A Vegan Obsession

What’s Better Than a Potato Crisp, Guilt Free And A Delicious Superfood?…. Kale Chips [with short video interview]

by

Once you’ve popped a crispy, crunch, chewy kale chip in your mouth..you will be hooked. A warning and a promise!

I was at the Mind Body & Spirit Festival 2013 in London in June. We interview Dominik Schnell from inSpiral Foods A mainly raw food company with a great little cafe/lounge bar in Camden Town and an online shop. Selling all their raw and vegan products. They were the first to bring kale chips to the market in the UK. A little behind our American cousins, who’ve been crunching on raw kale chips for years, but better late than never! More and more companies are getting in on it now. Dominik is a bit of a raw rock god, in my eyes.. I’m in awe of anyone with the gumption to seize, and create the growing vegan market.


Kale chips are certainly not cheap. But, they are the most tasty savoury, crispy, healthy snack you can buy. Inspiral have now launched their bio degradable, fully compositble snack bag (world first eco pack..see below for the science). 30g only £2.19, much more accessible cost wise. They come in savoury and sweet options. I confess I go for the savoury nibble every time.
Dominik is a fascinating visionary. I hope you enjoy the interview.




Buy the new snack bags online, and at their cafe. They are sold in most whole food stores in the UK and selected places in Europe. I nearly peed with excitement when I saw them in the Vegan Store on my recent trip to Berlin.



Loving the kale!

Love Pasta But Hate Feeling Bloated? The Low Carb, Gluten Free, Egg Free Pasta Revolution Is Here

by

I am really excited about this product.  Bean pasta is going to be BIG. Watch out Italy! It’s just a matter of time.  Why?  We are always being told white flour isn’t a good health choice, but beans are majorly good for you.  Bean pasta smacks down old school, carb heavy pasta with ease.  It has

400% more protein
400% more fibre 
60% lower carbs - than other pastas

than other pasta and it is really filling, low GI, gluten free, low fat, 0% sodium and has a great al dente texture, it absorbs flavours well and is all the good with non of the bad.   If you appreciate good food, want it to be easy to cook, want a low fat, low carb diet and want to loose a few pounds, and/or have food allergies.  It is for you.  It is honest, clean food.

I love it!  I just wish I knew how they can make it act like pasta from 100% bean flour??  I teamed it with; a low fat homemade basil pesto, a really creamy mushroom sauce I made with almond cream, and a very simple chill and garlic oil. The mung bean pasta was my favourite.  It had such a satisfying bite. It was closely followed but the black bean. The recipe suggestion on the back was for a coconut milk based, Asian inspired sauce, but I haven’t brought myself to try it yet.  I’m still consumed with reacquainting myself with the taste of Italy!

Vegan Certified
Gluten Free Certified

I tracked down the distributors in the UK and Ireland - Lavida Food to thank them, from the bottom of my heart!  Click on their link for retailers.

I also found them available in Whole Foods London, online from Gluten Free Food Market and stores in North America.  If it isn’t in your local health food store then do what I do, ask them to stock it.  If they are worth their salt they will listen to you.

Vive la revolution!

Just What Are Active Plant Stem Cells? [product review]

by


Things were very different back in 2001, when I ditched all my toxic toiletries and cleaned up my bathroom and kitchen cupboards.  The words parabens and sodium laureth sulfate scared the crap out of me.  I stopped wearing make-up (though I didn’t wear much anyhow) and started using shampoo and conditioner that never stung my eyes or smelled ‘fake’.  I stopped using furniture polish and bathroom sprays that choked me.  I felt better.  I didn’t feel like I was being assaulted by toxic chemicals.  It was liberating.  Back then though, packaging and luxury were not forth coming.  Now eco-friendly, green, and vegan - non-animal tested products are everywhere.  Thank God!  To see gorgeous packaging with contents promising to be ‘paraben free’ ‘non-toxic’ ‘safe’, is now common place. I can wear vegan non-toxic make-up (hallelujah!) and nail varnish again.  I don’t feel like I’m on the margins anymore.  I look back and I feel like I was a front runner.  I’m sure my body and the environment are better for it.

The toiletries I use are mostly from the UK, as I presently spend the majority of my time here.  When I’m in the US, I stock up on Trader Joes‘ eye poppingly zingy shampoo & conditioner.  It’s cheaper than most brands found at Whole Foods and leaves my hair nice and shiny. When my eye caught sight of Acure Organics and its beautiful packaging on a health food store shelf,  I was smitten.  Their fragrances were so natural.  I had to try them at home.

The Acure range.

Face - Sampled a few of these at Whole Foods.  Seemed good quality and smelled natural.  Didn’t use over period of time so…no comment.

