The Vulgar Vegan

Winter salad

2011-12-21T12:46:00.000-08:00

My lightly steamed brussel sprout, broccoli salad with cashews, almonds and raisons drizzled oil and sprinkled sea salt.

BBQ

2011-08-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

I'm a fan of a summer BBQ. Here I am with the zucchini, corn and tofu.

'A' is the real BBQ master. Don't mess with an Aussie at the barbie.

Chewy vegan cookies

2011-07-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

These are unbelievably easy to make and don't take long at all.

In a mixing bowl mash 3 overly ripe bananas (turning brown is best). Add in 1 C of chopped dates. Pour in 2 C of oats. Spoon in 2 T vegan margarine and 1 T coconut oil. 1 t baking powder. Place on oiled cookie sheets and bake at 350 for under 20 minutes.

Once cool, I double boiled dark chocolate and dipped them each in, as seen below. 12 of these cookies were gone in no time!

Vegan burgers!

2011-07-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

Here are my sweet potato and bean burgers. You can make your own easily. I'd estimate 70 minutes of 'labour' in your kitchen for 12 patties that you can freeze for later, refrigerate for the next few days or cook today!

In advance; In a large mixing bowl, soak 1 or 2 cups of (your choice of) beans for 2 full days (rinsing the water 2 x or more daily).

If you wish to include some cashews or walnuts in your burgers, soak them in water (in their own little bowl) for at least 1 hour in advance.

To prepare: Rinse and drain the beans, In a medium pot, boil them in water, bring to a simmer for 1 hour.
Dice three sweet potatoes, then boil until soft.
Sautee 1 onion, 3 cloves of garlic (more or less, as desired), 1/2 red pepper, spinach, mushrooms, sun dried tomato. Just make sure you have at least 1/3 or your final mixture being 'sweet potato' to keep it sticky!
Combine all ingredients and form into burger patties and put the on the BBQ!

Vegan in Tokyo

2011-05-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for vegan food in Tokyo. I see a lot of fish on the menu! Last time I passed through Tokyo I bought a vegetable soup that the lady shopkeeper assured me was vegetable, but after seeing small brown crumbly bits throughout it, even the mushrooms haunted me.

Luckily, I have found a handful of vegan restaurants scattered through the city.

Raw brownies

2011-05-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Dates = Fiber

Walnuts = Omega-3

Almonds = Vitamin E and calcium

*Cocoa = Magnesium

*Organic ingredients recommended

If you have a food processor you can make these ultra healthy, raw, vegan, gluten free brownies. In your food processor finely grind two cups of walnuts. Then add one cup of raw cacao. Add over two cups of medjool dates, one at a time (use the tube). The mixture should be fairly consistent and sticky by now, if not, keep blending / add more dates. Place the combined ingredients into a brownie pan (I lined mine with wax paper). Add chopped almonds to the top. Place in fridge or freezer until you are ready to eat!

Fruit sorbet in cashew coconut tartlet

2011-04-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Easy to make and keep.

Skin 3 soft mangoes and blend with 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup agave nectar.

Mildly freeze the mango sorbet in a container.

(or blend your favourite berries)

In a food processor mix 4 cups of shredded coconut, 3/4 cup of cashews and 1/2 teaspoon seasalt.

Line tartlet pans with plastic wrap and place the tartlet mixture in each mold firmly. Place these in the freezer as well for 30 minutes minimum.

Take both sets out of freezer and scoop the sorbet into the tartlet crusts and smooth. Add colourful fruit patterns to top!

Sushi

2011-04-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

We are now a sushi making household. (Thanks A) If you try this at home make sure you use the right type of rice, it has to be sticky! (Calrose)

Coconut curry collard green rolls

2011-03-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

Hand wash and de-stem your required number of collard green leaves. As many leaves as you wish to have rolls. I made eight.

Boil 2 or 3 cups of quinoa (you could use rice).

Steam the leaves. Boil an inch of water in a pot with the steamer sitting on top of water and the leaves on top. Leave the lid on. Let the leaves steam on high. *When you lift the lid, open it away from your skin!

In a wok with olive or coconut oil, gently fry one finely chopped onion, a few cloves of garlic and grate in fresh ginger. When the onions are almost translucent, add in 2 finely chopped red peppers and coconut milk little by little (must be thick and creamy, not liquid). I also grated one large carrot and fresh mint leaves. Add red curry to taste.

When the quinoa is fluffy, add it to the wok and mix in. Keep adding thick coconut milk, keeping it creamy. Add in your desired amount of green or red curry. Stir.

Take out the collard leaves and dry them. Add the coconut curry mixture and roll the leaves!

Lunch

2011-01-29T09:05:00.000-08:00

Smooth operator

2011-01-20T15:54:00.000-08:00

Step 1. Add fruit. Strawberries, mango, blueberries.

Step 2. Add celery

Step 3. Add dates and vegan whole food optimiser

Step 4. Blend and drink!

