Positively Vegan

Hummaganoush

2012-02-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

I love hummus, and I also love babaganoush. The last time I made them, when there was just a little bit of each left at the end of the evening, I mixed them together, and hey! - I liked the blend of the two even better than either one on its own. I decided on the spot that this was something worth doing regularly, but what to call it? I came up with two names - Hummaganoush, and Babaganummus. I use them both, but if pressed to make a choice, I'd go with Hummaganoush, because how often do you get to say "ganoush" in this life? Not often enough, says me, and saying it just makes me happy.

I'm reading one of Brendan Brazier's books, "Thrive - The Vegan Nutrition guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life," to help me adjust my diet to better train for the half marathon in September. We already eat better than just about anybody I know, but now I'm paying even more attention to super-nutrition. So when it came to making a fresh batch of Hummaganoush, I paused a few minutes, and did a little research before hitting the kitchen.

I love garbanzo beans - or chickpeas, as they're also called - but when comparing them to lentils, which I also love, there was no question as to which one would make the cut. Lentils by a mile! Not only are lentils much faster and easier to cook than garbanzos, requiring no soak time, they're also lower in calories, fat, and sodium, and higher in fiber, protein, and potassium. And if I took the time to sprout them, they'd be even better. I know that garbanzo beans are traditional for this sort of thing, but I really don't care. The lentils taste just great.

The other key ingredient is eggplant. I didn't really want to deal with baking, cooling, and peeling an eggplant, and besides, I'm also trying to fit as many raw vegetables into my diet as possible, because they keep all their lovely enzymes, making them easier to digest, and nutrients easier to assimilate. This is big when you're "in training" because the less work your body has to do to digest food, the more energy it has to excel during workouts, and to recover and repair in between. Suddenly I'm thinking about this stuff...

But raw eggplant? It sounded sort of... icky. Then again, a quick online search told me it's possible to freeze and thaw eggplant for use in "raw" babaganoush. Hallelujah! Between the lentils and the eggplant-freezing trick, a rather labor intensive dish was suddenly a whole lot easier.

So here's the recipe. Make some, eat it up, and see how super you feel.

Hummaganoush
1 cup dry lentils (any kind you like) cooked with 3-4 cloves fresh garlic - Stay close to the lentils toward the end of cooking, and add hot water a little at a time, just to keep them covered. When they're soft, cook a little longer to evaporate any excess water, so you don't have to drain off any of the nutrient-filled cooking water.

1 small-medium eggplant, peeled, diced, frozen for 2 hours or more, and thawed.

1 more large clove garlic

1/4 large onion

3/4 cup tahini

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

1 T cumin

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 to 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Once the lentils are cooked, and the eggplant is frozen and thawed, this whips together really quickly in the food processor. You might want to do the lentils and eggplant the night before, taking the eggplant out of the freezer in the morning, so it has time to thaw.

First chop the onion and garlic in the food processor. Then add the lentils, eggplant, and all other ingredients except the vinegar. Add vinegar gradually as you blend, checking for flavor and consistency. Blend until fairly smooth, and adjust seasonings to your liking. Serving possibilities are endless. Use Hummaganoush in wraps and sandwiches, with falafel in a nice soft pita, or as a dip for raw veggies and chips. This is now a staple in our house. It's not just a snack... it's fuel!

Burrito Night

2012-02-16T20:12:00.000-08:00

It seems like I'm busier than ever these days. Aren't we all? I used to have more time to invent and experiment in the kitchen every day, but now... well not so much. But rather than beat myself up over coming up with something new for dinner every night, I've let it be okay to have a few favorites that we go back to often. The Big Three, I call them, and we always have the makings for one or more of them in the house. I can change them up with different vegetables, spices, or sauces, and they're all quick to make.

My Big Three? Vegetable Fried Rice, Miso Happy Soup, and Burritos. The veggie fried rice is great "plain," and can be zipped up with a nice peanut or teriyaki sauce. The miso soup is such a wonderful comfort food. It's the perfect thing for someone who has a cold, and makes a quick, easy lunch or dinner any day of the week. It can be brothy and soothing, or heartier with the addition of extra veggies and rice or quinoa. And burritos... well, I think they're a near perfect food.

The first time Rick made dinner for me, he made burritos, so I have kind of a romantic, sentimental view of this simple beans-and-tortillas feast. He is the Burrito Master around here, but now he lets me make them too. I think burritos are a great thing to eat when you're wishing for something gooey and cheesy. Refried beans and avocados are my favorite cheese substitutes, and then of course you can add your favorite vegan cheese if you want, like Daiya, which I think is the absolute best of the bunch.

Tonight I wanted something extra though, so I came up with a terrific Cheesy Chile Sauce to add to our basic burritos. This is by far the easiest cheese sauce I've made yet, and I love the spicy red chile kick. I think it would also be great on macaroni, and on any number of vegetable dishes. I'll be doing more with this zippy little sauce soon.

Cheesy Chile Sauce
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 20 minutes
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt
1 T olive oil
1-2 T red chile powder, to taste

Drain and rinse the soaked cashews, and place in a blender with the broth, nutritional yeast, and salt. Buzz it all up until smooth.

Heat olive oil to medium heat in a saucepan. Stir in chile powder and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the blended cashew mixture, turn down the heat, stir well, and cook for 5 minutes or so.

Burritos
flour tortillas (I like rice or Ezekiel)
canned refried beans - warmed and seasoned with cumin, chile powder, garlic powder, and onion powder.
chopped tomato
sliced avocado
salad mix of lettuce, carrots, and corn

To assemble:
Warm both sides of a tortilla in a large skillet over medium heat. Spoon some refried beans down the center of the tortilla. Top with salad mix, tomatoes, and avocado slices.

Fold the sides over each other and flip the burrito over. "Smother" the burrito in sauce, and serve extra salad along the sides.

These burritos are fast and easy, and so good you'll wish you had room for more than one.

Running Out Of Excuses

2012-02-13T10:24:00.000-08:00

I have a big announcement to make. I'm going to run the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon in September! Yes really. And I'm going to run it vegan. Duh! I've never run farther than to the end of my driveway - which is a long driveway, but really doesn't count for much - so this is a very big deal for me. I'm doing it with my daughter, who encouraged, urged, and sort of double-dog-dared me to do it. I didn't have a good reason to say no, and to be honest, I've been well aware for a long, long time that a healthy vegan diet alone is not enough to keep me alive and well for the long haul. Regular exercise has never been one of my strong points, but I know I need to do it. So after very little consideration I said yes, and signed up right away, before I could rationalize myself out of it. That was several days ago, and I'm still feeling good about my snap decision, so here I go!

Lauren and I are going to blog about it as we train "together" from different parts of the country. She's in Seattle, and I'm in Taos. I've already posted one entry on TakingTheLongWayHome, talking about my reasons for deciding to do this crazy thing, and that's where you'll find all the mother/daughter updates as we go along. On this blog though, I'll be concentrating on the fuel that will help me train for and run (and finish!) my first 1/2 marathon.

With the help of No Meat Athlete, and at least one of Brendan Brazier's books, I'm off to a really good start in getting everything my body needs to be a super healthy vegan, uh... athlete. What a funny word for me, athlete, but it's what I'll have to be if I want to run that race, and I really really do. There's a lot of growing research telling us that a vegan or vegetarian diet is the best thing ever for athletes of all kinds. I know I'm going to bump into a lot resistance from people who still think protein means meat, but I can deal with them.

And because good food is one of the main reasons for this blog, I'll share what I learn here, along with the new power-building recipes I try as I go. So if you want to read along on both blogs, I'd love that. This one will be about the food, and LongWayHome will be about the training and emotional impact all this has on me, and on Lauren. Our hope is that we'll inspire someone else to take on a big goal of their own. By sharing our experience, maybe we can make what you want to do seem more possible than you ever thought. No matter what, I want to keep us all well fed! I'll be back with something good to eat soon!

Everyday Kung Pao

2012-02-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

Whenever I start chopping vegetables for a stir-fry, which is often, Rick looks at me hopefully, and asks, Kung Pao??? He's so sweet, I hate to say no, but the truth is, my recipe for Kung Powerful Tempeh is a bit labor intensive for a work night. What Rick is really asking for is the flavor of the spicy sauce, and the crunch of peanuts. By swapping out the tempeh for tofu, and skipping the marinating step, this can be a much simpler, faster dish to make. Just mix up the sauce ingredients, chop whatever veggies you have on hand, and make a batch of rice, or stir-fry some leftover rice in with the veggies. A quicker alternative to making rice is to throw on a pot of quinoa. Not only is it a complete protein, it cooks in about 15-20 minutes and tastes great wherever rice is normally used.

OK! So let's have some spicy Kung Pao for dinner tonight! And maybe tomorrow night too. It's that good, and that easy.

Everyday Kung Pao

Sauce
3 T sesame oil (you can use part hot pepper sesame oil if you have it)
3 T tamari
3 T maple syrup (or agave)
1 T ume plum vinegar (or white or cider vinegar)
3 T grated fresh ginger (or the chopped kind that comes in a jar)
1 lg clove garlic, chopped fine (again, the kind in a jar is good too)
1 T arrowroot powder

Mix sauce ingredients, adding the arrowroot gradually and mixing in well to get the clumps out. Set aside.

Chop
1/2-1 cup each: onion, celery, carrot
1-2 cups each: broccoli, greens (kale, chard, spinach, cabbage, etc)

Other Ingredients
1/2-1 package extra firm tofu, crumbled or cut into cubes
1/2-1 cup peanuts
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes to taste
coconut oil for cooking

Heat the coconut oil in a heavy skillet or wok over medium to medium-high heat.
(I use a big cast iron skillet with a glass lid, and on my cheap electric stove, I set it on "6")
Don't let the oil smoke!
Throw in the tofu, peanuts, and red pepper flakes. Stir them around for 1-2 minutes.
Add onion, celery, and carrots, and stir for 1-2 minutes.
Add greens, and stir in till just wilted.
Add broccoli and stir for about 1 minute, until it's bright green.

Pour the sauce over the veggies, but don't stir it yet.
Cover, turn off the heat, and let it steam for 5-10 minutes.
Stir in the sauce to coat the veggies, and serve over rice.
Eat!

Vegan in Cabo

2012-02-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

Living vegan in New Mexico is not quite the same as staying vegan in Old Mexico. I thought it might be challenging to spend a week in Cabo San Lucas with a group of mostly meat-eaters, and although I was right to a certain extent, I actually did really well. We stayed at Solmar, a nice, small-ish all inclusive resort on the quiet side of Cabo, away from the "spring break" beach. This was my first time doing the all inclusive thing, and I really liked it because it made life so simple for us. The service, food, and drinks were great, but it took me a couple of days to figure out how to get what I actually wanted. The menu options for me were kind limited, so I just stuck with what worked, and was okay with it being a little repetitious at the hotel. Trips into town to restaurants were more adventurous.

Most mornings I had fresh fruit, guacamole and chips, and refried beans, no queso. I'll admit, it was kind of weird, but it worked for me.

One morning I ventured deeper into the menu and tried the chilaquiles, careful to order them without the chicken and cheese. Chefs being decorative creatures by nature, my food came with a lovely squiggle of sour cream over the whole thing. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I figured if I sent it back it would probably go in the trash, and that just seemed wrong and wasteful. So I scraped the sour cream off as much as I could, and enjoyed my spicy chilaquiles with salsa verde.

Part of our all inclusive deal was fresh sushi made right by the pool each day. They were happy to make veggie rolls for us, which we enjoyed for lunch, usually accompanied by more guacamole. To be honest, I ate buckets of guac on this trip. The best we had was made table-side, at a little place on the Marina called Solomon's Landing. The waiter scooped perfectly ripe avocados into a stone molcajete, and mashed it up with just the right amounts of finely chopped garlic, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro, finishing it off with some freshly ground black pepper, which I'd never thought to add before. It. Was. Amazing...

I had a short list of veg-friendly restaurants to try, but didn't make it to any of them. Rick and I just went wherever the rest of the group wanted to go, and took our chances. We had a really great meal at Mi Casa, which was a bit of a walk from the hotel, but well worth the trip. The place itself is beautiful and quite large, with several dining areas indoors, and a big outdoor patio where we were seated under the stars. Oh, and they made balloon hats for us, which is always a nice touch.

There was a small vegetarian section on the menu, which usually means a lot of cheese. It was easy for me to order the chile relleno without the queso though. What a feast! And see that little inconspicuous enchilada hiding behind the beans? That might have been even better than the relleno. It was a fresh corn tortilla filled with vegetables and nuts. I was feeling very lucky to be me that night, and it wasn't (just) the margaritas talking.

Even though we had the all inclusive meal deal back at the hotel, we still wanted to eat out most nights. Another walk on another evening took us over to the "spring break" side of town, which was actually pretty quiet when we were there. We'd heard good things about a restaurant called The Office, and wanted to check it out. I'm so glad we did. The tables were all out on the beach, and the whole place was lit up in a romantic twinkly way. There was a live band too, which was really nice. I have to warn you though to watch out for the guy called Rambo, who wanders around looking like Pancho Villa, and who's job it is to pour tequila down anyone's throat who is willing to tilt their head back and open wide. It is a spring breaky sort of place...

It was a little too dark for me to read the menu easily, so I got brave this time, and just asked the waiter what he could do for a vegetarian. He rattled off several options, and I picked the vegetable fajitas (no queso, of course), knowing there would be more hot, fresh corn tortillas involved... and guacamole, which I don't think I'll ever get tired of. Not only was this one of the best meals I had on the trip, it confirmed for me that it's a good idea to ask a few key questions in most restaurants, knowing that they have a kitchen full of food, and generally want to please their customers. This is a trick I'll be using more here at home too. Once I'm sure the beans are cooked without lard, and the veggies aren't swimming in butter, there really are a lot of things a vegan can eat in Mexico, or in stateside Mexican restaurants for that matter.

I'm encouraged. I'm inspired. I'm ready to travel again as soon as I possibly can. Now I have to buy a tortilla press and see if I can get some organic corn flour, so I can learn to make those life changing tortillas. The other thing I want to learn to make is a good molé, which is Rick's favorite. Every time I return from a trip to Mexico, I really wonder why we don't live there. You never know... maybe someday. Maybe mañana.

Mexico Mañana

2012-01-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

I'm off to Mexico tomorrow! So excited for this little getaway, and a little nervous about the food situation down there. We're taking a sunset dinner cruise one evening, to celebrate my son's 30th birthday. Looking at the cruise line's website, I noticed there's a lot of meat and cheese on the buffet menu, so I sent them an email asking about how the rice and beans are prepared. The response was pretty funny actually...

Kim,
Yes, the beans are fried with lard, the rice is not cooked with broth, we
use chicken stock in powder.
Fruit, nachos, guacamole, salsa.
Mario.

This was a good reminder to me, that they use a whole lotta lard in Mexico, and that people who eat animals often have no idea that broth - or chicken stock in powder - haha! - actually count as "meat" products. Fortunately, there's fruit on the menu... and an open bar! With fruit and booze, I'll be a happy cruiser!

I also learned from a friend that the Spanish word for butter, mantequilla, also means lard, and any other fat used in foods. That simplifies things for me a little bit. I can point to a dish, cock my head quizzically, and politely ask, Mantequilla?

I have a feeling this could be sort of a spa vacation for me, with lots of fruit and little else. I'm okay with that. And besides, I'll bet a week of fruit and margaritas will be something like a cleansing fast. Well, sort of.

I promise a full food update when I get back.

Till then, eat your greens!

xo Kim

Vegan Nutrition for Beginners

2012-01-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

I've been doing a lot of reading on vegan nutrition lately. Maybe too much, from too many sources. My head is spinning with information overload. As with my beads, it's time to settle down and simplify. Thankfully, I've finally found someone I trust to give me good information. Of course you need to trust your own instincts and your own body, and you need to do your research to be sure you're getting everything you need in your diet.

If you're new to all this, I can recommend a great book I think every vegan should have (I have plenty, and this is by far my favorite). Vegan For Life, by Jack Norris, RD, and Virginia Messina, MPH, RD is a terrific guide to good vegan nutrition. You can also visit Ginny Messina's blog, the Vegan RD. Start with the page on recommended supplements. You'll instantly solve some of the biggest vegan nutritional mysteries so you can get on with cooking and eating some delicious vegan chow.

