Vegan Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese

My CSA box came with a butternut squash, and I had no desire to make soup...which it seems is the most popular recipe for butternut squash.  It's fine, it's just not my thing.  I started looking around for recipes online when I realized I could just substitute out the squash for the veggies in my go-to vegan mac n cheese recipe.  For the record, I hate when people don't give you specific amounts and say a small/medium/large whatever.  In this case, I have no choice because 1. I didn't measure it 2.  It's not that serious, just wing it, it'll be fine.

Ingredients 

1 pound of cooked elbow macaroni
1 cup of reserved pasta water
1 cup-ish of frozen peas

1 butternut squash
1/2 a medium onion (again, not that serious) roughly chopped
2 cloved garlic, whole
1-2 TBS of olive oil

1/2 cup of cashews
3-4 tsp of salt (I use kosher, but use what you like)
5 TBS of vegan butter
1/2 tsp dijon mustard (whatever you have will be fine)
2 TBS lemon juice (fresh or from a bottle)
black pepper to taste (I crank my pepper grinder 10-20 times)
1/2 tsp paprika

 Directions: 

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and cube a butternut squash.  Put squash, onions and garlic on a baking tray with a silpat or parchment liner.  Coat lightly with olive oil (or whatever oil you like).  Put the tray on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for approximately a half hour.  Flip everything around half way through.

While that's baking, put pasta in a pot of salted water.  Yes, put it in before it boils.  Pasta in cold water is pasta that doesn't stick together.  Don't waste time waiting for it to boil

Now that you're waiting on things to bake and boil, put everything from the last set of ingredients (cashews down to the paprika) into blender.  And...wait.

Okay, you're pasta should be boiling...don't forget to flip around the veggies in the oven.  They should be more or less cooked through and starting to brown a little.  Carefully take a cup of pasta water  (I dip my pyrex measuring cup in, do what you want, just don't burn yourself.)  Pour that hot water into the blender.  (Since I don't pre-soak the cashews, I feel like this helps to soften everything up.)

Carefully blend everything.  Drain your pasta (assuming it's done) and put it back in the pot.  Pour in the peas and mix it up.  Take your veggies out of the oven (also assuming it's done) and dump everything into the blender.  Blend again until everything is creamy and super smooth.  Now pour this mix in with the pasta and give it a stir.

Voila!

Is Movie Theater Popcorn Vegan?

Have you read  PETA's "Accidentally Vegan Movie Theatre Snacks" article or VegNews Vegan Movie Snack(s) Time?  They usually provide relatively accurate information, but these two articles are not giving you the full story.  (For the record, I have tweeted PETA twice, asking them to update this article, but never received a response.  And I tweeted VegNews once.)  While the buttery topping at Cinemark and AMC Theatres are vegan, their salt is not.  Seriously?!?!  Yes, seriously.

I tweeted the three major movie theater chains in my area, Cinemark, AMC and Regal for confirmation about their popcorn.

Cinemark was the least interested in interacting with me, simply directing me to their Nutritional and Allergen Information Page.

On that page you will find this;

"The popcorn salt that we use to pop the corn with does have some soy as well as dairy.

If the guest would prefer to have a batch popped without the popcorn salt (if this was found to be the cause of a reaction) - the employee would be able to accommodate this request.  We have asked theatres to honor requests for no salt batches of popcorn, so they should be aware of this - not only for allergy reasons, but more due to recent concerns about salt intake levels.  There may be trace amounts left in the popper from previous batches though."  

While it stinks that their popcorn has dairy in the salt, I appreciate how detailed this information is, as most establishments apparently refuse to provide any nutritional information (that means you Starbucks and Texas Roadhouse, whose french fries are cooked in animal fat!  WTF?!?!)

AMC Theaters admitting to dairy in their salt is what started all of this inquiry.  A person from a vegan Facebook page I am part of had always gotten the popcorn at AMC because they told her it was vegan. After hearing a rumor that it wasn't, she asked again the next time she went.  This time she asked the employee to check the ingredients on the bag.  After reviewing it together, it was clear that there was dairy in the salt.  When I brought this incident to their attention, they responded:

When I pointed out that people have asked, and they were told it was vegan.  They simply repeated that you could ask for it without seasoning.

But that's not the point....  Shouldn't your employees be trained to know what's in your food? Especially if you don't have an online or printed nutrition and allergen list available?  So ignore PETA's and VegNew's article, they are wrong.

While PETA was wrong about AMC, they were right about Regal!

As someone who always tries to support vegan-friendly businesses, Regal is now my one-and-only when it comes to going out for a movie.

On a separate note, if you were interested in a bag of freshly popped popcorn, but not into going to the movies, you can grab some at Target.

