"I tried eating like Leonardo da Vinci" (by Melissa Breyer)

"When I stumbled across some of da Vinci's favorite *vegetarian recipes, I knew I had to try them. Here's how it went..."

I tried eating like Leonardo da Vinci

*Please note: Vegetarian can also mean a vegan diet in some places.

V-EGANISM Updates

I've had this blog for quite some time here, but in the past, I had not been posting much news--until recently.

I now want to focus more on this blog, keeping you up-to-date on any big news going on in the vegan/animal rights world.

Years ago, when I would post information on a more regular basis, things were different. People didn't know a lot about veganism/animal rights. There were many people on Tweeter or other social media asking, "How do you become vegan?" and asking for simple cruelty-free recipes.This this current time, I notice there are far less people asking about how to become vegan and wanting more information about cruelty-free recipes because there is so much information in the world now, especially on the Internet.

So my blog will mostly focus on veganism/animal rights in the news. I will also provide links to interviews I think are interesting.

As many animal rights people seem to be fading out of social media, I want to be one of the people still providing news in the vegan/animal rights community and world.

I will also be adding more vegan links on this blog in the "Links We Love" section. I have already weeded out the "dead" links and added a few new ones.

Finally, if you have any questions about veganism, animal rights in relation to animals, people, or the world, please contact me for more information. 

Holiday: 40+ Vegan Easter Recipes for Everyone to Love!

Below is a link to fantastic vegan recipes for you and your friends/family during Easter--or at any time.

Holiday: 40+ Vegan Easter Recipes for Everyone to Love!

P.S. I plan to post more often here (at least once a week), so stay tuned for more soon!

Vegan Valentine's Candy and Chocolate Truffles Recipes--both Raw!

Here's a video on how to make your own healthy Vegan Valentine candy---ENJOY!

Here's a video on how to make your own Vegan Chocolate Truffles--ENJOY!

10 Frozen Vegan Recipes to Cool Down This Summer

Above photo: Tofutti Cuties

The temperatures are rising and the sun is shining--summer is here! Plant-based and vegan eaters don't eat dairy ice cream, but that does not mean ice cream and other frozen treats are off limits. Thanks to non-dairy milk and fruit, it’s much easier to make a dairy-free ice cream or frozen treat than you may think. 

Non-vegans--you'll love them too!

Check out these 10 frozen recipes to cool down this summer.

Dairy-Free New Year's Eve Recipes

Most New Year's Eve recipes contain some sort of dairy. The link below has a recipe collection of cruelty-free dairy-free renditions of the classics that are sure to bring in the New Year right!

Cruelty-Free New Year's Eve Recipes

Cruelty-Free Christmas and Kwanzaa Meals

Again, like Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, there are thousands and thousands of holiday cruelty-free meals, so here are some of the best Christmas and Kwanzaa links to them:

Vegan Christmas Recipes

http://www.vegkitchen.com/tips/a-colorful-vegetarian-christmas/

A Joyful Vegan Christmas Dinner

http://vegparadise.com/cookingwith512.html

Top vegan Christmas & holiday recipes

http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/998735/top-vegan-christmas-recipes

Vegan Kwanzaa

http://veganpeace.blogspot.com/2009/12/vegan-kwanzaa.html

Vegetarian Kwanzaa Feast (actually, all "vegan" meals)

http://www.peta.org/living/food/kwanzaa-vegetarian-feast/

HAPPY CRUELTY-FREE HOLIDAYS!!

Cruelty-Free Thanksgiving Meal Recipes

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving has its historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, and has long been celebrated in a secular manner as well.

Since there is such a plethera of cruelty-free holiday recipes on the Internet and in books, I thought I'd mention two of the best websites for your Thanksgiving holiday menu:

The links below are your premier source for Thanksgiving recipes and menus to create a memorable dinner! Create mix-and match menus from the following recipes, from soup to dessert, complete with vegan stuffings and main dishes—all the holiday traditions you adore, updated for a compassionate plant-based feast for even more recipes and menus for Thanksgiving and other major holidays.

VEGAN THANKSGIVING DINNER

For more cruelty-free recipe ideas, check out this site:

Healthy Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes: From Brunch to Dinner to Dessert

Have a kind Thanksgiving.

