Mushroom and Veggie Shepherds Pie

Serves 6-8

I think one of the most prolific misconceptions about vegan food is that it isn't savory and delicious. This meal instantly dashes such misconceptions away. My significant other frequently requests this meal and let me say, he is not one to happily munch on a salad and call it dinner. I also love this homey meal on evenings when it's chilly outside and I want something savory that will really stick to my bones. I make enough to fill a 9x13 pan and eat take the rest for lunches, or freeze it for a meal down the road.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups mashed organic potatoes with vegan butter OR 3 cups mashed potatoes and 1 cup cooked squash (potatoes are notoriously full of chemicals unless organic. shop accordingly)
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2-3 lbs. mushrooms, any type, chopped into 1/4 inch dice
• 1 cup carrots, chopped into 1/4 inch dice
• 1 large yellow onion,chopped into 1/4 inch dice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups vegetable broth, separated
• 2 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch
• 1 cup green beans, frozen or fresh, cut into 1 inch lengths
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese (optional)

If you are making mashed potatoes from scratch, start boiling your potatoes before you do anything else. If you are making potatoes from dried potato flakes, make the potatoes at the end.

First, measure corn starch into a bowl and add 1/3 cup of the broth. Stir well and set aside. For the vegetable broth, I like to have some Better Than Bullion on hand so I can mix up any amount I need any time a recipe calls for broth.

In a large pan, heat the oil on medium high until shimmering, but not smoking. Add the onions, mushrooms, and garlic to the pan, finishing with a generous sprinkle of salt. Stir frequently over medium high heat until onions and mushrooms begin to soften and give off moisture, about 10 minutes. Add carrots to pan, and continue to stir frequently for 10-15 more minutes. Once vegetables are soft and pan juices have mostly evaporated, add in the remaining vegetable broth and green beans. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan and stir well. Cook 5-10 more minutes, stirring constantly, until green beans are heated through and gravy has thickened.

Add salt and pepper to taste, then pour thick stew into a 9x13 baking pan. Cover with mashed potatoes and smooth top, leaving some peaks. If you would like vegan cheese, sprinkle it on top after smoothing the potatoes. Turn oven on to broil, put shepherds pie on top rack of oven for about 10 minutes, watching carefully that the top is browned, but not burned. Remove pan, and serve immediately.

Molasses Sticky Rolls- A Substitution Experiement

In an attempt to modify a cinnamon bun recipe so that the product was vegan, pretty much gluten-free, and contained few to no refined ingredients, I have created a different monster entirely. I used the quick cinnamon bun recipe from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book and made some serious modifications.

It wasn't that difficult to make substitutions that worked for this recipe because there aren't any eggs in this recipe. Eggs are difficult to get a perfect substitute for in baking because they have three different roles in standard baking. Eggs provide fat and participate in leavening and binding of the baked good. Look forward to my post about substituing for eggs in recipes.

Anyhow, back to this post. The dough for these sticky buns is more like a sweetened biscuit dough, in which I subbed in my own concocted gluten-free flour, coconut sugar, dairy-free milk with vinegar, and Earth Balance, in addition to the other ingredients that already met the criteria. I used potato starch, almond meal, brown rice flour, amaranth flour, and xanthum gum to replace the white wheat flour called for in the recipe. (Look forward to my gluten free substitutions post as well). I find that using my own gluten-free flour is a great way to work in micro nutrients and protein.

 The most significant substitution I made was for the dark brown sugar in the filling. Measure for measure, I added molasses instead. Molasses is technically refined, however, molasses has high micro-nutrient content because all the vitamins and minerals that are taken out of white sugar end up in the molasses.

 I mixed the molasses with the cinnamon and other spices, then poured it onto my flattened dough.

Rolling this was really messy. I probably could have used one third to a half the amount of molasses as I did, and the results would have probably been less messy, and less molasses-y.

Honestly, the results were... interesting. The texture of the baked dough was good. The only issue was that they taste SO MUCH like molasses, and hardly anything else, even cinnamon. For these, the bitterness of the molasses was so strong, I did end up covering the tops with powdered sugar to cut the bitterness.

