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September 30, 2004

Rice Dream Bars

I picked up a Rice Dream, Vanilla Nutty Bar the other day while I was out and felt like a kid again.

Rice Dream, "Ice Cream" Bars are completely vegan, but they have a warning on them that some of the ingredients (the chocolate) are made in facilities that make milk products.

Very small possibility of contamination. They take their vegan very seriously at Rice Dream.

Posted by Denise at 07:23 PM | Comments (1)

September 27, 2004

Parve

There seems to be a lot of different thoughts on what parve is.

My Falafel entry, where I mentioned that when I saw parve on a box of kosher food I was confident that what was in the box was vegan, has gotten a few clarifying comments.

Carmen gave me the definition of kosher.

I received correct clarification of parve from sb, who left an interesting link to a page that very clearly defines parve. I have also read the same info on a page from vegsource.com - can kosher mean vegan?

Jon's comment was correct that fish and eggs are in foods marked parve, by all accounts, but I think is incorrect including "Jello-brand gelatin (comes from slaughtered animals)" and "Mono and diglicyrides that are from animals".

I don't believe either one of these things would be in a product marked parve.

Posted by Denise at 09:53 PM | Comments (3)

September 25, 2004

Gardenburger Meals

Gardenburger has done it again!

New Gardenburger Meals are really tasty. I love quick and these are very quick and very easy to make. Microwave in 5 minutes, I added a little sprinkling of Veggie Shreds to this particular one: Southwestern *Chicken* with Vegetables, just like it showed on the package, but there is no cheese in there really.

There are 6 new Gardenburger Meals, 3 are vegan including Citrus *Chicken* with Green Beans & Rice and *Meatloaf* with Broccoli and Red Peppers.

Posted by Denise at 02:53 PM | Comments (2)

September 24, 2004

Partially Hydrogenated - Retraction

I received a comment (very nicely put) from Mike Warner, who wanted to break through the denial I have been immersed in since I found Shedd's Willow Run Soybean Margarine. Now, Mike didn't know what he was doing, but his comment was the last straw. Wild Oats' decision was an earlier one.

Don't think I am going to stop eating, baking or cooking with Willow Run, but I am going to monitor my intake, okay? I know that hydrogenated oils are bad, I actually know from experience...do you think I was kidding about the extra weight? When did it start? When I found Willow Run? Maybe...#@$%!!!

Incidentally, Mike creates jewelry and these carrot earrings are in his vegan jewelry collection.

Thanks for the wake up call, Mike.

Posted by Denise at 02:32 PM | Comments (3)

September 22, 2004

Queso De Soya

Quesadilla, Mexican style soft white cheese alternative made with soy is good stuff. Very good.

I especially like the texture. It crumbles just like the white Mexican cheese I remember. It tastes very much like cheese and there is a reason for that. Not only does this cheese have casein in it, it also has: *Natural & cultured flavorings.

*Adds a dietary insignificant amount of Lactose. -- Because they are adding actual cheese to it, or what one soy cheese manufacture called "super-ripened" cheese, in other words "natural & cultured flavors." Now this manufacture (not of this brand) assured me that 1 oz. of super-ripened cheese would flavor almost 10 pounds of soy cheese, but I wonder.

If they are creating soy cheese out of about the same amount of real cheese, for me there is absolutely no point.

I'm doing this for the animals, not the cholesterol.

Posted by Denise at 09:46 PM | Comments (2)

September 20, 2004

TofuTown Tofu Tenders

I tried the Tamari flavor last night in a saut? of onions, green beans, carrots over pasta and it was quite good. What I like best about Tofu Tenders is the burst of protein I got from them.

They are by WhiteWave, the makers of Silk and come in 4 flavors including: Havana Black Bean, Mediterranean Tenders, and Sesame Ginger Teriyaki.

They are fully cooked, marinated, and ready in minutes just like the package says.