Vegan Mabon

Mabon is the mid-harvest festival, and it is when Wiccans take a few moments to honor the changing seasons, and celebrate the second harvest. This year, Mabon will be celebrated on September 22. 

It is a time of giving thanks for the things we have, whether it is abundant crops or other blessings. 

Depending on one's individual spiritual path, there are many different ways you can celebrate Mabon, but typically the focus is on either the second harvest aspect, or the balance between light and dark. While we celebrate the gifts of the earth, we also accept that the soil is dying. There is food to eat, but the crops are brown and going dormant. Warmth is behind us, and cold lies ahead. 

Here are some vegan recipes to help celebrate Mabon:


Simple Roasted Vegetable Medley

1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 lb. potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
1-2 onions, cut into wedges
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and crushed 
1 Tb. minced garlic 
1 tsp. rubbed sage
1 tsp. rosemary
3 Tb. oil, divided
Kosher salt and black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450F.

2. Toss the squash, potatoes, onion, garlic cloves, 2 Tb. oil, sage, and rosemary in a large roasting pan (a "turkey pan"). Season with salt and pepper. Roast, covered, for 25 minutes. Toss once. Add the minced garlic, and the remaining oil (if necessary).

3. Roast 25 minutes more, tossing once, until vegetables are browned on the edges and completely tender.



Three Squash Soup 

4-5 cups of squash 
1 cup of rice milk (or you can use almond milk or soy milk) 
1 large carrot 
1 med-large parsnip 
1 medium onion 
2 celery stalks 
2 TBSP olive oil 
A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) 
Salt & pepper to taste 
Herb for garnish, like parsley 

Preheat the oven to 375°. Cut the squash in half, remove seeds and compost them. Also, roughly chop up the carrot, parsnip, onion & celery.

Fill a 9X13 glass cake pan with approximately 1 inch water and place the squash face-down in the water. Take the chopped vegetables, toss with the olive oil and place on a flat cookie sheet in a single layer. Put both squash and vegetables in the oven to bake. This could take 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes depending on your oven, the size of the vegetables. 

Keep an eye on the vegetables to make sure they don’t burn--but you want the squash skin to brown. Once the squash is soft, remove from the oven and let cool just enough so that you can handle them and scoop the flesh out of the shells (but not cold!) and put them into a food processor. You can process the squash first until very pureed, and then add veggies and do the same thing. Add the milk, salt, pepper, cayenne at this time.  Serve warm with herb garnish. 

Alternative suggestion: Some people like their squash soup sweet, so feel free to add maple syrup or agave syrup. 



Vegan Pot Pie 

Note: You can also add extra vegetables. 

For the filling: 
1 cup diced carrots 
½ cup parsnips or golden beet 
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes 
2 garlic cloves whole and unpeeled 
1 sage leave finely chopped 
4 sprigs fresh thyme 
2-3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil 
½ tsp salt 
1 flavored vegan bouillon cube 
¼+ cup flour 
3+ cups water 
2 tsp tamari 
1 cup (approximately) of frozen mixed vegetables, thawed 

For the crust: 
2 cups all purpose flour 
1 cup barley flour 
½ tsp baking soda 
½ tsp salt 
1 tsp poppy seeds 
½ cup canola oil, chilled in the freezer for at least 30 minutes 
½ cup of ice water 
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 

If you didn’t cook the root vegetables with the above recipe, preheat the oven to 425°. Place the vegetables (not the frozen!), garlic, sage and thyme on a cookie sheet, drizzle with oil and mix well, flatten to a single layer. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Stir occasionally. When done, remove from oven and allow to cool a little. 

While the vegetables are cooking, put a medium sauce pan on the stove at medium heat. Pour in the 3 cups water and bring to boil. Add the bouillon cube and boil until there are no pieces floating around and add the tamari. You can put the flour into a Tupperware container with cold water in batches and shake it to mix it well before slowly pouring it into the boiling water. Whisk it to evenly distribute (try to avoid clumps) and cook until thickened stirring frequently, adding more flour if necessary.  

When the vegetables are cool, remove and discard thyme  and squeeze the garlic out of its skin, place the skin in the compost and mash the bulb up then mix well with the roasted and thawed vegetables. Add just enough gravy to coat the vegetables and set aside. 

