Red Cabbage & Cranberry Salad

"No diet will remove all the fat from your body because the brain is entirely fat.  Without a brain, you might look good, but all you could do is run for public office."  George Bernard Shaw

  OK.  I'm back from the holidays and my diet of appetizers washed down by mint fudge.  Time to concentrate on a few energy packed foods.

This is a recipe I found and changed to add a more healthy oil and eliminate the sugar.  And then, being the curious person that I am, I decided to explore the nutritional difference between red and green cabbage.  Big WOW!

While both red and green cabbage contain Vitamin A, a cup of green cabbage supplies 3 percent of your daily value while red cabbage supplies 19 percent.  For vitamin C it's a difference of 47 percent versus 84 percent, with red cabbage, once again, coming out on top.

And bonus!  Red cabbage contains anthocyanins.  Are you as excited as I am?  You will be once you learn that anthocyanins are known for their cancer fighting and memory improvement abilities.  Green cabbage does not contain anthocyanins.  And, super bonus, anthocyanins may contribute to healthy WEIGHT LOSS by helping your body release hormones that metabolize fat and suppress your appetite.  OK.  I know it's dirty pool to put WEIGHT LOSS in capital letters, or upper case as us moderns say, but we're all going to make that New Year's resolution to get into those clothes that have been taking up half of our closet space for the last five years.  Really.

But on to the recipe that will give you one more tasty way to get some of this terrific veggie into your eating plan, she said, carefully avoiding that awful word, diet.

Ingredients:
  2 T olive oil
  1 T apple cider vinegar
  Speck of stevia powder
  dash of salt
  pepper to taste

Whisk all together in a bowl and set aside.

  red cabbage, 1/2 small head finely chopped, or as fine as you need it to be
  1/2 cup dried cranberries
  1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Distructions:
Mix the veggies with the dressing.  Let sit overnight.  Yes, this is one of those recipes where the flavors really need time to get to know each other.  And once they do, they'll be ready to get to know you too.  Happy eating!

Loveya
The Mom

Coconut Curry Veggies

"The two basic items necessary to sustain life are sunshine and coconut milk."  Dustin Hoffman

This recipe was the result of an experiment with coconut butter and a restaurant dinner that I enjoyed.  The restaurant dinner was coconut curry veggies with noodles which I wanted to try and duplicate.  Perusing such recipes online I noted that most of them contained coconut milk.  I am the proud owner of a jar of coconut butter, which is simply ground up coconut.  Not wanting to purchase coconut milk when I already had a coconut product in the house I decided to experiment.

I figured that I could melt the coconut butter, add a thickener along with spices and liquid, and have the sauce for my dish.  Well, Sparky, it worked!

Ingredients:
  Carrots, peeled and chopped
  Onion, peeled and chopped
  Celery, sliced
  Mushrooms, any kind, I used baby bella 
  Peppers, red or green cut into strips
  Broccoli, steamed and added just before serving

Distructions:
  Saute the veggies in a bit of olive oil.  Cover and let steam on low heat to the desired dente while you whip up the sauce.

Sauce:
  2 T coconut butter
  1 T cornstarch
  1 T curry powder
  1 T grated, fresh ginger
  1 1/2 cups water or veggie broth
  Dash of salt

Distructions:
  Melt the coconut butter, add the cornstarch, curry powder and grated ginger.  Ginger powder will also work.  Stir in the liquid and cook until a creamy consistency.  Adjust seasonings, including the coconut butter, curry powder, and ginger.  Play around with this until it's just right for you.  I added a bit more coconut butter to get more coconut taste into the sauce.  You could also whip up the coconut butter in water or broth in your blender.  This gives you a white liquid with a wonderful coconut flavor.

Finally, add the sauce to the veggies, top with steamed broccoli, and serve with rice.

DID YOU NOTICE?  I didn't give any measurements for the veggies.  Well, that means you can use as many or few as you'd like.  You could also include sweet potatoes or regular potatoes if you'd like.  Don't you just love choices!

CONFESSION:  I was in the middle of enjoying this dish with my son, who was visiting, when I realized we had consumed almost the entire dish and I hadn't taken a picture for this blog.  I gingerly shoved what was left on my plate to one side, spooned on a bit of rice, and snapped away.  I really need to get a bit more organized!

Loveya
The Mom

Sweet Onion Crackers

"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them...well, I have others."  Groucho Marx, star of Animal Crackers

So that's as close as I could get with a quote that had to do with crackers.  And I do have a vegan cracker recipe.  It's not a crisp cracker, because I left out oodles of oil in order to make it lower in fat content.  Pretty logical for early morning!

This recipe is for a dehydrator but I'm betting it could also be baked in an oven at a low setting.  I'll have to research that possibility.

Ingredients:
  1 large sweet onion, Vidalia is great
  1 cup ground, raw sunflower seeds
  1 cup ground golden flax seeds
  3T olive oil
  1/4 cup Bragg liquid amino
  Splash of Agave nectar - optional


Distructions:
 Process the onion in a food processor with the S blade until very fine or whip it up in a blender.  I use my Vita Mix and whip it until it's mushy.

Pour the onion into a bowl and add the other ingredients.  Mix to blend well.  Spread the batter onto a teflex sheet about 1/4 inch thick for a more bread-like product and thinner for a cracker-like product.  Dehydrate at 105 degrees for about 5 hours.  Flip over the teflex sheet and remove the teflex from the crackers.  Dry an additional 4 hours or until the crackers are as dry as you'd like them to be. 

Variations:
The crackers in the picture that are to the front left are more orange because I added some salsa to make them a southwestern cracker.  Crackers to the right rear are a darker green because I added pesto.  The dish in the middle holds a variation of my Mock Tuna Salad (Sept. 14).  For use with the crackers I dressed the Mock Tuna Salad ingredients with a light vinaigrette instead of hummus.  Either would work well, including plain hummus.  I love choices.

Special thanks to my cat, Merle, who let me use his little yellow dish for the picture!

Loveya
The Mom

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Salad

"A rose by any other name still smells."  Anon

The most difficult part of this recipe was deciding whether to label it as a salad, a side dish, or a main dish.  It could be any of the above.  So that's my worst problem today.  What a great day it's going to be!

The Good Batch, on Spinach Leaves

Actually, there was that other problem.  The problem was with the first batch of the Sweet Potato & Black Bean Whatever that I made.  I overcooked the sweet potato and it came out as Mashed Sweet Potato and Black Bean etc.  Still had a great flavor, but I had to do a second batch for the picture.  More for me!

Ingredients:
  1 sweet potato, peeled, diced, cooked about 7 minutes, drained, cooled
  1 15 oz can of black beans, drained & rinsed
  4 T minced red onion
Dressing:
  2 T olive oil
  2 T apple cider vinegar
  1 t coriander
  1 smidgen stevia powder* 
  Dash of salt

Distructions:
  Mix together first three ingredients in a bowl.  Whisk together the dressing ingredients.  Combine all together and let sit for about an hour or overnight in the fridge.

* How to measure stevia powder.  Place a small dusting, barely visible to the naked eye, onto the palm of your hand.  Brush it into the dressing.  Stevia is so sweet that using too much creates a bitter taste.  Note - you could also use a dab of agave nectar or other sweetener of your choice.  You won't need a lot.

True Confession, which is good for the soul.  I like to eat this concoction on top of a mixture of raw cabbage and sauerkraut.  How did that happen!  I wanted to purchase a cabbage and the produce section where I shop only had cabbages the size of basketballs.  What the heck, I thought.  So I have a lot of cabbage in my fridge.

I also like to eat a bit of fermented food everyday to aid digestion.  Needing to consume my batch of mashed sweet potatoes and black beans I place some thinly sliced cabbage into a large bowl, tossed in a bit of sauerkraut along with some sauerkraut juice, and topped the whole thing with the aforementioned salad.  If you're not brave enough to try this on your own, you'll have to trust me that this is really delicious.  On the other hand, I've been eating my own cooking for about 50 years and my taste buds could be dead.  That could be a plus.

