The China Study, Whole and a Future Book Page

Posted on June 16, 2013 by onesmallvegan

Today’s Daily Prompt is to: Tell us about the last book you read (Why did you choose it? Would you recommend it?). Daily Prompt: Bookworm

Since the last book I read completely relates to the subjects of this blog, and was fantastic, I thought this would be a good time to share it with you (and maybe some others that don’t follow One Small Vegan).

The last book that I read was Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition by T. Colin Campbell and Howard Jacobsen and just like Campbell’s previous book (with his son Thomas M. Campbell) The China Study, I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone.

I choose to read this book because I loved The China Study, so was very eager to read anything else by Campbell. I already knew from other sources that a whole food plant-based diet is healthy for humans, animals, and the earth as a whole, but the information given in The China Study still managed to blow me away, especially in regards to the way in which a plant-based diet effects cancer growth. I am also amazed at Campbell’s ability, shown in both books, to explain very scientific information in a way I think almost everyone could read and comprehend, all the while making the book enjoyable to read.

“In The China Study, T. Colin Campbell (alongside his son, Thomas M. Campbell) revolutionized the way we think about our food with the evidence that a whole food, plant-based diet is the healthiest way to eat. Now, in Whole, he explains the science behind that evidence, the ways our current scientific paradigm ignores the fascinating complexity of the human body, and why, if we have such overwhelming evidence that everything we think we know about nutrition is wrong, our eating habits haven’t changed.

Whole is an eye-opening, paradigm-changing journey through cutting-edge thinking on nutrition, a scientific tour de force with powerful implications for our health and for our world.” (from the book jacket)

I really think (and wish) that everyone should read both of these books! Please check them out! The links above go to the books on amazon, where you can also view the table of contents, and quite extensive excerpts from both books.

I also wanted to let you know that I’m currently working on putting together a ‘book recommendations’ page for One Small Vegan. I am a total bookworm, and in the past couple years have almost exclusively been reading books related to food, health, animal rights, and veganism. I also love fiction and memoirs about food and cooking, even when they have nothing to do with veganism or health. I’m not sure at this point if I’ll be writing anything about the past books I’ve read (I’ve kept a list for years), but I will be placing the books into categories and providing links. Once I’ve got the page up it will also be an ongoing thing, possibly with book review posts in the future, as I have an ever-growing list of books I’d like to read, related to the topics I mentioned above.

Questions:
Have you read The China Study and/or Whole? What did you think?

Do you have any favourite books related to health, food, cooking, animal rights, or veganism? I’m always looking for new ones to add to my list!

Was there a particular book, or books, that opened your eyes to a different way of eating?
I’ve mentioned in my About Me page that reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer was what initially got me thinking about making the transition from vegetarian to vegan and that as soon as I bought and browsed through Veganomicon, I knew that I could do it, and did.

Dark Chocolate S’mores Brownies

Posted on June 8, 2013 by onesmallvegan

I just got home yesterday from a lovely week of camping with the family. It’s really amazing what a road trip, a change of scenery (forest!), and some campfire time can do! Even with the lack of sleep over the past week and a few too many treats, I’ve come back feeling really energized and eager to get some things done I’ve been putting off.

Anyway, all those nights sitting around the campfire watching my family enjoying s’mores (while I happily sipped my tea and munched on Oreos or dark chocolate), reminded me of this recipe for Dark Chocolate S’mores Brownies that I made a few months ago. I’ve never really liked marshmallows or s’mores but when I received a bag of Dandies in a package from the Canadian Vegan Food Swap, I was curious to try out some recipes with them, and this is one of the things I came up with.

With a few tweaks, I used this Dark Chocolate Brownie recipe as the base for my brownies. I knew the addition of chocolate chips, marshmallows, and cookies would mean a lot of sugar, so I wanted to start with a brownie base that was on the healthier side. These ones are quite low in sugar for a brownie, use whole grain flour, and are oil free. Even if you don’t wish to make S’mores Brownies (though really, why wouldn’t you?) I’d still recommend trying this brownie recipe.

Dark Chocolate S’mores Brownies
1 tbsp ground chia seeds (or ground flax)
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup Sucanat (or organic brown sugar)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup unsweetened nondairy milk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1 cup vegan marshmallows (I used Dandies)
1/2 cup crushed vegan graham crackers or ginger snaps

Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9′x13′ pan.
In a small dish combine the ground chia with the warm water and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, applesauce, milk, vanilla, and vinegar.
In a separate bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt.
Whisk the chia mixture into the wet ingredients.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, then stir in the chocolate chips.
Pour about 3/4 of the batter into your prepared pan.
Spread the marshmallows out over the top of the batter, then sprinkle on the crushed cookies.
Drop the remaining batter on top of the cookies and marshmallows, one teaspoon at a time.
Place in oven and bake for 16-20 minutes. Cut the brownies into squares before they are fully cool, otherwise it will be difficult to cut through the marshmallow. I cut mine into 18 pieces.

These brownies are best enjoyed warm, so that the chocolate chips and the marshmallows are a bit gooey. Enjoy!

These Dark Chocolate S’mores Brownies were a huge hit. The brownies are super chocolatey, dense, and moist, without being too sweet and the toppings sent them over the top. I had a hard time not eating the whole tray in about 2 days, and when I shared with Jem (just so I wouldn’t eat them all) she loved them. Apparently she had “a brownie experience”!

I’ve shared this post with Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays (6/11/13).

You May Also Enjoy:

Frosted Blueberry Cake, Wheat-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Almond Chia Pudding

Smoked Tofu Benedict with Mushrooms and Arugula

Posted on May 23, 2013 by onesmallvegan

Last month I posted about the Frosted Blueberry Cake I made for my sisters’ birthday. What I didn’t mention, is that I also made a birthday breakfast for my sister Jem, her fiancé Dan, and myself, as it somehow turned out that we all had the morning off work. Jem loves eggs benedict and will happily eat tofu, so I decided it would be the perfect occasion to try out some vegan ‘eggs’ benedict. I’ve never liked hollandaise sauce, but I had Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s recipe for Hollandaise Sauce (from The Vegan Table) on hand for just such an occasion.

Our Smoked Tofu Benedict consisted of whole wheat english muffins, arugula, sautéed mushrooms, sautéed slices of Soyganic Smoked Tofu, and Hollandaise Sauce. Dan doesn’t like mushrooms, so had his without.

Smoked Tofu Benedict with Mushrooms and Arugula
Whole wheat english muffins
Baby arugula
Cremini (or white) mushrooms
Fresh ground black pepper
Smoked tofu (We love Soyganic)
Braggs Liquid Aminos
Hollandaise Sauce

First, slice mushrooms and tofu. I cut the block of tofu in half across the widest side, then cut each piece into 4 slices.
Cut english muffins in half.
Set out all of the ingredients for the hollandaise sauce and set oven to warm (just enough ensure everything stays warm until you are ready to serve).
Make hollandaise sauce and keep covered on the stove at the lowest heat, or place pot in oven to keep warm.
Heat two pans over medium heat. Place mushrooms and a splash of water in one pan and the tofu slices in the other.
If you need to do more than one round of english muffins in the toaster, start now. Place toasted ones on a plate in the oven, until the mushrooms and tofu are done.
Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add fresh ground black pepper if desired.
Cook the tofu slices just a few minutes on each side, until warmed and a little browned. Turn off heat, add a splash of Braggs Liquid Aminos, and move slices around in it.
Assemble your Tofu Benedict, according to the photos below, making sure to stir the hollandaise well before serving.
Enjoy!

I was super pleased that this breakfast turned out exactly as I’d hoped and I would absolutely make it again. We all thoroughly enjoyed it! The flavours of the smoked tofu, peppery arugula, earthy mushrooms, and hollandaise complemented each other quite well.

I was also really surprised by how much I like the Hollandaise Sauce. I’m not sure how it compares to non-vegan hollandaise, as I don’t remember what that tastes like, but it was really delicious. I used unsweetened almond milk, and Soy-Free Earth Balance in the recipe.

This was definitely not the healthiest breakfast, but compared to a standard eggs benedict, WAY better! Not something I’d make all the time but perfect for a weekend brunch or special occasion. Also, pretty easy to make gluten free: just use gluten free bread or bun in place of the english muffin and ensure your smoked tofu is gluten free.

Sidenote: You may have noticed Jem’s name popping up a lot in the past few months, and its because as of January, we are now living in the same house again. It’s so nice to have someone around that’s willing to eat my vegan food and join me in my cooking and baking adventures, so I’ve been taking full advantage.

I’ve shared this with Healthy Vegan Friday #44 and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday (6/11/13).

Have you made a memorable vegan meal for a special occasion?

Have you tried any vegan benedict recipes?

Baked Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers

Posted on May 16, 2013 by onesmallvegan

Let me just start off by saying that these Baked Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers are my new favourite veggie burgers! I’ve been trying a lot of different recipes lately for vegan burgers, as I really like having some in the freezer for quick meals, and I’m trying not to buy any processed ones full of junk (even though they taste really good). These are absolutely the best ones so far. My sister Jem and her fiancé (both omnivores) have also just finished a batch! We all love that these burgers aren’t trying to taste like meat, they just have a really awesome flavour of their own.

On a whole wheat bun with roasted garlic hummus, romaine lettuce, and Sriracha.

They are also very simple to make. You basically just mix everything in a bowl, make patties, and bake them. No pre-cooking of individual ingredients or food processor required.

On a whole wheat wrap with melted Daiya Jalapeno Garlic Wedge, red pepper hummus, green leaf lettuce, and cucumber.

I should also mention that this recipe is based on The Post Punk Kitchen’s recipe for Double Batch Chickpea Cutlets, which are really great as is. A version of the Chickpea Cutlets also appears in Veganomicon.

Cut up in a salad, with romaine lettuce, cucumber, red pepper, black pepper, and balsamic vinaigrette.

And now, if those photos made you hungry for some Baked Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers (they sure did for me), here’s the recipe. Go make some burgers!

Baked Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers (Yields 8 Large Patties)
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
¼ cup hot water
1 16oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup ground flax seeds
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp paprika
¼ cup black olives, roughly chopped
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1 cup water or vegetable broth
¼ cup soy sauce

Notes:
- I buy sun-dried tomatoes in a dry package. Obviously if you have oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes you won’t need to rehydrate them
- Instead of mashing the chickpeas and olive oil in a bowl, you can choose to pulse them in a food processor. I prefer not to dirty the food processor just for this. Just don’t process them for too long, otherwise you’ll end up with hummus.
- For some extra flavour, you can include the water you soaked the tomatoes in, in the 1 cup of water or vegetable broth.
- If you’re not sure what the ‘strings of gluten’ should look like, this photo should help.

Place the chopped up sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl with the hot water and set aside for at least 10 minutes before using them.
Place the chickpeas and olive oil in a large bowl and mash with a fork or masher just until there are no whole chickpeas left.
Add all of the other ingredients into the bowl with the mashed chickpeas, including the now rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes. Knead everything together for about 3 minutes, or until strings of gluten appear.
Separate the dough into 4 equal(ish) pieces, then divide each piece into 2. You should now have 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a patty. This can easily be done by rolling it into a ball, then flattening and shaping it into a disc between your hands. They should be roughly half an inch thick.
Place the patties on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, flip, and bake for another 8-10 minutes.
Enjoy!

Enjoy these Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers right away, or let cool and freeze them for later. I usually make veggie burgers specifically for the freezer, because they are awesome for making quick filling meals. The patties can be reheated any way you choose: in a microwave, in a pan, or on the barbecue.

I’ve shared this post with Allergy-Free Wednesdays Week 67, Healthy Vegan Friday #43, and Wellness Weekends.

You May Also Enjoy:

Nacho Cheez White Bean Spread, Basic No-Mayo Coleslaw, Butternut Squash Black Bean Burritos

Crispy Kale and Mushroom Fried Rice for One

Posted on May 15, 2013 by onesmallvegan

Today for lunch I made a single serving version of this Crispy Kale and Mushroom Fried Rice from Appetite for China and it was fantastic! I didn’t follow the recipe exactly, but mine isn’t too much different.

Crispy Kale and Mushroom Fried Rice (Yields 1 Meal-Size Serving)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
1 1/2 cups finely chopped white or cremini mushrooms
1 cup finely chopped kale leaves
1 cup cooked long grain brown rice
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
Optional toppings: roughly chopped peanuts, roasted sesame seeds, Sriracha or red pepper flakes

Notes: I used the leaves off of 2 large pieces of kale. Just rip the leaves of of the thick stem, discard the stem, and wash the leaves. This dish will work best if the leaves aren’t still really wet when you add them to the pan.
Soy free? Just use a soy-free soy sauce alternative like coconut aminos and use a soy-free hoisin or teriyaki sauce (or just leave it out).
Gluten free? Just use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or gluten-free tamari in place of the soy sauce, and make sure your hoisin sauce is gluten free (or just leave it out). Also ensure your rice is gluten free.
Sesame free? I’d use peanut or coconut oil instead.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
Add the ginger, mushrooms, and kale and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring once, until the mushrooms are tender and the kale is getting crispy.
Add the rice to the pan, breaking up any large clumps. Mix well with the vegetables then let cook about 2 minutes, until heated and starting to brown.
Stir in the hoisin and soy sauces, let cook 1 more minute, then turn off heat and transfer contents your bowl.
Top with roughly chopped peanuts, roasted sesame seeds, and Sriracha or red pepper flakes if desired. I used all three!
Enjoy!

I’ve shared this recipe with Healthy Vegan Friday #46 and Wellness Weekends (June6-10).

You May Also Enjoy:

Butternut Squash Miso Noodle Soup with Kale and Edamame

A Vegan Sushi Feast

Spicy Peanut Portobello Kale Rice Bowl

What I Ate Wednesday #121

Posted on May 15, 2013 by onesmallvegan

Once again, its time for What I Ate Wednesday and I’ve got some more random meals for. Enjoy! I sure did!

Two mushroom patties (based on these ones) over brown rice, with Sriracha and roasted garlic hummus.
Pizza – A whole wheat pita with roasted garlic hummus, mushrooms, red pepper, pickled jalapeño, black olives, sprouted red lentils, and Daiya Cheddar Wedge.

Soba Noodle Bowl – Soba noodles, garlic, red peppers, yellow peppers, carrots, baby bok choy, bean sprouts, red lentil sprouts, Bitchin’ Sauce, and Sriracha.
Wrap – A whole wheat wrap with mashed avocado, Gardein Chipotle Lime Crispy Tenders, cucumber, romaine lettuce, and lime juice.

Salad – Romaine lettuce, red pepper, avocado, pineapple, a crumbled Curried Chickpea Quinoa Burger, lime juice, and Vega Antioxidant Oil.
Wrap – A Baked Mediterranean Chickpea Burger with melted Daiya Jalapeno Garlic Wedge on a whole wheat wrap with red pepper hummus, green leaf lettuce, and cucumber.

First BBQ of 2013 - Grilled Portobello on a multigrain bun with Sriracha lime mashed avocado (exactly what it sounds like) & romaine. Oven wedge fries. My Basic No-mayo Coleslaw.
Taco Wrap – Lentil taco filling and my Basic No-Mayo Coleslaw on a whole wheat wrap.

Green Tahini Rice Bowl – Brown rice, broccoli, asparagus, and Soyganic Smoked Tofu, smothered with tahini sauce (from the reFresh cookbook) and some sesame seeds for good measure.
Extending the last of my Basic No-Mayo Coleslaw with some cucumbers and hemp hearts.

Hope everyone

Best vegan food blogs in Vancouver

Posted on May 9, 2013 by onesmallvegan

Reblogged from Veg Coast:

We vegans love our food, and we're not shy about sharing this with the world. Indeed, there are countless plant-based blogs out there to prove it.

Vancouver is home to a bunch of them. I thought it would be a good idea to put together a (totally subjective) list of the most interesting ones from the city and suburbs.

One Small Vegan

Healthy, green, & vegan: one small step at a time.