Cheap Vegan

(FORAGED) MINT LEMONADE

Ah, urban foraging, it makes you feel like you’re in a video game and found some special resource (+1!). In this case I found some beautiful lush mint plants growing wild among some bushes at an apartment complex.

I brought it home, washed it thoroughly, and made some mint lemonade with  some lemon I got earlier in the week from a neighbor's tree.

1 Sprig of Mint + 1 Lemon + water to taste + (optional) simple sugar = Lemonade

Toaster Oven Pear (or Apple) Crumble -- vegan & GF Serves 2

I made this last night because I had 2 pears that were going bad. This wasn’t enough to really make a huge serving, but it was enough for 2 people!  

RECIPE

Filling - 2-3 pears or apples diced - cinnamon - hearty squeeze of lemon Topping - 1 cup oats (I had to add granola at the top bc I ran out of oatmeal) - 2tbsp coconut oil - tablespoon maple syrup - dash of vanilla optional (I forgot it, oops) DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Filling Directions:  - Dice the apples/pears and lightly coat with cinnamon.  - Squeeze in your lemon and stir til everything is even -Pour in a baking pan that can fit in your toaster oven 

Topping Directions: - Mix together the oats, coconut oil, syrup, and vanilla until it’s even. Make sure there are no chunks of coconut oil in one goopy place. - Place evenly on top of filling.

CHEAP VEGAN (QUARANTINE) GROCERY LIST REFERENCE GUIDE

Some people have asked, “what should I do differently when grocery shopping for the apocalypse?”

Let’s start with naming our objectives:

1. Maintain a healthy diet of whole foods with minimal to no processed food 2. Eat a variety of different vegetables and fruits 3. Eat consciously based on my own set of principles and ethics. For this article, the example is a completely vegan diet with as many organic/local foods I can find/afford, but your own shopping list will depend on you. 4. Find affordable foods that meet the above criteria 5. Acquire food in a way that does not expose myself or others to potential virus 6. Buy produce with a long shelf life

So I’ll explain how I have handled shopping this month. 

BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE

- Think ahead. A lot of stores are sold out of dry goods and other essentials right now, so do an inventory of what you have and what you may need in 2 weeks. What is available now could be out of stock by then. Or you could add yourself to a waiting list for what is out of stock now. - Make a conscious shopping list -- DON’T HOARD -- think about what you actually will eat for the next week or two and only purchase what you need.  - That being said... continue to have have enough extra food in case of emergency dependent on your location. For example, in California, I always try to have enough essentials to last me at least 3 days in case of an earthquake. Emergency Supply List from FEMA - Don’t buy things you won’t eat  - Bring your own bags 

 FARMERS MARKETS I live in Los Angeles, California, so there are farmers markets almost every day. At these markets in LA there is usually at least one stand that sells 3 bunches of produce for $5 -- amazing! The photos above are from my last haul.

These bundles include some really hearty vegetables that fit the criteria for #6. Vegetables like: Cabbage, Celery, Carrots, Radishes, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes. and even Kale You can also find oranges, lemons, apples, and other fruits with a long shelf life at these farmers markets, and all farmers markets in CA take food stamps. 

If you’re brave enough, try coming towards the end of the day and see if you can strike a deal. GO CLIMB A FRUIT TREE  https://endlessorchard.com/map/ This is a map of fruit trees around the contry where you can collect excess fruit your neighbors have posted to be willing to share. BUY DRY GOODS Rice, pasta, oats, barley, beans, lentils!  Also a big bag of potatoes isn’t really a dry good but is a great option.

SHOP SMALL Sometimes smaller stores are less crowded. Whether it is an ethnic grocery story, a small mom & pop store, or a smaller scale delivery service.  RESTAURANTS TURN PANTRY Many restaurants are selling pantry items to stay afloat, follow the instagram of local business owners and see if they are offering any deals. RESTAURANTS OFFERING FREE FOOD  Another act that brings me hope for the human race has been how some businesses have been lending a hand. Many restaurants have been offering deals for people who have lost their jobs, In Los Angeles both Sqril in Silver Lake and Hail Mary Pizza in Atwater are offering free meals. Follow local restaurants on instagram and scope it out. You can even start a new IG account just to follow restaurants you like.

BUY IN BULK  Websites like Eden Foods can be a great place to search. If you don’t have the space consider splitting with a friend or 2 ...or 4! As an example, a 12 pack of canned black beans only costs $2.75 but be aware, these types of retailers are in high demand right now, so be patient and think ahead! 

