Earthlings

Anyone squeamish from "Food, Inc." would do well to skip this movie altogether. There is little new information here, though it does give those new to activism, animal rights, vegetarianism, etc. a general overview of the role of animals in human society.

The tone of the film started out a bit grandiose and preachy,coining the word "specisist" to define anyone who puts the desires of their own species above any other and linking these people to Nazi's and rapists. This is the kind of talk that often turns the casual viewer (and I mean someone not already entrenched in the cause) off. While the juxtaposition between concentration camps and cattle ranches is a good one, it seems to be used for the soul purpose of horror. The facts are horrific enough and this is where "Food, Inc." was more successful.

The movie breaks the role of animals in human culture down into five categories:

1. Pets- The main focus here is the benefit to adoption and avoidance of pet stores and puppy mills. Footage of euthanasia is stunning in the cases where injection overlooked for the inexpensiveness of gas. I adopted my cat from a shelter and plan to do so for all future pets. I'm a bit torn now as to where is the best place to adopt from though. Should I continue supporting no-kill shelters even though they are unable to support a large number of animals or should I rescue from traditional kill shelters? Am I supporting their killing of thousands of animals or am I rescuing one? It's a tough thought.

"...fellow prisioners of the wonder and travail of Earth."


2. Food- More and more Americans are becoming aware of the meat industry and its shortcomings, thanks in part to films such as this and Oprah. [side note: I want to see a "where are they now" episode following her week long vegan challenge a year from now. How many stuck with it?] The footage is much the same as you have seen before with some exceptions. When I ate meat, I thought Kosher meant better. I was horrified by what was shown at the largest processing plant of Kosher meat in the U.S. How does anyone think this is okay? I have a dream where one day I live in a house and can keep chickens. I keep trying to convince my friends who already have goats to get some chickens and maybe a pig or two. I just want to play with them! Also, I find it difficult to refute eggs that I, essentially, produced. More food for thought.

3. Clothing- Since becoming vegetarian, I have avoided leather products. After reading a post on The Kind Life  about wool production, I am determined to decrease my consumption of animal fibers as well. What surprised me most in this segment was where most leather comes from. It always seemed weird to me that so many leather goods were made in India considering the Hindu belief that cows are sacred, and even more so to realize that it is these sacred animals that are being slaughtered for coats.

"Of all the creatures that were made, man is the most detestable... He is the only creature that has pain for sport, knowing it to be pain." -Mark Twain 


4. Entertainment- Hunting, racing/gambling, rodeos, circuses, bullfighting, and zoos are all profiled here.

5. Science- Focusing on medical testing, experimentation, etc. I try to avoid products that have been tested on animals mostly because I can't imagine what we still need to learn about shampoo. However, I am unsure how I feel about medical testing and am no less confused now. With a running time of only 90 minutes, it is not surprising that questions would go unanswered. However, when an accusation is made I expect a full argument.

"As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields." -Leo Tolstoy

Should you see "Earthlings"? The short answer is yes. It is especially designed with the public in mind, however it is full of graphic images which may be unsuitable for younger viewers. Have you seen this movie? What did you think?

(all quotes as seen in the film)

Mock Chicken Salad

I've kind of been obsessed with mock-chicken salad for a while now. It was one of my favorite sandwiches back when I ate meat but for some reason I haven't tried making it now. Whole Foods makes a nice one, but it tastes a lot like soy which is kind of a turn off. I think I have finally figured it out! Let me know what you think.

Mock-Chicken Salad

2 pcs Quorn Naked Chik'n Breast, diced

2-2 1/2 slices of extra firm tofu, 3/4" thick

1/4 c celery, small dice

1/2 carrot, small dice

1/4 sm onion, small dice

1/4 t celery seed

1/2 t tarragon (flakes or a small bunch diced)

3 T Veganaise

salt & pepper to taste

Cut 2-3 slices of extra firm tofu about 3/4" thick. Loosely wrap in paper towel and press for about 20-30 minutes. You want most of the moisture gone but still a bit damp.

In the mean time, chop your veggies and defrost your Quorn Chik'n Breasts. Next, combine all ingredients except Veganaise, salt & pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly mix in 1 T of Vegainaise at a time until you reach the desired consistency. I prefer my salad a bit on the dry side. No one likes a soggy sandwich! Salt & pepper to taste.

You can always slather some more mayo on toast when you make up your sandwiches. I like to sprinkle it with a bit of Cajun seasoning as well (I skip the added salt in the recipe).

Enjoy!

Meat Free Monday Reviews!

