Vegan Lasagna with Ⓥicotta

Posted on by jeffreylatty

  
Lasagna is along the same lines with me as my Chili. In a past blog, I went through my Evolution of my Chili. I don’t think anyone read it, which is great, but I don’t wanna invest in that much time or that many words. I apologize (for apologizing) for any (not really) inconvenience.

  
The best Lasagna that I have ever made, involved Béchamel sauce. Which in French translates to “not Vegan” or something like that. I have created Ⓥicotta, a delightful VEGAN combination of Béchamel & Ricotta Cheese.

   
 And of course Lasagna is never successful or possible, even, without a great sauce. In my case it’s my Back Burner Ragu Marinara. And now I am obligated to find throwback pictures to commemorate my Italian roots.

Working for the Italians:

   

    
    
    
   
Back Burner Ragu Marinara ingredients:

  • Celery, finely diced
  • Carrot, finely diced
  • Onion, finely diced
  • Garlic, diced
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Veggie Broth
  • Tomato Paste
  • Chopped Tomatoes, canned or fresh (deseeded)
  • Sugar/SeaSalt/Pepper/Cayenne/GarlicP/OnionP

  

Steps:

  • Cook Garlic, Celery, Onion & Carrot before adding everything else.
  • Simmer for hours, stirring.

  

Ⓥicotta ingredients:

  • Tofu, soft
  • Raw Cashews, boiled & chopped
  • Eggplant, sliced, roasted & chopped
  • Fennel Seed
  • Garlic, roasted & chopped
  • Lime, juiced
  • Honey, 😉
  • Shallot, diced
  • Baby Spinach, sliced
  • Instant Mashed Potatoes, thickening (top secret) agent
  • Cashew ‘Milk’
  • BalsamicVinegar, SeaSalt/Pepper/Sugar/LiquidSmoke/GarlicP/OnionP/Cayenne

Mix to a somewhat clumpy consistency, if desired.

   
   
Vegan Lasagna with Ⓥicotta ingredients:

  • Back Burner Ragu Marinara, hot
  • Lasagna noodles, cooked
  • Ⓥicotta, mmmmmmmmmmmm
  • Daiya, mmmmmmmm
  • Parsley

  

CONSTRUCT 🙂

   

 

Vegan Biscuits and Gravy

Posted on by jeffreylatty

Today I purchased the cardboard refrigerated Biscuits for the first time in my life. It took me a minute to find Vegan Biscuits, but thankfully they are out there. And they were very simple and tasty. They complimented my Gravy extremely well. I’ve made bread a few times from scratch and I do not like to bake. Store bought Bread is well worth it to me.

Let’s Go.

  
Seitan ingredients:

  • Vital Wheat Gluten
  • Corn Meal
  • Rosemary/Cayenne/FennelSeed, crushed together
  • Tomato Sauce
  • Veggie Broth
  • Turmeric/Thyme/SeaSalt/Pepper/GarlicP/OnionP
  • Bay Leaves/Celery/Peppercorn/Fennel/Rosemary, for baking
  • Vegan ‘Cheese’ cloth

   

   
Domino Effect:

  • Mix wet ingredients together and dry ingredients separately before mixing together.
  • Form into a loaf and put into wet ‘cheese’ cloth.
  • Put Seitan loaf into Lasagna pan and put Herbs/Veggies with Broth filling halfway.
  • Bake for two hours, flipping loaf in between.
  • Remove from cloth immediately and put in foil or use.
  • I broiled slightly after out of ‘cheese’ cloth.

   

 Groovy Gravy ingredients:

  • Cashew ‘Milk’, mmmmmm
  • Nutritional Yeast
  • Garlic & Onion, diced and dry roasted
  • Seitan, diced and sliced for garnish.
  • Tofu, soft
  • Raw Cashew, boiled, strained and chopped
  • Cauliflower, roasted and chopped
  • Eggplant, sliced, roasted and diced
  • Potato, diced and roasted
  • Rosemary/SeaSalt/Pepper/Sugar
  • Lime, juiced
  • Instant Mashed potatoes, thickening agent 🙂

   
   
Roast everything and bring to appropriate consistency, simmering. Serve HOT with Biscuits.

  
Happy Monday!

Illinois Brews & Baseball

Posted on by jeffreylatty

Congratulations to Cubs fans everywhere. Congratulations to Cardinal fans in Illinois for seeing a truly stellar team this year in the Chicago Cubs take away their pride. Since 1876 the Chicago Cubs have won 1197 games against STL and the Cardinals have taken 1147 from the Cubbies during regular season play. And in the all-time post-season the Cubs are 3-1 against STL. According to Wikipedia.

