Vitamin B12

Vegetarian and vegan diets are so full of vitamins and nutrients. But, there is one vitamin that is a bit tougher to get.

B12 is the most important of all the B vitamins when you are vegan. It is necessary for building blood and cell division. B12 isn’t made by any plants or animals. It’s actually made by bacteria. We get our B12 from eating foods contaminated with bacteria that had produced B12. Food animals eat bacteria, which accumulates the B12 in their flesh. So, if you’re not eating meat you need to get your B12 from other sources.
It’s true that vegetables do not contain B12, but all plants are grown in the soil which is enriched with B12. Before the mass commercialization of agriculture (when we were all pulling our vegetables from the garden and water wasn’t purified) B12 was available through the soil and water. So B12 deficiencies in a vegan diet are not caused by the diet itself, but by the hypersanitization of our modern world.
So, where else can we get B12 from?
A lot of our food is fortified with B12. Take a look at your milk, fake meats and even your cereal. Many of them are B12 fortified. Another source of B12 is nutritional yeast flakes. You can use these tasty flakes to imitate cheese. I use it on bruschetta, garlic bread or pasta.
Luckily the human body doesn’t need a huge amount of B12, but it does need a little bit on a regular basis. The current RDA is 2.4 micrograms a day. (That would be equivalent to 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast). To make sure I get enough of this vitamin I take a B12 supplement every second or third day just to be safe.

Overall, a natural diet full of different vegetables, whole grains and proteins is going to be great for your body and soul! If I’m having a junk food day, I will pop a multivitamin or a vitamin supplement to make sure my body is getting what it needs. Before I became vegan, I never thought about B12, Vitamin D or any other vitamin. I just ate whatever I wanted. Now, I am more conscious of my decisions, because I need to be sure I am ingesting vitamin enriched foods. Since I am eating healthier, I don’t need to take a multivitamin every day. But, we can’t be perfect all the time with our eating habits-and you always need a break every once and a while…But, just remember:

The bottom line for proper nutrition is that natural food is your best bet for all around health. Seperating nutrients and vitamins into stand-alone sources of nutrition can lead to overdose or an inadvertent depletion of another necessary vitamin or mineral.
-Living Vegan for Dummies

Information from Becoming Vegan, The Kind Diet and Living Vegan for Dummies

East Coast Coffee Cake

Being vegan is tough when it comes to sweets and baked goods. You have to deny a lot of awesome looking stuff out there! Bake sales, pot-lucks, and going over to someone’s house includes a lot of confused people…"but why can’t you eat this?" So, after each time your sweet tooth is denied that succulent treat, you get twice as excited when you CAN eat something. This doesn’t happen a lot though…believe me.

Therefore, I cook a lot of vegan sweets…which is my downfall. I will cook a whole chocolate cake and just keep eating! Nom Nom Nom!
And, my defense is always that I NEVER get to have this stuff.

Nevertheless, I am vegan, I am not a vegan on a strict diet…so I enjoy every bite!

Here’s a tasty dessert from the book Vegan Brunch by Chandra Moskowitz. I don’t own this book, but I was reading it in the bookstore the other day and it looked amazing! This is definitely going to be the next vegan recipe book that I buy.
Coffee cake is so delicious and moist. There was some at the workplace a couple of days ago, and I said “I can make that!”
So, that’s exactly what I did. East Coast Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the topping:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup canola oil, plus up to 2 Tbs. more if needed

For the cake:
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
For serving:
2 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional)

Instructions
Preheat over to 375F. Grease an 8-inch square pan (I used a springform pan). Mix the milk and vinegar together and set aside to curdle.
Make the topping:
Mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Drizzle in canola oil by the tablespoonful. Use your fingers to mix until crumbs form. Alternate mixing and adding canola oil until oil is used and large crumbs have formed. Some of the mixture can still be sandy, but make sure you’ve got mostly large crumbs.
Make the cake:
In a large bowl, mix milk mixture, sugar, canola oil and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt, and mix until smooth.
Pour batter into pan.
I put a cup of fresh blueberries on top of the batter.
Evenly sprinkle the topping over the batter and pat down just a bit.

