Punch your taste buds in the face with Buffalo Falafel Balls!

Do taste buds have faces? No. However, they will be dancing with joy from the flavor and heat of this radical dish! I found this recipe on a website called http://thugkitchen.com/. A friend of mine, and fellow vegan, directed me to this absolutely hilarious site. The recipes all look fantastic, but it's the commentary that gets me every time. (SIDE NOTE: If you are easily offended by "harsh" language, I suggest you find another recipe site.) As for me, I can't help but laugh when a recipe calls for me to, "mash that s#*t up."

This was a CRAZY easy recipe to make and the results were fantastic. There was so much flavor going on and it kept me full for the rest of the evening. I wanted a little something on the side so I decided to heat up some edamame with a sprinkle of salt on top. I also served the falafel on a slice of bread with some lettuce and carrots. I know not everyone likes hot stuff, but what's nice about this recipe is that you can use whatever kind of hot sauce you want to for your base. If you want something more mild, go for it. If you're like me and you want your lips and tongue tingling for an hour after eating, do it! Without further ado, I give you Buffalo Falafel Balls courtesy of the Thug Kitchen.

FALAFEL:
1/3 pound of cauliflower
1 15oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - rinsed
1/4 cup of diced onion (I used yellow)
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1 tsp of olive oil
1/2 tsp of all seasoning blend
2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs

Cover a baking pan with aluminium foil, spray with Pam, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Take your cauliflower, dice it up into smaller pieces, and then put it in your food processor. Pulse the cauliflower until it looks like rice.

Drain and rinse your can of chickpeas, pour them in a medium mixing bowl, and mash them up into a paste. I used a potato masher and that seemed to work really well and fast. (I considered just putting them into the food processor with the other ingredients but I was afraid I would have made it too thin, so I just went along with the Thug Kitchen way.)

Dice your onion and garlic into small pieces. (I used the minced garlic in a jar so I skipped that step.) Add the onion, garlic, olive oil, seasoning, breadcrumbs, and cauliflower to the chickpea paste and mix it all together.

Once everything is mixed, you can begin making them into balls. (If your mixture is still a little dry, just add some water. I didn't have any issues though.) You want to make them a little bigger than a ping pong ball. By doing so, you should end up with 12 or 13.

Put them on the baking pan and put them in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, making sure to flip them over half way through.

While those are baking, you can start making the sauce.

SAUCE:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of flour (I used whole wheat)
1 cup of your favorite hot sauce (I used Frank's - not my all time favorite but in my top 5)
1/4 cup of water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Take a sauce pan and set it on medium low heat. Pour in your 2 tablespoons of olive oil and flour. Mix this together until the flour turns a light brown color and starts to smell like it's toasted. (You'll want to see a few bubbles forming to know when it's hot.)

Add half of the hot sauce and stir it up until it's mixed. Then add your water, vinegar, and the remaining hot sauce. Stir until heated throughout and then remove from heat.

When the falafel are done baking and are to your liking, push them all to the center and pour 3/4 of the sauce over the falafel balls. Put them back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes so they absorb the sauce. When they're done, take them out and pour the remaining sauce over them.

Voila! You have a phenomenal dish that will kick your taste buds in the booty! I hope you all dig this as much as I did!

Be kind and enjoy the day, friends!

-Bearded Vegan

You say, "Jerk Seitan Sloppy Joes." I say, "Hail Seitan!"

As the October days get colder, I find myself wanting comfort food; the kind that keeps me warm and puts a smile on my face. Sloppy Joes just happen to be one of those foods for me (alongside tomato soup, grilled cheese [working on a vegan version of this], and chili). While browsing the Post Punk Kitchen website, I came across this wonderful  Sloppy Joe recipe. The meat substitute in this dish is called seitan (pronounced "say-tan"). It's sometimes called "wheat meat" because it is made from wheat gluten. It's made by washing wheat flour dough with water. This eliminates the starches, resulting in a dense gluten product. From here, you can cut it up, bake it, fry it, whatever you want! I had never had seitan before, so I was very eager to try it out. Having experienced it now, I can honestly say that it is absolutely delicious and one of my favorite "meat" substitutes, as you can see by the picture. (This is my new vegan hoodie I purchased from an online store.)

Now, when I say meat substitute, I simply mean something that can replace the meat aspect in a dish or
give a dish a more "full" appearance or feeling. I don't want to give the impression that I was craving meat or needed a dish to replicate that feeling of eating meat. Suzanne and I have been incredibly content and happy since giving up meat and other animal based products. It's just fun seeing how we can re-vamp traditional meat based dishes into a creative vegan dish.

