Vegan Pizza: Tasty Facts, Wide Options

Many new vegans (persons who do not eat meat, eggs or dairy products), or hosts who are serving vegan guests for the first time, may have a hard time coming up with creative, tasty dishes. Vegan pizza is often a simple and easy choice. However, after solving the puzzle up to that point, many people get in a rut and things start to get a little stale.

But there are many facts about vegan pizza that many people -- including long-time vegans -- do not know.

For instance, did you know that the original, authentic, Italian pizza is traditionally vegan, i.e. no meat and no cheese? It is called the Marinara, and because of the simple but special ingredients used, and the cooking method, many pizza connoisseurs choose this pure version as their favourite pizza.

In addition to the Marinara, there are a number of other vegan pizza choices available.

Vegan pizzas are available at your favourite pizza place, you can buy it frozen, or make it at home. While it is not common to find a pizzeria that serves authentic Marinara pizzas, it is easy to get a cheeseless pizza from any pizza restaurant by just asking to hold the cheese.

Very good frozen vegan pizzas are also becoming more readily available, too, and tastier.

Then there is the home-made pizza option, which may be the best choice if you want a more authentic Italian pizza, if you would like to use cheese and meat vegan substitutes, or if you want to use non-traditional pizza crusts.

With regard to toppings, you can go cheeseless (in traditional Italian or modern vegan style), use vegan cheese substitutes, or nutritional yeast "cheese" sauce (very nutritious, rich in protein and B-vitamins). Vegan Cheese substitutes, it must be noted, have not traditionally been able to reproduce the familiar "stringy" quality of melted mozzarella on vegan pizza, with the exception of one brand which is tapioca- and arrowroot- based rather than soy-based.

That's not all. While pizza dough is already vegan, not many people know that there are significant differences in types of flour, and not all flour is available everywhere. The fact is that the single most important component of a pizza is the base, not the toppings. Authentic Italian pizza needs "00" flour, not readily available in North America, but this gives a distinctive airy and stretchy texture, and handles perfectly when forming into a circle.

It is perfectly possible to make good (but not authentic Italian) pizza crusts using regularly available baking flour (beer is often a good addition), or whole wheat flour. But outside of that there are tasty gluten-free pizza crusts available, using tapioca and manioc flour (from Brazil), or seeds, vegetables, and legumes (in a modern vegan variation).

In a more traditional European gourmet mode, one can also use puff pastry as the pizza base to make very interesting vegan pizzas. Sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and mustard seeds, mushroom and artichoke, thinly sliced potato with olive oil and rosemary (a traditional European favourite that is virtually unknown in America), all go beautifully on flaky puff pastry.

You can explore all of these vegan pizza recipes at Vegan Pizza Place. For you, your vegan family members, or friends, we hope that a whole new world of ideas will open up.

AJ Neal has been a vegetarian since 1988, is married to a non-vegetarian, the father of one son (vegetarian since birth), and administers veganpizzaplace.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_J_Neal

Original article

An Eccentric Lifestyle Popular in the Early 19th Century Has Left Us the Graham Cracker and More!

The Presbyterian Reverend Sylvester Graham, an early 19th century proponent of an extreme, aesthetic lifestyle, is largely forgotten today. During his life, however, he was amazingly popular and many of the theories he espoused are actually popular to this day, though he is rarely credited with their acceptance. He was also widely reviled and a controversial figure of derision.

Rev. Graham promoted a strict form of vegetarianism at a time when meat was a staple and considered essential to a healthy lifestyle. He held a number of extremely controversial diet and wellness ideas which he championed and was militant in defending. His followers were so dedicated that they became known as Grahamites.

Speaking before adoring crowds, Rev. Graham spoke boldly and powerfully against women wearing corsets, any type of gratuitous sexual activity and nihilism. His encouragement of a Spartan lifestyle was widely reported in the media.

In an age when bathing was rare and oral care primitive Grahamites practiced both; daily and religiously. Temperance was strictly enforced among Grahamites. Excitement was discouraged. They also did not use spices to enrich the taste of food, as these additives were considered to excite the senses and encourage sexual activity. Consuming meat, butter and white bread were forbidden. Especially white bread!

The elimination of white flour from their diet became central to the lifestyle and philosophy of Grahamites. Rev. Graham preached about the evils of white flour which was considered crucial by bakers in producing whiter loaves and more commercially appealing bread. He despised any food that contained additives and chemicals. Darker types of bread were considered a foodstuff for the lower classes during the Industrial Revolution. Graham set out to change this perception.

He created the recipe for Graham bread. It was made from un-sifted flour and contained no alum or chlorine, both present in the white bread of that time. He believed that bread should be coarse not fluffy and uniform like the loaves then being mass produced in industrial bakeries. A variant of the recipe for Graham bread lead to the creation of Graham crackers, popular to this day. Grahamites consumed massive quantities of Graham crackers to supplement their exceedingly bland diet.

Grahamism died out soon after Rev. Sylvester Graham's death in 1857. His death in Northampton, Massachusetts, where a restaurant named Sylvester's stands on the site of his home, marked the zenith of his movement. His influence, however, had touched such important Americans as Horace Greeley, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother William Kellogg. Their creation of Kellogg's Corn Flakes, and founding of the Battle Creek Institute, was heavily linked to their belief in Grahamism.

It has been over 150 years since the death of Rev. Sylvester Graham. It is generally forgotten that he is responsible for the creation of ubiquitous Graham Crackers, still found in most home larders. And yet, many of the principle ideas which he pioneered and were forgotten after he was deceased are again au courant today.

Modern nutritionists strongly endorse limiting the consumption of meat and refined, processed foods in the diet. Dark, multi-grain breads are promoted as key elements of a healthy diet. A vegetarian or vegan type of diet is increasingly popular. Daily bathing and proper oral care are cornerstones of hygiene and personal care. All of these ideas were key, if controversial planks in the philosophy that was central the Grahamist lifestyle. Today we accept them as factual truths, supported by science and research data.

Geoff Ficke has been a serial entrepreneur for almost 50 years. As a small boy, earning his spending money doing odd jobs in the neighborhood, he learned the value of selling himself, offering service and value for money.

After putting himself through the University of Kentucky (B.A. Broadcast Journalism, 1969) and serving in the United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke commenced a career in the cosmetic industry. After rising to National Sales Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at age 28, he then launched a number of ventures, including Rubigo Cosmetics, Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, Le Bain Couture and Fashion Fragrance.

Geoff Ficke and his consulting firm, Duquesa Marketing, has assisted businesses large and small, domestic and international, entrepreneurs, inventors and students in new product development, capital formation, licensing, marketing, sales and business plans and successful implementation of his customized strategies. He is a Senior Fellow at the Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Business School, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Geoff_Ficke

Original article

Being Vegetarian - What Does This Really Mean?

Many people all over the world love to eat meat, but there are those who only want to eat vegetables. There are many reasons a person wants to be a vegetarian, but perhaps the most obvious factor is economics. Vegetables are far more affordable than meat and healthier as well, so the latter is only used for special occasions. Incidentally, even if meat is plentiful in some gatherings, there are some individuals who want to eat it moderately. Vegetarianism is a term used for people who want to eat vegetables exclusively because they value their health and do not want to get sick with meat-related ailments.

For other people, their religious belief prevents them from eating meat because they think that eating animals is not right. Still, other people have expressed concern over the environment so they chose to be vegetarian. Hard-core vegetarians do not consume meat at all and that includes fish and chicken. On the other hand, a lacto-ovo vegetarian will eat eggs dairy products, but not meat. Those who follow a strict form of vegetarianism called veganism do not eat all meat products, eggs, dairy products together with gelatin and honey that are made of animal products.

Many years ago, many Americans often consider individuals who do not eat meat as queer, but times are changing. Vegetarianism is taking the world by storm although vegetarians are still a minority in the United States. ADA also known as the American Dietetic Association has endorsed vegetarian diets because these are very beneficial for those who are conscious with their health. Being a vegetarian is not strange anymore because people have embraced the idea that eating vegetables makes one stronger in body and spirit. Furthermore, a growing number of schools and restaurants are serving vegetables in their menus instead of the usual jelly or peanut butter sandwich.

Becoming a vegetarian is easier said than done and people have to educate themselves first and plan their diets carefully. If these people are able to maintain a strictly vegetarian diet, they will become stronger; have firmer muscles and bones, and a higher energy to boot. Would-be vegetarians though have to be cautious with a vegetarian diet because it is lacking in zinc, vitamins B12 and D, calcium, iron and protein. Fortunately, in lieu of eggs, dairy products, and fish people can take other alternatives such as mineral supplements and multiple vitamins.

In regard to vitamins, those who are not getting enough Vitamin D from the sun may resort to buying breakfast cereals and soy milk that is fortified. A vegetarian who wants protein sans the meat can eat various foods like nuts, peanut butter, eggs, tofu, soy milk and grains to name a few. Supplements will be needed if people want to take in B12 which is typically found in animal products. Zinc is another mineral requirement that people need for their bodies, so the best foods for them are nuts, soy products, dried beans and fortified cereals. Lastly, a vegetarian must consult with a dietician and discuss what foods he or she may take.

Ralph Wilhelm-dude17111 is an online researcher and marketer.
For more information on Being Vegetarian follow this link.

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Original article

Going Green - Leafed: Balancing Nutrition As a Vegetarian

With the ability to produce and import various foods throughout the year that is not only organic, but also cheaper than years past, it's a very great time to explore different eating lifestyles that suit your individual wants or needs. For anyone planning to, or currently eating as a vegetarian, it's important to know that while eating vegetables and fruits is extremely healthy, your body still needs protein, calcium and other nutrients not common in those food groups; luckily, it's very easy to have access to such nutrients.

