24/06/2009

Musings from the Fishbowl Giveaway!!

Head on over there now to be in with a chance of winning one of two copies of Sweet Freedom. Sweeeeet as. click here GO VEGAN!

22/06/2009

Pepperoni Style Sausage

This is one of my favourite ways to make Seitan. It is seriously moreish. I've used it in sandwiches, stews, on pizzas and just for slicing off a hunk and snacking with. Pepperoni Style Sausage makes 2 sausages each about 200 grams Ingredients 1 1/2 cups of Vital Wheat Gluten 1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast 1 tsp Onion Powder 1 tsp Garlic Salt 3 Cloves of Garlic, squeezed through a garlic press 1 1/2 tsp Mixed Herbs 1 Tblsp Toasted Sesame Seeds (toast your own if you can) 1/2 cup Thick "Beef" broth 1/4 cup Red Wine 1 Tblsp Soy Sauce 1 Tblsp Olive Oil 5 Tblsp Tomato Paste 2 Sundried Tomatoes, diced thinly 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke few drops of Tabasco
Directions Place in a bowl the Vital Wheat Gluten, Nutritional Yeast and crushed Garlic. Mix well with a fork. Add the Garlic Salt, Onion Powder and Mixed herbs. The contents of this bowl shall forever be known as "dry ingredients". In a separate bowl - place the rest of the ingredients and mix well. The contents of this bowl shall be known as "wet ingredients" Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a fork until it all comes together to form a dough. Knead for a few minutes. Pesky bits of Sundried Tomatoes will keep popping out but just stick 'em back in. Take 2 pieces of aluminum foil and lightly oil. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and roll each piece into a sausage shape about 6 inches long and 3 inches diameter. Roll up each sausage in each piece of foil and roll the foil round the sausage. Twist the ends tight so as the sausage shape retains. Bake in the middle of an oven at 200 degrees for 40 mins turning round half way through cooking time. Unwrap and leave to cool completely. Each sausage yields about 25 1/4 inch slices and will get scoffed very very quickly! I should make double this recipe each time really.
The dough
Rolled out like a sausage "I did a twisty, a tiny twisty" NOM NOM!
GO VEGAN!

12/06/2009

Is there anything more beautiful than a Coconut Cream Pie?

Apart from two Coconut Cream Pies that is? NAH! There isn't. We were invited to our friends house for dinner last night and being aware of the fact that a lot of people go into a hyperventilating fit at the mere thought of making anything vegan - I offered to bring dessert*. Admittedly this Pie wasn't my first choice. I had made a Strawberry Cheesecake but my miscalculation of how much Agar Agar to use resulted in Strawberry Sludge. Delicious Strawberry Sludge I hasten to add - but sludge all the same. Never one to panic in the face of disaster *ahem* I had the brilliant idea of consulting the Vegan Tickles blog - where amongst her photos of beautiful mouth watering desserts, I knew I would find inspiration. Oh boy am I glad I did! How I had forgotten her post about Coconut Cream Pie is completely beyond me but I shall never forget it from this moment on. I had all the ingredients as well so I didn't even need to make a special trip to the supermarket or anything (was this a sign or what!). The recipe can be found here from deliciousTV.com
no inside shot 'cos it was scoffed up in seconds
The base is lovely and crisp and holds together perfectly and the filling is delicately coconutty with the right amount of sweetness. It sets perfectly and is oh so creamy and delicious. The fact that this was the eaisest dessert IN THE WORLD as well makes it an all round thumbs up ten out of ten and will be making a regular appearance in the treehugger household. Yep - I'm glad the Strawberry Cheesecake was a big fat sludgey fail and I'm glad this Pie has come into my life. GO VEGAN! *which is one of the many good reasons for inviting me to dinner

04/06/2009

That's Why We Don't Eat Animals

New book for children, and adults, because I'm sure gonna buy myself a copy and show my support to the Author and Illustrator, Ruby Roth. Here’s the blurb from the book’s website http://www.wedonteatanimals.com
‘That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals’ takes a candid, compassionate look at the plight of animals on factory farms, using gorgeous artwork and lively text to introduce vegetarianism and veganism to early readers. An endearing cast of animals is shown both in their natural state—rooting around, bonding, nuzzling, cuddling, grooming one another, and charming each other with their family instincts and rituals—and in the sad conditions of the factory farm. The book also addresses the effect eating animals has on our environment, rain forests, and endangered species. At the end, a section entitled “What Else Can We Do?” suggests ways children can learn more about the vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. The boldest step yet in children’s literature, this heartfelt, informative book offers a key resource to inspire parents and children to talk about a timely, increasingly important subject.
If you're in LA this Saturday 6th June then pop along to Storyopolis where you can meet Ruby for the official Launch Party. And if that's not enough to tempt you there, there will be Cookies and Milk too! Provided by Uncle Eddies Vegan Cookies and Rice Dream!
Click on poster to enlarge. Go along and let me know how awesome it is!
GO VEGAN!