Loveya
The Mom

Steel Cut Oats - Simply Done

"I never drink anything stronger than gin before breakfast."  WC Fields

I recently heard a news item on Public Radio about school districts that are debating whether to serve chocolate milk to the students.  Some of the mothers were interviewed and said that they'd agree to have chocolate milk served rather than have their child refuse to drink milk.  Then, they added, they could be sure that their child was getting enough calcium.  We've all been told that calcium, from dairy products, is necessary for strong bones and teeth.

Did anyone ever notice that some vegetarians, such as elephants, giraffes, zebras, cows, rhinos, and horses do not consume dairy products as adult animals and their large bones are just fine?  Hm.  Something to think about.  But on to the breakfast recipe.

Trying to eat in a most healthful manner involves adding whole grains that require a bit of cooking.  That's where I was having a problem in the morning.  I really don't like to cook breakfast but I do like whole grain, cooked cereal in the morning.  What to do!?

Just for giggles I placed a third of a cup of steel cut oats, the organic kind, into a one-cup jar and then filled the jar with almond milk that I'd whipped up in my blender.  I covered the jar, gave it a shake, and placed it into the fridge overnight.  In the morning the cereal was soft and chewy.  It was actually tasty enough to eat right out of the jar, which is what I usually do. 

The softened cereal can also be placed into a sauce pan and warmed, or microwaved for a few seconds, if you need to go there.  A teaspoon or two of maple syrup on top makes it yummier, which is a word that my spell check accepts.  Happy whole grain eating!

Loveya
The Mom

Gypsy Soup Revisited

"I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is two weeks." Totie Fields

Gypsy Soup Sans Garbanzos

I'm going to revisit an old friend, Gypsy Soup, because I've tweaked the recipe since the last time I've shared this priceless gem.  Also, I recently heard information about vegetables that warmed the cockles of my little heart, and I've become very busy in my art studio these past few weeks.  If any of the above makes perfect sense to you I wish you'd explain it to me.  Just kidding.

The information I heard about vegetables came first from one of my dear friends who decided to take action and joined Weight Watchers.  She shared with me that when keeping track of points on the Weight Watchers plan, most vegetables are free and you can eat all you want without fear of gaining weight.  Second, I heard an NPR program, The People's Pharmacy, where studies have come out that show that certain foods cause people to actually lose weight while keeping them super healthy.  The foods were, you guessed it, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and yogurt.  It's possible that nuts were also on the list but don't quote me on that.

So where does my art studio fit in this scenario?  For the past few weeks I've been playing for 8+ hours in my studio every day.  Actually, I'm putting in as many hours as I can squeeze out every day.  So what does this have to do with vegetables?  I decided that cooking was getting in the way of my creativity.  Therefore, I dedicated a half-day to whipping up large batches of my five favorite soups and freezing them in individual containers.  The soups are carrot ginger, cabbage soup, vegetarian chili, gypsy soup, and a mushroom soup made with really good broth (see July 24) and shiitake mushrooms.

My freezer is now crammed with containers of frozen soup and I won't have to cook for about two weeks.  By adding barley or rice to any of the above and simmering the concoction while I create I can add some healthy whole grains to my diet.  Fruits are consumed at breakfast, along with some steel cut oatmeal just to fill my tummy with some good carbohydrates.  But on to the Gypsy Soup!

Ingredients:
  1 T olive oil
  1 onion, chopped
  1 red, yellow or green pepper, diced
  1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
  1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  1 large can diced tomatoes, with juice
  1 t paprika
  1 t turmeric
  1 t basil
  1 t cinnamon
  Dash of cayenne pepper
  4 cups veggie broth
  1 T tamari or soy sauce or Bragg liquid amino
  S&P to taste

Distructions:
  Over medium heat in a large kettles saute the onion and pepper in the olive oil for as long as it takes  to peel and dice the sweet potato.  Stir occasionally if the spirit moves you.  Add the sweet potato and spices and stir to get all the flavors acquainted.  Add everything else except the S&P.  This will go in at the end when you adjust the seasoning.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer until the sweet potato pieces are tender, about forty-five minutes to and hour.   Adjust seasoning, which means to add salt and pepper to suit your taste.  Cool the resulting soup in the fridge in a large glass jar.  When cool, transfer to individual freezer containers.

You could also serve this immediately as a meal.  For the freezer batch that I just made I didn't have any garbanzo beans so I left them out.  Am I a master of logic, or what!  I did have great northern beans, which would have worked, but I didn't feel like opening the can.  Logical and lazy.  What's not to love.  By Christmas I should be 10 pounds lighter and able to twitch my nose like a rabbit.  It's a wonderful life!

Loveya
The Mom

Carrot Ginger Soup

"Are carrots good for your eyes?!  Did you ever see a rabbit wearing glasses?"  Dad

Another of my favorite soups.  Great flavor, can be frozen, and can be served hot or cold.

This soup also contains an ingredient with wonderful health benefits - fresh ginger.  Fresh ginger is that funny little tuber that looks a bit like a misshapen nose.  The most convenient way to store fresh ginger is in the freezer.  Just put it into a small, zip lock bag and toss it into the freezer with the rest of the mystery foods that you forgot to label.  Then, when a recipe calls for fresh ginger, simply take it out and grate as much as you need.  Place it back into the bag and toss it back into the freezer.  Just for giggles, label it "Nose".

Ingredients:
  1 T olive oil
  2 medium onions, chopped
  3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  2 T fresh ginger, grated
  4 cups veggie broth
  2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped or grated
  1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
  S & white pepper to taste

Distructions:
  In a heavy pot heat the oil over medium heat and saute' the onions for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger and saute' an additional minute.

Add the stock and carrots and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and partially cover.  Simmer until the carrots are tender, 15 to 30 minutes.  The smaller the pieces of carrot the shorter the cooking time. 

When the carrots are tender put the solids into a blender with a bit of liquid and puree.  Do this in small batches so you won't end up festooning the walls and cabinets with hot soup.  Return everything to the pot and add the frozen orange juice along with the salt and white pepper.

Why white pepper?  According to discerning gourmets (not me) white pepper has a slight taste of ginger, which works well in carrot ginger soup.  Also, if you use black pepper it could look like little specks of dirt floating around in your light colored soup.

If you only have black pepper add some chopped parsley, which will hide the black specks.  You little genius!

Loveya
The Mom 

Jambalaya - Vegan Style

"Sign that the restaurant you're in serves really spicy food.  They have two seating sections: 'Foolhardy' and 'Flat Out Crazy'." Grinning Planet

Here's a recipe that has as little or as much heat as you choose.  You control the amount of spices.  So that's one thing in life you can control.  I got this recipe from a restaurant and changed a few things to make it vegan.

This is also a Cajun recipe, which means it has a trio of vegetable ingredients - onion, celery, and green pepper - as well as a trio of pepper - black, red, and white pepper.  Before you begin this recipe it would be a good idea to chop and measure everything and put the ingredients into containers that you can simply dump into the mixture at the proper time.  That's actually a good idea for any recipe that has a list of things that need chopping.

Ingredients:
  In a small bowl combine -
   2 bay leaves
   1 t salt
   1 t white pepper
   1/4 t cayenne pepper
   1/4 t black pepper
   1 t thyme
   1/2 t sage


Ingredients Continued:
  2 T oil
  8 oz pkg chorizo flavored seitan
  1 cup chopped onions, divided
  1 cup chopped green pepper, divided
  1 cup chopped celery, divided
  4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  1 cup chopped tomatoes, canned will work
  1 cup tomato sauce
  3 cups vegetable stock
  1 1/2 cups rice

Right off you'll notice that there's a strange ingredient in the second list, namely, seitan.  It's so strange that even my spell check doesn't recognize it.  It's a product made from wheat gluten and whole wheat flour.  It's a good source of protein, low in carbs and fat, and makes a good meat substitute.