-30 eh?

2011-01-20T15:53:00.000-08:00

My classic potato, lentil soup with celery, carrots, spring onions, garlic and ginger.

Coucous rainbow salad

2011-01-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

'A' made us this recovery salad after a mega intense spin class, which involved cardio beyond my mental comprehension! It contains coucous and raw sliced and diced vegetables including red pepper, celery, carrots, parsley etc. The dressing contains lemon, rice vinegar, curry powder, turmeric, sea salt and olive oil.

Apple, celery, hemp smoothie

2011-01-19T07:57:00.000-08:00

When I make 2 smoothies each morning, the first ingredient I add is 3 cups of filtered water. Then I usually add 1 banana and get creative from there. Today I added 1 sliced apple, 2 celery stalks, hemp protein powder, a few dates and a squeeze of agave for taste.

Vegan Iron

2011-01-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

Women need 20 mg of iron daily. So eat quinoa (4 ounces is 4 mg of iron), molasses (just a tablespoon is 4 mg and i know it's bitter, so mix it in with your cereal), pumpkin seeds, lentils, prune juice, white beans, cooked spinach and tomato paste.

Combine these foods with other foods rich in vitamin C to help absorb the iron.

Get your Vitamin C from raw red pepper, eating one is 226 mg. So really, a quarter of one raw red pepper is sufficient for your daily recommended dose of vitamin C.

I love Balzac's coffee

2011-01-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

In the Distillery District (pedestrian village with cafes, bars, art galleries and shops) in Toronto (between the Gardiner Expressway and Mill St, there is a fun coffee shop called Balzac's. It is my favourite! They brew fair trade organic coffee and most people want to stay in the shop to drink it because it's so much fun to look at. But if you do 'take away' your coffee they serve it in a biodegradable cup. Upstairs is a mezzanine level gallery, which overlooks the customers below!

So of course, I bought organic espresso to take home.

Pear agave dressing on organic salad

2010-12-30T15:49:00.000-08:00

I experimented with a pear dressing idea! I blended 1 pear, 3 Tbsp agave, 2 Tbsp (your choice vegetable) oil, 2 cloves of garlic, and a few spoons of water. It tasted really good.

Butternut squash soup (with carrots, potatoes and garlic): Made by my soup master 'A'.

Apple pear bake

2010-12-30T15:37:00.000-08:00

My 'Apple pear bake'

It's really easy to prepare. Wash, peel and slice 3 apples. (See above) Wash, peel and slice 3 pears (See below). Place them in rows in an 8x8" oven safe pan.

Then add your choice of: Shelled hemp seeds, 1 Tbsp of blackstrap molasses (high in iron), maple syrup, agave, organic sugar.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes at a fairly low temperature. Serve with Rice Cream (vegan ice cream). mmmm

The new blender

2010-12-27T12:18:00.001-08:00

Our morning smoothie, with vegan whole food supplement, banana, prunes and agave.

Brussel Sprout, cranberry, walnut salad

2010-12-24T13:06:00.000-08:00

Ani makes this popular salad with steamed brussel sprouts, cranberries and walnuts. After steamed, gently peal the first few leaves off into the bowl. Healthier than lettuce!

Baked kale and quinoa

2010-12-24T12:51:00.000-08:00

One of our favourite lunches around here is baked kale with olive oil, quinoa with sesame oil and fried onions and any other vegetable (usually mushrooms).

Korean vegan dessert

2010-12-24T12:48:00.000-08:00

My Korean sister in law Myong Jin made these delicious rice, seed and dried fruit desserts.

Sweet nut cakes with cashew cream

2010-12-10T19:20:00.000-08:00

Bottom layer is 1 C of dates, 1 C cashews, 1 C almonds, 2 T molasses, 2 T agave (blend in a food processor).

Top cashew cream layer is 1 C of cashews, coconut oil and hot water

Top with a thin layer of shredded coconut.

Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes

2010-12-10T17:24:00.000-08:00

Cupcakes

4 t lemon rind
1/4 C squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 C rice milk
3 C gluten free flour
2 t baking soda
3/4 t fine sea salt
2/3 C natural oil
2 T poppy seeds
1 1/2 C maple syrup
1/2 t vanilla extract

Directions: 350F for 30 mins

In a small bowl, combine the lemon rind, lemon juice and rice milk.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, combine the oil, poppyseeds, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir in the soy milk and lemon mixture.

Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Pour the batter evenly into cupcake holders or oil the cupcake tins, then pour batter directly in. Place into the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Use a toothpick to test if the batter is baked. Cool on a rack before frosting the icing onto cupcakes!

Lemon Icing

1 C vegan margarine (Earth Balance)
3 C organic powdered sugar
2 T squeezed lemon juice
2 T lemon rind

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until creamy. Chill in the fridge for 1 - 2 hrs before frosting cupcakes.

Our vegan pizza

2010-12-07T05:31:00.000-08:00

For a cheesey flavour, sprinkle on nutritional yeast. I also love to add sun dried tomato's and an overdose of spinach, mushrooms and garlic!

