The Sad Truth About Your Thanksgiving Turkey (Infographic)

Infographic by Jan Diehm for the Huffington Post.

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Pumpkin Pie Ⓥ

I can't actually believe that I haven't posted a traditional pumpkin pie recipe yet! I made this last week and posted a photo on instagram and immediately had people requesting the recipe. So, here it is! 

For whatever reason, pumpkin pie mixtures have tended to be runny for me in the past (looking online, I've seen lots of others have this same problem), even when following various recipes perfectly. I've found a few tricks that help, as well as the right cooking times-and allowing the pie to set overnight. So hopefully you, too, will enjoy non-runny pumpkin pie. ;)  I've added some helpful hints and ingredients that will help below.

Anyway, what's more amazing than pumpkin pie this time of year? Nothing, that's what! Enjoy this healthy, easy, delicious recipe for yourself and those you love to share with. ;) 

Pumpkin Pie

Pie Crust:

2 cups Almonds, (or pecans or walnuts)

1/2 cup Dates

Dash of sea salt

Blend the crust ingredients together in a food processor or high speed blender. You want it to be blended enough to hold together, but not so blended that you end up with almond butter. ;) Evenly distribute in the bottom of a lightly oiled pie plate, pressing it down evenly.

Pumpkin Pie Filling:

1 16-oz can of Pumpkin Puree (unsweetened)

1/4 cup Tapioca Starch 

1/2 cup Agave (or sweeten to taste with stevia and just add a touch of agave)

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Ginger, ground

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 cup almond milk or water 

1 tbsp Coconut oil (optional, but highly recommended)

Preheat oven to 425℉.

In a food processor, blender, or even just a large bowl, combine your ingredients until well mixed. 

Pour into your pie crust. 

Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F, and then reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake until filling is set, about 50 minutes--check it frequently so you don't burn the crust.

Let cool and set overnight in the refrigerator. 

The coconut oil helps to solidify the pumpkin mixture once you take it out of the oven and allow it to set overnight, this is why I highly recommend using it. You don't Need it, it will still taste amazing without it, but it just might be a little less firm. 

Top with Coconut Whipped Cream (super easy recipe here) and enjoy! :) 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Happy Thanksgiving! Ⓥ

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, so… Happy Thanksgiving Canada! :) 

With my family being a sick we didn't get to do a thanksgiving dinner together, but my hubby and I hosted a Vegan Thanksgiving Potluck at our place with my brother and good friend Tam. Vegan potlucks are the best thanksgivings ever, or for any traditional festive meal. 

[silly face photo reel... life's not complete without one ;)]

Cory made a quinoa kale salad. And I roasted up red kuri squash, parsnips, carrots, and garlic from our garden--and added some sweet potato in there as well. I also made tofu balls and vegan gravy--my usual go-tos for  dinners such as these. Everyone always loves the food, vegan or not, so why the hell not? Beats some poor murdered turkey any day. 

For dessert Tam made the most amazing Lemon poppyseed quinoa flour cake! Sooooo good! 

We stuffed ourselves full of amazing food and enjoyed some great company. All in all, thanksgiving was lovely. :) 

If you're looking for your own ideas for a vegan festive dinner then be sure to check out my other post with suggestions and recipes as well: Holiday Feast. :)

Happy Thanksgiving Canada! Show gratitude wherever you are, you don't need an excuse to give thanks. 

[how many times can I repeat the exact same big goofy smile? Thiiiiss many!]

So, what are you grateful for? How did you spend Thanksgiving--or how do you plan on spending it if you're not in Canada? What are your favourite vegan festive meals? 

Create a nice day!! Much Love and gratitude! :) 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Holiday Feast Ⓥ

 Okay, so I know this is a bit late since Thanksgiving and Christmas have already passed, however I figure for all those other holiday meals that like to pop up throughout the year this would be useful for you to have anyway. well

When it comes to having a Vegan Holiday Feast, many of us aren't quite sure where to start, especially if you're new to the vegan world. This is to give you some ideas, some of my favourites, and how to make sure your guests will enjoy the meal as--because, hey, vegan food is amazing and it's nice to prove people wrong! ;) 

Replacing the essentials...

