Vegan Chewy Overnight Oats

If you would like a heartier, chewier overnight oats, then the secret is in the type of oats you select. In this case, you should choose steel cut oats!

Steel cut oats are the least processed of the oat groat so that it retains the bran. Rolled oats are much more processed which makes for a softer or, in my opinion, mushier oatmeal.

When I first used steel cut oats in this recipe, I thought perhaps it would turn out a little too tough to chew, but then I made another version using rolled oats and hated the mushy texture. So steel cut oats for me is the way to go.

Here’s a recipe chock-full of healthful ingredients that make for a filling breakfast or satisfying meal anytime of the day.

Continue reading “Vegan Chewy Overnight Oats”

Vegetarian Celebrities Opt for Cruelty-Free Living

As it turns out, some of your favorite celebrities may also be vegetarians. Pamela Anderson, Paul McCartney, Alicia Silverstone, Moby and Andre 3000 of Outkast are among the many vegetarian celebrities who decided to stop eating meat because of the harm that factory farming does to animals, our health and the planet.

Former Beatle Paul McCartney said he was first turned on to animal rights as a child. Disney movies like Bambi and Dumbo instilled in him a belief that animal cruelty is a bad idea. He once said, “If you think of Bambi, its mum gets killed by a hunter and I think that made me grow up thinking hunting isn’t cool”.

McCartney decided to finally make the move to vegetarianism when he and his wife Linda were eating a meal of lamb and happened to see lambs frolicking in a field. This experience helped him make the connection between the food on his plate and living, sentient animals. Continue reading “Vegetarian Celebrities Opt for Cruelty-Free Living”

A Vegan’s View of Star Trek

The first passion I ever had in my life was Star Trek. That show with the silly costumes and the weird aliens contained so much intelligence that people were able to go beyond the 60’s hairstyles and the flashy uniforms to get to the message. It helped me when my parents were fighting, gave me an escape from being an isolated teen, you name it. Star Trek taught me about ethics, tolerance, etc… Many fans can relate. Star Trek fans, in fact, were my first “family”. They took me in and accepted me, therefore reducing my own social alienation and I met my first Vegetarian and Vegan friends. That was the early 90s.

Thirty years later, I am a passionate and relentless Vegan. It is my lifestyle, my raison d’etre. I consider Veganism the path humans have to take to evolve spiritually, physically, mentally. It is the only sustainable way we will be continuing on this planet. So how does Star Trek fit into this? Continue reading “A Vegan’s View of Star Trek”

The Vegetarian’s Survival Guide to Christmas

Christmas is a time of indulgence. For some this seems to be about consuming as much meat as possible. Whenever I read through Christmas cookbooks, I notice an inordinate amount of recipes that seem to include cooking every animal under the sun. So if you are a vegetarian, this time of year can be tricky for you. You may come under a lot of pressure to eat meat, or people may give you a hard time when they notice you are not eating meat. Or perhaps you are worried about what to cook or whether you will go hungry – especially if you are to be a guest in someone else’s house. These issues can be particularly tricky if you only recently became vegetarian. Hopefully the following will make your vegetarian Christmas a happy time for all.

Dealing with the pressure Continue reading “The Vegetarian’s Survival Guide to Christmas”

Vegetarian Gourmet Recipes – Meatless Makeovers

Three years ago I decided to go “meatless.” It wasn’t a difficult decision as I wasn’t a voracious carnivore to begin with, however there were a few dishes that I missed that contained meat and wondered how I was going to live without these favorites.

Rather than resign myself to the notion that these dishes could never be converted over to a meatless status, I decided to pull myself up by my vegetarian bootstrings (cotton, of course), and see if I could find a way to convert these meat-ies to meatless.

The first was my Grammy’s recipe for American Chop Suey, actually, almost everyone’s Grammy made this or some variation of it. I tried different ways but this one comes the closest:

Meatless American Chop Suey Continue reading “Vegetarian Gourmet Recipes – Meatless Makeovers”

Are You Sure That’s Vegan? Review

Are You Sure That’s Vegan? is a vegan cookbook produced by Claire Gosse. I have had an early copy for awhile and have been testing out some of it’s recipes. I want to let everyone know I am not Vegan and am very picky. If these desserts taste like cardboard you will hear about it!

