Veggie Goes Vegan

VegCookbookClub July Cookbook: More from Wild About Greens by Nava Atlas

I'm doing pretty well actually cooking from this month's cookbook for Veg Cookbook Club, Wild About Greens by Nava Atlas. 

It happens to align really well with my commitment to try to eat more healthily this year, a lot of which has been focused on green juices, smoothies and cooking with mroe greens (especially since I am not a massive fan of salads).

Two nights ago I made Mediterranean Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins.

I'm not gonna lie: Per usual I didn't have exactly the right ingredients, and I didn't follow instructions exactly. Most notably, i didn't have raisins like I thought I did...but I DID have dried cherries. You know what? They worked just fine.

In addition, I used a mix of greens (spinach, collards, kale) and it wasn't quite the mix in the receipe, and since Atlas recommends cooking for different lengths of time, depending on what kind of greens you use (and I didn't use a mix of greens that  matched exactly her suggestions) I played it by ear on  that.

Despite all that, this came out really nicely. I especially loved adding the lemon juice at the end. I served it with couscous and some soy curls that I seared in the same pan I cooked the greens in.

My S.O. is not a fan of cooked greens, actually, but he really liked it too.

This was easy...the epitome of simple and tasty and comfort food that felt healthy. So, a keeper.

 

Something New To Try: A Veg Cookbook Club

Britt Bravo, a BlogHer friend and the organizer of what started out as a BlogHer editor book club, has started another book club. I am going to at least follow along with her Veg Cookbook Club. Since my New Year's Resolution was to leave work at 5PM, this is very aligned with that goal. (OK, that's kind of a joke. My resolution is to eat healthier, but as I determined in this post that that really meant leaving work at 5.)

I already own the first book, Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetitie for Reduction. [Disclosre: That's an affilite link for Britt, who deserves it because she is awesome at running book clubs!!]

So, anybody else in? I htink it's a GREAT idea and hope I can participate not just by following along, but by healthy cooking.

 

 

Vegan MoFo Day 3: I have a head of cauliflower in my fridge

I just bought a head of organic cauliflower. I buy cauliflower a lot.

And an inappropriate percentage of the time, I don't use it.

It's inappropriate because really there is nothing easier than chopping up a head of cauliflower, tossing it in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and cinnamon and roasting the whole thing for a mere 15-20 minutes or so for a delctable dish.

Why don't I do that every single time?

Inspired, this time, by a post from the Whole Foods blog that shares their 10 favorite ways to cook cauliflower, I'm bound and determined to make it...maybe tonight. Not all of their suggestions are vegan, but most can be veganized.

Right now I'm debating between making Caulipots (a mashed cauliflower potato combo) form Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction or using my fancy Cuisinart Soup Maker/Blender (that I haven't used nearly enough) to make a creamy cauliflower soup

What would you make with a fresh head of cauliflower?

Vegan MoFo Day 1: My interview with Clean Food's Terry Walters is live

I met Terry Walters last month at the BlogHer Handmade/The Creative Connection event, and right away asked her if I could interview her for BlogHer. She said yes, a week later we were on the phone, and we decided to publish the interview as a kick-off ot both World Vegetarian Month and VeganMoFo.

Read the whole thing...lots of great information about food, health...and also self-publishing!

Bonus, in case you missed it: I also got to interview Kathy Freston a couple of months ago.

Hearing the warm wonderful perspectives of these two great ladies is a great way to kick off VeganMoFo.

Enjoy!

Link: Excellent Jonathan Safran Foer interview

As always Jonathan Safran Foer expresses himself with a rare blend of petry and pragamtism when it comes to the subject of Eating Animals.

You'll enjoy this interview in the Sydney Morning Herald.

These two quotes, particularly, are thoughtful and inarguable:

''Do I think there is any chance in the world that half of Americans will be vegetarians in 10 years? I would say there is virtually no chance in the world of that. Do I think there is any chance that half of the meals eaten in America will be vegetarian in 10 years? I think there is a good chance of that. And that would have the same impact on the world - whether it's half the people or half the meals. It's just that we are not used to thinking about that second way because we've become so convinced that it's a question of identity or lifestyle as opposed to the end that we want.''

and

''It gives the appearance of being incredibly profitable and efficient, even though it's not. It's not profitable if the costs weren't externalised. If you simply made them pay for their environmental clean-ups, they would all go out of business tomorrow.''

And here's one more. Another example of how he states radical propositions so calmly:

''We have to eat much, much, much less, just because there isn't enough earth on Earth. And the other caveat is we pay the real cost - and people would eat a lot less.''

Is that such a bad thing? Given our losing battle with obesity in First World countries such as Australia, eating less seems like a positive. Foer says: ''The bad thing is the rich people would get to eat what they want, the poor people wouldn't. But that's already true.'' 

That last sentence makes you cringe; it's an "ouch" moment. But it's true. And if we were all eating better quality food that was less damaging to the planet, theoretically we all would benefit too.

Foer has turned quiet persuasion into an art form.

Kathy Freston interview now live on BlogHer

About 4 weeks ago, just days before I left for San Diego and BlogHer '11, I had the opportunity to interview author and wellness expert Kathy Freston for BlogHer. She was as lovely and down-to-earth as you might expect. We held the interview until now and published yesterday, given yesterday I spent here in vegan-friendly Portland at the world's first vegan blogger conference: Vida Vegan Con. Check out the interview. And check out the first commenter who sees nothing but judgment in the interview, even though I think Kathy goes way overboard in attempting to be anything but jugmental. Projecting much? Well, you tell me. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Quick Link: Essential Veg*n Cookbooks

At least, according to Care2 Green Living blogger, Becky Striepe.

 

While I have four out of the five books she recommends, there's only one on the list that I turn to regularly: Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Romero. Clearly, I need to go give the other three a closer look!

My other go-to cookbook that isn't on the list is The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

Yes, I dabble in many other books, and variety is the spice of life, but those two books are such diverse compendiums of vegan cuisine, I seriously feel like between those two books I would be set for vegan life.

What are your faves?

Video of Jonathan Safran Foer talk/interview last September

Last September I attended a talk/interview with Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Eating Animals and general rock star to the veg*n crowd. It was awesome, but I didn't really try to recreate it. He has such a distinct, rational, non-confrontaional, yet deeply emotional way of expressing himself on the issue...it's hard to capture.

And now I don't have to try, because my friend (and companion that evening) Stacie Tamaki found a video of that very evening, which she posted on her blog.

Stacie is a graphics person, so she also added her own visual take on how we think chickens are being raised, vs. how they are really raised in this country. 

So, check out her blog, her post and the video. You'll be glad you did.

(And just be glad I've contained my Foer-fangirldom in this post...'cause seriously, he's brilliant.)

"Eating Animals" author, Jonathan Safran Foer, is a rock star to vegans.

And here's a picture of me, meeting the author of "Eating Animals", Jonathan Safran Foer, after a reading and interview in Palo Alto last week. He was awesome: