Welcome to the VeganCoach.com newsletter focusing on everyday vegan advice. The Golden Banana Newsletter is dedicated to assisting you with your everyday vegan cooking and nutrition questions.

So, last night Jeff and I were at home getting ready to see Michael Moore's new movie Capitalism, and I heard a strange noise outside. What could it be? I was shocked to discover it was HAIL. I don't know about you, but I think it's waaaaay to early for winter to arrive.

But on the bright side, it kicks off soup season! I love soup!! And you will find one of my faves Potato Parsley Bisque as the featured Recipe of the Month. Yummmmy.

And speaking of food, Diane from Roseville, California, asked for my favorite "loaf" recipe, so I am sharing a couple along with a yummy and easy brown gravy. You will love these recipes.

And at long last my new 7-week weight-loss course Get Down With Sass! is ready to go! Thank you for your patience.

The course has been getting wonderful feedback and reviews from those who are finding it helpful. As Pam Blackwood from Greensboro, North Carolina, recently shared, "I love the course. Love it, love it, love it. It is exactly what I needed." Go Pam! :O)

Also this month we'll talk about non-dairy milks and how they measure up as thickeners (for soups, etc.) A very interesting question indeed. Plus, an update on last month's question about produce storage bags.

Hope you enjoy this issue of The Golden Banana, which is actually created by you with the questions you send me. Do you have a question, comment, or something else you'd like to share with our growing community of Vegan Coach fans? Please don't hesitate to fill out the form on my Contact page. I look forward to hearing from you. :O)

It is my sincere hope that the information I provide on VeganCoach.com assists you in being the healthiest Vegan you can be.

Happy Halloween!

Big hugs to you,
Sassy

PLEASE NOTE: For an easy-to-view version of this newsletter, or past issues, please visit the VeganCoach.com Backissues Page.

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Get Down With Sass! 7-Week Weight-Loss Course
• Milk Substitutes and Thickeners
• Loaf Recipes (and gravy!)
• *Update* Produce Storage Bags
• RECIPE OF THE MONTH: Potato Parsley Bisque

Get *DOWN* With Sass!

* Now Available *
Click here to learn more!

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The course is broken down into 7 weekly emails which give you 2-3 very specific goals to achieve each week. The goals are simple yet effective -- and edible! Whoo-hoo!

At the end of the 7 weeks, you have all the tools you need to make healthy choices for the rest of your life -- not to mention you should notice your body slowly but surely moving to its ideal weight.

The course has been getting rave reviews, and I think you are going to love it.

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"The course was more than I thought it was going to be in terms of explaining how the body works. Because the course was broken down into weekly goals and objectives, it was never overwhelming."
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Hi Beth,

Good question.

For my milk-like beverage needs I use (and recommend) plain oat milk. Almond milk and rice milk are also good and have their own special flavors.

However, as far as thickening power, soy milk is going to have the most of all the non-dairy milks because soy is so high in protein. But since you have tried soymilk and it does not thicken to your liking, then the other non-dairy milks will fall even shorter.

That said, I would recommend you look to other ways to thicken your soups and casseroles, rather than non-dairy milks. For instance...

• Blending cashews with veg broth (or water) works beautifully as a thickening agent;
• Adding potatoes to soups and stews work well because as the potatoes break down the starches are released;
• Try adding some blended silken tofu. Please note, though, that this might make things a little TOO thick. You would really have to play around with amounts;
• Coconut milk might do the trick as long as the coconut flavor works in your dish;
• Of course, there are always ingredients such as arrowroot, cornstarch, and agar-agar, which are natural thickeners you might consider.

Be sure to check out this month's recipe (below) for Potato Parsley Bisque which will give you an idea of how to work with cashews (and potatoes) to create a thick and creamy dreamy soup.

Hope this helps. :O)

Hi Diane,

Great question, because as the weather turns chilly it is time to break out our favorite hot dishes.

Here are a couple of my faves.

Tempeh Loaf
(from The Tempeh Cookbook)
Serves 4-6

8 ounces tempeh
1 cup vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
4-6 slices whole-wheat bread (will equal 2 cups...cube and pack tightly)
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped small
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1 Tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or Tamari
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 Tablespoons Earth Balance, or other non-hydrogenated margarine

1. Cut tempeh in half and place in a small saucepan along with the veggie broth and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove tempeh, reserving vegetable stock. Cool tempeh and grate.

