Vegan Matzoh Ball Soup

Apr 14, 2010 in Cookbook Recipes

In the past I've written about certain foods we haven't been able to successfully "veganize" -- no matter what other people might say. One of the things we'd pretty much given up on was a Vegan Matzoh Ball Soup, but then two things happened... 1) We picked up a copy of The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau; and 2) a reader sent us a recipe she'd developed that worked well for her. So we tried both.

Unfortunately, Goudreau's recipe completely fell apart.  The matzoh balls looked more like gelatinous lumps, and I didn't care for the taste of the gelatinous lumps at all, so we won't be trying it again.  But I have faith that there will be other recipes worth making.  The cookbook looks divine!

The good news is Ellen A. from Connecticut''s recipe worked out well for us.  We actually had matzoh balls that resembled matzoh balls.  Jane thought the taste was a little off... but neither of us has had authentic Matzoh Ball soup in years, so who are we to judge.   Also the matzoh balls were a little dense, so Jane will be using a bit of seltzer in her next batch.   Anyway, below is Ellen's recipe verbatim.  If you're still on the lookout for a vegan matzoh ball soup, I recommend giving this a try.

Start with a box of Streits' or Manischewitz matzo ball mix. For eggs - use egg replacer powder. The matzo ball box comes with two envelopes. For each envelope they ask for 2 eggs however this needs to be tripled....the equivalent egg replacer for 6 eggs per individual package. Whisk the mixture. Add the oil as directed. (do not increase amt. ) Whisk again.Then add the contents of one envelope of matzo ball mix. If the batter seems to be a bit loose, add 1-2 tablespoons of matzo meal. Combine well. Leave the bowl in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Remove - roll into 12-15 balls. Reduce your large pot of boiling water to a simmer. Gently place balls in water and cover tightly. (there must be no rolling boil). Remove with a slotted spoon and let cool. Refrigerate. Reheat in the soup.  (Jane used a vegan "chicken" soup powder she found at Whole Foods.  It tasted surprizingly like Chicken Soup.)

By the way - my daughter Maribeth Abrams is the author of  Tofu 1-2-3, the book and the DVD. Her next book is out in a month - the 4 ingredient Vegan. both available at major book stores. We are always experimenting with new recipes.

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Got Milk?

Mar 11, 2010 in Vegan Life

If you're new to the vegan thing, or considering switching to a vegan diet, the idea of replacing dairy can be quite daunting.  In reality, replacing milk isn't an issue.  There are a wide variety of replacements that are conveniently available in almost any supermarket.  In addition to that, you can go ahead and make your own nut and oat milks.  (Jane makes almond milk religiously.)  However, soy and tree nuts can be allergens for some people, so if you have questions,  check with your doctor or nutritionist.

We've pretty much tried them all over the time we've been vegan, and here's how we typically use the various vegan milk products.

  • Almond milk -  We have a Soyabella Milk Maker, and Jane uses that to make our almond milk.  I use that as the base for my morning shake, and she uses it for hot cereals, in her baking, and some soups.
  • Hazelnut milk - Jane likes to use hazelnut milk in the same manner as almond milk.  My mom likes it in her coffee, and we've used it to make chocolate milk (yum).
  • Soy milk -You can find this milk replacement anywhere.  And there are a wide variety of flavors available, from coffee to green tea, to eggnog at the holidays.  We've found they vary greatly in taste and mouth-feel, so we'd suggest buying a few different brands and having your own taste test.  Our personal preference is the Silk brand ever since they reformulated it to be more creamy.  You can also make your own.  We find it to be a bit on the  "beany" side, but Jane makes it occasionally and uses for savory dishes.  Don't forget to hang on to the bean remains, also called okara.  You can use it in cooking or baking or in soups to give your dish an extra protein punch.
  • Oat Milk - We love this for our hot cereals and soups.  It has a very creamy texture.
  • Hemp Milk -  I really enjoy the taste and texture of hemp milk, but it's the most pricey of all the milk alternatives (here at least) and so we tend not to buy it all that often.
  • Coconut Milk - We buy the light version in cans at our local Trader Joe's and Jane uses it to prepare thai dishes and in some baking.  The full fat version is pretty high in calories.  So Delicious has also come out with milk, sold in cartons on the supermarket shelves.  Since we love their yogurt ($$$$)  and ice creams we were very excited when this product came out.  However, neither of us really cared for it as a milk.
  • Rice milk - The least nutritious of all the milk-alternatives, we tend to stay away from rice milk, although we do buy some on occasion and sprinkle it with cinnamon to make our own Horchata.  It's a good snack.

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National Margarita Day?

Feb 22, 2010 in Restaurants

I've been informed by Jane that Today is National Margarita Day.  I must admit, I've never heard of it before, and if I'd given it any thought, I would have tied that in with Cinco de Mayo.  However, any excuse is a good excuse so we will be going out for Mexican food and margarita's tonight.  Mexican is one of the easiest cuisines to veganize.  Simply start with Rice and Beans.  We usually get a fajita and split that as well.

Just a reminder...  there can be pitfalls.  Some restaurants prepare their rice using chicken stock, and some use lard in the preparation of their beans.   In order to be on the safe side, ask your server to check with the chef.  We've had good luck ordering black beans -- so far none have bee prepared with lard.

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Peta at Westmister Dog Show

Feb 17, 2010 in Animal Rights

The Westminster Kennel Dog Show ended today.  Just before the award was given for "Best in Show," two Peta protesters managed to get out in the ring and held up signs reading "Mutts Rule" and "Breeders Kill Shelter Dogs' Chances." The protest was cut from television, so if you missed it make sure to watch the following Associated Press video:

This really touches a nerve for us.  According to Peta, 4 million unadopted pets are euthanized annually! Get your animals from the pound!!!!

Some of you may remember that we had to put down our beloved 16 year old cat last June. Our boy cat is still hanging in there, he'll be 16 in April. We finally got to a place where it was time to entertain the idea of bringing new cats home.  After meeting a few different cats, all of whom would have made wonderful additions to our home, we settled on a brother and sister from our local Humane Society.

We decided to get two because our boy is getting older, so when he goes, there will still be two cats to entertain each other. Jane also figured that siblings would be more likely get along well.

Our two monsters were abandoned by their owner... we're not sure why.  They are really fun cats.  They have very distinct personalities and love to play.  They're three years-old and they are fantastic.  As with any animals being introduced into a new environment, they require a little bit of attention to make sure they don't shred the furniture or climb the curtains.  But we've gotten them new scratching posts and toys to keep them active and help them to bond with us.

When we were at the shelter, the adoption counselor was so excited that we would take the two together. Apparently siblings are much less likely to be adopted together, or at all. They were even running a special... get one cat for $70 and the second for $15. Plus they gave us a coupon for a free vet exam at the vet of our choice in the San Gabriel valley.  This seems to be common practice if you adopt from a Humane Society.  They even offer senior discounts... if you're over sixty and get a cat over 5 years old, there is no adoption fee (not sure about dogs, but there are discounts).

If you're looking to get a new companion animal, you can find plenty of lovable animals looking for a home at Petfinder. They host photos of adoptable animals from a variety of shelters all over the country. There are currently almost 300,000 animals looking for a home!  Don't buy a pet, save a life instead!

And one other interesting fact we learned upon adopting our furr-balls.  The Humane Society provided us with a fact sheet advocating spaying/neutering.  According to them one unaltered cat could yield 420,000 cats in seven years based on the average cat having a litter of 6 every year and each cat from that litter producing the same, etc.  Even if those numbers are halved, that's certainly reason to spay/neuter your pets!

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