Recipes

Leave a comment Posted on Recipes, Uncategorized, vegan

Special Guest Vegan Blog Post: Vegan Broth Recipe by Oriana Maoloni of The Health Madam

The following is a special guest blog post, by Emma of The Health Madam.

Hello and welcome to my healthy lifestyle blog! A blog dedicated to posting information and recipes on nutrition and health, for individuals and families alike. I have a keen interest in nutrition for myself and my family. What to cook or bake, that makes me feel good about what I’m serving, is one of my biggest challenges and concerns. I’ve taken some favorite recipes, whether they are for vegan, meat, poultry, fish or baking, and added other nutritious ingredients, without compromising the flavor.  Along with cooking more nutritious meals, my family and I try to make physical fitness a part of our life, everyday.

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Vegan Broth Recipe

I created this vegan recipe from only vegetables and fruit. I freeze off any of the broth leftovers, and use it at a time when I need a quick and nutritious meal. It acts as a good base.  For the meat lovers in my life, I add beef, ham, chicken, pork or fish, which all work well in this vegan broth because of its subtle flavour. Barley or beans, which are both high in fibre, also do well in this broth. Leftovers are brought back to life when added to this broth. I use organic ingredients whenever I can. I sprinkle with Nutritional Yeast before serving (available at most health or bulk food stores). Nutritional Yeast is high in folic acid and tastes just like cheese.

Vegan Broth Recipe – Ingredients:

  • 1-2 medium or large peeled and chopped yams
    This simple recipe makes a hearty and nutritious vegan soup that can be enjoyed in the winter as well as the summer.
    This simple recipe makes a hearty and nutritious vegan soup that can be enjoyed in the winter as well as the summer.
  • 1 large peeled and chopped onion
  • 4-5 peeled and chopped carrots
  • 4 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1-2 peeled and chopped garlic cloves
  • Handful of chopped herbs – basil, rosemary, oregano (optional – you can add one, all or your own preference)
  • Few stalks of chopped celery
  • 1 -2 Large peeled and chopped apple, pear or both
  • Filtered Water

Vegan Broth Recipe – Instructions:

In a large stock pot, I throw in all the ingredients. I fill the pot almost to the top and bring to boil and let simmer for a few hours. I then remove from it from the heat and using a hand blender, blend all ingredients until uniform. I only take out the amount I need, add whatever other ingredients I might like to add, and season to taste. The longer the soup is left to stew, the better the flavour. I add seasonings after all other ingredients are in the broth, especially leftovers, to avoid over seasoning.

2 Comments Posted on food reviews, Health, Recipes, Uncategorized, vegan

Jill Shell’s Friday Night Vegan/Vegetarian Pizza Recipe: Family Friendly (Mommy) Blog

Jill Shell's Friday Night Vegan/Vegetarian Pizza Recipe: Family Friendly (Mommy) Blog

Let’s talk pizza!  Our family LOVES pizza and our favorite restaurant to dine at currently is Mellow Mushroom.  They are vegan and “family friendly” and we’ve been to several here in the Southeast (in Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida and Alabama, as a matter of fact).  Pizza is often a staple for us on Friday or Saturday nights when we are up for something quick and easy to make.  Now I don’t claim to be Betty Crocker, so I will tell you now that 9 times out of 10 I do buy my pizza dough (as opposed to making it).

Where we live you can buy pre-made pizza dough from Publix, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe’s.  Whenever possible, I generally buy our pizza dough from Trader Joe’s because it is vegan, the ingredients are simple and pronouncable, it’s really good and you can’t beat the price ($1.19 here in Nashville).  I try to make a trip to TJ’s about once every other month and stock up on essentials like pizza dough (it’s perfectly fine to put it in the freezer and then thaw out the day you will use it).  And I will say that not only can you use the dough for making pizzas and calzones, but they are great to make into breadsticks to go along with soup in the winter.

To make a vegan veggie pizza, here’s what I do:

1- Preheat the oven to 400* and grease a medium sized pizza pan with a bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

2- Pat the dough in your hands and pull from each side to stretch it out, and then spread it out onto your pizza pan.

3- Add the sauce of your choice (we generally buy jarred organic pasta sauce from either Kroger, TJ’s or Whole Foods . . . sometimes you can get it for $2.19 a jar at Kroger and all of the ingredients are ingredients that are real).

4- Cut up veggies of your choice and sprinkle randomly over the sauce . . . our veggie pizza staples are onion (cut into thin, long slices), multi-colored bell peppers (cut into thin, long slices), and tomatoes (cut thin) to layer on top.  Sometimes we add mushrooms, but those are only for nights we feel a little crazy and step outside of the norm.

5- Slice up some Kalamata olives and sprinkle all over.

6- Shake a little salt, a little cracked pepper, and either an Italian herb blend or simple oregano other the entire pizza.  If you have fresh basil, go ahead and cut some of that up and spread it over the pizza.

7- Toss it in the oven for 10-15 minutes (depending how crispy or soft you like your crust).

8- Eat and serve with a side salad.

Jill Shell's Friday Night Vegan/Vegetarian Pizza Recipe: Family Friendly (Mommy) Blog

For Jack’s pizza, we tend to go a much simpler route (because he is 4 and a very picky eater).  I generally break the dough in half and put the other half in the freezer for another night.  I grease the pizza pan, work out the dough in my hands and spread it onto the pan.  I add the sauce (and I try to opt for a sauce that specifically has some kind of extra veggie, like a sauce with bell peppers or mushrooms).  Then I top it with mozzarella cheese . . . or almond cheese which still has casein in it so it’s not vegan, but seems a bit better for him than the mozzarella.  I bake it anywhere from 10-15 minutes and serve his with cut up apples or a side of applesauce.

Here again, if you are not into the whole vegan thing (I get it, I really do) and just want to make a good, meaty or cheesy pizza . . . just follow the first few steps and then add your preferred toppings.  Or if you are a super meat lover and want to try inserting a veggie option in every now and then, try this, you won’t be disappointed (unless you are, then in which case, I can’t help you there; I can just vouch that we like it)!