The Basic Vegan Resource

Vegan is becoming much more popular and more of a household word, yet so many still struggle with the idea of it. Or maybe you're confused about what exactly it is. For those of you that have been following my blog for some time know that I am a strict vegan but am not one to preach. BUT, a lot of people have questions and more and more are interested in switching over to the vegan lifestyle. Studies continue to come out that praise the vegan lifestyle for its vast health benefits. Thankfully there are so many documentaries, books, websites, etcetera today to help those who have interest.

My goal for this post is to provide a basic resource for anyone who is anywhere on the spectrum: a wholehearted meat-eater that is just wondering what the heck a vegan even really is, to the skeptic, to the flexitarian, to someone who wants to dip their toes in the vegan lifestyle, to the dedicated vegans. We can all learn just a little more. You should learn something new every day, right?

In my old blog space, I wrote a post about my reasoning for being vegan, read it here. I have found that there are lot of people out there that have tried being vegan, but they quit, saying it was too hard. Or people that see my lunch everyday and think it must be a lot of work for me. But the truth is, if you're organized and educated in how things are prepared and what goes into different dishes, it is truly easy! Some may say it is a social complication, but personally I've decided that this is something that matters to me and therefore is easy to follow-through.

The Basics:
There is a spectrum from flexitarian all the way to vegan, below will give you the quick run-down.

Flexitarian (semi-vegetarian): an omnivore who isn't ready to fully commit to the vegetarian lifestyle, but is reducing his/her meat consumption.

Pescetarian: people who eat seafood, dairy and eggs, but no other meat.

Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian: a person who doesn't eat any meat or fish, but does consume products produced by animals like dairy (lacto) and eggs (ovo). Some vegetarians are solely lacto vegetarians.

Vegan: a person who refrains from using/consuming any animal product for food, clothing or any other purpose. This goes beyond meat, but also includes eggs, dairy products and other animal-derived substances

Documentaries:
Forks Over Knives — this is the documentary that finally convinced my husband!
Vegucated
Food, INC
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead — this documentary focuses mostly on the benefits of juicing, which is a whole other subject for another day
Food Matters
And of course, the all famous Super Size Me

Books:
Skinny Bitch — this book is a bit vulgar but is blunt and filled with great research
The Crazy Sexy Diet
The Kind Mama — I am super excited for this book! It is being released this April and covers vegan pregnancy!
The China Study

Online Resources:
NutritionFacts.org — So this website has excellent info and videos, my husband swears by it!
101 Cookbooks
Post Punk Kitchen
Vegan Yum Yum
Oh She Glows
There are so many other sites that I could send you to — the world wide web is so vast — these are just a few good ones to get you started.

Cookbooks:
Like the online resources, there are so many amazing cookbooks out there and ones that are continually getting published, below are a few that I like having on my shelf...
Vegan Eats World
The Conscious Cook
Vedge — a new cookbook I received for Christmas and am still exploring
Oh my, there are so many more (you should see my bookshelf)...But also, I have non-vegan cookbooks that I modify to fit my eating-style.

If you ever have any questions about this lifestyle, you are more than welcome to email me at thepassionateparsley@gmail.com. I am not an expert but have spent many years doing my own research and self-experimentation. Do the research, do a 30-day trial, find what is best for you!

Thai Butternut Squash Red Curry

A little known fact about me is that Thai curry ranks on my top favorite foods list. Over the years I have made so many curries at home, unfortunately none rocked my socks off like they do at my local Thai dining establishments. Finally, I have created a competitor: butternut squash red curry with chickpeas and baby bellas!

Ingredients:
3 small butternut squash
1 package baby bella mushrooms, quartered or halved, depending on the size of the mushrooms
vegetable or olive oil
2/3 c. Thai red curry paste
3 - 15 oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 - 15 oz. cans coconut milk
1 bunch fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
2 T. sugar in the raw (you could use brown sugar here too)
sea salt

1. Peel the squash, cut it lengthwise in half, and scoop out the seeds. Cut into 1/2-1 inch cubes.

2. Heat a large heavy pot. Add the oil, then the curry paste. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the squash and stir to coat with curry paste. Stir in the chickpeas and season with salt. Add the coconut milk and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes or until the squash begins to soften.

3. Stir in the sugar in the raw, cilantro and mushrooms. Simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes. The squash should be tender but not falling apart. Season to taste with salt.

