A Lecture for Vegan and Non-Vegan Friends – by Gary Yourofsky (Vegan Activist)

Many people have asked me why I decided to become a vegan. Granted, I have not been a vegan my whole life. I just became one about six months ago, and I have not regretted it one day.

I did not go into this new lifestyle blindly, though. I watched documentaries about it and read books on the subject so I could make a well-informed decision.

My friend Peter recently sent me a link to the video lecture below that explains why I (and many other vegans) do what I do.

I hope you can watch this lecture and listen to it with an open heart and mind. Let me know your thoughts afterwards.

Click the link below to watch the video:
A Lecture For Vegan and Non-Vegan Friends – Gary Yourofsky

Because Sometimes the Best Advice can come from your BFF

Let’s be honest for a second here… When you are having a problem, searching for relationship advice, or just looking for someone to listen to you, who do you call first? A professional or your BFF? Well, if you answered your BFF you’ll love this book.

In Mandy Hale’s “The Single Woman’s Sassy Survival Guide” you’ll find your BFF’s advice. Straight talking, no nonsense, direct to the point, loving advice only a good friend could give you.

If your having trouble letting go of a past relationship, a dead-end job, or a toxic friendship then this is the book for you. Mandy breaks it down in five easy steps: The What, Why, When, Who and How of Letting Go and Moving On.

You might think at first “I already know all this” but sometimes it takes hearing it (or in this case, reading it) from someone else in order for you to realize that you NEED to let go and move on.

Half way through reading this book it hit me: I NEED to LET GO before it’s too late. I saw myself walking into something I knew was no good from the beginning, then I read something in this book that just made me realize “What the hell am I doing?”

I’m so glad that Mandy decided to share her thoughts about “letting go and moving on” with the world. And I encourage you to read her story. It’s inspiring, moving, and great advice. Not the type of advice you “want to hear” but the type you NEED to hear so that you can finally let go and move on, to be the YOU that you’re meant to be.

P.S. Don’t forget to follow her on Twitter, like her Facebook page, and read her Dash of Sass.

Note: This book is not meant to be taken as professional advice. If you are in serious trouble, like an abusive relationship or a legal problem, please seek professional help.

Fried Yucca (Fried Cassava)

Here’s another one of my favorites. A very common appetizer or side dish in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean Islands. It’s a yummy twist to your usual french fries. Hope you enjoy these as much as I do. Let me know if the taste is as magical to you as it is to me.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Yuccas (or about 4 small pieces of frozen yucca.)
• Water for boiling
• Vegetable Oil for frying
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil for boiling
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. If using fresh yucca, first peel it then cut it up into big pieces.
2. In a large sauce pan, boil enough water to cover the yucca pieces and add the tbsp of olive oil to the water.
3. Add the yucca to the water and boil for 20-30 minutes or until tender. (You may poke a fork in the yucca to make sure it is ready.)
4. Once the yucca is tender, set the pieces aside on a plate and wait for them to cool down.
5. Once they are cooled down, cut them into thick wedges. (Make sure to take out the fibrous inner core before frying.)
6. In a frying pan, heat up enough vegetable oil to cover the yucca pieces.
7. Place the yucca wedges in the hot oil and fry until golden.
8. Once they’re done, set the fries aside on a plate with a paper towel so it soaks up the oil.
9. Sprinkle some salt to taste.

Makes a great appetizer or side dish. Serves about 3-4 people.

Buen provecho!

Vegan Pastelon (Sweet Plantain Lasagna)

One of my favorite dishes growing up in Puerto Rico was definitely the “Pastelon”. The mix of sweet and salty is indescribable. You’ll have to trust me on this and try it yourself to understand what I mean.

Although the original version is made with beef and dairy cheese, here’s my vegan version of this traditional dish. Let me know what you think after you try it.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 Very Ripe Plantains
• 1 12oz. Package Vegan Crumbled Meat
• 1/2 cup Pasta Sauce
• 1 1/2 cup Vegan Shredded Cheese (Mozzarella or Cheddar flavor)
• Olive Oil (or Cooking Spray) for frying

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice the plantains into long strips.
3. Pan fry the plantains with a small amount of oil. (I like frying them with cooking spray too.) Once completed set aside.
4. In a sauce pan, heat up the crumbled meat with the pasta sauce. Mix for about 3-5 minutes. Once completed set aside.
5. In a baking pan, cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of the fried plantains.
6. Next, evenly spread about 3 tablespoons of the crumbled meat and sauce mix over the plantains.
7. Then sprinkle with enough shredded cheese to thinly cover the meat.
8. Repeat steps 5 – 7 until you have three layers of ingredients.
9. When completed, put the baking pan in the oven for 18 – 20 minutes.

