photo by arimoore

I just picked up a 16 oz vat of Nutritional Yeast from Whole Foods. And I’m very excited about it. This dietary supplement can be used as a cheese replacement in your macaroni. It’s a natural source for B vitamins, essential amino acids, and protein. It’s a great nutritional supplement for vegetarians and vegans.

I don’t know why I didn’t buy this gem sooner. It’s inexpensive, versatile, and good for you! You can mix it into smoothies for added nutrition.

Make your own vegan macaroni by cooking up some noodles, and topping them with a splash of soy milk, a little nutritional yeast (to taste), salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Much healthier than highly processed cheese macaroni.

Use it in place of Parmesan cheese. Add it to popcorn or potatoes. Sprinkle it on your veggies or tofu. Add it to sauces and dips, soups and salads. Add it to homemade bread for a cheesier taste. The possibilities are endless.

I even found a nutritional yeast cookbook: The Nutritional Yeast Cookbook: Recipes Using Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula! Though, you might have to veganize some of the recipes in it.

Nutritional yeast is not the same as baking yeast. It comes in yellow flakes, and can often be found in the dietary supplement aisle or natural foods section.

Do yourself a favor and get some. It’ll rock your world. And if you are already a dedicated “nut. yeaster,” I’d love to hear some of your favorite uses. Share those recipes!

sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutritional_yeast, PETA’s Vegan College Cookbook, http://vegetariancuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/benefits_and_uses_of_nutritional_yeast,

If you’re like me, cooking is not something you exactly excel in. Complicated recipes are like Latin to me (P.S. I don’t know Latin). And I get impatient. But that doesn’t stop me from trying to cook. I just look for recipes that are more… palatable to my culinary in-expertise.

To my glee, PETA has a brand new book featuring insanely easy recipes. So easy, they either need no cooking at all, or they require a microwave. If you can handle this kitchen appliance, you’re golden. The cookbook is called PETA’s Vegan College Cookbook: 275 Easy, Cheap, and Delicious Recipes to Keep You Vegan at School. Which is even more fitting for me, since I’ll be going back to school soon. Not that I’ll be living in the dorms again– I’ll still have a full working kitchen, just less time to use it. So I anticipate I’ll be using this book a lot.

There’s quite a variety of recipes, too. You’d be amazed at all the things you can microwave. I knew it was a versatile machine, but man oh man, this cookbook has opened my eyes to a whole new realm of possibilities. And the amusing recipe names like “F-U Tacos” (as in tofu), “Instant Enlighten-Mint Chocolate Latte,” “Butt Ugly Sticky Buns,” “Sham and Cheeze,” and “Cuke-Chick Salad” are youthful and fun.

Even if you are a culinary genius, sometimes you just don’t feel like putting forth the effort, or you forgot to pick up the groceries. In which case, a book containing recipes that require only a few ingredients and a few moments of your time, might be a worthwhile purchase. And if you’ve got kids in the house, this could be a great way to show them that vegan food can not only be fun and delicious, but fast. And that McDonald’s is lame.

photo by tvol

It doesn’t get much better than sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with garlic hummus and dill weed on toasted whole wheat bead. So easy. So fresh. So fantastic.

Spring is here and this dish is great when combined with a warm afternoon or cool spring evening. Super easy, super tasty pasta dish.

Ingredients

• noodles (alphabet theme optional)
• olive oil
• Morningstar Chik’n Strips
• (mini) cucumbers
• grape tomatoes
• pine nuts
• (iodized) Sea Salt
• basil
• garlic powder

Cook noodles. Strain. Add a splash of olive oil, a dash of salt, some basil, and a few shakes of garlic powder. Crisp the Chik’n Strips in a pan. Once crisp, remove strips, and throw a handful or two of pine nuts into pan. Heat and shake for a couple of minutes. Keep a close eye on the pine nuts- they burn easily. Slice cucumbers.

Add chik’n, pine nuts, cucumbers, and grape tomatoes to pasta. Enjoy!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Have you decided what you’re going to do for your mother? Have you considered vegan chocolates? Allison’s Gourmet, an all-vegan gourmet chocolate and cookie company has some lovely gift options. And if your mother is fearful of this vegan “thing” you’re into, you don’t even have to tell her they’re vegan treats. All she needs to know is they’re delicious and they’re from you, with love. Or, after she mentions how great they are, you can casually mention their lack of dairy. I’ll let you decide how to play that card. You know your mother better than I do.

Some other places to find vegan chocolates:Rose City Chocolatier (check Vegan Chocolates section), Life By Chocolates (check Vegan Chocolates section), Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates, Indulge In Chocolate, Kate’s Caring Gifts, Chocolate Decadence, Terra Source Gourmet Chocolates

I’ve really enjoyed looking through all the non-traditional weddings featured on Offbeat Bride’s site. Very inspirational and fun. Since Emory and I are trying to be very non-traditional and informal with our wedding, I’m having fun “breaking the mold” in many aspects. We will be having all-vegan catering, and our wedding and reception will be on the lake in my parent’s backyard which saves us a ton of money, and will also be beautiful. It will be an intimate, small, mostly family wedding. No wedding party. No tuxedos. Just a fun, laid-back celebration. The dress I’ve picked out is actually a bridesmaid dress so it’s much more affordable (my friend Karin also did this for her wedding, and her dress was lovely!), and I’ll be accessorizing with some lovely vintage and handmaid Etsy items. The ceremony will be in the fall, so we’re focusing on fall colors, lots of candles, and painted (by yours truly) jelly jars.

I typed in “vegan” in the search bar on Offbeat Bride’s site and my heart just sang when I saw this post. So many things I love about their wedding. Like the fact that she is a vegan pastry chef! And they brewed their own beer! And he wore the engagement ring and took her last name! And I’m all about the stress-free vibe. I love it all.