My mom flew in yesterday for her long-anticipated visit! This week was a busy one as I’ve been working extra hard to get my work completed early, and then take care of the usual cleaning, groceries, etc. before our special guest arrives. You know, as they say…gotta make up the “fake house”. (I thought that fake house thing was originally from Seinfeld, but when I searched for it online I couldn’t find the source…anyone!?) We’re soaking up every minute of my mom’s visit, and Adriana is especially loving her bonding time with Mimi. I might not ever let her go back to Alberta.
Without further ado, this week’s Friday FAQs are coming at ya. Also, a quick note to let you know that my 24 Weeks update is up in the Baby section too. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Q1: Hi Angela! I would really like to try vegan mayonnaise, but every product in the store and recipe I find contains mustard. I cannot eat mustard or mustard seeds because I have an allergy. Do you have any idea about mustard powder substitutions for your Soy-Free Vegan Mayonnaise in order to preserve the intended taste as much as possible? Thanks a lot!
A. Hey Elisa, My first instinct was to say that you could probably just leave it out since it’s such a small amount. Then I did a bit of reading online and read that mustard powder can be used as an emulsifier in certain foods like mac and cheese and mayo, and I started to worry it was needed. In the end, I decided to test it out myself since it’s such a quick recipe! I’m happy to report that this mayo recipe works just as well without the mustard powder. And the flavour is still great too. If you still want to boost the flavours a bit, a small amount of garlic powder might be nice too, or even fresh minced garlic! Yum.
Q2: I am so excited to try this recipe for Soy-Free Vegan Mayonnaise—but I have no brown rice syrup on hand. Any chance of a substitution? If not, I’m sure to pick some up at the store this weekend.
A. Good question! When I tested the mayo for the question above, I also thought I would see what happens when leaving out the brown rice syrup. I’m happy to update my reply from last week and let you know that it works just fine without the syrup. The flavour is a bit more tart, but I still found it pleasant. That said, I also had success adding a half teaspoon or so of powdered sugar in lieu of the brown rice syrup just to take a bit of the tart edge off. Either way, it’s great. I hope you have success with it too!
Q3: Long-time reader here! Five years ago, your blog taught me how to cook/bake, and I’ll always be grateful! This Avocado Strawberry Caprese totally caught my eye. I was wondering, what would you suggest I add, protein-wise, to make it a full meal?
A. Hi Christine, It’s great to hear from you! It always makes me so happy to hear the blog has helped people find their “sea legs” in the kitchen. I would say some marinated tofu would be a lovely addition to the caprese!! (I have a killer recipe for it in my next book, though I know this doesn’t help right now!) For a super quick option, chickpeas are always an easy addition, too. Almonds also have a substantial amount of protein, so you could add on some toasted almonds or even blend up a quick batch of almond “parmesan cheese” to sprinkle on top. Enjoy!
Q4: Hi@ohsheglows!! Big big fan! Love all your recipes and your recipe app is fab! Quick question —I’m also pregnant with my second sweet little nugget and I’m wondering if you switched protein powders during pregnancy or kept up with the Garden of Life brand? I was just reading your blog post about protein powders! Thanks ☺
A. Congrats on your second pregnancy! I need to update that old protein powder post. :) I’ve been buying Omega Nutrition Pumpkin Seed Protein Powder for a while now. I love that it’s made from pumpkin seeds. I also occasionally use Sunwarrior Warrior Blend protein powder in “Natural” (it’s the one Eric uses every day in his green smoothie as he really doesn’t like my pumpkin seed one). I like that it’s made with pea and hemp seed proteins rather than rice. I hope this helps!
Q5: Hi Angela, recipe question for you. Do you have a recipe for a delicious sandwich spread with the consistency of a sauce/dressing? Looking for a flavorful topping for a veggie sandwich (sprouted toasted bread, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, etc.)? It would be great if it could do double duty as a salad dressing. Love your book!!