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all dry crust ingredients and whisk together. Drizzle in the canola oil and mix with your hands until incorporated and forming M&M size balls or slightly larger. Mix the ice water and vinegar together, then drizzle into flour, continue to mix with your fingers until it holds together. 

Flour the surface you’ll be working on and knead the dough onto it a couple minutes. Divide into 2 pieces (making sure to wrap up the one you’re not using with plastic wrap). You can use this as pie crust (both top & bottom) and make one big pie. Or you can make small pies by cutting out circles (you can use a 6+ inch bowl as a cookie cutter). Put a tablespoon or two on the bottom piece of dough and then place the top one over top--and make sure to seal the edges! Bake at 275° until browned about 30 minutes for the big pie, 20 for the small one. 



Apple Carrot Bread

1 cup almond milk or rice milk 
½ cup applesauce 
1 TBSP canola oil 
2 cups whole wheat flour 
2 cups unbleached flour 
¼ cup raw sugar
1 tsp salt 
1 tsp cinnamon 
½ cup grated carrot  
2 ¼ tsp (or 1 package) dry yeast (if you’re using bread machine yeast, follow the instructions on the package) 

Measure the milk, applesauce, and oil into the bread pan. Add the whole wheat flour, unbleached flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and grated carrot. Make a well in the dry ingredients and measure in the yeast. Select the basic whole wheat bread cycle for a 2-pound loaf. Baking time will be about 50 minutes. 
Serve this with homemade apple butter, peanut butter, or plain soy butter.



Pumpkin Muffins

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour 
1 ¼ cups raw sugar 
1 Tbsp baking powder 
¼ tsp salt 
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
½ tsp ground nutmeg 
½ tsp ground ginger 
¼ tsp ground allspice 
1/8 tsp ground cloves 
1 cup pureed pumpkin (Do NOT use pumpkin pie mix!) 
½ cup non-dairy milk 
½ cup vegetable oil 
2 Tbsp molasses 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a twelve-muffin tin. 

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. In separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, non-dairy milk, oil, and molasses. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix. 

Fill the muffin cups two thirds of the way full. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Vegan Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: ראש השנה‎, literally "head [of] the year"), is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im ("Days of Awe") which usually occur in the early autumn of the Northern Hemisphere. Rosh Hashanah is a two-day celebration, which begins on the first day of Tishrei. The day is believed to be the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind's role in God's world. Rosh Hashanah customs include eating symbolic foods such as apples dipped in honey to evoke a "sweet new year". But you can use agave nectar, brown rice syrup or pure maple syrup in place of the honey. Additionally, various symbolic foods such as dates, pumpkins, leeks, beets and pomegrates are enjoyed during the second day of Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah, begins tonight at sundown. Here are a few vegan recipes to help celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

Whole-Wheat Vegan Challah Bread

2 1/4 tsp or 1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water

Mix the yeast and the warm water in a mixing bowl and leave alone for five minutes to ensure the yeast is alive. If it froths and bubbles, it is!

Add to the bowl:

1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
4 tbsp ground flax seed + 6 tbsp water, whisked together
3 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp sea salt

Mix on medium-low speed until blended. Add:

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 cup bread flour

Knead on medium low speed in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes or about 10 minutes by hand. The dough should be elastic and smooth.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, turn it once to coat the top with oil, then cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for about 2 1/2 hours in a warm place.

Punch down the dough, knead a bit, and then refrigerate for about 4-5 hours until the dough has doubled.

Divide the dough into three balls and let them rest, covered with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, for about 15 minutes.

Roll each ball into a rope about 12 inches in length. Dust with flour.

Place the three ropes side-by-side. Now pinch together the top ends and carefully braid the three, like you'd braid your hair. For instance, pick the left rope and place it between the right and the middle rope, then pick the right rope and place it between the left and middle ropes, and so on.

Pinch together the ends and tuck them under the bread.

Transfer the loaf to a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal.

Brush the top of the loaf with some olive oil which will give it a lovely glaze after baking.

Cover the loaf with oiled plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise. In about an hour, it would have nearly doubled in size.

