The Lazy Vegan

This is a recipe that I worked on and modified over the years. It's an easy to make oil free granola--crunchy too!

8 cups Oats
1 cup Sunflower Seeds
1 TB Sesame Seeds
1 cup brown rice syrup
3/4 cup water

Add After Baking (Optional)
Raisins
Chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in parts. Mix well. Spread granola out on 2 cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn granola with a spatula, then cook for an additional 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes so granola gets crunchy. Add raisins and/or chocolate chips.

Note:

• Don't bake the raisins or chocolate chips. The raisins will come out crunchy and the chips will melt.
  
• You can substitute honey, barley malt syrup, and sorghum for brown rice syrup.
  
• Don't use your best cookie sheets as the granola will stick.

My name is Melody and I'm a chocoholic. When I had to cut back by diet because of IBS, I really, really, really missed chocolate.

I went through practically every dairy free candy bar on the market. None of them satisfied my sweet tooth until I found "Sjaak's Organic Chocolates". Man, oh man, this is the real deal! Since I'm an expert at eating chocolate, I should know. It doesn't taste fruity or have a weird texture. It's just good ol' chocolate that melts in your mouth. The best part is it doesn't irritate my stomach so I can indulge in a bar and not have to worry about, um, repercussions.

One bar is one serving. None of this "3 servings in a bar" stuff! As if I'd be able to break the bar into threes. I attempted halves once and ended up eating the other half before it had time to cool in the fridge.

I've tried the Dark Chocolate and the Dark Chocolate with Almonds bar. Both are delicious, but I prefer the regular Dark Chocolate bar over the almonds. They do have other varieties, I haven't found them in stores yet. If you want to try Sjaak's candy, be aware that they also have items with dairy.

You can see the entire line of Sjaak's Chocolates on their website.

As my disease progresses, certain things have become very difficult. Cooking is now a challenge. Sometimes my hands don't grip the way they should. A heavy pot is a recipe for disaster (no pun intended!). Chopping vegetables can be so painful. Standing by the stove kills my feet. I want to healthy meals, so I've had to teach myself news ways to cook.

My microwave oven has become my best friends. It is so much easier to put something in the microwave, sit down, and wait. I can't really do this while pots are boiling on the stove. They have to watched diligently. The longer I stand, the harder it becomes.

Cooking in a microwave is a challenge and involves a whole new set of rules. Preparation must be considered if you have joint problems. I have trouble gripping a knife. My solution is to buy vegetables that don't need to be cut. Frozen vegetables are a time saver, but baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, potatoes, baby corn, and other vegetables can either be torn up by hand or cooked whole.

Vegetables that were thrown into a pot and left on the stove have to be done with care in the microwave. Baby carrots need to be covered with water or they shrivel up. Broccoli only needs a little water. Frozen foods are always done before the time on the bag. I feel like a chemist as I mess up one batch and the other comes out just right.

Vegetables are the easiest thing to cook in the microwave. Grains take more care. Pre-made mixes give you the directions, but cooking from scratch is much more difficult. I'm learning as I go. Couscous has turned out to be the easiest and quickest item to cook. A cup of couscous can be microwaved for a minute, then set aside for 15. Viola! It's easy and perfect! Other grains like brown rice take almost as long in the microwave as on the stove, but they do come out better.

In addition to working out how to cook foods in the microwave, you need to find the right bowls and pots. Although plastic bowls are easy to use, they don't always hold heat well. I have found that glass bowls work best for microwave cooking. They seem to hold heat, bring water to a boil, and cook evenly. There are also special pots that can be used in the microwave. I have a microwave cooker/steamer made of plastic that can cook up grains or steam veggies. I recently bought a microwaveable pot. It has a long handle like a regular pot, so it's easy to grab. It also has a lid with holes that is placed on the pot while cooking. It's a great feature because you don't have to worry about spilling boiling water all over the place and it is easy to drain.

I am still in the early stages of my new cooking feats. I've yet to attempt pasta though I've heard it works pretty well in the microwave. I'm still attempting certain vegetables--and messing up more than I'd like to admit. It's important to me to maintain good tasting meals that are healthy. I can't get that from fast food or take out, so I've got to relearn something my mother taught me in elementary school.

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Tips:
Baby carrots can be microwaved whole. Make sure they are covered almost completely with water. A cup of baby carrots takes about 2 minutes 30 seconds.
Broccoli can be microwave in large chunks with stalk. Water does not have to cover broccoli. Depending on the amount, broccoli takes about 1-3 minutes.
Frozen vegetables come out much better in glass bowls than plastic. Vegetables are not soggy and the texture is more like fresh cooked.
Couscous can be cooked easily in the microwave. Use 1 cup of couscous and 2 cups of water. Microwave 1 minute then let stand 15.
Brown Rice cooks up much better in the microwave then on the stove. Follow the directions on bag/box.

This recipes makes a very satisfying meal.

1 TB ginger powder or fresh ginger (peeled and cut into cubes)
2-3 TB lite teriyaki sauce
8 oz pkg linguine, vermicelli, or spaghetti
4 cups cold water
1 large clove of garlic, minced
16 oz. frozen vegetables or equivalent of chopped fresh vegetables (about 2-3 cups)
1 small onion, sliced (optional)

In a large stockpot, bring water to a boil. Add ginger, teriyaki sauce, garlic, and pasta. Simmer 2 minutes. Stir in vegetables and onion. Return to a boil. For frozen vegetables, simmer 2-3 minutes until tender. If using fresh vegetables let simmer for about 10 minutes. Serves 6.

Notes:

• You can add 1 cup of vegetable broth to variate the flavor.
  