IMG_0084
I’m very excited to see and try many Illinois brewed beers and creations. For me, anyways, true local brews give you a sense of untouchable refreshmentism before even considering the smell, taste, feel or notes. Perhaps that is due to the freshness, but I believe it’s more along the fine lines of a thing called pride! Like rooting for your local high school football team, it may not be the best, but damn it, you’re happy to see it and experience it.

  
Breweries come and go, bought out and sold out. There are craft breweries now directly competing with the (has-been) big dogs Miller and Bud. I want to concentrate on the Illinois breweries who are not selling out. All of this information is from Wikipedia. Apologies if any info is incorrect.

  
My first favorite Illinois brewery:

  

  • Big Muddy Brewing opened in 2009 in Murphysboro, IL.

  
My go-to Illinois brewery:

   
   

  • Revolution Brewing out of Chicago since 2010.

   
   
Mead:

  

  • Wild Blossom Meadery – Chicago, IL.

  
Most versatile arsenal Illinois brewery:

   
  Destihl 2007 Normal, IL.

   
 Super local Illinois Valley breweries:

  

  • Radium City
  • Starved Rock Brewing

Most impressive Illinois brewed beer:

  

  • Tighthead Irie IPA- Mundelein, IL 2011

   
 I was watching the Cubs on Monday night and wanted some easy quick (Vegan) food. I tweeted Jimmy John’s, half inebriated. And with their awesome help, I was able to conclude and acquire a Vegan delivery. Their bread is not Vegan. I paid $18 for two lettuce wraps that were delicious and not so much filling. I was impressed with how well Jimmy John’s interacted with me via twitter and did not cower like a company that puts beef fat into their fries and probably soda. That was the first time that I have ordered out in quite a few months.

   
   
Try some Illinois brewed beers or mead and try some Illinois baseball! The Cubbies are something else this year.

Chili EⓋolution

Posted on by jeffreylatty

I finished this blog this morning spending two hours on it only for WordPress to fail and erase a huge chunk of data. So, I went for a ride.

Friday Morning Ride


  
I’ve been making kick-ass Chili for at least (well documented) five years now. It has only truly been documented a few times, but I mastered my style of chili probably ten years ago I just never knew it until around 5 years ago. I used to make this kick-ass DIP (for chips) using nothing but chicken and actual veggies working in a restaurant kitchen. You know, against the rules kitchen food, to feed the staff. And from there after plugging the concept in with chili type ideas, my style of Chili was born.


I cannot believe I had the mindset, at more than one points in the past, to keep my cheffing secrets, secrets until they made me millions. I have now forever retired from a kitchen that I do not own. Might as well share and help someone develop their own style.


October is kind of a HUGE month for me. The month includes or almost includes: 

  • Trek HulkRip 2nd Birthday (Sept 22nd)
  • Trek Darth Vader 1st Birthday (Oct 30th) 
  • 1000 Vegetarian Day (Oct 26th)
  • 100 Vegan Day (Oct 16th)

When your own personal well-being is healthy and you truly feel well, it makes life much easier. I feel when healthier than not, stress levels are down and energy levels are up.


Since making a Vegetarian lifestyle change, I’ve noticed extremely better health vitals and weight loss without a true workout routine, other than cycling. Every time that I donate blood (Double Red Cell), I am assured my once moderately high blood pressure is still low. My gym is adventure. My gym is outdoors.

Chili Secrets:

  • Use Vegetables instead of powders
  • Use lots of Vegetables
  • Chop everything yourself, don’t be a lazy ass
  • Marinate on lowest of simmers for hours
  • Drink a good Beer

It shouldn’t necessarily be about ourselves as it should be about the animals, about the environment and truly realizing and comprehending the bigger picture. There is an impact bigger than just one person, cutting out meat/dairy or even just consuming less.


 Chili ingredients (2009):

  • Ground Turkey, eewwwwww
  • Bell Peppers, diced
  • Hot Peppers, diced
  • Onion, diced
  • Salt/Pepper
  • Water sometimes Chicken broth
  • Beans
  • Corn
  • Tomatoes, stewed, diced or chopped (can)
  • Cilantro, chopped
  • Cheddar Cheese, gross

I’ve made different variations through the years. Creating a creamier sauce with adding Cheese until last year. I made Lentili without butter or oil and almost Vegan. I think I added Cheese that wasn’t completely Vegan.


