Vegan Cauliflower Bisque- A Southern Living Recipe made Light

*Prep time: 5 mins  *Cook Time:  40 minutes  *Serves: 4-6

Vegan Cauliflower Bisque

This recipe is one of those creamy, homey soups you crave after a long day. 
It has made its way into my permanent recipe collection. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoon Smart Balance Light Margarine

1 Cup Leek, chopped

1/2 Cup Celery, chopped

3 Cloves Garlic, chopped

4 Cups Cauliflower Florets

 (about 1 small cauliflower)

3 Cups Water

1 1/2 Squares Rapunzel Vegan Vegetable Bullion  

(you can use any brand of vegetable bullion you like, but this brand is my personal favorite. You can get it at Wholefoods)

1/2 cup Light Original Soy Milk

1/4 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp White Pepper

Chives, for garnish

Step 1: Melt butter in a large stockpot. Add leeks, celery and garlic. Saute 10 minutes, stirring regularly to keep veggies from browning. 

Step 2: Add cauliflower and saute another 2 mins. 

Step 3: Add water and bullion. Bring to a boil and stir until the bullion is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. 

Step 4: Puree in a blender and pour the soup back into the pot. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat for 5 minutes. Serve and garnish with chives if desired. 

This is the perfect recipe for a rainy day. 

When my husband and I got married we got a Southern Living Cookbook as a gift. As a vegan my first thought was- what am I supposed to do with this? 

My answer: 

Make it vegan.

Trust Your Instict: A lesson learned from losing my dog

Pretty much all of you know that we lost Nuff Nuff recently.
But: most of you don't know why- because I haven't really been ready to talk about it.

In the evening one night Nuff Nuff seemed to have a tummy ache. He wouldn't eat all of his food, which worried me. It was late, so I took him to the vet in the morning. That morning he looked even worse but the vet seemed pretty confident that Nuff just got into something he shouldn't have. I really, really didn't feel like that was right: but he's the vet right? He put Nuff on fluids for no more than 3 hours and then sent him home.

When I got there to pick him up Nuff looked even worse. When I asked the vet assured me that he just needed to fast and get whatever it was out of his system. This really didn't seem right to me, but he's the vet: right?

Nuff got worse and worse. So again the next morning I was at the vet. Our usual vet was gone. This vet knew this was a little worse than an upset stomach. She told us it was Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis, aka mutant diarrhea. She told us she was going to put him on fluids and sent us home. Still, something felt way off: to both my husband and I. I called the office every hour for 5 hours. The vet was always busy and was always going to call me right back. Only: she never did. In the late afternoon we just drove down there and showed up. They took us into a room and brought in Nuff- then they left and no one told us a thing. We were in there 45 minutes: nuff completely non-responsive.

We were supposed to be saying goodbye. When I told my husband my suspicion he went out and demanded the doc come in and talk to us. She did. She told us that she had tried every leg and she wasn't able to get fluids in him and that he wasn't going to make it through the night. (yes. they had him there for 5 hours and never bothered to pick up the phone and tell us they couldn't get an IV in him. So, they weren't giving him anything at all. He was just there wrapped up in a towel for 5 hours).

My husband knew that there were options when it came to getting the fluids in. He pressed her for at least 15 minutes. She finally told us that there was a chance a more well equipped animal hospital could have gotten in a central line: but they couldn't. (again, she didn't tell us this as soon as she had figured it out several hours earlier...) He pushed her some more, asking her what she would do with Nuff if he was her dog. She told us she would take him to a 24 hour animal hospital not to far from us: so we literally ran out with Nuff and drove the heck away.

When we got there the nurses came and took him straight back. Within 15 minutes the vet there was able to get fluids in him the old fashioned way, no central line needed. After another 30 he was perking right up. He went from total unresponsiveness to standing up when we came in to see him. The verdict: pancreatitis. All he needed from the minute he got sick was fluids until his body cleared everything out. Things were looking good now that he was on fluids and in a good animal hospital things seemed to be looking up.

But not for long.
He had been off of fluids, not eating or drinking for so long prior to us moving him to PBVS that his kidneys had failed. The vet there told us that had we gotten him in earlier things likely would have turned out very differently.

We lost him because our vet was to busy to tell us that they couldn't get a line in him, that there was a place literally right down the road that could do it straight away. And really: we lost him because neither my husband or I acted on our initial instinct the first night they sent him home that this was something much worse than they were telling us.

So the moral of the story:
ALWAYS listen to your gut, and NEVER be subdued by the authority of a doctor. There are other  doctors. And do it right away. Imagine how much you would regret not following your instinct?