Allergy?

2010-11-21T08:34:00.000-08:00

Bad news for the vulgar vegan. I think (or know) I am allergic to an ingredient contained in my almond milk.

Twice now, 3 months apart, I have consumed a few servings of this brand of almond milk and each time, woke up the next morning with a mild rash. I have no known food allergies. I do eat almonds in small portions and never had a rash from them.

Ingredients:

filtered water, cane sugar, almonds, natural flavours, tricalcium phoshate, locust bean gum, canola lecithin, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate, zinc gluconate, riboflavin, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, Vitamin B12.

I'm confused. Anyone have comments?

Toasted coconut cupcakes with coffee buttercream frosting: and on top, organic chocolate coated costa rican coffee beans.

2010-11-12T14:35:00.000-08:00

1C all purpose flour
1/3 C cocoa
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 C coconut oil
1 C coconut milk
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 t coconut extract
2 t unsweetened shredded coconut

Toasted Coconut (recipe below)

Coffee Buttercream Frosting (recipe below)

Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans

Medium Bowl: Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

Melt coconut oil in a small pan on low heat. Once melted, turn off stove.

Separate Medium Bowl: Mix coconut milk, sugar, vanilla and coconut extract. Stir in melted coconut oil. Add dry mixture, keep mixing and fold in shredded coconut.

Fill cupcakes liners 2/3 full. Bake for 25 mins (or until toothpick comes out clean). Then cool.

Toasted Coconut:

1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut, preheat a frying pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Stir / Toss constantly until coconut turns honey brown.

Coffee Buttercream Frosting

1/4 C nonhydrogenated shortening
1/4 C nonhydrogenated margarine, softened (I use Earth Balance)
2 C confectioners' sugar
2 T coconut milk (or soy)
1 1/2 t coffee extract (or espresso)
1/2 t vanilla extract

Beat shortening and margarine together. Add sugar and coconut milk. Beat well. Add coffee extract and vanilla. Beat well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble, Spread a generous amount of coffee buttercream frosting on cooled cupcakes. Roll the frosted cupcake along it's rim in the toasted coconut to create a ring around the circumference. Add chocolate covered coffee beans to the centre.

[Recipe from 'Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World']

Sweet potato fries and miso gravy

2010-11-08T17:48:00.000-08:00

To die for, good.

1/2 C vegan margarine (Earth Balance)
5 Tb spelt flour
1/4 t garlic powder
3/4 C nutrtional yeast
1-1/2 C vegetable stock or filtered water
1/3 C sunflower oil
1-1/2 t dijon mustard
3 Tb miso paste, light or dark
3/4 t fine sea salt

In small saucepan over low heat, melt the vegan margarine. Then stir in the spelt flour, garlic powder and yeast. Whisk in stock or water to make paste. Raise heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 1 minute. Whisk in oil, mustard, miso and salt until smooth. Serve hot.

2010-11-08T17:01:00.000-08:00

Daily Breakfast

2010-09-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

Every single morning for breakfast I have a delicious raw vegan smoothie. I try new ingredients and combinations of ingredients constantly though. I almost always begin with 3 cups of purified water. Today I added strawberries, banana's, walnuts, ground flaxseed, fresh orange juice, and a handful of spinach.

Going Bananas

2010-09-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

You have consumer power. You have choices when you shop.

I just read in 'Ripe' (a new Canadian vegan cookbook) by Jae Steele that Chiquita and Dole grow their bananas in foreign banana republic countries, which exploited their employees through cheap manual labour at their plantation with over exposure of chemicals without any protective equipment. Sickening.

Do you consider the carbon footprint of the foods you purchase? If your produce is not grown locally, it is imported. Importing foot uses vast amounts of Co2.

Do you consider the process of which your food was prepared? If your produce is not organic, it is grown with the use of pesticides, herbicides and fungacides, soaked in chemicals which may lead to cancer or other harmful diseases.

Please buy organic, local and fairtrade. It's better for your health, our environment and farmers / workers.

Costa Rican Food

2010-08-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

Tropical vegan food is a gift from nature. Sweet juicy pineapple and mango. I didn't take photographs because I was wet for most of the journey. Rock climbing, zip lining over rivers, inner tubing down class 4 rapids, melting in volcanic mud spas, swimming in the dark ocean etc.

Vegan food in Costa Rica consisted of rice and beans as my main staple but also included green smoothies with freshly grown organic cucumber and cilantro. They soaked their potatoes in some delicious spice I am not familiar with. Somebody help me remember!

Coconut Lime Cupcakes

2010-07-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1/3 C coconut oil

3/4 C granulated sugar

1 C coconut milk

1/4 C rice milk

1 t vanilla extract

1 t coconut extract

1 T lightly packed finely grated lime zest

1 C all purpose flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 sea salt

1 C unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 F Line cupcake pan with liners. Melt the coconut oil on very low heat in a small pan on stove. In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, sugar, coconut milk, rice milk, vanilla and coconut extract and lime zest. Mix. Add the flour, baking soda and powder and salt. Mix. Add the coconut. Mix.

