July 27th was National Creme Brulee Day, and, while I usually scoff at “food holidays,” when you say creme brulee anything I perk up and cock my head to the side like a dog hearing the words, “wanna go for a walk?!” So, I decided to try out a vegan creme brulee recipe and see if it could rival the non-vegan versions I’ve come to love and adore.

Non-vegan creme brulee is an animal factory of high-fat dairy cream, egg yolks & sugar, and it generally has nearly 500 calories and more than 40g fat per serving [stats via Hungry Girl]. The recipe I used is from VegWeb here and it calls for silken tofu, soymilk and sugar; it has about 300 calories and 6.5g fat per LARGE serving. I’ve reproduced the recipe below with notes.

How did it look?

You’ll see it didn’t have that yellow custard color of typical creme brulee and the sugar doesn’t look as pretty as it might’ve had I used a creme bruelee torch, but c’est le vie — if it tastes great, I don’t care what it looks like!

Did I enjoy it?

Damn skippy. The boyfriend ate three ramekins-full last night. Some of his descriptions include, “it tastes like soggy graham crackers” (that’s a good thing!); & “…like whole-wheat flan.” Do with that what you will!

Vegan Creme Brulee (From VegWeb)
4 servings (VegWeb claims 6; I made 4)

Ingredients

• 1 lb. silken tofu — I used West Soy organic brand
• 4 tablespoon vanilla vegan soymilk
• 3/4 cup vegan sugar plus 2 tablespoon sugar (reserved)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• dash Kosher salt or sea salt

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 375.
• Press tofu until a little, not a lot, of water leaches out.
• Put tofu and all other ingredients (except reserved vegan sugar) into a blender and blend until a smooth, creamy texture has been created. The texture should be that of a thin pudding.
• Pour into custard cups or a pie tin and bake in a water bath until the tofu mixture browns a little and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean (this actually took me about 40 minutes!)
• Remove mixture from water bath, spread reserved vegan sugar on top, and place under a hot broiler until the vegan sugar melts and browns.
• Allow vegan sugar topping to harden.
• Serve immediately or cool in the fridge. Fresh berries are a nice addition.
• Approx. nutritional info. per serving (1 of 4): 297.88 calories, 6.49g fat, 13.38 mg sodium, <1g fiber, 42.44g sugars, 10.4g protein
• According to the Barefoot Contessa –the best way to achieve the creme brulee sugar crust without a creme brulee torch is to put the oven to 500 degrees and put the ramekins on the broil rack for 30 seconds. I did this.

I’ve read on other blogs that using cashews as part of the filling gives it an even closer textural resemblance to non-vegan creme brulee, so I’ll have to try that next time! Also, the ramekins I used are pretty large, so I’d guess you could use smaller ones and break up the serving size for less-cal treats (I just split mine with the boyf).

I hope you have a wonderful day! I’m all caught-up on freelance projects, so the boyf and I are taking a vacation day. We’re going to eat vegan food in Santa Monica and, later, go see Dinner with Schmucks!

Ever made your own creme brulee? Do you tend to invest in cooking gadgets, like a creme brulee torch, for example, or do you just wing-it? Plans for the weekend?

<3,

The Cranky One

Not when you can make one of these to satisfy that hankering for coconut…

That, my friends, is coconut cream pie. Now what I’m going to tell you may shock or disgust you. Are you ready for it?…..

It’s made with tofu!

I love tofu in pretty much anything, so when I saw that a lot of vegan pies included the stuff, I wasn’t afraid it would taste bad, but I was afraid of having to convince others to try it. Tofu seems to be one of those foods that is either deeply loved or truly detested — no in-between. So, I was ready to do the “spoon airplane” maneuver and baby voice to get my mom and boyfriend to try it. No need. The boyfriend began licking spoons with batter well before the pie was complete and my mom gladly devoured a slice of the masterpiece. Kids, this pie is insanely simple to make and insanely delicious.

Allowing the pie adequate time in the fridge to firm up and absorb the coconut flavor is key! Once it has the time to settle, it gains the consistency of cheesecake and loses any “tofu taste.” Amazing.

