Danielle's Breakfast

From left to right
Raisins
Oatmeal cooked in Fortified Soy Milk topped with Flax Seed Oil and Maple Syrup
Apple Sauce with 1/2 tsp Nutritional Yeast
Orange Juice 1/2 n 1/2 with water
Pinguin Sippy contains Vanilla Soy Milk

Pasta Salad

1 bag Pasta (Spirals, Bow Ties, Penne --- any of your choice) cook in water with 1 tsp salt

1/2 jar Sun dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil
1 jar Artichokes Hearts
1/2 jar Capers (Optional)
1/2 can Black Medium Olives
2-3 cloves of Garlic
3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 pck Cherri Tomatoes
1 pck Fresh Basil
1 cup Fresh Parsley

salt and pepper - optional

Cook the pasta according to directions on the package. Do not rinse and set aside.

Combine Sun dried tomatoes including the oil, artichokes including 3tbsp of  liquid. Add drained and chopped black olives. Drain the Capers, crush the garlic, add vinegar in a large bowl. Toss gently.
I like to cut the tomatoes and artichokes in a smaller pieces.

Add the hot drained pasta and mix gently. It'll cool down while you mix it.

Add the remaining ingredients: halved or quartered Cherri tomatoes, chopped Basil and Parsley, and mix.

Enjoy

Devil's Food Cake

This is a recipe from VegNews February 2007 Issue. I could not resist to try it and it turned out great! AND it's very simple.
When I make a dish baked in the oven I usually make a desert as well since I have the oven fired up. Good excuse to have cakes huh? ;o)

It makes 8 inch round cakes
I made it in a 9 1/2 inch spring pan. It doesn't look so fancy, but it's tasty as well.

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 dark brown sugar
1 cup filtered water
1/4 olive oil, plus additional for pans
2 tbsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 fresh beets, peeled and finely grated (I did not have fresh beets so I used small can of beets including the water and it worked as well)
Fluffy Frosting - recipe bellow

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Oil the pan(s)
You can dust the pan with the cocoa powder.

Mix all the dry ingredients.
Mix all the rest wet ingredients add the can of beets. Now you can either mix it all up in a food processor or I like to use my hand wand mixer and a tall bowl so you don't get the red beet color all over your kitchen walls.
Add it to the dry mixture.
Either divide the batter to the 2 pans or spoon just in the larger pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean dry.

Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes and remove from baking pan(s). Place on a dish and let cool completely before frosting.


Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 vegan butter
1/4 cup soy or rice milk (I used the vanilla soy)
1 tsp vanilla

Whisk or beat together by hand or electrical mixer. Use immediately or cool in a fridge.
If you use 2 pans. Top the first pan with frosting and place the second on top and top it with the rest of the frosting. Otherwise top it on the cake and enjoy.

Shepherd's Pie

Potato Topping:
4 Medium Potatoes, cubed
1 Sweet Potato, cubed
2 tbsp Vegan Butter
1/4 cup Plain Soy or Rice Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Veggie and Gravy Filling:
1 pck 16 oz (453g) Frozen Vegetable Mix of your choice
1 pck of 4 Vegan Burgers 10 oz (283g)

Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Either in a can or home made:
1 Onion, diced
Olive Oil for sauteing
6 Mushrooms, diced
2 cups Water
2 tbsp Whole Wheat Flour
3 tbsp Miso Paste
1 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
Splash of cooking Sherry (optional)

- - -

Boil potatoes and drain. Mix in the vegan butter and soy milk and mash them together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

While the potatoes are cooking prepare the gravy.
Saute the onion with olive oil for 2 minutes and add the mushrooms. Add the 1 1/2 water and bring to simmer. Mix the 2 tbs flour in remaining 1/2 cup of water and add to a pot. Simmer for about 3 minutes and turn off. Mix in the miso, aminos, nutritional yeast and sherry.

Mix the frozen veggies and vegan burgers shredded with fork. Add the gravy.

