This is a recipe I bummed off my fabulous friend, Teri. Her son has an extreme allergy to dairy and eggs, so she and I talk vegan tips and tricks on the regular. I’ve actually been jonesing for some cinnamon rolls for quite a while, but haven’t had the time or energy to make any of the recipes I’ve found (the dough for one of them actually required something like six hours in prep time before it was even ready to bake – not happenin’). She mentioned these out of the blue a few weeks ago and I finally got around to making them this past weekend. Consider the spot hit, my friend.

The best part about these is how super quick and easy they are to whip up. I’m talking 15 minutes from start to finish. More than enough time for a weekday morning before school or work.

Quick Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe courtesy of my friend, Teri

Ingredients

1 roll, original Pillsbury Crescents
Earth Balance spread
cinnamon/sugar mix
1/2 cup powdered sugar
water

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Unroll crescents onto an ungreased, non-stick baking sheet (keep dough intact, one big sheet)
• Spread Earth Balance on dough and top with cinnamon/sugar mix (all to taste)
• Roll dough back up and slice into 1 – 1/2 in. pieces
• Space rolls evenly on baking sheet and bake for ~10 min. Remove as soon as they begin to brown
• Meanwhile add very small amount of water to the powdered sugar and stir to combine. Continue adding water in small amounts until desired consistency is achieved
• Let rolls sit for a few minutes before applying icing

Yield: ~10 mini cinnamon rolls

Another bad picture. All I can say is, I was hungry.

This is a super simple sandwich that tastes like there was a ton of effort put into it, minus the effort. I think this would be good with some sauteed onions as well, but hubs isn’t a huge fan of them, so I left them off the menu this time. Really, you could add in all kinds of additional veggies, if you prefer (green peppers, spinach, etc.). Get creative!

Vegan Meatball Sandwich

Ingredients

8-10 Nate’s Zesty Italian Meatless Meatballs
1 jar pasta sauce of choice
Daiya mozzarella style shreds
3 large portobello mushrooms
Garlic Gold (or vegan garlic butter)
1/2 tbs Earth Balance
2 Italian sandwich rolls or Hoagie buns

Ingredients

• Warm 1/2 – 2/3 jar of sauce in small saucepan
• Add frozen meatballs to sauce, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 10 min
• Meanwhile, slice mushrooms and melt butter in small pan
• Add mushrooms to butter and saute 5-6 min or until mushrooms are softened
• Coat each side of buns in garlic gold and place on small tray or baking sheet
• Add meatballs to each bottom bun. Spoon a line of sauce down the center of top buns. Add mushrooms and top with cheese
• Toast in a toaster oven or bake until cheese is melted

Yield: Serves 2

I don’t know about you but 7-11 seems like a place I would assume vegan options would be limited to salted peanuts and sour patch kids. Until now, that is.

Yesterday, 7-11 made headlines for announcing an expansion to their prepared food lineup that included four (count ‘em – four!) vegan options. What’s more, this isn’t just a few salads and a pbj here. We’re talking real, inventive, flavorful food!

The new vegan lineup includes:

• Vegan Pad Thai Noodles
• Vegan Spinach Noodles with Vegetables
• Vegan Asian Linguine
• Vegan Linguine Tikka Massala.

7-11 has actually been offering a similar selection of vegan foods in the New York area for quite some time. Yesterday’s announcement however, marks the first time they’re making these kind of vegan meals more widely available.

Unfortunately, for the time-being, the new vegan options are only available at select locations in the Northeast. If you live up that way, check out the complete list to find a store near you.

As for the rest of us, I’d say I’m going to be making a conscious effort to patronize 7-11 more often to show my appreciation and support for their vegan-friendly outlook. Of course, when I’m there, I’ll also be sure to politely mention how much I’d like to see these new offerings in my area as well!