If you’re afraid of cooking with tofu, have no fear – you can’t mess this recipe up! You don’t cook the tofu AND you don’t really have to worry about draining it as well as you would if you were cooking it as an entree! Have I convinced you yet?

what about now?

Recipe for “Tofu Coconut Cream Pie” from DeliciousTV here, and listed verbatim below, w/ my notes in italics.

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 pkg. vegan graham crackers (12-14 crackers)
• 2 T. sugar
• 6 T. vegan margarine (I’d actually use much less margarine next time (I’d add little by little) — the crust was one big buttery flake, which is fine for most, but not for those of us erhem who are trying to battle the bulge)

For the filling:

• ½ c. plus 2 T. toasted shredded coconut (reserve 2 T.)
• 1 14-oz. package firm tofu, drained and rinsed (I used extra firm)
• ¼ c. light brown sugar (very lightly packed) or pure cane sugar
• 2-3 T. coconut milk* (I used light coconut milk)
• 1/8 t. Vanilla extract (optional)

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 350. In a small pan, melt the margarine. In a food processor, process the crackers and sugar. Place the dry mixture in a bowl and drizzle in the melted margarine, mix well, and press into a 9 inch spring form pan. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, then remove it from the oven, and allow it cool.
• Sprinkle the shredded coconut on a lined baking sheet and toast it in the oven until it’s light brown. Keep an eye on it, because coconut can burn very quickly. Remove the toasted pieces from the oven and place them in a bowl, fluffing the coconut if needed.
• In a food processor, purée the tofu until smooth. Add the sugar, coconut milk, vanilla, and 8 tablespoons of the coconut. Process on high for about 10 seconds, then pour the mixture into the pre-baked shell, and top with the remaining toasted coconut. Chill the pie for two hours, or overnight. This pie keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator – but it usually gets eaten long before that.
• This recipe may also be prepared in a square or rectangular pan and cut into individual squares for a great party treat.
• *Sweetened coconut milk is, of course, sweeter and has a more intense coconut flavor, however unsweetened works just as well. Try it both ways and see which you prefer.

From Sparkpeople recipe calculator for 1/8th pie:

Nutrition Facts User Entered Recipe
8 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		277.9
Total Fat		18.3 g
	Saturated Fat	4.9 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	4.8 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	5.1 g
Cholesterol		9.4 mg
Sodium		231.0 mg
Potassium		168.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate		32.5 g
	Dietary Fiber	2.3 g
	Sugars	18.7 g
Protein		9.8 g

Vitamin A	9.3 %
Vitamin B-12	0.1 %
Vitamin B-6	2.9 %
Vitamin C	0.2 %
Vitamin D	0.0 %
Vitamin E	5.8 %
Calcium	35.3 %
Copper	12.1 %
Folate	5.6 %
Iron	11.9 %
Magnesium	9.0 %
Manganese	37.4 %
Niacin	4.6 %
Pantothenic Acid	1.7 %
Phosphorus	11.7 %
Riboflavin	6.5 %
Selenium	15.2 %
Thiamin	7.9 %
Zinc	6.2 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Ever made dessert with tofu?

Want more tofu dessert recipes?

• Heavenly Pie from 101 Cookbooks (Vegetarian; not vegan)
• Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake from PPK
• Low-Fat Vegan Cheesecake from Happy Herbivore
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse (Vegan)

Alright — I’m off to run and finish prepping things for my boyfriend’s birthday. I hope you guys have a wonderful weekend!

<3,

The Cranky One

p.s. In hilarious (and frightening?) news of the day — prepare for a nasal assault! Highway billboard in North Carolina is “steak-scented.” Good lord. Click here for story.

Well…I did create a bite-sized bit o’ chocolate heaven, but, yea, I’ll save those gypsy days for another time. These bites are very dense due to the whole-wheat flour and oats, so there’s a lot o’ brownie in one lil’ bite!

Cranky Brownie Bits and Bites of Chocolate Heaven
16 one-bite servings; Little prep time & ingredients you most likely have already!


