A Celebration of Veggie Burgers

For burger lovers who want to cut back on meat, vegetarian burgers can be a tasty and healthful way to recreate the burger experience.

In this week’s Recipes for Health, Martha Rose Shulman offers five ways to create vegetarian burgers at home. She writes: I wanted to work on veggie burgers because I have never had a commercial one that I liked. They all taste overprocessed to me, with no fresh flavors. I’ve had much better luck making burgers from Luke Volger’s excellent cookbook “Veggie Burgers Every Which Way.” I especially like his bean and vegetable combos.

Puréed beans make a great binder for grain and vegetable burgers, and an egg added to the mixture will help to hold it together. (If you want to keep them vegan you can, though you have to be careful when you flip the burgers over because they tend to fall apart.)

I found that all of these burgers somehow tasted better a day after they were assembled ― the flavors had gelled, the burgers held together better, and a burger that seemed a bit dry to me right after cooking did not seem so dry the next day when reheated. I can’t tell you why.

Like Mr. Volger, I found the best way to cook these vegetarian burgers was to brown them on one side in an ovenproof frying pan, then turn them and stick the pan in a 375-degree oven for 10 minutes.

Turning can be tricky, but if the burgers do crumble, just patch them back together with your spatula, apply a little pressure and put the pan into the oven. Here are five new recipes for homemade veggie burgers:
Go here http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/a-vegetarian-burger-bash/

"egg" salad no mayo no eggs

from: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/smashed-chickpea-avocado-salad-sandwich/?ut...

Yield: Salad for 3-4 sandwiches
Prep Time: 10 minutesTotal Time

This Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich is a great quick and easy lunch option that is good for you too! The salad also makes a great dip!

ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans (I use Bush's Garbanzo Beans)
1 large ripe avocado
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
Juice from 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
Bread of your choice (I use whole wheat bread)
Fresh spinach leaves or other sandwich toppings: lettuce, tomato slices, sprouts, etc.

directions:
1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Place on a paper towel and remove the outer skins. You can leave them on, but I like to remove them.
2. In a medium bowl, using a fork or potato masher smash the chickpeas and avocado together. Add in cilantro, green onion, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Spread salad on bread and top with your favorite sandwich toppings. I like to add fresh spinach leaves.

Note: This salad also makes a great dip. Serve with cut up veggies, crackers, or pita chips. Also, this salad is best eaten the day it is made because it will turn brown due to the avocado.

If you like this Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich, you might also like:
BBQ Cheddar Chickpea Burgers from How Sweet It Is Smashed
Chickpea Salad from Smitten Kitchen Hummus and
Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Naturally Ella Guacamole
Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Two Peas and Their Pod

What To Eat as a Vegetarian Besides Salad

Love this post by Matt the No Meat Athlete. He gives a great example of what to eat for a full day as a vegetarian.
go here to see the complete article:
http://www.nomeatathlete.com/what-vegetarians-eat-all-day/

What Vegetarians Eat All Day (And It’s Not Just Salad!)

Almost without fail, any time a runner tells me that he or she is really thinking about giving this vegetarian thing a try but is afraid to make the leap, it’s one of three questions that’s holding him or her back: It's not just salad and bread, either.

Will I have to actually cook? Do I have to eat salad all day? How am I going to get enough nutrition (especially protein) to support my training?

Let’s handle the first one right now: the answer is yes. You have to cook your own food. Unless your spouse does all the cooking and he or she is on board with your crazy plan, you’re going to have to learn to cook. (Here “learn” is an overstatement; all you really need to be able to do is follow directions.)

It’s simply not possible in most parts of the world to get the variety of healthy vegetarian foods you need from a takeout window or microwaveable meals. But cooking is fun, and lots of people who have never done it start cooking for this reason and find that they love it. (In a future email, I’ll provide some resources for those of you who think a Dutch oven is what it’s called when…well, you know.)

