Vegan Cooking with TLC

Infusing vinegar with fruit and spices allows for adding a little variety to meals and recipes. I like to experiment with a variety of flavors to play with the versatility of vinegars. Feel free to use these basic recipes to inspire your own experimentation.  Pineapple Cardamom Infused Apple Cider Vinegar 1 cup pineapple chunks 8 cardamom pods 2 cups apple cider vinegar Place pineapple and cardamom pods in a jar. Add apple cider vinegar.  Place in a dark place to allow to infuse.*  Let marinate for a month to fully infuse flavor. Strain mixture to separate pineapple and cardamom from the vinegar.  Pour into a bottle and label. Refrigerate if desired.** *In particularly warm climates or during particularly warm times of the year, infused vinegars can be allowed to infuse in the refrigerator, if desired. ** I like to store vinegar (infused or not) in the refrigerator because I like it cold, so I haven't tried not refrigerating it. Note: I use organic ingredients whenev...

A few years ago I started making my own infused vinegars, so I could have the flavors I wanted. I stopped making them for a while because we weren't using them as much and also life circumstances weren't conducive . The wait period for the infusion also makes it easy to put off making the vinegars, so I recommend starting several at once and then staggering them going forward. I will be sharing some more that I made recently in the coming days. It tends to be a bit cheaper than buying commercial infused vinegars, and I also have more control over the finished product. Apple Ginger Infused Vinegar 1 apple 2 cups apple cider vinegar 1-inch piece fresh ginger Chop apple. Slice ginger.  Place apple and ginger in a jar.  Add apple cider vinegar.  Place in a dark place to allow to infuse.* Let marinate for a month to achieve a good infusion of flavor. Strain mixture to separate apples and ginger from the vinegar.  Pour into a bottle and label. Refrigerate.** *In particular...

Growing up I was never a big fan of Zucchini Bread. In full disclosure, I don't remember actually tasting it, but I was sure I wouldn't like it. Several years ago, we grew zucchini in our garden. One year it did really well, and I didn't know what to do with all the zucchini. I decided to make zucchini bread with some of it. For some reason, I thought it would take a lot more zucchini per loaf than it did. I made some modifications to the recipe and was surprised when it tasted much better than I expected. I particularly like it toasted for breakfast, but it also makes a tasty dessert or snack. Zucchini Bread 2 cups plant-based milk* 1 avocado 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds ½ cup date sugar** 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups spelt flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon matcha powder, optional*** 2 medium zucchinis ½ cu...

This is the first time I'm sharing a recipe I don't actually make though I do generally help my husband make it. I plan to post a few more of his veganized specialties over time.  My husband makes this meal based on one his Mom used to make. He converted it from a non-vegan meal to a vegan meal several years ago.  It has taken us a while to get the recipe written and the process photographed for a couple of reasons. One, it can only be made during the short period of time the Lebanese zucchini is in season where we live. It doesn't really work with other types of zucchini. Two, he cooks by eye rather than measurement, so I had to write the recipe while helping him make the meal. It took a few edits, but I think it's finally ready to share.  This vegan version of Kousa & Dolmas has been a big hit when we've served it, even to our non-vegan friends and family. Kousa (Stuffed Lebanese Zucchini) & Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves)   12 Lebanese Zucchini* 30-50 fres...

Cherry Blueberry Water ½ cup cherries ½ cup blueberries 60 ounces water   Place the berries in a 60-ounce* pitcher and fill pitcher with water. Let steep overnight in the refrigerator. You can refill the pitcher once or twice to get the most out of the berries depending on how quickly you drink the water.   Note: Berries can then be used in a smoothie, if desired. *I have used this recipe with everything from a 48 to a 64 ounce pitcher, but I usually use a 60 ounce. The berry flavor is a bit more intense with a 48 ounce and a little less intense with a 64. All taste good. Note: I use organic ingredients whenever possible. Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. To learn more about me and my work, please visit,  www.tlcooper.com .

How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get Older by Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM is a very long book. I read it out of curiosity about where Dr. Greger was going with it. How Not to Age took me months to read but also included a couple of pauses in reading due to a trip and personal circumstances. I reviewed How Not to Ag e on Reviews with TLC . I first became acquainted with Dr. Greger by watching his videos on nutritionfacts.org . I liked that he explained complex research in easy to digest segments that made sense and that he injected a bit of humor into his presentations of very serious analysis of the research around nutrition. I have read several of his books, own a couple of his cookbooks, and use the Daily Dozen app whenever I feel like I'm slacking off on my nutritional needs. I have discussed some of Dr. Greger's other books and website before because they have been instrumental in my journey to eat a healthy, whole food plant-based die...

In my last post, Priorities Shift in an Instant , I talked about how sometimes how the way I cook has had to change over the past few years due to life circumstances. I thought about this and decided to share a few simple recipes that one can do when facing limited capacity. Several will be recipes that require no chopping. Also, these recipes tend to be ones that can be used to save time or when one doesn't have a way to store fresh produce.   I have probably already shared a few other recipes that could also fall into this category of meals that can be made when you have a limited capacity for whatever reason.  I find it important to find ways to work with what is available to me because I don't always have the resources or the ability to do things the way I want to. It's okay to do the best you can in a given moment even if it's not the way you would normally do things.  Easy Cajun Spice and Tempeh Vegetable Pilaf (no chop version) 1 10 ounce bag frozen mixed vegetab...