Spoon it in a 10 x 10 inch baking dish slightly oiled. Spread the mashed potatoes on top and bake in the oven 350 F for 20 - 25 minutes.

Easy Fun lunch:
from Top left to right
Blueberries
Cherri Tomatoes
Macaroni & Soy Cheese
Edamame

Baby Breakfast ideas

Here is a Breakfast I made for my baby Danielle today. Sometimes I run out of the ideas and so I started to document what I did for next time.
I found this fun monkey dish in a Target and could not leave it there since Danielle LOVES Monkeys - Curious George - of course.
In the bowl on the left is a Soy Yogurt.
On the right are Blueberries. One of her favorite fruits besides Apples.
Little breakfast Pizza made of halved English muffin spread with vegan butter, circle of tomato and vegan cheese and broiled in the oven. (I must to get the small grill oven soon :-) )

Tofu Scramble

1/2 pck Firm Tofu drained and crumbled (with fork)
1 Onion chopped
6 Button Mushrooms (baby portabellas or just regular white mushrooms) chopped small
2 Tomatoes chopped
1 tbsp Turmeric
1/4 c Nutritional Yeast
1 tbsp Braag Liquid Aminos (You can sub it with soy sauce or simply salt and pepper to taste)
Olive oil for sauteing

Saute the onions on olive oil till it start to get translucent (about 3 minutes).
Add chopped mushrooms and saute another 3 minutes.
Add the crumbled firm tofu. Don't mix yet.
Add turmeric, nutritional yeast and the aminos and mix. Let to heat through for about another 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and turn them in. Try not to smash them.

It's Ready to serve. It feeds me and my husband and a baby - plenty.

Tips:
1) Upgrades

You can add 1/2 can drained Black Beans
1/3 c chopped Cilantro
chopped Jalapeno
broken Tortilla chips
Some taco seasoning or just some chili
and it makes great Southwestern Tofu scramble

2) Cooking ware
I love to use the heavy iron cast skillets for cooking. Cooking acidic foods like onion and tomatoes helps release iron into a food which.

Bean & Tofu Enchiladas

20 Small Corn tortillas
8 oz Vegan Cheese grated

Sauce
1 cup TVP granules
1 1/4 cup of boiling water
1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup Red Wine
1 tbsp Onion Powder
2 tbsp Taco Seasoning (or to taste)
2 tbsp Molasses
2 tbsp Olive Oil (optional)

Pour the boiling water over the TVP. Let stand as long as you open all the cans and add all the rest of the ingredients. Bring to boil and cook on low for about 5 minutes. Mixing occasionally.

Filling
1 can Beans drained (Any of your choice, I like the light color like butter beans or just plain pinto)
1/2 pck Extra Firm Tofu (out of 14 oz refrigerated package)
1/3 cup Nutritional Yeast
1/2 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or to taste)
1/2 cup chopped Cilantro

Smash the drained beans and tofu with fork.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Heat the tortillas prior to rolling the filling in on a pan. It will soften them up and prevent breaking. Place into a 10 x 10 baking dish next to each other.

Pour the sauce over the top.
Sprinkle the grated vegan cheese.
bake in preheated oven 350F for 20 minutes.

Apple Banana Baked Puding

2-3 apples - Grated
1 Banana
1/2 pck of Silken Firm Tofu
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 cups Cooked Brown Rice & Millet
1/2 pck Vanilla Maizena Pudding (1.6oz pack)
2 cups (0.5 L) Soy or Rice Milk (Unsweetened or Vanilla)

Fork smash banana with tofu, add sugar, and grated apples.
Turn in the cooked Rice and Millet.
Mix the pudding powder into the Soy Milk for easy dissolving and add to the mixture.

Pour into 10" x 10" or 9" round greased baking dish.
Bake in the oven 350 F for 30 minutes.

