Sweet Freedom Bakery

Philly readers with a sweet tooth, you may want to consider a visit to Sweet Freedom Bakery on South Street between Broad and 15th. They specialize in baked goods that are vegan (free of dairy, casein and eggs). The recipes, which are also gluten-free, avoid the use of corn, wheat, peanuts and soy. You can also rest assured that these unique sweet treats also avoid adding any chemicals. They are completely organic.

Sweet Freedom even delivers their cupcakes, cookies, cakes, muffins and loaves right to your front door. You can find them on Facebook and Twitter.

You can also find Vegenation on Facebook.

Back to Blogging: The Question of Fake Meat

The Huffington Post recently reported about trends related to vegetarian "chicken." While I know it's been awhile since the last post (I just got back from vacation) I wanted to share the story with you. It includes information about how vegan "chicken" is produced, as well as its growing appeal.

In the meantime, I also wanted to let you know about Field Roast, a new product line featuring vegan meatloaf, cutlets and other delicious dinner options. They even offer some creative recipes online.

Look for more recipes, product reviews and round ups later this week!

A Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale

Vegan activists grew a sweet tooth during dozens of bake sales around the world that seek to educate people about how good eating meat-free can really taste. Check it out.

Easy as Lunch

I tried one of Gardein's newest meals today, the Burgundy trio with beefless tips, veggies and rice. At only 230 calories for a full serving, it deserves high marks as a healthy, easy-to-prepare lunch.

The ample serving of beefless tips--which are very high in protein--have one of the best, most steak-like textures of any vegetable protein I've tasted right out of the package. My only suggestion would be to substitute the white rice with brown or multi-grain rice. I'm also hoping that Gardein packages the low-fat, cholesterol-free tips separately in family-size servings. I'd like to incorporate them into other recipes with quinoa and couscous or as vegetable kabobs (sans the rice).

Also look for the Sicilian and Thai trios at Whole Foods, Kroger and Safeway stores.

Spring Vegetable Minestrone

The spring weather definitely inspires me to head to the local market for some seasonal vegetables. Just because the temperatures are heating up doesn't mean there's anything wrong with supping on soup (it's actually a light and nutritious way to start the season). I came across a really good recipe for Spring Vegetable Minestrone and took some liberties to make it just a bit more vegetarian and (hopefully) much more tasty. The final product is a colorful and flavorful addition to any dinner table. It also stands alone as a hearty meal.

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil
2 large shallots (diced)
Dry white wine
3 garlic cloves (minced)
Cayenne pepper (even a small amount provides a much-needed kick)
3 Carrots (diced)
1 large Yukon gold potato (diced)
2 turnips (diced)
4 cups vegetable broth (I prefer lower sodium options)
Fresh Italian parsley
Fresh thyme
Bay leaves
10 oz. shelled peas
4 oz. snow peas (trimmed and cut)
Fresh spinach
Tarragon

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium to high heat and add shallots. Cook until they soften. Then add the wine (a third cup), garlic and a pinch of Cayenne pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add the carrots, potato and turnips and saute for about a minute before adding the broth and 5 cups of water. Add the parsley, thyme and bay leaves to the soup (you can either cook them loosely or tie them with kitchen twine--keep in mind you'll need to remove them later). Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat to medium-low and cooking for at least 20 minutes. Finally, stir in the peas, snow peas and spinach and cover. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove the herbs and discard. Serve the soup in bowls and sprinkle with tarragon.

Real Simple Tacos with a Veggie Twist

Real Simple magazine recently shared a recipe for vegetarian tacos featuring tofu crumble, goat cheese and corn. While the dish is a nice addition to the magazine's ordinarily meat-heavy recipe guide, the tofu isn't as satisfying as a beef-like crumble from Morningstar Farms that can be seasoned with Mexican-style spices. The Real Simple recipe is healthier than most Mexican dishes since it doesn't call for sour cream or heavy cheese, but I'd recommend playing with creative ingredients like avocado, homemade salsa, sharp cheese and imitation fish, which is 100 percent vegan and available at Spring Garden Market (400 Spring Garden Street, 215-928-1288) to add even more flavor.

Veggie Food in Unlikely Places

It's not often that a local deli plates up veggie-friendly food that goes beyond the typical cheese hoagie...especially not in Philadelphia where the cheesesteak rules in its many greasy forms. But I recently visited Citi Marketplace (1318 Walnut St., 215-545-4085), a small grocery/deli with a hefty vegetarian and vegan menu.

The marketplace, which bills itself as an organic market and deli, offers more than a dozen meat-free meals, including veggie burgers, tofu wraps, chik'n cheesesteaks, grilled steaks, wraps, hoagies and soy cheese specialties. They also make a mean egg, cheese and vegetarian sausage sandwich, ideal for that late-night or early-morning nosh (the deli serves up food starting at 7 a.m. during the week until 11 p.m.). Citi Marketplace also offers free delivery downtown for orders equaling $10 and up, and provides catering services (there's a vegetarian sandwich tray available for less than $7 per person).

Citi Marketplace may be more grocery than gourmet, but it's a great alternative to other greasy spoons in Center City and the nearby Avenue of the Arts and Washington Square West neighborhoods. If you're willing to wait (service is on the slow side) you'll be pleasantly surprised. You can also pick up sides, snacks and other organic goodies to go.