World Wide Vegan

Paris is a city that truly lives up to its reputation. It is beautiful, romantic and the food is fresh and fabulous. Hotels however have had a long time reputation for being small, expensive and often without private facilities. I haven't had trouble finding a hotel in Paris with private facilities. And because I am willing to spend a little more to have a large room and bath in a great location my only complaint is the lack of a hot plate.

Consequently nearly all of our meals have to be eaten out. Luckily there are places all over the city to buy fresh fruit and bread that can be taken back to your hotel and eaten for breakfast or as a light snack.

One thing that most tourists want to indulge in as soon as they walk off the plane is an authentic French chocolate crepe. Unfortunately for vegans, the crepes are made with milk and eggs and the chocolate filling is simply Nutella which is made with milk and whey. So, you may choose not to eat a chocolate crepe in Paris, but don't despair, I have put together the best French, chocolate crepe recipe for vegans that you can make at home.

Tip: I recommend getting your fill a day or two before leaving for Paris so that you don't feel deprived once you get there.


Vegan Crepes

1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup melted margarine
1 1/2 tablespoon turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend together all ingredients. Cover and chill the mixture for 2 hours. (I make it in the evening and chill it until morning.)

Use non stick spray on a large skillet. Heat the skillet. Pour batter into skillet and swirl it to make a thin round crepe. Cook until golden, then loosen edges and flip.

Vegan Nutella-Style Chocolate filling:

2 cups whole raw hazelnuts
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil more or less
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat toaster oven to 350 degrees.
Toast nuts in a single layer on baking pan until the skins are almost black and the meat is dark brown, about 15 minutes. Stir the nuts halfway through baking so ensure an even color.

Wrap the cooled hazelnuts in a kitchen towel or paper towel, and rub until most of the bitter skins have come off.

Process nuts in a food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until they have liquefied, about 5 minutes. At first, you will get coarsely chopped nuts, and then it will turn into a fine meal. After a little while, the nuts will form a ball around the blade, and you have a solid mass. Keep processing. The heat and friction will extract the natural oils creating hazelnut butter.

Add in the sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Slowly drizzle in enough oil to make a spreadable consistency. The chocolate will thicken as it cools.

Creating the French Crepe:

Spread a thin layer of chocolate filling on one half of the crepe. Fold the crepe over the filling creating a half circle shape. Fold the crepe in half again creating a quarter circle. Then roll the folded crepe into a funnel shape. Eat immediately.

Labels: chocolate, filling, French Crepe, Paris, Vegan, Vegetarian

San Francisco is a fabulous city. And in the heart of California it is no surprise that they have many vegan/vegetarian eateries. I have been to San Francisco more times than I can count and so I have learned which parts of the city I prefer to roam around by myself, with my kids and in the evening. Because many of you will be new to San Francisco I will direct you to those eateries which are the best loved and which are in safe, clean, easy to find parts of the city.
Greens is a highly rated casual yet sophisticated restaurant that offers small but delicious portions of creative and organic dishes. The prices are a bit higher than other vegan restaurants but the view and the atmosphere are worth every penny.
The best thing about Greens is that they will also make your meal to go so that you and your kids can walk down to the nearby beach to have a picnic. If you choose to eat in you may wish to ask the chef for a special pasta dish for the little ones as there is no children's menu. **** stars
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Another wonderful eatery for vegans and vegetarians is Alive. Alive serves plant foods that have not been cooked - raw foods. Before you turn up your nose take a look at their menu to see the mouth watering presentations they have created for your picky palate. The more I eat raw, the more excited I get about the whole idea. They are located at Building A, Fort Mason Center ***stars not too far from the street car turn-around.
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In most ethnic restaurants in the city you can find items on the menu that would suit a vegan diet -you just have to be creative, and of course be nice to your server when you ask for changes,
The following is a listing of other vegan eateries in the central city area:

Herbivore-Vegan Restaurant
www.herbivorerestaurant.com - (415) 826-5657

Greens Restaurant
www.greensrestaurant.com - (415) 771-6222

Cafe Gratitude
www.cafegratitude.com - (415) 824-4652

Ananda-Fuara Vegetarian Restaurant
www.anandafuara.com - (415) 621-1994

Cha Ya Vegetarian Japanese
www.yelp.com - (415) 252-7825

Lucky Creation Vegetarian
maps.google.com - (415) 989-0818

Shangri-La Chinese Vegetarian
shangri-la.wp.net - (415) 731-2548

Alive! Vegetarian Cuisine
www.aliveveggie.com - (415) 923-1052

Peace Cafe
www.redvic.com - (415) 864-1978

Medicine Eat Station
www.medicinerestaurant.com - (415) 677-4405

Labels: dining, ethnic, Greens, restaurant, San Francisco, Vegan, Vegetarian

Well I have come across a new man-friendly vegan meal that I just had to share with you. My husband, who is not a vegan has fallen in love with the vegan lasagna that I made for him last week. I got my inspiration from the fat-free-vegan website but changed it to suit a non-vegans taste, and it worked.

Honestly, I never really liked lasagna when I was a meat eater, but this lasagna was so good that I ate it for 3 days and never tired of it. And it has become my husbands new favorite vegan dish. Serve it with some sliced fruit and you have a complete meal.

Tip: When using fresh spinach it is best to use it within 4 days of purchase. Otherwise the wonderful antioxidants it contains begin to markedly plummet. For the greatest amount of nutrients buy fresh spinach at a farmers market and use it immediately.

Man Friendly Lasagna

1 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 chopped onion
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs. water
2 26-oz jars of spaghetti sauce (or homemade)
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning or herbs de Provence
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
1/2 c. TVP granules soaked in 1 c. hot water (may microwave for 2 minutes)
lasagna noodles, uncooked
8 oz mixed soy Mozzarella and Parmesan (or veggie cheeze)
Sliced black olives

Filling:

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 lb firm water packed tofu
1 tsp. salt (optional)
2 tbs. nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. rosemary, crushed
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Sauté the mushrooms, onions, celery and garlic over medium heat in 2 tbs. water until tender. Remove from heat. Add the spaghetti sauce, Italian seasoning ans seasoning salt and soaked TVP granules - set aside.

Place the tofu and spinach in a food processor and blend briefly. Add remaining filling ingredients and process until smooth.

Pour half of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x12-inch, prepared pan. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the tofu mixture on top of the noodles. Cover with another layer of noodles and then spread the remaining tofu mixture over them. Sprinkle 6 bounces of cheeze on top of tofu mixture. Top with the final layer of noodles. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle on the remaining cheeze and olives on top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before cutting.

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Labels: lasagna, man friendly, pasta, TVP, Vegan, Vegetarian

When I first became a vegan I hit the internet looking for recipes and information that would make my transition easier. What I found was a whole new world of cooking methods and some very strange sounding food items. At first I stuck with foods I was used to like rice and beans, but after a while I realized that I needed to introduce some variety if I wanted to maintain a healthy diet.

So I thought I would give you a brief description of some of the most commonly used foods that might have you baffled.

Asian and Middle Eastern cooks have been turning out healthy and appetizing meatless meals for centuries. Consequently they have developed a great variety of items that enhance flavor, add protein and offer a good deal of variety in their menu. I live in the country and still I am able to buy most of these products in my country market or health food store, but you may need to visit an Asian market to acquire some of them.

Agave nectar: A natural liquid sweetener extracted from the Agave plant. It is largely fructose. Agave nectar does not spike your blood sugar levels and is absorbed gradually by your system. Used in natural cooking.

Arrowroot: A natural, high quality replacement for cornstarch. This tuber is dried and finely ground. It provides a clean finish rather than the cloudy finish of cornstarch.


Gluten: Gluten makes up about 80% of the protein contained in the wheat berry and it is what adds strength and structure to baked goods. Gluten can be found in the packaged flour section of your health food isle.

Koji: Koji is steamed rice that has had koji-kin, or koji mold spores, cultivated onto it. It is used in the fermentation process of sake and some soya products.

Mirin: Mirin is a seasoned, rice-based wine often used in Japanese cuisine. It is similar to sake but has a lower alcohol content that burns off in the cooking process. It is generally found in the Asian food isle of your grocery story rather than in the wine isle.

Nutritional Yeast is an inactive, vitamin- and mineral-rich yeast that adds a cheesy flavor to soups, casseroles, or in place of cheese to make any dish creamier. It is often used to flavor seitan and soups with a chicken-like flavor.

