Cucumber Dill Medley

3 Cucumbers 

10 Roma Tomatoes 

Vegan Spread (Smart Balance Light/Earth Balance) 

Fresh Garlic 

1/2 chopped Red Onion 

Scallions (bunch) 

Fresh Dill (bunch)




Saute garlic with a bit of vegan spread. The amount of garlic you use will depend on what your preference for garlic is, but a good rule of thumb would be a quarter of the amount of onions/scallions you are using. Next add sliced scallions and chopped onions. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and cube them. Add them to the mixture along with lots of minced fresh dill and continue to saute on low until the tomatoes become a bit saucy.

Chop the cucumbers any way you like (biased, sliced, squared, etc) and either saute them with a tiny amount of vegan spread or keep them raw. Place them on a dish and spread the tomato mixture over the top like a sauce. Enjoy!

*This recipe can also be made using Zucchini in place of the cucumbers and poppy seed added to the sauce.

Thanksgiving Meal

Ingredients & Directions:

• MASHED POTATOES
  (red & russet potatoes, rice milk, vegan butter, white pepper, parsley)
• VEGETABLE GRAVY
  (sauteed red onion, celery and red pepper, which I then pureed. I added vegetable broth, some potato starch to thicken, then a pinch of salt and pepper and let it simmer. Delicious!)
• BUTTER NOODLES
  (Barilla angel hair pasta, vegan butter, parsley)
• BANANA BREAD
  (homemade with rice milk and Ener-G Egg Replacer)
  

Review: Cheese: Daiya

Daiya Vegan Cheese Alternative

Oh, how I love thee.  You melt in a very cheese-like way, you make all of my cheesy favorites possible again...and you're so much better than soy!  <3

Review: Mayonaise: Vegenaise

Yes!!  The perfect mayo alternative!  I use this in potato salad, coleslaw, BLT and chik'n sandwiches.  Delicious!

Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's
(l-to-r)

21 Seasoning Salute
Cumin
British Multi-grain English Muffins
Cumin & Chili Chickpeas
Multigrain Entertainers Crackers
Sesame Pita Pockets
Spicy Hummus
Basmati Rice Medley
Vegetable Broth
73% Belgian Dark Chocolate Non-Pareils
White Kidney Beans

Review: Wheat Thin Fiber Selects: Garden Vegetable

Extremely delicious with roasted pepper hummus!  You might eat the whole box...not saying that I did or anything. ;)

Review: Bread: Oroweat Health Nut

Very good, very nutty bread.  Especially wonderful for peanut butter and raspberry jelly sandwiches!  I almost always eat my lunch on the way to work (at 5AM) because I love this so much! :)

Review: Bagel: Franz Bagels

Everything bagels with your soup or as a bun for a sandwich.

Raisin Cinnamon for a quick, delicious breakfast.

Most bagels I've seen have dairy/whey in them, so watch out.  Not sure if Franz is strictly a northwest company or what, but I think Sara Lee bagels might be Vegan too.  I'll get back to you on that though...

Review: Pie: Marie Callender's Blackberry Cobbler

Yum!  Add a scoop of Purely Decadent coconut frozen dessert in Vanilla Bean and perfecto!

Some apple pies are Vegan as well, but now that I'm not in Las Vegas anymore, I can't seem to find them!  Watch those labels!

Review: Chocolate: Hershey's Genuine Chocolate Flavor Syrup

Corn syrup, anyone?

Although I don't recommend this as something regular to consume, I do love it in my morning soy mocha! And here's a little secret: many of the small coffee houses in Seattle use this very syrup to make their mochas too! :)  And I should know because I ask to see the labels/packages of everything I consume!

Review: Dough: Fillo Dough

Great for pastry sweets and spring rolls and anything you can think of to wrap in super thin pastry sheets!  I definitely have a lot more experimenting to do with these things!

Review: Chips: Lay's Balsamic Sweet Onion

Lay's Balsamic Sweet Onion

These are a great choice if an old favorite of yours was sour cream & onion potato chips.  They have a creamy texture and they're not as heavy as the standard onion chip.  These ones are great with a summertime avocado wrap!

Review: Chips: Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos

Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos

According to their website, these things are not only dairy-free, but porcine-free too (gross!). Anyway, for the junk food addict in us all (well, most of us), may I present to you the most delicious discovery I have found in my many hours of label reading while grocery shopping. This was totally an accident that I even found these, as I'd normally just passed over things I thought were cheese-filled. The "cheesy" flavor in this particular chip is all in the YEAST. :)


P.S. Super yum with red pepper hummus!!

Review: Chocolate: Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate


The semi-sweet only kind is Vegan. You can also get this in the new "mini" chip form as well.

Review: Chocolate: VeganSweets' White Chocolate Chips

VeganSweets' White Chocolate Chips

Wow, so sweet and so tasty!  I got these at my local Vegan grocery store, but you can buy them online for only $3.99.  Most white chocolate that I know of is made with milk, so this was a lucky find!  Can't wait to do some experimenting with these!  

