Chicago-Style Italian "Beef" Sandwiches...Yummy!

Alright, so I had some seitan in the fridge that was just begging me to be used, and I wanted to try something different with it. I usually will incorporate it into a stir-fry or a tofu scramble, but I wanted to make something where it would be a “meat” stand-in, since my fiancé has now officially been “vegetarian” for 5 weeks now, and he was craving the meat! So, he loves Italian Beef Sandwiches. I know that one of my favorite restaurants makes an awesome Italian Beef sandwich using seitan, so I started scrambling the web to find a good recipe, when I happened along this one on www.vegweb.com. Let me just say, that this sandwich recipe has my personal stamp of approval…because not only was it delicious, but it is SOOOO Simple!!! You just toss everything into a slow-cooker and forget about it!

Chicago-Style Italian "Beef" Sandwiches

1 pound seitan, very thinly sliced
3 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
2 tablespoons Hot Italian Giardiniera (if you can't find it, substitute 1/2 teaspoon red
pepper flakes, for heat)
2 teaspoons fennel seed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 sliced and seeded green bell peppers
French rolls

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and stir to incorporate. Cook on HIGH for 2 to 4 hours.

If using a stovetop: Place all ingredients in a large pot, stir to combine, and simmer, covered, over medium heat for 1 hour.

Lightly steam French rolls. Spoon seitan and peppers into each roll. Just before serving, spoon a few tablespoons of the "au jus" over each sandwich to somewhat saturate the roll. (In the best Chicago sandwich joints, they simply dunk the whole sandwich!)


(Photo credit to Opal_Moon on www.vegweb.com)

Weekend Treats!

So I know that it’s already Wednesday, but I had such a goodie-packed weekend that I just wanted to share! Now, don’t judge me, I haven’t had a sweet thing in ages, and my new medication is starting to kick in finally so I’m exercising like a crazy woman, and I thought I deserved a little indulgence this weekend!! Friday night, Julian and I went to our favorite 100% vegetarian/vegan restaurant in Madison, the Green Owl, just for dessert and drinks, since we had already had a nice dinner by the time we craved sweets! We usually try to get different desserts when we go here, so we can try each other’s, but this time, there was one dessert that just really stuck out to both of us, and I’m glad we each had our own piece, otherwise there may have been a fight…haha! We both got the vegan berry tart, which was a vanilla-rosemary shortbread filled with a vanilla custard and topped with fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries! *Heaven* in my mouth!!! We washed this down with a lovely drink made with their own homemade Pineapple Rum…which I think may now be up there in Julian’s all-time-favorite-rums (second only to my mother’s homemade Ginger Rum, of course!)! All in all, another successful experience at the Green Owl!



Saturday, I started off my morning volunteering at a charity fundraiser for the Heartland Farm Sanctuary, which is quickly gaining notoriety in the Southern Wisconsin region! I think that, for the first big fundraiser that the Sanctuary has had, it was definitely a success! It was great seeing how excited kids got being around the farm animals, and the money it brought in for the Sanctuary was obviously great, too! It also got recognized on a few news stations, so that’s great too! I got home, sweaty, stinky, and yucky, and got a big grin from my boy…telling me he STILL had a sweet tooth even after our amazing dessert last night! So, I hopped in the shower, and hopped on Facebook, to see what a local bakery’s specials were that day. Just two short miles from our place is a very new cupcake shop called Bloom Bake Shop. Now, it is not all vegan, but they do always try to have an equal amount of vegan cupcakes each day to their non-vegan counterparts. Not to mention, they are insanely delicious! Well, considering every flavor looked good on the vegan cupcake front, we headed over for a little mid-day treat. I got the vegan vanilla butter cake filled with orange marmalade, topped with a dark chocolate ganash with an orange buttercream flower on top…100% vegan, 100% delicious! Honestly, I don’t know how I didn’t gain 15 pounds this weekend!!

Can you say, insanely delish?!


I must say though, sweets aside, I did keep my diet in check the rest of the weekend…aside from the sweets, we did a raw veggie weekend, and it was great! There are so many delicious veggies in season right now, that our selection definitely wasn’t lacking, and I got to put my brand new eco-friendly knife set to use chopping up all our lovely veggies!! Thanks for the great Prepology knives, mommy!!

LADIES ONLY!!! Menstruation Ahead!!

Photo from the Diva Cup Facebook Page

Did you know…

The average woman uses between 300-420 pads/tampons a year???