I had hoped to share some basic nutritional information with you here as I blog along, but I've changed my mind. My job here is simply to share the joys of being vegan. I'm not an expert on nutrition, but there are plenty of other people who are. When I find other good ones, I'll send you their way. Otherwise, count on me for food, fun, and occasional tidbits of useful information. Oh! I feel better already!

Cooking for Ravens

2012-01-17T08:12:00.000-08:00

Arthur Rackham - Who Has been eating off my plate ?

I made a totally disgusting dinner last night. It took hours, and it all seemed so promising while I was making it. But sadly, very disappointingly, the final result was just... yuck. It happens. It's okay. It's actually even a good thing, once I get over the humiliation. I mean, I'm supposed to be a pretty good cook, so how could I come up with something so completely inedible? Well, I could, and I did, and I'll probably do it again.

In my other life as a beadmaker, I've often told friends who are new to the torch to, Make Ugly Beads. Of course they look at me like I'm crazy. But then I explain that if they aren't making ugly beads from time to time, they aren't stretching themselves, they aren't risking, learning, creating. If all we ever make is Beautiful Perfect Stuff, we're just playing it safe, and that can get boring pretty quickly.

It's the same with food. My new motto has to be, Make Ugly Food, I guess, even though I really don't want to. There's more at stake here - like dinner, for instance. We had popcorn last night, which Rick made, after taking the Horrible Glop out to the yard for the ravens to eat, because I was just too deflated to make anything else. I pouted and picked on myself and seriously wondered what in the hell I'm doing, pretending to tell people how to cook. I felt like a fraud, a failure, and I went to bed not caring if I ever cooked another meal or posted another blog again.

Thank God for sleep. This morning I feel better. I can see the humor in my failed culinary experiment. And best of all, I can see the value in it. So it didn't work. So what? So I don't have a recipe to share with you today. So what? The world won't end, and I learned a few things. I'll try it again. I'll do it differently. And I realize it's totally okay to cook for the ravens now and then. They're a great crowd to feed. They'll eat anything, they're entertaining, and they're always grateful for a home cooked meal, no matter how bad it is. If I ever open another restaurant, I think I'll call it The Raven's Table. I really do appreciate these guys.

A Slippery Subject

2012-01-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

Photo from Healthy Cooking Oils - Explained

Fat is something of a dirty word in our society. We don't want it on our thighs or bellies, so we tend to think it's a bad thing to have in our food. I've been reading a lot about fats and oils lately. There's a lot of conflicting information out there, but I'm beginning to see some common threads weaving through. If you're confused about how much and what types of fat to get in your vegan diet, maybe I can distill what I've read down to something simple and reasonable for you. Of course, I'm not a nutritionist, so please check the resources for yourself. Learn as much as you can to be as healthy as you can!

Basically, we need some fat in our diets to help us absorb fat soluble nutrients. In fact, healthy fats even help us lose weight. Men need about 30% fat in their diets, and women need about 20%. These figures vary of course, and some people believe we need far less than these standardly recommended amounts, although it's not a good idea to go below 10%. It's kind of a personal thing, and you have to listen to your own body and come up with what works for you. It's possible that many vegans who find themselves not feeling well, and go back to eating meat because they assume they need more protein, are actually feeling the need for more fat in their diets.

I've been pretty unconcerned with the amount of fats I've been getting, because I figured it would be hard to overdo them in the absence of animals products. And since only animal products contain cholesterol, I haven't been worried about the amount of oil I normally use in cooking, at least from a cholesterol standpoint. I've lost weight since I went vegan, but I wouldn't mind losing a bit more, especially since the Holidays, with all those lovely, rich foods I was cooking.

I'm rethinking my use of oils since I watched the following short video with Jeff Novick. I haven't seen his full DVD, From Oil To Nuts, but I will order it soon, and let you know what I think. This clip is very interesting...

I've never looked at it this way, seeing oils for what they are, only the concentrated fat from the food, without any of the nutrients. Would we sip corn oil and think we were getting fresh corn on the cob? Or pretend avocado oil was as healthful as nice fresh guacamole? Or to bring it around to a place even meat-eaters can understand - just for a moment here - would you look at a slab of lard on your plate and think it's the same as a steak? I'll bet not...

I tend to go to extremes sometimes... so when I saw that video the other day, I immediately took all the oil out of our diet. Most of the other things we eat contain very little fat, so it only took about 24 hours for both Rick and me to start feeling light-headed, low-energy, and kind of generally crappy. But since I was paying close attention, and hadn't changed anything else, I knew it wasn't protein we were missing, but fat. I ate a small handful of almonds (which are about about 74% fat), and like magic, I felt better within minutes. I had Rick do the same, and it worked for him too.

I've been reading the blog VeganRD.com, by Ginny Messina, which I highly recommend, along with her book, Vegan for Life. Her take on olive oil is less alarmist than Jeff Novick's. (Read the blog post, Olive Oil Health and Advocacy) I really like what one of her commenters said - "The best piece of advice I ever heard about oil is to think about it like sugar. Both are near pure, stripped of most of the nutrients. It isn't good to get a chunk of your calories from either, but a teaspoon here and a teaspoon there to make your food more enjoyable is a good investment. It keeps you from eating out where you might not get such a good nutritional deal." Yes indeed. Keeping a vegan diet enjoyable is a huge part of wanting to stick with it. No matter how dedicated we may be to all the health, environmental, and animal rights reasons for going vegan, most of us are unlikely to stick with it unless it tastes good.

So back to the oils themselves - I use only olive oil and coconut oil for my cooking, and always the best organic virgin oils I can get my hands on. If you want to use other oils, please be sure they're organic, especially when it comes to corn and soy. Since these are commonly grown as non-food crops, they get away with using all kinds of nasty chemicals and genetic modifications. And while the jury is still out on coconut oil, I use it because it can take a higher heat than olive oil can, it adds wonderful flavor to Asian dishes, and it's touted to be super healthful. While coconut oil is composed of mostly saturated fat (olive oil is 14% saturated fat), it's chemical makeup is different from other saturated fats, and it may actually have some health benefits. Again, do your own research. Start with this article on Livestrong.com. Like olive oil, or any other oil, coconut oil is pure fat, so now, rather than sloshing it all over everything, I use it "sparingly on the inside, and generously on the outside." It's a great moisturizer for skin and hair, and makes you smell like a tropical beach.

My swing from unlimited use of oils to cutting them out completely has come back to some middle ground now. I understand that there are actually plenty of the necessary fats to be found in a varied, balanced, whole foods, plant-based diet, and I see oils now more as condiment to be used sparingly. I want the fats, but I want to get them from actual food, along with all the fiber, nutrients, and flavor. So when I want a nice pasta puttanesca or crunchy bruschetta, I'll chop up some really good olives. I'll use more nuts in dishes I cook, and keep them handy for snacks. And there's no guilt at all in that avocado I spread on my toast in the morning. Maybe it's my imagination, but I feel better already.

I still have a lot to learn, and while I have no interest at all in becoming a nutritionist or dietician, I do want to know as much as I can about what's best to keep my human body running. After all these years, it really makes sense to me to eat the whole food, whatever it is, whenever possible. I love the Mae West quote, "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful," but I trust she wasn't talking about olive oil.

Orange and Green Smoothie

2012-01-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

My smoothie kick continues. If you're new to smoothies, and wonder why they might be better than juices, my personal opinion is, you get the whole food, including all that lovely fiber, from smoothies. Juicing is tedious to me, and takes so much fruit or veggies to squeeze out just a smidge of juice, and then you're left with all that discarded pulp to deal with. I know there are wonderful health benefits in drinking the concentrated nutrients found in fresh juices, but when I want food, as in for breakfast, when I'm hungry and need fuel, I'll take a nice thick smoothie over juice any day.

I've ordered the book, Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Towards Natural Health, by Victoria Boutenko, from Amazon, because I want to know how to mix it up, so to speak, in the most healthful way possible. While I wait for it to arrive, I'm inventing my own smoothie delights, based on things that are easy to get year round. Here's another one for you to try. Can you tell I love kale?

Orange and Green Smoothie
1 small banana
1 cup frozen organic peaches
1 carrot, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 T chia seeds
3-6 kale leaves
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup nut milk

The process is the same as for the Easy Green Smoothie. Place everything in your blender in the order given. Tear the kale leaves, and place them in to fill the blender jar, but don't pack them too tightly. Then just buzz it up till it's smooth. This one turns the most beautiful, vibrant green, but you can really taste all the orange goodness.

And here's a tip for cleaning your blender - put a few drops of dish soap and some hot water in the jar, and buzz it up for a few seconds. When you take it apart at the sink, everything will just rinse right out.

Easy Green Smoothie

2012-01-09T07:35:00.000-08:00

Did you know that when you drink your greens raw, you get way more of the nutrients than if you cook them and chew them up? It makes sense, but somehow you have to make it taste good if you're going to get it down. There's a lot of, uh, "buzz" out there about green smoothies. In fact there are entire books devoted to them. I'll look into that, but it seems kind of excessive to me. Around here, we like to keep things simple, you know. So in addition to our favorite English Muffin & Avocado breakfast, we've been making morning smoothies with some simple, basic ingredients that are easy to keep around. They're filled with truly super foods that will make your body grin from within, and keep you going all morning. And while you'll get a good dose of green goodness, what you'll taste is the fruit.

Easy Green Smoothie
1 banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 T chia seeds
3 - 6 kale leaves
1 cup nut milk
1/2 cup orange juice (or additional nut milk)

Load everything into the blender in the order given. When you get to the kale leaves, tear them into pieces and fill to the top of the jar, but don't pack them in. Blend on high speed until it's all nice and smooth, and voila, you have a smoothie. Cheers!

Staying Vegan on Vacation

2012-01-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

It's easy to "keep vegan" at home, where we do our own cooking. It's less easy in local restaurants, but if we ask a few questions, most are more than willing to veganize menu items that come close, like leaving the cheese off of something, or substituting tofu for meat. But what happens when a vegan goes on a little vacation to a foreign country, where said vegan doesn't speak the language? That's where it might get challenging.

We're going to a little family birthday celebration in Cabo San Lucas at the end of the month, and I'm already getting kind of nervous about food. As much as I love Mexico, and look forward to time with my kids and the ocean, I know it's going to be tricky to eat in restaurants there. Part of the joy and adventure of traveling is eating the local foods, and I really don't want to be a Food Nazi. Still, I believe in my vegan lifestyle, and intend to walk my talk. My strategy is to bring some favorite snacks from home, like nuts and dried fruit, Power Balls, grainy crackers, and instant miso soup, so not every meal has to be a restaurant ordeal. I can also buy fresh fruit and vegetables at the local market, and I'm doing some research ahead of time on veg-friendly restaurants. As it turns out, I'm not the only one this is important to. I found a few listings for vegetarian/vegan restaurants in Cabo on HappyCow.net, which is surprising and encouraging! Now if they're actually still in business when I get there, I'll be happier than the cows I'm not eating.

I think I can do it, and even though I intend to leave my laptop at home, and just enjoy my sunny winter vacation, I will keep a camera and a notebook handy, and will report back when I get home. And one other thing... We're going for a party, and I will not ruin the party by being all icky picky about my food. If I end up eating a bit of cheese due to a language miscommunication (although I do know how to say no queso, por favor), it's not the end of the world, and I won't beat myself up over it. I'll do my best, which is all I can ask of anyone else.

The trip is still almost 3 weeks away, but I'm planning for it, dreaming of it, and so looking forward to it (except for the swimsuit part). I see it not only as a fun winter warm-up, but also as a challenge, sort of a personal and journalistic assignment. And I'm ready for it.

Paul's Corn Pudding

2012-01-03T07:32:00.000-08:00

We had a few friends over for New Year's Eve, and decided on a Taco Bar, so everyone could put their food together the way they wanted it. We had spicy black beans, rice, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, Daiya cheese, and a couple of salsas, with organic corn tortillas. As a side dish, I made Paul Graham's Vegan Corn Pudding, which he recently posted on his blog, Eating Vegan in Vegas. The tacos were good. Really good. But the corn pudding stole the show.

Paul's original recipe is here. It's fast and easy to make, with things like my favorite Daiya cheese (they really should pay me for all the promoting I do for them!), diced green chiles, and vegan sour cream. I changed it up a bit, using things I had here at home. I made the sour cream from cashews, and the parm from almonds and nutritional yeast. I had some local green chiles in the freezer, so used those, and improvised on the breadcrumbs and egg replacer. It all worked, but I'll admit to making it a more complex recipe than Paul's. What can i say? I like making things from scratch. Try it either way that works for you. You just can't go wrong with this beautiful golden dish of comfort food.

Paul's Corn Pudding

4 oz melted Earth Balance butter (they should be paying me too!)
4 cups frozen corn (always use organic corn)
3 T chia seeds
6 T water (chia seeds and water make a dandy egg replacer that binds the other ingredients well)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vinegar (baking powder and vinegar help the dish to puff up a bit)
1 C vegan sour cream -
(To make this, soak 1 cup of raw cashews in water for 20 minutes or more. Drain and rinse the cashews, and buzz them up in the food processor with some lemon juice and salt, and a little nut milk to get the right consistency.)
1 package Daiya Pepper Jack shreds
1/2 cup cornmeal (I had polenta, and it worked fine)
1/2 cup or more diced green chiles
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegan parmesan -
(To make this, buzz up 1 cup nutritional yeast, 1/2 cup raw almonds, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder. If you have time, slowly bake the mixture on a tray until it's crumbly. In this dish, it works fine moist.)
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs - I let a gluten free rice English muffin dry out, then buzzed it up with some herbs. Perfect.

In the food processor, buzz up 1 cup of the corn with the melted butter. Then, in a large bowl, stir the blended corn/butter together with all the other ingredients, except the parm and bread crumbs. Place the mixture in a well buttered casserole dish, and bake for about 35 minutes at 350º, or until golden brown on top. Let it set for a few minutes before cutting.

Oh yeah... after writing this, I think I have to make it again for dinner tonight. And I'm glad there won't be so many of us to share it.

Tortilla Pizzas

2011-12-31T08:18:00.000-08:00

There aren't very many of you here yet, but I want to thank you for reading, and for encouraging this new little blog project of mine. Some of you have told me that I'm inspiring you to add some healthy vegan meals to you diet, even if you aren't totally vegan (yet!). This makes my heart sing! In the coming year, I plan to bring you lots more great food, and plenty of good reasons to go vegan, one meal at a time. The more you do it, the better you'll feel, and the better off our beloved planet will be. It's all baby steps, and I'm especially proud of those of you who are bravely exploring something so new to you, even though your families might think you're crazy. Keep going! You're doing great!

Let's celebrate with one of the first vegan dishes I came up with when I started my own vegan journey, while living in a travel trailer in Oregon. Pizza!!! Rick and I used to own a pizza shop in Seattle, and we still adore pizza. But going vegan presented the "cheese challenge," and cooking in a trailer made elaborate dishes almost impossible. I came up with this easy version of pizza that can even be done in a big covered frying pan if that's all you have. These days, back at home in Taos, I use my oven. Make this pizza on work nights, for something easy but wonderful. It's also great for parties, because you can keep making them until everyone is full. Tortillas make a nice thin crust, and Daiya cheese comes to the rescue where all other commercial faux cheeses have left me stranded.

I'm trying to keep things gluten free these days, as an experiment for myself, and because so many people seem to be gluten sensitive. I want you all to eat! So I've used rice tortillas in this recipe, but of course you can use any kind you like. Ezekiel makes a terrific sprouted grain tortilla that I also love.

This recipes is as easy as it gets. I've listed the ingredients and toppings I used for these pictures, but of course you can use anything you like. I started with the "sun-dried" tomatoes as inspiration, because I'd just made a test batch in the new little dehydrator a friend gave me for Christmas. They came out great, but the kind on the jar are just as good.

Tortilla Pizzas

Brown Rice Tortillas
Olive Oil
Spaghetti Sauce
Daiya cheese
Sliced Mushrooms
Sliced Black Olives
Sun-dried Tomatoes
Dried Basil

Lightly oil a baking sheet with olive oil. I just got a Misto (because I asked for it, and my husband paid attention), and I love it beyond reason. It sprays a fine mist of oil without weird chemical propellants. Bravo Misto!

Spray or brush a little oil on the tortillas.

