About Vegetarian Food

Yes, vegetarians (and vegans) are healthy

2009-07-05T05:24:46Z

With all the surprising news coming out of California and Alaska the past couple of weeks, its no wonder the media skipped over this little tidbit of brand new, never-before-imagined breaking news:

A vegetarian diet is healthy.

Or rather, to be exact, "vegetarian diets, including...vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases...Vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life-cycle including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence and for athletes." That is, you won't die if you don't eat meat (and even if you don't drink milk!) and, in fact, you're likely to live a longer and healthier life, whether you are male, female, young or old! Yay!

All snark aside, this statement is the updated position of the American Dietetic Association, published in their July 2009 journal, which is quite similar to their previous statement, though this one goes further in including vegan diets as well. For details about the role of plant-based diets in cancer and disease prevention and the seemingly endless other health and nutritional benefits, you can read the full report online.

No word on whether they have a position statement on a bacon-based or fast-food centered diet. Anyone?

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Fourth of July Desserts

2009-07-02T03:40:35Z

The biggest outdoor barbecue day of the year is coming up! Why not wow all your friends with some incredible desserts that are cooked right on your grill? Check out these recipes for some healthy and some not-so-healthy sweet treats to throw on the outdoor grill. Keep your kitchen cool and your oven turned off. Happy Fourth!

Grilled Ice Cream Cake Ice cream, homemade meringue and cake, rolled into one and prepared outdoors on the grill. Those steaks will look like nothing sitting next to this monster of a dessert! (pictured above, left)

Barbecued Apple Pie Nothing says USA like an all-American homemade apple pie. Why not cook yours on the grill? What a great way to celebrate the fourth of July! (pictured, right)

Grilled Pineapple with Coconut For something a bit lighter, try grilled fruit! With just a hint of rum, this is a grilled dish for adults, but if you're serving kids, you can omit the rum and it's still quite tasty.

Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream A user gave this grilled dessert recipe five out of five stars and said, "Fantastic! Easy to make and a lot of fun to consume. Finished peaches were soft enough to cut with a spoon and I drizzled the remaining marinade over the ice cream for a great presentation."

Mango Peach Summer Salsa

2009-06-30T06:15:42Z

The sweet taste of mangoes and peaches combine with onions and garlic in this easy mild peach and mango salsa recipe. Try it with pita chips for a light snack, or add to a vegetable burrito for an unusual twist. A fun and tropical mild salsa, but you can always chop up a chili or two to add some fire to the mix! If you like fruit salsas, you might also want to try this apricot salsa recipe.

Recipe link: Mango and Peach Salsa Recipe
See also: More easy homemade salsa recipes

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In celebration of homemade salad dressings

2009-06-28T05:14:58Z

One of my top tips for keeping healthy on a vegetarian diet is to always have some salad dressing on hand to get you to eat some fresh greens! Besides just smothering your salads, you can use a homemade salad dressing as a dip for veggies, drizzled over steamed veggies or a baked potato for a quick side dish, or even as a marinade or sauce for some tofu. Try out some of my favorite homemade salad dressings to create a delicious and nutritious meal. Get out your blender and save yourself a few dollars at the grocery store by doing it yourself! Besides that, most store-bought salad dressings are filled with preservatives and a ton of sugar. Here are just a few of my favorite easy homemade salad dressing recipes to try:

Tahini "Goddess" Dressing (pictured above, left) Tahini-based goddess dressing is a top seller at natural food stores and many restaurants, so if you've never tried it, you're missing out!

Easy Fat-free Dijon Dressing A user gave this dressing 4 out of 5 stars and said she was "very pleasantly surprised".

Japanese Miso Salad Dressing (pictured, right) With just 2 tablespoons of oil, this dressing is lower in fat than others, but gets plenty of Asian-inspired flavor from miso and soy sauce.

Vegan Cranberry Vinaigrette Make an easy cranberry vinaigrette salad dressing by using cranberry juice concentrate.

More easy homemade salad dressing recipes

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Chinese Scallion Pancakes - an appetizer, snack or breakfast

2009-06-24T06:00:47Z

These little fried green onion pancakes were the absolute highlight of my last visit to Taiwan, where they're a popular snack served up by vendors along busy streets or at evening markets (along with "stinky tofu", which you can literally smell from three blocks away). In the west, scallion pancakes are usually ordered as an appetizer at more authentic Chinese restaurants. Don't let the simplicity of the ingredients list fool you - these are incredibly delicious! And I really insist that plain soy sauce for dipping is a must. You don't need a fancy chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce - best to stick with a good quality plain soy sauce. Don't they look just perfectly greasy and delicious?

