Everyday Vegan Diet Tips

Sunday brunch time again. This week I made my favorite tofu scramble breakfast recipe: Vegan Sassy McMuffins. I grew up eating Egg McMuffins, so when I went Vegan I needed to come up with a recipe that could capture all the flavor elements I had grown to love. And "Sassy Macs" were born.

I try not to make these too often -- maybe once every 3-4 months or so. Why? Because they're made up almost entirely of pre-packaged foods, which I don't feel are the healthiest foods we can eat. But once in a while they really hit the spot. And make for a special treat.

The first thing you'll do is whip up a batch of Vegan Tofu Scramble. After that, it takes just minutes to build your breakfast sandwich.

Over the years I've made a LOT of tofu scramble recipes. I'd like to share with you my personal recipe -- which I've tweaked over the years for both nutrition and ease. Although you can add just about any veggies to your vegan tofu scramble, I've discovered that for Sassy Macs it's best to just keep it simple.

SASSY'S VEGAN TOFU SCRAMBLE
(Makes 4 Sassys Macs)

1/2 Onion, chopped
1 pound Firm Tofu
6 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
2 Tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric (for color)
Garlic Granules, to taste (I use about 1 tsp,)
Onion granules, to taste (I use about 1 tsp.)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Drain tofu in a colander, using clean hands to squeeze and crumble to desired "scramble size". Place tofu in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix with a fork, mashing ingredients together until thoroughly combined.

Heat 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and saute until transluscent. Add tofu mix to pan and combine with the onions, distributing evenly. Cook until bottom of tofu browns and flip with a spatula (not all in one piece, of course). Brown the other side. It may be necessary to flip a couple more times, depending on your tastes.

While the tofu cooks, cut open 4 english muffins and toast lightly.

Assemble sandwiches -- each muffin will get 1 slice of vegetarian canadian bacon and 1 slice of non-dairy cheese of choice. Spoon cooked scrambled tofu onto each sandwich, and top with reserved 1/2 lightly toasted muffin.

These can be deliciously messy, so eat it with your hands (sandwich style), but serve with a fork to "pick up the pieces".

Don't forget the organic coffee. Yum!

Vegan Sassy McMuffins

Happy cooking!

August 7, 2007 12:33 - Vegan Guacamole

Don't you just LOVE guacamole? It's just so tasty and rich and comforting. And it's SOOOOO good for you! The best part is that it's easy to whip up -- it takes just minutes!

Some people shy away from guacamole because they have heard about the fat content of avocados. But the fats in avocados aren't your average run-of-the-mill fats that one tries to avoid -- such as those found in processed and pre-packaged foods. The fats found in avocados are super duper good for you. Since they're a whole food, they contain a full spectrum of nutrients that help to make the fats a very healthy addition to your diet. Some studies have shown that eating avocados actually helps to lower your cholesterol! Whoo-hoo!!!

The basic ingredients of guacamole include avocado, onions, garlic, tomato and lime or lemon juice.

Here's how I made mine with the ingredients I had on hand. As always, feel free to play with your food, adding your favorite flavors of Mexico to design your very own vegan guacamole recipe!

First, I removed the meat of 2 Haas avocados from their skin. The easiest way I've found to do this is to FIRST remove the little nubby thing that you usually find at the end of your avocado -- this will ensure it doesn't accidentally end up in your vegan guacamole!

Next, you're going to cut into the avocado so you have 2 halves -- do this by cutting from top to bottom on both sides of the avocado. Then holding both halves give it a little twist just before you pull the 2 halves apart. You should be left with the pit on only one side of the avo. Remove the pit and toss. Using a spoon, scoop out to avocado meat and place into a bowl, mashing it with a fork until desired consistency.

Then you'll stir 1-2 Tablespoons of lime or lemon juice into the avocado -- not only for flavor, but to keep the pretty green color intact.

Next, I chopped about 1/4 cup of onion. Although I had tomatoes on hand, I wanted to use them for garnish, so instead I chopped 1/4 cup red bell pepper to add a little color and a fabulous flavor. The addition of chopped jalapenos added just the right kick. And a sprinkling of cumin pushed my guacamole over the top. Salt and pepper finished it off.

Guacamole is the perfect addition to any meal -- most especially when you want to tame some spicy flavors to balance a dish.

Vegan Guacamole

Happy cooking!