Posted by Denise at 08:46 PM | Comments (1)

September 18, 2004

Almost Vegan/Vegan Chili

Here it is, just in time for fall!

My chili recipe. It is a very veggie, very simple (just chili powder to season) chili recipe that you can make in a half an hour and have around the house to eat for a few days of meals.

I like it a lot, hope you do too.

Almost Vegan/Vegan Chili

3 peppers (coarsely chopped)
2 small-med onions (coarsely chopped)
1 8oz. package mushrooms (coarsely chopped)
2 cans stewed tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans (drained)
1 can pinto beans (drained, rinsed)
1/2 4oz. can tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
2-3 (or more) teaspoons chili powder
oil
*Cheddar Flavor Veggie Shreds, Galaxy foods
*Sour Supreme, Better Than Sour Cream, Tofutti

1.) Saute vegetables in a big pot in about 1 tablespoon oil (I use olive) until they are a bit soft and brown on edges in places.

2.) Pour in stewed tomatoes and their juice, scraping the bottom of your pot with a wooden spoon to dissolve any good brown stuff down there. I also usually break up the tomatoes a bit so they are not so big. Add the 3/4 cup of water, the 1/2 can tomato sauce and the chili powder. Stir well while you chili powder and season to taste.

3.) Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat. Add the beans and cook (simmer) for about 15 - 30 minutes.

4.) Spoon into bowls, put some veggie shreds and a dollop of Sour Supreme on top.

This chili is completely vegan before you put the veggie shreds (they contain casein) on top, then it becomes "Almost Vegan." This recipe makes a lot of Chili. Enjoy.

*optional

Posted by Denise at 04:25 PM | Comments (0)

September 16, 2004

Gardenburger Herb Crusted Cutlet

Wow, are these good.

I shared my Herb Crusted Cutlets with a carnivore last night and got nothing but kudos. What a great main dish, crunchy, excellent seasonings, much better than I expected.

Nice dinner too, cauliflower, potatoes grown less than a mile away from my house, salad and the Gardenburger cutlet made it perfect.

Posted by Denise at 04:57 PM | Comments (0)

September 15, 2004

Vegan Italian Dressing

I understand that most of you have probably thought of this already, but Kraft Good Seasons is a great vegan Italian dressing.

I make it with balsamic vinegar and mild olive oil. I think it is much better than anything you can buy in a bottle. Very fresh, and very tasty!

Posted by Denise at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)

September 14, 2004

Amy's Breakfast - Tofu Scramble

All I have to say about this one Amy's is YUM!

I had this for lunch today, not breakfast, and it was incredibly good. The spinach, the seasonings, the zucchini, the tofu, perfect. The hash browns were not browned - of course not, I made it in the microwave - but who cares, they were really good anyway.

Completely vegan.

Posted by Denise at 03:21 PM | Comments (1)

September 12, 2004

Cascadian Farm Vegetarian Meals

These are tasty and very good for you. Lentils, garbanzo beans, veggies, the Indian Meal has curry seasonings, yum. Last night I had it with some "meat", a Gardenburger Chick'n patty, but I've eaten it as a main dish too.

Cascadian Farm has a lovely website, and looks like a very nice company in a very nice place. They have 3 different types of vegetarian meals - Indian, Moroccan, and Aztec. All good, all vegan.

Posted by Denise at 07:51 PM | Comments (1)

September 11, 2004

Thai Kitchen Noodle Cart

I really do love Thai Kitchen.

Vicky, a regular commenter on Almost Vegan, suggested I try Thai Kitchen's noodles in a bowl. I think this is what she was talking about.

These Noodle Cart Instant Rice Noodles & Sauce are really quick to make, but a little bit of trouble in the microwave. (you can also use the boiling water method) You have to take everything out of the little tray, take the noodles out of their package, put them back in the tray and fill it with water. Microwave the tray for 3-4 minutes, snap on the lid they provide and drain the water. Take off the lid, pour in the seasonings and oil packet, stir and eat.