Makes about 4 servings.

Tip: Goes well with a salad.

Buen Provecho!

Vegan Pastelon (Sweet Plantain Lasagna)

Check out these other vegan recipes from my fellow bloggers:

• Vegan Pizza: How to keep Vegans Happy (wakemeupwithasmile.wordpress.com)
• Winter Table: Vegan, Slow-Cooker Butternut Squash Frijoles (blisstree.com)
• And basically everything on Elle’s Vegan Food Diary looks amazing.

Veggie Tofu Scramble with Vegan Cheese

I may be vegan but I have to admit, eggs are delicious. However, I’ve turned over a new leaf and I will not harm any more animals in order to eat when we have so many tasty, healthy food choices to pick from. One of these is tofu; and I found an awesome way to substitute eggs with tofu and a product called “Tofu Scrambler.”

Here’s a great breakfast you can make that’s not only yummy, but healthy as well.

Ingredients:

• ½ package Extra Firm Tofu, crumbled
• ½ packet Tofu Scrambler
• 1 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 5 – 6 Baby Portabella Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Handful Fresh Spinach leaves
• 1 Tomato, chopped
• Shredded Vegan Cheese for topping
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. In a large pan, add the olive oil then mix in the crumbled tofu and Tofu Scrambler.
2. Immediately add the sliced mushrooms and spinach leaves.
3. When the mushrooms are tender and the spinach leaves are wrinkled, add the tomato.
4. Blend all the ingredients for 2 – 3 more minutes.
5. Serve on a plate then top with the vegan cheese.
6. Add salt to taste.

Makes two servings.

Tip: Goes well with Arepas (Colombian Corn Patties).

Buen Provecho!

Veggie Tofu Scramble with Vegan Cheese

Arepas (Colombian Corn Patties)

Here’s a recipe I learned from my mom who’s Colombian; only I gave it a vegan twist. These are called “Arepas” or Corn Patties.

The best way to make these is with white corn, but it’s a little more complicated and time consuming. So whenever my mom couldn’t get her hands on white corn, or didn’t have much time to make the “Arepas,” like the ones she used to buy in Colombia, she would just make them out of white corn meal. I like using the Goya brand.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 Cups White Corn Meal
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Shredded Vegan Cheese (I like using either mozzarella or cheddar flavor.)
• Water to mix ingredients (1 Cup aprox.)
• Vegan Butter for the pan (preferably with no flavor)

Preparation:

• Mix the corn meal, salt and cheese in a small mixing bowl.
• Slowly pour the water in, while mixing, until it’s blended and forms a soft dough.
• Spoon out a small amount (about the size of a golf ball or smaller, if you prefer) then flatten with your hands to form the patties.
• Put the stove on medium/high heat and spread enough butter in a pan to thinly coat the bottom.
• When the butter is melted, put the patties in the pan.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side on or until you see golden patches. The patties will not cook with an even color. (Note: You can use the spatula to flatten the Arepas a bit more while these are in the pan.)

Makes about 6 small patties.

Tip: I love to have these at any time of the day. For breakfast, they go great with a tofu scrambler. For lunch and dinner, you can have them as an appetizer.

Buen Provecho!

Arepas (Colombian Corn Patties)

Seitan and Veggie Stir-Fry with Spaghetti

When it comes to cooking, I try to have fun in the kitchen by just making up recipes as I go. To be honest, sometimes they don’t come out too good and that’s OK; no one’s perfect. Other times they turn out AWESOME.

Here’s one of the good ones I came up with yesterday that I’m hoping you will enjoy on another Meatless Monday.

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Spaghetti, about 4 servings (or any type of pasta you prefer)
4 – 5 Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
1 Red Potato, peeled and cut into small ½ inch pieces
3 Small Sweet Peppers, sliced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3-4 Tbsp Teriyaki Sauce
1 Box of Seitan, unflavored, cut into small bite-sized pieces

Preparation:

1. In a big pot, boil the spaghetti as directed on the box.
2. Use a separate pan to stir-fry the veggies with the olive oil for about 8-10 minutes on medium-high heat, or until the pieces of potatoes are cooked.
3. Put the stove on low heat and stir in the pieces of Sietan and Teriyaki sauce, and mix with the veggies for a couple more minutes or until the Seitan is hot.
4. You can either serve the Seitan Stir-Fry over the spaghetti or blend it in with the pasta.

Makes about 4 servings.

Tip: Although Seitan comes in a variety of flavors, I used the un-flavored version for this recipe. Also, I like cooking my veggies in a Non-Stick Wok.

Buen Provecho!