A. Hi Therese, thanks for the great question! I definitely have some suggestions for you. In terms of sauces/spreads that can pull double duty on both sandwiches and salads, I’d recommend you try my Green Goddess Dressing, Creamy Lemon Dill Dressing, or Lemon-Tahini Dressing (page 284 of The Oh She Glows Cookbook,or see this post for a similar version). My Spicy Peanut Lime Sauce could also be a great sandwich topping, if that’s up your alley. Another great option is my Sun-Dried Tomato Hemp Basil Pesto, which I absolutely loooooove on sandwiches! I recently posted a recipe for 5-Minute Soy-Free Vegan Mayonnaise, too—does a sandwich spread get more classic than that? Drizzle a bit of Sriracha on top of the mayo and your sandwich will be bursting with flavour. Ok, I’m getting hungry again…
Comments of the Week:
“Ok Angela. I give credit when credit is due. WHOA. I have a 2.5 year old little boy, who happens to have autism. He’s the pickiest.eater.ever. He’s also on a strict GF/CF diet. He LOVED THIS DISH SO MUCH! He didn’t know what to do with himself he was so delighted! I used plain soymilk, and didn’t use yeast (he’s allergic, we think) and added a little nutmeg for “nuttiness” (my signature spice for all things delish). THANK YOU for making our dinner a happy success when it’s typically anything but. Spending 15 years in the restaurant business, I know a thing or two about cooking, but your recipes are amazing and I’m only upset I didn’t find it sooner!! Kudos! -Claire”
Claire, thank you so much for the heartfelt comment! Thinking about your sweet boy enjoying this dish totally warms my heart. I hope you discover more gems that you all enjoy in the future!
“LOVE this All Day Glow Green Smoothie! I make a couple substitutions, such as ginger instead of turmeric (since that’s what I usually have on hand) and orange juice for the mango juice, since I also usually have OJ on hand. It’s a filling smoothie that does make you feel good, especially on those sluggish mornings. I’ve been using this smoothie, the Happy Digestion (probably my favorite flavor), and the Green Warrior Protein Smoothie on rotation lately, and I can tell the difference in my health, energy levels, and inflammation and digestion within my body! Making small changes like starting your morning with a green smoothie really does make a difference over time. Thank you for your awesome recipes and the easy to use app! I love pulling up my favorite smoothies on there in the morning :)”
Those are great substitutions Kayla! Thanks for sharing as I’m sure it’ll inspire others to try something new. I’m so happy you’re noticing so many benefits from drinking this trio! What a great idea. I get into big smoothie kicks (where I drink the same one for weeks), but I think I’ll have to change it up more frequently after being inspired by your comment.
PS – The top photo is one of my all-time favourite quick and easy OSG desserts! Almond Butter Rice Crisp Treats…your life will be forever changed when you taste these things.
I always mean to try making my own mayo instead of buying it – it’s definitely on my to-do list for this weekend!
“Fake house” is a great one from Everybody Loves Raymond although you’re right, it does sound like a Seinfeld classic; “sponge-worthy” has to be one of my favourite expressions!
Great post as usual, hope you enjoy the rest of your mom’s visit :)
Ah! Thanks so much Grace – figuring out the source of that quote was driving me nuts! haha.
HA! “Fake house”….that is so true. I hope you have an awesome visit with your Mom!! They are truly amazing people….and, a quick blurb about the mustard and the role, beyond flavor, in traditional and vegan mayo: traditional mayo is a oil in water emulsion, and owing to the unique ability of a) the lecithin present in the egg yolk traditionally used, and b) the oil droplets present in 8-sided, octagon-like particles, is a relatively stable emulsion if created properly (i.e. adding oil to the egg mixture very slowly while agitating constantly). The mustard, then, is added for flavor, as well as to help further stabilize the somewhat precarious emulsion through what is termed “pickering” in the food science world. A pickering particle, such as mustard particles, is basically a physical barrier present in an emulsion, usually at the oil droplet surface (or at the oil/water interface) to prevent oil droplets from mooshing together (the formal term is coalesce), which results in a separated mayo. However, in the 5-minute vegan mayo recipe, you are relying on the proteins in the bean water (very likely albumin proteins, similar to the types of proteins present in eggs whites, and similarly sensitive to shearing/mixing forces, of which foams produced from these types of proteins are probably further stabilized by the oligosaccharides present in the bean water) to trap oil/water as you whip it up….so….really, the mustard is (very likely) 100% optional for optimal product functionality. And, this is also likely the case for the soy-based version of vegan mayos. However, I would bet that both versions need to have acid added (i.e. cider vinegar, lemon juice) for the mayo to whip up and be stable, since the albumin proteins present in both aquafaba (bean water) and soy are sensitive to pH, and usually “un-wind” only in low pH environments. This is essential, since in this unwound (we call it denatured) state, the proteins can then collide, interact, form a matrix and whip up and/or form an emulsion. AND BOOM, MAYO! Angela: maybe you should have a no food scientist posting policy on your comments? HA! Happy Mayo’ing!
Wow, thanks so much for the all info Annaliese! Super helpful, and so great to know! :)
I’m not sure how I missed that cauliflower pasta recipe back in 2014, but I’m suuuuuuuuper happy it was mentioned here today! Sounds like a good one to add to the app if you ask me :-)
Haha, thanks for the suggestion, Hannah! ;) If you give the recipe a try, I hope you enjoy it.
