CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI BREAD

Due to the fact that my zucchini has taken over my garden, overshadowing everything else, I had to put it to good use. I always double this to make multiple loaves and freeze the extras that won't be eaten immediately. My family has a serious problem, and it is with this zucchini bread! They can't stop eating it, I may have to call in reinforcements....

3 T. ground flaxseed meal

1/2 c. filtered water

1/2 c. organic cinnamon applesauce

1/2 c. canola oil

1 T. vinegar (apple cider or white is best)

2 c. organic granulated sugar

2 c. grated zucchini (I do this in my food processor, but it can certainly be done by hand)

2 t. vanilla extract

3 c. white whole grain flour, or organic whole wheat pastry flour

2 t. ground cinnamon

fresh couple of gratings of nutmeg

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. sea salt

1 c. organic, vegan, mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray.

2. In a blender, or by hand with a whisk, mix together the flax meal and water until thick and frothy. Add the applesauce, oil, vinegar and sugar until thoroughly combined. Mix in the zucchini and vanilla.

3. In a separate large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. This would be the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix with a wire wisk to remove any lumps.

4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. Divide the batter between the two pans as evenly as possible.

5. Bake for 50-70 mins. Check to see if the loaves are done by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it is done.

Mango Salsa

Took this to a party last night, and every bit was gobbled up!!

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, membranes romoved and chopped fairly small

1 c. cilantro, chopped roughly

1/2 red onion, fist sized, minced

2 mangoes, skinned, flesh removed from seed, and diced fairly small

4-5 tomatoes, fist sized, chopped fairly small

juice of one lime

1 t. cumin

1/2-1 t. ground chipotle powder (optional if you want it zippy!)

1/4-1/2 t. ground cayenne (optional as well)

1/2 t. sea salt

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, stirring gently to combine. Let sit for at least an hour for the flavors to combine. Enjoy with corn chips to scoop up all the yumminess with!!

MACARONI & CHEEZE

4 T. Earth Balance margarine

5 T. all purpose flour

4 c. unsweetened organic soymilk (or other non-dairy milk of choice)

1 8oz. package of Daiya cheddar style shreds

1 8 oz. package Tofutti non-dairy, non-hydrogenated cream cheese

1 lb. of elbow noodles

1 1/2 t. onion powder

1/4 c. nutritional yeast

1 t. salt

pepper to taste

cooking spray

1 c. panko bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of filtered water to a boil over high heat. Add in the macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain, rinse and add the macaroni back into the pan.

3. Melt the margarine over medium heat until completely melted. Stir in the flour, onion powder & nutritional yeast with a wire whisk. Stir over medium heat for one minute. Whisk in one cup of soymilk until thoroughly combined and starts to thicken. Continue to do so, cup by cup of soymilk, until it is all used and you have a fairly thick sauce.

4. Add in the cream cheese, and continue to whisk together until the cheese melts. Add in the Daiya cheese, and whisk until the cheese melts as well. Season with the salt and pepper. Turn off the heat. Pour over the macaroni. Stir well to combine.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Evenly spread the panko bread crumbs over the top (use more if desired). Spray the top of the bread crumbs with the cooking spray, this will help it crisp up nicely.

6. Bake in 350 degree oven until bubbly and browned on top, about 30-40 mins.

GetVegucated.com

GetVegucated.com

Vegan Untruths

The other day I was very excited to see the first of the spring artichokes at my local grocer. I started bagging them up, since my family absolutely LOVES artichokes, and the produce woman commented about my purchase. She asked me how I cook and eat them. I replied that I trim them, steam them until tender, then dip the leaves into lemon butter (Earth Balance), or garlic aoli. My youngest son likes to eat them plain, like everything else he eats. The produce woman, mentioned that she could be a vegetarian, but her husband won't "let" her. She said that he is a diehard meat and potatoes kind of guy. I informed her that I was a vegan, and she took a close look at my face and said, "You seem to look okay, I guess it is doing well for you, I mean you don't look bad or anything. Your skin looks good." Huh? I politely smiled, and thanked her for her ummm, "compliment" and went on with my shopping.

This is a perfect example of what is the challenge in educating people about eating a vegan diet. First off, any self respecting person, be it a woman, or man, should never let anyone else dictate to them what they are allowed to eat, with the exception of severely ill people under the care of a physician or dietician. Otherwise, you should perhaps not be with that person, or go shopping for a new backbone because you appear to be spineless. No one is going to tell me what I can or cannot do, that is a sure bet.

Next, the idea that a well balanced vegan diet, containing lots of fruits, veggies, beans & grains should be anything but health maximizing is so past being hard to believe in this day and age that it is ridiculous. I realize that you can be a vegan and eat "junk", after all, potato chips are vegan, but you cannot live that way for too long. We are being told continually by all kinds of authorities, that you should eat a "rainbow" of foods, eat your veggies, eat your fruit, & eat whole grains. No one is telling us to eat saturated fat & cholesterol. A vegan diet has no cholesterol (it is only found in animal products) and is extrememly low in saturated fats.

People need to seriously take charge of their own health and become educated about what is truly healthy and nutritious. They worry about the economy, healthcare reform, and a billion other things. None of it will matter if they are full of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and dozens of other maladies that a vegan diet can help to prevent. We need to work on preventing these diseases of our Standard American Diet, and focus on living long, active, healthy lives so we can enjoy all those things that we worry about instead of our health. Being a vegan eating a well balanced diet will only make your beauty shine, inside and out!

Nice day for a long walk-happy is the dog!

And so it begins...

Welcome to my blog. I have a website about organic vegan food as you can see. But I am looking for a place to be able to share a more personal side of myself. So I am beginning today, on another of the many snow days stuck in the house this winter. Join me as I chronicle my families journey from mostly vegetarian to completely vegan. I have been vegetarian (with a few slips here or there through the years) for a very long time. Unlike most I don't have set time frames for these things, just generalities. I have been vegan (mostly) for around 2 years now. I did however, experiment a lot with vegan cooking for many, many years. I am certified as an Elementary School teacher, as well as a Family Consumer Science teacher(Home Economics for you old schoolers...). I also teach vegan cooking classes locally and am currently working on expanding those horizons. On these cold winter days stuck in the house, my mind naturally turns to food. So off to the kitchen I go to start experimenting! My kids think my kitchen is like a science lab, I always have something growing, dehydrating, or fermenting. Here is where I will chronicle my successes, as well as my failures. I also need to work off some of this brutal winter's cooking frenzies, so I have ordered my very own copy of Physique 57. I want arms like Kelly Ripa's! I will keep you updated on how well that works. She takes Physique 57 classes in NYC 3-4 times a week, and runs 3-5 miles 5 days a week. I am just going to start with my new videos when they come, and sneak in a walk when I won't get run over by a snow plow!!