No Tuna Salad (and a Giveaway!)

I can't believe it's already May, and next week I will be heading up to Portland for the Vida Vegan Conference.  Nothing makes me more excited than knowing that by this time next week I will be surrounded by "my people" and living it up vegan-style with hundreds upon hundreds of like minded friends, some of which I've met, and some whom I've never met before.

I can't wait to hop on that plane, train and bus, to get to my apartment for the week.  As soon as I get there I plan on meeting up with the girls I am staying with, heading to Julie's cart, Native Bowl, for my favorite Mississippi Bowl, and then heading to Food Fight to stock the fridge for the week!

Oh and the food I will eat, and the drinks I will drink!  Debauchery is not even close to a good enough word to describe my plans.  So, stay tuned for quick updates throughout next week as I photograph and eat my way through Portland.

I have been so busy this week, getting stuff done at work, and at home, so I have been making easy to throw together meals, like sandwiches and salads.  This No Tuna Salad is one of my favs.

What is your favorite quick and easy meal to throw together when you are busy?  Leave your answer in the comments section below and I will pick one of them at random on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 9 am PST to receive a signed copy of The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet.

And the winner is: #27! Jackie from Vegan Yack Attack And I plan on making that delicious sounding wrap today while packing for the VVC!  I also agree that once you find a sauce you love, putting it on "everythaaaang" makes perfect sense!

No Tuna Salad (from The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet)

(makes enough for 4 sandwiches)
8 ounces soy tempeh, crumbled into teeeny tiny pieces*
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise)
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 teaspoon dried dill (or 3/4 teaspoon fresh)
salt and pepper to taste

*Some folks find that if they steam the tempeh prior to crumbling it, that it mellows the flavor a bit. If you are the type that is tempeh hesitant, frightened or just plain old don’t like tempeh, don’t give up on this salad. Steam your block of tempeh by cutting the tempeh in half and steaming in or over simmering water for 20 minutes. Some folks even say that this helps make the tempeh more digestible.

Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use. You can use this on a sandwich, or on a bed of greens for a no-tuna salad.

If making a melt, preheat your cast iron skillet or pan. To get the best browning without added fat and calories, spray the pan with nonstick spray, then cook until browned, applyin pressure from the top with a spatula, spray the top with cooking spray, then flip, and apply pressure until browned. 

Peanut Butter, Banana and Parsley Doggie Treats

Yesterday's bake sale was a big success.  Everyone loved their treats, even the dogs!  We raised over $300 in just a few hours and almost sold out completely! I had several requests for the recipe I used for the Doggie Treats, so here it is.

1 large banana, smashed or blended
8 ounces apple sauce
2 cups oat flour (or sorghum flour)
1 1 /2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup dried parsley
1/2 cup peanut butter

Preheat your oven to 300 F.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
In a mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients until well incorporated and a thick, sticky dough is formed.
Set aside to rest for at least 5 minutes.
Form dough into small balls using about 1 heaping teaspoon of dough.  Flatten each ball into a disk and and place on the cookie sheet.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until slightly browned on the bottom.  you want thm to be crunchy when the cool, but not hard.

Yield: 48 pieces

Worldwide Vegan Bakesale: OC Represents!

This Saturday, April 27, 2013, I will be hosting a vegan bakesale as a part of the Worldwide Vegan Bakesale.  100% of the proceeds will be donated to Barks of Love. Come on out to the beautiful Cleveland National Forest and nosh on some yummy vegan treats, all while giving to a great cause.

Wanna help out?  Please do!  You can come help sell, donate vegan baked goods to sell, or simply spread the word through twitter or anyway you can!  I created a facebook event as well, so feel free to share that, too.

I'm baking and making like a maniac!  I plan on having made 200 cake pops, dozens of cookies, cupcakes, jellies and jams, and rice crispy treats, all by Saturday morning.  Pfew!  I hope you all make it out to gobble it up.  I know I don't want to eat it all. Ha.

Galarama + Silent Auction: Benefit for Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Image From Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest Website

Galarama + Silent Auction: Benefit for Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

PORTLAND, OR -- May 25, 2013. Vida Vegan Con weekend would not be complete without its fundraiser for an animal sanctuary, the Galarama. This open-to-the-public night of music, food, and fun will support Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

This casual evening features a cash bar featuring BridgePort craft brews, creative plant-based snacks, and the So Delicious Dairy Free Sundae Bar Spectacular. Emcee Brian “The Sexy Vegan” Patton and DJs Harry Skelter and MelisserAGoGo will set the scene for the Silent Auction, which includes items such as hotel and restaurant gift certificates, art, handbags, and food items, from donors including Susan Nichole and Bob’s Red Mill.