Why Go Vegetarian?

Being omnivores, humans are able to adjust their eating habits to suit their environment. Over the centuries, various cultures found non-meat foods that contained nutrients once thought to be exclusive to meat. Many "green" foods offer just as much nutrition as meat minus the negative effects. Avoiding meat, especially red meat, means that you won't have to worry about cholesterol or saturated fats, both of which are linked to obesity. On top of that, eating foods grown from the earth means less processed foods and that cleanliness in your diet will reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure as well as increase energy, skin cleanliness and the body's natural glow.

What Nutrients Are Easy to Get? Eating vegetables and fruits gives you access to a majority of nutrients. Some examples are:

• Fiber-any tough vegetable such as celery contains cellulose which contains fiber. This helps maintain a healthy colon by scraping away excess waste in our gastrointestinal tract.
• Potassium-an important mineral used for neuromuscular reactions, bananas are a plentiful source of potassium.
• Essential Carbs-fruits like apples, peaches, oranges, etc all contain glucose or variations of sugar. These are what give your body immediate energy and are used very quickly. Tubers like carrots and potatoes contain starch which are a good source of long-term energy.
• Vitamin C-fruits that contain citric acid, such as lemons, grapefruit, oranges and limes contain vitamin c, which is a natural stimulant and immune booster.

What Are Other Essential Nutrients?

Setting aside fruits and vegetables, it's vital that you have a source of iron, calcium, protein, and unsaturated fat. What's good about being a vegetarian today is that you can get access to such nutrients without having to resort to meat or even supplements! Some examples are:

• Iron-Pop-eye wasn't eating spinach for nothing! Iron helps the blood to carry more oxygen throughout the body. It's also used in clotting processes. Other foods that have it are red beans, tofu and oatmeal.
• Calcium-milk and cheese are the most obvious sources of calcium, which are needed for bone support and growth. However, kale, broccoli, and other legumes also contain sufficient amounts.
• Protein/Unsaturated Fat-without meat, one may think getting protein is going to be difficult. However, tofu, nuts, and wheat's also have very excellent sources of protein, not to mention good sources of unsaturated fats. Protein is needed for muscle growth and development, while unsaturated fat is used by the body in various metabolic processes.

The famous axiom, "you are what you eat" is truer now more than ever. With processed beef, feed lots, and chemically enhanced food the need for going green takes more of a priority now than ever. There are exceptions of course, given that all organic food in Germany requires the traveler to carry international travel insurance just to eat a salad. Overall however, the good totally outweighs the bad, both in long-term health payout as well as energy levels needed for any given day. On every level, the first step to avoid the health issue what you put in your mouth.

Original article

A Cauliflower Recipe You Will Actually Love

Do you hate cauliflower? Well, then you've probably never had roasted cauliflower. Most of the time, cauliflower is steamed, which makes it bland and mushy. But roasted cauliflower has a nutty, buttery flavor that positively melts in your mouth. You can sprinkle it with cheese, dust it with spices, and even dunk it in barbecue sauce. Follow these simple steps to a delicious, simple and healthy treat.

Cauliflower is full of vital nutrients, including fiber, folate, vitamin C and water. Some studies have even shown that compounds in cauliflower can help protect against cancer, especially prostate cancer. This vegetable is also low in carbohydrates and fats, so it is an excellent addition to any diet.

Normally white, a cauliflower can also be lime green, dark purple or neon orange. These color variations don't really affect the flavor, but colorful vegetables do tend to have more nutrients.

Recipe:

Break the cauliflower into small florets. The smaller they are, the faster they cook. Don't make them too small, though, or they will be difficult to pick up.Put the florets in a baking dish. The dish can be made of any material, but a metal dish will give the cauliflower a slightly crispier exterior because it is a better conductor of heat.Drizzle olive oil, melted butter, or any other type of oil you have on hand over the florets. Toss them around to thoroughly coat. Olive oil provides the healthiest type of fat, so if you're trying to watch your health, that's the type you should use.Sprinkle the cauliflower with any spices that you like. Cumin and paprika go well together on cauliflower, as do pepper and nutmeg.Put the cauliflower in the oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.Take the cauliflower out and sprinkle it with grated cheese. Any type of cheese will do, but a gooey soft cheese such as sharp cheddar, gouda, fontina or mozzarella will work best.Put the cauliflower back in for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the cauliflower is golden-brown.

Serve the cauliflower as a side, or use it as a substitute for potatoes. Roasted cauliflower can also make a simple and delicious appetizer or addition to a party tray. Set it next to a bowl of hummus, baba ganoush and spicy yogurt sauce, or put it on top of toasted bread slices spread with a creamy lemon aioli. You could even eat it as a snack instead of popcorn or chips!

Original article

Dealing With a Tomato Glut

There's nothing quite like growing your own produce, but if you've been successful you will eventually end up with too much. There are only so many friends willing to take your excess tomatoes. And at the end of the growing season, even though the plant is dying off, there are still plenty of green tomatoes left on the plants. What to do?

Picking Green Tomatoes

If your plants start to die off at the end of the growing season but you still have plenty of fruit left on them, simply pick them off.

You now have a choice: you can either use these to collect seed ready for next year's crop, or you can ripen them on a sunny window sill and use them up (more on that later).

Collecting Seed from Tomatoes

To propagate tomatoes from seed, simply scoop out the seeds into a glass jar. Don't worry if a bit of pulp comes along with it. Screw on the lid and place on a sunny window sill for a few days until a fungus forms on top. This fungus will eat through the gelatinous coating on the seeds.

Once you can see the fungus working (around 3 days) transfer the contents of your jar to another glass jar and fill to about a third full with warm water. Anything that floats on top is waste - scoop this out. You should now have healthy tomato seeds on the bottom of your jar. Add some more water and swish around to help clean the seeds, then strain through a sieve to collect the seeds.

Place on some paper towel to dry out completely (say 2 or 3 days) and then store in an airtight container until you are ready to plant the seeds.

Using Up Excess Tomatoes

OK, so you now have lots of ripe tomatoes. What to do with them?

You can make tomato relish, tomato chutney, de-seed them and squeeze for juice, but my absolute favourite thing to do is to make tomato sauce. Not ketchup type tomato sauce, but a beautiful tomato sauce you can use on pizzas (as a base), in pastas and lasagnes, in soups and moussakas. This sauce is so versatile, and can be successfully frozen in portions for several months.

Here's my own recipe:

Diane's Tasty Tomato Sauce

(Preparation Time: 5 min Cooking Time: 30 min)

Ingredients

60 grams of butter

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons of crushed garlic (or 3 garlic cloves, crushed)

1 kilo of ripe tomatoes

1/3 cup of finely grated parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

To Make

Melt butter and olive oil in a saucepan and add onion and garlic. Cook over a low heat until the onions are soft and golden.

Chop the tomatoes finely (you can use a food processor). Add to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. For a really intense sauce, let the volume drop by 1/3rd.

Add the parmesan and stir to combine. If the colour is a little pale (depending what tomatoes you use) you can add a little tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Great with pasta and a little parmesan cheese, or use as a base for your pizza.

If you like a little more texture in your sauce, add chopped basil leaves, diced eggplant, de-seeded olives, sliced or chopped mushrooms and / or finely chopped capsicum after the onions are cooked. Make sure you cook these for a few more minutes to soften before adding the tomatoes.

Sauce will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week, or can be split into portions and frozen for several months, although mine never lasts that long!

Diane Ellis is a keen amateur gardener and shares her love of gardening on the website Seed Sow Grow. For more information visit http://www.seedsowgrow.com.au/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_Ellis

Original article

Vegan Recipes for Vegetarian Dads On Father's Day

Father's Day is a special day for the most important and special man in the family. Celebrating the day with the whole family is one of the best gift that can be given to a father. A day full of love and pampering that will leave an imprint to his thoughts as one of the best memories he can ever have. Finding creative ways to make it such sometimes pose a challenge too especially for a vegetarian dad. Preparing meals for the special occasion for the whole family to share and enjoy all through the day can eventually make it one cherished memory.

What about pampering a vegetarian dad the moment he wakes up with a breakfast in bed consisting of a blueberry vegan pancake and a veggie sausage? Surely he'll love it especially when each family member shares his breakfast right in the confines of his bedroom. A riot but enjoyable.

Vegan Blueberry Pancake with Veggie Sausage

Ingredients:

1 lb. Veggie sausage1 tbsp. Olive oil1½ cups blueberries, mashed3 cups flour3 level teaspoon baking powder2 tablespoons sugar½ teaspoon salt5 tbsp vegetable oilsoy milk (for thicker pancakes use a little less milk)

Procedure:

Put olive oil in a non-stick, deep and large skillet. Place the veggie sausage and cook over medium heat until brown. Remove, place in a strainer to drain and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift all together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add soy milk and oil and whisk for consistency. Add mashed blueberries and mix well.

Pour ¼ cupfuls of batter in a greased skillet placed over a medium-heat and cook for about 3 minutes on each side till golden brown.

Place in a platter and serve hot with honey and veggie sausage on the side. The recipe makes 5 to 6 servings, everyone can partake to enjoy breakfast in bed with the extra special man of the day.

Prepare this Vegetable Delight for dinner.