Vegan Gravy (recipe here)

Vegan Stuffing: Aside from the thought of anything cooking inside a turkey's privates sounding absolutely revolting, vegan replacements are far healthier and tastier (in my personal opinion). Even back before I was vegan and a carnivorous junky, my mother made this dish Not inside a turkey's butt and it was delicious. All you really need are breadcrumbs, spices, and vegetable broth and it tastes just like any other stuffing. You can even find gluten-free breadcrumbs to keep it gluten-free or flavour a Rice dish with stuffing spices. The Recipe here is great.
Or for something a little different try "Rice Stuffing" Recipe here. 

One of my favourite items to make and serve for any Holiday Feast is a Roast. Carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes, parsnips, squash, whatever root vegetables you'd like!
Recipe here: Root Vegetable Roast!

You could also make Mashed Potatoes or yams ,or Roasted Squash. 

Tofurky is a lovely turkey replacement. However, if you're allergic to wheat or gluten, like me, then this is not a good option. My favourite thing to make are Tofu Balls (recipe here), and everyone always loves them, I haven't heard anyone not like them yet. 

If you want something non-traditional, I love making Mac 'n' Shews, the most amazing vegan macaroni and cheese recipe ever! 

A Cauliflower bake is another wonderful addition to a Holiday Feast. I'll share a recipe soon from a friend of mine that she made at a potluck back for Thanksgiving. And any other veggie dish is always lovely, and healthy of course!

Really, though, it is not hard to have a Vegan Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner, or any other feast. You don't have to sacrifice anything, you won't feel as if you're missing out on that turkey or any other meat once you try a vegan feast. Give it a try and you'll fall in love with a vegan lifestyle as I have! :) 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Vegan Gravy Ⓥ

 This is so simple and easy to make, plus you're not using unhealthy animal fat (yuckyyyy!). I don't know why you'd ever want to use gross meat-stuff ever again. ;) 

This is also gluten-free, although you can make this with just about any flour. :) 

Vegan Gravy

3 cups Vegetable Broth

3 Tbsp Olive Oil, divided

1/3 cup Rice Flour (or any other flour)

dashes of black pepper

3/4 tsp Salt

In a heated medium pot, add the oil along with the flour, stir together. It should become a gooey clump. Add a little more oil if necessary. Toast for approx. 15 minutes in the pan until it smells toasty and turns a medium brown colour. Stir practically the entire time so it cooks evenly. Use a whisk to avoid clumping as well. 

Stream in the 2 cups of broth, whisking constantly so it doesn't clump--the trick is to add the broth slowly, if you do it too quickly it will clump. Whisk until it's thick and smooth. 

Add pepper and salt to taste, parsley is a nice addition as well, feel free to play around with flavours.

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☆ The Anatomy of a Genetically Modified Turkey ☆

I'm going to get right to the point today, because I wanted to share this infographic if you don't already know this information.

The majority of fowl are now genetically modified due to consumer demand, needing to produce more mass on their bodies and more quickly to meet that consumer demand. Really, there is nothing natural about them anymore, and the lives they live are not lives at all but a continuous painful existence. 

This infographic takes a look at the anatomy of a genetically modified bird. 

Read the details for yourself — and consider skipping the turkey altogether, or at least choosing an organic option--although these standards can be loose so unless it's a local farm you trust you might not be getting much better as far as the cruelty goes but you wouldn't be eating something genetically modified. 

Infographic courtesy ethicalocean.com

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Our Thanksgiving Potluck! Ⓥ

So it's Sunday which is usually Recipe day however it's late in the day and I am busy cooking myself dinner--but allowing myself a short distraction--however I won't leave you without at least a peak into my vegan kitchen this beautiful Sunday day ;). 

Last weekend Cory and I hosted a Vegan Thanksgiving Potluck at our place with some close friends. It was an awesome way to enjoy a fabulous vegan thanksgiving--with half the work! In fact, I think it was my favorite Thanksgiving to date! Everyone made a delicious dish that was both Vegan and gluten-free and I can't put into words just how amazing everyone's dish was. Potlucks are such a fun way to try new food and recipes and get people creative and thinking vegan if they don't already. Yes, my vegan master plan is revealed (insert evil maniacal laughter here). But in all seriousness, it was fantastic... no wait, no being serious! Life is too awesome! It was fabulous and wonderful and filled with laughter, smiles, and silliness! The food was delicious and the company fantastic! What was not to love?! Plus I spent all of that day dancing around to pop music while cleaning and cooking. A perfect day. But enough talk, here's some visual stimulation for you to drool over...

