As a vegetarian teetering on the edge of veganism, I eat a lot of nuts and seeds.

And as the summer turns to fall, I tend to throw almonds into my oatmeal, sunflower seeds into my soy yogurt, and, after carving pumpkins for Halloween (and roasting the seeds), pumpkins seeds straight into my mouth.

But I need to branch out, so I’ve been exploring other seeds, such as flax and sesame.

And it turns out I should have been embracing them all along, as both are helpful for what, specifically, ails me.

Flax seeds are among the best plant sources of alpha-linolenic acid (which is an omega 3), have been known to ease inflammation, help hot flashes and keep cholesterol levels healthy. (For the record, I would be hoping for help with hot flashes!) They are best used ground up and then mixed into yogurt, smoothies, soups and hot cereals.

Sesame seeds also offer heart healthy phytosterols, are good sources of calcium and may even halt certain types of cancer cells (all of which packs a three-fer punch for me!). I plan to sprinkle them liberally on vegetables and salads, at least to start.

So what’s your favorite seed, and how do you use it?

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Pumpkin pie is definitely an American staple for holiday meals.  The traditional pumpkin pie is full of dairy and eggs, not to mention the lard that is typically present in flaky pastry crusts.  This has made it off-limits to vegans and even strict vegetarians since time immemorial.  However, the widespread availability of vegan baking substitutes has now made it possible to have delicious vegan pumpkin pie at all of your holiday gatherings!

Start with the Pumpkin

There are many ways to make vegan pumpkin pie, but they all start with the pumpkin.  Some people prefer to get their pumpkin from a can, which is the fastest and easiest way to make a vegan pumpkin pie.  Be sure to read the label, though, since some of these cans contain a “pumpkin pie mix” which sometimes includes dairy. 

If you would prefer to use fresh pumpkin, it’s easier than it might seem.  You simply wash the pumpkin while preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Then, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds and strings.  Place the halves, cut sides down, into a lightly oiled roasting pan and cover with a lid or with kitchen foil.  Bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours or until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork.  Remove the pumpkin, let it cool, and then scoop the flesh from the rind. 

You’ll need to puree the pumpkin using a blender or food processor to make it smooth enough to use in recipes.  When using your fresh pumpkin, remember that it is much moister than the puree from a can.  You will need to strain the pumpkin flesh through a cheesecloth or very fine strainer prior to using it in a recipe.

Next, the Crust

Many premade crusts in the supermarket are made with lard, which is an animal product.  Obviously, lard has no place in a vegan pumpkin pie!  There are also plenty of premade pie crusts that don’t contain any animal products; finding them just takes a little determination and the ability to spot animal products in a list of ingredients.

Making your own crust for your vegan pumpkin pie is easy.  There are plenty of recipes to be found online or in cook books.  In fact, many of the traditional pie crust recipes used by generations of bakers are unintentionally vegan.  They can be made with just a few ingredients and make the perfect flaky base for your vegan pumpkin pie.

The Filling

Many bakers are secure with making a vegan pie crust, but when it comes to making vegan pumpkin pie filling they are at a loss for ideas.  Luckily, there are many choices for this part of the pie and none of them are very difficult.  The most popular option is pureed tofu.  The tofu gives a nice firm texture to the finished pie without adding much of its own flavor.  There can be a slightly bean-y aftertaste, so be sure to taste the pie filling as you go along to make sure the spices are effectively masking that aftertaste.

If you’d prefer to forgo the tofu for your vegan pumpkin pie (you’d be surprised how many vegans can’t stand tofu!), there are plenty of other options.  Soymilk, molasses, and brown sugar can combine to create an incredibly rich and complex tasting vegan pumpkin pie.  Even vegan “cream cheese” can be used to make a silky and decadent vegan pumpkin pie.  A wealth of recipes can be found online for many different kinds of vegan pumpkin pie.

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Many people simply do not care to eat their breakfast before moving on for their job or school. This is not a good habit. If you do not eat a healthy breakfast in the morning, you will feel exhausted throughout the day. Having a good breakfast is very important, no matter what your lifestyle is. Pancakes are certainly a good and healthy option to refuel our stomach. Here are two vegan pancake recipes that you can enjoy during your breakfast, even if you are not a vegan.

Vegan Pancakes with Custard Powder

This is one of the most delicious vegan pancake recipes. No matter what you food preference is, once you have this pancake, you can never forget the mouth-watering flavor. Most interestingly, just looking at this pancake, you can never distinguish that this belongs to vegan pancakes. Isn’t it great? Take 4 cups of flour, ½ cup of fruits like strawberries, grape, blackberries, etc, 1 tbsp white sugar, 1 tbsp custard powder and 2 cups of soy milk. Now let us start making this healthy and delicious pancake.

Take a large bowl and pour all the ingredients except fruits and soy milk. Mix them nicely so that no clot may exist. Now add the soy milk in the bowl and mix all of them together till the batter becomes smooth and tender. Add fruits in the batter. Allow a griddle to be heated at a medium volume and then coat using nonstick cooking spray. Now pour the batter on the griddle and fry till bubbles come out from the surface. Flip it and do the same with other part. Ready.