 Ever find an artist (music band) that makes you super excited after you find out the length of their discography to listen to. And only an eighth of their music is what you want and the rest is garbage. I really appreciate good bands that can stay consistently different through the years. Not sounding the same on every album, but not changing their roots either.

mewithoutyou


 Yam Lentili ingredients:

  • Garlic, diced finely
  • Onion, diced
  • Celery, diced
  • Carrot, diced
  • Hot Peppers – Jalapeño, Serrano, Poblano, Chipotle (in Adobo), diced
  • Bell Peppers – Green, Red, Yellow, Orange, diced
  • Veggie Broth, splashy
  • Tomatoes, deseeded & chopped
  • Day, mmmmmm
  • Kale, chopped
  • Cilantro, chopped or frozen cubes 🙂 lots
  • SeaSalt/Pepper
  • Parsley, chopped
  • BalsamicVinegar/Sriracha/Sugar
  • Sweet Potato, chopped and baked on parchment paper
  • I think I added Mushrooms, sliced
  • Lentils, Red (split) & Green 🙂


  
  
 I ain’t here to give cooking lessons. Use your imagination and have FUN! I did also make kick-ass Vegan Corn Bread. Seriously, play with your food!


  
 Ⓥ Cream Corn ingredients:

  • Corn, kernels
  • Cashew ‘Milk’
  • Earth balance, ‘Butter’
  • SeaSalt/Sugar/ChipotleP/Onion&GarlicP/NutritionalYeast
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Flour
  • Onion, diced
  • Parsley, chopped
  • Corn Meal
  • Parsley, chopped

I just mixed everything together, covered and set out for a good hour.

  
  
ⓋornBread ingredients:

  • Balsamic Vinegar & Sriracha
  • Flour & Sugar
  • Corn Meal
  • Poblano Pepper, just a little & diced
  • Cilantro, diced
  • Baking Powder & Soda
  • Ⓥ Cream Corn

Simply mixed together and baked.


Lentili Colcannon ingredients:

  • Yam Lentili
  • Potatoes, red & russet roasted
  • Cashew ‘milk’
  • Daiya, mmmm
  • Onion, diced
  • Jalapeño, diced
  • Garlic, diced
  • Corn
  • Parsley & Cilantro, chopped finally finely
  • Grape Tomatoes
  • SeaSalt/Pepper/BalsamicVinegar/Sriracha
  • OnionP/GarlicP/Sugar

 

Balls & Strikes:

  • I dry roasted and did not add any oil. I used one pan with PARCHMENT PAPER:) Added things at different times because not all veggies roast in the same time. I then mixed everything together and topped with Yam Lentili. I did not roast the Grape Tomatoes. I heated them up in the Cashew ‘milk’.

10.07.15 I’m taking my love for Chicago-style dawgs and Vegan lifestyle to another level tonight as the Chicago Cubs play the Pittsburgh Pirates in a wildcard matchup. The Cubs, not being in the post-season since 2008, are a stellar team this season.

10.08.15 The Chicago Cubs won and Jake Arrieta threw a complete game SHO (shutout). Jake has shown a poise that I’ve never seen from a Cubs pitcher. His confidence and simply his persona on the mound sometimes gives me goosebumps. The Chicago Cubs acquired Jake (and Pedro Strop) from the Baltimore Orioles on July 2, 2013 for Steve Clevenger and Scott Feldman. At the time I was sad to see Feldman go, but heard both Arrieta and Strop had potential. Arrieta pitched well the remainder of 2013 and 2014. He went 14-7 with a 2.81 ERA (Earned Runs x 9(innings in a game) ÷ IP (Innings Pitched)). And his numbers are in for 2015 with a whopping 22 wins to only 6 losses. Having the best stats ever after the all-star break. Baseball has been around since the 19th century. Baseball has been a game for a few minutes.

I have created the Ⓥ Jake Arrieta’s. Ⓥ=Vegan. I made five of these monsters being strong, consistent & extremely healthy. The Ⓥ Jake Arrieta is a friendly neighborhood Char Dawg.


Chicago-style Relish ingredients:

  • Tomato, deseeded and diced
  • Cucumber, deseeded and diced
  • Onion, diced
  • Hot Peppers (Poblano & Jalapeno), deseeded and diced
  • Celery Seed
  • Celery Salt
  • SeaSalt/Pepper/ChipotleP/OnionP/GarlicP
  • Poppy Seed

MIX 🙂

Since being close to 100 days Vegan, my body has skyrocketed to amazing well-being and health. I’m going to live for 300 years. And I think that I am shrinking while still being very strong. I can ride a bicycle so much better and faster. My energy level is through the roof. And I feel AMAZING.


Ⓥ Jake Arrieta a Ⓥegan Chicago-style Lentili CharDawg ingredients:

  • Chicago-style Relish, mmmm
  • Buns, bigger the better
  • Daiya, mmmmmmmmmmmmm
  • Vegan Hot Dog (I use Lightlife Smart Dogs-JUMBO), charred
  • Mustard, organic 🙂
  • Lentili, mmmmmmmmmmmmm
  • Chipotle Powder, mmmmmm

Extra Innings:

  • Cut the ends of your smart dogs to keep from blistering.
  • Bake/Broil until your level of char or you patience allows.
  • Add already warm Lentili and Daiya and broil.
  • Broil Buns if desired, I’m a char-head.
  • Top with Chicago Relish, Organic Mustard and Chipotle Powder


  
I also came up with a salad concept of Roasted Veggies mixed with Romaine and Lentili as the ‘dressing’. It was good. I made Sweet Potato chips with my first batch of Ⓥ Jake Arrieta’s, but I was a little too tipsy to take a decently good pic. Hopefully today is much better with the art of photography. I also made three Dawgs a little different, yesterday. I feel like I’m forgetting some stuff. DAMNIT.