Enjoy.
My baby girl gobbled up 2 bowls of this. It's a great dish for kids, but I love it too. :-)

Lentil and Walnut Loaf

Lentil and Walnut Loaf

2 cups dry lentils (presoak for 1-2 hour if time allows)

1 cup walnuts (grinded up)

1 cup lima beans (frozen are fine)

1 large carrot - chopped

2-3 celery sticks - chopped

1 large onion - chopped

½ box mushrooms - chopped

Oil or vegan butter

2 tsp curry powder

2 tbsp ketchup or tomato sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp salt

4 tbsp parsley or cilantro - chopped

Grind the nuts (to chunky not mushy) in a food processor and set in a big bowl.

Soak and then cook the lentils till tender but not mushy.

Heat up the oil or butter and sauté the onion. Add lima beans and chopped vegetables (carrots, celery, and mushrooms) and sauté for about 3-5 minutes.

Pass the sautéed veggie mixture through the food processor, leave it chunky. Place to the bowl with nuts.

Mix in lentils and remaining ingrediences.

Grease a loaf pan or line with a cooking paper and press the mixture in it.

Preheat oven to 375 F/190 C/ Gas 5.

Bake for about 50 minutes to hour.

You can try with a tooth pick if not sticky, it’s done.

Introduction

I want to create a cookbook so it makes it easy on vegan families with kid(s). I am stay-at-home-mom and it’s a full time 24/7 job. From my experience I found out how hard it is to take an attention from my child to just make a coffee, not to mention the whole meal. I decided to start having a cooking day on the weekend when my husband is at home so he can play with our daughter while I cook.

As I got to know more and more vegetarian moms, mostly thanks to my on line support group Urban Veggie which we transferred under Vegnod.com, I found out that we have pretty much same issue. What to cook preferably in a short time so we get a variety of foods, so it’s not boring to our families, and just plain: I am running out of ideas.

I searched in my head and my recipe notes for meals that can be modified to be vegan and cooked ahead of the time and store in a fridge or a freezer for later and still be nutritious and most importantly tasty.

Another reason of my efforts was a reaction to people commentaries such as: Vegetarian (vegan if they knew what that is)? And what do you eat? – Or - I always wanted to be a vegetarian, but I just do not know what to cook and more, how to plan my meals to stay healthy. (Getting enough all that protein and stuff) – or – I do not want to mess up my kids health. In times of tv –frozen-dinners or ready-to-eat food where there is almost no involvement in cooking and creative thinking of preparing a meal it can be hard and even intimidating to try to break from the habitual meat-and-potato diet. This kind of eating habits is by far not an ideal choice, but because it’s a still majority way of eating, it is somehow comforting that we have all we need. All propaganda about the need for animal protein is rooted too deeply into our mind. Even long time vegans might still have doubts and look up some info from time to time. The great think is that now there are so many resources like books and reputable websites and primarily organizations where we can go to get the newest info and our questions answered. Hopefully this blog will be one of the helpful resourses.

Who and what is Urban Veggie?

I believe that the majority of people want to live a healthy and long life one way or another. Vegetarianism definitely gives one of the greatest options to do so. My friend once told me that, as a vegetarian, I have to restrict my self from 99% of food that other normal people eat. When it comes to eating junk, fast and processed foods, she is right. But in general, I believe it’s the other way around. People do not eat the 99% of foods naturally available to us. It’s very convenient and uncreative to throw steak and potatoes on a plate. Yes, being vegetarian does require a little bit more effort and thinking when preparing meals, but in the end that’s what’s fun about it. Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy, and nowadays there is so much information, so many cookbooks and a great variety of foods widely available, so there is no excuse.

Being vegetarian does not mean living only off of vegetables or being an odd hippie (many people still think of this cliché when vegetarianism is mentioned). Vegetarians explore every plant resource of our planet to create a perfectly sufficient, healthy and balanced diet without harming other animals. And yes, vegetarians are concerned about how the produce is grown, processed and modified and how it will impact our environment.

The process of becoming vegetarian can be an instant decision or a slow transition and learning. It’s all an individual decision based on one’s situation, beliefs and resources. Some of us decide to become vegetarians for health reasons, some for spiritual or religious, some for environmental concerns and the well being of animals, or all of the above. Wherever you are in the process of becoming vegetarian, for any of these reasons, you are making a step toward becoming a better person. There is no right or wrong way to achieve such a goal. Just a positive attitude toward vegetarianism is a great step.