Simple Vegan Pancakes

This is one of the most simple vegan pancakes that won’t take much time to prepare. You need 1 cup of flour, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp of baking powder, salt to taste, 1 cup of soy milk and 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Take a large bowl and mix all the ingredients except the liquid ones. Once they are mixed nicely, add soy milk and vegetable oil and prepare a batter. Blend it nicely till it becomes tender. Heat a pan at medium heat. Add the batter into it using a spoon. Flip carefully and cook till it is cooked and becomes stiffened.

These two vegan pancake recipes are simply ideal to give you a morning boost. However, if you are maintaining a vegan lifestyle, it is strictly recommended that you must seek professional guidance in order to prepare your daily diet chart, or else, you may experience nutritional deficiencies for inadequate supply of essential minerals and vitamins.

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Vegan baked goods are an often-misunderstood group of foods.  Non-vegans usually picture them as bland, hard, or having a strange and not very pleasing texture.  However, experienced vegans will know that that’s not the case at all!  Vegan baked goods are delicious, and vegan muffins in particular are the perfect way to start off the day with something sweet and nutritious.

If you are on the lookout for vegan muffin recipes, you have several options for finding them.  First, there is the old standby: cookbooks.  Vegan cookbooks have simply exploded in popularity lately, and you can find them in every mainstream bookstore.  Flip through the book before you buy it to see if it contains any vegan muffin recipes that you’re interested in.  Some books do tend to rely on ingredients that aren’t present in the average kitchen, so pick your books wisely.

Another fantastic source of vegan muffin recipes is vegan websites and forums.  These resources often give you the advantage of reading comments about the vegan muffin recipes from people who have made them before.  They can usually provide some very interesting and helpful feedback for you before you make the recipe yourself.

How to Convert Non-Vegan Recipes

The other option available to you is to convert your existing muffin recipes into vegan muffin recipes.  This is a very simple thing to do, and once you get used to converting recipes you’ll be able to do it as you go along with a recipe in a book.

Your muffin recipes will probably call for milk or buttermilk.  This is an easy substitution when you’re converting to vegan muffin recipes: simply substitute the same amount of soy milk, rice milk, or fruit juice as appropriate for that particular recipe.  Each fluid will give you a different tasting end result, so experimentation may yield surprisingly tasty results.

When you need to find a substitute for eggs in your vegan muffin recipes, you have a great number of choices.  Half of a mashed banana or a quarter of a cup of apple sauce or pureed tofu can be used to substitute for one egg in a sweet recipe.  Similarly, a quarter of a cup of pureed soft tofu is often used.  Ground flax can also be mixed with water for a nutty-tasting egg replacer.  There are also a few brands of powdered egg replacer available in health food stores that can be used very effectively to stand in for eggs in vegan muffin recipes.

No matter how you choose to find or make your vegan muffin recipes, they can produce some of the fluffiest, sweetest, and healthiest muffins ever.  Your friends and family will not only be fighting over the last muffin – they’ll be begging you for the recipe!

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Although most vegans spontaneously admit that there is nothing unusual in their vegan lifestyle, which may be quite true in individualized frame, however, vegans, in general or as a concept, experience different controversies due to their eating preference. In this article, we will try to explore different aspects of vegan lifestyle, while critically examining the significance.

Food Content

Many people wonder about vegan lifestyle and their food selection. In most of the cases, individuals simple switch to vegan lifestyle, since they simply want to avoid the excessive quantity of hormones that are available in chicken, pork and beef products. A vegan diet is rich with vegetables, however, maintaining a perfect balance to meet the needs for all nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Child Rights Controversy

There is an ongoing controversy between child right activists and vegan individuals. Child right activists claim that if a child is forced to maintain vegan lifestyle due to their vegan parents, it violates child rights, since the child can not obtain carbohydrates and protein in an adequate fashion in this specific lifestyle. Moreover, the activists claim that the child needs to be fed with at least a small amount of meat everyday, if the child is growing in a vegan family.

Food Pyramid

This is entirely a new concept that comes out as a guideline for those people interested in maintaining a vegan lifestyle. This guideline helps people to design their diet according to their own preference while fulfilling the needs of essential nutrients in the body. It suggests having at least 10-14 servings per day comprised of fruits and vegetables. Although it looks much, but our body needs a wide variety of nutrients daily, so we need to consume a lot in vegan lifestyle.

Significance

Although the proponents of vegan lifestyle claims that switching on vegan from non-vegetarian lifestyle gives them the flexibility to attain optimum health, it is still a subject of ongoing debate. In fact, both the sides have their specific benefits and none of them are actually able to overshadow other. However, switching to vegan lifestyle definitely brings a peace in mind, since no animal is dying simply because we need to feed ourselves.

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Vegans are nearly constantly bombarded with questions about their diet.  “What do you eat?” seems to be the most-often asked one.  Many people find it hard to understand what a person’s diet could possibly consist of if it doesn’t include meat, eggs and dairy.