4. Serve over a bed of organic brown rice and enjoy!

This recipe is so easy yet has unbelievable flavor. It packs a little bit of heat with a sweet creaminess. You won't regret trying this recipe out and you'll definitely have enough for leftovers!

Lentil Mushroom Burgers

When it comes to celebrating or just caring for those I love, it comes down to food and maybe even a great glass of wine. One way I truly know how to show love to those who are dear to me is through nourishment. Nourishment through their stomachs but also through our conversations as we leisurely enjoy a homemade meal together. Many peoples love language consists of gifts or words of affirmation, but not me.

Food is my love language. 

So today as we celebrate my Dad's birthday, it is only fit that I prepare dinner — vegan lentil mushroom burgers.

1 c dried lentils
2 1/4 c water
1 t dried Italian herbs
1 T nutritional yeast
1/2 t paprika
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 c finely chopped onion
3/4 c finely chopped walnuts
2 3/4 c fine bread crumbs
1/2 c ground flax seed
2-10 oz. packages of mushrooms, finely chopped
2 c destemmed, finely chopped kale
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/4 c dijon mustard
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small pot, bring the lentils, water, Italian herbs, 1 garlic clove and 1/4 cup of the onion to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the water is absorbed and the lentils are soft.

While the lentils are cooking, combine the walnuts, bread crumbs, flax seed, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and paprika. Mix well.

Sauté the remaining onion, remaining garlic, the mushrooms and kale in olive oil for 8-10 minutes, then set aside. Remove the lentils from the heat, add the vinegar and mustard, and mash to a thick paste.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the lentils, sautéed veggies, and bread crumb mixture. Mix well. Cool.

Using either your hands or a burger press to form patties on waxed paper. From here you can either freeze your patties for a later date or lightly fry on a grill pan or broil in the oven until lightly browned and crisp, about 5 minutes.

Now that the patties are prepped, I am ready for my Dad's birthday dinner this evening. These vegan lentil mushroom burgers are fabulous served on a whole wheat bun with grilled onions, a thick juicy slice of tomato and a dollop of guacamole. Follow me on Instagram (@passionateparsley) to see the burgers grilled up this evening!

Happy birthday to my Dad!

Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious. —Ruth Reichl

Recipe adapted from Scott Jurek.

An Engagement & A Recipe

Hello again, it has be a little while since I posted — but there is reason — My sister got engaged! I was so honored for her now-fiance to ask me to hide in the bushes and take photos of the moment. Such a lovely moment captured in photos forever.

{Joy's beautiful ring}

I wish you a very sweet engagement and pray that you are showered with love and blessings. Congratulations on your engagement!

And now — the recipe portion of this post. Totally unrelated to an engagement.

Tabbouleh is traditionally made of bulgur, tomatoes, cucumbers, finely chopped parsley and onion, seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and salt. I usually make a gluten-free version using quinoa instead of bulgar. While eating lunch this past week a co-worker mentioned she accidentally picked up cilantro at the market instead of parsley to make tabbouleh. That got my mind working — why not try a Mexican variation of tabbouleh?

So here I present my recipe for a variation on tabbouleh: Gluten-Free Mexican Tabbouleh

1.5 c. quinoa

3 c. finely chopped cilantro

5 scallions, finely chopped

1 pint small grape tomatoes, halved

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly chopped

1 c. corn kernels

juice of 5 small limes, more or less to taste

1/3 c. of extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and pepper, to taste

To cook the quinoa:

Rinse 1.5 c. quinoa in a fine sieve until the water runs clear, drain and transfer to a pot. Add 3 c. water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until water is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool. Fluff with a fork.

Combine all the ingredients together in a large serving bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve room temperature or chilled. Enjoy!

According to Julia Child, the only real stumbling block is fear of failure. So why not take a favorite recipe, change it up, make modifications, see what delicious dish you can come up with? You might just end up with something great!

Vegan Whole Wheat Almond Pancakes

Hello yummy Saturday morning! Don't all the best weekends start out with a big stack of pancakes? Relaxing. Piping hot coffee. Lounging late into the morning, still wearing pajamas. Maybe a few light tunes drifting into the carefree air.

Ahh. The life.

Vegan Whole Wheat Almond Pancakes
3 c soy milk
2 T sugar
4 T vegetable oil
2 2/3 c unbleached whole wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 t almond extract
water, as needed to thin batter

In a mixing bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.

Next, pour in all of the liquid ingredients.

Whisk until the batter is smooth.

Heat a grill pan or large skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until hot. Spray with non-stick spray and pour batter onto the skillet.