Brush the loaf again with olive oil, sprinkle some sesame seeds over it, then place it in a preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Cool the loaf on a rack before cutting in.


Sprouted Lentil Salad

¼ cup red lentils
¼ cup green lentils
¼ cup black lentils (or French lentils)

chopped celery
chopped green onions
chopped parsley
chopped cilantro
grated carrots
grated beets
chopped red cabbage
1 red bell pepper, or ½ red and ½ green pepper
½ sweet red or yellow onion
grated zucchini (optional)
diced cucumber (optional)
lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil
dulse seaweed, kelp seaweed, or sea salt
Nama Shoyu or Soy sauce
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic or more

Wash the lentils in water separately, making sure that there are no stones or other matter in the lentils. Soak the lentils in tepid water in a glass jar or in a bowl overnight. They will expand by at least a ½ if not more, so make sure there is enough water for them to expand without going dry. Drain the water in the morning, rinse them in cold water under the faucet and put them in a colander or other container where they can germinate for at least 4-6 hours. You will know they have germinated by a tiny growth tail, and they will be soft to eat.

Chop and grate your vegetables, adding or subtracting the vegetables you want to eat. Those in the list are some of the choices you have. Add your own favorites. Put all of these vegetables in a different bowl from the sprouted lentils.

Mix the lemon juice, oil, and spices in a bowl or container.

Putting your salad together

The amount of lentils in your salad should be about 1/2 of the ingredients. Add handfuls of your chopped and grated vegetables and mix thoroughly. Add the dressing and taste the salad. Let the salad “marinate” for at least an hour, so that the flavors soak into everything. Taste again and add more dressing if needed. This salad can be served with other vegetable dishes or green salads. For optimum digestion, do not eat this salad with fruit dishes.



Mock Gefilte


½ cup cashews, soaked overnight
½ cup almonds, soaked overnight
½ cup pine nuts, soaked overnight
½ cup green onion /scallions, chopped
½ bunch parsley, chopped
¼ cup water
2 tsp Braggs Amino’s, Dr. Bronners Bullion, Nama Shoyu or another “salty” liquid
¼ - ½ cup lemon juice
1 clove or more fresh garlic
½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp – 1 TBS or more of kelp granules (this creates the “fishy” flavor)

In a Champion juicer, run the soaked cashews, almonds, and pine nuts through with the ‘solid’ blank attached. The mixture will come out very thick. Turn into a bowl and add the lemon juice, aminos, and a small amount of the water until it is a wet paté consistency, adding more water if needed. Mix. Add the onions, parsley, and other seasonings. Taste for flavor and “fishiness.” Form into patties, and let seasonings continue to flavor the paté. Serve on a bed of lettuce with a small amount of fresh grated horseradish on the side. Serves 4 – 8 or more depending on the size of the patties.



Chickpea Falafal Balls

• ½ cup bulgar wheat
• 1 whole yam (large)
• 2 tbsp plant-based milk
• 1 whole garlic clove
• 3 tbsp fresh Italian parlsey
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 2 tbsp chickpea flour
• 3 tbsp whole wheat bread crumbs
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp dried parsley flakes

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper and set aside. Add bulgar with 3/4 cup of water in a pot without heat and set aside to soak. Meanwhile, cook yam until fork tender by steaming, microwaving or boiling (peeling skin away is optional). Using hand beaters or a potato masher, blend cooked yam with non-dairy milk until the consistency is like mashed potatoes and set aside. Return to bulgar, which should have absorbed some of the water. Bring the pot to a boil and once boiling reduce to low heat and simmer. Continue to cook, uncovered, until all the water is gone, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Meanwhile toss garlic, parsley, onion powder, cumin, coriander, chickpea flour, bread crumbs and salt in a food processor. Allow the motor run until it's very crumbly and spice-like. Mix spice mixture with yam mixture until well combined. Then add in cooked bulgar. Drop tablespoon-sized portion on to the cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray. Lightly cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Flip the balls, respray and then bake another 20 minutes, or until the outsides are crispy.

While the falafel balls are baking, make cilantro-yogurt sauce. Stuff warm whole-wheat pitas with falafel balls, chopped lettuce and the "yogurt" sauce.

