Everyday Vegan
Cooking and Nutrition

Wow, it's been a while since my last blog. But after spending just about a whole month in Costa Rica, it's high time to share a new recipe, isn't it? And I'll kick it off with this yummy and fast recipe for Vegan Sweet Potato Coconut Soup.

While in Costa Rica we enjoyed drinking from coconuts on the beach, and I just happened to bring along a book about the benefits of coconuts. So you might say coconuts have become my newest obsession. And it might be for you too, once you learn all about how superbly good for you coconuts are!

For instance, did you know that the unique properties of coconuts make it a natural anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial food? It's also a wonderful source of healthy fats, can help fight heart disease and assist with your weight loss efforts.

But I think what I love most about coconuts are that they contain lauric acid, a super nutrient that is found in mother's breast milk. Coconut and palm kernel oils are by far the richest natural sources of this supernutrient, which makes up about 50 percent of their fat content. Although milk fat and butter also contain lauric acid (a measly 3 percent of their fat content), milk fat and butter also contain cholesterol. Plus, if you're vegan the choice for you is clear.

I began to learn about coconut products last fall. Each and every winter here in Reno, NV, it seems like the entire town comes down with a cold and it seems to last all winter. I've heard it said that since we live in a valley, there's some sort of trippy air inversion that happens that keeps all the pollutants in all season. Yuck. Jeff and I, and some of the healthiest people we know, simply couldn't avoid getting sucked into this yearly cold season that seems so pervasive.

After reading about the anti-viral properties of coconut products, and since colds are caused by a virus, we began to add them to our diet beginning in October 2007. Low and behold, we didn't get sick ONCE this entire season. (Well, so far at least. But I'd say 5 months is a pretty good track record, wouldn't you?) Not to mention, my skin and hair have been looking even healthier than normal! Yay!

If you want to give it a go, buy some cold-pressed extra-virgin coconut oil and use 3 Tablespoons per day. I like to stir one big Tablespoon in my hot morning beverage (chai tea), and then I'll have another Tablespoon later in the evening before retiring (if you suffer from insomnia, this could help you sleep through the night). The 3rd Tablespoon can be used to cook with or be used as a skin conditioner, for instance. And don't forget about coconut milk which can be added to smoothies or pancakes or chocolate cake! (yum!) Or how about adding coconut flakes to your morning granola, or enjoy coconut cookies or muffins. Lots of choices out there -- find your own favorite way to get coconuts into you.

And pick up the book The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife and see what you think. ;O)

Now, on with the recipe!

I had some yams and sweet potatoes on hand. And I hope you know just how GOOD these foods are for you. ESPECIALLY sweet potatoes -- they're just one of the most insanely delicious and healthy foods you can find. And since my goal (and yours?) is always to eat with the seasons, sweet potatoes and yams are the perfect choice because they're in season during the colder months.

Of course, I knew I wanted to add a little coconut oil too.

When all was said and done, with the Sweet Potato and Yam Vegan Flavor Matches as my guide, here's how my recipe came together...

Vegan Sweet Potato Coconut Soup
Serves 2

1 yam, cooked, peeled and mashed
1 sweet potato, cooked, peeled and mashed
2-3 cups non-dairy milk (I like oat milk)
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1-2 Teaspoon Agave Nectar (can use pure maple syrup)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Squirt of Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

1. Add cooked*, peeled and mashed yams and sweet potatoes to a blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

2. Pour into a medium saucepan and heat until warmed throughout. Do not boil. Add more milk until you reach the desired consistency.

* To cook sweet potatoes and yams, scrub and poke all over with a fork. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about an hour, until soft when squeezed. Be careful -- they'll be very hot!!

Vegan Sweet Potato Coconut Soup

Happy cooking!

Today's spotlight was on Sweet Potatoes and Yams. 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 the Sweet Potato and Yam Vegan Flavor Matches -- they make cooking a breeze! :O)

February 12, 2008 12:09 - Vegan Cheesy Italian Quinoa

I'm Italian. I love Italian food. I love cheese. But since going vegan, I stay away from the stuff. Non-dairy cheeses (like soy and rice) can be a fun occasional treat, but since they're so processed I try to avoid them.

So when I whipped up this delicious Vegan Cheesy Italian Quinoa dish, without any processed cheeses, I happily slunk down into a purely blissful state and promptly chowed down. :O)

It all started when I woke up with a strong desire for quinoa. (Do you ever have quinoa for breakfast? It's a healthy and yummy option to oatmeal!) I also happened to have a strong desire for non-traditional breakfast flavors. So I opened my fridge and peered inside. What did I have on hand that would help me get breakfast on the table in a relatively short time?

There was a 1/2 bottle of organic marinara. Some leftover raw vegan ricotta cheese made with macadamia nuts. Hmmmmm, my breakfast was beginning to form.

This dish is just a cinch to whip up if you have the macadamia ricotta cheese on hand. And if you don't, it will just take an extra 30-minutes to soak the macadamias to release their nutrients and make them easier to process.

