I never get tired of hummus. It's a simple food that's high in protein, can be made various ways, and is versatile and goes with so many different flavors and tastes. I love to make it and put it in a pita with an heirloom tomato and sprouts. Takes 5 minutes and I can take it to work for lunch. I also like it in a wrap with fresh veggies and pickles (who knew that hummus and pickles together were so delicious?!).
I've had some requests for my favorite hummus recipe. Here it is:
1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
3 T lemon or lime juice
1 1/2 T tahini (sesame butter)
2 T olive oil
1/2 t salt
2 cloves of garlic - crushed
1/4 c liquid from the chickpeas
Drain the chickpeas (but be sure to save 1/4 c of the liquid) and put them into a blender. Add all the other ingredients and blend until desired smoothness. I like my hummus a little thicker, so I don't blend until it's completely smooth. Serve immediately or refrigerate until you're ready.
Believe me, even those of you who can barely boil water can make this and it's so quick. Let me know how you like to eat your hummus. Enjoy!
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Even vegan bloggers falter
In case you've noticed, it's been awhile since my last post. I didn't set out to take the summer off, but through travel and competing priorities, that's what's happened.
I started out the summer as committed as could be. Then I went to Sweden. And South Carolina. And somehow, through all the travel and the stresses that come with it, I faltered. I took my eye off the ball. I decided the world wouldn't stop revolving if I had some cheese. And then after having cheese, I thought maybe ice cream wouldn't be so bad. Before I knew it, I was eating as a vegetarian, not the vegan that I thought I had become. It was oh-so-easy to fall off the wagon, and, since I'm the only vegan I know, no one else cared.
But my allergies came back. And so did my sense that I wasn't living consistent with my values. And that ultimately feels much worse than turning down that frozen yogurt, delicious as it may be. So I'm recommitted. I'm going to focus on those delicious vegan cookbooks in the store, and cooking my way through the 15,000 vegan recipes on vegweb.com. And serving as a role model for my son.
Nothing is more delicious than that.
I started out the summer as committed as could be. Then I went to Sweden. And South Carolina. And somehow, through all the travel and the stresses that come with it, I faltered. I took my eye off the ball. I decided the world wouldn't stop revolving if I had some cheese. And then after having cheese, I thought maybe ice cream wouldn't be so bad. Before I knew it, I was eating as a vegetarian, not the vegan that I thought I had become. It was oh-so-easy to fall off the wagon, and, since I'm the only vegan I know, no one else cared.
But my allergies came back. And so did my sense that I wasn't living consistent with my values. And that ultimately feels much worse than turning down that frozen yogurt, delicious as it may be. So I'm recommitted. I'm going to focus on those delicious vegan cookbooks in the store, and cooking my way through the 15,000 vegan recipes on vegweb.com. And serving as a role model for my son.
Nothing is more delicious than that.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Orange Zucchini Bread
It's a rainy and almost chilly 4th of July in the desert today, and it's got me in the mood for warm, gooey, home-made bread. Plus, I just picked fresh zucchini from my garden and want to use it. Here's a recipe that fits the bill!
1 cup zucchini (grated or finely chopped)
1 1/2 cup ripe bananas
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons orange peel
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray non-stick olive oil spray in a small bread pan. Use a whisk to stir together zucchini, bananas, applesauce, sugar and vanilla, making sure to eliminate chunks of banana. Add all remaining ingredients and stir until batter forms. Pour into bread pan and bake for 50 minutes or until the toothpick test shows it's done.
This bread will give your entire home that something-delicious-is-in-the-oven fragrance. And if you don't have a willing sous-chef around to help, lick the batter yourself.
Happy Independence Day!
1 cup zucchini (grated or finely chopped)
1 1/2 cup ripe bananas
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons orange peel
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray non-stick olive oil spray in a small bread pan. Use a whisk to stir together zucchini, bananas, applesauce, sugar and vanilla, making sure to eliminate chunks of banana. Add all remaining ingredients and stir until batter forms. Pour into bread pan and bake for 50 minutes or until the toothpick test shows it's done.
This bread will give your entire home that something-delicious-is-in-the-oven fragrance. And if you don't have a willing sous-chef around to help, lick the batter yourself.
Happy Independence Day!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Meat on the menu in Rio
Last week, diplomatic, environmental and corporate leaders from around the world converged on Rio de Janeiro in Brazil for Rio+20, The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. According to the event's website, "the conference will focus on two themes: (a) a green economy in the context of sustainable development poverty eradication; and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable development."