The answer to the question of what vegans eat is, of course, everything else!  Vegans enjoy a wide variety of foods.  In fact, most vegans have a more varied diet than omnivores because taking meat and dairy out of the equation encourages cooks to be more creative with their meals and try out new foods that would have been ignored otherwise.

Nourish Your Body with Healthy Vegan Foods

To help vegans make sure that they are getting the right nutrients to nourish their bodies, a vegan food pyramid has been created.  Like the familiar USDA food pyramid, the vegan food pyramid gives general advice about which food groups should be consume and in what quantities.

The base of the vegan food pyramid is composed of fruits and vegetables.  This means that fruits and vegetables should make up the largest part of your diet.  You should eat about three to five servings of each every day.  Your fruits and vegetables can take nearly any form, like a whole-fruit smoothie or a hearty vegetable soup.  This can include cooked or raw vegetables, but foods like condensed fruit juice or fruit snacks should be avoided in favor of real, whole fruits and vegetables. 

The next level of the vegan food pyramid features whole grains.  Whole grains include brown rice, whole wheat bread, corn, oats, barley, and other unprocessed grain foods.  White bread and other bleached flour products do not count as whole grains because they are processed and less nutritious than whole grains.

One level higher on the vegan food pyramid includes beans/legumes and soy products.  You should eat approximately two to three servings from each of these groups every day.  The beans, legumes, and seeds group can include a wide variety of foods: lentils, beans, nuts, peas, and sunflower, flax, or pumpkin seeds, among others.  Your vegan food pyramid requirements from the soy group can be met with delicious foods like fortified soy milk, meat substitutes, tofu, and tempeh.  Beware of some pre-packaged meat substitutes or vegan microwave meals, though: some of these contain huge amounts of salt.

At the very top of the vegan food pyramid, in the small triangle that should make up the smallest part of your diet, resides the fats and sugars group.  Just like the USDA food pyramid, the vegan food pyramid suggests that you use foods like olive oil, sugar, salt, and processed sweets sparingly.

There is some question among vegans about whether the bottom level of the vegan food pyramid should be fruits/vegetables or whole grains.  The vegan food pyramid actually suggests roughly equal servings of both groups, so the placement isn’t all that important. 

The vegan food pyramid has been a valuable and easy-to-understand model of vegan nutrition since it was first distributed among vegans.  It’s a great graphic way to get an understanding of what types of foods should be going in to a vegan diet.  Although a vegan diet is among the healthiest in the world, it can be easy to rely too heavily on one group or another.  Having this graphical representation of a healthy diet can work wonders for helping vegans understand the healthiest way to distribute their daily intake.

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One of the benefits of eating vegan diet is that it helps in lowering blood pressure and if you are one who is following a strict vegan diet, you need to be careful that it does not result in you become deficient in proteins that are essential for building up fresh cells in the body. Thus, you need to also ensure taking enough of milk, eggs, cheese as well as dairy products to get the required intake of protein which are generally not available to vegans who however, can also rely on eating pulses and Soya products as well as nuts in order to get enough of proteins.

Eliminate Cheese

Thus, a prudent vegan diet will require ensuring that you don’t consume more than two eggs per week though it also means cutting down on other kinds of fats and to also eliminate eating cheese which is rich with sodium and which contain unwanted saturated fat that can raise cholesterol levels. However, your vegan diet should contain enough of dietary fiber which of course is omnipresent in whatever food you ingest, and which include foods that are not actually fibrous and gums and even mucilage are good examples of.

Other recommended foods that should form an essential part of your vegan diet include wholemeal bread and all kinds of vegetables and fruits that are rich with fiber, though cooking will reduce the amount of fiber that you will get from the vegetables and fruits. Nevertheless, you must eat peas and beans as well as lentils that are pulses that content maximum fiber content, whose effect can be further buttressed by also eating wholemeal bread, fruits as well as vegetables.

Some of the secrets behind a good vegan diet are that you should first of all know all what a proper vegan diet is, know what you are getting into, and also be careful about why you must change your diet. Also, you should get started with such a diet in an easy manner rather than rush into making changes to your diet, and you may even want to use a Vegan recipe cookbook to create more exciting dishes, and most important of all, not push yourself too much and never place so much pressure on your body as to cause it harm. It is in fact, recommended to remain balanced and intake plenty of calories as well as nutrients and not constrains you to just eating a few food options.

Other ways to benefit from your vegan diet include taking help from your friends who know a thing or two about such diets, and in addition, it is never a good idea to compare you with other vegans, and to also understand the value of timing your diet properly that in turn means that in the summer months you will get more choice of fruits and vegetables and also be able to eat lighter foods as compared to eating baked foods and soups during the winter times.

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If you feel like your diet is negatively affecting your health, a vegan detox diet can help to re-set your system and get you back to being mindful of your eating habits. 

A vegan detox diet can be from a few days to a few weeks long.  A vegan detox diet can also be a full fast, a partial fast, or just a restrictive diet that helps your body cleanse itself.  The basis of nearly any vegan detox diet is fresh, organic fruits and vegetables and plenty of water.