The recipe says bake for 35 to 40 minutes (mine didn't take as long). The cake is done when you can insert a knife into the center and it comes out clean. Let cool for an hour before slicing and serving. Then you can sift the powdered sugar over top after it’s cooled—if you feel like it.
To simulate the caramel topping that you see on some coffee cakes, I just boiled some butter, brown sugar, soy creamer and then added some arrowroot (or cornstarch) at the end. I covered the whole cake with this sweet stuff!
Enjoy :)

Eggplant Chana Masala and Cornbread Muffins

I’ve been making a lot of dishes from the Kind Diet lately. I think it’s because it was my first vegan recipe book, and I just always tend to go back for more!
This recipe was really easy to make, full of great taste and packed with protein. Chana Masala is almost like a chili, but it shouldn’t be quite so soupy. We tried it by itself in a bowl with some cornbread, and we also tried it on top of rice. I liked it better on rice, because I’m not used to Indian dishes and it helped with the spices.
Eggplant Chana Masala
• 3lg onions roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 1tsp curry powder or to taste
• 1-2tsp cumin
• 1lg eggplant peeled and chopped into ½"pcs
• 2-15oz cans chickpeas drained
• 2-14oz cans peeled tomatoes drained
• 1can vegetarian chili (I used Amy's)
• 1lg handful chopped fresh cilantro-½c

Sautee onions and garlic with oil, curry and cumin in large pot until onions are soft and translucent (approx 5min). Add eggplant and sautee 5min until lightly browned and softened. Add chickpeas, tomatoes and chili. Simmer 20-30min. It will get watery, but then reduce to a thick stewy dish. Add spices to taste and stir in cilantro and serve.

I also baked up some cornbread from the Kind Diet. I chose to make them in muffin tins in hope that they would stay fresh for the next couple of days. Vegan Cornbread
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/4 cups soy/rice.almond milk
1/4 cup safflower oil
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a 9x9” baking dish or 12-cup muffin tin. Combine the syrup, soy milk, and oil in a medium bowl and mix well. In another bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix just until well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. They will be golden brown and crazy delicious.

The Canadian Seal Hunt

I think as a Canadian, the seal hunt is a sore issue. This massive killing of seal pups happens each year…right here in Canada. The brutal ways of killing these gentle mammals is enough to make someone sick. More than 97% of seals that are killed are actually pups. There is a rule that no hunter can kill a pup under 11 days old. After that, they are considered legal to kill.

There are tons of videos out there that actually document the seal hunt, but I have chosen not to include these videos on my blog because they are so horrific. If you need to see it for yourself, visit any animal welfare website and there will be media you can watch.
Some Canadians argue that this is part of our culture and it is something that needs to be done. But, I think that what many people don’t know is that even though 5000-6000 Canadians derive some income from hunting seals, they are commercial fishermen and they earn, on average, less than 5% of their income from the seal hunt and the remainder comes from fisheries.

The Humane Society International has a great fact sheet that will answer some general facts about this issue:
http://www.hsi.org/assets/pdfs/fast_facts_seal_hunt.pdf

Each year, sealers kill hundreds of thousands of seal pups in commercial slaughters. Shot or clubbed mainly for their fur, the animals die a cruel death. Some are left wounded and suffering, and others are skinned alive. Canada's annual commercial harp seal hunt is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth. Sealing is an off-season activity for fishermen who typically earn only a fraction of their incomes from it. Seals are not overpopulated, nor are they jeopardizing the Canadian cod fishery. Seal product trade bans and HSI's Canadian seafood boycott are increasing pressure to end the hunt. HSI supports a government license buyout for fishermen and promotion of ecotourism.

HIS is against the commercial seal hunt, but take no issue with subsistence seal hunting undertaken by aboriginal people. They also talk about making Canadian seals into ecotourism instead of slaughter...much like what happened when we banned the whale hunt.
"At the rate that seals are being killed, there won’t be enough left to hunt in a few years. It is far more sustainable to explore ecotourism as an attraction for the area. Since Canada banned commercial whale hunting in the 1970's, the whale-watching industry has grown considerably and is now worth more than the seal hunt".

Tragically, the government of Nova Scotia allows the commercial slaughter of grey seals in the protected Scaterie Island Wilderness Area (Hay Island). This is happening in our backyard!
This one of the cruelest seal slaughters HSI has ever documented. Sealers herd seals into groups, then club moulted pups as young as a few weeks of age with wooden bats and cut them open with box cutters just inches away from newborn pups and their mothers.
This is a cry from all over the world to stop this unnecessary seal slaughter. Many places in the world have even stopped buying Canadian seafood in attempt to show Canada they do not approve with this gruesome slaughter.
Please click on the TAKE ACTION link below to help stop the annual Canadian seal hunt. It’s happening, and we need the support of Canadians to help stop this unnecessary suffering.
TAKE ACTION
PeTA and many celebrities (including Perez Hilton, Pamela Anderson, Brody Jenner, Kelly Osbourne and Steve-O), are also taking a stand against the seal hunt in their “Save the Seals” Campaign.