  
  
The Cubs play STL in a best of 5 NLDS and I’ve been saying all season that if the Cubs want to win big, they have to be able to destroy STL. And they can. Go CUBBIES & Happy Friday!


This Will Destroy You

And it is now Saturday.. HAPPY SATURDAY!

I came up with yet another Lentili concoction. This one is a Lentili Spudwich.

And these are a concept of eating Lentili without utensils, being Potato bowls filled with Lentili and Daiya!

Ⓥ Souper

Posted on by jeffreylatty

  
My choice of Vegan lifestyle obviously started with the easy decision of Vegetarianism close to three years ago. And while maintaining 100% Vegetarian lifestyle, I progressively made Vegan adaptations.

  
Social media is a tool and often a tool for me to reference statistics or dates. Today I’m gonna search through my social diary in Twitter. At some point in my life, I want to write a book with basically just my tweets.

  • First purposely #VeganVriday was 1.9.15
  • First purposely #VeganVeekend was 5.29.15

I did not survive every VeganFriday and I think I failed only one VeganWeekend after starting. I did, however, notice a difference in my digestive system and stomach between Vegetarianism and Veganism. Ultimately bringing me to the no-brainer decision of upgrading vegetarianism into Veganism as of 7.8.15.

  
I have finally found my love for Earth Balance Vegan ‘butter’. “Better late than never.” Says everyone.

  
I made SOUP for the first time in this colder turning time. And I was going to name it Souper Ⓥ Supe, but chose to shorten to Ⓥ Souper.

  
I found out that Sweet Potato skins are very edible and very good.

  
I resurrected my very first “real” bicycle in honor of his second birthday on September 22nd, in a 2014 Trek CrossRip. I’ve named him the HulkRip. I’ve ridden him through hell and back at over 7,000 km. He needed new cables, brakes, chain, cassette, chain ring and tape and pedals which I put on. He sat up at the bike shop for a good month awaiting a chain keeper. I’d like to keep HulkRip rideable for a long long time. And rode him for the first time in months yesterday. Happy Birthday, HulkRip!

   
    
 Ⓥ Souper ingredients:

  • Tofu, soft
  • Soyrizzo, had to add another ‘z’ because I’m a cubbies fan
  • Mushroom, sliced
  • Sunflower Seeds, shelled & I used non salted
  • Garlic, minced
  • Radish, sliced
  • Onion, Diced and julienne sliced
  • Green Pepper, shorter julienne sliced
  • Tomato, beefsteak diced and grape-whole
  • Spinach
  • BalsamicVinegar/Oil
  • Earth Balance ‘butter’, mmmmm
  • Jasmine Rice, cooked
  • Lentils, cooked
  • Kale, frozen & NonGMO mmm
  • Eggplant, chopped
  • Zucchini, chopped
  • Sweet Potato, chopped w/ skin
  • Red Potato, chopped w/ skin
  • Russet Potato, chopped w/ skin
  • Cilantro, frozen cubes mmm
  • SeaSalt/Pepper/Cayenne
  • Serrano & Hot Peppers, diced
  • Veggie Broth

Insanity:

  

I actually started out making a breakfast stir-fry and severely enjoyed it before later making into soup.

  

  • Cook Rice and Lentils together while stir-frying and later drain before adding.
  • Heat Oil and add Garlic, Hot Peppers, Potatoes, diced Onion and Eggplant.
  • Add Tofu, Soyrizzo, Sunflower Seeds and diced Tomato. Cover and sauté.
  • Add Seasonings, Rice/Lentils and BalsamicVinegar with generous Earth balance! Cover
  • Always stir occasionally…duh
  • Add Kale, Zucchini, Green Pepper, Julienne Onion, Radish, Mushroom, Cilantro& Grape Tomatoes
  • Can’t forget the SPINACH
  • Cover and simmer low

  
I served the stir-fry w/ wheat toast with Earth balance. I FREAKING LOVE EARTH BALANCE.

  
Rano Pano – Mogwai

  
To make Soup, I honestly just added Broth as it mixed and thickened extremely well. Very flavorful! And powerfully nutritious!

   
   
Go Cubbies as it’s almost playoff time! Have a good beer, take a good pic and ride a bicycle before the cold hits! Happy Thursday and Happy Weekend! Do something out of the ordinary!

