Guest writer: “Smoking, and how to quit”
Featured as a guest speaker\writer! Check it out here:
http://pretty-vegan.blogspot.de/2013/06/guest-post-smoking-how-to-quit.html?m=1
houseofvegan
Just another WordPress.com site
USA Road-trip 2013
For my fella’s 30th Birthday this year, we took ourselves on a three-week road trip across America.
…IT. WAS. GLORIOUS.
Whenever we go to the States, we always experience the most amazing vegan cuisine, and I can happily states; that was again the case across the West Coast. From actual vegan Fast Food joints, to vegan cookies and juice bars galore. From Vas Vegas, to San Diego, from LA to Santa Barbara, from Heart to San Fran – we ate very well, very vegan and VERY often! Nom.
The above picture demonstrates the areas we drove through and from visiting The Grand Canyon, to The Gentle Barn, to Universal Studios, to Sequoia National Park (with awesome friends), to San Francisco (with awesome friends again!), and much more! We had the most amazing time.
Here’s a small peek into our trip, the yummy vegan foods we scoffed, and the things we saw;
Almond Milk!
Making Almond Milk is what what I thought I’d be doing…I mean, I LOVE the taste, but making it? Isn’t that difficult? Isn’t that expensive?
The answers dear friendos, is no, and indeed nopes!
It is super-duper easy funnily enough!…I know, I couldn’t believe it either.
Almond milk is one of the most nutritious non-dairy milks available. It doesn’t contain saturated fats or cholesterol, but it does contain omega-3 fatty acids, so it’s very good for your heart. Almond milk is high in protein; the typical eight ounce serving of almond milk contains about one gram of protein. One serving of almond milk also contains about one gram of dietary fiber.
Almond milk is very low in calories; it contains only about 40 calories per serving, and it’s low in carbs at only two grams per serving. Almond milk contains about three grams of fat per eight ounce serving, making its fat content equivalent to that of rice milk.
Almonds are rich in vitamins and minerals, so almond milk doesn’t need to be fortified. Almonds contain vitamin E, manganese, selenium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, fiber, phosphorous and calcium. The flavonoids in almond milk help prevent cancer and slow the signs of aging. The high levels of antioxidant vitamin E found in almond milk make it very effective in the prevention of cancer.
The fella grabbed a whole bunch of packets of almonds (around QAR26.50 per packet) about $7.30, or in GBP just under five pounds.
You only need one cup per recipe. You also need a blender. And some cheesecloth, or new unworn hosiery (tights) – clear/light coloured ones are best.
After seeing Almond Milk for what can only be described as disgustingly over-priced in MegaMart (and literally nowhere else in Qatar), I thought…Yep, that’s it, we’re a’makin’ it! And we did!
After some inspiration from VEGGIEPLANEGIRL aka Tessa, and some Googling; we grabbed our blender, the almonds my fella got, and some new tights from H&M, and did it!
It is crazy creamy! You’ll need to add some flavours to it, unless you like a strong taste of almond. I prefer the flavoured with dates and vanilla approach.
It is essentially a blank slate that you can play and experiment with, with all sorts of pleasing additions. In recipes, you can use cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, and nutmeg, but you could easily use agave, honey, or dates to sweeten it too along with any spices you fancy.
Besides creating delicious almond milk, this recipe delivers a bonus byproduct: ground up
Find this below!
In the Middle Ages, almond milk was known in both the Islamic world and Christendom. As a nut (the “fruit of a plant”), it is suitable for consumption during Lent. Almond milk was also a staple of medieval kitchens because cow’s milk could not keep for long without spoiling.
Historically, almond milk was also called amygdalate. It was consumed over a region stretching from the Iberian Peninsula to East Asia.
The Viandier, a 14th-century recipe collection, contains a recipe for almond milk and recommends its use as a substitute for animal milk during fast days.
