The Kind Life
I just had to share this!  Eco-Vegan Gal made my Tuna Salad (Kinda) recipe, and loved it!  She made the cutest video of her actually making the meal, and then her reaction after she ate it.  



This is such a yummy recipe, and it’s Superhero!  I like to put mine on toast, but you can put it on anything you like. Don’t be mislead, it contains no tuna... I call it “Tuna Salad (Kinda)” just cause!



In case you didn’t catch the recipe in the video, here it is:



SERVES 4



INGREDIENTS
1 8-ounce package of tempeh

1 red onion, minced

1/4 cup umeboshi vinegar

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/2 carrot, chopped

1/2 cup fresh or frozen and thawed corn kernels

1/3 cup fresh or frozen and thawed peas

1/2 small cucumber, chopped (peel only if the cucumber is not organic)

1/4 cup chopped kosher dill pickles

1 tablespoon Veganaise

1/2 tablespoon Dijon or stone-ground mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon drained capers

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley



STEPS
Bring water to a boil in a pot fitted with a steamer basket.

Cut the tempeh in half, and place in the steamer basket.

Steam for 20 minutes.

Set aside to cool.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil.  

Add the onion, and boil for 10 to 15 seconds (if you dig raw onion, you can skip this step)

Use a strainer or slotted spoon to transfer the onion to a mixing bowl.

Keep the water boiling in the pot on the stove.

Add the vinegar to the onions, stir well, and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

While the onion marinates, blanch the celery, carrots, corn, and peas in the reserved boiling water for 10 seconds each, scooping them into a mixing bowl as each vegetable is done.  

Set aside to cool.

Drain the marinate onions through a sieve, and rinse quickly under running water.

Squeeze the excess liquid from the onions, and add to the bowl with the vegetables.

Cut the cooled tempeh into small cubes, and add to the bowl along with the cucumber, pickles, Veganaise, mustard, lemon juice, and dill.
Stir well to combine.

Serve topped with capers and parsley.


  • Share
  • Categories: food , the kind diet , recipes
Tuna salad was the comfort food my mom always made for me, along with macaroni (and cheese! eeek!) It's lovely to keep that tradition alive and this one is just as tasty!
Huzzah!
I just made this today and it was great!
Sarah
I made this for lunch and it took 45 minutes.....so give your self enough time.  I also added more Veganaise b/c it just didn't seem creamy enough.  And my Co-op was out of umeboshi vinegar so they said to add soy sauce and red wine vinegar together.  I had just purchased Tamari so I did that and it was fine.  It was also a bit watery, I"m guessing from the lemon juice so it was a very messy wrap.  The flavor was good;  this is a huge compliment coming from a girl who never met a frozen pizza she didn't like!  I"m guessing once my tastebuds "heal" it will taste even better.   3rd day in the vegan way of life and I kept thinking, "man, melted cheese would taste sooo good on this!" 

...so I wasn't sure where to post this so I guess here is as good as anywhere!

Hi Alicia, I have been a vegan for a few months now and I was so excited to recieve your book as a b-day present! It's such an inspiring read and I love all of the new energy I have from following it. I'm writing an article on how veganism is becoming more accepted and popular in mainstream society, for example Chipotle came out with a vegan meat option in their Chelsea location, and Sprinkles now has a vegan Red Velvet cupcake. (It's amazing!) I was curious as to what you think about this. Do you think it's a good thing? I would love to mention your book and any opinion you have on the matter. Thanks :)

Loved that great video, really inspired me to make it tonight, so after a trip to whole foods I am going for it :) Thanks for the video FANTASTIC 
I made not eatting meat for 7days and I feel great. I can't give up my morning coffee but thats ok. I still cannot find dainko i want to try the drink. is there a substitute i can try instead.
I've been using alot of tofu with rice noodles and asparagus.
Does anyone know how to make really good fried onions without butter?! It used to be my favorite thing but without butter I'm finding them bitter and leave a nasty after taste..............
Hey are you frying them dry?
 - olive oil
-earth balance butter
I feel that way about musrooms and onions and found the earth balance fine, but better if slow fried at a lower temp.  The onions get sweeter with the lower heat.