So that’s out of the way. Let’s look at the next two questions.
http://www.nomeatathlete.com/what-vegetarians-eat-all-day/

Get out there with fido

Spring is sprouting and if you are like most people and their pets, the urge to get outside is almost irresistible! Why not start this spring with a set of new energizing habits and routines? Your dog is certainly feeling the urge to get outside too so what's holding you back? Does your dog pull on the leash and drag you around all over the place? If so, you may want to consider using a dog harness instead of a leash. These babies are said to train dogs almost like magic to walk like a pro and make your walks together enjoyable and energizing . Get more information and reviews of the most popular dog harnesses on the market here: http://www.easywalkdogharnesses.com

Vegan Fest & The Vegetarian Scale

Weavers Way held its second annual Vegan Fest this past Sunday (3/18). Vegetarian starter kits were available for those not quite ready to make the full commitment of a vegan diet.

Vegans do not eat animal products or by-products. The event highlights the many vegan products offered at the two Weavers Way stores in Northwest Philadelphia.

To help you understand where you are on the Veggie-Vegan scale here are a few lifestyle options you can pursue:

VEGETARIAN: Vegetarian is a blanket term used to describe a person who does not consume meat, poultry, fish, or seafood. This grouping includes vegans and the various sub-categories of vegetarian; however, it generally implies someone who has less dietary restrictions than a vegan.

SEMI-VEGETARIAN: The term semi-vegetarian is usually used to describe someone who is a vegetarian who consumes dairy products, eggs, chicken, and fish, but does not consume other animal flesh.

OVO-LACTO-VEGETARIAN: Ovo-lacto vegetarians are vegetarians who do not consume meat, poultry, fish, and seafood, but do consume eggs and milk. This is the largest group of vegetarians.

OVO-VEGETARIAN: Ovo-vegetarian is a term used to describe someone who would be a vegan if they did not consume eggs.

LACTO-VEGETARIAN: Lacto-vegetarian is a term used to describe someone who would be a vegan if they did not consume milk.

VEGAN: Vegan is the strictest sub-category of vegetarians. Vegans do not consume any animal products or by-products. Some go as far as not even consuming honey and yeast. Others do not wear any clothing made from animal products.

(Categories and descriptions provided by vegetarianvegan.com)

Thai Peanut-Sauced Veggie Meatballs

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 14
Recipe by: Morningstar Farms® This recipe has been tested and endorsed by Kellogg and Morningstar Farms.

DESCRIPTION Chile paste with garlic (also called sambal oelek) imparts spiciness to the creamy peanut sauce. Look for the chile paste in the Oriental section of your local grocery store or in an Asian market.

INGREDIENTS
2 packages (8.5 oz. each) Morningstar Farms® Meal Starter® Veggie Meatballs 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons chile paste with garlic (sambal oelek)
2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
3 tablespoons dry roasted peanuts

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare MORNINGSTAR FARMS MEAL STARTER Veggie Meatballs according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in small saucepan whisk together peanut butter, broth, soy sauce, vinegar, chile paste, gingerroot and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through.

3. In chafing dish or 2 1/2-quart crockery cooker place meatballs. Spoon peanut sauce over top, gently stirring to mix. Sprinkle with green onions and peanuts. Keep warm over low heat for up to 2 hours. Serve with cocktail picks.

For more delicious Morningstar recipes, go here:
http://www.morningstarfarms.com/thai-peanut-sauced-veggie-meatballs.html?vers...

Famous Vegan Kids

from: http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/03/celebrities-raising-vegan-kids/

by Dani Stone Travis Barker,

Trim rocker from the band Blink 182 does more than pound on the drums and jump around on stage to stay fit. He also relies on a vegan diet and recently told paparazzi, his children do too. He’s not the only one.

Many celebrities including Alicia Silverstone, Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna have made the decision to make their personal vegan lifestyle, a family choice. Actress Alicia Silverstone is a long-time proponent of a vegetarian diet, which excludes meat, fish and poultry, as well as animal byproducts including eggs, dairy products and honey.