Ingredients:

400 grams vegan cottage cheese cut into sticks and deep fried1 cup mushrooms, quartered1 cup baby corn, cut into strips and blanched1 cup spring onions20 grams each of celery, chopped ginger and chopped garlic10 grams toasted sesame seeds25 grams chilli sauce25 grams tomato catsup3 tbsp olive oilsalt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Heat a large saute pan. Add oil and saute ginger, garlic and celery until light brown. Toss in the cheese, mushrooms, baby corn, spring onion, chilli sauce, catsup and salt. Mix well and transfer in a serving bowl and garnish with sesame seeds and some green part of green onions. Serve hot.

Bell Pepper Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1½ cup green or red bell pepper, remove seeds and sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large onion, sliced

¾ cup tomato paste

3 cups vegetable stock

2 tbsp chopped basil

green part of spring onions to garnish,chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Mix all together bell pepper, garlic, onion, tomato paste, vegetable stock in a large pot and bring to a boil while constantly stirring. Reduce heat and simmer until bell peppers have softened. Drain or sieve the mixture and set aside the liquid. Puree the leftover bits.Boil together the liquid, the puree and chopped basil in a large saucepan or pot and garnish with chopped green part of spring onion. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Green smoothies go along well to quench thirst next to water. They can be easily prepared with combinations of fresh fruits and vegetables. When fresh, they are sweet enough to refrain from adding sugar,. They are now popular health trends as they are good for the immune system, for detoxifying, for cleansing and energizing the body and weight loss. Coconut water can be blended with spinach, mango and wild honey. Combinations of other fruits and greens can be experimented for the desired taste. So easy now with blenders and other kitchen gadgets around.

Make him feel special by preparing these veggie recipes specially for your vegan dad. After all, the saying " A way to a man's heart is through his stomach", still applies Father's day or not. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers in the whole wide world!

Marichu Coning

Browse a wide selection of quality cookware, cutlery and kitchenware at our on line location Your Smart Kitchen at reasonable prices with customer satisfaction guaranteed. Your Smart Kitchen specializes in Fissler, Woll, Chasseur, Claybaker, Bosch and more quality brands.

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Original article

Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Rice

Do you have childhood memories of being cajoled into eating?

Shiny shoes with glistening buckles swung, knocking at the kitchen cupboards whilst I was perched onto a kitchen worktop in velvety dungarees and a sympathetic, fresh polo neck jumper. Mum or Dad leaned their tummy gently against my knees, for balance and in sing song and over-enthusiastic grins and upstretched eyebrows, they transported 'aeroplanes' loaded with rice, bathed in tomato soup and widened their mouths, hoping that I'd mirror them.

It's the sort of food that's easy, juicy and sweet in a dribble inducing sort of way. Modest, economical but its familiarity and succulence is calming...but you know that I like to meander to new ways with gorgeous stuff. These days it's a roasting red, spicy kick that I'm longing for. The thought of dried red chillies, releasing their sweet heat when soaked sets my heart a-flutter (but not on fire, I don't go that far!). That's why this recipe I'm about to share with you gives me my fix; I can change it to suit my mood. More or less heat, some veg, a bit of bite or crunch or something soft or squidgy. To be honest, I could make a meal out of this recipe, I don't need much else.

Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Rice

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 cup tomato pulp

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

200g of roasted red peppers (the jarred stuff is fine to use for this recipe)

4-5 shallots, finely chopped

7-8 curry leaves

2 tbsp. Channa dhal (Bengal gram)

10-15 cashew nuts halved

2 red chillies and 1 green chilli (or to taste)

300g uncooked rice

The spices; ½ tsp. garam masala, ½ tsp. mustard seeds, 1 tsp. cumin seeds, pinch of asafoetida, salt to taste,

Method

1. Wash and boil the rice and then keep it to the side
2.Whilst the rice is cooking, whizz (roughly) together the tomatoes and the roasted red peppers to a deep red pulp
3.Heat the oil in a deep pan, then add the asafoetida, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chillies, Bengal gram and curry leaves and cook until the gram is golden brown and crunchy
4.Stir in the cashew nuts and stir until they've browned a little
5.Bring it together with the onions, add the salt and sauté for a couple of minutes before bringing in the garlic and sauté until they have softened
6.Add the tomatoes and red pepper and bring It to a gentle simmer before stirring in the garam masala and then stir in the cooked rice
7.Serve with something yogurt and garnish with coriander.

Deena Kakaya, Vegetarian Food Writer
http://www.deenakakaya.com/
http://www.twitter.com/deenakakaya

My vision is to share rousing, sensational world-influenced recipes for you the open-minded busy person who loves to eat. I'd love to know that you actually make these recipes, not simply read about them. Like me, many of my recipes have an uncomplicated Indian strand, but that's the reality of modern cuisine, isn't it? And I promise to share all this with you,with a story...its always more fun that way. Visit my site for some more recipes.

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Original article

How to Cook Eggplant!

Well, there are probably a hundred different ways to cook and prepare eggplant whether it be for a main dish, a side dish, or an appetizer. One thing is for sure, eggplant is very versatile and accompanies many different flavors and styles of cooking incredibly well.

First of all, you must learn about the different types of eggplants. In addition to the common globe eggplant, there are thinner Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Indian eggplants. You should only really ever salt large eggplants. Globe eggplants can be bitter sometimes, so these are usually sliced into rounds, sprinkled with salt, and left to sit in a colander for 20 to 30 minutes so the bitter juices can easily be drained out. Once this is finished, you may cut and cook to your liking. The smaller varieties of eggplant typically don't need to be salted.

Eggplants can be fried lightly in olive oil, but be careful... Eggplants are like a sponge and will soak up any and all oil used in the pan so be sure to stay light on the oil when frying. You may grill eggplants on a medium heat, releasing a great full flavor and smell.

These are just some simple techniques on how to cook eggplant. Below is a recipe I cook in my restaurant that is a huge crowd favorite. Enjoy!

Eggplant and Chick Pea Sauté
Serves 10

No doubt, this is and always was one of my favorite dishes for our vegetarian clients. Everyone enjoys it. Yes, you need to chop a few things but wait until you see what awaits you at the end. No way will you miss meat. This is perfect for any reason in any season.

Ingredients:
- ­ 4-5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- ­ One large fresh eggplant cut in cubes
- ­ 4-5 large cloves of garlic chopped
- ­ 2 cups of chopped white onion (one large onion)
- ­ 4 cups of readymade tomato sauce or Marinara
- ­ 4 cups of cooked and drained chickpeas
- ­ 8 pinches each of cumin, coriander, cinnamon
- ­ 2 pinches each of kosher sea salt and black pepper

Method:
- ­ Heat extra virgin olive oil in sauté pan.
- ­ Add eggplant and cook until tender for 5 minutes on high.
- ­ Add garlic and onion; stir and mix well 3 minutes.
- ­ Add tomato sauce, reduce temperature to medium.
- ­ Add chickpeas, stir well.
- ­ Add spices, salt and pepper, and stir again.
- ­ Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring well every 3-5 minutes.

Note: May serve with couscous, rice pilaf or vegetable orzo pilaf or as a main dish with caramelized onions. Enjoy this heart healthy dish. To avoid sticking, serve hot.

Original article

Becoming Vegan

Contrary to popular belief being vegan doesn't mean grass-grazing, but on the other hand it doesn't necessarily mean a diet that's free from chemicals, refined sugars, etc. - the onus is on the consumer to be informed (i.e. reading nutritional labels) about his food choices.

The delicious alternatives are plentiful and readily available these days whereas twenty years ago becoming vegan was an arduous process. You can easily find soy or tofu burgers and hot dogs, veggie ground beef, and many other meat substitutes at local health food stores and even many mainstream grocery stores, as well as online. Soy, rice, and almond milks are easy to find in a variety of flavours and can take the place of regular milk or cream in any recipe.

Some alternatives may seem costly in contrast to the "real thing" but as being vegan has become more mainstream (as people become more conscious of the health benefits, environmental upside, and animal-friendly aspects) this is rapidly changing. As mentioned above, products can be found at your local grocer and competition is driving down costs. It is easier and cheaper to be vegan than ever before.

Though meat and dairy substitutes are also considered to be processed foodstuffs, they're still healthier options in many ways. However, if you're looking to become vegan as part of a healthier lifestyle, you may want to go one step further and create your own alternatives using whole, natural foods. Don't worry that you'll be stuck eating only salads. If you decide to take on the challenge of creating your own culinary vegan marvels, the possibilities are endless. In many cases homemade vegan fare will wow even the most hard-core meat lover. There is no reason you should feel deprived.

Before you dive in however, there are a few things to keep in mind to help make the transition to veganism a smooth one. For starters, you'll need to get accustomed to reading the ingredients in everything you buy, at least in the beginning until you become familiar with which products are vegan-friendly and which ones you'll need to find replacements for. You may also want to go online and search for an exhaustive list or guide of non-vegan ingredients commonly found in many foods. Things like milk products may be obvious but there are numerous items you may come across that aren't obviously non-vegan or that you may not even recognize. Once again, don't be discouraged - it will simply take you some time to get adjusted.

One last concern that all new vegans share is "will I ever be able to eat out again?!". This is particularly important to those who want to be able to go to dinner with their non-vegan friends or family without necessarily having to go to a vegan restaurant or settle for a salad for their meal. No worries - simply make a list of all of the places you and your loved ones frequent and email the restaurants asking for a list of ingredients or, better yet, what their vegan-friendly options are. You'll find that these days many restaurants cater to everyone's dietary preferences and food sensitivities, and are happy to do so. You may find that you have more variety to choose from than you thought, and your social life will be none the worse for wear.

Original article

Healthy Foods For Vegetarians

Unlike meat, vegetables do not contain cholesterol or any saturated fat but just nutrients and vitamins. That is why models and celebrities in entertainment and sports choose to minimize or even refrain from meat and preferred vegetables since their careers require them to stay fit and healthy. Based on their interviews, here is their common list of ingredients found in healthy foods for vegetarians.