Ingredients

• 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup oats
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (I use Trader Joe’s brand of turbinado sugar)
• 2 tbsp. Earth Balance, softened
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup, unsweetened original almond milk (I use Almond Breeze)
• Optional: Top each bite with an almond
• Nutritional info. per bite: 130 calories, 5g fat, 31mg sodium, 3g fiber, 3g protein (estimate based on Sparkpeople recipe calculator here)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees; spray mini-muffin tray with cooking spray.
• Mix all ingredients and spread evenly amongst 16 mini-muffin cups. Top each bite with an almond if you’d like.
• Cook about 15 minutes or until tops are no longer wet.

Enjoy!

In other news – Holy Razzle McSnazzle! I’m going to be hosting an awesome give-away tomorrow — stay tuned!

What is your favorite muffin flavor? Outside of chocolate, it’s gotta be poppy seed for me!

<3,

The Cranky One

I’ll wait while you digest that beautiful pair of words and clean up your slobber.

If you’ve been vegan for a while there’s no doubt you’ve heard of the cook-book Veganomicon by the same authors who run Post Punk Kitchen and who’ve written Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. But if you’re a newbie-gan, you’ve gotta get this book!  My friend Michelle let me borrow her copy to test out a couple recipes before I invested the $17 in the book. How often do you get to test a book before you buy it?! I can’t lie — I’m stoked about this book and getting my own copy! In an effort to pay forward Michelle’s kindness, I got permission from the book’s authors to share a recipe with you guys! Vegan or not — I hope you’ll check out Veganomicon and especially try the recipe below. Let’s be real — taste buds are amoral and uninvolved in food politics — so I’m *stoked* these donuts taste like bite-sized heaven, ‘cuz, if not, I’d be a little cranky!

Vegan Jelly Donut Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup soy or rice milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• About 1/3 cup raspberry jam or preserves (you can use strawberry or grape if you prefer)
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Pour the soy milk, vinegar and cornstarch into a measuring cup and set aside.
• Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Create a well in the center if the flour to pour your wet ingredients into.
• Stir the soy milk mixture with a fork to dissolve the cornstarch, then pour into the flour mixture. Add the oil, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
• Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full with batter. Place a heaping teaspoonful of jam on the center of each cupcake. You don’t need to press down in the jam or do anything else; the baking will take care of all of that and it will sink in.
• Bake for 21 to 23 minutes. You can’t really do a toothpick test here because of the jelly filling, but the cupcakes should be done by this point. The tops should be firm.
• Remove from the oven and let cool completely on wire racks.
• Once cooled, set them someplace cool and dry. and eave uncovered. It it’s winter, leave them in your coldest room. If it’s summer, leave them somewhere air-conditioned, if possible. If it’s not possible, don’t sweat it–just don’t leave them anywhere very warm. Let them sit overnight and preferably up to 24 hours. This will make the tops dry and a little bit crispy and more donutlike.
• Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar (using a sifter if you have one) . Serve with coffee.

Notes: You can’t bake these without cupcake liners. If you run out (like I did — whoops!), you can make your own liners with foil. Also, you don’t need to wait for these to cool overnight or even for them to cool down from the oven as the boyf and I dug in on these babies straight out of the oven and they were amaaaaaazing. Also, I ended up with 16 cupcakes instead of 12.

Nutritional Info. per Cupcake (Out of 16) — Calculated via Sparkpeople Recipe Calculator

Nutrition Facts User Entered Recipe 16 Servings Amount Per Serving Calories 150.4 Total Fat 4.8 g Saturated Fat 0.4 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.4 g Monounsaturated Fat 2.7 g Cholesterol 0.0 mg Sodium 142.7 mg Potassium 23.5 mg Total Carbohydrate 25.5 g Dietary Fiber 0.4 g Sugars 12.7 g Protein 1.3 g Vitamin A 0.0 % Vitamin B-12 0.0 % Vitamin B-6 0.5 % Vitamin C 1.1 % Vitamin D 0.0 % Vitamin E 5.3 % Calcium 1.7 % Copper 1.6 % Folate 7.3 % Iron 3.5 % Magnesium 1.0 % Manganese 4.7 % Niacin 4.1 % Pantothenic Acid 0.6 % Phosphorus 2.1 % Riboflavin 3.7 % Selenium 5.9 % Thiamin 6.5 % Zinc 0.7 % *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

NOT BAD!!!

