vegan

Technique Mastered!

by ladypbwiggins

A few weeks ago I posted my desire to make a Chickpea Flour Omelette . The source of the recipe I used admitted that while the recipe is simple mastering the technique may not be. I burned the first attempt. The second was a mushy mess. Today I tried again. I achieved success. So what was the difference? The temperature or heat setting. However your stovetop determines a medium setting that is the one you want. I also used a tip from another source; cover the skillet for even cooking. My taste tester, my hubby, said it was good.

Now I can tailor the flavor profile to our taste. My first tip is to use leftover veggies already cooked. It saves time and avoids waste.

Egg-free Chickpea Flour Omelette

Leftover Sausage Mixture

by ladypbwiggins

Yesterday I decided to try frying the leftover sausage mixture that I made a few days ago. To my surprise when I removed “meat” from the refrigerator the texture was more meatlike than when first made.


Baking didn’t yield a product with sausage-like texture. It looked more like a “not so done” puffy biscuit. I decided to try frying this time. Frying was not successful. It seared the outside but did not cook the inside. I put it in the oven to bake it through.

Frying

That worked. I also tried it in the waffle iron just for giggles. I was making banana nut waffles.

To Recap

Making Vegan Sausage Patties

by ladypbwiggins

(I made these sausages on the 21st)
A year ago at least I searched the web for a vegan breakfast sausage pattie recipe. I found several but this one appealed to me. I don’t remember why it has taken me so long to try it. Maybe it’s because of the TVP and the Vital Wheat Gluten. I wanted to eat clean back then. I don’t know the source of this recipe so I can’t give the appropriate credit. I gave it a try.


Breakfast Sausage

1 c black beans*
1 c veggie broth
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP Tamari
2 TBSP Maple syrup*
1 TBSP sage
1/2 tsp thyme*

1/2 tsp rosemary *
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp whole fennel seeds*
1/4 c nutritional yeast
1/4 c TVP
1 1/4 c vital wheat gluten
Red pepper or cayenne to taste

*My substitutions
   White beans
    Rosemary Vitality Essential oil
     Thyme Vitality Essential Oil
     1TBSP ground fennel seeds
      1/2 tsp raw blue agave

Soak the TVP for about an hour in the veggie broth. Combine all ingredients.  Bake in a 350° oven.

The flavor is good but the texture was not comparable to store bought vegan or vegetarian sausages. On that I was disappointed.

Sausages

by ladypbwiggins

Oh how I remember the aroma of homemade sausage, homemade biscuits, grits and eggs for breakfast at my great-grandparents home. I also remember the first night I was exposed to the smell of the pig slaughtering. My great-grandfather and his neighbors got together and slaughtered the animals at the same time. It was horrific. They made their own sausages and other meat cuts. As bad as it was it was forgotten that breakfast morn.

Now I am not a meat eater and sausages along with hot links are just fond memories. I have found some meat substitute sausages to be satisfying but they are expensive and fattening. So how do I deal with this dilemma? Make my own of course. I discovered a book while searching for something else on Amazon. It is call The Art of Making Vegetarian Sausage by Stanley and Adam Marianski. The majority of the book explains the science of sausage making. This appeals to my chemistry lab mind. I am reading now to get an understanding of the ingredients. Then I can make educated substitutes for things like egg whites.

Stay tuned.

Just for Me

by ladypbwiggins

This last week I have begun preparations for my church family’s annual Daniel Fast. I already lead a plant-based dietary lifestyle. So, what to do? I decided to go back to raw vegan meals, especially a week of smoothies.

Along with thoughts about food, I looked at my life this year. What would I change? What would I add? My assessment continually asked “But what have you done just for you?” I heard all my children’s voices asking, Mom what did you do for you?

I realize I have a difficult time to do for me. So I’ve decided to do more just for me in 2020. I now have to figure out what that looks like.

Any thoughts?

