Jill Harris's Blog
Posted by Jill Harris
It's already Christmas morning in half the world so I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very happy holiday season! For your convenience, I've assembled an index of some favourite meatless holiday recipes in a vegetarian holiday recipe index.
So relax with a delicious hot beverage and enjoy a little downtime. My computer seems to be tellng me something (perhaps that I should have put "new computer" on my Christmas list) and is working only off and on, so I will take my own advice and be back next week with vegetarian New Year's party foodand drink ideas to help create a memorable experience for your guests with minimum stress for you!
Best wishes for a happy holiday season,
Jill
Posted by Jill Harris
Last night was my first visit to a Japanese noodle house. I was surprised by how many vegetarian options there were...but unfortunately for me, most of them involved two foods of which I'm not the biggest fan: mushrooms and seaweed. I sprung for the seaweed bowl to get a taste of the authentic cuisine, but unfortunately couldn't quite stomach the deep-fried strands of green kelp. The miso broth was delicious, and the meal itself was quite filling.
The appetizers were more exciting than the main course though. There were so many vegetarian options it was difficult to decide, but I settled on vegetable Tempura (battered deep-fried vegetables) and fried tofu. The tofu tasted like it was in a mild but garlicy hoisin sauce, which was delicious, and the vegetables were perfectly crispy. There's something about real Asian-style tofu that is different than the kinds available in grocery stores...it ends up crispy on the outside but soft and succulent on the inside.
I finished off the meal with a black tea lychee bubble tea - one of my favourite treats.
I will definitely try to re-create a similar meal, perhaps substituting ingredients more up my alley. It never hurts to try new things!
Posted by Jill Harris
The weeks before Christmas is my favourite time of year. The tree has already been put up, today was the first snowfall, and I'm not stressed out yet about not having my shopping done.
As the house gets festive, the store shelves morph as well. Nuts, specialty cheeses, and frozen appetizers all appear out of nowhere. Not to mention the Christmas cookies, candy canes, and Yule logs! Egg nog and hot chocolate are holiday staples, but are there vegan holiday beverages that still feel festive?
You bet there are, and if you're watching your waistline you'll appreciate them even more. Consider that one cup of store-bought egg nog will cost you almost 300 calories - won't you embrace a better way?
Chocolate Mint by Vitasoy
Vitasoy Peppermint Chocolate is amazing - add a candy cane garnish and you can't ask for anything more. I was blown away by how much this tastes like rich, chocolatey milk. Did I mention you can warm it up for a delicious hot chocolate?
Vegan "Egg" Nogs Between the two "egg nogs" it's a difficult call because they're quite different from each other. So Nice Noel Nog is richer, but has a hint more of that soy taste - not that that's bad! Vitasoy Holly Nog is definitely spicier - the nutmeg really stands out. If you like fragrant molasses and gingerbread cookies, this one is for you.
If I had to choose one, I'd probably have to take the Peppermint Chocolate..or maybe the Noel Nog...but they are all delicious and to my knowledge - all vegan. If you know of any other brands I haven't yet found, please let me know or start a discussion below. Otherwise, enjoy the snow, the tree, and this precious time when Christmas music has you singing and not stressed. Cheers!
Posted by Jill Harris
I've added two new holiday recipes just in time for American Thanksgiving this November 23rd:
- The holiday Tofurky meal - is it worth your money?
- Sweet baked acorn squash
- Cooking for vegetarians (recipes included!)
Enjoy the celebrations!
Posted by Jill Harris
I came across this link today and thought it might be of interest to some readers:
http://www.uoguelph.ca/mediarel/2006/11/u_of_g_research_7.html
There certainly has been a lot of media talk lately about soy becoming part of more peoples' diets. One of the most commonly cited sources for this misinformation comes from some sort of "testosterone-boosting" diet plan. I'm guessing the authors of this plan :
a) either don't think it's manly to replace some meat in the diet (is living a longer life and having a healthy prostate un-manly?)
or
b) are being funded by some meat producers.
Conspiracy theories aside, soy can be a very healthy addition to a vegetarian diet. Just like anything, however, don't overdo it - variety is the spice of life!
Posted by Jill Harris
When I was growing up an omnivorous child, one of the only meats I would eat was liverwurst pâté. No joke! Pâté- which is a fancy name for you-don't-want-to-know-what-you're-eating is 80% fat, and not the number one choice for most children's' lunches. Despite this, I really loved the garlic seasoned flavour.
I haven't had real pâté for over a decade, but every once in a while that flavour palate re-enters my mind. When I found vegetarian pâté at the grocery store, I was almost hesitant to try it. How could it possibly live up to my memories? The package says “Mediterranean pâté”.
Well I tried it, and it might be the best $2.99 I've ever spent. The spices are perfect! The texture is heaven. The ingredients include carrots, potatoes, yeast, wheat, seasonings, and I don't recall what else. What I do remember is that there are no preservatives and this pâté is much lower in fat than the versions I used to love (though it does contain some oil). Best yet, it's free of animal products.
