Brock repeats a favourite holiday drink recipe from last year, but a soy-free version of vegan egg nog this time.
Recipe:
- 3 cups almond milk
- 2 cups raw soaked cashews
Blend until smooth and frothy.
Pour into mixing bowl and whisk in the following ingredients:
- ½ cup rum/brandy
- 2-3 Tbsp Yakon Syrup
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- fresh grated nutmeg (to taste)
- ¼ Tbsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp sea salt
Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Serving:
Pour into a cup.
Grate more nutmeg on top.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
This Black-Eyed Peas with Hot Pepper Sauce recipe is from Bryant Terry’s Vegan Soul Kitchen cookbook. It’s vegan, down-home soul food, and great comfort food. This appetizer received rave reviews from all kinds of veteran vegan cooks. The only warning was from someone who used canned black-eyed peas. The dish fell apart, but still tasted great! Hope you like them. I’ll bet you can’t eat just one.
Ingredients
• 1 cup dried black-eyed peas, sorted, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup raw peanuts
• 1 teaspoon minced thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 5 cups coconut oil
Directions
• Remove the skins from the beans by adding them to a large bowl, filling the bowl with water, agitating the beans, and fishing out the skins that float to the top with a fine mesh strainer. Rinse beans well.
• In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the beans, onion, peanuts, thyme, cayenne, vinegar, water, and salt and pulse until completely smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 200° F.
• Remove the batter from the refrigerator, add the bell pepper and cornmeal, and beat with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.
• In a medium-size saucepan over high heat, warm the coconut oil until hot but not smoking, about 5 minutes.
• Lower the oil to medium high, and in batches of 5, spoon the batter into the oil, 1 tablespoon at a time. Fry, stirring around, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. If necessary, adjust the temperature to ensure that the fritters do not cook too quickly.
• Transfer the fritters to a paper towel–lined plate and allow them to drain. Transfer the drained fritters to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
• Serve hot with hot pepper sauce.
Bryant Terry tells us how his family enjoys this treat: African in origin, black-eyed peas are one of the most salient staples of African American cooking. They tend to cook quickly, but if they are old, it may take longer to prepare them. While canned black-eyed peas are available, I always make mine from scratch. In Southern lore black-eyed peas are thought to bring good luck when eaten in copious amounts on New Year’s Day. So my family slow-cooks them in a Crock-Pot every December 31.
If this appetizer appeals to you, how about trying some really amazing vegan desserts to go with it? Take a look at Claire Gosse’s Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Desserts). You can choose from 55 delicious desserts like Carrot Cake or Boston Cream cupcakes, or Peanut Butter Cups, or Macadamia White Chocolate Chip Cookies. Truly a great taste experience. All the recipes have been tried by vegans and non-vegans, and everyone loved them. The recipes are exact clones of non-vegan classics. Click the link to see the beautiful photos and read the testimonials. Click Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Desserts)…and get some free recipes, too!
Source: epicurious.com
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The people have spoken! Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes has 85 reviews from people who love this recipe. It rates 4 forks out of 4, and 95% of the people who tried it would try it again. People from all over the country commented. Some doubled the spices, and some halved the spices, so that’s a matter of taste. But everyone loved these. This recipe is vegan, fast and easy to prepare, and serves up maximum comfort. Works for me! Here’s the recipe.
yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
active time: 10 min
total time: 45 min
Ingredients
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 lb medium sweet potatoes
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Coarsely grind coriander, fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir together spices and salt.
Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges.
Toss wedges with oil and spices in a large roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 20 minutes. Turn wedges over with a spatula and roast until tender and slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.
Nice and easy, right? There’s a bonus — all the health benefits you get. Take a look.
Sweet Potatoes are a power food. They are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They reduce the risk of cancer and osteoporosis, help lower cholesterol, and help protect against heart disease.
You can season sweet potatoes with apple or orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, or honey instead of butter. Sweet potatoes can be used in any recipe that calls for a white potato. They can be stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place for up to three weeks. If refrigerated, they tend to lose their flavor.
Coriander helps relieve indigestion, gas, and diarrhea. Fennel is good for treating indigestion, food poisoning, and motion sickness. It helps with asthma, bronchitis, coughs, nausea, tuberculosis, and rheumatism. Both coriander and fennel are loaded with nutrients: calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, manganese, vitamins, and phytochemicals.
For more warm, winter comfort, take a look at the delicious vegan recipes in Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Breakfasts) You can choose from 50 recipes including Mashed Potato Pancakes, Raspberry Bran Muffins, French Toast with Apple Topping, and Spinach and Mushroom Quiche. All the recipes have been tested and loved by vegans and non-vegans alike. Click the link for Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Breakfasts) to see the beautiful photos and read the testimonials….and even sign up for some free recipes.
Sources:
epicurious.com
Balch, Phyllis, Prescription for Dietary Wellness
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My hometown of Miami is finally getting on a healthier kick! And I have to say, it was worth the wait! With a plethora of healthy, vegan and even raw places to dine, Miami is definitely becoming a force to be reckoned with in the veg world.
Oddly enough, of all the “vegan” cities I have visited around the world, I’m finding that the ones that are just now offering veg and special diet friendly foods to be even healthier then those that are big vegan meccas. Sure, vegan comfort food is great once in a while but when there is a lack of really healthy options, you miss the goodness and wonder of eating real plant based foods. Miami, while making its slow appearance on the veg scene, is doing a killer job of keeping it real!