Follow Up on My Un-Lent Challenge

I have *so not* been looking forward to divulging what a lame-ass I’ve been for not completing my goal of 5-hours of exercise a week, but, alas, the charm of any public challenge you give yourself is that you can use fear of humiliation to your advantage. I think I might be getting a little too immune to it at this point though lol

Mon. — Nada
Tues. — Nada
Wed. — Ran for an hour.
Thurs. – Nada
Fri. — Ran for 30 minutes.
Sat. — Turbo Kick Boxing (1 hour)
Sun. — 1-hour bike-ride.
Total: 3.50 hours <– Damnit!

Oy. I’ve been slackin’! I know it’s slacking and not lack of opportunities to fit in the time. We all know I could read while fast-walking on the treadmill. I could spare 20 minutes every day to do Jillian’s Shred. I could lift weights while watching the news. I can fit in circuits while waiting for my donuts to bake   Ya know what I mean, jelly bean? This week better be better *shakes fist at self*

Do you guys multi-task while exercising?

<3,

The Cranky One

Lindsay is one of the first bloggers I began following and she cooks up a storm of amazing vegan recipes that you’ve got to try out! Here’s my attempt at blogger-to-blogger journalism (I’m the bold text, obvs).

—–

Who is Lindsay aka Happy Herbivore in one sentence? (I know this is a kindergarten ice-breaker of a question, but I like hearing the answers anyway!)

Happy Herbivore is my fat-free wholefoods vegan recipe website and my Internet nickname (or “handle” if you want to be technical). I’m an ex-lawyer turned healthy vegan chef. and apparently, I’m not very good at following directions, seeing as I couldn’t keep this answer to one sentence!

Why and when did you decide to become vegan?

In late 2006; I was motivated by the plight of animals, my health and the environmental benefits. I was a vegetarian for most of my life because I loved animals, so compassion plays a huge part in my veganism, though the health benefits are a constant reminder of why it’s so important to eat this way.

Why did you start your blog, Happy Herbivore (HH)?

Shortly after I went vegan, I read Eat to Live and switched to a low fat, whole foods vegan diet. The only problem was finding recipes that fit my new diet. Sure there were plenty of vegan cookbooks and websites around but most of the recipes used gobs of oil, fats, processed flours and other ingredients I’d just swore off. Blogs were just starting to become cool back then so I created one to log my attempt at my new diet. I started creating recipes along the way and eventually, happyherbivore.com was born.

When and how did you become such a good cook and recipe creator?

Aww thanks for such a nice compliment! I didn’t know how to cook – at all – until I went vegan. My college roommate has horror stories of the times I attempted to cook for us. I used to eat out all the time, but that wasn’t really an option on my new diet. So, I bought a few vegan cookbooks and made the recipes. Once I felt more comfortable in the kitchen, I started trying to “healthify” recipes by omitting the fat and using whole wheat flour. I would also “veganize” recipes using basic substitutions like fake meat or bananas instead of eggs. Eventually it all just sort of clicked for me and I started throwing meals together based on what was on hand. I still do that fairly often — some of my best recipes have been developed that way, but I also like to recreate dishes and try my hand at other cuisines.

Ever have any recipe disasters?

Oh my god yes. It’s funny, anytime a blog reader meets my husband they marvel at how lucky he is that he gets to eat all my food… and he is so quick to say “oh its not always great, she really misses sometimes!” and I do. The first time I made seitan it blew up — blew up and splattered all over the kitchen. I’m still scratching my head on that one. I’ve made stuff that came out bland. I’ve had bread, muffins and cupcakes not rise. I am fortunate that usually everything comes out perfect on the first try, but some recipes are sticklers and take a few tries to get right. and sometimes it’s just a major disaster that shouldn’t be repeated.

What advice would you give someone who wants to be vegan but is afraid of missing out on her favorite foods?