Next time, I would really reduce the amount of molasses I used, and increase the amount of cinnamon and other spices. I also might substitute coconut sugar or pureed dates in the filling. I'll post results the next time I try this recipe.

The good thing about this experiment was that these are good enough to eat, but they're not so good I sat down and ate the entire contents of the pan as soon as they were out of the oven. I suppose moderation with sweets is a good thing, and this recipe certainly encourages that.

*I have not included a recipe with this post for two reasons. 1- The recipe is not perfected enough to encourage others to make it. 2- Copyright laws prohibit me from sharing the original recipe.

Choco-Banana-Nut Smoothie

When I'm in the mood for a sweet treat that is loaded with protein, I make myself one of these smoothies, although it's really a lot more like a shake than a smoothie. I load the following into the blender:

• 2 bananas, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (frozen if you would like and if your blender can handle it)
• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/4 cocoa powder
• 1/4 peanut or sunflower butter
• 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup or liquid sweetener of your choice

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender. I usually start on a lower setting and bring up the speed as it is chopped and then liquified.

I like this smoothie for all kinds of occasions, but it is really great when I feel like I need some extra protein in the morning. Actually, peanut and other nut butters are my morning protein go-to in all sorts of recipes.

To make the most of the protein in this shake, pair the peanut butter version of this smoothie with a whole grain. You could add in steel cut oats that have been cooked down into a watery mush to the blender with the other ingredients. I personally like to have a piece or two of whole grain toast with jam. The pair is a delicious spin on the peanut-butter and jelly concept.

 Chocolatey, Peanut Buttery, Banana Goodness!

Article Highlight: Processed Meats Declared Too Dangerous for Human Consumption

An interesting article came across my news feed this morning, and I am compelled to share. Titled Processed Meats Declared Too Dangerous for Human Consumption, it talks about the World Cancer Research Fund's finding that sodium nitrate, a additive in pretty much all processed meats, is highly carcinogenic.

I know this is a vegan blog, and that's precisely why I share this article. For those of us who still dabble with eating the standard American diet, I think it's important to keep these kinds of things in mind. For me, this is one of the many reasons I have chosen to pursue a vegan diet. It's not just that fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, and whole grains are really good for my body, it's also that the alternatives, in some cases, tend to be really harmful.

(Here is the link to the information on the World Cancer Research Fund's site) (Here is a list of dietary recommendations, including information about processed meats) (Here is a link to the American Institute of Cancer Research recommendations on processed meats)

After digging a little deeper into the claims, I also found this helpful article, that has a different perspective on the findings.

Smoothies with Leafy Greens

Somehow along the way, I have begun to realize how good leafy greens are for the body. I don't really like salad, which not only makes me an unusual vegan eater, but also makes it more difficult to get greens into my diet.

After watching Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, I was inspired to try drinking my fruits and veggies. Now, unlike the star of the film, I don't have a juicer, and it's not really in the budget to purchase one any time soon. I do, however, have a great blender, so I decided to start making smoothies instead. I have a bit of a different concoction than typical green smoothies or other smoothies that are more like milkshakes than smoothies.

Of course, I start with some leafy greens, like spinach or finely chopped kale. Kale has a lot of fiber, so make sure it's at least chopped, if not frozen and chopped, otherwise you'll have a very stringy smoothie. You'll also want to remove woody stalk. To do that, I hold onto the end of the stalk with one hand, and loosely wrap the other hand around the whole leaf as I pull in the opposite direction from the end of the stalk I'm holding.

You could use any other type of green as well. Dandelion greens are chock full of nutrients. Chard is nice, and so are collards. Really, you can use whatever you like, and I often use a combination of whatever I have on hand. Different kinds require different preparation methods, depending upon how edible the stalk is, and how much fiber is in that particular green. Woody stalks should be removed, and if you're not sure how stringy your greens are, I would chop them in advance. I would highly suggest organic greens because they are otherwise often covered in pesticides.

