Introducing…Anne Marie!

Anne Marie (bootiemcgee) is a fellow vegan food addict who has been vegan since 2008. As a personal trainer with a master’s degree in public health, she brings to the table an additional perspective on food and the health knowledge to back it up. Please welcome Anne Marie to the Vegan Food Addict team and check out her version of Curried Chick’n Salad below!

Curried Chick’n Salad with Roasted Pine Nuts and Dried Cranberries

10 ounces of your favorite chicken substitute, shredded or chopped into 1/2 inch cubes (I recommend Gardein Chick’n Scallopini or Gardein Chick’n Strips) (can also use extra firm tofu, well-drained, patted dry and cubed)
3-5 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
1/4 cup water
1 large stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts or other nut of choice, roughly chopped and pan-toasted
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar or sweetener of choice
1-1/2 tablespoons high-temperature oil (i.e…

This is a terrific alfredo sauce. Seriously. Don’t think of this as a vegan alfredo recipe, just think of it as a cleaner, healthier, pasta dish. The flavor is spectacular. Enjoy.

• 1lb linguine
• 1 can coconut milk (full fat)
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 fresh tomato (chopped)
• 1/2 red bell pepper (chopped)
• 1/2 medium red onion (chopped)
• 1 clove fresh garlic (minced)
• 5 fresh basil leaves (torn)
• 2-3 cups of torn spinach

Cook linguine according to package directions.

While cooking, blend coconut milk, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and water. Medium to high speed blender will work perfectly.

Heat olive oil and add chopped vegetables and garlic. Sauté until onions are soft. Add coconut milk sauce from blender and heat until “alfredo” thickens.

Drain and rinse linguine…

Purple fruits and vegetables are often overlooked, as nutritionists emphasize on the power of “green vegetables” and other, more well known, health foods. However, purple fruits and vegetables are crucial for our bodies to function properly for a variety of reasons. I personally believe that purple can be one of the most important colors in your diet, from preventing diseases, to improving beauty and performance.

Some scientists claim that “the darker the food, the higher the antioxidant level.” Purple fruits and vegetables are especially high in the antioxidants “Anthocyanins,” which cause the purple or blue coloring in plants and flowers. Anthocyanins are effective in:

• Preventing ulcers and internal infections
• Inhibiting the spread of cancer cells
• Fighting ‘bad’ bacteria
• Fighting a multitude of human diseases
• Reducing damage in the liver, especially from alcohol consumption
• Lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol
• Supporting healthy digestion
• Anti-aging properties

Purple fruits and vegetables also contain:

• Detoxifying sulfur compounds

The first thing that I noticed upon opening this box, was the wonderful aroma that came from it. Not only does the box SAY artichoke, but the product actually SMELLED like what it said it was, which can’t be said for all brands and their products. After boiling these, I decided to try some, before mixing them in with my other ingredients. These still tasted like artichoke after boiling, and the texture was very nice, and slightly al dente (after boiling them for 6-7 minutes, according to package directions).

I am very impressed with how Eden Foods makes their pastas, and you can actually read more about that on their pasta web site. They take the slow, but better approach, and use vintage equipment to make ALL of their pastas with. Here is also a link to this product on their main web site, if you are interested in…

I went to VegFest today in Colorado. Here is what I ate and some goodies I picked up! 🙂

Breakfast

Maple and pecan crisp cereal, soya milk

My usual sugary weekend breakfast. It always tastes great though, and ice cold soya milk is a nice way to start a (rare) sunny day.

Lunch

Sesame seed bagel with cucumber and strawberries, crisps, grapes, Nakd fruit bar

I thought a fruit based filling might be refreshing in a bagel. It was, although for this purpose I think the strawberries needed to be a little sweeter.

Dinner

Pea risotto, tangerine, sultana and cucumber salad

This is one of my favourite summer dishes and tonight’s version was expertly prepared by my dad. It’s  really nutritious and has a great Italian flavour. It’s also a really good example of how meat and dairy recipes can easily be veganized. This one was supposed to include bacon and butter, but it’s really easy just to use soya spread (or olive/vegetable/sunflower/rapeseed oil), then either omit the bacon…