  
  

Ⓥegan Pasta

Posted on by jeffreylatty

  
Yesterday was my very first experience buying, cooking and consuming Earth Balance Vegan ‘butter’. It was extremely enjoyable and I’m officially now a lifelong customer. Along with Vegenaise, Earth Balance is better than animal-based dairy. SERIOUSLY. It could be the evolution of my palate, but serious tastiness anyway you consume these wonderful plant-based products is a no brainer.

   
   
Saturday night, immediately after work, I went for a ride via towpath to drink some beers and make a small night out of it. I noticed the super moon and was extremely impressed with the visuality of a normally immensely dark (death metal) towpath. I still used my light, but would’ve been fine without my NiteRider Lumina 700. When the moon casts shadows, you (me) know its close to our earth. For the second time this year, I completed a (my) local bars Hall of Foam where you get your name on a plaque for drinking 50 different beers. It was a great night! (Warning: not all in one night)

   
   
Here in northern Illinois, it has been unseasonably warm this September. And yesterday was the first Fall-like day this year (2015:). Chili (and Soup) season is HERE! Last night, after work, I had to make a buttery pasta with the amazing Earth Balance. I decided to make a Mexicano (Ⓥ) Pasta and I’ll just go ahead and call it Mexicano Ⓥasta.

   
 Mexicano Ⓥasta ingredients:

  • Earth Balance ‘butter’, mmmmmmmmm
  • Garlic, minced
  • Carrot, sliced small longways
  • Onion, (red) diced
  • Sweet Potato, WITH PEEL ON (try it!) chopped
  • Oil/BalsamicVinegar
  • SeaSalt/Pepper/ChipotleP/Cayenne/C.R.P./Paprika/FennelSeed
  • Cilantro, I used frozen cubes
  • Kale, frozen & NONGMOProjectVerified
  • Corn, kernels
  • Tomato, grape sliced
  • Rice, Jasmine & cooked
  • Lentils, cooked
  • Radish, sliced
  • Mushroom, sliced
  • Eggplant, chopped
  • Squash, Zucchini & chopped
  • Angel Hair pasta, cooked al dente & not rinsed
  • Thickening agent, instant mashed potatoes

  

T minus ______ until blastoff:

  • Added a bit of Oil to heated pan and sautéed Garlic with Carrot, Sweet Potato, Onion & Eggplant while cooking Jasmine Rice and Lentils on another burner.
  • I added seasonings, Corn, BalsamicVinegar & Zucchini, covering for a few minutes.
  • Once Rice/Lentils are done, I strained and added with Earth balance ‘butter’, Cilantro, Tomato, Radish & Mushroom, covering on a simmer.
  • I cooked Angel Hair (Capellini for those Italians:) al dente and strained. If you’d like, a little Oil on pasta…
  • I added a few pinches of instant mashed potatoes as a thickening agent and served over plated pasta!

  
I couldn’t stop eating this pasta. Not literally, but just about. I might eat the leftovers for breakfast!

  
I hope everyone is having a great week! I also hope no one witnessed any crazies during this Super Moon.

  
And go Chicago Cubbies! Happy Wednesday!

  
I also made Sweet Potato Chips 🙂 (to be mastered)

Ⓥeganism Science

Posted on by jeffreylatty

  
Earlier this year, I turned 30. Earlier this morning (9.19.15), I threw out my back from standing up from a sitting position. My back pain is horrific. I can still ride a bicycle. So, all is (mostly) well.

   
 Yesterday, I tried another from scratch Vegan Burger sandwich. It was not perfect. It has been quite a few days since this blog draft started. And when you smell it… Today is Monday Monday Monday, Monday (as in Monday September 21, 2015.) I freaking love Mondays. As far as my knowledge goes, it’s not a holiday. I usually am off of work on Mondays and that has been my go-to day for 5-10 years. Even back in the day working for the Sicilians, we were closed on Mondays! Every holiday on a Monday puts more assholes in the streets, in my yard, and I’m usually wishing assholes weren’t such assholes, but once an asshole-always an asshole. And it usually sucks to have to share the roads with them.

  
My back still kills. I’m trying to spin it off. Today was mostly hard gravel and overall super strenuous. I feel I need a good baseball bat to the back. And I mean a real baseball bat, wooden not aluminum. I rode on gravel because it is awesome, because it’s usually low traffic roads and three because I roll well somehow some way. I am guilty of riding road tires on the heaviest, densest and brutal gravel. (Now yesterday) It was busy with dogs, tractors and vehicles. It (I am the king of Procrastinate Island) reminded me of a summer Monday holiday with people just wanting to drive all dangerously and fast. I found a Gravel Matrices in the middle of corn (GMO) country where there aren’t stop signs not even yield signs at the Gravel Matrix intersections.

