Article Highlihgt: 9 Appalling Facts About Meat

Yahoo! Health published an article yesterday about all the interesting (read: gross and unhealthy) things that are in conventionally raised meat. Everything from antibiotics to superbugs are harbored in meat that isn't certified organic. Yum!

Check out the article here.

Obesity, Diabetes, and Nutrients

What if obesity is a physiological mechanism for managing insulin resistance, caused by consuming a diet high in refined carbohydrates, rather than consuming too many calories?

This interesting video further confirms my conviction that eating refined foods is not healthy and will  cause disease. While using flours other than white wheat flour and sugars other than white cane sugar might help, there are still many refined ingredients that fall into these categories, but might not be any better for us. For example, potato starch used in gluten-free baking is highly refined. So is agave nectar. While honey is refined by bees, nonetheless, it is still refined, although some may argue that raw honey contains nutrients whereas other refined sugars don't. (Strict vegans also don't consider honey a vegan food due to the use of bees in its production.)

The other piece to this puzzle is the possible impact of specific sugars. This article suggests that obesity and related health concerns stem specifically from the increased consumption of fructose. While many of us jump to the conclusion that fructose is always derived from corn, and is consumed in the form of high fructose corn syrup, the truth is that many liquid sweeteners including honey and agave nectar are also high in fructose. Fructose itself is low on the glycemic index, so don't be fooled into thinking foods that contain low glycemic index sugars are automatically healthy.

One of the best points I think the film Food Matters makes is that we put too much focus on balancing the macro nutrients in our diets, like carbohydrates, protein, and fat, and neglect other very important dietary elements like water, fiber, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Whole foods have an abundance of all these things, and if we shift our focus from balancing macro nutrients to eating whole foods, I believe our bodies will be better for the wear.

For me, eating a vegan diet isn't just about avoiding animal based products, it's also about shifting my focus to creating delicious food that incorporates a wide variety of whole, fresh produce. It's about increasing my intake of things my body wants and needs, and decreasing the amount of things that harm my health, from pesticides to refined carbohydrates. As always, for me, doing so is a journey, not some holier-than-thou place I ever imagine arriving at, but I feel it is the best place to set my sights.

Recipe Highlight: Gluten-Free Chickpea Cutlets

One of my favorite food blogs (other than this one, of course) is Veg-am. They have modified a chickpea cutlet recipe from Veganomicon. The recipe on the veg-am site is super awesome. My significant other really likes this recipe, and it reminds me of chicken fried steak. I serve this meal with mashed potatoes and a veggie. I often make a vegan gravy to go with it, too. Instead of the millet flour and xanthum gum, I just use my all-purpose gluten-free flour mix, which already includes xanthum or guar gum.

The below picture is what they look like when made in the food processor and baked on oiled parchment. I would recommend following the recipe more exactly and mashing the chickpeas manually because the texture is better, and they're easier to form into patties. I also like to freeze a few extras, and warm them up by frying in a pan. They make delicious sandwiches with veganiase, lettuce, and tomato.

To make veggie gravy, I use pre-made veggie broth in the box, or mix some up, using Better than Bullion.

For every cup and a half of veggie broth or so, I use 1 Tbsp. corn starch or arrowroot powder, make a slurry with some of the broth to dissolve the starch, and add to the rest of the broth. Then I just heat it until it's thickened. If you use arrowroot powder, you'll need to be careful not to bring to a boil, doing so ruins the thickening properties of arrowroot powder.

Sustainable Practices: Food Consumption

I was raised by parents who have very frugal attitudes. Thus, I've adopted similar attitudes. This applies to all sorts of things, but a primary target of this attitude is food. I cringe every time something in the fridge goes bad or is inedible due to cooking mishaps. Indeed, research shows that 40% of edible food goes to waste in the United States. (see the entire article here).

This is alarming, but becomes even more alarming when you pair that information with the fact that 70% of all usable water on our planet is used for farming, of which we waste 40% of the final usable product. That virtually means that we throw away 28% of the world's water resources. Surely some of this water can be reused, but some is also lost, and another portion is contaminated. Water on earth may be abundant, but it is also a finite resource. You can click on this info-graphic to find out more about our water consumption and the impacts thereof.

 

If you aren't aware, living organisms cannot exist without water. So, while we think about water being an important factor in sustainability, creating sustainable water use is actually critical to survival. So, if you connect all the dots, reducing food waste contributes to the ability for organisms, including humans, to survive, and in more than the most obvious way.

As you can see in the graphic above, meat requires much more water to produce than plants, like wheat. I figure this is because the more steps that are involved between the plant in the ground and what ends up on the plate, the more resources, including water, are required for each step. This seems to be true when plants are being processed into animal's bodies, and when plants are refined by mechanical processes.