My Macaroni & Cauliflower Cashew-cheez (recipe here!) and Tofu Balls (recipe here!) with a gravy sauce! 

 Talia's Cauliflower Bake with lemon juice dressing and capers! and Max's Mashed Yam Potatoes!

Tam's Roasted Squash with maple syrup dressing! 

My lovely friend Bridget also brought a yummy carrot salad but she was a bit late arriving and I never got a picture. But you can take my word for it, it looked and tasted fantastic! As did everything! 

And for dessert, that yummy Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie I posted the recipe for last week! ;) 

Look at that beautiful plate!! There was such a variety and diversity of flavors that complimented each other perfectly--and there was no planning involved! So good! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie! Ⓥ

Okay, so this was my first time making anything with stevia instead of other sweeteners so I was a little nervous, especially because I made this for our Thanksgiving Potluck! Stevia has a very unique flavor and it takes some getting used to. I initially added too much stevia and ended up using brown rice syrup as well to try and mask the strong flavor, but the stevia taste was still present. As it turns out, everyone loved it! Nervous for nothing! But if you don't want to use the stevia then I've left the sweetener in brackets for you to opt. out instead. 

This Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie was super delicious!! And the extra fun part is you get to taste the batter before it's cooked so you can make it perfect... and get a little treat while you're make it. ;) I was guilty of dancing around the kitchen while blasting silly pop music while I made this as well. Who said cooking can't be fun?!

Oh yeah, and this recipe is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and positively delightful! 

Make sure you soak the cashews overnight! 

For this recipe I used a super simple and delicious alternative pie crust, recipe here.  

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie:

1 1/4 cup soaked raw Cashews (soaked overnight in salted water)

2 cups Pumpkin Puree

1/3 cup Almond Milk

1 tsp Stevia (depending which kind you're using!)

1/2 cup Agave Nectar (if not using stevia then use 1 cup of Agave)

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Ginger

3 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 tsp Cinnamon (optional)

Again, make sure you soak the cashews overnight or for at least 6 hours. 

Drain the nuts and set aside. 

Preheat oven to 375℉.

In a food processor, combine the cashews with all the other ingredients. Blend until a creamy mixture is reached. Pulse in additional cinnamon if you want a more cinnamon taste. 

Pour puree into pie crust. 

Swirl and smooth with a fork. 

Bake at 375℉ for 30 minutes. Cool and place in fridge to firm up before serving--the longer the better so it has time to fully firm up. 

Top with vegan ice cream or whip cream and enjoy this delicious festive treat! This is easily one of my new favorite desserts! 

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☺ Inspirational: Motivational Mondays! ☺

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!!! Happy Columbus Day U.S!! Happy Monday everyone else!!! ;D What a wonderful reason right there to love today and to gain momentum for the week! 

☺ Dance around and listen to Bad Pop Music! I am currently doing this while cooking food for our little vegan Thanksgiving potluck. It is fun! I am jumping from room to room, throwing ingredients together and having a good 'ol time! Join me!! 

☺ What are You Grateful For? With it being Thanksgiving it seems like a logical task for the week. Make a list of all the things you are grateful for--whether it's Thanksgiving for you or not, it's a great exercise that should be done often! Appreciate your life! I am grateful for love, laughter, beaming smiles, hugs, positivity, YOU, and all the amazing family and friends I am so fortunate to have in my life! What are you thankful for? :)  

☺ Shop Second Hand! If you're shopping for something new why not check out your local thrift stores first? You'd be surprised by what awesome stuff you can find there! It's a great way to save some money and be good to the environment.     

☺ Go for a Fall Walk! If you're lucky then you are getting to see beautiful fall colors as the leaves float down to the ground. Go out and enjoy it! In Nelson the colors aren't changing too much, but it is still pretty. Enjoy being outside any time of the year. 