In modern society, we are living in growing communities such as cities, which are invading the wild habitats of the other living beings who are sharing this planet with us. Living in a community is perfectly natural for humans, and for that matter, for many animals, too. And not everyone can or wants to go live in a prairie in a teepee by himself without electricity. Humanity is moving forward and the industrial revolution has its place in our history. The human-created society does have its reason and place in this world. But all that doesn’t mean that we should forget about our environment and where we come from in the first place. There are many issues related to the environment, ecosystem, animal rights, protection and conservation, which are definitely concerns of most vegetarians. It all ties in together when we educate ourselves in those areas, but we cannot possibly be active participants in all of the organizations and causes. It would be very overwhelming for the individual. We need to pick our battles. (Yes, I did and still do feel sad that I cannot possibly save every animal out there.) There are, however, a few amazing individuals who do dedicate their entire lives to a cause on the post-conventional level. We need communities of similar-minded people to keep us sane and to encourage us to keep moving. In today’s busy lifestyle it can feel like we are living in bubbles, constantly driving a car to get from bubble home by bubble car to bubble work cubicle and back. It can make it difficult to meet people with similar interests. But we should try and invest the effort. The Internet is a great way to find, keep up and keep in touch with our interests and similar-minded people.

Here are several issues I can think of about animals and the environment, related to urban life and city development. Please feel free to send me your suggestions just in case I forgot something.

- There are millions of lost, abandoned and abused animals due to such things as:

homes and gardens not properly secured; pets that don’t have proper ID and registration; pets abandoned after irrational purchases in which people did not consider whether the animal is a good fit for the family (holidays, birthday presents etc.); improper care or even the worst – abuse.

If you decide to get a companion after thorough consideration of your situation, please contact the animal rescue organizations and non-kill shelters in your area and support them by adopting an animal and giving it good care and a home. If you do not want or cannot have a pet, but still like to be active in this area, you can volunteer and come to care for those animals that are in one of those institutions. (include some listings)

- Because of our expansion into the wild habitats of animals that share our planet, it’s not unusual to find lost or injured wildlife in your area. A few people with a great interest and concern for those animals created wildlife rescue organizations Many are licensed to be able to help and care for those animals. You can find them listed in each state wildlife organization’s website (include some links)

- While living in a house or an apartment, we use the utility services in our areas. We should be concerned about how it’s produced by the companies and how it’s used by us. There are growing companies producing electricity, for example, in ecologically friendly ways, producing eco-friendly and easy biodegradable detergents, and farmers using organic practices to grow produce without use of harmful chemicals. Car makers are creating eco-friendly hybrid cars. We ourselves can use organic practices when growing in-house plants or in our outdoor garden. We should pay close attention to the use and waste of our water, like when to water the garden or taking long showers and letting water run for no reason.

- We can support local vegetarian and health food restaurants, local organic farmer’s markets, buying organic products in the local grocery store and last but not least, support healthier meal choices in school cafeterias for our children. Buy non-animal products, cloth etc.

- Recycling is a great choice. Support local recycling and make it more available and known to the community.

- Last but not least is an optimistic attitude and a positive non-forceful education of others who are interested in any of above mentioned.

Urban veggie-ism is a great solution for anyone interested. Are you a busy executive who wants to boost up your energy so you can invest it in your work? Are you a business owner who likes to support other local business? Are you a parent who wants a better and longer healthy life for the whole family? Are you a busy working mom, student, downtown loft owner/tenant or are you just curious and afraid to ask?

The effort everyone contributes to our society or civilization doesn’t have to be a huge project; anything counts. You can do anything for which you have time and resources. Volunteering in a local animal shelter, children’s group, sending a donation to organization of your choice, or just signing a petition related to those issues – any of these things will make a difference.

Make a move – any move – help yourself!