Alicia, who wrote a book about the vegan lifestyle, The Kind Diet and has a vegan website, The Kind Life, once said about her child, Bear Blu, “Bear was grown on vegan food and we’ll continue nourishing him with a healthy diet. . . he’ll be eating an organic plant-based diet.”

Madonna is pretty serious about the food her children are eating too. It’s been reported when she divorced Guy Ritchie, she gave him a strict list about the types of vegan, organic, macrobiotic foods that son, Rocco could have while visiting his father.

We’re used to celebrities touting and promoting every healthy living/fitness trend from Atkins to Zumba but is it okay to insist on this type of diet for their children, any diet, for that matter?

On the Vegetarian Resource Group website, Reed Mangels, PhD., R.D. weighs in saying, “vegan children can be healthy, grow normally, be extremely active and (we think) smarter than average.” Mangels does admit it takes time and thought to feed a vegan child but then reminds us, “shouldn’t feeding of any child require time and thought?”

Though protein is drastically removed from a vegan diet due to the absence of meat, it can be easily replaced with meatless soy options (now more readily available than ever at grocery stores). Oatmeal, peanut butter, beans, nuts, tofu, brown rice, soy milk and broccoli are also good sources.

While some celebrity parents are steadfast in their vegan lifestyle choice, others, including author, entrepreneur and natural food chef, Bethenny Frankel, says she knows her daughter, Bryn Hoppy, may want to stray as she gets older, adding, “As far as raising Bryn as a vegetarian, that was a personal choice. If Bryn is older and wants something at a party that isn’t vegetarian, I don’t want her to feel ostracized. She’ll find her way.”

St Patricks Day Smoothie

by Maureen Shannon
from:Crazy Sexy Diet Blog by Kris Carr

Who needs green beer when you can drink this cheer in glass? Bring out your inner leprechaun with this festive St. Paddy’s day smoothie.

Let the magical powers of this delicious drink dance in your belly and make you smile with delight. Cheers!
Makes 16 - 18 oz.

-1 frozen banana
-11⁄2 cups non-dairy milk (almond, hemp or rice)
-1 tablespoon ground hemp seeds
-1⁄4 cup soaked cashews (soaked in water for 4 hours; drained and rinsed well) -Handful of fresh mint (leaves only)
-Big handful of spinach leaves
-1⁄4 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional)
-1 tablespoon cacao nibs

Prep and wash all produce. Blend ingredients and garnish with a few more cacao nibs and a mint leaf. Serve.

For more healthy sexy smoothies go here:
http://crazysexyjuice.com/

Another Great Reason to go Vegetarian

from: http://www.ecorazzi.com/2012/03/12/pink-slime-in-70-percent-of-ground-beef/

It was only a month ago that McDonald’s came under fire for selling ‘pink slime’ chicken nuggets to their customers. When consumers found out about the process that the meat goes through to become nuggets that never deteriorate, they took to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets to showcase their displeasure at being duped.

McDonald’s, in order to please their customer base, decided that it would no longer use the ‘pink slime’ in the chicken nuggets they serve to the public. But now, meat consumers have another reason to consider going vegetarian if not all the way vegan.

According to a recent ABC News report, 70 percent of ground beef sold in supermarkets contains beef trimmings better known as ‘pink slime.’ Whistleblower and former United States Department of Agriculture scientist, Gerald Zirnstein, claims, “It’s economic fraud. It’s not fresh ground beef… It’s a cheap substitute being added in.”

Zirnstein claims that he and other USDA scientists warned against using the substitute, but that government bosses overruled their objections. ‘Pink slime’ is beef trimmings. It is made from waste trimmings that are simmered at a low heat until the fat separates from the muscle. It is run through a machine to separate the fat and muscle then it is sent through pipes where it is sprayed with ammonia before being packaged into meat bricks.

The bricks are then frozen and sent to grocery stores where it is added to most ground beef as a filler. The ABC News report claims that there are no labels on ground beef packages at the supermarket to warn consumers of the ‘pink slime’ because of USDA links to the beef industry which has labeled the product as meat.