1. Antioxidants

Strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and blueberries are known to be rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help to reduce a person's risk of being infected with heart diseases as well as reducing stress and high blood pressure.

Other foods containing antioxidants are tomatoes, red bell pepper, prunes and green tea. The same goes for fruits containing high amount of water like apples, honeydew, pears and watermelons.

2. Fibre And Protein

Dry nuts like almonds, pistachios and walnuts are another healthy foods that will keep your heart and body healthy as they contain good amount of fibre and protein which helps to prevent heart-related ailments.

Compared to salted peanuts, they are free from cholesterol and monosaturated fats. They can be served as wholesome cereal meals together with fresh milk, flax, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

3. Calcium And Magnesium

Green veggies like broccoli and spinach serve as excellent sources of calcium and magnesium that protects you against heart attacks.

4. Vitamin B And Folate

White chickpeas and red kidney beans are believed to be healthy sources of vitamin B and folate since they help to build up your immune system and keep your energy levels high for a longer period of time.

5. Vitamin E

A good proportion of coconut, mustard and olive oils can beneficial to you in terms of Vitamin E.

They are also said to keep any sicknesses in check as well as preventing stroke and heart attack.

6. Vitamin C

For those who are addicted to desserts like ice cream and cakes, you might want to consider fruits as your alternative.

As we are told by our parent and teachers since young, fruits are the primary sources of vitamin C. They can be eaten as whole or slices like apples, grapes, honeydew, pears and pineapples. Or they can be served and mixed as iced fruit juices or even hot tea as both drinks and desserts.

Other ingredients include garlic which also contain a fair amount of antioxidants and wheat serving as another source of dietary fibre.

Learn how to whip up a variety of healthy cooking recipes using just vegetables here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amuro_Wesley

Original article

Romantic Vegetarians Must Be Sensual Too

When you want to make a good impression on someone, it is a great idea to reinforce it by associating a positive experience of yourself with as many different ways of engaging the senses as possible. Food is no exception, but food isn't just about taste -- it can easily engage all the senses, and that can easily be turned to your advantage in the world of dating and romance.

Food serves a fundamental purpose - it is essential for life. When Maslow created his hierarchy of human needs, food and water comes right after "air" and well ahead of sexual intimacy. Unfortunately, because it is an everyday thing, and usually something in abundance in the Western World it is easy to start to take it for granted, or just to look at it as "body fuel".

That's a bit of a paradox; you take something for granted even though it is essential to your existence. If you were rational about it, you would cherish something so precious. You would relish every second that you have the benefit of food, and eating would become a true pleasure rather than merely a bodily function. When you start to view food from that perspective, you can see how important sharing food with someone is, and how good it should make them feel that you are sharing food, and time with them - and that is why food and drink is so fundamental to the whole process of dating.

Sharing anything is a demonstration of your generosity, it shows your capacity for abundance, but sharing food and drink is something very special in human evolution - it goes back to the dawn of man acting as a social beast, and mankind acting in communities; meeting at the watering hole, gathering around the fire and feasting on the day's kill, sheltering in the cave and so forth. A primal thing.

The Sensual Diner:

Just as there is more to food than merely providing energy and nutrition, there are more ways to experience it than merely through "taste". Obviously taste is the obvious one, but good food can engage all five senses:

TasteVisionSmellSoundTouch

By engaging as many of the senses as possible, the more thorough the experience - in fact this can be so strong, some people feel it happens not just in real life, but in our imaginations too - and that can be readily employed to a guy's advantage in the courtship ritual.

In fact, food can make quite an impact on someone well ahead of the first bite and the first mouthful. Whenever you go to one of those Japanese restaurants where you sit around the chef and see him prepare the food, you know what I mean. You get to see and hear the food being chopped, smell it as it cooks, sometimes even hear it cooking, and then feel it and taste it in the mouth. You don't need to be an expert chef or even put on a culinary performance, but just choose to make food (or even just order it in a restaurant) that can engage as many of the senses as much as possible.

Look for food that has the following attributes:

Variety of colours, or a strong distinctive single colour
An aroma that can be appreciated well in advance of the food reaching the mouth
An audible element - think breakfast cereals that Snap, Crackle and Pop, evolving in grown-up dining to things like sizzling fajita fillings arriving at the table, crepes being fried up at the table, fondue plopping and bubbling in a miniature cauldron
A physical sensation on contact with the body. The obvious idea here is textures that are memorable - hard crunchy food, like roast vegetables, or combination's of hard crusts and soft fillings like pies and solid and liquid like pasta and sauces, but don't forget temperatures that cause a sensation too (would ice cream and smoothies really be as much fun if they were served at body temperature?).
Distinctive taste - last, but hardly least. Much processed modern food doesn't really have a thorough taste, unless it is artificially enhanced, and that may sometimes go against you if it appears cheap and nasty.

Vegetarian food is particularly sensual as it has many colours, textures and sounds when being prepared - think of chopping carrots, onions or aubergine and the smells from the oven or pan from herbs and spices on sauces and roasting vegetables. Tick as many sensation boxes as possible, and hopefully you will be ticking her boxes too.

If you think that music is the food of love, then play on - but if you think that food is the food of love then Bon Appetite! Romantic food is a great dating resource, and at http://singleguydatingadvice.com/the-food-of-love you can find out more on its place in the dating arena. From making great coffee to choosing wines and cutlery it can be a tricky business, but help is at hand.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Prospero

Original article

Here Is a Sampling of a Raw Food Diet Menu

When you are ready to put together a menu for a raw food diet you will find all you need to it is right at your fingertips. That's right; the internet is your proverbial oyster. There are endless cookbooks and recipes at your disposal on the internet to pore over and make it just right. You will find you can comprise quite an array of dishes to fill a complete menu.

Menu planning for a Raw Food Dinner Party

Are you ready for the challenge? Put on paper some ideas and recipes for a raw food diet dinner party for your special guests. You will need to consider the tastes and textures of the raw foods you choose to make your menu a taste sensation! It could be fun tasting and tweaking recipes to please the palette of even the pickiest eaters.

The vast array of color available in a raw food diet will make your table look pleasing and inviting to all. A table set for a regular meal may look tempting with some variety of color in the vegetables chosen, but not as stunning as a table set for a raw food vegetable meal. For one when veggies are cooked, they lose important vitamins as well as their vibrancy of color to a degree. It will be exciting to see how people will be eager to sample each and every dish.

You can set a buffet setting and arrange the wonderful array of colors in a creative way. You can put out crudités in a variety of shapes with different kinds of dip at the start of the table along with other appetizer type foods. A large bowl of organic greens can be placed in the center for a base for individual salads your guests can put together. Different whole raw nuts can also be put in bowls surrounding the greens.

Some main course dishes you can use are Vegan Pizza, for which there are many good recipes online. Some organic spaghetti squash with a raw organic tomato sauce perhaps, or zucchini noodles sliced with a spiral slicer. Spring rolls made with cabbage leaves stuffed with fresh greens and whole fruits and nuts may be nice as well.

As with every good dinner party, dessert is the coupe de grass. There are so many to choose from. Of course fresh whole fruits are a gimme...but there are great recipes for cheesecakes, puddings, raw brownies, pies and tarts made with fruits and crusts made from raw nut bases...oh my!!! You can even make raw "ice cream" by freezing smoothies made earlier in the day. I believe they work well if you just add a little less water. As with the raw veggies, you can make your dessert table as colorful and appealing with the vast colors of whole fruits.

All in all, I'm sure that your guests will be both stuffed and pleased with the spread you created just for them. As we all know a raw food diet is full of fiber and therefore very filling. You may want to put the desserts out a little later than you would with a regular food dinner party. Give the guests time to digest and make room for the yummy ending to a tasty meal.

Bon Appétit!!

Original article

The Detox Your Body With Raw Foods Diet

If you've been thinking about becoming a vegan, you may consider detoxing your body with a raw food diet to see how you and your body can adapt and benefit from it. You may just like the end product enough to make it a lifelong change.

Before beginning any new diet it is always recommended to consult your physician. A detox diet consisting of raw foods is considered to have many health benefits. People have said that by eating a diet of 100% raw foods that they have had many health issues reverse. One great health benefit to start out was healthy weight loss in overweight people. Choosing what you eat wisely is key to this benefit. Obviously when a person who is overweight loses body fat, health issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, type II diabetes, etc. tend to improve and become a healthy level.

It has been reported that when a person does a raw food detox that they did experience some negative side effects before the positive ones came forth. Some of these negative side effects are headaches, pain in the joints, congested sinuses and general malaise. This occurs as the toxins that have been stored in fat in the body get released into the bloodstream to be purged by the body. It is for this reason that it is advised to only follow the initial detox for about 10 to 12 days. The negative side effects may occur within the first 4-6 days of the detox diet. Once the negative symptoms subside, you will be able to notice the positive results. Just like with anything, you must first experience the pain before the gain.

Below are some ideas on what you may want to eat for a detox diet of raw foods.

For Breakfast you may try these Fruit and Vegetable Smoothies:

Blend your favorite fruit in a blender with green leafy vegetables of your choice...spinach, kale, lettuce whichever you choose. It may look disgusting, but the taste is wonderful. Try to use the ratio of 2 fruits to one vegetable. Children love these as well. You can also use raw cacao powder to change up the flavor, say with a banana and some avocado. You know your taste, so experimenting with whole raw fruits and veggies is fun and rewarding. The vitamin and mineral content is a great way to start the day.

