Green Options

In the vegan cooking classes I teach and the outreach I do, I am often asked how to incorporate "organic" food into our diets without breaking the bank. Since I rarely have a simple answer, I usually start off by saying what I think is a really important thing to keep

Keep in mind that the typical consumer is NOT paying the true cost of food. The meat, dairy, and egg industries, in [...]

If the combination of Middle Eastern hummus and Mexican tortillas seems strange, just give it a chance. The result is absolutely delicious, and is an incredibly fast meal or snack. And kids of all ages LOVE it!
Makes 8 quesadillas

Ingredients

Hummus (store-bought or made from scratch – see below)
8 corn or flour tortillas
½ cup chopped green onions
1/2-1 cup favorite salsa

I often talk about being a joyful vegan, because it reflects the truth of my experience. In my opinion, to advocate for animals and veganism is to advocate for nonviolence and peace. And, not surprisingly, peace is the byproduct of a vegan lifestyle. It is what you give, create and get back. It is an unexpected gift.

There’s a very deep peace of mind that comes from disconnecting yourself with the inherent violence of [...]

Some people are afraid that their social lives will suffer when they eliminate meat and dairy from their diet, since social occasions and food tend to go hand-in-hand. For anyone who has ever thought it is difficult as a vegetarian to dine out, to eat at the home of a non-vegetarian friend, or to find food to eat at parties, I hope this can be a guide and a resource.

1. Be Specific. [...]

The name pesto derives from tradition of making this sauce in a mortar with a pestle. The following recipe, which I encourage you to use a food processor for, unless you have a few spare hours, proves that you absolutely don’t need cheese to make a fantastic pesto. Purchase fresh basil (or grow it yourself!), and find a nice fruity olive oil.

Advance Preparation: Pesto freezes very well. Defrost pesto at room temperature, about [...]

In Parts I and II, we talked about the making of tofu, the freezing of tofu, and everything in between, Now, let’s talk about a few things you can do with extra firm tofu – a few quick dishes you can make for lunch or dinner. I’ve already mentioned the fact that the silken is pretty much just for pudding or pie filling, so I’m talking about using extra firm [...]

In Part I, we took a pretty close look at the process of turning healthful soy beans into delicious tofu. Now let’s talk about the different texture varieties: silken/soft, firm/extra firm, etc.

Soft/Silken
Soft/silken tofu is undrained tofu, and it contains the highest moisture content of all fresh tofus. Its texture can be described as similar to that of very fine custard. In Korea and Japan, traditional soft tofu is made with [...]

This recipe is perfect for anytime, but it makes a perfect accompaniment to a traditional English tea. Makes 5 whole sandwiches, 10 halves, or 20 quarters

Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds tofu, extra firm or super firm*
1/2 cup eggless mayonnaise (Nayonnaise and Vegenaise are great, but Wildwood’s Garlic Aioli is my fave)
2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
4 scallions (white and green parts), finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, [...]

The versatile little soy bean is used to make such delicious foods as tofu, tempeh, miso, and soy milk, and yet it’s misunderstood, especially here in the West. Tofu is derided, scoffed at, and even feared by some, and I’m here to set things right. Our little lesson may seem technical at first, but once you read it, I think you’ll come away with a much better understanding of our high-protein friend and [...]

Some of the most wonderful aspects of eating a plant-based diet is choosing from the huge variety of foods at your disposal and experiencing a change in your palate. My favorite foods today were definitely not my favorite foods 25 years ago (my father owned ice cream stores), or 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago. It’s so exciting to continually eat better, learn more, and feel healthier all the time. It just [...]