PPK Cookbook Challenge Week 5: Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan

Look what I found lurking in the drafts! I wrote this, but never finished it. Well here it is now.

Week 5, Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan.

I may be a bit spoiled, because this is one of two books that I bought for the challenge, though it's been on my list for ages. (The other book I ordered was 500 Vegan Recipes).

On my first flip-through, I was feeling uninspired, but then I realized that a lot of the recipes are super easy, and I need more of that in my life. After actually preparing a few dishes, I'm in love. Everything is great so far. It's too early to say, but this book may join the ranks of desert island cookbooks.

Accordingly, the Teriyaki Quinoa came together super fast while I made a cake and cookies. Most of the time is downtime, and had I been on top of things, I would have made a lovely salad with mandarin oranges and ginger-lime dressing, but I wasn't. Luckily, it's filling and complete with steamed broccoli and I didn't feel the need to make extra sauce to cover the veggies.

It doesn't make as much food as most of the recipes I'm used to do, but I would say this is 3 main dishes (with a side) or 4 side dishes for two hungry adults.



The 5-Spice Cookies are likewise easy, but are definitely a grown-up cookie. I was skeptical about the use of barley flour, b/c I'd never baked with it, and I was afriad it would make the cookies too faux-health-food, but they turned out really well. (Note that this fear is not rooted in experience).

They have a slight licorice taste to them, and I really like that, but I know not everyone is a fan. This is also one of the few times I'll approve of nuts in cookies. Usually, nuts interrupt the texture of baked goods when baked in, but these work. I'll definitely make these when I hang out wih my tea-snob pals - they like unconventional desserts.



Admittedly, I didn't actually cook the next dish myself, so my report on the process is second hand, but I did eat quite a lot, so I can assure you authenticity there.

Apparently, the Lemony Cashew Pesto over linguine is a matter of boiling pasta and blending some stuff, then combing the results of each process. I guess all pasta is essentially that, but this was really easy! The lemon flavor is really mellow and adds sunniness without overbearing tartness to the dish. I love it. This is going to be my go-to when the CSA dumps loads of basil into my box this summer.

No Title, No Pictures, but It's Short!

You know grad school has really done a number on my willingness to write here. I kept up with the whole PPK Cookbook Challenge, even though I stopped taking pictures and posting.

Since then, I've been going simple. The semester is coming to a close, so deadlines are tight and I've made several bowls from Appetite for Reduction, and this week I've been on a Vegan Italiano kick. Donna Klein deserves more love from me because everything I've made from her book has been easy and super delicious.

The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen was the first gift I got for my sister when she went vegan, but I haven't gotten any reviews on that one. I would get my own copy, but I'm on a semi-self-imposed cookbook buying ban. Maybe my sister will give up hers, since she's into macro eating these days.

Speaking of which, she has raved about a book I gave her this year called The Saucy Vegetarian. Since she structures her meals a certain way, she can make sauces to add variety, especially when eating leftovers. I'm pretty sure my sister said that despite the name, the recipes are all vegan.

In other niche diet news, the weather is getting nice here, the farmer's market will be opening soon, and my mom got me two new raw food books for my birthday, so I'm ready to once again implement Raw Wednesdays ... except they'll probably be on Tuesdays or Sundays. I haven't decided yet.

Time to dust off some of my favorite raw blog links too and start planning.

PPK Cookbook Challenge Week 4: Vegan with a Vengeance

Week 4, Vegan with a Vengeance.

I have to admit, my non-vegan (at the time) mother turned me onto this book. When my sister and I went vegan, our mom did what she does best and got really into it. She bought a bunch of vegan cookbooks and during one of my visits home, she made the Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars. They never stood a chance, and I ordered the book right away.

For Week 4, I chose five recipes and made four of them on the same day.

Mocha Chip Muffins
I really like these, but they're more of a chocolate-chocolate chip muffin. The coffee flavor isn't terribly strong, but I think the chocolate flavors are enhanced by the coffee. I do like them a lot though, and they're a wonderful afternoon treat. In the future I'll reduce the number of muffins I make to get bigger muffins.


Curried Split Pea Soup
This soup is great. It's super easy to make, with most of the cooking time being down time. The flavor is lovely, and mellow. It's wonderful comfort food for a cold day and pairs well with toast.

Spicy Indian Rice with Toasted Almonds
This rice is worth the bit of extra effort (and it is such a very little bit it's hardly worth saying). It's flavorful without stealing the show, which makes it perfect as an accompaniment. Next time, I'll make it to go with Aloo Gobi. I will also double the amount of almonds in the future because I really like almonds.

Mushroom and Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto
This is so good that I ate way too much of it the first night, became too full, and didn't want anymore. I tried it with the truffle oil, and hated that. It literally tastes like dirt, which I guess is what Moskowitz meant when she called it "earthy." I can see how some people might like it, and I'll try it again one day, but my dishes will be truffle oil-less and my palate unrefined for now.'

Out of the four dishes I made on that one day, this was the most time-consuming, but it comes together easily. The biggest deal is all the stirring, but since I was multitasking and stuck in the kitchen anyway, it didn't seem like a big deal. It won't be on the emergency dinner list, but it's great if you want something filling and fancy without a huge investment of time an effort. I also think it would be nice during a fall or winter holiday meal.



Orange-Rum Tea Cake
This cake is fabulous. It's so orangey and sweet. My sensitive teeth don't like the cornmeal, but it's actually great. It adds a lot to the very fluffy cake. The almonds on top also add a lot to the texture. Perfect with tea or coffee, I'll be sure to make this when entertaining guests.