You'll also notice that the three vegetables are listed as divided.  That means you want two bowls for the veggies, and each bowl should contain a half-cup of each.  Hang in there, it gets easier.

Distructions:
 In a heavy bottomed kettle saute' the seitan in the heated oil for about a minute.  Add the dish of seasonings along with half the veggies.  That's a half cup of the onion, green pepper and celery.  Saute' for about five minutes.  Stir in the garlic for the last 30 seconds.

Add the tomato sauce and cook for one minute.  Stir in the rest of the veggies along with the tomatoes.  Remove the kettle from the heat and stir in the broth and rice.

Now place this mixture into a rectangular baking pan and pop it into a 400 degree oven for about an hour.  Bake this uncovered.  Remove from the oven when the rice is done, stir, and remove the bay leaves.

Serve this with a veggie on the side, some cornbread, and a CD of Zydeco music.  Ponder the question, if you're old enough to remember the song, what is file' gumbo?

Loveya
The Mom

Cabbage Soup

"Idealist: One who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make a better soup."  Henry Louis Mencken

This, to me, is soup weather.  Crisp fall days with the temperature dropping.  One of my favorite soups is a cabbage soup, probably because of memories of luscious aromas wafting through the house as this soup simmered on the stove when I was a child.  Or perhaps it's because it's so darn easy to make in big batches and have a freezer filled with containers for another day.  Laziness wins out over nostalgia.

Ingredients:
  2 T oil
  onion, chopped
  carrots, peeled and chopped
  celery, chopped
  cabbage, chopped
  canned tomatoes
  veggie broth
  thyme (optional)
  sun dried tomato spread (optional)
  S&P to taste

Distructions:
  In a large soup kettle saute the veggies in the heated oil for a few minutes.  Stir in canned tomatoes.  Add the broth.  Add some thyme if you care to.  Cover and simmer until veggies are tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in a bit of sun dried tomato spread if there's any left in the fridge.

It was one of those moments when I wanted my soup to have a little more tomato taste.  I discovered, however, that I was out of additional tomatoes, in any form.  But there was that sun dried tomato spread in the fridge.  What the heck, I thought, and added a bit.  Delicious!

Did you notice?  I didn't put any amounts with the ingredients.  Just note that carrots tend to add sweetness to a dish and go from there.  How much you want to make will determine how much you put into the soup kettle.  Life can be pretty simple.

Loveya
The Mom

Sun Dried Tomato Spread

"The second day of a diet is always easier than the first.  By the second day you're off of it."  Jackie Gleason

Sun Dried Tomato Spread

Here is a little recipe to serve with crackers, thinly sliced grainy breads, and veggies.  It's fast, easy, and it makes a bunch.  It's also the secret ingredient in other recipes after you make a bunch and have to use it up.  More about that next month, which is tomorrow.

Ingredients:
  1 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained
  1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  2 T olive oil, plus or minus one or two
  3 cloves garlic
  Juice of 1 lime
  Pickled jalapenos, 3 to 6 slices
  Fresh basil, large leaves, 6 to 8
  Salt to taste

Place all in the blender and whip it until it's a chunky paste.  Adjust the amount of olive oil to get the consistency you want.  You don't want to add so much olive oil that you blend the mixture into a paste, unless you do want to blend the mixture into a paste.  Personally, I like foods with a bit of texture.

What to do with the oil that was drained from the sun dried tomatoes??  I whipped it up with a splash of apple cider vinegar, added a dash of agave nectar, and used it as a salad dressing on some red cabbage.  I'm sure you could have thought of that too.  You're very clever.  

Loveya
The Mom

Measure Twice

"The problem is not the problem.  The problem is your attitude about the problem."  Anon

It's a pretty sorry state of affairs when a person follows their own instructions and finds themselves at a loss.  That's what happened when I followed my recipe for Veggie Burger, posted on September 18.  It seems that when it comes to giving directions I'm about as adept as I am at following directions.  Let's not go there.

At any rate, in the ingredients for the veggie burger I listed 6 T ground flax seeds.  It should have read, 6 T flax seeds, ground.  This makes about 2/3 cups ground flax seed.  It should have also read 2 cups sunflower seed, ground, and not 2 cups ground sunflower seeds.  I've gone back and made the changes in the September 18 recipe for future generations.  Sorry about any inconvenience I may have caused.

But that isn't the end of my saga.  Once I figured out the glitch, and added the correct amount of ground flax seed and sunflower seeds, I formed the mixture into little patties and got them going in my dehydrator.  When what to my wondering eyes should appear but a bowl of carrot pulp that was supposed to be in the veggie burger mix.  I removed the little burgers from the dehydrator and dumped them into the bowl with the carrot pulp.  Mix, form, and back into the dehydrator.

That was my worst problem of the day, so I lived happily ever after.  I'm a pretty lucky person!

Loveya
The Mom

Forks Over Knives

"If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny."  Thomas Jefferson

Whoa, Tom!  Government will only have a say over my food and medicine when government subsidizes certain crops over others and industries that support political candidates, rather than doctors, make decisions about what medicines and treatments will be covered by health insurance.

OK.  So I've been going through an internal struggle.  I want my food blog to be tolerant of other people's lifestyles.  Maybe I should share my award-winning recipe for pork tenderloin from my days as a carnivore.  I also want the recipes that I share to be delicious and easy.  What's a little butter among friends?  Finally, I want hair like Farrah Fawcett and a body like Sophia Loren.  Yes, I'm shallow.

Then I watched a documentary on Netflix about a plant-based diet, which I struggle to follow.  Not Netflix, but a plant-based diet. The documentary was "Forks Over Knives."  It refers to healing the body with food rather than medical intervention, such as surgeries.  I'm a believer.

When discussing this movie with a friend, who happens to belong to a family of cattle raisers, the discussion was interesting.  She consumes large amounts of meat and cheese declaring her belief that I'm no healthier that she is in spite of my vegetarian bent.  To all appearances, which include her lean body, I might be tempted to agree.  But I kept remembering the day we took a stroll along a country road and she wanted to head back because the road was slightly inclined and she was huffing and puffing.

There is no big money in raising fruits, veggies, and whole grains.  There is big money, for a select group, in drugs and health insurance.  And so I'm going to continue to pelt you with vegetarian recipes that will, for the most part, also be vegan.  I'm aiming for a long life filled with good friends and delicious food.  The Farrah hair and Sophia body would also be appreciated.

Loveya
The Mom

Butternut Squash Revisited

"The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers.  The original meal has never been found."  Calvin Trillin

As promised, I'm sharing two ideas on what to do with leftover butternut squash.  OK.  Let's make that three. 

First, you could mix it with cooked rice and serve it as risotto.  That's cheating and isn't real risotto but I won't tell if you won't.

Butternut Squash Topped with Veggie Chili

Next, you can warm the butternut squash, place a serving sized amount on a plate with a well in the middle, and fill the well with vegetable chili.  Talk about too easy to even consider work.  If you don't have a recipe for vegetable chili here's one that's easy and delicious.

Ingredients:
  Diced onion
  Diced pepper - red, green or yellow
  A bit of oil in which to saute' the above 
Add:
   Diced carrots
  Medium sized can diced tomatoes
  Sprinkle of chili powder
  Sprinkle of cumin
  (Secret ingredient) 1 to 3 t of cocoa powder 
  Vegetable broth 
Optional:
  Can of corn, drained
  Can of green beans, drained

Distructions:
  Saute onion and pepper in oil for a few minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until veggies are tender.  Salt to taste.

