| Tuesday, April 28, 2009 |
| Vegan Vittles Review |
 For Go Dairy Free
I approach cookbooks differently now that I have dairy allergies. Since I realized that vegan cookbooks contained no dairy products, they are the cookbooks I go for first. I know that the recipes won’t necessarily feed all of my family, but I like it when there are options that will. I have discovered through my research that vegan cookbooks are extremely helpful when it comes to sweets and breakfast foods for all of us to enjoy. Most people look shocked when you tell them about a recipe for pancakes, French toast or cookies without dairy. They normally look at me like I have four heads when I tell them that. Not my family though! No way, we look at it as an opportunity to eat the same food together!
 Since I start my days with oatmeal, I have a fondness for breakfast for dinner. So, when I got the book Vegan Vittles Second Helpings by Jo Stepaniak, I was excited to see that there are many recipes that my whole family could enjoy. Since I have only made some of the breakfast options (with great success), I am anxious to get to try more recipes from this book! I started with the Flaxjacks. The recipe said they were “light and fluffy”. While they were good, I would consider them to be a denser, heavier version of a pancake. They were a little different, but really good in their own right. We also tried out the Phenomemal French Toast. This was a really good showing for French Toast, as well!
 Next, for the true test, the oatmeal cookie! This is the test for any cookbook in my house. If my family likes your oatmeal cookie recipe, then the book is a keeper! Well, it is a keeper! They loved them. I made one batch and separated it into two different flavors. The younger group here likes chocolate chip (which is what the recipe calls for), while the older crowd likes raisin walnut (black walnut in this case). The Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies were a hit here!
 While I really only scratched the surface of this book, there are many great dairy free recipes I still want to try. Vegan Vittles Second Helpings has a wide range of recipes for many meal options with varying degrees of difficulty. There are quite a few options for cheeses that I can’t wait to try. I am also anxious to try out the gravy recipes. I can’t find any here at the store that don’t have dairy, so that is on my to do list. I would definitely recommend this book for a dairy free lifestyle!Labels: product reviews |
posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 5:25 PM  |
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| Monday, April 27, 2009 |
| Maggie |
 I am sorry to have been so vague before. My head is finally starting to clear and I am getting things back on track. Our fury feline companion of almost 15 years past away a week ago Friday. This was all of a sudden for us because she did not show any signs of being ill before that time. She was five days old when I brought her home. Her eyes were still closed and we fed her with a bottle. She was an angel from the beginning. She talked to us, walked with us when we left a room and will always be remembered as a best friend to all of us. We miss her badly.
I am currently working on some things to post on this week and will get back into it soon. |
| posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 3:55 PM |
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| Tuesday, April 21, 2009 |
| Bad Week!!! |
| This was a horrible weekend and a bad week of trying to get my head together. I will start posting again soon! |
| posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 4:35 PM |
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| Tuesday, April 14, 2009 |
| Broccoli Slaw Stir Fry |
 This is really not new information, but most Asian food is dairy free. It is one of my favorites for that reason and the ease of preparation! Lately we have had quite a few bean sprouts growing here. We have discovered that we really like growing the mung bean sprouts and we use them in almost everything...almost. A couple of weeks ago (I know, we did this quite a while ago), the illustrator was making his famous pork fried rice for the boys and I decided to try something different. I had to confess to the illustrator that I am not really a huge fan of fried rice. I know, the shame. I just prefer lots of vegetables over filling up on greasy rice. Anyway, so I found this great recipe to use some of our mung bean sprouts and I loved it. I, of course, took out some of the oil, but for the most part, I followed the recipe. I would like to try it with tofu some time instead of the egg. I think that would be a great substitution for vegans!
Broccoli Slaw Stir Fry
(adapted from EatingWell)
1 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 cup egg substitute
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger 2
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 12-ounce bag shredded mixed vegetables, such “broccoli slaw” 100
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
Cook egg in a nonstick skillet until cooked through. Remove to a plate and cut up the egg into smaller pieces. Wipe out the pan and heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add shredded vegetables, bean sprouts, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved eggs and hoisin; cook, uncovered, stirring until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
5 cups total
97 cal/cupLabels: main course, vegetables |
| posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 7:37 PM |
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| Monday, April 13, 2009 |
| The Craziness Is Dying Down! |
Well, the craziness is finally dying down! Max, my youngest son, if finally on the homestretch for recovery from having his tonsils and adenoids removed. A week ago, I could not even tell you what day it was. Let me just say that I am so glad I had kids when I was young...I don't know if I would make it now!