Body - Deliciously rich.  Soothing.  Hydrating.  Used for 2 weeks, so far, with definite improvement on skin softness. 
Body Lotion.  My favourite flavours were the Mandarin Orange & Moroccan Oil, and the Lavender & Echinacea.  Oh, and the one with Grapefruit in.
Body Wash.  The ones I tried were luxuriously thick and silky as they squeezed out of the tube. I felt like I was at a spa! The Exfoliating Mint is a smack of cool breeze mint.  Good for those who take a while to come to in the mornings.  The Coconut Pumpkin was gentler on your senses and wonderfully scented.  

Lips - No comment.  Didn’t try any of products por la boca!
Hair - Didn’t try any of the haircare products.  
Sun Care - I’ve yet to find a cream that doesn’t leave your skin with and eerie white glow!  Tell us if you’ve found one!
The Ingredients
All products are plant based. PH balanced.  With whole food potency.  Packed with a whole list of flowers, essential oils and plants. No nasties.  (Preserved, not by chemicals but by salt, a medium our forefathers used).  Ingredients such as:

Argon oil.  Much publicised over last few years.  Proven to protect and stimulate collagen.
The science geek in me was also intrigued by ingredients called Chorella Growth Factor & Active Plant Stem Cells.  Acure’s 2nd of 3 founders and husband of Kristy, Jon, a chemical biologist, studied the use of Chorella Growth Factor before launching Acure.  These ingredients sounded like little miracles whipped up into the products, but I didn’t want to just take their word for it (have I become sceptical?).  So I  searched for evidence to back it up, it seems many studies have been conducted in Japan (Brendan Brazier has done lots of research on it and found NASA an advocate). Apparently, CGF is rich in nucleic acid which helps its own cells to reproduce rapidly and to help repair damaged tissue and heal wounds in humans. The Active Stem Cells are extracted from plants that have active ingredients. Acure tell me their products are skin type specific for type of PSC’s used. For example: The butterfly bush has a component that treats sun exposure.  Lilac reduces acne lesions. This is what I’ve found written on the internet about PSC’s - 
Stem cells are building blocks that play important roles in cellular renewal and regeneration. But they become less potent over time. Fortunately, fruits and plants are sources of “universal cells” that can increase the longevity of your skin’s stem cells, renew dormant cells, repair damage, and regenerate healthy cells. But was from a company I found was actively part of the cosmetic industry, I’ve not been able to find a peer reviewed study in my research so far that I can actually read for my self, only those mentioned by other people.

I don’t know about all that (yes, I have gotten a little sceptical!) however, in my own 3 week (and ongoing) trials, I can report my skin’s tone is more even and it is way softer and appears more hydrated.  I smell so good too!  I really enjoy using the products.

Please note * Not all products are vegan. (Boo!)  Night Cream.  Wrinkle…  Lip Balm & Line Eraser contain milk enzymes, beeswax or honey.  I would love to see the company adopting a fully vegan line by sourcing alternative ingredients.  It can be done.  Lets hope they do! Like, now!

About The Company

In 2010 a company grew out of a passion to make toiletries healthier.  Floridian and Co-founder Kristy Guerra was working as a designer whilst she witnessed  a heartbreaking 10 year battle her grandmother fought with cancer. She vowed to do something big in the world to make a difference and to honour her grandmother.  She believed harmful chemicals had a part to play in the disease.  She wanted to be part of the change.  Hence the name A Cure.  For the planet.  5% of profits go to Bright PInk.  A charity that offers free mama grams in the US.  Produced in their own laboratories, their products are free from animal testing, parabens, sulphates (known irritant), phthalates (endocrine disruptors), synthetic fragrances, harmful preservatives and artificial colours.  Breast Cancer Fund, University of Reading et al, report a link between the use of parabens/toxic chemicals and some cancers. 
Acure also told me they believe education is important.  They said they have a team of educators and hosts lectures for public awareness.

Currently, Acure can only be purchased in USA.  But they can purchased from an online store (www.iherb.com) and shipped to some European countries.



Food Writer Serving A Spoon Of Comfort - Feeding The Hungry Ghosts [Book Review] [Recipe]

by


Ellen Kanner - Feeding the Hungry Ghost.  A book that both surprised, comforted and delighted me.




Ellen’s book was waiting for me, upon return from my latest trip,  atop my pile of unopened mail.   Sent to me by the New World Library.  i plunged into it with a hearty appetite for  culinary prose.  

Ellen writes a blog and is Huffington Post’s Meatless Monday guru/writer/cook. I had no previous knowledge of Ellen so I had no preformed ideas or expectations.
 I was surprised at the manner in which it is written. Though the book is entitled, ‘Life, Faith and What To Eat For Dinner’, it is far from preachy.  More observational from a curious’ perspective. It is a book of  vegan recipes, however, you could almost take away any reference (of which they were few in number), to the fact all recipes  are plant-based, and it would just be a wonderful, honest and tender memoir of life.  Ellen has a well developed sense of fun too, and is just a little bit naughty.  She drew me into her stories. I was rapt. She writes of her travels, family life, an early altercation with a rabbi.  She had me in stitches as she recalled attempts at mass seduction with her amorous cardamon & apple crumble.  It’s an honest, book. Ellen’s not afraid to tell you where she trips up in life.  She seems to accept all she is, peculiarities (in her eyes) and all, with humour. 

