Waffles!

Make these tasty blueberry waffles with lemon icing....sooooo tasty!

Who says vegans go without?

This could quite possibly be the best dang burger I have ever encountered.

Seriously.

Its made with my new favorite vegan burger patty by Gardein. It can be found in most supermarkets but for sure at the local Whole Foods.

I built this burger by first lightly toasting some locally made foccacia rolls. Then, I spread a mix of veganaise and dijon mustard and topped it with an herbed spring mix. The patty came next covered in a heavenly maple chipotle sauce. The final flourish is onions, carefully caramelized with olive oil and fresh garlic.

The result is truly special and is bursting with sweet, savory goodness.

I have never been overly thrilled with restaurant veggie burgers as they always seem like an afterthought just thrown on the menu to appease a few "picky" customers. This burger is proof that in the time it would take you to drive to your favorite restaurant, you could have a compassionate meal that satisfies on so many levels. It was also made from mostly store bought ingredients making it easy to put together without a lot of fuss.

So get creative!

Lindsey

Meet your Water

This is an amazing film that highlights just how much our lifestyles impact the resources we are bound to.

Colorado River: Running Near Empty

While watching this, I couldn't help but think that of the 1% (seriously, of all the water on earth, that is all that is useable) of available ground water on earth, 70% goes to supporting feed crops and animal agriculture, leaving a mere .08% of the total water on earth for domestic use.

If you want to see the Colorado reach the sea, think about your diet. It takes 2500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. It takes 60 gallons to produce a pound of sweet potatoes. It is a simple way to have a profound impact.

Enjoy!

Eat This!

Just Peachy Summer Pie

Thanks to the bounty of the local market, I have delicious Arkansas peaches everywhere! For just 5 dollars, I came home from the market with almost five pounds of the juicy wonder fruit. Since, I can't possibly eat that many peaches, it was time to make pie. I made a quick cheater version of a recipe I found on epicurious.


Just Peachy Summer Pie

Crust
1 Store bought frozen pie shell
1 Store bought refrigerator pie crust

Make sure your pie crusts are vegan. Read the label and quick check the allergy info...if it says eggs or milk it certainly isn't vegan. Acceptable pie crusts are made with vegetable shortening in place of lard. These are available at any regular grocery store so no need to make a special trip!

Filling

2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 pounds medium peaches (a mix of white and yellow is nice if you have it)
2 tablespoons nondairy milk (almond, soy, etc.)

Put it Together

Mix the brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and spices in a medium size bowl. While that's marniating, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop your peaches in 3-4 at a time and boil for 1 minute. Immediately transfer to an ice water bath and repeat with remaining peaches. Once your peaches have been bathed, peeling them is a breeze! The peel slides right off. Slice the peaches and place in the bowl with the sugar mixture. Stir and allow to sit for 30 minutes while the juices form.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour peach mixture into frozen shell. Roll out one refrigerator crust and cut slices to form lattice top. Use a ruler if you are Martha Stewart anal. Lay strips across the top of the pie forming a weave pattern and crimp the edges. Brush the top with the nondairy milk to ensure a golden brown top.

Bake pie at 375 degrees for 1 hour and twenty minutes, covering with foil if the top browns too quickly. Turn off oven and allow pie to sit in oven four an hour to thicken. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

Cut into wedges and serve with nondairy ice cream. So Delicious coconut milk ice cream is to die for and is pretty easy to find.

Enjoy!

Just think about it...please.

I know that people quickly shut down when they see these type of videos. I know they are hard to watch and no one wants to acknowledge that these things are in fact happening everyday to support our preferences.

Please take the time to watch this and if nothing else, be an informed consumer. It isn't over the top crazy radicals, but it is a deeply touching story about a few lucky baby cows and the remarkable program that saved them.

Please, watch it.




If you would like to make a donation to the Gentle Barn, you can do so here. Individual membership is only $25 per year.

Tasty Vegan "Chicken" Pot Pie

I know it's 100 degrees outside. I know its the middle of summer. I know I should be eating a salad. But when you get a craving for comfort food, nothing hits home quite like Pot Pie. This version is taken from the Ellen show and man is it good. Easy too. Go ahead...you know you want to try it!

Vegan Pot Pie

1.5 T olive oil
2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 tsp. minced garlic
4T organic all-purpose flour

1 10 oz bag frozen carrots
1 10 oz bag frozen green peas

2 cups “chicken” chicken stock or strong vegetable broth
2 cups diced “Gardien” chicken scallopini (in the freezer section)
1 package Pillsbury pie crust (The refrigerator roll-out kind is vegan. Just be sure to check your labels)
Melted vegan butter as needed

Using a small stock pot, heat olive oil and sauté onion and celery until translucent.
Add garlic and sauté two minutes more.
Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until well incorporated.
Pour in stock and stir.
Simmer until filling has thickened.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add remaining vegetables and Gardien and stir.

Roll out pie crust and cut it about 1/2 an inch larger than the ramekin you are using. Rub top side of crust with a little melted butter. Place filling in ramekin and top with pie crust.

Bake in pre-heated 420° oven for 15-20 minutes until crust is golden brown. Makes 4, 7 oz. pies.

And yes. I do still put my initials on my food when time allows. : )