Rachel Frank - Healthy Tastes Great Vegan Cookbook: Vol. 1 Breakfast

Healthy Tastes Great Vegan CookbookVolume: 1 Breakfast Rachel Frank, MS Text 2013 Happy Health Publishing First Published in the USA in 2013 by Happy Health Publishing Columbia, SC 29229 http://www.happyhealthpublishing.com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized, in any form in any means, electronic or mechanical, without the express permission in writing from the publisher. Rachel Frank, MS Healthy Tastes Great Vegan Cookbook Volume: 1 Breakfast Other Books by Rachel: Healthy Tastes Great Vegan Cookbook Vol. 2 Bread Raw Energy Bar Invasion: 50 Fruit & Nut Bar Recipes Stress the Silent Killer: Stress Management Techniques for Fighting Back #1 Amazon Best Seller - Food Allergy Cookbooks This is a very well-laid out and well-written book with superb photography. I will be looking for more books in this series. - Donna Kuper, How to Declutter and Make Money Now I tried making the banana bread muffins and all I can say is OMG! What started out as a breakfast treat turned into my lunch and afternoon snack as well! - BW My interest in the book is from a healthy-eating focus.

I really love the suggestions about grinding flax seeds and how to use in recipes. - R Johnson Really good recipes that are so easy to follow. I like the visual to help me see how the food should look when it's done. - FrankMo Great book to add to my line of cookbooks especially love the almond milk recipe now i can make healthier foods after i go and workout. - Padro My family will never buy box pancake mix again these were so simple and delicious. - Jason F. - Jason F.

Great book, amazing ideas, and very helpful and creative. Loved it!!! I am excited to see what the author writes next - Jen L. Dedication This book is dedicated to my amazing family who patiently taste tested every version and revision of my recipes. Thank you for tasting my successes and flopsloosen those belts because more is coming! Chapter 1Introduction Introduction to Vegan Cooking You may have bought this book because you are interested in or enjoy the types of the foods mentioned on the cover, you are interested in healthier cooking, or you have food allergies. In any case, I think it is always best to start with the basics. If you are a pro in vegan cooking then feel free to jump ahead.

This book is meant as a basic introduction to vegan cooking. It is recommended that you read the entire recipe all the way through to ensure you have all the ingredients on hand and understand what is involved in the recipe. Happy cooking! Vegan Basics What and why are questions I hear a lot when I tell people that I am a vegan. So I thought this would be a great place to start. Lets start with the term vegan. Im sure you are more familiar with the term vegetarian.

A vegetarian is a person that does not consume animal meat, but still eats and drinks dairy products and eggs. Vegans take things a step further. They do not consume any animal meat, animal secretions (i.e. dairy, eggs, or honey), and in most cases they do not use or wear materials from animals such as leather and wool. Being a vegan, for many people, is more than a food choice it is a lifestyle in which the individual has decided not to support or live by the suffering of another creature. There are a number of health benefits to eating a vegan diet.

Individuals on a vegan diet often weigh less, have lower cholesterol due to the elimination of eggs and meats, have a reduced risk of heart disease from consuming less saturated fats from eliminating meat products, improved digestion from the increase in fiber and greens, smoother and clearer skin as many people are sensitive to dairy without knowing it, and they live longer from their healthier eating habits. As an added bonus, vegan foods just taste great! My husband now prefers these dishes and gets upset when I cook for him with dairy and eggs. He says that he can taste the difference and swears my vegan baking is moister and more flavorful than traditionally baked items. Basics of Vegan Cooking When I tell people that I do all of my baking without eggs and dairy, I get a lot of odd and shocked looks. People cannot imagine their favorite foods without these items and can be hesitant to try them, thinking they will taste funny. But, I let the food speak for itself and the food always wins them over.

Often I will not tell people that my food is vegan until after they have tried it and are raving about how delicious it is. Vegan baking is a great way to win people over and show them how great these healthy foods can taste! Ditch the Eggs Eggs are loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol, which contribute to health issues such as high blood pressure and heart disease. The average egg has 213mg of cholesterol and 2g of saturated fat. My familys favorite part of egg free cooking is licking the batter from the bowl and eating raw cookie dough. Sure we risked this before, but with over 76 million cases of food borne illness each year in the United States, I would much rather be licking foods I know are salmonella free. The other added bonus is eating foods that are heart healthy.

We have a family history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. So anything we can do to reduce our risk of developing these illnesses is at the top of our to do list. In traditional baking, eggs serve as binders, leavening agents, and add moisture. There are many alternatives to using eggs, depending on what you are cooking, that can do all of those things. They include flaxseed, bananas, apple sauce, and commercial egg replacers. Ground Flaxseed Using ground flaxseed is my absolute favorite egg alternative in baking! It adds moisture, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids all at once.

Grocery stores do sell ground flaxseed sometimes called flax meal. However, I recommend buying whole flaxseeds and grinding them yourself using a coffee grinder. This allows you to have fresh ground flaxseed on hand all the time, it is cheaper, and you can grind them as fine as you want. I prefer to grind flaxseed powder fine, because it creates the creamiest and smoothest egg replacer possible. Once you grid your flaxseed, it should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator to preserve the nutrients. This is another reason I suggest grinding your own.

The pre-ground flaxseed in the grocery store is stored at room temperature causing a loss of valuable nutrients and deceased shelf life. To make flaxseed eggs you combine 1Tb (15g) of ground flaxseed with 3Tb (45ml) of water per egg. Mix vigorously with a whisk, or use a mini food processor, until the mixture becomes thick and creamy almost with an egg like consistency. I use flaxseed in just about all of my baking. However, in lighter colored foods you can spot the dark specks of the ground flaxseed and this might not be desirable. Bananas Bananas are amazing, they are both delicious and wonderful for you. Bananas Bananas are amazing, they are both delicious and wonderful for you.

They are high in potassium and magnesium. This is great for people with high blood pressure and heart disease. They can also help increase energy levels and reduce the production of muscle cramps/ lactic acid during physical activity. When using bananas, always use ripe bananas. Those are the ones that are nice and yellow and have some brown spots. If you try using green bananas the flavor and moisture content will not be the same and can alter the final product.

To replace eggs with bananas, thoroughly mash 1/2 of a banana for each egg. If you have very large bananas, then 1/2 of a banana will act as 2 eggs. I use bananas solely when I want a banana flavored item like muffins, breads, or pancakes. The bananas will give the baked good a strong banana flavor and scent, so make sure this is what you want in your finished item.