Product Review: Califia Farms Iced Coffee - Double Espresso

This is the next product my boyfriend picked for our iced coffee adventure. Because the Almond Breeze Mocha we tried last time didn't have a strong coffee flavor, we chose the Double Espresso variety for this brand. It's also made with almond milk.

We do most of our shopping at Von's and Trader Joe's, but have recently started going to Whole Foods more often. That's where we found this brand, I haven't seen it anywhere else.

Review: Califia Farms Iced Coffee - Double Espresso 

First impressions: "Wow." "Damn... this is really good."
Taste: Intense coffee flavor, can't really taste the almonds. It's sweeter than other brands I have tried, but that could be to balance the double espresso.
Texture: Creamy, pretty thick. Not as thick as the Almond Breeze, but thicker than Starbucks.
Worth buying again? Absolutely, favorite one I have tried so far.
Better than non-vegan version? This tastes similar to a pre-made Coffee Frappuccino from Starbucks. It's so good that I would pick it over their version. If they were the same price and available everywhere, I would always pick this one.
Overall: 5/5

Product Review: Almond Breeze Iced Coffee - Mocha

My boyfriend loves iced coffee. We used to make our own until I tragically broke our espresso maker by trying to use it without water... He was buying Starbucks a lot, but we realized that can get expensive quickly. So we switched to the pre-made iced coffees you get at the grocery store. Before I thought about vegan food, we always bought the pre-made Starbucks Caramel Macchiato. Now that we're trying to reduce animal products, I thought this would be a good place to start.

There are probably about 10 different vegan iced coffees in the dairy aisle. I challenged him to try a different one every week. We already like Almond Breeze for almond milk, so this was his first choice. Here's what he thought.

Review: Almond Breeze Iced Coffee - Mocha

First Impressions: "Hmmm, this is pretty good."
Taste: The almond and the coffee flavors blur together. It's good, but it's hard to taste the coffee. Because of the Mocha, there's a strong chocolate flavor. It tastes kind of like a coffee-flavored chocolate milk.
Texture: Thick and creamy. Thicker than the Starbucks version.
Worth buying again? Yes, but not all the time. Definitely to try the other flavors.
Better than non-vegan version? No, but it's difficult to compare them because the flavor profiles are so different.
Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Easy Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti is a classic comfort food, it's always been one of my favorite meals. It was the first dinner I ever made when I first started cooking in middle school. For a while, I used pre-made sauce. My old roommate and unofficial big sister, Maria encouraged me to try making my own. This is her recipe, and it's been a stand by in my repertoire ever since. 

Before I made my own sauce, I wasn't sure if it was worth the time. Let me tell you, it definitely is. Like most food made from scratch, making your own sauce tastes better than store bought. Plus, you have control over what goes in it. 

It takes at least an hour to make, but you can make it ahead of time and freeze or can it. Sometimes I buy the giant can of tomatoes at Costco to make a big batch. Then I freeze it and have sauce for months! 

This is a versatile recipe, feel free to adjust the spices or add different vegetables. If you're a mushroom fan, those would work well here. I use this recipe as a base for other sauces like my red pepper sauce. You can also use it to hide vegetables from picky eaters. Carrots are a great addition, especially if you are blending the sauce. 

Ingredients

• medium yellow or sweet onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• salt, pepper, italian seasoning (or fresh herbs like basil if you have them)
• 1 tbsp sugar to taste (optional)
• 1 pound of spaghetti

Directions

1. Saute the onions and garlic with salt in olive oil until the onions are clear, about 10 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes and seasoning. If you are blending for a smoother sauce, this is a good time to do that.
3. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, stir occasionally. Be careful because the sauce will splatter.
4. Taste test and add more seasoning or sugar if necessary. When adding sugar use 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stir thoroughly, and taste again before adding more. 
5. Serve over spaghetti or your favorite pasta. 
6. Great leftover!

Red Pepper Sauce

I got this recipe from my roommate a few years ago, before I even thought about vegan cooking. I tried it with chicken or other add-ins and discovered it really doesn't need anything, it's delicious and filling on its own. This is my go-to example of a full meal that doesn't need meat.

This is one of my favorite foods because it combines two ingredients I absolutely love: pasta and red bell peppers. It's a variation of classic marinara sauce. The intense red pepper flavor comes from using two types of peppers. Fresh red peppers add texture and canned roasted red peppers add depth to the flavor.

My boyfriend likes a smooth sauce, so I use an immersion blender. Because I'm blending the sauce, I chop the vegetables in large, uneven pieces. If you are not blending, you can chop them for your desired texture. I recommend thin, julienne slices. Saute until the peppers are soft and the onions start to caramelize. It's ok if there is excess liquid.

Next, add the tomatoes and roasted red peppers. If you are not blending, chop the roasted red peppers as finely as possible. At this point I blend the sauce because I don't like the idea of putting my immersion blender in boiling liquid.

Simmer for at least a half hour, I usually do around 45 minutes. The longer the better, because the flavors develop and get sweeter the longer they are cooked. This is especially important if you are using cheap canned tomatoes like me. Stir occasionally, and be careful because it will be very splattery.