August 10, 2007 13:59 - SPECIAL EDITION -- Health Foods versus Healthy Foods

Here's a link to a FASCINATING video to discover how to read labels on your food packages. If you ever eat food that comes pre-packaged, then this is an extremely important video for you to watch.

This video will be available for a short time. Watch it as soon as you can.

"This is an incredibly useful presentation -- you will not forget what you are about to learn! In it, you may be shocked to discover that some of the healthy vegan food you've been eating ain't so healthy after all. We're talking some top veg brands! Novick takes you through many veg products with specific information about what you want to eat, and which ones to avoid at all costs.

"Novick also destroys the myth that the US ever went on a "low fat" diet. As a former account manager at Kraft Foods, he blows the lid off the deceptive tricks corporate food companies use in order to make (false) claims that their foods are "healthy" or "low-fat."

"This is Novick's full 80-minute talk at the VegSource 2007 Healthy Lifestyle Expo, which is one of a 12-part series of top health expert presentations. In his fascinating and entertaining presentation, Novick reveals the intentional label deceptions nearly every food company employs, and shows you "how they do that."

Time is already ticking, so click on the link below to watch...

Jeff Novick of the Pritikin Center teaches three easy rules for reading food labels.

August 13, 2007 13:20 - Vegan Open-Faced Tempeh Reuben

Caramelized onions. Tasty sauerkraut. Delectable tempeh. Tangy dressing. What's NOT to love about a a Vegan Open-Faced Tempeh Reuben?

Over the years I've tried MANY reubens, and this is by far my absolute most favoritest reuben EV-ER. I think you'll love it too.

Your main ingedient? Tempeh. Sure, you can use seitan (wheat gluten) which comes a little closer to the actual consistency of corned beef, but it's not NEARLY as good for you as tempeh.

Tempeh is a delectable soy food made from the whole soy bean and is minimally processed. It's also fermented, which is the absolute best way to enjoy your soy! Fermented products are an excellent source of pro-biotics (good bacteria you need). Tempeh is also packed with protein and B vitamins (although is not a reliable source of B12, as we're sometimes led to believe).

To prepare your tempeh, steam it for 20 minutes and it's ready to be sliced and used in your sandwich. I like to slice my tempeh in half both horizontally and vertically to end up with 4 thin slabs. If you have time, quickly brown in a little Extra-Virgin Olive Oil to up the flavor quotient a bit, although this step isn't vital if you're in a rush.

What brings this sandwich to the tallest heights are the caramelized onions. OMG! If you've never made caramelized onions before it's SUPER DUPER easy -- but will take you about 15-20 minutes, so you can do this while your tempeh steams. Simply add a small amount of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil to a pan, add thinly sliced onions (to taste), and sprinkle with sea salt. For 2 sandwiches (8 ounces of tempeh) I'll caramelize 1/2 an onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the onions are browned.

Of course, a reuben wouldn't be a reuben without sauerkraut! Sauerkraut is also a fermented food, which your body will absolutely love you for! When the onions are ready, simply push them to the side and warm the sauerkraut in the same pan.

Now, all you need is a dressing. Typically, a reuben is made with Thousand Island dressing, which is difficult (impossible?) to find vegan. But just make your own! It's easy and painfree. :O)

Here's a recipe for Vegan Thousand Island Dressing that I think you'll enjoy:

Vegan Thousand Island Dressing

3 tablespoons Vegenaise (or other vegan mayo)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup minced dill pickle
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Mix in a bowl. That's it!

To assemble your Reubens, place 1 slice of your favorite bread (Rye or Pumpernickel is good, but any ol' bread will be fine), on a plate -- you can toast it first if you prefer. Place 2 slabs of tempeh across bread, cover with sauerkraut and caramelized onions, and dollop with dressing. Repeat. Serves 2. Be sure to serve with a knife and fork. Devour!

Open-Faced Tempeh Reubens

Happy cooking!

Today's spotlight was on Tempeh. By using the information found within the pages of the Vegan Coach website, you too can create quick and easy vegan meals without recipes! Ideas for flavorings in this meal were inspired by Tempeh's "Vegan Flavor Matches" -- they make cooking a breeze!

August 16, 2007 13:22 - Vegan Tomato Mushroom Ragout ("Ragu")

Searching for a vegan chunky tomato-based sauce?

Here's what I whipped up the other night...

I was in a massive rush, and my refrigerator had been emptied of all my cooked-and-ready-to-go rice and beans (due to us porking out on them all week). But I found a roll of polenta in my cupboard!