Yield: About 4 cups
Time: About 30 minutes, partially unattended, plus 8 to 12 hours for soaking the almonds
1 cup raw almonds
1 tablespoon maple syrup or 6 mejooj dates.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Salt
Ground cinnamon to taste
Freshly ground nutmeg to taste
1. Put the almonds in a large bowl and add 4 glasses of water. Soak the almonds at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. (The almonds will look visibly plumped after soaking.)
2. Drain the almonds and transfer them to a blender or food processor. Process for 1 to 2 minutes. The mixture should have the consistency of a thick paste. Transfer the paste to a medium bowl.
3. Working in batches, ladle the almond mixture into a medium- to fine-mesh metal strainer/tights/cheesecloth/nut milk bag; set over a large bowl. Press the ground almonds with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. (Reserve the ground almonds for another use.)
4. Add the maple syrup or blended down dates, and vanilla, plus a pinch each of salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, to the almond milk; whisk to combine thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve at room temperature or chilled. (Store almond milk in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a few days, stirring before use.)
Now, Gluten-Free and Wheat-Free!
Knowing something is bad for you but consuming, or doing it anyway is a common occurrence. Telling ourselves that “Oh, it’s just my one negative habit now”, or “I’ll just eat this one and I’ll be done tomorrow!” is a common practice also.
What if I told you that to draw solid guidelines for yourself would be the most helpful thing to do?
What if I told you to go completely wheat-free and gluten-free and notice a considerable difference in your skin, weight, health, overall well-being and energy-levels?
Well that is what my fella and I did on Saturday 6th April 2013, and I can report that we have indeed noticed all of the above changes so far, and it has only been nine days.
My fella was sitting there reading an article to me about bread; wheat in fact.
It being our only ‘negative nelly’ in our food intake now I think (other than the occasional coffee, and of course gluten previously)
We knew bread wasn’t great for us. We had known this for quite sometime; refusing to buy white bread for home, only buying seeded nut and brown bread.
But we still consumed it heavily.
I read that sometimes when people go vegetarian, they can often tend to go too heavy on dairy. I have often noted that sometimes when people go vegan, they can sometimes go to heavy on carbs…Bad carbs.
This is what I had done.
I had of course experimented with foods etc, as per the recipes on this blog, but I still had a bloated stomach after eating, even since abstaining from dairy.
My fella read on with the article, explaining that bread bread and refined grains in general aren’t particularly nutritious. Nutritionists and dietitians all around the world have encouraged us to eat whole grains instead. But grains, especially gluten grains like wheat, have been under intense scrutiny in recent years.
Taken from another article I read states:
“Even whole grain bread usually isn’t made out of actual “whole” grains. They are grains that have been pulverized into very fine flour. Even though this process reserves the nutrients, it causes these products to be digested rapidly. The starches in bread get broken down quickly in the digestive tract and enter the bloodstream as glucose. This causes a rapid spike in blood sugar and insulin levels.
Even whole wheat bread spikes blood sugar faster than many candy bars
Wheat contains a large amount of a protein called gluten. This protein has glue-like properties (hence the name gluten) responsible for dough’s viscoelastic properties.
Evidence is mounting that a significant percentage of the population is sensitive to gluten. When we eat bread that contains gluten (wheat, spelt, rye and barley), the immune system in our digestive tract “attacks” the gluten proteins.
Controlled trials in people without celiac disease show that gluten damages the wall of the digestive tract, causing pain, bloating, stool inconsistency and tiredness.
Gluten sensitivity is also associated with some cases of schizophrenia and cerebellar ataxia – both serious disorders of the brain.
Gluten is probably harmful for most people, not just those with diagnosed celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
The only way to really know if you’re gluten sensitive is to remove gluten from your diet for 30 days and then reintroduce it and see whether it affects you”.
http://authoritynutrition.com/why-is-bread-bad-for-you/
“Most commercial types of bread contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup, just like other processed foods. Sugar causes many adverse effects and eating processed foods that contain it is likely to have detrimental effects on health.