For Lunch you can try these Salads and Dressings:

Mix your favorite salad greens/veggies with raw seeds and nuts...you can even include whole raw fruits to make a wonderful salad. You can use live vinegar and evoo (extra virgin olive oil) for a nice light dressing. You can even make a creamier dressing by combining avocado with nut butters and tomato juice. Just blend them all together in a blender.

You may also try grating some butternut squash or carrot with a nut milk and some seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower thrown in. Blend this as well. Again, you can experiment or there are many great recipes and cookbooks available created for veganism and healthy eating in general.

For Dinner it would probably be best to pore over the many raw food cookbooks and recipes available in book stores and online. If you find recipes you like make sure to save them so you can enjoy them again. You may also find online the raw foods you need to make the meals you want to make.

There are certain things you should not eat when you choose to eat a detox diet containing raw foods.

When you are eating a detox diet containing raw foods, you will not be eating anything that is cooked or has been heated above 118 degrees. Processed foods are also out of the equation. Any dairy products which have been through the pasteurization process will not be consumed as well. Any beans or nuts which have been roasted are a no-no. Coffee and other hot beverages resulting from the process of roasting the beans is not part of raw diet.

To sum it up...only fresh whole fruits and vegetables should be included in a detox consisting of raw foods. Dried foods or any foods containing oils or added fats cannot be a part of this diet. There are people who will not even eat nuts to make it a truly raw detox diet. This is not advisable for more than 10 days as nuts and seeds have the minerals and fats needed to continue a true Raw Food Diet.

Original article

A Delicious and Healthy Pizza Recipe in 7 Easy Steps

Health is wealth as they say. In this age of technology where everything comes lightning fast and people seems to get stuck in a nine to five desk job with unhealthy lifestyles, maintaining to be healthy and fit is becoming a tedious task. Some exercise which is good and some watch what they eat and this recipe is actually to help on the healthy eating.

Who's among us don't like pizza? Of course everyone wants a piece of it. But there's a dilemma we are facing just thinking about eating one: delicious pizza isn't healthy and healthy pizza isn't delicious, right? Or if there's an available veggie pizza it turns out it cost that much more than your regular meaty pizza and it's not available a few blocks from your home.

This pizza recipe is a personal recipe made to fulfill a craving pizza lover who needs to start eating healthy without truly giving-up the delicious food.

Pizza Spectrum

pizza crust tofu (cubed or diced into tiny bits)

butter or oil

mushrooms

pineapple tidbits

cucumber

tomato sauce

green bell pepper

Edam cheese

mozzarella

Procedure:

1. Pre-heat your oven at 375 F (190 C) for 20 minutes.

2. Lay your pizza crust in a baking pan.

3. Spread the tomato sauce evenly on top of the crust. You can actually use any kind of brands of tomato sauce but I prefer Del Monte's Gourmet selection since it has already that distinctive classic taste that you don't need to add anything because the sauce is complete in itself.

4. Then add the grated cheese. For this particular recipe I used Edam cheese since that's what we have available. Though it's perfect since it's a bit salty so it became also a substitute for salt.

5. Meanwhile, fry the tofu in butter or oil. I prefer the tofu almost grounded for it's more crunchy and will appear and taste like unsalted chicharon. But if you don't like crunchy you can just slice it into cubes and don't over fry it so this way it will taste and feel like meat. Then sprinkle it on top of the crust.

6. Next add the remaining ingredients: cucumber, mushrooms, pineapple, and bell pepper and manage to decorate the pizza as well while adding them. Then sprinkle the grated mozzarella on top.

7. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until crust is brown. Then serve with hot sauce or ketchup.

http://kristinabiog.blogspot.com/

My blog that contains random musings and introspection on my journey called life presented through different literary mediums mostly in poetry, reflections, opinions, photography, a glimpse of Filipino culture, food, faith and other things that interest me from time to time like latest music, movies and current events.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kristina_Abiog

Original article

General Tso's Tofu

This was one of my favorite dishes at the Vegetable Garden in Rockville, Maryland. This is my vegan version of General Tso's Chicken. The dish is named after General Tso Tsung-Tang, it is believed that he enjoyed this dish and even created it, even though there isn't any recorded evidence. The real origin of the dish lies in immigration of chefs from China after 1949, then later introduced to New York city in the early 1970's. It is done traditionally by deep frying cubed pieces of chicken breast, then cooking the pieces in a sweet and spicy sauce. This dish has now become the staple of several buffets. baked the tofu instead of deep frying, which I can't stand to do, my conscience wouldn't let me. Therefore I used sesame seed paste as the base for a batter, then I baked it in the over. It gave a nice deep fried finish at the end. It is sweetened with agave instead of sugar and I used molasses for brown coloring. Bragg's liquid aminos is an unfermented, soy sauce substitute, it is made from non-gmo soybeans and its lower in sodium content than regular soy sauce. Also regular table salt is highly processed to eliminate minerals and often contain additives to prevent clumping. Blue agave is a natural sweeter extracted from the core of the agave plant, it does not give the usually spike in blood sugar when ingested like table sugar, that means it has a low glycemic index. This is especially great for diabetics. It is great also for vegans, because unlike regular refine white sugar is usually processed by filtering through charred animal bones.

Batter

¼ cup tahini

2 Tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1Tbsp water

1 Tbsp coconut oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Squeeze out excess water in tofu by placing in between 2 paper towels, cut in cubes and set aside. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well into a smooth paste. Add tofu cubes, toss well to coat. Place battered tofu cubes on well greased baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown, turn after 20 minutes.

Sauce

1 cup water

2 Tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos

3 scallions, chopped

1 garlic, minced

1 tsp ginger, grated

1 Tbsp unsulphured molasses

1 Tbsp tapioca starch

2 Tbsp lemon juice

¼ cup agave nectar

2 tsp coconut oil, to sauté with

pinch of cayenne (opt)

Sauté chopped scallions, ginger, and garlic. Combine water, tapioca starch, lemon juice, agave nectar, molasses, and Bragg's liquid aminos in a bowl. Whisk well. Add the liquid mixture into saucepan stirring until it thickens, about 5 minutes.

Broccoli

2 cups broccoli florets

Steam broccoli, making sure it is still bright green and tender and set aside.

To Finish

Add broccoli and baked tofu to sauce. Combine well, enjoy!

Michelle Blackwood is passionate in sharing with others how they can achieve a better lifestyle, by avoiding the pain and suffering plaguing society through diseases. She gives health lectures and cooking classes for the public, in between homeschooling her children and keeping home for her hubby Devon. Her website is Healthiersteps there you can find great recipes using fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes, free of animal products. She also has an all natural line of bath and beauty products such as soaps, body butters, lip balms, and perfume oils.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_M_Blackwood

Original article

Vegan Recipes for a Crowd With a Panini Maker

There's no need to be afraid of making vegan recipes, even for a crowd. Using a panini maker you can make a great amount of fun and tasty dishes, and you can do it fast and easy. There are a lot of options available to you, the using the sandwich press you'll add a fun new touch to your gathering.

Vegan food is everything that doesn't have any animal products of any kind (including dairy, eggs, and honey) in it. If you're new to cooking vegan, don't worry! While you may not have put emphasis on cooking with vegetables before, and you may be completely new to ideas like tofu, it's all very simple and not really that different from what you've done before, it's just about evaluating your ingredients before you get started cooking.

When you're making panini sandwiches for a crowd cut them up into fourths (I think diagonal looks prettier, but that's personal preference) and always remember to brush some olive oil on the outsides of the bread before grilling them. When you press a sandwich you can also use butter instead of olive oil, but remember that vegans do NOT eat butter, so you'll want to use olive oil or a butter substitute like Earth Balance instead.

A really fun and simple option that does require a specialty product is a grilled cheese. You'll need to get a vegan cheese that melts, Daiya is a major brand that works really well for this. Adding things into your sandwich will give it an extra impressive touch without much effort. You can mix in some crumbled vegan bacon, or avocado slices to take this up a step.

You can also saute up some vegetables (or grill them on your press) for fillings in your sandwich. Great filling combinations are mushrooms and onions with tomato slices, or zucchini, roasted red pepper, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms. For a spread you can use something like veganaise, or a vegan pesto. Most mustards are a safe condiment to use as well, and you can find many safe Italian dressings to use that really add a great touch.

You don't just have to stick to sandwiches, either! You can use your press like it's a grill and grill up some great vegetables! If you slice carrots flat they taste great grilled. This also works with asparagus, pineapple, zucchini slices, sliced red pepper, sliced eggplant, or tofu slices. Stick some toothpicks in bite size pieces of these vegetables and you're ready to feed a crowd.

Using a panini maker to make vegan food for a crowd is an easy and fun way to add some life to your gathering. Keep it simple and fast to make it a stress free event.

Make sandwiches exciting again. Check out tips for paninis or compare different panini sandwich makers and their options.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Quilter

Original article

How to Become a Vegetarian in 6 Simple Steps

When deciding how to become a vegetarian, there are many options to consider. Some recommend gradually changing your diet while others advise you to dive right in and correct course along the way. Regardless of your strategy, there is a way to succeed with your new meatless diet by following six simple steps.

Although they are simple steps to take, they may not be easy. Some of them apply more to people who make a gradual change to a meat-free lifestyle while others are more suited to those who make the change more rapidly. Most of them apply to both.

If you are undecided about how to become a vegetarian, consider applying these steps as you go. You could apply one to your live each day or every week, depending on your preference and what works for you.

Step 1: Identify the reasons why you want to change your diet.

