Mothers' Day

Happy Mothers' Day!  I always move the apostrophe after the "s" because this is a day celebrating all mothers (including Mother Earth) and not just one.  My own mother prefers to celebrate the day before so as to avoid restaurant crowds and we brunched yesterday with my brother, my 9-month-old niece, and my cousin.  This is my sister-in-law's first official Mothers' Day.

One of my favorite vegan cookbook authors, Dreena Burton, happens to be the mother of three vibrant, hockey-playing daughters in Canada.  She has written a number of blog posts about parenting and her cookbook, Vive le Vegan, features an entire section on the subject of feeding vegan babies and toddlers.  In fact, each of her five cookbooks are full of delicious, healthful recipes that are also mindful of picky children's palates.  So it seemed appropriate to share her new eBook today.

Plant-Powered 15 is a collection of oil-free recipes of the weekday variety, including breakfast foods, salad dressings, pasta, burgers, easy desserts, and the above Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes (photograph by Nicole Axworthy).  Dreena was kind enough to offer the recipe to my readers.  May this soup be a nourishing meal for you and those you love.

Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes

This soup has an irresistible quality, the flavors are deep and earthy with some
sweetness from the potatoes. Don’t let the number of ingredients intimidate you - they
build layers of flavor, but this soup is not at all difficult to make!

1-2 tbsp water
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups chopped onions (one large onion)
1 1/2 cups combination of chopped red peppers and green peppers
1 1/4 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste (generous is good)
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp allspice (rounded)
1/4 tsp (or less/more, to taste) red pepper flakes
4 medium-large cloves garlic, minced or grated
4 1/2 - 5 cups black beans (reserve 1 cup; this is three 14 or 15 oz cans)
3 cups water
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 - 1 tsp pure maple syrup
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups cubed (in small chunks, about 1/2”) yellow sweet potato (or can substitute
white potato)
Chopped cilantro for serving
Extra lime wedges for serving
Chopped avocado tossed with lemon juice and dash of salt, for serving

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add water, onions, red and green peppers, salt
and pepper, cumin seeds, oregano, allspice, and red pepper flakes. Let cook for 5-
7 minutes until onions and peppers start to soften. Add garlic. Cover, reduce heat
to medium, and let cook another few minutes to soften garlic - if sticking/burning,
add another splash of water. After a few minutes of cooking, add 3 1/2 cups beans
(reserving one cup of beans), water, tomato paste, vinegar, lime juice, and maple syrup
(start with 1/2 tsp). Using an immersion blender, puree soup until fairly smooth. Increase
heat to bring to boil, add bay leaf and diced sweet potatoes, then once at boil reduce
and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add remaining cup of black beans and extra maple
syrup if desired (taste test). Stir through, let simmer for another few minutes, then serve,
topping with cilantro if desired and with lime wedges. Also delicious to top soup with

some chopped seasoned avocado or a simple guacamole. Serves 4-5 as main course.

Sweet Potato Tip: Sometimes I have leftover sweet potato home fries that have been
seasoned with just sea salt. If so, I take a recipe and chopping shortcut and simply add
these to my soup during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, just to heat through.

Recipe from “Plant-Powered 15” by Dreena Burton. For more recipes and information,
visit www.plantpoweredkitchen.com.

Photo credit: Nicole Axworthy

Snacks!

 

A couple weeks ago, I received two boxes of snacks within days of each other.  The first was the February snack box from Vegan Cuts.  What's cool about this snack box is it's a random sampling of items from the Vegan Cuts store and all these items are available in larger sizes directly from them.  What a great opportunity to support a vegan business!  

Of everything in the box, the Dang toasted coconut chips were my absolute favorite.  They're crispy and not too sweet, almost identical in flavor to the bags of roasted coconut chips available at Trader Joe's.  The lentil chips were mildly salted with good texture.  I liked the Surf Sweets watermelon and cherry fruity hearts; it reminded me of eating candy as a kid.  The raw mint chocolate was very rich and very dark and the delicious Sjaak's chocolate heart had a cherry-filled center.  I wasn't a fan of the BudiFree Star Chai bar, which tasted strongly of the chocolate liqueur in the ingredient list.  The Pure Fit Peanut Butter Toffee Crunch protein bar tasted good, but had a bit of a chalky feel to it.  It was a nice touch to include a Merry Hempsters lip balm and three flavors of these cool Serengeti tea sticks.  There was also a code to access a package of cooking classes free of charge.  