After a few minutes, you'll see bubbles appear on the pancake tops and the batter turn from white to a light golden — this is when they're ready to be flipped.

To keep pancakes warm, you can place them in a 200 degree oven.

Serve with Earth Balance, sliced fresh strawberries and real maple syrup. Like I've told you before — don't buy the lab created maple syrup...stick to the real yummy, natural goodness.

Do you have a favorite way to start out your Saturday mornings?

Spinanaberry Smoothie

This is my all time favorite go-to smoothie. It really packs a punch. Some may call it a "green smoothie," but really it's my spinanaberry smoothie.

2 c. orange juice

4 c. packed fresh spinach

2 bananas

5 frozen strawberries

2 T. flax seed oil, not pictured

8-10 ice cubes, not pictured 

The health benefits are just as outstanding as the flavor. Alone, the spinach packs a whopping 360% vitamin k, 100% vitamin a and 10% iron. Great way to start a morning. Don't you agree?

When making a green smoothie, it is important to start with the liquid and secondly with the leafy greens. Blend to desired consistency, breaking down the spinach.

Finally, add in the banana, strawberries, flax seed oil (if using) and ice cubes. Blend and serve.

Makes 2 - 16 oz. smoothies.

Having trouble fitting all your necessary veggies and fruits into your daily meals? This is a helpful way to incorporate them. Personally, I eat lots and lots of veggies each day, but struggle with eating enough fruit. So this is my way of getting in a few extra dark leafy greens, but more so, fruit. Have you played around with any green smoothie recipes? What is your favorite combination? Please share! I would like to bulk up my arsenal, plus the warm months are just around the corner!

Thanksgiving | Dessert

After a long anticipated wait and the suspense is high, I present you with...Nantucket Cranberry Pie!

As you all most likely know by now, I was a vegetarian for a loooong time before becoming a vegan, say 13 years. So, with this being said, I have many recipes I used to adore but do not fit a vegan diet. Anyway, one of them was the Pioneer Woman's Nantucket Cranberry Pie. This woman is genius I tell you, just genius! As Thanksgiving rolled around this year and I threw different thoughts of desserts around in my head, this recipe kept coming to the front. With that, I printed out the recipe and made some adaptions, creating the most delish vegan pie that has ever touched my lips. Absolutely divine.

Vegan Nantucket Cranberry Pie
Earth Balance, for greasing
2 c (heaping) cranberries
3/4 c chopped pecans
2/3 c sugar
1 c flour
1 c sugar
1/2 c Earth Balance, melted
1/2 c unsweetened, plain apple sauce
1 t pure almond extract
1/4 t salt
1 T sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Generously butter a pie pan. Add cranberries to the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle on the chopped pecans.

Then, sprinkle on 2/3 c sugar.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 1 c sugar, melted Earth Balance, applesauce, almond extract, and salt. Stir gently to combine. Pour batter slowly over the top in large "ribbons" in order to evenly cover the surface. Spread out gently, if necessary. — I got so excited at this point, that I forgot to take a picture of this step — you understand, right? Mmmm...pie....Okay sorry, back to the recipe.

Bake for 45-50 minutes. 5 minutes before removing from the oven, sprinkle surface with 1 T sugar for an extra crunch.

Let cool and cut into wedges to serve.

It is even good for breakfast with a big steaming mug of coffee. How do I know? Yes, I am having that now. Jealous?

What is your favorite pie? Share with me.

Thanksgiving | Salad & Entree

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.

W.J Cameron

Like I promised, next up, Thanksgiving Day main course:

After over indulging in appetizers, we dove head first into many more delicious dishes.

Pistachio-Pomegranate Salad

{an adapted recipe from Rachel Ray}

1 1/2 c apple cider

1 c shelled pistachios

1 T plus 1 1/2 t packed brown sugar

2 shallots, sliced

3 T red wine vinegar

2 t dijon mustard

coarse sea salt

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

1 head chopped butter lettuce

4 c packed arugula

1 c pomegranate seeds

1. In a large saucepan, boil the apple cider over high heat until reduced to 1/3 c, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

{Don't judge my pans that desperately need a visit from Bar Keepers Friend}

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, toast the pistachios over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with brown sugar; stir to coat. Transfer to a piece of parchment and let cool.

3. In a food processor, mix the reduced cider, shallots, vinegar, mustard and 1/2 t. salt. With the the processor running, slowly pour the extra virgin olive oil; process until combined.

