music and a third for art so some of that is going to make it in here sometimes when I find something amazing. This girl’s name is Christina Grimmie and her voice is ridiculous. Plus (and this gets mega points) she loves video games. This is one of my favorite songs in the world done wonderfully by her. Enjoy.

Link to her youtube: zeldaxlove64

Baby Hippo is so Cute!

Hippos have been my favorite animal since I was 6 years old, I love this video!

The Best of Vegan Shopping.

(click for link to online store)

Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe is a vegan owned, vegan operated, online vegan store in Marietta, GA. They also have a little shop that I would frequent quite a lot when I lived in Atlanta. They have wonderful things from food to handbags to cosmetics, all vegan friendly and no animal testing. Score!

If you don’t have a chance to make it to their store in Georgia, you can shop online in their huge online store. Here are a few things that I looooove!

 

This is a book that they just recently put in their store. How cool and easy! This book lets you look up any non-veg ingredient you want to sub out in a recipe and the authors will give you a vegan alternative! Such a great idea for beginner vegans. Love.

 

I am a chapstick addict. I freak if I don’t have it with me at all times, not exaggerating! This cute combo of tea and lipbalm is perfect and I’m telling you, they smell SO good. The “Brew” line by Crazy Rumors comes in Orange Bergamot (fave!), Apple Spice, Peppermint Lemongrass, and Spiced Chai. If you’re not a tea fan though, don’t worry. Some of their other lines include: Fresh Squeezed, A La Mode, and Soda Pop, to name a few. And animal friendly!

 

 

Merry Hempsters Tattoo Balm is perfect for keeping tattooed skin moist, and preventing fading from sun exposure. Hemp oil is very healing to the skin, and the added sunscreen protects your ink from the sun. I used this on my key tattoo once I discovered it and have loved it since if I’m going to be outside for long.

 

I like this funny shirt by Herbivore Clothing, and it’s a great conversation starter. Seitan is a food made from the gluten of wheat and is often used as a “mock meat.”  Dark and awesome.

So there are a few things I love from Cosmo’s. They have belts and bags there as well, head on over there and check it out! Happy shopping. ❤

Bad Eating = Depression!

 

A new study put forth by the universities of Navarra and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain have found that diets rich in trans-fats — like the kind found in most fast food meals — increase the risk of depression by 50 percent. 50 percent people! That is an astounding percentage. Even in Europe, where trans-fat consumption is far lower than in the U.S., depression rates are considerably higher among trans-fat-consuming populations.

The team evaluated the diet and lifestyles of some 12,000 European volunteers over a six-year period. At the beginning of the study, none of the participants had been diagnosed with depression. But at its conclusion, 657 of them were diagnosed with the illness.

Very interesting! Stay away from those yucky drive-thru places, depression is a  scary thing and everyone wants to have a happy life. Don’t let stupid food bring you down. It may taste good at the time, but among many other health concerns related to fast food, obesity and cholesterol being two of the majors, in the long run you never know what it’s doing to your body. Yuck!

Source: Natural News

 

 

Shepherd’s Pie!

How great does this look? Almost as good as it tastes!

Ingredients

• Mashed potato layer:
• 5 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise or sour cream
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons vegan cream cheese substitute (such as Tofutti ®)
• 2 teaspoons salt

• Bottom layer:
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen corn (optional)
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 clove garlic, minced, or more to taste
• 1 pinch ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) package vegetarian ground beef substitute (Gimme Lean® Beef is great)

• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar-style soy cheese (Daiya brand is the best!)

For the Gravy:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• 4 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

Directions

1. Place the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low, and boil the potatoes until tender, about 25 minutes; drain.
2. Stir the vegan mayonnaise, soy milk, olive oil, vegan cream cheese, and salt into the potatoes, and mash with a potato masher until smooth and fluffy. Set the potatoes aside.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), and spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion, carrots, celery, frozen peas, and tomato until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the Italian seasoning, garlic, and pepper.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and crumble the vegetarian ground beef substitute into the skillet with the vegetables. Cook and stir, breaking up the meat substitute, until the mixture is hot, about 5 minutes.
6. Now, make the gravy (This is optional but really adds to the flavor). Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce to form a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the broth. Season with sage, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.
7. Pour the gravy over the “meat” mixture until it is the consistency that you like. You’ll more than likely have gravy left over so either serve it with the dish on the side or freeze it for future use.
8. Spread the vegetarian meat substitute mixture into the bottom of the baking dish, and top with the mashed potatoes, smoothing them into an even layer. Sprinkle the potatoes with the shredded soy cheese.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and slightly browned and the casserole is hot, about 20 minutes.