Most grains also include the “anti nutrient” phytic acid. Phytic acid is a molecule that strongly binds essential minerals like calcium, iron and zinc, preventing them from being absorbed. Soaking grains before baking can degrade the phytic acid, which should improve the availability of minerals.
There is NO nutrient in bread that you can’t get from other foods in even greater amounts. Even whole wheat bread isn’t as nutritious as you may think.
Not only is it low in nutrients compared to other real foods, it literally reduces the absorption of nutrients from other foods.
- Calorie for calorie, whole grain breads contain a low amount of nutrients compared to real foods like vegetables.
- The phytic acid blocks absorption of minerals like iron, zinc and calcium.
- By damaging the intestinal lining, gluten decreases the absorption of all nutrients.
- Grains do not contain all the essential amino acids and are therefore poor sources of protein for humans.
- Wheat fiber may cause your body to burn through its Vitamin D stores much faster and contribute to vitamin d deficiency, which is associated with cancer, diabetes and death”.
http://authoritynutrition.com/why-is-bread-bad-for-you/
From then on, having completed the article that my fella initially read us…We were wheat-free, and while we’re at it we thought; gluten-free too!
Our first wheat-free, gluten-free, vegan shopping trip enabled us to REALLY open our eyes to great, great food! Proper, real, nutritional food! We got a juicer the week before and are using that often. We even got a breadmaking machine!
It is actually very exciting, and has enticed the fella into the kitchen, all this baking and cooking, it seems he’s a natural with bread making.
That coupled with us making our own milk (almond milk), we feel stronger, better – inside and out.
Check out the goods from our first shopping trip:
So far, I have no bloating after everymeal! I feel much more energised, I am eating more vegetables and fruit than ever before, cooking and baking more, and feel complete.
My skin has very much improved.
When I became vegan, my skin started to glow and my bad skin cleared up.
Since going wheat-free and gluten-free aswell, my skin has lost all pimples, is beyond soft, no dry and/or oily patches and is hydrated.
My abs are becoming more noticeable everyday, and coupled with cardio fitness classes and weightlifting, I feel stronger and better than ever.
First gluten-free, wheat-free and of course vegan meal (for fella and friend):
APPROPRIATE GRAINS
WHEAT-FREE:
If you are eating wheat-free, you could still consume these grains:
Kamut (an ancient form of wheat that many people tolerate even if they can’t eat wheat), spelt (same ideas as kamut), rye, barley, oats and any of the gluten free grains listed below.
GLUTEN-FREE:
If you are eating gluten-free, these grains are appropriate for you:
Rice, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat (technically not even a grain, but usually classified as one due to use and taste), millet, sorghum, cornmeal (I recommend organic only), coconut flour (again, not a grain, but a flour with growing popularity for those with allergies), nut flours (like almond flour- also not a grain, but a very versatile and delicious flour for baking and cooking).
There’s a great table that can be found at the below link:
http://www.grandtimes.com/Whole_Grains.html
If you have recently gone wheat and/or gluten free, how are you finding it? Any recipe suggestions and/or tips – I’d love to hear from you.
Cucumber, Apple, Lemon, Basil and Mint juice
Having been wanting to juice for a while, the fella and I decided to go find a Juicer; and find one we did!
I was surprised how quickly the fella took to it, but he is more into it than I am. His favourite is his take on the ‘Water Melon Frescas’ (adding more lemon, juicing the watermelon instead of blending, and adding ice via chopping it up in the blender).
Wanting to make a sweet juice, the fella came up with the below:
- 1 huge handful basil from our herbie garden.
- 1 huge handful of mint from our herbie garden.
- 2 apples (we used two green Granny Smith ones)
- 4 cucumbers
- 1 lemon
- ice!
Juice the fruit and cucumber. Add juiced concoction to the blender with as much as you’d like (we use a tray of about 12 cubes), add the mint and basil; churn that stuff up!