The other day I was reading an article in which the (vegan) author mentioned that she typically doesn’t sweat trace amounts of animal products in ingredient lists when she’s shopping. In the comments, I noticed some people expressed shock at this and more than a few also used it as an opportunity to question her commitment.

As you might expect by the name of this blog, I’m totally with her on not driving yourself bananas (not to mention, everyone around you) to be absolutely, positively sure that no animal product of any kind ever passes your lips. Certainly, it’s a noble goal, and I think one that most vegans, by definition, generally do strive for. But, if you’re driving yourself crazy trying to follow some set of  invisible rules rather than living life as an example of cruelty-free health and happiness, I’d venture to say you’re missing the point.

Would it surprise you to know that PETA (yes, that PETA) agrees with me (be honest!)? Totally true. PETA’s official position on small amounts of animal products in processed foods is “don’t worry about it:”

The goal of sticking to a vegetarian or vegan diet is to help animals and reduce suffering; this is done by choosing a bean burrito or a veggie burger over chicken flesh, or choosing tofu scramble over eggs, not by refusing to eat an otherwise vegan food because it has 0.001 grams of monoglycerides that may possibly be animal-derived.

Holla!

I love that. It completely flies in the face of everyone who criticizes PETA as a bunch of crazed radicals who wouldn’t know compromise if it socked them in the nose.

PETA actually goes on to point out that obsessive behavior about trace ingredients can end up hurting the cause more than it helps. Grilling waiters about ingredients (a tiny bit of dairy in a veggie burger for example) or insisting that food be cooked with separate equipment not only discourages your companions and the restaurant staff from going vegan or vegetarian, but also makes restaurants less likely to bother offering vegetarian choices at all. Who would that help? Yup, nobody (animals especially).

If the idea of trace ingredients really does bug you, endeavor to cook as much of the meals you eat yourself, using as many whole foods as possible. When you buy processed food, shopping at places like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or a local specialty store can also make the process of finding 100% vegan items much, much easier.

I’m pretty fortunate that I live very close to several specialty grocers and can afford to do the bulk of my shopping there (and that I have the time to cook almost every day). For many people though, that’s not the case and I don’t think there’s any shame or blame in cutting corners when it comes to trace ingredients (or otherwise) if you need to.

Be vegan however it works for you!

Maybe frozen pizza isn’t typically anyone’s first choice, but we all know that now and again, that’s about as good as it’s going to get. For those days (which are usually days I’m flying solo), I turn to my favorite vegan frozen pizza: Non-Dairy Rice Crust Cheeze Pizza from Amy’s.

There aren’t that terribly many options for frozen vegan pizza, but of all I’ve tried, this one is my hands-down favorite. Now, I know it looks a little sparse, but this pizza packs more punch than you might think taste-wise. For example, I am not on a gluten-free diet, however, I think the gluten-free crust works particularly well here to combat the “soggy” issue that can be such a problem with frozen pizzas. It’s also just super tasty. The best way I can describe it is sort of “crouton-like” if that makes any sense? It’s uber crispy, but delicate at the same time and sort of crumbles as you chew. MMM.

I’m also fairly certain that this cheese is Follow Your Heart Mozzarella, which I’m a confessed fan of. It wouldn’t hurt for there to be a little more of it, but you can always add more before you bake. Same goes for toppings.

Obviously, this particular pizza only works if you’re flying solo, but Amy’s does make a few other full-size vegan pizzas, as do several other brands. If you need something big enough to share, sample around and see what you like!

Now I realize it doesn’t actually take a lot of effort to make something like pancakes from scratch, but at the same time, if you’re trying to do a hot breakfast on a weekday morning, have impatient children (or spouses) or wake up so starved for food that every second between you and breakfast seems like a century, then you can appreciate a good pancake mix.

Since I fall into the third category there, I’ve done quite a bit of searching for a good vegan pancake mix and this one is by far the best I’ve found.