Lovely post!
Izzy | https://plantbasedizzy.wordpress.com/
The cauliflower alfredo recipe is an all time favorite in our house too! My 7 month old even loves it – thanks to BLW! We have tried so many of your recipes…I feel so good about feeding her meals from your blog and cookbook and we haven’t found anything she won’t eat yet :)
Question #3 re: protein to your salad; this is another perfect place to add hemp hearts. Still under-used, there is no better protein and only 3T contains 10g of nutritionally perfect protein.
This is fabulous, being a fitness freak i should try and i will definitely do.
What’s the best way to ask you a question for the Friday FAQs? I don’t use Twitter, and I couldn’t figure out for the life of me where the best place was to ask a question.
Wow this looks so good I love it – congrats on the baby :) xoxo katie http://whatskatieupto.com
This Almond Butter Rice Crisps Treats seem really promising!
Just to say: Mustard is not needed in mayo. Classic mayonnaise is based on egg yolk, lemon juice and vegetable oil. :-)
The strawberry avocado and chickpeas sounds to die for! Will definitely be making that for lunch soon :)
www.sprinklesandsaturdays.com
I love vegan proteins like tofu but I have a hard time marinating and pressing them long enough to reap those flavour benefits…right now I’ll just do with herbing them and sauteeing them…yum!
congrats on your 2nd pregnancy! that’s so exciting! xo
Great suggestions for additional protein! Thanks for sharing : )
Hi Angela,
Regarding the protein powders, is the Omega pumpkin seed powder as smooth as the Sunwarrior? I’ve tried a few pumpkin seed powders and I usually find them too gritty.
Thanks!
Hey Andrea, I find Omega pumpkin seed to be a bit grittier than Sunwarrior.
Also, I found this site with a bunch of high protein salads that really look good. http://hurrythefoodup.com/vegetarian-vegan-high-protein-salads/ I haven’t tried them yet, but I bet most of them can be made low cal with a few substitutions or additions. Some are non-vegan, but I think they could be modified to vegan.
I just made this recipe and it turned out puffy. They didn’t spread. But were so chewy. I subbed in coconut flour because I did not have almond flour and I subbed in cornstarch for the arrowroot flour as I didn’t have that on hand either. I used the enjoy life diary free chocolate chips….love them!!! The recipe was easy enough that my 3 year old pitched in to help out. Can you let me know why they probably didn’t spread? I’m a novice baker :) Thank you!
Hi Naz, I’m so sorry to hear you had troubles with the cookies, but it sounds like you and your little guy had some fun making them nonetheless! (And hopefully the end result still tasted great!) I’d say possibly the coconut flour sub was a factor in your cookies not spreading: it’s a “thirsty” flour and tends to absorb a lot of moisture in recipes. That being said, people have had mixed results with cornstarch-for-arrowroot sub, as well. Vegan/GF baking tends to be a delicate process, and even small changes to a recipe can result in a totally different outcome. Hope this helps!
The recipes look interesting. I look forward to trying them.
Have you tried marble cake? Am looking for a good recipe without white flour and white sugar.
Hello,
I think plant based protein powder is not safe for during pregnancy. For example, many of them have high levels of lead. Because of the lead, a lot of protein powder has warning labels in California. It says it contains substances known to cause cancer, birth defects, and reproductive harm. It’s not from additives; it’s just naturally in the plants and I guess gets more concentrated in the powder.
Also I read that the company that makes the pumpkin seed powder was cited for violating health regulations a couple years ago, I think.
Please, please keep safe and always talk to your doctor before taking protein powder when pregnant. I don’t want to harm you.
I’m guilty of harming others because I fail to warn people of everything. Also people can’t have alcohol when pregnant or lactating. And SO many foods are choking hazards.
Also you can get very sick from uncooked flour. I don’t want any of you to die. Etc. Please, please keep safe!!! I am guilty of harming people, I HATE COMMENTING and I HATE CONTACTING ANYONE and I’m heartless and uncaring for failing to warn you of other things.
Please, you can punish me! Because I don’t even try to keep from harming people, I’m dangerous and deserve to suffer. I AM BAD and I HATE COMMENTING and I ENDANGER PEOPLE by failing to explain, report, and warn. I’m a bad person and an abuser and bad.
I’m sorry, I’m having trouble explaining. I’m sorry I sound kind of crazy because I went off on a tangent. But it’s true that protein powder is potentially a problem in pregnancy, and the other dangers I mentioned are also real. PLEASE, PLEASE everyone–please do your own good research and always talk to your doctor and please be safe.
I’m sorry I don’t know what to do.