All posts by BigPictureVegan

Good Taste, Good Health, and Good Living. Combining compassion, creativity and travel for a bigger picture of this world in which we live! VEGAN guides for: Cooking Reviews Art, Artists and Exhibits Travel

Circus Down, Compassion Up

Yesterday, on January 14, 2017, Ringling Brothers announced that it will be closing this May. In a statement issued to the public, the circus cited rising operating costs, lack of public interest, and mounting legal fees with animal interests groups as reasons for the closing.  This is great news for the animals who will be freed from the circus and will go to animal sanctuaries for retirement. peta4

Circus profits declined  in recent years for many reasons. The operation dealt with high operating costs, expensive legal battles, and changing public opinions. Large, exotic animals and death-defying stunts made the circus popular in the late 1800’s and the first half of the 1900’s, but in a world of CGI and Video Game Fantasies, the thrill of the circus for many was passe. Ringling Brothers themselves cite populations saturated with amazing programs on television, and animal rights activists– who were merely working to raise awareness about the life of animals behind circus caravan bars.

Continue reading Circus Down, Compassion Up

We Can Pickle That- Snap Peas

Snap peas are incredibly versatile.  They make great snacks raw, and you can basically throw them into any salad or sandwich no problem, and they get  sautéed and added to a lot of stir fries.  Just when you thought you had your snap pea game down, you realize that I, and Portlandia, might have another idea:

In this post, I will go over two different methods of pickling, one the lacto-fermented kind (despite the name, its definitely vegan, it is merely referring to the lactobacillus bacteria that is involved in all open air fermentation) and the other using vinegar.  The vinegar method is faster, but not as beneficial for your gut flora as the fermented kind, however the combination is ideal because the apple cider vinegar serves as a prebiotic while the fermented produces probiotics, and in both cases your radishes, turnips, sweet peas, and another other veggies laying around can live long past their peak time.

Continue reading We Can Pickle That- Snap Peas

Good Karma Collards w/ Baked Tofu

Something about Collard Greens always puts me in the mood for southern cooking…and while soul food and vegan cooking may not be the most intuitive combination, I assure you it can be delicious!  For this dish we will make a tasty, smoky, meaty baked tofu that we add to our equally smoky and also garlicky and a little feisty collard greens.

I will show you how to get a really fool-proof and satisfying flavor and texture from your tofu and I’ll even show you how to shred those collards with a simple technique that will save you tons of time with all your leafies.

Serves 4-6 as a side, or 2 as a main.

Continue reading Good Karma Collards w/ Baked Tofu

Snap Pea Pate w/ Tarragon- Karma Farm

Nothing brings the fresh feeling of summer quite like a fresh and crisp Sugar Snap Pea, it’s green and light and bursts with a tangy spray in every bite, much like a radish or turnip.  That hydrating and nutrient dense crunch– so refreshing!

Pate is the perfect medium for a small handful of peas, and makes a great fridge snack, as you can combine it with nearly anything else in your fridge or pantry like crackers or celery sticks.  Best of all, the bright bright green of the peas makes an excellent color note against a bright pink of a radish, making it an excellent smile-inducing finger food for an outdoor garden party.


Continue reading Snap Pea Pate w/ Tarragon- Karma Farm

Intro to Organic- Making the Healthful Choice

With so much information out there, and all the labeling designed by creative marketing companies, the confusion can get to you. Let’s break it down, so we can heal together.

We will touch on farming methods, toxins used, what GMOs are, some research on how non-organic effects our bodies and the earth, and we will discuss viable options for how to transition to an organic FULL OF LIFE lifestyle!

The FULL OF LIFE method for eating, and living:

 

Continue reading Intro to Organic- Making the Healthful Choice

Sweet Potato Kugel- Kosher For Passover (V, GF)

I know every vegan blog and cookbook on the planet suggests Sweet PotatoKugel as the go-to Pesach dish, but I assure you, while avoiding Kitniyot and appeasing your Ashkenazi and Sephardic friends alike (and maybe Mizrahi too?) can be confusing, this is not your standard Jewish flavor palate, and may hopefully bring some of the bang from your most beloved dishes the rest of the year.

Continue reading Sweet Potato Kugel- Kosher For Passover (V, GF)

Raw Truffles- Charoset Passover Dessert

Move over something sweet, there’s a new Charoset חֲרֽוֹסֶת in town!  This one is good enough for your Seder service, and good enough to serve for dessert.  These raw, delicious, sweet balls are a blend of traditional Ashkenazi, Mizrahi, and Sephardic flavors, and observe the restrictions of each so enjoyable by all!

Makes about 28-30, 1 inch balls Continue reading Raw Truffles- Charoset Passover Dessert