Veganmiss.blogspot.com is a site you might really enjoy. Miss Lexy, its owner, is a real charmer. When she’s not blogging, she is working as a Chicago Outreach Coordinator for Mercy For Animals. Other than that, she works part time in a boutique for dogs and studies toward her second Bachelor’s degree. She has resided in Chicago for a number of years with her two rescued blind kitties, Popeye and Lucy, and an organic balcony garden. She has been vegan for five years. Her mission in life is to be “a vegan, tattooed Betty Crocker.”
If you are a new vegan or starting out with Meatless Mondays, Veganmiss.blogspot.com might be quite useful to you because Miss Lexy tells you what brands she likes for all her vegan ingredients and where you can buy them – in stores or online. (Take a look below the recipe.)
Her recipes are loved by many long-time vegans. Here’s her recipe for spaghetti and meatballs. She serves this with a green kale salad and a vegan red wine.
Spaghetti & Heart-Shaped Meatballs
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients (for pasta sauce):
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt, heavy pinch
4 sprigs thyme
1 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade
3 fresh medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup red wine*
1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes with herbs
1 tbsp tomato paste
pepper, to taste
Ingredients (for meatballs):
2 packages Upton’s Naturals ground beef style seitan, crumbled*
1/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp vegan Parmesan*
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
3 “egg” Ener-G egg replacer (follow according to box directions)*
1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs*
1/4 cup olive oil, for frying, add more if needed
Ingredients (for pasta):
6 oz. spaghetti, cooked by box instructions
fresh Italian parsley, to top
fresh basil, to top
vegan Parmesan cheese, to top
Recipe (for pasta sauce):
Sautee the onions and garlic in the olive oil and salt until the onions have sweat.
Add the diced fresh tomatoes, thyme, basil, and wine. Cook down until wine is reduced to half. This step may take about twenty minutes.
Lastly, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and pepper. Simmer for about ten minutes.
Recipe (for meatballs):
Combine the first 11 ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well.
Heat the olive oil in a medium pan.
While the oil is heating, shape the meatballs into heart-shapes.
On a plate, add the bread crumbs. Roll the meatballs in the bread crumbs.
Cook in the skillet until golden brown.
Recipe (for pasta):
To assemble, place cooked pasta on a plate. Top with the sauce and meatballs.
Add the parsley, basil, and Parmesan to the pasta plate. Buon appetito!
Note: Upton’s Naturals is a local Chicago seitan company. They sell their faux meats here in Chicagoland. You could use other seitan-style meat crumbles such as Boca Ground Crumbles, Gimme Lean Sausage by Lightlife, or Yves Meatless Ground Round Original. Vegan Parmesan brand I use is Galaxy topping. Ener-G is an egg replacer one can find in the baking area of health food stores. There are other means of egg replacing such as using apple sauce. For the bread crumbs, make sure to check they are vegan. Oftentimes, they will contain dairy. I used the Whole Foods brand, 365.
How about some scrumptious vegan desserts to go with this vegan meal? You couldn’t find more luscious desserts than the ones in Claire Gosse’s Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Desserts). You can choose Pecan Pie or Raspberry & Apricot Crumble or Super Easy Chocolate Mousse or Key Lime Cheesecake or 51 other amazing treats. These recipes are exact clones of traditional desserts that everyone loves. They have all been tried by vegans and non-vegans. Everyone agrees they’re the best desserts they’ve ever eaten. Click the links for Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Desserts) to see the gorgeous photos and read the testimonials. And get some free recipes, too!
Source: Veganmiss.glogspot.com
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(recipe inspired by Jae Steele - "Ripe From Around Here").
To check out the past episode we did with Jae, click here:
http://bit.ly/PinkLemonadeRecipe for the "Cheese" Cake:
Crust:
- 1 cup Raw Pecans
- 1 cup Walnuts
- ¼ tsp Ground Sea Salt
Blend in a food processor to a "crumb-like" consistency
- Add ¼ cup Dates (pits removed). You may want to soak dates
in water for 10-20 minutes to make for easier blending.
Blend until it becomes a sticky mixture.
Press the mixture into your baking dish (7" x 11")
until smooth on top.
Set aside.
"Cheese" Layer:
- Soak 2 cups RAW (not Roasted) Cashews in water overnight
(or at least 4 hours)
- Rinse cashews and pulse in a clean food processor
until they are in tiny pieces
To the mixture add:
- 2 Tbsp Water
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice (add more for "Lemon Cheesecake")
- 1/3 cup favourite liquid sweetener (coconut nectar)
Blend until smooth.
Melt ½ cup coconut oil at low temperature and pour the liquid
into food processor while it's blending.
Immediately spread mixture evenly on top of crust.
Place pan in freezer for 30 minutes.
Fruit Layer:
- 2 cups Strawberries
- 3 Tbsp Liquid Sweetener (Coconut Nectar)
Blend Mixture in Food Processor until smooth.
Pour mixture on top of "cheese" layer, and spread evenly.
Let it set:
- in fridge for 4 hours
OR
- in freezer 1-2 hours, then transfer to fridge for 2 hours
Serve cold but not frozen.