Orgnx Shampoo

This is my new favorite shampoo! Finally a great smelling, decently priced, vegan shampoo. This conditioner is great for my thick hair…it actually works! Try it out :)

Healthy Hair, Pure & Simple
At LaCoupe, we believe what you don't put into a product can be as important as what you put into it, so we formulated orgnx to be: sulfate-free, paraben-free and DEA-free. orgnx has been salon-tested and approved and is always cruelty-free.

Each orgnx product focuses on a different hair care challenge common to modern life. There's an orgnx regimen for every hair type.

Waffle, Sausage and Cheese Panini

This is another recipe from The Kind Diet. It’s a waffle sandwich (which I found out is the BEST kind of sandwich), with Tofurkey sausages, vegan cheese, veggies and an amazing sauce. This is definitely something to make for non-vegetarians, because they will love it!
We bought some plain gluten free waffles because they are also milk free.
Waffle, Sausage, and Cheese Panini

Ingredients
4-6 (1-1.5 ounce) Italian-style soy sausages
1/3 cup Fruit-sweetened apricot jam
1/4 cup Vegenaise
1 1/2 teaspoons Chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
8 Frozen whole grain waffles, toasted
4 tablespoons Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 1/2 cups Arugula (We just used Romaine Lettuce)
4 slices Vegan mozzarella
Preparation
Cook the sausage according to package directions until browned in a large skillet. Transfer the sausage to a cutting board, and cool enough to handle, slice each sausage in half lengthwise then in half crosswise. Stir together the jam, Vegenaise, thyme and pepper in a small bowl.
Wipe out the skillet you cooked the sausages in and place over medium heat or preheat a panini press or countertop grill. Spread each waffle with 1 tablespoon jam mixture. Sprinkle sun-dried tomatoes over 4 waffles and layer each sandwich with arugula, 1 cheese slice and one-quarter of the sausage slices. Top each sandwich with the remaining waffles. Brush the heated pan, panini press, or grill with oil. Add the sandwiches, and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted, making sure to turn the sandwich once if you are using the skillet method. Cut the sandwiches in half, serve.
Note: Use a second skillet weighted with a heavy can or two to press the sandwiches as they cook to re-create the panini press effect in your skillet.

Vegan Valentine's Day

We made a Vegan Valentine’s Day feast yesterday! I decorated the kitchen with hearts and bows…all very cliché. We made Almost Beef Wellington with Madeira sauce. For a side we had roasted sweet potatoes, and salad. The Beef Wellington was amazing! It was faux beef tips and a mushroom mixture in a puff pastry shell. It’s all topped off with a red wine sauce, and it was delicious. We couldn’t find the specific Madeira wine, but we just asked for a good red cooking wine. I think that anything in puff pastry would be tasty, but this is definitely one of my favorite vegan meals so far.
Click here for the recipe: Almost Beef Wellington with Madeira Sauce

I also made my first “cheese”cake. It was a plain cheesecake topped with maple glazed berries. The texture turned out great! I added some cinnamon to the crust, and I think I would add some sugar to the cheesecake mixture next time to sweeten it up. This recipe is from the Kind Diet.

Mixed Berry Cheesecake
¾ cup vegan butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 package of silken tofu (I used extra firm)
1 cup non-dairy cream cheese
1 tablespoon of safflower oil
¼ cup of maple syrup, plus an additional 1 to 2 teaspoons if using a fresh fruit topping
¼ cup soy milk (use soy, not almond or nut milk)
2 teaspoons arrowroot
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon or orange extract (optional)
Fresh mixed berries for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8” or 9” springform pan.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat, and stir in the graham cracker crumbs. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom ad slightly up the sides of the prepared pan and bake for 5 minutes. Let cool on a baking rack.

Combine the tofu, cream cheese, oil, ¼ cup syrup, milk, arrowroot, vanilla and citrus extract in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour the mixture into the crust and smooth top with spatula.

Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes t 1 hour. Let it cool to room temperature. If using fresh berries, toss them with 1 to 2 teaspoons of maple syrup to create a lightly glazed effect. Top with berries and chill until ready to serve.
This was such a great meal, so filling and decadent!