Polenta is best made fresh, but these little rolls of polenta really do the trick if you don't have time to spend stirring your polenta while it cooks, which can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours! Plus, these little packages are pretty darned close to the real thing in terms of whole foods, so here's one pre-packaged food I'll use occasionally.

Here's what these pre-packaged polenta rolls look like, and you can find them in most natural foods stores -- and some mainstream groceries these days. Yay! (I've recently discovered the official name of these rolls are Chubs -- tee-hee)...

I have always made tomato-based sauces to top my polenta, but wanted to do something chunky this time.

Since I had both tomatoes and mushrooms on hand, I decided to make a Vegan Tomato Mushroom Ragout (pronounced "Ragu", which in all actuality is a chunky, meaty tomato sauce).

Begin by sauteeing a couple cloves of garlic and an onion in a little Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. Next, add some de-stemmed and chopped cremini mushrooms (use your fave mushrooms here), and Italian herbs like oregano and basil. I like to add wine to my Italian sauces because it adds such a delectable flavor, so pour in about 1/4 cup of white wine. (If you don't want to use alcohol, use veggie broth.)

After simmering that together for a few minutes, add 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of diced tomatoes. And what the heck (I thought), how about 1/4 cup more wine? It couldn't hurt! :O)

Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. You can simmer covered or uncovered -- covered will make a more "wet" sauce, and uncovered will make it more dry and chunky due to evaporation.

Slice your polenta into 1/2" rounds and lay decoratively on serving plates. Cover with your Vegan Tomato Mushroom Ragout.

Serve with whole-grain crusty bread and a super duper uber nutritious green, such as Swiss Chard or Kale.

Simple, quick and delicious!

Vegan Tomato Mushroom Ragout

By the way, use your Ragout on any of your favorite Italian dishes, including pasta and to make delectable bruschetta. You can also add some white beans to "up" the nutritional value of this yummy sauce.

Happy cooking!

August 20, 2007 12:39 - Vegan Tomato Stacks With Creamy Macadamia Nut Filling

Well, it's scorching hot here in Reno, Nevada. So I decided to give my stove a break and make one of my favorite raw vegan recipes -- Vegan Tomato Stacks With Creamy Macadamia Nut Filling.

Imagine a creamy filling made with macadamia nuts and pine nuts, sandwiched between juicy roma tomatoes, and topped with a tasty vegan basil pesto. They come together in a snap and are SO yummy AND good for you! You're going to love love love these delectable morsels!

Begin with the ripest roma tomatoes you can find (although when heirloom tomatoes are in season use them -- you'll nearly faint away from the sheer scrumptiousness of it all!). You may have to let them sit on your countertop for a few days to ripen to perfection -- once refrigerated, the ripening process stops (as is true for all veggies). Slice the romas into 1/2" to 1" slices, depending on your tastes.

Now, the filling is what makes this dish sing. OMG! Macadamias and pine nuts add lots of healthy fats that your body is likely craving -- not all fats are created equally, so be sure to lovingly welcome these healthy fats into your diet. Fresh lemon juice adds Vitamin C. Nutritional yeast provides the all-important Vitamin B12 that Vegans need. And sea salt provides iodine -- always purchase iodized sea salt to ensure you're keeping your thyroid in balance.

The basic recipe simply calls for 1 1/2 cups raw macadamia nuts (although you can use raw cashews if you can't find raw macadamias). You'll likely find them to be expensive, but splurge if you can -- this isn't an everyday meal, just a delicious and healthy occasional treat. Soak the macadamias in fresh water for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse. Place macadamias in a food processor with 1/4 cup pine nuts. Add a clove of garlic, and process into a fine meal.

The flavorings you add to the food processor at this point are very basic -- lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and nutritional yeast, all to taste. Always remember you can add more, but it's impossible to take it away.

If you have some sweet corn on hand, stir some kernels into the filling by hand to add a nice contrast to the creamy consistency. You can even add some chopped green onions, to taste. Feel free to experiment and have fun with this raw adventure!

Spoon the filling onto a slice of tomato, and cover with another slice. Repeat for the rest of the tomatoes. Voila! Your Vegan Tomato Stacks With Creamy Macadamia Nut Filling are ready to devour.

Unless you want to bring it up a notch...

...in which case you can cover them with a yummy and savory vegan pesto. Follow this link to discover Sassy's Vegan Pesto, a healthy addition to any meal!

Serve with a big ol' salad for a tasty, nutritious and fun summer vegan meal.