Fruits and vegetables help to flush your body out and get rid of all of the unpleasant things that have been building up.  Eating organic produce is especially important during this time because you don’t want to fill your body with chemicals and pesticides when you are trying to clean it out.

It’s also generally accepted as a bad idea to consume alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, or any other drug during a vegan detox diet.  Putting these substances into your body during a vegan detox diet will not only defeat the purpose of the detox; they may even do more harm than usual.

By the Book or By Ear

There are many guides and books available to help you through your vegan detox diet.  If you decide to follow a program, try to read through it first to determine if it is the right program for you.  If not, keep looking until you find one that seems to speak to you.  All vegan detox diet programs are not created equal, so what works for one person may not be the right choice for another.

You can also choose to make up your own vegan detox diet as you go along.  There’s nothing preventing you from just doing what your body says is right for you.  If you feel that you need to go on a three-day juice fast to cleanse your body, then give it a try.  If you do a longer or more intense fast or other kind of vegan detox diet, it is advisable to consult with your doctor first. 

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What types of vegan desserts are there?  Well, simply put, there is a vegan answer for nearly any non-vegan dessert.  Fruit cobbler is one of the vegan desserts that are often “accidentally vegan,” meaning that they aren’t designed to be free of animal products but often turn out that way. 

Other vegan desserts that have become very popular in recent years are frozen desserts, like ice cream made from soy or rice ingredients.  These are a heart-healthy way to get your warm-weather sweets.  Soy and rice are both healthier for your body than dairy, and they are an absolute blessing for the people who are lactose intolerant: according to some studies, this is well over half of all American adults!

Some specialty companies have popped up recently and sell vegan desserts online or in stores.  These desserts include such delicious offerings as cookies, scones, muffins, cakes, candies, and pies. 

Even such traditionally dairy and egg-laden recipes as cheesecake and pastries are available in vegan form now!  Vegan desserts are so delicious that they have become an extremely popular way to end meals, whether the meal itself is vegan or not.

Make it Yourself

Recipes for vegan desserts can be found online, usually at vegan websites.  These websites are the perfect way to learn about vegan cooking and baking since they allow users to share tips and compare experiences.  You may find some great new vegan desserts to try, along with valuable suggestions from people who have made those recipes before.

Another wonderful source of recipes for vegan desserts is vegan cookbooks.  Believe it or not, these are plentiful in bookstores now even though veganism was definitely not mainstream just a few decades ago.  Vegan cookbooks can give you new recipes as well as inspiration to make up or modify your own recipes.  You’ll soon find out that vegan desserts are easy to make and can make you the star of any gathering.

Making vegan desserts sometimes requires a bit of ingenuity and a willingness to experiment with ingredients that you haven’t used before.  However, the rewards you’ll reap from a delicious cruelty-free dessert are definitely worth any effort that the preparation takes!

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Okay, so vegan cooking does not necessarily mean all you eat are green colored foods. Green signifies more than the colors of foods vegans eat; going green means that you are being environmentally conscious or friendly as well as trying to eat healthy.

Before going into detail about vegan cooking, first allow me to stress the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan. Vegetarianism is a diet which excludes all types of animal flesh, from meats to fish to even shell fish, but it may include eggs and other dairy products; depending on the type of vegetarian you are.

Veganism however is the stricter sense, because in veganism you don’t eat, drink, wear, or even use anything that comes from an animal, or is a result of animal labor; which includes milk and honey.

Now if your thinking that vegan cooking will be a bit difficult because of the lack of a wide range of ingredients then you couldn’t be more wrong. Vegan cooking can actually be a breeze and the food totally great!

The Initiation to vegan cooking is not an easy one, but you have to start somewhere if you want to go vegan. A good place to start with vegan cooking, is to know how to substitute eggs.

Getting Rid Of Eggs

There are a couple of stuff you can replace eggs with but so far these 3 has been my favorites

Silken tofu is a great egg substitute. It’s easily available in any supermarket, grocery store, health food shop, or your neighborhood Asian grocery. ¼ cup blended silken tofu equals to about 1 piece of egg. The thing is though you have to blend the silken tofu well so that there won’t be any chunks left. Silken tofu is great for cheese cakes, brownies, cakes, and those rich sauces you so love! Plus it has no after taste.

Another great option for an egg stand-in is Flax-seeds. You can ground your own flax-seeds or you can buy pre ground ones from health foods stores. Mix 2 ½ tablespoons flax-seed to get an equivalent of 1 egg; the result is a fluffy looking white thing that resembles an egg white.

Flax seeds however are not always great for vegan cooking as they have an earthy sort of granola taste. But it’s great with whole grain foods like oatmeal, or for pancakes, and muffins. It’s also good for any of your savory dishes as long as the earthy taste won’t mar your food’s flavor.

A surprisingly good substitute for eggs in vegan cooking is bananas. ½ a blended banana is equal to one egg. The clincher though is that everything you put this into will taste like, what else? Bananas.