Ellen shares her life and love through food. I wanted to be sitting alongside her at her kitchen table as she shared her tales.  I almost felt like I was!  To me, a book is good if it offers me something.  Knowledge. A whiff of escape.  It was, comforting to my jet lagged and befuddled mind.  The cover features a bowl of warming soup.  It sums up the contents for me; comforting, nourishing.

I didn’t want it to end.  Some parts resonated more than others. I will leave you to connect in the places where you may need.


The recipes are almost secondary.   I just wanted to feast on her stories.  But it is so clever in a way, as the stories stay with you long after the book has nestled into its new home on your shelf,  and I found myself returning to the book to see what other of Ellen’s recipes I could try.
Containing culinary diverse recipes.  49 of them squeezed between the prose.  Some are exotic, influenced by her travels.  All are simple.    Even the novice cook would/could/should happily reconstruct Ellen’s dishes in their own kitchen.  She lulls you into a cocoon of security and makes everything feel like the making of it would be a breeze.  She encourages you to bake, chop, shop, all in the company of others.

Think ‘How to hack life via the life in your kitchen’ type of paperback. 

Conclusion?   I LOVED IT!

The book was inspired by the Hong Kong Festival Of The Hungry Ghost, Yu Lan. A festival on the 15th night of the seventh month that legend tells is the night when the deceased come party with the living.  
This was the first recipe I chose to recreate.

recipe Republished from Culinate.com    From the book Feeding the Hungry Ghost by This content is from the book Feeding the Hungry Ghost by Ellen Kanner. Copyright @ 2013 New World Library

Hungry Ghost Mood Modifier
Serves 2

Introduction

Shirataki are low-calorie, gluten-free noodles made from sweet potato, with an interesting chew. They require no cooking, come packed in water, and can have an off-putting smell when you open the bag. Don’t be afraid; just rinse them well. Find shirataki, along with rice vinegar and sesame oil, at most Asian markets and natural-food stores.

Ingredients

2 tsp. canola or peanut oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 scallions, chopped
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 cup shredded cabbage
4 oz. firm tofu, cut into bite-size cubes
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Asian rice vinegar
1 tsp. agave nectar or honey
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 package (8 ounces) shirataki, rinsed well and drained

Steps

  1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add the carrot, celery, and red bell pepper. Cooking, stirring occasionally, until they become tender, 2 to 3 minutes more.
  3. Add the cabbage and tofu. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the vegetables and tofu from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cabbage wilts quickly, so this will take only 3 to 5 minutes.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, agave nectar, and sesame oil. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and tofu, and stir gently until evenly coated.
  5. Add the shirataki and toss to combine. Cook, giving a gentle stir, until the sauce is mostly absorbed and the shirataki is heated through, a few minutes more.
Serve.  
So good.  Even better when eaten with exaggerated slurping noises.  Try it.  It’s traditional in China to eat noisily!

I contacted Ellen, to ask her just one question. 

I wonder, with all your time filled with whisking up feasts for other people, what dish do you most like being served to you?

Ellen replied
Thank you for your delicious question.  I adore fresh greens, legumes and chilis in every combination and every cuisine, from Indian curries to soulful Mediterranean stews.  

If you want a weekly feed of Ellen, you can!  Here is the link to her Huffington Post column. 


Does Cheese Have To Be Made From Dairy to be good? Mozzarella Alternative. Free Of Lactose!

by

 
 I’ve been reviewing quite a number of vegan cheeses lately (I will include the links at the end of the article). Most, if not all, have been produced in the USA.  This cheese, MozzaRisella is made in Europe.  Italy to be exact.  I decided to try it for myself and chat with the guy who is bringing this dairy free cheese to Britain.
With zero cholesterol.  Lower in fat than dairy mozzarella.  It is better for not only those who eat a plant-based diet but also those with lactose intolerance, or those wishing to eat healthier.  It is true of any cheese though.  Moderation.

It is more expensive than dairy based www.galbani.co.uk  But, allergy free food, when first to market are usually more expensive. However, they are usually also have more of an artisanal quality.  Quality ingredients, respecting nature.
Cheese is often sited as the sticking point from a animal based diet to plant-based one.  So, in my mind, the more plant-based cheeses I can write to you about the better.  Once you’ve opened the portal to vegan cheese, you quickly step out of any incorrect assumptions about dairy being the only way to make cheese and expand your experience to differing ingredients, much like when you first heard about goats cheese, right?!

So, what’s it taste like? Does it stand up to the flavour test?