All in all, this was such a fun care package to receive!  I admit that I was secretly hoping one of the awesome Simply Straws Mason Jar Gift Sets would be included, but really I was quite happy with all of the great products I got to try and I would recommend signing up for the snack box for the sheer joy of seeing what's included!   

Earth Balance also sent me a few of their new snacks, which are available at Whole Foods.  The Vegan Aged White Cheddar Flavor Popcorn and Vegan Aged White Cheddar Flavor Puffs had the same salty, tangy flavor, but different textures.  The Puffs had a texture similar to how I'd imagine big Cheetos would be.  P.B. Popps are a sweet treat akin to Cracker Jack if Cracker Jack were coated in a peanut butter oat mixture.  These Earth Balance snacks would be great to set out in bowls at a party or to take on a road trip or to a sports event. 

LUSH

With the incredibly unfortunate prevalence of companies testing on animals, those of us committed to purchasing cruelty-free products need to be on the look-out for companies who share that commitment and focus on high quality.  LUSH is an ethical company that only uses vegetarian ingredients and clearly marks its vegan products (all photos below are from the LUSH website).  I was inspired by this part of their mission statement:

We believe in making effective products from fresh, organic* fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics.  [* We also believe words like fresh and organic have honest meaning beyond marketing.]
We invent our own products and fragrances. We make them fresh by hand using little or no preservative or packaging, using only vegetarian ingredients, and tell you when they were made.
We believe in buying ingredients only from companies that do not commission tests on animals and in testing our products on humans.

When it comes to my beauty routine, I'm very natural.  The only make-up I wear is mascara and a touch of highlighter around my eyes.  Nothing else.  That's even fairly new for me, as I didn't start wearing those until a couple years ago.  I was thrilled when LUSH finally started selling mascara and, even better, that it's one of their vegan products, only contains one preservative (as opposed to most mascaras which contain 4-5), and has wheatgrass as an active ingredient!

This mascara is a nice, dark black and goes on smoothly despite the teeny, tiny application wand, which is shorter than my thumb.  That took a little time to get used to, but it's worth it for a vegan, low-preservative mascara that looks good, feels good, and lasts.  Speaking of the single preservative formula, you must toss this mascara after three months or it can cause skin irritation around the eyes.  I have very sensitive skin and I learned this first hand.  I can't imagine using another mascara now that I have access to this one.

LUSH's new highlighter is made from oatmeal, cocoa butter, almond and jojoba oils.  It's creamy and simply reflects light rather than providing color.  Also, considering how little I use, there is a lot in this small jar and it will last a long time.

I tried their Dreamwash, a thick, paste-like body wash made of soothing botanical ingredients.  I have eczema, so I have to use products that are appropriate for my sensitive skin and this one is full of aloe, lavender, rose, tea tree, calamine, and chamomile.  It's not effective for all-day freshness, but it's a lovely body wash to use at the end of the day in the bath.

I loved their Dream Cream, also formulated for sensitive skin with oat milk, lavender, chamomile, cocoa butter, and olive oil.  I went through this jar very quickly and used every last drop.  It was perfect for my skin, absorbed easily, had a gentle scent, and kept me feeling moisturized all day. 

If LUSH's products fit in your budget, it's a great company to support.  I know I'll be back in a couple months to for a new mascara.

The Way of the Happy Woman

The Way of the Happy Woman isn't the typical type of book I review on Hugger Food.  I tend to stick to cookbooks, specifically vegan ones.  However, when the publisher approached me about this book that contains vegetarian and vegan recipes in addition to self-care and yoga practices, my interest was piqued.

The book is split into 4 parts, one part for each season.  Each part contains a message centering on the meaning and intentions of that season, a one-day retreat, a group of recipes, a yin yoga practice, a flow yoga practice, a meditation, and a reflection.

I focused on autumn, the chapter for which is introduced with a few pages discussing change, diving into one's heart, and staying grounded.  There are instructions for daily self-massage with oil and for a beautiful full-day, at-home, technology-free retreat.  The author spells out the entire retreat day, so it's easy to follow without temptation to stray.

