Perfect Baked Potatoes

Perfect Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

This recipe is simple. 

• 4+ medium to large Potatoes (the kind that's soft and started growing sprouts)
• Olive Oil
• Salt

Directions

Preheat the oven for 425 degrees (or toaster oven for 450 degrees). Put foil paper in the pan of your choice and set it aside.

Remove any sprouts. Clean each potato by rinsing and rubbing it with either your hands or with a brush. Pat dry and let it sit for a while.

Coat each potato with olive oil. Using a fork, poke holes in at least three spots on one side of each potato. (For example, take the fork and stab close to the top, middle, and bottom of one side of the potato. It's up to you if you want to do the other side.) Lightly sprinkle salt on each potato.

Place the potatoes in the pan with spaces between them and place the pan in the oven for 1 hour.

While in the oven, flip the potatoes every 20 minutes (flip twice: 40 minutes remaining and 20 minutes remaining).

Take the potatoes out, cut them in half or slice down the middle, add your vegan butter, and use a fork to fluff. You can add other garnishes if you like. That's it!

Comment below if you have any questions or to let me know if you like my recipe. :)

Vegan Dining Out: McDonalds

Vegan Dining Out

What Can I Eat At McDonald's?

2015

In this segment, we're going to talk about various fast-foods and dining out facilities to see what we can eat there as a vegan. We cannot eat any foods coming from an animal, which includes dairy products and meat (this also includes eggs). Today we're going to talk about McDonald's. (Update: this post is based in the US and it is NOT satire)

Breakfast:

• Fruit & Maple Oatmeal (minus the cream, if allowed)

Lunch and Dinner:

• Burger with vinaigrette dressing and veggies (minus meat, cheese, and other dressings)*
• Salads with vinaigrette dressing (minus meat, cheese, and other dressings)
• Premium McWrap (minus meat, cheese, and the sauce it comes with)*

Sides:

• Apples
• Side Salad
• Snack Wrap (minus meat, cheese, and sauce)*

Desserts:

• N/A

Beverages:

• Apple Juice
• Fountain Drinks
• McCafe Coffee (black or with a sweetener: sugar, Splenda, or Equal)
• Orange Juice (overpriced; can buy a container at the grocery store for the same price)
• Water

Note: You can only use sweet n' sour sauce, barbeque sauce, marinara sauce, ketchup, or mustard. In addition, vinaigrette is the only dressing you can use. If you're trying to eat healthier, then vinaigrette and mustard are your best first options; the next in line is the marinara sauce. Sweet n' sour sauce and barbeque sauce would be last on the list.

So you're wondering what about fries and hash browns? Well, fries and hash browns are NOT vegan. They are both made with milk and beef flavoring. Don't make the mistake (like I did once) of believing someone working there or the manager when they say, "It's just regular fries that we cook in vegetable oil." McDonald's baked apple pie is also NOT vegan. It is made with L-Cysteine which comes from animal hair and feather. As you can see from this list, McDonald's have limited options for those of us on a vegan diet. It's not vegan friendly.

Comment below if you have any questions or comments...

*Some places will not allow this option

Vegan Biscuits

VEGAN BISCUITS

Ingredients:

This recipe is simple -- no matter what experience you have or haven't had -- it comes out sweet and fluffy. It's a vegan alternative to store bought biscuits. All you need are three main ingredients:

• 2 cups, Self-Rising Flour (I use unbleached self-rising flour)
• 1/4 cup, Vegan Butter (I use Earth Balance; make sure the butter is hard and not melting)
• 3/4 cup, unsweetened Cashew Milk
• Optional: 3/4 tsp, Salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

While the oven is heating, (if using salt, mix it with the flour first) use a fork or your fingers or a pastry blender to blend the flour and hard/cold butter together. 

After the first two ingredients are blended, add 1/4 cup of your cashew milk at time until you get to 3/4 cups all together while mixing everything with a spoon. It will be sticky.

Knead the dough and roll it into a ball. Use a roller to roll the dough about 1/2 inch thick.

Use a biscuit cutter (or empty can) to cut the biscuits out.

Transfer the cutouts to a cookie sheet.

Bake for least 15 minutes. Enjoy!

<Video Coming Soon>

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Vegan Coconut Biscuits

VEGAN COCONUT BISCUITS

Ingredients:

This recipe is simple -- no matter what experience you have or haven't had -- it comes out sweet and fluffy. It's a vegan alternative to store bought biscuits. All you need are three main ingredients:

• 2 cups, Self-Rising Flour (I use unbleached self-rising flour)
• 1/4 cup, unrefined Organic Coconut Oil (solid/hard state). When buying coconut oil, read the label to make sure no extra ingredients were added.
• 3/4 cup, unsweetened Coconut Milk (NOT the one in a can)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

While the oven is heating, use use a fork or your fingers or a pastry blender to blend the flour and solid coconut oil together. 

After the first two ingredients are blended, add 1/4 cup of your coconut milk at time until you get to 3/4 cups all together while mixing everything with a spoon. It will be sticky.

Knead the dough and roll it into a ball. Use a roller to roll the dough about 1/2 inch thick.

Use a biscuit cutter (or empty can) to cut the biscuits out.

Transfer the cutouts to a cookie sheet.

Bake for least 10 minutes. Enjoy!

<Video Coming Soon>

Don't forget to follow me here, on Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, and YouTube. :)