I put at least 2 cups of greens in the blender first, pour in about 1/2 cup orange juice, and then add some frozen or fresh fruit. I use about 3/4 cup frozen fruit. I like a combination of a tart fruit, like raspberries or citrus, sweet fruit, like pineapple or mango, and a blue or purple fruit, like blueberries.

It looks really beautiful in the blender, waiting to get chopped and liquified. To make a smoothie like this, you need to have a pretty powerful blender. You can check if your blender is powerful enough by chopping ice. If your blender doesn't chop ice without anything else in it, that's a sign your blender won't do a great job with this kind of smoothie.

If you have fresh fruit, that's even more delicious. I would, however, suggest adding 1/3 cup of ice cubes if all your produce is fresh. It's just more appetizing cold or frozen.

Next, blend. I usually start at a slower setting and increase the speed gradually. Everything seems to get chopped more evenly this way. Here are the results:

Sometimes my smoothies come out too bitter or chunky. You can just add more orange juice if it's too chunky or bitter. If it's really bitter, adding more tart fruit is the best way to go. Sometimes I add lime juice, and it's really really delicious and fresh tasting.

If the batch is really bad, I pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. The next time I make a smoothie, I add these smoothie cubes, more orange juice, and more fruit. These are probably the tastiest and most smooth concoctions I make.

If you haven't noticed by the photos, sometimes the smoothies don't look all that appetizing. Don't worry though, some of the most delicious smoothies I've made were the worst tasting, while the best looking ones have tasted the worst. I like to make my smoothies pretty thick, almost like apple sauce. If you don't like yours as thick, just add more juice.

Smoothie Recipe:

• 2-3 cups fresh leafy greens/1 cup frozen leafy greens, de-stalked, and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup tart juice, such as cranberry (optional)
• 1/4 cup tangy fruit, like lime, fresh cranberries, tart raspberries, green apple, etc.
• 1/4 cup sweet fruit like pineapple, sweet mango, banana, etc.
• 1/4 cup purple, black, or blue fruit like blueberries, blackberries, dark red/black grapes (chop finely before adding)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Taste. If too bitter, add more tart fruit or juice, such as tart raspberries or 100% cranberry juice. If too chunky, add more orange juice and keep blending. If you can't get the recipe right, keep note of what isn't right with it, pour into clean ice cube trays, freeze, and use again, adding other ingredients to balance out the flavor and texture.


This is one of my favorite ways to get a lot of fresh greens into my diet without a lot of high calorie salad dressing. I especially like one of these smoothies in the morning after a day when I haven't eaten very healthily. I feel like I'm giving my immune system and body a great kick start first thing in the morning!

Dispelling the Soy Protein Myth

For those of you who are unaware, there seems to be hot debates out there about whether the vegan diet provides enough of the nutrients the body needs, especially protein. There also seems to be a hot debate about whether or not soy is healthy or harmful.

Personally, I think the debate about soy stems from the debate about protein in a vegan diet. I think vegans fall for the myth that humans need a lot of protein to be healthy, and thus we rely heavily on high-protein plants, like soy, to ward of concerns that we're not getting enough protein.

 

In my journey to eat a vegan diet, I am concerned with my health, and I do take it seriously if I'm not giving my body what it needs. I've struggled to find clear answers about protein needs and the healthiness of soy products, but I feel like I've heard enough evidence about soy and protein to be able to share these resources with confidence.

I discovered what I think is the most sensible conclusion about protein while viewing the film Forks Over Knives (a film I would highly recommend vieing, by the way). The scientific evidence for how much protein we need to consume is summed up in this article. Basically, if 10% of our daily calorie intake is comprised of protein, and we are getting enough calories, we are getting plenty, if not an excess, of protien in our diets. Even the most protein lacking produce, like potatoes, has 10% protein. The trick is eating whole foods.

Refined foods remove many of the nutrients in refinement. Therefore a vegan diet made up of mostly refined foods may not support a body's protein needs. Additionally, a diet of highly refined foods will not provide other micro and macro nutrients necessary for good health, even if it's a diet that includes animal products. (You can get a plethora of information about nutrient needs in the film Food Matters).

