Tag Archives: italy

Pasta Caprese

21 Saturday Sep 2013

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Leave it to the Italians for great food. They did it again with an amazing pairing of flavors known as Insalata Caprese. I took this classic recipe for a salad and made it into a delicious pasta dinner. 

pasta, noodles, cavatappi, basil, purple basil, vegan caprese, caprese, mozzarella
Purple Basil with Cavatappi pasta


Ingredients:

  • 1 box of whole grain pasta     ($0.99)
  • 1 jar of pasta sauce                ($1.25)
  • 1 bag of vegan mozzarella     ($2.56)
  • 3 tbsp. minced basil leaves   ($0.30)


Preparation:

Add your favorite style pasta to boiling water until al dente. Mince the basil leaves into fine pieces and add them to a saucepan with the sauce on medium low. When the sauce starts to bubble, pour it over the pasta. Add the mozzarella on top and garnish with a basil leaf or two if desired. For only $5.01, feed 4 impoverished vegans a delightful dinner with an hint of Italy. Buon Appetito!

pasta, noodles, cavatappi, basil, purple basil, vegan caprese, caprese, mozzarella
Melty vegan mozzarella over spaghetti and basil
vegan cheese, mozzarella, daiya
This is my favorite cheese-like brand, daiya

Did you know?


Cheese. Glorious, delicious, melty, savory, incredible cheese. Humans love cheese. I am a vegan and I love cheese; however, cheese is the secret villain behind certain cancers and diseases. Cancer is just one of a plethora of reasons to slay your cheese addiction. The meat and dairy industries are very closely intertwined. In fact, they are actually the same industry. The animals-are-food industry. This industry is literally killing our planet, the people on it, and an obscene number of innocent animals that would otherwise serve a better purpose than decomposing in stomach acid. So, how bad is cheese for the human body?

Today’s dairy milk is exceedingly rich in natural bovine estrogen compounds. This has resulted from the cows being milked 300 times per year, which causes the cow to produce more estrogen and thus more milk, more often. Pregnant cows are milked too, causing additional excess estrogen to end up in the milk. Leading nutritionists connect these estrogen compounds in the milk we consume to breast, prostate, and testicular cancer. There are opiate compounds in milk called casomorphins. Being an opiate, they are literally addictive. The purpose of them in dairy milk is to bind the baby calf to the mother with a special bond. How weird is it that humans are now addicted to dairy with the special bond of a mother cow? 

dairy cows, cramped conditions, vegan, animal cruelty
Dairy cows live their ENTIRE lives in the same cramped position

enlarged utter, dairy cow, vegan, animal cruelty
Over-milking and growth hormones cause utters to enlarge

dead cow, dairy farm, vegan, animal cruelty
Cows may be left dead for days, decomposing on the dirty floor

Cows farmed for consumption live in dairy farms. The males are sent directly to get pumped full of growth hormones and slaughtered for beef. Females are milked dry and forcefully inseminated, while their calves are taken from them to be pumped with growth hormones and milked just like their mothers. After the cows are useless for dairy, they are sent to the factory for their beef. The two industries are codependent and are taking up an increasingly vast amount of resources to feed, house, slaughter, and repeat. These resources could very well be used to end world hunger. The methane produced by cows is tearing our atmosphere apart, one hamburger at a time. There is so much more on this subject than can fit in a single blog post, but take the time to educate yourself before diving into a delicious bowl of mac and cheese. There are plenty of vegan alternatives to dairy. Check it:

Food is Power – for vegan alternatives to milk, butter, cheese, and eggs
Vegan Health – for information on negative health risks of animal products
Compassionate Cookbook – for encouragement, recipes, and information about veganism
Opiate Addiction – for more information about addiction 

Veggies!

16 Monday Sep 2013

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To my surprise, my fabulous boyfriend made me an amazing veggie dinner! Green veggies, steamed and sautéed to perfection make up the entrée. A colorful collection of spinach and peppers comprise the perfect pre-dinner salad.