Now, back to those tasty sloppy joes. These things were crazy good, and Suzanne even made homemade wheat buns to go along with them. The original recipe called for coconut creamed spinach but Suzanne and I decided to forego that part of the dish. We like Spinach and coconut, but we just weren't in the mood for it. You can find the recipe at the link below. (I would type it out, but I'm pressed for time and I have some catching up to do on the blog!)

http://www.theppk.com/2012/04/jerk-sloppy-joes-with-coconut-creamed-spinach/

So, Suzanne and I have been vegans for a little over three weeks now, and we're absolutely loving it. To be honest, if you would have asked me several years ago about going vegan, I would have said, "Pfffft, man, I just don't think I could do it." The reasons behind that response would include laziness and the ridiculous idea that my body "needs" meat in order to sustain itself. This experience has been very enlightening for me. It has opened my mind to alternative methods of nourishment and sustenance while maintaining a healthy approach. Not only has my health improved, but this dietary change has also brought my wife and I closer together. Since we can't have "lazy" nights that include ordering pizza and wings, we end up spending time together in the kitchen; cooking and laughing, and then being rewarded with a beautiful supper. It's just nice knowing that the food we make and eat is nourishing our bodies and the experience of making it is nourishing our souls. In one of my earlier blogs I mentioned that Suzanne and I would be doing this for the month of October. Now, things are starting to look a little more permanent. I can't say that I know we'll eat vegan forever, but as of right now, this has been a special change for us and I don't see us changing it anytime soon.

While eating vegan has brought forth a plethora of positive changes in our life, there has been one change that could be seen as negative. If you HATE doing dishes, you might struggle with all the required cooking :P

To some, this may look like a mess or a chore. To me, I see a night well spent and a fridge full of wicked good food. Have a great day everyone!

-Bearded Vegan

Mango Fried Rice For Everyone!

So, I've discovered that I really enjoy cooking Asian dishes. I'm not entirely sure what it is about making them that I enjoy so much (it might have something to do with the flavors), but my experiences and yielded results thus far have been excellent.

I decided to try my hand at this Mango Fried Rice recipe I found on the Post Punk Kitchen website. It was considerably easy to make, however, I was unaware of just HOW MUCH this recipe made. When I say "Mango Fried Rice For Everyone," I mean it. This recipe made about 6 to 8 servings, so you'll have plenty to go around if you decided to take this one on.

The dish was absolutely delicious. What Suzanne and I found so incredible about it was that we could honestly taste every single ingredient in the dish. It was sweet, savory, filling, and full of flavor. Another highly recommended dish for those of you who want a wicked awesome Asian dish.

THE RICE:
(RECIPE NOTE: To make this work really well, you need to cook the rice, cool it, and then add it into the pot with the other ingredients. By using cold rice, it prevents it from getting mushy and sticking together when heating it again later.)

• The Recipe calls for 6 cups of Jasmine rice.
• Boil 9 cups of water in a large pot. Once it begins boiling, add in your rice, lower the heat a little, and stir the rice occasionally.
• Once the rice is done, I covered a baking pan in parchment paper, dumped the rice on the pan, and set it in the freezer while I prepared everything else.

PREPPING THE OTHER INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Tablespoons of oil (divided)
• 3/4 cup of roasted cashews
• 6 oz of green beans (I used organic frozen green beans)
• 1 medium red onion
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon of minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons of crushed coriander seed (I used a rolling pin)
• 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes
• 3 Tablespoons of Tamari Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon of Sriracha hot sauce
• 1 tomato cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 mangos (I used a can of diced mangos however, I want to try using frozen mangos next time [more flavor] or substituting pineapple for the mango.)
• Basil leaves
• 2 Tablespoons of lime juice

(RECIPE NOTE: You will want to use a LARGE wok or pot for this recipe.)

First, preheat a pan to medium high heat. Once the pan is heated, drizzle one Tablespoon of oil into the pan and drop in your green beans. (I heated my green beans first but if you use fresh green beans you can skip that step :P) You want to sear the green beans, so shuffle them around for about 3 to 5 minutes. Once they are done, you can throw them in a bowl and set them aside.

Add another Tablespoon of oil into your pan and put in your diced onions with a dash of salt. Shuffle them around until they are lightly browned but still firm (about 3 minutes). Then add in your 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon of minced ginger, 2 teaspoons of crushed coriander, and 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes. Toss this all together for about 30 seconds.

Take your rice out of your freezer. Add 1 Tablespoon of oil to the pot with the onions and spices and then add in half of your rice. Stir this around until the rice is covered. Add the remaining rice (I also added one more tablespoon of oil) and stir until the rice is covered. Let this cook for about 3 minutes.

Add your Tamari sauce, Sriracha, and tomato and toss until the sauces and tomato are worked in. Cook for another 3 minutes.

Lastly, add the green beans, cashews, mango slices, basil, and lime juice. Cook until everything is heated through. You can taste and add the desired amount of salt.

Boom dizzle...you have some tasty Mango Fried Rice!

SIDE NOTE: As you may already know, I like spicy food. So, I had the bottle of Sriracha sitting next to my bowl for added heat and flavor. I highly recommend it!

Hope all is well friends! Take care and stay warm!

-Bearded Vegan

Eggless Egg Salad, Hoppin' Habanero Vegan Chili, & Everyday Pad Thai part II!

