VeganMoFo Day Ten

Well, yet again, I don't really have anything worthwhile to post. I've been so busy lately, especially with driver's ed interfering with when I would be cooking. So for dinner today I just threw together a bunch of things (pasta, tomato sauce, tomatoes, garlic, onion, pepper, kalamata olives, pine nuts, and spinach), and it turned out pretty well. I was super hungry though and didn't take a picture.

I went to an acupuncturist for the first time today (actually, I've had acupuncture twice before, but only through a place I had physical therapy, not an actual appointment), and hopefully it should help my psoriasis. I've always had such better results in health problems through naturopathy than western medicine, so I'm interested to see if this works for me.

Today I also received a bunch of mail-order items I've been waiting for! First, I got Animal Liberation, and I don't know if I'll get around to reading it soon, but I mostly got it because it seems like it's a book all vegans read at some point.

Second, a month's supply of Daysoft contact lenses. I researched for a while, and as far as I can tell, they're the only contact brand that doesn't test on animals. I hate wearing glasses (convenience reasons, not vanity), but I hate buying contacts that I know animals have needlessly suffered for, so I am overjoyed to find this brand. There's more pros to Daysoft too, like they're remarkably inexpensive (I'll be saving about $75 or more compared to my old brand for a three-month supply). The lenses themselves are in more efficient packages, so there's a lot less waste involved. This brand really seems like a godsend - now I just have to wait to try them out tomorrow and see if they even work with my eyes. [update: I tried the contacts and love them! They are so much more comfortable than my old brand and easier to put in. And they don't dry out, even if I accidentally fall asleep wearing them. I am definitely going to continue purchasing my lenses from Daysoft.]

And lastly, I received some makeup I ordered from e.l.f., another cruelty-free brand. I've pretty much always buy Almay products, because they're sold everywhere and apparently don't test on animals, but they still include various animal ingredients so I decided it was time for a change. E.l.f.'s website states, "We do NOT test on animals or endorse such practices. Our products do not contain animal derived ingredients. Beeswax has been replaced by synthetic beeswax and lanolin has been replaced by Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladinpale-2." Their prices are also fantastic ($1 mascara?!), and a quick Google search should be able to provide you with a coupon code for 50% off or free shipping. I tried some of it out, and like it all for the most part. My only complaint would be that it's lighter than I had expected. Like, the eyeliner I usually use shows up as a deep brown, but this was really pale (it still looks nice, and works well, just not what I wanted); I will probably try black eyeliner instead next time. The waterproof mascara applies wonderfully! As does the concealer. I didn't order any eyeshadow because I already have an overabundance of eyeshadow at home, but I'll try it someday!

Well, considering I didn't even have a recipe to post, this has turned out much longer than I thought it would.

VeganMoFo Day Nine: Curried Autumn Vegetables

Finally, I was able to cook again today! I made this for lunch and it was pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. My mom added extra broth to hers and made a soup, and it actually turned out really well. 

Curried Autumn Vegetables

• 1/2 butternut squash, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup broth, plus more as needed
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 14.5 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp curry powder
• dash cayenne pepper, optional
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup fresh spinach, stems removed

1) Heat broth over medium heat until boiling in a non-stick pan. Add potatoes and squash and cook for 15-20 minutes or until soft, adding more broth as needed.

2) Add garbanzo beans, pepper, carrots, garlic, and onion and cook for several minutes, until carrots are soft, again adding more broth as needed.

3) Stir in ginger, curry, cayenne, coconut, tomato sauce, and spinach and cook until tomato sauce begins gently bubbling.

4) Serve as is or over rice, quinoa, or other grain, or spread on a buckwheat pancake (I'd post a recipe for those if I had one, but I use a pre-made mix)

Serves 4

VeganMoFo Day Eight

Another busy day! I didn't have time for any cooking, however I reheated some herb scalloped potatoes. They don't look that pretty in this picture, but they tasted great. My dad actually cooked them, and I'm not 100% sure which recipe he used, but I'm pretty sure it was this one (and it's by Isa Chandra, so obviously it's good).  While I don't mind eating leftovers and PB&Js, I'm definitely ready to do some cooking tomorrow - it's been too long! 
Tonight I went to a Regina Spektor concert and literally had the greatest time. Standing in the cold for two hours (while drinking some coffee with soy milk by the fabulous Coffee By Design) paid off because we got front row directly in front of the piano bench. Regina has been one of my favorite musicians since I was maybe 11 or 12, and it doesn't even seem real that I got to see her. She is actually the most beautiful person alive. Everything about the show was perfect. Only Son (her husband) was great too, and I really hope they have children someday because those kids would be the most talented people to ever live.
Excuse me for posting this poor quality phone photo that really has nothing to do with veganism. And excuse the awful light for washing out her beautiful face. 

