Nature's Way Superfood Powders

I have really been getting into smoothies these days. I find they are great for breakfast. I can blend them up and take them with me to work. I recently purchased a copy of the book "365 Vegan Smoothies" by Kathy Patalsky and I love it! It was one of those books that I borrowed from my local library. I started noting which pages I wanted to photocopy, expecting there to be no more than maybe 5....but by the time I got to the end of the book, I had a huge list of pages. Well, I HAD to buy the book! I have been trying out at least 2 new recipes every week and all but one so far has been a winner with me, so far.

Quite a few smoothie recipes call for the use of kale. Now, I love kale but have to admit that it can be a pain to wash and cut up. Plus, my blender does not seem to cope with it very well, and I end up with chewy smoothies - an oxymoron!
So, I was rather pleased to find the Nature's Way  range pop up on the shelves at Woolworths supermarkets. There was quite a few varieties available, including powders of acai, spirulina, maca, super greens blends, etc. I spotted a kale powder and noticed it was vegan and gluten free, so bought it. The costs was around $10 for a 100g bag and it is suggested you pop 2 tsp into your smoothies. I have been using half of that so far.
It tastes fine and is very convenient to use. You can also use it in salads, soups and dips though I have not tried that yet.

Competition: Win a copy of the book "Sanctuary: Portraits of Rescued Farm Animals" by Sharon Lee Hart

This book is a collection of black and white photographs of animals that have been been rescued from a certain grim fate, simply for being considered the 'right' species to exploit and murder for profit. Each photo comes with a profile on each animal, telling the story of how they came about to being rescued and their new lives. The stories are written by the sanctuary owners and workers, themselves.

Your Daily Vegan is giving away a copy of this book! If you would like to enter to win, please check out their page for full instructions. It is super easy and yes, I have entered too! Competition ends March 12th.
Good luck!

Book: Handbook for the Aussie Vegan

This is a brand spanking new book for Australian vegans and those working towards becoming vegan. The book is by Silva Mirovics who runs her own business called Nutritional Empire.

The book contains a foreword by Australian philantropist Philip Wollen, articles by several naturopaths, recipes with colour photographs, and a directory of various businesses, services, organizations in Australia that are vegan and run by vegans.

Special mention must be made of the recipes. They are split into the Savoury, the Sweet, and the Other. Some are raw, some are gluten free, and all are vegan, of course. The recipes have been submitted by various people and organizations around Australia, including Sea Shepherd, Edgar's Mission, Bed & Broccoli, Ethikool, Cruelty Free Super, Perth's own Animal Rights Advocates, and many more...

I found a copy of this book at Loving Hut in East Victoria Park. They had a few copies for sale there but I am not sure how many they have left or for how long they will be stocking it. Otherwise, you can always order your copy online here.

I can't wait to try out some of these recipes and explore more about veganism in Australia. I strongly recommend you get a copy of this book!

Book: Vegan is Love by Ruby Roth

Ruby Roth is one talented woman, with real heart. A little while back, I posted about her previous children's picture book "That's Why We Don't Eat Animals". The good news is that she has a new book for kids coming out in April, called "Vegan is Love: having heart and taking action", which she has written and illustrated.

Here is an uplifting video that shows the author talking about the book and veganism. For more information on this book and this author, you can check out the website.

Book: "Skinny Bitch" by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin

I had heard of this book but did nto know much about it, thinking it was just another diet book. Then I found out it was much more than that. It was a book for the vegan diet and lifestyle, so being a vegan, I read this book cover to cover, with 80 pages down in one day. The book is presented in a 'chick non-lit' kind of way, appealing to women's concerns and dare I say vanity, in a strive to be thin and gorgeous. But this is just a ploy by the authors to draw in a readership who might otherwise never thought of a vegan lifestyle as something for them.
The authors talk about the very real evils of factory farming, and pull no punches about the evils of a lot industry and govt groups that are out there to make a buck at your health's expense, the environment, and animals.
I like the way they tell it like it is. My one criticism is that the string language they sometimes use may put some readers off. I hope it didn't and if you consider reading this book, (please DO), push past the use of strong language and take in the information and the messages within.
I also like the way the authors say 'skinny' but not 'scrawny'. As someone who is a vegan, I get very very tired of listening to meat eaters complaining how they can;t lose weight and commenting on how thin I am. Cut the meat, the eggs and especially the dairy, replace it with lots of plant based food stuffs, and you will look better, feel better, do more for the environment than you could even comprehend, and TRULY call yourself an animal lover and not just a 'selective' animal lover ie cats, dogs, etc.
READ THIS BOOK!

Book: That's Why We Don't Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things

That's Why We Don't Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things by Ruby Roth

Published 2009

ISBN-13: 978-1556437854


This is a picture book aimed at children, covering the topic of why some people choose to be vegans or vegetarians. The author manages to get her message across without horrifying and overwhelming the young reader, and just as importantly, not dumbing it  down either. She addresses the emotional lives of animals, factory farming, ocean life depletion, pollution, destruction of rainforests and other habitats of wildlife, etc. She explains how these concerns are all tied into why some people become vegans and vegetarians - or as she puts it - "That's why we don't eat animals".


The illustrations are visually stunning - from the endearing and stylized drawings of the animals, to the sadness of factory farming. The illustration on the page about cows in  factory farms is the most heartfelt of all, for me. 