Though pundits were less than optimistic about the actual outcomes of the conference, there was much excitement around such a large conference with global participation and a mix of private and public sector leaders. These are people who have devoted their careers to saving our planet so they must be the most green, environmentally responsible of us all right? Not necessarily? Well, at least the world's largest gathering to discuss the future of the environment must have been planned to leave the smallest impact on the earth, right? I mean, at the very least, I'm sure the meals were vegetarian. Knowing that the United Nations' very own Food and Agriculture Organization published "Livestock's Long Shadow", in which they found that the meat industry is "one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems...urgent action is required to remedy the situation." They also found that livestock is responsible for more greenhouse gasses than the transportation industry. So of course they wouldn't want to add to the problem by serving meat, right? They wouldn't dream of being so hypocritical.
But they were. And they did. Meat consumption is different from other environmental issues because it requires personal reflection. It requires a level of commitment to rise above cultural norms. It's not as easy as recycling or driving a hybrid car. But removing meat from one's diet is the single most important and impactful thing you can do to save the environment.
Are you ready?
Though pundits were less than optimistic about the actual outcomes of the conference, there was much excitement around such a large conference with global participation and a mix of private and public sector leaders. These are people who have devoted their careers to saving our planet so they must be the most green, environmentally responsible of us all right? Not necessarily? Well, at least the world's largest gathering to discuss the future of the environment must have been planned to leave the smallest impact on the earth, right? I mean, at the very least, I'm sure the meals were vegetarian. Knowing that the United Nations' very own Food and Agriculture Organization published "Livestock's Long Shadow", in which they found that the meat industry is "one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems...urgent action is required to remedy the situation." They also found that livestock is responsible for more greenhouse gasses than the transportation industry. So of course they wouldn't want to add to the problem by serving meat, right? They wouldn't dream of being so hypocritical.
But they were. And they did. Meat consumption is different from other environmental issues because it requires personal reflection. It requires a level of commitment to rise above cultural norms. It's not as easy as recycling or driving a hybrid car. But removing meat from one's diet is the single most important and impactful thing you can do to save the environment.
Are you ready?
Monday, June 11, 2012
The dog you love, the cow you eat
This post is less insight into being vegan and more about introspection. Ready? Here goes.
I work in animal welfare and know so many people who would do absolutely anything for their pets. They dedicate their lives to saving homeless animals - often taking countless numbers of cats and dogs into their lives and their families. These people are truly selfless and caring.
But not one of them is vegan.
Not only are they not vegan, they like to joke with me about my "extreme" lifestyle and tell me how much they love their meat and dairy. Where is the disconnect? Where's the comprehension that cows and chickens are living, breathing beings that know how to love and feel pain? What about the fact that pigs have the intelligence of 3 year old human children? And that cows cry in agony when they are separated from their babies (which is the result of a dairy industry that sells the baby male cows for veal)? Is the taste of that burger or that slice of bacon so important to them that they are willing to contribute to an industry built on the suffering of sentient beings - sisters and brothers to those same sentient beings that they've dedicated their careers and much of their lives to saving?
In the groundbreaking book, Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows, Melanie Joy attempts to answer this very question. She coins the term "carnism" to describe the cultural phenomenon that causes us to love some animals while ignoring (and even contributing to) the suffering of others. I believe that if more people made emotional connections to cows, pigs, chickens and other farm animals, and really experienced their individual personalities, there would be many more vegans. And as Sir Paul McCartney famously said, "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian."
Quite right.
I work in animal welfare and know so many people who would do absolutely anything for their pets. They dedicate their lives to saving homeless animals - often taking countless numbers of cats and dogs into their lives and their families. These people are truly selfless and caring.
But not one of them is vegan.
Not only are they not vegan, they like to joke with me about my "extreme" lifestyle and tell me how much they love their meat and dairy. Where is the disconnect? Where's the comprehension that cows and chickens are living, breathing beings that know how to love and feel pain? What about the fact that pigs have the intelligence of 3 year old human children? And that cows cry in agony when they are separated from their babies (which is the result of a dairy industry that sells the baby male cows for veal)? Is the taste of that burger or that slice of bacon so important to them that they are willing to contribute to an industry built on the suffering of sentient beings - sisters and brothers to those same sentient beings that they've dedicated their careers and much of their lives to saving?
In the groundbreaking book, Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows, Melanie Joy attempts to answer this very question. She coins the term "carnism" to describe the cultural phenomenon that causes us to love some animals while ignoring (and even contributing to) the suffering of others. I believe that if more people made emotional connections to cows, pigs, chickens and other farm animals, and really experienced their individual personalities, there would be many more vegans. And as Sir Paul McCartney famously said, "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian."