Carefully consider your main motivations for following a meatless diet. Do you want to end animal suffering? Save money? Help the environment? Improve your health?

All of these are great reasons to go vegetarian. However, it is important to know which ones mean the most to you.

Give your reasons serious consideration and write them down. This list doesn't have to be fancy and it doesn't matter if you are already a vegetarian or not. Keep it in a place where you will see it often to remind yourself why you are making this change in lifestyle.

Repeat this process periodically, as your reasons may and probably will change over time. It is also a great way to stay passionate about following a meatless diet.

Step 2: Find social support.

Whether it is from friends or just an online vegetarian forum that you visit regularly, it is important to receive support when you go vegetarian. Others will be able to give you advice and tips for how to become a vegetarian. They can lift you up when you feel down and frustrated.

Support from others, especially vegetarians and vegans, is important for you success at a vegetarian lifestyle. It also makes the change much more fun!

Step 3: Research recipes and nutritional information. It is a good idea to know what you are undertaking before you get started, or at least shortly afterward. Look up information about how to become a vegetarian in a healthy way. Consider setting up an appointment with a nutritionist or dietitian, if you can, to talk about a diet that will meet your nutritional needs.

Also, find vegetarian recipes from cookbooks or online. Keep a variety on hand for meals and snacks. This makes the transition easier because you won't have to wonder what you can eat. You already know a few options!

Step 4: Evaluate your diet.

As you change your diet, think about how it makes you feel. Do you have more or less energy?Are you getting adequate nutrition? Do you eat enough fruits and vegetables?

Make a point of evaluating your eating habits on a regular basis. You may need to make changes or focus on consuming enough nutrients.

Step 5: Make changes based on your comfort level.

There are many ways that are recommended for how to become a vegetarian. Do what feels right. Don't think you can stop eating meat all at once? Cut back on how many times you consume meat each week. Eager to dive right in? Go ahead, but do some research as you go.

No one way is the "right way" to become a vegetarian.

Step 6: Track your progress and reward yourself.

Note when you have met a major milestone. Haven't had any meat for a week, month or even longer? Celebrate your progress. Going vegetarian can be challenging, so take the time to reward yourself. Go out for a movie with friends, get a manicure or buy that new outfit you've been eying.

Whether you already follow a meatless diet or you are just considering it, these tips can help you feel more motivated and keep you on track when you feel discouraged.

Deciding how to become a vegetarian can be a bit overwhelming at first, especially with the wide variety of contradictory advice. These simple steps are beneficial no matter how you decide to go about making the change in your lifestyle!

Linda Newell of Recipes-For-Vegetarians.com is a member of the Vegetarian Resource Group and the North American Vegetarian Society. She shares information such as vegetarian protein sources

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_K_Newell

Original article

Marinated Tofu

Marinated tofu makes a delicious main course. Serve with steamed rice (try red or black rice) and a variety of vegetables. Remove the block of tofu from the packet and pat dry. Cut into portion sizes and marinade the pieces for a few hours, overnight or up to 3 days. For stuffed tofu, make little cuts into the tofu with a sharp knife and push the stuffing gently in with the tip of a knife. You can also push the stuffing all the way into the tofu and smooth over the cut to conceal the stuffing. Place the tofu in a small oven proof dish, pour over its marinade, cover with tin foil and bake for 20 - 30 minutes in an oven with the temperature at around 160 - 170°C (320 - 340°F). If you like, you can then grill the tofu briefly (remove the tin foil), until the top starts to discolour. The following recipes serve 2, so use 2 thick slices of tofu per person, or cut ½ of a block (140g) into 2 'steaks'.

Orange & fennel
4 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp grated orange zest / use dried peel and cut into small slivers
1 tsp olive oil (orange-infused is even better)
1 tsp fennel seeds, dry fried in pan and finely ground
Mix all the ingredients together and marinade the tofu for a few hours, overnight or up to 3 days.Transfer the tofu to a small dish, preferably lined with non-stick baking parchment. Pour over the marinade and cover the dish with tin foil.Bake on the middle shelf in the oven for 20 minutes at 170°C (340°F). Remove the tin foil and bake a further 5 minutes.Remove and serve.

Ginger & kaffir lime leaf
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 - 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp soy sauce
1 ml (or to taste) freshly chopped red chilli
1 small kaffir lime leaf, very finely shredded with a pair of scissors
Mix all the ingredients together and marinade the tofu for a few hours, overnight or 2 days (the ginger starts losing its flavour after 2 days). Turn the pieces a few times.Transfer the tofu to a small dish, preferably lined with non-stick baking parchment. Pour over the marinade and cover the dish with tin foil.Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 15 - 20 minutes, covered.Remove and serve.

Maple syrup & peanut
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp peanut oil
2 tbsp toasted peanuts, chopped medium fine
2 ml soy sauce
Mix all the ingredients together and marinade the tofu for a few hours, overnight or up to 3 days.Transfer the tofu to a small dish, preferably lined with non-stick baking parchment. Pour over the marinade and cover the dish with tin foil.Bake on a shelf just below the middle of the oven for 15 minutes at 190°C (370°F). Remove the tin foil and bake for a further 3 minutes.Remove and serve. Also tastes delicious cold, served like a patty on bread for lunch.

Thyme studded
4 tbsp fresh thyme: keep the leaves on the little twigs, but remove the thick woody stems
2 tsp olive oil
2 ml balsamic vinegar
1 ml herbal salt
cracked black pepper
Cut incisions into the tofu and stuff with the thyme by pushing the twigs into the tofu with a blunt knife.Mix the rest of the ingredients together and marinade the tofu for a few hours.Transfer the tofu to a small dish, preferably lined with non-stick baking parchment. Pour the marinade over and cover the dish with tin foil.Bake at 170°C (340°F) in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, covered.Remove and serve.

Garlic stuffed
2 garlic cloves, cut lengthwise into tiny matchsticks
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp vincotto / balsamic vinegar with a dash of date syrup stirred in
1 ml herbal salt
cracked black pepper
Cut small incisions into the tofu with a sharp knife to make nice clean cuts. Stuff with the garlic by pushing the garlic pieces into the cuts with your fingers.Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour over the tofu. Turn the tofu a few times in the marinade.Transfer the tofu to a small dish, preferably lined with non-stick baking parchment. Pour the marinade over and cover the dish with tin foil.Bake on the middle shelf in the oven at 180°C (360°F)for 25 minutes. Remove the tin foil and bake just briefly for 2 minutes to protect the garlic.Remove and serve.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and to view her vegan recipe book see http://www.veganwellbeing.net/.

Original article

Vegan Greek Almond-Orange Biscuits

After making another batch of creamy almond milk, I had about a cup of left-over almond pulp. I usually dry this out (in the sun; an oven set at its lowest temperature; or the dehydrator) to make my own almond flour, but I decided to use the almond pulp in something straight away. (The almond pulp will last in a container in the refrigerator for 3 days. The pulp and also the milk made with the nuts, will last even 4 or 5 days if one slips the peels off the nuts. This should be easy to do once the nuts were soaked overnight. If the peels still do not slip off, strain the nuts, and pour boiling water over, wait 1 minute and drain. The nuts haven't spoiled and are still considered raw.) By intuitively mixing and adding a few of my favourite ingredients together, I came up with these crunchy, almond biscuits. Anyone who hasn't tasted raw biscuits yet, will not believe these weren't baked in the oven!

The biscuits below are raw, sugar-free and gluten-free. If you prefer the biscuits sweeter, you can always add some more syrup. Since the dough will be wetter in such a case, you just need to dehydrate the biscuits for a little longer. Any biscuits that also loose their crunchiness can be made nice and brittle again by popping them back into the dehydrator or low oven.

Ingredients

10 Tbsp wet almond pulp *
8 Tbsp yellow flaxseeds
12 ml sun-dried or dehydrated orange zest
4 Tbsp buckwheat seeds, untoasted
1 small red apple, unpeeled
3 Tbsp liquid sweetener: maple or apple syrup or raw honey
4 Tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla powder or ground cinnamon
1 tsp almond essence

Method
Place the almond pulp in a mixing bowl.Grind the flaxseeds and orange zest to a powder. Add to the mixing bowl.Crush the buckwheat seeds until coarsely ground with a mortar and pestle. Add to the mixing bowl.Place the rest of the ingredients in a liquidizer and blend until smooth. Pour into the mixing bowl and stir well.Transfer the dough to a dehydrator tray lined with a Paraflexx sheet. Using an off-set spatula that you dip in water now and then, spread the mixture to cover the sheet in a thin layer. Make wavy patterns on the dough with a large pronged fork.Place the tray in the dehydrator and dry for 2 hours at 115 F (46 C). Set the temperature down to 105 F (41 C) and dehydrate for 8 hours until the biscuits are dry.Store in a tightly sealed cookie jar (preferable a see-through one that everyone in the household can see your effort!)

Extra ideas: use additionally to the above recipe a tablespoon of ground pistachios (which still ties in with the Greek theme); or use orange zest, and for a spice try ground ginger, ground star aniseed or even a pinch of curry for an altogether different flavour. You can also use the pulp of other nuts - cashew or even brazil nut will be equally delicious.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and to view her vegan recipe book see http://www.veganwellbeing.net/.

Original article

Vegan Nut Cheese

These nut cheese recipes are extremely easy to do, with the advantage of having the same health benefits as dairy cheese with the added probiotics. They can be made to stay a soft, spreading-type or shaped into hard blocks which can be sliced. The most effective way of doing this is to use a dehydrator, but one can also leave the shapes uncovered in the refrigerator and after a day or so a rind will development on the outside.