I can highly recommend this book, not just for children, but also for adults too. There are so many children's picture books out there where animals are used to tell some story or 'lesson', but they are anthropomorphic to the point whereby the animal might as well be a human being. It is nice to have a picture book whereby the animals are animals and their story is told.
Most children love animals and yet we give them such conflicting messages as they grow. Love your dog, but eat the pig. Don't steal, but drink milk that should be going to a calf. Be gentle, kind and respectiful towards other people and to animals, too but eat something  that has been tortured and murdered. 
It is about time a picture book like this has come along. 


The author has a website you can visit for more information on her work, including a video on how and why she came about to writing and illustrating this book.

Recipe: Italian Veggie and Pasta Casserole

I found this recipe in the book "The Everything Vegan Cookbook" by Jolinda Hackett  and Lorena Novak Bull.
I have tweaked it just a little bit.

What you will need:

500 grams of pasta (spirals, corkscrews, small shells or bow ties)
1 onion chopped (optional)
3 zucchini sliced moderately thin  and halved if zucchini is large (Option - 2 zucchini and 1 can of kidney beans)
1 red bell pepper (optional)
4 cloves of garlic (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes
two thirds of a cup corn kernals
tsp parsley and basil
quarter tsp oregano and paprika
half cup bread crumbs
one third cup vegan cheese

Method:
1. Cook pasta according to instructions on the packet, drain well and then lay out in a baking dish.
2. Preheat oven to 220 celcius
3. Saute onion, zucchini, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil until soft - 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, corn and herbs. Simmer for 8-10 minutes.
4. Cover pasta with zucchini and tomato mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and vegan cheese.
5. Bake for approx 15 minutes.

What I like best about this recipe is that it is very easy and you can make it gluten free by using rice pasta and rice breadcrumbs. I also love the Italian herbs. I am yet to find a vegan cheese that melts right but the taste is good, nonetheless.

Recipe: Sadie's Vitality Broth

This is a simple broth and noodle soup that is a good alternative to chicken noodle soup. I found it in the book Vegan Vittles: Second Helpings: Down-Home Cooking for Everyone  by Joanne Stepaniak . I can highly recommend this book to anyone who wants recipes that aren't too complicated, don't have too many ingredients and do not take forever to make. Apart from the recipes, it also has lovely drawings and profiles of the animals from Farm Sanctuary in New York.

What you will need:
4-5 cups of water
1 can (approx 470g - 500g) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 and a half tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tp 2 tbsp fresh finely chopped parsley or 1 to 2 tsp dried
Just less than a tsp of salt, and onion powder (optional)
1 quarter tsp garlic powder (optional)
Dash of paprika and ground coriander
pinch of ground tumeric
2 thirds cup of orzo ( rice shaped pasta) or other small pasta.

Method:
Combine the water, chickpeas, nutritional yeast flakes, salt, herbs and spices in a large saucepan and bring to boil. Add the pasta and stir well. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the pasta is tender, approx 20 minutes.

Notes: Nutritional yeast cane be found in health  food shops and is NOT to same as Brewer's yeast! Fresh parsley is what I used and always prefer. The flavour is better and the best thing is - parsley is easy to grow, including in pots. The pasta I used was made of corn - it keeps its shape when cooked and it is gluten free.

The finished product is a lovely noodle broth, perfect for these cold, rainy days we are having in Perth, at the moment.

Recipe: Basic Tofu Lasagna

I have never in my life, made a lasagna before, let alone a vegan one. Thankfully, this recipe is very easy to follow and the result was delicious! I found it in the book "The Everything Vegan Cookbook" - by Jolinda Hackett and Lorena Novak Bull.  It has a lot of easy to follow recipes, perfect for those of us who are either new to vegan cooking or cooking all together!

What you will need:

1 block of firm tofu (about 400g)
1 block of silken tofu (about 400g)
a quarter cup nutritional yeast (you can find this in health food shops)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp soy or tamari (I prefer tamari)
approx 2 teaspoons basil - fresh or dried, using less if dried
approx 3 tbsp parsley - fresh or dried , using less if dried
a pinch or two of salt
4 cups of vegan pasta sauce - I use  Paul Newman's Own: Classic Tomato Homestyle. Available in supermarkets. Any tomato based pasta sauce will do, so long as it doesn't have any cream or butter in it, really.
1 pack lasagna pasta sheets (check directions on pack as to whether they need to be presoaked or not.) As I am sensitive to gluten, I used gluten free ones which often can be found in supermarkets these days.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c
In a large bowl, mash together the firm and the silken tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, soy/tamari sauce, herbs and salt, until they are all combined and crumbly like ricotta cheese. At this stage, you can mix in additions, like sliced mushrooms.
Grab a lasagna pan and spread about two thirds of a cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of it and then add a layer of  pasta sheets.
Spread about half of the tofu mix on top of the noodles and follow that with another layer of sauce. Place a second layer or pasta sheets on top and follow with the remaining tofu mix and more sauce. Finish it off with a third layer of pasta sheets and the rest of the sauce.
If you like, you can add a bit of grated vegan cheese on the top. Cheezly is a good brand and is available from from PAWS .
Cover your masterpiece with some foil, pop into the oven and give it about 40-50 minutes to cook. basically, what you are looking for is the pasta too cook well enough so you can put a knife through it. I used non pre-soak lasagna sheets and found that the recipe in the book recommended only 25 minutes, which was nowhere near enough time.

 And here is the final product. Totally delicious and totally free of dairy and any other animal products. Yum!