Vegan Tapioca Pudding
Here’s a simple recipe for a comfort food we all remember from childhood. This recipe makes a lot, so if you don’t really love tapioca pudding you may want to cut it in half. I do love this stuff, so if I’m going to spend the time then I want to make a BIG batch!
First of all, soak 1 cup of large pearl tapioca overnight (or at least 8 hours). This step is crucial. (If you’ve tried making tapioca pudding before and couldn’t figure out why your pearls never cooked all the way through, this is the reason why). The next day drain pearls in a colander.
In a large heavy pot mix:
2 qt. vegan milk (I used a mixture of almond, soy, and canned coconut)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3/4 c. raw sugar
Heat this mixture until it just comes to a boil. Add drained tapioca to pot; cook and stir constantly over med./low heat at least 30 minutes or until tapioca is clear and mixture thickens somewhat. (It will get thicker as it cools).
Remove pot from heat and add:
2 tsp. vanilla extract
pure stevia powder (if desired) — just a sprinkle to taste
Stir well. Chill and serve.
Note: If pudding seems too thick after chilling, simply add a little vanilla almond or soy milk, OR if you’re lucky enough to have “So Delicious Coconut Nog” or “Silk Nog” on hand you may use that to thin the pudding.
Overnight Chai Steel-Cut Oats
In a perfect world I would wake up early each morning to make a hot breakfast for my family before sending them out into the cold, but in reality I am NOT a morning person. When I saw this recipe in Vegetarian Times magazine I knew it was created for people just like me and simply had to share it. It can all be assembled the night before and requires NO COOKING, yea! The spicy chai flavor is wonderful, too.
Ingredients:
1 cup steel-cut oats
1 cup hemp milk (I used almond milk)
2 Tbs. chia seeds
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground ginger, OR 1 Tbs. crystallized ginger (I used)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 Tbs. maple syrup, optional (I used)
1 Tbs. shredded coconut, optional (I omitted)
1 Tbs. chopped pistachios, optional (I omitted)
Method:
Combine oats, “milk,” chia seeds, cardamom, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, and maple syrup in a glass jar with a lid. Stir, close, and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning just open lid, stir, and serve sprinkled with coconut and pistachios if using. I served it with sliced bananas and a little added almond milk instead, and it was delicious! If you desire you may warm it slighty before serving.
Makes 2 one cup servings at 270 calories each.
You can find more great recipes at www.vegetariantimes.com.
To find great deals on a subscription to “Vegetarian Times” magazine try these websites:
www.magazines.com
www.amazon.com
www.magazinepricesearch.com
Raw Cranberry/Almond Cookies
It’s almost Christmas, and you still want to make some cookies — but they have to be vegan…and healthy…but still taste great. Hmm, this recipe can meet all those requirements and your friends will ask for the recipe. You can feel good about serving these raw cookies, and you won’t spend all day in the kitchen either; quick, easy, and delicious!
Ingredients:
1 cup almond meal
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups dried cranberries*
5 pitted dates
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp. almond flavoring (or 1/4 tsp amaretto oil candy flavoring)
Method:
Soak dates and cranberries in distilled water (just enough to cover) for 2 hrs. Grind oats in food processor until fine. Drain dates and cranberries. Add remaining ingredients and process thoroughly to form a dough.
Roll into small balls and roll each ball into more almond meal. Refrigerate until serving. Keeps up to two weeks in the frig.
* This is a very versatile recipe. I have substituted dried cherries for half the cranberries, and you could probably use half light raisins, too.
“Vegetarian Times Complete Thanksgiving Cookbook” by the editors of “Vegetarian Times” magazine. MacMillan, 1998.
As Thanksgiving approaches we all (even vegans) yearn for the familiar tastes and aromas of the comfort foods we associate with the traditional American Thanksgiving dinner. Trying to follow a vegan lifestyle during this season of feasting can be a challenge, but the editors of Vegetarian Times have compiled a cookbook to please any non-turkey eater’s appetite. No longer do we have to be content with dry mashed potatoes, salad, and a roll while everyone else gorges on turkey flesh and gravy! This cookbook is full of holiday favorites and treats. The accompanying photos are mouthwatering in themselves, and the recipes I have tried live up to the excellent standards “Vegetarian Times” always maintains.
One recipe for Vegan Pumpkin Pie (page 193) is, in my opinion, the very best pumpkin pie I have ever had. That it is made without any eggs or dairy puts it way above conventional pumpkin pie recipes that are high in fat, calories, and cholesterol. You can use your own favorite pie crust recipe or the one included in the book. This is the simple filling recipe, smooth creamy, and out of this world!
Ingredients:
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup low-fat soymilk or rice milk
1/2 cup honey or 3/4 c. granulated sugar cane syrup (I used 1/4 c. honey and 1/4 c. agave syrup)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp. dark molasses, or to taste
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt (I used Celtic sea salt)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. To prepare filling, in a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients until smooth and blended. Pour into prepared crust and smooth top. Bake 10 minutes — THEN:
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; bake until filling is set, about 50 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool, then refrigerate overnight to set. Top with your choice of dessert topping if desired. I’m sure you will love it!
