Friday, January 31, 2014

Happy Lunar New Year!

Blogger of the Day: admin at Vege Angel

I stumbled across this website a few days ago so I'm still wandering through it and discovering veganyum all over! I have no idea who "admin" is but many thanks to admin and the contributors for their quick and fabulous plant-based brilliance! It's not all Asian either...plenty of pizza and burgers abound too. Go explore!  :)

Lunar New Year festivities are kicking off in several Asian countries, though this holiday is most often associated with Chinese culture. 2014 brings us the Year of the Horse, part of the Chinese zodiac cycle which assigns one of twelve animals to each year. According to Wei Hong, professor in the School of Languages and Cultures and director of the Confucius Institute at Purdue "In Chinese tradition, horses have been much celebrated in legends, literature and proverbs...They are, with their heroic yet modest personality, identified to be persistent, industrious, striving and wise. People born in the Year of the Horse are believed to be hard-working, responsible, optimistic and generous." Honor the Horse and liven up the New Year with oodles of noodles!











Note: traditional longevity noodles, also known as e-fu noodles, yee-fu noodles, yi noodles, yifu noodles or yi mien, are made with eggs so just use your favorite long thin Asian or pasta noodles.

The Year of the Horse also occurred in 1906, 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990 and 2002...were you or someone you know born in one of those years? Which Chinese zodiac sign were you born under? How are you celebrating the Lunar New Year? Which Asian cuisine is your favorite?  :)

Celebrate some more with our 2014 Daily Food Holiday and Featured Blogger Series!

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Happy National Croissant Day!

Blogger of the Day: Helen at Paris Vegan

Helen's livin' the dream...a British-born vegan teaching English in Paris, she reviews restaurants and products, offers handy tips like how to choose French bread and how to eat cheap or posh in Paris and of course creates superyumful recipes!

Croissants aren't the easiest things to veganize since they're butter-based but Helen's short-cut version uses store-bought puff pastry so it's a snap. Go ahead and experiment with different fillings and you'll have an impressive spread for your Superbowl Sunday fans!  :)

Note: Pepperidge Farms frozen puff pastry is technically vegan because it's made with oil instead of butter but look for organic versions if you can find them.













Do you like plain or filled croissants? Have you been to Paris? What's your dream job?

Find more feasts in our 2014 Daily Food Holiday and Featured Blogger Series!

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Happy Snow Pea Day!

Blogger of the Day: Miss Lexy at Vegan Miss

So appropriate for a day when it's snowing in the South and still deepfrozen in the North...even my good friends in Galveston are all bundled up! Winterhappy snow peas are those sweet flat totally edible pea pods that are often found in Asian cooking. They're a good source of B vitamins, fiber and a little hit of protein, plus they punch up any dish with their brilliant green color. Look for clean unblemished pods, firm not floppy. There's a fibrous string along the inner edge that's easy to remove...just snap the tip off, pull down like a zipper and the string should come along with it. If not, try again from the other end. Here's a quick demo. I love snow peas in stir fries and sandwiches, cut up in soups, salads and scrambles, even in vegan frittatas. If you do get some floppy ones, roll 'em up in a wrap. Or just snack on snows plain or with bit of dip or hummus...yumza!  :)

Snow peas also shine in Buddha's Delight, a traditionally vegetarian dish found in most Chinese restaurants and also featured in many Lunar New Year celebrations (which start this Friday). The cool deal with Delight is you can use what you've got...stick to your recipe or sub in whatever is staring at you in the fridge. I like simple broccoli/snow pea/sesame seed/cashew combos but I've thrown in all sorts of fresh and leftover veggies and nuts like parsnips and pistachios. You can use pre-mixed veggies too like Trader Joe's Asian veg mix or La Choy canned mixes. Serve over classic white rice or go for something really exotic but don't forget the snow peas!  :)

Miss Lexy is a model vegan...she works for Mercy For Animals, volunteers at her local animal shelter and cooks and bakes up a vegan storm! She also reviews restaurants and products, plus she posts at VegWeb too. Currently she's less about blogging and more about earning a second college degree but she's sure to return soon...til then, enjoy her Buddha's Delight (and the Jiaozi Dumplings she's got posted with them) and dozens more yumful recipes!  :)












What would you stir in your Buddha's Delight? Do you celebrate the Lunar New Year? How do you eat snow peas? Are you cursing, enjoying or ignoring the snow?  ;)

Check out the rest of our 2014 Daily Food Holiday and Featured Blogger Series!

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Happy National Blueberry Pancake Day!

Blogger of the Day: Caitlin at The Vegan Chickpea

Caitlin's soul-satisfying dishes sparkle throughout her beautiful blog, sprinkled here and there with musings on life and happiness and enduring friendships. Each post is a pleasant and refreshing read that not only sparks your appetite but also leaves you with an inspiration or insight into life's little surprises. Caitlin is sweet and genuine and obviously a talent in the kitchen!

Making blueberry pancakes is my favorite way to wake people up in the morning...that heavenly smell will get even the grumpiest sleepyhead to grin! Blueberries are my mosteverfavorite fruit so today is a cheery day no matter how supercrazychilled it is outside. Take that, Polar Vortex!  :P










What else do you rev up with blueberries? Do you enjoy cooking breakfast? Got any other tips for waking up a grump?  :)

Celebrate some more with our 2014 Daily Food Holiday and Featured Blogger Series!

Monday, January 27, 2014

Happy Chocolate Cake Day!

Blogger of the Day: Ana at AF ~ Ana Fernandez

Okay, I admit it...I was a Breakfast at Tiffany's style-addict for years. Every time it ran on TV I was planted in front of the set, mesmerized by Audrey Hepburn and memorizing the details of her slimmed-down couturier look. It still influences me to this day. So it's no surprise that I'm drawn to Ana's blog...dare I say she is the Audrey Hepburn of vegan Venezuela! Her impeccably photographed recipes focus on high-quality ingredients combined to create simply stunning indulgences. Her strong sense of design and culinary talents truly make these couture-worthy treats!  :)

This classic cocoa dessert never looked so good...











Did any design icons strongly influence your style? Do you prefer rustic or refined when it comes to dessert? Messy chocolate mudcake or glossy chocolate ganache?  :)

Find more feasts in our 2014 Daily Food Holiday and Featured Blogger Series!