There are many more delicious vegan cooking recipes, and vegan cooking substitute ingredients you can find on the internet, library or bookstore. This article is just made to show you that there are ways to go around the issues of not having any animal by product in food; without sacrificing taste. 

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If you aren’t the type of person who enjoys working in the kitchen and you would rather just buy your vegan cookies pre-made, there are plenty of sources online.  You can also find vegan cookies in most health food stores; usually, their labels will mention the word “vegan” so you know that they are free from any animal products.

However, if you love baking, vegan cookies are easy and fun to make.  They aren’t nearly as complicated as you might think; in fact, most vegan cookies are just as simple to make as other types of cookies.  Vegan cookies even give you the added benefit of being able to sample the dough since it doesn’t contain any potentially harmful raw eggs!

Vegan cookie recipes are very easy to find online.  If you know the type of cookie that you would like to make, doing an internet search for that type of cookie will yield plenty of resources.  For example, if you’re looking for a recipe for vegan oatmeal raisin cookies, you’d simply perform an internet search for “vegan oatmeal raisin cookies recipe” (with the quotes) and pick the one that looks best from the list of results.

Substituting Vegan Ingredients

If you’d like to convert your favorite cookie recipe into a vegan recipe, it’s easier to do than you might think!  There are lots of products available today that make vegan cooking simple.  Powdered egg replacers are one of the greatest vegan baking tools.  Powdered egg replacers consist of a fine powder that gives vegan cookies the same qualities that eggs impart in other cookies.

If you don’t want to use egg replacers or can’t find them where you live, mashed tofu, mashed banana, pureed prunes, applesauce, flax meal, and arrowroot powder are all used as very effective egg substitutes.  There are different formulas for replacing eggs with any of these methods, and different substitutes are appropriate for different vegan cookies.  The best way to figure out how to use each one is to get a vegan baking cookbook that uses some of the different methods, then experiment with the recipes.

Substituting vegan ingredients for milk in vegan cookie recipes is not difficult at all.  Soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk are all readily available in the supermarket and can be used just like dairy milk.  You can also try substitutes like coconut milk, fruit juice, and water, as well as other liquids, to see what works for you.

For the butter that is usually present in cookies, vegan cookies use vegetable oil, vegetable shortening, or dairy-free margarine.  Again, these methods all have different results and are more effective in some recipes than in others.  Generally, dairy-free margarine gives the most reliable results that are closest to those that you would get with butter.  However, some recipes really shine when they are made with vegetable oil.  Experimentation is the key to outstanding vegan cookies.

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Baking is as much a way of life as it is stress therapy. At the same time veganism is a lifestyle and a philosophy. Going vegan means that you are being conscious of being in harmony with nature, and the daily changes which is flowing and occurring with them

Just because you’re a vegan does not mean that you won’t get to eat a lot of your favorite things. Don’t you worry because it’s still possible to eat desserts and baked goods like cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins, and pancakes.

The common obstacle when it comes to vegan baking is how to substitute eggs, butter and milk. Aside from substitution problems there’s also the taste issue, most substitutes don’t taste like the real thing. A substitute generally diminishes or can’t compare to the real thing.

No worries, this article will give you a vegan cookie recipe to help you ease into vegan baking; and to show you that you can enjoy food even when you’re a vegan.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Vegan Cookie Recipe

This chewy chocolate chip vegan cookie recipe is chewy and brownie like. Don’t worry if you think 10 minutes is too short a time for baking, it really is not. The utensils you will use for this vegan cookie recipe are: cookie sheets, or a baking sheet, blender, 2 large bowls, and a spatula.

The ingredients of this chewy chocolate chip vegan cookie recipe are the following: ¾ cup canola oil, 2 cups sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, 1tbsp pus 1 tsp whole flax seeds, ½ cup soymilk, 2 cups all purpose flour, ¾ cup vegan chocolate powder, 1tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, and 1cup vegan chocolate chips.

After preparing all the ingredients, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Celsius. Grind the flax seeds in the blender until they are completely powdered, add the soymilk and blend them again for 30 seconds. In a large bowl, sift the cocoa together with the flour, baking soda, and salt, 3 times.

In a separate bowl cream together sugar and oil; afterwards add the soymilk and flax seed mixture plus the vanilla. Fold in the sifted dry ingredients by batches, when you feel that the dough is getting a bit stiff to use the spatula use your hands, and continue mixing until the mixture forms into dough, add the vegan chocolate chips. (Don’t over mix, or else your cookie will become a bit dry and tough)

Take a tablespoon of the dough and roll it in your hands, then flatten into a disk and place on an ungreased cookie sheet (make sure they are about an inch apart). Bake for 10 minutes, when done place the cookies in a rack and let cool for 5 minutes.  
 
A note to the wise: Flax seeds are an egg substitute, and canola oil is used instead of butter. Vegan chocolate can be found in vegan and health foods store. They are also available on line. Happy baking and enjoy this chewy chocolate chip vegan cookie recipe 

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Being vegan is both a philosophy and a lifestyle. People choose to become vegan for numerous reasons; but most of them are for health, religion, morality, environmental awareness, politics, environment, peers, ethics, aesthetics and many more.