Hope that helps.
Be
— or sign up for an account.
  • Read earlier discussion
  • View all
  • 46 Responses
vegan treats - soy lattes and orange juice!
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Feb 2, 2010
Alright, so I know this isn't completely Superhero, but my husband has been obsessed with orange juice lately.  He was recently in New York with me, and I resisted at first, as it's not macro... and it's winter, so oranges aren't growing in New York.  Though they are probably growing in Florida right now… which isn't too far away.  Anyways, they just didn't seem seasonal, so I wasn't down with it at first.  Christopher would be drinking it all the time and when I finally tasted it, I was disappointed and I didn't love it.  That is until we discovered the Whole Foods 365 brand that is organic and totally delicious!  After he left New York I stopped drinking it.  But while he was here....yummy!!


And I have an update on the O.J. Front... After drinking orange juice for a while, Christopher started getting heartburn, so he stopped drinking it.  But it was fun for a minute, and delicious if you ever want to treat yourself.


I had another wonderful treat the other day at the theater. I drank a decaf Soy Latte from Starbucks in my cute Starbucks stainless steel mug that I bring to work every day and use all day long for water and soup and tea.  It was so delicious!  If you haven't tried the Soy Latte and you are a latte person, please give it a try.  It's creamy and such a delicious treat!  The Soy Chai is good too, but I don't trust the sugar situation (Laura Linney is in love with this drink!)… But I'll still have one once in a blue moon.  I tried the Earl Grey Latte the other day, and it was good, but was a bit perfumey for me.  I would rather have the decaf Soy Latte.  I'm curious about the Green Tea latte as well.  Has anyone tried it?

And just to give you an idea of how often I treat myself with things like this, I have had 2 lattes over the last two months, so don’t go crazy!

  • Share
  • Categories: food
  • Read earlier discussion
  • View all
  • 157 Responses
artichoke, mushroom, and leek crostini with pesto
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Jan 29, 2010

Laura Linney and I cooked up some of my favorite recipes from The Kind Diet the other day for The Oprah Show.  Of course I had to make this crostini dish! 


It’s ridiculously good... Great to serve at your next party, or just to make for a nice dinner at home!  The best part is that you can use the leftover pesto and artichoke spread for sandwiches and other meals long after the crostini have been eaten!  I urge you to make these... And then let me know how much you love them!




You can watch the video of Laura and I making these crostini HERE.

And if you missed it, you can check out the whole Oprah episode HERE. 

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin

2 teaspoons shoyu

Salt

3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups thinly sliced leek
2 cups sliced button mushrooms



ARTICHOKE SPREAD
1 can whole, water-packed artichoke hearts, drained

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2-1 teaspoon umeboshi vinegar



PESTO
1 cup fresh basil leaves

3/4 cup raw pine nuts

1/4 cup lemon juice

1-2 tablespoons umeboshi vinegar

1/4 cup olive 
oil
4-6 slices whole grain baguette

Finely chopped flat leaf parsley

STEPS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the oil, vinegar, mirin, shoyu and 2 pinches of salt in a skillet over medium heat.

Add the garlic, leek, and mushrooms.

Cover the pan and when you hear sizzling, gently shake the skillet, holding the lid in place.

Reduce the heat to low and braise until the leek is quite tender and deeply browned (5-10 minutes).

Remove the lid and allow any remaining liquid to cook off.

Remove from heat and stir gently to combine.
Blend the artichoke hearts, olive oil, and umeboshi vinegar in a food processor until smooth.

Remove from the food processor and set aside.
Blend the basil, pine nuts, lemon juice, umeboshi vinegar, and oil in the food processor until smooth.

Adjust seasonings to taste.

Brush the bread lightly with oil on both sides.

Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Bake until the bread is lightly browned and crispy at the edges.
Spread the artichoke mixture on the bread, mound the leek mixture generously on top, and finish with a dollop of pesto and a sprinkle of parsley.  