Let’s start with an awesome raw food eatery called Life Food Gourmet. Located just south of downtown, this quaint whole foods restaurant knocks raw food out of the park. Innovative dishes and ways to prep common raw food meals is what this place has perfected. So many delicious menu items made with incredible new ingredients, Life Food is a great example of Miami taking health and delicious food seriously. With the menu boasting icons that show you what part of the body or aspect of health the food benefits, it’s a no brainer to lick you plate clean when dining here. Go for any of their shakes and pizzas but don’t leave without having their cauliflower tabbouleh, brazil nut hummus or out of this world chocolate mousse pie!
Another prime example of a healthy, passionate locale who aims to share it with all of South Florida, is Choices Cafe. A small diner that packs a punch. Combining the local Latin flavors with fun all vegan favorites, you won’t leave hungry or disappointed when visiting choices. Fresh juices, sandwiches, salads and other delicious treats, go for lunch, go for brunch but regardless, just go! My personal faves are the chili con kale (best chili I’ve ever had) and the insane burrito (yes, that’s what it’s called and for good reason). This burrito is filled with all that is awesome in this world ; ) The brainchild of 2 brothers with a mission for providing healthy food and happiness, they are definitely doing it right, attracting all sorts of folks and helping them heal with food.
Now if you’re looking for fun and yum in the midst of on of Miami’s hottest spots to party, El Vato is the place to be. A unique tequila bar and Mexican food restaurant, don’t let the hot rod low rider, East LA themed restaurant fool you. Not only does the menu offer only local, organic, free range food, it also has an awesome vegan menu complete with ooey gooey vegan quesadillas, burritos and veganized versions of everything they make for the omnivores. healthy Mexican with a boatload of vegan options, why would you get your margaritas and chips anywhere else! Party there with the in house DJ, sit in the cool old car while you dine and have a ball!
The food truck phenomenon has hit South Florida in a big way but even bigger and ballsier is the all vegan Mac N’ Food Truck! This delicious comfort food eatery on wheels pulls up to all sorts of events, meetups and locations in and around South Florida, proving that awesome vegan food exists, even on a food truck. Their signature mac n’ cheese is to die for ( i love their spicy soyrizo mac!) as are all of their fun menu items. Starting lunch delivery this month, it’s time to start tracking down the Mac n’ Food truck!
In the heat of Miami, a chilly ice cream cone always hits the spot. The Frieze has non-dairy folks drooling with their decadent sorbets like peanut butter, champagne, maple walnut and chocolate mint, you’ll be making stops here between meals!
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, about 30 minutes north of downtown Miami, you’ll find Sublime. One of the country’s premiere vegan restaurants. I’ve covered them before but they bear repeating as they are always perfecting their menu. A beautiful and stylish restaurant and organic bar, it’s the perfect place for a romantic dinner, birthday, wedding rehearsal dinner and so on. It’s lovely and the food is divine. Their frito misto will have you thinking quite differently about cauliflower as will their amazing coconut cake. Everything the serve is delicious so be sure you spend enough time in Ft. Lauderdale to dine in more than once!
Nothing says winter comfort like hot, creamy vegan tomato soup. It’s quick and easy to make. And not only is it sooo good, it’s so good for your heart! The recipe comes from KD and Charleen at yourdailyvegan.com. Here it is.
Ingredients
Two (2) 15oz cans of diced tomatoes (no salt added)
Two (2) 15oz cans of tomato sauce (no salt added)
One (1) medium – large leek, rinsed thoroughly and sliced thinly
Three (3) large celery stalks + the “hearts” – washed and chopped (including the leaves of the celery)
8oz of silken tofu – pureed
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic – pressed
1 cube seasoning bouillon – any vegetable bouillon would work (make mixing the cube into the soup easier by dissolving the cube in a small amount of water before adding it to the soup)
3 Tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp white pepper or to taste (you can use black pepper if that is all you have)
Shakes of Tabasco Sauce, if you like heat. (I do)
Directions
Clean leek and slice into disks, set aside. Wash and cut celery stalks and celery hearts (the middle of the celery bunch, tops and all), set aside. Heat olive oil (on medium heat) in a medium skillet, add leeks and celery. Cook until tender. Remove from heat and let cool.
Meanwhile, wash and open all the canned tomatoes. Using a food processor or blender, puree the diced tomatoes (one can at a time- unless you have a large food processor, I don’t) until smooth. Add to soup pot along with the cans of tomato sauce. Turn on stove to low.
Using the food processor, puree the leeks and the celery. Add to the soup pot. Next puree the tofu. Add that and the rest of the ingredients to the soup pot. Stir until completely mixed.
Let soup cook on low to medium low until fully heated through. (Be sure to stir regularly and cook on low heat.) This soup rocks hard after a couple hours and is even more amazing the next day.
This soup is awesome to make in huge batches to freeze for later.
Health Benefits
The vitamin C in tomato soup helps protect your blood vessels from damage due to high blood pressure and inflammation. It helps to lower high blood pressure, which — if left untreated — can nick the smooth inner lining of your arteries. Those nicks are then filled with bad (LDL) cholesterol, which can lead to an artery-blocking, heart-attack-triggering blood clot.
If you like this warm wintry tomato soup recipe, you should take a look at some of the delicious comfort foods in Claire Gosse’s Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Breakfasts). How about Sweet Potato Pancakes or Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins or Potato Latkes or Avocado Bacon Burritos? These are all vegan clones of classic non-vegan recipes. Vegans and non-vegans love these recipes. Click the link to see the beautiful photos and read the testimonials. Are You Sure That’s Vegan?(Breakfasts). What a tasty way to spend the winter.
Sources:
Yourdailyvegan.com
Realage.com
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