Health and happiness goes hand in hand. Awareness of this fact will help you change your diet to artlessly fit the natural cycle in which you want to live in. One source of happiness for most people is food. One food in particular that make people elated is chocolate.

Chocolate is actually very good for you, scientists have discovered that chocolate actually lowers cholesterol, helps reduce heart disease, aides your immune system, and reduces the risk of cancer and serious illnesses.

Unfortunately chocolate has dairy and dairy is a big no no for vegans. So your thinking, chocolate has no meat. Yes, that’s true chocolate has no meat in it. What it has is a dairy product we call milk; and milk is an animal by product. Vegans don’t consume, wear or use anything associated, coming from, or resulting from animals. This is because vegans are strict vegetarians.

Reasons For Eating Vegan Chocolate

There are a number of reasons why you should eat vegan chocolate. One of course is that you’re a vegan. But even if your not a vegan; vegan chocolates is good for you because they wont have any by products resulting from the milk like pesticides antibiotics and other hormones used in the cows, or chemicals from the grass the cow eats.

Vegan chocolate is also good for people who love chocolate but is allergic to dairy or lactose intolerant. But mostly it will be your helping hand to the environment. Did you know that most cattle feedlots are a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emission?

Where To Buy Vegan Chocolate?

There are many health food stores that sell vegan chocolate; but the best place to buy is online. Aside from the fact that there isn’t much vegan chocolates for sale on stores in America, buying chocolates online will give you a wide array of choices.

In the States you can buy chocolates at veganstore.com. Veganstore.com has a variety of vegan chocolates to choose from. They have baking chocolate, chocolate chips, Belgian chocolates, fondues, donuts, cookies, chocolate spreads and many more.

The only other good online store in the U.S. is a Different Daisy. Different Daisy is an exclusively online vegan store that carries vegan chocolate.

There are many more online stores wherein you can buy vegan chocolate, but most of them are in Britain. If you’re willing to wait and pay for shipment here are a couple of U.K online stores than sell quality vegan chocolate: Hotel Chocolat, Animal Aid, Ethical Superstore, and Viva.
 
 

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Cab Spates Personal Chef

Cab Spates Personal Chef offers exotic and locally grown cuisine designed exclusively for nourishing mind, body and spirit in a holistic fashion. Known as one of the most cultural vegetarian catering services in the United States, Cab Spates Personal Chef is popular for their spa parties that cover organic cuisine, benefit of yogic culture, massage therapy, organic facials, music and many more. They have a great selection of menu from which you can easily customize according to your personal preference. They are located at Oahu, Hawaii, USA.

Catering by Dinner Is Served

Surely, Catering by Dinner is Served is one among all vegetarian catering services in the United States that believe in grand old tradition for welcoming people altogether for rejoicing life’s events. Their service areas include Massachusetts and Southern New Hemisphere, USA. They are nationally known for offering their exclusive service in delicious vegan and vegetarian cuisines. They have their specialization in almost all domains of events; however, offering vegetarian catering services for wedding is their inspiration.

Eco-Goddess Edibles

In recent decades, an increasing number of people are becoming health conscious and they prefer to choose organic foods in their regular diet option. Eco-Goddess Edibles is one of the most reliable vegetarian catering services that offer absolutely organic vegetable foods to their customers. Eco-Goddess Edibles catering service is able to meet the needs of the party of any sizes or any events. Their service areas include Aspen and surrounding areas, EI Jebel, Basalt, etc. They are located at Dolores Way, CO.

Hearth to Home Vegan Cuisine

The specialty of the vegan and vegetarian catering services of Hearth to Home Vegan Cuisine includes an entirely plant-based diet. Since plant-based diets contribute a lot in minimizing the risk for life-threatening illnesses like cancer, cardiovascular complications, cholesterol and diabetes in addition to a reduced risk for food-borne diseases. Apart from that, their all meals are prepared with organic foods ensuring the highest quality, flavor and nutritional benefits. Their service areas include Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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Vegan baking is always popular, especially with the new health craze that is sweeping across the country. If you are interested in getting into vegan cooking, you should know that the Internet can really be your best friend here. That is because with the Internet you are able to browse through literally hundreds of different websites and recipes in a matter of minutes, something that you obviously could not do otherwise.

This means finding the perfect vegan baking recipes online quickly and easily, and being able to prepare the dishes that you love. There are a few online companies in particular that you will want to check out for vegan baking recipes online, and which will be discussed in more detail here.

Vegan Baking Recipes Online

One of the best companies offering vegan baking recipes online is the Fat Free Vegan Recipes Company. They offer a comprehensive selection of vegan baking recipes, including orange chocolate cake, Sichuan tofu with garlic sauce, double mushroom miso soup and sesame broccoli, beet chocolate cake with banana peanut butter, southwestern split pea soup, tofu and vegetable cacciatore, black bean pupusas, and pumpkin spice bread.

They also offer a fantastic search engine which makes it easy for you to find the specific vegan baking recipes online that you are looking for.