Happy Meatless Monday! Today I thought I would give you a couple reviews of some fast (read: frozen) meals I've tried recently. I've kept it reletavely simple today for food- an apple for breakfast (I was kinds hurting this morning, so this was all I could handle), some edemame with tamari (the uber-good soy sauce) and leftover spinach pizza from my favorite Italian place, and So Delicious Coconut Milk yogurt in chocolate for a snack. Dinner is "baked" gnocci with pesto (recipe to follow) and maybe some salad.

I'm trying not to eat so much processed/frozen dinners, prefering to save the processing for when I really need it like packaged tempeh, seitan, and Tofurky deli slices. However, while cruising the aisles at Central Market the other day when the word "NEW!" caught my eye. Morningstar Farms (my favorite breakfast sausages by the way) now have TV dinners- Sweet & Sour Chik'n and Lasagna. I am a huge sweet & sour fan so I decided to try it. The sauce is good, as are the chik'n bites, but there are not enough of them. The box promised chunks of pineapple, carrots, and peppers. I think mine had three small pieces of pineapple (Okay by me. I don't really like pineapple) and was over running with carrots and peppers. Mostly, what I had was peppers and rice with carrots and a bit of chik'n. Maybe it's because I haven't had a TV dinner in a while, but I also thought it was a bit salty. Overall, I'd give it 3 stars- Perfect for a quick meal when you're out of time, but not good enough to make it into regular rotation. This is also good for anyone just starting out on a more veggie friendly path.
My favorite new discovery is the Naan pizza by Tandoor Chef. So far, I've only found them at Whole Foods but they are to die! Your choices are Margharita, Roasted Eggplant , Cilantro Pesto, and Spinach & Paneer (which I had). I am in love with paneer, a soft Indian cheese, but have never found a good "instant" version. I don't know how one pizza would feed two people because I would have cut someone if they tried to take the other half! It is delicious and flavorful and I want one right now. I can't wait to try out the other versions (Minus the eggplant. I'm just not there yet). 5 stars! Everyone will enjoy.

What are you eating this Meatless Monday?

Soup du Jour!

There's something adorable about boxed soups- I love them! They take up less space in my cabinet and can be easily refrigerated for future use without getting that tin can taste. Plus, they simply look gourmet. My favorite brand is Imagine, which is all organic and mostly vegan! Check out their website for more info including recipes and a coupon!

As much as I love the look of boxed soup, I'm not a big soup girl. The idea that it's a meal in itself never quite permeated my brain. Perhaps this has more to do with eating highly processed, salty canned soups as a child. What I love now, is dressing up a basic soup to make it heartier (if needed) or simply more interesting. The other day, dressed up my Imagine Potato and Leek soup with roasted red peppers and green onions. I thought about adding chunks of potatoes or leeks, but was in a bit of a hurry so I put it off for next time.

Roasting a red pepper at home is easy and incredibly messy. [side note: it turned into such an ordeal, I bought a jar of already roasted peppers the next time I was at whole foods.] I've never roasted a pepper at home, indoors, before but it looked simple enough. The hardest part was figuring out what recipe to use. I ended up placing my pepper directly on the rack under the broiler, turning it regularly until the skin was crisp and black (about 10 minutes). Then I wrapped it in a damp paper towel and let it cool before peeling the skin off. It's important that all the skin be charred and wrinkly or else this step will be a pain in the butt! An alternate method calls for baking the peppers on a cookie sheet in a 500 oven until charred.

Next, I diced the peppers and green onions and placed them on top. My garnish was a piece of toasted french bread with olive oil. Delish!

The next morning, I was determined to use more 0f my beautiful peppers, so I made a breakfast pita. have a told you about Ezekiel whole grain products? They are amazing! I've had the pita's several times. You buy them in the refrigerated or frozen food section, and can even keep them frozen until ready to eat.

For my breakfast pita, I heated the pita in a dry pan for a couple minutes each side. Set aside. Heat about 1-2 T of olive oil (or any kind of healthy oil- almond, sunflower, palm), then sauté diced onion and roasted red pepper until soft. In a bowl, scramble two eggs with a dash of milk, salt, and pepper. Add to vegetables in pan. It's important to let the eggs sit for a bit in the pan. Stirring them constantly breaks the protein apart and ruins them. In my pita, I spread a bit of guacamole and sour cream. Because I can't help myself, I sprinkled some Cajun seasoning in one of the pita pockets- yum! Just before the eggs are done, add a bit of shredded cheese then spoon the mixture into your pita pockets. So good! My secret weapon- Taco Bell hot sauce. Add it when you do the cheese and it's amazing.