☺ Be Happy for others! I'm not sure what the bad attitude is always about, but many people feel threatened or some negative emotion when someone else accomplishes something awesome, especially if you deem said-person as "competition." Drop the bad attitude and be happy for them! Becoming happy for someone else will bring you accomplishments of your own--so some good old law of attraction and karma for you!

 ☺ Take Part in the Occupy Movement! There's a re-love-ution coming!!! Take part! Find an Occupy event where you live or start one yourself! This has become a global movement, let your voice be heard as part of the 99%!! Check out this post for more on this movement ;) http://www.reloveplanet.com/2011/10/occupy-movement-its-time-for-change.html       

☺ Hug instead of Handshake! A friend and I were discussing this the other night how lame handshakes are sometimes. Next time someone is going to shake your hand give them a great big hug instead!

Have a beautiful wonderful fabulous week my lovelies!!! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Tofu Balls Ⓥ

These are so absolutely ridiculously delicious! I've brought these to potlucks before and people just eat them right up, even the avid meat-eaters and tofu-weary folk! It is a fairly simple recipe, easy to make and only takes about 30 minutes total. They go great in spaghetti sauce, as a side dish, in subs and wraps, or as a great "turkey" replacement for all of those big festive dinners (like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and so on)--drizzle some vegan gravy over top and I'm in complete heaven!   

I snagged this recipe up from "La Dolce Vegan" cookbook and changed a few little things to my liking. So if you fall in love with this recipe, I highly recommend that you go pick yourself up their cookbooks, like immediately! ;) 

Tofu Balls:

1 cup Tofu (best if its firm but I often use regular and it works just as good), mashed or crumbled

1/2 cup Rice Flour (or other flour)

2 tbsp Tahini (or nut butter)

3 tbsp Tamari

1/8 cup Parsley

1/2 tsp dry Mustard

1/4 tsp ground Black Pepper

1/4 cup flour for coating

2 tbsp Olive Oil

In a large bowl, stir together the tofu, 1/2 cup flour, tahini, tamari, parsley, mustard, and pepper. Place 1/4 cup of flour onto a plate and roll 1/2 tbsp of tofu mixture into a ball and coat with the flour. In a frying pan on medium heat, fry tofu balls in oil until browned all over. Makes approx. 10-14 balls.  

~ my cheesy Tofu Ball "Sub" ...actually a wrap ;) ~

Enjoy!

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☺ Happy Thanksgiving ...(in Canada) ☺

Thanksgiving has become another holiday that I cringe at. Not to be negative, I just find our society harder and harder to look at the more my eyes have been opened. I can't help but think about all the poor Turkeys that endure ridiculous amounts of cruelty and torture to end up on people's dinner plates who don't think twice about how that turkey got there. Ironically, people simply aren't thankful for the Turkey :p 

But hey, I'm not a pessimist and I can look at Thanksgiving as an opportunity to actually reflect and look at the things that I am thankful for in my life. So, here is my list...

I am thankful for Cory, the most amazing and loving husband in the world. 

I am thankful for my Mother. I love her more than anything and I am lucky to have her. 

I am thankful for my siblings, they are amazing individuals and I cherish their relationship deeply. I am thankful for Family. 

I am thankful for Friends. And I mean True friends (you know who you are). I miss them immensely but I am grateful to have people like them in my life. 

I am thankful for Lyla, my little furbaby, and how she wakes me up in the morning by putting her nose to mine.

I am thankful for all the people that I've met in my life.  

I am thankful for being Vegan and that this Thanksgiving I won't be responsible for any animal cruelty. 

I am thankful for Mother Earth and all the life and beauty it gives. 

I am thankful for the beauty of the fall colors.

I am thankful that when I wake up in the morning I get to look out at epic mountains and a pretty lake. 

I am thankful that I can contribute to the well-being of the planet. And I am thankful that Alter-Eco Clothing has been a success and hopefully ReLove Plan.et will be too. 

I am thankful for all the experiences and opportunities I've had in my life. They've made me who I am today. 

How about you? What are you thankful for? And how are you spending your Thanksgiving? And if your Thanksgiving hasn't come yet, will you try to make it Vegan? 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Peace & Love,

xo

~Bianca 

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