Recreate them! These days there is a vegan substitute out there for every itch — and if there isn’t, make it. I’ve recreated every food my husband and I loved in our pre-vegan days (including she crab soup and cinnamon buns!) and I must say, I like all of the vegan versions better. The commercial meat and dairy substitutes are getting really good too! Some are so similar it’s nuts. I had a Gardenburger BBQ riblet recently and I swear to god, it tastes just like the McRib. I’ve even fed my family fake sausage before and they didn’t miss a beat. Heck! They even have vegan marshmallows now! Life is good.

What entree and dessert dish from your extensive list of recipes would you create for the most vegan-hesitant omnivore out there? why?

The trick to feeding a skeptical omni is to give them something that’s naturally vegetarian — like a veggie laden soup or casserole. It takes a while for most people to warm up to fake meats and tofu. However, I’ve had a lot of success feeding my chickpea tacos to even the most skeptic omnis and who doesn’t like nachos? (those nachos rock). The Cranky One felt compelled to interrupt the interview with food pictures of the dishes mentioned:



If you’re looking for a more complex dish, the pan-seared portobellos are amazing (my Dad says they taste like steak). The cheesecake is a safe bet for dessert but my black bean brownies are hands down the most popular recipe.

I hear your new HH cookbook is coming out later this year! Give us the deets! What can we expect?

The Happy Herbivore Cookbook is AWESOME. It has 200+ recipes — a few recycled from the blog and past e-cookbooks but mostly new stuff. Everything is true to my cooking style of no added fats and wholesome food but the best part: every recipe is super easy to make, whips up fast and uses common, ordinary ingredients you always have on hand. No umeboshi plums, pomegranate molasses or specialty items like that — no way! It’s completely practical for any diet, lifestyle or budget. It’s also going to be full color — so get ready for some food porn.

The cookbook also ventures out into world cuisines like Ethiopian and Indian. But I kept it classic and comforting too — lots of breakfast/brunch foods, sandwiches and wraps, pasta, casseroles, one-pot meals (who doesn’t love those?), fake meat, desserts, veggie & grain side dishes, snacks and other neat stuff like “cheese” recipes! You’ll love it. I’m going to post pictures of some of the recipes on Happy Herbivore soon.

Most of us like to play “cook” every now and then, but what’s it like working on a cook book? Do any of your friends and family like to act as taste-testers or food critics?

Writing the cookbook was a lot of fun! Of course it was stressful at times — particularly as the deadline was rearing it’s ugly head, but for the most part I enjoyed it. It also gave me the chance to really sit down and work on recipes that had been rolling around in my head forever but I never actually tried. It also forced me to move out of my comfort zone and try new things, new cuisines. The only really unpleasant aspect was all the dirty dishes!

I also lost 6 lbs since I started writing the cookbook — so I guess that is a testament that my food is healthy! (and still really delish!)

As for testing, my husband Scott is my biggest critic (and taste-tester) but I also have an entire cookbook tester squad that makes the recipes and critiques them… I really couldn’t have done it without them.

Has anyone or anything inspired you to live this lifestyle, to write a vegan cookbook? Where is all this drive coming from?

My fans and supporters. Every thing I do, I do for them. Anytime someone sends me an email, tweet or comment that they made my food I feel inspired to do more… I wouldn’t be where I was today without them, without their support and encouragement. I want to share healthy, wholesome food with the world and feel so privileged to have that opportunity.

I’m also personally inspired by my fellow vegans, particularly those in the trenches that are out there advocating. A day doesn’t go by where I’m not in complete awe of another vegan and what he or she is doing to help spread veganism. Cooking is my gift, my talent — it’s how I contribute. I believe that every meatless meal matters — that one less meat-filled meal benefits the animals, the earth and my fellow humans… so if I can supply recipes to help make that happen? I’ll do it!

Thanks, Lindsay!

—-

Well, she certainly inspires me. Show Lindsay some love and check out her awesome site, Happy Herbivore!

What favorite food of yours needs a healthy makeover?

<3,

The Cranky One

p.s. I want to give a birthday shout-out to my love, Lo and a congrats to Janetha for just getting engaged!