LET’S HELP EACHOTHER WEATHER THE STORM

This global pandemic has forced us to stay home and has left a lot of us out of work. No one is feeling secure right now and there are a lot of fears and unanswerable questions.

One of the only things we can control is how we respond.

We can be compassionate, we can make conscious decisions, and we can choose healthy immune-boosting foods. But a lot of people don’t know how to eat consciously on a budget. So one thing I know I can do is remind people of frugal tips to help survive the apocalypse ...or at least the Corona Pandemic.

Now that Cheap Vegan is back it is going to be focused on getting through Covid-19 and the economic downfall to follow.

So Let’s talk whole foods with long shelf lives, let’s talk herb gardens, let’s bring back victory gardens, let’s talk dry goods! Let’s get thru this together! Let’s do it compassionately. Let’s eat consciously!

Let’s start with breakfast.

Potato, Carrot, & Sweet Potato Hash Recipe

SERVES 2

You’ll need:

- a few slices of onion and/or garlic

(use sparingly if you’re on a budget, a little can go a long way and the rest of the ingredients have great flavor)

- mix of 4-6 small potatoes & sweet potato

(adjust depending on potato size)

- 1-3 carrot (mine were small I used 3)

- 1 stalk celery

- dash of cooking oil (I recommend avocado oil for high heat)

- 3 lil chunks of cauliflower or any left over veg

(I only used cauliflower because I had some left over)

- ~1/2 tsp fresh dill (from herb garden)

- ~6 little needles of rosemary (from herb garden)

- And of course, if you’re lucky, the last of the Avocado 🥑❤️

Directions:

1. While you’re prepping the other veggies, Wash potatoes and throw them into the toaster oven (whole). This will help them cook faster later, brings out good flavor, and is healthier than frying with hot heat!

2. Dice up onion &/ garlic, celery, cauliflower or any other veg and put in med hot oiled pan.

3. Sauté veggies til clear or light brown

4. Dice and add potatoes. Careful! Run under cool water if they’re hot! Sauté together for about 3-5 min.

5. Once you can cut the sweet potato in half easily with spoon turn off the heat and add dill & rosemary. Easy on the rosemary!

6. Serve and add salt and pepper to taste

7. Send me a picture! (@cheapvegan on IG)

This amazing group called Fallen Fruit have created an organization devoted to helping you get free produce straight from your own backyard... or your neighbors! 

Recipes for a Southern Sunday 

After re-watching Forks Over Knives recently, I was reminded of how good I had been eating the past five years and how poorly I’ve been eating the past few months. You can even see it in my last few articles. Never would I have promoted so much sugar, oil, and processed food when I first started Cheap Vegan back in 2012. I’m purposefully documenting it on here because I want people to see that even someone who has been vegan for 12 years and eating a Whole Foods Plant-Based diet for 5 years, is still very capable of slipping into the convenience of processed food, sugar, and caffeine. They taste good and are literally addictive, but even though it takes more work, in the long run it feels even better to make the right choices for our bodies.

So this Sunday I did what I always advise others to do: I went to the farmers market when it was closing down, bought $1 produce from someone trying to get rid of their excess, and I made a delicious meal out of my findings, big enough that I would have left overs for at least part of the week.

4-5 servings only cost me about <$1 -- Rice (from a giant bag) $1 -- Bunch of Collard Greens from Farmers Market $.75 -- onion <$1 -- garlic cloves <$1 -- Veggie Bouillon <$.50 -- 2 Celery Stalks $1 -- Green Pepper $2 -- 2 cans of beans ~$1.75 -- 8 Sweet Potatoes (Trader Joes)

TOTALLING OUT TO APPROX: $10!!! That’s only about $2 a meal! And here’s how you make your own Southern Sunday:

RICE -1.5 cups of brown rice Put 1 part rice to 2 parts water in rice cooker and turn on. (You may want to add a little extra water because brown rice is a little more dense) GREENS -1/2 onion -3 cloves garlic -1 Vegetable Bouillon cube or Vegetable Broth (adjust to taste) - about 12 leaves of Collard Greens

1. Dice the onions very fine and chop the garlic very thick. 2. Wash and remove stems of collard greens, then cut into 1″x1″ squares. 3. Sautee the onions and garlic at a low heat until clear. 4. Add a little less than an inch of water with the cube of bouillon or just broth. 5. Once this is simmering, add collards to your rich oniony broth. Make sure you like this flavor because this is how your collards will taste. Adjust accordingly. 6. Mix collards in with broth for about 1 minute then remove from heat. You don’t want to over-cook the greens and you definitely don’t want to boil them.