Hello friends! Sorry for the absence of posts over the last few days. My students just turned in their latest paper assignment and I've been busy grading. Despite the heap of papers that have been keeping me busy, I have still been able to eat some incredibly delicious dishes! (As you can see in the picture.)

This is me enjoying an Eggless Egg salad sandwich! I remember the first time I ever had Eggless Egg Salad. I was living in Grand Forks, North Dakota and working on my Masters of English at UND. I had just finished a movie at the East Grand Forks theater and was riding my bike back home when my stomach started grumbling like mad crazy. I stopped at Amazing Grains, the local co-op, walked to the back of the shop and saw a nicely wrapped Eggless Egg Salad sandwich. I was very curious and very hungry, so I bought it. I made myself comfortable outside and took my first bite. It was absolutely delicious and I had no idea that tofu could taste so good! Eventually, I met Suzanne and I introduced her to the sandwich. She loved it, and being the amazing chef that she is, she tried her hand at the recipe. What she has developed is a drool inducing recipe. I unfortunately do not have it, but you can find it on her blog, http://whereitvegan.blogspot.com/.

Suzanne also made two batches of chili this past week. I have been blessed with an incredible wife who not only loves me, but also knows how to get my taste buds going crazy. I like spicy dishes and Suzanne made me my very own pot of Habanero Vegan Chili. This stuff blew me away. It packed some major heat, major flavor, and kept me warm during the chilly fall days.

The side dish is a little cup of eggplant hummus; another Suzanne Pastrano original, to go with the pita chips on my plate.

Again, I can't stress how fortunate I am to have married such an amazing woman. Suzanne has been such a great team mate during this new change in our lives. She's encouraging, inspiring, and so supportive. This whole experience has been incredible and I wouldn't want any other person by my side.

Wednesday was kind of a rough day. The work day was long and I was just beat. Typically, I wouldn't have wanted to cook a meal, however, this new dietary change has shifted my perspective. Cooking has become more of a cathartic experience rather than a chore. Although it's work, I see it as an enjoyable form of work in which I can channel my concentration and release my stresses of the day.

Suzanne had requested the Everyday Pad Thai again because it's just that good. I got all of the ingredients ready and she helped me prepare the dish. This was our Take 2 of Everyday Pad Thai. Everything was the same for the most part. The only new addition was the sliced jalapeño for some added heat.

This dish was just as good the second time around and I'm sure it will become a staple in our household.
You can find the recipe for this dish on my post titled "Everyday Pad Thai."




When I got home Friday evening, I decided to kick off my weekend with a nice walk in the brisk fall weather. I packed my tobacco pipe, put on my favorite hoodie, threw on a stocking cap, and hit the sidewalks. I came across this during my walk and decided to snap a photo.

Feeling blessed to live and breath during these beautiful fall days. Hope all is well, friends!

-Bearded Vegan

Spaghetti with Lentil "Meat Balls!"

Suzanne and I were invited to a friend's birthday party this past weekend and we saw it as an opportunity to 1. create a new dish and 2. put some vegan stereotypes to rest. My friend's father had planned an Italian themed dinner, and since most Italian dishes are laden with meat, Suzanne and I offered to bring a dish for ourselves and to share if anyone was interested. What we ended up bringing to the party was Spaghetti with Lentil "Meat Balls."

Before I talk about the recipe, I wanted to talk a little about stereotypes. I feel like our society has developed some unfair stereotypes of veganism. I can't help but notice that whenever I mention the word vegan or say that a dish is vegan, people grimace, as if the food I eat has absolutely no flavor; which is absolutely contrary. I also hear the question, "How do you live without eating meat?" The answer is simple. I live quite well.

Making this dietary transition has opened my eyes to some unfair treatment and preconceived notions about only eating fruits, vegetables, and other organic foods. Now, I'm not trying to turn this into a pity party or anything, I'm only suggesting that we, as a society, try to open our minds to diverse dietary habits. Rather than saying, "Ughhh, what the heck?" when someone says they are vegan, why not say, "Interesting. What is that like for you?" It seems as if corporate organizations and certain societal fads have somehow trained us to think that any food associated with words like "health" or "Vegan" or even "vegetarian" are gross, bland, or too much work to make. What I propose is this: try living life by the famous phrase, "Don't knock it 'til you try it." Not only will it open you up to a multitude of new experiences, which will elicit growth, but it will also develop a deeper state of understanding and acceptance of diversity. With that being said, I give you Spaghetti with Lentil "Meat Balls."

NOODLES:
Super simple. Grab whatever noodles you want (we used gluten free wheat noodles) and boil them in a pot.

PASTA SAUCE:
1 large can of diced tomotoes
1 TBL spoon tomato paste
1/2 tsp of garlic
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 tsp of oregano
1 tsp of basil
3 TBL spoons of sugar

Put these ingredients in a pot and let it simmer, stirring occasionally.

LENTIL "MEAT BALLS":
1 clove of garlic
1 red onion (about the size of a tangerine)
1 and a half cups of cooked green lentils
3 TBL spoons of nutritional yeast
2 TBL spoons vital wheat gluten flour
2 TBL spoons of soy sauce
1 TBL spoon of tomato paste
1 tsp olive oil
2 TBL spoons of water
1/2 cup of bread crumbs

Dice the onion and garlic. Put them in a food processor, making sure that they are minced (you don't want any big pieces because then your "meat balls" won't stay together very well).

Once they are minced, use a spoon or spatula and transfer the onion and garlic to a bowl. Next, put the remaining ingredients into the processor, EXCEPT FOR THE BREAD CRUMBS, and pulse them until they are a smooth texture, almost like a paste.

Combine this mixture with the onion/garlic mixture and then add in your breadcrumbs. Mix these all together with your hands for about 2 minutes or until everything is mixed really well.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grab a frying pan. toss in some oil and set the heat to medium. Begin rolling the past into your "meat balls" (this recipe made about 30 or so). I would suggest cooking about 7 or 8 at a time to help reduce crowding in the pan. Place your "meat balls" into the pan once it's heated and brown them for about 5 minutes. Once they are done, transfer them from the pan onto a covered baking sheet. Place them in the oven and let them back for about 20 minutes. Be sure to toss them around periodically to make sure that all sides get browned and baked.

That's pretty much it! Once everything is done, just combine your ingredients and enjoy!

I hope all is well out there!

-Bearded Vegan

Vegan Pizza with Jalapeño Barbecue Tempeh!

Since it's October and I absolutely love Halloween and all things related to horror, I decided that I wanted to experiment and create my own Frankenstein vegan dish. What resulted was a delicious vegan pizza that filled our bellies.

You may be asking yourself, "What the heck is tempeh?" Tempeh is a food product that originated in Indonesia. It is a soy product that is made through a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans together. It is often times used as a meat substitute for vegetarian and vegan dishes, giving whatever dish it is added to that "filling" feeling.

The pizza was actually pretty easy to make. Suzanne was in charge of the pizza sauce and dough (she found a nice recipe online that called for wheat flour and other vegan ingredients).

I was responsible for cooking the tempeh and preparing the "cheese." For the tempeh, I steamed it for about 10 minutes by pouring some water in a pan, placing the sliced tempeh in the pan, and covering it.

(When you steam the tempeh you are making it easier for it to absorb the spices and other flavors that you cook it with.)

When the tempeh was done, I drained it, put it back into the pan, and poured in the jalapeño barbecue sauce I had purchased. I also added some sautéed red onions for additional flavor. I cooked this all together for about 10 minutes - until everything was heated throughout.

When the tempeh and onions were done, we covered the dough with Suzanne's rocking sauce, spread out the barbecued tempeh and onions, and then topped it off with our "cheese." For the cheese, we used a product called Teese, a soy based cheese product that resembles mozzarella. We placed the pizza in the oven for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. When the 15 minutes were up, we cranked up the heat to 450 degrees for 3 minutes (as recommend on the Teese packaging) to get the Teese to melt even more.

Overall, we thought the pizza was delicious. I thought that the tempeh had some great flavor but the texture was something to get used to for me. The more I ate, the more I enjoyed it. While the Teese tasted good on the pizza, one of its ingredients was coconut oil, which was very present in its flavor. Our final consensus was that we would probably omit the Teese the next time we make the pizza. Like I said, it still tasted good, but the coconut flavor just didn't really jive with us on that particular pizza.

All in all, the Frankenstein vegan pizza was a success!

-Bearded Vegan

Everyday Pad Thai!

I know Suzanne and I haven't even been doing this for a week, but this is my favorite recipe thus far. I now know why the recipe is called "Everyday Pad Thai." It's because I want to eat it EVERY FRICKIN DAY. This dish is absolutely amazing. If you want to take a crack at this, something I highly recommend, check out the recipe below.

First, you can prepare the sauce. It's easy to make and you won't need it until the end so it's easier if you make it at the beginning and set it aside.







SAUCE:
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 table spoons soy sauce
2 table spoons sriracha sauce
2 table spoons mellow white miso
6 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Mix these ingredients in a small bowl. Make sure that it takes on a smooth consistency. Once done, set it aside to add later.

NOODLES:
Begin to boil some water for your pad thai noodles. These noodles require a little extra attention. Once your water is at a boil, dump in your noodles, remove the pot from the heat source, and let them sit for 5 to 7 minutes or until soft. Once done, drain the noodles and immediately rinse them in cold water.

TOFU:
Take a pan (one big enough to eventually contain all of your ingredients) and set it to a high heat. Once at high heat, drizzle some olive oil into the pan. Take 14oz of tofu, diced into cubes, and throw them into the pan (they should sizzle immediately) and season with some salt. You want to brown the tofu, so get your best spatula and move it around in the pan making sure that it browns nicely (this should take about 5 minutes). Once done, put the tofu on a plate or in a bowl and cover with foil.

VEGETABLES:
Cut up 4 cups of broccoli florettes and some thinly sliced stems and place them in the pan (it should still be set at a high heat and you may need to add a little more oil). Cover the broccoli while it's cooking so it cooks faster and remove when you stir them around. This should take about 5 minutes. You want the broccoli to be lightly charred in some places. Once done, remove from the pan, place them in a bowl, and cover it with foil.

Next, turn the heat down to medium and put 4 cloves of minced garlic into the pan (again, you may need to add a little more oil depending on how much is left in your pan). Stir this around for about 15 seconds or until the garlic starts to brown. Next, toss in one cup of chopped cilantro. Stir this around until the greens start to wilt.

Pour in half of your sauce and stir it around, making sure that it is getting heated throughout.

Next, pour in your noodles and toss them around to coat.

Dump in your tofu, broccoli, 4oz of bean sprouts, and remaining sauce and stir until covered.

When done, serve with a lime wedge and roasted peanuts on top.

BOOM DIZZLE! You have some pad thai that you will want to eat every single day of the week!

While I was making the pad thai I was listening to an awesome local band called Amos Slade (check them out if you haven't already - https://www.facebook.com/Amosslade) and for dessert I had carob covered raisins. Delicious!

Today was an amazing day and I hope ya'll were diggin it as much as I was. Take care and have a great night!

-Bearded Vegan

*Special thanks to the folks at The Post Punk Kitchen. This recipe came from them and after tasting the results, we'll definitely be checking out more of their stuff. http://www.theppk.com/

                                                                                 

Breakfast of Champions: Scrambled Tofu w/ Vegan Sausage and Spicy Breakfast Potatoes!

I woke up this morning, weighed myself, and discovered that I had lost three pounds since Sunday! I decided to celebrate by making a wicked breakfast packed full of flavor. This morning's meal consisted of scrambled tofu with Yves vegan "sausage", breakfast potatoes, and a cup of Kenya Tatu from the one and only Coffea Roasterie.

Suzanne had prepared the scrambled tofu yesterday, so all I had to do was heat up the sausage in a pan. Once the sausage was close to being done, I added the tofu. This worked out well because the tofu absorbed some of the spice and flavor of the sausage, making a delicious egg substitute.

Scrambled tofu is pretty simple. Essentially, you're just browning it in a pan. Break up some tofu into bite size pieces, add your favorite seasonings, some water so the tofu won't stick, and you're set. When I reheated the tofu, I added a little water to the pan. The water cooks out, but it gives the dish some moisture.

With the breakfast potatoes, I simply sliced and diced, threw them into a pan with olive oil, added some salt, pepper, chili powder, and little dash of tobasco, and bam boom pow...I had some awesome breakfast potatoes.

As for the coffee, one of my favorite in-home brew methods is the aeropress. If you are an avid coffee drinker and do not have one of these, I highly recommend swinging by World Market and picking one up or ordering one online. This bad boy will make an insanely delicious 8oz. cup of coffee in one minute and 15 seconds. How you ask? Here's a simple method...

Boil some water in a tea kettle, electric kettle, whatever you have.

Dose 21 grams of your favorite coffee and grind it to a fine grind (3.25 or so...just make sure there are no large visible chunks.)

Pre-wet the paper filter with some of your hot water (this eliminates the paper flavor that can sometimes sneak its way into your coffee.)

Pour some of your hot water into your coffee cup. By pre-heating your cup, it provides an easy transition for your coffee. When you pour hot coffee into a cold cup it shocks the coffee, altering the flavor.

Dump the hot water our of your coffee cup and place the numbered tube of the aeropress on top of your cup. Pour in your grounds. Set your timer for one minute. Begin your timer and pour in 30 grams of water (making sure to cover the grounds) and let that sit for 15 seconds (this is called a preinfusion and helps with the coffee extraction AKA better tasting coffee). Once the 15 seconds are up, pour in your hot water up to the number 4 on the aeropress tube. Let that sit until the timer goes off. Once it goes off, take the "plunger" and plunge the coffee into your coffee cup. Stop when you hear the hissing sound. Voila! You now have a delicious cup of coffee! I use an inverted method in which the aeropress is flipped upside down, however, this traditional method will also yield a tasty cup of coffee.

Happy Wednesday, ya'll!

-Bearded Vegan

Magician in the kitchen

My wife is a magician. Here is a quinoa lentil stew that she made. It's packed full of peppers, dinosaur kale, tomatoes, onions, lentils, quinoa, and extreme deliciousness.

As you can see, I also like to add a little heat to my dishes. I've always been a fan of hot food and am constantly seeking new food that will abuse my palate. Chances are there will be a recipe here featuring a heaping amount of habañero peppers.

Random side note: I just watched a foreign film called The Last Circus. If you're looking for a bizarre and twisted love story featuring clowns during the Spanish Civil War and 1970's Spain, I highly recommend it.

