SoulVeggie

Gardening Tips from Man Afraid of Plants

[Here's the supremely demented Christopher Walken as the indoor gardener afraid of plants and his unique solution to the problem.  Happened to watch my tape of the 04/05/08 Sat. Nite Live on Sunday with friends after a long day working in the garden... and this skit had me to tears... Walken had already done several skits (live) and clearly was tired, but just absolutely hilarious in his performance. Remember that "cactuses are dangerous...."  Go Vegan, Go Googly-eyed Vegan!]

Mom Says "Eat Your Sea Veggies"

"... sea vegetables are different forms of seaweed that are used like "vegetables" in culinary dishes... According to Chef Horton, for optimal health, "We need to balance foods that grow above the ground with those that grow below the sea." Sea vegetables offer the broadest range of minerals of any food (land or sea), and contain virtually all of the minerals that are found in the body.

"Sea vegetables are rich in iron, calcium, iodine, Vitamins A, C, K and other nutrients, and they can substantially reduce the amount of toxins found in the body," states [restaurant] owner Jeff Stanford, who has been incorporating seaweed into his diet for years. Sea vegetables are loaded with alginic acid, which binds with toxic metals (such as strontium), permitting their elimination from the body.

... sea vegetables contain good amounts of lignans, plant compounds with cancer-protective properties. In effect, populations subsisting on diets rich in sea vegetables have less chronic disease, lower incidence of cancers, and longer life spans. Western cultures are only recently beginning to enjoy the taste and nutritional value of sea vegetables..."

From "Vegetarians in Paradise:"

"... sea vegetables offer numerous health benefits and provide all 56 minerals and trace minerals our bodies require for physiological functions. These amazing foods contain from 10 to 48% protein that is similar to egg white protein, while providing the ideal ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids.

...sea vegetables have been used to lower cholesterol, decrease high blood pressure, and treat cancer. Epidemiological studies suggest it is possible that seaweeds may be responsible for the low rates of breast cancer in Japan."

[How kewl... I tend to lean on "kombu" a lot in soups (particularly crockpot-based... chopping up some as part of the base) and arame/hijiki for salads.  Sea vegetables (hey, sounds much better than "seaweed"!) have a tremendous amount of nutrients to offer to anyone, let alone, the dedicated Vegan. Original article: here (and below).  Interesting sources of information about sea vegetables recipes: here and here.  Use your "Search Engine" of choice to learn more about sea vegetables and incorporating them into your diet.  Oh, and Go Vegan!]

Flaming Veg: The "Vegan Fire & Spice" Cookbook

One of the most persistent myths about vegan or vegetarian food, aside from perhaps "where do you get your protein?" is that our diet is bland, dull, and unappealing.  Perhaps this attitude may stem from a 60's stereotype that we live on only tofu and brown rice...  Fortunately, Robin Robertson is back.  Having dispelled the illusion that vegans don't have a variety of food options with "Vegan Planet," and crushing the "it takes so long to cook veg food" whine via "Quick-Fix Vegetarian," she's returned to disintegrate yet another urban legend.

In "Vegan Fire & Spice: 200 Sultry and Savory Global Recipes," she blazes a new trail, this one combusting as a series of recipes that, depending upon your internal thermostat, range from promoting a mild flush, to making endorphins flood and toenails sweat.  With such sizzlers as the "Barbados-Style Grilled Kebabs," steamy sauces like "Svikla" (a horseradish and red beet relish from Eastern Europe), a fruity and febrile "Persian Orange Rice with Pistachios," and the thermogenesis-inducing, "Three-Alarm Lo Mein," Robin invites us to explore the world's tastes from sublime to searing.

Extremely well-organized as chapters by broad locale (e.g., Europe, Middle East and so on), then, by areas  (say, Italy or Pan-Asia), the recipes are categorized by type (sauce, stew, etc.), each having a 1 to 3 "heat" rating and commentary.  With a superb index, an excellent intro about spices, suggested kitchen tools, and more, this cookbook stands out a fascinating journey through the taste buds of civilization with an experienced and, ahem, well-seasoned guide to light the way.

As the first book from "Vegan Heritage Press," their new publishing endeavor, the Robertsons show a spirit that promises a great future for their efforts. Witness Robin's dedication from the first page:

"This book is dedicated to compassionate people throughout the world who help each other, the animals, and the environment by eating a heathful plant-based diet."

In my opinion, it's one helluva cookbook... and the fire is not just in the recipes alone.

[Check out some sample recipes, here. Press Release: here.]

The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra

[A video of "The Vienna Vegetarian Orchestra," where all the instruments being played are hand-made from vegetables (and vegan!).  A lucky find for my 200th blog post... 1st half shows them making their raw devices, 2nd half is acoustic performance.  Listen, watch, enjoy, and go vegan!]

Fat-free Vegan Oatmeal-Maple Cookies

[This recipe is from Dr. Esselstyn's landmark book, "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease," and has no added fat and/or salt (consistent with his diet recommendations and peer-reviewed research):

OATMEAL-MAPLE COOKIES
(makes about 1 dozen cookies if you use 1/2 cup raisins)

1 cup oats
2/3 cup whole-wheat flour or barley flour
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1/3 to 1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup maple syrup, brown sugar, agar nectar, or honey
1/2 cup oat milk or water

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.  Toast oats until golden brown.  Watch carefully so they don't burn.
3.  While oats are toasting, put remaining ingredients in the above order in a medium bowl.  Add toasted oats and mix well.
4.  Put 10-12 tablespoons of dough on a nonstick baking sheet and flatten with the back of a fork.
5.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until slightly golden on edges.  Check often to prevent burning."