Miso: Miso is made from koji mixed with either rice, barley or soy beans. The ingredients are fermented and aged in wooden kegs. Some of the lighter, sweet miso is aged for only a few months, while the darker miso may be aged for up to 2 years. It is very high in nutrients and has been shown to reduce incidence of breast cancer.


Rice syrup: A mild, less sweet, natural sweetener made from rice.

Rice vinegar: Made from rice, this vinegar has a mild, tart flavor and has a lower acidity than other vinegars.

Seitan: or wheat meat: Seitan is made from wheat gluten. It becomes surprisingly similar to the look and texture of meat when cooked, making it a popular meat substitute. Although not as common as tofu, seitan is quickly gaining popularity and it is very easy to prepare.


Shoyu: Shoyu is a dark brown soy sauce made from soya beans that have undergone a fermentation process. Natural shoyu uses the centuries-old method of the fermentation process involving a special koji (Aspergillus oryzae), which converts hard-to-digest soy proteins, starches and fats into easily absorbed amino acids, simple sugars and fatty acids.

Tahini: Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It originated in the Middle East but is used in Asian and Mediterranean cooking as well.

Tamari: A dark, thicker form of soy sauce with a distinctivly mellow flavor. Like soy sauce it is made from fermenting and boiling soya beans and wheat or barley.

Tempeh: Tempeh originated in Indonesia. It is cake of fermented soya beans that is made by removing the hulls of cooked soya beans, mixing with a culture and aged for a day or two. Very high in protein and other nutrients.

Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) is a dried, soy product that substitutes for ground beef in stews, chilis, pasta sauce, and more.

Be brave, try something new this week.

Labels: arrowroot, definitions, gluten, koji, miso, recipe. Asian cooking, seitan, tahini, tamari, tempeh, Vegan, wheat meat

This week we are at home enduring one of the worst winter storms we've seen in over 10 years. It's definitely soup weather, so for dinner I threw together this wonderfully satisfying black bean soup and my favorite cornbread recipe. Even my non-vegan husband went back for seconds.

The spice blend in the soup is just the perfect balance of heat and flavor. I would even rate it as kid-friendly. But if you like mouth burning, fire breathing foods you will want to add more chilies. Also, keep in mind that I tend to throw in everything I have in my refrigerator, so give yourself permission to tweak this recipe to suit yourself.

Quick & Tasty Black Bean Soup

1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cans (or 3 cups) black beans, rinsed and drained (or fresh cooked)
1 chopped carrot (opt.)
1 can whole corn
1 c. cooked wild rice or any leftover rice (opt.)
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. sea salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. chile powder
a dash of red cayenne powder
1/2 tsp. dried, crushed red pepper
2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes with juice
5 cups vegetable broth (or water)

In a large pot, water-saute the onions, garlic, and bell pepper for about 3 minutes. Add the beans, corn, carrots, rice, seasonings, and tomatoes and vegetable broth or water. Bring almost to a boil, then Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour, adding additional water or vegetable broth as needed to keep a soupy consistency. Remove bay leaves before serving.

While the soup is simmering make the cornbread.


Light as Air Cornbread
Adapted from Dr. Neal Barnards' book Food for Life

1-1/2 cup soymilk
1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup fine cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 tablespoons raw sugar or other sweetener (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons canola oil

Preheat oven to 425F.
Combine soymilk and vinegar and let stand while you mix dry ingredients.
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the soymilk mixture, the oil, and stir until blended.

Pour the batter into a prepared 9-inch square baking dish, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Store leftovers in airtight zip-bag.

Labels: black bean soup, cornbread, Food for Life, Vegan

Last week my family wanted to go to Claim Jumper for dinner. I had never been before so I was a little worried about the menu. I had heard that the portions were huge and the menu was meaty. To my delight I was able to order a delicious dinner that was vegan, filling and relatively low in fat.

To start I ordered the Fire Roasted Artichoke Served with Tomato Relish for $10.95. It comes with a mayo-garlic sauce as well which I omitted. It was divine. The light olive oil and spice on the artichoke made it so tasty that it didn't need any sauce at all.


