Malt -O Meal all Jazzed up a Vegan comfort food!

If you want an easy, delicious, nutritious comfort food for vegans then Malt-O Meal is a great way to start or end the day! This is often thought of boring but it can be played around with in many delicious ways. Malt-O Meal or Cream of Wheat contains wheat farina. Wheat Farina is so good for you as it is a good source of Folic Acid, Calcium, and Iron. Folic Acid is a great heart protector and calcium and iron are a plus too. In just three dry tablespoons of wheat farina you get 60% Iron, 20% B6, 100% Folate (Folic Acid). It is satisfying and easy to make. In the picture is my jazzed up version. I replace water with chocolate soy milk or regular soy milk. In this case I used chocolate which colored the farina brown. Here are the ingrediants for the picture:
1 handful of raw pumpkin seeds
1 handful of coconut shreds
2 tbsp walnuts
2 drizzles of honey (there is a hot debate amongst vegans whether this is vegan or not- I have to eat it while in the healing phase of losing weight and getting back to normal. I do not think bees are harmed in the process)
2 cups cooked Malt-O Meal
1 good splash of soy milk
Notice no dairy milk or butter - still yummy farina but without the dairy!

Horses are Vegan Too!

This is a photo of a beautiful, strong, white horse near my house that I visit everyday in the summer and spring and feed various green herbs and plants. I have always loved the majestic nature and sheer power of horses. If you look at a horses teeth they look a lot like human teeth and behave very similarly. How is it possible that this beautiful, strong, lean, powerful animal is so strong when its' diet is plant based? This is often asked about veganism. Are vegans weak? Are horses weak? No and No! People often ask me in bewilderment how I get all of my "protein" or how I stay strong as if there is no possible way that a diet void of meat could possibly keep me alive. Bringing up a horse and their teeth often helps. Elephants are another great example - elephants manage to survive as strong, giant, residents of Africa on a plant based diet. There is just no argument that vegans cannot be strong because of the lack of meat and dairy. I have managed to actually build more muscle tone than I had when I was a meat eating athlete years ago. So, the next time someone argues that vegans are weak quickly refer them to the muscle mass of a Thoroughbred horse. If you are attending the Seattle VegFest at the end of March you will find a booth there of vegan body builders. If you are not in Seattle check out your local vegetarian sources for your vegetarian festival.
LINKS
Seattle VegFest 2009
Vegan Body Building

Serrano peppers Health Benefits

Oh Serranos! This is my favorite hot pepper because of its heat power and ease of use. Serranos look like jalepenos but are half the size. Two years ago I started venturing into the surprisingly healthy world of chile peppers. After I pop a raw serrano I get an instant energy burst and a super dose of vitamin C. Chile peppers are an all season veggie, very easy to find, and very cheap!! Hilary Clinton is now known for her use of hot peppers and her belief that it is what keeps her from the doctor. During the campaign we found out that Hilary Clinton has always been sickness free and does not have a health record 2 pages long. Here is a quote from her with CBS's Katie Couric:

“I eat a lot of hot peppers,’’ she told CBS News anchor Katie Couric, who had asked her how she maintains her stamina on the campaign trail. “I for some reason started doing that in 1992, and I swear by it. I think it keeps my metabolism revved up and keeps me healthy.”

HEALTH BENEFITS
The magic chemical in peppers that is catching scientists' attention is Capsaicin. Capsaicin triggers the brain to kick out a flood of endorphins, those natural pain killers that promote a sense of well being and stimulation. Capsaicin also survives freezing and cooking! This chemical is as powerful as it is hot!
Beyond capsaicin hot peppers contain an impressive amount of vitamin C surpassing citrus fruits. There is some research going on with the premise that capscaicin can kill prostate can cancer cells. This is from Wikepedia and can be found with a google search:

The American Association for Cancer Research reports studies suggesting capsaicin is able to kill prostate cancer cells by causing them to undergo apoptosis.[13][14] The studies were performed on tumors formed by human prostate cancer cell cultures grown in mouse models, and showed tumors treated with capsaicin were about one-fifth the size of the untreated tumors. There have been several clinical studies conducted in Japan and China that showed natural capsaicin directly inhibits the growth of leukemic cells

