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Showing posts from February, 2012

Black Bean Burgers

I'm thinking about maybe black bean burgers. I love black beans. They are my favorite bean. And quite frankly, I'm sick of so many restaurants and food companies making vegetarian burgers with eggs in them. I know that eggs are technically vegetarian, but I find that quite sad. I think eggs are a much crueler food choice than say scallops or shrimp. I don't eat scallops or shrimp either, but if forced to choose between those and eggs I'd have to choose either scallops of shrimp. I fail to see how tortured egg laying hens are a kinder choice than brainless bivalves and bottom feeders. I mean, that is, if you're a vegetarian for the purpose of being kind to animals. Egg laying hens are severely tortured. And even if you eat cruelty free eggs from a local farm, the eggs in other foods you might consume are from who knows where. Anyway, that was a tangent. I know that Gardenburger makes a black bean burger free of eggs, but I can't see spending $5 on 4 frozen bu

Vegan Dirty Lentils and Barley

I made some 'dirty' lentils and barley tonight. I was trying to capture a Cajun style flavor. Dirty rice kinda feel without the discarded animal parts. I like the whole Cajun flavor profile and I think this is a good permutation. Ingredients 1/2 cup dry lentils 1/2 cup dry pearl barley 1 14 ounce can vegetable broth 1/3 cup frozen chopped collard greens 1/3 cup frozen diced red and green bell peppers 1/2 cup soy sauce 1 tbl spicy mustard 1 tsp Louisiana hot sauce 1/4 cup carrots 1 jalapeno pepper diced 7 cloves garlic sliced water as needed 2 tsps vegan margarine garlic powder, onion powder, Cayenne powder, chili powder, thyme and basil to season Add broth, barley and lentils to a large sauce pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer covered for 10 minutes. Add collards, carrots, soy sauce and mustard and more water in 1/4 cups increments as needed. Continue simmering 5 more minutes. Add jalapeno, garlic, and hot sauce. Simmer 3 more minutes. Add some of each spice and more water if

Vegan Brownie Balls

I wanted to make some brownies for a special ocassion, but I wouldn't use eggs in my brownies because eggs are evil. I found some Pilsbury brownie mix for a mere $0.99 and was eager to experiment. While there are commercial egg replacers available I was curious to try alternative methods like applesauce and bananas. I tried applesauce because that is what I had on hand. Ingredients 1 family size box Pilsbury brownie mix 2 snack packs Mott's Natural applesauce (No added sugar) 1/4 cup melted vegan margarine Water as indicated on package Shallow dish of cocoa powder Blend all ingredient except cocoa powder thoroughly. For brownies you want to create gluten. Gluten will make your brownies chewy and delicious. So stir vigorously and a lot. Pour batter into a greased baking pan and cook as directed. Remove brownies from oven when they no longer jiggle. The edges should be firm and cakey while a ,oist and gooey center is still be present. Let cool for at least 20 minutes. Use a spoon

Vigo Rice

I've been getting a lot of google hits lately about whether or not Vigo brand rices are vegetarian. They are NOT. They contain chicken fat and powdered chicken. They are neither vegetarian nor vegan in any way. Carolina rice (Mahatma on the west coast) makes a saffron yellow rice that is vegan and vegetarian. Regular saffron yellow only. The spicy kind has animal ingredients. Near east also makes a Mediterranean cous cous curry that is yellow and saffrony and quite good which reads as vegan from the ingredient list. Both are very tasty if saffron rice is what you crave.

Vegetarian Mac and Cheese

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Today I found two brands of vegetarian boxed macaroni and cheese. Unlike the sinister Kraft brand which is predicated on the stomachs of dead baby animals (calf, lamb and kid) these wonderful alternatives use only non-animal enzymes in their cheese packets. Both Annie's and Back To Nature brand boxed mac and cheese dinners specify right on the package that the enzyme in their cheese mix are of the non-animal variety. Awesome! All cheese containing packages really ought to require such labelling... animal or non enzymes. The people want to know. The governement of course doesnt' care. There's no money in it. All restaurants need to get with the program as well. You already have the egg, milk and peanut info. It's not unreasonable for poeple to want to know if animal stock, fat or similar is lurking in their menu choice. List on your websties animal containing foods. Things with animals stocks, animals fats, any animal derived ingredients.