Serve and enjoy!

  • Share
  • Categories: food , the kind diet , recipes
  • Read earlier discussion
  • View all
  • 53 Responses
desserts from the kind diet as gifts!
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Jan 25, 2010
I'm always on the lookout for new ideas for creative gift-giving. A while ago I decided I would start baking treats from my book to give to people as gifts!  They make very yummy gifts, and it adds that personal touch that I just love!  




Recently I made Lemon-Poppy Seed Poundcake Muffins, Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies, Oatmeal, Walnut and Dried Plum Cookies and Coffee Fudge Brownies.  Yum!  




I used baskets and wrapping paper from things that I've saved from past gifts, so it's all eco friendly/reused stuff.  Then I printed out the recipes (on recycled paper!) and included those along with the baked goods.  They made the cutest and tastiest gifts!  




What are some gifts you like to give people that include that personal touch?

  • Share
  • Categories: food , the kind diet
  • Read earlier discussion
  • View all
  • 58 Responses
vegan treats in pennsylvania
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Jan 22, 2010

Danielle Konya of Vegan Treats in Pennsylvania makes the most insane desserts!!  She drives into New York and Washington two times a week to sell them at all the vegetarian stores.  I heard that she makes them with her mom... not sure if that’s the case, but that’s what I heard! How cute is she? 


Danielle makes a Chocolate Peanut Butter Bomb cake which is to die for!  And I just saw a Peanut Butter Cup Brownie on her website that is seriously making me drool!  You can order from her directly, or contact the bakery by emailing info@vegantreats.com.  I'm jealous of all you Pennsylvanians that can order directly!  Lucky people! 


And if you're not in Pennsylvania, check out this link that lists all the locations you can find Danielle's treats.

  • Share
  • Categories: food
  • Read earlier discussion
  • View all
  • 50 Responses
curly's in NYC
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Jan 21, 2010
I ate breakfast at Curly's Vegetarian Lunch in NYC on New Year's day, and it was amazing!  I had the vegan Huevos Rancheros, and it was seriously delicious.  I'm not even a huge Mexican food fan... so my husband was really surprised when I ordered it, but we both loved it.  It was so great! 

I will definitely be going back to Curly's soon.  The vibe in there is so cute and quaint.  Very hip and cool!  And I loved the music they were playing.  Just a really groovy crowd hanging out too.  I say run there! 


The coolest thing about Curly's is that each table had these little blue papers with Walt Whitman poems on them.  The owner walked around the restaurant and asked everyone which poems they would like to adopt as their New Year's resolution.  I picked these two:

" ...this is what you shall do: love the earth and sun and the animals...."

"...dismiss whatever insults your soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem..."

What are your favorite quotes or poems?

  • Share
  • Categories: food
  • Read earlier discussion
  • View all
  • 65 Responses
earth balance... free products!
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Jan 18, 2010
After reading The Kind Diet, it is probably pretty obvious that I LOVE Earth Balance products!! They are such an amazing vegan substitute for butter or margarine, and just make everything taste great.  


Whenever I find a recipe that calls for a butter substitute, I always use Earth Balance!  I’ve experimented with a lot of brands, and this one is my hands-down favorite!  You can get it in tubs or sticks... just like real butter.  It’s so versatile and you can get it at most supermarkets and health food stores.  

The people at Earth Balance heard about how much I love their products, and they were so kind and sent me a bunch of coupons for free packages of Earth Balance... and I’d like to give these coupons to Kind Lifers!  Each coupon is good for one free package of the following Earth Balance products; Natural Buttery Spread, Organic Spread, Buttery Sticks, Shortening Sticks, Soy Garden Natural Buttery Spread, or Natural Buttery Spread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Here’s all you have to do: post a comment in the comments section below.  If you are one of the first 25 people to comment on this post, you get a coupon! I will send you a message tomorrow asking for your address, and then your coupon will be in the mail. It’s that easy!  I know that times are tight and every free tub of Earth Balance butter counts!

Thank you Earth Balance!

