Wednesday, May 7, 2008

sun-dried tomato spinach filo pouches



can filo entrees be healthy? they are usually white flour and smothered in butter filled with something cheesy, maybe if you are lucky filo is smothered in olive oil. i think olive oil is a healthy fat in moderation. and don't get me started on cheese! to healthify these pouches i used whole wheat filo and olive spray to keep the fat low. the result is a delicious, healthy treat! 

while i was at it, i used some spare filo and filled some pouches with blueberries and cherries and sprayed with canola oil instead of olive oil. a light summer dessert to match your entree! 

recipe!

3 sheets of whole wheat filo cut into fourths
olive oil spray

sun-dried tomato filling:
6 oz firm tofu, crumbled
about 6 rehyrdrated sun-dried tomatoes , chopped. 
1/4 c frozen spinach 
garlic powder, salt and pepper

-preheat the oven to 350 degrees
-grease baking pan with olive oil spray
-combine the ingredients for the filling
-cut the sheets into 4 squares
-spray one square lightly with the oil spray
-carefully put a small-ish amount of filling in the middle of one square
-carefully combine the edges of the square and pinch together
-repeat for each square! 

i ate my pouches with fatfree vegan's mini crustless quiches.


Tuesday, May 6, 2008

yuba wrapped marinated portabellas with pesto

yubayubayuba!




yuba is "tofu skin." it is made by boiling down soy milk until it creates a thin film. you can make it on your own, but i tried once and i failed
miserably. so you will likely have to take a trip to a well stocked asian market. well worth it.

recipe:
a couple sheets of yuba, cut into squares
two portabella mushrooms
marinade: balsamic vinegar, splash of olive oil, salt and pepper
pesto

-cut portabellas into long strips, wash and marinade for at least 20 minutes
-preheat over to 350
-lie yuba out on a flat surface
-lay down portabellas on edge closest to you, and spoon small amount of pesto over the mushrooms
-roll the yuba and mushrooms like sushi. you want to make sure there are at least a couple of yuba layers.

-place yuba rolls seam side down on a lightly oiled baking dish
-bake for about 15 minutes, until nice and crispy
-let cool, and then cut pieces so that each roll has one mushroom strip.


walnut-basil pesto:
about 20 basil leaves
hand full of walnuts
tbl of olive oil
a little lemon, salt, pepper
-blend ingredients together!

the only person in the world who can sell garbage to raise money for animals?

here.

"abuse on the egg farm"


ABC reported on a major california egg producer's batter facility. this is how the overwhelming majority of eggs  are produced in this country. 
here.





image from goveg.com

Monday, May 5, 2008

cinco de mayo seitan fajitas

-yellow onion sliced

-bell pepper sliced 
-portabella mushroom sliced (or zucchini or whatever veggies you want)
-sliced seitan (make your own, buy it from the store, or make it from a quick mix)
-tortillas (i used ezekiel sprouted grain)
-salsa and avocado 

1. saute the onion and bell pepper until soft. 
2. add the seitan, and portabella mushroom. 
3. add a little salt, pepper,  2 tbl cumin and a dash of red pepper flakes. 
4. serve in tortillas with salsa and avocado

ole!

kiwi adzuki coconut rice

lunch time!
adzuki beans are japanese, and often used in desserts because of their slightly sweet flavor. find them in asian grocery stores. they are also a continuation on my theme of love of purple food. enjoy.

kiwi adzuki coconut rice
1 cup cooked brown basmati rice (1/3 c dry yields 1 cup cooked)
1 cup cooked adzuki beans
1 kiwi chopped
1/4 c chopped cilantro
2.5 tbl unsweetened shredded coconut 

-toss together!

p.s. you may notice that this picture is surprisingly good while many of my other photos are surprisingly bad. this is a result of ryan (boyfriend) kindly suggesting i not take my own pictures anymore. he says it makes my very delicious food look...not so delicious.  we'll see....

reducing global warming: eating local important, eating veg even more important


vegan: you can't get any greener! 


according to new research from carnegie mellon, eating vegan one day a week saves more greenhouse gasses than eating animal products locally every day of the week.  being vegan prevents over eight times the greenhouse gasses that eating animal products locally does.
here

Sunday, May 4, 2008

international respect for chickens day: balsamic blackberry tofu

today is international respect for chickens day! in honor of them enjoy chicken free nuggets, eggless treats, and pop in chicken run. learn more about "broiler" and egg-laying hens







below is a delicious cruelty free tofu dish. the sweet blackberries, full of antioxidants, mix wonderfully with tangy balsamic vinegar. plus, im sucker for purple food. 



balsamic blackberry tofu
-package of tofu
-1 cup of frozen blackberries
-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
-1/2 cup vegetable broth

1. mix the vinegar, broth and blackberries in a shallow contained. 
2. marinade the tofu for at least 30 minutes. 
3. you can bake the tofu (with juice) at 350 degree for about 20 minutes, or you can throw them in a pan with juice. 
i threw in some walnuts in mine for some healthy omega 3 fatty acids. serve over wild rice! 

eight belles euthanized at kentucky derby

and the jockeys are the ones who get the trophies?

Saturday, May 3, 2008

lemon-lime sunshine bundt cake


a la vegan genius hannah kaminsky.


what does one do with a friend who has a birthday and doesn't like frosting (aside from scoff)? make a beautiful, delicious bundt cake with a light glaze! 




down home cookin': bbq tempeh


i grew up in california and now live in massachusetts...i have no real idea of what down home cookin' entails. and if it includes deep frying a
meat and cheese lasagna , then count me out (paula dean: i think it's cute when you say "yall" and "oh my gracious", but geeeez...)! but if down home cookin' includes the simple pleasures of baked sweet potatoes, stick to your ribs bbq temeph and collards, i'm all for it. 



bbq tempeh:
ingredients:
-1 pacakge of tempeh
-1 onion
-1 bell pepper 
- can of hominy
-your favorite bbq sauce

-preheat over to 350 degrees
-cut tempeh in half long ways and then each half into about four strips. 
-boil water, and boil tempeh for about three minutes. 
-saute onion and bell peppers
-place tempeh, and onion and bell pepper in a baking dish. 
-add hominy
-cover with a tablespoon of soy sauce
-cover and mix in your favorite bbq sauce
-cook for 30-40 minutes 

Friday, May 2, 2008