Vegan Tomato Stacks With
Creamy Macadamia Nut Filling

Happy no-cooking -- enjoy your cool kitchen!

August 22, 2007 09:35 - Vegan Jerk Marinade

Are you a fan of spicy food? Growing up, I was never was. But as I get older, I really enjoy playing with spices. To me, successful spicing is when it's superbly savory and flavorful, not overpowering. So I'd like to share a little dish I whipped up last night using Vegan Jerk Marinade.

Today, you're going to learn how to build this delectable marinade from scratch. As with everything you make from scratch, you'll be able to adjust the spicing to your exact tastes, so whether you like it on the mild side, or 5-alarm spicy, your finished Vegan Jerk Marinade will be perfection.

A marinade is an oil and vinegar mixture to which you add various flavors and seasonings, depending on your desired outcome. Unlike those thin "meat marinades" you may be familiar with (the ones that help to tenderize meat), this marinade is purposefully left on the thick side.

Now, remember the most basic rule of marinade just mentioned: "A marinade is a vinegar and oil mixture to which you add various flavors and seasonings". So keep in mind that you're going to add a vinegar and an oil (liquids!) before your marinade is complete.

Some like to start out with the vinegar and oil and then add flavors. I like to mix the whole thing up and THEN add the vinegar and oil slowly so I have greater control.

Since it's grilling season in these parts, I'd like to show you how to make Vegan Grilled Tempeh with Jerk Marinade. Tempeh is that wonderfully nutritious fermented soy food -- the fermenting makes it SUPER DUPER good for you, filling your body with healthy pro-biotics (the good bacteria you need). Fermenting also helps the soy to become super digestible, so you benefit greatly! And fermenting also rids the soy of its anti-nutrients (unlike non-fermented soy foods, like soy milk and tofu, which can actually do more harm than good).

Although I'm focusing on tempeh, you can use your jerk marinade on just about anything, including veggies! The process will still the same...

Let's begin with a little background about flavors. Take a peek at the 4 Basic Flavors...

Sweet
Sour
Salty
Bitter

Since I'm using Tempeh, I turn to the "Vegan Flavor Matches" found on the Tempeh main page (but feel free to use any foods listed on the "Vegan Cooking Page" (more foods are added each and every week!). While perusing the Flavor Matches, try to visualize which of the 4 Flavors category they each fall into, like this example...

Sweet: Agave Nectar, Barbecue Sauce, Caraway Seeds, Ginger, Maple Syrup, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Sucanat, or other granulated natural sugar

Sour: Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, Pineapple, Sauerkraut, Dijon Mustard, Mustard, Vinegar

Salty: Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or Tamari Soy Sauce, Celery, Pickles, Salt

Bitter/Pungent: Allspice, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cumin, Lemongrass, Pimento, Sage, Thyme

Now that you're armed with a good idea of which Flavor Matches you'll be playing around with, let's build your marinade...

Jerk marinade is typically made with chiles, thyme, spices (such as cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves), garlic and onions, so be sure your jerk marinade includes these flavors, or at least flavors that are very similar.

Begin by making your "marinade base" with the largest ingredients found in jerk marinade, which in this case is the garlic, onions and chiles. This will be the "body" of your marinade, so use quite a bit -- I'd say around 1/2 - 3/4 cups veggies. (This will be enough for one 8-ounce block of tempeh -- feel free to double or triple these amounts depending on how much tempeh you're using.)

I used green onions, red onions, garlic and jalapenos, which I finely chopped up in my food processor. (You can also finely chop with a knife.)

Now, the typical jerk flavors mentioned above for the most part fall into the "bitter/pungent" category. So your next task is to balance your marinade with some sweet, sour and salty flavors that match Tempeh perfectly according to Tempeh's "Vegan Flavor Matches".

How much of each flavor should you add?

Add a little here, and a little there, mixing thoroughly with your marinade base ingredients in a blender or food processor. Taste often, adding more sweet, sour, salty or bitter flavors until it tastes balanced and you're happy with the results.

Here's what I added to my "marinade base" of garlic, onions and jalapenos when all was said and done and in no particular order (just to get your wheels turning):

Sweet: Nutmeg, Sucanat

Sour: Brown Rice Vinegar, Sauerkraut juice

Salty: Tamari

Bitter: Allspice, Cinnamon, Cloves, Pimento (just a little, to add color), Thyme

Feel free to experiment, using YOUR favorite sweet, sour, salty and bitter flavors!