Add batter to cupcake liners 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake for 23 - 25 minutes.

Frosting

1/2 C nonhyrogenated shortening

1/2 C nonhyrogenated margarine (I use Earth Balance)

2 1/2 C confectioners' sugar

1/4 C fresh lime juice

1 t finely grated lime zest

Mix all ingredients while adding them into bowl. Mix for 7 minutes or so until fluffy. Chill until cupcakes are cool. Then ice the cupcakes.

Caesar Salad

2010-06-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

I hadn't eaten a caesar salad (since 92) until my partner made me a vegan one. It tasted the same from what I remember.

3 cloves garlic
1 T capers drained
1 C vegan mayonaise
1 T miso (white if possible)
2 T nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 T light agave nectar
1 C olive oil
sea salt and pepper

Mix in a food processor (if you have one).

croutons
2 heads of fresh, shredded romaine lettuce

Chocolate Lavender Cake with Satin Chocolate Icing

2010-06-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

In a large mixing bowl combine:

3 C whole spelt flour
6 T cocoa powder
2 t baking soda
3/4 t salt

In a medium sized mixing bowl:

1.5 C maple syrup (or agave and or brown rice syrup)
1.5 C rice, almond, hemp or rice milk
1/2 C natural oil (I used olive)
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T vanilla extract
4 T dried lavender flowers

Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Mix well. Pour into two lightly oiled and floured 8 square inch cake pans. (I used a round detachable spring pan).

Bake 350 F for 50 minutes. Test cake with a toothpick, should come out clean.

To make satin chocolate icing, add 1 cup of dark chocolate and 1/3 cup vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance) combine in the double boiler until liquid. Let the cake cool completely and icing cool down before icing the cake.

Cruda Cafe

2010-05-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

I found a new raw, organic, vegan cafe in Toronto. It's in the lower level in St. Lawrence south market. Cruda Cafe

Fresh at Fresh

2010-05-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite places in Toronto is Fresh.

Fresh bowl of energy on brown basmati rice

marinated tofu cubes, rich coconut curry sauce, chick pea &

vegetable stew, cucumber, tomato, red onion, sunflower sprouts

So delicious. I ordered an extra side of cilantro. My yukon gold fries with miso gravy.

Dinner idea

2010-04-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

Acorn squash and wild rice with cranberries, walnuts, cilantro and parsley. Made by my partner, A.

Lunch idea

2010-04-20T06:18:00.000-07:00

Lunch: seed crackers with homemade basil, spinach pesto, avocado, sundried tomato and dill. Mixed dark green salad (not a fan of 'white' lettuce), grape tomato's, almonds, nutritional yeast, raisons, flax oil and sea salt.

Thai memory

2010-04-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

There is a fantastic little Thai restaurant we love called Thai Memory. They have a massive vegetarian selection on their vast menu. I ordered tofu cashew curry and mango salad. They were so divine.

Funny comic

2010-03-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

Fresh Mushroom Burger

2010-03-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

If any of you know 'Fresh' vegetarian restaurant in Toronto, you know their Yukon Gold fries and their miso dipping sauce. Super delicious, along with the rest of their menu. I indulged in a banana, mint espresso smoothie with my mushroom burger.

2010-03-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

Patiti Patata

2010-03-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

One of our favourite places in Montreal is on 4177 boulevard Saint-Laurent.

Vegan Samosa's

2010-02-15T14:15:00.000-08:00

My girlfriend and I made these vegan samosa's. The spices are cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cardamom pods, turmeric and garam masala. The filling includes spiced potato, chickpeas and green peas. The sauce is chili mango chutney.

Pressed avocado infused with tomato

2010-01-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

with drizzled basil and olive oil

Fruity

2010-01-14T13:14:00.000-08:00

Korean

2010-01-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

Bean Burrito

2009-11-23T17:26:00.000-08:00

The filling is spicy organic refried beans, medium tofu, black beans.

Organic pineapple salsa with fresh tomato's.

Handmade guacamole with lots of garlic, lemon and sea salt.

My kale fetish

2009-11-23T16:58:00.000-08:00

These leaves are my breakfast every single day without fail.

I put them in the blender with one banana, 3 dates, 3 cups of clean water and Vega.

Kale is high in antioxidants (cancer fighting), is an anti-inflammatory and high in vitamins.

Taken from Wikipedia: Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties.

Chocolate Cupcakes (Vegan of course)

2009-11-12T18:55:00.000-08:00

Apparently, these are the best thing i've ever made. Unbelievably soft and chocolatey.