Quite right.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Veganism: Not a magic bullet for weight loss
You all know I'm obviously a huge proponent of a plant-based diet and lifestyle. But I also believe in sharing information that is true and complete, to help people make better decisions. And I don't think there are more important decisions that you can make than about your health and your ethical beliefs. And veganism plays into both.
Giving up animal products can definitely improve your health. It can help you lose weight. It can reverse certain types of diseases. But it's not a magic bullet and I'm not going to tell you that it is. There are overweight vegans just like there are skinny people who eat tons of sugar and processed foods. That's life. But if you revolutionize your diet to exclude not only animal products but also processed foods, you have a much better chance of improving your health, the environment, and preventing more cruelty on factory farms. Kathy Freston's new book, The Lean, helps people move from animal products and processed food to a whole foods, plant-based diet in a step-by-step, gradual way. I learned a few dirty tricks that you may want to be aware of as your transition:
Giving up animal products can definitely improve your health. It can help you lose weight. It can reverse certain types of diseases. But it's not a magic bullet and I'm not going to tell you that it is. There are overweight vegans just like there are skinny people who eat tons of sugar and processed foods. That's life. But if you revolutionize your diet to exclude not only animal products but also processed foods, you have a much better chance of improving your health, the environment, and preventing more cruelty on factory farms. Kathy Freston's new book, The Lean, helps people move from animal products and processed food to a whole foods, plant-based diet in a step-by-step, gradual way. I learned a few dirty tricks that you may want to be aware of as your transition:
- Some restaurants coat items at their salad bars with oil so they are heavier and you pay more. If your greens are shiny, you might want to pass.
- If you're trying to wean yourself from soda, it might help you to realize that there's added salt in soda to make you thirstier so you drink more.
This made me angry but sometimes anger can be an ally when trying to make a change - don't let the saboteurs win! And make sure you are prepared for hungry moments. I ran into a colleague today who's leaning into being vegan - he was upset that he could only have lettuce and tomato at the salad bar because everything else was gone. If this is a possibility, bring your lunch that day! You can easily freeze something you cooked and warm it up in the microwave at work. Much better than being hungry, angry or tempted.
It's a process and it's not about being perfect. It's about living your values, loving yourself, and those who love you.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The top 5 resources to help you go vegan
Every day you hear how important it is to exercise to get in shape, and I know I'm seeing lots of people enjoying the outdoors in the gorgeous spring weather. But while exercise is vital to health, it’s only half the equation when it comes to becoming healthy, getting fit and staying in shape. You also need to focus equally on what goes into your body. Every day, people are making the choice to go vegan for their health, and they are discovering the myriad benefits not only to themselves, but to the animals and environment as well. So if you want to give veganism a try, here are the top five resources that will help you get started (and they’re all free!).
21-Day Vegan Kickstart: The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, a very reputable resource-based organization, has developed a 21-day plan to help with the transition to veganism. They offer a detailed, day-by-day meal plan, a daily message, nutrition webcasts, tips from celebrities, a community forum, and other useful supports to help you in your transition.
VegWeb: This website has recipes for every possible food you can imagine and even more that you can’t. There are over 15,000 recipes that you can search by category, and each one has ratings from people who’ve made the dish and feedback. If you think vegans eat only salad, some time browsing on this site will change your mind.
VegNews: This is the top magazine for the vegan community. It has its own vegan starter kit, and it also provides the latest news in vegan products and issues from travel to recipes and everything in between. It also has a robust website. The current issue is focused on vegan men, so pick it up for yourself or the men in your life!
Forks Over Knives and Vegucated: If you love film (and even if you don’t), both of these documentaries set out a very compelling foundation for the reasons behind a plant-based diet. Forks Over Knives is completely based around the nutritional aspects of veganism as told by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., two of the foremost experts on the subject. Vegucated follows three New Yorkers who answered an ad to try veganism for six weeks and documents their experiences.
Happycow.net: You probably won’t want to cook all of your meals, and happycow.net can find vegan or veg-friendly restaurants near you. They have a global directory of restaurants and health-food stores with information on the types of food you’ll find, directions, hours, and more. You may discover vegan or veg-friendly resources near you that you never considered.
As you discover more about veganism, you’ll find your favorite resources. You’ll soon see and feel the benefits and maybe even inspire your friends and family to become vegan too. And who could ask for a better start to spring?
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