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Starbucks, you pissed me off. You took away my free soy milk with my registered card. Not cool! Pfft– I have no reason to be loyal anymore. I’ve moved on!
Guess what? I’m glad you failed. I found better. I found Vinaccio.
Organic, fair trade coffee beans are what I prefer. How happy I was to make this discovery! 
After all, those are the kind of beans I buy for my home espresso machine. I brew at home 6 days per week and I only buy a latte outside of the house about 1 day per week.
Lesson learned:
Sometimes a ‘bad’ thing is actually a GREAT thing!
(Now…if Vinaccio wants to really impress me, then they’ll go back to offering vegan baked goods. Eric said he bought some vegan scones there once upon a time. No such luck now.)
Several weeks ago, I spotted this Gardein Holiday Roast on sale at my favorite grocery store (the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, in Mt Vernon, WA). Of course I had to buy a box, since I’m always eager to try new vegan food products.
Gardein Holiday Roast
Since we’re skiing for 4 days over this New Year’s holiday weekend, I thought it would be the perfect time to cook up this animal-free treat. The roast will feed Eric and I for 3 dinners. The box suggests that the roast serves 8, but I think 6 servings is more realistic and appropriate.
Preparation is a snap…
1. Keep the roast frozen until you’re ready to cook it.
2. Prepare the (optional) Basting Glaze from the recipe on the box…
Whisk together: 1 T tamari, 1 t vegetable oil, 1 T orange marmalade, 2 T orange juice, 1 t Dijon mustard and 1/4 t dried thyme.
(I didn’t have orange marmalade, so I used the apricot jam that I already had in my fridge. I also used all of the juice from a fresh-squeezed orange.)
3. Place the frozen roast on top of your choice of veggies with about half of the glaze. I chose onions and carrots. My loaf pan was perfect for the job.
4. Bake covered at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Drizzle half of the remaining glaze over the roast and bake another 15 minutes. Repeat one more time, for a total of 60 minutes.
Basting Glaze and Frozen Gardein Holiday Roast
Cooked Gardein Holiday Roast with Basting Glaze over Carrots and Onions
Instead of baking the potatoes in the glaze (which probably would have been better), I baked 3 potatoes in a pan.
Baked Potatoes
The roast includes a 14 ounce gravy packet that you simply thaw and heat. Note that we ate the whole packet of gravy in one night! We didn’t need to skimp on the gravy since I made extra (Mmm…that would be the Mushroom Gravy recipe out of “Big Vegan,” by Robin Asbell.)
Gardein Homestyle Gravy
If you follow this blog, you’ll recognize this Pineapple Cranberry Sauce:
Pineapple Cranberry Sauce
We rounded out the meal with steamed broccoli and cauliflower. After I took this picture I drenched everything with more gravy!
Basted Gardein Holiday Roast with Carrots & Onions, Baked Potato, Homestyle Gravy, Pineapple Cranberry Sauce, and Steamed Broccoli & Cauliflower
Finally, I must NOT forget to mention that the Gardein Holiday Roast is absolutely, utterly, and wonderfully delicious! YUM. I look forward to my next 2 dinners!
Speaking of forgetting…
I forgot to prepare a dessert…oh, BOO. Instead, a spoonful of Wax Orchards Classic Fudge will have to do!
Question: What does a vegan eat at Thanksgiving and Christmas?