I assure you that while I do love me some rabbit food, carrots and celery yum yum, etc., I also like to feel full and to eat a variety of delicious foods. Most simply, vegans do not eat or use anything that contains animal products (so no meat, eggs, dairy, etc.). It can seem a challenge to find things without animal products when you go out to eat at non-vegan restaurants (for realz!), but making your own vegan recipes at home is a cinch!  Just start with the basics:

• Whole grains — Brown rice, whole wheat pastas, whole wheat bread (Note: Don’t fall for marketing gimmicks! “Multi-grain” and “whole wheat blend” are NOT the same as “100% whole wheat”; also read labels since some breads use eggs)
• Legumes/beans
• Vegetables

Then, if you’re feeling saucy, add:

• Tempeh — Fermented meat substitute made from whole soybeans (and sometimes whole grains, too). Has a more “rugged” and meaty texture than tofu and also higher protein.
• Tofu — A meat substitute made from a bean curd made from soy milk.
• Seitan — A meat substitute made from wheat gluten.
• Nuts — Adding chopped nuts to a salad is so cliche (yet delicious).  Add chopped nuts to everything for added protein (but still watch yer calories, yaknowwhatimean?)!
• Oils — Olive and canola are the best
• Herbs, spices — Fresh herbs and spices make a bland meat substitute go from meat mockery to meat flattery.

and:

• Soy sauce
• Marinade
• Hot sauce

and voila! you’ve got a hearty and healthy vegan meal!

Some of my vegan staples & faves include:

Fried brown rice, black beans and steamed vegetables

Sweet potato enchiladas

Baked sweet potatoes

Thai-style stir-fried tofu

Stir-fry vegetables with soy-sauce marinated baked tofu

Butternut squash and black bean medley

Salads with cranberries and all the fixings (including leftover stir fry veggies and tofu if available)

Hummus “quesadillas”

Refried bean tacos with homemade potato chips

Lemon basil brown rice

Lentil bolognese tacos with avocado and hot sauce

Black bean and yellow and red pepper tacos

Don Lee Farms veggie patty with whole wheat pita and veggies

Miso soup and avocado rolls
[photo cred]

Whole-wheat cold pasta salad

Tofu/veggie spring rolls
[photo cred]

Whole-wheat spaghetti
[photo cred]

Don’t worry — veganism doesn’t steal away your nostalgic foods either. You can still have PB&J and many cereals (including Puffins — my fave!), just eat the cereal with soy milk, almond milk, rice milk or whole grain drink (a mix of whole grains like brown rice and quinoa).
[photo cred]

Pissed that cheese comes from animals and not the heavens above? No worries — try a cheese substitute (but keep your expectations low, let’s be real lol).  Vegan Yum Yum has a delicious-lookin’ vegan recipe for mac and cheese here.

And, seriously, let’s not forget dessert (the most important meal of the day!   Vegan desserts just so happen to be the love of my life and nemesis of my hips. My fave vegan dessert recipes are here, here, here and here. You can also check out all dessert books by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. If you want to go out for a vegan treat, visit my fave vegan restaurant Native Foods in the LA & OC area, or visit Baby Cakes Bakery in Los Angeles, CA or NYC if you’re near there.

Food News

• Corner Bakery announces “Combos Under 600 Calories” here. 600 calories is still a lot for a sandwich (calorie counts DO NOT include the side-item the sandwich comes with), but I guess it’s better than eating a salad worth 1000 calories (jeebus — these horrific salads are everywhere, it’s shocking!). Note: Not many vegetarian options at Corner Bakery and maybe a couple vegan options if you remove the cheese…

Related Posts

• Vegetarian and Vegan Resources – Recently updated
• How to Eat Vegetarian Everywhere
• Vegan Thai Dishes

What restaurant do you think needs a healthy-foods option makeover the most? I recently went to California Pizza Kitchen and found that the only options under 500 calories were a cup of their soups.  I don’t know about you guys, but a cup of soup for a meal leaves me feeling pretty deprived and cranky as hell.

<3,

The Cranky One

Dude, I think my mom is getting younger! She is always smiling, dancing, singing and goofing off. Her beautiful accented voice charms everyone — and we all can’t help but laugh at her occasional malapropisms.

