Eat Some Greens on Halloween

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!

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

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

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

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 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

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 - Avocado English Muffin

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, or even better, gomasio. I eat this almost every morning. In fact, I'm going to go make one now.