Cherrybrook Kitchen is a sweet little company that makes a variety of baking mixes for the nut, dairy, egg and gluten-free crowd (not all products are gluten-free, but there’s a good selection). The company was founded by a woman who developed severe, adult-onset food allergies and quickly found that there was a void in the market for vegan baking mixes. So far I’ve only tried the pancakes, but if they’re any indication of what I might expect from the rest of their products, the outlook is good.

In addition to being the yummiest pancake mix I’ve found, this one is also the easiest! All you have to do is add non-dairy milk and a few teaspoons of oil. Voila! Of course, you’re free to add fruit before or after pancakes are cooked and any other add-ins you might prefer to fancy things up a tad, but these are good as-is too.

Cherrybrook Kitchen Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup Cherrybrook Kitchen Original Pancake Mix
1 cup non-dairy milk
2 tsp vegetable oil
Add-ins of choice (optional)*

*great vegan options here include blueberries directly in the batter, sliced fruit/berries as toppings and/or, my personal favorite, a tsp or two of cinnamon stirred in. MMMmmm.

Directions

• Stir milk, oil and mix in a bowl just until combined. Mix should be lumpy. Do not over mix
• Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Coat the surface with cooking spray
• Pour batter onto the skillet and cook until undersides are golden brown, about 2 min.
• Flip pancakes with a spatula and cook 2 more minutes or until heated through. Repeat as needed

Yield: Makes 6-8 pancakes

I am fully aware that this is not the prettiest thing I’ve ever posted. However, I urge you to get past this dish’s somewhat disheveled appearance because it will make your taste buds very happy!

This is a recipe that my husband and I sort of pulled out of thin air one day as we were scooting around Trader Joe’s looking for meal ideas. It starts (as so many good things do) with vegan chorizo and ends with adobo seasoned fire roasted tomatoes, cuban style black beans and, of course, polenta!

Because all of these ingredients are canned or ready-made, this dish easily qualifies as a Busy Vegan entree. It can be on the table in 15 minutes or less. We serve this with chips, but we also take plenty of bites from our forks. Both work!

Mexican Polenta Scramble

Ingredients

2 tbs canola oil
1 tube Polenta
1 can Trader Joe’s Cuban Style Black Beans
1 can Adobo Seasoned Fire Roasted Tomatoes*
1/2 tube Trader Joe’s Vegan Chorizo
Daiya Shredded Cheddar Cheese (optional)
Tortilla Chips (optional)

*This isn’t listed on their site yet, but it exists, I swear! (Any kind of tomatoes will do though, of course)

Directions

• Cut polenta into 1/4 in. slices
• Heat 1tbs canola oil in a small skillet on medium high heat, add chorizo and cook (stirring often) for a few minutes
• Heat another tbs of canola in a large saute pan or skillet on medium high heat, add polenta slices and cook for a few minutes on each side
• Add beans, tomatoes and chorizo to large skillet and cook for about 5 min. (stirring often) to heat everything through and reduce some of the moisture from the tomatoes
• Reduce heat to low and sprinkle cheese over the top of the mixture, if using. Cover with lid for 3-4 minutes to melt
• Place 2-3 slices of polenta on each plate and cover with mixture. Add more cheese on top, if desired and serve with chips

Yield: Serves 2-4

I like popcorn just as much as the next guy, but some theaters do still use a dairy based “butter” in their topping. In addition to that conundrum, I certainly don’t need the kind of fat and calorie bomb this stuff drops on your diet – so, I typically skip the archetypal movie treat in favor of candy and other related goodies.

As you can see, I am totally that moviegoer who brings their own stash of sweets hidden in their purse. This is partly due to the lack of vegan options in the candy case (though there are a few), but mostly it’s just that I’m cheap!

Anyway, like so many others, my husband and I did partake in some movie magic over the Memorial Day weekend and what you see pictured above is what we brought with us. Sour Berry Bears from Surf Sweets are actually a new discovery of mine and have quickly rocketed to the top of my sweet tooth must-have list. Make no mistake, this is candy and obviously meant as an occasional treat, but that said, you could certainly do worse.