We celebrated on Sunday, the day I came back to CA, with a family dinner. I made chicken and cheese enchiladas for the carnivores, and vegan sweet potato enchiladas for myself and anyone willing to try something new.  It was my first time using the enchilada sauce from Trader Joe’s (I think it’s a new item). It was delicious and tastes very much like the typical red enchilada sauce I’m accustomed to using, however, it has about twice as many calories.

The best part? This vegan chocolate cake with vegan “butter cream” frosting…

Cake recipe found here and frosting recipe found here. This cake was *so* good that I couldn’t help screaming at it in an accusatory voice, “Are you kidding me?!?!”  Don’t tell me I’m the only one whose yelled at a dessert…. :/

There was obvs too much frosting, but I decided to drench the cake in it (mmmmm). I then stuck it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. When served, the cake tasted like an Oreo ice cream cake, no doubt. Clocking in at about 500 calories for a piece of cake with frosting, it’s certainly a decadent recipe, but not something I’d make outside of special occasions.

Food News

• Is Kombucha really a magical tea? Read here. Muy interesante!
• Justins Nut Butter is coming out with new flavors, including Organic Chocolate Peanut, All-natural Chocolate Almond and All-natural Chocolate Hazelnut! These flavors will be available “soon” at Whole Foods. I don’t know when “soon” is, but it doesn’t seem soon enough. (News via Justin Nut Butter e-newsletter dated 1/12/10).
• Vitatops are going to be available, for a limited time, at Costco warehouses in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona. I haven’t been able to confirm this myself (News via Hungry Girl here).
• Applebees and Dunkin Donuts have introduced (or continue to introduce) healthier options. Click here for more info. on Applebees and here for Dunkin Donuts. Just don’t pull a Taco Bell and tell me you’re on the Dunkin Donuts or Applebee’s diet ‘cuz I’ll have to smack you. Thanks.
• Dave’s Killer Bread Sin Dawg variety is now available at Fred Meyer Nutrition Centers in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho,

<3,

The Cranky One

I was reading Alicia’s book when I decided to try out veganism. Alicia writes the way my friends and I talk/text/write — a lot of rhetorical questions and exclamation points. You can imagine her gesturing and flipping her hair between sentences, which is actually quite endearing. She references a lot of books and health studies that we healthy lifestyle bloggers are familiar with (e.g. The Omnivore’s Dilemma, The China Study, The Food Revolution) and gives insight into her own “eating history.” I’m usually weary when people talk about veganism because I’ve often witnessed it turning into an issue of purported moral superiority. I was pleasantly surprised that while Alicia did, of course, offer insight into “eating ethics,” it was far from the “holier than thou” approach that makes me vomit. I’m always skeptical of any celebrity-turned-author who tries to promote a lifestyle (especially if it has “weight loss” in the title), but, despite a few pitfalls, I’d recommend this book simply because of its accessible “voice” and recipes.

Alicia goes through the gamut of reasons people might consider veganism — mainly the inhumane treatment of animals, the damage eating animal products causes to the environment and better personal health. If you’re already familiar with the reasons behind veganism, this will be a quick read. For those who have never read about factory farming, slaughterhouses, the environmental tolls of eating meat, etc., this will definitley be an eye-opener. Actually, you might as well watch Food Inc. while also reading this book if you’d like to get a heightened and sensory-overload introduction to food, ethics and the environment.

Pros:

• Accessible language.
• Accessible “ladder” approach to veganism (start out as a “flirt” where you try to incorporate some vegan foods into your diet, go fully “vegan” or go “superhero” where you eat fully vegan while also following macrobiotic eating tenets).
• Delish recipes.
• Debunks myths that vegans don’t get enough protein, vitamins, etc.
• Tips for busy people (e.g. eating vegan away from home, how to cook a lot one day and eat leftovers the rest of the week, etc.).

Cons:

• Many of the vegan “staples” for recipes will be hard to find for those not living in urban or cosmopolitan areas.
• No caloric information provided for recipes.
• Might seem overwhelming for beginners (i.e. people who have never really been introspective of their eating choices — to go from omnivore without reflection to a “superhero” vegan following macrobiotic tenets, might seem too large a jump — even if the benefits of the jump seem awesomely compelling).
• Additional sources could be provided (i.e. where to find vegan clothes, how to shop vegan online, how to know what ingredients in your foods are not vegan, etc.); additional research could be provided (I’m a research fiend and, while I love Michael Pollan’s books, using authors who have become rather political or mainstream advocates aren’t really unbiased, ya know what I mean?)