The original article by Dr. John Douillard, published November 24, 2011 titled Soy: Friend or Foe, has been the most helpful, research-based article I've read about the benefits and cautions about soy. I would strongly encourage you to read the entire article, which can be found here: http://lifespa.com/soy-friend-or-foe/.

If you're short on time, here is the conclusion of the highlighted article:

"Soy should not be your main source of protein. Avoid soy pills. Avoid or reduce soy milk, soy cheese and other processed soy foods.

A note on tofu: in Japan, tofu is significantly more cultured with a much stronger taste than it is here in the states. American tofu should be eaten in moderation.

Enjoy traditionally fermented soy products such as miso, tempeh, natto, and traditionally brewed soy sauce. Still, make sure even these products are organic and non-GMO. Very important!

Consider including natto either as a food in your diet, or the enzyme nattokinase as a supplement, to maintain the optimal health of your arteries and protect them from atherosclerosis and blood clots.*"

To summarize, this Dr. Douillard recommends only eating well-fermented soy products as these can be quite healthful. However, unfermented or underferemented soy products can potentially be harmful to one's health.

So, here's my bottom line: buying into the myth that humans need a lot of protein into our diets, and adding in unfermented soy to account for this perceived need may only lead to a lack of health, rather than improved health. If we eat enough variety of whole foods to the degree to which that diet meets our calorie needs, we will get all the nutrients our bodies require, including protein, and it doesn't have to be from soy.

Substitutions: Diary

Making the transition to a vegan diet is sometimes difficult at first, particularly if you're like me and have additional dietary considerations. Not only am I working on incorporating more vegan meals into my diet, but I also try to avoid soy, gluten, refined grain products (like highly refined flours), and refined sugars. For me, maintaining this kind of diet is more of a journey, rather than a destinations, so to speak. I am not perfect at it, as you can see from the recipes I've already posted.

All this aside, I've come to find that there are some useful substitutions that make my own transition to my ideal diet easier. I've decided to write a series about helpful substitutions to help navigate the type of diet I would like to eat, ideally

Butter

One of the first ingredients I started substituting for in vegan cooking and baking was butter. There are multiple options, depending upon how you will be substituting. Measure by measure, in any application, you can always use Earth Balance. I use the soy-free version in the tub. I'm still waiting for them to make their baking sticks in a soy-free version as well. One note about using the Earth Balance in the tub for baking: it is already salted, so omit any additional salt in the recipe if you are baking.

In baking, butter usually holds space in the baked good until after the structure of the other ingredients has set up, and then the butter melts. Thus, the more solid the fat in a baked good, the more flaky or spongy the baked good will be. One of my favorite substitutions for butter in baking is coconut oil. I don't always use coconut oil in baking because it requires a few extra steps, but when I do use it, the results are phenomenal. For each tablespoon of butter that is called for, I measure a tablespoon of coconut into one well of a clean ice cube tray. One I have the correct amount measured into the appropriate number of wells, I refrigerate the ice cube tray until the coconut oil is totally solid. Then I use in baking recipes as called for. I've found this substitution works particularly well in pie crusts.

I haven't tried this substitution yet, but from what I hear, avocado is also a good substitution for butter, and it is totally unrefined. Without much fuss, it will hold the space in baked goods until they are set, and then the fat in the avocado will melt, resulting in light baked goods. Avocado has a lot of uses in substituting dairy because of it's high fat content. Avocado will appear later in this post for other substitutions as well.

Cheese:
One of the most common reasons I hear for people not thinking they could manage a vegan diet is because they like cheese too much to give it up. I am not unlike my fellow humans in the loving of cheese, so it's important to me to find good substitutes. I will admit that I have yet to find a vegan cheese that is as good as the real thing for eating out of hand, that is, without anything else. I have heard of a book that I'm eager to purchase called Artisan Vegan Cheese because it seems to have some promising recipes for vegan cheeses meant to be eaten out of hand.

Making cheese of any type, vegan or not, takes a lot of time and patience. If you don't have the time, you might try some products made by Daiya. Diaya is soy-free and totally vegan, made from tapioca. Personally, this is not my favorite substitute, but it is worth at least mentioning. It does melt, but I think the texture more is like a loose bread dough and less like melted cheese. The flavor is also fairly mild. I have been able to find this product in some forms even in the regular grocery store, however, Daiya makes a variety of vegan cheese products that are a little more difficult to find.