  
I am in no way scared of dogs, but on a bicycle around free dogs (which is great) has me severely stressed and anxious of being bit, getting hit by a car and/or falling. And swimming through gravel on my 32 road tires at 30-34 km/h (20+ mph) trying to go faster than the dog while the dog constantly switches sides like he’s hunting dinner and myself constantly looking back while passing through a gravel intersection was just about the worst combination of events I can think of. Gratefully, no one was injured.

   
   
And then the same thing happened just three minutes later with a giant John Deere tractor. This dude seemingly was gonna run me over until I (I often ride with music in my ears) finally noticed this bone crushing machine directly behind me and I immediately pulled over and stopped. I gave him a good stare, but felt he did nothing wrong really, hence no middle finger. And there were cars driving on all of this gravel like it was a party. One was a mailman, but I’ve never seen so much gravel traffic.

  

Bean Concoction ingredients:

  • Garlic, diced
  • Ginger, diced
  • Lentil/Split Pea, cooked
  • Red and Pinto Beans, cooked
  • Noodles
  • SeaSalt/Pepper/Sugar
  • Soy Sauce
  • Celery, sliced
  • Carrots, whole baby carrots
  • Onion, diced
  • Spinach, baby
  • Hot Pepper, diced
  • Corn
  • Salsa
  • Grilled Eggplant, diced
  • Oil

To-Do List:

  • Heat Oil and sauté Garlic and Ginger before adding Onion, Celery & Carrots.
  • I cooked everything else together and Beans were not pre cooked.

  
I enjoyed a plate and then the next day decided to try Vegan Burgers from scratch. I named them Herbivores Outsmart Carnivore. Other than the consistency, they were amazing.

  

Herbivores Outsmarts Carnivore ingredients:

  • Bean Concoction, NutriNinja pureed
  • Tofu, soft
  • Nutritional Yeast & Chipotle Powder
  • BalsamicVinegar/Sriracha
  • Mashed Potatoes, instant (experimental)
  • Buns, gourmet & grilled
  • Eggplant, grilled and sliced
  • Tomato, garden fresh (if possible) and grilled
  • Portabello Mushroom Cap, sliced & grilled
  • Daiya, mmmmmm
  • Potato/Radish/Carrot, grilled for the side (if applicable)
  • Spinach, leafy and baby

   

   
Spin Class:

  • Pureed the Bean Concoction and combined Tofu, Nutritional Yeast, Chipotle Powder, BalsamicVinegar/Sriracha and Instant Mashed Potatoes in hoping to solidify the mixture.
  • I grilled the Bun, Eggplant, Portabello and Tomato before hand on a cast iron skillet.
  • Then I grilled the Potato, Radish and Carrot on the cast iron skillet.
  • I formed patties out of the mixture and put them on a pan lined with parchment paper and baked.
  • Instead of flipping, I broiled the top. The patties were’t as solid as I would’ve liked. I broiled Daiya on inside of Buns on top of Spinach and on top of patties with Mushroom and Eggplant on top.
  • I made this a Dubbel sandwich combining two patties and enjoyed with a Saison Dolores from Almanac out of San Fran.
  • It was very good and the consistency of the patty could be stronger, but very edible!

  
And this is where my insanity comes out to play.

  
I am absolutely addicted to potatoes and Colcannon. I had left over Herbivore Outsmarts Carnivore which on its own is basically superfood and added to it to basically make spontaneous Ⓥ Superfood.

  

Ⓥ Superfood ingredients:

  • Herbivore Outsmarts Carnivore mixture
  • Roasted potatoes, mashed
  • Salsa
  • SeaSalt/BrownSugar
  • Instant Mashed Potatoes, still experimenting as a thickening agent

This is pretty self explanatory as I don’t attend to teach anyone how to cook, just sharing my ideas and trying to take away your sanity 🙂 It was very good and very powerful!

  

Ⓥ Superfood Upgraded ingredients:

  • Ⓥ Superfood, powerfully
  • Water, mmmmm
  • Rice, brown and white (real Rice)
  • Radish, sliced
  • Garlic/Ginger/Onion, minced
  • Oil
  • Spinach, leafy and babyish
  • Daiya

Superman approved processes:

  • I’m guilty of insanity and having too much fun sometimes. This was very enjoyable.
  • I brought water to a small boil and simmered the rice for quite sometime infusing that rice with flavor and SUPERNESS!
  • I sautéed Garlic/Ginger/Onion in Oil obtaining color before adding Radishes and Spinach.
  • I plated the Superfood Rice and put sautéed gravy sauce (?) over top and broiled with some Daiya.

  
I’m truly not sure if I can ever surpass this entire process, but it kept me not hungry and entertained for a few days. And parents tell their children not to play with their food. I say PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD & HAVE FUN WITH IT! Recipes are guidelines. Do not follow them to a T. Take some pics, have a beer and ride your bicycle. Be safe, be healthy and blog off:)


(Apologies, I’m not ordering you to do anything, just recommending.)