Surf Sweets candies are all made with organic fruit juice and sweeteners, natural colors and flavors and provide 100% of your daily Vitamin C. They are also free of corn syrup and GMOs and are completely vegan. I find these little gems at Whole Foods but their website says they’re also available at Dierberg’s. You can also purchase them at several online retailers.

In the opposite corner, we have freeze-dried strawberries from Just Tomatoes! As the name implies, these are just strawberries! If you recall, freeze-dried strawberries were on Dr. Oz’s list of “5 foods that cut cancer risk” back on the show he did about “Forks Over Knives.” As he noted, freeze-dried strawberries are thought to be even better at cutting cancer risk than regular strawberries because they pack 10-times as many antioxidants.

So if you include these babies in your movie snack stash, you’re not only getting a convenient, yummy treat, you’re also fighting cancer. That’s some serious multitasking!

Obviously, there are a lot of additional options for vegan movie snacks (mixed nuts are another of our faves!), but these two are particularly good choices. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s yummy enough that you won’t feel cheated out of the “treat” mentality of the movies. I never do!

First off: how funny is it that my post today is about how much I adore Amy’s products when I mentioned, only two days ago,  that I was going to try to eat less processed food? In my defense, I also said that I probably wouldn’t have too much success with that, so there you go.

Well, if – like me – you happen to partake in processed fare now and then, this brand is a particularly good choice. You’ve probably seen Amy’s products in your grocer’s freezer and/or natural foods section (and if you haven’t, you need to do something about that, stat!). If you’ve never stopped to check them out, Amy’s is the nation’s leading natural frozen food brand. It was founded by a couple who were WAY ahead of the organic/veg food curve and started the company (named after their daughter) out of their home in 1987.

Amy’s now produces nearly 100 different frozen meals and a line of canned soups, beans, pasta sauces and salads. All Amy’s products are vegetarian, organic and free of additives, preservatives and GMOs. No crazy ingredients. No crazy cooking methods. Just all-natural, good food.

Now for the best part: Amy’s makes 90 different items that are also completely vegan.

I discovered Amy’s back when I was vegetarian and was totally thrilled to have found such high-quality options for veggie convenience foods (the pickins’ are otherwise slim, ya’ll). On that note, I think this brand is particularly great for newbie vegetarians and vegans who aren’t used to the sometimes unconventional ingredients and cooking methods that go along with this kind of diet. It definitely takes some getting used to and Amy’s is a really good way to ease into that transition.

This is not to say that I don’t think Amy’s is also great for veggie eaters who’ve been around the block for a while as well (obviously). The idea behind my Busy Vegan series speaks to this exactly. My husband and I work full-time and have other interests and commitments. Cooking from scratch every night is not happening. I know I’m not the only one in that boat. To tell you the truth, half the time I couldn’t do better than an Amy’s meal in terms of nutritional value and quality of ingredients anyway.

I most often turn to Amy’s products for lunch. I keep a few in the freezer at work and pop them in the microwave on days when I don’t have any leftovers from dinner the previous evening. This usually comes out to once or twice a week. Absolute faves include the Baked Ziti Bowl, Brown Rice and Vegetable Bowl, Gluten-Free Non Dairy Burrito and the Teriyaki Wrap. I’m also a big fan of the Non Dairy Rice Crust Cheeze Pizza, Non-Dairy Vegetable Pot Pie and All American Veggie Burgers for quick dinners.

The one downside to Amy’s is price. These meals are quite a bit more expensive than your typical frozen entrees. I figure I’d spend about the same as I would if I grabbed something from a drive-thru (which is a common lunch routine for many people). This way though, I’m eating much healthier – and I don’t have to go anywhere. Score!

So the next time you’re at the grocery store, check out the Amy’s options and give one a try. And with that, I’m off to enjoy a Brown Rice and Veggie bowl. Bon Appetit!