Even if you have non-dairy cheese in your fridge, give this raw macadamia ricotta cheese a try. Although the results are NOTHING like ooey-gooey cheese, the rich cheesy flavor is there in spades.

Macadamias are a nut with one of the highest percentages of monosaturated fats, which (like Olive Oil) is some of the best fats you can eat because it helps to actually lower your cholesterol levels (when you eat a balanced diet). Combine this with the high amounts of vegan protein found in quinoa, and you have one healthy dish in your hot little hands.

Vegan Cheesy Italian Quinoa
Serves 1-2

Macadamia Ricotta Cheese
1 cup organic quinoa
Vegetable broth
1-2 Tablespoons marinara

1. Make the Raw Vegan Ricotta Cheese: (This recipe will make more than you need for the recipe. Simply store the rest in a covered container in the fridge and use in 3 days...if it sticks around that long!)

Place 1 cup organic macadamia nuts in a small bowl with enough water to cover. Let soak for 30 minutes. Drain.

Place soaked and drained macadamias into a food processor with:

1/2 cup dry macadamias
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
4 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
5 Tablespoons water, as necessary

Process until completely smooth.

2. Make the quinoa: In a large DRY pan heat 1 cup quinoa, stirring often, until lightly toasted. (Do not burn!) Add double the amount of veggie broth (can also use water and 1/2 veggie bouillon cube). Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until broth is absorbed and quinoa is cooked -- filaments will be visible and quinoa will be al dente (softened yet with a bite). If quinoa is cooked but the broth hasn't been completely absorbed, simply pour off some of the broth, if desired.

3. Add 2-3 Tablespoons Macadamia Ricotta and combine thoroughly. Add 1-2 Tablespoons marinara, or to taste, and stir to combine.

Recipe can be doubled. Follow the same instructions for making your quinoa -- measure out quinoa and add double the amount of veggie broth.

Vegan Cheesy Italian Quinoa
"I'm having a bad hair day and don't photograph well --
but EAT ME, you'll like me!"

For breakfast, lunch, dinner -- anytime you need a cheesy Italian fix! :O)

Happy cooking!

February 15, 2008 20:00 - Vegan Pesto Lasagna Rollups

Do you LOVE lasagna? I do too. It makes me drool. So since we're both lovers of this delectable dish, I thought you might be interested in my latest creation Vegan Pesto Lasagna Rollups. Believe it or not, these vegan lasagna cuties contain absolutely no cheese, vegan or otherwise. And you won't miss it either because these rollups are TASTY!

And they're extremely simple to make too. Of course, you'll have to take a little prep time to get the ingredients ready to go. But once that's done, they take just a couple minutes to roll up -- and devour!

What I love about these Vegan Pesto Lasagna Rollups is that they contain tempeh, which is a fabulous source of vegan protein. They also contain steamed broccoli, which adds such a beautiful bright color to this dish and, of course, gets some veggies inside of you! And of course, THE PESTO! (yum)

The quality of the marinara is important, so if you can't make your own then try to opt for organic marinara. I like anything by Seeds of Change, although they CAN BE expensive. A more affordable marinara that has a great taste is created by Muir Glen.

It should take you about 20-30 minutes to make this dish.

Ready to begin?

Here are the major ingredients you'll need to have ready, in the order you'll need to prepare them:

1/2 cup basil pesto
8 curly lasagna noodles, cooked al dente and drained
1 (8-oz) package tempeh
2 cups organic marinara sauce
2-3 cups broccoli

1. Make the pesto:

SASSY'S VEGAN PESTO

1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water
2-3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 bunch basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine in a food processor or blender until desired consistency is reached. Tweak the ingredients to your liking, if desired. Set aside. (You may or may not use this entire pesto recipe. If not, refrigerate leftovers.)

2. Cook the noodles: Boil a large pot of water. Cook noodles according to directions on package. Drain in a collander, and place the collander over the empty pot (helps to keep them slightly warmed).

3. Cook the tempeh: While waiting for the water and noodles, place boil 1 cup of veggie broth in a small saucepan. Cut tempeh in half and place both fat halves in the saucepan (it's okay if they overlap). Cover, turn heat to low, and let steam for 15 minutes. Cool slightly and grate.

4. Warm the marinara in a saucepan and keep warm until serving.

5. Cook the broccoli: Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Lightly steam until tender. I always do this step last so the broccoli doesn't overcook -- or get cold -- while waiting.

5. Make the Lasagna Rollups: Lay a cooked lasagna noodle out on a large plate. (I usually work with 2 at once.) Spread 2 Tablespoons of pesto across the noodle. Sprinkle grated tempeh over the pesto. Lay warm and tender broccoli across the pesto in a single line. Roll up. Cover with warm marinara and serve immediately. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan, if desired.

These make a wonderful Sunday-type dinner because as with most Sunday-type dinners they're a teensy bit time consuming to make, but believe me when I tell you they're SO worth it and really make for a special meal.

Serve with a tender spinach salad and some crusty garlic bread. Makes great leftovers too. :O)

Vegan Pesto Lasagna Rollups

Happy cooking!