Review: Marshmallow: Sweet & Sara Marshmallows

Sweet & Sara Marshmallows


These can be found at Whole Foods, I hear, but I found them at my local Vegan grocery store. Whoever said a marshmallow couldn't be made without boiled pig skins was out of their mind! These little mini marshmallows were perfect on my mocha (and by themselves too)! :)

Review: Egg: Bob's Red Mill Ground Flaxseed Meal

Bob's Red Mill Ground Flaxseed Meal


I used to use Ener-G for baking, but now I loooooove flaxseed meal. So easy to use and adds some extra healthiness to your baking! Simply combine 1 tbsp flaxseed meal with 3 tbsp water, mix and set aside for 2-10 minutes. The flax will completely absorb the water and the outcome equals 1 egg in a recipe!


You can add this to breads, muffins and even your morning cereal, as a 2 tbsp serving provides 6 grams of protein per serving and 8 grams of fiber. :)

Review: Ice Cream: Coconut Bliss Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

Coconut Bliss Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

Usually more expensive than Purely Decadent, I only opt for this one if its on sale. Mint Galactica and Amaretto Cherry are the best!

Review: Egg: Tofu

Extra Firm Tofu can be made into an egg scramble by crumbling it up with your fingers and cooking it over a medium heat, adding a dash of curry, onions, hash-brown potatoes and peppers to make a complete omelet! :)

Review: Egg: Ener-G Egg Replacer

Ener-G Egg Replacer

This box will last you a long time if you only bake every other week or so.  Basically, any baking recipe calling for egg, not to fluff it or use as a meringue, mind you, but for standard egg/baking purposes.  

1 1/2 tsp mix to 2 tbsp water mixed thoroughly = 1 egg

Review: Ground Beef: Gimme Lean Ground Beef Style

Gimme Lean Ground Beef Style


The best all around ground beef substitute. You can make tacos, burgers, meatballs, meatloaf and so much more with this. I hear the sausage style one is good too...I'll have to check that out!

Review: Chicken: Boca Spicy Chik'n Meatless Patties

Boca Spicy Chik'n Meatless Patties (made with non-GMO soy)



Cook these babies in the oven and put 'em on a fancy bun and dinner is served! Again, as with the boca burgers, do not, I repeat do not, get the Chik'n patties in the red box! If you think you're doing good with the red box kind, think again...because those patties are made with GMO-filled soy.  Yeck!  Let's all try to eat a little less mutated food! :)

What you should know about GMOs!

SayNoToGMOs.org - Get started! from April Macaraeg on Vimeo.

Review: Burger: Boca Burger Vegan Meatless Burgers

Boca Burger Vegan Meatless Burgers

So delicious cooked in a pan with red onions to really bring out the flavor.  Always, always buy the boca burgers in the brown box.  If you think you're doing good with the red box kind, think again...because those burgers are made with GMO-filled soy.  Yeck!  Let's all try to eat a little less mutated food! :)

What you should know about GMOs!

SayNoToGMOs.org - Get started! from April Macaraeg on Vimeo.

Review: Ice Cream: So Delicious Coconut Milk Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches

So Delicious Coconut Milk Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches

Yum!! These are so good, you'll probably eat one on the way home in the car! I do! Shh!!

Review: Ice Cream: Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Soy frozen dessert is blah.  Coconut milk frozen dessert, however, is so delicious that I swear you will be convinced it is not Vegan!  Very creamy and does not get freezer burnt like soy does.  All of Purely Decadent's Coconut Milk ice creams are high on my list of recommended vegan treats.  My favorite is Mocha Almond Fudge (pictured), but I also love Vanilla Bean over a nice slice of apple pie or as part of a root beer float!

Review: Milk: Silk Soy Milk

Silk Very Vanilla Soy Milk


Love, love, love, love, loooooove this stuff!  So delicious!  I recommend this soy milk for cereal, baking and making mochas.  Speaking from someone who has had their fair share of soy milk, there are some really gnarly versions out there.  I've found that the "natural organic" ones are the worst, as they taste like the carton they came in!  Please don't be deterred if you've had one of those soy milks and hated it...try this one!!  

Also, their chocolate milk is delicious too, if you have little ones.

I used to live in the southwest, where there is a chain grocery store called Fresh & Easy.  If you live near one of those grocery stores, their brand of chocolate soy is delicious as well!  Very smooth and creamy!

Review: Butter: Earth Balance

Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks

Hands down, the best Vegan butter alternative out there.  I use it in sauteing, baking, raw...you name it!  Love this stuff.  A quick Earth-friendly tip: buy the stick version (pictured above) instead of the plastic tub.  Same amount of butter, same price, minus the plastic!

Smart Balance Light (watch out because only the "light" version is Vegan) is also good, but the flax in it causes foods to thicken in a way that may not be appealing if using when baking or making candies.

Review: Cookies: Brownies

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Double Chocolate Brownie

Yum!  Gluten-free and delicious!  The Chocolate Chip version is also vegan.