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How to serve a vegan thanksgiving 

11/22/2016

1 Comment

 
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I love cooking and I love a good challenge. How about create a Vegan Thanksgiving menu and cook all the food for four people solo? Challenge accepted. 

I transitioned from a Vegetarian diet to a Vegan diet in February of this year and honestly haven't looked back. It has been one of the best decisions I've made. And no, I don't really miss cheese. The only thing I do miss is that plant-based cheese alternatives definitely don't melt well, if at all. But as my husband recently pointed out, plants don't melt, so it shouldn't be surprising! 

This will be my first Thanksgiving entirely Vegan and I was asked to create the menu for my parents and husband. At first, it seemed a little daunting, but I did some research and am very happy with the results. Let's just hope it will all taste as good as it sounds! I will admit, there are a few items I am buying from Flour Bakery in Boston to provide a little assistance. 

  • Dinner rolls (Flour Bakery)
  • Roasted Heirloom Squash with Pomegrante Molasses, Pear, Pepitas & Sage (Flour Bakery) 
  • Cranberry Chutney with Orange and Ginger (Flour Bakery)
  • Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup (my own recipe)
  • Green beans with sliced Almonds sauteed in Earth Balance Vegan butter with salt & pepper
  • Pumpkin Muffins (Trade Joe's mix subbing the oil for Apple sauce & Eggs with Neat Egg so it's nearly guilt-free)
  • Autumn Kale Salad (chopped Kale, sliced Apples, dried Cranberries, diced Cucumber, shredded Daiya cheddar cheese, crushed Walnuts)
  • Individual Vegan "Chick'n" Pot Pies inspired by Minimalist Baker. I'll be adding Tofurky lightly seasoned chick'n strips for more texture and protein. 
  • Whipped mashed potatoes using Earth Balance Vegan Butter and unsweetened almond milk (salt & pepper)
  • Pumpkin Pie (Whole Foods) & cupcakes (Georgetown Cupcakes) 
  • I also bought a Gardein holiday roast as a back up in the event the "Chick'n Pot Pies" are a bust. You can pick them up at Whole Foods for $14. 

If this menu doesn't sound creative or exciting, here are more Vegan menus to peruse from other plant-based food bloggers.
  • Bon Appetit  
  • Forks Over Knives
  • Sharon Palmer
  • Minimalist Baker
  • Food & Wine
  • Delish
  • Buzzfeed
  • Oh She Glows
  • New York Times
  • Cooking Light 


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hearty Vegan Butternut squash sweet potato soup 

10/19/2016

 
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Butternut squash sweet potato soup with a dash of cinnamon.
One of my favorite things about fall (and there are many) is the plethora of soups to sample! And I only discovered within the last two years how easy it is to make soups at home. This was made particularly easy with the purchase of what I consider one of the best kitchen tools--the immersion blender! This must-have kitchen tool will be your best friend for making the creamiest, smoothies soups and other dishes like mashed potatoes. The best news is that immersion blenders will only cost you about $30. 

But let's dive into this easy, relatively cheap, and hearty butternut squash sweet potato soup. It was so delicious that I've made it two weeks in a row now. 

Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, chopped
1 medium butternut squash
2 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan butter
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tablespoons organic coconut sugar
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Dash of oregano 
Dash of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut the butternut squash in half and place on a cookie sheet with some water, so the squash can absorb it. Bake for 30 minutes or until you can easily stick a fork in it. 
2. While the squash is baking, saute garlic, ginger, onion, carrots, and celery in a large pot with the Earth Balance vegan butter for 5 - 10 minutes, stirring constantly or until brown. 
3. Add the sweet potatoes, almond milk, vegetable broth, and coconut sugar. Simmer for 30 - 40 minutes until all of the vegetables are soft. 
4. Add the squash, salt, pepper, and oregano to the soup. Cook for a few more minutes. 
5. Turn heat off and set the soup aside. Use an immersion blender to mix all of the ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Add a dash of cinnamon to each serving. 
Bon Appetit! 

vegan quinoa asparagus pea salad

4/19/2016

 
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I hope you have been able to get outside and enjoy the fabulous Spring weather. Mother Nature had some mood swings for a few weeks but I think (fingers crossed) she has finally sorted herself out and Spring is here to stay. 

One of my favorite Spring vegetables is asparagus. It's packed with vitamins and minerals and can be added to almost any dish. It's excellent as a standalone side but so versatile that it's delicious in soup, salad, and casseroles. 

I recently featured asparagus in a bright and flavorful quinoa salad slightly adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod that will have you licking your plate. The salad will take you about 20 minutes to make and shouldn't cost more than $10 to buy all of the ingredients. It's perfect to make during the week and will give you plenty of leftovers for lunch. 

