The Smoothie Vegetarians

My family LOVES to have cookouts during this time of year. Something about getting together on the porch and enjoying food together while the dogs play is just so wonderful! Just because I am now a vegan, does not mean I can not enjoy these things with my families. I enjoy taking traditional favorites and throwing a vegan spin on them. In today's post, I am going to share my spin a potato salad. This potato salad is avocado based instead of being mayo based.  With this recipe, I tried to keep it as close to the traditional recipe as possible. I just do not like the options for vegan mayo, so instead this recipe is avocado based. It was super fun and yummy to make. I throw all of the ingredients into a blender and it is creamy perfection. I hope all of you are having a wonderful summer! Happy cooking! ~Stella~ Vegan Potato Salad Recipe Makes 4-6 servings 5 potatoes 2 avocados 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar Juice from...

About five years ago I worked in a Raw Vegan Cafe. One of the things I learned to cook while I worked there was Taco Nut Meat. It also happened to be my favorite thing! What I liked about it best was that it was close to "regular" taco meat, but only better. This is not only 100% vegan it is 100% RAW vegan. Not all soy sauces, olive oil and spices are considered raw. You would want to make sure the one you are using is raw if you are on a raw diet. Here is an example o f a raw soy sauce:  OHSAWA Nama Shoyu Sauce As well as an interesting article with more information about it, click here to read it! It is delicious in a lettuce wrap (as pictured), on a salad or pretty much anywhere! This can be stored for up to one week but typically does not last that long. This is a basic recipe, feel free to add other vegetables to it if it gets too thick just add a bit of water! Happy cooking! ~Stella~ Taco Nut Meat Recipe 1 1/2 cup of almo...

Veganism vs. Vegetarianism Very often, people confuse veganism with vegetarianism, yet there are glaringly stark differences between the two. Let us look into this and hopefully shed some light on this topic. First and foremost, veganism is a lifestyle which incorporates the ideal that whatever one does, they will do so with the least harm (in as practical a manner as possible) to other sentient life forms. This should never be confused with a plant based diet, as vegans do consume plant based foods as the greatest way to impact a cruelty free endeavour is to not support the meat, dairy and egg industries (Cows piracy and Earthlings are documentaries highly recommended) as well as to reduce the impact on the environment.  The fact that veganism looks at and considers more than diet, means that even honey is not consumed, as it is produced by bees as their food. Vegetarianism on the other hand, had its genesis in the concept that a healthier diet would be ...

Following up from last week’s review of sorts, and highlight of places within Kingston, Jamaica  at which a raw vegan can easily partake of  and enjoy meals of healthy compositions, here are a few more worthy mentions, which one may wish to put to the test. Next door to Shams Bakery (mentioned last week in Part I) is a raw vegan restaurant named 'Mi Hungry’, their selection is quite varied and offer mainly house prepared menu options. These include standard raw vegan burger options with a few variations for the customer’s choice, raw pizza options, juices, sweet as well as savoury pies to name a few. I like to omit the burger pâté and have a raw sandwich of sauce free, fresh ingredient combination. Here, is a requested, not so well dehydrated nut based  'bun' with fresh lettuce, tomato and onion with chopped scotch bonnet pepper. I like added cayenne as well to give an extra kick. Raw sandwich with burger ‘bun’. Open faced. Covered: N...

Turmeric Paste ½ cup water ¼ cup turmeric Add to a sauce pan Stir over gentle heat for 7-10 minutes If it gets too thick add more water Store in refrigerator for 2-4 weeks Golden Milk 2 cups of coconut milk ½ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp coconut oil 1 tsp - 1 TBS turmeric paste 1 tsp chopped ginger 4-6 black peppercorns 1 pinch of stevia Add all of the ingredients into a sauce pan Mix all of the ingredients Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes Strain through a fine mesh strainer to get rid of peppercorns and ginger bits Serve

Despite the notion that raw veganism is an impossible lifestyle, it is infinitely possible to dine out with options, right here in Kingston, Jamaica. In a two part synopsis, I shall illustrate how.   There are more than a few places to dine at which are raw vegan friendly and offer in some/most instances options for the non raw who will just as much enjoy their choices. This week, I shall briefly give an overview of options I had over a few weeks which are enjoyable to the palette, generally healthy and options which promote a cruelty free, environmentally friendly composition. In a future presentation, I will focus in detail on specific locations, their varied selections and recommended orders with an idea of how to choose healthfully whilst keeping the budget intact.   In my view, fresh raw and vegan (in general) is the superior way to nourish the body. As such, my approach was in said direction to achieve enjoying a meal whilst eating out and keepin...

When my husband told he wanted to go vegan he had only one condition. Flavor. He couldn't stress it enough. I personally could live off of lentils and rice and be perfectly content but he needs variety. I immediately researched all the recipes we already loved and looked for ways to make them vegan. We live in a small town where it's not very culturally diverse. So it has been months since I've had West Indian curry. I was craving chickpea curry with a passion and nothing was going to get in my way. Since becoming vegan there are two things I always have in the pantry: chickpeas and potatoes. I was unsure about having them both together, but they are a match better than pb&j. I hope y'all enjoy this recipe as much as I did! ~Dahlia~ Ingredients: 2 onions roughly diced 1 tbsp minced garlic 2 tbsp curry powder 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tbsp paprika (smoked is the best but any kind will do) 1.5 tbsp cumin Black pepper and salt to taste (pota...

Hi guys! I am sorry I have been missing in action lately. We are preparing to move in the next few weeks and it has me going a bit crazy!  During these busy and stressful times, I have found it necessary to find something easy to make. Because I am a Vegan ordering in isn't always an option and it is not the best for you.  I have found that chili is an awesome thing to make. It takes awhile to cook, but it is passive time. I can go and do other things, I do not need to sit over it the whole time. I have had this on it's own, over rice and over baked potatoes. All three are equally as delicious.  I also really enjoy topping it with avocado, it adds a certain creaminess I am used to having with my chili. In my "pre-vegan" days I would just add sour cream, avocado has the same effect without using dairy! Happy Cooking! ~Stella~ Vegan Chili Recipe Seve 2-4 1/2 Yellow onion, diced 3 cloves of garlic diced 1 teaspoo...

The last couple of years I heard a lot about oil pulling and the benefits of pulling for your oil hygiene. Oil pulling can be good for your overall health as well. I have always wanted to try it but it seemed very daunting to swish coconut oil for 20 minutes. I don’t have 20 minutes in my day to give my mouth that kind of workout. I wanted to find a better way. I have always had a terrible time with my teeth. I brush them everyday and floss most days but no matter what I always ended up with cavities. My teeth are straight but over the years have yellowed. I actually really like my teeth so the yellowing, while insignificant in the scheme of life, made me very self-conscious. I wanted to find a way to improve my oral health and take care of the yellowing. When I was looking online for ideas I stumbled on a Facebook page about zero waste. It was there that they talked about the blog Trash is for Tossers. Lauren, the zero waste queen, had a recipe for toothpaste using a ...