Answers…
1. Almond-Covered “Cheese” Ball (from “Big Vegan,” by Robin Asbell)
2. Wayfare Foods “We Can’t Say It’s Cheese” Hickory Cheddar and Mexi Cheddar Spreads
3. Gingered Carrot Soup
4. Sweet Potato Bisque (from “Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health”)
5. Cranberry Quinoa Salad
6. Mixed Greens Salad
7. Thyme-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
8. Green Beans & Cranberries
9. Garlic-Glazed Green Beans (from “The Vegan Table,” by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)
10. Candied Yams
11. Baked Cinnamon Yams
12. Creamy Chive Mashed Potatoes
13. Pumpkin Rice
14. Sweet Potato Biscuits
15. Apple-Rosemary Dressing
16. Cranberry Sauce
17. Cranberry Chutney
18. Roasted Vegetable Gravy
19. Field Roast Celebration Roast
20. Basic Mushroom Gravy with Herbs (from “Big Vegan,” by Robin Asbell)
21. Field Roast Cranberry Roast En Croute
22. Harvest-Stuffed Acorn Squash (from “The Vegan Table,” by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)
23. Tofurky Vegetarian Roast (Yes, it is delicious!)
24. Pumpkin Pie
25. Willamette Valley Fruit Company Marionberry Pie (dairy free!)
26. Non-Dairy Vanilla Ice Cream (from “Lick It,” by Cathe Olson)
27. Fruitcake
28. Blackstrap Gingersnaps and Citrus Glitters
(from “Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar,” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero)
Snowballs (from “The Joy of Vegan Baking,” by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)
Peppermint Bark (non dairy)
29. Holiday Beverages
(Note: It appears that Silk has discontinued their Pumpkin Spice seasonal flavor. So Delicious makes one, though!)
30. Nog Latte
I don’t know about you, but I’m stuffed! :-)
Oh, my–> Major discovery here!
While doing my regular grocery shopping at the Skagit Valley Food Co-op yesterday, something caught my eye on a high shelf in the baking section…
Something about peppermint, fudge and fat free REALLY does it for me.
I went in for a closer look…
Vegan?…Check! The fruit-sweetened part intrigued me.
My first instinct was to get the peppermint flavor, because I love mint combined with chocolate. But, I decided to buy the classic flavor first.
The texture was nice and thick…
The Classic Fudge flavor is utterly delectable. The fruit juice sweeteners provide a subtle background flavor. They are noticeable, but not overpowering.
Today I went back for the Peppermint Fudge flavor. The fruity note definitely hides behind the peppermint. Delicious!
Check out the Wax Orchards website for their story, their Fudges (I need to try the Orange Passion flavor!), their Berry Syrups, and their Gift Box. It’s also nice to know that these guys are from my home state of Washington.
I plan to eat this stuff one spoonful at a time, right out of the jar.
Mates, I think I’ve discovered a secret to really good vegan cheese. My hunch is yet untested, but I think I’m onto something BIG! Let me explain…
I bought some Marmite today. I’d never tried it before, so I said “What the heck!” and grabbed a jar while shopping at my local food Co-op.
Ingredients: Yeast Extract, Salt, Carrot & Onion Extract, Spice Extracts, enriched with B Vitamins – Niacin (B3), Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), and Cyanocobalamin (B12).
Before trying Marmite for the first time, the only thing I knew about it is that it’s very salty. Just like umeboshi paste…a little goes a long way. The jar states “Delicious when spread thinly on toast or for a treat try Marmite on a crispbread with cottage cheese.”
I put some on a piece of toast. Hmm…Salty, yes. It’s hard to describe, but I would use the words salty, smoky, and bitter. It was okaaay…not repulsive (the Marmite website says you’re either a lover or a hater), but I felt it just needed something else in order to satisfy me. (I think it could grow on me, though…)
Of course, I didn’t have cottage cheese in my fridge, but I did have some vegan cheese. Last week I made homemade vegan Muenster cheese, from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook (page 164), by Jo Stepaniak.
Marmite + Vegan Muenster on toast = Ding, ding, ding! (Wedding bells!)
Marmite by itself..it’s okay.
Vegan Muenster by itself…it’s quite good.
Marmite and Muenster…better together!
The Marmite gave the Muenster that little somethin’ somethin.’ It amped up the flavor; it gave it depth and richness.
That little “somethin’ somethin” has a name: Umami. It’s that little-known fifth taste sense. It’s not just salty. It’s not just bitter. It’s savory but obscure. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know it when you taste it. Ooo-mommy!
Apparently, it’s the glutamic acid in the Marmite that imparts the umami sense. Glutamic acid is associated with fermented or aged foods of plant and animal origin…aged meats, fish, soy sauce, certain vegetables (mushrooms, tomatoes & others), and aged cheeses.