 

This recipe kicks so much ass! It seems like a  lot of work, but it’s really not too bad. If you love cooking and being in the kitchen this one is a lot of fun. If you’re in more of a hurry or not a fan of cooking, this can be simplified in many ways, like using instant mashed potatoes (check the ingredients! Edward & Sons makes a great organic one), using frozen veggies instead of fresh (you can just buy a bag of frozen carrots and peas together), and omitting the gravy which can be done and it’s still delicious. Happy eating!

Starting out vegan…is EASY!

(click photo for link to list of vegan products carried by Trader Joe’s)

 

I think a big reason people choose not to try vegan food aside from being whiny little pussies is they don’t know where to start. I remember how confused I was at first but the key to success is baby steps. You’re not going to know it all in a day, a week, month, or even a year. It takes time to learn just like any lifestyle change.

Most people have a local Trader Joe’s nearby, and this is a great place to start. They have so many vegan products, it’s pretty much a one stop shop. I’m going to show you vegan-friendly replacements for everyday staples that you can find here to calm the anxiety about shopping vegan. Over time you’ll learn to get creative with your cooking as you learn to use different ingredients.

One thing that is a crock of shit is that all we eat is vegetables, grains, and tofu. That is true, but that’s not all. For the record, I hate tofu. I hate the texture, it weirds me out and only once in my life have I tasted tofu that I liked, and that’s back in Atlanta so I’m screwed on that! Anyway, here are some everyday replacements that I urge you to try, if only once, along with a quick review.

We’ll start with the obvious: meat. There’s so much amazing “fake” meat out there, people just wont even give it a chance, but if I had a nickel for every time I tricked my family and friends, I’d put the nickels in a pillowcase and hit you over the head.

 

These meatballs are so, so good I crave them. Put them on sandwiches, in pasta with Organic Tomato Basil Marinara from TJ’s…OM NOM NOM. If you’re not in the mood for a tomato sauce, I also make a Hawaiian sauce to put on them. Here it is:

First, cook the meatballs in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil until cooked through. While you’re waiting on them, make the sauce as follows:

~Hawaiian Sauce~
1 (16-oz) can pineapple chunks
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBS cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar
2 TBS soy sauce
1 green and 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

Drain pineapple (reserving syrup) and add water to syrup to make 1 cup.

After removing meat balls from pan, add syrup to drippings, stir in brown sugar mixed with cornstarch, vinegar and soy sauce.

Heat and stir until thickened. Return meatballs to sauce and then add peppers and pineapple, stirring to coat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Keep in pot on low to medium and stir often. Serve over rice or with long toothpicks as a fingerfood.

 

 

If you hate the McRib from McDonald’s you are going to hate this as well. They taste absolutely 100% the same, to the point where people I know are convinced that they use these at their restaurants. These are one of my favorite vegan food products of all time. On a french roll, I’m telling you, shit gets crazy.

 

Beef: check. Pork: check…What about chicken?

 

(click photo for link)

MorningStar has unbelievable vegan products as well as some that are vegetarian. Their Grillers Chik’n patties are a great chicken sub. They also make Chik’n strips in flavors like sesame and sweet & sour. Um, yes please. Use these in stir fry, salads, sandwiches, pastas, anything you want!

Alright time to move on from meat into dairy, the other nasty thing we kick from our lifestyles (remember, baby steps).

 

 

Living without butter would be so hard for me, probably worse than cheese, just because I love veggies and its hard without butter! This stuff is perfect. So much better for you, it’s soy based and organic, and it tastes exactly identical to real butter. I was stoked when I tried this the first time and works exactly the same (baking, etc). And since its not clogging your arteries, you can eat even more!

 

 

Personally, I’ve never been much of a mayo fan, but I’ve watched people dip carrots into it before so there must be some die-hards out there. Mayonnaise is high in cholesterol and fat. This is a vegan, reduced fat option that tastes awesome. I use it once in a while on my Tofurkey sandwiches. (GREAT deli “meat,” BTW!) If you need your mayo fix, you’ll get it here.

 

(click photo for link)

Tofutti is one of my favorite all around brands for vegan products. Everything they make is dairy free and delicious. They make a great cream cheese and sour cream among so many other products. The best of which are….dessert!

 

 

These are really killer. They come in 10 flavors! Vanilla, Cookies n Cream, Totally Vanilla, Strawberry Wave, Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Mint Chocolate Chip, Coffee Break, Wild Berry, and Key Lime. I’m not a huge sweets person but when I do have that rare craving, these are amazing and my non-vegan friends buy them more than I do. They also make a Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream, among many other kick ass desserts.

Well there you have it, some easy, great tasting alternatives to things we eat everyday. You don’t have to trade in the foods you love to have a kind, guilt and cruelty free diet. All it takes to start are a few basics and a trip to your local TJ’s! I hope you guys try some  of this stuff out, if you do please let me know what you think!