So, not only does throwing food away waste water, but consuming meat instead of plants essentially wastes water as well, and the wasting of water ultimately contributes to an environment in which we ultimately won't be able to live in. I eat vegan and try not to waste food because I think the survival of life on our planet is fairly important.

But that's just one thought process my mind goes through about wasting food and eating meat. I can really get on my soapbox about food waste, but I can also wax philosophic about it, too.

Inevitably, I throw food away. Whether it's forgotten leftovers at the back of the fridge, cooking something so hot it burns, or kitchen experiments gone awry, I waste food. I don't compost because I don't have a back yard or live in a community that makes it easy to compost. The food that I waste ends up at the landfill.

I feel quite guilty about this, because I understand the multifaceted impact of sending once edible food to the landfill, and I ultimately fear scarcity of the resources we need to live. The thing is, the nature of food is to go bad and get ruined. Each time I throw food in the garbage can, I have to remind myself that we can't control everything in life, nor is it healthy to hold onto things too tightly. It is better to surrender what we cannot control, embrace the fragility of life, and be grateful that for friends, a community, and a fellow species that I can rely on to take care of me as we take care of each other.

In that, I believe, is the resolution for the paradox of not wanting to be wasteful, but also not wanting to rely on perceived personal abundance to fulfill my need for security. In not wasting and relying little on animal products in my diet, I feel fulfilled that I am increasing our collective abundance, which sometimes feels counter to my personal abundance, but in reality, is the best way I can think of to avoid true scarcity. Attitudes of scarcity only contribute to hoarding and inefficiencies, but when we let go and surrender, we are able to share and make our resource use so much more efficient.

So, it is a paradox. We can't control good food going bad entirely, but we can try to be mindful about it while we understand that holding onto what makes us feel safe too tightly can really lead to our ultimate harm. Ultimately, it's important not to waste food and eat fewer animal products. The more of us that are cognizant of this and change our behaviors at least partially, the more collective abundance we create, resulting in our personal abundance and security.

If you needed another reason to eat whole, organic, foods...

"8 Foods We Eat In The U.S. That Are Banned In Other Countries"

The above link is to an article that shares 8 ingredients prolific in Americans' food that are banned in other countries because of their tendancy to cause significant health problems. Frightening, really.

Hot Cereal

Serves 1

Often times I make more rice or quinoa for a meal than I use, and I'm left with plain cooked grains sitting in my refrigerator. This is some brown rice left over from when I made stir-fry.

I've found that one of my favorite ways to use up these cooked grains is to use them for hot cereal in the morning. I put the cooked grains in a pot with some non-dairy milk, a little sweetener (this time I used maple syrup), cinnamon, and nutmeg, and let the grains heat up while the liquid reduces.

After it's done cooking, I like to top my hot grain cereal with dried fruit, toasted nuts, and maybe a little more sweetener if needed. For this batch, I used goji berries, a Chinese fruit that is considered a "super-food". They're a lot like raisins with slightly more noticeable seeds.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cooked whole grains* (brown rice and quinoa are my favorites for this recipe)
• 1/2 cup vegan milk
• 2 Tbs. sweetener such as agave syrup, maple syrup, coconut sugar, or brown rice syrup
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 cup dried fruit, such as chopped dried apricots, raisins, or goji berries (optional)
• 1/8 cup nuts, toasted (optional)

Add cooked grains, milk, sweetener, nutmeg and cinnamon to small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and reduced. Remove from heat and serve with dried fruit and nuts.

*This recipe can be adapted for oatmeal as well. I personally don't like hot oatmeal porridge, so you probably won't find a recipe for oatmeal on this blog, but you could easily adapt this one, adding more milk and cooking dry oatmeal in the milk.

Non-Wheat Flours

One of the primary characteristics of wheat is that it contains gluten, and thus gives baked goods the texture we expect. Barley and rye are closely related to wheat, and also contain gluten. These flours make good substitutions in recipes that call for all-purpose wheat flour if you want to expand your baking repertoire, but keep in mind that barley and rye are not gluten-free. Because they contain gluten, barley and rye behave in a similar way to wheat and should be substituted cup for cup with whole wheat flour, assuming the rye and barley flour you buy is also whole grain.

Since gluten gives baked goods the texture we desire, using gluten-free flours can be a little tricky. On their own, they often lack the characteristics we expect in baked goods, resulting in heavy, crumbly products. There are a few tricks to overcoming the heaviness and crumbliness of baked goods that are made without wheat. To do this, there must be some other ingredient that gives the baked good structure so that when pockets are created by the leavening agent, a structure remains in the mixture that will hold that space once the ingredient holding that space had evaporated or melted.

Typically, starches are used to give this result. Gluten-free flour mixes should contain some starch, like potato starch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot starch. Additionally, there needs to be a stronger binding agent, like guar gum, psyillium seed husk, or xanthum gum, to help it really hold the structure. Lastly, you can add flours or meals to add the rest of the bulk.

