by Michaela Kennedy | Jun 23, 2014 | Vegan Main Meals
Being vegans we can crave a burger, not a beef burger that is. Yes you can choose tofu, tempeh or seitan but you can also use veggies. The trick is to know which veggie to use, so the burger won’t fall apart and still tastes great. Yes you can choose tofu, tempeh or seitan.
My favourite is chickpeas and black-eyed peas.
Chickpeas and Black-Eyed Peas
Chickpeas are so amazing and versatile. You can eat them in salads, roast them until they are crunchy, or you can turn them into fabulous burgers. Think of falafels, but bigger. I make the most incredible chickpea burgers and serve them with Tzatziki sauce on top.
Chickpeas are the main ingredient of the World’s Healthiest Veggie Burger Patty as well as in actress Mayim Bialik’s Big Bang Vegan Chickpea Burger Patty.
[bctt tweet=”Check out these top 10 vegetable to use in vegan burgers. #vegansnacks #allveganfoods” username=”allveganfoods”]
On the other side of the color spectrum from chickpeas are black-eyed peas. These legumes, also known as pigeon peas, are perfect for burgers because they have a taste and texture that’s not too beany or grainy. I use them in my Black-Eyed Pea Burgers with Mississippi Comeback Sauce.
Both chickpeas and black-eyed peas are very mild in flavor, so don’t be shy with the seasonings.
Read about the other veggies at http://www.onegreenplanet.org/
Photo credit: Ewan Munro
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