BEANS -1/2 onion -2 stalks celery -1/4 bouillon cube (to taste) -1/2 cup of green pepper (I actually used green poblano pepper for this one) -2 cans of red or pinto beans 1. Dice the onions, celery, and peppers very fine and sautee at a low heat until onions are clear.  2. Add beans and bouillon cube until everything is evenly mixed together. 3. (optional) Transfer to oven for a more robust flavor and smooth texture. Add small amount of water and cover if beans become too dry for your liking. 

SWEET POTATOES -Sweet Potatoes 1. Wash and cut sweet potatoes into 1″ thick pieces. 2. Oil pan to prevent sticking and place in the oven at 350degrees. 3. Add small amount of water and cover with foil if sweet potatoes become too dry.

Viola! You have a soulful meal ready to eat and re-heat for the rest of the work week! Best part is, all of these dishes can be mixed and matched to eat in different ways throughout the week. Rice can be used for a stir fry. Beans can be used for Mexican. Sweet Potatoes can be mashed. Or Collards can be eaten with whole wheat pasta! If you wanna see how I did it, check out my snap story below!

Cheap Vegan Cashew Cream Sauce Recipe

A couple days ago I tried my first attempt at a cashew cream sauce. I was a little nervous because it seemed like it should be complicated but it turned out to work really well! Below is the recipe I used to make about a cup of vegan cashew cream!

What you need:

- 1 cup cashews

- 1 veggie boulloin cube

- 1/2 tsp garlic

- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

- 1/2 tsp black pepper

- salt to taste

1. You can soak cashews for 6 hours to get them soft, but since I didn’t have enough time before dinner I boiled them in water with the bouillon cube for about 20 minutes or until they are soft enough to blend. I would cover the cashews just enough for them to be covered and add more water when necessary.

2. Once soft, pour cashews in a food processor or blender (I used the magic bullet) include some of the remaining water and keep left over bouillon water to add as needed.

3. add the rest of the ingredients and blend until you get to a nice creamy consistency that is reminiscent of a cheesy cream sauce. It should not be thick like a nut butter but it will be a little thicker than liquid cream.

Best Foods to Promote Good Eye Health

Our eyes allow us to see all the beautiful treasures of the world. A sunset, fireworks, the people we love, all would just be sounds and touches without our eyes, so if we’re lucky enough to have our sense of sight it’s important that we take care of it. While not sleeping in your contacts and wearing sunglasses are good starters, there are also ways to promote healthy eyes from the inside out, and like all things Cheap Vegan, you can afford to do it on a budget. Here are some great foods and habits to keep your eyes healthy and strong.

Omega-3s -- Chia seed, Cauliflower, Cloves, Mango, Berries, Winter Squash, Flax Seed Besides being amazing for your brain and overall health, omega 3s help protect against dry eyes, macular degeneration and even cataracts. 

Lutein and Zeaxanthin -- Leafy Greens, Avocado, Peas, Broccoli These foods helps protect your eyes against things like cataracts and macular degeneration.

Vitamin C -- Bell Peppers, Citrus Fruit, Kale, Broccoli, Strawberries This also helps protect against cataracts and macular degeneration and also boosts your immune system!

Vitamin A -- Carrots, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Spinach, Cantaloupe Besides also protecting against catacts and macular degeneration, vitamin A also helps promote good health on the surface of the eye, mucous membranes, and skin by helping them create barriers against infection. It also helps against dry eyes.

You may remember Ron Finley from the Cheap Vegan archive. You can find him here through his TED talk in the winter of 2013 or his motivating speech from The Mad Feed. Cheap Vegan is a huge supporter of the work Ron Finley is doing to change the way we look at our food system.

If you have seen the videos mentioned above, you might have also seen his sidewalk veggie jungle that is literally changing the landscape of communities in South Central LA. Or maybe you’ve heard of the laws he has changed  by refusing to stop growing strawberries.

Ron's decision to, "Plant some shit" has triggered a much needed dialogue about our food system and how low-income communities suffer from nutritional misinformation. He has used the momentum he received while fighting for the right to plant tomatoes to start an amazing non-profit called "The Ron Finley Project", which will be popping off their newest project by having a little fun this Saturday!

Ron Finley will join over 500 Angelenos Saturday, June 13th at the historic Vermont Square Library for “Da FUNction”, a one day free pop-up event that brings yoga, urban gardening, art and more to the heart of South LA. “Da FUNction” is being held in partnership with the LA Design Festival and the Ron Finley Project, a non-profit dedicated to shifting culture and changing urban landscapes by bringing gardens, art and new life to inner-city neighborhoods

“Da FUNction” previews Ron Finley’s upcoming project, which will transform the library grounds into a garden/community/cultural center designed to grow food, people and rebuild the surrounding inner-city ecosystem. It will include a number of interactive activities where attendees can immerse themselves in a public space built from art, love and community.