I've discovered issues with some of the all-purpose gluten-free flour mixes off the shelf. Many are primarily made with garbanzo bean flour, which results in heavy, dense baked goods. Others contain dairy products like evaporated milk powder or whey. I find making my own mix produces the best result.

I typically use the following as my guide for all-purpose gluten-free flour:

• 1 part starch (potato, tapioca, or arrowroot)
• 1 part gluten-free whole grain flour (quinoa, amaranth, brown rice, or teff)
• 1 part legume or tree nut flour (garbanzo bean flour, almond meal, coconut flour)
• For every cup flour, I use 1 tsp. guar gum or xanthum gum, whisked in thouroughly
• (I haven't used psyllium seed husk yet, but when I do, I'll post the results)

Mix the ingredients well and use for a substitute for recipes that call for all-purpose wheat flour.

I have been experimenting with gluten free flours for a while, and had many different kinds of these flours around, so I mixed them all together based on the specific ratios, and it works quite well. If you would like a paleo version, just use arrowroot, almond meal, and coconut flour.

One gem of a tip I got from one of my favorite cook books, Welcoming Kitchen, is that whole oat flour replaces all-purpose wheat flour cup for cup with none of the other starches or gums. If you need a gluten-free option, make sure you check the label and that it's specifically labeled gluten free, otherwise it's likely been contaminated with a glutenous flour. Oat flour can be expensive, so a cheaper alternative is to buy rolled oats, also labeled as old fashioned oats, and grind them (you'll also want to check the label on rolled oats). It took me a while to figure out how to grind rolled oats, but I finally found the right trick!

My blender nor my food processor ground the oats finely enough to be used in baking, but today I found a tip online that changed everything. A spice or coffee grinder works like a charm! You can only grind about 1/2 cup at a time, but it didn't really take me that long to grind a whole container. I just set it to the espresso setting, put 1/2 a cup in, and let it go.

Voila! It's magic!

One last caveat, I would not use this baking mix for yeasted recipes like traditional bread because the leavening agents will be different, as will the way the structure needs to form.

If you test out any of these tips, let me know how they worked for you!

Vegan Turtle Sundays

Serves 4

I debated adding the word "unrefined" into the title of this post, but really, the ingredients have been refined, they just don't contain white sugar. This whole thing started when I was trying to figure out how to make vegan sweetened condensed milk. I have a recipe that I'm trying to adapt for key lime pie that calls for sweetened condensed milk, thus, I started experimenting.

I found a general guide on the LiveStrong Website for sugar-free sweetened condensed milk. It calls for 3 cups non-dairy milk, and 1/2 cup sweetener of choice, like honey, maple syrup, date sugar, or agave. I decided to use almond milk, coconut sugar, and add in a little coconut oil to increase the fat content.

I put all the ingredients in a heavy le cruset sauce pan, whisked to combine, and brought up to a rolling simmer, then reduced the heat to low and let simmer for a couple hours, stirring and scraping down the sides periodically.

 I took the mixture off the heat once it had reduced by half, 1 1/2 cups. I then refrigerated it for a few hours to see if it would thicken up. The results were not promising. First of all, it was still too runny, the consistency of real maple syrup. Secondly, it had a deep caramel flavor, which would not work with the key lime pie.

So, I changed courses and decided to make it into caramel sauce! I have to say that one of the things I miss most often in the vegan diet is caramel, and here I had accidentally stumbled upon a recipe! By the time it reduced to the texture I desired, I knew there would hardly be any left, so I decided to help thicken it by adding another 1/2 cup coconut sugar and putting back on the stove, using the same method I had used earlier.

This time, I only had to simmer the pan for about 30 minutes to reach the right consistency and flavor. I wish I could put into words the richness of flavor this sauce has. It starts out pleasantly light and sweet, and then, a few seconds later, the depth and richness hit. It's on that perfect line right before being bitter that Sherry Yard, author of Secrets of Baking, and one of the premier pastry chefs in the nation describes. It. Is. Perfection.

It looks a tad darker in the photo than it is, but the color is darker than other caramel sauce I'm used to. I think that's due to the coconut sugar. Anyhow, once I had a more than perfect final product (albiet different than the original aim), I knew the perfect thing for it was ice cream and toasted pecans. It has been a long while since I've had a turtle sunday, and I couldn't resist. Don't skip the step of toasting the pecans. That adds a dimension of flavor that can't be beat.

Here's the full recipe:
yields enough for 4 generously topped sundays:

• 3 cups vegan milk
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 Pint non-dairy vanilla ice cream

Pour milk into a 3 quart heavy bottomed sauce pan and heat over medium high heat. Combine sugar and oil in a bowl with a fork. Add sugar and oil mixture to the milk, whisking constantly to combine. Continue to whisk constantly until the mixture almost reaches a rolling boil. (Be careful that the mixture does not boil over the sides of the pan. You can take the pan off the heat until the mixture shrinks before putting back on the stove on low heat.)