So, there have not been a whole lot of great things coming from my kitchen...mostly quick, easy and mostly mashed. I can assure you, I am ready to get back in there to create some greatness! I was ready today, but we lost power for 8 hours, so tomorrow will begin my new adventures!
In the mean time...make sure you go to One Frugal Foodie and enter the give away for Navan Foods! This one is a good one...I hope it is me! |
| posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 6:53 PM |
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| Friday, April 3, 2009 |
| Potato Soup |
 Well, this post is brought to you by Max (my 8 year old). He had his tonsils and adenoids removed yesterday and is now on an all mush, not too hot diet. It turns out that everything that we went through last year with his stomach problems (so I thought) were due to his massive tonsils and adenoids. They finally got so big that his voice became so muffled and strained that it was difficult to hear him sometimes. So, after doing everything we had to do to prove to the insurance company that this needed to be done, it is now done! I think, ultimately, I was more concerned than he was. It got to the point where he was just ready to get it done. He had it done with a newer technology called coblation. The doctor said that his adenoids were huge just like his tonsils and that we would notice a huge change in his voice soon. Well, his voice changed immediately! He has the sweetest little voice that is so clear. It made him laugh when he heard it (unfortunately that hurt his throat). Anyway, on to the food...he can eat anything that is souper (like that play on words) soft and either cold or room temperature. He is not much of a sweets person (not to say that he does not like his fair share of desserts, but he has to have his savory too! All he could eat yesterday was ice cream and popsicles. So, today I offered up some potato soup. This is one of those recipes that is not really a recipe, but a method. I like those types of dishes because it gives you the opportunity to make it your own. The illustrator's mom used to make this for him when he was growing up. So this one is another one that we carried on to our family. It's nice because it can be as soupy, thick, smooth, creamy or lumpy as you like. I like it a little on the thick side with some lumps. I don't care to drink my food, so I don't really do the creamy soup thing. For Max, though, we made his bowl creamier by adding milk to it to cool it off for him. This is a perfect comfort food!
Potato Soup
7 medium potatoes peeled and diced
half a shredded onion (do this on the cheese grater in a sautee pan - I did not want these big)
Smart Balance Light
non dairy milk (unsweetened)
Put potatoes in a pot and boil them until they are tender. In the meantime, sautee the shredded onion in some Smart Balance Light until they are tender. Add a little water to them as they cook to keep them from sticking to the pan. When the potatoes are done, drain them. Then mash them, add the onions, more Smart Balance and the non dairy milk. This is where you make it your own. Add as much or as little of the butter or milk for a desired consistancy.
Disclaimer: I am going on practically no sleep now so, if there are typos or anything that does not make sense, I can not be blamed for it! Oh, and I know now why I had kids when I was so young...so I could deal with the lack of sleep!Labels: soups |
| posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 4:37 PM |
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| Wednesday, April 1, 2009 |
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 For Go Dairy Free
When I first heard about the Tofu Cookery 25th Anniversary Edition Cookbook, I was very intrigued. My experience with preparing tofu is very limited, but since I love it so much, I really wanted to start to try using it in different ways. I figured this book would be able to give me that push. From start to finish, this book is loaded with information on tofu. It has everything from explanations on the different types of tofu you can get, how to get it ready to use in a recipe and then recipes ranging from sweet to savory. I was excited to read it and start making my plans for cooking! I am the kind of girl that likes pictures in a cookbook and this one does supply you with a good amount. While there aren’t pictures for every recipe, there are enough to satisfy my need to know what things will look like. The recipes range from simple to complex and are written very well. Everything is written in a step-by-step process and that makes it really easy to follow the recipes. I have never seen that process for writing in a cookbook, but it is nice approach especially for a book that is introducing you to a product that you may not have used before.
 The first recipe that caught my eye was the falafel. This one had some process to it, but it was well worth it! I loved how easy the ingredients were to work with! Everything came together and the mixture held its shape so well! This recipe, in particular, gave you the variation to bake or fry the falafel. I was really happy about that since I don’t like fried food. This one is definitely a keeper!
 Next I tried the scrambled tofu. Again, great recipe with variations on the flavor and easy step-by-step directions! Another keeper! This was my first one and definitely not my last one!
I guess the best part about this book is that is has me ready to do more! The possibilities are endless and I am excited to try out the desserts. I have not used tofu as a sweet before and that will be my next adventure (this was before the pudding...yum!). If you are interested in learning new ways to use tofu in your everyday meals then Tofu Cookery 25th Anniversary Edition Cookbook by Louise Hagler is a must have!
***I froze some of the falafel and reheated last night for dinner...it was so good!***Labels: product reviews |
| posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 6:52 AM |
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Name:
Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen
Home: Atlanta, GA, United States
About Me: Lactose Challenged
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