You can use whatever spices or herbs you like for Italian food. I used garlic powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper because I put that on almost everything. I don't know where that came from, but it works for me as an all purpose seasoning mix. I also used red pepper flakes here because I like this dish spicy.

The sauce will be very thick, if you want to thin it out you can add some water from the pasta.

Serve with your favorite pasta shape. Shapes with lines are best because they will hold onto more of the  thick sauce. I used to use Barilla Cellentani, but then this happened so I don't want to buy Barilla anymore. I haven't found a replacement yet, so I used penne.

Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 yellow or sweet onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (whole tomatoes would also work if blending)
• 1/2 jar roasted red peppers
• salt and pepper
• Italian seasoning (I used oregano, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Your favorite Italian seasoning or fresh herbs would also work)
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

1. Add chopped peppers, onions, and garlic to pot with enough oil to cover the bottom. Add salt. Saute until the onions being to caramelize, about 10 minutes. 
2. Add tomatoes and roasted red peppers. If you want a smooth sauce, you can blend it now. 
3. Add seasonings and simmer for at least 30 minutes, the longer the better. Stir occassionally.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
5. Serve over pasta. 

5 Simple Ways to Eat More Humanely, Without Changing Your Lifestyle

I posted this a couple weeks ago for The Humane Eating Project, a nonprofit I volunteer with. I'm reposting it here because this is what Vegan Adjacent is all about. I feel like a lot of vegan posts I see online are extreme (meat is murder!) and that scares people away.  Or have you heard the joke, "How do you know if someone is vegan? They'll tell you." I am not one of those blogs! If you are vegan (or vegan adjacent) for animal welfare reasons like me, we are playing a numbers game. Billions of animals are used for food each year in the US alone. Instead of traditional all-or-none vegan messaging, I want to focus on baby steps that everyone can make.

Although these changes are small, if everyone adopted them they would have a dramatic impact on the demand for animal products. These tips are all easy to adopt and I have done each one. My boyfriend is a big guy (6'2, 260lbs) and was hesitant about reducing how much meat we eat. Well let me tell you, he does not notice the difference. Plus, eating more vegan meals has encouraged me to be a more creative cook. I have him eating vegetables now, and liking it!

1. Use the Vegan Option When There is One

Many products come in several varieties, and there is often a vegan version. For example, buy vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. This is a pretty simple switch and you will not notice the difference in your recipe. 

When it comes to dairy products, the non-dairy market is exploding. I see new products every time I go grocery shopping. There are tons of vegan products you can use instead of dairy. An easy one to try is Earth Balance spread instead of butter. In fact, many margarines are “accidentally vegan.” I’ve found Earth Balance tastes and bakes like real butter, whereas margarines can vary. 

You can also switch to soy or almond milk instead of using cow’s milk. My favorite is Almond Breeze sweetened vanilla, I love it on cereal or in coffee. Unsweetened rice and soy milk work better for savory recipes. There are also a bunch of other non-dairy milks out there, like coconut or hemp milk. 

2. Meatless Mondays

Try cutting out meat for one day a week. If you think about it, you probably like a lot of meatless meals already. Any pasta lovers out there? Just combine your favorite shape, sauce, and vegetables and you’re done! (More recipes if you keep reading to #5). 

7 people that do Meatless Mondays have the same impact as one vegetarian. By cutting out meat once a week, you can make a difference without giving up your favorite foods. 

3. Eat Less Meat

When you eat meat, eat less of it. Many recipes call for a pound of chicken or ground beef. Try using a half a pound. In most recipes, you won’t notice a difference. And besides benefiting animals, you’ll also save money. 

4. Switch to Humanely Raised

There are farms that treat their animals well, and farms that don't. Unfortunately, most meat today comes from factory farms. To make sure you're buying meat from humane farms, there are three third party certifications to look for: Global Animal Partnership (GAP), Certified Humane, and Animal Welfare Approved (AWA).  GAP certified products are available at Whole Foods. You can search the Certified Humane and AWA websites for where to find their products near you. 

To find humanely raised options when you eat at restaurants, there's an app for that! The Humane Eating Project app finds nearby restaurants offering humanely raised, vegan, and vegetarian options. It will be available in March, 2014. 

5. Look for Veganized Versions of Your Favorite Recipes

Thanks to the internet, it’s incredibly easy to find and share new recipes.  Someone has probably made a vegan version of your favorite food. Just google: “vegan [your favorite dish].” Here are some examples for Mexican food, lasagna, burgers, Mediterranean food, fried rice, and potstickers.

This is especially easy for baking. There are many alternatives to eggs for baking. Plus you won’t have to worry about whether or not the eggs have gone bad! You can make any baking recipe vegan by substituting with Earth Balance and egg replacer. Some recipes are already vegan so you don’t need to change anything. Here are some great vegan recipes for brownies, fudge, muffins, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, croissants, and even peanut butter cups!

And of course, I will be posting vegan recipes here! I will also post reviews of vegan products.