Vegan Chycken Kabobs & Quinoa

from: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/3049

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 in. Pieces
16 cherry tomatoes
8 (12-inch) metal or wooden skewers

Method
Prepare a grill for medium heat grilling. In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, honey, lemon juice and pepper.

Thread chycken, pineapple, pepper and tomatoes onto skewers. Remove 1 tablespoon honey-mustard mixture and brush skewers with it. Grill, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, 12 to 14 minutes. Arrange skewers on a platter over quinoa and serve with remaining honey mustard on the side for dipping.

Electrical Contracting

I have been working on this website http://www.electricalcontractingtimmins.com and just wanted to mention it here. It's about Johnston's Electrical Construction Ltd. In Timmins, Ontario. They are industrial electricians who specialize in installing and retrofitting large buildings, hospitals, schools, etc... At the moment, amongst other projects, they are installing the camp for 1200 men at the Smoky Falls Generating Station.

Vegetarians Are Happier

from: http://fyiliving.com/diet/special-diets/vegetarian-diet/are-vegetarians-happi...

New research is adding fuel to the fire when it comes to the benefits of going vegetarian, it may improve your mood!

With nearly 10 percent of adults in the U.S. having some sort of mood disorder, looking for natural ways to alleviate depressive symptoms is certainly compelling.

Omega-3 is the mood-lifting fatty acid our brains love. Typically, you get your omega-3s from eating fish. It would seem then that vegetarians, would be more prone to moodiness. However, researchers found the opposite.

The researchers hypothesized that short-chain omega-3 fatty acids, such as linolenic acid and linoleic acid present in high quantities in the vegetarian diet, may compensate for long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. This could in part be why vegetarians also have the same level of mental health as compared to the fish-eating population.

The study asked residents of the Southwestern region of the United States about their mood. In general, the vegetarians reported better moods than their meat (and fish) eating counterparts. As we’ve previously reported, depressive symptoms seem to be alleviated by increasing omega-3 fatty acid intake, commonly found in fish. So the researchers also looked at the intake of that nutrient in both groups.

Unsurprisingly, they found that the vegetarians had far lower average intake of omega-3s (since they don’t eat fish). Surprisingly though, the vegetarians were still in better moods.

This study had only 138 participants, which is very small; larger studies need to be performed. However, these results are in agreement with lots of other research, which gives the study more credibility.

We don’t only get omega-3 fatty acids from fish (or fish oil supplements), and this may be what drove the results of this study. There are several kinds of omega-3 fatty acids. The long chain versions (EPA and DHA) are found in fish (especially sardines, salmon, and halibut), while the short chain version (ALA) has plant food sources (walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, perilla seed oil and flaxseed oil).

All varieties of omega-3 fatty acids appear to have mental health benefits. Want some more information on how diet can improve your mood? Look here for a comprehensive list of foods to include in your diet: http://fyiliving.com/mental-health/depression-gene-beat-genetics-fight-the-bl...

Vegan Father's Day Menu

Father's Day is fast approaching... Veg Web has great suggestions for a Father's Day Vegan Menu.

Appetizers: Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms
Main course: Super sweet potato salad, corn on the cob and Dr. Pepper BBQ Seitan (recipe below)
Dessert: Sweet Cornbread Cake

Check out recipes for these ideas and much more at Veg Web here: http://www.VegWeb.com

Recipe & photo submitted by www.veggiegirl.org, 03/09/09

Dr. Pepper BBQ Seitan

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 cup vital wheat gluten
2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, divided
2 teaspoon hot sauce (I like Tabasco)
3/4 cup vegetarian chicken broth (I like Imagine brand)
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 cups Dr. Pepper soda
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
sprinkle sesame seeds, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a cookie sheet, or line with parchment. Combine gluten, 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, hot sauce, broth, and peanut butter in a bowl.