Image From Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest Website

The Galarama will be held Saturday night, May 25, 7:00-9:30 p.m., at Staver Locomotive (2537 NW 29th Ave., Portland, OR 97210). The event is all ages.

General Admission tickets are available at Galarama.org/tickets. (VIP spots have already sold out.) Featured beverage donations, mobile food cart participation, and silent auction items are being sought. Contact Galarama.org@gmail.com for more information.

Vida Vegan Con, the vegan blog conference, is held May 24-26, 2013, bringing together more than 300 vegans from all over the world. The inaugural event received a 2011 VegNews Veggie Award as a “Vegan Lovefest.” The 2011 Galarama raised thousands for its beneficiary, Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

Vida Vegan LLC is an independent body formed by Janessa Philemon-Kerp, Jess Sconè, and Michele Truty to foster vegan inspiration, education, and community.

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest was founded in 2003 in Cle Elum, WA, to provide lifetime quality care for formerly abused and exploited chimpanzees while advocating for great apes.

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest: chimpsanctuarynw.org
Galarama homepage: galarama.org
Staver Locomotive: staverlocomotive.com

Returning May 24-26, 2013 in Portland, OR!
@vidavegancon VVC on Facebook

Cool Lemon Cookies

These little guys are perfect for spring time gifting and nibbling! They are featured in Vegan Food Gifts. Sweet and tart and cool, these delicious little cookies are so yummy, you won’t mind the sugary mess on your fingers!

For the Cookies:
1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (64 g) vegetable shortening
6 ounces (170 g) nondairy yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups (313 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

For the Coating:
1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
1 envelope (1/4 ounce, or 7g) unsweetened lemonade drink mix powder, such as Kool-Aid™

Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C, or gas mark 3).
Have ready two baking sheets lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat such as Silpat.
Using an electric mixer, beat together powdered sugar, sugar, shortening, yogurt, vanilla and lemon extracts, and salt until creamy.
Slowly beat in flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat until smooth.
Spoon drop about 1 ounce (28 g) onto thebaking sheet.
Place 15 cookies evenly spaced on each baking sheet.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
While cookies are baking, place the powdered sugar and drink mix into a resealable plastic bag and shake to combine.
Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes.
Add cookies, about 4 or 5 at a time, to the bag and shake to coat.

Yield: 30 cookies

Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen and Coconut Ginger Beet Ice Cream

A sampling of Wade's beautiful photos from the upcoming Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen.  From top left Spicy Korean BBQ Tofu Satay, Hot, Sweet and Sour Seitan Ribs with Lemongrass Bones, Jalapeno and Chimmi Corn Sushi Rolls, The International Fair of Tamales, a variety of fusion ingredients, Sloppy Joe Pho, Peruvian Aji Verde Potato Samosas, Indian Spiced Pumpkin and Jackfruit Chili, Pupusas Gorda topped with Creamy Cilantro Pepita Pesto Sauce and Sesame Carrot Coleslaw.

Guess what?  Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen is now available for preorder!  I am so excited about it, too.  What makes this book so different than anything I've ever done before?

"This innovative vegan cookbook combines the best of both worlds—comfort food + ethnic cuisine. The result is Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen, a delicious, experimental type of cooking popular in California and quickly taking the vegan world by storm. Its focus is not only on fresh, local ingredients, but also the amazing flavors found in different world cuisines. Think Korean pulled “pork” sandwiches, miso mac ’n’ cheese, and Mexican hot chocolate cake truffles. Traditional, with a twist!

Author and California native Joni Marie Newman will treat you to more than 100 innovative recipes, all featuring whole foods ingredients that can be found at almost any grocery store or farmer's market—no store-bought faux meats, mayos, cheeses, or the like. Recipes will also feature low fat, soy free, and gluten free options for those with special dietary needs. Push the envelope on taste and take plant-based cooking to a whole new level with Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen."

It has been so much fun writing and testing for this book.  And it was (and still is) a big pleasure to be working with Wade Hammond on the photography.  His modern take on food photography and styling really captured the true essence of these recipes.