Various types of nuts can be used (and interchanged), but for the most convincing results use nuts that will mimic the taste of dairy cheese. Use for instance peeled almonds for making feta-style; sweeter cashew nuts or earthy tasting walnuts for making swiss-style; a mix of pine-nuts and brazils for making parmesan or pecorino style nut cheese and macadamia nuts with its higher oil content for making hard cheddar types (add a pinch of curry and turmeric powders to your nut pulp). Seeds, such as sunflower with sesame, or pumpkin seeds on their own also make delicious nut cheeses. Dehydrate the shaped nut blocks or domes until just a rind forms (and the mixture is still semi-soft inside), or dry out further until almost crumbly, depending on the type you're making.

Start by soaking nuts in water. To make things interesting, use two different types of nuts to give a layer effect. Use ¾ cup of raw walnuts and a ¾ cup raw macadamia nuts and soak them separately overnight in two bowls in enough water to cover them.

The next day, drain the water off and rinse the nuts. Keeping them separate, place the nuts in a strong blender or food processor fitted with the steel S-blade. Add ¾ cup filtered water and ½ tsp probiotic powder (this would be for each batch of nuts). Blend until smooth and thick.

Pour the two thick mixtures into 2 muslin cloths or nut milk bags that sit in sieves over bowls to catch the water (whey). Twist the muslin cloths or nut milk bags to remove excess water.

Place a heavy object, like a clean river stone on each of the squeezed nut mixtures. Cover the two bowls with a tea cloth and place somewhere warm (but not in the sun) for 48 hours. In this time, good bacteria will ferment the nut cheese and at the end of 2 days the mixtures will have a faint sour smell.

Transfer the two nut mixtures to two mixing bowls. Add 1 - 2 tbsp of savoury yeast flakes and ½ tsp of salt to each bowl. Stir in any other flavourings of your choice, such as: chopped olives, fresh herbs, spices or even finely grated fresh vegetables, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes or dried onion and garlic granules or chili flakes. Stir well.

Press the mixture into a container to make a nice shape and then tip it out. This is now ready to eat (a soft nut cheese) and can be sliced. You can also dehydrate the nut cheese for a few hours in order for the nut cheese to form a rind; alternatively if you don't have a dehydrator you can simply unmould the nut cheese onto a plate and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator. After two days the nut cheese would have formed a rind as well.

Keep for 10 days in the refrigerator.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers and with vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and her book can be viewed at http://www.veganwellbeing.net/

Original article

Vegetarian Chilly Chili

I love chilli... Period. It is the type of food that, as a chef/cook, you can really dive into and experiment with many different ingredients. I enter my restaurant into at least one or two chili competitions a year for this reason. For 8 years straight I have won 'best vegetarian chili', as well as numerous 'most creative' and 'most original' chili prizes. One of my favorite chilli's that ever came out of these contests was what I called "Porky Peanut Butter and Popcorn," which was a peanut butter based, pork chili in which you would put popcorn on top of to add a bit of salt and something quite unique. Sounds weird, but it was a huge hit.

My vegetarian chilli's have varied over the years, and my most recent recipe is less than what one might expect from a typical "chilli." The reason for this... well, it's served cold. I can't tell you how many non-believers showed up at my booth the first year I entered my 'Chilly Chilli,' but I can tell you how many of them left my booth as believers... Ok I can't really, but it was a lot.

Prepare and serve this delicious chilli on a hot summer day for meat eaters and vegetarians alike and make everyone happy, chilly, and satisfied. NEVER be afraid to experiment or add/take away things you like/don't like and make it your own. Your friends and family will be sure to ask for your new recipe to serve at their own parties

Chilly Chilli (Vegetarian Chilli)

Ingredients:
- 8 oz artichoke hearts (in juice)
- 16 oz chickpeas (in juice)
- 16 oz kidney beans (in juice)
- 16 oz black beans (in juice)
- 3 oz tortilla chips
- 2 oz "Picante" sauce
- 4 oz crushed tomatoes
- 4 oz tomatoes, Purée
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- ½ cup finely chopped onions
- ¼ cup finely chopped red peppers
- ¼ cup finely chopped green peppers
- ¼ cup finely chopped scallions
- ½ tsp coriander
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ cup red-hot sauce

Method:
- Puree chickpeas, kidney beans and black beans (reserve a few of each of the beans and the bean liquid for a garnish ).
- Puree tortilla chips extra fine.
- Mix all the remaining ingredients and add beans and liquid.
- Serve chilled with garnish of kernel corn, chopped tortilla chips and chopped chives, scallion or cilantro.

Note: After a day of enjoying this chili cold, you may put in a pot and cook for 20-25 minutes on a good simmer and serve hot on a chilly night.

Get more awesome recipes, cooking tips, and stories at the site below!

Shaw H. Rabadi, restaurant owner/chef/author, invites you to Eat, Drink, and Be Mediterranean with him for a happier, healthier life!

Visit http://www.themediterraneandigest.com/ for information on his newly released story-cookbook, "Savor the Spices of Life" and more info on eating, cooking, and living a heart healthier life.

Eat Better, Fresher, Smarter!

Original article

Healthy Gluten-Free Baking: Gluten-Free and Flour-Free Banana Muffins

For too long, gluten-free baking has been lacking in flavor, fiber and nutrition as most recipes are dependent upon gums, starches and refined flours. This method of baking, in contrast, uses presoaked whole grains and is a wonderful alternative as it produced baked goods that have great texture, flavor and nutritional quality. It is also much less costly to prepare than gluten-free mixes and traditional gluten-free recipes. This has the added bonus of making wholesome gluten-free recipes affordable and appealing to the whole family. (No more making the gluten-intolerant family member eat differently from the rest!).

I usually refer to these recipes as "blender recipes" because the whole grains are soaked for a period of time to allow for the breakdown of enzyme inhibitors and to increase nutritional value, and then are processed in a blender for use in a pancake, muffin, cake or cookie recipe. The texture of baked goods made from blended soaked grains is superior to those made with gluten-free flours and is much more similar to that of the white flour products we're accustomed to. They are more nutritious and economical too! Gluten-free "blender" recipes are some of my favorites and definitely worth the extra effort expended to set some grains to soak in advance of baking time.

So here's a basic blender recipe for-

Gluten-free Flour-free Banana Muffins

1 1/3 cups brown rice

1/2 cup whole millet

1/3 cup raw buckwheat

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

_________________

1 1/4 cups water

2-3 ripe bananas

2 Tbsp. oil/butter

3+ Tbsp. honey*

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup ground flax

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

3/4 tsp. sea salt

___________________

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

Soak grains overnight (or for at least 8 hours) in plenty of water plus the 1 Tbsp. vinegar. Drain and then add to blender with the ingredients in the right column. When batter is quite smooth, gently blend in baking powder and soda (sift through a sieve and whisk in to avoid lumps). Pour into oiled muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Makes about 1 1/2 dozen muffins.

* or agave or maple syrup

Option: add 1 cup of raisins to muffin batter before baking.

Be sure to oil your muffin cups well so they release easily. I prefer using a baking stone (muffin top style) as the clean-up is simplified.

These muffins keep well and freeze great!

From Everyday Gluten-Free by Kim Wilson

Kim Wilson has spent over 12 years working exclusively with whole foods to develop recipes that satisfy a variety of needs (for those just beginning to eat healthy to serious raw-fooders to those with extensive food allergies and health conditions like candida)- all in a tasty, enjoyable and affordable way. Her recipes are free of animal products, wheat, gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, yeast, sugar and other problematic foods. "What's left," you might ask? Only the good stuff! For more information and recipes visit her website at http://www.simplynaturalhealth.com/ or her WHOLEmade recipe blog at http://www.simplynaturalhealth.com/recipeblog/.

Original article

Walnut and Paprika Vegan Sausages

These delightfully easy meat-free sausages that I often make for our family will quickly become a favourite in your household! I sometimes make a large batch and either freeze them, or take them with on holiday so that I always have something in the refrigerator for family meals when the others want to BBQ. Although the chopped nuts give the sausages a nice crunch and texture, the grated carrot will do the same if you want to use any left-over nut pulp after making your own home-made nut milk. The nut sausages will simply have a more refined texture, but for a chunkier feel you can always add a tablespoon or so of extra texture in the form of sunflower seeds.

Thyme, paprika and turmeric combine with tart tamarind and finely grated vegetables to impart a wonderful aroma to these nutty sausages. The dried prunes and tahini paste help to bind the ingredients together, while the walnuts and quinoa provide a good measure of protein. The sausages have a nice crispy coating of psyllium husks and oat bran.

½ cup walnuts

½ cup finely grated carrot

½ cup finely grated baby marrow (zucchini)

2 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

5 dried prunes, cut into tiny pieces

1 tsp paprika powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp quinoa flour

2 tsp tamarind pulp

1 tbsp tahini paste

2 tsp soy sauce

coating:

2 tbsp each psyllium husks and fine oat bran

4 tbsp rice bran oil, for frying

Method

Lightly toast the walnuts in the oven until fragrant. Crush the nuts to medium fine with a pestle and mortar.
Place the nuts with the grated carrot and baby marrow in a mixing bowl. Stir in the garlic, thyme and prunes and mix well.
Stir in the spices and flour, again mixing well.
Add the tamarind pulp, tahini paste and soy sauce. Stir this well into the walnut mixture.
Mix the psyllium husks and oat bran on a plate and spread out.
With wet hands, shape the walnut mixture into long patties, squeezing slightly as you shape. It is a wet mixture.
Then roll the sausages in the psyllium husk and oat bran mixture to coat. Rest the sausages in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the sausages, turning them to brown on all sides. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

Makes 5 sausages.