I guess they mentioned salt is a mineral because they were probably very confused by my question. As they should be!  Why is anyone adding dairy to the salt?  Some people may lead you to believe that it's to prevent the salt from caking.  I don't remotely believe that's the case.  In my opinion, it's for the same reason they add dairy or dairy by-products to almost everything we eat...it has addictive properties.  Some research proves the link, some research (usually funded by the dairy industry or people benefiting from denouncing the link between dairy and bad health) says it's not.  Do your own research, apply some common sense and make up your own mind.

In terms of the popcorn, stick with Regal for an evening out; or Target if you're having a movie night at home.

Vegan Donuts mmm....

I keep seeing people ask about where to buy vegan donuts.  Just make your own.  Seriously, they come together very quickly and just need a quick deep fry.  I coated mine with either powdered sugar, raw cane sugar or a quick glaze made with confectioner's sugar, almond milk and a little vanilla. 

Thanks to Lucy's Friendly Foods for posting such an amazingly easy and delicious recipe!

And thanks to my kid for taking such great donut pictures!  Love you <3

Easy Homemade Vegan Butter

This recipe is based off of Miyoko Schinner's vegan butter recipe from her amazing book, The Homemade Vegan Pantry.  If you don't own it, you should.

Yes, you can buy vegan butter.  Every grocery store I've been to carries at least one vegan butter.  Apparently, not true in Kuwait, as per my ex-military friend Mike, who is still there now.  So this recipe is for him.  The whole process takes me less than five minutes from start to finish.

I don't have a mini blender, so I use mason jars with my old Osterizer blender.  

Use a pint-sized one with the ounce markings on the side.

Add 3/4 cup of coconut oil.

Add 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk.

Add 1/8 of a cup of a neutral oil like canola or grapeseed.

Add 1 teaspoon of liquid soy lecithin.  

(I bought this huge bottle at the Vitamin Shoppe for $10. If you don't have one near you, you can order it on Amazon.  It's not just an emulsifier, it's also good for you. As per WedMD, "lecithin is used for treating memory disorders such as dementia...It is also used for treating gallbladder disease, liver disease, certain types of depression, high cholesterol, anxiety...[and] eczema.")

Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  

(I would use more if you want it to taste more like commercially made butter, but if you're going to use it for baking, then keep it to 1/2 teaspoon or less.)

If you want it to taste more like movie theater butter, add McCormick Butter Flavor.  It is vegan.  I don't normally add it, but if I am popping popcorn, I'll add it for that extra buttery kick.

Once everything is in the jar, blend away.

Once the lecithin is mixed in, it will look less orange, and more like a soft yellow.

I set my blender to "whip" and let it run for 60 seconds.

If you want it more yellow in color, add a pinch of turmeric.  I don't, but you can.

And voila!  Vegan butter.  

If I'm making mash potatoes or anything that involves melted butter, 

I'll just whip up a batch and use it right away.

Otherwise, I make tablespoon squares of butter using a silicone mold.  I think I picked up this mold at Bed, Bath & Beyond, but they're also on Amazon.  Sometimes this recipe fills it perfectly, sometimes it's a little less, sometimes it's a little more.  It all depends on how aerated it gets in the blender.  

Leave it in the refrigerator until they solidify then pop them out and store them in a container.

Why vegan butter?  Because dairy is bad for you.  Dairy is bad for cows and their babies.  And for anyone who thinks they're lactose intolerant, you're not.  You're just not a baby cow.  Stop buying into the bs of the dairy industry.  Most of the information about dairy being good for you comes from studies put out by the dairy industry!  Read real studies.  Do your own research.  The evidence is overwhelming.  Ditch dairy.  Lecture over.  Sorry, I can't help myself.

Vegan Mac n' Cheese

I have a friend, Pam.  I've known her for what feels like five million years.  She writes an amazing blog called The Mental Confessional and posts equally amazing photos on Instagram.

If you know Pam, you'd know she has these amazing sparkling eyes and the most contagious laugh.  You'd never know that Pam suffers from bipolar disorder and postpartum depression.  I know from her blog posts, that there are times that feel really dark to her.  But I also know, that through her writing she has become a beacon of light amidst the darkness for others with her honest and heartfelt writing.  I am proud of her every day for working hard at advocating for others, for trying to manage her illness and for always being the best mom to her boys.

So what does vegan mac n' cheese have to do with mental illness?  Well, dairy has been linked to depression, bipolar disorder, cancer, and even dementia.  Pam has taken steps to cut out some meat from her diet (see, I can be a good influence!) but I would love for her to stop with the dairy, especially if there's a chance it's a part of what's making her feel crappy.  So in honor of my dear inspirational friend Pam, I'd like to offer her my favorite vegan mac n' cheese recipe.  This cheese sauce is amazing.  We use it on chips, over baked potatoes, and it will be the sauce I use to make the Hubby's favorite broccoli cheese casserole with Ritz cracker topping for Thanksgiving.