Next I ordered Checca Pasta made with Rigatoni, Olive Oil, Sliced Garlic, Pine Nuts, Lemon Juice, Roma Tomatoes, Basil Leaves, Cured Olives, served with Tomato Herb Bread for $10.95. Of course I omitted the Parmesan cheese. I brought along some of my own soy Parmesan to sprinkle on top. The pasta was light and delicious. I didn't eat much of the bread that came with it. It was heavy and I'm not much of a bread eater.


I also ordered Fresh Charbroiled Asparagus which was a perfect addition to the meal. I had enough to take home for lunch the next day so I was able to enjoy it all over again with the addition of some baked sesame tofu I picked up at Whole foods.

Eating out can be a great culinary adventure if you are creative and willing to ask for exactly what you want. I will go back to Claim Jumper again. The atmosphere was charming and the service was terrific. It is a great place to share a meal with your meat eating friends and family.

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Labels: Claim jumper Restaurant, dining out, Vegan

We spend a good amount of time in Las Vegas, Nevada, not to party and gamble, but to visit our kids and grandchildren. Consequently we eat in a lot. Because I am the only vegan in the family, when we do eat out it is always an adventure to find items on the menu that will satisfy my dietary requirements. Being a "low-fat" vegan makes that a little harder, but when we are traveling I am willing to eat a little extra fat just to make eating out less stressful.

Vegas isn't exactly synonymous with balanced eating, but there are some Las Vegas vegetarian/vegan restaurants that offer healthier menu items for vegetarians and vegans which I will list later. But first I wanted to mention the Whole Foods Store in Vegas. It is huge, and has an endless variety of prepared vegan and vegetarian items in the deli and in the self-serve food bars. On New Years Eve my family wanted a traditional meat meal so I went to Whole Foods and bought myself a feast including grilled, teriyaki tofu (so delicious), sweet potatoes, fresh gingered beats, curried wheat berry salad and blackened asparagus. I was in vegan heaven.

Vegas has 2 Trader Joe's stores as well but they don't offer many prepared deli foods. However, I definitely recommend them for groceries as they are inexpensive and they have healthy, fabulous tasting foods.

Review of Las Vegas, vegan eateries:

1. Veggie Delight
3504 Wynn Rd, Las Vegas NV 89102
(702) 310-6565
Hours: Daily 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Accepts credit cards
Promotes vegan menu items but there's dairy in quite a few of the foods so look over the ingredients carefully or ask for assistance. If you're vegetarian or just want a change of pace, this small restaurant is worth a visit.

2-a. Go Raw
Lakes Center
2910 Lake East Dr, Las Vegas NV 89117
(702) 254-5382
Hours: Mon-Sat 10 a.m.- 9 p.m., closed Sunday

2-b. Go Raw
Smiths Shopping Center
2381 Windmill Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89123
(702) 450-9007
Hours: Mon.- Sat 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sun 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
accepts credit cards
Offers organic and raw dishes including a pay-by-weight house salad, hot vegan soups, soft tortilla enchilada, a very delicious "yummus hummus" on sprouted bread, and a juice bar.

3. Komol Thai
953 E Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89104 (at Commercial Center)
(702) 731-6542
Hours: Mon-Sat: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sun: Noon - 10 p.m.
Accepts credit cards
Some fair vegetarian selections, but don't expect particularly healthy foods (lots of fried food). The vegetarian chow fun is good as is the tofu satay appetizer. Also offers meat dishes for those non-vegans in your party.

4. Long Life Vege
4130 Sandhill Rd., Ste A4, Las Vegas, NV 89110 (at Flamingo)
(702) 436-4488
Hours: Mon - Sat 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Accepts credit cards.
Chinese-style menu with large portions. Has vegan, vegetarian and meat dishes. The service is hit or miss – usually friendly, but tends to be slow. A popular dish to try is the tofu with garlic sauce. Gets good reviews from most visitors.

5. Capriotti's Sandwich Shop
Numerous Vegas location Capriotti's Sandwich Shop has several vegetarian faux-meat sandwich options with fresh veggies.

6. Canyon Ranch Cafe
The Venetian, 4th Floor
3355 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 414-3600
Hours: Daily, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Accepts credit cards.
Mainly offers healthy and organic fare in its spa cafe. There are also veggie options and a juice bar. Good for a healthy lunch.

Labels: Las Vegas, restaurants, Trader Joe's, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole Foods