There's no right way or wrong way to do this. ;O)

Just remember to add oil and vinegar to make it a true marinade...

The vinegar should be used sparingly for added flavor. Then, add enough oil to make your marinade juicy and spreadable (I suggest extra-virgin olive oil).

When your marinade is ready...

Steam your tempeh for 15-20 minutes while you heat your grill. While the tempeh is still warm, carefully cut in half so you have 2 thick pieces, and then cut each piece in half to make 4 thin slabs. It's important to be sure your tempeh is still warm and tender when you place it on the grill -- this will help it to stay juicy after grilling.

Using a basting brush, slather your jerk marinade on your tempeh and place on the grill. The key to this dish is to flip your tempeh every few minutes, and to continue slathering your marinade on the side facing you. Continue until it begins to brown and gets crispy. The more marinade, the better!

Grilled Tempeh With Jerk Marinade

A feast for the eyes as well as the senses. YUM-MY!

Happy cooking!

August 25, 2007 09:41 - What's The Deal With White Wave?

So there I was, minding my own business, when I came across an interesting article that claimed White Wave products might not be organic!

Whaaaaat?!?! How could this be? Do you mean to tell me the White Wave Tofu, White Wave Tempeh and Silk Soy Milk I've purchased over the years SPECIFICALLY because they were made with organic soybeans might be...gulp...conventionally grown?

So I did a little investigation, and here's what I've discovered...

Once upon a time, there was a small company called Horizon Organics. Horizon was devoted to making organic dairy products made from cows raised on beautiful green pastures.

The cows were happy. ("Mooooo!") The consumers were happy. ("Yay!") The organic dairy farmers were happy. ("FINALLY these people are waking up to how fabulous we are!") And Horizon was happy. ("We're the coolest" -- Ka-ching!)

So when soy foods started becoming more and more popular and mainstream, Horizon decided to create some of the most nutritious convenient soy foods around. They made these soy foods from small, domestic farmers dedicated to raising the most beautiful organic soy crops.

The consumers were happy because these organic products were readily available. ("Yay!") The farmers were happy. ("Great-Grandpa would be proud!") The soy crops were happy. ("I've found my purpose in life!") And Horizon was feeling like rock stars. ("We're STILL the coolest!" - Ka-ching!)

But back in 2003, things began to change...

It all started when Dean Foods, the largest dairy company in the U.S., bought Horizon Organics. Everything started out all peachy. Dean Foods continued to purchase organic soy crops from small organic farmers.

But as they spent more and more money on marketing, and the interest for their products grew and grew, they realized they were paying WAY too much money for their organic soybeans. Why pay domestic farmers $19 per bushel, when they could simply purchase soybeans from China and Brazil for $14-15 per bushel instead?

And that's exactly what they did.

"So what," you might say, "business is business."

Well, that may be, but those soybeans they're purchasing from China and Brazil? Well, let's just say they don't have the strict organic standards that we have here in the U.S. Soybeans might be labeled "organic" but use pesticides!

Not only that, but over on these farms in China and Brazil, environmental standards and labor rights are constantly violated, and worker wages are abysmal. And further, our very own domestic farmers -- you know, the ones who stepped up to the plate to lovingly grow your organic soy crops -- are looking to a bleak future where they only get $2-4 per bushel.

So where does this leave everybody?

Well, the farmers are sad. ("I can't make my mortgage payment!") The workers in China and Brazil are depressed. ("Please, Mr. Foreman, can I take a bathroom break?" "NO! BACK TO WORK!") The consumers are confused. ("What can little ol' me do to help?") And Dean Foods? Well, let's just say they're quite pleased with themselves. ("Haha -- SUCKERS!!!!" Ka-ching. Ka-Ching. KA-CHING! WHOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Here's what you can do to help...

Until Dean Foods changes their ways, do your best to NOT purchase White Wave soy products, including White Wave Silk, White Wave Tofu, White Wave Tempeh, and a host of other soy products made by White Wave Foods.

And if you're using dairy products, steer clear of Horizon and Aurora milks, cheeses and other dairy foods made by these companies.

(Click here to learn more and to sign a petition boycotting these products until they comply with USDA organic standards.).

"But...but....but Sassy, I'm too busy! How will I know when Dean Foods has changed their ways and are once again TRULY offering organics?"

Great question!

Follow this link to receive the Organic Consumers Association newsletter -- they do all the research for you and will let you know what they discover!

Thanks for reading this! Vote with your dollars. We CAN make a difference!