Nutritional yeast does not have a very appetizing name, but let me tell you, this stuff is good! It comes in the form of little flakes that remind me of fish food. I know, that's also not very appealing, but trust me, this stuff is worth trying. It can be used in a variety of ways, including making vegan macaroni and cheese, substituting for parmesan cheese when mixed with bread crumbs, and sprinkling on popcorn. You can add it to any creamy substance to add that tang and saltiness that dairy cheese also has. I'm not being super specific about the uses of nutritional yeast because the possibilities are endless.

When I'm really jonesing cream cheese, and it's a toss-up between real cream cheese and soy-based alternatives, the vegan choice is Better than Cream Cheese by Tofutti. They make a variety of flavors, including a non-hydrogenated option. I really can't tell the difference between the real thing and this vegan version. Tofutti does make other vegan products, but they are all made with soy tofu, so I only use them when I'm desperate for the real thing, but committed to eating vegan. My favorite application of this is spread onto a sandwich with cucumbers, red bell peppers, a little salt and pepper, and sprouts. Yum!

A comparable, but not perfect, alternative to cheese spreads is hummus. You could even mix in some nutritional yeast to give it that cheesy kick. Hummus is made out of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) with a few other ingredients like garlic, lemon juice, sesame paste, and olive oil. If you have a pressure cooker and a food processor, making hummus is extremely inexpensive, and very easy. It's great in a tortilla like a quesadilla, spread on a sandwich, or used as a creamy dip without the cream. Hummus is one of my all time favorite vegan foods. If you want some cheese, eat some hummus. It sure fulfills my cheese cravings.

One of most delicious things on the planet, as far as I'm concerned, is lasagne. But what is lasagne without ricotta? Well, I stumbled upon this substitution for ricotta sort of by accident. There is a recipe for Vegan Sour Cream in a cookbook titled Fresh From the Vegan Slow Cooker. I made this recipe according to the directions, using my blender to mix some soaked cashews, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt. The texture was nothing like sour cream, as far as I was concerned, but it was exactly like ricotta! I would use less lemon juice and apple cider vinegar to make this into cashew ricotta, not sour cream.

(photo credit: Cruelty Free Recipes)

I would be remiss in not writing about how avocado can be used as a substitution for cheese. Yes, it looks nothing like cheese, but the texture and fat content often provide my mouth with what it's craving when I want something cheesy. I just add a little salt and something tangy like lemon juice, an voila, cheese craving satisfied. Instead of cheese on top of bean enchiladas, I add fresh cubed avocado at the table. I use mashed avocado as a sandwich spread with a little salt sprinkled on. One could combine avocado, vegan milk, and nutritional yeast for a creamy pasta sauce. There are many many things you can substitute avocado for if you consider it has a similar fat content and texture of some cheese.

As you can tell, the possibilities for cheese substitutions are endless, as are the types of cheese and the uses thereof. Feel free to tell us about your favorite cheese substitutions in the comments!

Milk
When talking about dairy substitutes, it's a no brainer to include vegan milk. Vegan milk can be made out of a variety of nuts, coconut, legumes, seeds, grains, and any variety thereof. The most common vegan milk is soy milk. Soy milk tends to have the highest protein content of any of the milks, as far as I've seen. If you're relying heavily on your milk for protein, that may be a good choice. I will warn that soy is commonly genetically modified, so if you are avoiding that, choose an organic brand: organic foods are not allowed to include GMOs.

Now, like you've maybe caught onto, I try to avoid soy unless it's been fermented a while. Therefore, I stick to other types of milk, particularly because I find I get enough protien simply from having a balanced diet. My favorite tasting milk is hazelnut milk. I eat it with cereal, and it's so rich and delicious. I have a difficult time finding organic hazelnut milk, however, so I usually go with almond milk. There isn't anything wrong with non-organic hazelnut milk, it's just a personal preference.