The Simple Vegan Recipes Company is another great option here and besides baking recipes they also offer vegan appetizers and main meals. They too offer a fantastic search engine which will help you find the recipes that you are looking for and make it easier for you to prepare nutritious and delicious recipes.

Remember

Regardless of which particular vegan dishes you choose to prepare, it is important to always remember the health benefits that you are giving yourself here. Vegetarians have a lower incidence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity, and even some forms of cancer. Vegan diets also tend to be lower in total fat and can be a perfectly healthy option as long as it is well balanced.

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Many Benefits

The benefits of being a vegan are especially noticeable once you get off a diet that consists of meats and other products derived from killing animals. This is especially important when you consider that to produce a single pound of meat requires using sixteen pounds of grain along with two thousand five hundred gallons of water. On the other hand, if the same amount of grain was used to feed people, it would satisfy sixteen average sized humans.

A vegan is a person who does not consume animal products either totally or to the greatest possible extent. Many vegans are in fact committed enough to even abstain from using medicines that are made out of animal products, and thus vegans will not buy or even use animal products including steaks, eggs, leather products because they aim to do something positive which will result in reducing animal suffering.

The primary reason why someone will shift to becoming a vegan is because they believe that it is inhuman to kill animals and thus is especially opposed to slaughter of animals just to feed humans. Another reason why a person would want to become a vegan is because of concerns with regard to the environment, because animal agriculture can devastate the environment and also the earth and it is also believed to be inefficient as far as producing food goes.

However, the overriding reason why a person turns into a vegan is because of the fear that consuming animal fats and proteins causes serious health conditions including heart diseases and lung cancer. Thus, eating little or no animal products can be the answer to not only a person’s health, but also to keeping the environment protected.

Thus, if you are thinking about becoming a vegan, the next time you go shopping for food you should look for a Vegan logo on the food products which will ensure that you are buying foods that don’t contain anything derived from dead animals.

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It can still be difficult to find raw vegan recipes at times, though.  The vegan recipes that are all over the internet are typically not raw, and believe it or not there are plenty of raw recipes that aren’t vegan.  They can, however, be found – and when you find a gem, it’s worth sharing with other raw food enthusiasts!

One of the best sources for raw vegan recipes is your own imagination.  Raw vegan recipes are not typically very complicated or elaborate because simplicity is emphasized in the raw lifestyle.  Most raw vegan recipes are nothing more than the combining of a few different kinds of raw foods into a pleasing but still separate combination.  This allows you to enjoy each individual component while gaining the benefits that each food offers your body.

You can find more complicated raw vegan recipes online on raw food websites, forums, and message boards.  These recipes may include more preparation and processing than the most simple raw vegan recipes, but they will allow you to enjoy some tastes that you didn’t think you would be able to enjoy as a raw food enthusiast. 

There are also many raw food cookbooks available that will give you some great advice on raw vegan recipes and the whole raw food lifestyle.  These books are usually written by other lovers of raw food, so you can be sure that they have been tested and approved by people who know their raw vegan recipes.

Go Straight to the Experts

Another great source of raw vegan recipes is other people who follow the raw foods lifestyle.  If you know of someone in your area who practices this type of eating, you can ask them if they would mind sharing some of their favorite recipes with you.  Most raw food lovers are happy to share the knowledge that they have gathered.

Even better, if you know of several raw food enthusiasts in your area, why not have a raw foods party?  You can all get together for a raw vegan potluck and exchange your favorite raw vegan recipes.  You could end up gaining not only some great new recipes, but a few new friendships as well!

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A vegan diet is among the healthiest possible ways of eating.  By removing animal products from your meals, you will be eliminating the causes of many common ailments.  Heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure have all been directly connected to eating meat and other animal products.  Another benefit of a vegan diet is the weight loss that you may experience when transitioning from a meat-centered diet to a vegan one.

Many vegans, however, do not fit the stereotypical image of the rail-thin health nut.  An abundance of pasta, bread, and vegan desserts can even lead some vegans to be overweight.  If this describes you and you’d like to reduce your weight, you’ll need to find a decent vegan weight loss program.

The problem with that is that programs specifically geared toward vegan weight loss are very difficult to find.  The powders, bars, and shakes that are typically used by people wishing to lose weight are dripping with dairy and eggs.  The meetings-based programs involve eating a lot of meat in their meal plans.  Even the vegetarian plans don’t include an option for vegan weight loss.

Go it Alone or Get Some Help?

What is a vegan to do when the pounds are piling on?  The best way to achieve effective vegan weight loss is to eat wisely.  Learn to measure out portions correctly and make sure that you get enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  Exercise for at least 30 to 60 minutes every day and drink plenty of water.

Of course, this is easier said than done for a lot of people.  Vegan weight loss is just as difficult to achieve as any other type of weight loss, and we all know how challenging that can be.  If you need some extra help, or if you can only thrive under a strict program that tells you what to eat and when, there are some vegan weight loss options available for you.

