Midweek Links: Cycle-Smart’s Adam Myerson Gives Advice For The Vegetarian Cyclist

Written by J.F. on May 7th, 2008 in Fitness and Nutrition, Midweek Links.

No Comments

More discussion on vegetarianism and athleticism. A longtime vegetarian and professional cyclist and coach, Adam Myerson, president of Cycle-Smart, wrote several articles a few years ago in a series called, “The Vegetarian Athlete.” Below are links to all three articles.


The Vegetarian Athlete, Part I: Rules Of The Road For The Meat Free Cyclist

The Vegetarian Athlete, Part II: Micronutrients

The Vegetarian Athlete, Part III: Eating On The Road

R-Rated Fruits And Vegetables: Your Guide To Buying Organic Produce

Written by J.F. on May 3rd, 2008 in Produce.

No Comments

Inside The Oven: Produce to always buy organic. Week Links: Higher IQ in childhood linked to being a vegetarian adult, a vegan bodybuilder, neither rain, nor sleet, nor rising food prices keep some from buying organic.

Mind out the gutter.  I thought it would be a good chance to give a brief on organic produce. These days, you might hear a lot about organic items, and for good reason. Some studies have suggested a link between pesticides on conventional produce to a variety of ailments, causing more harm to pregnant women, young children, and those with compromised immune systems.


The Environmental Working Group is a not-for-profit research organization which studies public health and environmental issues. Based on the results of over 43,000 pesticide test studies on produce from 2000-2005 by the US Department of Agriculture and the US Food and Drug Administration, EWG developed a ranked list of the most heavily laden pesticide produce and items that should always be bought organic if available.

The price of organic food can sometimes be costly, so it’s good to know the very worst and what you can get by with if necessary. And certain organic produce isn’t always available at all times of the year. I had the hardest time finding organic red bell peppers for several months. When I finally got my hands on them, I bought several pounds, sliced them, and froze them for later use. Running warm to hot water over them for a few seconds restored their beautiful pre-frozen state (not to mention the wonderful aroma given off by the thawing process).



All produce, organic or not, should always be rinsed thoroughly with water and maybe a vegetable rinse like, Fit. I personally have never used a vegetable rinse, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try one in the future. For produce that I want to get extra clean or with visible dirt, I spray 5% acidity white vinegar (aka Heinz vinegar or your local grocery generic version) additionally, after the first rinse and then rinse again. Speaking of 5% acidity vinegar and generics, I’ve noticed that sometimes at the grocery, generic brands of vinegar say 4% acidity. Is this a significant enough difference to perform less better in all the zillions of ways vinegar performs according to Ms. Heloise? (I use it for cleaning, laundry, among other things). If anyone knows, please comment. Produce was ranked from 1 to 45, with 1 being the worst (greatest amount of pesticides) and 45 being the best (least amount of pesticides) And so I present the ranked list with a twist:
 
Rated R: These are what some have called the “Dirty Dozen.” Conventional varieties are so laden with pesticides (and therefore, absolutely reprehensive) that Tipper Gore would forget about Prince’s Darling Nikki, and instead lobby congress for strong warnings on celery versus CDs.

  1. Peaches
  2. Apples
  3. Sweet Bell Peppers
  4. Celery
  5. Nectarines
  6. Strawberries
  7. Cherries
  8. Lettuce
  9. Grapes-Imported
  10. Pears
  11. Spinach
  12. Potatoes  Learn which fruits and vegetables are rated PG-13, and PG after the break… Read the rest of this entry »

Midweek Links: Leona Lewis To Launch Vegan Fashion Line, Pictures Of Cutest Vegetarians

Written by J.F. on April 30th, 2008 in Midweek Links.

No Comments

The Quest For Uncle Eddie’s, The Best Vegan Cookies, Wherever They May Be

Written by J.F. on April 28th, 2008 in Vegan Cookies, Vegan Sweets.

1 Comment

Inside The Oven: Uncle Eddie’s Vegan Cookies, Variety Is The Spice Of Life and Essential For Vegan Health, Do You Really Care What Food Critics Think in Week Links.

For the times, they are a changing. And so too will your grocery list. OK, so maybe that is a strange rendition of the famous Bob Dylan song. But who knows, it could have been a B-side. It seems to be the theme song for my food shopping trips these days. There have definitely been changes since Whole Foods acquired Wild Oats, some good, some bad (in my little consumer opinion, of course). The Good: Some of my favorite snacks have been reduced by 50 cents or more. Fresh made guacamole from the deli is scrumptious. The Bad: Rearranging of displays adds minutes to my ”shop time” record as I try to navigate my way around the store. The Ugly: My beloved Uncle Eddie’s Vegan cookies have become near extinct. Since the acquisition, I’ve made numerous calls to the Whole Foods in my town. Exciting conversations have taken place. Here are a few of my favorites:

Me: When are you going to get the Uncle Eddie’s Vegan Cookies in stock again?