PPK Cookbook Challenge Week 3: Urban Vegan

Week 3, The Urban Vegan

The Pumpkin Daal Soup is definitely one of the best dishes I've made from this book. It tastes great and was crazy easy. It's pretty sweet, so next time I'll half the sugar, but it was great served over brown basmati rice. I also found the flavor mellowed by the next day and it was even better.

The Tuscan Braised Beans are great served as Balcavage suggests, with a drizzle of olive oil and some nutritional yeast, alongside a green salad and crusty bread. I found the lemon to be a bit jarring, and I'll reduce that next time, but the nutritional yeast really mutes the tartness, so it worked. This dish is wicked easy and will be in the regular rotation in the future.



I made the Microwave Satay Sauce to use in the Spicy Udon Noodles. The sauce was super easy and tastes good. I ended up eating it over steamed broccoli because I only needed a tablespoon for the noodles.



The Spicy Udon Noodles weren't spicy at all. They were super delicious, but you're going to need to add some extra curry paste and/or chili pepper if you want any heat. The dish came together really fast and is perfect for when you're short on time, and that takes making the satay into account. I subbed peas for the edamame, and they were great. Having the extra sauce on hand was nice since by the next day, the noodles needed a little extra.




The Portobello Burritos are easy to make and really excellent. They're filling and the stuffing is fairly flavorful. I used pineapple salsa and that proved to be wise. It provided a wonderful sweet contrast to the savory burritos, but next time I'll use two jars. I'll also marinate the portobellos, and add corn to the filling. Balcavage suggests vegan cheese as a filling option, and I didn't do that, but with the leftovers, I cut them in half and added a bit of Daiya before microwaving, and it's worth adding in the future.



Finally, I made the English Muffins. They took three days due to the rising times and my own schedule, but that was no obstacle with a little forethought. I had trouble getting them to cook through without burning them and had to play with the heat quite a bit. They ended up looking more like pancakes on the outside and were pretty flat, but the insides did look like the English muffins you might buy at the store. They were good with a bit of jam, but I don't think I'll repeat this recipe. It was a lot of work compared to the payoff.



















In the past, I've made the Raspberry Pound Cake and the Def Jam Bars, and I strongly recommend those if you're looking to try a dessert. Both of them were super sweet, and I have a sweet tooth that disgusts my family and friends, so you may want to reduce the sugar a bit in each.

Spay and Neuter

According to the Humane Society, "Four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are put down in U.S. shelters each year."

Of course you know that adopting from shelters is an important part of preventing so many deaths, but even more important is spaying and neutering your companion animals. I have a feeling that most people reading this are already on my side with this, but while reading some of the myths about spay/neuter, I realized that I was painfully uninformed.

What I did not know was that people believe some things that are not true, but if they were to bring them up to me, I'd have no solid way to respond. So knowing the facts is helpful, even though my three pals are already fixed.



That doesn't mean, however, that I haven't spoken to friends and neighbors about it, and I keep information on free and discount S/N programs to help those who feel that they can't afford the surgeries. Check out Spay USA or Friends of Animals for a list of veterinarians who participate.

If you want to get more involved, the Human Society's Spay Day is Feb. 22, 2011. Even if you're not a veterinarian or don't own a huge corporation to provide sponsorship, you can volunteer at or organize events and help spread the word.

Quickie Book Review: Ethics into Action

I've written a bit about this book already, and I'm pretty sure I'll write about it again, but today I'm going to focus on giving it a quick review.

Peter Singer's Ethics into Action is not only worth reading, but should be required in Animal Activism 101.



The book serves to give an overview of the life and activism of Henry Spira, and I have to admit, I'd never heard the name before. However, he is without doubt a key figure in the animal rights movement not only because of his campaigns and victories, but because of his methods and attitudes.

The first chapter gives a brief history of Spira's life prior to his involvement in animal rights. It's easy to see how his early life experiences shaped his methods of dealing with people and his early political activism helped him to be effective in spearheading animal campaigns. Singer goes on over the next few chapters to outline the major campaigns Spira undertook, explaining the reasoning, methodology, tactics, and materials used to create change.

The final chapter serves to direct the animal activist. Though the reader may glean considerable wisdom throughout the book, Singer distills much of it into 10 ways to make a difference. Even if you only read this chapter, you would have much to gain. Singer closes by addressing the meaningful life, a concept that pops up in a lot of activist literature, but it's Spira's meaningful life that is the focus of these final pages.

Knowing the history of a movement you care about is important, as is knowing about the people who made a difference. Not only can you learn from the successes and mistakes of your predecessors, but you can better understand why things are the way they are now. The animal rights movement would not be what it is today without the work and influence of Henry Spira. His innovative way of approaching animal rights shaped the movement for the better.

Ethics into Action is informative and inspirational. Henry Spira is a man I wish more people knew about and his work became the model for effective change. Read the book, and you'll feel yourself getting wiser.

Chipotle

OK, so Vegan Outreach's newsletter has provided a lot of fodder for posting (only two!), but I'm trying to stick to some of the really big ones.

That's why I need you to take a few minutes and contact Chipotle. I've had the Garden Blend at their DuPont Circle, Washington, DC location and I love it. But they never introduced it to all restaurants and from my understanding, didn't put it on the menu of those they did.

Fill out the form, tell them you want to try it. Repost the request to your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, FriendFace, or whatever. Let's get this done.