I hope you try it and like it as much as we do.

All you need is pasta (obviously) potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, cashews, water, butter, lemon, mustard, salt and pepper.  Now, don't go calling shenanigans already.  I promise you, this will all come together into a cheese sauce thanks to some vegan magic!

After you boil the veggies and nuts, dump it all in the blender with the rest of the ingredients.  Don't strain the veggies and nuts, add that water too.

You wind up with this amazingly, warm, lucious, thick, creamy cheese sauce.

Pour it onto your cooked pasta.

mmm...

Ta da!  Vegan Mac n' Cheese!

I did not come up with this recipe all by myself.  I took my inspiration from VegNews Vegan Macaroni & Cheese.  When I found this recipe, it was life changing!  I made a few changes in the ingredients and cooking directions, but I'd still recommend checking their version out.  I'd also consider subscribing to their magazine.  I do and I love it!  We use this cheese sauce for all sorts of things.  Once refrigerated, it becomes spreadable.

Ingredients

1 pound of cooked elbow macaroni

2 cups of water
2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and diced
2/3 cup onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of cashews

3-4 tsp of salt (I use kosher, but use what you like)
5 TBS of vegan butter (I use homemade, but use what you like)
1/2 tsp mustard (whatever you have will be fine)
2 TBS lemon juice (fresh or from a bottle)
black pepper to taste (I crank my pepper grinder 10-20 times)
1/2 tsp paprika

Directions:

1. Take a medium sized pot (if it's too big, the water won't cover the vegetables) and put in the water, potatoes, carrots, onions, and cashews.
2. Bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Put into your blender, the salt, butter, mustard, lemon juice, pepper and paprika.  Add the cooked vegetables along with the cooking water to the blender.
4. Blend until smooth.  I have a high-speed blender, but I can't imagine this would be hard to do in a regular blender.  Just try it.
5. Dump in onto your macaroni and stir.  I add peas for color, but since your sauce is all vegetables, you don't really have to feel bad for eating a big bowl of pasta.

•       NOTE:  The measurements of the potatoes, carrots and onions are not exact.  I often add more or less depending on how many I peeled.  So if you have 2 1/2 cups of potatoes or 3/4 cups of carrots, don't freak out.  It's not a big deal.  But do try to dice the potatoes and carrots the same-ish size so they cook at the same rate.  Also, I buy roasted cashews because they're cheaper, and have noticed no difference in taste.

•       DISCLAIMER: This does not taste like Kraft Mac n' Cheese.  Because nostalgia makes that crap taste good, not your actual taste buds.  This tastes more like real mac n' cheese.  The kind where you make a roux and then add milk and freshly grated cheddar.  I say freshly grated, because no one should buy pregrated as it has wood pulp.  Yuck.  Just saying...

Vegan Product Review: Beyond Meat The Beyond Burger

I finally managed to pick up a package of Beyond Meat The Beyond Burger.  My local Whole Foods in Marlboro, NJ did not have them, because they suck and have a super limited amount of vegan products unlike the Whole Foods in Cherry Hill, Princeton, or even out in Philly.  Do I sound annoyed by that?  Yes, just a little.

They're packed like a standard beef burger.

Here's a close up.  They look real, right?

I used a little coconut oil, but it didn't need it.  It leached out a lot of its own oil.

Wowza, does it smell like I'm cooking a regular beef burger.  Don't know that I like that, but if you were an omnivore, that's probably a good thing. After a few minutes, flip them over.

And voila!  A meatless burger that tastes like meat.  (Served with Alexa onion rings.)

Does it Taste Like Meat?:  It really does taste like meat.  From the look to the smell to the texture. Now, if you ate this alongside a beef burger, you wouldn't have a hard time figuring out which was which.  But if you needed a burger option that's not a veggie burger, but won't contribute to you having a heart attack, then this is the way to go.

  

Will Meat-Eaters Eat it?:  Absolutely.  I think it's smart that this product is being marketed for meat eaters.  Even if they don't want to go vegan, for people with high cholesterol or other health issues, this is an easy swap for something they already eat. 

Is it Healthier for You?:  Clearly, it is.  For the record, to the people who say, you shouldn't eat things with ingredients you can't pronounce....there are no weird ingredients in here.  If you look at the list of drugs pumped into cattle, and the weird crap they use to preserve that meat...I'm sure you can't pronounce much of that.  Furthermore, if you're eating fast food burgers, then please, go educate yourself a bit on what they're putting in those. They're barely meat.  That's not a laughing matter, it's a disgusting level of filler and grossness because they know they're consumers will eat anything they put in there, no matter how bad.  You should want better.  You should demand better.