Vegan Cranberry Maple Sauce

*Prep time: 10 mins  *Cook Time:  15 minutes  *Serves: 6-8

Vegan Cranberry Maple Sauce

This recipe is from Southern Living's Christmas Recipe Collection. 

Even Southern People eat vegan food and they never have a clue they are doing it. 

Ingredients

One 12oz bag of Fresh Cranberries

3/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup

1/2 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Water

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. 

Step 2: Bring to a boil.

Step 3: Reduce heat and simmer 8-10 minutes, until at least half of the cranberries have popped. Use a fork or potato masher to help the other half along. Remove from heat.

Step 4: Let cool, chill before serving. 

This recipe converted even the die hard canned cranberry sauce devotees at our Thanksgiving dinner. 

So, yeah. Yummy stuff. 

Vegan Sesame Vegetable Noodles

*Prep time: 10 - 15 mins  *Cook Time:  10 minutes  *Serves: 2

Sesame Veggie 'Noodles'

Ingredients

1 Zucchini

1 Yellow Squash

2 Carrots

2 tsp Canola Oil

1 tbsp Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp Sesame Seeds

Step 1: Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, peel/slice veggies into ribbons.

     ~Set your mandolin to 1/8 in or

     ~Run your peeler along the veggies lengthwise to create long, thin ribbons.

Step 2: Heat the canola and sesame oils in a large pan or wok

Step 3: Throw in the carrots and saute 2 mins. 

Step 4: Add your 2 squash and saute it all for 2-5 mins, until they begin to soften.

Step 5: Add the soy sauce and continue to cook until the 'noodles' are at your desired tenderness.

Step 6: To with sesame seeds and serve!

Did you know you could use veggies in lieu of noodles?

Crazy talk. 

Quick Vegan Pizza Bread

*Prep time: 10 mins  *Cook Time:  12 minutes  *Serves: 2

Quick Vegan Pizza Bread

Ingredients

4 Slices of bread

3 tsp Tofutti Cream Cheese

Dried Italian Herbs

Tomato Paste

Diya Mozzerella Cheese

optional, but but reccomended:

*Panfried Tofurkey Pepperoni Slices

optional, of course. Also, delish. 

Panfry in olive oil until nice and crispy.

*Quick Italian Cherry Tomatoes

~1/4 pint cherry tomatoes

~1/8 tsp salt

~1 tsp dried Italian herbs

~spray canola oil

Step 1: If you are throwing on pepperoni, spray the pan with oil and pan fry the pepperoni over medium heat. Cook for 30 seconds, flip, and cook for another 30 seconds. Set aside.

Step 2: If you are going for the cherry tomatoes: spray the pan again. Add all of the Italian Cherry Tomato ingredients and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside. 

Step 3: Spread on a layer of tomato paste onto each bread slice. Then spread 1 1/2 tsp Tofutti Cream cheese over that layer. Top with as much dried Italian herbs as you want {so, a lot}.  *Then layer on the tomatoes, then the pepperoni. 

Step 4: Finally, top each with 1 tbs of Diya cheese.

Step 5: Set oven to 375 and bake for 12 mins.

If you are starving and you don't want to wait for the pepperoni and the tomatoes: don't.

Even if you just have the basics: still delicious.  

Buttery Vegan County Oatmeal

*Prep time: 5 mins  *Cook Time:  10 minutes  *Serves: 2-3

Vegan Country Oatmeal

Wanna get real crazy? Throw some agave nectar on that.

Ingredients

3 3/4 cup Water

2 cups Rolled Oats

1 pinch Salt

4 tsp Earth Balance Margarine

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

4 tbsp. Soy Milk

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Sliced Bananas, to top

Step 1: Heat water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Reduce heat to low and add oats & salt. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Step 2: Place 1-2 tsp margarine & 1 tsp brown sugar into the bottom of each serving bowl. 

Step 3: Spoon oatmeal into bowls and allow the butter and sugar to melt.

Step 4: Pour 1 1/2 tbsp soy milk over each bowl.

Step 5: Top each bowl with another tbsp of brown sugar and sliced bananas

*If your oatmeal isnt as thick as you would like it, toss it in the microwave for 30 seconds

This is a vegan version of an amazing southern oatmeal recipe I came across.

and its

ah

mae

zing. 

So, You're Having a Vegan Over For Thanksgiving Dinner- So... Feed them Carrots? Right?