The recipe section has a list of foods that best support health during the season and continues with a couple recipes each for breakfast, lunch, snacks, beverages, dinner, and dessert.  I made a lovely Apple Walnut Quinoa Porridge fully of omega-3-rich flax seeds and warming cinnamon (I also added ginger).  It's the perfect start to an autumn day.  There's a Spiced Apple Cider recipe that I'm sure would be wonderful to sip in front of a lit fireplace on a chilly night.

Being a yogini, I love the inclusion of 2 different yoga practices.  Asanas (yoga poses) are sketched out in order in stick figure form, which is how I was taught to create a practice back when I was in yoga teacher training.  I think the stick figures would be difficult to follow for a newer yoga student, but that is just my perception.

I'm looking forward to experiencing the other three seasons through the guidance of The Way of the Happy Woman.  I enjoy the insight around seasonal rituals, self-care, and healthy eating that the author imparts.

As an aside, The Way of the Happy Woman's publisher, New World Library, is the publisher behind Christine Arylo's Choosing Me Before We and John Robbins's Diet for a New America.  Christine Arylo is a frequent contributor to Mastin Kipp's The Daily Love website and is a huge proponent of treating oneself well as a constant practice (her brand-new book is Madly in Love with Me).

Diet for a New America's 35th Anniversary Edition will be published next month!  I vividly recall reading this book on a flight to New York City two-and-a-half months after becoming vegetarian on October 10, 1998.  For many, it's the book that created the opening to vegetarianism and veganism.  From the publisher:  "In Section I, Robbins takes an extraordinary look at our dependence on animals for food and the inhumane conditions under which these animals are raised. Section II challenges the belief that consuming meat is a requirement for health by pointing out the vastly increased rate of disease caused by pesticides, hormones, additives, and other chemicals now a routine part of our food production. Finally, in Section III, Robbins looks at the global implications of a meat-based diet and concludes that the consumption of the resources necessary to produce meat is a major factor in our ecological crisis."  I have been recommending it for 14 years now and I know it's loved by many, so I'm grateful it continues to be updated as years pass.

    

Chloe's Kitchen

According to Chloe Coscarelli's Facebook page, today is her 25th birthday.  In honor of her reaching the quarter-century mark, I bring you this post about a birthday dinner I made for someone in my life a few weeks ago.

I perused many cookbooks and many recipes to choose the perfect birthday meal and the end result was a three-part meal I created from Chloe's Kitchen.

For dinner, we had Garlicky Greens and Penne alla Vodka.  I omitted the garlic from the greens this time because the pasta also contained garlic.  The greens were wonderful, with a little heat from red pepper flakes, and the brightness of fresh lemon juice.  The pasta was incredibly delicious; I had never eaten penne alla vodka before and I loved the creamy, tangy sauce.   

Dessert was Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes.  I was surprised that a dessert so decadent was so easy to make.  I very quickly whipped up the batter and arranged it in ramekins before making dinner, then popped them in the oven while we were watching a movie.  One of the best aspects of this recipe is that the prepared ramekins will keep in the freezer for up to a month, so even though I only made two cakes that night, four more could be waiting in the freezer for a nearly instant dessert next time I have company.  Fantastic!

I have many other recipes bookmarked to make in Chloe's Kitchen.  There is a nice variety, the book structure is well-organized, the photos of the food are lovely, and the ingredients are easy to find.  Chloe also writes with an exuberant voice and her enthusiasm for food is evident.

Chloe has managed a feat I haven't seen another vegan cookbook author achieve yet:  international publicity.  Her father is a filmmaker and (I am making a huge assumption here and I could be absolutely incorrect) I am assuming he has been able to get her access to a great agent/manager team.  Her sweet-as-pie personality, youthful beauty, and the fact that she was the first vegan baker to win on Cupcake Wars likely add to her on-screen appeal.  Bravo to Chloe for being able to break the barrier and for bringing vegan cuisine and cookbooks to a much larger audience.  Some of her media appearances can be seen here:

Today Show

The Doctors

The Talk

The Better Show

Makeover Your Meals with Chloe Coscarelli

She also appeared on VH1, CNBC, The Talk, and ABC 7 in San Francisco, and made a recent television appearance in Canada.

I also have a funny small-world-LA story about Chloe.  Around four or five years ago, I took a Spork Foods cooking class and a Madeleine Bistro cooking class with Chloe's mom (who is also prominently featured in Chloe's Kitchen).  Chloe was away at college at the time and was adding vegan recipes to her arsenal so she could cook for Chloe when she was home on school breaks.  Little did either of us know that Chloe would write and publish a cookbook and go on to be a highly-visible vegan ambassador!

