Author: Lindsay Ingalls

Book Review: Go Dairy Free

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Go Dairy Free by Alisa Marie Fleming is a guide and cookbook for milk allergies, lactose intolerance and casein-free living.  The book starts with a guide to Understanding Dairy and Dairy-Free From a Health Perspective these are the first 5 chapters the book.  These first 5 chapters provide a massive amount of information about dairy, the benefits of living dairy-free and any concerns that one might have about going dairy-free. 

The second section of the book is Eating Away From Home this is one of my favorite sections because it gives great ideas on what to do when eating out at restaurants as well as social events and travel. For those starting out eating dairy-free it is great to know some tips about ordering off the menu at various restaurants.  For example the book categorizes cuisines into green light, yellow light and red light cuisines.  Green Light cuisines are ones that have a number of dairy free options such as Chinese, Japanese, Tai and Vietnamese restaurants.  Yellow Light cuisines are ones that you need to be more cautious about such as Mexican, Greek, African and Caribbean.  The Red Light cuisines are ones you should be extra cautious about such as “American”, Irish/English Pubs, Indian, Italian, French, German or Swiss which all have a number of dairy based dishes. (p. 66-70)

The next two sections are Grocery Shopping & Preparing Your Kitchen and All You Ever Wanted to Know About Dairy Substitutes  I think both of these sections are really great for the newly vegan/those going dairy-free.  In these sections you can find shopping ideas as well as what are some great alternatives.  Here you can learn about a variety of milk alternative s from soymilk to hemp milk.  This section is a great tool for those seeking more information on what the next steps are to living a dairy free life.  

Now that you have made it through all the sections on what dairy is, why you should go dairy-free, what your pantry needs and what there are for dairy substitutes it’s finally Time to Eat! This section is filled with a number of recipes by Alisa Marie Fleming as well as various authors and fellow bloggers such as Ricki at Diet, Dessert and Dogs, Susan from Fat Free Vegan and Celine from Have Cake Will Travel.  All of the recipes featured in this book are great examples of yummy dairy-free recipes that anyone will love. 

The book ends with recommended resources such as online sources in the forms of blogs and various websites.  There are also suggested “offline reading and resources” which vegan, gluten-free/casein-free, food allergy and children’s books. Lastly, there is a great index the list the dairy alternatives and recipes and details whether they are vegan, egg-free, soy-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, nut-free and/or peanut-free. 

Overall this book is a great resource for those who are looking to learn more about going dairy free.  All of the features from dining out to stocking the pantry as well as great recipes for everyone to enjoy make this book a great resource.

Disclaimer: Fleming Ink provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.

Review: PETA's Vegan College Cookbook

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PETA’s Vegan College Cookbook is targeted at college students who are without a kitchen or have limited access to a kitchen and/or time to cook meals.  All of the recipes are quick and easy to throw together.  Most recipes are based off meat analogues and packaged products with a few fresh ingredients.  It takes items that college students have easy access too such as veggie burgers, canned beans, ramen noodles and vegan cheese slices and creates easy dishes for the student on the run. 

If boiling water or turning the microwave on is as far as your culinary abilities go then this is a great book for you. This recipe book is rather a guide on how to throw ingredients together and heat them up.  If you already know how to cook and can do more than mix, boil water and turn the microwave on then this cookbook is definitely not for you.  This book is not meant to be anything great and you won’t find me using it but if you know someone who is clueless in the kitchen (or you are yourself) it might be worth picking up, if nothing else it’s comical.

Source

Disclaimer: Sourcebooks Inc.provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.

Spicy Sesame Hummus

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Spicy Sesame Hummus

  • 1-15oz can chickpeas, drained and liquid reserved 
  • 1T sesame chili oil
  • 3T olive oil
  • 2T lemon juice
  • 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 C tahini
  • salt and pepper

In a high power blender or food processor add all the ingredients and blend until smooth.  Add the reserved chickpea liquid to create a consistency you like- I like mine really smooth so I added about 1/3 cup of reserved liquid.

Creamless- Creamy Fava Bean Pasta

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Creamless-Creamy Fava Bean Pasta

  • 1/2T olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 2 celery spears chopped
  • 2 carrots chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic chopped
  • 1 -15oz can of fava beans
  • 4 mushrooms sliced
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (nooch)
  • 1t garlic powder
  • 1t onion powder
  • pinch of chili flakes
  • 1T lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 cups cooked whole wheat penne (or pasta of your choice- I’d recommend a small pasta)
  1. In a large saute pan heat the olive oil over medium-high and add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic and mushrooms.  Saute for 5-7minutes until vegetables are soft and have developed a little color. 
  2. Add the lemon juice, nooch, garlic powder, onion powder and chili flakes; stir together then add the vegetable brothand beans. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the broth has reduced.  
  3. Add in the penne and stir.  Let everything heat through and then serve!

