Vegan Cooking with TLC

I tend to lean toward science driven facts. Let's be a little more specific. I like peer reviewed, unbiased research that follows the scientific method. I don't care much about faith or beliefs or opinions unless there are facts and research to back up whatever faith, beliefs, and/or opinions are presented. I'm skeptical  about research conducted by an industry that props up that industry. Anything that can be used as a marketing ploy that was financed by a particular industry always raises my suspicions. Diets, as we've come to understand them, are created with a beginning and an end even though we all know that if you don't make lifestyle changes, they don't work. A lifestyle is a permanent way of doing something, preferably based on the most relevant scientific research. So even a lifestyle change isn't always that permanent if the science later points in a different direction. I'm a fan of Dr. Michael Gregor's work because he and his team...

As we've all practiced social distancing and self-quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, I've been a bit challenged to eat the whole food plant based diet I normally do. I generally eat an abundance of fresh produce. I went to the grocery as I normally do for a few weeks but practiced social distancing, but each week I also picked up a few frozen versions of some of the things we eat on a regular basis, just in case the need arose. As I thought about how to prepare to be able to eat a whole food plant based diet without the need for a minimum of a weekly trip to the grocery store, I started thinking about whether I wanted to buy canned or frozen food. I'm lucky because we have a stand alone freezer, so I opted for frozen. Frozen tends to be less processed - less "cooked" - than canned and therefore holds more of its nutritional value, but I do have some canned/jarred goods and will use those as well.  As I look at the items I gravitated toward, I'm ...

This recipe came out of one of those moments when I wanted muffins and realized I didn't have enough plant-based milk left to make it. I did however have some apple cider in the refrigerator. So... I thought for a few minutes and decided let's see what happens. I made the muffins and rather liked the end result. I'm sure these aren't quite as healthy as some other muffins I've made, but they taste quite good. Spicy Apple Cider Muffins 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds 2 tablespoons hot water 2 cups spelt flour* 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground cardamom ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon matcha (optional) ½ cup date sugar 1 ¼ cups apple cider ¼ cup plant-based milk 1 medium apple ½ cup walnuts or pecans, broken into small pieces** Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or si...

I've been thinking about adding a recipe for something I drink every single day - tea, but that doesn't really seem like a recipe, at least to me. So, instead I'm going to talk a bit about tea. I've always enjoyed drinking tea. Over the years, my taste in tea has changed. I prefer loose leaf tea now over bagged tea. I prefer green and white teas over black teas. I often prefer tea that has some other additions, like fruit or vanilla or spices. I occasionally drink matcha tea as well though I usually put matcha in my smoothies or baked goods rather than drinking it as a tea. I shared my recipe for a Ginger Hazelnut Matcha Latte a while back. But, let's talk about tea. Tea has many health benefits . Tea is filled with anti-oxidants.  Green and white teas have more anti-oxidants than black. They also have other nutritional benefits. They have zero calories when no sweetener is added. Some studies have even shown drinking green tea can help control weight. Th...

Last fall I started thinking about the ice cream alternatives I saw in groceries stores designed for vegans. I usually just avoid that section because eating a small bowl of frozen mango and/or cherries satisfies the same need for a frozen dessert, at least for me. As I thought about it I started to wonder how hard it would be to make my own ice cream alternative. So I bought several varieties to taste. Most were far too sweet for me, but they had some interesting textures and ingredients. I started to experiment with some ideas. This was the first one we really liked. Chocolate Chip Cherry Avocado Cream 2 ripe avocados 2 frozen bananas* 2 cups frozen cherries* 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons maple syrup ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips** Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Spoon avocado into a food processor.  Cut bananas into chunks and add to food processor. Add cherries, vanilla, and maple syrup. Process until smooth. Spoon into a bowl. Stir in...

Sometimes it's good to get back to basics, so I decided to make and share my Basic Berry Pecan Steel Cut Oats recipe. This one is based on one of the first steel cut oat recipes I ever made. Basic Berry Pecan Steel Cut Oats ½ cup steel cut oats 1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds 2 cups water 1 cup berries of your choice ½ cup pecans chopped 1 teaspoon cinnamon* Add enough water to a small pan to coat the bottom of the pan. Add flax seeds. Stir. Add oats and water to pan. Cook approximately 20-25 minutes until oats are creamy and most of the water has been absorbed. Stir in cinnamon when oats are almost done. Place berries over oats low heat to heat and cook five minutes to heat through. Remove from heat. Combine oats and berries. Spoon into bowls . Top with pecans. Serve. * I use Ceylon cinnamon  because it is high in antioxidants and doesn't contain coumarin. Note: I use organic ingredients whenever possible. ...

This banana bread makes a great breakfast while being just sweet enough to also serve as a dessert. I served it toasted with a fruit salad for breakfast and with tea for dessert after dinner. It is also good for an afternoon snack.  The chocolate chips will make it a bit more decadent and dessert-like. Omit them if you want a less sweet version Banana Mango Hazelnut Spelt Bread 2 cup spelt flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds 2 tablespoons hot water 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup mashed banana (approximately 3) ½ cup date sugar 2 cups unsweetened hazelnut milk* ½ cup hazelnut pulp 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup dried mango ½ cup hazelnuts** ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips (optional) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place flax seeds and hot water in a small b...