Compassionate Holiday Meal Ideas

Posted by Kitchen Shaman | Nov 20, 2015 | Food Observances & Holidays, Recipes |

I don't typically post holiday recipes or what to eat, drink, and cook. This year I've compiled some of my favorite recipes that you can use to wow your friends and amaze your family.

All the recipes are vegan and gluten free, made from scratch, utilizing minimum allergy causing foods. (Well, I do use soy, probably more than is good for me, but I don't have that particular allergy.)

So here they are, all wrapped up and ready to go. An array of dishes to make all of your relatives want to eat vegan all the time.

Roku and Youtube

Posted by Kitchen Shaman | Nov 18, 2015 | Videos |

I’ve been spending time in YouTube land these days. Roku allows me to search, add, and watch all things YouTube. It’s so much better than traditional television.

The other night as we were looking for something to watch, a suggestion came up: “You suck at Cooking.” I’m a sucker for cooking channels and, if it’s not blatantly chopping up animal product, I’ll watch.

Energy For The Day: Date & Nut Energy Balls

Posted by Kitchen Shaman | Nov 11, 2015 | Recipes, Snacks |

I’ve been eating “energy” bars since the day I started bicycling long distance, i.e., a LONG time ago. I remember when Power Bar was still a small mom and pop company operating used equipment to crank out their protein packed goodies for athletes like me. Then they sold out and I found out I was allergic to peanuts. Over the years, I have found very few that are affordable and that I can eat.

So I set out to create a version of date balls that would be full of all the goodness I craved: the protein my body needs, the energy to get through the day, and a nutty and sweet flavor that I would enjoy.

Ancient and Modern: Dates

Posted by Kitchen Shaman | Nov 9, 2015 | Fruits, Ingredients |

date palmWhat’s not to like about the sweet, soft, scrunchy taste of a date? If for some reason you don’t like them in their pure state, they can be pureed, chopped, wrapped, stuffed, and otherwise transformed into enjoyable foodie fare. Plus they pack a nutritional punch, much better than eating sugar.

How to Clean a Mushroom

Posted by Kitchen Shaman | Nov 6, 2015 | Tips & Tricks |

You've seen those big beautiful, meaty mushrooms, portobellas, and, if you've been hanging out with me here on the blog, you know I love them. I love to grill them, roast them, put them on salads raw. I like to chop them up and saute them with onions. Yet most people don't know how to clean a mushroom -- that you should remove the gills, the mushy dark matter on the underside.

A Word from Kitchen Shaman

Posted by Kitchen Shaman | Nov 4, 2015 | News |

We wanted to thank everyone who supported our recent #KitchenShamanCooks campaign and let you know what else Chef Johnna and Kitchen Shaman will be up to.

World Vegan Day – November 1st

Posted by Kitchen Shaman | Nov 1, 2015 | Food Observances & Holidays |

Happy World Vegan Day, and Month. The Vegan Society coined the phrase vegan in 1944. World Vegan Day was implemented in 1994 by the President to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vegan Society.

The word vegan has grown to carry weight and meaning over the years. People who choose a plant-based lifestyle spend time educating our friends and family about what being a vegan means.

November Food Observances 2015

Posted by Kitchen Shaman | Oct 30, 2015 | Food Observances & Holidays |

It’s almost November and time to look at all the food holidays that vegans can celebrate. Up first, it’s World Vegan Month! This is the time to learn all you can about eating vegan, why factory farming is inhumane, and what we can do to build urban gardens and make city food deserts places where food plants flourish and feed families.

The sole weekly observance this month celebrates figs. This makes me very happy, because I do love figs.

The daily food observances include everything from pecans to peppers to pomegranate. And the daily celebrations have fun foods like nachos, sundaes, and pizza with everything (do you put kale on pizza?).

Black Bean and Tempeh Chili

Posted by Kitchen Shaman | Oct 28, 2015 | Recipes, Soups & Stocks |

October is National Chili Month (the dish not the pepper) and in celebration, I thought I would bring this tried and true recipe to your attention. Having grown up in the Southwestern United States, making a good chili carries with it a sense of pride.

From "A Texas Scrapbook: San Antonio's Military PlazaA few fun facts about chili: •It is the state food of Texas. •There is dispute about its creation. Cowpokes get the credit, but long before the cattle trail the Chili Queens of the military plazas in San Antonio and other towns were selling this hearty concoction to road weary travelers. •The Incas and Aztec also had versions of a combination of beans and chili. •While the chili trail is well documented and guilty of very tall Texas tales, chili con carne simply means "peppers with meat" in Spanish.

How To Make Roasted Salsa

Posted by Kitchen Shaman | Oct 21, 2015 | How to |

One of the staples I have cooked over the years, both professionally and at home, is roasted salsa. This is an easy and fun condiment to make for all sorts of parties, picnics, and dinners. Since I'm from the Southwest, salsa is one of the first things I learned to make well in kitchens. It really is hard to screw up. I've made gallons of salsa, and small batches. The video below shows you how to make enough salsa to last a week, using grilling techniques, and tips on how to process chilis for the salsa.

Author: Kitchen Shaman