WF Bakery Employee: Those are going to grocery. Check with grocery.

2 weeks later

Me: (to WF grocery employee): Do you have any of the Uncle Eddie’s Vegan Cookies in stock?

WF Grocery Employee: Those are in our bakery.

Me to WF Bakery Employee: Grocery told me you were carrying them.

WF Bakery Employee: Actually no, they’re being moved to grocery.

2 weeks later

Me: (bringing this up to Grocery Employee with quote from Bakery Employee)

WF Grocery Employee: Actually, we’re going to have those. But we aren’t able to find a distributor to order from yet.

2 weeks later

Me: (blah, blah, you know the question by now)

WF Grocery Employee:  They’re not in our system to order. But they’ll be in our system as of (insert date of choice). I know as a fact we’ll be able to order them on (insert date of choice). So check back on (insert date of choice) and we should be able to order them.

2 weeks later and eagerly excited. We have a distributor. We have them in the system. Could we have a winner?

Me: Do you have the Uncle Eddie’s cookies in yet?

WF Grocery Employee: I think I saw an invoice for those. Hold on. (Instrumental 80s music plays). No, I’m sorry we don’t have those. You’ll have to check back.

At any rate, this has been going on for several months and while I could give you every scenario that’s taken place, I firmly believe that repetition is good for learning, bad for entertaining your readers. The last answer I received gave the solution to go to the Whole Foods in an adjacent town, that I’ll admit is not so distant, but still distant enough, where Uncle Eddie’s have been sighted. (I called to confirm the speculation and yes, the-not-so-distant-but-still-distant-Whole Foods carries Uncle Eddie’s now.) Sigh…What do you have to do to get your vegan peanut butter chocolate chip fix these days? (Shown above is indeed my favorite, along with a tall glass of Silk Vanilla Soy Milk.)

Quite possibly, the best vegan cookies made, both myself and other known vegans have experimented and concluded there are no other vegan cookies that come close in taste. One bite and you’ll wonder why anyone ever needed butter, milk or eggs to make cookies. If you’re not careful, it will break in your hand as they are so soft and moist. The quote on their website from L.A. Times says it best, ”Uncle Eddie’s puts its competition, vegan or non vegan to shame!” More on the different flavors of Uncle Eddie’s, where you can get them besides Whole Foods after the break…  Read the rest of this entry »

Midweek Links: Getting Them Posted Before Earth Day Officially Ends

Written by J.F. on April 22nd, 2008 in Environment, Midweek Links.

No Comments

Marinated Tempeh Recipe: 3rd Time Really Was The Charm

Written by J.F. on April 18th, 2008 in Marinades, tempeh.

No Comments

Inside The Oven: Tempeh Recipe, Plus Sexy Lettuce Ladies Stop Traffic, Spiderman No Longer Vegetarian, Vegetarian Biscuits and Gravy Recipe in Week Links.

My early experiences with tempeh were less than rewarding. I had been frying tofu sprinkled with spices in a tablespoon of oil in a skillet for some time and wanted to add another source of protein in my diet. I thought this could be accomplished with tempeh as well. Plain tempeh, that is, with no spices, grains, or flavors. After tasting the results, I vowed never to eat tempeh again.  

A couple of years later, I found a recipe that required breaking up the tempeh patty into pieces, mashing it, mixing it with vegetables and spices, then forming a patty again and baking it. Deconstruct, reconstruct. Tear down. Build Up. The directions themselves should have served as a warning. Unless you’re an engineer, there should be nothing about that recipe that entices you. But I tried. And failed.

  

Finally, a friend and I were going through a phase where we were eating out almost every week and in the process of trying to find a restaurant  I considered suitable,  (she’s not vegetarian) I would read the menus online before even calling to check about particular ingredients. Although we never made it to this restaurant, I found a marinated tempeh dish whose combination of spices and oil in the marinade sounded good and I decided to experiment at home to give the good old soy cakes another try. More on tempeh, my experience and the marinated tempeh recipe after the break… Read the rest of this entry »

Midweek Links: Vegetarian Tax Break

Written by J.F. on April 17th, 2008 in Finance and Money, Midweek Links.

No Comments

Midweek Links are a little later than usual due to the fact that I’ve been scrambling to get state taxes done. (Knocked out federal last week.) While trying to decide on the links, I researched vegetarian and taxes (I love themes as you might have guessed) and discovered that a “vegetarian tax break” was proposed a year ago. Many of you might already know this, but I didn’t, so I thought I’d link to this article, as well as one blogger’s response. Any thoughts?

Vegan Nacho Cheese Dip Recipe: Ah… Those Festival And Sports Arena Memories

Written by J.F. on April 12th, 2008 in Appetizers, Snacks, Vegan Cheese.

1 Comment

 

Inside The Oven: Heather Mills’ 8 page food demands for her vegan daughter, food stalker toddler, Curried Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie in Week Links. Vegans, non cheese eating vegetarians and non-dairy queens can find happiness in nacho cheese again.

For vegans, vegetarians who don’t eat regular cheese, and non-dairy queens, nacho cheese dip is hard to find. Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet makes a nacho cheese, which melts wonderfully I might add. But to me it tasted too processed and I didn’t get that dripping “saucy” dip feeling when I tried it.


 

When I got to the bottom of this pile, the chips reminded me of eating Nachos at a fall festival in my hometown. When you reached the bottom of the tray, provided the cheese was drizzled properly, the chips were soft and the dip had thickened slightly. The chewy experience at the end was just as delightful as the hot and crunchy first bite.


 

Blue Corn Chips are a treat that not only provide a variety from traditional yellow, but make a gorgeous presentation against the orange sauce. I fell in love with blue corn after a black bean taco experience. Once you’ve made this, don’t stop at tortilla chips. There are numerous ways to enjoy it, including baked potatoes, bread and pastas.

  

When choosing your salsa, use what you would normally enjoy on tortilla chips without cheese. It’s not really the particular brand or type that makes or breaks the recipe. If you have a passion for salsa with peppers on the Scoville Scale of a habenero, it wouldn’t make sense to use a mild vegetable blend (although I wouldn’t recommend anyone using a salsa that hot, unless the taste buds are already damaged from a previous experience). My personal pick is Drew’s All-Natural Organic Mild Salsa.


 

Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce


 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

  • 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

  • 3 Tablespoons soy margarine

  • 1/2-1 cup water

  • 1/2 cup Salsa of Choice Read the rest of this entry »

Midweek Links: Vegetarian Celebrity Edition

Written by J.F. on April 9th, 2008 in Midweek Links.

3 Comments

Ever Consider Dr. McDougall’s Soups?

Written by J.F. on April 5th, 2008 in Pre-Packaged: Shelf, Soup.

No Comments

Inside the Oven: “Meat free since 1983″-a veggie restaurant’s anniversary, vegan cheesecake recipe, benefits of a vegan, gluten-free diet on rheumatoid arthritis in Week Links.  Dr. McDougall’s Hot Soups.

A quote from drmcdougall.com

Ever consider…

Diet vs. Drugs

Oatmeal vs. Obesity

Peas vs. Pills

Cabbage vs. CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting)

Supper vs. Surgery

Then consider meeting Dr. McDougall

I’ve never met Dr. McDougall, but I’ve certainly became acquainted with his vegan soups. Questions posed on the McDougall website are certainly no brainers-I’d take peas vs. pills and supper vs. surgery any day. But there are deeper, earth shattering, Nobel Prize questions to be thrown down and answered

Hot and Sour vs. Miso

Pad Thai vs. Tamale with Baked Chips

Split pea & Barley vs. Ramen with vegetarian Chicken Flavor

Since I can’t answer these questions, I usually end up buying all of them. Ahem…I’m also convinced this is why I haven’t won any Nobel Laureates yet.


 

A good pre-packaged vegan soup is hard to come by at times. Whether it’s the presence of dairy, “natural flavors” that don’t list the source, anonymous “spices”, the list goes on and on. At $1.79 per bowl, the price is perfect who anyone on a budget that doesn’t want to give up taste, health, or their eating ethics. My personal favorites would have to be the Hot and Sour and Pad Thai. When I say they are good, I don’t just mean good enough to fill you up, good enough to make you think it’s not healthy, but good as in worthy of an Andy Warhol print on the kitchen wall good.

It’s been said that there’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s (unless you’re a vegan of course, then any way is horrible), and I’ve found the same to be true with these soups. I never put water to the “fill” line as I prefer the broth to be very concentrated. I’ve also tossed in extras like green onions to add some flavor twists. Is there a way you prefer to eat Dr. McDougall’s soups? Have you ever met him?


 

Co-founded by Dr. John McDougall, a nutrition expert who promotes better health through adopting a vegetarian diet, McDougall’s Right Foods offers a variety of prepared vegetarian dishes, that are both pleasing to the palate and meet strict dietary guidelines: 10% or less of calories are from fat, cholesterol free, and even a separate line of light sodium soups. The full list is as follows:


 

Regular:

Black Bean & Lime

Minestrone & Pasta

Pilaf Vegetable Chicken Flavor

Split Pea with Barley

Tamale Soup with Baked Chips

Tortilla Soup with Baked Chips

Curry with Brown and Wild Fruited Pilaf…

Read the rest of this entry »

« Previous Entries