MOCK TUNA FISH SALAD

This is a family-favorite, and my 13 year-old son often requests it. It's so easy to make. The nori sheet can be annoying, though. It's probably easiest to rip it all up into tiny pieces, but I like to pulverize the pieces into flakes. The Bullet blender I use creates so much static electricity that when I go to pour the flakes into the bowl, they "jump" out and away from the bowl and onto the counter (and me!). I am extra careful and use a spatula to slowly and gently scoop the flakes into the bowl.

Estimated protein for dish: 24 g
Estimated fiber: 23 g

Recipe

(conversions not verified by my kitchen scale, yet)

1 can (15.5 oz) (439g) Garbanzo Beans

1 T (15 ml) Tahini

1 T (15 ml) Lemon Juice

1/2 Nori Sheet ripped up or pulverized

1/4 tsp (1.42 g) Salt

1.5 T (21 g) sweet pickle relish

Put all ingredients into a bowl and mash them together. 

{You can substitute the tahini and lemon juice with a vegan mayo such as Veganaise. It's good but not as nutritious... but way better than animal-based mayo, for sure!}

Image credit: Pumpernickel Press

Something else I didn't know: Fish feel pain. The hook they are tricked into eating hurts. While trying to breathe, they suffer and drown in our atmosphere like we would suffer and drown in their environment. And sadly, they are often alive when cut open and gutted. Their brain and nerves feel that pain.

Good news: We don't need to eat them to survive (unless you live in a region where fish are the only source of food). Plant protein is much healthier and provides fiber. With all of the contaminants fish muscle absorbs, we definitely don't want to be consuming them anyway. And if you are concerned about getting your omegas, get them from where the fish get them: PLANTS!

By ceasing to eat fish, the marine life thanks you and the exploited* oceans thank you.

*The news today reports that fish may be extinct by 2048 

Chocolate Cream Pie

Dairy free!! And so, so yummy! I credit PinchOfYum.com for this recipe. I modified it according to the size of tofu-block available (I provided 3 different recipes based on size of tofu block. The most-common one is first, then there are photos of the other two below).

Protein estimate for entire pie: 55 g
Fiber estimate: 66 g

Note: Needs time to chill (don't we all! lol)

A few words about the ingredients:
-Don't let the word "tofu" discourage you. It works so well in this recipe.
-Dairy-free chocolate chips can be found in the baking section of a typical grocery store as well as in bulk at our Good Earth store. "Cocoa butter" will be the ingredient instead of milk.
-Almond butter has a better flavor than peanut butter in this recipe, in our opinion (we tried pb).

(An 8-cup blender and double-boiler are most-helpful but not absolutely required.)

Recipe: (conversions verified by my kitchen scale)
16 oz  (454 g)  silken tofu
16 oz  (454 g)  dairy-free chocolate chips (almost 2 2/3 C)
1/2 c + 2 2/3 T  (160 g)  almond butter
1/2 c + 2 2/3 T (175 mL) almond chocolate milk

9" pie crust

Directions:
-Melt chocolate gently in a double boiler (water boiling in bottom pot, chocolate in top pot)
-Blend tofu, chocolate almond milk, and almond butter until smooth.
-Add the melted chocolate to the blender. Blend until smooth.
-Pour into pie crust
-Chill for 12-24 hours

Double boiler

I had a little extra that I didn't think the pie crust would hold.
The kids were happy to gobble it up.

 

Something else I didn't know: Dairy calves are forbidden from drinking their mother's milk. I naively used to believe that somehow dairy cows made enough milk to share with us humans. Newborn calves are taken from their mothers within 24-48 hours. If female, the calf will be put in a tiny pen and fed supplemental food. If male, he will be either immediately slaughtered and disposed of or kept alive for a couple months then sold and slaughtered as veal. When dairy cows collapse from the exhaustion of multiple consecutive artificially-produced pregnancies, they are dragged off and slaughtered for ground beef. "The dairy industry is the meat industry."

Good News: We don't need cow-milk to survive. In fact, we are supposed to be weened. We can obtain all of our nutrients from plant sources, which provide better calcium absorption and superior protein over casein. More good news: There are many yummy plant-based cheeses, yogurts, ice-creams, and milks... and tastebuds do change! 

Food for Road Trip

There are not many options for healthy food items during road trips, and I can’t expect hosts to cater to my plant-based-only eating. Here is what I packed for a 5-day trip for 4 people, although most of it was for me and my daughter. This worked out really well: no cooking, easy to clean, and provided protein, fiber, hydration. These would make great items to pack for camping, too (except for the microwave popcorn). 