So…what happens to all those when we are finished using them? Or, let’s take a look at the bigger picture…

“Women, on average, experience a lifetime menstruation span of 41 years (11-52). From use of disposable feminine hygiene, an estimated 12 billion sanitary pads and 7 billion tampons are dumped into the North American environment each year (1998). More than 170,000 tampon applicators were collected along U.S. coastal areas between 1998 and 1999. Our revolutionary, reusable product is a modern, viable alternative to disposable tampons and pads.
Most tampons and pads contain surfactants, adhesives and additives. In addition, most pads contain polyethylene plastic whose production is a pollutant. Also, dioxin, a known carcinogen, is a by-product of the bleaching process of tampons containing rayon. In landfills, many of these substances can leach into the environment (groundwater, streams and lakes) causing serious pollution and health concerns.” ~Taken from the DivaCup Website

170,000 tampon applicators alone collected on the US coast in only a year?!?! That’s disgusting! Not to mention, terrible for the environment. But what can we do?! It’s not like we can just let it all hang out, so to say…it’s not really something that as a woman, we can do without. What is left for us?!
Ladies (and probably not gentlemen), I give to you, the Diva Cup!


Okay, by now you probably think that I’m insane, talking about something like this, but I was asked for a tampon at work today, and told that I don’t use pads or tampons, and was met with the strangest look! I explained what I used instead, and was met with curiosity. I then tracked down the website and sent it to her, and the lady went out to Whole Foods on her lunch to buy herself one! After browsing their site myself, I realized how terrible for the environment all the other stuff really is…and how much of a burden it can become on your wallet.

I have been using a Diva Cup for about 9 or 10 months now, and I cannot believe I ever used anything else! I don’t know what it is, but the terrible cramping I used to experience (I used to miss at least one day of school or work a month due to cramps, severe nausea, and vomiting) disappeared instantly! Not only that, but mine cost $30…which is about what I would spend on 3 months’ worth of tampons. It’s recommended to replace the cup every 1-5 years, so you can see how much money I’m saving by using one! AND, the environmental aspects of this are awesome, too! Before I made the switch, I used OB tampons, because they don’t have an applicator, and I hate how much trash was involved in a tampon anyway. Now, I don’t have to throw anything away!! There is no footprint associated with the cup! And unlike a tampon, where I would go through a super-absorbency tampon every 45 minutes-1 hour, I can wear my cup all day long, for up to 8, sometimes 10 hours before I have to empty it! No worries, no carrying around obnoxious and embarrassing supplies during that time of the month, nothing!
Diva Cups are also made of medical grade, hypoallergenic silicone and not latex, so they can be used by nearly everyone. And if you do decide to make the switch and don’t know what to do with those leftover pads and tampons, you can always donate them to women’s shelters or homeless shelters. It sounds strange, but feminine hygiene products are the #1 needed item at these places, as women cannot afford them.

Seriously though, feminine products are filling up our landfills, are made with toxic and cancerous chemicals (yuck!), and seriously, aren’t we all a little tired of sticking that super dry, uncomfortable hunk of bleached cotton up our poonannies?? I know I was!

Think About It...

About 2,000 pounds of grains must be supplied to livestock in order to produce enough meat and other livestock products to support a person for a year, whereas 400 pounds of grain eaten directly will support a person for a year. Thus, a given quantity of grain eaten directly will feed 5 times as many people as it will if it is eaten indirectly by humans in the form of livestock products....
-- M.E. Ensminger, PH.D.

Waistline-Friendly Lentil Burgers

So it’s summer, and sometimes, vegan or not, you just want a nice, summer-y burger to throw on the grill. Well, I’m not a huge fan of buying pre-packaged food, especially veggie burgers (unless they’re Sunshine Burgers, but I digress), so I took a look through the cabinets, and made my own veggie burgers. Now, these things are absolutely amazing! They held together really well, were super filling, and VERY nutritious! Not only that, but you could pretty much add anything to the patty to add your own personal flavor. The recipe makes a lot, so it’s good for when you have friends over, or to store. I like putting the leftovers in individual freezer containers, so I can grab one and pop it in my lunch bag before work, or have something to throw on the grill on those nights you just don’t have time to cook. Sure, they look a little odd…but don’t most veggie burgers?! So anyway, here’s the recipe for my super hearty, filling, and super nutritious…

Waistline-Friendly Lentil Burgers
(Makes 8-12 patties, depending on size you make them)

•1 c. uncooked lentils, rinsed (you can probably get away with any lentils, I used green)
•1 c. uncooked brown rice
•1-1/2 c. uncooked oats
•2 seeded and diced jalapenos*
•1 large carrot, diced*
•1 white onion, diced*
•Whatever spices you like (I used Mrs. Dash onion spices, Garlic Powder, Vegan “Burger” spice by McCormick, Chile Limon powder, and some cayenne for the extra kick)

*Vegetables are optional, or you can use whatever veggies diced that you like to incorporate into the patty.