Salad ingredients:

  • 1 handful baby spinach     ($0.12)
  • 3 tsp. strips red pepper    ($0.19)
  • 2 tsp. sliced red onion      ($0.06)
  • 2 tsp. sliced tomato         ($0.14)
  • 3 slices cucumber            ($0.15)
  • 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar   ($0.22)

Entrée ingredients:

  • 1 cup brussels sprouts   ($1.49)
  • 1 cup broccoli                  ($0.24)
  • 1 tsp. garlic salt

Preparation:

Layer the salad veggies in a bowl. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar over the top and enjoy. Bring a medium saucepan halfway full with water to a simmer. Add the greens and some olive oil. Cover and simmer until the veggies are tender. For softer veggies, simmer longer. Top the greens with some garlic salt and enjoy! This super-colored, super-flavored meal will only cost $2.61, but will have your whole body quiver in delicious nutrients. 

spinach, tomato, red onion, cucumber, red pepper, balsamic vinegar, salad, vegan
Balsamic vinegar over fresh vegetables
broccoli, brussels sprouts, garlic salt, steamed, vegan
Seasoned, steamed green veggies!

Did you know?

Balsamic vinegar has been a tradition in Italy since the Middle Ages. In Modena and Reggio Emilia, it was originally made from cooking white Trebbiano grapes down to a concentrate and left to ferment for a minimum of 12 years. The slow-aging process takes place in wooden casks to intensify the flavors. There are three classifications on balsmaic vinegar:
  • Authentic traditional artisan balsamic vinegar, the only kind that may legally be described as Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale in the EU.
  • Commercial grade balsamic vinegars produced on an industrial scale.
  • Condimento grade products, which are often a mix of the two above.
If a balsamic has been aged 12 years, it earns a red label. For a silver label, it must age for 18 years. The highest gold label is only earned for balsamics aging for 25 years. Common woods for the aging casks include chestnut, acacia, cherry, oak, mulberry, and ash. Traditional balsamic vinegar is thick, dark brown, rich, and referred to as mosto cotto. Balsamic vinegar can be used in marinades, sauces, reductions, dips, and salad dressings. Enough about balsamic vinegar; where can you obtain this savory sauce? 

Home to Asheville, North Carolina, the Tree and Vine is a developing olive oil and balsamic shop that is independently owned and operated. They put a location on Union Avenue in Downtown Knoxville. These two locations have a vast selection of oils and balsamics available to taste before you purchase. If you bring your used bottle, they will give you a discount for recycling. They even have a bath and body line. This amazing local shop even offers a bacon flavored olive oil for the bacon-loving Southern American. (I tried it because it is actually vegan.) Their most popular balsamic is aged 18 years Chestnut, Juniper, Hickory and Oak casks. The Italians drizzle it on fresh fruit, cheese, cured meats, and even ice cream. Indulge in the traditional Italian flavor of balsamic vinegar to spice up any salad, sauce or entrée. 

Better Bruschetta

31 Saturday Aug 2013

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It is 2 PM. Your stomach rumbles, head spins, and eyelids droop. Sounds like it is time for a snack! Instead of grabbing a chemical filled energy drink or fully loaded cup of coffee, how about having a nutritious, savory slice of bruschetta. 

Fresh bruschetta with hummus and spinach

Ingredients:

  • 1 slice whole-grain bread             ($0.33)
  • 2 tbsp. roasted garlic hummus   ($0.35)
  • 1 handful of baby spinach            ($0.12)
  • 4 tbsp. bruschetta topping          ($0.50)

Preparation: 

Toast the bread until lightly brown. Spread the hummus on the bread. Top with baby spinach leaves and the bruschetta topping and devour like a wild herbivore. The bruschetta mix I used was store bought, containing tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil.

Ready in less than 5 minutes, this $1.30 snack is karmically and nutritiously better than any dollar menu item at any fast food joint. In the afternoons, caffeine is so very seductive. It tempts not only your neurotransmitters, but also your palate. Delicious coffee is delicious!  One cup of coffee in the morning keeps your mind focused, as well as reducing the risk of heart failure and Alzheimer’s disease. In the afternoon, your body has worked off the caffeine and tells you that you probably need another boost. Fill this with vitamins and nutrients instead. Your body will thank you later. 

Eating a vegan diet, the human body will need sustenance intermittently throughout the day due to the small amount of calories in such large amounts of food. Take a look at this chart from Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. 
The amount of calories it takes to fill up a human stomach with vegetables is about 400. For chicken, it is about 1,200! We can achieve that same, satisfied, full feeling on vegetables, and eat MORE! Eating small meals and snacks throughout the day is the best way to keep the body well nourished and functioning properly. This also keeps the metabolism on its toes and processing well into the later years of life.

Did you know?

The most commonly accepted pronunciation of bruschetta is not what you think. In Italian, the digraph is always pronounced /k/. ex.  [bru’sket:ta] 
Brusketta. Brushetta. Bruschketta. Bruschetta. VIVA L’ITALIA!