2. Pour hot stock over bread cubes. Let bread soak.

3. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil. Add onions, and saute. In a large bowl, combine the onions, grated tempeh, bread cubes, parsley, tamari, marjoram, oregano, thyme and Dijon mustard. Stir to mix.

4. Pack mixture into a lightly oiled loaf pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

5. Remove foil and place mushrooms on top of loaf. Dot mushrooms with margarine. Bake 15 minutes more, uncovered. Let loaf cool 10 minutes before slicing.

Here is a casserole from the same cookbook, and it is super yummy too.

Brown Rice, Nut and Tempeh Casserole
Serves 6

8 ounces tempeh, cut in half
1 bay leaf
1 cup vegetable broth
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or Tamari
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon sage
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup toasted pecans
1/4 cup parsley, minced

1. Cook rice.

2. Toast pecans in a skillet, or roast in the oven. Chop and set aside.

3. In a small saucepan place tempeh, bay leaf and vegetable stock. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove tempeh to cool, reserving liquid. (Be sure to remove bay leaf.)

4. When tempeh is cool, grate tempeh and combine with Braggs (or Tamari), marjoram, thyme, and sage.

5. Heat olive oil in skillet. Add onion, celery and garlic, and saute for 10 minutes. Add the tempeh and cook for a few minutes more.

6. In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, sauteed onion, celery and tempeh, pecans, parsley and liquid reserved from cooking the tempeh. Spoon into a lightly oiled baking dish.

7. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, remove cover and bake 15 minutes more.

(If casserole is made ahead, keep covered and chilled. Bake for 30 minutes covered to thoroughly cook.)

Serve with a lushious brown gravy.

Here is my recipe for EASY gravy...

Rich Brown Gravy
Serves 4

2 Tablespoons Earth Balance, or other non-hydrogenated margarine
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
2 cups cool vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Add to Taste:
Nutritional yeast
Sea salt
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Sage

2 Tablespoons parsley, minced

1. In a large skillet, heat the Earth Balance. Add onion and saute 2 minutes. Add flour and stir until oil is completely absorbed. Let brown for a minute to bring out flavor. Add remaining ingredients. Cook, whisking often, until gravy comes to a boil and thickens.

2. Stir in parsley in last 2 minutes of cooking. Thin, if necessary.

And while you're at it, give this loaf a try. Please note it is tomato based (versus the above recipes which are not). And SO delicious. I've been making it for years. Please note: The millet and rice must be pre-cooked.

Rice Millet Loaf
(from Veggie Lovers Cookbook)
Serves 4-6

2 carrots, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 cups cooked millet
3 green onions, diced
1/4 cup bean sprouts
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon basil
1/8 cup nutritional yeast

1. Saute carrots and garlic in oil and tamari until carrots are tender. Set aside 1/2 cup of tomato sauce. Mix cooked rice and millet together, add all other ingredients to rice mixture, blend well.

2. Mold mixture into loaf and put in baking dish. Cover top of loaf with the tomato sauce that was set aside. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Jennifer McCann from Vegan Lunch Box created the VERY cool Magical Loaf Studio. (It happens to be on the blink right now, but keep an eye out because this is a COOL tool to use.)

She has been generous enough to share these tips with all of us. Thank you, Jennifer!

Ingredients:

2 cups PROTEIN (cooked beans, lentils, split peas, ground seitan, mashed firm tofu, or vegetarian burger crumbles)

1 cup CARBOHYDRATE (dry bread crumbs, uncooked quick oatmeal or oat bran, cooked brown rice, quinoa, milled, or amaranth)

1/4 to 1/2 cup LIQUID, as needed (broth, nondairy milk, vegetable juice, etc.)

1/2 cup NUTS or SEEDS

VEGETABLES (diced onion, garlic, carrot, celery, mushrooms, etc.)

2 to 3 TB BINDER (flaxseed meal, potato flour, soy flour, uncooked Cream of Wheat, uncooked polenta, or tapioca flour)

HERBS & SEASONINGS (thyme, sage, basil, parsley, oregano, cumin, Italian seasoning, nutritional yeast flakes, ketchup, etc.)