And voila! Serve in a cool martini glass…Or a regular tumbler…Whatever tickles your fancy!
Shittake Mushroom, Chickpea and Tomato curry
This recipe is heavily based on my Chickpea and mushroom curry http://houseofvegan.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/chickpea-and-mushroom-curry-2/
But changing white button mushrooms for shiitake mushrooms, adding fresh tomatoes, and additional tinned plum tomatoes.
Shittake Mushroom, Chickpea and Tomato Curry
Ingredients
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tb oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
2 X punnets of shittake mushrooms
3 x fresh large tomatoes, chopped
1 and 1/2 cans (400 g per can) pf tinned plum tomatoes
1 can of coconut cream
1 can of cooked chickpeas
Aromatics
5-7 tsp curry powder (dependent on personal taste)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
A couple of grinds of black pepper
Directions
In a large pot or casserole heat the oil on medium.
Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.
Add the onion, sprinkle about 1/2 tsp salt to help soften it faster, cover with a lid and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft and almost translucent, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking or browning (you might need to reduce the heat, depending on what type of dish you’re using).
Add the aromatics and mix everything well, cook for about a minute.
Add the chopped shiitake mushrooms, sprinkle another 1/2 tsp salt to soften and release their juices faster and cook covered for about 10 minutes.
Add the tinned tomatoes (with the juice), and fresh tomatoes , coconut milk, chickpeas (drained), adjust salt, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes until thickened, but not dry (after it comes to a boil adjust the heat so that it simmers gently and stir once in a while).
While cooking, chop the tomatoes further with a spatula if you find big chunks. Turn the heat off and leave the pot on the hot burner, covered. That will help thicken the curry further.
Make up some sides to go with it, serve on top of brown rice or couscous, have some wine, bread, good company, and you are good to go!
Enjoy!
Naan bread
Originally, ‘nan’ or ‘naan’ was a general term for various flatbreads from different parts of the world. The name stems from (new) Persian, itself from Sanskrit nayan; being a generic word for bread. The bread is usually served with curry dishes.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naan)
I have never attempted to make bread before, this was my first attempt…And I’m hooked!
(pictured above with home-made Red lentil, Tomato and Lemon Curry: http://houseofvegan.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/red-lentil-tomato-and-lemon-curry/ , and http://houseofvegan.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/chickpea-and-mushroom-curry-2
The fella’s hooked also he wants to go out and get a bread-maker asap, so we make all our bread from now on. I Googled around, as I always do for a second opinion when I think of a recipe, and came across a few recipes for naan. One that incorporated garlic and onion powder, and one that did not (http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/homemade-vegan-naan.aspx).
I decided to use both recipes as a base, as I often do, and come up with something ‘House of Vegan’ified, and yummy to boot!Feel free to scroll across to one of my curry recipes etc to accompany the naan, it is amazing!
According to the peta recipe “Through trial and error, I learned that the dough for naan should be soft and light, so be careful not to use too much flour. The other key step is to cook the naan properly, so don’t try to brown every square inch of the naan. When your bubbles brown, you’re done”.
My dough was extremely sticky! The fella came in, eyeballed and it said “Hmm, I think that’s a mistake isn’t it”. “No” I replied “It’s supposed to do that”…It wasn’t of course. But I dislike being wrong, haha.
Nevertheless, if your dough becomes sticky, work with it anyway! That’s what I did, and the naan turned our beautifully.
Homemade Vegan Naan
1 tsp. active dry yeast (1/2 package) (the packet I got said that there was no need to place in water first and it can be added straight to flour. I ignored this and put in water anyway ).
1/2 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar (I usually leave all sugars out of my recipes! This was the same, go without – still tastes lovely!)
3 Tbsp. soy milk
1 tsp. salt
1 3/4-2 cups bread flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
(Optional: 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder: I did not have onion powder so I used coriander powder in it’s place. It gave a nice little kick to the naan)
Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy.