-Fruit: grapes, apples, bananas, clementines, medjool dates

-vegetables: baby carrots, sugar snap peas, celery sticks, cucumbers

-oatmeal bags: 1/2 c oats, pecans, raisins, hemp seeds, cinnamon (+ bowls, spoons, and water)

-mock-tuna fish salad and whole-grain crackers (or celery)

-variety of nuts: raw almonds, raw brazil nuts, raw cashews

-seed-and-dried fruit cubes (we call them "all-sparks" ... a Transformers reference)

-peanut butter for apples, celery, and dates

-salad dressing (I put some in a small jar just in case a restaurant/host doesn't have vegan dressing)

-vegan banana bread

-chips and salsa

-snack of broad beans (fava beans) "Bada Bean Bada Boom"

-water, water, water

-microwave popcorn (if hotel has a microwave)

-utensils: mini cutting board, mini strainer, small knife, forks, spoons, paper towels, measuring cup

For the oatmeal: pour bag into bowl, add about 1/3 c of water, stir. It will be room temp, but you can microwave it if you want it warmed. If you have apples, you can dice them and add.

We did visit a restaurant once per day. I can find grilled veggies, whole beans, greens, and rice at most Mexican food restaurants. Bonus: when we went to Old Town Flagstaff, there was a completely-vegan restaurant there called "Red Curry." I was in heaven 💚

Here’s the link for the mock tuna recipe:

http://42veggiequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/mock-tuna-fish-salad-this-is-family.html?m=1

Cutting Mango Tecnique

Here are two techniques for cutting mangos. The first one takes longer but is what I usually do when I serve it with a fork (less messy). The second method is much faster but be prepared with dental floss and damp napkins because the fruit fiber gets stuck in teeth and the fruit could be sticky.

There is a large flat seed in the fruit.
Turn the fruit on the side that looks
the longest and thinnest.

Cut along the flat side of the seed

Cut along the other side

Cut along the curved edge of the seed

Try to cut as much fruit as possible off of the seed

Cut the larger portions into thirds

Slide knife along the skin to remove fruit.
Don't worry about getting close to the fruit's skin

Press down on one edge of the piece and
slice the blade across to get more mango

Flip piece around and get the other end

              🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

Second method:

Score the pieces of fruit without

cutting all the way through,

then invert the pieces to push out

the fruit to bite into

Reviving Wilted Greens and Storing

Sometimes the greens in grocery stores are wilted. As long as the leaves aren't yellow or brown, they are still salvageable. All they need is a drink of water. Trim the stems and place them in water. Set the timer for about an hour. Check and add more time if still wilted. It's important to remove them from water once revived. If they sit in water for too long, they will turn yellow and possibly wilt, again.

Then wrap the leaves in a thin kitchen towel or paper towel and wrap again in a plastic bag or container.

Chopping Greens Technique

Keep base intact, and cut lengthwise from
base. Make several lengthwise cuts while
rotating head of greens so you have strips
of greens.

Now cut crosswise. Hold the bunch together
with other hand (keep fingers out of the way
of the blade, tuck in fingers, use knuckles).

Toss base and any yellow pieces (bitter)

Walter and his weird obsession
with the salad spinner

Once as I was carrying the spinner,
Walter attacked it and completely
knocked it up and out of my hands.
Lettuce went flying in the air and
onto the floor.
Me: "Tossed salad anyone?"
Marie: "Here, letttuce help you clean it up."

Something else I didn't know: Remember the E.Coli scares that resulted in recalling spinach and Romaine lettuce? The contamination came from animal agriculture. Animal waste from the thousands of tightly packed livestock contaminated the water supply. Some farms spray waste water into the air.

Good news: Reducing consumer demand for animal meat will reduce the amount of animals the ranchers artificially reproduce. Less animals, less contamination, better water, better air.

Bunapi Mushrooms

Look at these cuties! I had to try them. They kept really well in the refrigerator. I read that you have to cook them and not to eat them raw. Basically, cut them from the base, rinse. I marinated them in 1/2 T maple syrup, 1 T Braggs, 1/2 tsp liquid smoke, dashes of garlic powder and smoked paprika. Then I heated them on a small pan for 5 min or so. I used them to top our creamed potato soup. They are mild with a nice texture.