Carrot Spice Muffins

Dry ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour (or a mixture of whole wheat and unbleached flours)
• 1/4 cup natural sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:

• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 cup soy yogurt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 1/2 cup shredded carrots (about 3)
• 1/4 cup raisins
• Optional topping: Vanilla sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray or use muffin liners. (I used silicone muffin pans.)
2. Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the liquid ingredients. Add the liquid to the dry and mix just long enough to combine. Add the carrots and raisins and stir to combine.
3. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups–it will be very thick. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar, if desired. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Note: People sensitive to soy may try substituting rice milk or other non-dairy milk.

Total time (duration): 30 minutes

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup raw sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 whole carrot, shredded

1 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a muffin pan or spray paper liners to prevent sticking and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda, sugar, salt & cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, mix applesauce, vanilla and carrots. Add dry mix to wet mix in 3-4 batches. Stir until just combined. Fill cups to the top bake 15-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For cream cheese icing, use electric beaters to whip and combine 1 container Tofutti cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 cup confectioners sugar at a time until the consistency is thick and sweet enough.

For maple icing, use electric beaters to whip and combine 1 cups confectioners sugar, 3 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp cinnamon, adding additional sugar as necessary to reach a thick and fluffy consistency.

Labor Day Vegan Recipes

Summer Noodle Salad

Dressing

1/2 cup of rice vinegar
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon agave

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Let sit for an hour.

Salad

1 handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
1 handful of basil leaves, chopped
2 green onions, diced finely
1/2 red bell pepper, julienne
1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienne
1 cup of shredded carrots
1/2 cup of toasted peanuts
1/2 lb cooked soba noodles

Prepare all the vegetables, set aside. Once the noodles have cooked, rinse with cold water and drain. Once the noodles are cool, add the vegetables and peanuts. Mix the dressing again thoroughly then add to the noodles and vegetables. Stir until well combined and serve.

Tempeh Peanut Satay

1/2 cup grated coconut
2 teaspoon agave
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup tamari
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 lb of tempeh, steamed for 20 min
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon sherry
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup plain soy yogurt

Marinade:
Puree orange juice with only half of the agave, coconut, tamari and cayenne pepper in a blender. Cut tempeh into 2 cm cubes and add to marinade. Set aside for 1 hour.

Peanut sauce:
Blend remainder of agave, tamari and cayenne pepper together with the peanut butter, sherry, vinegar, garlic powder and soy yogurt. Refrigerate.

Thread tempeh cubes onto 4 skewers. Grill tempeh over medium-hot grill 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Brush kebabs with marinade and sprinkle with remaining coconut. Serve the tempeh kebabs with peanut sauce.

Caipirinha Cooler

1 lime, quartered
1 1/2 tablespoons ginger syrup
1 sprig mint
2 ounces cachaça (or rum if you can't find cachaça)
1 quarter-sized slice raw ginger

Muddle lime with ginger syrup and mint. Add cachaça, shake and pour over ice. Add a raw ginger wedge for garnish.

Virgin Recipe :

1/2 diced lime
1/2 small diced lemon
1/2 small diced orange
1 sugar cube
ginger ale
fresh mint

Place the fruit in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add the sugar cube and a dash of ginger beer. Muddle to release the juices. Strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with mint.

Piña Colada Popsicles

1 can light coconut milk
2 cups Pineapple juice
1 banana

Pour ingredients into a blender and puree. Pour into Popsicle molds and freeze at least 4 hours.

Tomato and Herb Salad

1/3 cup of lime juice
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 extra virgin Olive oil
4 large ripened tomatoes
1 cup of parsley
1/2 cup scallions
1/2 teaspoon salt

First make the dressing:

lime juice, salt, sugar, and oil whisk together.

Cut tomatoes into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Drizzle tomatoes with about two thirds vinaigrette (let it sit)

Combine herbs and scallions and toss with remaining vinaigrette.

You can also grill the tomatoes lightly if you choose.

Mom's 'Meat' and Potatoes

vegan sausage

1 can of organic potatoes, drained

1 can organic string beans, drained

Put potatoes and green beans in to deep dish. Cut or crumble the soy sausage into the dish.

* add as much as you like.