Sprinkle a little Daiya on each tortilla. Pop in a few olives, and then top with another tortilla. You'll have sort of a double crust, "glued" together with cheese. Oh so good!

Spray the second tortillas with oil, and spoon some sauce around, almost to the edges. Add a little more Daiya (I find that a little goes a long way with this stuff), then olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and mushrooms. Top with more Daiya and a sprinkle of basil or other herbs.

Bake at 350º for 12-15 minutes. The Daiya will "melt," but it won't look like regular cheese, so be careful not to overcook your pizzas. Let them cool for a minute or two before slicing.

Here's to a healthy, compassionate, and fabulously delicious 2012! Happy New Year!!!

Middle Eastern Feast

2011-12-27T07:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas dinner at our house was unusual this year. I decided to go with a Middle Eastern Feast, since I just took a terrific Middle Eastern cooking class, and given the location of the first Christmas, it seemed fitting. I kept it "simple," because there were only four of us for dinner that night, but it still took me all day to prepare everything. I lose a lot of my kitchen efficiency when there are friends around to distract me, which is just the way I like it, as long as nobody is in a hurry to be fed. I made three "sauces" - Tahina, Baba Gannouj, and Hoummos, a beautiful layered lentil dish called Megadara Koshari, and Arab Salad. And for dessert, my first-ever go at Baklava. It was all...wonderful.

I have permission from Chef Chris Maher, of Cooking Studio Taos, to share the following recipes with you. Please note: all recipes Copyright Chris Maher - Do not reprint or republish without permission. Thanks Chef!

Let's start with the Tahina, which is delightful on its own, and is also the base for the Hoummos and Baba Gannouj.

Tahina Sauce

1 lb jar tahina (Usually called Sesame Tahini. Get the toasted kind.)

fresh garlic, minced - about 1 heaping T

onion, minced - about 1 heaping T

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 lime, juiced

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

salt to taste

water, olive oil to finish

Add onion, garlic, cumin, and cayenne to tahina and mix thoroughly.

Mix in vinegar - the tahina will get very thick, so then add water slowly and continue to mix until desired consistency is achieved. (This part is really fun. Do all the mixing by hand.)

Add lime, salt, and olive oil to taste.

To make Hoummos, place about 1/3 of the Tahina Sauce in the food processor, and blend it with 16 oz cooked or canned garbanzo beans. (I also added lemon juice and olive oil to thin it down a bit.)

To make Baba Gannouj, grill a whole eggplant until soft (and burned on the outside). Place the grilled eggplant in a paper bag to steam for about 20 minutes. When it's cool enough to handle, peel and mash, and mix with 1/3 of the Tahina Sauce, adding more cumin, cayenne, garlic, and salt to taste. (You can also throw it all in the food processor, and let the machine do the mashing.)

(You can "burn" your eggplant directly on a burner of your gas stove if you have one, or on an outdoor grill. I don't have either, so attempted to "grill" my eggplant under the electric broiler. It exploded! And then it took over an hour to soften... Next time I'll just bake it in the oven for an hour or so. We make do with what we have.)

Arab Salad

2 red onions, chopped into very fine pieces by hand (1 onion is enough for me)

1 large tomato, cut into tiny cubes, without seeds if possible (I don't worry about the seeds)

1 English cucumber, chopped fine (I used a regular cucumber, and it was still good)

1 large bunch parsley, chopped fine

romaine lettuce, chopped fine

1 jalapeño, finely minced

vinegar (distilled white, which I learned adds the right acidity without adding a flavor of its own)

lime

olive oil

salt

Mix all ingredients together and dress with a touch of vinegar, a good amount of lime, and add salt and olive oil to taste. After tasting, adjust acid by adding more lime or oil.

Megadara Koshari

1 lb lentils - black or green

1 lb medium grain white rice (I used my favorite brown basmati)

4 medium onions

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup olive oil

1 - 6 oz can tomato paste

6 whole garlic cloves

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 oz butter ( I used Earth Balance)

sea salt

3 T chopped parsley for garnish

3 cups water

1 T brown sugar

1 scant cup distilled vinegar

1. Rinse lentils under cold running water. Place clean lentils in a pot and cover generously with cold water and a tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a vigorous simmer until lentils are soft (not al dente).

2. Caramelize onions: place julienned onions and 1/2 cup of oil on high flame - stir often until they begin to brown. Turn heat down to medium. Stir frequently until all onions are browned.

3. Picant Sauce: In a 2 qt sauce pan, add 1/4 cup oil and thoroughly brown the whole garlic cloves. Add tomato paste and fry it with the oil and 1 tsp cayenne pepper. Add 3 cups water, 1 T brown sugar, and 1 scant cup of distilled vinegar. Let mixture simmer until consistency thickens a bit. (I'll use a little less vinegar next time I make this.)

4. Make rice - 2:1 water to rice, salt and a little butter. Bring water to a boil with salt and butter. Add rice and stir. Once boiling again, stir and turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 18-20 minutes. (Cooking time will be longer for brown rice - about 45-50 minutes here.)

Assembly: On a generous platter, place rice on bottom, lentils over rice, then cover lentils with caramelized onions and dot with Picant Sauce. Serve remaining sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Serve everything with pita bread and plenty of wine. You are going to love this meal. But leave room for dessert...

The Baklava was a combination of recipes I found online. I didn't want to make a sugar syrup, and found their instructions overly complicated, so I did it my way... Basically, you thaw a package of phyllo dough, and mix a bunch of chopped nuts (I used walnuts and some almond pulp from our last batch of nut milk) with lots of cinnamon and a little bit of cloves. Melt a stick of Earth Balance butter, and have some agave syrup handy. Unfold the phyllo and cut it in half for easier fitting in the pan. Brush some melted butter on the bottom of the pan, and layer 6-8 sheets of phyllo, with a bit of butter brushed on each. Sprinkle some of the nut and spice mixture on the dough, and drizzle with agave syrup. Add three or four more layers of dough/butter, and then more nut/spice/agave. Keep layering in this way until you have a final 6-8 sheets of phyllo left. Place these on top, with butter between each sheet. Score the top layer in little triangles for easier cutting later. Drizzle on remaining butter and some more agave. Bake at 300º for and hour or more, until it's golden brown on top. Everyone loved this, and while it wasn't as "juicy" as some baklava I've had, it was voted "even better" than most by my family. This version is rich, but not so rich that you can't eat a little in the morning with your coffee.

I hope you'll give some of these recipes a try. Don't be scared. They're all really easy, and so worth the effort, especially if you have someone else to clean up for you! I'm finding that most people are more than happy to wash dishes in trade for a meal at my table. This is nice!

I cooked all day, wore a silly hat, and never got around to putting makeup on. No complaints! I got to eat too!
And notice my eager taste-tester, Lucy, just waiting for... anything she can get.

Date Balls

2011-12-21T05:41:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe my mom got from Aunt Camy back in the 50's, and made every year at Christmas. It's still a family favorite, and if I don't make these in December, I'm in big trouble. It was easy to veganize this recipe, and honestly, nobody can tell the difference.

Here's the original recipe. I love this tattered, sticky card, which still resides in the ancient, banged up metal recipe box I got as a stocking stuffer a long time ago.

Here's the vegan, lower fat version...

Vegan Date Balls

2 cups chopped dates
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup silken tofu
2 T tapioca flour (this isn't all that necessary, so just leave it out if you don't have it)
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup organic brown sugar
1/2 stick Earth Balance "butter," melted

Bake in an oiled square baking pan at 325º for 25-30 minutes, or until it's nicely browned. The toothpick test doesn't work with this. (I usually double the recipe and bake it for a little over an hour.) Pull the molten goo away from the edges of the pan with a spatula or knife, and let it cool off for a while so you can handle it. Roll into small balls, and roll those in organic powdered sugar.

Sagey-Nut Paté

2011-12-19T07:38:00.000-08:00

This one came to me in my sleep, and it must be good because when I had Rick and a friend sample it last night, they both got this dreamy little look on their faces. My original thought was to stuff ravioli with this, but I don't have the equipment (or patience) for that, so I stuffed some mushrooms instead. What a great little appie for your holiday get-togethers. I can also see it schmeared on bread and popped under the broiler, or used in a sandwich with grilled veggies or even faux lunch meat and some crisp lettuce. You might thin it with some nut milk and make a lovely, rich sauce for pasta, or serve it as a dip with a plate of raw vegetables. It's especially good with celery. There are loads of possibilities for this stuff, but let's start with the paté itself, and stuff a few baby portobellos.

Sagey-Nut Paté

Soak 1 cup of raw cashews in cold water for 20-30 minutes. Longer is fine, but 20 minutes is the minimum.

In a dry food processor, chop 1/2 cup of walnuts, and place in a large mixing bowl.

Drain and rinse the soaked cashews, and place in the food processor, along with:
3 T olive oil
2 T water
2 tsp ground sage (the herb, not the brush that grows all over here)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4-1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

Process until you have a smooth, thick paste.
Stir this into the mixing bowl by hand, with the walnuts and one small can of chopped black olives.
Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

I used baby portobellos as the "vehicle" to eat this with. Pull out the stems, and gently wipe the outside of the mushrooms with a damp paper towel or soft cloth. Run your finger around the inside edge to widen the opening, making room for lots of stuffing. Spoon a generous mound of the paté into each mushroom, and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Make enough to share with some special friends, and enjoy with a nice glass of wine by the fire.

Food and Beads

2011-12-16T06:41:00.000-08:00

In my world, Food and Beads are inextricably linked. Both are creative outlets, and each supports the other. Although I've tried, I can't eliminate either of them. They are Soul Mates who thrive in each other's company, and wilt when left on their own. I get it now. Took me long enough.

I woke from a dream about food this morning. It's kind of vague - sort of a nutty, sagey spread or filling or sauce that might go inside of mushrooms or ravioli or... it's not clear yet. I'll make notes right away, before it fades, and then I'll get to work on it over the weekend. Of course you know I'll share it with you when it's ready!

Meanwhile, there's a bead project to finish up. I'm wrapping up my December Bead Giveaway this evening, after I get home from another volunteer day at Taos Feeds Taos, yet another thing that feeds me, inspires me, makes me grateful for all I have, and always puts me in the mood for Christmas.

Have you entered the bead drawing yet? Well, I hope you will! It's free, and if you only know me through my cooking blog, you can meet the Cook's Evil Twin, the Beadmaker, who plays with fire and melts stuff for a living. The beads make the cooking possible, and feed my artist's soul in some ways. The food feeds me in other softer, more nurturing ways, and it feeds my friends too. Visit TakingTheLongWayHome to meet the Other Kim, and to enter the drawing. I'll see you back here next week, with something good to eat!

Feed Somebody

2011-12-15T06:45:00.000-08:00

Today I'm going to volunteer at Taos Feeds Taos. It's not a vegan operation, but sometimes you just have to do the best you can. People need to be fed! I have to rush off, but I want to encourage everyone to get out there and put in a little volunteer time. You'll help more than you'll know, and you'll get more than you'll give!

Vegetable Fried Rice with Tofu

2011-12-14T06:39:00.000-08:00

This is one of the first things I learned to cook back in my earliest vegan days. I wanted restaurant-tasting fried rice, but I also wanted it to have some serious veggies in it. The measurements are approximate. The idea is to have at least as much "stuff" as rice, which is kind of backwards from how restaurants tend to make fried rice. This is fast and simple to fix, and because it's easy to change it up, we still eat it at least a couple of times a week.

You'll need:

A nice big skillet or wok, preferably with a lid. I use my big cast iron "chicken fryer" from Lodge for just about everything... except chickens.

Brown rice. Never eat white food when brown food is available! Leftover rice is fine, or cook up a fresh batch if you need to. About 2-3 cups of cooked rice with all the veggies will feed 2-4 people, depending on if you serve this as a side dish or the whole meal, which we usually do.

1/2 a block of extra firm tofu (organic! always!)
coconut oil
1/2 a yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
red pepper flakes (optional)
1-2 cups chopped cabbage
1-2 cups chopped kale
tamari

While a generous amount of coconut oil is heating in the pan, place the tofu in a dish towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. This makes the tofu brown much faster.

Carefully add the tofu to the hot (but not smoking) oil. It will still sputter and splatter, so keep the little kids out of the way for this step. Cook and gently stir the tofu for a few minutes, until it browns a little bit.

Add the onion and celery. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the rice and red pepper flakes to taste. This is also a good time to add fresh ginger and/or garlic if you have them. Cook for a few minutes, until the onions and celery soften.
Add the carrots and cook 2-3 minutes.

Add cabbage and kale, gently stirring them in until they wilt.

Add a generous slosh of tamari (don't stir it in yet), cover, and turn off the heat, leaving everything to steam for about 5 minutes.

Stir the tamari in and serve.

(If you don't have a lid, just stir in the tamari and cook everything for a few extra minutes before serving.)

We also like this with frozen corn and peas added before the cabbage and kale. To do this, move all the frying rice and veggies to the edges of the pan, leaving a hole in the center. Add the frozen veggies to the hole, and defrost them there for a minute before stirring them in. This keeps them from making the rice soggy. Also feel free to use broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, and other vegetables you like. Don't like tofu? Leave it out. Love cashews or almonds? Add them in. Cooking is art. Get creative with it, and change recipes to suit you and your family. This can be a really different dish every time you make it. We find it a comforting, nutritious staple to throw together quickly. Enjoy!

Thumbprint Cookies

2011-12-12T08:31:00.000-08:00

It's cookie baking season, and I have a simple, fabulous recipe for you. A friend sent it to me from another website, so I'm just going to pop you over the kitchn for some festive little Life-Changing Vegan Thumbprints.

I'll add a few notes to the original recipe:

I had some nut pulp in the fridge from my last batch of Nut Milk, so used it instead of chopping more almonds.

I used organic rolled oats, the slow cooking kind, and the resulting cookies are probably not as soft as they would have been if I'd used quick cooking oats. I'll try it both ways and see what I prefer.

Canola oil creeps me out, and I won't have it in my house. I used melted coconut oil in this recipe with wonderful results.

I ended up using the entire 1 1/2 cups of flour. I used white whole wheat flour, which is a type of wheat, not a bleached flour. I'm sure you could substitute other types of flour if you're gluten sensitive.

Organic, all fruit jam is perfect for these treats, and I also used date halves on some of them. Good stuff.

That's it. Go make some cookies, and meet me back here later!

Update - December 13

I made these again today, using the quick-cooking oats suggested in the recipe. I also used 1/2 coconut oil and half Earth Balance "butter" - which comes in stick form, just like regular butter - melted together in a little saucepan. For the nuts, I used 1/2 almond pulp and 1/2 chopped walnuts. The result was a far superior cookie to the first batch I made. These are softer and more delicate, and the "butter" adds a really nice flavor. This is how I'll make them from now on!

Farewell to a Great Chef, and an Even Greater Human

2011-12-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

I'm posting this on both of my blogs today...

Rick and I are on our way to Denver, to attend the funeral of a very dear man, Noel Cunningham, who left this world last week. Noel and his wife Tammy took Rick and I to Ethiopia in November of 2008, changing our lives for the better, forever. Noel will be greatly missed by many across the world, and I hold the belief that given all the wonderful and loving things he did here in this life, he has even greater work to do now, from the other side.

Just because this is all we can see doesn't mean it's all there is.

I am so very sad, and yet so hopeful and inspired, and so proud to have crossed paths with Noel Cunningham. I'm setting aside business as usual for a few days, and I'll be back here with you next week, beading, cooking, musing, and celebrating life.

Carry on.

Love each other.

Know you are loved.

Thank you Laurie Maves for the beautiful video...

Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cooking with Chris Maher

2011-12-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

I took my first ever cooking class yesterday, through Cooking Studio Taos, with local celebrity chef, Chris Maher. It was Middle Eastern Vegetarian cooking, and it was an amazing experience. There were only 5 of us in the class - two couples, and me. I was actually sort of surprised by the couples things, but of course there must be lots of pairs who enjoy cooking together. Rick and I do too, sort of... but our kitchen is really a one-person place, and I often joke when friends offer to help, No thanks! I cook alone! Maybe I should have that printed on an apron or something. In Chris Maher's kitchen, I definitely did not cook alone, and I loved every minute of it.