What are your favorite soups?

Chipotle Breakfast Quesadillas

My new lifestyle calls for eating a hell of a lot less meat, so I went in search of decent meat substitutes immediately. Based on several online recommendations, the product I was looking for was called Field Roast Grain Meat Co. It didn't sound very appetizing, "grain meat", but I learned it just refers to their blend of "Mien Ching" and "Seitan" that substitutes for traditional meat. As the "original grain meat" creators, they offer everything from sausages to loafs to cutlets to cheese! You can purchase their products at most health food stores like Whole Foods and Central Market.

Wednesday, I downloaded their recipe for their Chorizo-Style Breakfast Quesadilla and cracked open my package of Mexican Chipotle Sausage. The first thing I noticed of the bat was that the spice mixture used in the sausages turned my fingers and cutting board orange ( I later noticed it left it's trace around my mouth as well- uck). The scent was enticing, but the texture was much tougher than beef sausage. It took a lot more pressure to cut into it, which made my bowels nervous for later. Not to worry, everything turned out fine. (And that is my contribution to the TMI blogger movement!)

The recipe is super simple and could be manipulated to include, or exclude, any ingredients. Vegans- I bet tofu scramble would be an amazing substitute for the eggs and you can use vegan cheese too. Yum!

The recipe is a bit misleading though on how many this will feed and how best to present it in the tortilla. For the amounts shown I would use two tortillas, spread the filling over one and top with another. Then it will feed 2 people. For one person, I used half of the sausage and 1 egg plus 1 egg white when I made this again today for brunch. It fit in one tortilla a lot better and was still super delicious!
While I was aware the whole time I was not eating meat, it was delicious and filling. I can't remember the last time I wasn't hungry an hour after eating! I am definitely going to try the other flavors of sausage, and see if I can't find their cutlets as well.

Have you tried Field Roast? What did you like/dislike??

Say Cheese!

Tomorrow marks the start of National Grilled Cheese month. I can't believe it, an entire month devoted to that delicious comfort food- cheese! A meal of cheese and bread may not be the most healthful, so I went digging for ways to upgrade this bad boy to fit into my lifestyle:


- Adding tomatoes and avocado's increases the nutrient value of grilled cheese and it's delicious!

- Heck, add all kinds of veggies to it- roasted red peppers, sprouts, arugula, whatever!

- Use whole grain bread

- Skip the butter usually used to brown the bread and use cooking spray/oil instead.

- Use low-fat cheese (or simply a lower fat cheese like mozzarella)

- Vegan cheese: This is hard to find in a lot of stores, but many Whole Foods (and I would assume Central Market) carry some version. The internet is a flutter with Daiya, which makes a shredded vegan cheese that is supposed to be amazing. You can check out their website for where it's sold. If they don't have it near you, let your local health food store know you want it! You can also order it from Pangea Vegan store.

What is your favorite way to enjoy this traditional treat?

[side note: I found the above picture on a cool blog called Healthy Chow. Check 'em out!

Breakfast is My Favorite Time of Year

You know what they say when you plan ahead- Be prepared for change. Yesterday's Meat Free Monday went off without a hitch, though not quite in the way I expected. An unexpected call to dinner sent me out into the streets, and without my yams! I was good though and had a salad, green beans, and mashed potatoes for dinner. Still, all I could think about were my poor lonely sweet potatoes at home. I can't wait to eat them today. I am also planning the Green Eggs No Ham for dinner tonight, except I just realized I don't own a muffin tin. How do I own every other piece of cooking equipment save a muffin tin? I wonder if I can use a coffee mug. Can you put coffee mugs in the oven?

My favorite thing in the world is having a day off work. Not necessarily because I won't be working, but because it is the only time I get to really make breakfast. Pancakes, breakfast tacos, migas; you name it. Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day. I was never one to skip it, even in adulthood. You just feel so much better during the day if you have something in your belly, and you find you're actually hungry for lunch, not just eating to eat.

Breakfast meats were my favorite- sausage, bacon, oh my! When I stopped eating pork over 10 years ago it made breakfast a bit trickier. Thankfully, we live in a world where beef, turkey, and vegetarian options are becoming more and more available. My favorite breakfast sausages come from Tom Thumb/Safeway under their "Eating Right" brand. I've tried Morning Star Farms and another brand I don't remember (I think I've blocked it from my mind), but these are the best. I've had their vegetarian sausage patties and links and can honestly not tell a difference. It's also so much better for me then the beef or even turkey options available. As they are a store brand, they are often on special (not to mention cheaper normally). Give them a try and let me know what you think!