3C organic whole flour

6T cocoa

2t baking soda

1t baking powder

2c raw organic sugar

1t sea salt

10T vegetable oil

2T vinegar

2C filtered cold water

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately, then make a hole in dry ingredients, pour wet into dry and beat with a mixer. Bake in cups for 30 mins at 350

Frost with Icing after cupcakes have cooled.

1C soy margerine

4C icing sugar

2T vanilla extract

1/2C cocoa powder

Now invite some friends over!

Yam Paprika Home Fries

2009-11-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

Cut them into strips. Season them with paprika and sea salt in a bowl, mix in some extra virgin olive oil. Place onto a baking sheet and eat once soft.

Strawberry, blueberry, rhubarb, coffee cake (vegan too)!

2009-10-09T16:01:00.000-07:00

Sprouting

2009-10-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

We started sprouting! It's easy and fun.

If you read these facts about sprouts, you will want to start growing them too!

After seeds, grains and nuts are sprouted the nutrients in them increase 2 - 400 times.
Sprouts are highly digestible and have a rich supply of enzymes. (They are easily metabolized).
Sprouts are alkalizing.
They contain a high concentration of vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes, anti-oxidants and other intricate bio chemicals which work against toxins, resist cell mutation and invigorate the body’s immune system than at any other point in the plant’s life.

Just youtube search 'Sprouting Seeds' and watch an instructional video.

Spinach Pine Nut Pesto

2009-10-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

Chopped garlic cloves, a gigantic bunch of spinach, pine nuts (or walnuts), basil, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt.

Salsa

2009-09-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

5 small tomatillos, paper removed and diced

4 medium tomatoes, diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
fresh jalapeño pepper (at your discretion)
1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
salt to taste
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice

Vegan 'Vega'

2009-09-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

I am now taking 'Vega'. The complete whole food health optimizer.

Vegan Yum Yum

2009-09-27T17:16:00.001-07:00

I just bought this book. There are color photographs of every single recipe. There are breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, drinks etc. Very appetizing and inspirational.

Highest sources of Iron come from vegan sources

2009-09-22T06:10:00.000-07:00

Comparison of Iron Sources (Vegan vs Animal Product)
Food	Iron (mg/100 calories)
Spinach, cooked	15.7
Collard greens, cooked	3.1
Lentils, cooked	2.9
Broccoli, cooked	1.9
Hamburger, lean, broiled	1.2
Chickpeas, cooked	1.1
Sirloin steak, choice, broiled	0.9
Chicken, breast roasted, no skin	0.6
Pork chop, pan fried	0.4
Flounder, baked	0.3
Milk, skim	0.1
Note that the top iron sources are vegan.

Iron Content of Selected Vegan Foods
Food	Amount	Iron (mg)
Soybeans, cooked	1 cup	8.8
Blackstrap molasses	2 Tbsp	7.2
Lentils, cooked	1 cup	6.6
Spinach, cooked	1 cup	6.4
Quinoa, cooked	1 cup	6.3
Tofu	4 ounces	6.0
Bagel, enriched	3 ounces	5.2
Tempeh	1 cup	4.8
Lima beans, cooked	1 cup	4.4
Swiss chard, cooked	1 cup	4.0
Black beans, cooked	1 cup	3.6
Pinto beans, cooked	1 cup	3.5
Turnip greens, cooked	1 cup	3.2
Chickpeas, cooked	1 cup	3.2
Potato	1 large	3.2
Kidney beans, cooked	1 cup	3.0
Prune juice	8 ounces	3.0
Beet greens, cooked	1 cup	2.7
Tahini	2 Tbsp	2.7
Veggie hot dog	1 hot dog	2.7
Peas, cooked	1 cup	2.5
Black-eyed peas, cooked	1 cup	2.3
Cashews	1/4 cup	2.1
Brussels sprouts, cooked	1 cup	1.9
Bok choy, cooked	1 cup	1.8
Bulgur, cooked	1 cup	1.7
Raisins	1/2 cup	1.6
Almonds	1/4 cup	1.5
Apricots, dried	15 halves	1.4
Veggie burger, commercial	1 patty	1.4
Watermelon	1/8 medium	1.4
Soy yogurt	6 ounces	1.1
Tomato juice	8 ounces	1.0
Green beans, cooked	1 cup	1.2
Kale, cooked	1 cup	1.2
Sunflower seeds	1/4 cup	1.2
Broccoli, cooked	1 cup	1.1
Millet, cooked	1 cup	1.1
Sesame seeds	2 Tbsp	1.0
Sources: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18, 2005 The RDA for iron for vegetarians is 14 mg/day for adult men and for post-menopausal women and 33 mg/day for pre-menopausal women.

Tables from http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm

Rice paper rolls

2009-08-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

This is extremely low fat and vegan.

Rice paper rolled around quinoa, raw spinach, raw carrot and herbs to dip in peanut sauce.

This will cleanse you!

Quinoa is a staple for vegetarians and vegans. It is VERY HIGH IN PROTEIN (12 - 18%). Quinoa contains a balanced set of amino acids, a good source of dietary fiber and is high in magnesium and iron. It is gluten free and easy to digest.