Chris is a great guy - relaxed, friendly, welcoming, and super knowledgeable about all things food. I think he said he's been cooking professionally for 30 years. He had one of the best restaurants in Taos, Momentitos de la Vida, which he closed a few years back. He teaches cooking here in Taos, travels to teach cooking and team building, and creates the Caleb & Milo line of Distinctive Artisan Foods. He also does a fair amount of acting, in movies and TV. His wife Valerie works with him, keeping track of students and details, and was there to welcome us yesterday when we arrived for class.

Chris and Valerie are a great team, and the kitchen itself is huge, but also warm and welcoming. It's located on the Blackstone Ranch Institute property, where it's a nice drive past beautiful meeting facilities, guest houses, barns, and happy looking cows, to the kitchen and adjacent greenhouse. (I did find it sort of "interesting" to be learning vegetarian cooking on a working cattle ranch.) Because it's a commercial kitchen as well as a teaching kitchen, there are stoves, sinks, and prep tables all around the room. And the enormous dining table near the windows that look out to a huge greenhouse give it a real feeling of family. There's room for everyone, and room for lots of food, which we certainly needed.

So what did I learn? Aside from several terrific recipes, plenty! I learned how to hold my knife properly, for starters. I never considered that when held correctly, the knife is an extension of my arm, and I have much more control and stability. How did I not know this before?

I also learned that fava beans often have skins on them when you buy them, and those can be tough... I wondered why that batch of favas I made a while back had the texture of shoe leather. Now I know. And... lentils don't need to be soaked before cooking, garbanzo beans and fava beans need a long soak but no cooking before becoming falafel, caramelized onions need to swim in olive oil, never put oil on your salad before the vinegar because it closes the vegetables pores, Black Box makes a very palatable cabernet, and my favorite, Don't cook your spoon. Mixed in with all of that, and more, was some of the best food I've ever had.

The menu was:
Megadara Koshari (a lentil dish with rice and caramelized onions)
Falafel
Arab Salad
Tahina
Baba Gannouj
Hoummos
Tabouleh

It's all vegan really, except for a tiny bit of butter used in a dish or two. At home I'll change that, but otherwise, this class was perfect for me. I was in charge of the Tahina, Hoummos, and Baba Gannouj. Chris grew up in Egypt, so the recipes were all the Egyptian versions of these dishes. The spellings might be somewhat different than what you're used to seeing in restaurants, but the flavors are familiar and comforting. I am now officially hooked on the beautiful Tahina, which is a rich, thick sauce made from sesame tahini paste. A big batch of Tahina doubles as the base for the Hoummos and Baba Gannouj. I'll never go back to my old way of making my humble little hummus. My world just got a little bit bigger, and a whole lot tastier.

I would love to share all these recipes with you, but I think that would be wrong. Maybe once I play with them a while and make them my own, I can share some of them. They're traditional recipes, sure, but they aren't my recipes, and Chris makes his living teaching people how to make them. So come to Taos and take a class, any class, at Cooking Studio Taos. It's affordable and fun, and would be a great part of any vacation to the area. Come now. Today if possible. New owners are taking over the Institute soon, and the lease on the kitchen might not be renewed. I'm sure Chris and Valerie will find another beautiful space to hold classes in, but it was a real added treat to be able to see the ranch, which I didn't even know was here until yesterday, and it's only about 10 minutes away from my house. I'll be watching for Thai Vegetarian and Indian Vegetarian in the coming months, so if you come for one of those, you'll be likely to share some kitchen space with me. I hope you do. I know we'd have fun.

I think I know what our Christmas dinner will be know... A Mid-East Feast seems appropriate, given the geographic location of the first Christmas. Not traditional? Well, says who, and furthermore, who cares? I can't wait to make these dishes at home, and share them with people I love. This morning I still smell like garlic, but right now, to me at least, it smells like perfume.

Thai Green Curry with Pineapple and Tofu

2011-12-02T06:37:00.000-08:00

My friend Paul Graham posted a picture of something like this on his blog, Eating Vegan in Vegas, and since I can't dash off to Las Vegas to try all the restaurants he reviews, I decided to make my own version at home. I'll give you two different ways to make this amazing dish. Try which ever you like, given your time, and willingness to make a mess. Either way, it's just so good - rich and spicy with bits of sweetness... Heaven in a bowl.

Thai Green Curry with Pineapple and Tofu

(This makes a big batch, to serve 6 or more)

Start a pot of rice cooking. I like brown basmati, but choose your own favorite.

Drain a can of pineapple chunks.

Slice a block of extra firm tofu into triangles, and fry it in coconut oil. Remove from pan.

Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary, and saute 1 chopped medium yellow onion and 5-6 stalks of chopped celery until they begin to turn transparent.

Add 3 cups broccoli, 1 chopped red bell pepper, 4 chopped carrots, and the pineapple chunks, and cook until the broccoli and carrots just begin to soften.

Add 1/2 head of chopped green cabbage (or substitute kale), and stir in gently until wilted.

Add 1 or 2 cans lite coconut milk (depending on how big a batch you're making), and enough vegetable broth to cover the vegetables.

Mix 3 T, or more, store bought Thai green curry paste with a little water to thin, and stir it into the pot. (for a large batch, I'll use the whole jar of curry paste)

Season with tamari, maple syrup, red pepper flakes, and fresh or dried basil.

When everything is nice and hot, and the veggies are as tender as you like them (not mushy!), gently stir in the tofu, and serve in bowls over rice.

If you have more time, and want this dish to be extra special, try this:

Cut a fresh pineapple into chunks. (you'll only really need half of it for this dish, so use the rest for something else)

Cut a block of extra firm tofu into 8 slices.

Marinate pineapple and tofu in equal parts tamari and maple syrup. 1/4 to 1/2 cup of each should be enough if you place everything in a big plastic container with a tight-sealing lid. Marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours, flipping the container every so often to evenly distribute the marinade.

Place marinated pineapple and tofu on a large baking sheet, in a 350º oven. Remove pineapple after 30 minutes. Flip the tofu and bake it for another 30 minutes.

During the last 30 minutes of baking, proceed with the rest of the recipe as above, omitting the canned pineapple and tofu-frying parts.

When your curry is ready to serve, stir in about half of the baked pineapple, and cut baked tofu into triangles.

Serve in bowls over rice. Place baked tofu and pineapple on top, and garnish with chopped fresh basil if you can get it.

the Feast - Part III

2011-11-30T05:40:00.000-08:00

After a fabulous feast, you have to wait a while for dessert (sometimes I wait until the next day), but now it's time for something sweet! As I've said before, I'm not really much of a baker, and I find pies especially intimidating. Cobbler makes way more sense to me, so that's what I made for our Thanksgiving dessert. This is a combination of several recipes, including a favorite my Mom used to make.

Apple-Cherry Cobbler

6-8 apples, cored, peeled, and sliced, the amount depending on the size of your pan. Use a mix of different kinds of apples, such as Pink Lady, Fuji, and Granny Smith.

1 cup dried cherries

Arrange apples and cherries in a baking dish.

Stir together the following, and pour over fruit:

1/2 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 tsp each nutmeg and cloves

2 tsp cinnamon

1 T arrowroot powder

Topping

1 cup quinoa flour (or any flour you prefer)

1 cup oats

1 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or nut pulp from nut milk)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Mix the above together in a bowl. Place 1/3 to 1/2 half of the topping in a food processor, and buzz in 3 T vegan butter and 2 T coconut oil. Stir back in with the rest of the topping in the bowl, and sprinkle over the fruit. This is enough topping for a large 9x13 baking dish.

Bake at 375º for 45 minutes to an hour, until hot all the way through and apples are cooked to your liking. We prefer them a little bit crisp. Cover with foil if topping begins to brown too much. This is a very sweet dessert, so feel free to cut back on the sugar if you want to. I served it with vanilla Rice Dream Ice Cream, which was the only thing not made from scratch in the entire meal.

I hope you'll enjoy playing with these recipes, and including them in some of your own Holiday Feasts.

Cheers, and Happy Holidays!!!

the Feast - Part I

the Feast - Part II

the Feast Part III

the Feast - Part II

2011-11-28T06:33:00.000-08:00

I'm back, with more recipes from my terrific Thanksgiving Feast. Today we have Mashed Cauliflower, Chipotle-Orange Cranberries, Sweet Potato Biscuits, and Spinach Salad. Let's go!

First the cranberries, because I love them so much. These are really easy to make, and infinitely better than the kind in a can. I think of these more as a side dish than a condiment.

Chipotle-Orange Cranberries

1 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries

zest and juice of 2 organic navel oranges

apple juice added to orange juice to make one cup

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 tsp chipotle powder

Rinse and sort cranberries, and bring all ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Boil gently for 10-15 minutes, until berries pop open and sauce starts to thicken. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

~~~

Both cauliflower and potatoes are full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Cauliflower is lower in calories and carbs, and is a good choice if you avoid foods from the nightshade group. It's a nice change from the usual potatoes, and just as easy to make.

Mashed Cauliflower

Boil or steam fresh cauliflower until very tender. Mash by hand, or whip with a mixer, adding vegan butter and nut milk to get the right consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Think about adding fresh garlic to the cooking water, and stirring in some Daiya cheese and fresh basil to the mash. Oh yum!

~~~

The Sweet Potato Biscuits I tested last week were just the right addition to this meal. So often, bread at Thanksgiving is just filler, and something to sop up gravy with, but these stand alone as a high fiber, high protein, delicious part of the meal. All that, and they're really pretty too. Click this link for the recipe. Here they are, ready to pop in the oven. I cut them smaller this time, so everyone could go back for seconds, which they did!

I don't know about you, but I like to have greens with almost every meal. People tend to wrinkle their noses at salad on a Thanksgiving plate, but I made everyone take some, because I knew the fresh crunchy spinach and root veggies would be so good with all the softer cooked foods, and the gently smoky dressing complimented the other flavors without competing. The colors were gorgeous too. I was right, and they all happily ate their spinach!