4. In a large bowl, toss the greens with dressing to taste and topping with the pomegranate seeds and candied pistachios. Any remaining dressing can be kept in the refrigerator. Serve immediately.

{coming soon, a tutorial on how to seed a pomegranate}

Brussels Sprouts with Lemon

extra virgin olive oil

15 large brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half

juice from one lemon, freshly squeezed

sea salt, to taste

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts, cut side down and allow to brown, approximately 5 minutes.

2. Once they have a nice brown-golden color, stir and add in lemon juice.

3. Cover the skillet to allow the brussels sprouts to steam. Steam until the sprouts are softened, but not too soft. They're best enjoyed with still a little fresh crunch. Season with salt and serve.

This recipe is fool-proof for changing the mind of any brussels sprouts hater out there — this is the truth!

Acorn Squash with Wild Mushroom Cranberry Stuffing

{an adapted recipe from Bon Appétit, October 1995}

4 acorn squash, halved lengthwise, seeded

1/3 c dried cranberries

1/4 c hot water

Earth Balance (vegan butter)

24 oz. wild mushrooms, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3. c herbed stuffing bread cubes

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place the squash cut side down in a baking dish. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave for 10 minutes. Pierce plastic to let steam escape. Uncover and turn squash halves cut side up. Season cavities with salt and pepper. You may have to do this step twice due to the quantity of squash, or unless you have a gargantuan microwave, in which I do not...Okay sorry, back to the recipe... 3. Combine dried cranberries and hot water in a small bowl. 4. Melt some Earth Balance in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion and sage and sauté until beginning to soften. Add bread cubes and stir. Mix in cranberries with soaking liquid. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Mound stuffing into squash halves. Dot each half with Earth Balance. Bake until heated through and crisp on top, about 10 minutes. Up next (and saving the best for last) a vegan Thanksgiving Day dessert!

Thanksgiving | Appetizers

Yesterday, Thanksgiving was very different than our traditional celebration. Usually, we travel to celebrate with my extended family in Ohio. But, this year, travels did not fit within our work schedules and Nick and I stayed home, in our humble abode in the (60-degree) Chicagoland.

Thanksgiving doesn't seem to be the same just sitting around the two of us, so we invited our dear friend Anthony who was here alone as well, to join in the vegan Thanksgiving festivities. We spent the day socializing, eating, watching the Macy's Day Parade, eating, laughing, game playing, eating, cooking...oh, did I mention eating?

The three of us started our day off enjoying Thanksgiving Blend coffee from Starbucks and delicious vegan blueberry muffins from Whole Foods, while watching the parade.

Next course? Appetizers — an antipasti platter.

Marinated Mushrooms
{an adapted recipe from Martha Stewart}
1 package of beech brown mushrooms
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 T white wine vinegar
1 T dried oregano
6 T extra virgin olive oil
3/4 t sea salt
1/8 t freshly ground black pepper

1. Trim mushroom stems and break apart to separate the mushroom bunch. Put the mushrooms in a jar.

2. Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar and oregano in a bowl. Whisk in oil slowly until fully integrated and emulsified. Whisk in salt and pepper.

3. Pour marinade over the mushrooms and let stand for at least 20 minutes on your counter, stirring or rotating the jar occasionally. If desired, refrigerate mushrooms, with a lid overnight. Serve at room temperature.

These mushrooms had a two-thirds approval rate. Both myself and Anthony liked these lemony mushrooms, Nick was not a fan.

Along with the marinated mushrooms, on the antipasti platter, I included roasted garlic, blanched asparagus and a variety of marinated olives.

Roasted Garlic
4 heads of garlic — or as many as you would like to make!
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

1. Cut off just enough of the top, of each garlic head, to expose all the cloves inside.

2. Grab a small, oven-safe pan and drizzle a little evoo in the pan — tilt to cover the bottom thoroughly.

3. Place the garlic heads, cut side up, in the pan.

4. Drizzle the heads of garlic with evoo. This is so they won't burn.

5. Salt and pepper each of the garlic heads.

6. Cover the pan with tinfoil. Pop into a 375 degree oven for about 40-45 minutes.

7. Once removed and cooled slightly, grab the bottom of the head and gently squeeze until each of the clove pop out. They should be mushy.

Enjoy! Roasted garlic is great as a spread on a baguette (that's how we enjoyed it this Thanksgiving) or you could add it into your mashed potatoes, or really into anything that you want a buttery-roasted-yummy-garlicy-deliciousness!

Next up: salad & entree recipes...