WHO:

Ron Finley, Founder, Ron Finley Project LA Design Festival 300 residents from the Vermont Square neighborhood

WHAT:

Ron Finley will host an interactive event where attendees will experience art and community; get their hands dirty in the garden; learn and practice yoga; chill out in a hammock forest; grub out on a  unique array of LA food trucks; see, be and create art with some of LA’s most well known artists, including graffiti, woodworking, mosaic, weaving and much more.

WHEN: Saturday, June 13th, 2015 Time: 10:00AM-5:00PM Press Check-in: 9:30

WHERE: Vermont Square Library 1201 West 48th Street Los Angeles, CA 90016

Cheap Vegan Cinnamon Vanilla Oat Pancakes

Ingredients

- 1/2 cup bisquick - dash of corn starch - 1/4 tsp vanilla extract - dash cinnamon - milk substitute until pancake batter consistency - 1/4 cup regular dry oatmeal - Oil to grease pan

STEPS

1. Mix dry ingredients until even 2. Add vanilla then add milk substitute until you get a pancake batter consistency without lumps 3. Add oats — you may need to add a little more milk to help the oats soften when cooking 4. Pour onto pan 5. Leave on until top looks dry, it won’t bubble as much as regular pancakes because of the oats in the way, flip, and cook til brown. 6. You may want to cut it in the middle to test that it’s finished, because of the oats it may take a little longer than normal, but you won’t be able to tell there are oats in it. 7. Serve with your favorite fruit and nut butter and enjoy a slightly healthier version of your favorite treat :)

See the instructional snapchat video here:

Cheap Vegan "Cheezy" Mac!

Someone on the Cheap Vegan Facebook Page had a cousin with a nut allergy and was wondering how to make vegan "cheese" sauce without using nuts. So Jarvis, this one is for you! 

What you need for 2-3 servings:

Your Favorite Whole Wheat Macaroni Noodles

1TSP Minced Garlic

Oil (I used grape seed)

2-4TBS Nutritional Yeast

1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond)

1-2TBS Flour or Thickener (I used Bisquick because I didn't have flour)

Small Vegetable Bouillon Cube (or cut a large cube to about .5x.5"

1/2 tsp plain mustard

Dash Turmeric 

1 tsp rich-flavored extra virgin olive oil 

Pepper to Taste

Boil water and cook noodles.

On low heat, add a splash of oil and garlic to frying pan

In a separate cup mix non-dairy milk and flour/thickener. This should be a little thicker than the milk is normally on its own. You don't want it so thick that your sauce turns into a pancake! (oh wait, was I the only one that used Bisquick...)

Add nutritional yeast to pan and then add flour/milk mixture.

Stir often to keep from clumping.

Add mustard, bouillon, and turmeric. Add water or more milk/flour mixture depending if it gets too watery or too thick. We are aiming for the thickness of real cheese sauce.

Once noodles are done and you have the perfect consistency. Turn off thoroughly mix in olive oil. 

Slowly mix noodles in to sauce, being sure you don't add too many noodles at once and suddenly run out of sauce.

Mix in Salt and Pepper to Taste.

Serve with some fresh green veggies. (I had it with Green Beans)

This sauce came out creamy and flavorful. I'm so glad Jarvis wrote in with this question because it resulted in a creamy, delicious dinner for me! Plus I had enough for left overs for my Friday lunch! 

 If you ever have a question about your diet, veganism, whole foods, or anything you think Cheap Vegan can help with, please don't hesitate to write me! You can reach me at either in the "Have a Question? Ask Away!" section of this page, or on the Cheap Vegan Facebook Page.

THE CURE FOR HARD WATER HAIR

Since moving to Los Angeles I have progressively realized my hair was getting less and less bouncy and full of life and was breaking/splitting way easier. I thought that this was just a result of me getting older and maybe losing my waves and curls. But that didn't account for why my hair seemed constantly oily at the roots and terribly dry at the ends. 

While I have been suffering from this affliction since I lived in Chicago, I recently learned that this phenomenon is known as hard water hair. I had never experienced it before moving because as you can see in the map below, my home state of Delaware has pretty soft water. 

WHAT IS HARD WATER? The internet says: "Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of calcium and magnesium-containing minerals such as limestone, chalk and dolomite." So rain water is soft and mineral-free, but when it hits the ground it starts interacting with all sorts of minerals. When minerals are present in water, it's called "hard".