From:  "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease," by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, 2007, p. 286.

These came out quite well.  I used soy milk (a little extra), brown sugar, and didn't toast the oats (but, can imagine that would add a marvelous deep mellow to taste). Could also add a little cinnamon and/or nutmeg.  Be sure to use a good nonstick sheet or consider a very light bit of oil spray.  You can read an interview with Dr. Esselstyn about his book, research, and diet recommendations here.  The book's website is here.  Best Wishes for a Happy Holidaze and "Heart Healthosity" to All!  Mark]

Checkmate! "Vegan Done Light"

It takes a lot of courage to publish your own e-cookbook of recipes, but how much more so when the recipes are vegan, and have no added fat, sugar, salt and/or gluten?  Erin, of "Zen Pawn" has beaten the odds and accomplished just this in his intriguing "Vegan Done Light" --- eighteen unique and creative recipes that really push the "pawn" to the end of the dietary chess board for crowning. 

With considerable scientific research indicating that no-added fat or sugar or sodium, low-cal vegan meals reduce the risk of most degenerative diseases in humans (and indeed, as Drs. Esselstyn and Ornish have shown, can REVERSE heart disease), it's a daunting challenge to throw away many treasured strategies and tactics for the cooking games of the past, and instead, develop some new gambits based upon this knowledge.

As a cooking innovator, Erin is a potential grandmaster in the making.  Check these out:  "Mini-Mexican Pizzas," "Bean Muffins" without flour, "Lebanese Lima Stacker,  the tasty "Banana Breakfast Taco," clever "Cherry Dessert Hummus," "No-bake Peanut Butter Pie," and to top it all, an amazing "Cheese Sauce" that, as he puts it correctly, is "embarassingly simple."  And he doesn't stop there... the gamester provides a complete nutritional analysis and beautiful photograph for each recipe.

Bravo!  I'm most impressed and truly hope this is just the opening move for Erin.  He's got a winning game.  Vegans, aspiring vegans, or people who just want to eat healthier and live longer, can learn much from his innovative approaches.  Let's collectively hope he continues to refine his play and returns for a rematch soon.

[The e-book's website is here.  At $9 (credit card, PayPal) you'll get a link to the PDF book you can download and use.  Also, if you sign-up for the free newsletter, you'll get a sample recipe at no cost.]

Review: "Quick-Fix Vegetarian" Cookbook

Owning over 300 veg'n cookbooks, I tend to view a new vegan cookbook differently and perhaps more critically than most people.  Even so, I was excited by the opportunity to review Robin Robertson's latest work, "Quick-Fix Vegetarian: Healthy Home-cooked Meals in 30 Minutes or Less."  She's one of the most prolific veg cookbook authors around (rivaled by maybe Bryanna Clark Grogan or Nava Atlas, esteemed company indeed!), and I will never forget being asked to evaluate her astounding opus, "Vegan Planet" by a local veg/AR group.

Now, years later, it's apparent from Robin's new effort that the cascade of hits continues.  From the ambient "Sacred Kitchen,"  the laid-back percussion of "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker," the symphonic "Vegan Planet," to the brassiness of "Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes," we now have a book of string minuets... fast vegan recipes all creatively composed and arranged to prove the tired, old refrain "it takes too much time to cook vegetarian" just isn't true.

"Potato Dosadillas" (using mashed potatoes), "Garden Vegetable Strata," "Couscous Shepard's Pie," "Linguine with Edamame Pesto," "Black Bean Sauce with Sherry," "Mixed Baby Greens with Pears, Pecans, and Polenta Strips," "Rustic Plum Tart," and the amusingly alliterative, "Phast Phresh Pho," (a hearty Vietnamese soup), are just a few of the many clever, practical, and fun recipes scored.

This cookbook is excellent:  well-organized, diverse, with a superb index and abundance of useful tips and advice.  In this age of "instant text messaging," FedEx, and hectic lives, the wonderful "can do" melody throughout these recipes is both inspiring and encouraging: you CAN have a healthy and tasty vegan meal in minutes.  The proof is in, well, the "Chocolate-Banana Pudding (p. 198)."

"Quick-Fix Vegetarian" is recommended for both the veg'n newbie all the way to the well-seasoned pro... it has a very special place in my collection, and I'll be riffing on the tunes for a long time.

Here's a link to some sample recipes

More Silly Vegan Myths+

"During (approximately) 4620 days eating vegetarian, I have directly saved the lives of about 1201.2 animals."

[Sugarrocket has put together a small, but really efficient and effective website for vegans and info about vegans.  The above quote is from her homepage.  She's also written a nicely hyperlinked article "Silly Vegan Myths" with excellent resources in those links.  Also, check out: "vegan tips." Nice job, gal!]

Vegan Alien

Kudos to Till Nowak who created this marvelous 3-D image of the classic "Alien" creature out of digital vegetables.  Amazing piece of work and quite funny on many levels.

Till's got a great series of pix showing how he did this masterful graphic (and more visual detail) at his website.

"Alien" indeed!  [click on the image for the larger version]

Howard at AR2007

[Many thanks to "DoggyTV" for posting this video at YouTube.  Excellent example of Howard Lyman (aka, The Mad Cowboy) at his best, speaking at AR2007 last Friday. Now here's a dynamic, healthy-looking 67 yr. old hardcore vegan breaking some stereotypes.  Pity it's not the whole talk and just the first 16 minutes, but still, it's great.  Enjoy!]

[You can see the original version of the YouTube post (and a fine list of other related videos) here.  I'm still playing catchup on projects and will get to the backlog of cookbook reviews, memes, etc., soon.]