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]]> http://veganisalifestyle.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/some-green-tea-love-from-science-daily/feed/ 0 veganisalifestyle http://veganisalifestyle.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/simmered-stuff-1/ http://veganisalifestyle.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/simmered-stuff-1/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:44:48 +0000 Kate Simmons http://veganisalifestyle.wordpress.com/?p=91 ]]>

I have no name for this recipe. (Obviously.) I concocted it between taking the dogs outside and watching Kathy Griffin’s standup routine. Despite this, I remember how I did it.

Again, the proportions are kinda sorta upta you.

Ingredients

Polenta (log) – original flavor (usually in the organic produce section, hanging around the tofu at the grocery store)

Soy Shreds – cheddar flavor

Tofutti Sour Cream

Smart Balance (or some other butter substitute)

Cilantro – fresh, chopped

Garlic powder or minced garlic

Curry powder

Directions

Melt “butter” in a skillet. Crumble polenta into a mixing bowl. Add “cheddar” and “sour cream” until you have a fry-able mass. Roll into balls and drop in skillet, flipping occassionally to avoid burning. They’re the tastiest things in the world, and they go marvelously on rice or asian noodles. Bon á petit.

Ingredients

2 cans enchilada sauce

1-2 packages of whole wheat tortillas

1 can black beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can corn

1 jar of tequila lime salsa

chopped cilantro

Directions

Mix beans, tomatoes, corn and salsa. Stuff tortillas with this concoction, roll them up and place them in a casserole dish coated with the first can of enchilada sauce. Top with the second can of enchilada sauce and chopped cilantro.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 350^o.

(This is particularly good topped with Tofutti Sour Cream and avocado slices.)

Part of my vegan creed is that no matter what restaurant has been selected, I can always find something animal-friendly to eat. Fortunately, in the Twin Cities, there’s almost always accommodation for we non-animal-product-consumers. But last night Nathaniel (mi esposo) and I went with a friend of ours to Jake’s Bar and Grill for supper, and my theory was put to the test.

I think this was our fourth Jake’s excursion, and every time we’ve gone I’ve asked for some modification to my order. I can’t just have the spicy chicken enchiladas – I’ve got to have the cilantro salad dressing on the side, even though there’s not a single ingredient in this entrée that has any business in a salad. You get the idea. I’m not finicky; I’m ravenous. When it comes to flavor, I want it all.

Previously, the waiter/waitress has always taken this in stride. Last night, my first time there as a vegan newborn, we got a waiter I absolutely must call Chuck. I have no idea what his real name was.

I let the others order first as I concocted a vegan dish from the remnants of a couple different menu options. When it was my turn, I asked for the cream cheese and vegetable ciabatta, but instead of cream cheese could I have a side of the tomatillo-chipotle salad dressing from the fajita salad? (Even vegans don’t like a dry ciabatta.)

He arched his eyebrows, and, as he scribbled, murmured, “Ooooooookay.”

Feeling that I must be putting him out, I qualified, “I know, I’m the annoying customer who has to change everything…”

Chuck said nothing, but Nathaniel piped up: “You don’t have to apologize; you are paying for it.”

(I love that guy.)

I’ve been trying to figure out how to be a gracious vegan. I’ve been very turned off by people who shudder at the thought of food cut with a knife that’s may have, once upon a time, encountered a slab of beef or a block of cheese. Non-contamination is so not the point. I’m not going to ask a waiter, a waitress, or even a Chuck whether the ciabatta was made with that teaspoon of milk some breadmakers prefer.

But I will have to ask for modifications to menu items from time to time, and that’s something I’ll just have to get used to. I can be polite, I can be gracious, but like Nathaniel said, I am paying for it – and leaving a tip. No apologies necessary.

After years of drinking at least one coffee every day – and attempting to accommodate the debilitating (and I mean debilitating – shaking, chills, nausea, etc.) blood sugar crashes inherent in that delicious little habit – imagine my surprise when a single afternoon of sipping green tea leveled my blood sugar, stabilized my ever-wavering energy level, elevated my mood and eliminated my need for coffee.

But aside from the shameless promotion of my new-found friend, I have a couple products to promote too.

Yogi Tea – Green Tea Triple Echinacea

I had a swollen gland in my throat last week, which happens now and again during allergy season. (I also have a history of multiple rounds of antibiotics to deal with infected tonsils, so a swollen throat is always a bad sign for me.) I drank this a couple mornings in a row, and the affliction was gone. Not just smaller or less uncomfortable – gone.

In addition to the adorable packaging, Yogi Tea offers a whole line of teas for what ails you.

Zhena’s Gypsy Tea – Egyptian Mint Green

My latest discovery, this stuff not only tastes nothing like green tea (which is awesome, because I’m attached to the health benefits but not the flavor – at all), it tastes like mint instead. The cool-flavor/hot-tea dichotomy is a great way to get going in the morning.

Best of all, this tea is certified free trade. The message on the back of the tea can reads: “Our fair trade promise guarantees that the workers in the fields from which we harvest receive medical care, education, maternity leave, and child care. This brings true empowerment and fulfilled dreams for those who need it most.”

There’s a wide variety of black, green, white, herbal and other teas at GypsyTea.com.

Instead of eggs:

Crumbled polenta, firm tofu sliced into small chunks

Instead of cheese:

Almond cheddar “cheese”–it shreds, melts and even tastes like cheddar cheese. (Note: I believe there is a completely vegan version of this out there some where. I used Lisanatti, which includes casein, adding what the label calls a “trivial amount” of milk. Use your own judgment. There’s always Soy Shreds if you want to be a purist.)

Sauteed veggies:

Onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms (if you go in for fungus, which I usually don’t ’cause I hate the texture)

Seasoning:

Tony Chachere’s Famous Creole Seasoning and/or salt and pepper

This is an easy one:

Bake potatoes in 400^o oven for about an hour. Split open and smother in slices of ripe avocado and a dollop non-hydrogenated Tofutti Sour Cream.

I’m not all about measurements, so use your own judgment.

Pasta

Whole wheat or quinoa (KEEN-wah) spaghetti*

Sauce

Olive oil
Lemon juice
Tofutti cream cheese
Almond “chedder” cheese (optional)
Minced garlic
Paprika (optional)

* For those with wheat allergies, gluten-free quinoa pasta is available

Try this home brew next time you feel a cold or flu coming on.

• 2-3 cups vegetable broth*
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or mashed
• 1 sliced jalapeño pepper (fresh, not canned or pickled)
• 1/2 onion, minced
• as much cayenne pepper as you can stand
• fresh cilantro

*Originally chicken broth; modified for vegan audience.

Amy Prindle is an associate editor in Lincoln, Nebraska, working toward a master’s in nutrition.