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Product Review: Vegan Gourmet Nacho Cheese Alternative

girlA — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:17:20 -0800

The quest for tasty queso seems to be a never-ending task for vegans. The queso recipe posted earlier, is pretty darn good, but does require a lot more ingredients, so if that doesn’t appeal to you, the folks at Follow Your Heart have a great alternative and just as they claim…it DOES MELT! And $3.69 for 10-oz is not bad.
I chopped the block and added it to my electric fondue pot. FYH says you can melt it in a sauce pan as well. It is thick and solid enough to shred over tortilla chips and microwave, too.

After about 15 minutes, the “cheese” definitely resembled nacho cheese and quite surprisingly, tasted like it, too. It certainly has a spicy kick, but at the same time, that was about all I could really taste. That cheesy taste just wasn’t there–which is good in a way, too, because fake cheese can taste, well…fake. This didn’t taste like that, but it just was lacking something.

So what’s a vegan to do? I decided to add about 1/3-1/2C of rice (Galaxy Foods) Shredded “cheese” and it really gave it a much more cheesy taste and texture. It was just what it needed. The only thing that changed was, of course, the consistency. It made it a bit more elastic-y. It didn’t really allow one to “dip” a chip, but more, “scoop” the cheese. The taste was outstanding though–the closest that pre-packaged vegan cheese is to regular nacho cheese.

FYH not only makes many great products such as Veganaise and salad dressings, but they are one of the most environmentally conscious companies around. Their manufacturing plant in California operates on 100% solar energy and used all recycled products in their facility. Check out the April 2010 issue of VegNews for more!

Alison Sweeney's Tips For Staying Healthy

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:50:27 -0800

Actress Alison Sweeney is one busy lady. Between her multiple TV gigs and having two little ones on her hands, life can be pretty hectic. In the latest issue of Shape, the Days of Our Lives star and host of The Biggest Loser says that she manages the craziness by "taking it one day at a time." Along the way, Alison has picked up a few tricks for staying healthy even when life is always on the go.

Keep veggies within reach. Alison makes sure she always has healthy food within an arm's reach. "If you clean them, cut them up, and put them in a bowl, they'll get eaten."
Opt for complex carbs. Alison reaches for complex carbs like whole grains because they keep the body satisfied. "They hold you over far longer than refined carbs, like bagels. That's why I start the day with a bowl of oatmeal."

To see more of Alison's tips, read more.

Know your weaknesses. If it's out of sight, it's out of mind! "I lose sight of my diet when I'm around savory snacks, like tortilla chips, so I don't keep them in the house."
Splurge on the real thing. "I'd rather have one small bite of something I'm craving than a fat- and sugar-free version of it. My best friend gave me an ice cream maker, so I can whip up a thick, creamy dessert and be satisfied with just a spoonful or two."
Read labels. "While working on The Biggest Loser, I learned how misleading packaging info can be, especially when it comes to serving sizes. One 'personal pizza' we found actually serves eight!"

Check out the rest of Alison's tips in the latest issue of Shape, which is currently out on newsstands.

Hot Chips

YumSugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 11:46:18 -0800

Captured this moment at a local taqueria. Gotta love warm chips.

Hearty Vegetarian Chili

lonegunkim — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:49:52 -0800

Hearty Vegetarian Chili (also posted in Healthy Recipe Group)

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1 bag Morningstar Farm crumbles
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can dark red kidney beans, slightly drained
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp each: oregano, cocoa powder, cumin
1/2 tsp salt
dash hot sauce (Texas Pete's or similar)

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Saute onion and green pepper until soft. Add remaining ingredients and combine well. Heat until bubbly, then simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sour cream if desired. Makes about 6 servings.

To make all day on low in crock pot, omit olive oil. Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Stir well and cook for at least 6 hours on low. For larger crock pots, double the recipe and cook for at least 8 hours on low.