MozzaRisella comes in three guises.  
Original - a firmer cheese, similar to mozzarella, light and creamy, but not quite as cool and silky.  It found it’s niche, paired with fresh basil and vine tomatoes. I crumbled some on one of my gluten free pizza crackers, tore off a few basil leaves and cut heirloom toms and finished with a light drizzle of olive oil.  Scrumptious!
SmokeyRisella - infused with turmeric for a smokey flavour.  I admit I just sliced, and ate!
CreamyRisella - like a smooth cream cheese, with a hint of tang.  I wondered if it would make a good gananche (mini chocolate bites were just cooling from the oven at the time) incorporated naturally sweet carob flour, a dash of agave nectar, vanilla seeds and a pinch of salt and whipped with a spatula to create a simple ganache for mini, chocolate bits.  Incredible!
They all melt too!  Check out their really cute video

CreamyRisella dolled up as a tantalising ganache, sat atop a mini bite.
So, I wondered just how they managed to make cheese from rice.  In their own words, here is how…

By following the natural rhythms of germination we activate the seeds of brown rice (only Italian origin) in spring water flowing at 600m above sea level in the heart of Lessinia Park - Piccole Dolomiti. In this stage, when the buds are at their maximum vitality, we transform the germinated brown rice in a delicious and balanced ”vegan milk” thus achieving the BioSuRice: laboratory tests confirm the presence of precious and balanced nutrients in germinated brown rice, useful for people wellness. It is, among vegan drinks, the most similar to breast milk.

INTERVIEW!
I wanted to find out more about the people behind MozzaRisella.  I told them of my curiosity and this is what Mauro, at London HQ, had to say.

‘Basically , a cheese producer (of three generations) in Italy, was vegetarian, and was becoming vegan.  He was looking for an alternative and he met a dynamic young company specialised in germinated whole rice milk. which had just invented what we call MozzaRisella Today.  The two put their heads together.  It took another year before arrive to create the MozzaRisella.  The project has started and is growing. He still producing cheese back in Italy, as you cannot stop a business in a day and unfortunately the non vegan are still more than us vegans.  But they are conscious of what they started is the future, and they are looking to stop their cheese production as the MozzaRisella production will increase’. 

At the beginning, MozzaRisella was only a vegan cheese substitute for pizza (this was the concept) but later they discovered that in the organic and natural shops in Italy, there is more and more demand for vegan products, not as much as Germany or England, but is growing a lot, and they found support from many people and associations.  Mauro Vendramin, a Venetian and the UK distributor, has known the producer  (Alessandro Menegon) since he was 15.


‘two years ago  he came to see me in London with the prototype of Mozzarisella.  To be honest I could not believe it! I decided to help them creating the brand and the marketing. So in the end at the base of the project, some vegan and vegetarian, young entrepreneurs, (including some volunteers) and lot of friendship has bought about MozzaRisella today. 


In times of climate change, land shortage, obesity and heart disease, it is good to see another sustainable food product on the rise.  Try it.  Or maybe you have already?  Let us know.  Click on the comments link below.

other cheese reviews by A Vegan Obsession:  Dr. Cow  Cheese Making Workshop 

Para mis amigos italianos .. aquí es donde usted puede conseguir MozzaRisella en Italia!

V-Delicious, the veggie good food show. I have FREE TICKETS worth £10 for you!!

by



Exciting news!  7-9th June, 2013.  The Allergy Show and V-Delicious are BOTH packing out the Olympia Exhibition Centre in London, for a weekend of allergy free AND Vegetarian & Vegan products.  Lordy..both of them!..My excitement knows no bounds!!  

They have a full programme of yoga, shopping,…FOOD. 
Food and Skin Care that is Gluten, soy, dairy, wheat free.  Spotlight Seminars for Food allergies, hay fever, IBS. Everything you could need to kick what ails you to the curb.

Not only am I going along to find out about all new and exciting products and FOOD to tell you about, but ALSO I have an exclusive offer for YOU!  Do you want to attend?  Well, the kindly, generous folk of V-Delicious want to thank you for following my blog, by offering you…

FREE TICKETS!!


You can save  £10.  Think what you can do with that spare cash!  Buy more goodies for you to take home?!  Yay!

In association with Vegan Society  Vegetarian Society Goodness Direct  Viva  

Click on this link here to register for your Free Tickets

I will be there.  If you see me..come say hello!  I’d love that.
x

Crunch Time - BEANFIELDS Beans n Rice Chips - Review of a healthier snack chip

by





I am always keen to inform you of GREAT VEGAN PRODUCTS that are low fat, sugar free and allergen free.  And tasty. ALWAYS tasty.   I know being vegan and STAYING vegan is better for planet, animals, health, economy.  BUT sometimes people can feel it is a challenge, especially if they feel like they are missing out.  No one wants to miss out.  Right?! Carrot sticks are great but so are chips!

I am a self-confessed Crunchaholic.  It is a vice I have no intention of embarking on a 12-Step programme for.  If my day hasn’t had a savoury, culinary crunch..well, it’s a day devoid of teensie weensie bit of  joy.  Being a health junkie, I am always looking out for an alternative to potato chips, or simple carbohydrate - fat loaded crunch of any kind.  And I LOVE me some flavour, so when I heard about BEANS N RICE Chips I was falling over my hessian shopping tote to get some bleeping through the till. Once tasted, then of course, I couldn’t wait to tell you about them!