Spinach Salad

baby spinach

chopped raw beets, carrots, and jicama

Dressing

1/4 c flax seed oil

1 T rice vinegar

1 T maple syrup

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

salt & pepper to taste

That's it for today. Next time, we'll have dessert - a beautiful Apple-Cherry Cobbler!

~~~

the Feast - Part I

the Feast - Part II

the Feast Part III

the Feast - Part I

2011-11-26T06:58:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving was my first attempt at a major vegan spread. I spent three days shopping and cooking, so I took my time and prepped everything I could the day before the big meal. I had a fridge full of ziplock bags stuffed with chopped vegetables, and even went as far as to measure and bag the dry ingredients for the biscuits and cobbler. I knew I'd be distracted with family and friends in the kitchen, and wanted to be sure I could keep my place. I also have a big spiral notebook I write all my "working" recipes in. It's full of scribbles, notes, and changes. Without it, I'd never remember what I made last night, let alone a month ago. I wrote out the entire menu, and then gave each recipe a page of its own. It worked beautifully, and it never occurred to me as I planned all this that I might be taking on more than my kitchen could handle. I probably was, and even though I had a very good assistant, for a few minutes there I wondered how it was all going to come together. Then, in the last few minutes, the Kitchen Angels arrived, aprons on and hands washed, and miraculously, everything was ready to serve, all at the same time. I'm still kind of amazed.

Here's the menu for our Vegan Thanksgiving 2011:
Nut Crusted Tofu - marinated tofu, baked with a cashew-coconut crust
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms - marinated in a red wine sauce, and grilled on the stovetop
Quinoa-Corn Stuffing - quinoa and polenta, baked with traditional stuffing seasonings
Mashed Cauliflower - simply whipped with vegan butter
Mushroom Red Wine Gravy
Chipotle-Orange Cranberries
Spinach Salad - baby spinach with raw beets, carrots, and jicama in smoky-sweet vinaigrette
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Apple-Cherry Cobbler with Vanilla Rice Dream Ice Cream

Where did all this come from? I'm not really sure, and I can't really take the credit. It all sort of came to me last week, while I was soaking in the hot springs. The stuffing idea was Rick's, and the tofu is my simplified version of Mark Reinfeld's award winning recipe. We brainstormed a lot that day while I made notes and soaked my bones. I guess relaxation is a good thing!

And now I'm going to share all of with you here. There's no need to make all this at once. Try a recipe here and there. They were all big hits at my table, and we all had a hard time deciding what our favorites were. Keep in mind that I was cooking for 5 people, and had lots of leftovers, so you can adjust quantities as you need to. Also, I was cooking my brains out, so didn't get as many pictures as I wanted to. My helpers took a few for me, and I think you'll get the idea. Here we go!

Nut Crusted Tofu

2 blocks of extra firm tofu, each sliced into 8 pieces
Marinate several hours, or over night, in:
1/2 cup tamari
1/2 cup maple syrup
apple juice to cover the tofu

Bake marinated tofu on a shallow baking sheet for 30 minutes at 350º

While tofu bakes, mix a little nut butter (peanut, cashew, almond, tahini) with some of the marinade, and set aside. Make the Nut Crust.

Nut Crust

Pulse in food processor until crumbly:
1 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
2 inches fresh ginger, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Remove tofu from oven and flip the slices over. Spoon on a little of the nut butter mixed with marinade, and spread to the edges of the tofu. Bake 20 minutes more.

Top tofu with Nut Crust and bake 10-15 minutes more.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms & Mushroom Red Wine Gravy

I made these as "steaks" recently. This time I cut the mushrooms into thick slices for grilling. Then I turned the extra marinade into gravy, adding the chopped mushroom stems, thickening it with quinoa flour, and adding some almond milk for richness. It makes more of a wine reduction sauce than a traditional gravy. Here's the recipe from a previous blog.

Quinoa-Corn Stuffing

This recipe make s a vat of stuffing. You might want to cut it down for a normal family dinner...

Boil 6 cups vegetable broth in a large pot.
Add 1/2 cup polenta, and boil gently for 20-30 minutes, till tender.
Add 2 cups rinsed quinoa.
Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 15-20 minutes more, stirring once or twice, until the broth is absorbed.

Saute:
1 chopped onion and 6 stalks celery in olive oil until they begin to soften.
Add 1 chopped apple and 1 cup frozen corn. Cook until hot, and season with salt & pepper, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

Stir the saute into the quinoa-polenta, and add more seasonings to taste. Place in a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes to an hour, until it's lightly browned in top, and hot all the way through.

Okay - Let's stop here for today. This is going to be a three part blog, so I don't overwhelm anybody, including myself. Here's a picture of the entire meal. There's more to look forward to, so I'll see you back here in a day or two!

the Feast - Part I

the Feast - Part II

the Feast Part III

More Power to You

2011-11-23T06:25:00.000-08:00

I have my Vegan Thanksgiving Feast all planned, and will start the prep work today. I'm sure you've got your meal all figured out by now too, so I'll share my recipes after the holiday, and maybe you can use some of them later in the season. Meanwhile, we can all use some extra energy this time of year - quick bites of pure fuel that can keep us afloat on the busy days ahead. Store bought energy bars can be okay, but many of them are loaded with processed sugars, which are totally bad for us, and besides, they're ridiculously expensive. I got a version of the following recipe from my friends Kat & Kathleen, and proceeded to mess with it until it was super simple, and extra good. I call them Power Balls because they pack a real nutritional wallop, but best of all, they're a tasty treat.

These are a great snack to take along just about anywhere. I'll sometimes munch one or two with a cup of tea and call it lunch. I think they're quite fancy enough to call them cookies, but you could dress them up by stirring in things like tiny chocolate chips and chopped dried cherries, and maybe roll them in organic powdered sugar and give them as holiday gifts. I might do just that.

Here's the basic recipe. Please feel free to play with it. You can't really mess these up.

Power Balls

Buzz together in a food processor:

2 cups coarsely chopped dried fruit

Dates are especially good, but try adding in some apricots, figs, prunes, raisins, etc.

1/4 cup maple syrup

You can also use agave or brown rice syrup.

1/4 cup peanut butter

Or use cashew or almond butter. The original recipe calls for coconut oil, which is extra decadent.

Add, and pulse until medium-to-finely chopped, but not pureed:

1/2 cup nuts and seeds

I like cashews, walnuts, almonds, and sunflowers seeds, in any combination.

1/4 cup chia seeds

These are a Super Food favored by the Aztecs for strength and stamina.

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut

It will look something like this...

Roll into small balls, and place on a baking sheet. No baking though! Just place them in the fridge for an hour or so, and then store refrigerated in an air tight container. They'll keep for at least a couple of weeks, but I'll bet they get eaten long before that.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! And if you're cooking a Vegan Feast, yay YOU!!!

Vegan Video Stars

2011-11-21T06:36:00.000-08:00

Talented, inspired, creative, silly, fun, amazing self-produced Vegan Video Stars are popping up all over the internet, and some of them are really worth watching. Not only do they offer some great vegan education and recipes, they do it with style and humor. The entertainment value alone makes it worth checking some of them out, even if you're not vegan. I'll get you started with three of my favorites.

At the top of my list is Vegan Drag Queen. Oh yes, darling! Honey LaBronx is the most adorable vegan, activist, drag queen you could ever hope to meet. Well, I certainly hope to meet her. She has some fine cooking skills, a terrific outlook, and a slightly naughty sense of humor that probably won't offend most of you too much. You can watch Vegan Drag Queen's cooking show videos on her website, or find them on YouTube. Here's Episode One. Go Honey, go!

Next up, Vegan Black Metal Chef. This one left me speechless the first time I saw it, but VBMC has developed a huge following, so clearly, a lot of people like this stuff. I wonder if they're watching it for the black metal-ness, or for the food, which is actually quite good. Check out this version of Vegan Pad Thai. Fair warning, Vegan Black Metal Chef can be kind of a potty mouth at times. But oh... what a cool knife he has!

After you've recovered from VBMC, check out the Vegan Zombie. This one's been around quite a while, but I don't get out much, so I've only just discovered it. At first I wasn't sure about the connection between vegans and zombies, but it does get your attention, right? Then I read the "about" page, and well, that cleared it all up... "The zombie apocalypse is coming and we will be ready. Infection will originate from within the ~~meat~~ flesh the ~~people~~ zombies consume. Vegans will be one step ahead…"
There's a movie trailer that will help you understand what TVZ is all about, and here's the most recent of many, many cooking videos. Weird stuff. I love it.

So I'm wondering... if I wanted to do a cooking show, what would my gimmick be? I have absolutely no idea, but the wheels are turning... Meanwhile, I'm going to watch more of these tasty videos.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

2011-11-18T06:26:00.000-08:00

I have big plans for Thanksgiving this year. Some of the recipes can be trusted to improvisation on the big day, but there's one in particular I don't want to leave to chance. I'm not really a baker, and I want the Sweet Potato Biscuits to be perfect, so I decided to take them for a test drive. As it turns out, there was no need to worry. This is a simple, traditional biscuit recipe that takes no real "skill." If you can Measure Stuff and Stir Stuff, you can make these! They came out perfect the first time. So perfect, in fact, I made a second batch because my taste testers ate them all up and wanted more.

I had two fat sweet potatoes sitting on the counter, so I poked some holes in them with a fork, threw them in the oven and baked them until they were nice and soft, then pureed them in the food processor with just enough water to make them smooth. I had more than enough for the biscuits, so some of it became my grandson's first homemade baby food. I'm so proud. He's been eating sweet potatoes from a jar, and I'm thrilled to finally be able to cook something for him. And yes, of course you can buy canned sweet potatoes or yams. Don't beat yourself up if you decide to go that way. It's faster and easier, and your biscuits will still be wonderful.

Sweet Potato Biscuits
(These amounts make about 6 biscuits. You might want to double the recipe!)

1 cup sweet potato puree
1 cup flour (I made one batch with quinoa four, and one with whole wheat. Nobody had a real preference.)
1 T baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T maple syrup

Stir everything together just until mixed, and turn the dough onto a floured board. Sprinkle a little flour on top, and pat dough into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 6 squares. Place biscuits on a lightly oiled baking sheet, and bake at 375º for 15-20 minutes. Mine took the full 20 minutes at our 7,000 foot elevation.

They came out moist and flaky, and just so lip-smackin' good with a little vegan butter. You could call them scones if you want, and serve them with jam for breakfast, but I think they'll be just perfect with our Thanksgiving dinner, and maybe yours too.

Vegan Hot Springs Getaway

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's not always easy being vegan in New Mexico. Most of the time I cook at home, and now and then we'll go out for Thai food, or make do with chips, salsa, and guacamole if we're out for margaritas with friends. When we travel, we take some of our own food along for the ride, and trust that we'll find something - at least a salad - on restaurant menus along the way.

Rick and I took a mini-vacation to Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs & Spa over the weekend, to celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary. Ojo, as the locals call it, is close to home, but worlds away. It's an easy day trip from Taos, but we chose to spend a night, so we could really soak our bones and relax. We took along a small cooler filled with snacks, like nut cheese, crackers, champagne, and a southwest-style sushi that was a big hit with my sweetie.

To make this weird-but-wonderful finger food, follow the instruction in my original post, Sushi Made Simple, but fill the rolls with nut cheese, rice, chopped lettuce, black beans, carrots, and chopped jalapenos. I was out of avocado, but will add some next time! The dipping sauce was a spicy chipotle mayo, made with vegan mayonnaise, chipotle powder, a splash of jalapeno juice from the jar, and a little stevia or sugar.

I tend to overstuff my sushi, which makes it messy to roll up. Scale it down a bit of you can, or just scoop up what falls out and tuck it into the next roll.

The Artesian Restaurant at Ojo has something for everyone, including vegans. All menus can be found on the restaurant link, although they don't seem to be quite up to date. You'll get the idea though - they serve the sort of beautiful food you'd expect at a spa resort. Nobody goes hungry.

We ordered several things to share, which tends to confuse servers, but gives us a nice variety of things to taste. We had the Green Chile "Fries," which were fresh, crisp, and wonderful, and the Spinach Salad with prickly pear vinaigrette instead of the cumin vinaigrette, which has egg in it. The hostess was eager to help us choose vegan items, once we told her what we were wishing for.

The Tortilla Soup was so good we asked for the recipe, which we sort of got. It's a tomato-based soup, thickened with corn tortillas, and seasoned with onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Garnished with little crispy sliced tortilla strips and avocado, this soup was lick-the-bowl good, and I'll be making at home soon.

Last, we shared the veggie-stuffed Chile Relleno, served with a darling little Quinoa Tamale, which was actually some wonderfully seasoned quinoa (was that a hint of nutmeg?) artfully served in a corn husk "bowl". The spicy red chile sauce was just right, and we didn't miss the goat cheese one bit. No room for dessert, we took a walk around the grounds, and then relaxed by the outdoor camp fire with the rest of our bottle of wine, and some bits of good sea-salted chocolate we'd brought from home.

In the morning, I remembered to bring my phone/camera to breakfast, but forgot to take a picture of my Tofu-Spinach Scramble until it was half gone. That's how good it was!

Back in my own kitchen now, I have some new things to try, and am happy to report that Ojo Caliente is, indeed, very vegan friendly.

Portobello Mushroom Steaks

2011-11-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

Pondering dinner options one night, Rick said, How about portobello burgers and sweet potato fries? Since my husband is still "vegan between parties," and we haven't been to any parties lately, I took this to mean he was in the mood for something on the "meaty side" of vegan. I agreed that sounded pretty good, and it would have been good, except that once I got going, I changed it all around to where it was more like a steak dinner, worthy of a good cabernet, than a mere burger bite with a beer.

With two big beautiful portobello mushrooms to work with, the wheels started turning quickly. Tucking thin slices of fresh garlic between the fins, I next made a big batch of marinade. Coating the rounded surface of the mushrooms, and filling the finned side, I left them to soak it up while I started some polenta.

Mushroom Marinade
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1 c red wine
2 tsp powdered mustard
2 T vegan worcestershire (Annie's Naturals makes a good one)

It takes a while (and some muscle power) to make polenta from scratch, but it's really easy, and so much better than the kind you buy in a tube. For two people, start with a cup of organic dry polenta and 3 cups of veggie broth or water. Heat to a boil, then reduce to low, and stir in some dried basil, a little salt, and some chopped walnuts. Cook slowly, stirring fairly constantly until it's thick and creamy. You might need to add more broth as you go, allowing the polenta to cook to a soft consistency.

Between stirs, you can chop up a simple green salad and mix up a creamy-cheesy dressing made from nut cheese, a spoonful of vegan mayo, nut milk, a little vinegar, and garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

When the polenta is done, cover it and remove it from the heat. Now heat up a grilling pan and drain excess marinate from the inside of the mushrooms. When the grill pan is hot, give it a quick shot of cooking oil spray, and gently press the mushrooms onto the pan, round side down. After a few minutes they'll begin to soften and droop a little bit. Check the underside, looking for nice grill marks, but no burning. Flip the mushrooms and cook a few more minutes. They should take about 10-12 minutes total.

While the mushrooms are grilling, pour the remaining marinade into a small sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle boil, and continue to boil, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, to reduce some of the liquid. This makes a wonderful, intensely flavored sauce for the finished dish.

To serve, spread a thick layer of polenta on part of the plate, and top with a mushroom. Finish with the reduced sauce, and serve with green salad topped with sliced avocado, and maybe a sprinkle of seeds or nuts.

Variations:

Slice and marinate the mushrooms, and sauté them instead of grilling them.

Add a little flour to the sauce to make it more of a gravy.

Serve with rice, pasta, or potatoes instead of polenta.

Serve the mushrooms burger-style, on whole grain buns, with salad and sweet potato fries.
(Great idea, Rick!)

Mac n' Cheese

2011-11-11T06:13:00.000-08:00

We've talked about cheese before. It's the heroin of the dairy world, full of lovely, soothing opiates, and truly an addictive substance. Going vegan is easy in a lot of ways, but for lots of us, the most challenging when it comes to cheese. In my case, I mourned the loss of my beloved mac n' cheese, and then I started looking around for good vegan versions of this ultimate comfort food. There are hundreds of different riffs on vegan mac n' cheese out there. Everybody has their own idea of how to make it, and what it should taste like. I've seen endless recipes using either tofu or nuts. Almost all of them include nutritional yeast, which is the Secret Key to the Vegan Cheese Universe. It has that rich, smooth, nutty-cheesy flavor we crave, plus it's good for us.

I remember the days when I was a single mom with two kids, living on next to nothing, and making a lot of creative use of the "blue box" mac n' cheese. It was fast and easy, the kids liked it, and well, it was cheap. My favorite way to eat it was straight from the pan with a wooden spoon. In fact, I still like my mac n' cheese that way, but these days, I make a much healthier, tastier version. I served this to a table full of friends the other night, and even though some of them still eat the "real" kind (we're going to have to talk about "real" one of these days), they said mine tasted even better. Hooray! Another score for Team Vegan!

The thing about mac n' cheese is it should be fast and easy to make. Granted, a good homemade meal is going to be messier and more time consuming to fix than a chemical meal from a box, but my mac n' cheese is still quick and easy, and well worth the extra bit of cleanup. There are several ways to go about this dish, depending on what you already have on hand.

Method 1 - If you've made a batch of Basic Nut Cheese from the pulp left from Basic Nut Milk, you're half way there! Just slowly warm the cheese in a sauce pan with some liquid to thin it down. Try nut milk, vegetable broth, and even a splash beer or wine for a snazzy grown-up flavor. You may want to add more seasonings, like nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, dry mustard, paprika, or herbs, and consider a blop of vegan butter for extra richness. Once it passes your own personal taste test, pour it over your favorite cooked macaroni. I like whole wheat or rice elbow noodles for that authentic mac n' cheese look.

Method 2 - If you have a cup or so of nut pulp left from making nut milk, you can throw it in the food processor and blend it up with a bit of liquid to make it as smooth as possible, then transfer it to a sauce pan, add more liquid, nutritional yeast, salt, mustard powder, and other seasonings as above.

