Easy swaps.

After the initial panic (I'm never going to eat ice cream or chocolate bars ever again..AH!) of moving towards veganism wore off, I was on a mission to find reasonable substitutes for everyday things from food to body care. After many, many bumps in the road (think chalky, chewy soy milk..yuck!), I'm happy to say that I've compiled a starter list of delicious substitutes!


The best chocolate chip cookies!
Not only is each bite full of chocolatey chunks (it's in the name!), but through its collaboration with the Nature Conservancy, Back to Nature is committed to supporting conservation work around the world. Learn more here. Delicious and something I can get behind!

Vegan Mayo and Vegan butter:
I've tried many a  vegan mayo. Most of them can't hold up to being in a potato salad much less being spread on a sandwich (Hint, hint: they turn watery..not exactly the look you're going for). Just when I thought there was no hope, I came across the Earth Balance mayo. In a word, it is delicious and I actually prefer it to the regular one. As with all their products, the mayo is made from all natural and organic ingredients. Give their  butter spread a try--spread them on muffins, toast and pancakes for a healthy, alternative option. Yumm!

 

Regular and Chocolate Milk:

Ok, here is where I thought well "I have my work cut out for me." I tried a lot, A LOT of different soy milks and the verdict on most of them? YUK! Either they were chalky or had weird floaties in them. Not what you're looking for in your milk. Then came the deliciousness below. Yum yum yum. So happy to have something to dunk my delicious chocolate chip in to. Try the chocolate milk as well....my husband swears by it.

Want to try your hand at making your own chocolate milk or hot chocolate? Try Ghirardelli hot cocoa premium chocolate. Holy moly. You won't know what hit you. :)

Sugar:
Who would have known that sugar, yes sugar! would not be vegan? According to Jo Stepaniak, "During the final purification process, cane sugar is filtered through activated carbon (charcoal) which may be of animal, vegetable, or mineral origin. Over half of the cane refineries in the United States use bone char (charcoal made from animal bones) as their activated carbon source."  Ridiculous. So, try the following vegan option.

Meats: 
Try the mexican style ground "beef" on nachos, in tacos and in pasta sauce for a twist on the traditional meat sauce. Just sautee in some onions, garlic and season with salt and pepper and you're ready to go.

Gardein mandarain chick'n  is soooooo amazingly delicious. Sautee it, add some grilled red bell peppers, carrots and celery and sprinkle with a handful of scallions and serve on hot rice. It is fabulously simple and better than any chinese food take out. Also try out their beefless tip, babeque wings, bbq pulled shreds and chicken scallopini. Yumm!

Morningstar has the best chik'n strips. They are so actual chicken-like that I had to double check the label to make sure it was vegan. I use this to make thai chikin red curry to chikin pot pie to chikin soup (all recipes to come, I promise). Try it and you won't miss the real chicken. :)

More to come.

Till next time, To Life!

Onion galore!

I have been slowly transitioning to a vegan diet for almost a year now. I've moved away from consuming dairy milk, eggs, butter, and seafood. Additionally, I only use products that are cruelty free (so, no animal testing or animal ingredients. It's amazing how many everyday products, such as sugar (yes!), soap, lotion, shampoo and cleaning supplies have animal ingredients). All in all, the slow transition has helped me to sustain this change. As you've probably gathered from the title of this post, the one product that has held up the full change to veganism is....CHEESE! That curdled and fermented deliciousness is holding me hostage. :)

I felt a lot of guilt at my difficulty giving up cheese. And then I remembered Ms. Patrick-Goudreau's (author of the Vegan Table) words "Our connection with food is powerful." And it is as simple as that. Food is a part of our life. They remind us of where we've been: the soul food restaurant in Harlem, the outdoor bbq in Jersey, eating curried lamb with the village women in India or the quiet evenings spent with Mike with a bottle of wine and cheese. Many of our deepest, most meaningful experiences occur around food and so my difficulty should come as no surprise. I also know that this revelation is not an excuse to stop my progress towards veganism. But, understanding and acknowledging my emotions (without judgement) associated with food is an important first step in my continued evolution. So, to all of you out there who are thinking of decreasing or giving up animal meat and products, I have some advice that I've discovered along the way. This is a process..challenge yourself and if you fall, acknowledge the reason and move on. Remember, the goal is to decrease suffering..(whether it be through giving up meat once a week, or removing household products with animal ingredients etc.) I wish you luck in your journey of aligning your behavior with your values.

Caramelized Onions and goat cheese (optional) on flat bread

Serves two

 

What I've learned along the way:
1. Be  careful not to over handle basil. It tends to bruise easily (gets a blackish color) that can detract from the presentation. Just run it under moving water and you're done.
2. When cooking garlic, it is best to cook it on low heat to allow the delicious garlic flavor to infuse the oil. You don't want the garlic to start sizzling when you add it to the oil.

Ingredients:
2 Flat breads, one per person
Two large yellow onions, sliced
Apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons
Salt, as needed
Black pepper, as needed
Sugar, 2 tablespoons
2 garlic cloves, sliced
Handful of basil, julienned
Olive oil, as needed
Herbed goat cheese, a few crumbles

Directions:
1. Pour a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet and add the sliced onions. Add salt and pepper and cook the onions on medium heat for approximately 25 minutes until they have wilted. Turn occasionally. About halfway through, add the apple cider vinegar and continue to cook.

2. While the onions are cooking, add a tablespoon of olive oil and slow cook the garlic and half the julienned basil on low heat.

3. Once the onions have wilted more, add sugar and combine well. Cook for an additional 35 to 40 minutes until the onions have turned a lovely golden brown. Remember to turn the onions occasionally to prevent them from burning.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Now, you're ready to assemble. Brush the flatbread with the garlic and basil infused olive oil. Next, add a layer of the apple cider caramalized onions and sprinkle with a few crumbles of herbed goat cheese (optional).
5. Cook for 10 minutes or until flatbread crisps up and the cheese melts.
6. Remove from oven, cut into wedges, sprinkle some basil and serve with wine. I particularly love an Argentinian Malbec with this.

Enjoy!

Till Next Time, To Life!