Kale is the same cruciferous vegetable family as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. It is thought to have originated in Asia and was brought to Europe around 600 B.C. There are three main types of kale, the original curly kale and the much later varieties of dinosaur (Tuscan) and ornamental (salad savoy) kale. Said to be [...]
Just a quick note to wish all my Irish visitors a happy St Patrick’s Day. If you haven’t decided what food to serve here are a few useful, last minute, links with recipes: 1)Erin Go Bragh and That’s No Blarney! at Vegetarians in Paradise 2)Vegan St. Patrick’s Day at VegNews 3)5 Vegan St Patrick’s Day [...]
We require iodine to remain healthy. Vegans do not eat eggs, fish or cheese which contain iodine, therefore we need to look for foods that do. Iodized salt contains iodine, but many of us have cut down on salt or we are using salt that is not iodized, we need to find other sources. Thankfully that is [...]
Available from McFadden Farms Valentine’s Day is around the corner and thinking of it brings an old, old tradition to mind. The night before Valentine’s Day, young women in Europe and Britain, placed a few bay leaves either under their pillows or in little red bags pinned to them. This was said to let them [...]
For hundreds of years couscous has been a staple grain dish in the Mediterranean countries. Basic couscous is made by rolling and shaping moistened semolina. The end result is tiny round pellets. In some parts it is also made with barley, millet, yams or cornmeal. Nowadays,the commercial, ready made semolina product has become a [...]
The 1st of November is World Vegan Day and is the first day of the World Vegan Awareness Month. World Vegan Day was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis of The Vegan Society U.K., to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Vegan Society in 1944 by Donald Watson. He coined the name [...]
Black beans, also known as turtle beans, are generally available both dried and canned. Like most common beans they are said to have originated in South America and Central America, becoming a main part of the diet of the Indians in those areas. Today black beans are a main ingredient in Mexican, Cuban and Brazilian menus. They [...]
Broccoli (Brassica oleracea italica) has been cultivated for over 2000 years. It is said to have been developed from the cabbage by the ancient Etruscans of the Eastern Mediterranean region. Broccoli only reached France around the 16th Century, and spread throughout Europe and the US around the 18th Century. It is only in recent years that [...]
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy eating watermelon on a hot, Summer day. Apart from being a wonderful thirst quencher it has a cooling effect on the body. Watermelons are part of the same family as cucumber, squash, and pumpkin. The watermelon is thought to have originated in the Kalahari Desert of Africa. They [...]
Magnesium is extremely necessary for good health, being one of the major elements required by our body. Like all minerals, magnesium cannot be made in our body and must therefore be plentiful in our diet. Thankfully, even with soils depleted of minerals and further loss of nutrition during transportation, most Vegans, eating a balanced diet, [...]