I have always LOVED tapioca pudding. Actually, any type of pudding – I don’t discriminate! Once I gave up health-harming dairy and animal foods however (best choice I ever made, btw), I figured tapioca pudding was a thing of the past since the traditional recipe calls for milk and eggs. WRONG! I tinkered with a few ingredients and ended up with what I feel is a great alternative. I try my best not to consume or prepare things with refined sugar, but I must confess – I did use some here, the few times I made this. Next time I will try date or coconut sugar, which aren’t refined in the highly processed way white sugar is. They may alter taste somewhat, and color, but it’s worth trying.
UPDATE!!! I tried date sugar and it was an epic fail. I do NOT recommend it. I also tried Sucanat, which is dried sugar cane juice. Much better result than date sugar but not nearly as good as white sugar. It gave it a tan hue, and sort of a molasses flavor, which tastes nice but the texture ends up much thicker and not as creamy as white sugar. Next I will try raw/turbinado sugar, which I’m guessing will have the same result as Sucanat. When choosing white sugar, organic is a must! Not only is it free of pesticides, it is vegan. Why do you care about vegan sugar? Well, regular, refined white sugar requires the use of animal bone char in processing. Gross? Definitely. Due to health concerns, the FDA prohibits the use of bones from the United States’ meat industry. Further, the bones are required to come from animals that die of natural causes. While this makes theoretical sense, the ridiculous reality is bone char is predominantly imported from countries like Brazil, India, Pakistan and Nigeria and there is no warranty to the American consumer that the bone char used is indeed from ‘clean’ animals. I don’t know about you, but I like my sugar without potentially contaminated bone char!
BBQ Jack WHAT?!? If you’re thinking “She’s lost her mind. What weird vegan food is she eating NOW?” bear with me! Jackfruit, the young/unripened variety, is popular primarily in Asian countries. It can be found in Asian grocery stores and is sold in cans. It has a mild flavor and poultry-like texture. I know it sounds weird; trust me, I was skeptical too, but it’s really good this way, and a heck of a lot healthier than pulled pork! Can be made gluten-free when using a gluten-free BBQ sauce.
I enjoyed this dish off of the Seabirds’ vegan food truck and have done my best to recreate it here. Tasted the same to me, only theirs was spicier (I’m a spice wimp so I didn’t use hot sauce).
Instead of a recipe, I thought I’d post instructions on how to grow your own sprouts. Sprouts are super healthy, extremely economical and very easy to grow – in only 5-6 days! Anybody can do it – no special skills required!
A sprout possesses all of the energy, vitamins and nutrients and power that enables it to be transformed from a small seed into a strong plant. At this stage its nutritional value is at its highest. For instance, sprouted seeds can contain 400% more protein than lettuce and over 3900% more beta-carotene.
Also, due to their size and taste you are able to eat hundreds of sprouted seeds at a time. In so many sprouts, you are eating the equivalent of hundreds of fully grown plants all at once – when else would you be able to get the goodness of one hundred mature plants in one meal?!
Studies have also shown that broccoli and other types of sprout contain exceptionally high levels of a natural cancer fighting compound called sulforaphane (20 – 50 times more than in mature broccoli) which helps support antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E.
I regularly sprout alfalfa for salads, wraps and sandwiches, and broccoli sprouts for my breakfast shake (honestly, I don’t care for them since I don’t like raw broccoli, but I know how good they are for me so I do my best to mask the flavor – if you like raw broccoli you may like broccoli sprouts). 
This sauce, which I adapted from Dreena Burton’s recipe in Let Them Eat Vegan, is great any way you’d use sour cream. It’s rich, creamy and a little goes a long way. Use chipotle hot sauce for a smokier flavor.
Never have I made these when they weren’t loved by all. When I first created them, I couldn’t decide if they should be called burritos or enchiladas. Ultimately I decided they were a combination, hence the name “enchilito”! Several of the ingredients listed are brand specific but I’ve no doubt these would still be delicious regardless of the brand.
Since I advocate a primarily whole-foods diet, I’ve listed the meat (Soyrizo) and cheese (Daiya) substitutes as optional. While these foods are tasty, they are processed and contain oils. Use them sparingly, if at all, and save them for situations in which you’re serving to a meat-eating crowd or if you yourself are slowly attempting to move towards a more plant-based diet. This dish is plenty flavorful without those ingredients, but for the transition process, small amounts of mock meats and cheeses can be helpful.
Delicious served with Avocado Cream Sauce.
I needed to make a dessert for company recently and I knew I wanted something sort of summery, but warm since evenings are still cool here. Wasn’t in the mood for cake, pie or the Chocolate-Banana Muffin Cakes I always make. I decided a peach crisp was definitely in order since peaches are abundant and delicious right now. Unfortunately, most recipes for any kind of crisp are laden with sugar and butter. This version does contain some Earth Balance, so it’s best for special occasions, but it’s definitely less fattening than standard recipes – and every bit as good!
Back when I ate animal foods, I never ate pork – except on rare occasions if it was in the form of a BLT. Bacon alone grossed me out but on that sandwich…yum! How silly is that? Reminds me of the mentality I had towards chicken – I could eat a boneless chicken breast no problem, but give me chicken on the bone and forget it! It’s amazing what we can talk ourselves into, or out of, in order to ease our conscience. Anyway, when I discovered tempeh bacon I was so excited to be able to eat BLT’s again, and more than occasionally since it’s not unhealthy! There are several varieties of ‘fake bacon’ out there, but the majority of them are highly processed and not what I’d call healthy (with the exception of Fakin Bacon by Lightlife, which is made from tempeh).
In case you aren’t familiar with tempeh, it is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans and usually a grain into a cake form. It has a high content of fiber, protein and vitamins and a unique, earthy flavor with a very firm texture. I recommend steaming the tempeh prior to cooking to remove some of the bitterness, as well as to help it absorb flavors of marinades, etc.
In a pinch I will buy Fakin Bacon, however it’s about double the cost of making it myself from plain tempeh. If I do use the pre-made bacon, I never cook it according to the package instructions as it calls for frying in oil. See recipe below for details.
In our house, Sundays are known as “pancake Sunday!” Normally, pancakes are seen as a treat, eaten only occasionally. Since these are healthy, there’s no need for deprivation! Just go easy on the syrup, and if you must, use a tiny bit of Earth Balance instead of butter or trans-fat-filled margarine.
I’ve been sitting here racking my brain trying to think of what to write for my first blog post. I mean, let’s face it, bloggers are a dime a dozen these days. Actually, I don’t even want to refer to myself as a blogger. I blog. Occasionally. Posting recipes is the main goal here but I also want to share thoughts, tips, articles, and anything else I think you may find even the slightest bit interesting, as it relates to food and health (I won’t be sharing sad stories of my dog who’s lost her mind, how much I love my kid, my favorite TV shows or my thoughts on politics – no way, definitely not going there!) Some blog posts go on for what seems like days, resembling a journal or diary, with every thought in the author’s head no longer a mystery. I don’t want to replicate that here. I also don’t want to hammer you with posts 8 days a week. I know the marketing gurus would say it’s important to really put yourself out there, but who cares. Less is more, that’s how I see it. Bottom line is this: I love food, and what I know healthy food does for the body (from first-hand experience, as well as what is clearly shown in the scientific literature). Hopefully I can impart some of my passion and knowledge on to you! Following is one of my favorite recipes. Enjoy!
NOTE: Some brands of chipotle in adobo sauce contain a little wheat flour. Make sure to check the label. If you are on a strict gluten-free diet, use chipotle powder or chipotle hot sauce instead to make it officially gluten-free.
