Last Night

Last night we had dinner with our friend Laura (Cordelia calls her War-uh, or sometimes Sarah). While Laura is not a vegan she is one of those awesome people who is game for pretty much anything, so the challenge of a vegan meal was nothing for this lady!
**Please excuse the photos, we forgot our camera and Eric took photos with his phone. Also, explains Eric's absence from the photos.

We pulled up in front of her house and entered. Strangely I have known Laura since she was maybe 10 and we've hung out many times, but this is the first time I'd seen her place. I love seeing people's homes for the first time, don't you? She has a cute rental with some amazing features like arched doorways an awesome built in hutch, and these crazy cool windows. We also got a chance to meet both of her lovely roommates over the course of the evening.

After a quick tour we chatted as she put the finishing touches on dinner. Cordelia colored pictures of the Wonder Pets that Laura had printed out. She even had crayons, but she is always thoughtful like that. Soon, it was time to eat!


Garlic pizza

She whipped up two vegan pizzas. One was a garlic pizza. Oh, it was sooooo good. I am sorry that you weren't there for it. Truly sorry. She said it was her mother's pizza dough recipe, some garlic and olive oil, the Daiya cheese and then she topped it with torn fresh basil!


Dinner


Me, eating

The other pizza was tomato sauce, Daiya cheese, olives and peppers and incredibly taste! Add to that a delicious green salad and a bunch of fresh fruit and you know we were in vegan heaven. I ate way too much. Then she brought out vegan cookies...so I ate some more.


Laura, dunking a cookie


Cordelia, dunking a cookie in almond milk.

We had a great night out. Cordelia was on her best behavior. Conversation was great, food was amazing, what more could we ask for? Wonderful night out!

Vegan Spanish Seitan and Rice and Bonus Vegan Vocabulary Lesson

People regularly ask me what we vegan folks eat. I think most people presume that we eat freaky stuff with weird names. Names like seitan*** (see below for a vegan pronunciation key). Have you ever tried seitan?

For those of you who are not in the loop seitan (also known as wheat meat) is a vegan "meat" made from wheat. Now before you start imagining crazy bespectacled vegan scientists electrocuting wheat and adding strange chemicals on stormy nights I should tell you that seitan is actually an ancient food. The Chinese first developed it in ancient times (I don't have an exact date I am not a food historian folks) and it was a delicacy reserved for the royals. So, if you want to feel like an ancient Chinese empress or maybe you just want something new to eat I highly recommend seitan.

If you are wondering about the taste it is a bit like chicken in texture and it picks up the flavors of whatever you are cooking. I really do love this vegan alternative to meat, also great for people who have soy allergies.

So, without further ado I give you a recipe that puts seitan to use.

Spanish Seitan and Rice

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 package of seitan, cut into 2 inch chunks
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c. white cooking wine
• 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (liquid and all)
• 1 c. white rice (cook according to instructions)
  
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 1/4 c. fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 c. pimento stuffed Spanish olives

Heat the oil in a LARGE pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the seitan and bell pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the wine, tomatoes (with liquid), rice and season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil (add a bit of water if the liquid cooks off too fast), reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes. Add the peas and cook for 2-5 more minutes. Spoon onto individual plates and garnish with parsley and olives.

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Vegan Vocab. (Just a few words that people often ask about)

***Eating vegan is one thing, pronouncing it is another thing altogether. Here are a few words that many have difficulty pronouncing (so you won't be scared to ask for it at the store). Not necessarily related to the recipe above.

seitan-(pronounced say-tan)vegan meat alternative, often used in place of chicken. Protein rich
vegan- (pronounced vee-gun) one who eats/wears/uses only products that are free of animal products and testing
tempeh- (pronounced temp-ay) an Indonesian soy based meat analogue. Has a somewhat nutty flavor, used in everything from stirfry to sandwiches. High in complete protein.
quinoa-(pronounced keen-wah) a grain like crop that is known for it's edible seeds. Often used in dishes that call for a grain or a grain accompaniment. High in protein.

Any vegan vocab questions? I'd be happy to answer them