The recent rise in popularity of the vegan diet has prompted several vegan weight loss books to be released to the public.  You can now get diet information specifically geared toward vegans at your nearest bookstore.  Several special vegan weight loss food products have also been developed, meaning that you can walk into any health food store and pick them up.  These products include soy weight loss shakes, vegan diet food bars, and even specially packaged vegan diet meals.

If you can’t find any of these options in your area, it may be helpful to contact one of those meetings-based programs to ask if they can help you to develop a special vegan weight loss diet plan.  They may be able to work with you to develop a menu that you enjoy that you can use to take off those extra pounds.

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Whether you are new to vegan cooking or you’ve been at it for decades, a new and reliable source of vegan recipies is always welcome.  Have you perused all of your cookbooks, checked all of the message boards on your favorite vegan sites, and thumbed through the cards in your recipe box only to come up with nothing exciting?  How about creating new vegan recipies of your own?

Vegan recipies are surprisingly simple to make up.  If you are cooking a savory dish for a lunch or dinner main dish, the most important things to remember are variety and balance.  Try to incorporate all of the vegan food groups into your meal so that you get optimum nutrition from the combination of food that you choose.

Some of the best vegan recipies for lunch and dinner occur on the spur of the moment.  If you are making a fresh vegetable sandwich and suddenly feel like putting something unexpected on it like apple slices, go for it!  See how the flavors mingle and balance each other out.

Not all vegan recipies have to be about balance, however.  A brunch can be an indulgent and decadent experience that you don’t have to feel guilty about.  Try putting together your favorite vegan sausage, some fried potatoes, and various leftover vegetables that you have in the fridge.  Combine them all in a skillet, then sprinkle with nutritional yeast and other seasonings.  Fry until everything is heated throughout, then serve alongside toast smothered in apple butter. 

Some vegan recipies are best left to the experienced cooks.  Baked goods are something that a lot of vegan cooks won’t do without a recipe because doing so could cause the necessary proportions to be thrown off.  If you don’t feel comfortable making up vegan recipies for baked goods on your own, why not try modifying existing vegan recipies?  Take a muffin or cookie recipe and change around a few of the ingredients.  Instead of chocolate chips, try dried cranberries.  Instead of blueberries, try sliced almonds.  As long as you keep the proportions of liquids to solids roughly the same, you should be successful.  And if your recipe doesn’t do well, at least you will have learned from the experience!

New Sources of Recipes

If making up your own vegan recipies just doesn’t seem like something you want to do, there are new vegan cookbooks coming out every day.  There are tons of websites dedicated just to sharing vegan recipies among users.  If you look hard enough, you’ll find a new and exciting recipe just waiting to be whipped up in your kitchen.

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Vegan Fusion World Cuisine is now available worldwide in a soft cover edition.

Kauai, HI (PRWEB) December 13, 2007 — ”Vegan Fusion World Cuisine,” winner of 9 international awards including “Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the USA,” is now available worldwide in a soft cover edition.

More than a cookbook, ”Vegan Fusion World Cuisine” is a transcendent, gorgeously illustrated, work of art with tantalizing dishes that form the cornerstone of a healthy and vibrant lifestyle. Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito’s choice for “Best Vegetarian Cookbook” includes a powerful call to action from Dr. Jane Goodall and endorsements from Deepak Chopra, Pierce Brosnan and John Robbins.

In addition to over 200 world class recipes, this one of a kind cookbook from the chefs of the internationally acclaimed Blossoming Lotus Restaurant on the island of Kauai, is filled with inspirational quotes, and loads of resources, practical tips and techniques for an enlightened lifestyle. Proving that enticing vegetarian meals, beautifully presented, are easy and satisfying each recipe includes simple, well-detailed instructions and mouth-watering photographs.

The authors, chef Mark Reinfeld, and entrepreneur Bo Rinaldi popularized the innovative fusion of international cultures and healthy gourmet cookery, which is the signature of the Blossoming Lotus Restaurant. Their upcoming book, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw,” is due to be released in July of 2008. Already receiving rave reviews, Woody Harrelson, with his characteristic wit, declares that the “recipes are so good you may want to eat this book.”

”Vegan Fusion World Cuisine” is a classic work that delivers on its promise to enrich the mind, body and spirit. Whether vegetarian, vegan, or somewhere in-between, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine is a kitchen bookshelf essential that will boost your health, increase your energy, and open your mind to the endless possibilities of healthy food preparation. It’s delicious.

Recognized as one of the most “innovative and trailblazing chefs in America,” Mark Reinfeld, winner of the prestigious Platinum Carrot Award for Raw Foods, is available for interviews. Please contact: Nancy Sayles The Sayles Organization
(818) 999-9571 nsayles@socal.rr.com

”Vegan Fusion World Cuisine: Healing Recipes and Timeless Wisdom from our Hearts to Yours” – Mark Reinfeld, Bo Rinaldi and Jane Goodall (foreword) – Beaufort Books – Available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and major retailers.

To view award-winning video: Blossoming Lotus Restaurant, Kauai,HI
Click here:
http://www.crackle.com/c/Travel/Veg_TV_On_the_Road_in_Kauai/2088738

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