Cook's tip:

If quinoa flour is not available, use the same amount of cooked quinoa grains. Alternatively, use chickpea flour (both of which are high protein sources). You can also use oat bran instead of the psyllium husks to roll the sausages in, which will give them a more rough look but will impart a wonderfully nutty taste.

You can also give these sausages a more of a Thai flavour by using the same nuts, but for spices and herbs, use finely grated fresh ginger and turmeric, chopped garlic, coarsely ground coriander seeds and finely snipped Kaffir lime leaves and fresh coriander leaves. Make a brown jasmine rice dish to accompany the sausages, perhaps flavoured with star anise.

To give the sausages a French flavour, use the same nuts, but add lots more herbs, such as tarragon and sage with finely grated green apple and add chopped pitted green olives.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and to view her vegan recipe book, see http://www.veganwellbeing.net/.

Original article

Best of Vegan Recipes

When shifting to a vegan diet for the first time, the transformation can take some time. Not only that, you would also need to change your entire perspective related to taste and cooking. So, while you get yourself used to the ways of vegan cooking and eating, here are some of the best Vegan Recipes for you to try out and enjoy the joys of vegan cooking and eating.
One of the all time favorites among the Vegan Recipes is the Vegan Paella. This is actually a dish of Spanish origin. In the traditional recipe, seafood is used. However, for vegan cooking, the cashews used in the recipe replace the protein element of seafood.
Another of the best recipes that remains a favorite of vegans is the Avocado Grapefruit Salad. It has a creamy kind of texture and made with all vegan food items. The salad is really filling and delicious.
For those looking for something rich in flavor, you can always go for the Vegan Recipe for Coconut Vegetable curry. This dish has a very memorable flavor and you are very likely to try it again. The key to the rich flavor is to hold the amount of coconut milk you add to the recipe.
If you like your food to be strong in flavor, you can always make a Vegan Recipe with a good amount of spice. These best spices are the fresh ones. These have a unique aroma and flavor that you're not likely to forget anytime soon.
If you like dessert, you can check out many of the Vegan Recipes in dessert. You can make some of the best tasting cakes, pies and muffins. The coconut cake, carrot cake, fig spice pie and apple crisp and apple pie are the top rated of all vegan recipes.

In terms of substitutes, you can find many of them in the market for example cheese, butter, milk and other items. You can find your favorite brand of vegan substitute food items and use these items to add the touch of your personal taste to the recipes.

Whether you are looking for some delicious and filling breakfast, lunch, dinner or a simple snack, it is all there in vegan cooking in the form of various soups, dips, snacks, and salads along with full meals. You can always try for new food items and recipes and experiment with vegan food recipes.

Find out how vegan recipe could change your lifestyle? Check it out now to understand the importance of vegan recipe.

Original article

Vegan Food Choices That Can Win Over Relatives At Holiday Time

I recently called a friend to ask how his Thanksgiving was. He is a pretty healthy guy who practices a vegan diet and recently has been leaning towards raw foods. He told me that his Thanksgiving was fine and proudly told me about the raw food dish he made. Of course I expected to hear details about the social part of his holiday as well, but it turns out he ate his Thanksgiving meal by himself while his family celebrated at his sibling's house.

This was sad and frustrating. My friend eating all by himself was only taking in secondary nutrition. Secondary nutrition is what you call the nutrition most people think of - food, beverages, and nutritional supplements. Primary nutrition is what gives our lives meaning. It's what feeds our soul. It is relationships and hugs from people we love. It is careers, spiritual practice, physical activity, and leisure time - fun, hobbies, entertainment, and rest. Getting together with people we love and nurturing relationships is a vital part of life and benefits us in many ways.

"They don't like my food, and they eat turkey and I don't like to be around that," is what he told me. I could relate to this because that was how things used to be in my house. I would get up on my high horse and preach to everyone that they should eat a certain way. I was frustrated that people didn't like the organic whole food vegan dishes I cooked because I knew they would make them healthy, and that what they were eating was killing them. Of course, there were family members who would comment kindly about the vegan dish brought to the table - but the reality is that they were thinking that it was nothing more than a poor protein vegetable side dish (a dish that does nothing to stimulate any consideration of giving up meat).

The solution to the problem is to lose the "rabbit food" and go with meat substitutes.

Meat substitutes, also known as meat analogs, are vegan food products that look, smell, feel and taste like meat in practically every way. This can be a shock to people. Someone who is used to eating a meat-centered diet, like most Americans, is ok trying meat substitutes, but is turned off by anything that strays from the norm (and appears healthy).

Meat substitutes don't threaten one's culture, identity and traditions, or alienate taste buds with something strange or foreign looking. What's more, they frequently have more protein than the meat they are trying to replicate. There are companies that produce meat substitutes - Garden, Yves, Light Life, Tofurky, and Field Roast to name a few. They make everything from Italian sausage to pepperoni and deli slices - all 100% vegan. They can be found in health food stores, Trader Joe's. And now, more and more traditional food stores are carrying these products. There is also Veggie Brothers which features chef made gourmet vegan dishes, delivered to your door anywhere in the USA and Canada that include meat substitutes like Vegan Chicken Pot Pie.

So how does this solution really work?

Meat substitutes are not extreme. They are not threatening. People try them, and that's a big hurdle. If you are a traditional household holding a festive holiday dinner, a macrobiotic dish or raw food dish is typically not in sync with everything else on the table. Meat substitutes on the other hand can rival the meat-based focal point of the meal. I've seen it many times, and many people have written to me telling me so:

Now, let the magic begin

When people try meat substitutes for the first time they are often amazed. It challenges their old way of thinking: vegans and vegetarians just eat salad.

I have found that when you couple meat substitutes with great information there is a very good chance that a person will make better dietary choices like consuming less meat, or eliminating it completely. Most people are aware that consuming less meat improves health, offers relief to animals, and helps the environment.

If you are on a super healthy diet and adding meat substitutes to your holiday dish is a step down from your nutritionally superior throne, just remember, it can be a step up for the people you love the most. No one says you cannot also bring your super healthy dish. In fact bringing both to the table provides people with a demonstration of where they can start, and where that may lead. I don't know about you, but if someone I love who's been getting F's on their report cards suddenly gets a D, I'm happy for that progress, and I am happy to support them reach an A+ level - at a pace they can handle. But if they never get beyond a D, it's better than an F.

It is my prayer that we recognize the good karma and the good dose of primary nutrition that comes from encouraging people in our lives to move towards a healthier diet. We just need to offer vegan alternatives to the foods they already know, love and enjoy. My friend who had Thanksgiving by himself missed a huge opportunity to help open closed minds and possibly heal a relationship that needed healing. Using meat substitutes, I recently enjoyed my 4th completely Vegetarian Thanksgiving with my slowly converting Italian American Family.

If you are a vegan or an extremely healthy vegetarian, consider bringing foods that are not so extreme to the people who really need to improve their diet the most. And please don't ignore the power that meat substitutes can offer. Let us make an effort the next holiday - whether it is Christmas or the Fourth of July - to use meat substitutes as fun, enjoyable, ways for family members to enjoy the same food, even if its not all the time.

Veggie Brothers Founder, Michael Balducci, suffered from numerous illnesses, experienced fatigue and pain daily, and needed a solution. He recognized the need to change his diet and improve his health to create a permanent lifestyle change that would serve him well. Frustrated with the taste of meatless prepared foods found in supermarkets and he resorted to learning to cook starting http://www.veggiebrothers.com/ that now provides chef prepared vegan meals delivered to your door.

Original article

Steps to Encourage Vegan Diet Among Children

Parenting is a huge challenge and it would be a great feat to raise an ideal child. First lessons start at home and it will be important for parents to stay dedicated in teaching the right values that their children should acquire even at an early stage in life.

One of the values that parents should be able to teach their children is healthy eating. It would be very easy for children to be attracted to the idea of eating junk foods or prefer the less healthy food options and it would be very smart if parents will be able to teach their kids to eat their veggies without dealing with remorse.

Living the life of a vegetarian may be difficult to impose especially among children but there are strategies that will make it possible for Vegan meat substitutes like tofu and sprouting seeds to look more appetizing to the eyes of your kids.

The following are some of the ideas that will encourage children to go vegetarian and develop healthy eating habits:

• Know the different vegan recipes that kids will surely love. Cereals and other whole foods can easily become a kid's favorite especially if you will just try to go out of your way to know how it can be prepared in the most appetizing way.

• Take advantage of colorful meat substitutes. Creating eye-candy dishes will surely make it difficult for kids to refuse eating their veggies. Definitely, aside from green there are other attractive and delectable fruits and vegetables that your kids will love.

• Allow them to socialize with other vegans. Bring them along when you meet with your other vegan friends, Aside from realizing that there are other people who consider the vegan diet, this will also open a chance for them to met children of the same age bracket who shares the same kind of healthy lifestyle.

• Adults should set the best examples for the young ones and most likely to be able to grow an ideal child, parents should be the role model that their children will follow. Practice what you preach. This is the basic strategy that will make it possible for children to be led to an ideal kind of life.

It may seem difficult to teach kids the value of living a vegan life but with the options available ranging from snacks to full meals plus the valuable steps that you will make to emphasize the relevance of living a vegan lifestyle, it will not be difficult to raise healthy kids who know how to value the benefits that they can achieve through healthy eating.

Encouraging children to follow healthy eating habits should not be difficult especially with the right strategies to engage in. Vegetarian lifestyle as well as meat substitutes like sprouting seeds and tempeh will surely appeal to kids when important considerations are followed.

Original article