Now I'm just basically trying to fill up space along side of this photo. I could have made it smaller, but that wold have been a disservice to you. You need to see the insane amount of flavor going on here. Okay, end of post.

-Bearded Vegan

The First Temptation: Caramel Corn

Going into this, I knew that there would be moments of struggle and the temptation to eat foods that I had previously eaten before going on a vegan diet. The first temptation came last night.

While Suzanne and I did our grocery shopping last Saturday, we entered Fareway and were greeting by a young boy scout, who was around 7 or 8 years old. He approached us, and with his best business man technique, asked us if we would like to purchase some popcorn from him. His smile revealed two new "adult" teeth with a decent sized gap between them. His mom smiled at him as she sat behind a table covered in different popcorn goods. In this scenario, I saw myself. I was once a boy scout and was required to sell M & M's door to door. My mother, the ultimate trooper that she was, sacrificed her Saturday mornings and afternoons to take me around town to sell my candy so I could have the chance of being top seller and winning the coveted first prize: a new bicycle.

(Side note: Although I didn't win the bike, I won a walk man. This resulted in me being able to take my MC Hammer cassettes on the go.)

I looked at this kid and laughed. I couldn't resist his charm and dedication to his cause, so I bought a bag of caramel corn.

(Another side note: His eyes bugged out of his head when I asked if he could break a $50. It was priceless.)

I had every intention of eating some that Saturday because Suzanne and I were planning on starting the diet on Sunday, however, I had forgotten about it. So, Monday night rolls around and Suzanne and I have some friends over. I was feeling snacky and had a eureka moment. "There's caramel corn in your jeep!" I shouted as I ran to put some shoes on. Suzanne responded, "Um, I'm not sure if we can eat it though." I laughed and shook my head. "Of course we can. It's just popcorn, right?" I proceeded to walk out to her Escape and got the caramel corn out of the trunk. I brought it back in the house, sat down in the chair, and began to read the ingredients. "Almonds, pecans, corn starch...butter." I frowned, dropped the caramel corn onto my lap, and let my head fall backwards onto the the back of the chair. I had never been so devastated to see the word "butter" before. Eventually our friends came over and I offered it to them. It was hard to watch at first, but I eventually got over my urge to dunk my face into the bowl. Suzanne ended up making kale chips, which were awesome, and that got my mind off of the processed sweets.

One of the reasons this was so hard is because I am somewhat notorious for having a sweet tooth. I had trained myself to expect something sweet after I eat lunch and dinner. There are a variety of vegan sweets, and I'm looking into them, however, I think I need to cool it for a bit before I begin to stuff my face with vegan treats. Ultimately, I would like to get to the point where I don't crave or expect sweets after meals but rather enjoy them occasionally. Moderation is key with many things in our society, and this is a perfect example.

So, first temptation: conquered. I'm expecting more, and when they come, I'll be ready with a "vegan one-two combo."

-Bearded Vegan

(Last side note: My wife has already lost 3 pounds since Sunday! Super proud of her!)

Jalapeño mac & cheese with roasted brussels sprouts

For our first dinner as vegans, Suzanne and I decided to make a classic comfort food staple: Mac & Cheese. We found a recipe on post punk kitchen and decided to give it a little spin of our own. (The recipe calls for chipotle peppers but we opted for jalapeños. I also added a little red pepper and a dash of tabasco for an extra kick.)

I had tried my hand  at a vegan mac & cheese last March, and while it was good, this "cheese" sauce was muuuuuuch easier to make and we thought it tasted better too. This dish was awesome, however, it only seems appropriate that I utter that famous phrase from Reading Rainbow: "Don't take my word for it." So, for those of you who are interested, check out the recipe below.

The Noodles:

Boil 8oz. of macaroni noodles in a pot with added salt. (We used a gluten free organic noodle)

The Brussels Sprouts:

Preheat the oven to 425 degree. Cut up 1lb. of brussels sprouts into fourths. Spread them out on a baking pan/cookie sheet and sprinkle them with olive oil and salt. Lastly, throw them in the oven for 18 minutes.

The Sauce:

• 1 cup of soaked raw cashews (should be soaked for at least 2 hours. If time is an issue, you can boil them for 15 minutes)
• 2 tablespoons of meso
• 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
• 2 cloves of garlic or 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 3 diced and seeded jalapeños
• 1 cup of vegetable broth
• Salt to taste

Throw this into a blender and blend until smooth.

Once the noodles are done, drain them and put them back in the pot. Set the burner on low, toss in the sauce, and stir until it thickens. Once the brussels sprouts are done, toss those in and give them a stir. (This is where I added the crushed red pepper.)

Lastly, dish it up and serve! This recipe make about four servings. Today was a great day for vegan food. Suzanne and I have been feeling great and are looking forward to other great meals. We both thought that time would be the hardest thing to work with, so our plan as of now is to make about three different meals on Sundays. This way, we have a variety to choose from during the week and it should last us awhile. Alongside of this dish, Suzanne made some tomato soup and a quinoa/lentil stew with peppers and carrots. Hope everyone had a great Sunday!