They have 5 flavours. NACHO. SALT N PEPPER. PICO DE GALLO. SEA SALT. UNSALTED I’ve crunched on them all.  I steered clear of the 6 ounce bag (when not in sharing company) as I’d eat them all in one sitting..and got the 1.5 oz, handbag (and man-bag, for you guys) size packet.  At only 140 calories, 5g of fat and packing twice as much protein and fibre as most tortilla chips, they get 2 perky thumbs up from me.

They are a bit of a phenomenon too.  Both crunchy and delicately mouth-melty all at the same time.  The NACHO & PICO DE GALLO (my favourite) are dusty with spices and really flavoursome.  One small bag really fills you up. Satiation factor 10!

ALL of the chips are free of the most common food allergens.  GMO free.

I chatted with Liza from the family owned company and she told me the company is family run.  Founed by Reed Glidden (together with his brother Roy and wife Liza) Reed is a  “Persistent Entreprenuer”. He started out making banana splits in his pa’s Freeze Truck.  It fostered in him a learning by doing attitude to business.  A vegetarian from 18 years old he was working in construction but always held a dream to own a health food business.  In his late 30’s he left the construction industry and his dream began, in a way..via a Natural Foods brokerage.  It wasn’t until he took early retirement that he realised he wasn’t ready to stop, he hadn’t quite reached his zenith.  His wife Liza one day cooked up in their kitchen,  the idea of a chip Reed had been tossing around for a while.  Excited by what they tasted. His entrepreneurial spirit soared and pretty much there and then, Rice n Beans was formed!  I quote Reed..’I’m happy to be in the natural foods industry, helping people love my favorite foods -rice and beans. To me, promoting beans (the most water efficient source of protein on the planet) and helping America find a better way to snack is WAY more fun than being retired’.  

The chips are only available in America.  Grown here and produced here.  Great for the planet, in so many ways.  Beans are cheap to store.  Requiring no refrigeration.  Growing beans is soil friendly too as beans fix all important nitrogen into the soil.

It’s not just me that thinks these chips are life changing and awesome.  Voted ‘Best of Show‘ in 2012 at the Natural Products Expo West, by Vegnews.

I love Beans N Rice.  Now I am just wondering whether to use the space in my suitcase, when I leave for the UK, for clothes.. or chips!




A Vegan In Oaxaca

by

Itanoni
February is turing into March and Oaxaca is hot.  Hot and polluted.  The cars are old, hanging onto life, and their fumes are invasive and persistent.  It’s noisy too.  The 500 year old Santa Domingo Church is across the street from my (hot) studio.  The church seems keen to get everyone ‘up and at ’em’ at 6:45am, when the bells begin their seemingly random peel.  Over the weekend the post-dawn bell jams were joined by random and unnerving fireworks, released into the street.
Upon arrival, I quickly decided to avoid the crowded Zocalo.  Swams of people, buying gawdy balloons, souvenirs and eating al fresco among the craziness.   Funny, for a girl in search of peace and reflection I’m doing a great job of honing in on the busiest places on Earth!  But I have this sense of time, rushing, sprinting by.  I want to see it all.  Do it all.  Taste it all.
My reasons for visiting Oaxaca where numerous.  But primary No.1?  The food.  Oaxaquenian food. Oaxaca is said to be the land of the most diverse range of chilies in the world, the land of world renowned gastronomy and MOLE.  A sauce  made in all manner of ways but beginning with basic components; chocolate, herbs, spices, garlic, chile and azucar (sugar) and/or banana or plantain.  My taste buds and romantic heart have long hungered for Mexican cooking and pre-hispanic culture.  I’m feeding on both.

If you come, you of course would have already consulted www.happycow.com  but I’m here to tell you my version of events.  Save you time and energy.  If you’ve no plans to come, well no matter, read on anyway.

Despite hating Oaxaca upon arrival it has grown in my favour as I’ve uncovered a little of what the small colonial city has to offer.  You can read more about my adventures at www.indialeigh.wordpress.com.  Here….it’s all about the food.

















Calle 20 de Noviembre is a street known to tourists as chocolate (cho ko la tey) row.  Three major players draw in punters..nose first.  Cacao beans are ground on site to produce a paste of the famous Oaxacan chocolate.  Used by Oaxaquenans for mole and hot drinks, enjoyed at the beginning and end of days.  I worked my way around each store.  Tasting the minuscule samples of the pastes from plastic spoons.  The flavours were quite different.  I have to say one mole I tried in Le Soledad, tasted like piss.  An odd flavour to be sure.  Only Mayordomo made me stop.  They offer decadent drinking chocolate. Me want.  My request for ‘sin azucar (no sugar) and sin leche (no milk) raised a few eyebrows, but the chocolateria snapped a generous amount of squares from a bar of (almagro…100% cacao) kept under the counter, and poured steaming water into a green clay jug.  She then proceeded to use a wooden whisk to emulsify the ingredients produce a bubbly froth .  It was bitter, rich and utterly delicious.  I swivelled side to side on my bar stool cupping my drink as I watched the chocolate grinders create huge trays of thick, dark paste. The tienda (shop) was a sensory heaven.  The inhalation of chocolate fumes a welcome respite from the dusty streets.    The chocolate is sold all over town.  It is usually VERY sweet.  More sugar than chocolate (me no gusta!)  Unless, like me you seek its purest form.

