by Michaela Kennedy | Jun 20, 2014 | Side Dishes
The first thing to consider is which oil to use when you want to grill asparagus. Coconut oil is more healthy when used for high-heat cooking. Use your expensive Extra Virgin Olive oil for salad dressings. It is easy to use coconut oil and if it's still solid then just take a small amount between your hands. Then give the asparagus a little massage and ‘voila' you have the asparagus covered in coconut oil. Avocado oil is also good for high-heat cooking.
For 2 generous servings you will need:
500 g /1 lb. asparagus
2 Tbsp / 10ml coconut oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
Trim the bases of the asparagus spears. Break them off by hand. I prefer to break them off by hand by starting with the base between my thumb and index finger and giving it a slight bend.
Heat your grill to high 200°C /400°F. Wash the asparagus and pat dry. Place in a baking dish and toss with coconut oil, salt, and ground pepper until all of the spears are coated. When the grill is hot, place the spears across the grates and grill about 3 minutes then flip them over. Grill another 3 minutes or so until just blistering. Remove from heat and serve.
Here are 11 vegan asparagus recipes http://www.glueandglitter.com/ for you to get inspired by.
by Michaela Kennedy | Jun 20, 2014 | Recipes
Can a serious mountain climber be vegan? Kuntal Joisher who is a software engineer and has climbed Mount Everest says:
I just returned from a trip climbing the north side of Mount Elbrus, the highest peak on the European continent, located in the Caucasus Mountains. Most people whom I met on my trip to Russia were skeptical of my diet during the expedition. See, there are a lot of climbers out there, some of who have even summited Everest, but I'd venture to say that very few of them are vegetarian, let alone strict vegans.
I am a strict vegan climber who attempted to summit Everest this year on a purely vegan diet, and I just summited Elbrus.
Surprisingly, most of the people I met in Russia, including my guide team, had never even heard the word “vegan.” Russia is considered to be a predominantly meat and dairy country due to the harsh weather. Because they can't imagine any meal without either of these items, my new Russian friends were wondering how I would be able to climb the mountain without eating meat or consuming dairy, recommended climbing dietary staples.
Read the article at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Image Courtesy: Rupert Taylor-Price (www.flickr.com/photos/38154080@N00/534748923), Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic | Flickr
by Michaela Kennedy | Jun 16, 2014 | Food Guide
Easy, cheap, healthy vegan meals… watch eco-vegan gal and see how it's done.
by Michaela Kennedy | Jun 13, 2014 | Food Guide
… you can buy in supermarkets?
OK, most of the time approx. 85% I buy fresh foods and make my vegan meals at home but there are occasions where I do get tempted to buy cookies. This list is handy to have min mind. From the article:
The basics are a no-brainer when you're trying to eat a diet free of animal products. But while things like meat, eggs and cheese are easy to avoid, adhering to a vegan diet is far more nuanced than it can seem – especially when processed foods with long ingredients lists and difficult-to-pronounce names can disguise animal products.
For example, white sugar can be filtered with bone char, charred animal bones that can make sugar appear whiter (although this process is reportedly used less and less in food these days). And certain candies, which may seem vegan-friendly, include the ingredient confectioner's glaze, made from bug secretions.
I totally agree, which is one of the reasons I prepare my own meals.
While PETA supports a strict adherence to veganism, we put the task of vigorously reducing animal suffering ahead of personal purity. Boycotting products that are 99.9 percent vegan sends the message to manufacturers that there is no market for this food, which ends up hurting more animals.
I was surprised to find the Oreo on the Vegan list, yes the ingredients are vegan however palm oil is not environment friendly as rainforests are rapidly giving way to countless rows of neatly planted oil palm trees. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Get the list (but not the Oreo!) at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
by Michaela Kennedy | Jun 12, 2014 | Food Guide
Mayonnaise can add zing to your food. A good vegan and healthy mayonnaise is not always at hand or easy to find. I tried to get one in Tenerife, no luck, only one thing to do: make it myself. I believe I have tried about 15 different recipes, below I share the 3 that turned out to be the best. Even they are healthy they do contain oil, so use the mayonnaise with that in mind.
1. Lemon Tahini Mayonnaise
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice equal to 1 average sized lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 6 fresh dates, pitted
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup water
Instructions:
Place all of the ingredients in your blender and blend until creamy and smooth. If you have a high-speed blender one minute should be enough. If not, then maybe 5 minutes.
2. Silken Tofu Vegan Mayonnaise
Ingredients:
- 4 oz soft silken tofu
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 cup olive oil – or walnut or avocado oil
- Salt, your favorite and your taste
Instructions:
Put tofu, lemon juice and mustard in a blender or use a wand blender for about 30 seconds or until the tofu is smooth.
While blending, slowly add in the oil until dense and the mixture thickens. Add the salt and blend.
Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste
3. Tofu-Cashew Mayonnaise
This recipe makes 2 cups or half a litre of mayonnaise. If you’re not likely to use that much within two or three weeks, then make a half batch only.
Ingredients
- 12.3 ounce / 350 g firm silken tofu
- 1/2 cup / 2 ounces /1 dl raw cashews
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, any variety
- salt to taste
Instructions:
Drain water from tofu and place it and all other ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend at highest speed until light and creamy. Add salt to taste and blend again. Seal tightly and keep refrigerated. Stir before each use.
To make this in a food processor or regular blender, soak the cashews for 12 hours and process until smooth.
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The photo is a traditional Danish “smorrebrød/smorgas”, rye bread, potato, mayonnaise and chives.
Photo credit: Cyclone Bill
