thai coconut curry

thai coconut curry
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1 lb linguine noodles

1-12 oz package of frozen stir fry vegetables (OR 1-6 oz frozen broccoli and 1-6 oz frozen julienned carrots)

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

2 medium pepper, sliced (colors of your choice)

1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced

1 Tbsp curry paste (green curry paste)

Juice of one lime

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

1 can of lite coconut milk
2 T soy sauce (kikoman)

2-3 Tbsp sweet chili sauce

Black sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

1. Cook paste according to the package directions.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, soy sauce, sweet red chili sauce, curry paste, and lime juice. Set aside.
3. While the pasta is still cooking, microwave the frozen vegetables according to the package directions, but only cook them for 1/2 the time. You still want them to be quite crunchy. If you're using fresh veggies, blanch them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes or until they're tender.
4. In a large non-stick skillet or wok, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the green onions, mushrooms, ginger, and garlic. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and the garlic is fragrant. Be sure to continue stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning.
5. Add the sliced peppers and the half-cooked vegetables. Stir fry for about 1 minute and then add the coconut milk mixture and cook until it begins to boil. Remove from heat and add the cooked noodles. Toss to combine and then allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes.
6. Serve with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds and slices of lime for garnish. Not necessary, but pretty :) This serves 8 very generously!

vitamin b12 - what you should know

B12 consumption is one of the largest known questions to be asked by someone who is currently on or is considering a vegan diet. I have written this to hopefully give you the basics without being super wordy. I want to be very direct here;

You never want to let your B12 intake get very low. B12 deprivation can cause anemia and nervous system damage.
All the same, do not be alarmed! Most vegans have enough B12 in their diets to avoid anemia and nervous system damage, but there are still many that do not have enough to eliminate or significantly minimize conceivable risk of heart disease or pregnancy complications.

*Signs of B12 deficiency are loss of energy, tingling, numbness, reduced sensitivity to pain or pressure, blurred vision, personality changes, abnormal gait, sore tongue, poor memory, confusion, hallucinations.

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To make sure you are getting sufficient enough amounts of B12, vegans should do only ONE of the following:

1. Eat fortified foods two or three times a day to consume at least three micrograms (mcg or µg) of B12 daily. For example, if a fortified plant milk contains 1 mcg of B12 per serving, then having three servings a day will provide a fair vitamin B12 amount.
2. Take one B12 supplement daily providing at least 10 micrograms.
3. Take a weekly B12 supplement providing at least 2000 micrograms.

See, so much easier than it is made out to be!

Whether the source is coming from fortified foods, supplements, or animal products, B12 comes from micro-organisms.

How regularly you intake B12 determines how often you must take it. To explain, the less frequently you obtain B12 the more your body needs it and will need more. This is because B12 is best to take in smaller amounts. Additionally, there is no vandalism or wrongness in exceeding the recommended amounts or combining more than one option listed above.

easy guacamole

easy guacamole
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1 Large Avocado
Salsa (to taste)
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
dash of salt
optional: dash of cayenne, chili powder or taco seasoning

First, mash the avocado in a small bowl until you reach desired consistency.

Then add all other desired ingredients and mix until well combined.You want to choose your ingredients well by determining what it is you are using the guacamole with.

See my baked tofu recipe, shown above!

how to drain/press tofu

Draining tofu is something that is hard to get the hang of in the beginning of a veg diet, so I wanted to create this post that might be slightly ridiculous for the veg eaters who are experienced. To be honest, I am only learning with some things still myself, so I plan to share these types of things.

Once you have opened a package of tofu and it says to release the access liquid and then juice or drain or press, go ahead and use these directions:

Juice tofu by wrapping in paper towels and applying pressure between two plates using somethings lightly heavy on top. For example; container of kitchen oil, water bottle, the dish soap next to your sink.

Leave it just like this for 30 minutes to an hour to make sure it's drained enough, simply switching out the paper towels when needed to make sure they're dry enough to absorb the water being released for the tofu.

Tofu is like a sponge, when you drain the tofu of it's liquid, you are making it easier to absorb the flavor you want to put in whether you are marinading or just coating. Additionally, depending on how thick your cuts are on the tofu determines how long you should marinade it, if doing so, as you want to make sure it gets all the way to the middle.

Try my baked tofu recipe!

baked tofu

baked tofu
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1 Package of extra firm tofu
Soy Sauce
Vegan Worcestershire Sauce, optional (Annie's)

1. Open tofu package and dump out the access water. Then drain your tofu.
2. Cut your tofu however you would like. I like to cut it in half, then lengthwise on each piece so it's not as thick and not as wide if I want to use it in a sandwich or hamburger, as shown in pictures.

3. Drizzle, don't drown, the tofu with the soy sauce and Worcestershire, if using. You can using a basting brush if you'd like to just make sure they're coated. Let marinade in a sealable bag in the refrigerator for a half hour to a few hours, or even overnight.
4. When you're done marinading, preheat the oven to 375.
5. Using vegetable spray, spray a baking sheet (9x9 should be fine for only one package of tofu cut into four pieces), then pray fronts and backs of each tofu slice lightly - this is to brown them. Bake for 15 minutes on each side. You can continue baking for 15 minutes per side until desired doneness.

This is delicious on vegan hamburger buns, with some vegenaise, easy guacamole, romaine lettuce, and a sliced tomato with a dash of pepper.

better than ranch - dressing or dip

better than ranch
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1 cup Vegenaise
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsp Dried Parsley
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar (optional. I hardly ever add this in mine, but it is good)
Unsweetened Soy, Almond, Rice, or Hemp milk (as desired)

Whisk all ingredients together and chill before serving. Add milk according to desired thickness.

Note: Add more milk for a dressing and less if using as a dip for your veggies!

stuff n' bake pasta

stuff n' bake pasta
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1 package Silken Tofu
6 -12 oz Jumbo Pasta Shells
1 bottle Vegan Pasta Sauce
1 head of Broccoli, (chopped small, including 1" of the stalk)
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Ginger Powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne
1/2 cup Vegan Mozzarella (grated)

1. Cook your pasta noodles until soft but still slightly firm - you want to be able to handle them without them splitting.

2. Meanwhile, steam your broccoli to your liking.

3. Open tofu package, drain access liquid (do not press silken tofu), and place tofu block in a small mixing bowl, add spices. Then fork-mash to squish and break tofu up. You don't want to liquefy, you want it to crumble. Set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 400.

5. Take your cooked pasta and place on a dry working surface.

6. Pour a thin layer of pasta sauce a baking sheet that will fit all of your stuffed shells.
(Hint: I was able to put 3 rows of 6 in a 9x13 pan, then 6 more shells in a 9x9)

7. Stuff each shell by filling up half way with broccoli, then generously topping it off with the tofu mixture. Place open-side down into the sauce lined pan.

8. Once you have finished stuffing each shell, pour remaining pasta sauce on top. Then abundantly spread lots of your shredded mozzarella all over your pasta. Spray tops with an oil mister, if desired, to help them brown nice in the oven.

Bake 15-20 minutes and voila!