Hearty Vegetarian Chili

lonegunkim — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:54:59 -0800

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1 bag Morningstar Farm crumbles
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can dark red kidney beans, slightly drained
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp each: oregano, cocoa powder, cumin
1/2 tsp salt
dash hot sauce (Texas Pete's or similar)

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Saute onion and green pepper until soft. Add remaining ingredients and combine well. Heat until bubbly, then simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sour cream if desired. Makes about 6 servings.
To make all day on low in crock pot, omit olive oil. Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Stir well and cook for at least 6 hours on low. For larger crock pots, double the recipe and cook for at least 8 hours on low.

Challenge #3

emily violet — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:59:27 -0800

Breakfast:
Tofu scramble with onions and garlic, one slice of whole wheat toast with Earth Balance, half a grapefruit, black coffee
Snack:
Berry smoothie: 1 1/2 c frozen berry mix, 1 c plain soymilk, handful almonds
Lunch:
2 mini pitas, 1/4 c hummus, salad with baby lettuce mix, cucumbers, and broccoli slaw, 2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette, banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter
Dinner:
Half a gigantic authentic Mexican burrito. Tortilla, rice, beans, lettuce, tomato. Also about one thousand chips with pico de gallo.
Snack:
About 1/4 cup guacamole with 7 or 8 tortilla chips, and a handful of swedish fish.
Also, some tea and almonds and an apple throughout the day.

PEOPLE to Brad Pitt: About That Beard ...

kty — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:40:21 -0800

Dear Brad Pitt,
First of all, Happy Birthday! 46 as of Friday? Hard to believe. And what a year it’s been for you. Accolades for Inglourious Basterds, globe-trotting with those six adorable kids and Angelina, giving away millions to charity. Who's a better guy than you? Nobody! Certainly not that I'll-never-settle-down pal of yours George Clooney ... (JK!) And yet. There is one little thing. We hate even to mention it. It's just this: What's up with that thing on your chin?At the beginning it just looked like a little week-off stubble. Then perhaps a soul patch being cultivated for a role in a Tarantino follow-up. But weeks passed, and no such part appeared. Now that scraggly tortilla-chip-crumb trap growing under your lip has taken up permanent residence on a face that, in its clean-shaven days, twice graced our Sexiest Man Alive cover. So maybe the beard was an act of self-defense against a third Sexiest Man title? Were you worried that Clooney would never stop ribbing you if we crowned you again? No worries! The deadline is long past and, as you know by now, we gave it to the comparatively clean-cut, not to mention younger (JK!), Johnny Depp. And speaking of Cap’n Jack Sparrow, what is with the pirate booty beads in the beard? Too much. When Zahara and Shiloh can braid baubles into your facial hair on lazy mornings in the family bed, it's time to shave that bad boy. Please. Best wishes for 2010, Your pals at PEOPLE

Your Healthy Food Swaps

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:00:27 -0800

Since decadent foods like ice cream, baked treats, and fried foods tend to be high in the calorie department, it's good to have a few healthy food swap ideas up your sleeve. Here are some shared by fellow FitSugar readers.

"Avocado instead of mayo . . . sure it may have fat in it but it's healthy fat and tastes delicious. Hummus instead of cream in sauces and soups . . . adds a ton of flavor and protein." - mamasitamalita
"I use balsamic vinegar (not vinaigrette) on my salads without any oil. It gives the same powerful flavor kick but for a lot less calories." - laellavita
"Replace ranch dressing on my salad with cottage cheese." - genipher85