2. Knead mixture for about 3 minutes to form a soft dough. It should be very slightly sticky and quite elastic. Press dough evenly on prepared cookie sheet. Shape however you like (I like free form nuggets, but you can cut strips, or fillets, whatever).

3. Transfer to oven and bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients (except sesame seeds, don't forget the remaining 1 teaspoon garlic and onion powder) in a blender and process until smooth.

4. After 20 minutes, remove seitan from oven, and lightly spread with the sauce. Flip over and lightly spread the other side, too.

5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Put back in oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Serve with plenty of sauce drizzled over it!

Source of recipe: Texas is famous for a lot of things. Dr. Pepper is one of them. This sauce is a favorite of mine, and every self respecting Texan should know how to make it. I wish I knew who to credit for it, but I think it's just one of those things you know how to make if you're Texan. Like queso or green sauce or frito pie. The seitan part of the recipe was adapted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Cooking.

Makes: 4 small servings + extra sauce, Preparation time: about 15 minutes, Cooking time: about 35 minutes
'

MISO CHICKPEA SLIDERS

recipe by: BY J.M. HIRSCH
ASSOCIATED PRESS

8 tbsps sweet white miso, divided
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 to 2 tablespoons sesame oil (canola or vegetable oil can be substituted)
Sliced tomato
Leaf lettuce
8 mini burger buns

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the miso and the mayonnaise. Set aside.

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, remaining 6 tablespoons of miso, cilantro, olive oil, garlic powder, five-spice powder, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Pulse until coarsely chopped, but not puréed. Form the mixture into 8 patties about 3 inches around and about 1 1/2 inches thick. As you are forming the patties, use your fingers to firmly pack them.

Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. One at a time, set each patty in the bowl and pat breadcrumbs onto all sides of it. In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. Add the patties and cook until browned and heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

If the patties start to stick, add another tablespoon of oil when flipping. Serve the burgers on buns topped with miso-mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. Makes: 8 sliders

Nutrition information per slider: 456 calories, (39 percent from fat), 20 grams fat (2 grams saturated, no trans fats), 9 milligrams cholesterol, 43 grams carbohydrate, 15 grams protein, 9 grams fiber, 1,482 milligrams sodium.

Peach Cobbler Chia Pudding

by: http://www.sprint2thetable.com/2011/06/peach-cobbler-chia-pudding/

1 medium peach, sliced 1 T chia seeds 1 T cashew butter 1/4 C unsweetened vanilla coconut milk (I used So Delicious) 1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a small bowl, mash up peach slices until they are a chunky puree. Stir in remaining ingredients. cover and refridgerate over night (or at least 2-3 hours).

In the morning, uncover and stir. Optional: microwave ~25 secs (I strongly recommend trying it hot!). Note: If you aren’t using a vanilla-flavored milk, you may want to add vanilla extract. ***

Don't Piss Off A Vegan!

Obviously the team that invited Steve-O to represent this event did not do their research. Good for him for standing up for what he believes in!

by: http://www.ecorazzi.com/2011/05/31/vegan-jackass-steve-o-storms-out-of-charit...

Don’t piss off a vegan! Or, at least that’s what the American Diabetes Association figured out when they served a meat-based menu and Jackass star Steve-O stormed out of their charity event.

Apparently the stuntman, and hardcore vegan, thought the event was to help promote the idea that a plant-based diet can lower your risk of diabetes, so you can imagine his bewilderment when he arrived at the celebrity go kart tournament and found meat heavy catering.

He stormed out before the race could even begin, and he later told a rep for the Children’s Hospital organization, “I came here because I thought this was about promoting a plant-based diet as diabetes prevention and they’re serving meat there… so I’m outta here.”

He then added, “It’s kind of an outrage to me… it’s stupid.” This isn’t the first time Steve-O has taken a stand for what he believes in, as he starred in an anti-fur PETA campaign, protested a zoo and its treatment of “Lucy” the elephant, and has been An active advocate for breast cancer awareness.