Vegan

Last week my little brother was in town from the USA and we had an incredibly fun and ridiculously debaucherous time with him and a pair of his hilarious friends. Not being used to the many party-friendly novelties of Berlin (you can drink on the street! bars never close! everything great is walking distance!) they made it their mission to stay up all night every night and take it all in. I managed to avoid the craziness for a few nights but by the weekend I was in too, and I think I'll be recovering for some time. (Also from the heartbreak of suddenly having to go cold-turkey off of American-boy humor, which I apparently have really been missing.)So for dinner after they left I decided to make something with a lot of raw garlic and green stuff to stave off oncoming infections surely flooding my weakened immune system. The perfect thing? Green Goddess dressing from Appetite for Reduction, a garlicky, tahini-laced herb dressing with tons of punch. Instead of serving it on a salad like normal however, I opted for some comfort food (to soothe my empty-nest syndrome). What better than some toothsome gnocchi? I boiled a couple of potatoes, set on the window sill to cool off, then put them through a potato ricer and kneaded the resulting mash with flour until it was easy to form little dumplings. Then I pan fried it in some olive oil and margarine. For a final kick, I peeled a carrot and quick pickled it in a bit of vinegar and sugar in the fridge.Two parts raw, one part cooked, and extremely vibrant and delicious. I can think of many variations on this theme...Another bright and delicious weeknight meal that incorporates a raw dressing? Another rendition of the sweet potato, tahini and onion dish from Jerusalem, served alongside some kale with garlic, diced red peppers, and a dollop of pomegranate molasses. Man I should eat like this every night! But then, what would I tell the veggie dogs in my fridge...?Song of the Day: Paolo Conto- Sparring Partner

VEGAN DAILY DRINK:  Chocolate Raspberry Milkshake

India Bans Captive Dolphin Shows as 'Morally Unacceptable': India has become the fourth country (along with Costa Rica, Hungary and Chile) to ban captive dolphin and orca shows, like those featured at “parks” such as Sea World. India has declared that cetaceans’ high level of intelligence grants them the status of “non-human persons,” which elevates the animals’ rights. The new law partly stems from the fact that cetaceans do not historically fare well in captivity.

First - the big news!Congratulations to TofuCat for winning a copy of Whole Grain Vegan Baking!~~~~~Tomorrow I'll be hopping on a plane (with my awesome mom!) to go to the VidaVeganCon vegan bloggers conference and I CANT WAIT. It's going to be so much fun to see old friends and meet new friends and meet old friends I've never met - if you know what I mean!! :)One thing I am really looking forward to is Eating Myself Silly while in Portland. However, that does mean that I've been making an effort to keep things light around home this week. :)Did you even know that a salad could be one of your favorite dinners ever?? I don't think I knew that. Over at the PPK Forums, I've so many rave reviews about the Salad Nicoise recipe from Appetite for Reduction, but I hadn't ever made it. But, inspired by pre-VVC week, I finally did, and I AM IN LOVE. Seriously, this isn't just one of my favorite salads ever, it's one of my favorite dinners ever! Light, filling, flavorful, beautiful, easy, delicious... it's a hands-down winner!Plus, look at my amazing baby potatoes that I got at the farmers market: I was so happily surprised that the red new potatoes were red on the inside too! And the purple potatoes were so purple! So much fun. In fact, almost everything in the bowl is from the farmers' market - my favorite way to eat!

Purple Kale, Broccoli, Carrots, Chioggia Beets, Avocado, Roma Tomatoes, Cashew Crema, Crushed Kale Chips, Balsamic Olive Oil Dressing

Tomorrow Ginny Messina and I will be in Portland – as will Jasmin and Mariann of Our Hen House. Today, however, Ginny and I are on the Our Hen House online magazine. Check out Ginny’s article Protein in Vegan Diets: Take Advantage of the Options which includes my recipe for Grape and Brazil Nut Chicken-Less Salad, which contains the grilled version of Beyond Meat. So easy, so yummy!

Celebrate Memorial Day with Red, White & Blue Parfaits (both plans) & Patriot Pancakes (family plan)!! Other new picnic perfect recipes include Jalapeno Hummus (both plans), Quinoa Dill Salad (both plans) and the Black Bean & Mango Salsa Burritos (both plans). We've also included fan faves that are perfect for BBQs, picnics, and potlucks like the Citrus Sweet Potato Salad and Quick Burgers. Make this your most deliciously memorable Memorial Day!Individual HighlightsJalapeno Hummus (NEW!)Citrus Sweet Potato SaladSpinach-Tomato PilafFantastic Fruit SaladBlack Bean & Mango Salsa Burritos (NEW!)Portobello Steak DinnerRoasted Chickpea SaladRed, White & Blue Parfait (NEW!)Spicy Orange Broccoli & NoodlesQuinoa Dill Salad (NEW!)Get this meal plan now.Family HighlightsQuinoa Dill Salad (NEW!)Pepper FajitasCitrus Sweet Potato SaladRed, White & Blue Parfaits (NEW!)Quick BurgersMexican CabbageRed, White & Blue Pancakes (NEW!)Red Pepper Hummus WrapsBlack Bean & Mango Salsa Burritos (NEW!)Jalapeno Hummus (NEW!)Get this meal plan now.Testimonials"My biggest problem had been the prep time, but I now have a method in that while cooking my dinner, I also make my lunch for the next day and so on. This has put me in a rhythm and now I bee-bop along each day with the meal plans I purchase from HH." - Christy K"Here's what I've observed in the 2 weeks that I've followed the meal plans: lost 4 lbs, whiter teeth, skin looks more tanned, tupperware is easier to clean!" - Val UGet the current meal plan now.