Method 3 - If you're starting from scratch and are in a hurry, soak a cup of cashews in water for about 20 minutes. Drain and process as above, with liquid, nutritional yeast, and seasonings. Cashews make a smoother, creamier sauce than almonds do, plus they require much less soak time. They're the speedy "blue box" of vegan mac n' cheese!

I've read that adding artichoke hearts to cheese will give it a nice Swiss cheese flavor. I'll be trying that soon! You can also add canned or cooked pumpkin to take the flavor in another direction. Experiment with herbs and vegetable additions to create your own favorites. There's always room in the world for another vegan mac n' cheese recipe!

Good Vegan News

2011-11-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

I do a lot of stumbling around the internet, and sometimes I land in something really great, like a free online book I can share with you! The Ultimate Vegan Guide, by Eric Marcus, is available online for free, on Kindle for just 99¢, and in paperback for only $8.95. I haven't actually read it yet, but I popped it onto my free Kindle for Mac, which also makes it readable on my free Kindle for iPhone. Sometimes technology makes my heart sing out loud.

Also, Mark Reinfeld has just won Best Recipe of the Year at Vegan.com, for his Mediterranean Pistachio Crusted Tofu with Saffron Quinoa Pilaf. Oh YUM! I want to try this right now. For breakfast. But the best part of this news, for me anyway, is that I'm taking Mark's 10 Day Vegan Immersion course in April. I get to learn from this guy! I'm so excited! I think I'll go cook something!

Creamy Bean Soup

2011-11-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

I make this soup all winter long, using various types of beans. It's rich and comforting, and simple to make, which is exactly what I want on a cold November night. I used black-eyed peas this time, but black beans, adzuki beans, or white beans are all good in this soup. If you use canned beans, it's quick to put together. If you cook your own beans, it takes longer, but tastes that much better.

Creamy Bean Soup

Soak 1-2 cups of beans in water overnight.

Bring beans to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans, and set them aside. This reduces the gassiness. You could also cook the beans ahead of time and save them to add to the soup near the end of cooking time, just to re-warm them. If you're really in a time crunch, use canned beans.

In your soup pot, saute some chopped onion and garlic in coconut oil.

Add the soaked, uncooked beans and cover with water or broth. Bring to a boil, and cook the beans till tender - usually about 1-2 hours - adding water or broth as needed to keep the beans covered. I use a large box of veggie broth, and add water too.

~Skip this step if using canned or pre-cooked beans, and just heat the broth, and then add the following:

Add a can of coconut milk and a chopped sweet potato.

Season with cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and a blop of peanut butter.

Simmer until the sweet potatoes are done, adding more liquid if you think it needs it.

Add some finely chopped kale or spinach and cook for a few more minutes.

Just before serving, add a generous squeeze of lime and some chopped fresh cilantro.

This is a good one to serve to non-vegan friends with a big hunk of crusty bread, and maybe a salad. They'll never miss the meat.

Sushi Made Simple

2011-11-04T09:23:00.001-07:00

We had a few friends over last night, and I made Miso Happy Soup, which is always a hit. I wanted something fun and compatible to start with as a little appetizer, and my usual work-night nut-cheese & crackers or chips & guac from the local really good Mexican place just didn't seem right. I decided it was time to try making sushi, which was a little scary, but I'd helped a friend make some years and years ago, and figured I could work it out. I was right. It turned out beautiful and delicious! Everybody loved it, which always makes me so happy.

To make this easy delicacy, you'll need a sushi rolling mat, nori sheets (the outer wrapper of seaweed), cooked rice, and your choice of veggie fillings.

These are easy to find in many grocery stores and Asian markets, or order this one for $4.95 from Crate&Barrel.

I buy these in our local market. You can also order them from Amazon.

I'm not much concerned with making anything too traditional, so I used brown basmati rice. It's so much healthier than white rice, and it worked great. I filled some of my rolls with Super Seaweed Salad (for a salty-fishy flavor), avocado, and carrots. Others were filled with nut-cheese, avocado, bell peppers, and tamari-toasted sunflower seeds.

I made two sauces - the traditional wasabi-tamari mix, made with real wasabi. I learned that most of the wasabi you get in restaurants is actually horseradish dyed green, because the real deal is so expensive. But, you can get a jar of real wasabi powder for about $7 in many markets' Asian food sections. Just mix a little with water until it forms a paste, and let it sit for about 10 minutes to develop its flavor. Then mix in tamari to taste. Easy! My other sauce was actually the favorite here last night. It was just a splash or two of tamari, maple syrup, and pepper-sesame oil. It had that nice sweet-salty-spicy teriyaki sort of thing going on.

Now for the how-to. I found the following 9 minute video from HealthyVegan , and it was really helpful in giving me the basics, and showing me the technique for rolling the sushi into tight little bundles. Watch and learn!

Fun, huh? I can't wait to make some more. And I know what I'll be bringing to pot lucks from now on!

Question - Hair Loss on a Vegan Diet?

2011-11-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to IKnowHair.com for the image!

"Hi Kim...love all the info you send my way...Just a quick question...I have always had long, pretty thick hair...I am almost 8 months into my vegan journey and I am losing hair in mass quantities....My diet has been very good..with plenty of legumes...grains...quinoa...greens...fruit...veggies...tofu....Just curious if you ever had this problem??? Overall I feel great and have no plans in stopping my vegan journey...I also supplement B12 and have sun warrior protein shakes a couple of times a week...Any thoughts... Thanks!"
Stacy

Hi Stacy,

Thanks for your question. I have not experienced this problem, so I had to do some research to find out what could cause a healthy vegan to lose her hair. There's no definitive answer, and of course I have to recommend that you check with your doctor to rule out anything serious. There are several things to look at more closely in your diet though, and the rest of us should do the same, to be sure we keep it all in balance. Everyone, no matter what their diet preference, needs to pay attention to good nutrition. We know it's absolutely possible to maintain a healthy vegan diet, and our bodies will certainly give us clues when something is out of whack.

Insufficient protein and B12 can be major causes of hair loss, but these don't appear to be the issue for you, Stacy. A condition called "Telogen Effluvium," which is a temporary increase in normal daily hair loss can be brought on by rapid weight loss, which sometimes happens to new vegans. It can also be brought on by any number of drugs, including oral contraceptives, as well as by over-use of vitamin A. Deficiencies in iron, zinc, or lysine are other common causes of hair loss.

Take a close look at your stress level, in combination with nutrition. Stress, as we know, can bring on all sorts of physical problems, including hair loss. You might be getting a might be a signal to decompress a bit, or make some changes in your work or home life.

Another thing to look into is hormone imbalance, which often results in thyroid imbalance. This can be one of the joys of menopause, and is also sometimes caused by eating too much soy in combination with insufficient iodine.

I would look at all these possibilities individually, and see if anything jumps out. I wish there was an easy answer! At least there are several things to explore, and it's probably as simple as adjusting your supplements a bit. I really appreciate your question Stacy, and look forward to answering others that are coming in. I'm learning a lot, and have ordered several books to have on hand to help me in my research. With good vegan nutrition, and good vegan recipes, we can all be Super Vegans! Please check the sources listed below for more in-depth information.

Sources:

World Vegan Day!

2011-11-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

Happy World Vegan Day! Just a quick greeting today, and a link to my favorite magazine, VegNews, where you can read more about today's celebration! Enjoy!

Eat Some Greens on Halloween

2011-10-31T09:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween! If you're just beginning your vegan journey, be sure to check the labels of your favorite treats. They can be tricky! My own favorite, candy corn, contains gelatin. So sad. And milk chocolate, of course, contains milk. We know from my recent post on TakingTheLongWayHome that there's some really good vegan chocolate out there, and I just found a recipe for vegan candy corn on The Urban Housewife. Wow! It's still loaded with sugary junk I don't normally eat, but it would be fun to make it for a special occasion, like today!

If you're going to indulge in some sweets today (or maybe a tasty wicked brew or two) you'll want to balance all that out with something super healthy. I came up with a salad yesterday that's just what you need. It's made with my favorite super-hero vegetable, kale, along with a super-hero from the sea - seaweed! This salad is quick and easy to make, and loaded with fiber, minerals, and calcium. It's on the salty side, so it will counteract all that sugar we might "have to" eat today, and it tastes wonderful! I took some to a friend's party last night, and knew it was a winner when we all ate it, and someone wanted to take the leftovers home. We jokingly called it "Hangover Salad" for it's green medicinal powers, but I think I'll give it a new name here today...

Super Seaweed Salad

Soak 1/2 bag or more Hijiki in water for about 30 minutes.

While the seaweed soaks, wash and chop enough kale to fill your salad bowl. Drizzle with some toasted sesame oil, and "massage" the kale until it's bright green and a little bit tender.

The kale will shrink as it softens, so add more if you want a bigger salad.

Drain the seaweed well, and toss it in with the kale. Add a little more sesame oil if you like, along with tamari and ume plum vinegar if you have it. Too much tamari will make it too wet, so add it gradually. If it's not salty enough for you, throw in a little sea salt to taste. Raw or toasted sesame seeds would add more calcium, and a nice little crunch. I'll be sure to have some for next time. Another good addition would be some raw or marinated/baked tofu, for extra protein.

Mmmm... You know - I'd really rather have this than candy. Now that's kinda spooky...

Ask Me!

2011-10-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday someone asked, in a comment, about B vitamins in a vegan diet. The short answer is, most "experts" agree that we need to supplement B12, which used to be available from plant sources, but has been depleted by overworking our soil. I'll round up more specific information on this soon, but for now, it's a good idea to take a good multi-vitamin with B12. You don't need much, and it takes a long time for your body's stored B12 to be used up. But a B12 deficiency can be very dangerous, so there's no reason to take the risk.

This question got me thinking it would be fun to open up the door for you to ask all the questions you want. I don't always have a new recipe to share, and vegan life isn't only about food. So now you'll see my invitation in the upper right corner of the blog. If you have questions about vegan lifestyle and nutrition, want to know something about my personal vegan journey, or have a recipe you'd like to see vegan-ized, just send me an email and ask away!

I'm not an expert on anything at all, but I'll do my best to find answers we can all trust. It's baby steps and a lifelong learning process, so your questions will help to guide me too. They'll also give me something to write about when I don't have food to share, or like today, when I do have a good recipe but the pictures turned out terrible...

So, yes please. Ask questions! I'll post them here with the best answers I can come up with, and I'll get to as many of them as I can. Send your questions by email to me at kim@kimmiles.com.

Thanks!

Sweet Black Beans with Fried Pineapple Kale Rice

2011-10-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

This blog is becoming a collection of my favorite things to cook and eat. I've thought about writing a cookbook, but that was too overwhelming and mysterious a project. Essentially, I'm giving you a cookbook here, but you have to be patient and wait for the recipes to appear one at a time. Who knows - maybe one day it will magically find itself in a printed version. Until then, here's my next offering. I posted this recipe on my other blog a while back, but it belongs here too. Enjoy some Sweet Black Beans, which I think are especially good with Fried Pineapple Kale Rice.

Sweet Black Beans

Cook some dried black beans with onion and garlic in the water, OR open a can or two of beans.

Drain off excess cooking water (or drain and rinse canned beans)

Season with:

ketchup

maple syrup

tamari

salt & pepper

sweet smoked paprika

I like to make them nice and saucy. They taste kind of like baked beans, but so much better.

Fried Pineapple Kale Rice sounds weird, but it's amazing.

Chop a bunch of curly green kale

Saute quickly in coconut oil, with canned or fresh pineapple chunks.

Add rice and cook a minute or two longer. Kale should still be bright green and crunchy.

Drizzle in a generous splash of tamari to taste, and cover to steam for a couple of minutes.

Serve with Sweet Black Beans. Yum!

This is easy if you have some leftover rice from another meal. Alternately, make the Pineapple Kale separately, and serve it with the beans over a fresh batch of rice.

Let's Go Grocery Shopping

2011-10-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

http://theveganproject.wordpress.com/

I used to hate grocery shopping, but these days I see it all through different eyes. I love the food and the people I make it for, so it follows that I've also learned to love the process of shopping for it and preparing it. To me it's a creative outlet I'd been ignoring for years. So now when I head out to the market, I think of it as going out to buy Art Supplies.

A lot of people think vegan food is somehow different from, uh, "normal" food. Really? Come on, now! By definition, omnivores eat everything, so it follows that what you'll find in a well stocked vegan kitchen is simply a portion of that everything that America is used to expecting. Most of what we eat around here is pretty "normal," meaning you've actually heard of these foods, and can easily locate them in most markets. Sometimes I'll use exotic ingredients, but most of the time I work from a fairly simple list of staples. With a few basics on hand, it's always easy to come up with a good meal without having to run to the store every day.

If you're new to vegan cooking for yourself, or if you have a vegan guest coming for dinner, and aren't really sure how to put a meal together, an easy formula is - half vegetables, raw or cooked, one quarter whole grain, and one quarter protein, like beans or tofu. This isn't written in stone, of course. Mix it up, serve a variety of fresh whole foods, and don't stress out over protein. We don't need nearly as much as certain industries would have us believe we do.

You can check out Alicia Silverstone's own list for a trip to Whole Foods. Here are some of the things I like to keep on hand. I love that my friends are beginning to realize they'll always be well fed here!

Kale - My number one favorite vegetable. Dark and leafy, it's a good source of calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and fiber, and even has 2 grams of protein in a one cup serving. You can use it in all sorts of cooked dishes, as well as salads. When using it raw, I usually "massage" it to soften it up a bit. Oh, I have such a crush on kale!

Vegetables - Broccoli, carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, avocados, frozen corn and peas, lettuce - Mix and match in soups, stir-fries, salads, wraps, and sandwiches.

Zucchini - This could be in the list above, but I also like to "spiralize" it to use in place of noodles.

Fruit - To be honest, we eat far more veggies than fruit in our house. I usually buy what's in season, and keep a couple of bags of frozen berries around for smoothies. We also buy bananas year round, to use in smoothies and in Chia Seed Pudding.

Lemons & Limes - I use these two fruits almost every day. They're essential seasonings in my kitchen.

Whole Grains - Brown basmati rice and quinoa are the two I use most often, but there are so many more to play with.

Beans - I usually cook beans from scratch. They're just so much better that way. I particularly like black beans, pinto beans, and garbanzo beans. Buy canned beans if you're pressed for time.

Tofu & Tempeh - Wonderful, versatile sources of soy protein that adapt to all sorts of dishes.

Food For Life's Gluten Free English Muffins - These are my current breakfast obsession.

Tortillas - I get organic, whole grain torts. Try Ezekiel, sprouted corn, or whole brown rice varieties for wraps, burritos, and tacos.

Bread - I usually buy Ezekiel sprouted grain bread for sandwiches and toast.

Flackers - These flax seed crackers are my favorite for snacks and appetizers.

Whole Grain Pasta - Rice and quinoa are two favorites.

Olive and Coconut Oils - I use these for cooking, and also on my skin and hair. Really. Olive oil is best for lower temp cooking, while coconut oil can take more heat, and comes in refined and unrefined varieties. I like the unrefined because it smells so good and coconutty.

Coconut Milk - It adds richness to sauces and curries, and makes wonderful whole grain hot cereals.

Vegenaise - I think it's every bit as good as "real" mayo.

Earth Balance Buttery Spread - I buy the organic version.

Popcorn - We use a hot air popper and season with Earth Balance mixed with a little olive oil, and nutritional yeast and sea salt.

Sea Salt - The good coarse kind. It's full of minerals and tastes far better than standard table salt.

Truffle Salt - It's expensive, but I love to use it in cashew cheeses.

Herbs and Spices - Use what you like. You can't get it wrong.

Nutritional Yeast - Good on popcorn and perfect for making cheesy sauces and dips.

Tamari - Great for seasoning all kinds of things, and nice in stir-fries and salad dressings.

Miso Paste - Adds a nice richness to sauces, and makes the best soup ever.

Seaweed - You might need to work up to this one, but I use it often to season soups and other dishes.

Dijon Mustard - Another all-around handy condiment, for sauces, sandwiches, and dressings.

Peanut Butter - For sandwiches, snacks, and sauces.

Curry Paste - I like the green kind for an easy sauce.

Raw Almonds and Cashews - I make milk and cheese from these.

Chia Seeds - High in anti-oxidants and omega 3's, these super seeds do so much more than grow green hair on silly little statues. I sprinkle them in all sorts of dishes, and make a wonderful tapioca-like pudding with them.

Whole Grain Flours - I'm not a big baker, but I always, always, always use whole grains.

Maple Syrup - A lovely, natural sweetener. Agave is good too. Honey is not really vegan, since it's made by bees.

Extras - Raisins, Dried Fruits, Unsweetened Coconut, Walnuts, Tamari Sunflower Seeds - Nice extras to toss into various dishes.

There are also lots of packaged vegan foods that can make your life really easy. You don't see them here, because I prefer to start from scratch most of the time, but we do use them now and then. I recommend them as great transitional foods to get you started, and also for traveling, when "road food" can be pretty sketchy.

So, wow... getting to the end of this, I see that there's about twice as much as I thought there would be. No big deal. Go to the store. Get what feels easy and comfortable for you, and add to it as you go along. We all like different things, so buy what you'll use, and what makes you feel like you have what you need. With a few of your own favorites around, making good vegan meals for yourself and those you love can be really easy.

Kung Powerful Tempeh

2011-10-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan simple one-bowl meals. They're often the easiest to make, and there's something so comforting about a beautiful bowl of everything-I-need resting in my hand. When I'm cooking for a party, I'll usually spend most of the day making several dishes, so everyone can mix and match the way they like. But for regular evenings at home, more often than not we'll go with easier one-bowl choices, which also happen to be our favorites.

I'm also a big fan of Kung Pao dishes, but I always find them a little heavy on the peanuts, and lacking in really good vegetables. I'm not all that concerned with the authenticity of traditional dishes. So when I modify these recipes, I want them to taste amazing, and I want them to be super-nutritious. The version that follows is exactly what I wanted, and it was a huge hit here last night. It has everything I think a good Kung Pao should have, and nothing I don't, like those evil little red peppers that most people push to the side of their plate. And, it was easy to make, which to me is some powerful goodness.