Fruit Sorbet

2009-08-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

No ice cream maker required.

All vegan. All delicious.

3/4 cup organic sugar

6 cups of sliced strawberries (or your choice of clean, cut fruit)

juice of one lemon

1 cup of water

squirt of agave (if desired)

Boil 1 cup of water and stir in 3/4 cup organic sugar until dissolved, then squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon (no seeds). Then put the liquid mixture in the fridge for an hour.

Prepare your fruit of choice, I used 6 cups of washed, sliced strawberries. Puree them in a blender OR food processor with a drizzle of agave nectar (if desired)

Combine all ingredients (in the blender OR food processor). Place into containers and freeze for 4 hours or more!

Answers for Vegans and Vegetarians

2009-07-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

I was in my local 'grocery store' browsing the vegetarian section and i picked up a 'rice cheese' package, to my disturbance i noticed the ingredients were not even vegetarian.

Casein is a milk derivative. It is often used to enhance texture in soy and rice cheeses because it helps the "cheese" melt.

Rennet and or Rennin is the milk that is used to make cheese, however it is scraped out of the 4th stomach after the calf has been slaughtered.

I found a great resource online: Questions About Food Ingredients.

So, I went home and made basil pesto.

Make your own cereal

2009-07-10T12:19:00.000-07:00

I make my own cereal, (Because store bought cereal is just sugar and corn) it's easy, fresh and delicious. Here is my recipe but you can mix and match your own ingredients to your desire!

Makes 4 hearty bowls of cereal.

Core, slice and chop 4 apples and place in a large mixing bowl.

Add a cup of a flour of your choice, grind up hemp seeds, crushed walnuts, hammered almonds, cranberries, blueberries, any other fruit of your choice. Sprinkle in a lot of cinnamon, drizzle molasses, agave, and then mix it all around! Place on a baking tray and put it in the oven at 320 for 20 minutes (eat it warm or store in the fridge for tomorrow's breakfast, it keeps for quite a few days, no problem).

My organic share

2009-06-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

leaf: tatsoi, spinach, red baby russian kale, arugula, chard

nutritional yeast (the yellow stuff, high in vitamin B12)

cranberries and fresh chives (edible flowers)

Environmental Reasons to be Vegan / Vegetarian

2009-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Mass production of cows for beef farming is causing deforestation (trees are clear cut for the farming), soil erosion (they trample the land with immense weight and pollute the soil with their fecal waste), water scarcity (farmers wash the concrete slaughter houses with water), global warming (cows release lots of methane), depletion of fossil fuels (transportation of them), and loss of biodiversity (related to clear cutting forests).

Eating meat is at least double the harm environmentally than eating vegan food. The resources are consumed twice. You eat what the cow ate and the cow itself, not to mention all the water the cow consumed, the chemicals used to spray the farm, the antibiotics fed to the cow to prevent udder infection. The average vegetarian consumes between 300 and 400 pounds of grain per year while the average meat eater consumes over 2,000, 80% of which was initially consumed by the animal(s) they ate.

Imagine if we converted every meat farm into a wind or solar farm?

Facts:

Health

Inside the farm factories resides a toxic potion of noxious fumes including amonia, hydrogen sulfide, bacteria, feed dust and decomposing fecal matter. The American Lung Association and Universities state that the swine workers experience chronic respiratory illness because of the decomposing waste which is collected in pits under the 'production'. Animals have died because of the fumes. Employees can wear masks, but the animals do not, resulting in bovine lung infection. Then the animals are injected with antibiotics (more chemicals) more illness, puss, toxicity, pollution etc. Hungry for more?
55% of all antibiotics in the US are fed to livestock.
DDT is found in 99% of meat eating mothers breast milk, while only 8% vegetarian mothers breast milk contains DDT.

Water

Modern practices of raising animals for food contributes on a "massive scale" to water pollution.
Almost half of the water consumed in the U.S is to feed cattle and livestock.
To produce a single hamburger patty, it takes enough water for 17 showers.
The production of one pound of beef requires 2,500 gallons of water.
It takes less water to produce a year's worth of food for a pure vegetarian than to produce one month's food for a meat-eater.

Grains & Grass

More than half of all the grains grown in America actually go to feed animals, not people.
It requires 10 times as many crops to feed animals being bred for meat production as it would to feed the same number of people on a vegetarian diet. Currently, 70 percent of all the wheat, corn, and other grain produced is fed to farmed animals.

Fuel

The average American family of four requires over 260 gallons of fuel, resulting in 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
To produce a single hamburger patty, it takes enough fossil fuel to drive a small car 25 miles.
Herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers applied to grains are fossil fuel / petroleum based.

Animals

Animal 'waste' spills kill fish in mass quantities and happens often.
In an effort to combat 'nuisance' animals preying on livestock, the US Department of Agriculture killed 86,502 coyotes, 7,158 foxes, 1,220 bobcats, 236 black bears, and 80 wolves. 400 pet dogs were inadvertently killed in the process.