HOW I USE THEM
-Go all out and throw a whole one in your mouth. This sounds crazy but I eventually got used to it. This is especially great to do when you are sick.
-Mince them and throw them in everthing! I put them in pasta sauce, with potatoes, in my own pico de gallo, in black beans, vegetable soup, and many more.
TIPS AND MYTHS
-Hot peppers are thought to cause ulcers. Untrue! Hot peppers do not cause, irritate, cure, or aggravate ulcers. Hot peppers can cause heartburn if you are susceptible to it. I do not get heartburn from peppers. I actually have not had heartburn since eating hot peppers 2 years ago.
-Wash your hands after handling them...especially the seeds! If you touch your face or your eyes after handling them your eyes will close for 20 minutes and pour tears out your eyes!
-When mincing them don't worry about separating the seeds...they are edible too.
-Have water handy if eating them raw.
-The burn will go away after about 5 minutes if you are popping them raw and whole.
-The smaller the pepper the more capsaicin because of the amount of veins.
-Hot peppers keep a long time in the fridge. For me over 2 weeks.
Sources:
Hilary Clinton article about hot peppers!

Simple and Delicious Cous Cous Salad mostly RAW!

I make this dish every week. I created it myself from trying different versions and this one is the best. Cous Cous is a friend to a vegan. It is a good for you grain that can satisfy for hours. I make a big batch of this and it keeps for about 3 days at its' freshest. We love having this in the fridge because it is full of raw veggies and easy to put in a bowl for a quick lunch. You can add toppings to this but it is great just the way it is!
Things you will need
3 Cups couscous
1 pint organic grape or cherry tomatos
1 large bunch organic cilantro (or two small ones)
2 bunches organic green onions
1 bulb garlic (yes the whole bulb!)
1 large organic cucumber
extra virgin olive oil
lemons
1-2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
large cooking pot
a great knife!
a great cutting board!
Preparation
VEGETABLE PREPARATION
*Have a large bowl ready to throw all vegetables in
-Cut grape tomatos in half and throw in bowl
-cube cucumber and throw in bowl
-chop green onions in to rings and throw in bowl
-cut stems off of cilantro bunch chop of the leaves - throw in large bowl.
-mince the whole garlic! put in small bowl
COUSCOUS PREPARATION
prepare couscous as directed by your box or if you are using bulk couscous. I use 1 1/4 cup water for every cup of couscous. Boil the water then put the couscous in. Immediately pull off the stove trown half of the garlic in and cover with the lid. Keep checking it for the consistancy you like after the firt 5 min. Let the cous cous cool entirely. I put it in the fridge so it stops cooking.
FINAL PREPARATION
Squeeze 2 leamons into the couscous. Put 1/2 cup olive oil in the cous cous. Now put all the vegetables and stir for consistancy. Your couscous salad is ready to pack and put in the fridge - make sure to eat some right away!
TIPS
after I dish it up I sometimes freshly squeeze a half a lemon and drizzle a bit more oil. I also add currants and a dolip of vegan sour cream. You can really do anything with this dish!

Brazil Nuts - great way for a vegan to get nutrients!

I always associated Brazil Nuts with filler for mixed nuts. Often they are picked out first because they are large and have a mild flavor. Until I really looked into them I had no idea how full of nutrients they are. As a vegan I rely on nuts as a good source of nutrients and protein. A handful of nuts can be as satisfying as a turkey sandwhich to me now. I consume Brazil nuts often but in small amounts. To get the full effect of the nutrients I get them raw when I can. Trader Joe's has a great price on a bag of raw Brazil Nuts if you are lucky enough to have a TJ's in town. What really keeps me eating them is the fact they are high in selenium which may help prevent breast cancer. I eat just 2-4 and that seems to be enough to get a good amount of the nutrients. There are a lot of studies that have been done on Brazil nuts and googling them you will find all you need to know about them.
From Nature News:
Brazil nuts are the best way to add selenium to your diet. A recent study at the University of Otago in New Zealand found that eating just two Brazil nuts a day is as effective in increasing selenium status and enhancing glutathione peroxidase activity as a recommended dosage of selenomethionine. Inclusion of this high-selenium food in the diet could avoid the need for fortification or supplements to improve selenium levels.