What you will need: 

Salad:
  • 1 cup quinoa 
  • 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1" pieces
  • 1 avocado
  • 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon 
  • 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil
  • 1/8 cup finely chopped pine nuts
  • salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 fresh squeezed lemon
  • 1 teaspoon agave
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil
  • salt and pepper to taste

How to make it: 

1. In a medium pot add vegetable broth and quinoa and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then turn down heat to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes, constantly stirring. 
2. While the quinoa is cooking, add asparagus to a large boiling pot of water and cook for 5  minutes. Add the peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Drain the asparagus and peas and return to large pot. 
3. In a small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients together until well blended. 
4. Combine the quinoa, asparagus and peas in the large pot. Add the avocado, lemon juice, basil, and pine nuts. Pour dressing over the salad and mix until well combined. 

Enjoy!

juicy vegan Jackfruit tacos

4/13/2016

 
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Are you looking to cut back on meat but don't like soy or tofu? Try jackfruit as a juicy and delicious meat alternative. 

For the most recent Taco Tuesday, I made vegan tacos filled with the Jackfruit Company's tex-mex jackfruit, garnished with vegetables, fresh herbs, an avocado cream and fresh lime. Hole cow! They were lip smacking good. 

The best news is that jackfruit, also known as "pulled pork for vegetarians," only has 50 calories and 1g of fat per serving! Can't beat that. Jackfruit's meaty texture has become a common meat replacement that is low in calories and free from soy, gluten, and cholesterol. You will fool any meat lover with the taste!

Jackfruit is native to south and southeast Asia and is the world's largest tree-borne fruit with some weighing up to 100 pounds! It has often been hailed as the miracle crop because of its size and resistance to drought that could save millions from starvation. If that is the case, I really hope to see this fruit rise in popularity. It is a cross between a pineapple, apple, mango, and banana, but when it's seasoned you don't taste those fruity flavors at all. 

Here is a very simple, quick (no more than 30 minutes), and flavorful recipe that you can try any night of the week. It also shouldn't cost you more than $10 - $15, which is definitely a bonus! 

Ingredients:
2-4 white, whole wheat, or corn tortillas
Olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray
1 package Jackfruit (can be bought in many grocery stores)
1 tomato, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 green pepper, julienned
5 leaves of basil, chopped
Handful of chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon vegan sour cream (optional) 
1 fresh lime, squeezed
salt and pepper to taste

Avocado Cilantro Cream
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 ripe avocado
1 freshly squeezed lime
1 teaspoon Follow Your Heart Vegenaise 
Salt and pepper to taste


Instructions:
1.To make the avocado cilantro cream, simply place all of the ingredients in a food processor or even a small ninja will do (which is what I currently have) and blend until creamy. You may need to add 2 tablespoons cold water to the mixture.
2. In a large deep frying pan or a griddle, generously cover with cooking spray. Over medium heat, lightly cook the green pepper for 3 - 5 minutes, until some sides brown.
3. In same pan or griddle,  cook entire package of jackfruit for just a few minutes until warm. Set aside.
3. Respray the frying pan or griddle with cooking spray and cook 1 tortilla at a time to gently brown and crisp.
4. Spoon jackfruit with cooked green pepper slices, tomato, basil, and onion to your desired amounts on to warm tortilla. Add a dollop of the avocado cilantro cream and a dollop of vegan sour cream and squeeze 1/2 fresh lime over tortilla.  
​Enjoy!



Nutrition Facts (based off of white tortilla and no vegan sour cream)
Servings 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories 239
Total Fat 12 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 664 mg
Total Carbohydrate 30 g
Dietary Fiber 15 g
Sugars 7 g
Protein 6 g

dreaming of delicious dairy free yogurt alternatives

3/31/2016

 
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Five different varieties and brands of dairy free yogurt alternative.
One of the hardest foods for me to give up when I transitioned to a vegan diet was yogurt. I truly loved it. It’s a delicious, filling, low fat snack and an easy way to get protein. For Thursday’s Tasting I chose five different dairy-free yogurt alternatives: Almond Dream, So Delicious (Greek style and regular) Silk, and Daiya.

I'm not a fussy eater, but all said, none of the dairy free yogurt alternatives were amazing enough for me to go out and buy again as a dairy yogurt replacement. Each individual yogurt is quite expensive averaging $2.00 per container at Giant compared to regular dairy yogurt, which you can buy for as cheap as $0.50. Sadly I don’t think the plant-based food companies have quite mastered the dairy free yogurt recipe yet. Until they do, I’ll just accept that I’m not eating dairy yogurt anymore and move on. 