Manure

Cattle produce nearly 1 billion tons of waste each year. To break that down, the average beef cow produces over 47 pounds of manure daily.

Forests

260 million acres of US forests have been cleared for cropland to produce grain for livestock.
One acre of trees is spared each year one person eats a vegetarian diet.
Rain forests provide ingredients for many medicines and these resources haven't been explored entirely for their full potential due to deforestation.
Approximately 1,000 species go extinct yearly because of tropical rainforest destruction.
From 1960-1985, 40% of the Central American rainforests were destroyed to create grazing land for cattle.

Plants

According to the US General Accounting Office, more plant species in the United States have been eliminated by livestock grazing than by any other cause.

Atmosphere

Factory farms produce carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide (296 times more powerful at trapping heat than CO2), three gases largely responsible for global warming. They emit over 12% of the total methane (23 times more powerful at trapping heat than CO2) released into our atmosphere annually. Don't blame the animals, blame the industry.
Accounting for all factors, livestock production worldwide is responsible for a whopping 18 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gases, reports the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. That’s more than the emissions of all the world’s cars, buses, planes, and trains combined.
Eating 1 lb. of meat emits the same amount of greenhouse gasses as driving an SUV 40 miles.

Sugar Sweetie

2009-05-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

I am vegan and I have a sweet tooth. Conventionally the two don't go hand in hand in marriage. However, lesbians aren't generally conventional.

Let me educate you.

White sugar is not vegetarian!

I quote Wikipedia: 'The sugar refining industry often uses bone char (calcinated animal bones) for decolorizing. This may concern some vegans and vegetarians.

Vegetarians and vegans may also object to the impact that the burning of the cane fields (a common part of the harvesting practice) has on insects, rats, snakes, and other life residing in the fields'.

So unless you like salivating over ANIMAL BONE FRAGMENTS, why not use stevia (sugarfree herb), brown rice syrup (great for baking) or maple syrup instead. (Organic sugars can also be vegan).

The average American consumes 2 - 3 pounds of sugar per week. Don't believe me? Read your ingredients labels, check for sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, saccharose, palm sugar, maize, dextrose etc. These products are in just about any processed food including (but not definitely not limited to) soda (pop), candy, ketchup, mayo, bread, crackers, peanut butter, spaghetti sauces etc. Before 1890 Americans only consumed 5 lbs per year and of course then, cardiovascular disease and cancer were unheard of.

It has been scientifically proven that sugar depresses the immune system, which can lead to any disease. When you eat sugar, just know your immune system is slowing down to a crawl and that's a fact. Sugar has been observed to aggravate asthma, fluctuate mood swings, increase obesity, deliver diabetes, heart disease, tooth decay, arthritis and possibly cancer.

Do yourself and animals the favor, avoid white sugar!

Plastic or Fabric?

2009-05-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

I'm glad that our local grocery stores aren't providing plastic bags any more. Shopping malls however, haven't exactly caught on to our environment's fragility. The store called 'Green Earth' hands out huge plastic bags, something critical is wrong with that.

Yes, most plastic is recyclable, but not all. Just because plastic is recyclable doesn't mean you can take endless supplies of plastic bags / packaging. Have you ever read how difficult, time and energy consuming, expensive and labor intensive recycling plastic is?

Styrofoam (Polystyrene) is the most difficult plastic to recycle and in some cities, is just incinerated to save time or money. Do you know what happens to air when plastic is burnt? In short, it releases a cancer causing toxic agent that you will breathe in.

Did you know that plastic is made from 'Petroleum'? Yeah that's right, crude oil. So unless you support drilling and pumping our planet of it's natural resources, stop buying products wrapped in plastics. Oil accounts for 40% of North America's energy consumption.

Oil was first ever drilled in China using bamboo poles going down 800 feet. That is innocent compared to the current process of extraction called 'dredging' which stirs up ocean beds killing the sea creatures and marine plants that need to survive.

Time to compost and recycle all of your waste. Stop buying things you don't need. Period.

Hydrology

2009-04-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

We cannot survive without water. Everyone knows that already. Yet the United Nations has said that Earth will have a water crisis by 2025, which is quickly approaching.

Commonly known facts:

Water covers 71% of Earth's surface, but most (97.2%) is sea water.
40% of the world's inhabitants have insufficient water supply.
Every 15 seconds a child dies from contaminated water consumption.
In the developing world, 90% of all wastewater still goes untreated into local rivers and streams.

So stop washing your cars with a hose, use a bucket and a sponge instead. Don't spray down your driveway or sidewalk, ever! Don't pour toxic cleaning chemicals down your drain. Use vinegar to clean your house instead, it's better for your lungs, your pets and water quality.

