neonvegan

myveganlife: vegan-yums: Sweet potato veggie burgers with...

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:18:32 -0500

myveganlife:

vegan-yums:

Sweet potato veggie burgers with lettuce and avocado by Krista June on Flickr.

looks good!

heckyeahvegancupcakes: Raspberries and Sparkling Wine Cupcakes...

Sun, 12 May 2013 11:51:50 -0500

heckyeahvegancupcakes:

Raspberries and Sparkling Wine Cupcakes at Fork and Beans

veganfeast: Tomato Sauce on Flickr.

Sat, 11 May 2013 20:45:42 -0500

veganfeast:

Tomato Sauce on Flickr.

vegenista: Raw Squash Noodles with Lemon-Basil Cashew Cream...

Sat, 11 May 2013 20:45:06 -0500

vegenista:

Raw Squash Noodles with Lemon-Basil Cashew Cream Sauce

The farmers’ market is abound with so many of my favorite seasonal delights - fresh cherries, asparagus, strawberries, romanesco cauliflower, tomatoes, & summer squash! I’ve been waiting for the moment that summer squash arrived at my CSA stand & yesterday I caught my first glimpse! Why the excitement? Raw “pasta” of course! Last summer I bought a spiral slicer, & made my first batch of zucchini noodles with raw tomato marinara & my life changed that instant! I love pasta, but my ever slowing metabolism doesn’t. And really what’s pasta without the sauce? Isn’t it the topping - a spicy tomato marinara, a creamy cashew alfredo, a zesty basil pesto - where all the flavor is anyway? So the beauty of zucchini noodles is that they are practically, if not totally guilt free! And they’re way more fun to prepare than dropping a bunch of dry pasta in boiling water. I enjoy the meditative process of cranking the handle & watching the dense squash become delicate noodles. And I recently cashed in the Joyce Chen for the Benriner, which gives you 3 blade options for varied noodle sizes, & I find the middle size to be perfect for zucchini squash noodles.

While I was instantly inspired by the arrival of squash at the market, I was further inspired by the friendly marketeer at my CSA’s stand. After a brief hiatus, I am back to my bi-weekly share & anxiously rooted through the contents of my box to see what I had to work with. A bundle of “basil fino verde” caught my attention. It certainly smelled like basil, & that was a delight, but looked a bit like thyme. So what should I do with it? Use it as a garnish? Mmmm, sprinkled on pizza, or pasta? Perhaps. I asked the marketeer if he had any suggestions, & boy did he! Win! And turns out he’s vegan. Win! Win! He said he had recently used it to make a “Basil Cashew Pesto” that he used as a spread on toasted bread, & as a dip for artichokes. Wow. Right? Get me some artichokes & baguette! But then, with zucchini & summer squash in hand, my inspiration bell rang. Ding ding! Raw “Pasta” with Basil Cashew Pesto Sauce. I quickly called upon my blog friends for some recipe assistance & came across Dreena’s recipe for “Lemony Cashew Basil Pesto”, & looked no further. What I created was more like a cashew cream sauce than a pesto, & that was certainly the result I was seeking, if you desire more of a “pesto” double up on the basil as Dreena did in her recipe.

“Raw Zucchini Noodles with Lemon-Basil Cashew Cream Sauce”

***adapted from Plant Powered Kitchen

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 medium zucchini, 3 medium summer squash

3 1/2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 clove garlic

3/4 tsp. dry yellow mustard

3/4 tsp. sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 Tbsp. water, plus more to reach desired consistency

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup raw cashews, soaked over night, rinsed & drained

1 cup basil fino verde leaves

2 Tbsp. pine nuts

Preparation:

Spiralize the squash & set aside in a colander to drain excess liquid.

In a food processor, combine lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, oil, & water, & purée until fairly smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Add cashews & basil fino verde & purée until smooth & creamy. Add more water to thin out the sauce if desired.

Toss zucchini noodles with desired amount of sauce. Top with fresh black pepper, a sprinkle of pine nuts, & basil fino verde leaves.

Tastes like summer around here! While I can imagine that this luxurious topping would be wonderful smothering my favorite brown rice spaghetti noodles, the pairing of crisp raw noodles with the rich & brightly flavored sauce creates a wonderful balance of decandence & freshness. This would also make a wonderful sandwich or cracker spread, if left on the thick side. It would also make a wonderful creamy salad dressing! Yum yum! As I plan on going at least 60% raw this summer, this will become a staple in my raw kitchen! Enjoy!

ecocides: A solitary bee drinks the tears from a yellow-spotted...

Sat, 11 May 2013 20:44:14 -0500

ecocides:

A solitary bee drinks the tears from a yellow-spotted river turtle in Yasuní national park, Ecuador. The endangered yellow-spotted river turtle cannot easily brush them away while the solitary bee needs the sodium. The unusual interaction, believed to be the first time seen between these two animals, was captured by Dr Oliver Dangles | image by Olivier Dangles

veganfoodforyoureyes: Cannellini Beans and Kale(?) by ★...