To get you as excited about this as I am, I thought I'd share a recipe that is perfect for Spring... Coconut Ginger Beet Ice Cream!

Coconut Ginger Beet Ice Cream

Coconut Ginger Beet Ice Cream

This bright pink ice cream gets its color from the beets and has a little bite from the ginger.

1 cup (235 ml) water
1 average sized (6 ounces, or 170 g) red beet, chopped
2 inches peeled ginger
2 cups (470 ml) full fat coconut milk
2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (32 g) cornstarch
Scrapings from one vanilla bean
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup finely shredded coconut
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice

Add water, beets, and ginger to a blender and puree until smooth.
Add pureed mixture to a saucepan, along with the coconut milk, sugar, cornstarch and the scrapings from the vanilla bean.  Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, stirring often.
As soon as it begins to boil, remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, shredded coconut, and lemon juice.
Place in the refrigerator to cool for an hour or so, then follow the instructions on your ice cream maker.*

Yield: About 4 cups

*Making Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker
Although we all scream for ice cream, we also know that not everyone has access to an ice cream maker. Here are some simple instructions (although a bit more laborious) to make delicious homemade ice cream without one.
The purpose of an ice cream maker is to aerate the ice cream and prevent it from becoming too crystallized as it freezes. This can be accomplished with an electric mixer, as long as you have a few hours to spend. Don't worry. Most of that time is down time.
After following the recipe up to the point where it tells you to follow the directions on your ice cream maker, follow these simple steps.
Pour the ice cream mixture into a mixing bowl and chill in the refrigerator for two hours, then place it in the freezer for about a half hour.
Remove it from the freezer and beat with a mixer until creamy. Put back into the freezer for another half hour.
Repeat this process three times before placing it in the freezer for the final freeze. Usually overnight, for a nice, hard, firm ice cream.

Easy to Make Vegan Chocolate Eggs

I post this every year, so if you've seen it before, that's why...

Cruelty free Easter eggs! These are fun if you have little ones or even for yourself. They are slightly reminiscent of those Cadbury ones, but the filling is not nearly as runny.

These also make a mean peppermint patty, so you don't have to wait until Easter to enjoy them! As a matter of fact, you can sub any flavor into the center and make a variety of chocolates.

1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
A few drops yellow food coloring, optional (A little turmeric makes for an awersome all natural coloring)
Extra powdered sugar for dusting
12 ounces nondairy semisweet chocolate chips

In a bowl, mix together corn syrup and vanilla. Begin adding in sugar one cup at a time. Work in the sugar until you get a dough that is the consistency of play-dough.

Divide into thirds. Add yellow food coloring to 1/3 of the dough. Divide that 1/3 into 12 even pieces and roll into small balls. Dust with extra powdered sugar as you work to prevent them from getting too sticky. Place on a sheet of parchment or wax paper and set aside.

Divide the remaining 2/3 into 12 equal pieces and form into small patties. Once again dusting with powdered sugar as you work.

Add one "yolk" into the center of each patty and wrap the patty around it. Form into an egg shape, Dusting as you work. Place on parchment or waxed paper and place in the freezer to stiffen up before you dip them in the chocolate, about an hour or so.

While your "eggs" are freezing, you can melt your chocolate, either on a double boiler or in the microwave.

Dip each egg in chocolate and return to wax paper to cool and harden. You can place them back in the freezer to speed up the process if you'd like.

Yield: A dozen "eggs"

Variations:
Peppermint Patties: Instead of dividing into thirds, add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of peppermint extract to the corn syrup and vanilla before adding the sugar. Add a little green food color (optional). Divide into 24 equal pieces and form into patties. Follow the recipe from there.

Get creative with the flavors! Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of lemon or orange (or almond or anise or cinnamon...) extract instead of the peppermint. Add a touch of yellow or orange natural food color, or whatever color matches the flavor you use to make a variety.

Hearty Vegan? Howz'about Home-Cooked Vegan Comfort Food?

Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner!
Congratulations to #17, Matthew Traxler!  You win a copy of Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites, soon to be Home-Cooked Vegan Comfort Food! Please send me your snail mail address so I can send you your book!

