I'm referring to the reaction I usually get when I tell people I'm vegan. Honestly, I think the surprise goes deeper than the disbelief that I can survive without the consumption of animals and animal products.
If you haven't noticed....I'm African American. Yep...I KNOW, RIGHT?
My people don't take kindly to meat not being included in some way, shape or form on their plates during mealtime. Even though I'm American, I am of Caribbean descent. Which means chowing down on the hoof of any given animal was commonplace growing up. So when I ditched that lifestyle for something more peaceful to me, my family thought it was odd, intriguing...or maybe even just a phase. That was about 15 or 20 years ago. (Although, I must admit during my pregnancy with my second son, now 12, I craved Wendy's spicy chicken sandwiches like a fiend....and gave in. Sorry.)
Earlier this year, I decided to extend my vegetarian living to veganism. Now I've just become a freak of nature to most folks. My friends literally call me "the freak". Eh, so what? What I thought was going to be an uphill battle parting from eggs and cheese was surprisingly easy. Instead of upping my intake of soy products-which is what I thought I would do to compensate-I just eat more vegetables and legumes.
It's amazing how your body can go from craving chicken to craving carrots and red beans. I can truly drink almond milk all day if you let me.
My thoughts now are to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday; my first as an official vegan. I am the queen of baking and loved, loved, LOVED my sweet potato pie, cheesecake, and carrot cake-which of course all contain dairy of some sort. I am on the hunt for some good substitute recipes.
One of my favorite easy vegan desserts to zap a sweet tooth is a banana/strawberry smoothie:
2 frozen bananas
1/2 cup strawberries
cinnamon
nutmeg
1 cup of almond milk (or soy, rice, coconut if you prefer)
3-4 ice cubes
dash of stevia or 1/4 tsp of agave nectar
blend ingredients and enjoy!
I like my smoothies really thick, so you may have adjust the quantities to your taste. Soooo good!
At http://www.vegancoach.com/, Patty Knutson put me on to using a surprising mixture of flaxseed and water to make "eggs" for baking! There's a recipe for chocolate chip cookies on her site that she swears by that includes the flax. I've never been a fan of chocolate chip cookies, but my son will tackle a grown man for some. I might test it out on him. He's a die hard carnivore and I have been trying to "trick" him into at least a vegetarian lifestyle...sometimes it works, sometimes not. That's another blog for another day, though.
What Patty did have on her site that made me smile widely was a recipe for a cherry torte that reminded me somewhat of my beloved cherry cheesecake. Here it is:
Vegan Cherry Torte
I adapted this recipe from Mom's famous Cherry Torte, my FAVORITE dessert growing up. Now it's been magically transformed into a vegan dessert that's ready for you to devour! OMG!
This recipe originally called for 1 package of Dream Whip Whipped Topping, made according to package directions. But it was recently brought to my attention that Dream Whip is no longer vegan (it contains casein and whey). For a vegan version of Dream Whip, use Soyatoo Whipping Cream. Please note this is found in a small aseptic-type box (like the one on the right) that you whip up with a mixer, not the stuff in the spray can.
If you cannot find it locally, you will find it at VeganEssentials.com
*CRUST*
2 sticks non-dairy butter (preferably non-hydrogenated too)(1 cup)
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
2 Tablespoons Sucanat, or other granulated sugar
*FILLING:
1 package Dream Whip -or- 2 packages Soyatoo Soy Whip, made according to package directions
1 (8 oz.) package dairy-free cream cheese
1 cup organic powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can prepared cherry
1. Crust: Combine ingredients in a bowl. Pat into 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 20 min.
2. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.
3. Prepare whipped topping according to package directions. Fold into cream cheese mixture.
4. Spread cream cheese/whipped cream combo over cooled crust. Cover with cherries. Refrigerate overnight, or at least several hours. Cut into squares and serve.
Serves: 16
Variations:
Try it with blueberry or other fruit filling
Sprinkle dairy-free chocolate chips over the just-from-the-oven warm crust -- OMG!!!
---------------------credited to and borrowed from---> http://www.vegancoach.com/vegan-dessert.html
I can NOT wait to try that recipe and post a review on her site. Vegancoach.com is fabulous...not only for desserts, but it's a great resource if you are vegan or thinking about transitioning and don't have a clue about recipes, cooking, or meal plans for vegans. Check it out!
I'll keep you guys posted on my vegan dessert finds for the holidays. Now if I could just figure out how to make the family Christmas rum cake recipe vegan, I'd be a happy camper....
Love and Happiness,
Nikki
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