Category: Vegan Life

Vegan Travels – Atlanta Edition

by Ashley, posted in Vegan Life

I had the opportunity to go to Atlanta last week and visit my amazing friends. While I was there I had a lot of great food that fit within my vegan diet. Check out my favorite eats from my travels to Atlanta.

 

aja

Aja Restaurant and Bar

3500 Lenox Rd NE #100, Atlanta, GA 30326

PAD KING VEGETABLES

12 seasonal vegetables, tofu, rice noodles, sweet soy

*This was by far my favorite dish of the trip

cafe sunflower sweet and sour soy chicken

Café Sunflower

5975 Roswell Road Atlanta, GA 30328

Sweet and Sour Soy Chicken

Battered and fried soy chicken with onions, bell peppers, water chestnuts, broccoli and pineapple in a fruity and spicy sauce with brown rice.

*Café Sunflower is an all vegan restaurant. You can’t go wrong with anything on this menu.

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How to Pick the Perfect Fall Fruit

by Ashley, posted in Vegan Life

how to pick the perfect fall fruitFall is quickly approaching and I know many people like to consume fruit that are in season. I realize, for some that picking out produce can be a little intimidating! What do you look for when choosing fruit? How do you know when a certain fruit is ripe?

Some of the fruit that are great in the fall include cherries, pears, apples, cranberries, plums, grapes, key limes, kumquats, passion fruit, pineapples, and pomegranates. Below are tips for picking out 5 of the most popular fruits for fall.

Pineapple

Picking out pineapples can be tricky. They are a fruit that stops ripening as soon as they are harvested and they are coming to us from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Honduras and Mexico. (Sidenote: If you ever have a chance to go to Puerto Rico or one of the countries mentioned, make sure you load up on Pineapples! – They are the best you will ever have!)

Pineapples are usually shipped to grocery stores slightly under-ripe. The leaves on top of the pineapples are the best indicator for picking the perfect pineapple. If the leaves pop right off, the pineapple is past its prime.  The leaves on the crown should look green, healthy and fresh. You also want your pineapple to feel plump and firm. If it’s soft and squishy, it’s probably past its prime.

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Cooking Hacks: 7 Vegan Substitutes for Eggs

by Ashley, posted in Recipes, Vegan Life

Vegan egg substitution

In many recipes eggs act as a binder and/or a leavening agent. A binder helps hold the recipe together, while a leavening agent helps baked good rise. The infographic above shows a variety of ways to replace eggs. Ground flaxseed is my usually choice for replacing egg, especially when making pancakes and waffles. I warm the water first and let the flaxseed soak into the water for a few minutes. I’ve also used applesauce and banana in baked good and they both worked well. If you need an egg substitution for a lot of eggs like for a quiche, try pureeing some tofu. Puree 1/4 cup of tofu per egg.

Smoked Paprika Hash Browns

by Ashley, posted in Recipes, Vegan Life

Smoked paprika hash browns

I’m starting to cook through a great vegan book called “Vegan Vitality – Your Complete Guide to an Active, Healthy, Plant-Based Lifestyle” by Karina Inkster. This is the first recipe I tried from the book. It was quick, simply, and delicious.

Give it a try and let me see your creations on social media by using the hashtag #veggiecurls  Continue reading “Smoked Paprika Hash Browns” →

An Extra Hand in the Kitchen: A Guide to Using Your Food Processor [Infographic]

by Ashley, posted in Vegan Life
#Repost from eReplacementParts

A food processor is a crucial kitchen tool for many recipes. You can usually achieve similar results using individual tools, but why not eliminate the clutter, effort, and confusion by having one appliance that can chop, dice, grind, and whip like a champion? In order to start to discover the extraordinary culinary options at your fingertips with your food processor, read our guide to learn some tips and tricks that will help you get the most out of your appliance.

The first lesson in food processing is learning what all the different attachments can do. The S-shaped blade is one of the most common, and can be used to achieve a variety of different consistencies in your food! Other less-used but equally handy attachments include the dough blade, the citrus juicer, and even a French fry disc! Foods you never thought you’d make at home suddenly become possible when you own a food processor.