Butternut Squash Topped with Swiss Chard, Mushrooms & Onions

And third, you can saute' a few veggies, such as onions and peppers, and add them directly to the butternut squash.  I got this idea from my friend, Marilyn, who puts a gaggle of veggies in her butternut squash soup.  Top the whole thing with greens that you've sauteed with diced onions and sliced mushrooms.  I used Swiss chard because, in spite of my gardening abilities, the Swiss chard continues to thrive in my garden as fall descends upon the land.  Almost makes me want to break into a soliloquy. 

OK, one more idea.  Place the leftover Swiss chard in a container and freeze it for use at a later date.  If you don't label the container you'll get to play, "What in the world is this," as you examine the contents of your freezer in the middle of winter.  It's a nice way to pass the time on a winter day.

Loveya
The Mom

Butternut Squash Soup

"When I was having that alphabet soup, I never thought that it would pay off."  Vanna White

I love soup.  Not only is it easy to make but it can also be made in big batches, comes in endless varieties, and can generally be frozen for consumption at a later date, which provides an occasional day off from cooking.  In the fall I like hearty vegetable soups or soups made from winter squash.  Here's one of my favorite takes on a butternut squash soup.  It's vegan and delicious.

Ingredients:
  1 cup butternut squash, cooked or baked and mashed
  1 cup almond milk - can use soy or rice or cow
  1 T coconut butter
  1 t curry powder
  Salt to taste

My favorite way to prepare a butternut squash is to roast the whole thing for about an hour, remove it from the oven to allow it to cool, an then cut it open, remove the seeds, peel, and mash the pulp.  Another option is to peel and dice the raw squash and then cook the chunks, sans seeds, of course.  Either way it's necessary to get yourself a cup or two of mashed butternut squash.

The amount of almond mild will depend on the consistency you'd like for the soup.  I made this one rather thick and rich with a one to one ratio with the squash.  It made a great first serving, but a little goes a long way.

But there's more!  Tomorrow I'll be posting other ways to use up the rest of the butternut squash.  Unless you found a rather small butternut squash you'll be wondering what to do with all that golden deliciousness.

Loveya
The Mom
  
 

Recipe for a Vacation

"The alternative to a vacation is to stay at home and tip every third person that you see." Anon

Did you ever browse through one of those cookbooks that have those cutesy little recipes for happiness that begin, "Take three smiles and two hugs and add..."  By the time I get to the part about mixing in the sunshine I'm ready to set fire to the book.  But that might just be me.

With that in mind I'm about to give you a recipe for a vacation.  My husband and I seldom vacation together because of our schedules and our very diverse interests in life.  I don't want to spend time at a NASCAR event and he doesn't want to spend time exploring quaint little shops.  What to do?

We recently spent one day together in a largish city that was a mere two hours away.  We stayed at the finest hotel that the city had to offer where we were treated like royalty.  We both enjoyed that.  We also walked through a renovated area of the city where there were quaint little restaurants.  For brunch he enjoyed French toast smothered in candied pears, pecans, and maple syrup while I enjoyed a beet salad that was festooned with goat cheese. 

Sunday afternoon found us in our opulent room enjoying a rousing football game while nibbling on a few exquisite chocolates.  We'd found a gourmet chocolate shop on our walk back to the hotel.  In the evening we took a long stroll along the river walk and discovered a microbrewery where we enjoyed a delicious veggie pizza (me) and a burger worthy of a king (he).  Fortunately, the weather was perfect for the entire day.

In the morning we ate at the hotel restaurant and then headed for home, both of us refreshed and ready to get back to our day-to-day lives.  Total cost, besides the room and gas to drive there and back, was about $100 for food.  I've now become a proponent of the one-day vacation.  I recommend you mix in perfect weather and a partner who's a good walker and willing spring for a great hotel. 

Loveya
The Mom

Mayo Sans Egg

"Life is too short for self-hatred and celery sticks."  Marilynn Wann

Tasty Dressing on Tomato

On to salad dressings and the use of the word, sans, which means, without.  So this is a mayo made without eggs.  Why would you want to create such an entity?  How about an egg allergy or a recipe for people who indulge in an eating program that's free of animal products.  Or best yet, how about looking up the health benefits of the cashew!  This little nut contains good fat and enough nutrients to make your body say, "Wow!"  You will be impressed.  You will also be fat if you eat too many of these nutrient rich little guys.

Here's a creative way to add a few cashews to your meals.  It's a recipe for a salad dressing made with cashews.  Some people might try to pass this off as mayo, but it is not.  Just like an orange is not an apple.  Each is unique.  Each is delicious in its own way.  So maybe this recipe needs a different name but I've not had enough coffee today to come up with anything enticing and creative.  Help would be appreciated. 

Ingredients:
  1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
  1/2-cup water
  2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  1 T lemon juice, or juice from 1/2 lemon
  1/2 t salt, more or less to taste

Distructions:
  Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend at high speed until creamy.  Amen.

I sometimes use this dressing in the mock tuna salad made with carrot pulp.  I also like it mixed with a diced tomato and crunchy veggies.  Crunchy veggies would include celery, onions, and peppers. Red peppers are my favorite.  The amount of garlic in this recipe is dependent upon your social life or lack thereof.  Some days are better than others!

Loveya
The Mom

Corn Tortillas

"Hunger: One of the few cravings that cannot be appeased by another solution."  Irwin Van Grove

Taco Salad with Tortilla Strips

One of my intense cravings is for southwestern food.  I love tacos and burritos and anything else southwestern.  This may seem problematic to some people when they imagine a low-fat, vegetarian diet.  But fear not.  There is a plethora of wonderful ways to create great southwestern flavors that are vegetarian.  Here's my variation on the corn tortilla that's simple to make and bursting with flavor. 

Ingredients: 
  1-15.25 oz can corn, drained
  1/2 cup flax meal
  3T olive oil
  1/2 cup water
  1/4 t salt
  Jalapeno pepper, small piece minced (optional)

Distructions
  Place all of the ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend well.  Ladle onto a lined Excalibur Dehydrator tray in about 1/4-cup portions.  Dehydrate at 105 degrees for about 5 to 6 hours.  Flip over the liner and peel it away.  Dehydrate for an additional 5 to 6 hours. 

Store tortillas in a plastic bag and refrigerate.  This makes about 6 soft tortillas that you can fill or cut into strips for a topping on a taco salad. 

Note: Did you notice that 16 oz cans of corn are not 16 oz any more.  They are 15.5 or 15.25 or some other ridiculous number.  That way the canning company doesn't have to raise their price in order to get more money for their product.  They simply give less product for the same money.  And then they raise their prices anyway. 

One other note on canning companies.  I had the interesting experience to work in a cannery for a few summers.  As the cans went down the line they passed a nozzle that would squirt some salt water into the veggies before the can was sealed and put into the cooker.  When there was an order for salt-free veggies the nozzle would be swiveled away from the cans and the salt water would squirt onto the floor.  Consumers are charged more for salt-free.  They pay more when they're getting less.  Go figure.

Loveya
The Mom 

Ode to a Vanilla Bean

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." J.R.R Tolkien

I often do things on a whim.  Note: This would be a great name for a bicycle.  Marketing tag line - "I did it on a Whim!"  Oops.  Too much coffee this morning.

At any rate, I was recently shopping at one of my favorite grocery stores when I happened to notice that they had real live vanilla beans for sale.  There just seems to be something romantic about making things as difficult as possible while preparing food so I decided to purchase a vanilla bean or two in order to make my almond milk, which is a blessing for those of us with lactose intolerance.