I hope you all had a great Valentine’s day :)

Vegan French Onion Soup and Homemade Caesar Salad

Tonight we made Vegan French Onion soup and Homemade Caesar salad. It was the first time that I’ve ever had French Onion soup. I saw the bowls last weekend, picked them up and just had to try this recipe. There really isn’t too much in onion soup...but it IS tasty!
Click here for the recipe: Vegan French Onion Soup The Caesar salad is a recipe from The Kind Diet. The croutons really make this salad…yumm! The sauce doesn’t turn out white like a normal Caesar dressing would, but it still tastes delicious. I really like how the Nori sheets are incorporated into this salad because it's a great way to get your nutrients!Caesar Salad
For the Croutons:
•1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
•1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
•1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
•3-4 slices whole wheat sourdough bread, sliced into cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
•Olive oil
For the Dressing:
•2 tablespoons blanched or roasted almonds
•3 garlic cloves, minced
•3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
•2 tablespoons shoyu
•1 tablespoon tahini
•3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
•2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
•1/2 sheet nori, cut with scissors into 2" x 4" strips

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Stir together the rosemary, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl, and drizzle with the oil. Toss well to distribute the oil. Sprinkle the herb mixture over the bread cubes, and toss again. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the croutons are dry and lightly toasted. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, combine the almonds, garlic, mustard, shoyu, tahini, lemon juice, oil, and 1/4 cup of water in a food processor or blender; process until smooth and well blended. To serve, toss the lettuce and croutons together in a serving bowl.

Day to Day

Some of you have been asking me what an average day of being vegan is like. What do I eat? What do I do when I need something quick? Since I am still learning new recipes and slowly creating new favorite foods, I will let you know what an average day looks like for me now.

Here’s a sample of some meals from last week:
Friday
Breakfast
Multigrain Cheerios topped with granola and blueberries
Snack
PC Wheat Bran Bites and tea
Lunch
Vegetarian Chili and applesauce
Snack
Banana
Supper
Sweet potato and bean burritos
Mexican vegetable salad

Saturday
Breakfast
Homemade oatmeal with raisins and peanut butter stirred in
Snack
Homemade vegan chocolate chip oatmeal muffin
Lunch
Leftover burrito and salad
Snack
Apple
Supper
BBQ’d meatless burgers with all the toppings
Salted French fries
Night snack

Salted popcorn with vegan butter

Monday

Breakfast
Blueberry waffles with syrup
Snack
Package of oatmeal and a banana
Lunch
Spaghetti with tomato sauce and vegetables
Snack
PC Wheat Bran Bites
Supper
Vegetable stir fry with crispy tofu on top of brown rice
Homemade Vegan chocolate chip cookies

Tuesday
Breakfast
Cheerios with Kashi Almond Flax cereal topped with blueberries
Snack
Apple and Homemade granola bar
Lunch
Amy’s Frozen Bean Burrito
Applesauce
Snack
Banana
Supper
Tofu Spinach Lasagna

We try to make good wholesome suppers with a lot of colors. But, sometimes you just need supper fast! Here are some quick meal ideas: Tacos made with Veggie Ground topped with vegan cheddar cheese
Grilled cheese sandwich with vegetable soup
Chick’n nuggets and fries
Vegan pizza topped with tofu
Spaghetti with vegetables and sauce
Salsa Bean Burgers
Amy’s Frozen Burritos
Tofu Hot Dog
Wrap with hummus and veggies
Small pizzas made with veggie pepperoni
Tofurkey sandwich on toasted multigrain bread and veggies
‘Mash’ --Potatoes, peas and veggie ground (topped with ketchup of course)
Have fun with incorporating some meat free products into your diet. Even eating veggie once a week is a great start and you’d definitely be helping the planet!

Let me know of any ‘go-to’ meal ideas that you use a lot!
Happy eating :)

Beanpod Candles

Beanpod Candles are soy based candles with lead free wicks. They don’t release any nasty chemicals and they use recycled glass. Not only are they environmentally “green”, they smell amazing! My first Beanpod Candle was called “Fruit Slices”. It reminded me of the candy candles we used to buy in middle school. It smelled delicious and I always had it lit.

Right now, I am burning “Apple Pie” in the kitchen (that sounds bad). It has such a nice fruity scent with some cinnamon mixed in.

And, speaking of cinnamon, Our Compliments makes a great frozen cinnamon roll that doesn’t have any milk or egg products in it. So easy!

We also have a “Chocolate Orange Truffle” candle downstairs. We were watching TV last night when it was lit, and it made me go upstairs to get something with chocolate. I grabbed an Oreo cookie. Maybe that’s not such a good thing? But, hey…Oreo's are vegan! You can find these candles in most craft stores, or card/gift shops. They make great gifts too!