Kung Powerful Tempeh

The first thing to do is to marinate the tempeh. I used one package, cut into small cubes. If you aren't familiar with tempeh, don't be intimidated by it. Because it's made from soy, be sure to get a good organic tempeh. It has to be cooked, so some recipes will call for a pre-steaming, or cooking it in the oven. No need for either of those here. Just mix up the marinade, toss in the tempeh cubes, and let them soak until it's time to use them - at least 30 minutes, but longer is more than OK. You could also use tofu if you prefer.

Tempeh Marinade

2 T toasted sesame oil

1 T hot pepper sesame oil

3 T tamari

3 T maple syrup

3 T grated fresh ginger

1 large, or 3 small cloves garlic - chopped

1 T ume plum vinegar (or lemon juice)

While the tempeh marinates, start a batch of rice. I like brown basmati for most things.

Next, chop all your vegetables. I used mostly green veggies, with some carrots for a hit or orange.

This is what makes it so Kung-Powerful!

celery

bok choy or cabbage

carrots

broccoli

kale

green onion

You'll also need:

1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped, unsalted peanuts and/or cashews

1 tsp or more crushed red chile flakes

another splash hot pepper oil (optional)

coconut oil for cooking

When the rice is done, heat up a large skillet or wok, with a 1-2 T of coconut oil, on medium (or slightly higher) heat.

Throw in the nuts and red chile flakes, and let them toast in the oil for a minute or two.

Add vegetables in the order listed above, cooking for about 1 minute between each addition.

Add the tempeh and marinade, and a little more pepper oil if desired.

Gently mix everything together, and add a little water if it seems necessary. When it's bubbling hot, cover and turn off the heat, so the tempeh and crisper veggies can steam for about 10 minutes.

Serve with rice, and top with extra nuts, chile flakes, or pepper oil to taste.

I seriously had delicious dreams about this all night...

Must make more... very soon.

Shepherd's Pie

2011-10-19T06:46:00.000-07:00

I've been pondering recipes for some hearty, "man-pleasing" dishes, because I know some of you are cooking for family members who would really rather be eating meat, but are humoring your vegan dabbling in hopes that you'll be over it soon. I want to help you win them over to the healthier, more compassionate Veg Side, so last night I made my first Shepherd's Pie. It was good, but not perfect, and it took a lot longer to make than I thought it would. I wasn't going to say anything about it at all, except that Rick really went kind of crazy for it (being vegan between parties), so I thought maybe you could modify it a bit and wow the omnivores in your life.

As I got going on this, I realized there were several steps to be done before I could put it all together and bake it. You need a crust, a gravy, a mashed topping, and a veggie filling. The first thing I did was get distracted by a lovely, delicate cauliflower leaf. I can't help myself. Art is everywhere. I talked about this in my other blog today, if you're interested, but I'll try to stick to the cooking part here.

I eventually steamed and mashed the cauliflower, making my alternate to mashed potatoes for the top of the pie. You could of course use regular mashers if you want to. Next I made a crust out of nut pulp left from a batch of almond milk, mixed with chopped mushrooms, a little quinoa flour, and some chia seeds. I baked it for a little while before filling it, and although it tasted really good, it was still a bit too moist. You might want to use a regular sort of pie crust if you're good at making them, or even buy one ready to fill.

The gravy was delicious, made with onions, quinoa flour, mushrooms, broth, and a splash of wine. Once it was thickened, I filled the crust with peas, carrots, corn, and broccoli, poured the gravy over the veggies, and spread the mashed cauliflower over the top. I baked it for 30 minutes at 350º, but by this time I had been making dinner for almost 2 hours, and we were starving. I hesitate to show you the following picture, because I forgot to even take it until after we'd eaten. That's how hungry we were. But you get the idea...

Basically, this was really good, full of flavor and truly satisfying. Try it yourself, with your own customizations. You could also add some tempeh or veggie burger crumbles for more texture and "authenticity." I'll make this again, with a little work on the crust mostly. When I get it really right, I'll take better pictures...

My Favorite Breakfast

2011-10-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

Recipes don't always have to be recipes, and good, healthy, satisfying food doesn't have to be complicated. Today I'm sharing my favorite breakfast with you, and it's about as easy as it gets. In Rick's family, Avocado Toast is a tradition that goes back to his childhood in southern California, where avocado trees grew in everyone's backyard. There's something so simple and soothing about a friendly piece of whole grain toast, lightly buttered, and layered with sliced avocado and a little salt. Mmmm, you can keep the bacon and eggs. This is heaven to me.

My "upgrade" changes it just a little bit. My experiment with going gluten free is working well, and I've found a few really good options to gluteny breads. One is Food For Life's gluten free english muffins. These are wonderful, and made from brown rice. I like the seedy variety.

Serve them up any way you normally like an English Muffin, or try it my way, by toasting and "buttering" with Earth Balance Buttery Spread, adding a generous layer of sliced avocado, followed by a fat slice of tomato and a sprinkle of sea salt. I eat this almost every morning. In fact, I'm going to go make one now.

UnStuffed Bell Peppers with Cheesy Wine Sauce

2011-10-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

This is sort of a convoluted "recipe," but I'm presenting it this way so you can see how an idea sometimes evolves from dream-state to plate. I thought I was going to get to cook for a small group of vegans who are visiting the hotel Rick works for, and stuffed bell peppers were mentioned as something they wanted. I never really liked stuffed peppers as a kid, so haven't done much with them as an adult. It seemed like something worth trying, so I decided to sleep in it. A lot of times good ideas come to me in my sleep, and that's what happened here.

The dream-thought was red bell peppers stuffed with quinoa, apples, jalapenos, and toasted pine nuts, and topped with some kind of sauce... It still sounded good when I woke up, so I tried it with what I had on hand, which was not red bell peppers, but some lovely poblano peppers that needed to be used. I mixed the stuffing stuff in a bowl, packed it into the peppers, and baked them for about an hour. Then I made a creamy, cheesy sauce with white wine, and served it all up for dinner.

They were good, but to be honest, I wasn't thrilled. Just as when I was a kid, I felt that the ratio of pepper to stuffing was off. Too much pepper, and when they're baked, they stay kind of bitter, at least to me. Rick liked the dish, but I decided to take it a bit further. And the sauce was perfect, so I had a good place to start.

For round two (the next day), I bought some red bell peppers, cleaned them up, pressed them as flat as possible, and put them under the broiler for about 15 minutes, until they were nice and black. Then I put them in a paper bag for a while, until they were cool enough to handle. This steams the charred skins so they're easy to peel off. Ta-da! Homemade roasted red peppers!

I had some of that good sauce left, so I just reheated it. Here's what was in it:

Cashew Wine & Cheese Sauce

1 cup raw cashews, soaked 30 minutes or more
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp truffle salt (or sea salt)
1/2 tsp paprika
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 rounded tsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup nut milk

Blend everything in a food processor, and warm slowly in a saucepan.

I added some currants to the stuffing, because the apples didn't quite enough sweetness in contrast to the jalapenos. I steamed the stuffing for a couple of minutes, just to heat it up, then put it aside in a bowl while I steamed some kale for about 3 minutes (I like to sneak greens in wherever I can), and then the peppers, just to heat them up again.

I layered everything on the plates, stuffing at the bottom, then kale, then peppers, and poured the warmed sauce over the whole thing. Success! This was good. The currants weren't necessary, since the roasted peppers are a little bit sweet, and oh so smooth and tender. And next time I think I'll have some extra toasted pine nuts to sprinkle on top, for a little more crunch, and because they're pretty.

In my opinion, UnStuffed Peppers are the way to go. It was delicious, comforting, healthy, and beautiful to boot. Too bad I don't get to cook for the tour group. I have them to thank for inspiring this dish, and I'll bet they'd love it.

Bo Rinaldi

2011-10-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

I was listening to an interview on The Aware Show the other day, with Bo Rinaldi, who has been vegan for 50 years or so. It was great. The guy is very down to earth and engaging, and really knows his stuff. He's the chef who co-founded Vegan Fusion with Mark Reinfeld, and Mark is the one I'll be taking cooking classes from in April. It appears that the interview is no longer available to listen to online. Dang! I really wanted to share it with you here. But since I can't, I'll share the two things I heard that really made sit up and listen.

The first was about gluten. Although Bo is not a nutritionist, and is the first to say he's no expert (yeah, right), he talked at length about gluten in our modern diet, and went so far as to say he thinks almost everyone is gluten-sensitive to some degree, because of the way wheat has been modified over and over again, and the amount of it in our diets. While some people get really really sick if they eat gluten of any kind, others just feel kind of... icky.

I think I fall into the second group, so I paid attention, and even made notes. I notice that when I eat a lot of bread I get sort of... rumbly in the tumbly. There are already so many things I don't eat. Then again, there are so many things I do eat that make me feel almost super-human, so I decided to try going gluten-free for a while and see what happens.

The main gluten bad guys are wheat, oats, rye, and barley. Sheesh... I love all of them. The good non-gluten guys are quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat, and millet. OK. I use a lot of quinoa and rice, but need to explore the other two. It's been about a week now with no gluten, and not only is my rumbling much diminished, I have more energy, and I think I've lost a little weight. This pleases me. What can I say? It's nice when clothes that were marginal suddenly actually fit. It's not the most important thing, but it's not nothin' either.

I think I'll stick with my self-experiment a little longer and see how it goes. It's actually no big deal. I can live without bread, and I know that cooked whole grains are way better for me anyway. I also buy good brown rice tortillas for things like wraps, burritos, and even pizzas, so there's a "bread thing" if I need it. And I found organic sprouted corn tortillas that just make me want to eat tacos every day. I'll keep you posted as I go along.

The other thing Bo (see, I liked him so much, I feel on a first name basis with him) talked about that really yanked my ear to the speaker was the connection between cancer and sugar. I've known for years that sugar is not food, and I feel so much better when I stay away from it. Things like cupcakes are a rare treat, and a bite or two of good dark chocolate at night is about the extent of my sugar eating most days. But I had no idea that sugar and cancer are kind of magnetically drawn to each other, and that in the absence of sugar, some cancers will just give up and go away.

Bo talked about his mother, who is in her 80s, and was recently diagnosed with bladder cancer. She was under the care of doctors, but was also smart enough to listen to her son when he suggested that she go on a strict vegan diet, and eliminate all sugars, including fruits and alcohol. She had a little watermelon each day as a treat, but otherwise she stuck to it, while she prepared to go through chemotherapy.

Here's the good part. When she went to her doc for the pre-treatment appointment, the cancer was completely gone. Can extreme diet really do this? I don't know, and I'm glad I've never had to test this theory on myself. It's worth researching, I think, just in case, and of course I totally intend to stay well, which is one of the many things we can do to keep ourselves healthy. Positive thinking can be as powerful as positive diet and lifestyle.

A few years ago a doctor told me I had high blood pressure, and I could either take pills, or try "extreme diet." I opted for the diet, and despite a "family history" of high blood pressure, mine came right down, and has stayed there. It makes more sense than ever to eat to stay well, rather than to cure illness. And if I come across access to that great Bo Rinaldi interview, you can bet I'll share it with you before it gets away again.

Kitchen Sink Enchiladas

2011-10-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I plan ahead, and shop for a specific meal, and sometimes I just look in the fridge and make use of what I already have. That's my favorite way to cook. It's so... Tasajara...

We go through quite a bit of nut milk, which means we also make a lot of nut cheese. I'm working on other ways to use the nut pulp, but last night I had an excess of cheese to use up, so I made a batch of red chile, pulled out tortillas, black beans, and veggies, and started layering.

This is one of those sort of un-recipes, where I leave you on your own to a certain extent. It's easy. If you think you need exact amounts to make a dish, this is good practice in loosening up and playing with your food. If you want to use canned enchilada sauce, that's OK. If you want to make your own red chile, even better.

First a note about chile. The Official State Question of New Mexico is, "Red or Green?", meaning red or green chile on your food. Chile with an "e" is not the same thing as chili with an "i" at the end. Chile is a sauce, and chili is the chili-beans we all probably grew up with, often from a can. We make two different kinds of chile here, out of either red chile powder, or fresh green chiles. And then there's green chile stew, but that's for another day.

Red Chile

Saute 1/2 an onion in a little olive oil until soft.

Sprinkle in 3-4 heaping T chili powder and a dash or two of cinnamon, and stir to "roast" the chili powder for 1-2 minutes. This is the most important step in making a good red chile. You'll smell the chile change and sweeten, which makes the finished sauce taste rich and lovely, rather than harsh and powdery.

Sprinkle in 1-2 T flour and stir in quickly to make a roux.

Gradually pour in one 32 oz. box of vegetable broth. (I've also used beer, water, or mushroom broth.) Season to taste with garlic powder, salt, tamari, and maple syrup. A little bit of sweet makes a big difference. Let the sauce slowly heat and thicken, and then set it aside while you prep the enchiladas.

Kitchen Sink Enchiladas

12-24 corn tortillas, depending on the size of your baking pan - I love Food For Life's organic sprouted corn tortillas
nut cheese
black beans
sliced mushrooms
chopped kale
corn
sweet-hot jalapeno slices
Red Chile sauce - above
Daiya cheese - optional

If you have other veggies to use up, this is a good way to do it. Chop everything up, and cut the tortillas in half so they'll fit against the edges of the baking pan. Lightly oil the pan, and place a little sauce in the bottom to cover. Then layer tortillas, nut cheese "blobs," beans, veggies, and sauce, with a sprinkle of Daiya if you're using it. We decided it didn't really need it, but then we're used to less of a "cheese bomb" than we used to eat. After 2 layers of everything, place a final layer of tortillas on top, and spread with sauce. Bake at 350º for about an hour. If using Daiya, sprinkle a little more on top about 10 minutes before it's done. Let the dish sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

This is great with a simple green salad. Rick declared this the best meal I've made in weeks. I'm not so sure, but I think he was just missy some ooey-gooey cheesy comfort food. This did the trick.

Say Cheese!

2011-10-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

We saved the nut pulp from yesterday's Basic Almond Milk, and today we're going to make CHEESE out of it! I love the no-waste aspect of all this. The reward for being so green and handy in the kitchen is a really easy, super-delicious cheese spread that's as addictive as "real" cheese, but in a good way. (We talked about this yesterday. Go back and read it if you missed it.) This cheese is so good, even our non-veg friends devour it. It's great with crackers or bread and fruit, or as a veggie dip. It makes a lovely schmear in a burrito or quesadilla, and can be used as a filling in enchiladas or as a layer in lasagne. You can flavor it in endless ways, with different herbs and such, and when you use different types of nuts for the milk, the cheese you make later will be different too. I love this stuff.

Basic Nut Cheese

In a food processor, place:

pulp from 1 batch of nut milk
1/4 c nutritional yeast
1 tsp truffle salt or sea salt (the truffle salt adds a lovely earthy round flavor)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika (I like to use half regular, and half smoked paprika)
2-3 rounded tsp dijon mustard
2-3 tsp lemon juice OR apple cider vinegar

Gradually add olive oil, flax seed oil, or a combination of both as you blend. Scrape the sides of the bowl often, and give it an extra minute or so once it's smoothly blended, so the cheese will be as creamy as possible. Adjust seasonings to taste, and store in a glass jar in the fridge. I honestly don't know how long it keeps... we eat it up too fast!

Milkless Monday

2011-10-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

Maybe you're already meatless, but still include dairy in your diet. It's all baby steps, and I applaud every little step you take in making yourself, and the world, better. Remember, it took me years to get myself off dairy. And that is because cheese is truly addictive. The casein in milk contains honest-to-goodness opiates, which are concentrated in cheese. No wonder we love it so much. Hello, my name is Kim, and I am a recovering cheese-a-holic.

Here's something to think about - all mothers' milk is designed for the particular babies of those mothers. Human milk is the perfect food for human babies. We don't make cheese out of it, or offer a nice cold glass with cookies to anyone else in the family. Goat's milk is perfect for baby goats. Whale's milk is perfect for baby whales. And cow's milk is perfect for baby cows. It's designed to turn a little cow into a great big cow really quickly. It can do the same for us. And keep in mind too that when baby cows grow up, they no longer drink milk. It's only for the babies.

You think you need milk for strong bones, right? Wrong! Animal protein (milk and meat) actually tends to leach calcium from our bones. The countries that consume the lowest amounts of dairy actually also have the lowest rates of osteoporosis, while our "superior" American diet leaves us with brittle bones and a long list of other ailments that can be avoided and often reversed if we just leave the animal products out of the equation. There are plenty of plant sources of calcium, like kale and sesame seeds, to name just two, and these are absorbable by the human body, unlike the animal sources. Google it yourself, or start here, at the VegKitchen, for more thorough information. I don't make this stuff up. Is it really surprising that Corporate America has got us all believing "milk does a body good?" There are enormous profits at stake for the dairy industry. When it comes to your health, ask a lot of questions, and be really cautious about believing someone who wants to sell you something...

There are lots of yummy, healthful alternatives to dairy, like soy, coconut, hemp, oat, rice, almond, and other nuts. I don't love soy milk. Frankly, it makes me gassy. But coconut ice cream is amazingly wonderful, and almond milk in my tea is a no-brainer. I used to buy it in boxes, until I saw how easy it is to make it myself. I love to amaze my friends with this simple process, I love how good and fresh the nut-milk tastes, I love that I know exactly what's going into it, and I love that I no longer have all those clunky milk boxes to throw away, because Taos doesn't recycle them.

To make your own nut milk, you'll need a blender, a nut milk bag (I got mine on Amazon because I couldn't find one locally), some raw, preferably organic nuts, and water. Filtered water is usually suggested in the recipes I've seen. We have good clean well water, so I use that. If you have icky city water, you might want to buy spring water for this.

