Agar Adventures: Vegan Citrus Jigglers

Veggieosity time! A while back I bought this little bottle of agar- which is a vegan version of gelatin- and have been wanting to try it out in something. The other day I decided, what the heck, let's play in the kitchen. Citrus "jello jigglers" of sorts.... doesn't that sound good?

Parfait! -and non-dairy yogurt info

Yogurt, fruit, and granola makes for a delicious snack or breakfast. I used to eat at least a yogurt a day before going vegan. Since January, I've pretty much stayed away from the non-dairy yogurts, as my initial impressions of them were not so great. Grainy, odd-tasting soy yogurts were what I'd experienced. But, there are a lot of new products that are actually really good (it may just take some trial & error to find the one(s) you like).  Read on for my explorations in the non-dairy yogurt world.
**For my granola recipes, see these links:
Maple-Banana Low Fat Granola
Healthy Tropical Granola

Citrus Salad

Got a case of the Mondays? This vibrant, refreshing salad should snap you out of it! It makes for a great reviving lunch; or, it could even be a breakfast salad. The citrus flavors are great for waking you up!

This was my first time using kumquats, so I was pretty excited to satisfy my veggieosity and test them out in this delicious salad...

Great grains... and OH Farro!

Dear Quinoa,

It's not you, it's me. I will always think you are a great grain. You make a delicious meal with roasted veggies, have protein and fiber, and are so much more exciting than rice. You can even be red or white. But... I have to be honest.... I've met someone else. His name is Farro, and I can't get enough of him. I'm sorry, but Farro is my new favorite grain....

Veggieosity: Hoshigaki

Hoshi-whaaa?

Hoshigaki. No, I'd never heard of one either. But, if you're anything like me, you're curious, and want to know what the heck these things are, and what they taste like.

Kabocha-Udon Soup

This udon soup is packed with kabocha squash, mushrooms, and healthy goodness in a low-calorie meal that is easy to make.

I love the use of both udon noodles - which are thick and a little chewy- combined with sweet kabocha in this dish.  If you haven't heard of kabocha squash before, read on for veggieosity info; if you have, read on for a new recipe to use it in.

Veggieosity: Chard

Have I mentioned how much I love my grocery store? Berkeley Bowl is sort of famous in the SF Bay area. Before moving here from across the Bay, whenever I mentioned Berkeley, people would almost always say, "Oh, have you been to Berkeley Bowl?!" I had no clue what all the fuss was about.

Now that we live here, Berkeley Bowl West is my go-to place. It is kind of like a more hippie Whole Foods, with incredible variety and the largest produce department you will ever see. I sort of feel like Julie Andrews in the Berkeley Bowl produce section - I'm ready to run around, grabbing persimmons, kabocha squashes, and Swiss Chard, singing.... OK, maybe not. My singing voice sucks. But, it's the kind of place where you get excited about fresh, healthy food, where you find new items every time you go, and where people will strike up a conversation in the aisle about this or that vegetable or health food product, and what to do with it.

On one such occasion, a fellow Berkeley Bowl-er was pondering what to do with rainbow chard.

Veggieosity: Tofu and Tempeh

I'm starting a series of posts designed to be helpful references. This post is for those of you not so familiar with tofu and/or tempeh.

I'm not a fan of veggie pho-meats (other than the occasional Morning Star Farms chick'n patty when I want a quick, easy, I'm too lazy to make anything and want to eat like an 8 year old meal). But I do really like tofu and tempeh. Yes, that's what I said. I really like them. Some of it is developing a taste for them, some of it is learning which variety and brand you like best, and some of it is learning how to best prepare them. So let's take a little stroll down soy-protein lane, shall we?

Oh, you're vegetarian?

In college, I studied abroad one semester in Australia. It was wonderful and exciting, but I had to laugh every time I told someone I was vegetarian. The response was unequivocally, "Oh, would you like chicken or fish, then?"

Despite being a country that loves its meat pies, I don't blame the Australians; this was over 10 years ago, and I've gotten that kind of response in many places. It's pretty rare to hear that today, but I'm wondering if it's being replaced by something else...

"Oh, you're vegetarian? Would you like cheese or cheese?"

Enter a new phase of meatasaurus misunderstanding: the Dairy Age. While I'm pretty sure most people these days understand that vegetarianism, in fact, does not include chicken or fish, I'm becoming a little frustrated that the go-to vegetarian dish always seems to be something dairy-focused; pasta smothered in cheese or creamy sauce=dinner or cheese sandwich=lunch. (Ok, it's not that bad here in SF, but we've been traveling a bit recently, and I'm sad to say these are still the primary veg options in many places). This is partly why I recently tried a vegan diet. Ironically, by adopting what is commonly believed to be a highly restrictive diet, I found my options opened up in new ways. By saying no to cheese, eggs, and yogurt, I opened my eyes to new snacks and meals, to more fresh vegetables and fruits, and totally innovative recipes.

I can't say I know I want to go vegan forever, but I can say this: what's wrong with more vegan dishes, more vegetables for the vegetarians (heck, for everyone)? Without thinking about it, I end up eating vegan maybe 70% of my meals when I cook for myself. I think we could all benefit from taking some recipe ideas from vegans.

Here are some vegans posts I've found that dispell some Meatasaurus Myths:

• The protein myth - Dreena Burton has compiled an excellent resource of vegan protein sources, sure to put to death the age-old question of where vegans get their protein. And it's not just soy-based foods: fruit, legumes, nuts, grains, and veggies all contain more than enough protein for healthy living. See her comprehensive post, including plenty of informative graphs and statistics, here. Also, there's a nice write-up of Animal vs. Plant protein in this post towards the bottom of the page.
• The 'say no to everything' myth- (story at the bottom of the post)
• The myth of no options- check out all these mouth-watering photos! (*Update: I've actually found my options have OPENED as a vegan compared to when I was a vegetarian, since I'm more inventive, track down new ingredients, and make myself more exciting dishes).
• And some of my thoughts on the whole vegan thing... here

I've actually found that vegan recipes (yes, meaning ones without ANY animal products) are the most creative and interesting ones I've ever tried. And by "interesting" I don't mean "tastes bad"! For the past month, even though "technically" my "vegan month" is over, I've only made vegan baked goods, just because I think it's more exciting (and they taste just as good!). When new and different is also tasty and healthy, why not?

So that's my random, anti-cheese rant. My husband would die. For the time being, I do still like dairy (in moderation)... but I don't want to be forced into having cheese/eggs/dairy be part of every meal when I go out, when there are so many amazing (plant-based only!) other choices out there! I'd just like the non-veggers out there to realize how awesome vegan foods can be, and hey- to live a little and try more of 'em.