• Pasta can be cooked and added to the pot (sometimes helpful when using longer cooking fresh vegetables).
  
• Some vegetables to use: carrots, broccoli, snow peas, baby corn, cauliflower, peas, bean sprouts, and zucchini. Try different combinations!
  
• When using fresh vegetables, you can steam or microwave them first to cut down on cooking time.

I'm a label reader. I have to! Deadly ingredients like dairy, honey, etc., can make my stomach to flip flops.

I've gotten pretty good at it. I can interpret the various ingredients and nutritional content. What I don't understand is who comes up with these serving sizes? I mean, how can one brownie be two servings? What genius thought that up? It looks great on the label since the fat and sugar content are low. But, you know darn well you aren't going to eat half a brownie. You'll devour it all at once--and enjoy it too!

If you aren't really paying attnetion you could miss things like serving size. For instance, who would think that one large cookie is actually three servings? Or, a serving size of seasoning is actually 1/8 a teaspoon? How about the cup of soup that is two servings--not one? I don't know anyone who measures in 1/8's or divides a cookie into threes.

All this fudgin' with serving size is a well crafted game. It's designed to make you think a product isn't really all that bad. They're afraid if you really saw the actual servings size and nutritional data you'd flip your lid. So, instead of making a healthier product, they try to fool you into believing the one you bought is better than it really is.

It'd be great if companies used real serving sizes. That way, those of us who have to read labels need not spend half the day pondering just how many servings we will devour something in and how high that sugar content will be when we get done. I don't have time to sit there and figure out how much sugar is in something. A little truth in labelling can go a long way.

One the problems disabled people have is making nutritional meals. How do you get in extra vegetables and greens when you don't really feel like cooking at all? There are easy ways to supplementing your diet, but you need to think a little differently.

Sandwiches are the easiest meals to make. They are also the best meals to adapt to healthier eating styles. Whether you are vegetarian or carnivorous, you can make a pretty good sandwich without taking alot of time.

Here are some basics:

Save leftover vegetables and use them as sandwich filler
~Add sprouts to your sandwiches. Don't get hung up on the grass thing associated with alfalfa sprouts. Now you can try clover sprouts, broccoli sprouts, and host of other sprouts.
~Use different lettuces besides iceberg or in addition to iceberg.
~Instead of lettuce, add raw spinach, cabbage to your sandwich.
~In a rush, buy mixed salad greens and make a sandwich. There are combinations with spinach, frisee, romaine, dandelion greens, and more. It's alot less boring than ol' iceberg! ~Shredded carrots make a great sandwich filler.
~Cooked or raw broccoli is great in sandwiches.
~Take your favorite sandwich, then add some mixed salad greens and sprouts. You now have the equivalent of a salad.
~Avocado can be used in sandwiches sliced or mashed.

Try different combinations. Some vegetables stay on the bread easily while others are a pain. Even if you make your regular turkey sandwich, if you add some spinach rather than iceberg lettuce, you've already made an improvement.

Here's my favorite sandwich:

Leftover steamed carrots, broccoli, and asparagus
Broccoli Sprouts
Mesclun Mix (mixed salad greens)
Sourdough Bread
Top with mayonnaise, mustard, or whatever condiment you prefer.

Now that's a healthy sandwich!

I've had digestive problems for years. I was diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) when I was 17. In my 20s, I became lactose intolerant. By my late 20s, I could not tolerate dairy at all even with the special products like lactaid and dairyease. I also found that I had some food sensitivities. Eating became a literal pain.

These products are foods I've experimented with and can eat most of the time without a reaction. All are vegan, so all are egg and dairy free. All the mixes listed work well with EnerG Egg Replacer and Soy Milk (if needed).

Please use your judgement when trying these foods. Always read ingredient labels for suspect ingredients. If you know you can't tolerate a certain food, avoid it.

Many of these items are available at health food stores, grocery stores, and online stores (view the list of online stores to purchase via the internet).

~Ah!laska Non-Dairy Hot Cocoa Mix
~BumbleBar (especially Chocolate Crisp!)
~Casbah Side Dishes including:

• Organic Rice Pilaf
• Lentil Pilaf
• Couscous Pilaf
• Spanish Rice
• Nutted Pilaf

~Colombo Brand Sourdough Bread and Rolls - Sour & Extra Sour
~Gluten Free Pantry Chocolate Chip Brownie Mix
~McDougall Soup Cups including:

• Chicken Noodle Ramen
• Beef Noodle Ramen
• Rice Pasta Soup
• Minestrone
  

~Miss Roben's Baking Mixes including:

• Potato Bread
• Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Bisquit Mix
• Cake Like Brownie Mix
• Pizza Dough

~No Cookie Cookies including Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, and Oatmeal
Oetker Baking Mixes including Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, Oatmeal Cookie Mix, Marble Fudge Cake Mix, and Chocolate Cake Mix
~Schmookie Cookies including Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, 3 Cs, and Chocolate Chip and Coconut
Sjaak's Dark Chocolate Bar

Westbrae Soy Milk (Regular Flavor)

WHERE TO PURCHASE ONLINE
The stores listed below carry foods for specialty diets. Though many of these stores are touted as vegan/vegetarian, their items are perfect of those on dairy and egg free diets and those with food sensitivities. Many of the products listed above can be found at these stores.

Shop Natural Grocery and Non-Grocery Items
The Gluten Free Pantry
Miss Roben's (Allergy food specialty)
Pangea Vegan Items
Dr. McDougall's Soups, Pastas, and more
Country Sun

You can get more food ideas from the Canned and Packaged Products food list

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 1 Feb 2006)