Here is a link to the website/product:
http://www.fontainesante.com/wfs_En/Produits_En.php?M=Produit&C=30&F=33&P=90
I eat it (copiously) on crackers with pickles and tomatoes, on cucumber slices, in pitas/sandwiches/wraps, plain...did I admit that? It also makes a great sandwich spread.
If you never liked regular, meaty pâté, you still might be able to handle this stuff, especially knowing the ingredients are a little more appealing.
If anyone else has tried this, I'd love to get some opinions because I know not everyone is as fanatical as me. If you haven't tried it, it just may be your next addiction.
Posted by Jill Harris
Halloween is upon us and what a great excuse to whip up some traditional pumpkin food?
After you carve the pumpkin, whip up some roasted pumpkin seeds , washed down with some ghoulish Hallween drinks. Want something more substantial? Try some orange and black Halloween party food.
This is a great time of year to experiment cooking with pumpkins too. If you do, make sure to buy the smaller, sweeter cooking pumpkins (sometimes called sugar pumpkins) instead of the Jack-o-Lantern variety. Cook it as you would any squash: wash it first, pierce the skin with a knife or fork several times (or cut in half); bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes, or until the flesh easily scrapes off. You can then mash it into puree and use as you would for any recipe calling for pumpkin puree.
Happy Halloween!
Posted by Jill Harris
On my last trip to the grocery store, I noticed there seem to be new Omega-3 products popping everywhere!
If you're not familiar with omega-3 fats, they're part of a group of fats that are essential, meaning we must consume them in the diet because our bodies can't make them. Omega-3s come in many forms (including both plant and animal sources) and are the current “functional food" of choice for both the nutrition and food industries.
Omega-3s are of particular concern to vegetarians. It's not that vegetarians are more likely to be deficient than those who eat fish (some fish are extremely high in omega-3s, which explains the fuss about salmon lately) but that it's harder for non-fish eaters to consume enough omega-3s to see health benefits beyond preventing deficiency.
By far the highest sources of vegetarian omega-3s are flaxseed (ground, so your body can access the fats) and flaxseed oil. But apparently, not many people find that convenient! Luckily, there are a slew of new products on the shelves incorporating omega-3s into more common foods.
The first fortified food I saw several years ago was omega-3 eggs. Eggs contain a little bit of omega-3 in a very usable form, called DHA. DHA is only found in animal products. Farmers feed their egg-laying hens flaxseed (a less bioavailable source of omega-3) which the chickens convert to DHA. The chickens pass along the DHA to their eggs, which we can eat and reap the benefits!
Next, omega-3 cheese and milk popped up. I thought cows must be eating flaxseed too – cows are herbivores, right?
They are, but unfortunately omega-3 milk and cheese are not. I'll spare the scientific mumbo-jumbo, but these cows are being fed fish. That's not very vegetarian!
Plant-sourced omega-3 fortification luckily seems to be more common. I've seen omega-3 fortified cereals, snack food, and salad dressings. Usually this fortification is done with flax, but smaller amounts are also available in soy, canola, walnut, and olive oil. I'm all for these other sources - but flax itself will give you the most bang for your buck.
My favourite ways to incorporate flax are to sprinkle a few tablespoons onto my oatmeal or mixed into a morning smoothie. It's great stirred into yogurt as well, and adds a pleasant crunch to rice dishes and salads. Just don't forget that ground flax is an excellent source of fibre – some may need to increase the amount in their diet slowly, before including it “regularly”.
Posted by Jill Harris
Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!
I didn't check the cross-Canada forecast, but in my neck of the woods we were lucky to get the best October weather one could ask for! Warm and sunny...perfect for an outdoors stroll.
There's an outdoor craft show I attend every year on Thanksgiving weekend - though I rarely buy any crafts! The focus for me is more on the food : fair fare, both traditional and not. I prefer fresh apple cider, beer nuts, samples of preserves and sauces...we always come out stuffed!
I did try something new this year, though. Roasted corn-on-the-cob and roasted yams, which were both absolutely delicious. I make these things at home quite often, but have never had them dipped in melted butter (decadent!) and sprinkled with various seasonings. I had tex-mex seasoning and salt on my corn, while my companion had her yam with lemon pepper. I'll post specific cooking instructions tomorrow. There's still time to use the barbecue before it gets too cold!
Until then, enjoy the beautiful weather, family and friends!
Posted by Jill Harris
I'm very excited to see the Vegetarian Cuisine page come to life! And just in time for the holidays! The HOLIDAYS? It may be still technically September, but Thanksgiving is right around the corner - and even closer for those of us North of the border!
I am actually excited about this Thanksgiving. My family get-togethers usually include several vegetarian dishes, including at least one baked pasta with fancy cheeses that I eat instead of turkey.
This year, however, I have also been invited to share in a special Thanksgiving feast with a good friend of mine, who has fortuitously purchased a Deluxe Tofurkey Feast! For those of you who aren't familiar with "fake meat" products, this is an entire turkey made of vegetarian ingredients. It should be interesting and if nothing else, make for good conversation!
No matter what food you include in your festivities, accomodating new dietary requests in a time of tradition can be difficult. Let's get some good discussion going on meatless holiday meals. We can all benefit from others' stories.
Jill