-Bearded Vegan

Saturday - Picture Book Style

I began my morning by shaving my head. I wanted to look dapper for our first day grocery shopping for vegan food.


















Suzanne and I put on our best smiles and headed out to get some delicious food. Our stops were the Farmer's Market, Fareway, and the Co-op.


















Our first stop was the Farmer's Market at Falls Park. Despite being incredibly cold and windy, we walked away with some amazingly colorful and tasty food. We also learned how brussels sprouts grow. This was quite possibly the highlight of our trip to the Farmer's Market. I imagined them growing as bulbs in the ground, like cabbages for example. I was not expecting a brussels sprouts light saber.

After the Farmer's Market, we decided that we needed an energy boost. We went to the best coffee shop in town, Coffea Roasterie. We were treated to some amazing coffee and partook in some enlightening conversations including topics such as pugwiches (our friend Emma was wearing a shirt that had a bunch of pug's stacked on top on one another between two pieces of bread, hence pugwhiches), the band Gwar, and Halloween.

After we left Coffea we went to Fareway. On our way there we saw a gorilla.

After Fareway, we stopped at the Co-op and saw our friend Arlo. Dude is the coolest cat around. He helped us find some items that we needed and we ended up walking out with a ton of great stuff. I was pretty excited about the almond butter that we got to grind ourselves. YUUUUUUM!










Some of you may be wondering how much our grocery bill was. The impression is that one will spend a ton more money on "health" food because it's considerably more expensive. However, we found that we actually spent about the same amount that we typically spent before. It could have been a little more, but we came to the conclusion that we would actually be saving some money in the long run because we'll be cooking more meals rather than going out to restaurants. Before, we would spend money on groceries and then go out several times a month on top of that. Because the vegan restaurants in Sioux Falls are somewhat limited, we think that we'll end up saving a little money with this transition. Only time will tell!

Suzanne and I will be making our first vegan meal tonight and we couldn't be any more excited. On tonight's menu is Chipotle Mac & Cheese with Roasted Brussels Sprouts! Pictures and recipe to follow tonight!

-Bearded Vegan

Earthlings

My wife and I recently decided to cut cable from our daily life. When we moved into our new townhouse, we wanted to cut down costs, so we opted to keep the Internet (a necessity for school work) but leave out cable television. We had found that we would waste so much time when we had cable. We would come home from a long day of work, make some food, turn on the TV, and just zone out on the couch together. Having made this realization, we wanted to treat our recent move as a new clean slate. Since we have deleted cable television from our lives, we have found that we talk more, even more than we already did which was quite a bit. We have found alternative things to do with our time like read, go for walks, or even play board games and card games. Another nice perk of no cable is that we have been using that time to watch films and documentaries.

Last night we decided to watch a documentary called Earthlings. I had originally heard about this film from a vegetarian friend of mine while I lived in Grand Forks, ND. When I was considering a pescetarian diet, I had talked to him about my decision to do so and he pointed me in the direction of this documentary. I had watched it and felt the impact of it's powerful message, however, over time I had forgotten just how powerful it was.

Suzanne had never seen it and had been interested in checking it out, especially since our new culinary expedition was beginning. Before we started I said, "You ready for this?" remembering how intense some of the imagery was. In hindsight, I should have asked myself this question. As I stated before, this certainly is NOT an easy film to watch, especially if you are sympathetic to any kind of animal or living creature. Essentially, the film explores the relationship between humans and animals. The theme that is carried throughout is that we are all earthlings, meaning, we are all creatures of earth. We are all evolving, adapting, and growing together in our shared environment. However, over the course of time, humankind developed a sense of superiority, and this sense of superiority led to speciesism: the placing of one species' value and worth above or over another. In other words, we humans began to believe that we were better then animals because we have certain abilities that they do not, for example: cognitive thinking, analysis, free will, etc, and this doesn't only apply to animals. Looking back through history we can see accounts where certain groups of individuals or races thought they were superior to others (slavery, the holocaust, civil right movement...) 

This superiority complex warps the perception of worth or value. When one sees something as having little or no worth/value, one tends to treat it with disrespect or without care. This is made evident in some of the footage in the film: people throwing chickens against walls at full force, jumping or stomping on animals' heads, abandoning pets on the streets, and beating animals into submission. Now, I understand that not all farms and operations are like this. There are indeed farms that treat animals with respect and love. However, a lot of the meat that we consume comes from farms where incidents like this happen. People think that because they are bigger and stronger that they can dominate the creature that they see as insignificant.

You may be wondering, "Is Xavier becoming one of those crazed animal activists?" The answer is no. However, I do believe that all creatures, humans and animals alike, deserve to be treated with respect regardless of size, shape, color, etc. We are all inhabiting the same planet, working everyday, trying to gain a better understanding of who we are, why certain things happen, and how to survive. We should try to help one another achieve these goals rather than hinder the possibility of growth.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one of my favorite educators and philosophers, wrote a text entitled A Discourse on Inequality. In it he says, 

"The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said, 'This is mine,' and found people naive enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars, and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not any one have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows: Beware of listening to this imposter; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody."

