New American Vegan: cookbook review

February 5, 2012

New American Vegan , by Vincent J. Guihan. Publisher: PM Press (2011). Vegan cookbook. Paperback, 225 pg.

“Cows, chickens, sheep, pigs, bees, and other animals have nerves, memories, fears, wants, and interests just like cats and dogs—just like you and I do.”

New American Vegan opens with a very thoughtful and thorough introduction on being vegan and why author Vincent Guihan went vegan. Guihan has chapters on techniques and tools; soup; sauces; side dishes; sietan & potatoes; desserts. There’s an excellent index at the back of the cookbook.

There is the Best lentil soup recipe EVER—Old-Fashioned Hearty Lentil & Vegetable Soup—I will make this again and again. I’ll also make the Mango Chili with Tahini Cheese & Cilantro as well as the Stick-to-Your-Ribs Yellow Split Pea & Greens soup. Obviously I like to make soup.

Guihan devotes an entire chapter on sauces. “Sauces and dressings are prominent in many cuisines. They both add high points of flavor and color to a dish.” He claims that every vegan has/uses a lot of sauces. Well, not this vegan. I use salad dressing, salsa and stir fry sauce. That’s it. I don’t put sauce on everything I consume. Guess I’m more of a no-frills vegan. I like the taste of most veggies, grains and fruits as it. Maybe a touch of spices.

The recipes are just a bit too wordy for me. Plenty of soup recipes in this cookbook which is a great thing. Many recipes needed too many ingredients or called for something I didn’t have in my pantry. With Veganimicon and The Moosewood Cookbook, I don’t think I’d be grabbing this one too often.

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Posted by Amy Steele

Appetite for Reduction: cookbook review

January 18, 2012

Appetite for Reduction , by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Publisher: Da Capo Press/ Lifelong Books (January 2012). Cooking/Diet. Paperback, 290 pg.

I love Isa. I use Vegan with a Vengeance and Veganimicon all the time. I follow her on twitter and read the recipes she posts on her website Post-Punk Kitchen. When I heard she’d written Appetite for Reduction, I knew I’d want to make some of the recipes part of my vegan diet. The cookbook contains 125 low-fat vegan recipes—salads, soups, chili & stews, veggies, side dishes, pasta, beans, tofu & tempeh.

Isa writes:
“Low-fat cookbooks can be a war zone for women. I wanted to create something fun and positive, something that would empower you in the produce aisle and give you a reason to sport that cute vintage apron. I want you to love your kitchen, love yourself, and, yeah, maybe to love tofu just a little bit, too.”

In using any of Isa’s cookbooks, I feel like she’s right by my side as I chop veggies or make soup. Appetite for Reduction features conversational language, side bar tips [cooking/shopping/basic food information], nutritional guides, nutritional tips and simple yet tasty recipes. I’m looking forward to trying many recipes in Appetite for Reduction.

Here are the recipes I tried:

Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa salad– delicious and easy. Makes a huge amount. Excellent mix of textures and flavors. Will absolutely make this again

Caulipots—a super yummy, quick and nutritious half-half cauliflower-potato mash. glorious comfort food without feeling to full or guilty.

Chili-Lime-Rubbed Tofu—relatively easy. Very tasty. I’ve actually never baked tofu. I just buy it at Whole Foods. So this is good. Perhaps a bit too much lime juice tangy when I expected more chili burn.

purchase at Amazon: Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes

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Posted by Amy Steele

Forks Over Knives: DVD/netflix streaming

October 4, 2011

Forks Over Knives is one of the most effective documentaries about going vegan that I’ve seen [better than Food Inc. and Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead]. It provided me with more arguments to use when someone wonders why I’m a vegan and if I’m truly getting all the proper nutrients etc. Yes I am. I feel better than I would if eating dairy or fish and I’ve not eaten meat since I was 18. Forks Over Knifes shows how doctors made a link between some of the most serious chronic conditions [diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease] and the consumption of a whole foods plant-based diet. Some of these conditions get completely reversed by changing one’s eating habits.

