The Hopeful Herbivore

I'm going to give you a recipe to make vegan lasagna, but the sauce can literally be used on any pasta; so give it a whirl on your spaghetti! Ingredients: 6 cups (2 28oz cans) of diced tomatoes. You can use fresh, just add a little salt and water to compensate. 6 cloves of garlic 1/2 large red onion; chopped 2 bell peppers (green/red/orange); chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 6 oz (1 can) tomato paste 1/4 cup sugar 1/8 cup salt 1 cup crushed and torn spinach 3 tsp oregano 1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper 1/2 tbsp capers pepper, to taste 1 box of lasagna noodles, cooked vegan cheeses are optional; mozzarella, parmasean, or nutrtional yeast faux meat is also optional, such as Boca crumbles; add it to your sauce if desired. To begin, place olive oil into a large sauce pan. Swirl around until bottom of pan is entirely coated. Add more oil if necessary. Warm oil. Place pealed cloves of garlic into oil. Cook until outside edges start to brown; around 10-12 ...

Here's my recipe for a super yummy (and oh-so-simple), spicy cabbage. And of course, all delightfully vegan. Enjoy it with a big mound of mashed potatoes :)   Ingredients: 1 head of cabbage 8 tbsp of Earth Balance (or other vegan 'margarine') 1/8 cup of olive oil salt & pepper, to taste red pepper flakes, to taste water Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish on sides and bottom. Cut cabbage into wedges (should be around 6-8 wedges) and place them on their side into the dish. Drizzle olive oil over the entire dish. Then place 1 pat of Earth Balance on each wedge. Add salt and pepper. Lastly, add on the red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it). Pour water into casserole dish until the bottom is completely covered. Cover dish with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Then remove the foil. Flip wedges over, and place dish back into the oven until all or most of the water has evaporated. Keep flipping/stirring the wedges. I know it...

Yeah, you read that title right. This is a super simple dessert hummus. The kind of hummus that satisfies your sweet tooth. The kind that gets your kids to eat beans, but they think it's a treat. Trust me.   Here's what you'll need: 1 can (15-oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup agave nectar (can use 1/3 cup for added sweetness) 1/2 cup vegan semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper Combine all ingredients, except the chocolate chips, in a food processor. Pulse/blend until smooth and creamy.   Depending on the peanut butter you're using, you might need to thin it out a little. Just add a few spoonfuls of your favorite non-dairy milk if necessary. Empty into a bowl, and stir in your chocolate chips. That's it! Enjoy. You can dip in some apples, celery, animal crackers, etc.. or even spread it on toast. But my favorite? Graham crackers! They were amazing! Want...

  The Super Bowl is coming up this Sunday. And you know that usually includes some form of a Super Bowl party. Seldom do we think about what our food choices mean on these occasions. So, let me tell you. It is estimated that 1.23 BILLION chicken wings will be consumed this weekend. If you haven't done the math, that's 600 MILLION chickens that will be slaughtered for their wings.. just for one weekend. So, I urge you, to look for a compassionate alternative. My favorite 'faux' wings are these amazing wings from Gardein. I PROMISE that nobody could tell the difference; including kids. I love the buffalo, and they also come in a sweeter bbq. But you CAN'T have buffalo wings without ranch! What's a vegan to do? This! Serve it up with your wings or a plate of veggies. Vegan Ranch Dressing/Dip 1 cup vegan sour cream (I use Tofutti) 2 teaspoons parsley 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon dill ...

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching. Store shelves are chock full of chocolates and candies; most filled milk or gelatin. What's a vegan to do? Sure, there are greeting cards and flowers.. and the occasional dark chocolate. But what about the vegan candy, or the cruelty-free bath? Here's my Top 6  list of vegan must-haves for this Valentine's Day: 1) Sjaak's Organic Dark Chocolate Heart (filled with dark chocolates). Cause what's better than chocolate? Several chocolates. That's what. 2)  Get Zum Bath Salt & Massage Oil Gift Set . Because baths and/or massages lead to.. Well, you know.   3) Crazy Rumors: Parlor Collection (set of 4 lip balms). They taste like ice-cream! Warning: May lead to kissing.   4) Farm Sanctuary's "Roll in The Hay" Soy Candle . Sure, the cow and chicken logo may not seem to get the recipient in a romantic mood. But it's called "Roll in The Hay" for a reason. Plus, nothing ...

Nearly the first day I went vegan, we made these. The small amount of ingredients, and quick prep time have made it a staple in our diet. Ingredients (makes 4-6 fajitas): white tortillas 3 green/orange/red peppers (mix colors for great antioxidants) 1 white onion 1/2 tbsp garlic powder 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil 2-3 oz. vegan taco seasoning (2-3 packets) 1/4 tbsp cinnamon salt & pepper, to taste Frank's Buffalo Sauce (optional) Remove seeds from peppers and cut into strips. Slice onion into long strips. In large bowl, combine peppers and onion. Drizzle with oil; stir to coat. Pour all seasonings over veggies. Stir with large spoon or hands to coat the peppers. Place all ingredients into a hot wok or frying pan. Cook for 7-9 minutes, or until onions are translucent and peppers are tender. Warm/steam tortillas (I just place them between two large plates, and microwave for 25 seconds) Wrap veggies in tortillas. Can serve with taco sauce, gu...

In recent weeks, I've had a few discussions (both online and off), about the comparison between human life and all other living beings. Basically, I get a lot of flack for 'humanizing' animals. Yes, I mourn for them. I physically feel pangs of empathy for them. I think it is just as heartbreaking when they die, when they're abused, when they're separated from their young. I can't rationalize their existence in any other way. But I'm not humanizing them . I'm equalizing all . I realize that my view isn't necessarily the most popular one.. But I'm hoping that if I lay it all out in one post, it will be easier to understand where I'm coming from, even if one chooses to still not agree. At any rate, the discussions that came up in the last couple weeks were in relation to animal testing, the school shooting in Newtown, and then the President eating meat while stating how we need to address and reduce violence in our country. I know ...