Stir in the soy milk, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough, between 1 3/4 to 2 cups. Add the optionals here also.
Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface or until smooth. (This was difficult for me to do as my dough was SO sticky, don’t quit though; just cut down the time, and give your hands a good scrub afterwards!)
Place in a well-oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
Punch down the dough then roll into golf ball-size pieces and place on a baking sheet. Cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Preheat a pan to high heat and lightly oil. Roll each ball of dough into a thin circle then add to pan one at a time. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bubbles begin to brown and brush the top side with additional oil. Flip the bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the other side. Continue until all the bread is cooked.
Look at photos of naan bread for guideline on cooking. No need for every single surface to be brown. Naan doesn’t look like that. Check mine out! 
Makes 6 servings…Eat ‘em before you get to share them with five other people though; they’re TOO good!
Red Lentil, Tomato and Lemon Curry
(pictured above with home-made coriander & garlic naan)
My second experimentation with curry brings this Red Lentil, Tomato and Lemon edition.
Starting back up with fitness classes at the gym, now our newly adopted rescue dog; Grey, is more settled. I feel I have more time to be out of the house. It’s only an extra hour anyway – straight out of the office, to the gym, then home. No worries.
I wanted something packed with protein and filling, to have at lunchtime at the office – and this fits the bill.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoon curry powder (more – to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 squeezed lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 t. salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger root
- 2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed well in cold water
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cans tinned tomatoes
- 1 can of coconut cream
- 3 -4 large tomatoes, chopped
Directions
In a medium-large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onions and garlic. Stirring often, cook until the onions are fragrant, about 4-6 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, 1/2 t. salt, cayenne pepper, and ginger root. Once the onions are soft, add the spice mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes more, stirring constantly.
Add the lentils, water, and stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
Add the tinned tomatoes, and coconut cream – stirring to combine and cook until the mixture is heated through to the desired temperature and consistency. Add one squeezed lemon juice. Add salt and more cayenne pepper to taste and serve hot.
Tastes great alongside home-made naan! Recipe posted next!
Parsley and Broccoli Soup
Got back from a day trip to Dubai, meeting friends and shopping – fed the dogs, got changed into comfy harem pants and muscle-vest, and thought…”Ah pants!” I needed to make something quick for our lunches at work tomorrow.
Ingredients:
- 1 head of broccoli, washed and cut into chunks (I used one bag of 450g frozen broccoli – steamed).
- Fresh chopped parsley (about 3 tablespoons or so.
- 1 cup water – with stock cube
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream (optional)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil) (optional)
- 1-2 handfuls of cubed frozen carrots – chopped (optional)
- 1/4 bag of frozen cauliflower
- 3-5 cloves of garlic (depending on taste)
- Garlic powder – 1 tablespoon (optional)
- Half a medium onion – chopped
- Optional herbs; basil and oregano.
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Saute the onion, then garlic – until translucent onion. Add defrosted/ or steamed broccoli, then add the cauliflower, then add the carrot.
Once all sauteed nicely add the water with stock cube, stir all in. Add chopped parsely, and other optional herbs; basil and oregano.
Place the broccoli and water in a pot, and boil on the stove top until nice and tender. Pour the broccoli and all the water from the pot into a blender, add the rest of the ingredients and blend. Check for salt and pepper and adjust to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy! Serves two people.
Keep on low-medium heat for 20 minutes, blend, add the coconut cream, blend again, add salt and pepper to taste. And serve with lemon wedge, having squeezed some onto the top, use a little coconut cream to swirl on the top for presentation and parsley garnish.
Feel free to make your own croutons, or serve with chunky brown seed bread, and dairy-free butter. Pure’s Olive version is gorgeous.
Store leftovers in freezer-friendly containers and freeze for another day; tip: label with contents name and date.
We took ours to work and picnic’ed out in the fella’s office with chunky brown bread, and lemon wedges for extra flavour. Gorgeous!…And, very filling.