You might notice that vegan milks come in different flavors. I've seen original, unsweetened, vanilla, and chocolate. Chocoloate almond milk is to die for, but it's got a lot of sugar, just like chocolate cow's milk, so I get it as a treat every once in a while. I use milk for baking quite often, so I tend to get the original or unsweetened milks, because somtimes the vanilla flavored ones give baked goods an off flavor, expecially if it's a savory baked good.

  

It is also possible to make your own vegan milk. I've never done it because I haven't had the time to committ to experimenting. However, if you do have the time and right equipment, you are much more easily able to customize your milk based on your preferences. If I ever have the time, I'll try it out and let you all know how it goes.

Buttermilk
These days, buttermilk is only commonly used for baking, at least where I'm from. I would not recommend this substitution if you intend to drink it. That being said, this substitution works like a charm if you intend to bake with it. The two key properties of buttermilk are that it is acidic and very low in fat, contrary to the name. Acidity is important in baking because of the chemical interactions that happen in your baked goods. Therefore, this substitution, while simple, is important. Don't worry much about the low fat piece because most vegan milks already have a low fat content.

All you need to do when substituting for buttermilk is measure out the amount in vegan milk, less a tablespoon per cup. Then, add in a tablespoon of vinegar per cup of buttermilk called for, and stir rapidly. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Separation is normal and wont affect the final product. I use white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar would work just as well.

Heavy Cream
The difference between cream and milk, for all intents and purposes, is that cream has a much higher fat content than milk (and a lower sugar content although this makes less of a difference). Therefore, there are a variety of ways to substitute vegan options for cream. The first option is just to add oil or vegan butter to vegan milk. Cream is about 1/3 fat, so replace about 1/4 of the milk with oil/melted vegan butter as vegan milk does contain some fat already. This substitution has limited applications because it is difficult, if not impossible, to get the milk and oil to emulsify. That is, to mix them so they don't immediately separate. Thanks to the folks at America's Test Kitchen, I have learned that you can add some starch to help emulsify oil and water (which vegan milks usually have a high percentage of). Next time you need to use cream for baking, try adding 1/2 Tbsp. flour or starch from your recipe to each cup of the oil and milk mixture to keep it from separating so quickly. I would still only recommend using this technique in a pinch though.

The better substitute for cream, in my opinion, is coconut milk. There are different kinds of coconut milk that are not at all the same. The coconut milk that is a great substitue for cream comes in a can and is shelf stable. I will mention that it is likely the coconut milk will impart a faint coconut flavor, so keep that in mind when using. I put this in potato leek soup and was able to detect a slight coconut flavor, but my significant other had no idea there was coconut milk in it, and he ate a few bowls. Make sure the can is shaken well before opening to use in place of cream.

If you want to substitute a vegan option for cream, you can just use vegan milk. You will likely have more success with this if you do two things. First, select a milk with a higher fat content, like cashew. Second, try to reserve this substitution for cooking, rather than baking. Baking is actually a somewhat precise science with a variety of considerations, and the closer you can keep certain ratios the same, the better your results will be.

Whipped Cream
Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, the best substitute for whipped cream is also my favorite substitue for regular cream. The same coconut milk that comes in a can should be refrigerated and left to separate to use for whipped cream. It can take around 4 hours for the coconut milk to separate, so I just leave a couple cans in the fridge all the time so I have them on hand whenever the mood strikes.

To make whipped cream out of canned coconut milk, put the unopended can in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours. Open the can to find the fats and liquid have separated. Scoop out all the fat into a medium mixing bowl, leaving behind the liquid. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons of sugar or sugar substitute and mix on high with an electric mixer until semi-stiff peaks form. It's that simple. The liquid remaining can be used like regular milk, or added to whatever vegan milk you have on hand.

(Photo credit Kathy at Healthy, Happy, Life. Follow link for full directions for whipping vegan cream)

Ice Cream
What would life be without ice cream? When I realized I did not have to give up this scrumptious treat to be vegan I was elated. Even more exciting: there are multiple options for vegan ice cream. The most obvious option is that you can just buy vegan ice cream. There are vegan ice cream bars, ice cream sanwiches, gelato, and of course, regular ice cream. Those that you can buy in the store come in a variety of bases and flavors. There are so many delicious options to choose from, I can hardly make a recommendation, but if I am forced to choose, I would say my favorite is Coconut Bliss by Luna and Larry.