February 19, 2008 14:12 - Easy Vegan Greens & Beans

When eating vegan, most meals you create should be focused on giving your body the nutrients it needs. This can sometimes mean whipping up a fancy dish or two, but it USUALLY means completely no-fluff, straight-ahead whole foods which are packed with the vegan nutrition you need. The following recipe for Easy Vegan Greens & Beans is just one example of a dish that's so simple to whip up, yet really packs a nutritional punch.

First of all, it includes Swiss Chard, which is just one example of the dark leafy greens you should be including in your diet each and every day. Not only will eating dark green leafies count towards your veggie servings for the day, but in addiiton it counts towards your calcium-enriched foods count for the day. Check out the Vegan Food Pyramid to grasp this idea of how some foods fall into more than one nutritional category.

This healthy dish also includes beans and whole grains, two more food categories you must include in a healthy vegan diet.

VeganCoach.com is all about teaching you how to EASILY maintain a healthy vegan diet. And it really doesn't get too much easier than this!

By the way, you can switch out the black beans for any beans you have on hand. The chard can be switched out for any leafy green you'd like. And you can use any whole grain too. ;O)

The KEY to getting a healthy meal like this on the table IN MINUTES is to pre-cook your beans and whole grains.** Then you just pull out what you need at mealtime. You'll have your meal together in just a fraction of the time most recipes take to simply READ THROUGH. Yes, it's THAT easy to eat right on a vegan diet.

Easy Vegan Greens & Beans
Serves 2

1 cup pre-cooked black beans
1/2 cup pre-cooked brown rice
2 Tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or other soy sauce)
3-4 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard
1-2 Tablespoons tomato sauce
Dash red chili powder
1-2 Tablespoons Sassy's Seedalicious Topping
2 Tablespoons B-12 fortified nutritional yeast
Salt, to taste

1. In a large non-stick frying pan with a lid place the pre-cooked beans and pre-cooked rice, along with a little of the bean liquid (or just use water or veggie broth) and the Bragg's Liquid Aminos. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed. Turn heat down to medium-low, top with Swiss chard and cover until chard wilts. (The liquids you've previously added will help to steam the greens and prevent the grains from sticking.)

2. Add remaining ingredients and heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed throughout. Serve.

Easy Vegan Greens & Beans

Delicious AND good for you. :O)

Happy cooking!

** Set aside one day each week to pre-cook a big batch of whole grains and a big batch of beans. Then place in air-tight containers and store in the fridge until needed. Vary the beans and whole grains each week.

February 28, 2008 17:58 - Easy Vegan Broccoli and Rice

Having pre-cooked beans and grains on hand AT ALL TIMES is just the easiest way I know of to stick to a healthy vegan diet. I mean, it's just a matter of reaching into your fridge, pulling out a few items, and going to town. I had dinner on the table in mere minutes when I whipped up a batch of Easy Vegan Broccoli and Rice.

Here's how you can have dinner on the table in minutes -- MINUTES -- using this very simple strategy.

Choose a bean and a whole grain to have on hand for the week. Set aside at least one day each week to make these 2 basics, cool, and place in an airtight container in the fridge.

Fast forward to dinnertime. You're simply going to pull out rice, or beans, or both (!), combine with some fresh veggies you have on hand, add some herbs and spices and other ingredients you need to use up and voila (!) your dinner is prepared.

But what will you use to flavor your dish? How will you know which herbs and spices and other ingredients to choose? Here are some ideas for you:

• Use the Bean "Vegan Flavor Matches" to match flavors with your bean of choice;
• Use the same system to match flavors with your whole grain of choice. Examples include Brown Rice "Vegan Flavor Matches", Millet "Vegan Flavor Matches" and Quinoa "Vegan Flavor Matches";
• Match flavors according to which vegetable you're using. Believe it or not, most beans and grains will simply fall into the background and act as a supporting neutral flavor so your veggie can hog the limelight. Be sure to take a gander at the long list of Vegetables on VeganCoach.com, choose one that you have on hand, and then simply scroll down to find the Flavor Matches contained on that page.

I decided broccoli was going to take center stage for my dinner, so I took a peek at the Broccoli "Vegan Flavor Matches" which helped me to decide what other ingredients to add to my dish.

When all was said and done, here's how my recipe came together...

Easy Vegan Broccoli and Rice
Serves 2

1 cup pre-cooked brown rice
2 cups broccoli, coarsely chopped
1 stalk bok choy, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 Tablespoon breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
1-2 Teaspoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
2 teaspoons Earth Balance
1 Teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar (or maple syrup)
1/4 cup tomato, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat a large frying pan with about 1/4 cup water. Add pre-cooked rice, broccoli, bok choy, and green onions. Cover and heat until broccoli is steamed tender, 5-7 minutes. You may have to add additional water to prevent sticking. This way of steam-frying works beautifully when you're trying to avoid using oil. ;O)

2. Add remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated throughout. Enjoy!

Easy Vegan Broccoli and Rice

Happy cooking!