Vanilla Beans & Vanilla Seeds

At any rate, if you look back at my blog entry for September 8 you'll see an actual recipe for almond milk where I give the option of using a vanilla bean or a splash of vanilla extract.  I take all of that back.  I happen to have a bottle of pure vanilla extract, which one would conclude is purely the extract of the vanilla bean,  Think again, Sparky.  The list of ingredients includes vanilla bean extractives in water, alcohol (35%) and corn syrup.  First of all, with that alcohol content it should be illegal to sell vanilla extract to minors. 

Almond Milk & Vanilla Bean

Second, after enjoying one batch of almond milk made with vanilla extract and then making a batch using a real vanilla bean there is simply no comparison.  OK, I can compare.  The vanilla extract batch had a chemical taste.  Perhaps it was the alcohol.  While the almond milk made with a vanilla bean had a rich vanilla/almond flavor instead of a chemical tinge to it.  And it is so simple to use a vanilla bean.  You simply slit it down its length and scrape out the vanilla beans that are so numerous that they're more like a paste.

One last note.  For my latest batch of almond milk I did not soak the almonds overnight and the flavor was not as intense.  Or maybe I'm simply losing my sense of taste after chugging a bottle of vanilla extract.  All in the name of science!

Loveya
The Mom

Veggie Burger

"If we're not supposed to eat animals...how come they're made out of meat."  Anon

Three Mini Veggie Burgers

For those of us who for health or ethical reasons eschew the consumption of meat, let us have a moment of silence for all those times when our souls are yearning for the taste of a buffalo wing or a bacon cheeseburger with extra cheese.  Enough silence.  Now it's time to get on with finding a nice substitute or two.

What I crave even more than slivers under my fingernails or a family get-together is a burger-like something to enjoy with the major food groups of pickles and catsup, which is supposedly spicier than ketchup if you read the same internet information that I do.  But that's a discussion for another time when I don't have a life and want to pontificate on something.

I found a few recipes and carefully tweaked them to accommodate the leftovers that were lurking in my refrigerator.

Ingredients:
  6 T flax seeds, ground
  3/4 cups water
  2 cups sunflower seeds, ground
  2 cups carrot pulp (about 5 large carrots, juiced
 1 cup finely minced celery
  1 cup finely minced onion
  1/4 cup finely minced red pepper
  1 spicy pepper, minced
  1 T Bragg liquid amino

Distructions:
In a blender whip together the ground flax seeds and water.  Immediately transfer the mixture to a bowl and rinse out the blender before the works get all gummed up.  This is the part of the mixture that's going to hold the mixture together.

In another, larger bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients.  Add the flax seed mixture and work everything together.  Start mixing with a wooden spoon and then move on to using your hands.  Work it good.

Veggie Burgers Dressed for a Party

At this point you can shape the mixture into about a half dozen patties and dehydrate them for about six hours on each side.  My preference is to make about 18 to 20 small patties, measuring the mixture with a melon baller, and shaping the little fellers with my hands.  These can be dehydrated for about 4 hours on each side.  Transfer to a refrigerator container and store in the fridge.  These keep for 3 to 4 days.

My favorite way to enjoy these is to take the chill off of them in a warm frying pan and then dress them up with a slice of a pickled jalapeno and a dab of catsup.  Create your own favorite flavors.

Loveya
The Mom

Mock Tuna Salad

"A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch."  James Beard

This is one of those great recipes that uses the carrot pulp left over from making carrot juice.  Ah, yes.  Those of us who are consuming large quantities of carrot juice in order to tint our skin orange have a pulp waste problem, but not anything, I assure you, as problematic as nuclear waste.  Sorry for the tangent.  Too much coffee this morning.

At any rate, I have been tilling the carrot pulp into my garden where it's enriched the soil.  But it still seemed like there should be something else I could do with all that good fiber.  Enter the mock tuna salad recipe, which, of course, I tweaked.

The original recipe has just a few raw veggies diced into the mixture.  I added a bunch more because I love the crunch of raw veggies in a salad.  The original recipe also has a mock mayo that's made from a gaggle of nuts.  I found a way to do away with making the mock mayo.  Here's my version.

Ingredients:
  2 cups carrot pulp from juicer
  1 cup diced celery
  1 cup diced onion
  1/2 cup diced pepper, red or yellow
  Dash of salt
  Hummus to moisten

Mix everything together and enjoy!

Yes, I use store bought hummus in my salad, which makes it a snap to put together and also gives it a bit of a kick.  The texture of the pulp copies the texture of tuna salad.  Delicious!

True Confession
Whenever I make this salad, which is quite often, I never measure the ingredients.  I use as much pulp as I have on hand and lots of diced veggies.  Sometimes I even add diced stems from broccoli or diced radishes.  Although I most often enjoy this salad on top of greens it's also delicious inside of pita bread or on toast served with some tasty greens.  Confession is good for the soul.  I feel so much better now.

Loveya
The Mom

Window Cleaner

"Nature abhors a vacuum.  And so do I."  Anne Gibbons 

Time for a recipe to help with the chores around the house.  This one is for a window cleaning solution.  I got this recipe from a professional window cleaner who came to a business where I worked and washed the windows every month!  I actually know a woman who washes her windows every month.  I think that's overkill.  How can anyone appreciate your efforts unless there's a significant difference between the before and after pictures that you post on Facebook.  "Look!  I washed my windows today!"  No.  I am not on Facebook.  I do not have any friends. 

But back to shiny windows.  The recipe is simple.

Ingredients:
  1/2 cup vinegar
  1/2 cup ammonia
  2 T cornstarch
  1 gallon warm water

Mix the ingredients together in a bucket.  Make sure that the cornstarch is thoroughly dissolved.

You'll also need a cloth for washing the windows, old newspaper for drying the windows, and a soft cloth for a final polish.   With this method of cleaning windows you will not end up with a pile of rags that need to be washed.  You'll end up with a pile of wet newspaper that needs to be recycled.  You can do that.

Distructions:
Wet and ring out your washing cloth in the bucket of cleaning solution.  Wipe down the widow with the cloth.  Rinse out the cloth and wipe again if that seems necessary.  It generally isn't unless you live in the vicinity of a smelting factory.  Next, crush up a sheet of newspaper and dry the window, turning and re-crushing the newspaper until the window is almost dry.  Finally, take your soft polishing cloth and give the window a quick polish.  Move on to the next window.  You'll be done in no time and your windows will look great.


Note:  While researching other window washing recipes I came across a recipe that uses lemon juice, club soda and cornstarch that's put into a spray bottle and given a good shake before spritzing it onto the windows.  I have a bit of reserve about shaking a bottle that's filled with a carbonated beverage.  Maybe the creator of the recipe just has a lovely sense of humor. 

Final Note: I added one more thing to my fall window washing extravaganza to make the whole process even easier.  I hired a student to come over and wash my windows for me.  I'm smarter than I look, thank goodness!

Loveya
The Mom

Great Groats!

"I once went to a cafe that advertised breakfast at anytime, so I ordered French toast during the Renaissance." Steven Wright

I've recently decided to give up cooking.  It's only because I'm heavily influenced by what I read and I've been reading dietary advice about the advantages of eating a raw diet.  Even though this thought has been bouncing around in my head for quite some time, it's only recently that I've been exploring cookbooks and websites that cater to such bizarre thinking.  I've actually come up with quite a few quick and tasty dishes that have my heart singing and my body humming happily along.

One of my initial concerns with such an eating plan involved breakfast.  I love cereal but do not want to consume any sugar laden concoctions even if there are wonderful prizes in the box like Dick Tracey decoder rings.  Good grief!  Have I given away my age!?  Actually, forget my age, like I try to do - I don't want any sugar in my cereal yet I want it to be tasty.

And then there's the lactose intolerance.  Yes, I love milk and cookies as much as the next person, but my body is intolerant.  The milk thing, however, was the easiest problem to solve.  Enter, almond milk.

