When I was an omnivore, I occasionally would use protein powders and shakes to supplement my dietary intake of protein. Mostly, I did this when I was mixing up my workouts at the gym, trying to pack on a few more pounds of muscle or trying to “cut up” and get more defined, lean muscle. Since becoming vegan, I have tried many of the vegan protein powders available. Unfortunately, I found most of them quite lacking in the taste department, some even tasted like dirt. No thanks. Moreover, while I love the Builder’s Bars from Clif bar company, I don’t always want to eat a bar. Please note, not all Builder’s Bars are vegan, be sure to read the list of ingredients when buying them. Last month, when we went to ThanksLiving at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary we received gift bags as we were leaving. In each bag was a
Tofu scrambles are one of those things that we wildly differ on and our difference has it’s origins back in our pre-vegan days. Tofu scrambles are the original vegan response to scrambles eggs and omelettes. Ethan used to like his eggs firmer while Michael only liked them softer. It’s no wonder that most tofu scrambles do not work for Michael, as he only likes them made with silken tofu. Ethan, on the other hand, will order a tofu scramble over pancakes, French toast or any other breakfast item, that’s how much he likes them. It’s taken Ethan years of refining, adding and subtracting various ingredients to get this recipe just right but he finally struck gold. This is a savory tofu scramble so serve it with your favorite vegan breakfast sausages, with toast or on a bagel. This scramble goes well with just about any breakfast item you might
I love oatmeal. It’s warm, hearty, filling, stick-to-your-ribs delicious plant-based eating. For years, I’ve been making a breakfast oatmeal that I call “warm apple pie oatmeal”. It is the base for this recipe and is utterly delicious on it’s own. Recently, I’ve been adding a bunch of extras to my oatmeal to load it up with fiber, Omega-3’s and lots of other important nutrients and minerals. I’m so excited to share this new and improved version of one of my breakfast faves with you. One note on preparation; I do make these in the microwave because mornings in our household it a bit of a mad rush to get to the gym and workout, get dressed and ready for work, walk and feed the dogs, etc… in order to make the 7:30 AM train. If you’re averse to using a microwave, you can totally make this on a
Yesterday, we went to Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary for its “ThanksLiving” celebration. This was our first time at this annual event. We had heard so many wonderful things about this event and were really looking forward to it. Happily, the event did not disappoint and we enjoyed a spectacular day in a uniquely wonderful place. Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary is located in upstate New York just a few miles from Woodstock. Started in 2004 by Jenny Brown and Doug Abel, the sanctuary takes in refugee farm animals from a wide variety of backgrounds of neglect, abandonment and abuse. Located in a big open field nestled in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, the sanctuary now has over 400 residents. We arrived early at the sanctuary because we wanted to have some time to interact with the animals. We had visited for a day about four months ago and we were
We are both huge fans of Our Hen House and the amazing work they do to change the world for animals. We’re also huge fans of Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan personally, and we’re honored to call them our friends. You can imagine how totally psyched we were when they called us and asked us to do a review for their podcast of a new cookbook, Vedge: 100 Plates Large and Small that Redefine Vegetable Cooking, by Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby, owners of the famous world-class vegan restaurant, Vedge, in Philadelphia. We have been wanting to get to Philly to eat at Vedge for such a long time but haven’t had a chance in the past two years. We know– pathetic, right? Well, this was perfect; Our Hen House was sending The Vedge to us! We attacked the book when we got it, pouring through the pages of outrageously tantalizing recipes
Kabocha are Japanese pumpkins that are by far my favorite of all autumn pumpkins and gourd-fruit. I first discovered kabocha when I lived in Japan back in 1995. It is pervasive in Japanese cuisine year-round but particularly so in the late summer and autumn when pumpkins are in season. It’s hard to describe the taste of a Kabocha but, if I had to, I’d say it has the texture of a sweet potato and the flavor of a regular pumpkin, but sweeter and milder. Most people find kabocha to be sweeter than butternut squash. Kabocha are often served in stews in Japanese cuisine. They are also popularly served as tempura that is placed over rice (donburi) or in soups. Kabocha are rich in beta carotene, iron, vitamin C and potassium. They are also loaded with tons of fiber. Like most pumpkins and squash, kabocha are tough to cut, so make sure you
Within hours of going live with this blog, I was immediately inundated with questions on the health benefits and risks of consuming soy products. With lots of people asking the same thing, it became abundantly clear that the healthfulness of soy needs to be our first topic of conversation here! Soy products include a wide variety of foods including soy flour, soy milk, tofu, edamame (young whole soybeans), soy protein isolates, texturized vegetable protein (TVP), soy curls and soy oil. Tempeh, natto and miso are fermented versions of soybeans. Processed soy food items include soy meats, cheeses, ice cream, yogurt and the list just keeps growing. Soy lecithin is used as an emulsifier to retain moisture in food. Lecithin is easily extracted from soybeans and, hence, is found in an astonishing array of foods, mostly processed foods. In fact, nearly 60% of processed foods in the US have some
All of my friends can attest that I love Palm Springs, California. I love the dry heat, the desert, the people and their laid back attitude, I love how gay-friendly a town it is and I adore all of the mid century modern architecture. Most of all, I love the date palms that are grown there; not just because they’re beautiful, but because of their amazing fruit! Dates aren’t just deliciously sweet, they’re also quite healthy. Dates are loaded with a great mix of vitamins and essential minerals like vitamins A and B-6, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium and copper. They also have anti-oxidants and loads of fiber. It’s no wonder these delicious gems have a thousands of years long history in the Middle East and the Indus Valley. There is archaeological evidence that date cultivation was happening in Eastern Arabia as far back as 6,000 years ago. I love eating
At the outset of any discussion about veganism and the health benefits of a whole foods, plant-based diet, I feel compelled to declare an allegiance. This is not said with intent to place labels or alienate anyone. Rather, it’s an attempt to clarify my position because I find myself wearing two different hats when it comes to advocating for veganism and for a plant based diet. I came to veganism long after becoming a physician. In fact, nothing I learned in my medical education ever discussed veganism or vegetarianism other than to warn us of the dangers that vegetarians can encounter if their diet is imbalanced. To be fair, much has changed since then. Today, medical schools are increasingly incorporating education about plant-based diets into their nutritional education curriculum. I learned what I know about the healthful effects of a plant-based, whole foods diet after I made the decision to
Welcome to Vegan Mos! We’re so excited to be starting this blog. Preparing delicious food has been an integral part of both of our lives. When we first met in 2004, our mutual love for cooking and baking was a common ground on which we instantly connected. Since going vegan this connection has expanded and deepened vastly. Initially, we enjoyed the challenge (and still do) of taking old non-vegan recipes and veganizing them. As time went on, we opened our palates to foods we’d never known and we now enjoy a greater variety of foods than either of us ever did as omnivores. It has been a pure joy learning to cook and bake on a plant-based diet and we’re excited to share this joy and our recipes with you. So put on an apron and let’s get cookin’!