The 2 I tried, Pad Thai and Roasted Garlic, were a bit more spicy than the mild on the box would indicate, but it's fun to have tasty noodles in 4 minutes. All 3 kinds (plus Thai Peanut) are completely vegan.

Posted by Denise at 12:23 PM | Comments (4)

September 09, 2004

Vegan Oreos

These are vegan Oreos - Oreo Thin Crisps, Baked Chocolate Wafer Snacks - and frankly I like them better than original Oreos.

I never really liked the sugary inside of an Oreo and these don't have any of that. They come in cute 100 calorie packs. Just another sensible snacking option from the world of Nabisco!



Go visit NabiscoWorld.com

Posted by Denise at 06:22 PM | Comments (4)

September 08, 2004

LIGHTLIFE Light Burgers

I tried these just today for the 1st time and I love them. They are better than any vegan burgers I have had so far. I like them better than Gardenburger and I love Gardenburger.

I hope this makes that very brutal post about your hot dogs easier to take, LIGHTLIFE. I have to call 'em as I taste 'em!

Posted by Denise at 06:31 PM | Comments (0)

September 06, 2004

Zatarain's New Orleans Vegetable Jambalaya

I am taking credit for this recipe here, but it was actually Carmen who left a comment on a Zatarain's Black Beans & Rice post suggesting vegetables be used to make these Zatarain's mixes a meal.

I used onions, zucchini, mushrooms, and carrots in this one, but you can use most any veggies and unless you like your zucchini pretty soft, I might go with vegetables that hold up better when you cook them a long time. 25 minutes on low to be exact.

I don't mind, and thought zucchini would be good for a New Orleans style recipe, but okra would be even more authentic.

----------------------------
New Orleans Vegetable Jambalaya

2 zucchini - chopped
1 onion - chopped
1 cup mushrooms - chopped
1 cup baby carrots - chopped
olive oil
Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix
2 1/2 cups water (in directions on box)

1.) Saut? vegetables in a large pan on high heat very lightly, (toss the zucchini in last) in olive oil to give them some color and flavor, but don't cook very much.

2.) Pour in the 2 1/2 cups water, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to get up all the gristly tasty stuff and bring to a boil.

3.) Add the Zatarain's Mix when boiling and then return it to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stir, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

4.) Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes.

Chow! Serves 2 really hungry people or 4 not so hungry.

Posted by Denise at 07:49 PM | Comments (1)

September 04, 2004

Wonder Bread is Vegan

It's taken a while for the thought that Wonder Bread is vegan to sink in, and I still don't completely believe it even though I got this bit of information from the Peta website, so it's got to be true! I Can't Believe It's Vegan is a great article, infinitely helpful and surprising.

My favorite sandwich when I was a kid was 2 slices of very fresh Wonder Bread with a mound of lettuce in between and mayonnaise. I'm gonna get me some Vegannaise and see if I can revisit my childhood.

Posted by Denise at 10:50 PM | Comments (11)

September 01, 2004

Vegan Caramel Corn

It's funny the things you crave when you are denied or in my case denying myself. Caramel corn, for me, is one of those things. I don't know of a caramel corn that you can buy that is vegan, but we're in luck. I got a pretty quick and easy recipe for caramel corn that you make in the microwave. I made it in about 10 minutes, popcorn included.

Try it, it is incredibly good!

-----------------------------
Vegan Microwave Caramel Corn

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1/4 cup white Karo syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 qt. popped corn

1.) Combine sugar, butter, syrup and salt in a 2-quart microwave safe glass bowl. Bring to a boil in microwave on high. Cook on high 2 minutes more. Remove and stir baking soda in well.

2.) Put popped corn in a brown paper grocery bag. Pour syrup over popcorn, close bag and shake well.

3.) Cook bag in microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes. Shake well and cook another 1 1/2 minutes on high. Take out and shake well again. Pour on slightly-greased cooking sheet to cool.

Posted by Denise at 10:29 PM | Comments (1)