HOW DOES IT AFFECT ME? While hard water isn't linked to any serious health concerns, it can do a number on your hair and skin. Hard water can alter how some of our soaps work and can keep them from rinsing off properly. This leaves a film of soap still on your hair, skin, or even around your house.

 Hard water also tends to make the scales on your hair shaft raise, which makes it easier to break. Worse than that, the mineral build up keeps the conditioner from getting into your poor damaged hair, perpetuating the cycle and wasting the nice conditioning mask you splurged on at the salon during your last haircut!

SO WHATS THE SOLUTION?

There are a lot of solutions for hard water hair, but many of them are pretty expensive. You can buy a water filter for your shower at about $50 + new filters after 6 months. You can buy the nice soft water systems that run about $800. You can move to the North East, North West, South East or Hawaii and enjoy soft water running freely everywhere you go (and delicious bagels!)

Or! If none of those are in your budget, you can use this easy concoction 1-2 times a week in your shower. 

VINEGAR RINSE

The vinegar rinse will break down the buildup at your roots. I did about 1 part apple cider vinegar to 3 parts distilled water, but some websites recommend much less vinegar. It seemed to work out fine for me, I didn't need to use very much anyway. I think it's probably important that you don't use regular water since that is the water doing the damage in the first place, but I didn't have distilled water on hand, so I just used some left over bottled water. I also read that it doesn't need to be apple cider vinegar, but in my opinion it does smell much better than white vinegar. 

In your next shower after you shampoo, use an old squirt bottle to rinse vinegar through your roots and let it sit for 10 minutes or while you shave your legs or sing the hook to your favorite Britney Spears song over and over again. Then I rinsed it out a little bit but not too much because I was worried about un-doing the process. 

Gotta say, it worked great! My hair was bouncy and shiny like I just got out of the salon. In fact the next day my boss asked me where I got my hair done.

8 Vegetables to Start a Winter Garden Indoors Sometimes the winter can stop us from eating fresh veggies, but there are some hearty plants that can survive in the semi-harsh climates of your kitchen window even in February. Here is a list of great plants to grow inside in the winter.

Carrots Packed with vitamin A, full of beta-carotine, and a great anti-inflamitory, carrots are a wonderful vegetable that is super fun to grow. There are more types of carrots than you probably realize, making them great for a garden with limited space. There are even some carrots that only grow a couple inches deep so you are able to plant them under very limited circumstances. Plus, since you eat the root once you eat the carrot, you can swap them out for something new without too much investment in sill-space.

Salad Greens Romaine, Spinach, Arugula, all great for the winter window garden and for your health. Dark leafy veggies are a powerhouse of good nutrients and fuel. Plus you don't lose the plant after you harvest as long as you only eat the outer leaves, allowing the middle to live on and grow more salad!

Basil This is my personal favorite herb. So versatile and so delicious. Fresh basil turns up the flavor on your favorite Italian or Thai dish plus it smells great. It is full of vitamin K and has anti-bacterial properties, making it a healthy addition to your diet.

Kale Kale is one of the easiest winter greens to grow. It is hearty and versatile, good for a raw salad or a side of cooked greens. Like other dark leafy veggies, Kale is high in iron and has wonderful inflammatory properties.

Ginger This is a new one I'm going to try tonight! Apparently if you put a piece of ginger from the grocery store into water or moist dirt with the freshest ends sticking out, it will start to grow more ginger and begin to develop roots. Ginger has been popular for centuries as a stomachache cure and an anti-inflamatory, plus fresh grated ginger tastes great in a stir fry!

Rosemary Rosemary is easy to grow and turns into a little bush that resembles a Christmas Tree! Great as a tea, in a soup, or on top of potatoes, rosemary is a pungent and wonderful addition to winter recipes. It also improves circulation, helps with digestion, and like other green leafy-s, is an anti-inflamatory.

Green Onion Like ginger, all you need to grow a green onion indoors is a green onion and a cup of water. The Vitamin A and K in these green garnishes promotes good bone health and eye sight.

Chilli Peppers Chillis are a colorful and exciting addition to the indoor garden space. Pick from a variety of different chillis to spice up your meals and your window sill. Also great for clearing your sinuses when you get the winter flu.

When you go to start your garden be sure you have drainage for your plants by either having a pot with holes at the bottom (and a dish to catch water) or by placing pebbles at the bottom of your pot. Also be sure to pick a place with plenty of sunlight to compensate for the indoors.