For more recipes like this, the cookbook “Vegetarian Times Complete Thanksgiving Cookbook” sells for $21.00 (or less if you shop around). For even more recipes for everyday cooking go to this great resource: www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes.
What is Nutritional Yeast?
One ingredient I really love, one that gives vegan recipes a real “cheesy” flavor without all the negatives of dairy, is Nutritional Yeast. It is also a good vegan source of vitamin B-12! To learn more, or to experiment with some great recipes using this little known seasoning, visit the link below or simply try some Nutritional Yeast sprinkled on a bowl of warm popcorn. Yum!
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/10/what-the-heck-is-nutritional-yeast.html
FREE Health Fair, October 8, 2011, Glad Tidings Church, 1110 Snyder Rd., West Lawn, PA 19609, 610-678-0266
Come one come all, this Saturday anytime from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm to meet area wellness professionals and learn what options are available to meet your own personal physical, mental, and spiritual health needs. Free medical screening by Adventist Whole Health Network, samples, informative presentations, movies, and more. While you’re there enjoy a healthy lunch in the popular Sacred Grounds Cafe and Grille, and shop Scrolls Bookstore. See you there!
The Ultimate Vegan Baking Cheat Sheet
One of the hardest things about changing to a vegan lifestyle is adapting your favorite recipes to suit your new way of eating. Below is a great resource to help you on your way through the exciting adventure of vegan cooking. One caution: Fat, even healthy fat, is still high in calories; so if you’re watching your weight go easy on oil and margarine of any kind.
Many of your favorite recipes can easily be made vegan by substituting a few key ingredients. Use this list to get started…
FREE 3 Days to Health Seminar, Sept. 18, 19, and 20, 2011, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
If you are in the Reading, PA area Sept. 18 – 20, don’t miss this enlightening 3-day presentation by Chet and Bev Cook (BA, ND, CHC), Directors of the Hallelujah Acres Lifestyle Centers. Discover God’s simple, Biblical model for physical health and healing through lectures, video clips, food prep and sampling, juicing demos and more!
God designed our bodies to be healthy. Learn how to take control of your health by eliminating toxins and following the nutritional plan that God intended for us. Totally FREE, but space is limited, so please register today!
Location: Glad Tidings Church, 1110 Snyder Road, West Lawn, PA 19609
To register phone: 610-670-7504
Van’s Cafe, 448 Penn Ave. West Reading, PA 19611, 610-741-6466
Today the Reading Eagle did a nice piece on Van’s Cafe, the new Vietnamese restaurant in West Reading, so we had to go there for lunch to try it for the first time. For those who are familiar with West Reading, Van’s is occupying the same space as the former Fire and Ice Cafe. The place is casual, the decor minimal, but clean.
I hope I can give it a fair review because my main thought about Van’s is that they won’t win any prizes for speed. We went on our lunch hour, which was a mistake — don’t go there unless you are under no time constraints. After sitting at the table for about 15 minutes we went to the counter to order. I still don’t know if that is how you are supposed to do things there; some people did have a waiter come to take their order, but we and others went to the counter. No one greeted us, seated us, or told us what to do (a simple sign “Please place your order at the counter” would have been helpful).
The food was very good and fresh. They had a few vegetarian options. We both ordered the Vegetarian Spring Rolls and Vegetarian Rice Noodle Soup (huge bowls) called Pho. I don’t think the soup broth was vegetarian, however. Service was very slow and disorganized. (I could see my husband’s blood pressure rising by the minute). Our appetizer came out after the noodle bowls, and I don’t think we would have gotten it at all if we didn’t remind the server. We were missing a set of silverware and had to hunt one down ourselves. No one came to freshen our ice teas or offer water. As we ate we saw people leaving and more coming in and standing waiting to be seated. Tables weren’t cleared as new orders were coming out and there was nowhere to put them or to seat the people who were waiting for a clean table — Did I mention that the service was SLOW?
Prices at Van’s are all under $10.00, and the food is good. Convenient parking is available in the rear. I am hoping that this was not a typical lunchtime at Van’s, and that they were just having an off day. I would love to go back to sample their bubble tea, but I know my husband won’t be going next time. With some people you don’t get a second chance.
Homemade Vegetable Wash (Spray or Soak)
I have to admit that it just breaks my heart to spend a big chunk of my food budget on veggie wash. Those tiny spray bottles of veggie wash never seem to last long the way I use it, and plain water just doesn’t do the job for soaking leafy greens. Here are two simple solutions you can make at home with common household products you probably already have on hand. They cost only pennies to make and work really well. (You should refrigerate the spray because it contains fresh lemon juice)
SPRAY:
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. baking soda
1 cup water
SOAK:
1/4 cup vinegar
2 Tbsp. salt
DIRECTIONS:
1. SPRAY: Put all ingredients into a spray bottle and shake gently to mix (it will foam). Spray on vegetables or fruit and allow to sit for 2-5 minutes, then rinse with cold water and dry.
2. SOAK: Fill a clean basin or sink with cold water. Add vinegar and salt, then stir until salt dissolves. Place vegetables or fruit in sink and allow to sit for 25 – 30 minutes. Rinse under cold water and dry.
These ideas came from www.food.com where you can find even more great recipes and money-saving hints.