VeganMoFo Day Seven

Lots of things happened today and I definitely didn't feel up to cooking anything, so I'm afraid this won't be much of a post. I went out for lunch at Sebago Brewing Company and ordered the falafel burger, only I got it with hummus instead of tzatziki. It was fantastic, as usual.
I'm sorry, I'll try to make a better post tomorrow!

VeganMoFo Day Six: Refined Sugar-free Apple Crisp

Today was such a nice day. It finally stopped raining and the weather was beautiful. I went for a drive through what is probably one of the prettiest areas in the state of Maine, at least in autumn. The leaves are all in their full colors, and it's just so gorgeous. I'm so thankful I live in New England.

Usually, I would have made at least 7,000 apple desserts by this time in fall, but for some reason I haven't this year. I guess since I've been trying to avoid refined sugars, the thought of baking just doesn't sound that appealing to me. But I'd been craving apple crisp for a while, which seemed unfortunate because I didn't think it'd be possible to use liquid sweeteners for something crisp. However, this turned out fabulously. I really would recommend using brown rice syrup, as maple syrup and agave would probably be too liquidy (you could try reducing the amount, but don't expect it to be perfect...); I'm probably very biased though, because brown rice syrup is basically the love of my life.

NOTE: I made this again later using an equal amount of maple syrup instead of the brown rice syrup, and it worked perfectly! Brown rice syrup is still my favorite, but if you don't have any on hand, that's not a problem at all.

(Refined Sugar-Free) Apple Crisp

• 5 apples, either chopped into 1-inch chunks or sliced (most recipes say sliced, but I like chopped better)
• 1 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other mild-tasting oil..or maybe melted coconut oil if you want that flavor)
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
• 1/4 cup apple cider or water

1) Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly oil a 10x10" casserole dish.

2) In a small bowl, combine oats, flour, coconut flakes, pecans, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add vanilla, oil, and brown rice syrup and stir until completely combined (if it still won't stick together, add more syrup, one tablespoon at a time).

3) Place apples in dish. Using your hands, crumble the oat-syrup topping over the apples. Pour apple cider evenly over dish.

4) Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the juice is bubbling and the topping is crispy. Let cool before serving. Always good with a scoop of vanilla vegan ice cream or some vegan whipped cream!

VeganMoFo Day Five: Shepherd's Pie for One

I had very busy day! I started the morning babysitting, had a short break in the afternoon where I cooked lunch and tried to do some school, then went to my first driver's ed class, and finally ended the day by going to see Anything Goes at a local theater production group. I am exhausted and writing this at midnight, so I apologize for any mistakes (which are always regrettable when writing a recipe..). I normally make a full-sized shepherd's pie but I cut it down to a single-serving today.

Shepherd's Pie for One

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp finely chopped onion
• 3 baby carrots or 1/2 carrot
• 2 tsp ketchup or tomato paste
• 2 tsp Bragg's, soy sauce, or tamari
• 1 tbsp broth
• dash of thyme
• dash of marjoram
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup seitan, chopped (baked tofu or a chicken substitute would work too)
• 1 tbsp vegan cheddar "cheese", shredded (optional)
• 1-2 tbsp peas
• 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
• 1 potato or small sweet potato, mashed
• dash of paprika

1) Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 375°. 

2) Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat.  Add garlic, onion, and carrots and cook until carrots are soft, about 5 minutes.  

3) Stir in ketchup, Bragg's, broth, thyme, marjoram, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 1 minute.

4) Spoon the mixture into a small greased oven-safe dish (I used 380ml dish, or 1 2/3 cups) 

5) Stir in the seitan, peas, walnuts, and vegan cheese, if using.  

5) Spread the mashed potatoes on top, then sprinkle with paprika.

6) Bake until the potato is hot and beginning to get crisp, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool for several minutes before eating.