I’m super delighted to be able to report back on even more Miami deliciousness! While there are lots of things to do in Miami it is an absolute must to save time to dine on the local fare. It’s super cool at how many places have popped up over the last few years that are not only accommodating to special diets but are also incredibly delicious. So whether you are looking to partake in some Miami sightseeing toursor just passin’ through, make it a point to check out the rest of the fave spots that I was lucky enough to get my grub on at!
There’s nothing like a romantic Italian meal but an organic Italian meal takes the cake! EscoPazzo is THE premiere organic Italian locale in Miami to get healthy, delicious food. And what’s even cooler is that they have vegan and raw vegan menu items!!! Yum!! No matter who you may be struttin’ down South beach with, you can all enjoy a world class meal at Escopazzo. My personal favorites are the tomato and avocado tartar with pickled watermelon and micro mustard greens as well the vegetable lasagna with cashew cheese. OMG!
I had the good fortune of being able to do my first book signing of my cookbook, The Healthy Voyager’s Global Kitchen, at Books & Books on Lincoln Road. Just before the signing, I dined with the chef at the Cafe at Books and Books. Chef Bernie is not only a hoot, and a fellow healthy Latino, he is a gifted chef as well. the vegan items at the cafe are fantastic! Full of the flavors of Miami, and my childhood, the veggie dishes are pure bliss. Using lots of grains, legumes and veggies, it’s pure, clean food with the tastes of Latin America. The carrot cake with mango sauce is a great twist, his quinoa and vegetable bowl is delish and there us even a mock chicken curry sandwich on the menu. Yumm!! Eat first, shop second!! Books and Books is a great place to spend an afternoon ; )
If you’re looking for a kick ass bar with healthy vegan food, The Lost and Found Saloon is the place for you. With it’s fun western theme, you might be surprised to find vegan friendly dishes there, let alone healthy ones. Not your usual bar food, Lost and Found does it up right. Their signature salad chock full of fresh greens, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, avocado, eggplant portobello mushrooms and topped with pepita encrusted tofu is enough to show you that this ain’t your traditional bar menu. And the list goes on! Chipotle black bean burgers, seasonal veggie plates, chipotle tofu melt, pinon and pepita encrusted tofu over saffron rice…Insanity! So much fun, so much yum, you gotta bring all your friends (veg or not) to get lost and found asap!
Fast food is gross so Evos has come to the rescue. Boasting their fresh real fruit smoothies, air baked fries and healthier options for traditional burgers, it’s much easier for folks to make the switch. with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, you too can enjoy an American classic meal of burgers, fries and a shake without the fat and guilt. Eco-friendly and cool, even their flavored ketchup rock! I fell in love with my thai vegan wrap and air fries dunked in garlic ketchup, mmmmm! Take that McD’s!
Just north of Miami and south of Ft. Lauderdale, you’ll find Hollywood. Home to Sara’s Kosher Vegetarian and L’Chaim Chinese restaurants. Owned and operated by a lovely couple, both restaurants are completely kosher and offer great veggie food. Sara’s is usually my first stop when i am home visiting as I crave their vegan Cuban sandwich all year long. at Sara’s, they’ve got it all from pizza, sandwiches, soup, salads and full entrees, all easily (and happily) veganizable. next door at L’Chaim Chinese, you can get vegan avocado spring rolls, veggie lettuce cups and basically anything on the menu made with tofu. So no matter what you’re in the mood for, Sara’s and L’Chaim have your cravings covered!
So that’s a wrap on Miami for now but it looks like the healthy spots are growing so I’ll be back to fill you in soon! Happy healthy trails!
Here’s a great chili recipe with a great story that I couldn’t pass up. It’s super easy to make, ready in a few minutes, and flavorful and satisfying to everyone. It would be a good standby at any casual gathering. You’d probably be pretty popular if you served this on Superbowl day or on any game day.
This Chili’s Story (told by the family’s daughter) “Delicious bean, tomato & corn chili, adapted from a recipe which used to contain meat, but our family then became vegetarians! Lots of spice and flavor, not for those into mild foods. This is a fast & easy recipe, and you can experiment with more & different types of spices to tune it to your liking. My father has been making it for about 20 years now, and it is still awesome every time I eat it!”
Directions
In a large pot, sauté onion in vegetable oil until almost clear. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Add all cans of beans, tomatoes & chilies, with their juices, to the pot.
Add corn & spices to the pot. Stir well.
Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.
Add spices to taste.
Enjoy w/corn tortillas or over a bed of brown rice.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Servings: 6-8
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 (336 g)
Calories 386.1
Calories from Fat 40 10%
Total Fat 4.4g 6%
Saturated Fat 0.6g 3%
Cholesterol 0.0mg 0%
Sodium 562.5mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 71.9g 23%
Dietary Fiber 20.5g 82%
Sugars 7.6 g 30%
Protein 20.5g 41%
How about some amazing, flavorful vegan breakfasts to go with that chili? Breakfast or brunch would be a real treat with Broccoli, Bacon and Cheddar Quiche or Avocado Bacon Burritos, or Baked Praline Bread Pudding or N-Egg Ham and Quiche Sandwiches? These are some of the fifty recipes you can find in Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Breakfasts). All the recipes are exact clones of traditional non-vegan favorites. Vegans and non-vegans have tried them. Everyone loves them! Click on Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Breakfasts) to see the beautiful photos and read the testimonials. Get some free recipes, too!
Source: food.com
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