Mom’s Buttermilk Biscuits

by ladypbwiggins

Good biscuits are a necessity in southern kitchens. I was happy to find several recipe’s in the Young Living Cookbook using Einkorn flour. Naturally I had to try one. I chose Mom’s Buttermilk Biscuits to try first. I eat primarily a vegan dietary plan so I had to make substitutions. I used coconut oil instead of butter and cashew milk instead of buttermilk.

The results were as expected. It was much like using 100% whole wheat flour. They weren’t flaky but they were tender on the inside and a little crunchy on the outside. The taste was acceptable. If you are not accustomed to eating 100% whole wheat bread products, this taste will require some getting used to. Some of my biscuits are thinner than others because I rolled the dough too thin at first. I left some to compare to the thicker one’s. The thin one’s had a crunch like cookies and the thicker satisfied the “biscuit” criteria.😊 My husband said they were good enough to repeat. They passed the test.

Get the Young Living Cookbook and get cooking. Click on the Young Living link on the page. It will have my information already filled in. Just follow the prompts. Welcome to the YLEO family and YLEO cooking.

Tasty Accidents

by ladypbwiggins

Last night I decided to use my lemon vitality oil to make lemonade. I didn’t have my glasses on and I identified the oil by the color of the label. I picked up my bottle of fennel vitality oil and dropped 3 drops in about 8 oz of water. I sweetened it with raw agave and poured it over ice. It was not lemonade. I enjoyed fennelaide. It was awesome. That was a tasty accident.

It was my night for mistakes. I set out to make falafel burgers. I did everything the recipe told me to do. I thought. I was supposed to leave the chickpeas chunky. Instead I processed the mixture until it was smooth. It was a flavorful hummus. I was not to be denied. I spoon dropped the mixture on a cookie sheet and baked them. We enjoyed falafel biscuits for dinner.

A very tasty accident.

After 1.5 years I did it!

by ladypbwiggins

I have tried other people’s recipes. I have experimented with my own. Today I accomplished my goal. I just threw ingredients in a bowl. Stirred them and put them in a cast iron skillet. What is it you ask?

Oil-free, vegan, gluten free Cornbread

It tasted good. It did not break-up or crumble.

What’s that? Oh, ingredients.

  1. Gluten-free oat flour 1 cup
  2. Organic cornmeal. 1 cup
  3. Pureed banana. 1
  4. Cashew milk. 8 oz
  5. Aluminum free Baking powder 2.5 Tbls
  6. Puree banana in milk
  7. Bake 375° F for 20-25 minutes

It was great with vegetable soup. I guess the best happens when you are not trying too hard.

Enjoy

Finally Oil-free Waffles

by ladypbwiggins

The struggle continues to find substitutes for oil that works in my food. I finally succeeded with my waffles. I have tried pureed applesauce with no success. Tried a blend of pureed applesauce and avocado. That was better but not quite right. Saturday I decided to try just pureed avocado. Success! I added this to my vegan, gluten-free mixture and found success.

Gluten-free vegan oil-free waffles

Now I will try this with my cornbread. Southern upbringing requires good cornbread. Anyone out there with a good cornbread recipe? Biscuits? Not sure I’m ready for green biscuits.

All In The Head

by ladypbwiggins

It’s been a little over a year since we began this raw vegan/vegan lifestyle change. I have learned how to prepare meals which is a real accomplishment; I never liked to cook. I am still learning because my husband’s cardiologist wants as much gluten-free, oil-free, clean food as possible. This is no easy task. Eating out is hard and cooking requires learning how to make good food with these substitutes. The journey has begun again.

I discovered one other thing, your mind is still the main battlefield. Occasionally my mind still test me when I am tired. Catfish and fried chicken, Chinese and authentic Mexican screams at me. The struggling vegan pops up and shouts substitute. That is my present objective; substitutes and the changing of my mind, again.

“…..but Be transformed by the renewing of your mind….” Romans 12:2

This is the key to all lifestyle changes. It all begins with how you think. When you determine to make the change and settle it in your mind the rest is easy.