For more great ideas, keep reading

Boyfriend/Roommate Interaction

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:11:46 -0800

Maybe I'm being irrational, but I'd like to submit for everyone a problem I have with my boyfriend. I don't need to, but I'll start by saying he's a great guy... tells me every day he loves me, is always very respectful and appreciative for the things I do for him. However, we are at different levels of comfort with roommate situations.
I recently moved in with two roommates I met on a website (we didn't know each other prior) and he has lived with the same roommates for 4 years or so. While I am a sharer, I hate imposing (or feeling as though I'm imposing) and generally try not to consume too much of my roommates' food. My roommates and I had decided we'll do "community food", except that with my very recent dietary restrictions (lactose intolerant... ugh) I can't eat anything they eat. That's fine by me and I offer some lactose-free dishes when I make them, however generally live on Kashi cereal with soy milk because I'm usually too busy to cook. My boyfriend's house is gross and I won't eat there. He never has food anyway though, only beer, and he and his roommate share all foodstuffs. I told him that my roommates and I were doing a community fridge at one point while I was moving in, but I didn't think anything of it at the time.
He assumed that meant he could come into my house and grab a beer (or 4) and munch on the tortilla chips and salsa my roommate had bought for a party. I asked him quietly and in private not to drink all my roommates' beer and I picked up a 6 pack at the store specifically for him, but the next time he came over he helped himself to whatever he wanted from the fridge. I tried talking to him about it a couple of times in the past, but it never stuck. Finally I blew up this weekend, after he once again helped himself to a "special" thing my roommate had purchased. He actually went out of his way to ask her if he could have it, but the fact that I asked him not to and he did it anyway pushed me over the edge. To me, it felt like he was doing it on purpose because I asked him specifically not to treat my house like his own personal pantry. I told him this, and that it is not appropriate for him to come over and behave like anything other than a guest. He in turn said that he thought having a beer wouldn't be a problem because I told him we were on a "community" system and sharing food.
So... we had a verbal argument and he called me a control freak. I said he's disrespectful and using me as a doormat in my own home. I feel like I'm justified in being upset that he treats my house as though he lives here too. He feels like it's not a big deal for him to help himself to food and drink. Who is right? And what can I do to resolve this, short of not having him over anymore?

Heart Healthy Taco Salad

music_jewel321 — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:46:06 -0800

Ground beef is not taboo on a heart healthy diet as long as you choose the leanest cut possible. I usually don't like to endorse a specific vendor, but in this case it's necessary. Laura's Beef packages ground sirloin that is 96% lean, and the company is endorsed by the American Heart Association. It's only about 50 cents more per pound, but that's reasonable if you are only going to use 1 pound in a recipe. For this Taco Salad, make your own Homemade Tortilla Chips, method provided below, and you will eliminate 75% of the fat and calories of the traditional store-bought or restaurant-ordered meal.

Image courtesy of myrecipes.com

5 cups torn iceberg lettuce
1 pound ground sirloin, at least 92% lean
15-ounce can black beans
14 1/2-ounce can no-salt-added chopped tomatoes, Mexican style
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon No-Salt salt
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
Homemade Tortilla Chips, recipe below
Fat-free sour cream
1 handful chopped fresh cilantro

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef about 5 minutes or until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Place beef in a colander and rinse under hot water. Drain well on paper towels. Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel to eliminate any extra fat that might be remaining at bottom of skillet. Return beef to skillet.

Meanwhile, warm black beans in a small saucepan until heated throughout.

Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Arrange Homemade Tortilla Chips onto 4 plates, dividing evenly. Spoon beans over top of chips, then ground beef mixture, then lettuce, then cheese. Add a dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle cilantro overall. Serve immediately.

HOMEMADE TORTILLA CHIPS

10 5-inch corn tortillas
Vegetable cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 deg. F.

Place3 or 4 tortillas in a stack and cut them into 4 wedges. Repeat with remaining tortillas, making 40 wedges in all.

Spray a large baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray. Arrange tortilla wedges in a single layer on baking sheet. Spray lightly top of tortilla wedges. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until crisp. Cool before serving. Leftovers may be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 4 servings, 2 cups per serving.

Nutrient information (with Homemade Tortilla Chips):
Calories: 273
Protein: 31g
Carbs: 23g
Cholesterol: 57mg
Sodium: 513mg
Total Fat: 6g
Saturated fat: 2g
Polyunsaturated: 2g
Monounsaturated: 1g