Almond Milk
  Soak 1/2 cup of raw almonds in water overnight.  In the morning drain and rinse the almonds.  Then place the almonds into a blender and add:
  5 cups water
  1 vanilla bean, the insides, which have been scraped out with a sharp knife, or a splash of vanilla extract
  Dash of salt
Blend at high speed until the contents are liquid.  Store in a jar in the fridge.

But now I wanted a cold, crunchy cereal on which to pour my delicious milk creation.  Enter buckwheat groats!  Most recipes for buckwheat groats have a person cooking the life out of the groats.  Not my idea of a cool, crunchy breakfast.  But I did find a couple of ideas for an uncooked version.

Toasted Groats on the Right - Fruit and Nuts to the Left

Toasted Buckwheat Groats
  The first step to prepare the buckwheat groats is to soak them in water for about 6 hours at a ratio of about 4 to 1.  That's four cups of water to 1 cup of groats.  Although this next step is optional, I like to drain and rinse the groats about every two hours.  They tend to get slimy but this too shall pass.

After the groats have soaked, swelled, and are well drained and rinsed, place them into a dehydrator for another six hours.  Make sure to spread them into a single layer.  I found that I could put them right onto the mesh screen in my Excalibur dehydrator without the teflex sheet.  If you don't have a dehydrator you could try drying your groats in an oven at a low heat.  The resulting dehydrated groats are crispy and crunchy like a boxed cereal but for about half the price. 

For a breakfast treat I whipped up a container of sunflower seeds, chopped Brazil nuts, cranberries (sweetened without sugar), chopped dried apricots, and a bit of coconut.  First I soaked the nuts in this concoction overnight to make them more tender and digestible.  I added this fruit and nut mixture to my toasted groats, poured on the almond milk, and made smacking noises as I enjoyed this delicious breakfast.

About Buckwheat Groats
Buckwheat groats are gluten free and rich in magnesium, manganese, and dietary fiber.  Magnesium is a mineral that helps maintain normal nerve and muscle function, supports a healthy immune system, and along with calcium and phosphorus maintains strong bones and teeth.  Magnesium also aids in regulating blood sugar levels, blood pressure and aids in weight management.  I think that's because it's fat free and also makes you feel full pretty darn quick, but that last part is not a medical statement.

From my initial encounter with toasted groats I know that they're going to become a regular part of my breakfast menu.  They also makes a great snack.  Life is good!

Loveya
The Mom

Fast and Easy Pizza

"We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink."  Epicurus  

One of my favorite breads that I was introduced to by a dear, food-lovin' friend is called Naan.  This soft, flatbread is described as a bread of India or a bread popular in south or central Asia depending on the Internet source you read.  Whatever.  I generally have a package of Naan on hand in the whole wheat version.  It's a nice addition to a meal.

Naan Pizza

The other night as I was lining up the leftovers in my fridge I realized that I had the makings of a pizza.  There was a jar that contained about 1/4 cup of spaghetti sauce, some soy pork sausage, a small container of sauteed peppers and onions, and a small chunk of Havarti dill cheese.  There was also some Naan.

I warmed the sauce and veggies so I wouldn't have to bake the resulting concoction to death and dry out the Naan.  Once I layered on the warm sauce, veggies, sausage and cheese, I slipped my creation into a pan and then into the oven for just a few minutes to melt the cheese.  At this point I was going to artfully display the Naan pizza on a lovely platter for a photo shoot.  Unfortunately, someone got to the pizza before the artful phase could happen.  I had obviously found someone to eat with!

One Naan per person is a reasonable serving for this pizza creation.  With a salad on the side it makes a mighty fine meal.

Loveya
The Mom

Viagra Soup

"All I ask of food is that it doesn't harm me." Michael Palin

OK.  So this soup is not made with Viagra, but with fava beans.  And if you believe all the hype about fava beans you're going to want to eats this soup.  Lots of it.  Or at least you're going to want to eat fava beans.  Fava beans have a high concentration of L-dopa, an amino acid that's a neurotransmitter in the brain and plays a role in brain activities such as memory, energy and sex drive.  Yes, sex sells, so you might want to mention these fava bean health facts to your adult, picky eaters.

Beautiful Dandelion Greens

And then there are the dandelion greens.  Don't get me started on dandelion greens.  The health claims for these darlings are so outlandish that I'm afraid to print what I learned for fear that there will be a stampede to health food co-ops around the world and there won't be any dandelion greens left for me.

Yes, it's best to purchase commercial dandelion greens as you don't know what's actually landed on the dandelions in your yard.  And look how beautiful they are.  Also, because they're so beautiful you can probably pass them off as Italian flat-leaf parsley.  Or is it that I'm able to lie with a straight face?  Five children and numerous stories about tooth faeries and Christmas elves have made me an expert at embellishing facts.  So here's the recipe before I let slip any more confessions.

Ingredients:
  Double batch of A Really Good Broth (7/24 blog entry)
  2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
  1 bunch dandelion greens, washed and chopped - I also remove the stems
  4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  1 can fava beans, drained and rinsed
 
Distructions:
Whip up a double batch of A Really Good Broth.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 20 minutes.

The broth has a rich meaty aroma, even though it's completely vegan.  Feel free to increase or decrease any of the ingredients according to your preferences.  Feel free to add other vegetables, such as carrots or celery.  Aren't choices wonderful.  Enjoy!

Asian Dressing

"The embarrassing thing is that the salad dressings is outgrossing my films."  Paul Newman

I've often (twice) been in a lovely eating establishment and enjoyed a salad dressing that was listed as Asian.  The dressing was tossed with napa and/or other cabbages and had some grated carrots for color and a few chives or green onions for a bit more bite and color.  How, I wondered, as I tossed and turned in my bed that night, did they grate those carrots without skinning their knuckles!

Actually, no such thoughts ever occurred to me but lately I've been reading a few too many trashy novels and I've come down with a case of the dramatics.  What I did wonder was how they got that great, rich taste.  So as I was cleaning out a kitchen cabinet I came across a bottle of toasted sesame oil.  I decided to give it the sniff test to see exactly what I was dealing with.  Voila!  The oil immediately brought back memories of the Asian dressing.  Working with that lovely aroma I came up with the following.  This amount coats enough veggies to serve one or two so double or triple the recipe depending on the size of your gathering.

Ingredients:
  1T Bragg Liquid Amino
  1 T agave nectar
  1 t Bragg apple cider vinegar
  1 1/2 t toasted sesame oil
  1 or more cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
  A sprinkling of grated ginger to taste

Distructions:
  Put everything into a bowl and whisk it together.  Toss with napa cabbage and other veggies that would look nice together. 

About Grated Ginger
  Did you know that you can place a piece of ginger into a plastic bag or container and freeze it?   It will keep almost indefinitely.  When you need a bit of grated ginger you simply grate a bit off of the frozen ginger, pop it back into the freezer, and leave it their for your next of kin to discover.

About the Picture
  For those gourmands in the group, you've probably noticed that the picture with this blog entry has a sprig of rosemary on the plate along with the other ingredients for the dressing.  "There's no rosemary in the recipe!"  you emote.  "Is she trying to trick us?"  No, this is not a trick.  For tricks see Keith Barry on You Tube.  The ingredients simply needed a splash of green.  Mystery solved.

Loveya
The Mom

Yum Butter

Sign in a Hong Kong supermarket - " For your convenience, we recommend courageous, efficient self-service."

Ah, would that kitchens around the world would host such signs.  Failing that, I look for convenient foods without serving convenience food.  Here's my latest find.

A new company, Yumbutter, started by a young man with a passion for peanut butter, is in it's fledgling years and gladdening the hearts of the many others who enjoy wholesome peanut butter.  These peanut butters are made from organic peanuts but without sugar, palm oil, or hydrogenated anything.  My favorite is the Asian Jazz.