1 TSP SALT or 1 TB SOY SAUCE

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a loaf pan or 8x8 square baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside (an 8x8 pan makes a crisper loaf).

Grind the nuts into a coarse meal using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sauté any vegetables you've chosen in oil or broth until soft. Add to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much liquid as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny. (You may not need to add any liquid if the grains and protein are very moist). Add more binder/carbohydrate as needed if the loaf seems too wet.

Press mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or platter and slice. Serve with potatoes, vegetables, and vegetarian gravy, if desired.

Cold leftover slices of Magical Dinner Loaf make a great sandwich filling!

Hope it helps, Diane!
Hmmmmmm, now I'm hungry!

One question I put out to you was whether or not anyone had any experience with the green produce storage bags that can usually be found in most natural foods stores (and some mainstream grocery stores as well).

Two replies came in, and I thought you might be interested in them:

"I've used both the green bags and boxes (Debbie Meyer) and they are fantastic. I use only the boxes now and keep a paper towel in them to absorb the extra moisture, and my produce lasts literally weeks and weeks! Spring mix lasts about three weeks, strawberries at least that, and I've kept grape tomatoes for so long that I gave them to my guinea pigs even though they still seemed to be fresh!

"I would definitely vouch for how amazingly well these work!"
-- Melissa, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

"I have used produce storage bags for a couple of years now. I LOVE them. They really do prolong the life of your veggies! I have used a couple types and have found that they all seem to work about the same. 'Debbie Myers Green Bags' is one of the most popular brands.
-- Saren, Mashpee, Massachussetts

Thank you for your recommendations!
Hugs, Sassy

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

The cashews lend a beautiful creaminess to the soup that you simply must try. You will love this recipe!

Potato Parsley Bisque
Serves 6

1 cup cashews
5 cups vegetable broth, divided
1 pound red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium leeks, sliced and thoroughly washed
1 cup finely choppped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the cashews and 1 cup of the veggie broth in a blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.

2. In a large pot, combine the potatoes, leeks, and the remaining 4 cups veg broth, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and boil until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Stir the cashew mixture, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper into the soup. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Transfer the soup to a blender and process, in batches if necessary, until smooth.

4. Serve immediately.

Get *SAUCED* With Sass!




How To Create Delectable
Meat-Free, Dairy-Free and Egg-Free
Vegan Sauces
without Recipes!

Click here to learn more!

As a Vegan Nutritional Consultant I assist my clients by examining their current diet to figure out areas that might need more attention. It’s nice to have someone you can go to for advice that's YOU-nique.

"Working with you, I felt at ease right away. You were very concerned with what I was or was not doing and helping me eat right as a Vegan. I felt like you were a good friend and even a family member."
- Aleta J., Claremont, California

"Last week Sunday, I began following your advice from our coaching call. There was no feeling of coming home and wracking my brain about what to eat, and then passing out before I even make a decision, going to sleep without dinner.

"I've had a fresh and colorful green salad every day, and something good and nutritious to eat in the morning. Thank you so much for your advice. I can literally feel myself getting healthier!"
-- Yvette P., Los Angeles, California

"You have a bubbly personality and although I have never met you in person, I was very comfortable sharing personal information with the knowledge that you would be able to offer healthful insights.

"Reinforcement of the necessity of eliminating sodas was a huge thing for me, as was the guidelines for purchasing organics."
-- S.S., Roseville, California

If you...

• want someone you can call on to take your hand and walk you through the maze of vegan diet and nutrition information that you are constantly bombarded with;
• need someone who can answer all your questions about how to create a successful vegan diet plan with patience and understanding;
• simply don’t have the time to figure out which foods are best for your unique nutritional needs and vegan weight loss plans;
• want to spend your time doing what YOU love instead of spending hours on research;
• have limited special knowledge about food or nutrition -- but you're ready and willing to learn more...

...then working with me, your very own personal Vegan Diet and Nutrition Coach, may be just what you need.

For more information about this service, please visit the Vegan Diet and Nutrition Coaching page.

That wraps it up for this edition of The Golden Banana newsletter.

VeganCoach.com has been created to help YOU. To contact me with questions, comments or suggestions, please fill out the form on my Contact page.

Thanks! :O)