Shoes Glorious Shoes

Vegan. A word that has been trending more and more in today's society, still has the power to invoke strong emotional responses, both-positive or negative: "for hipsters" "optimal health" or "weak and unhealthy". We hear opinions on both sides of the spectrum

However  mention "Vegan fashion"  and the images of cheap, ugly or thrift store may come to mind. I have even had vegan friends express exasperation of only buying second hand leather shoes so they don't have to wear poorly made "disposable fashion" which doesn't last and that is bad for the planet.

Fear not. I  bring you tidings of great joy . (Sorry, but this phrase is just too awesome to be resigned to the Christmas story).  Fashion and  compassion do not have to be mutually exclusive. Making the decision to include footwear as part of your cruelty-free lifestyle does not sentence you to a life of ugly or cheap looking feet; nor do you have limit your purchases from the few vegan brands out there.

Below are a few select samples from my expansive vegan collection. And, yes, I do have a lot, and own up to the fact that I am slightly addicted to shoes.  I may even qualify for shoeaholics anonymous,  (but would never, never check in)

Winter warmth: North face booties(from Sportcheck),filled with Primaloft-an amazing high tech, water-resistant down replacement, which is not only superior in warmth and lightness, compared to down, no animals were harmed in the making.   They are unbelievably warm and feel like walking around town in the biggest fluffiest slippers, only with out the stares of judgement.

Want some style in your life?  I found these high heeled booties at Winners. (where I get most of my shoes) These Tahari boots have lasted over 4 years; I just got them re-heeled but the faux leather has survived the harsh abuse I bring upon my footwear. You would be surprised how many well-made shoe brands use man made materials.

 These Steve Madden faux suede gems came to me at a DSW, but you can find Steve Madden anywhere. Read the label, though.  Steve Madden uses both man made and real leather in their designs. This is my favourite brand and I have about 4 pairs of Steve Maddens that have years and are still going strong.

These are just 3 samples of the possibilities. When you are shopping, just check the bottom or inside the boot to discover what they are made. These symbols are often used.

Blended Deception: Making Nice into Naughty

I don't think I know anyone who truly does not have the desire to both look and feel their very best.  In my own personal journey to wellness, my efforts are now focused on adopting and maintaining a healthy, nutrient dense diet. While I am now making progress and starting to reap the rewards, I cannot deny that I still have a sweet tooth, with an incurable fondness for chocolate.

In my effort to have it both ways,   I have tried many of the healthier recipes that are currently trending on social media such as 3 ingredient cookies, chickpea cookie dough, and have found that these healthy treats have one thing in common; they aren't very good.  A treat should be a treat or why bother? Its just not worth the calories.

Therefore, I found I had the instinctive reaction of inwardly wincing when my friend, Hilda, offered me a vegan, black bean brownie that she had brought just for me. As I am well-known to be both a chocoholic and a vegan food enthusiast, I knew I couldn't bear to refuse her gift.  What I did need to do, was prepare my "eating face" in advance- people always watch you for a reaction when you are trying something they made.

So, with my game face applied, I bit into her creation and I can honestly report that it did not even remotely meet my expectation... because it was amazing. Not bean-y at all but tasted like the rich, dark chocolately/fudgy type brownies that I adore!! I would eat these no matter what. The healthy, protein-rich, gluten/flour free part is just a huge added bonus. It also has my favourite feature-EASY to make. Just blend and bake!

Black Bean Brownie     

.        1 15 oz. can (~ 1 3/4 cups) black beans, well rinsed and drained

·        2 large flax eggs (see below)

·        3 T coconut oil, melted (or sub other oil of choice)

·        3/4 cup cocoa powder (the higher quality the better)

·        1/4 tsp sea salt

·        1 tsp pure vanilla extract

·        heaping 1/2 cup raw sugar, slightly ground or pulsed in a food processor or coffee grinder for refined texture ( If you are avoiding sugar like me, Hilda has substituted the sugar for xylitol, with great results)

·        1 1/2 tsp baking powder

·        Optional toppings: crushed walnuts, pecans or semisweet chocolate chips

Flax egg

• 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (ground raw flaxseed)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp water

Add flaxseed meal and water to a dish and stir. Let rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Add to recipes in place of 1 egg.

Instructions

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.     Lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan (not mini). Make sure you've rinsed and thoroughly drained your black beans at this point.

3.     Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a couple times and then let rest for a few minutes.

4.     Add remaining ingredients (besides walnuts or other toppings) and puree - about 3 minutes - scraping down sides as needed. You want it pretty smooth.

5.     If the batter appears too thick, add a Tbsp or two of water and pulse again. It should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting but nowhere close to runny.

6.     Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin and smooth the tops with a spoon or your finger.

7.     Optional: Sprinkle with crushed walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips.

8.     Bake for 20-26 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides. I found mine took about 25.

9.     Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. They will be tender, so remove gently with a fork. The insides are meant to be very fudgy, so don't be concerned if they seem too moist - that's the point. Plus, they're vegan so it doesn't really matter.

10. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate to keep longer.

 

Why do I have to make Moroccan Chickpeas so complicated?





 

Have you ever taken a quick glance at a recipe and immediately said to yourself "There is no way I'm even going to try that, it looks WAY too complicated!" I do. All the time-which is why I rarely follow a formal recipe. 

It has become an increasingly bad habit of mine to just throw together whatever ingredients that I have laying around and see how it turns out. (which is usually edible but beyond boring!)

So, when my friend and next door neighbour, Betty, emailed me this recipe for us to make together, I took a look at the long list in front of me and immediately felt overwhelmed. THREE SETS of ingredients?!! Who has the time? the organization? (answer; anyone but me)

If we weren't doing this together,I would have sent a polite reply back and then filed this recipe with the rest on my computer "Recipes  that I'm pretending I will make one day" But since Betty was helping me, and we had decided to split the shopping for ingredients, I was actually looking forward to making this.

As I like my almonds toasted, I did this a day or so earlier in my toaster oven (only takes a few minutes).

We got together, split up the tasks, and got down to it.   What amazed both of us, was how quick and easy this was. Add a glass of red wine, good conversation and we seemed to be finished almost as we got started!

Confession time: Most of these ingredients were things I had around anyway. Betty and I laughed how this recipe originally looked complicated yet was embarrassingly easy and quick when you just follow the steps.
Lesson learned: Long list of ingredients does NOT equal a high difficulty level, or even a required finesse in the kitchen.

Result:
The dried cranberries balanced out the lack of sweetness in the dressing. We both agreed that while the flavour of this salad was subtle, it had a real depth to it. Truly, the taste was the only complicated thing about the is recipe- and that is a good thing!

Pretty, isn't it?

Moroccan Roasted Chickpea Salad

For the chickpea and marinade:

·        2 tablespoons Soy Sauce (certified Gluten Free if necessary)

·        2 teaspoons Honey·        2 teaspoons Cinnamon

·        2 teaspoons Paprika·        2 teaspoons Cumin

·        2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil·        1/2 Lemon, juiced

·        Pinch of black pepper·        3 cups cooked Chickpeas

For the salad:

·        5 cups Spinach leaves·        1 large Sweet Potato, cubed

·        1/2 cup chopped Almonds  

         1/3 cup dried cranberries

·        5 oz goat cheese, crumbled  
(substitute your favourite vegan cheese-or just leave it out!)

For the lemon vinaigrette:

·        1/2 Lemon, juiced·        3 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

·        1 tablespoon Olive Oil·        Pinch of salt and black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or foil.

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the marinade and whisk until combined. Add the chickpeas to the bowl and toss to combine. Pour the chickpeas onto a baking sheet and let sit for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the cubed sweet potato on a baking sheet and drizzle with about 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Toss to coat.

Place both baking sheets in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes until the chickpeas are slightly brown and crispy and the potato is slightly brown and cooked through.

To assemble the salad, place the spinach onto a large serving plate or bowl, layer on the potatoes and chickpeas, then sprinkle the almonds, cranberries and goat cheese over the top.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and pour over the salad. Serve and enjoy!

 

When being cheap and easy can give you a good reputation

Thought you were tuning in for a juicy confession? Sorry to disappoint, but I do promise to deliver the goods on providing a super easy, cheap, flavourful vegan recipe with very few ingredients.

This recipe turned out to be very highly spiced, so I am going with the assumption that it was designed to be served as a topping, such as over basmati rice.  I had leftover chickpeas and potatoes in the fridge, so I mixed them in to make a full meal while toning down the spice.  The result reminded me of a samosa. Will definitely make this again.

 Still feeling a bit led astray that you didn't discover the scandalous details of my secret bad-girl life? No problem-let your voice be heard and I will go to great lengths to make amends by providing a highly detailed memoir of an event that didn't actually happen.

 

Mushroom Mutter Masala

·        2 tablespoons oil

·        1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds (mine were ground)

·        1 small red onion, grated (I substituted green onions)

·        2 cups of thickly sliced button mushrooms (I used canned)

·        Salt to taste

·        1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin

·        1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper

·        1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·        1/2 cup of green peas (I used frozen)

·        Fresh cilantro to garnish

Preparation

1.     Heat the oil and add in the coriander seeds and wait until the seeds begin to sizzle.

2.     Add in the grated onion and cook until the onion begins to turn softly golden.

3.     Add in the  mushrooms and mix well.

4.     Stir in the salt,  cumin, red cayenne pepper and the black pepper with the green peas and mix well.

5.     Cover and cook for five minutes.

6.     Stir in the cilantro and serve.

Where is Iron Man when you need him?

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

 

Seriously, where is he? With the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians being iron, there is a real problem out there!