Even though I occasionally spoon a glob of Asian Jazz directly from the jar and into my mouth, I find that this particular Yumbutter shines even more as an ingredient where a curry peanut sauce is part of the recipe.  With Asian Jazz you'll never again have to make the curry peanut sauce.  It's right there in the jar all made up for you.  It's like having a husband who loves to experience courageous and efficient self-service!  OK.  Let's not get carried away with wild fantasies.

At any rate, I urge you to Google "Yumbutter" where you'll find information about their other flavors, including Dark Chocolate Delishe, along with recipes and an easy way to order online.  For those of you who live in or around Madison, Wisconsin, you can now buy Yumbutter at some of the area Farmer's Markets.  Someday, as your mother used to say, you'll thank me.

Loveya
The Mom

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

"Food is an important part of a balanced diet."  Fran Lebowitz

I recently ran into a friend who gave high praise for the Happy Joe's, the recipe for pseudo Sloppy Joe's made with lentils.  (8/11 blog entry)  The whole gang enjoyed the dish when she served it for company.  And lentils are a great way to get more protein without ingesting excess animal fat.  One thing I forgot to mention with the Happy Joe's is that you can freeze the dish which makes it perfect for days when you feel like making a big batch of something but don't want to eat a big batch of something.

Well, here's another such gem.  This recipe for Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage is virtually fat free and can be frozen for enjoyment at a later date.  And best of all, it tastes great.  On the nutritional benefit side red cabbage protects brain cells, lowers serum cholesterol, builds muscles, cleans blood, and strengthens your eyes.  Whoa!  Let's get cooking.

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage artfully garnished with parsley from my garden!

Ingredients:
  Small to medium head of red cabbage - you'll need about 8 cups, but don't obsess over this
  1 cup pineapple juice
  1 t salt
  1/2 cup raisin, regular or golden
  tarragon vinegar (amount to follow)
  Smidgen of Stevia
  black pepper to taste

Distructions:
Core and finely slice the red cabbage.  Place the cabbage into a large, heavy pot with the pineapple juice and salt.  Bring to boil, adjust heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.

While the cabbage is simmering fill a 1/2 cup measuring cup with the raisins.  While the raisins are still in the 1/2 cup measuring cup pour in the tarragon vinegar until it reaches the top of the cup.  After the 15 to 20 minutes of simmering add this raisin and tarragon vinegar mixture to the cabbage along with the Stevia, cover and simmer for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.  Adjust seasoning.  Enjoy!

For those of you unfamiliar with Stevia it's a plant that's sweet and makes a darn good sweetener.  It comes in a powder or liquid.  I use the powder and add a sprinkle that's barely visible to the naked eye in this particular recipe.  More than that and it tastes yukky.  Trusts me on this one. 

Loveya
The Mom

Happy Joe's

"Approach love and cooking with equal abandon."  The Dalai Lama

Happy Joe's With Pistou Rice

In my search for luscious vegetarian foods I'm often overcome with a yearning for tastes from yesteryear.  One of my favorite foods as a child were the Sloppy Joe's that mom whipped up on summer weekends.  For those of you who have eschewed beef for the more healthful ground turkey in your Sloppy Joe recipe, welcome to factory farming and the recall of 36 million pounds of ground turkey this summer.  Hmmm.

So we're going to avoid the beef and the turkey and still enjoy the taste of Sloppy Joe's, you ask.  Well, we're going to get pretty darn close.  For the meaty texture this recipe uses lentils, which contain enough dietary fiber to make your digestive system a happy little camper.  There's also an awesome amount of magnesium and folate, which will make your heart happy.  And then there's all that molybdenum, a mineral that's not had a lot of study up to now because scientists couldn't agree on how to pronounce the word.  So far, however, it's suspected that molybdenum helps fight anemia, tooth decay, and cancer.  Not bad for a mineral with a strange name.   

Ingredients:
  1 cup uncooked lentils, washed and sorted (remove stones or any lentils that look strange)
  4 cups water
  1 T olive oil
  1 medium onion, diced
  1 green pepper, diced
  3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  2 T chili powder
  2 t dried oregano
  8 ounces tomato sauce
  1/4 cup tomato paste
  2 T agave nectar or real maple syrup
  2 T prepared yellow mustard
  1 T apple cider vinegar
  Salt to taste

Distructions:
Pour lentils and water into a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tender.  That will be about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes.  Add the garlic and gently saute for another minute.  Stir in the lentils, chili powder, oregano, tomato sauce and tomato paste.  Cook for about 10 minutes.  Then add everything else, which would be the agave nectar, mustard, and vinegar.  Cover, turn off the heat, and let all the ingredients visit for about 10 minutes.  Salt to taste.

I like to serve this Happy Joe's recipe, without a bun, next to a lovely serving of Pistou Rice.  This is another conversation as authentic pistou is a simple mixture of basil, olive oil, and salt, lovingly pounded with a mortar and pestle.   This concoction is then added to soup to impart a rich flavor.  So far I'm vaguely interested because I have a bumper crop of basil in my garden.

However, the recipe for pistou has evolved to include other ingredients such as tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.  Sounds delightful, but labor intensive.  My version of pistou -

Incredients:
 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
 1 can great northern beans, undrained
 3 cloves of garlic
  Salt and pepper to taste

Distructions:
Place the ingredients into a blender and whip into a paste.  Pour or spoon into an ice cube tray and freeze.  When frozen, place into a freezer bag or plastic container and place into the freezer.  Use in soups or cooked rice.

I use the pistou in cooked rice, stirring it into the rice after it's finished cooking but is still nice and hot.  The cube of pistou melts and the rice has a lovely hint of basil.  This pistou also adds a bit of beans to the rice which makes it a complete protein dish.  Served with Happy Joe's this combination will give you a protein rich dish that's worth writing home about.  OK, emailing home about.  I am so trying to keep up with this technology thing!

Loveya
The Mom

African Peanut Stew

 "Never eat more than you can lift."  Miss Piggy

I got this recipe from my friend, Deb, who immediately listed its shortcomings, which immediately caught my attention.  I love tweaking recipes.  The other part of the recipe that caught my attention was the fact that it uses 4 cups of Swiss chard or kale.  Right now my garden is overflowing with Swiss chard.

The original recipe calls for crushed pineapple that's mixed into the peanut sauce.  Deb commented on the aesthetics of the dish, saying that this mixture wasn't visually appealing.  The original also calls for crushed peanuts on the top, which I felt was overkill.  There's already a half-cup of peanut butter in the sauce.  The original also calls for chopped scallions as a garnish.  Not going to happen in my version.    I've recently started a love affair with vidalia onions and found that a smattering of these lovelies is a perfect topper.  Finally, the original is supposed to be served over couscous.  That might have happened but I had some left over pasta in the fridge.  I mixed the pasta right into the sauce and it turned out pretty darn delicious.

Ingredients:
  1 c chopped onions
  3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  1 T vegetable oil
  4 c Swiss chard, chopped
  20 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained, reserve liquid
  1/2 c peanut butter
  1 T Tabasco sauce
  1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  salt to taste
  1/4 cup finely, or finally diced vidalia onion
   Left over pasta or rice or couscous
  Parsley for garnish (optional, but a nice touch)

Distructions:
Saute onion in oil for about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic for the last minute.  Add the pineapple juice and bring to a simmer.  Stir in the Swiss chard, cover, and simmer for about 7 minutes.

Mix in the peanut butter, Tabasco, and cilantro.  Cover once again and simmer for another five minutes.  At the end of this five minutes stir in a cup or so of any leftover pasta you might have on hand.  If you've no leftover pasta you could simply cook up some rice or couscous.  Salt to taste.

Place in a serving bowl or on individual plates and top with a generous smattering of pineapple tidbits and diced vidalia onions.  Garnish with a few sprigs of parsley.