–40% of Americans are obese
–The U.S. spends $2.2 trillion on healthcare, which is 5x the defense budget
–Per person, Americans consume 222 lbs of meat, 147 lbs of sugar and 605 lbs of dairy annually
–increased dairy consumption leads to increases incidences of osteoporosis and hip fractures

for more info: Forks Over Knives website

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Posted by Amy Steele

FOOD: White bean spread

May 30, 2011

1 15 oz can cannelloni beans

2-4 cloves garlic

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt

2 tsp basil

Combine all ingredients except for basil. Puree in food processor. Stir in basil.

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Posted by Amy Steele

FOOD: Roasted acorn squash-couscous

March 1, 2011

1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
1 c. couscous
2 c. water
1/4 c. dried apricots
1/4 c. golden raisins
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon

to roast the acorn squash, place the halves open side down on a baking sheet for approximately 25-30 min at 400 degrees. flip over and roast another 20-25 min. the squash should be easy to remove with a fork.

boil 2 c. water and add 1 c. couscous, reduce heat. cook for about 20 minutes until water absorbed.

remove squash from shells and stir into couscous.

add raisins, nutmeg, cinnamon and cut up apricots.

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Posted by Amy Steele

Choice Quote: sexualization of eating meat

February 21, 2011

from New York Times

For a cultural observer like Carol J. Adams — a vegan-feminist intellectual who, in books like “The Sexual Politics of Meat,” has devoted much of her life to culling and analyzing images of women and food — the DIPE [documented instance of public eating] amounts to more than a playful wink. Sexualizing food, she argues, is a method of distracting carnivores from the gruesome reality of how their food is made.

“These images of women, whether they’re ads or they’re in magazines, they’re all saying the same thing: traditional consumption of women’s bodies and animals’ bodies is O.K.,” Ms. Adams said by phone from her home in Texas. “It’s like fraternity culture gone viral. ‘Consume what you want.’ And, ‘What you want to consume actually wants to be consumed.’ ”

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Posted by Amy Steele

FOOD: Indian Cauliflower/Lentil stew

February 2, 2011

this was my first time making this recipe. it’s delicious.

modified from The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cuisine.

2 tsp cumin
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
1/2 cup red lentils
cauliflower head, cut into 1-inch florets
1/2 cup frozen peas

add rice, 5 cups water, cumin, curry powder, cayenne to medium pot. Bring to boil.

stir in the the lentils. reduce heat to medium. cover and cook for about 20 minutes until rice and lentils tender.

add cauliflower and raise heat. cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. add the peas and cook until warmed through.

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Posted by Amy Steele

FOOD: Vegan Winter Mash

January 27, 2011

ingredients:

2 tsp cumin
2-4 cloves garlic
2 tsp sage
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 cup turnip, chopped
1 cup collard greens [any greens will work]
1 cup brown rice
1 cup orange or brown lentils
8 cups water

add olive oil to pan that’s on medium heat. add carrots, onions, cumin, garlic, sage and cook until onions and carrots are a bit softer. add in rice and two cups water. stir. add lentils and 4 cups water. mix in greens and turnip and 2 more cups water.

turn heat to high, bring to boil. lower heat and simmer approximately 40 minutes until liquid is absorbed and everything is tender.

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Posted by Amy Steele

FOOD: Vegan Spanish White Bean and Kale Soup

January 7, 2011

2 c. dried white beans [soak overnight for best results]
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tsp. dried marjoram
16 garlic cloves, minced
1 [14 1/2 oz] can diced tomatoes
3 c. shredded kale leaves

–in soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. add onions and marjoram. cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft [approx. 5 min].

–add garlic and cook until fragrant, approx. 1-2 min.

–add the beans and 6 c. water. bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until beans are tender [approx. 1 hr.].

–stir the tomatoes and kale into the pot. cook until kale is wilted [I used frozen this time and it worked well]. add one cup water.

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Posted by Amy Steele

FOOD: Creamy vegan corn chowder

December 8, 2010

this is super easy and super yummy!

ingredients:

2 c. diced Yukon Gold potatoes
3 c. sweet corn
4 c. vegetable broth
1/2 c. chopped sweet onion
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme

combine all ingredients in a soup pot and bring to a boil

reduce heat

simmer approximately 25 minutes

blend half of soup in Cuisinart or blender

return to pot and stir

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Posted by Amy Steele

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