ME: What do you think about textured vegetable protein?

CARRIE: You mean TVP? The stuff they pumped into elementary school hamburgers?

ME: Eww.

The very thought of school cafeteria food makes me lose my appetite and think of this song performed by the great Adam Sandler:

Ok, kids back to TVP.

What is it? Well, it sounds like a disease, but it isn’t. TVP is defatted soy flour. Sounds appetizing doesn’t it? It’s actually not too shabby. I’ve been enjoying it in its dehydrated state as it packs a hearty crunch, something I’ve been craving lately.

I’d say it tastes and looks like a cross between rice crispy cereal and granola, which might explain why I’ve been eating it by the handful, as a substitution for croutons on salads, as a topping on protein shakes, and mixed in with a spoonful (or two) of Justin’s Chocolate Almond Butter. Num.

You can find TVP in the bulk aisle in places like Whole Foods or in some grocery stores that carry Bob’s Red Mill. It’s cheap…which might explain why lunch ladies around the globe use this stuff, too.

A word of caution: If you want to enjoy TVP in it’s crunchy state add it to your food at the last possible second. What I’m really saying is don’t let it get in contact with something that isn’t solid (like salad dressing, protein shake, or nut butter) for too long or it will turn into some unrecognizable mush like something a woman wearing a hairnet might serve.

Now I really must go to recess, I’m challenging the lunch lady to a game of four square(s)!

Figuratively: It’s hotter than Hello Kitty in my neck of the woods. But since this isn’t a blog about the weather let’s talk about what I’m literally roasting these days…hello chickpeas, edamame, and soy beans! Once roasted, these high fiber and protein-rich wonders pack a nice crunch and a lot of flavor, perfect for snacking and topping salads.

To roast chickpeas, Carrie pointed me to this recipe on Allrecipes.com:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drain chickpeas and blot with a paper towel to dry them (<–do not skip this step). In a bowl, toss chickpeas with olive oil, and season to taste with salt, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper, if using. Spread on a baking sheet, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until browned and crunchy. Stir every 10 minutes and watch carefully to avoid burning.

To make roasted edamame, I followed the same recipe but just replaced the chickpeas with shelled edamame. I used about 1/2 a package of frozen edamame, which I defrosted and blotted with a paper towel to remove excess moisture before roasting, and it worked like a champ!

Making soy nuts is a very similar process, but it just requires a few extra steps if you start from scratch like I did. I bought a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Soy Beans and followed the instructions on the package:

• Soak soy beans overnight
• Rinse and drain
• Add 3 cups of water for every 1 cup soy beans and bring to a boil
  
• Simmer for 3 hours

After draining and drying the soy beans well, I sprayed them down with Pam Olive Oil and seasoned them with salt. I tossed them in a roasting pan and baked them on 425 for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes. Ta-da! Perfect soy nuts.

I can’t decide which of the three recipes I like best, they are all healthy, inexpensive, and quite simple to make. I recommend you try them all!

Now I really must go grab some water…I hate to complain but I’m still soy hot!

Be sure to check out iHerb.com for your natural supplements, skin care, and baking needs…by the way, did you see they carry Bob’s Red Mill? I’m such a fan!

Just a reminder, first time iHerb customers get $5 off their first order when you enter SUT360 at checkout! Happy shopping!

I’m pretty sure it was our family friend Mrs. Covais who introduced me to my first Whoopie Pie when I was a little Fitness & Spice girl. Ahhhh…the sweet, sweet memories when I didn’t have a care in the world!

Now that I’m a few years older I care a little bit more about what I put into my body. When Michelle and Katy sent an email challenging me and a whole host of other writers to go vegan for a day, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to see how the vegan’s make Whoopie…pies.

A few months ago I bought a cookbook called BabyCakes by Erin McKenna. Erin is the chef and owner of vegan, gluten-free, and mostly sugar-free bakeries in New York City and West Hollywood. All sorts of cool people recommend BabyCakes like Mary-Louise Parker, Pamela Anderson, and I.

I pooled together two BabyCakes recipes and made…

Vegan Whoopie

(BabyCakes calls this recipe Cookie Sandwiches by the way)

Ingredients for the chocolate chip cookies

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 6 Tablespoons homemade applesauce or store-bought unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/4 cups evaporated cane juice
• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal (I used Bob’s Red Mill, NuVal score – 100)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat the oven the 325 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce, salt, vanilla, and evaporated cane juice. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, baking soda, and xanthan gum. Using a rubber spatula, carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a grainy dough is formed. Gently fold in the chocolate chips just until they are evenly distributed through the dough.

Using a melon baller, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the portions 1 inch apart. Gently press each with the heel of your hand to help them spread. Bake the cookies on the center rack for 15 minutes, rotating the sheets 180 degrees after 9 minutes. The finished cookies will be crisp on the edges and soft in the center.

Let the cookies stand on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely before covering. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk (I used Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond Milk, NuVal score – 90)
• 3/4 cup dry soy milk powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour (I forgot to buy coconut flour so I skipped it)
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups coconut oil
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (Confession? I didn’t use this either)

In a blender or mixer, combine the soy milk, soy powder, coconut flour, agave nectar, and vanilla. Blend the ingredients for about 2 minutes until well combined. With the machine running, slowly add the oil and lemon juice, alternating between the 2 until both are fully mixed. Pour the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before frosting.

Once your cookies have cooled completely, frost and sandwich your cookies together. Roll the sides with extra chocolate chips.

It’s safe to say this a very grown up version of the traditional Whoopie Pie. You won’t find any Crisco, animal products, or fluff in this recipe, just good wholesome ingredients. And, while these cookies are very good and very vegan, they are not low in calories so please eat these little bundles of joy in moderation.

While I admit, I do have the cutest little BabyCakes, the vegan lifestyle isn’t exactly for me, I don’t think Little Miss Muffet would want me to live without my Curds and Whey.