The original recipe states that it serves 4.  I ate half of it along with a substantial serving of my favorite sweet and sour red cabbage.  Because the cabbage is also simmered in pineapple juice the dishes went together beautifully.  I'll be posting the red cabbage recipe forthwith so you can also enjoy this tasty duet.

Loveya
The Mom

Lovely Little Appliances

"To B or not to B." The Mom

The question I posed to myself was whether to place a B at the end of the word, Dum, in Words of Whiz Dum.  I guess I'll have to struggle with that dilemma on my own, unless any of you have a burning opinion that you're dying to share.

This blog category, Words of Whiz Dum, is going to address issues aside from actual recipes.  This particular blog entry, for instance, is going to talk about small, kitchen appliances, such as, juicers, the Excalibur dehydrator and the Vita-Mix blender.  Yes, I've chosen the top of the line, possibly most expensive, dehydrator and blender on the market.  I'm still schlepping along with a good, but not great, juicer that I purchased used for $25.  It's a good first juicer in my retinue of small appliances and does everything that I want it to do.

But do a detect a hue and cry among the masses about the "cost" of these appliances that kitchens have done without for the past eon or so?  Let's address these concerns one at a time.  First there's cost.  Does your kitchen have a stove?  How about a refrigerator?  Do you own a cell phone?  How about a TV?  More than one TV!  Do you own a car?  Do your children/grandchildren own a game unit?  Do you own clothing that you no longer wear and never did wear very much?  Are you paying a high premium for health insurance?  Do you spend a tidy amount every month for prescriptions and doctors?  Do you own any expensive exercise equipment that has become a clothes rack?  OK. I'll stop being my annoying self and simply state that we spend on things we don't really need and pay for the consequences for our unhealthy lifestyles.  It's choices and always has been.  As Wayne Dyer said, "Our lives are the sum total of the choices we have made."  Actually, I thought Eleanor Roosevelt said that, but what she did say was, "You're damned if you do and damned if you don't!"  But back to life's choices.

Perhaps it's time to cut some of the things that don't support good health out of our lives and invest in good health.  An easy-to-use dehydrator and high-powered blender can make preparation of healthy foods easier and give you a wider range of recipes to work with.  And in case you haven't heard, the current generation, for the first time in modern history, will have a shorter lifespan than their parents.  Yes, all our fast foods and fast lives are taking their toll.  You can either pay it to the farmer (think local and organic) or pay it to the health care industry.

And then there's the question of what to do with these small appliances once you gift yourself at Christmas or for your birthday.  I'm here for you!  Yes, my blog is a place where you can find easy, tasty recipes that might nudge your family into eating a bit healthier.  Or if your family's not ready, you can do it for yourself.  My vegetarian diet has made me 40 pounds lighter and a lot more energetic.  I'm still, on occasion, a royal pain in the butt.  Working on that.

A word about the Excalibur dehydrator - It's square and has slide out trays which means the shelves can be spaced to accommodate different sized items.  You can even remove all of the shelves and use the unit to make a bowl of yogurt.  With homemade yogurt you can control the tartness and it's way less expensive than store bought yogurt.  With the Excalibur you can make a stash of healthy snacks for the kids to nosh on while you take time to prepare a healthy meal.  Yes, good health is going to demand an investment of your time.  "Lose ten pounds in ten days!" is a myth that sells magazines and keeps us stuck in our instant gratification lives.  Time to let go of the myth.  Time to decide what we really want out of life.

A word about the Vita-Mix - It will enable you to turn almost anything into juice.  It has a second container that will grind grains, seeds, and coffee beans.  My husband inadvertently purchased some coffee for himself and brought home a bag of beans.  Vita-Mix to the rescue!

I hope you'll join me on this quest as I explore health-filled recipes.   I'll tell you about my successes and about my challenges.  And I'm eager to hear about your favorite recipe ideas and suggestions.  Bottom line is, we're all in this together.

Loveya
The Mom

Win Some, Lose Some Veggie Chips

"I think every woman should have a blowtorch." Julia Child

Not every recipe I try is a blazing success.  That's why the gods invented dogs and humankind invented garbage bags.   Dogs will eat almost anything and garbage bags can be closed.  This is the story of one of those "partial" successes.  Did you notice that I didn't call this a partial failure?  As my dear friend, Linda, observes, I am an annoying optimist.
 
But back to the topic of food and what I was trying to accomplish when I happened upon this current challenge.  On the topic of food I like eating a more health-filled diet because such food not only gives me more energy and helps the pounds drop off, but it also annoys the crap out of a few of my acquaintances.  OK, some of my family and friends also think that I'm going too far.  "For pity sakes, have a double bacon cheeseburger and relax," they tell me.

When considering the challenges of my eating regime I would list my longing for some of the more familiar foods from my past life, which was about 40 pounds ago.  Most days, however, I'm delighted with all the wonderful ways to enjoy my vegetarian status.  But I'm always on the lookout for substitutes for familiar little treats like chips.  This snack is a winner.   These chips can be created in a cheesy or sweet variety.  These chips are a tasty way to eat extra vegetables.  These chips also boarder on the ugly side, which means that most of them are yours to enjoy until some brave soul steps forward to taste one.  Then it will be a struggle to get your share.

Top - Cheezy Swiss Chard Chips & Bottom - Sweet Kale Chips

And now, the rest of the story.  I found numerous recipes for turning kale and Swiss chard into chips with the aid of a dehydrator.   I'm sure that the same results can be achieved by baking them in an oven on low heat, but that heats up the house and it's a blazing summer.

Chip successes include a recipe for Cheezy Swiss Chard Chips, which is a recipe that will give you a chance to use more of that nutritional yeast that you purchased to make Really Good Broth that was posted on July 24.  For this Cheezy Swiss Chard Chips recipe you'll need:

Ingredients:
  2 green peppers seeded and cut into chunks
  Juice of one lime
  1 T agave nectar
  1 T nutritional yeast flakes plus more for topping
  1 cup raw cashews
  1/8 t salt
  Big bunch of Swiss Chard

Distructions:
  Wash and remove center vein from the Swiss Chard.  Tear it into pieces at least 3x3 inches but don't obsess over this.  Place the chard onto a towel to wait its turn for its next appearance.

Place all the other ingredients into a blender and whip it good, or whip it until it remains a bit chunky.  I prefer it smooth.  Pour this batter into a large bowl and toss the Swiss Chard leaves with the batter to coat.  Place the coated chard onto dehydrator trays, sprinkle with a bit more nutritional yeast flakes, and dehydrate at about 105 degrees for 12 to 24 hours.  I prefer the 24.  These chips are crisp and delicious.


Kale Chips - the rest of the story.
I tried a number kale chip recipes, tweaking each to suit my taste, and coming up with two winners.  The first, my favorite, is a sweet and hot variety.  With all these recipes it's necessary to wash and strip the kale leaves from their stems.  Do the towel thing to remove most of the water.

Sweet and Hot Kale Chips:
  1 t salt
  2 T olive oil
  2 T agave nectar
  1/8 t ground cayenne pepper, more or less to taste

Whisk together and toss with the kale.  Dehydrate about 8 hours at 105 to 115 degrees.  These chips will be crisp and sweet with a nice spicy finish.

Next I tried the same recipe but substituted apple cider vinegar for the agave nectar to get a vinegar chip.  Also liked these chips but not quite as much as the hot and sweet.

Finally, because I still had a bunch of kale staring me in the face, I tried a simple salty chip.  The recipe suggested that a light coating of oil and a generous sprinkling of salt would be delicious.  Well, I think the person suggesting this concoction had lowered the bar on delicious.  It was like putting a teaspoon of salt into my mouth.  The fate of those chips is pictured below.

Serving Suggestion for Salty Kale Chips - Yes, it's the trash!

 Loveya
The Mom