Although the processor is a handy gadget with many uses, it does have limitations as well. Certain foods just aren’t meant to be prepared using a food processor, and these include mashed potato, which will become gummy and sticky if over-processed. If you identify these foods, you will never end up with a food processor snafu! For cleanup, consult our guide below, which will teach you how best to clean your beloved new kitchen treasure!

Continue reading “An Extra Hand in the Kitchen: A Guide to Using Your Food Processor [Infographic]” →

5 Fruits and Vegetables to Never Refrigerate

by Ashley, posted in Vegan Life

Being a vegan, I’m used to buying a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. I’m pretty good at buying just what I need for the week, but sometimes I find a challenge with extending the life of these fresh foods. Often times we think that cooling or freezing foods will keep it fresher longer, but that’s not always the case. Check out the fruits and vegetables below that you should leave out of the refrigerator.

 BananasbananaIf your bananas are green, you’ll want to separate them and leave them out to ripen. If they’re yellow, and you want them to last, you can refrigerate them to prevent over-ripening.

MelonsmelonKeep melons at room temperature when they are whole and store cut melon pieces in the refrigerator.

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Vegan Hack: Buttermilk

by Ashley, posted in Recipes, Vegan Life

Did You Know that you can make vegan buttermilk by simply adding vinegar to any non-dairy milk?

I had to use buttermilk as a marinade to a dish I tried out this week. To my knowledge there isn’t any commercial sold buttermilk but with a little help from Google, I found that all I need to do was add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to my soy milk. Some also add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and lime juice as well and you can substitute for any non-dairy milk. Happy Cooking!

vegan buttermilk

6 Minute Vegan “Chicken” and Broccoli

by Ashley, posted in Recipes, Vegan Life

6 Minute Vegan "Chicken" and Broccoli

I had a bag of frozen broccoli in my freezer that I was determine to do something with. I simply typed in the word “broccoli” into pinterest and a non-vegan version of this recipe appeared. I swapped out the ingredients to make it more vegan friendly and added brown rice. It was quick, simple, and delicious – my favorite kind of dish!

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap  a photo and hashtag it #VeggieCurls. I’d love to see what you created!

Continue reading “6 Minute Vegan “Chicken” and Broccoli” →

Grilled Portobello Burgers for the 4th of July

by Ashley, posted in Recipes, Vegan Life
Photo courtesy of theppk.com
Photo courtesy of theppk.com

The summer is here and the 4th of July is vast approaching. Summer BBQ’s can be an awkward time for a vegan, so to ease the stress of party goers and party throwers it may be best to come prepared with some recipes.

I found this grilled portobello burger recipe and it is definitely something I want to try for the 4th and future BBQs.

Grilling really brings out the juicy best in these portobellos, so I use the bare minimum of ingredients to let them really flaunt their flavor. A little (cheap!) chardonnay for depth of flavor, tamari for a bit of saltiness, baslamic for a touch of zest, and garlic for, well, it’s garlic! Choose firm, light colored mushrooms with fresh, healthy looking gills that spring back when you gently rub your finger across them. Don’t remove the gills, they are loaded with flavor and texture, not to mention they soak up garlic and marinade beautifully. Gently wash your caps before marinading and you are A-ok. Skip that anemic hamburger bun and go for a bready focaccia that can stand up to the portobello juices that are bound to make you lick your fingers.

Tip: Save your portobello stems for gravy or broth.

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candied sweet potato discs and apple slices

Candied Sweet Potato Discs and Apple Slices

by Ashley, posted in Recipes, Vegan Life

candied sweet potato discs and apple slicesJune is national fruits and veggies month and if you’re looking for a sweet treat with fruits and veggies, this is definitely the one for you. I ate an entire pan of this in two days and I’m not ashamed to say it. This is another recipe out of the Vegan Soul Kitchen book, that is a must try!

Give the recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments below or on social media with the hashtag #VeggieCurls.

Continue reading “Candied Sweet Potato Discs and Apple Slices” →