Turn down to low heat, and let simmer for about two hours until mixture has reduced to half and is thick and sticky. (Time may vary. I used a different process, so you'll have to see. It may only take an hour to get to the right consistency, and there may be a larger volume than half. I will update this once I've tried this recipe again).

Refrigerate mixture for an hour. Meanwhile, toast pecans. In a large pan over medium high heat, pour in 1/2 cup pecans and stir constantly until dark brown and fragrant. Set first batch aside to cool on a plate, and do the same thing with the second batch. Let the pecans cool completely before eating.

Scoop ice cream into bowls, pour caramel sauce over, and sprinkle on chopped pecans. Enjoy. I know you will.

Eating Organic

Because part of my reason for moving toward adopting a vegan diet is health, I have become immersed in the search to determine if conventionally grown foods are harmful. Here is some of the information I've found.

The best known guide to choosing organically or conventionally grown produce is written and updated every year by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). You may know of the guide as the "dirty dozen" and "clean fifteen". The EWG only uses criteria about pesticides and contaminants, not other potentially harmful factors conventionally fresh produce can have, like being genetically modified. Regardless, it is a good start. You can find the EWG's annual list here.

Some of the things EWG suggests you should purchase organic this year are apples, peaches, and nectarines, spinach, kale, and collard greens. Check out the link for the entire list.

Even though some produce on the "clean fifteen" list don't contain many pesticides, it may be because that crop has been genetically modified to resists pests, and therefore doesn't need as much, or any pesticides. On their site, the EWG points out that other crops, like corn and soy, are exceedingly grown with genetic modifications. Many people aren't aware of the harms of genetically modified food, however, numerous studies have shown many harmful side effects in rats. One article, in the Egypt Independent states this:

The rodents had reproductive problems, immune system issues, accelerating aging, cholesterol, organ damage and gastrointestinal problems.

You can read the entire article, siting the multiple studies on rats here. Additionally, many countries on multiple continents have banned or restricted GMO foods. The entire list of countries and their policies can be found here. Wikipedia has a list of foods that have been genetically modified, and there are some things on the list that I would have never thought of, like sugar beets and papayas.

One interesting, albeit completely anecdotal, test was performed by a farmer. He left two ears of corn out for the squirrels. One was organic, the other was GMO. The results are astonishing, and he performed this experiment more than once. The link above is to his flicker photo stream where the results are photographically documented.

If you're not aware, as I was not at a certain point, organic foods are not allowed to be genetically modified. Ultimately, I choose to eat organic food as much as possible to avoid contaminants and genetically modified ingredients. I find my body is very sensitive to toxins, often resulting in acne, and if my system is poisoned by some of these foods, how would our planet not be poisoned in their creation? It seems to me that whatever is better for my body is probably also better for the ecosystem.

I don't want to forget to mention that eating animal products also means that we consume whatever they consumed. If cattle was fed GMO corn, we too, are eating the product of that GMO corn. If chickens are fed pesticide covered grain, when we eat their eggs, we are eating a product of that pesticide covered grain. For health purposes, that is yet another reason to eat vegan food: because we are eliminating curious steps from the ground to our mouths.

Epic Hummus Wraps

Serves 1

One of my all time vegan foods is hummus. You can eat it as a dip, use it as a filling, or even thin it out to use as a dressing. Mmmmm yummy, I love hummus. Hummus is really great in a wrap with lots of delicious veggies. This is a great meal to make when you have fresh produce that needs to get eaten up! I take this sort of wrap to work for lunch.

Here's what I used this time:

• 1 whole grain tortilla, steamed for best wrapping flexibility
• 1/3 cup hummus
• 1/8 cup shredded carrots
• 1/8 cucumber, chopped into 1/4 inch dice
• 1/4 roma tomato, diced
• generous pinch of sprouts
• sprinkle of shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1/8 cup organic chopped red, yellow, and orange bell pepper (notoriously full of chemicals unless organic. shop accordingly)

You can omit any items if you wish, or add others. Some other great options are:

• avocado
• pickles
• zucchini
• sauteed summer squash
• sesame seeds
• sunflower seeds
• broccoli
• chopped celery (notoriously full of chemicals unless organic. shop accordingly)
• thinly sliced red onion
• scallions
• blanched kale (notoriously full of chemicals unless organic. shop accordingly)
• mushrooms
• sun-dried tomatoes.

Add all ingredients in order to tortilla. I put so many things in my wrap, it wouldn't roll, so be careful of that. You might opt to mix all veggies beforehand and just add the right amount to the tortilla. If you do this, and have leftover veggies, toss them in a little olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper and use later.