Damnit, I almost forgot to share this Dubbel Boca idea…

  

Tom Relly ingredients:

  • Tomato, garden & deseeded and diced (save the guts!)
  • Garlic/Ginger/Onion/Oregano, minced & lightly toasted
  • Oil/Sriracha/BalsamicVinegar
  • Celery Seed
  • Eggplant, grilled & diced
  • Bun or Bread, grilled heavily and super diced

Mix

  

Dubbel Boca ingredients:

  • Boca, vegan & baked or pan-fried
  • Bun, gourmet and grilled on inside
  • Tom Relly, mmmmm
  • Mustard
  • Chipotle Powder
  • Daiya, mmmmmm

  

Brain Surgery:

  • Have your Tom Relly, ready. If everything else is grilled and ready before hand, life is easier to construct your edibles to be destroyed by you plant eating herbivorous monsters! I created a massive thunderstorm above theⓋ Boca patties. There was heavy winds, loud thunder and not a drop of rain until right before the climax of the evil storm squirted out flavorful Organic Mustard followed by the precise light mist of smoky Chipotle Powders and then vanishing into muggy humid Illinois air (sound effect (of your choice)), these ridiculous sentences are gone.
  • I grilled another Potato for the side. I constructed the Dubbel Boca onto the bottom (already grilled (on the inside)) Bun creating a tight seal of Chipotle Mustardation between the Boca’s. I then piled Tom Relly (it’s short for Tomato Relish, ok…)
  • I put as much Daiya possible on top of this erected edible Ⓥ tower of power and BROILED
  • Serve as hot as your (my) evil soul for inflicting cruel evil torturing pain on this plant based food before I devour it like I hate plants.

  
Happy Tuesday, y’all.

Must Watch on Netflix 

Posted on by jeffreylatty

Cowspiracy
There are many reasons why I’ve been Vegaetarian for three years and now Vegan for three months. Yes, some are to greedily better myself, however, I feel my lifestyle is truly something I can do to help better our world. And to me, that makes it much more worth it. 

Let’s make a real difference. 

Ⓥegan Comfortisms

Posted on by jeffreylatty

  
Vegan comfort food might not be as readily available as say fast food or other animal product junk. It is, however, easy to create with help from great non animal products. Any Vegan ‘junk’ food is healthier and Better for the world than animal base junk food.

  
I’ve been a big fan of Apple Music the last couple of months and I decided to check up on some bands that I have not been keeping track of in the recent years like I used to. One of the bands that I have been keeping track of since day 2 is deftones. I’ve been purchasing albums since 1997. They are single handidly my favorite band and have been since probably 1998. Their first album, Adrenaline, came out in 1995. And it would have been one of my first albums ever purchased. If I remember correctly, this would be my first five CD and Cassettes:

  1. The Doors – Greastest Hits
  2. Ozzy – The Ozzman Cometh
  3. Limp Bizkit – Three Dollar Bill, Y’all
  4. Rage Against The Machine – Evil Empire
  5. Deftones – Adrenaline

  
I’ve learned over the years that in order to gain use out of your ingredients, you’ll (me) have to plan around bulk ingredients. And as I’m blogging these (all over your face) there is an overlap of ingredients. Use it or Lose it! I came up with a Ⓥlattaco, grilled apple ampersand The Post-Apolacalyptic Zombie Butcher VeggHead.

   
   
Just today I used Apple Music to check up on the band Korn and their new music. They really went downhill after Follow The Leader. Deftones have kept themselves very good and still make very interesting music and they appear to continue to. And because of this, I’m going to share a favorite song off of every album.

  1. FIST
  2. Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)
  3. Knife Party
  4. Deathblow
  5. Simple Man
  6. BEWARE
  7. Beauty School
  8. ROSEMARY

  
I really hope at least one music lover that has never experienced deftones took at least five minutes to click on one of the above links to enjoy. Now onto the food. I was impressed with the look and the simplicity of a grilled apple, but it wasn’t as tasty as I was hoping.

   
   
Ⓥlattaco ingrediets:

  • Whole Wheat Tortilla, Grilled on one side
  • Hummus
  • Guacamole, spicy 🙂
  • BrownRice/Lentils/SpiltPeas/dicedNonGMOfrozenGrilledEggplant:) cook in below seasonings
  • Sugar/SeaSalt/Pepper/GarlicAmpersandOnionP/ONEBayLeaf/ChiliP w/ water to cook above ingredients in
  • Daiya, ‘Cheddar’ & ‘Mozzarella’ mmmmmmmm
  • Fishless Filets, baked and sliced
  • Seitan, Chipotle Seitan 🙂
  • Onion, grilled for garnish
  • Fiesta Pico De Gallo w/ Pineapple, strained