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:47:51 -0500

veganfoodforyoureyes:

Cannellini Beans and Kale(?) by ★ Ozzyopolis on Flickr.

It's Paul Shapiro's Animal News You Can Use!

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:42:22 -0500

vegansaurus:

Big news in Tennessee: The state attorney general ruled yesterday the ag-gag bill is “constitutionally suspect.” The bill is still awaiting the governor’s signature or veto.

Other big news: The Pennsylvania state senator who announced he was going to introduce an ag-gag bill decided yesterday that he in fact won’t introduce it at all.

Here’s a short new Food Day blog of mine on ag-gag, and a new interview of mine on the Tampa NPR affiliate about a variety of farm animal-related matters.

Politico had a big story on the beef and pork industries’ aggressive campaign to kill federal legislation to ban barren battery cages for egg-laying hens. One agribusiness spokesperson quoted in the piece says they oppose the bill so strongly that they’d fight to kill the entire farm bill (which gives them massive subsidies) if the legislation to improve laying hen welfare were included in the bill.

On a more optimistic note, meat giant Tyson Foods reported a 42 percent drop in net income this quarter…

Video of the week: Ever seen a pig and cat play cat and mouse?

Can’t see the video? Watch it on Vegansaurus.com!

Bonus article: If you’re as psyched about the cicadas as I am, enjoy!

Photo

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:43:45 -0500

thecluelessvegan: Utilizing my leftovers for lunch. Whole grain...

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:43:17 -0500

thecluelessvegan:

Utilizing my leftovers for lunch. Whole grain tortilla, hummus, cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, and crumbled falafel.

vegan-yums: Triple Decker Vegan Grilled Cheese by...

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:19:20 -0500

vegan-yums:

Triple Decker Vegan Grilled Cheese by veganhappening on Flickr.

fuckyeahveganlife: teriyaki tempeh with sriracha soba noodles

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:39:10 -0500

fuckyeahveganlife:

teriyaki tempeh with sriracha soba noodles

veganfoody: Dirty Pirate Popsicles

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:58:15 -0500

veganfoody:

Dirty Pirate Popsicles

veganfeast: Grilled Artichoke and Bib Lettuce Salad on Flickr.

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:37:27 -0500

veganfeast:

Grilled Artichoke and Bib Lettuce Salad on Flickr.

veganfeast: Chinese Seitan Salad with Ginger Miso Dressing on...

Fri, 10 May 2013 01:29:38 -0500

veganfeast:

Chinese Seitan Salad with Ginger Miso Dressing on Flickr.

veganfeast: Thai Somen Parfait on Flickr.

Fri, 10 May 2013 01:29:02 -0500

veganfeast:

Thai Somen Parfait on Flickr.

veganrecipecollection: (via Soft, Chewy, Chunky Peanut Butter...

Fri, 10 May 2013 01:14:33 -0500

veganrecipecollection:

(via Soft, Chewy, Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies (GF) - Fettle Vegan)

hummuslove: mothernaturenetwork: Why hummus is having a...

Thu, 09 May 2013 22:32:57 -0500

hummuslove:

mothernaturenetwork:

Why hummus is having a moment

Soaring demand for the unassuming Middle Eastern dip has become an improbable boon for farmers.

I’m not way too excited about the new demand for chickpeas that’s been happening, because they’re primarily for companies like Sabra and Athenos, and, before you know it, it’s going to be awfully difficult to get non-GMO chickpeas at all.

butterflygrace: (via Chocolate Mint Cakes topped with Chocolate...

Wed, 08 May 2013 18:35:51 -0500

butterflygrace:

(via Chocolate Mint Cakes topped with Chocolate Ganache and Whipped Cream | Ana Fernandez)

krembrulei: Homemade Hummus Ingredients: 2 (15 oz) cans...

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:42:44 -0500

krembrulei:

Homemade Hummus

Ingredients:

2 (15 oz) cans Chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

2 tablespoons Tahini

¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice

½ teaspoon Sea Salt (add more or less according to your taste)

1 tablespoon EV Olive Oil

4-6 tablespoons Water

Directions:

Add the chickpeas, tahini, garlic powder, lemon juice, sea salt, and olive oil to the bowl of your food processor

Run to break up the chickpeas

With the food processor running, stream the water in, starting with 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) then adding more if needed to lighten and get smoother

Serve with carrots, celery, and peppers!

(source: girlmakesfood.com)

veganfeast: Samoa Pie on Flickr.

Sun, 05 May 2013 21:20:47 -0500

veganfeast:

Samoa Pie on Flickr.