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VeganMoFo Day Four

10:30pm as I was getting ready for bed, I suddenly realized I hadn't made a VeganMoFo post yet. Unfortunately, I spent most of my day vegged out on the couch eating leftover soup and drinking tea and was unable to cook anything for myself. My mom made a savory bean casserole for dinner (I believe the recipe is in the Lean & Luscious & Meatless cookbook), which is always great on a rainy fall evening, especially spread over warm bread. Hopefully I will feel a bit better tomorrow, or at least able to create a somewhat more interesting post.

VeganMoFo Day Three: Vegan Chick'n Noodle Soup

My mom made a beautiful salad with lunch today and I just had to take a picture. I've caught the cold that everyone in my area seems to have right now, so I made some chick'n noodle soup to help my sore throat. It was fantastic, as always. You could probably add some seitan or baked tofu to this to add some actual protein but I didn't feel like it today. This soup also tastes great with a handful of chopped shiitake mushrooms in it!

Vegan Chick'n Noodle Soup

• 1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 cups vegetable broth, vegan chicken broth, or water
• 3 to 5 tbsp nutritional yeast (adjust as you like)
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/3 cup small noodles, such as alphabet or Filini noodles
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp, thyme 
• salt and pepper, to taste

1) Heat oil in a medium-sized pot. Add onions and cook until soft. Remove onions and set aside.

2) Add broth to pot. Stir in nutritional yeast, celery salt, bay leaf, turmeric, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper until dissolved. Add cooked onions, carrot, celery, and garlic. Bring broth to boil.

3) When the broth starts boiling, add noodles and cook according to directions on the package, or until noodles and carrots are cooked. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Serves 4

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VeganMoFo Day Two: Tofu Scramble for One

I'm on to day two! This is so exciting, now that I've actually had time to think about and plan my VeganMoFo. I still don't really have a plan I guess, but a better idea. Anyway, this morning I made some fabulous tofu scramble. I remember when I was little, the first thing I ever learned to cook was scrambled eggs. My dad and I would always cook it together, and it pretty much just ended up being him cooking and me eating parmesan cheese. But now that I'm vegan, I make this meal instead, and, honestly, I like it much better. I sometimes add vegetables, such as carrots or peppers. If you want a gluten-free version, just make sure that the broth is gluten-free or use water.

Tofu Scramble for One

• 1/5 block of tofu, drained & pressed
• 2 tbsp vegetable broth, vegan chicken broth, or water
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (you can adjust the amount depending on how much you like the flavor of nutritional yeast)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• handful of spinach, stems trimmed

1) Heat broth in a non-stick pan over medium heat until boiling.

2) Using your hands, crumble tofu into pan. Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.

3) Reduce heat and stir in nutritional yeast until completely absorbed (you can add more broth if needed, one teaspoon at a time). 

4) Stir in salt, pepper, and spinach, and cook until spinach is slightly wilted. 

5) Serve immediately. Very good topped with ketchup and with a side of toast!

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VeganMoFo Day One

I've always had this slight knowledge of VeganMoFo hidden somewhere in the back of my mind, but it wasn't until today when I saw several people online mentioning it that I decided to actually look it up. Now that I understand what it is, I'm totally intrigued! I had a bunch of friends who used to do NaNoWriMo (I even tried myself once...emphasis on tried) and have always been interested by these sort of challenges. So I'm definitely going to participate in this, even though I'm a bit late. I am not following a specific theme, as it seems most people are, but I will still try my best to post every day (and since I'm not prepared at all, it'll probably end up just being a summary of what I cook every day, hopefully more than that though). I'm too late to be on VeganMoFo's official RSS feed, but oh well.

I feel like I spent a majority of my day cooking. After about 30 minutes of doing school, I got bored and decided to make some multi-grain bread instead. I used this recipe, making it vegan by replacing the milk with soy milk, honey with brown rice syrup, and egg with 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds mixed with 3 tbsp water. Also, I didn't have millet so I used quinoa and sesame seeds instead (I left out the flaxseeds on the topping, as it was included in the "egg"). I haven't eaten it yet, but it looks beautiful.

For dinner, I made corn fritters with a peanut dipping sauce and Indonesian fried rice, both recipes from the book Meatless Gourmet: Favorite Recipes from around the World. It was a fantastic meal and turned out much better than I had thought it would.