For this tasting, my favorite was So Delicious Blueberry coconut milk yogurt alternative. The texture and taste are so close to real yogurt and it was quite a treat to eat. Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive of this testing at $2.19 per individual container. The worst product in this tasting was Daiya Strawberry Greek style yogurt alternative. I try not to waste food but this is throw away disgusting. I was quite surprised because Daiya cheddar cheese is amazing, creamy, and melts like real dairy cheddar. 
​


Almond Dream, 6 oz, Dairy free, lactose free, gluten free

Flavor: Vanilla
Main ingredient: almonds
Fat: 3g
Calories: 160
Protein: 1 g
Price: $1.69

Taste: Light, slightly creamy, not overly powerful vanilla flavor. Sweet. Not at all similar to a dairy yogurt but still yummy even with a slight chalky protein mix aftertaste.


Texture: Very chunky and needs to be mixed well to get creamy consistency. Slightly watery. Jiggles like Jell-O


So Delicious, Greek Style 6 oz, dairy free, soy free, gluten free,

Flavor: Raspberry
Main ingredient: coconut milk
Fat: 4.5g
Calories: 130
Protein: 2g
Price: $1.99

Taste: Not the creamy, thick Greek yogurt you may be used to. Could barely taste the raspberry flavor. Doesn’t taste like much of anything. Strange almost bitter aftertaste with each bite.

Texture: much thicker than regular So Delicious dairy free yogurt alternative. Not quite as thick as regular greek yogurt, but very similar. Doesn’t jiggle and stays in one form. No mixing required.


So Delicious, Coconut milk, 5.3 oz, soy free, dairy free, ** Favorite

Flavor: Blueberry
Main ingredient: coconut milk
Fat: 4g
Calories: 130
Protein: 1g
Price: $2.19

Taste: strong blueberry flavor, light, delicious. Sweet. Really quite good and no strange aftertastes. It doesn’t taste like dairy yogurt, but is very similar.

Texture: Creamy, yogurt like. Slightly watery and slimy. Does not jiggle and stays in one form for the most part.


Silk, 5.3 oz, dairy free, gluten free, carrageenan free

Flavor: Peach & Mango
Main ingredient: soymilk
Fat: 3.5 g
Calories: 130
Protein: 6g
Price: $1.49

Taste: creamy, bold peach and mango flavorful, almost tastes like real dairy yogurt but there is a chalky soy flavor after note with each bite, which ruins it.

Texture: no mixing required, creamy same form & look as dairy yogurt. You wouldn’t know the difference based on looks between dairy yogurt and dairy free yogurt.


Daiya, 5.3 oz, Greek style, dairy free, soy free, gluten free

Flavor: Strawberry
Main ingredient: coconut cream, pea protein
Fat: 4.5 g
Calories: 150
Protein: 8g
Price: $1.99

Taste: Awful. Really quite disgusting. Not sweet. Bitter. Does not taste like Strawberry. It’s like an old flavorless protein powder mix gone bad.

Texture: Maintains a solid consistency. Looks just like dairy yogurt. Thick. Creamy.

why you should add turmeric to your diet

3/28/2016

 
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Golden "milk" includes turmeric, ginger, black pepper, dairy-free drink of your choice, hot water, and vanilla.
If you've ever tried an Asian curry dish, you've probably eaten turmeric. Many curries include the bright yellow Asian spice. But what you may not know is how beneficial turmeric can be for your health. 

The turmeric spice originates from the Curcuma longa plant and it's bright yellow color stems from curcumin, which is an antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory properties. It's anti-inflammatory properties have been helpful in reducing pain from arthritis, muscle sprains, injuries, and Chrohn's disease. Studies have also suggested it can help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and could help prevent the build up of plaque which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.  

Ready to include more of this amazing spice into your diet? Here are a five suggestions to eat and drink turmeric. You can buy turmeric powder for a few bucks at a local Asian market or on Amazon. 

1. "Golden milk"
​ A very easy and straight forward way to consume turmeric is in drink form. Boil 1 cup of hot water. Add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 cup milk or your choice of dairy-free drinks such as almond milk or coconut milk, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and honey or agave to sweeten. This warm and spicy drink is comforting and will warm your entire soul. 

2. Scrambled eggs
Add a dash of turmeric to scrambled eggs or a tofu scramble with onion, tomato, and dairy-free cheese. 

3. Sprinkle onto vegetables
Turmeric's warm flavor tastes best with roasted root vegetables like cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, turnips, and beets. 

4. Spice up your rice
Add 1 teaspoon turmeric to a 1 cup cooked plain white rice to brighten an ordinary side dish. 

5. Make a paste
You can also directly apply turmeric onto sore or swollen uncut skin in a paste form. Mix 1 teaspoon turmeric and slowly add warm water until it turns into a paste. 

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    Thanks for taking the time to explore this healthy & mind conscious food blog. It's a mix of vegetarian/vegan restaurant reviews, health food news, and recipes. I hope you find it interesting and keep coming back for more! 

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