  • Share
  • Categories: food , giveaways
  • Read earlier discussion
  • View all
  • 522 Responses
monica's thumbprint cookies
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Jan 15, 2010
I have to share these cookies with you! They are so delicious and yummy.  The understudy in the play that I’m in right now is this great girl named Monica McCarthy.  She was also my understudy when i did this play in Los Angeles, and we would always share food.  I would bring in tons of food, because I was testing recipes for The Kind Diet, and she always loved everything!  I basically fed her yummy vegan food for 3 months.  After that, she and her boyfriend became vegan!  Her boyfriend’s arthritis has been cured, and she is now becoming a nutritional counselor.  How awesome is that!  


She brought these cookies to work yesterday... They are a recipe from a cooking class that she is taking. They were soooo good that I HAD to get the recipe for all of you!  Let me know how you like them!
 


DELICIOUS AND EASY THUMBPRINT COOKIES
 

SERVES 10


INGREDIENTS
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup almonds
1 cup spelt flour

1/2 cup corn or safflower oil
1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup brown rice syrup
Fruit-sweetened jam of your choice


STEPS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the oats and almonds in a blender or food processor and blend until they have the consistency of flour.
Pour into a large bowl, and add the spelt flour.
In a small, separate bowl, mix the oil, maple and brown rice syrup together.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well.

Make 1 inch balls with your hands and press flat onto a cookie sheet.

Make an indentation with your thumb into the center of each cookie.

Fill each cookie with a teaspoon of jam.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Cool and enjoy!


  • Share
  • Categories: food , recipes
  • Read earlier discussion
  • View all
  • 70 Responses
radicchio pizza with truffle oil
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Jan 8, 2010
I first learned how to make this pizza from my friend Liz. She used a super groovy organic, sourdough spelt crust from Berkshire Mountain Bakery in Woodstock, NY.  Really, any whole grain crust will do.  Christopher and I went to visit her at her amazing home in Woodstock.  She picked us up from the train station with treats that she made for us; nori rolls with endive and walnuts (recipe to come!).  She took us on a hike... then we all drove to the Woodstock Animal Sanctuary.  It was a great day and night.

This pizza is perfect for dinner parties, or just a cozy night at home.  If you haven’t made this yet, I highly recommend it for flirts and vegans.  It is so good!   I haven’t had it in a little while, and would love some right about now!  My oven doesn’t work in New York, but I’m working on it, so hopefully I can cook this up soon.  Hope you like it!!

SERVES 2-4

INGREDIENTS
1 large head radicchio
Olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
White truffle oil, to taste
1 fresh pizza crust (preferably a healthy, whole grain one)

STEPS
Cut the radicchio in half, then slice each half crosswise into thin ribbons (as thin as possible).
Dress with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a few dashes of white truffle oil to taste.
Preheat the oven to 415 degrees Farenheight.
Toast the pizza crust in the oven for 7 minutes, or until it is heated through and slightly golden, but not crunchy.
Scatter the dressed radicchio over the pizza crust and return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes, until the radicchio is warm and just starting to wilt.
Serve immediately.


  • Share
  • Categories: food , the kind diet , recipes
  • Read earlier discussion
  • View all
  • 50 Responses
meatout/meat free mondays
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Jan 4, 2010
Hey everyone. I wanted to share a newsletter with you. It’s called “Meatout Mondays”, and they send you an email newsletter once a week that gives you a veg recipe, tells you about veggie products and tons more info. They featured my Moroccon Couscous recipe a while back!

You can see it HERE!

I went to a conference in Washington that this organization held in 2000. It was so powerful and really inspired me and helped me so much. Maybe one day some of you will be able to go to the conference.

Also, in England, Paul McCartney, Chris Martin and Sheryl Crow launched a meat free monday campaign to reduce meat consumption and slow global warming.  Paul even wrote a song about it!

Go to www.supportMFM.org for tips, recipes and more information about Paul's campaign.

  • Share
  • Categories: food
  • Read earlier discussion
  • View all
  • 28 Responses