But wait, there's more. If you have an ice cream maker, the possibilities are really endless. I would personally recommend starting with a canned canned coconut milk base and adding whatever other sweeteners and flavors you prefer. You could even use recipies for cow's milk ice cream just using that simple substitute.

Last, but not least, you can make a delicious ice cream substitue with nothing other than bananas and avocados, and whatever else you want to add. Peel and chop 2 bananas into 1 inch chunks. Peel and chop 1 avocado into 1/2 in cubes. Put banana and avocado in a bowl and let freeze completely. Place frozen avocado and banana (and any sweetener you want to add) in food processor and blend until smooth. You could also add 1/3 cup cocoa powder with the banana and avocado if you would like chocolate ice cream. Once smooth, transfer to a bowl and stir in any other things you would like in your ice cream. This stuff is good, y'all. Try it out. I'll post pictures soon.

Tempeh Mushroom Sloppy Joes

Serves 6-8 or makes great leftovers.

My favorite thing to substitue meat with is mushrooms. I personally think the flavor of mushrooms is so much more delicious and savory than many of the other alternatives. Extra bonus: mushrooms also have a lot of healthful qualities and are not processed.

This recipe features a trick I use in vegan cooking when I'm using a meat substitute: season food like you would season it if it weren't the substitue.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. mushrooms, any type, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 yellow onion, chopped medium fine
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 2 T olive oil
• 8 oz. package tempeh, crumbled into 1/4 inch pieces (I buy organic to make sure the soy isn't genetically modified)
• 1 red and 1 green bell pepper, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/3 c. ketchup or tomato sauce and 1 tsp. worchestershire
• 1/4 c. mustard
• salt and pepper to taste
• 12-16 slices of soft bread or 6-8 hanburger buns (sometimes whey, a derivative of cow's milk, is added to bread, so watch for that on the label)

Ok, to start off, for those of you who are unfamiliar, this is what tempe looks like in the package:

(photo credit: Veg with Lisa Lisa's Blog)

Tempe is usually found in the refrigerated or frozen section of natural food stores. You might also be able to find tempeh in the produce section of your supermarket in a refrigerated case. This is where I've always found vegan meat-substitions.

Once you have found tempeh at the store, buy it and bring it home with you. When take the tempeh out of the package, this is what it looks like:

(photo credit: FotoosVanRobin's photostream flickr site)

Tempeh is traditionally made by fermenting soy beans and grains like barley, millet, etcetera. I have found soy-free tempeh in the past. There are also plenty of options that are gluten-free. I would highly suggest purchasing organic tempeh if you avoid eating GMOs. Soy beans are notoriously genetically modified unless specified otherwise.

On to the recipe...

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee the chopped mushrooms, the chopped onion, and the garlic. Add a sprinkle or two of salt to help sweat out some moisture and cook the veggies more quickly. Cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure to scrape up the browned pieces from the pan.

Once the mushrooms and onions have begun to soften and the moisture is mostly evaporated, add the crumbled tempeh and peppers. Continue to cook until the tempeh is warmed through and the peppers have begun to soften. I like my peppers a little fresh and crunchy still. If you like them softer, add with the mushrooms and onions.

Turn off the heat, but keep the pan on the burner. To the pan add the ketchup (or tomato sauce and worchestershire) and mustard. Stir all these ingredients together, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on bread or buns.

Here I've had an open-faced sloppy-joe on some hearty bread. I would suggesting a softer bread, which is tastier, and easier to eat as a regular sanwich.

My mom used to serve creamed-corn with sloppy joes when I was a kid. I still love creamed corn, and counter to the name it is vegan usually, especially if it's in a can. If creamed corn is not your thing, or you aren't into eating the corn and additives out of the can, these sandwiches would pair nicely with corn on the cob. Like soy, corn is also often genetically modified, so if you're into avoinding GMO, purchase organic.