RESTAURANTS
The Oaxacans I have met have a strange understanding of ‘vegetarian’, let alone try and get them to contemplate a vegan.  The ‘vegetarian’ restaurants listed in Happy Cow, are not.  Don’t be fooled by the listing of chicken and ham etc.  These are NOT fake meats.  They are real animal.  A true vegetarian restaurant currently doesn’t exist in Oaxaca.  My advice?  Write a list of the ‘sin’ (without) ingredients you don’t want to find in your meal.  Show it to them.  Get them to read it more than once.  In several of the places I have gone, they’ve said ‘yes, yes’ it is vegetarian, or si, si it is ‘sin azucar’ (without sugar) and when I’ve pressed them just to be sure, I’ve found out it isn’t.  A cooking class I attended had the chef tell me the other participants were vegan (in fact they loved their meat) and that he was vegan also (so NOT vegan).  I think they just want to please, and some think vegan means ‘organically grown’.  The concept of gluten free is little known too, though some shops exist that will supply pasta, and products with amaranth (versatile little, protein packed, grain-like seed).   So, be EXTRA vigilant.  Don’t be down hearted though, there are options.  

Itanoni is a restaurant dedicated to masa..of the non-GMO kind.  Cooked traditionally atop a comal (terracotta oven) with lots of filling options.  Take a Spanish dictionary, when I visited no one spoke any English.  I tried three types.  One folded triangle (tetelas), filled with hongos (mushrooms). A ‘de ese’ rolled and stuffed with frijoles (beans), flor de calabaza (squash flower) and hierba santa (a local herb..with very subtle minty flavour) and a yellow corn taco stuffed with heavenly, butter-like avocado.  Washed down with a refreshing lemonade made with hierba santa, lemons and mineral water.  Cost..just over £3..total!


ORGANIC MARKETS AND HEALTH FOOD STORES
At Rayon Rayon #411 and Xicoténcatl there is an Organico Mercado, there is a daily (closed Sunday) organic mercado. The produce is scarce but there are two open air restaurants and two organic coffee baristas. 
Friday and Saturday a small but beautifully formed organic market is held the grounds of a church in Xochimilco district The sellers have tortillas, beautiful fruits and vegetables (Kale, I found kale!), nopal, freshly picked herbs, artisan sauces and a few handicrafts.  You’ll find lots of ex-pats and travellers here shopping and eating under the shade of a tree.  I found a Korean woman selling a small selection of vegan cooked take away food, pastries, Spanish tortillas etc.   
My scouting has found a couple of great little stores that have some vegan products and a good supply of organic vegetables and fruits.   Xiguela (great organic vegetables and products, some Asian products too) and Bambu (Margarita who owns this place is so nice) #414 Col. Centro.  They have gluten free, soy free and vegan hamburgers made with seeds and veggies that are delicious. Lots (by Oaxaca standards) of health foods.

GENERAL COVERED MARKETS
Calle de 20 Noviembre has the Buenito Juarez mercado.  There is where you buy the best MOLE paste in Oaxaca (in my opinion).  Hunt out (and you will need to its a bloody assault for the senses in there..you could get lost for days!) Almita, at Local 180 (tel: 51 669 12) Her mother makes amazing mole negro and it is totally vegan (some moles contain caldo de carne) It is rich, multi-layered, with a gentle heat and I was told, sugar free.  Sweetened by caramelised plantains and raisins.  It keeps for ages in the fridge and forever in the freezer.  I don’t think I’ll get it through UK customs, so I went on a cooking class to learn how to make it.  I’ll write of my adventures in Oaxacan cooking in the next post.

PRODUCTS
A few products I’ve been devouring with little restraint are a local Oaxacan drink- Tejate -, sold in big vats by street seller but full of sugar, and god knows what else.  Not wanting to do without an experience of a new flavour, I tracked down in a powder and sugar free.  It is made of maize, toasted cacao, mammy (a local fruit) seeds and flowers.  It’s flavour is sweet and distinct. I have been adding it to my green breakfast smoothies in place of protein powder (I’ve not been successful in sourcing any in Mexico)
Also, an Oaxacan cooperative sell Amaranth products (food of the Gods, enjoyed since pre-hispanic times…a complete protein and actually a seed not a grain but it is used as such) , all gluten free and mostly vegan; flour, sweet popped-seed bars and these amazing, slightly hot, citrusy, crunchy (probably fried but not greasy) sticks.  I LOVE them.  Way TOO much.