What is the point of  a muscle-bound super hero, if he is not in the business of delivering nutrient dense meals to iron-needy women? He is totally useless. (though, considering the fact that at least he doesn't wear tights, I can give him a few points in his favour.)

Since I can't expect such a delivery any time soon, I will provide my own iron sources.

 
I chose this recipe as it states  that each serving provides 100% of daily iron requirements. I tried it out and really enjoyed the balance of the spices; definitely one of the better chili recipes out there.

Googling "vegetarian iron-rich recipes" provided me with a ton of interesting choices that I am itching to sample, so Iron Man really isn't needed after all. And if I ever do get my superhero visit,...please, please let it be Wolverine!

 Crock Pot Chili           

1/2 cup olive oil

 4 onions, chopped
 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cubed
 4 (15.5 ounce) cans black beans, drained
 2 (15 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
 2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons ground cumin

 6 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon liquid hot pepper sauce                                                   

        Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until they start to become soft. Add the green peppers, red peppers, garlic and tofu; cook and stir until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, the whole process should take about 10 minutes.
2. Pour the black beans into the slow cooker and set to Low. Stir in the vegetables and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano, vinegar and hot pepper sauce. Stir gently and cover. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

Great Iron information:

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.php

The one question I wish people would stop asking me

No, it's not "Where's the other hundred?" the dreaded one-liner that Dalmatian owners are continually hearing. I still even manage to smile and can usually come up with a variety of  new answers.

It's "Where do you get your protein?" I'm asked it so often that it is incredibly hard not to roll my eyes in annoyance. While I am aware that there are people who use this question rhetorically, simply eager to debate and justify their carnivorous lifestyle, many people are genuine in their curiosity about a lifestyle that seems to challenge the information they have been given since they were a child: You need to eat meat to get enough protein and amino acids.

This conventional wisdom is simply misguided. The amount of protein that a human body needs is hugely overestimated. You can more than enough protein from eating a variety of plant foods. In fact, eating too much protein can cause health problems.

Bottom line: "It is not necessary to consume animal products to meet essential amino acid needs, as long as the diet includes plant foods from all the food groups and caloric needs are met. "

I take this information from my brilliant friend, Marina, who has her masters degree in nutrition. You can read more here, and I encourage you to do so, as she is a wealth of scientifically sound knowledge.

http://pbnutrition.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/the-protein-myth/

I just made this Barley soup last night (Barley is a great grain for protein). I like this recipe as the cumin adds an unexpected diversion from your typical Mushroom Barley soup. Wonderful comfort food for mid-winter.

Barley Soup
1  carrot, chopped                          1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves, garlic, crushed      1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil                              1 cup dry barley
15-20 small mushrooms chopped   ( I used canned mushrooms)
1  tsp cumin                                    splash of Tabasco sauce (to taste)
pepper (to taste)                              1 tsp Braggs or Soy sauce
3-4 cups vegetable stock 
* Instead of veg. stock, I used a vegetarian beef flavoured stock that you can get at the health section of the Loblaws chain stores

In large pot, sauté carrots, onions, garlic, peppers in oil on medium heat until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms are tender. Add barley, cumin, tabasco, pepper, soy sauce and stock and simmer for 20-30 minutes until barley is cooked.

California Dreaming

I don't like winter.  For me to say that is to embrace the power of the understatement in the same way Michael Jackson did when he said "I'm not like other guys." (for people my age, you will get the reference.)

Cold is my kryptonite and this winter has been especially hard, especially when you consider it is still only January. So while I am mentally preparing to take my currently under-walked dog out upon the arctic tundra, I am dreaming of sunny skies. While a beach vacation is not in the cards for me, I can eat like I am on one.

Sweet, spicy and crunchy, these wraps are the taste of summer.  Throw in a strawberry daiquiri and pretend you are on vacation.  Where is that cabana boy when you need him?

Cal­i­for­nia Veg­gie Wrap
4 6-inch flour tor­tillas
4 T cilantro pesto (recipe fol­lows)
2 green onions with tops, sliced thin
¼ cucum­ber, sliced thin length­wise
1 large avo­cado, sliced thin
1 small tomato, sliced thin
1 car­rot, sliced thin length­wise
4 sugar snap peas, sliced thin length­wise
2 large straw­ber­ries, halved and sliced thin
(sweet, red peppers aren't in the recipe, but I added them)
 

Warm the tor­tillas in a dry pan over medium heat. Spread 1 T cilantro pesto on each, then top with the veg­eta­bles. Wrap and enjoy!

Cilantro Pesto
1 C fresh cilantro ( I used the squeeze tube cilantro, so much more convenient)
¼ C pecans, wal­nuts, or almonds
1 clove gar­lic
¼ t salt
2 green onions, cut into chunks
1 t fresh jalapeño, with­out seeds (I used red pepper flakes)
1 t lime juice
¼ — 1/3 C olive oil ( I used way less to cut calories and didn't miss it)