Filipino Food

Top Four Filipino Food Favorites – Veganized

smcdonaldRecipes 3 Comments

RecipesGiven the many cultural and culinary influences on the Philippines throughout history, Filipino cuisine is eclectic and can be difficult to succinctly describe. Traditional dishes range from meat- and seafood-heavy entrées reminiscent of Spanish cuisine to more fruit and vegetable centered options featuring the fresh produce available on the Philippines’ tropical islands.

As a second-generation Filipino American — and a vegan — I’ve been revisiting some of the dishes I grew up with and exploring some new recipes too. The exciting challenge has been taking foods traditionally made with meat, dairy, and eggs and creating delicious vegan versions that stay true to their original flavors. Here are my top four favorite Filipino recipes – veganized.

Ellen Kanner

Q&A: Edgy Veggie Ellen Kanner on Life, Faith, and What to Eat for Dinner

smcdonaldHealth, Interviews Leave a Comment

Ellen KannerEllen Kanner—award-winning food writer, Meatless Monday blogger for The Huffington Post, syndicated columnist Edgy Veggie, and now author of Feeding the Hungry Ghost: Life, Faith and What to Eat for Dinner—has invited you to share a meal. You, and the 7 billion other people on this planet (or as she calls it, her “ideal dinner party guest list”), as she wants nothing more than for “everyone to be fed, nourished, and celebrated.”

With that desire, this ardent advocate for organic, sustainable, and accessible food has penned a glorious memoir/cookbook to satiate both our souls and our appetites. Because we so often resemble the hungry ghosts of Taoist lore—eating mindlessly, wandering aimlessly, and wanting more than food itself can provide—Ellen, with warmth, humor, empathy, and insight, offers that recognizing our relationship to food (how it’s grown, a recipe’s cultural and spiritual underpinnings) gives it as much depth and flavor as fresh ingredients or lavish spices, and ultimately provides the real sustenance we’re craving: meaning, emotional fulfillment, community. According to Ellen, “Saffron, tarragon, cardamom, and cumin make food taste better. Culture, connection, and faith do the same thing for our lives.”

Chloe Coscarelli

Q&A: Chef Chloe Coscarelli on Vegan Dessert Cookbook

smcdonaldInterviews, Recipes Leave a Comment

Chef ChloeIn honor of Valentine’s Day, we’ve got some sweet news: Chloe Coscarelli, the first vegan winner of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars and darling of The New York Times, has published a new cookbook. An all-dessert book.

That’s right. Available on February 19 or for pre-order now, Chloe’s Vegan Desserts boasts more than 100 recipes for cookies and pies, tarts and cobblers, cupcakes and cakes, ice cream and puddings, and more. We’re talking Salted Caramel Cupcakes, Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato, Animal Cookies (the pink and white kind from elementary school) and an entire section called “Dessert for Breakfast.”

With gorgeous photos accompanying nearly every recipe, this book will please your eyes in addition to your palate. And we’ve even shared a recipe below so you can immediately indulge while waiting for the book to arrive in your mailbox.

Snack on This: 5 Vegan Super Bowl Recipes

smcdonaldRecipes Leave a Comment

potato%20skins-200x222.jpgKick-off Super Bowl Sunday with vegan snacks that will leave even the “beer, brats and cheese” football fan reaching for more. Whether you’re hosting your own viewing party or bringing a dish to a friend’s, we’ve got some quick, easy and delicious recipes that will help you score a touchdown!

From “cheezy” potato skins to mango & black bean salsa, the snack section of VegRecipes.org offers a variety of vegan snack recipes suitable for a Super Bowl party.

cooking channel

Cooking Channel Debuts New Vegan Show: “How to Live to 100”

smcdonaldUncategorized Leave a Comment

Jason Wrobel, courtesy Cooking ChannelJust in time to help you to stick to your New Year’s resolution to eat healthier, the Cooking Channel is premiering its brand-new, all-vegan cooking show, “How to Live to 100.”

Starting this Sunday, Jan. 6, at 8 p.m., celebrity chef and certified raw food chef instructor Jason Wrobel will introduce countless viewers nationwide to the nutritional—and flavorful—benefits of choosing fresh, plant-based foods.

West Coast Winter Outreach Spreads Compassion and Holiday Cheer

smcdonaldUncategorized Leave a Comment

In the spirit of the season, COK volunteers are showing off their compassion and spreading holiday cheer by giving out free vegan food samples! 

Texas is typically known for its cowboy cravings of meaty BBQ and chili, though vegetarian eating is gaining traction. Case in point: Austin’s Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cook-Off! Our amazing volunteer, Amanda Sullivan, led the COK team in this serious cooking competition, delivering a mouth-watering vegan Pumpkin Chili that incorporated fall’s favorite fruit. Both the crowd and judges loved the hearty stew–people were even taking photos of the recipe! (included at end of blog)

Chili Cook-Off

Vegan Soup Recipes to Warm You Up

smcdonaldUncategorized Leave a Comment

leek2-210x233.jpg

Brr! With winter almost here, it’s starting to get cold outside. As
temperatures drop, one of the most delicious ways to warm up is by
making hearty, comforting vegan soups.

There are several options for creating a soup base including store-bought vegetable stocks, vegetable bouillon cubes, miso or homemade broth created by simmering veggies with spices and straining afterwards. Just remember that a key to bringing out the most flavor in soup is simmering it on low for several hours.

Now that you’ve planned out the broth, what’s next? For ideas, check out VegRecipes.org’s variety of soup recipes or be creative and try out your own combinations!