I’m taking the 6 hour bus back to Mexico City in a day or so.  I’ve much more to post for D.F.

Come back for more Mexico City eats and my experience in the real home kitchen of a mescal drinking cooking teacher in Oaxaca!

Besos,

India xx










Muy Rico! A Vegan Taste of Mexico and 5 Minute - 5 Ingredient Recipe.

by


I’ve been in Mexico City for nearly 14 days. My determination to source VEGAN friendly products is being RICHLY rewarded. I am FEASTING out here!
HAPPY COW is of course a HUGE source of knowledge. Not just in Mexico City but the world. They list stores and vegan friendly restaurants. In the next few posts I’m going to share with you what I’ve found. I want to help you hit the ground running. I’ll let you know about cool cafes too.

When I was in Buenos Aires, Dieteticas were bounteous. It is not the case in Mexico City. But I’ve visited a few places listed on HappyCow and I’ve found some products in ‘everyday’ supermercados. Of course. A lot of Mexican food is VEGAN. Nature provides an abundance of vegan FAST food. Give me an avocado and some salt and I’m happy!

Here are some products you can find at SUPERAMA in the Condesa area (Walmart Mexico…they have some produce/products from the USA ..you can get AMY’s here..but alas they either contain cheese or gluten. They have a small gluten free and natural section and organic products too). They have a rack of numerous dehydrated (not raw) fruits and veggies, the tomatoes are like thin chips!
You will also find The Green Corner…kind of an upscale Whole Foods. They are 100% Mexican company selling organic food. They have 2 stores in Mexico City - Polanaco and Condesa. They are a fair trade organisation, giving most of their revenue to the providers. They try and make their stores as green as possible. One uses electricity from solar panels. They also have an organic farm/ranch that produces organic fruits and vegetables and their brand La Cocina Verde. An amazing range of sauces and marmalades/jams. I am so hooked on the mermelade tejocote with stevia that I’m eating it out of the jar with a spoon. Tejocote is a native Mexican variety of hawthorn. It has lots of nutritional properties and is thick, subtly sweet and divine.




FAST FOOD - done healthy. Momentos to make. I was keen to try a Mexican delicacy called huitlacoche or cuitlacoche . Basically corn fungus. Yeah, doesn’t exactly make you salivate but I was curious to this new and unchartered flavour.
I’m being a whimp and my overwhelm with all the choice at the food stalls/trucks/cantinas and restaurants, together with my lazy ass to brush up the smattering of Spanish I collected in Argentina is making me swerve around huddles of standing diners and take it at my pace right now.
Anyway, I spotted a can of the stuff in Superama and threw it into my basket. Along with a packet of Mexican made Bacon Bits (vegan and with soya…I do try and steer clear of heavily processed foods but a little is ok), a carton of tomato/passata flavoured with cebolla (onion) and garlic. Oh, and garbanzos. Me and garbanzos are never far from each other. I returned to my studio and assembled a meal.

My recipe for Speedy Huitlache tortillas and Sopa de Garbanzos.

I put a half can of garbanzos, 1/2 carton of passata, garlic clove, salt, and a little water into the blender and whizzed for 30 seconds. Leaving some texture. Poured the mix into a pan and warmed through. I shook on some chill spice, a spoon of ‘bacon’ bits and fresh black pepper. Verdict? Delicious. Comforting. With it I had a stack of corn tortillas containing natural prebitoics and nopal (Mexican cactus), with sliced, buttery avocado. With the excitement of a food explorer, I cracked open the can of ‘corn smut’ (huitlacoche). I ate a little from the spoon first, afraid it might have tasted malo (bad). I found it earthy, mildly sweet and a little bitter. The texture was like cooked greens. It got my vote. I’m keen to try it fresh, home cooked, see how it compares. So, rolled up within a maize tortilla and married with soft and buttery avocado…well, I’m beaming with food love!

My mind is firing with recipe ideas! The simple afternoon feast took all of 5 minutes to prepare and the flavours were intense and wonderfully satisfying. Sitting in a cafe writing this I see the photo is a sad reflection of what it actually tasted like. You’re going to just have to trust me on this one.


















I’m scouting out raw foods too. I found these by a company called VerDeSer in a little cafe in Condesa.


The tube is filled with herbed, dehydrated sprouted legumes and nuez (nuts). Crunchy. Salty. The foiled packet had spirulina and ciltrano flavoured raw crackers and were some of the best I’ve ever tasted. They were not cheap, especially by Mexican standards. $58 pesos or £3. The beautifully flecked pink and sandy coloured discs were an indulgent bag of delightfully crispy fried taro chips. So good! I ate the whole bag whilst walking through Parque de Mexico, enjoying a spot of people and doggy watching!

More coming soon…!

Be well

India xxx

Where to get Vegan Products in Buenos Aires

by

My time in Buenos Aires unearthed a number of vegan and gluten free products that I enjoyed.  Here are a few of them.  
From Veganius I found this little tub of vegan and gluten free trifle in Casa China (a great natural foods market in Belgrano…it is always super busy and has international products and a great bulk section).  Made with masa flour.  Not for soy haters.