  

Rocket Science:

  • This is a Taco Cookie, Flat Taco or better yet an open Quesadilla. It is very easy and very tasty! Smear the living shit out of the already grilled side of Tortilla with Hummus and Guacamole.
  • Generously, but carefully, place a layer of BrownRice/SplitPeas/Lentils/GrilledEggplant
  • Cover with both types of Daiya, Seitan and Fishlessness’
  • Place in nonstick pan and cook over low-medium heat while covering to murder and melt that Daiya
  • Garnish with grilled Onion and Pico De Gallo on top:)

  
I’ve been trying to come up with a name for this monster sandwich. And like many great Craft Beers, this sandwich deserves a unique and basically dark and disgusting name. It only took a couple of minutes of concentration. It has been named The Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Butcher VeggHead. I feel that is a name that confidently names this beastwich.

  
  
Vegenaise Upgraded ingredients:

  • Vegenaise, mmm
  • Mustard, organic
  • Cucumber, diced without seeds
  • Onion, diced
  • Tomato, diced and strained

MIX

  

The Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Butcher VeggHead ingredients:

  • Buns, multi-grain Ciabatta
  • Boca, Vegan
  • Daiya, ‘Cheddar’ & ‘Mozzarella’
  • Grilled Eggplant, NonGMOProjectVerified if possible
  • Seitan, NonGMOProjectVerified & Chipotle
  • Onion, Grilled then sliced
  • Hummus
  • Guacamole
  • Sugar/SeaSalt/Pepper/GarlicAmpersandOnionP/ONEBayLeaf/ChiliP w/ water to cook above ingredients in
  • BrownRice/Lentils/SpiltPeas/dicedNonGMOfrozenGrilledEggplant:) cook in below seasonings
  • Grilled Eggplant
  • Pico De Gallo, Fiesta w/ Pineapple
  • Potatoes, grilled
  • Sriracha, cock saucy and splashy
  • Vegenaise Upgraded, mmmmmm
  • ChipotleP

   

   
Survival to sanity:

  • Either toast or grill inner sides of Ciabatta Bun and save for later consumption.
  • Pan fry Boca and after flipping add Daiya, Grilled Eggplant and Chipotle Seitan. Cover and lower heat. Dash of Chipotle Powder on top:) 
  • Heat BrownRice/Lentils/SpiltPeas/dicedNonGMOfrozenGrilledEggplant
  • Grill Potatoes and Onion
  • Hummus on bottom Bun and Guacamole on top Bun (inner, inner Vegan DINNER of top and bottom)
  • Once everything is ready, build the masterpiece of death (LIFE)
  • From the floor it goes (architecturally) bottom Bun, Hummus, BrownRice/Lentils/SpiltPeas/GrilledEggplant, Vegenaise Upgraded, two Boca patties with greatness melted on top, Grilled Onion slices, Pico De Gallo w/ Pineapple, Guacamole and the top Bun.

   
    
 A deftones song, You’ve Seen The Butcher, my fandom of Vegan Zombie, my partial WordPress name VeggHead and the scary darkness of Post-Apocalypse helped mosh pit into the name of the beast which I did eat.

  
Happy Monday! Happy 50th Blog to me. Thanks for the likes and follows! Stay healthy, my friends! And have fun!

Vegan Ⓥhinese

Posted on by jeffreylatty

  
In a recent blog, I briefly shared an easy Chinese-style concoction that is super easy to make however you’d like. I made a massive batch and decided to go out with a bang and fix it up just a bit in the end.

  
I tell ya what, Non GMO Project Verified Food sells me every time. And I usually pay more, but for the pride it delivers me, it’s well worth it. I wrapped my handlebars with new Bontrager tape. And I’m loving the new look.

  
  
Ⓥegan Ramen ingredients:

  • Ramen Noodles, seasoning discarded
  • Potatoes, diced and boiled (or roasted)
  • Broccoli, fresh or frozen florets-blanched
  • Garlic, minced
  • Ginger, minced
  • Soy Sauce, Vegan
  • SeaSalt/Pepper
  • BalsamicVinegar/Sriracha
  • Vegetable Broth
  • Peanut Oil
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Sunflower Seeds, shelled
  • Fishless Filets, baked & sliced
  • Grilled Eggplant, baked

  

Chopsticks to mouth:

  

  • Cook Ramen slightly undercooking, draining and leave separate seasoned with Soy Sauce and Sriracha.
  • Cook Potatoes and blanch Broccoli and leave aside.
  • Add Oil/Garlic/Ginger and sauté for a couple of minutes before adding everything else and mixing.
  • This time around I baked Fishless Filets and Grilled Eggplant and just sliced the Fishless Filets and put on top
  • I could have brought more Broccoli to top, but I’m lazy and I was hungry!

Eat healthy to be healthy!