Would I Buy It Again?:  My husband and daughter liked them a lot, but it's not for me.  The whole time I was eating it, my brain was spinning out of control, like this internal barrage of lights and sirens, screaming, "Danger Will Robinson! Danger!"  My brain just couldn't reconcile the fact that even though I knew it was plant based, it just didn't taste plant based and that weirded me out.  I'm going to keep buying myself veggie burgers, but I'll pick these up for my family on special occasions. I think burgers like this are going to be the wave of the future.  I'd imagine it's significantly cheaper to produce this plant-based burger, than it is to raise cattle and kill it.  Fingers crossed. 

What Do Vegans Eat: Sunny Side Up "Eggs" and Potato Hash

 Eggs? WTF?! How am I eating eggs?  Because I am awesome and I can figure stuff out.  You can be awesome too.  Stop eating eggs...and meat...and dairy....and voila!  Awesomeness!

The potato has was simple, fry onions and then add potatoes.  I sometimes microwave or boil the potatoes a bit to cut down on the overall cooking time.).  Season as you like.  If I were a better blogger, I would add some colorful elements or use a prettier bowl plate thing, but what you get with me is the real deal.  Sorry, I'm not willing to embellish my food for the world.

Now for the egg.  I haven't perfected the method yet since this was my first try and I was winging it. I blended some silken tofu with nutritional yeast and black salt (kala namak...don't be scared to walk into your local Asian-Indian market.  Nine times out of ten, they're nicer to Caucasians than to other Asian people.)  I spooned it on top of the hash as it cooked.  It was still a little too soft for me when I took it off the stove.  I should have either added a little arrowroot powder or left the lid on top so it would firm up a bit.  Or maybe I should have used a firm tofu....I'll try again and keep you posted.

The yolk....I have definitely not mastered this technique yet.  The video directions and the written directions for the Vegg are different.  I winged it, but next time I'll try both sets of directions.

I bought The Vegg Vegan Egg Yolk and the Calcium Chloride on Amazon (these are affiliate links, don't use it if you don't want to, whatever...).  Not to state the obvious, but make sure you're using food grade calcium chloride.

For those of you who are thinking this seems like too much work have obviously never made potato hash.  It takes 5 million years to get nicely browned and crispy.  I did the dishes and made a batch of ice tea and they still weren't done. Thirty seconds to blend the tofu and then another 3 minutes to make the yolks....yeah, not such a big deal.

How did it taste?  Like potato hash with a sunny side up egg.  No crispy edges on the "egg white" but I'm working on that.  Even my husband, who hasn't officially given up eggs or dairy when he's out and about getting lunch with the guys from work, approved of this dish.  Heck, even my daughter who was never a big runny egg person thought it was really good.

What do vegans eat?  All the same stuff you do, just healthier and without all the death and torture. Just saying.

What Do Vegans Eat? Breakfast Burritos!

While you're eating your breakfast burritos of sadness and death, with its amazing artery clogging and cancer causing properties, as you buy into the bs that bacon and eggs are a healthy breakfast, us vegans are eating breakfasts chock full fo veggies that taste fantastic.

Start with a whole wheat tortilla.

One slice of vegan cheese.  I use Go-Veggie American cheese.

Then I made a quick tofu scramble with some leftover tofu. How do I create this magical tofu mix that looks like an egg?  Simple.  Brush a little coconut oil in a pan, sautee some onion, crumble on half a block of tofu, add 1 tsp. of Indian black salt (a.k.a. Kala Namak, it has an eggy smell to it), 2 tsp. of Nutritional Yeast, 1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder (some people are opposed to it, because they don't need their tofu to be egg-yellow.  I add it because turmeric has so many health benefits), and salt and pepper.  I like to cook it until it's browned, it tastes more like hard scrambled eggs.

A few slices of beefsteak tomatoes from the garden.

Luckily, I had leftover french fries.  I have never been able to successfully resuscitate french fries, but I've learned they make a great potato hash for breakfast.  As I crisped them up in a pan, I added some breakfast sausage.  You can buy it at the store.  I like to make the version from The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples, which is a simple, onion, mushroom, barley and vital wheat gluten mix that I steam in mason jars.  I also happened to have a ton of spinach that needed to get finished off, so I chopped it up and threw it in.

Look at my pretty layers!

I toasted them in a pan with some coconut oil.

And voila!

Proof positive that vegans are eating food that looks and tastes as good as you meat-eaters are.  Except my breakfast is actually healthy and isn't going to give me a heart attack or high cholesterol.