The woman who approved of the mix, over the objections of scientists, was former undersecretary of agriculture, Joann Smith. Beef Products, Inc., the suppliers of ‘pink slime,’ made millions off of Smith’s decision.

After leaving the USDA, Smith was appointed to BPI’s Board of Directors. The USDA claims that Smith’s appointment to BPI’s board was “legal at the time,” but that under new ethics rules she would not have been able to join the board immediately. BPI told ABC News that her approval of ‘pink slime’ had nothing to do with her appointment to the board.

Difference Between Vegetarians & Vegans

from: http://m.timesofindia.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Whats-greener-Vegeta...

What is the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan diet?

Let's find out.
Vegetarian: All green
Difference: If you do not consume meat, poultry, fish or seafood, you're a vegetarian. Here you can include vegans and the various sub-categories of the vegetarian lifestyle.

Vegans can be part of the vegetarian group, but vegetarians can't be included as vegans.

Health benefits:
When it comes to heart, vegetarians - who eat well planned and healthy diets - can be assured of low blood pressure due to lower fat and cholesterol in the basic ingredients that make up a vegetarian diet. Thanks to less food cholesterol, they have lower chances of heart attacks.

Due to high fiber intake and complex carbohydrates found in plants, there are less chances of contracting diabetes. A healthy vegetarian diet assures a healthy body. But the emphasis here is on the word 'healthy.' No matter what your food preferences, a diet that lacks macro and micro nutrients while including heavy oil, sugar and salt, will not be healthy.

Deficiency:
Vitamin B12, which is mostly found in animals is a cause of concern for vegetarians. The only source of Vitamin B12 for vegetarians is milk and eggs. Additionally, animal protein contains all the necessary enzymes needed for protein production, making them complete 'protein' foods.

A plant-based diet needs to depend on combination foods or soy (the only complete plant protein) to provide the body with the necessary enzymes with each meal.

Popularity vote:
A vegetarian diet might benefit the body and environment in several ways, but it is not above the dictats of healthy eating and living. A healthy body is always a product of exercise and adequate nutrition, without unhealthy influences like deep fried foods and processed junk food.

Vegan:
Greener than green

Difference:
Veganism is a philosopy; a choice. Different people have different reasons to be vegan - some could pursue it for health, others for environmental reasons, and most for ethical treatment of animals.

Most vegans feel that their responsibility toward nature must be met with a diet that reflects it. In addition to staying away from all the foods that a regular vegetarian avoids, vegans also stay away from eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps derived from animal products.

Health benefits:
A vegan diet requires heavy balancing, substitution and inclusion. While the 'allowed' foods might be low in fats, high in fiber and some nutrients, they are mostly low in proteins and some other essential nutrients like B12.

However, a well planned vegan diet may keep you away from cardiovascular diseases. The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada said in 2003 that properly planned vegan diets were nutritionally adequate for all stages of life, including pregnancy and lactation, and provided health benefits in the treatment and prevention of certain diseases. (Via)

Deficiency:
Iron and calcium deficiency are the common complaints that vegans should be aware of. Iron IS present in plants but when it comes to meat, iron absorbs three times faster. As for calcium, soy milk is a good option.

Popularity vote:
If you're comfortable with the philosophy follow it wholeheartedly; be a wise vegan and you will stay healthy. But remember that simply quitting some foods does not a healthy body make. You need to monitor your diet for inclusion of all important nutrients in order to truly be healthy. And since the vegan diet excludes many nutrient-rich and nutrient-dense foods, it requires careful planning.

Read more Personal Health, Diet & Fitness stories on www.healthmeup.com

New Fake Meat Factory Promising

from: http://www.gizmag.com/vegetarian-cutlet-factory/21763/

There are a number of reasons that some people choose not to eat meat - for instance, they may not want to support the slaughter of animals, they may wish to avoid the health risks associated with consuming too much animal protein, or perhaps they're not big fans of the environmental impact of raising livestock on a commercial scale.