So here’s what I’ve concluded:
Animal-based cheeses have a distinct sharpness of flavor. It can be difficult to find this robust flavor burst in a plant-based cheese. (Difficult, but not impossible!)
So, if glutamic acids contribute greatly to the pungent taste AND if Marmite adds that umami quality, then it only makes logical sense to add a little bit of Marmite to vegan cheese recipes.
I’m going to try that.
So…Whereas, the recipe for Muenster Uncheese calls for:
Paprika, water, agar flakes, tofu, cashews or Brazil nuts, nutritional yeast flakes, lemon juice, tahini, onion powder, salt, dry mustard, garlic powder, and ground caraway or coriander
…I’m thinking it would be wise to add a drib or a drab of Marmite, too. Just a wee. What do you think?
(Paprika makes Muenster Uncheese pretty and smoky)
(For more on using umami in the vegan cooking arsenal, read this blog article by Ginny Messina, the Vegan R.D.)
TOFU BACON BLT W/ VEGENAISE
GRILLED DAIYA CHEEZ SANDWICH
BBQ TEMPEH SANDWICH
SAUERKRAUT, ONION & MUSTARD HOAGIE
CAMP FOOD
SLOPPY LENTILS (AKA LENTIL STEAMERS)
BETTER THAN FILET-O-FISH
(BEER-BATTERED TEMPEH & TARTAR W/ DAIYA)
VEGAN PHILLY CHEESESTEAK
(WILD MUSHROOM FIELD ROAST, DAIYA & GARLIC AIOLI)
GARDEIN CHICK’N CHILI BURGER
LENTIL SAGE DELI SANDWICH
Ah…my sweet *elixir. My little happy place. How I look forward to my daily espresso beverage!
- double shot home-brewed Fair Trade, Organic, City or Full City Roast coffee
- teensy bit sweetener
- 1/3 cup soy milk
- 1/3 cup homemade nut rice milk.
I typically use coarse raw sugar, but today I tried Raw Coconut Crystals. I found them at my local food Co-op. Two thumbs up!
*Elixir just sounds right to me. Technically, an elixir is a sweet liquid containing alcohol. But, since espresso is clearly used to “cure one’s ills,” I’m going with it!
Go! Get yourself a copy of Dreena Burton’s latest cookbook, “Let Them Eat Vegan.” You won’t be disappointed. I love the way Dreena cooks and bakes. Her creations have the perfect balance of healthy and delicious. She uses primarily whole plant ingredients, plenty of beans/legumes, minimal added fats and “just enough” sweetener. Eat all you want because there’s zero guilt!
The first recipe I tried was the Chickpea Pumpkin Seed Burgers on page 136. At first I wasn’t sure that the burgers would hold together, but after I let the patties sit for about an hour they held up just fine in the pan. I cooked 2 and refrigerated the other 4 patties (between layers of parchment paper in a storage container.) Now I know that oats are a secret ingredient for vegan burger success! I’ve used gluten flour before, but I’ve never used oats. Oats work great– I think they’re my new favorite cooking ingredient! The “resting” time must allow the oats to soak up moisture and this helps bind the burger.
For Burger Night #1 we had a side salad with a creamy horseradish dressing and some roasted Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots, celery and onion.
For Burger Night #2 I made the Raw-nch Dressing on page 47. I didn’t have fresh parsley so I used kale instead. It worked. The dressing made for a great romaine lettuce dip and burger sauce. We made some homemade potato chips!
For Burger Night #3 we had steamed broccoli. Raw-nch Dressing also makes a great veggie dip.
I’m looking forward to making more out of Let Them Eat Vegan!
I’d rather go to “Chick E Cheez” than “Chuck E Cheese” ANY day of the week!
All I have to do is go to page 38 in The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, by Jo Stepaniak.
Chick Cheez contains chickpeas, nutritional yeast flakes, tahini, lemon juice, light miso, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, dry mustard, paprika and salt.
CHICK CHEEZ
GRILLED CHICK CHEEZ SANDWICH
CHICK CHEEZ “BETTER THAN POUTINE” FRENCH FRY DIP