Watching Earthlings was a great reminder of how I feel I should view my surroundings and the people and creatures that exist in it. I really do recommend it to those of you who are interested. It's not some kind of "animal rights propaganda film," but rather, a film that calls one to question their views of their role in society. Have a rad day everyone, and be good to one another.

-Bearded Vegan

Shedding Pounds: Some Backstory

For those of you who have known me since high school and college, you have probably noticed the changes of my appearance. However, there are those of you who have only known me for a few years or even months. With that being said, here's a little rundown of the major changes that have occurred over the past nine years.

• I now have a beard (one in which I take great pride in).
• I no longer have any hair on my head (my fears of looking like Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince were put to rest when I actually got the guts and shaved it).
• I am married to my best friend, Suzanne. She's an amazing support and inspiration in my life, and as you will soon learn, the very inspiration behind the reason for this blog.
• I have achieved my goal and dream of being a college English instructor.

While all of these changes stand out, I think the biggest one that most people notice is my change in size...

• During the Fall of 2007 (my senior year of undergrad), I was at my heaviest weight. I was 21 years old and I weighed 370 pounds. It is now the Fall of 2013. I am 27 years old and I weigh 239 pounds. Over the past six years I have lost 131 pounds.

The weight loss process has been an amazing experience for me. I achieved big and small dreams that I never thought I would be able to do. I ran my first 5K last May and ran several others in the months that followed. Rather than having to purchase an XXL or 3XL shirt, I now fit in a Large. Instead of looking for size 52 or 54 pants, I am looking for a size 36. It may sound ridiculous, but there is an indescribable feeling of joy and happiness in having the ability to purchase clothes at a "regular" store or section rather than the "Big & Tall" department. Most importantly, I feel better, both mentally and physically.

Many people ask me, "How did you do it?" Well, it was a combination of things. The most important ones being diet and exercise. I was essentially eating garbage in college (frozen and processed foods, soda, beer, carbs, carbs, and more carbs) and I wasn't as active as I needed to be. I occasionally went skateboarding with friends but you would never catch me in the gym working out or even going for regular walks. I had eaten myself into obesity and lethargy. 

When I graduated and attended the University of North Dakota to work on my Masters of English in 2008, I slowly became more active. The walk from my apartment to the building in which I taught and had classes was about a half mile away, so I was walking that at least two times a day. Also, I was living on my own and not eating on campus. I was required to eat meals in which I cooked myself. Rather than loading up on frozen pizzas and corn dogs like I had done in the past, I decided to expand my cooking abilities and prepare meals that had more color and nutrients.

By the time I went to Norway in 2010 to teach college composition at the American College of Norway in Moss, I had lost about 40 pounds. When I came back from Norway (Spring of 2010) I had lost an additional 30 pounds. Norway was a massive factor in my weight loss. Due to their strict food laws, I wasn't eating the processed and hormone injected foods that I was back in the United States. I was eating more fruits, vegetables, and I was much more active. Because I had no car, I walked everywhere. As my days in Norway started to dwindle, I got to thinking about how I could continue to eat healthy and lose weight. 

That's when I decided to adopt a pescetarian diet (I would eat fish, more vegetables and fruits, but no red meat or chicken). This diet forced me to explore new and interesting foods. I discovered that eggplant, as weird as it looks, is actually quite delicious. I began to enjoy other foods that I previously "thought" I disliked like mushrooms, brussels sprouts, and broccoli. Along with this diet, I also kept up with my walking and eventually got comfortable running.

I did the pescetarian diet for about five months and lost a considerable amount of weight. I switched back to my regular eating because I felt that the diet helped me put my food consumption in perspective: it disciplined my eating habits and helped me transition back into American foods without me going out of control upon my return.

Now, it's 2013 and I'm at a comfortable 239 pounds. However, I still feel that there is more I can do to become healthier and more that I can learn about healthy eating. That is why my wife and I have decided to become vegans for the month of October, with the possibility of extending into future months.

I used to be one of those people who would roll their eyes at the thought of becoming vegan. I would think, "What the heck? They're just vying for attention." or "No way, man. That's way too strict. Let me eat what I want to eat!" Now, however, I find myself amongst a growing population that is suffering from more and more cases of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, etc...and I don't want that for myself. After reading books and articles and watching many inspiring documentaries, my wife and I have decided to give this a try. Will it be difficult? At times, yes. Will it be beneficial? We really think so. Are we doing this for attention? No. We're just a young married couple who wants to try something different, something fresh, something that will give us a new perspective of the food that comes across our table. So, here's to kicking off a new lifestyle. If you're interested in seeing what our journey is like, I'll be keeping regular posts here. Have a wonderful October first, everyone!

-Bearded Vegan