Unfortunately, if these people still want to eat meat-like foods, a lot of the meat alternatives currently available are kind of ... yucky. Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging, however, is working on a device nicknamed the "vegetarian cutlet factory."

It produces continuous slabs of veggie-based mock meat, which is reportedly quite similar to the real thing. Fraunhofer is one of several groups involved in the European Union "LikeMeat" project, the aim of which is to develop palatable, cost-effective meat alternatives from raw vegetable materials. Some of the main plant sources being looked at include wheat, peas, lupins and soya.

Some previous attempts have involved a hot extrusion process in which plant proteins are mixed with water, heated under high pressure, then pushed into a die. Unfortunately, as soon as the mixture is extruded its temperature drops dramatically, causing it to release steam and foam up. The resulting souffle-like texture isn't exactly like that of steak.

In Fraunhofer's process, the plant protein and water are brought to a boil, but then allowed to cool back down. Since no sudden pressure release occurs, no foaming takes place. Also, however, as the paste cools, its molecules form into chains. This results in an end product with a meat-like fibrous texture.

This process is carried out within the prototype vegetarian cutlet factory machine, which is reportedly about the size of two table tennis tables. It is capable of creating "one endless piece of meat" that is about one centimeter (0.39-inch) thick, and that can be formed into shapes such as morsels, slices, or entire cutlets. It can put out 60 to 70 kilograms (132-154 lbs) of "meat" per hour, or 300 to 500 kilograms (661-1,102 lbs) a day.

While the consistency and texture of the meat substitute are said to be superb, the flavor apparently still requires a little work. Nonetheless, the Fraunhofer researchers believe that by the end of the LikeMeat project, in one year, that challenge will be overcome.

In the meantime, interested parties might also want to keep an eye on what's happening in the field of lab-grown meat - although vegetarians beware, it would technically still be meat.

The Many Varieties of Vegetarianism

Contemplating a vegetarian diet but not sure where to start? This article talks about the types of vegetarians and leads to resources to really help get you started. Here's an excerpt of the article :

Many people start off by being flexitarian which means that they forgo meat a few times a week without commiting to a full fledged vegetarian diet right away. Then you can progress to being pescetarian, meaning that you don`t eat birds or animals except for fish and seafood.

Being Lacto Ovo vegetarian is the next natural progression where you eat no animals, birds or fish but do eat dairy products and eggs. Finally, being vegan is the ultimate in being vegetarian where you eat nothing that used to have a face, plus, no product of an animal. Vegans protect animals from any abuse through their eating choices and in so doing also protect the environment and their health. So, you see, you can take this going vegetarian as gradually or as quickly as you are comfortable with.

There is no pressure to being fully vegan straight away. Any efforts on your part will make a difference in your health, the well being of animals and the health of the environment.

To read the full article and access the resources go to
http://sophiesvegetarianarmy.blogspot.com/2012/02/types-of-vegetarians-and-wh...

Complete Vegetarian Meal Plans

As if I just found out about this... Oh well, better late than never. Treehugger has weekly vegetarian meal plans online all beautifully laid out with recipes and shopping lists.

If you want an easy to follow, tasty vegetarian meal plan for this week or for upcoming weeks, you have to see these. They are lacto ovo vegetarian, Not vegan but still, a very valuable resource. Check it out here:
http://www.treehugger.com/easy-vegetarian-recipes/weeks-vegetarian-meal-plan-...

If you like cheese, this is the meal plan for you! After getting over a cold, and getting my taste buds back, I wanted simple recipes that were really comforting. Enter the grilled cheese! Enjoy.

Monday: Asparagus With Fried Egg Tuesday: Ricotta Gnocchi with Browned Butter, Sage
Wednesday: Italian Bean and Kale Soup (modified)
Thursday: Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Sandwiches + leftover kale soup
Friday: Cream of Asparagus Soup (you should still have grilled cheese fixings) Saturday: Simple Roasted Root Salad Sunday Brunch: Veggie Leftover Quiche

Follow me @jerryjamesstone or subscribe to my Facebook posts for more recipes.