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