Recipe: Chinese Scallion Pancakes
See also: Scallion and Coconut Pancakes
More vegetarian Chinese food recipes

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Baked Tofu Recipe with Sesame Oil and Ginger

2009-06-22T06:00:42Z

Baking tofu is one of the easiest ways to prepare it, and for people who are new to cooking with tofu, I always recommend trying a simple tofu baked in barbecue sauce as a fool-proof introduction to the joys of soy. All you need is a simple marinade, an oven, and a block or two of pressed tofu. For a tangy and meaty baked tofu recipe, try this simple sesame and ginger tofu, which is delicious on its own, on top of a stir-fry or in a salad or sandwich.

More baked tofu recipes:

Lemon Dijon Baked Tofu Recipe

Easy BBQ Baked Tofu

Breaded Baked Tofu Nuggets

Miso Baked Tofu

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Free stuff for veggies (and veggie wannabes, too)!

2009-06-20T05:41:01Z

The internet abounds with free promotional items, giveaways and more! Here's a list of websites where you can sign up to receive free vegetarian and vegan recipe booklets, stickers, comic books, DVDs and more in the mail. If you don't need more free vegetarian recipes, maybe you know someone who does? I love the internet!

Link: Free Things for Vegetarians on the Web

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New vegetarian (and vegan!) fast food menu - at Jamba Juice!

2009-06-17T03:15:51Z

Yes, us vegetarians resort to fast food every once in a while, too, and unless you're lucky enough to catch the vegan hot dog guy in LA, or you live in Manhattan, the options can be pretty limited, not to mention unhealthy, so a new addition to the on-the-run options is always welcome! Jamba Juice has added two vegetarian items and a vegan sandwich to their menus in California as of today, and will be bringing them nation-wide over the next few months. With no trans fats and no high-fructose corn syrup, this is probably the healthiest fast-food items any chain restaurant is offering. Not that we don't all love the BK veggie burger and Canada's KFC vegetarian chicken sandwiches!

The new vegan "Greens and Grain Wrap" has quinoa, hummus and veggies wrapped in a spinach tortilla with mango vinaigrette (yum!), or you can try the vegetarian "Greek Goodness" wrap, an artichoke or cheese bread on the side or a vegetarian couscous salad (pictured). Sounds delish! Have any of you Californians tried these yet? Let us all know how they are!

I'm still waiting for Jimmy John's to add a vegan option to their menu!

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How to press tofu

2009-06-16T05:10:26Z

Many of the tofu recipes you'll find on this site and in vegetarian cookbooks call for pressed tofu. This simple process removes excess moisture, allowing more flavor to be absorbed while cooking. Once you learn how to press tofu, it will become second nature to you. Pressing tofu will enhance the flavor of just about every recipe that requires regular, that is, not silken, tofu. You might also want to check out this video which demonstrates a few methods for preparing tofu. Several readers have told me the video was well done and very helpful for them, and I agree!

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Thought of the Day

2009-06-14T05:32:00Z

Today's thought of the day comes from Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950), who was obviously way ahead of his time. A vegetarian since the age of 25, Shaw was better known for his criticism of class structure and the defense of working-class poor, and perhaps less well known for his humility, as he claimed that "a man of my spiritual intensity does not eat corpses". Well, George, I'm not one to judge! Here's today's thought of the day:

Animals are my friends...and I don't eat my friends.
--George Bernard Shaw

I hope you've enjoyed these little musings, but today's vegetarian Thought of the Day will the last in this series, at least for now, as I'll be starting a new themed quote series (stay tuned to find out what it is!). Browse through all of the vegetarian quotes and words of wisdom I've posted in these past "Thought of the Day" blog posts:

Good karma for the vertically challenged

A Beatle waxes poetic about architectural possibilities

A Nobel prize winner with a sense of humor explains his health priorities

How a Daily Show news correspondent releases anger

The position of the American Dietetic Association on vegetarianism

A cardiologist explains the circle of life

Gambling with apples and babies

Photo courtesy of Farm Sanctuary