Better Bruschetta

It is 2 PM. Your stomach rumbles, head spins, and eyelids droop. Sounds like it is time for a snack! Instead of grabbing a chemical filled energy drink or fully loaded cup of coffee, how about having a nutritious, savory slice of bruschetta. 

Fresh bruschetta with hummus and spinach

Ingredients:

• 1 slice whole-grain bread             ($0.33)
• 2 tbsp. roasted garlic hummus   ($0.35)
• 1 handful of baby spinach            ($0.12)
• 4 tbsp. bruschetta topping          ($0.50)

Preparation: 

Toast the bread until lightly brown. Spread the hummus on the bread. Top with baby spinach leaves and the bruschetta topping and devour like a wild herbivore. The bruschetta mix I used was store bought, containing tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil.

Ready in less than 5 minutes, this $1.30 snack is karmically and nutritiously better than any dollar menu item at any fast food joint. In the afternoons, caffeine is so very seductive. It tempts not only your neurotransmitters, but also your palate. Delicious coffee is delicious!  One cup of coffee in the morning keeps your mind focused, as well as reducing the risk of heart failure and Alzheimer's disease. In the afternoon, your body has worked off the caffeine and tells you that you probably need another boost. Fill this with vitamins and nutrients instead. Your body will thank you later. 

Eating a vegan diet, the human body will need sustenance intermittently throughout the day due to the small amount of calories in such large amounts of food. Take a look at this chart from Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. 

The amount of calories it takes to fill up a human stomach with vegetables is about 400. For chicken, it is about 1,200! We can achieve that same, satisfied, full feeling on vegetables, and eat MORE! Eating small meals and snacks throughout the day is the best way to keep the body well nourished and functioning properly. This also keeps the metabolism on its toes and processing well into the later years of life.

Did you know?

The most commonly accepted pronunciation of bruschetta is not what you think. In Italian, the digraph <ch> is always pronounced /k/. ex.  [bru'sket:ta] 

Brusketta. Brushetta. Bruschketta. Bruschetta. VIVA L'ITALIA! 

Labor Day Dogs

This weekend, how about eating a traditional American hot dog? It's not a problem, even for a vegan, when you have Smart Dogs® by Lightlife™! They are amazingly juicy, plump, and healthy alternatives to the amalgamation of meat-like substances that make up regular hot dogs.

What a delightful looking Smart Dog!

Ingredients:

• 1 whole-grain hot dog bun
• 3 slices of a Roma tomato
• 1 handful of baby spinach
• 2 tbsp. diced onion
• 2 tbsp. yellow mustard
• 1 Smart Dogs® vegan hot dog

Preparation:

If you have a grill, I would suggest grilling the Smart Dogs® for about 5 minutes or until warm. For a lighter and less crispy taste, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the hot dogs and remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes, then remove and place on a serving plate or paper towel to let them dry for a minute. Toast the buns on a low temperature for 2 minutes for a crunchy texture. Mustard is absolutely delicious so I smother the bun with mustard, add the veggies and hot dog, then dribble on more mustard. 

Cost:

• 1 whole-grain hot dog bun          ($0.54)
• 3 slices of a Roma tomato          ($0.58)
• 1 handful of baby spinach           ($0.12)
• 2 tbsp. diced onion                      ($0.06)
• 2 tbsp. yellow mustard                ($0.08)
• 1 Smart Dogs® vegan hot dog  ($0.50)

For a meager $1.88 you can create a vegan taste explosion that also requires a very small amount of labor for this not-so-Labor Day weekend!

Both this post and the previous use meat alternative products. For a meat-eater transitioning slowly to a more vegan lifestyle, this is the easiest route. I would recommend any new vegan take it slowly and allow the meat substitutes to fill the desire for meat. My diet consists mostly of unprocessed foods, but occasionally, I like to indulge in fancy faux-meat like Smart Dogs®.

The Lightlife™ website shows many recipes and varieties of "hot dogs" to enjoy. From Mediterranean flair to Sesame Apple cole-slaw, every recipe has a unique flavor. 

I do NOT endorse getting blackout-crazy-crunk-turnt up-fall over plastered on non-vegan booze. I DO, however, present you this wonderful site: Barnivore. It will help you choose which vegan alcohol to enjoy responsibly this Labor Day Weekend. Or irresponsibly. You can go hog-wild without the hog because these vegan dranks do not contribute to animal cruelty! 

Read more about the "meat" you are consuming and watch the video. You will never allow another hot dog to enter your body.

All-American, blue ribbon winning PBR

Eat up, drink up, and enjoy your weekend feeling healthy and morally responsible. And most importantly: stop wearing white after Monday. It is tacky. 

Did you know?

Labor Day was put in place in 1894 to placate union workers after the Pullman Strike, this holiday celebrates workers economic and social contributions to society. Nowadays, most professionals take the day off to relax, eat barbecue, drink a beer, and cherish the last few weeks of summer. The laborers continue to work and provide for their families. Funny how the holiday created for them was taken away and enjoyed by the very people who caused the numerous deaths, strikes, and sufferings for the union workers. Labor Day is also a time to take advantage of huge retail sales. Companies have extended hours and full staff available for the rush of customers; again, the laborers must work harder on their own holiday.

Photo taken by: Jonathan Charles (Instagram: zerodecorum)

(Twitter: zerodecorum)
Edited by: Emily Moore and Jonathan Charles

My Instagram: whatahipster

My Twitter: whatascenester

The Not-So-Sinful Veggie Bagel Burger


"This tastes like I am in Grease!" 

Even though I am a vegan, I confess: the greasy, fried, fat-saturated taste of the hamburgers I used to

eat is still oddly desirable.  I was unable to satisfy this craving with any veggie burger until I stumbled onto this recipe. Believe me, you'll feel like you're sinning against the Vegan Goddess, but you'll be eating a healthy vegan treat!


I first discovered this recipe when I was knocking around my parents' refrigerator and stumbled upon some sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. This was a surprise because my parents are basically carnivorous dairy guzzlers. Woe to the vegan who dines at their residence! 

I grabbed the box of veggie burgers that I had just purchased at Costco, and tossing everything haphazardly together in 5 minutes, I discovered and then devoured this delectable dinner. 

Ingredients

• 1 whole grain bagel, sliced
• 1 veggie burger patty
• 2 tbsp. hummus
• 1 handful baby spinach
• 4 artichoke hearts, halved
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes

Cooking Instructions

bon appétit! 

Heat enough olive oil to coat the pan on medium heat for two minutes, then fry both sides of the patty until crispy. While the burger is frying, spread hummus on both sides of the bagel. Top the hummus with spinach, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes. Allow patty to cool for 1-2 minutes. Place patty on top of vegetable mix, then cover with the second half of the bagel. Enjoy!

Conclusion

Eating vegan is not some fancy, hoity-toity, Chanel-toting socialite's way of acting like she is better than everyone else. (Except for Todd; he is better than most people.) Anyone can be vegan, including impoverished, minimum-wage earning, 20-something college students. The struggle of leading a vegan lifestyle is easier than it appears. Keep reading this blog, and for the love of animals, partake not in the meat, nor the breast milk, nor the ovum of any creature with a face.







*photo by Matt Iden. Post written by +Matt Iden. Edited by +Emily Moore and Jonathan Charles.