The first think you will notice about this book is the high quality images of the desserts. I love this. When you are making desserts for a party or BBQ, you want them to have that WOW factor. When you have such high quality images you can tell which desserts will have people drooling as soon as they seem them.

I guess another thing you have to make sure is the book is completely Vegan. This might seem ridiculous since Vegan is right in the title, but you would be surprised what you find in some of these other “vegan” cookbooks. If they are calling for butter or eggs, then obviously the cookbook is worthless. Every ingredient in here is vegan, so that is a great start.a Continue reading “Are You Sure That’s Vegan? Review”

Baker’s Edge Does Vegan Meatloaf Good!

On my last visit to the States, despite shopping for 2 weeks for vegan ingredients and kitchen gadgets not available in Japan, there was one thing I neglected to buy. As a frequent baker, I was excited to try out the innovative baking pans from Baker’s Edge, and was torn between whether to purchase their Edge brownie pan or the Simple lasagna pan.

For those who don’t know, the Edge brownie pan is designed so that every piece of brownie has at least two edges (since many people prefer eating the corners of conventional brownies), and the Simple lasagna pan is designed to make lasagna that is crispy around the edges, evenly cooked, and doesn’t lose its shape when sliced. Continue reading “Baker’s Edge Does Vegan Meatloaf Good!”

How Good Is a Vegan Diet?

Come with me as I explore the benefits of going all out vegetarian rather than sticking to the traditional diet of meat and vegetables. Lately concerns have emerged after my sister died of pancreatic cancer a couple of years ago and a cluster of cysts was found on my pancreas. Some unexplained pains and my increasing age has warned me against sticking to my normal habits, especially in relation to food.

Some years ago my leaning more towards vegetables and fruits made me plan my garden to accommodate numerous fruit trees and patches for growing them. The exercise in performing duties to maintain these things has added to my regime.

Lately, however, I spend far too much time sitting and writing, especially now it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere. This has taken its toll on my body and being aware that lack of exercise is a recipe for cancer and other health problems my mind is made up. Continue reading “How Good Is a Vegan Diet?”

Funny Food Quotes

In my opinion, a good laugh is just as important to personal health as eating right and exercise. In fact, if I had to list the top three healthy habits, they would be green tea, broccoli and laughter. Laughter improves our overall state of mind and sense of satisfaction with life, raising our energy level and causing us to lean less on unhealthy “comfort” foods. With that in mind, check out these funny food quotes and remember them the next time you spend some time in your kitchen. You can also register to receive jokes and other funny stuff by e-mail from our team here at Recipe4Living.

Share these quotes with your loved ones, sneak them into lunchboxes, and write them on unsuspecting chalkboards and whiteboards everywhere. Laugh it up!

In my experience, clever food is not appreciated at Christmas. It makes the little ones cry and the old ones nervous. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Continue reading “Funny Food Quotes”

Torrone Cubbarda E Minnulata – Sicilian Nougat

Welcome back. Today, we’re going to talk about Sicilian Nougat, or “Torrone” – ” Cubbarda e Minnulata”. This is an Italian dessert that is made with honey, sugar, sesame seeds, toasted almonds and orange or lemon zest. It is a very tasty confection and is quick and easy to make. When properly stored, the torrone will keep for about 2 weeks.

A Little History…

My research reveals that the cubbarda was introduced in Sicily by the Bizantines. Their name for this treat was “pastifeli”. Like so many Italian desserts from Sicily, this nougat also has a name given to it by the Saracens, called “qubbayt” in Arabic. The almond nougat, Minnulata, is made all over the island of Sicily. It was originally made with 100% honey as the sweetening agent but when the Saracens introduced sugar to the island, part of the honey was replaced with sugar. This confection is very popular because it is easy to make and takes only minutes to prepare. The recipe that follows is a fairly simple one and there is a variation to it as well. Continue reading “Torrone Cubbarda E Minnulata – Sicilian Nougat”