Overall? Totally worth giving a chance.

While I can’t provide all of the recipes in Alicia’s books on my own site, I am going to make an effort to provide the calorie information for her dishes as I’ve noticed many people searching the Internet for the info. I’ll start with the desserts and amend to this post until I figure out how to create a page to link from my resources without making it a blog post (anyone know how to do this and can help a sister out?).

Want to try Alicia’s vegan peanut butter cups? Check them out here.

Have you read Alicia’s book or heard anything about it? Seen her promoting it?

<3,

The Cranky One

Yep, that damn gingerbread man! Everywhere I go there seems to be some delectable (or adorable) looking treat that I want to devour and crush (Freud would have a field day with those sentiments).

This is the time of year that reminds me that food is not just food.  Food seems to be an integral part of the holiday season — we literally give thanks around it, give it to others as a sign of love and cherish memories of childhood treats snuggled in stockings or smuggled by visiting relatives.  I guess it’s a good time to remind you (as I remind myself) that abstinence is probably not the smartest tactic right now (we’re talking food not sex, though do with the analogy what you will).  I’m a fan of preemptive actions.  I try not to indulge if it was completely unplanned for — but this season is all about chaos, right?  So try to be smarter about your planned and unplanned treats (*points at self with furrowed brow*).

Men Are Equal, Gingerbread Men Are Not

• Calories in gingerbread man from Au Bon Pain:  290
• Calories in gingerbread cake slice from Starbucks: 440
• Calories in largest gingerbread man every baked coming in at 1,435 pounds: More than enough to turn you into an actual gingerbread man or enough to grow an army of gingerbread men on your derriere.
• Moral:  Keep portion size in check, people! 

The “Is it Worth it?” Test

There are some sweets that look nice, smell good and that I wouldn’t mind hijacking to belly-land, but there are others that I’d like to give pet-names to and smooch under mistletoe (wow, I’m crazy).  So, when you get the inkling for an eggnog latte from Starbucks, ask yourself — is it worth the holy shit 450 calories (for a grande with non-fat milk)?  Probably not.  Peppermint bark? Different story.

Smart Holiday Treats

• Candy canes generally come in at 60 calories each.  If you feel yourself reaching for the 400-calorie ever-present slice of dubious fruitcake (what’s with all the red boxes of panettone fruit cake this time of year? Who eats fruit cake?!?) simply for celebratory tendencies or nostalgic sentiments, reach for a candy cane instead — it might just do the trick!
• Treat yourself to something non-edible   Will cute little gingerbread earrings like these satisfy your sweet tooth?  If only it were so easy! (but aren’t they adorable?!)

Holiday Snack Swaps

• You can always make your own holiday treats (and not just treats but entrees, side dishes, snacks, etc.).  Type in your favorite holiday food into a search engine and tag “+ healthy recipe” onto the end.  You will get recipes for healthier version of your favorite foods!
• Sweet tooth still hassling you even after you’ve tried to appease her?  My new love is this tea.  I swear it tastes like a holiday dessert!
• Heat up a VitaTop or Penny’s Low-Fat Muffin and add your favorite holiday decor via sprinkles or even break up some candy cane pieces on top of it and voila! — a holiday treat that’s low in calories and fat!
• Check out Hungry Girl swaps here and here
• Check out Sparkpeople’s healthy holiday survival guide here

May your belly be happy and your sanity intact.  Are there any holiday foods or treats that you just can’t pass up this season?

<3,

The Cranky One

p.s. You can still enter my give-away until midnight tonight PST!
p.p.s.  Vegetarian recipe part II to come tomorrow (*fingers crossed*)
p.p.p.s. Want a vegan, wheat-free recipe for gingerbread men? Go here. How about the Cooking Light recipe for gingerbread (56 calories each) here or just vegan recipe from Veg News here