Having gone through 8 Thanksgiving dinners as a Vegetarian and more recently 2 as a Vegan, I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty: 

Thanksgiving is the hardest holiday of the year 

and it is for most vegans/vegeratians

And honestly: for the most part it is what it is. My decision is just that: mine- and I never expect anyone to bend over backwards for me: they shouldn't have to. I've learned to bring my food so I can sit and enjoy dinner with everyone else, no problem. As long as there is wine I'll have a good night.

But, there are a few things you can do that will really make us smile. 

So, here are some tips on what to do if you have a Vegan/Vegetarian coming to dinner this year and you want to do just a little something for them:

10.) Make a mental note of where they are sitting and where you put the main meat dish. 

It's something that you wouldn't really think of, but it can make a huge difference in your guest's ability to really enjoy the meal. I can't tell you how many times the turkey/ham was directly in front of me, completely unintentionally, and I promise it can be really unpleasant if your not used to having it around. 

I can't tell you how many years the ham/turkey was right in front of me. Like, special just for me.

9.) Don't assume that because they are vegetarian/vegan that they are judging you from across the table. 

I can't tell you how many times I've been at a dinner with people and as soon as they find out Im vegan, usually from someone else at the table and not myself, they get really defensive, say something mean spirited end up hurting my feelings, making for a pretty awkward experience for everyone at the table. 

I promise, while eating my tofurkey I am not thinking "you turkey eaters are all satan!", Im actually thinking, "wow, it was SO nice of them to have a tofurkey for me! I like these people"

8.) Invite them to bring a dish.

It can be awkward to just show up to dinner with food if you weren't asked to bring anything, so open up the invitation: that way you can both be sure they will have something to eat. 

7.) Watch your serving spoons, they can get a little crazy.

Just make a note to have a serving spoon for each separate dish so that you don't have to worry about a serving spoon migrating from a meat dish to a vegan/vegetarian dish. That is always a HUGE downer to a vegetarian that is beyond excited about those mashed potatoes. 

6.) Don't be offended if they bring a dish/serving spoons/etc. 

If you made them something and didn't ask them to bring anything, don't be offended if they show up with something. The #1 rule to successfully being a vegan/vegetarian is learn to be prepared for anything: so that you can enjoy any meal situation. 

If I bring my own food and serving utensils it's 100% because I don't want you to have to feel guilty if you forgot something, or weren't sure what I can/cannot eat. I want to be able to eat with the group enjoying wine and my family/friends.

5.) Don't make vegan/vegetarian/animal slaughter jokes at the table.

Seriously. Humor is a go to for most people in awkward situations, but in this case it usually just makes things more awkward. When people do this is it completely reactionary and not meant to be hurtful, but think of it this way: you wouldn't make a joke about a Jewish person not eating ham if there was a Jewish person at your table not eating the ham because it would make them feel unwanted and would pretty effectively hurt their feelings. 

4.) If you REALLY want to show your guest that you were thinking about them and really genuinely want them to enjoy themselves: make them something to eat. 

My mother in law ALWAYS has a tofurkey for me and a side of stuffing. I can't tell you how much: it means to me and how much it makes me really excited to be at her dinner. No lie: her's is my favorite. Mamma Hayes: you are my Thanksgiving hero! Also, I love you. 

3.) If you are making them something: check the labels. 

Or, make it really easy on yourself and do a quick google search for vegetarian/vegan thanksgiving foods you can buy at most grocery stores. For example: vegetarian gravy brand. Bam, your done. 

It seems a little tedious, but if you are going to make the wonderful, loving effort to make sure they have something keep in mind that packaged foods that seem like there really shouldn't be any meat in can find really sneaky, weird ways of making sure its there. And going the google rout really takes most of the effort out of it. 

2.) If they offer to help clean up, don't ask them to package up the turkey or wash the meat dishes. 

I love to help in the kitchen! But, I don't really want to get meaty. So, ask me to set the table, fill the glasses, take care of the veggie dishes as far as wrapping up after dinner or washing the dishes, and of course i am SOOOO happy to help you serve the wine. 

1.) Respect. 

Its the one thing we all want and deserve. And as long as I am being respectful of you, return the favor. <3 If you have one of those crazy angry vegan/vegetarians that are looking for a fight; just ignore them. Its REALLY not worth your time. 

Here are some things not to do:

*Don't sneak meat/milk/whatever into their food, no matter HOW convinced you are that a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle is wrong for them

*Don't make them the butt of any jokes. 

*Don't ask them if they are getting enough protein, if they are sure they are healthy, etc.