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

Corn Cob Broth

"I believe I once considerably scandalized her by declaring that clear soup was a more important factor in life than a clear conscience."  Saki

This entry comes to you through the supplication of a good friend, Nancy, who asked if I would share my recipe for corn cob broth.  That means that there is no picture to share because I actually didn't make the broth at this time but merely pulled the recipe out of my file.  Here goes.

First, it's important to make this broth when no one else is around.  It begins by roasting corn cobs with no corn on them and that does make the cook look just a bit crazy.  We don't want to start any more rumors than necessary.

Ingredients:
  At least 6 ears of corn or more if you have them
  Oil (peanut is good but not essential)
  Water
  Thyme
  Bay leaf or two
  Veggie or chicken bouillon cube (Knorr is nice)
  S&P

Distructions:
Remove the husks and silk from the corn.  Cut the corn off the cobs and save, or reserve, as they say in real cookbooks.

With your hands, because this is the easiest way, rub the oil all over the cobs.  Place the cobs in a single layer into a pan or onto a cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees, turning the cobs every 15 minutes until they're browned on all sides.

Place the roasted cobs into a large pot and cover with water.  Add some thyme and one or two bay leaves, depending on their size, and simmer for a good long time.  At least an hour or two.  Remove the cobs, add the bouillon cube, and adjust the seasoning.  The cobs are now thoroughly spent and can be buried in your garden where they will happily compost.

Back in the kettle, the resulting broth is a rich, dark color with a wonderful, delicate flavor.  Try it as a base for a variety of soups and sauces.  It can be frozen.

Loveya
The Mom