Stop driving motor boats, buy a canoe or a kayak instead, they're better for your fitness level anyway. When you buy a new shower head, look for a low flow one, I have one and can barely notice the reduction difference. Next in line is a dual flush toilet. Little flush + big flush = 2 options, saves water. Don't forget to buy Energy Star appliances (dishwasher & washing machine). Some appliances use 50% more energy than others to do the same job, there’s no difference in how well they clean clothes or wash dishes.

Australia has nearly run out of water. They instal rain water tanks for showering, then that water is recycled to washing machines, toilets and finally to the lawn.

Grow your own vegetables or buy local and organically to avoid supporting chemical sprayed and irrigated crops.

Water is not your right, it's a privilege and it's not a never ending natural resource.

Don't box me in.

2009-04-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

The word cereal derives from ceres, the name of the pre-Roman goddess of harvest and agriculture.

Cereals are grasses or seeds of plants. Like all seeds, cereals are very nutritious because they contain all the nutrients the embryo plant needs to start growing. Whole grains can be sprouted, which greatly enhances their nutritional value, ex: wheat grains, raw buckwheat and barley. Whole grains are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, carbs, fats and oils and protein.

Sadly though, many families don't eat 'real cereal', but rather the sugar sprinkled confetti in colourful cardboard boxes manufactured in factories.

Amazing Cereal Statistics (Courtesy of Toronto Vegetarian Association)

Americans buy 2.7 billion packages of breakfast cereal each year. If laid end to end, the empty cereal boxes from one year's consumption would stretch to the moon and back.
The cereal industry uses 816 million pounds of sugar per year, enough to coat each and every American with more than three pounds of sugar.

So I have a better idea for all of you who don't want to over consume sodium and sugar. Make your own healthy cereal. It's really easy and impossible to make a mistake. It tastes way better too.

Follow my recipe or mix and match your own.

In a large bowl combine:

4 apples, washed, cored and chopped into tiny squares.

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

sprinkle in some chopped up dates

1 cup of oats

1/3 cup ground hemp seeds

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

some crushed walnuts

some sunflower seeds

drizzle a dozen lines of molasses and or honey

mix all ingredients together with a stirring utensil or clean hands.

smear coconut oil on a large baking tray, scoop the cereal on. Bake for 20 minutes at a medium temperature.

Eat warm or let cool down, eat in a bowl with rice milk. Store the leftovers for 2 or 3 days.

Cigarettes Kill

2009-04-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

You are not a loving parent if you let your child breathe in your 2nd hand smoke. This morning a mother walked past me with her arm around her young child. In that same arm, she had a burning cigarette. The smoke was blowing right into his inhalation. I had to restrain myself from flicking the butt right out of her grubby yellow fingers. Shame on you parents.

Facts

Tobacco kills more Americans than auto accidents, homicide, AIDS, drugs and fires combined.

Second hand smoke causes:

lung cancer
heart disease
nasal sinus cancer
respiratory disease

Click here to QUIT SMOKING

Captivating Street Art

2009-04-23T05:59:00.000-07:00

Many activists are also artists, graphics are a catchy way to capture attention from pedestrians. Although i find the juxtaposition of this vegetable painted mural, car parking lot ass backwards.

The Beef on Junk

2009-04-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

"I am guilty",

of having a 'sticky beak' or a nosey peer into strangers shopping carts at the grocery store.

I can't help but wonder what every type of person buys for their family or for themselves. Does anyone else do this? If so, do you internally judge the person on their choices? I sure do! Does that make me a horrible person? No. (In my opinion)

'Opinions' are precisely why i started this blog to begin with. Lets get the debates sounding, shall we?

The chubby shoppers who load up on ground beef packaged in plastic wrap on styrofoam trays (both can release toxic chemicals just by sitting against your ultra absorbent fatty food) is the best example. I can predict their next item grab, a head of cheap lettuce and white bread. Meat will stay greased up in your large intestine anywhere from 3 days to a few months, which doctors refer to as 'Colon Plaque'. Jerky anyone?

I may as well copyright an 'enema' product and shelf it right next to the butchers produce. Red meat can cause colon cancer, it doubles your chances. If the red meat goes 'off' while in your system, it can cause bouts of irritable bowel syndrome. Meat also contains antibodies but i'll save these facts for another post.

White sugar is another revolting product choice. It can suppress the immune system, cause hyperactivity in children (something no good parent wants) and cause countless other biological defects. Proof here.

Pre packaged processed 'foods' manufactured in factories. It's no wonder most of our population is nutritionally deficient. If you wouldn't pour Pepsi into your gas tank, why pour it down your throat. It is not food. Commercial food is found in your typical grocery store. Read more.

If you don't want to believe me or these articles, fine, but you're only fooling yourself.

No matter where you live there are options for healthier alternatives. These options include buying a share in an organic farm (if you can't find one in your city, tell me where you live and i'll help you locate one), shopping at a health food store, the organic section at your local 'grocery store'.

P.S: I also take note of shoppers methods of transportation ex: SUV, hybrid vehicle, bus, roller blades, bicycle, walking etc