Put lentils and rice into a pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low, cover, and let cook for 45 minutes. Let cool.
Once lentil and rice mixture is cool, pour mixture onto a cook board or counter top. Combine all other ingredients with your hands into the rice and lentil mixture. Mix and squish well with your hands, until it feels really sticky. Taste and add more seasoning to your liking. Once the mixture is properly mixed and seasoned, form it into patties. Throw these patties on an oiled skillet or on a hot grill and cook, about 5 to 8 minutes on each side. Any remaining patties can be frozen for a later use.


I put these patties on a toasted whole grain onion bun from Whole Foods with some habanero hummus, leftover Galaxy Cheese from the "Hardcore Jalapeno Tomato Cream Pasta" recipe I posted a few days ago, some pickles, and I was in heaven. THIS is what summertime food is all about!!

My New Drug...Cookies and Cream Cake

I am pleased to announce my *favorite* latest addition to the bakery counter at my Whole Foods here in Madison…individual cake slices from the Vegan-World Famous Chicago Diner!! Driving through Chicago a few months ago to visit some family on the east coast, Julian and I made it a point to stop here, because I’d heard so many things about it, and had bought their cookies before from Whole Foods. The Chicago Diner is a 100% meat-free diner located in the Boystown District of Chicago. I can promise that you will not be disappointed with ANYTHING on their menu (I can promise this not only because they are awesome and that’s my opinion, and also because I’m not affiliated with them, so it won’t be on me if you are disappointed…hahaha)!! Anyway, when I was looking at all the pretty cakes that my WF had to offer, I came across their new “Chicago Diner” section in the cold case. I immediately began salivating and just *knew* I *had* to have one…I mean hello?! It’s vegan gourmet cake! How do you pass that stuff up?! I decided on the cookies and cream cake, so that I wouldn’t feel super guilty about eating it. With this flavor, I could give half to Julian and therefore only have to feel half as guilty, hahaha. So, I got home, put it out, and we both sat for a second and just admired the beauty radiating off this little piece of heaven. We put our forks into the soft, delicate cake, closed our eyes, and let the flavors do the talking…it was like having a f*cking gospel choir singing praises to my taste buds, I swear! So…freaking…delicious! If you live near Chicago, or if you live near a Whole Foods that carries their products…definitely give them a shot. Or don’t. I suppose if you don’t want to be addicted to something that is as hard to get off of as heroin, you may want to stay away. But this is good, good stuff ;-)

Hardcore Jalapeno-Tomato Cream Pasta!

Alright, spicy lovers! I was lurking around the blog/cyber world last week, and on the PETA website, I found a recipe that looked absolutely yummy! Unfortunately, I had everything I needed to make it at home, except for the two key ingredients, which I was fresh out of. I knew that making a Jalapeno-Tomato cream sauce would be pretty difficult if I didn’t have any freaking tomatoes or jalapenos, so I filed the recipe away in my memory for a time that I wasn’t too lazy to go to the grocery store after work. Well, I get home, and find a small bag of fresh veggies on the kitchen counter! Julian’s boss has started a garden at their place of employment, and she encourages the employees to take whatever they like from it when they want something. Well, my fabulous man must have read my mind, because he brought home jalapenos and tomatoes, among other things!! Nearly peeing myself with excitement, I began to put together the recipe I had read. Let me just say, with a few personal adjustments (my personal recipe is included), this recipe was insanely good! Definitely give this one a shot. If you don’t have fresh veggies, that’s all good, but if you have access to the peppers and tomatoes fresh, definitely use that to your advantage in this recipe!

How can you resist fresh-picked vegetables?!


Jalapeño-Tomato Cream Pasta
1 Tbsp. Earth Balance Vegan Butter
1 Tbsp. flour
3/4 cup unsweetened plain soy milk
1/2 cup shredded vegan mozzarella (one that melts! For this recipe, I used Galaxy Vegan Mozzarella)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. fresh, minced jalapeño (I used two jalapenos, which made more than 1 tsp, but that’s how I like it!)
1 cup diced tomato (I used two tomatoes)
1 12-oz. package dry whole-wheat pasta of your liking (I used Rotini)

Love my Galaxy Cheese!!


Melt the margarine in a small sauce pan over low heat, then add the flour and stir. Cook for 30 seconds, then pour in the soy milk while whisking continuously. Add the vegan mozzarella and stir until the cheese is melted and well combined. Add the salt, pepper, jalapeño, and tomato and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more soy milk. While your sauce is being prepared, cook the whole-wheat pasta according to the package directions, then drain. Pour the cooked pasta and the cream sauce into a large bowl and stir until just combined.


Diced tomatoes added as a garnish...perfection in the making!