Lately I have been obsessed with brownies. I made the recipe I posted recently over and over. I tried different nuts (peanuts, walnuts) and different liqueurs. I also made them with a decreased amount of alcohol and instant coffee powder one time and I have to say they are very versatile! This is a version made with walnuts and instant coffee powder. They tasted almost like a bar of dark chocolate. They are perfect for ...Brownies ‘n’ Yoghurt Ice Cream is a post from: seitan is my motor

Orcas and other sea mammals routinely die prematurely from stress and other captivity-related causes in marine parks and aquariums, such as SeaWorld and Loro Parque. Despite numerous tragedies, including the deaths of many orcas and trainers, the safety of marine mammals and humans continues to be jeopardised. Blackfish, the new film from Gabriela Cowperthwaite, exposes what lies behind the “entertainment”. The film tells the story of Tilikum, a performing orca whose captivity led to the deaths of several people. Shocking video footage and emotional interviews explore his extraordinary nature, the cruel treatment of his … Read more.

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Whole Grain Vegan Baking! Happy to have you here and happy to be showcasing this book.Tami and Celine bring you a comprehensive look at vegan baking - from a healthy perspective. Using whole grains, minimally processed sweeteners, and better-for-you fats they pack a huge number of tasty treats into this book. The photos are lovely (taken by Celine of course) and the book is user friendly - nice layout to the recipes, and logical chapter groupings.The recipes include everything baking, from yeasted breads, to scones, muffins, cookies, cakes - sweet and savoury, treat and everyday so I'm sure you'll find something to enjoy.The only bad thing for me about this book is that I couldn't make many recipes, being as I am now eating gluten-free, and there is a reliance on gluten containing whole grains for most of the recipes. However, I do look forward to at some point trying to switch up the whole grain flour to get gluten free alternatives which work!I made -Page 26 More-than-Maple GranolaNot too sweet, and tasty. This one I didn't have to make any changes to.Page 29 Morning Boost MuesliOriginal recipe and photo follows.I changed the cracked wheat for steel cut oats, and used old fashioned rolled oats for the spelt and kamut flakes. I also omitted the wheat germ. I added the pineapple as suggested. Very tasty, if tricky having to remember to get it done the night before!Thanks to Celine and Tami (and their publishers) for letting me reproduce the recipe.Morning Boost MuesliWe know, we know: There’s technically nothing baked about muesli, but this is a whole grain book after all, and we love muesli too much not to sneak in a recipe for it. Loaded with cracked wheat, wheat germ, heart-healthy spelt flakes, and pleasantly chewy kamut flakes, this breakfast will ensure you won’t get hungry again before lunch.1 cup (235 ml) water53 g (1?3 cup) dry cracked wheatpinch of fine sea salt240 g (1 cup) plain or vanilla-flavored vegan yogurt1 cup (235 ml) unsweetened pineapple juice24 g (1?4 cup) rolled spelt flakes24 g (1?4 cup) rolled kamut flakes20 g (2 heaping tablespoons) date crumbles or chopped dried cranberries25 g (1?4 cup) pecans, broken into smaller pieces16 g (2 tablespoons) wheat germCombine the water, cracked wheat, and salt in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover with a lid, and cook until the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly while preparing the rest.Combine yogurt, juice, spelt and kamut flakes, dates, pecans, and wheat germ in a large bowl. Stir the cooked cracked wheat into the muesli, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight to let the flakes plump up. Stir the muesli again before serving. Eventual leftovers will keep well for up to 2 days after preparation when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator; stir before serving.Yield: 3 cups (855 g), 2 large to 4 more modest servingsServing Suggestions & Variations• For a fruitier muesli, add 248 g (11?2 cups) of fresh pineapple chunks, chopping them finely before stirring them in. Other fruits, such as fresh or thawed berries, would also be fantastic when added upon serving, to further increase the fiber and vitamin profile of this healthy breakfast.Recipe noteDate crumbles are nuggets made from dried dates, with only oat flour added to prevent clumping. They’re ideal to use in baked goods because there’s no sticky chopping involved, but you can replace them with regular chopped dates without missing a beat.Now the give away - only to residents of the US and Canada (the publishers rules not mine) - please comment with your favourite way to eat cereal for breakfast (seeing as the recipes I made were both breakfast cereals) to go into the draw to win your very own copy!Closes 26th May @ 6pm Pacific.