The chia and alfa alfa meal made by Natural Seed was great for sprinkling on my breakfast.  So nutritious!


 I used tons of the nutritional yeast.  You can find tubs of flaked yeast or boxes of fine powdered nooch.  It is called Levadura de cerveza.  I think it tastes marginally different from US and UK offerings.  This yeast is grown on cervaza (beer) I guess.  Marigold Health Foods nutritional yeast are grown on molasses.   
A couple of dieteticas stocked Oh Yeah It’s Vegan raw flax crackers, which were really good and crunchy.  Esquina De Las Flores stocked lots of dried gluten free flours, including a green pea powder which was great to whip up a quick and filling soup with.


 Almacen Del Sur produce a berenjenas (eggplant/aubergine) dip very similar to baba ganoush.

Mercado Bonpland
 ‘ located in the heart of Palermo Hollywood, Bonpland market stands out from other traditional markets of Buenos Aires. Born in the heat of the crisis, this place is still relatively unknown so it offers a nice walk to give among the regulars.
The initiative comes from a French installed in Buenos Aires with the idea of protecting small artisans and producers: to create a market that is based on the principle of solidarity economy. A method in vogue in France that seeks to sustain ecological and human values: organic farming, sustainable development and fair trade in order to promote and protect local businesses. 
Members of the Neighborhood Association joined Palermo Viejo and knew where to get it done this initiative: Bonpland 1660.’
 I found these packets of dried soup and vegetable powders, sourced from different parts of South America, they also had dried potato from the Andes, made with a speciality heirloom potato (this is still unopened and sitting in my cupboard).  I must remember to try it.  

This tiny store within the Bonpland market sold lots of bulk items, vegan and raw snacks and nut butters etc.  They don’t have a website yet but the company is Nutricia.  They have a Facebook page.  

Beetroot and seaweed chips.  Expensive but a nice little treat.



My friends at Ana Dietetica on calle Sanchez de Bustamante, sourced these for me.  They proudly waved them at me, bouncing around like excited little kittens, when I went into the store….just before I was getting in the taxi to fly home! Never got to try them but, apparently, they were gluten free too.


 This was the shy young guy, with a retro ‘willy’ (remember those..ala 1980’s.  Short hair with one long, often platted, tail of hair from mid nape.  Bizzare, and at that time sported by many, along with their florescent ‘Frankie Goes to Hollywood’ T-shirt).  Charmingly (!) named, ‘the willy’.   I digress… He and the store La Dietetica de Ana, enjoyed a symbiotic relationship.  Everyday he’d stack his crates of vibrant veggies around the tree outside Ana’s store, so her shoppers could buy fresh produce to go with their health foods.   He had a little scale that weighed the produce and sold by the kilo.   These type of open air produce sellers are located on most streets.
Buenos Aires has dietéticas dotted all around the city.  They are not like Whole Foods or Fresh & Wild in the UK but they have a small selection of gluten free and diabetics foods and vitamins and minerals, alongside a small bulk selection of herbs, spices and some superfoods etc.  Celiacs should definitely locate their nearest when visiting the city.



































Finally, a store on Av Dorrego, the trendy street that cuts to Villa Crespo , Punto Verde Mercado Organico opens its doors every Friday and Saturday. You can buy fresh produce and many vegan/raw artisan products and even eco friendly cleaning products and cosmetics.  Lots of people come pulling empty trollies to fill or cotton bags to fill with beautiful organic veggies.  The community that gathers there also sell great salads, snacks and treats to sit and eat whilst chatting to new and old friends. Superfood brownies.  Equilibrio Gusto sell yamani aroz hamburguesa sin gluten (gluten free, rice bun burger with brown rice and millet pattie and salad, hummus). It is so supportive and a great hub of health and planet conscious gente (folk).  

There are many other places too. This is a scratch at the service of the organic and vegan products in Buenos Aires.  If you were worried about visiting the Federal Capital of Buenos Aires and not finding anything you can eat.  Rest assured their is a growing community that has it covered.
Check out my previous posts on the restaurants of Buenos Aires - here are a selection;
and here, oh and this one is good also  click here.  Have a look at this one too…clickety click
Have you visited Buenos Aires?  Do you live there?  Leave any tips you have in the comments box below.
Be well,
India xx
Vegan Cookbook Review and Giveaway
Lemon, cardamon cookies encrusted with dark chocolate and pistachio crumbs.
[Friday GIVEAWAY for Dog Lovers] Healthy Chew Bones For Your Darling Dog
Artisan Raw Chocolate Giveaway from Fine & Raw
A WEEK OF GIVEAWAYS!! UK National Vegetarian Week. Today A HUGE Box Of Hand Cooked Crisps from Ten Acre
Baked Zucchini Fries with lemon aioli – Gluten free, low fat and crispilicious