A little while back, Celine and I wrote a little ol' book called Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites.  And y'all have really given it some wonderful reviews!  So it was quite perplexing to us, and the publishers, why this book didn't perform as well as some of our other titles.  I mean with recipes like Chorizo and Potato Lasagna Bake, Tofuevos Rancheros, and Vanilla Pudding Cupcakes who wouldn't want their own copy of this book?  So we started thinking about it, and well, we know the recipes are ahhhmazing, so what couldd it be?  And then it hit us!  Maybe it's the name!  I mean, sure, Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites sounds good to me, but maybe it doesn't appeal to the masses.  So we have changed it, and on its next reprint, it will not only have a new name, but a shiny new cover as well!

For now, the original is still available.   But soon those will be a colletor's item, so get them while they last!  Haha.  And to celebrate the rebirth of our baby, I'm giving away a copy to one lucky reader.  Leave a comment below, letting me know your favorite vegan comfort food, and I will select one of you at random on Friday, March 15, at 12 noon Pacific Standard Time. Contest now over, congratulations to Matthew Traxler, #17!

Monthly Snack Box from Vegan Cuts

My Snack Box from Vegan Cuts!

For a mere $19.95 per month you can receive a box of your own each and every month trhat includes the newest, latest and greatest vegan products available!  This month included some really yummy stuff (Hello Peanut butter Crunch Caramel Earth Bar, and Nacho Bean Chips!) but my favorite item in this box, was the Cuppow sippy top for mason jars!  (I am definitely packing that to bring with me to Vida Vegan Con in may, so I don't spill my Bye and Bye at the Bye and Bye...ha!)

But seriously, this snack box is a pretty convenient way to keep up to date on all the new stuff out there, as it seems new stuff is coming out all the time!  Go to the Vegan Cuts website and subscribe to get your own snack box delivered to your doorstep monthly.  From the looks of it, had I bought all of these items individually, I probably would have spent close to $75 and at only $19.95, not only was this box full of yummy stuff, but it was a bargain as well.  Not to mention, now I am going to try new products, that I may have never tried otherwise, ie, Freekeh Roasted Green Wheat.

Another awesome feature over on Vegan Cuts is that you can set up your own account, and earn rewards points when you refer others to the site.  So not only are you able to shop for and support vegan companies, with great deals, but you can also earn cool VIV (Very Important Vegan) rewards!  Yay for vegan companies, and Yay for Vegan Cuts!

Cleaning off the bookshelf in 2013

I have decided not to make any resolutions this year.  They always seem to make me stressed out and feeling defeated.  Instead I am resolving to make small changes throughout the year that can only change my life for the better,  On of those things is cleaning off my bookshelf.  My bookshelf is starting to bow.  I need to get rid of a few books.  I can't bear to do it, but I found a few that I have 2 copies of, so I am willing to part with those.  Haha.  The rest, I may just pack up into boxes and store until I move into a bigger place, where I can display all of my books.

I realized I have 2 copies of Julie Hasson's beautiful and delicious Vegan Diner: Classic Comfort Food for the Body and Soul



I also found 2 copies of the wonderfully creative and talented Hannah Kaminky's My Sweet Vegan: Passionate About Dessert



Soooo, I am giving them away!

Leave a comment below telling me one small thing you are going to do to make your life better in 2013.  I am hoping to be inspired by some of your ideas and add them onto my own list.

I will choose 2 of you at random, on Sunday, January13, 2013 at 12 noon PST.  If you enter the giveaway, please make sure to check back and see if you won!  And, yes, I will ship internationally :)
Contest is now over...Congratulations to #19 (Randomly chosen by my husband, Dan) and to #32 (Randomly chosen by my nephew, Dominic!)

#19, CONGRATULATIONS!  You win a copy of Julie Hasson's Vegan Diner  

CourtneyJanuary 9, 2013 4:16 PM

I have always wanted to read those cookbooks and my library doesn't have a copy of either. Thank you for the chance to win! I am going to try to focus more on the positive this year...I tend to dwell on what went wrong, but this year I am going to try to think of at least 3 things I am grateful for or happy about each day before I fall asleep.

#32, CONGRATULATIONS!  You win a copy of Hannah Kaminsky's My Sweet Vegan   

Melissa DionJanuary 10, 2013 12:39 PM

It's not an exciting change, but I am no longer eating after 10pm. I think this will help me take off the few pounds I put on over the holidays!