Basic Almond Milk

Soak 1 cup of raw organic almonds in water for 4-6 hours, or overnight ( I often use half almonds and half raw cashews. Experiment!)

Drain and rinse the almonds.
Place in blender with 4 cups fresh water. (For variety, try different kinds of raw nuts, add vanilla bean or extract, or a couple of pre-soaked dates for a sweeter milk.)

Blend on highest speed for 30-60 seconds, until it looks... milky! You'll still see tiny brown flecks. That's OK. Be sure to hold the lid on... you knew that...

Pour the milk through a nut milk bag, into a bowl, and gently squeeze the liquid from the nut pulp.

Pour the milk into glass bottles. I use wine bottles with these great stoppers I found at Target. Nut milk will keep in the fridge for several days.

And don't throw out the pulp! You can use it in desserts, smoothies, sauces, and CHEESE! We'll make some tomorrow!

Guest Blogger, Paul Graham

2011-10-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

Have you been reading Eating Vegan in Vegas? I think you should. Paul Graham is a friend from high school, who happens to be vegan, and happens to live in Las Vegas. He's taken it upon himself to spend an entire year blogging about his dining adventures, and what he has to share with us is just wonderful. Even if you never go to Vegas, you'll be inspired by all the beautiful meals Paul shows us. And on Sundays he tends to cook for us at home, which gave me the idea of letting him do some of my work for me, while I direct traffic back to his blog. Today he's made pizza, and I love pizza, so I want to share this one with you. Live, from Las Vegas, the beautiful Spinach, Mushroom, Sundried Tomato & Grilled Artichoke Pizza.

For the how-to's, and a really good read, visit today's entry on Eating Vegan in Vegas.

Thanks Paul, for doing my blogging for me today!

Chocolate Black Bean Cupcakes. Really.

2011-10-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

I've been playing with this recipe for over a year, posting it once or twice along the way on my other blog. If you have those versions and love them, keep on using them. But I really think this version is perfection in a little paper baking cup, and I'll stop messing with it now.

I usually don't tell people exactly what's is in these until after they've tasted them. Then it doesn't matter. Minds and mouths are wide open, and black beans and prunes suddenly seem like perfectly obvious ingredients to include in chocolate cupcakes. I'm not really much of a baker, but these always work for me, and I love serving them because I know they're actually food, packed with protein and fiber, and not just another mindless sweet treat.

Chocolate Black Bean Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

If making Cashew-Almond Coconut Frosting, start nuts soaking per recipe below.
Preheat oven to 350º

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients:

1 c flour - I use quinoa flour for its protein content, and because I avoid gluten, but whole wheat works well for these too.
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder

In a food processor, combine:

1 c cooked black beans - I cook mine from scratch, but you can use canned beans if you like.
12 large dried prunes - soak the prunes in some water for a while first if they're very dry and hard.
4 T water

Blend until fairly smooth, and then add:

1 c brown rice syrup (agave or maple syrup work well too)
1/3 c coconut oil (coconut oil is good for you - google it)
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp apple cider vinegar (this combines with the baking soda to help the cakes rise)

Buzz up the wet ingredients until well mixed, then gradually stir the wet ingredients into the big bowl of dry ingredients. This is a rather thick batter. Spoon it into a lined cupcake pan, and bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. At my high altitude of 7000 ft, it takes 25 minutes.

Cool the cakes on a rack for a while before frosting them, or just eat them plain and warm. So good!

Cashew-Almond Coconut Frosting

Soak 1/2 c raw cashews and 1/2 c raw almonds in water for about 2 hours.
Drain and rinse nuts, and place in food processor.
Add:
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c agave or maple syrup
1 T orange liqueur - optional
Blend well, scraping sides of bowl often. Depending on your food processor, the frosting will be somewhere between a little bit crunchy and super smooth.
Add:
1/4 c unsweetened coconut, and blend until mixed in.

You can stretch this amount of frosting to top 12 cupcakes, but I like to put a more generous amount on just 10 of them, leaving 2 unfrosted. It seems there's always someone who prefers naked cake, or is allergic to nuts. These are great either way. You can't help but feel the love when you eat these little cakes. And if you happen to have heart shaped teacups, so much the better.

Sweet Potato Dog Treats

2011-10-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

It was suggested that I carry out the beginnings of a theme this week, and proclaim today Witchy Wednesday, since it's October and all. What would I make? SandWitches, of course! I love the idea, but I'm not prepared for that today. Maybe next week. Today I have a treat for your dogs that's not at all tricky to make.

I'm not convinced that dogs can, or should, be vegans. They have the teeth, speed, killing power, and intestinal tract of a true carnivore. And while I know a lot of vegan humans insist that a dog can be perfectly happy and healthy on the right plant based diet, I think there might be a distinction between surviving and thriving. So I feed my dogs good quality "regular" dog food, even though it doesn't fit in with my own personal ethics.

I've noticed though, that more often than not, I'll find them under my feet in the kitchen. I knew they liked tomatoes and raw zucchini, but they've never shown much interest in other veggies. A couple of days ago, our big, lovely mutt Lucy wouldn't give up, so I tried an experiment. I gave her a bite of tomato. Yum! Then some carrot. Gone! Cauliflower. More please! Even red bell pepper was a hit. Little Heidi-the-Wiener-Dog came in to see what all this snacking was about, and sure enough, she snarfed all her veggies too. Huh. This was new. I began to wonder if my dogs were "catching" my vegan habits.

One of their favorite things is "bone time" in the evenings. Ever since Lucy was a puppy, we've given her rawhide "bones" to chew on. She was one of those super-chewy puppies, and these kept her from eating our shoes. As she got older though, even the biggest rawhide roll became a mere treat. She no longer chews them. She chomps them. No matter how big the bone, she devours it in 5 minutes or less. Heidi will chew hers for a little while and then get tired, so Lucy will steal the second one if we're not looking, and wolf it down like the wild thing she's descended from. I can't imagine that all that rawhide is good for her gut, and I know it's not good for the cows it comes from. So, since they seem to like vegetables so much these days, I decided to try something else.

I've seen sweet potato snacks in stores, and have read that they're really good for dogs, but they're expensive, so I've never bought them. I figured this was something I could easily make myself, so I did a little googling, and sure enough, recipes abound. Basically, you're just dehydrating slices of sweet potato. It takes a while, but it couldn't be simpler.

I got a couple of nice straight sweet potatoes, so they'd be easy to slice, and cut them into slices about 1/4 inch thick. I also cut a few into little bite sized pieces, so some are chews, and some are treats. (Well, to Lucy, it's all the same.) I placed the slices on a lightly oiled cookie sheet (one recipe I saw called for parchment, but this worked fine), and baked them at a 250º for 4 hours, turning them over half way through the baking time. Most recipes I read called for only 3 hours of baking, but they were much too soft at that point, especially for Lucy. Keep in mind that we're at a 7,000 ft. elevation here, and I imagine baking time would be different at sea level. Cook your taters accordingly. They were still kind of soft, but leathery when I took them out of the oven, and they toughened considerably as they cooled. The tiny pieces only needed about 2 hours of baking, so I took them out before the large ones.

It smelled like Thanksgiving in my house the whole time these were cooking, and the dogs seemed to know there was something good in their future. The taste test shows... they're a hit!

Tasty Tofu Tuesday - Baked Marinated Tofu

2011-10-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

Meatless Monday is so much fun, why not extend it to Tofu Tuesday? I've been wanting to try some baked marinated tofu for a while now, and today is the day.

I sort of like the flavored baked tofu you can buy at the store, but find it kind of rubbery. I looked around the internet and skimmed a few recipes, and found that some cooks like to press some of the liquid out of the tofu before marinating, while others throw it right into the marinade without taking the extra step of pressing. I thought I'd try it the simplest way for starters, so un-pressed is what we have here.

I started this yesterday afternoon, so the marinade could do its magic overnight, but you can try giving it a couple of hours, or whatever you have. I think it will still work well. And of course you can eat tofu any day of the week. Start this today, and eat it tomorrow, you crazy rebel.

I cut the tofu into 8 even slices, as shown.

Then, in a plastic container (with lid) just large enough to fit all the tofu I mixed up the marinade as follows:

1/4 c tamari
1/8 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 c maple syrup
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 T grated fresh ginger

I placed the tofu into the container with the marinade, snapped on the lid, and flipped it over to coat all the tofu evenly. I prefer a glass container for most things, but the snap on lid of the plastic makes it easy to flip it periodically.

I left the tofu to soak overnight in the fridge, and then baked it this morning on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, at 350º for about an hour, turning it over half way through. It came out nicely browned, firm, but not rubbery, and really, really delicious. I'll also save the marinade to use in something else, like maybe a stir fry, or as a sauce for cooked rice or quinoa. (One nice thing about vegan cooking is you don't have to toss marinades that have had uncooked meat soaking in them. Nothing goes to waste.)

I might use my beautiful tofu in sandwiches, a stir fry, or even tacos, thanks to the great ideas in my friend Paul Graham's blog today. Or I might just munch on it as-is. Here's to a very Tasty Tofu Tuesday!

Miso Happy Soup

2011-10-03T10:51:00.003-07:00

I posted this recipe a while back on my other blog, Taking the Long Way Home, and it was even featured on BlogHer, where I also post now and then. I want it here too, because it's such a favorite in our house, and because it's so easy to make, and so adaptable. We've just wrapped up a long, busy weekend, with visiting family and friends. It was a whirlwind of fun and food, but today I'm tired, and hubby-dear has a nasty cold. It's a perfect day for an easy (and worthy) re-post, and to make a nice pot of this lovely, comforting soup.

Miso Happy Soup

To make about 4 big bowls of soup, saute in a little oil (I like coconut oil):

1/2 a small onion - chopped

1 stalk celery - chopped

2 carrots - quartered lengthwise and chopped

4 cloves of garlic - sliced thin

When the carrots are still crunchy, add:

4 cups water

1-2 cups cooked brown rice (or cooked quinoa or noodles)

1 cup frozen corn

4 fat pinches of chopped, dried seaweed (I prefer wakame)

Heat to almost boiling and reduce heat to simmer. Never boil miso or you'll kill it.

In a small bowl or cup, place 4 heaping teaspoon "blops" (probably more like 4 official tablespoons) of miso, then ladle a little of the soup broth into the miso. Stir until it's dissolved, adding more broth to thin it down a bit more. You can use any kind of miso you prefer. We happen to have red miso in the fridge today.

Pour the miso-broth into the not-boiling soup and blend. Add tamari to taste, and it's ready to serve. Garnish each bowl of soup with half an avocado, chopped in small pieces. This makes it wonderful.

Of course, as always, the amounts are approximate, and variations are endless. Other veggies, beans, and tofu are good additions, as is a dash of crushed red pepper. You can also turn this into tortilla soup by adding black beans, chopped green chiles, a splash of hot sauce, and either corn tortillas you've cut up and fried in a separate pan, or in a pinch, some crumbled tortilla chips. No matter how you make it, I know it will make you so happy!

Zucchini Noodles with Peanut Sauce

2011-09-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

In my house, if I put peanut sauce on just about anything, my family will eat it. One of our daughters was staying with us for a while, and recently moved to her own place in town. Her parting words were, Let me know when you make that peanut sauce. I'll be over for dinner!

I struggled with peanut sauce for years, partially because I was under the impression that the sauce I had on Phad Thai in restaurants was peanut sauce, when in fact it's something quite different. Once I stopped trying to make the poor peanut sauce something it wasn't, it became its own wonderful self. There might be a life lesson in there somewhere.

So let's start with the sauce for this dish. It's easy to put together, and can be kept warm while you wrangle the vegetables. My basic peanut sauce ingredients are as follows, and the measurements are really approximate. Adjust everything to taste.

Peanut Sauce
1 cup peanut butter
1 can coconut milk, or veggie broth, or equivalent water
juice if 1 lime
1T tamari
2 tsp miso paste
1 tsp Cholula and/or 1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp maple syrup
1-2 T freshly grated ginger root (tip: keep fresh ginger in the freezer to make it easier to grate)

Gently warm everything together in a saucepan, adjust seasonings, keep warm on low heat, stirring now and then, and adding water if it gets too thick.

I like to make noodles out of raw zucchini. You can use a Spiralizer tool, which is a lot of fun, or a mandoline or vegetable peeler to slice the zucchini into a noodly form. I use these noodles for just about all my noodle dishes now, and everyone who has tried them has loved them. For some reason they don't have that "squish" that puts so many people off zucchini. Part of it's the shape, I think, and also the fact that they're only gently steamed here. I also got these beautiful purple-ish carrots at the farmers market. They look especially pretty with the zucchini, but lots of other vegetables would be good in this dish too. Use what you have. Use what you like. This is a good fridge-cleaning dish.

I'm not a fan of those dinky, flimsy, folding steamer baskets that always collapse on me when I try to take them out of the pan. I use a wire colander over a pot of water.

I like to place the harder vegetable in the bottom of the basket, in this case, the carrots, so they get the most direct hit of steam.

Bring the water to a boil first, then place the steamer basket in the pot, cover with the lid, and steam for only 2-3 minutes. The idea is to heat and soften the vegetables, not to turn them to mush. These will be crisp, so if you prefer super-cooked veggies, leave them in the steam longer... but please don't.

Once the vegetables are steamed, arrange them on plates with a little pool of peanut sauce on the bottom, and more (lots more) spooned over the top. You might garnish with some tamari-toasted sunflower seeds, chopped peanuts or cashews, or even a little sprinkle of unsweetened coconut. Make a lot. It's great for lunch the next day too.

Eat Dessert First

2011-09-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here's another bumper sticker that probably won't get me into trouble - Life is short - eat dessert first. I think an easy, wonderful dessert is a great place for us to start here, so here we go!

People often send me links to great vegan recipes, and I always save them, but don't always get around to making them right away. (I intend to try them all, so do keep 'em coming!) My daughter sent this one a couple of weeks ago, and I've already made it twice, with a couple of modifications. The original recipe for Figs & Cashew Cream is here, at The Kitchn. What follows is my take on it. I hope it's OK to post a recipe that isn't completely my own, as long as I give credit and a link back to the inspiring recipe. I think it is. If not, I'm sure somebody will let me know.

My version of Figs & Cashew Cream is meant for a party. I turned it into an easy finger food that's so delectable it makes people come in search of me at parties to tell me how much they love it. The best part is, it's super easy, plus vegan, raw (mostly) and healthy.

As with many "raw" recipes, you have to plan ahead a little bit. For the cashew cream you'll need to soak 1 1/2 cups of raw, unsalted cashews in water for 2-6 hours. They can go overnight if you get a late start in the evening. I've even heard that 20 minutes is long enough to soak cashews, so if you're in a pinch, give it a try. You really can't mess this up. The longer the soak, the creamier the cream. Either way, it will taste wonderful.

Start with some fresh figs, washed, but not peeled, and cut in half lengthwise. They're so beautiful! Eat a couple plain while you make the rest of this.

Next, lightly toast a bit of unsweetened coconut in a small skillet, for garnish. Pour it into a bowl to stop the cooking, and set it aside. Then grate, chop, or shave some good dark chocolate, also to be used as garnish. I like a "generous garnish" on these, so don't be stingy.

For the cashew cream, place the soaked, drained, rinsed cashews in the food processor with 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/3 cup agave or maple syrup, and 2 T Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur. Pulse to blend, gradually adding water until you have a smooth, creamy paste, similar to cake frosting. (In fact, this would make a great cake frosting, which I plan to use the next time I make cupcakes!)

Place the halved figs artfully on a plate, and put a little dollop of cashew cream on top of each. Sprinkle the coconut and chocolate over the top of everything, and you're done. Try your own variations with flavorings and fruits. I can see a lot of good possibilities for this simple, amazing recipe!

Welcome to Positively Vegan

2011-09-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago, I caused a royal ruckus on Facebook when I quoted what I found to be a very amusing and thought provoking bumper sticker. It said, "People who truly love animals don't eat them." I was one of the few who understood that I was referring to the factory farming cruelty that is so often overlooked by otherwise kind and gentle animal lovers who still enjoy a good steak or chicken wing. Oh man, what a mess I made, and then stepped in, with both feet.

Clearly there are many people who dearly love the animals in their immediate lives, and also feel fine about eating others they haven't met personally. I get it, sort of, or at least I used to. I guess I don't anymore because I really can't separate the "pet" animals from the "food" animals at this point in my life, and I'd just be pleased as punch if everyone else in the whole wide world would see it my way.

But I was reminded, ever so gently by some, and rather roughly by others, that the old saying about catching flies with honey is true. One cannot bully or badger anyone else into seeing their own small and particular way of thinking. And as my daughter reminded me, we can't make other people think like we think. Everyone gets to decide for themselves.

I think I explained myself as well as I could, on Facebook, and in my other blog, and I hope there's not a lot of residual resentment floating around out there. Now, after all the hoo-ha has subsided, I think maybe the "real reason" for the whole mess was to get me to come up with the idea for this new blog. I've been writing Taking The Long Way Home for a couple of years now, and I sometimes post thoughts on food, along with recipes. But my interest in vegan cooking and lifestyle has increased to the point where it makes sense to give the Food a room of its own, and this is that room.

Welcome to Positively Vegan, a place where I promise to make every effort to present the happy, delicious, worthwhile aspects of going vegan, one meal at a time, and to avoid snarky, negative yip-yap, even when I may find it personally amusing. It can be hurtful, and hurtful is not something I want to be. My goal is to share information, stories, and recipes, and yes, I do hope to seduce you over to the Vegan Side. But I know I'll have better luck with honey (or probably agave nectar, since it's vegan and honey isn't) than vinegar, so I'll save the balsamic for salad dressing.

I hope you'll subscribe, explore, and visit often, whether you're vegan or not. Good food is for everyone, and vegan cooking can be easy, creative, and delicious.
Learn, cook, eat, share, enjoy, thrive.
And thanks for being here.