Showing posts with label Veganism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Veganism. Show all posts

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Vegan Caesar Salad Recipe

Whether you are vegan or not, replacing a few meals a week with vegan (animal product free) meals is a great thing to do for your body! This is a yummy recipe from "Veganomicon" and I'm sure you will love it!


Caesar dressing:
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3/4 cup silken tofu
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 heaping tablespoon capers
4 teaspoons caper brine
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
Salt

Croutons:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves roasted garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 medium size loaf French or Italian bread (little less than 1 pound), stale and torn or sliced into bite-sized pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
1 large head romaing lettuce, chopped
Freshly cracked black pepper
Handful or two of spinach and/or arugula, torn into bite-sized pieces (optional)
Prepare the dressing: Pulse the sliced almonds in a food processor or blender until crumbly.

Empty the ground almonds into an airtight container that you'll be using to store the finished dressing. Blend the garlic, tofu, and oil in the food processor or belnder until creamy. Add the lemon juice, capers, caper brine, sugar, and mustard powder, and pulse until blended. Adjust the salt and lemon juice to taste. Put into the container with the ground almonds and whisk to combine. Cover and allow the dressing to chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes, optimally 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

While the dressing is chilling, prepare the croutons: Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine the olive oil, roasted garlic, and lemon juice in a large bowl. With a fork or immersion blender, mash orblend the mixture until creamy. Add the torn bread and toss to coat each piece with the oil mixture. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, if desired, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until golden brown. Toss the croutons twice during the baking process. Remove from the oven and cool the croutons on the baking sheet.

To assemble the salad, place in a large bowl 2 to 3 cups of lettuce/greens per individual serving (amount depending on whether it's a side or an entree). Ladle on 1/3 cup of the dressing (or more or less to taste), and use kitchen tongs to toss the greens and coat them with dressing.

Add the warm croutons, toss again, and transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with a little freshly cracked pepper. If not serving right away, warm croutons in 300F oven for 5 to 8 minutes before adding to the salad.

Serves 4 to 6 as a side, 2 to 3 as a main.

from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero (Marlowe & Company, 2007) - reprinted with permission.

Your partner in health and success, 

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Edamame: Vegetable, Protein or Both?



More and more people are turning to vegetarian and vegan diets and with that comes the infamous question: "Where do you get your protein?". This isn't going to be all about the fact that we, as humans, don't need nearly the amount of protein as some believe, but I'm going to write about various ways that we, as vegans, can get our protein. One of those ways is edamame.


Some call edamame the super or wonder vegetable because it is the only vegetable that contains all nine essential amino acids. This makes edamame a complete protein source, similar to meat or eggs. Edamame also contains isoflavonoids. They are found in all soy products and are being studied for their health benefits.


Boiled green vegetable soybeans in the pod.Image via WikipediaYou can find edamame in the frozen section of most grocery stores now and it is quite easy to make. As a matter of fact, most is found already cooked and all you need to do is defrost or lightly steam it. It is also fun for the kids to eat, because they get to play with their food!


Here are the nutritional facts for edamame:



Calories125.0
Protein12.1
Carbohydrates13.1
Fat3.6
Ash1.7
Calcium9.3
Phosphorus180.0
Iron2.7
Sodium5.0 
Vitamin A130.0
Vitamin U1 0.31
Vitamin C40.0


So, as you can see, it is an excellent food choice, for vegans and non-vegans alike. The only thing to consider is purchasing it non-GMO and organic, if possible.


Let me know if you have any questions. I'd be happy to answer them!


~Rebecca Ingham
www.RebeccaInghamFitness.com
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