I just got another parcel from my family in Japan filled with all sorts of unique treats! There’s matcha and other kinds of teas, dried sweet potatoes, natto snacks…and even chocolate-coated soybeans in their traditional straw packaging =)
おじさん、おばさん、いつもありがとう！
I hope everyone had an amazing winter holiday!
This was the second Christmas and New Years since I went vegan, and just like last year, I didn’t even think twice about the traditional turkey dinners I had as a kid. For Christmas, I cooked up my own meatless version of a holiday dinner with veggies, stuffing, potatoes, rye bread, vegan ham, and some gravy made with a vegetable base.
The veggie gravy is especially becoming a huge favorite of mine! I just use the water reserved after steaming vegetables, then mix in a scoop of veggie soup stock with black pepper and a bit of starch, then heat it until it thickens.
For a great snack, I also served up these soy-based cocktail weiners made by Ten-In, and some pickled artichokes.
All in all, the meals this holiday season all went down really well, plus there was none of the greasy dishes to wash up. (…and I also discovered that brussels sprouts are actually really really good!)
I’ve been trying out some different dishes with that dehydrated bean curd that I showed you all a couple posts ago. This time I cooked them with some shredded ginger soaked in agave (kind of like a honey ginger substitute). Came out really great! Served it up with a veggie stir fry, daikon and kombu strips, and some burdock root (gobo).
I picked up a sack of sweet potatoes the other day and made them into an Indian curry.
Diced up the sweet potatoes and regular potatoes, added in some lentils and chopped onion and chickpeas, then steamed it until the potatoes were soft. Once they were done, I added in some garam masala, chili, coriander, and salt & pepper to taste.
Served it up with mango chutney and quinoa!
My blog! Life is so hectic with the new school year that I keep forgetting to check up on WordPress! But, I wanted to share with you guys something I discovered a little while back. I stumbled across this tiny little shop that sells really neat Asian vegan foods. One of the things I picked up was a bag of dehydrated bean curd (soy). You just soak them in water briefly to soften them up and then pretty much cook them however you like. I added in some soy sauce, ginger, etc. and it comes out a lot like tender meat slices…but waay better.
Japanese restaurants are one of my favorites because they always have a load of vegan options, plus they tend to be pretty low in salt, oil and sugar. I went for sushi the other day and got avocado rolls, yam rolls, tofu rolls, and a seaweed salad!
Carrying on with the whole squash thing I’ve been doing for autumn, my dinner this weekend was baked butternut squash, potatoes, long grain rice, and my favorite cauliflower salad!
When I went shopping the other day, I discovered this place that was selling these strips of really neat fresh noodles. They came in a whole bunch of different colours and had flavours like yam, spinach, sesame, and tomato. So, I took some home and made a soup out of them with some veggie broth, bell peppers, celery, and butternut squash.
Hi! Life has been so crazy hectic lately with the beginning of the new school year that I’ve totally been neglecting my blog again as I settle in to my first year of grad school. I haven’t posted anything in weeks! Now that things are starting to fall into a pattern I’ll try to start getting back on my blog from time to time!
So the other night, I was starving after having missed lunch and I fixed myself a huge sandwich with roasted butternut squash, veggies, Dijon mustard, and hummus. This was my first time trying out squash in a sandwich…but I really recommend it - the squash made it super rich and creamy. I’ve been bringing these guys to campus for lunch, too. Reaaally good!
Time and time again, I’m getting pleasantly surprised by how the world seems to be quickly getting really vegan-friendly. I went to my grad school orientation the other day, not sure what I’d be able to eat at breakfast or the lunch BBQ…but the university pulled through. Vegan chocolate doughnuts and burgers! Amaaazing!