Recipe: Maple Chocolate Blueberry Flax Brownies

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Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup NuNaturals Stevia Baking Blend (can use regular sugar)
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 cup blueberry flaxmeal
  • 1t vanilla
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/4 cup cacao powder
  • 1.25 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4t salt
  • 1/4 cup crushed walnuts
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare an 8×8 baking dish. Mix the stevia, coconut oil, flaxmeal, vanilla and almond milk together and let sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the cacao powder, flour, salt and walnuts and stir until combined. Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Bake for 18-23 minutes until a knife comes out clean. I prefer to serve these warm.

If you want to check out our yummy dining at A Single Pebble and Coffee Corner as well as what else we ate the past few days visit Eat. Live. Be Healthy.

Don’t forget you have until 1/31/10 at 8am to enter to win Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil.

Mashed White Beans

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Mashed White Beans

A great alternative to mashed potatoes is mashed white beans they are creamy and delicious and you can put your own spin on them.  Last night I had leftover Tofutti so I added it to my recipe.

  • 2 cans Cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 8-10 oil packed sundried tomatoes, chopped small
  • 5 scallions, chopped small 
  • 3T vegan cream cheese 
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1t garlic powder

Add all ingredients to a pan over medium heat and mash with a potato masher.  Mix everything together and then heat until warmed. Enjoy!

If you want to check out  our yummy dining at A Single Pebble and Coffee Corner as well as what else we ate the past few days visit Eat. Live. Be Healthy. 

Don’t forget you have until 1/31/10 at 8am to enter to win Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil.

Giveaway & Review: Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil

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 The winner is Averie from Love Veggies and Yoga!  

Congrats! 

Tropical Traditions sent me a jar of their Virgin Coconut Oil to sample- it is also organic.  What is great about the gold label brand is that it is made by hand unlike other coconut oils. I love coconut oil and this stuff is great.  I use coconut oil to make a number of raw dishes – my favorite way to use it is in raw macaroons.  I also love to use it in stir fries instead of peanut or canola oil because it gives the stir fry a really great flavor.  Yesterday I actually heated it up and sprinkled it on my kabocha squash before I roasted it and it was delicious.  

Tropical Traditions Giveaway- Please Enter by 8am on January 31, 2010

To win your own jar of Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil visit the Tropical Traditions website and take a look around- leave a comment on my blog telling me something you’ve learned or about a product that interest you. 

Additional Chances to Enter

  1. Subscribe to Tropical Traditions email Sales Newsletter here: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/subscribe_for_special_sales.cfm (Leave me a comment saying you did)
  2. Tweet about this giveaway – “I want to win @Troptraditions Coconut Oil from @cookveganlover http://wp.me/ppaTI-sA” (Leave me a comment saying you did)
  3. Follow me @cookveganlover on twitter (Leave a comment saying you did)
  4. Visit Tropical Traditions Free Coconut Recipe website http://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/ and leave a comment telling me what your favorite recipe is.

 

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Referral Program:

Tropical Traditions also has a Referral Program, so if you place an order with them as a first-time customer, please select “Referred by a friend” and in the box that says “How did you hear of us?” enter my sponsor ID number… 5611571. By telling Tropical Traditions that I referred you, you will receive a complimentary copy of the book Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours! by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy with your first order! This book is filled with testimonies and research showing how healthy coconut oil is, and it also includes over 85 recipes showing how one can incorporate coconut into their diet.

Here are some easy to use directions for your referrals:
1. Add the items you would like to purchase from the order form linked to Tropical Traditions. Visit www.healthybuyersclub.com/orderform.cfm

2. You’ll be directed to the Order Form at the Tropical Traditions/Healthy Buyers Club website. You do not have to be a member or purchase a membership to buy from Tropical Traditions. Membership in the Healthy Buyers Club allows you to purchase in bulk amount at club member discounts if you choose to join. If you choose not to purchase a membership to the Healthy Buyers Club please order under the heading “Retail Sale Items”. This will enable you to purchase less than case amounts of any of the individual items without a membership.
3. Select the items you would like to purchase.
4. When you are ready to check out please click on the “Continue” link which will take you to your shopping cart.
5. Review your order and then click on the “Check Out” button from your shopping cart.
6. Fill in your account information as directed. In the box: “How did you hear of us?” you must select: “Referred by a friend” on the drop down arrow. When you make this selection, a box for your sponsor’s User ID number should appear if you are a first time customer.
7. Enter your sponsor’s User ID number 5611571.
8. To complete your order click on “Save and Proceed to Checkout” at the bottom of this page and follow the instructions through the checkout process. You will receive an order number when you have successfully placed your order.
Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.