vegoftheweek

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your vegan bouillon.

Rapunzel thought she had found the man of her dreams. Little did she know he was only after one thing. Well, actually he was after several things.

The prince wanted a vegan bouillon. He couldn’t stand the thought of purchasing those regular bouillons in the grocery store with “natural flavorings,” and other wild things he hadn’t heard of. It would be nice if it contained organic ingredients. And while he wasn’t a high blood pressure patient, no added salt is great for any prince trying to stay healthy, thus looking hot.

Of course, you’ll never hear that side of Rapunzel’s story because unfortunately, the witch, replaced it with one with beef stock.

I confess, I don’t use bouillon for a lot of recipes, normally just buying vegetable stock. But a seitan creation required it, thus causing me to search for one.

Rapunzel bouillon was a delight to find. At first I was hesitant to purchase the no salt added variety, but was in the mood to be healthier. And what a good choice. With so many other spices and herbs, you definitely won’t miss it.

It dissolves easily in liquid, but the particular recipe I used it for required I crumble it in the dry form and blend with a mixture. It was a pleasure “licking” my fingers afterwards, giving me an sign that I knew I would enjoy whatever was to come from this bouillon seasoning my dish.

Personally, I’ve found completely vegan bouillon to be a hard find in the past, even shopping at organic and natural food stores like Trader Joes or Whole Foods. Have you encountered a similar issue? Is there a brand of vegan or vegetable bouillon you trust and recommend?

Week Links:

This Vegetarian Just Couldn’t Eat Kangaroo(Uk Mirror)

Alicia Silverstone To Release Vegan Diet Book (Market Watch)

Inside The Oven: What I Do With Truffle Oil. Week Links: What You Can Do With Truffle Oil.

There are several sections in the grocery store I like to hang around in even if I don’t plan on buying anything. And believe it or not, it’s not the produce section. Call it the food version of window shopping. One happens to be the vegan and organic personal supplies section, such as lotions, body washes, lip balm, you name it. Included in this section would be toothpaste, where I can find awesome flavors like licorice and orange mint. The second section is the snack aisle, go figure. Even a vegetarian who tries to be healthy can’t resist crunchy munchies. And there are cooler versions than your usual Lay’s potato chips, such as tamari flavored chips. There. That was good excuse. The last section is the oil and condiment department.

While some look at the oil section as fattening and just as sinful as the bakery goodies, I see oils as an opportunity to change a dish you’ve made regularly, try a new dish, or cater to your different cooking needs, such as olive for salads and medium heat sauteing or safflower for high heat big and bad real frying. There are oils that are especially delicious with dessert recipes, such as coconunt oil, flavored oils, such as garlic, and oils with a plethora of spices designed to accompany bread for dipping. I’ve added truffle oil to my collection of favorites.

Truffle oil gets around and has quite a reputation. I’d read about what it could do for whipped beans, green vegetables, potatoes, among other things. I tried it on all of the above, but found it to be most delightful over one of my favorite Amy’s frozen dinners. Learn what Amy’s dish I put truffle oil over and several other ways to use it after the break. (more…)