Happy birthday, Chloe!

Vegan Cuts FeedYourFace Caramels

Have you signed up for Vegan Cuts yet?  Started by a vegan couple, it's a site (similar to Groupon and LivingSocial) providing discounts on vegan products to help consumers discover new cruelty-free companies.  In addition to daily deals, Vegan Cuts offers a marketplace featuring deals on vegan food, fashion, and body care. 

Vegan Cuts approached me a couple weeks ago to review a new line of coconut milk-based caramels by Etsy store FeedYourFace.  Being the caramel-loving vegan I am, I happily accepted and received a package containing a huge variety of delicious caramels.  When I say "variety," I'm not whistling Dixie.  Check out this list of flavors:
Hawaiian red sea salt
dark chocolate Hawaiian red sea salt
vanilla
espresso
pumpkin spice
dark chocolate pumpkin spice
double ginger
lavender brown sugar
lemongrass coconut
blood orange
spicy mango
pomegranate balsamic
green tea chai
spicy (cinnamon/chipotle) dark chocolate
vanilla-orange creamsicle
carrot cake
dark chocolate orange
maple
mocha
limited edition mulled apple cider

The caramels are soft and each one has a distinct essence.  The simple vanilla caramel delivers just as much flavor as the exotic spicy mango.  A note on the FeedYourFace site indicates that the caramels hold up well in the fridge and freezer, so they're easy to store for a sweets fix. 

FeedYourFace is also an eco-friendly company, packaging the caramels in biodegradable, compostable bags and wrappers and filling the shipping box with recycled and recyclable shredded paper.

Vegan Cuts is now offering a discount on this caramel sampler that brings the price down from $22 to $14.99.  It's a great opportunity to support one vegan company, through another vegan company while also getting something delicious to eat!  To take it one step further, Vegan Cuts is offering Hugger Food readers an additional 10% off your order (not including shipping) through Halloween 2012 by using the code BLOGFRIEND at checkout.

The Sexy Vegan

Brian Patton, also known as "The Sexy Vegan," has been getting a lot of attention lately.  He's been featured on The Huffington Post and Compassion Over Killing's website, chosen as one of the Top 10 Books on vegan.com, reviewed on TreeHugger, and countless vegan blogs (recipes included in all these links).   There is also a fantastic Q&A wherein he names LA's own Madeleine Bistro's Red Beet Tartare as the sexiest thing he's ever eaten.

Brian's goal is to educate about veganism through one of the most accessible means possible:  Humor.  His brand of humor is pretty base, which is to be expected from the book's subtitle:  "Extraordinary Food from an Ordinary Dude."  Some of the recipes have ridiculous titles, like his signature dish My Balls (tempeh meatballs) and The Girlfriend's Favorite Salad That She Constantly Asks Me to Make and Won't Shut the Hell Up About, but many have run-of-the-mill titles like Minestrone.  There's something for everyone here, from breakfast dishes to sandwiches to traditional entrees to snacks like Jalapeno Poppers (I can't wait to try these) and alcoholic beverages for those of you who imbibe.  I'm impressed by the depth of this book that's only slightly masked by Brian's signature off-color jokes.

Another important aspect of this book is that it is full of QR Codes, those small black-and-white squares that you can scan with a smart phone if you have one.  Brian's QR Codes link the reader to a video demonstrating the corresponding recipe.  Cool, right?  His website is also full of recipe videos.

I have made two of Brian's dishes so far:  The above-pictured Sambar, a beautifully-spiced Indian-inspired stew, and The Almond Brothers Breakfast Bar, a homemade granola bar that I forgot to photograph.  Each recipe was quick to prepare and full of flavor.  I'm excited to continue cooking my way through this book and encourage you to do the same.     

Brian is making an appearance at WorldFest this Sunday, May 20, if you will be in Los Angeles.  Their website describes WorldFest as "a solar-powered celebration of music, the environment, animals and humanity."  It's always a day of basking in the sun with friends (and family) while enjoying a huge variety of vegan food, listening to empowering speakers, seeing food demos by favorite vegan chefs and cookbook authors.  Please go and take your friends and family with you!