Farewell To Winter: Part 3

I'm really hoping that this can be my last "Farewell To Winter" post! I know that everyone expected spring weather to be here by now (seeing as how it is officially spring), however it snowed today in Kentucky, so I think it's safe for me to do another warm, comfort food recipe. 

Today I'm featuring one of Jon's recipes! This man has never been scared of cooking and has probably never even seen a recipe, let alone followed one. Jon's motto is "taste, taste, taste". At every stage he is constantly tasting to make adjustments. How much of a spice should you use? Don't ask Jon. He'll just tell you to taste and see. How long should you cook something? Don't ask Jon. He'll just tell you to wait until you hear a certain noise, or smell a certain smell. Well, Jon... we can't all be so in tune with our cooking skills.* That's why I was so thrilled when he finally wrote out one of his recipes for me to share with you guys! So, without further ado... Jon's Chili!

Tempeh Chili

Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 package tempeh, cubed**
• 6 oz. light beer (the other half is for the cook), optional
• 2 cans of red, white or pinto beans (or 3-4 cups cooked dried beans)
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 hot pepper, seeded and diced 
• 1 can diced tomato
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1 T dried oregano
• 1 T paprika
• 1 T cumin
• 1 t chili powder, or to taste***
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups broth or water

Isn't Jon so nice and organized?

1.) Saute onion, garlic and pepper over medium high heat until soft 

2.) Toss the tempeh in with the onion, garlic and pepper and add a good pinch of salt; pour in the beer and let the tempeh steam for about 5 minutes (if not using beer, just add 1/2 cup of water)

3.) Add the spices and toss everything so that the tempeh is well coated; cook 2 minutes (until you smell the spices toasting)

4.)  Add canned tomato, tomato paste, beans and broth or water

Don't worry. This is before we added the broth,
so your chili shouldn't be so thick!

5.) Let everything come to a boil and then turn heat to medium low and let simmer until it's reduced to your liking (about 25 minutes)

Chili is one of those amazing dishes that truly is a blank canvas. As long as you have a basic recipe (like this one!) you can adjust it to your liking very easily. Don't like spice? Leave out the hot pepper. Love spice? Use two hot peppers and leave the seeds in. Feel like using more veggies? Throw them in the pot, too. Feel like a deeper flavor? Use a dark beer for steaming the tempeh and throw the rest of the beer in with the broth. Like it soupier? Add more liquid.

So let's all be more like Jon and use our senses to really fine-tune our cooking skills! 

*Yes, I am jealous of him!

** I love tempeh, but I didn't always. It's a fermented soy patty that is very earthy and meaty. If brown rice and mushrooms had a love child it would be tempeh! So if you're not keen on this choice of protein or if you're allergic to soy you could leave it out and just use more beans. Just skip step 2 and move on!

*** I LOVE spicy food! Jon does not. This is a very mild chili, so if you want it hotter, I'd add more chili powder and some Tabasco.  

Farewell to Winter: Part 2

Does it get much better than Italian food when it's cold outside? Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food for me. Plus, since it bakes for almost an hour, it does a great job of heating up the house! Unfortunately, when I eat Italian, I go way overboard. I could eat half a lasagna and a whole baguette all by myself and be happy as a clam... Until an hour later when all I would feel is regret and shame.
So now I like to do comfort food makeovers! I take every element of the meal and make it a little healthier. Is it the same as the real thing? Sometimes it is and sometimes it is so far off it's embarrassing. This lasagna, though, is just as good as any meat and cheese lasagna I've ever had and I don't feel gross afterwards!
The whole wheat noodles provide protein and whole grains which will keep your blood sugar in check; meaning you won't feel like you need to eat the whole baguette!
The tofu is much healthier than ricotta or mozzarella. It provides more protein and is cholesterol free. And you eliminate all that gross cheese grease.
Everyone knows that veggies are better for you than meat, right? 'Nuff said!
Pasta sauce ranges from healthy to absurdly unhealthy. Be sure you pick a sauce with real ingredients! If you don't know what an ingredient is or how to pronounce it, don't get it. Also avoid sauces with sugar. You would be surprised with the amount of sugar added to pasta sauce. It just doesn't need it!

Ingredients:

• One package whole wheat no-boil lasagna noodles
• 15 oz package firm tofu
• 1/4 c. Unsweetened non-dairy milk (or less for a stiffer "ricotta")
• 3 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• Large handful of fresh basil, chopped 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Large jar of pasta sauce, about 4 cups
• Assorted veggies, about 4 cups (optional); I used 1/2 a head of cauliflower, a red pepper, an onion and a yellow squash

1.) To make the filling, combine the tofu, non-dairy milk, garlic, lemon juice, basil and salt and 

pepper in a food processor. Pulse until combined and slightly creamy (it should still have some stiffness)

2.) If using veggies, sauté over medium-high heat until soft

3.) To assemble lasagna: 

Line the bottom of your favorite lasagna pan with the no-boil noodles, being sure to over lap the layers. Pour in enough sauce to cover the noodles.

 Spread the filling over the sauce, being sure to leave a couple inches space around the edges.

Add a layer of veggies

Top with more sauce, then start all over until you reach the top. 

My last layer is always noodle and sauce, but make it however you want!

Layers!

This was even better the next day, so be sure to make enough for leftovers! And maybe think about replacing that garlic bread with a big salad!

Farewell To Winter

It's that time of year that I refuse to wear a coat because I saw the sun... that means spring is here! Right?! Obviously not, or else my windshield wouldn't have been frozen this morning. This is a nonsense time of year. Flowers are blooming and the sun is out, but it still snows occasionally and I haven't been able to get my bike out of deep freeze yet. I'm ready to dedicate something to this time span so that the clock will speed up and I can start tending to my garden! 

What better to do this time of year than to say farewell to your favorite fall and winter dishes? There are certain flavors that I crave in the fall and winter that don't do as much for me in the summer and one of those is fennel seed. It's such a warm spice that pairs well with something hardy; plus, it makes stuff taste like sausage! Throw together some onion, lentils, apple and fennel seeds and you've got yourself a nice meal for a cold night. 


Lentil and Apple Saute

Ingredients:

• 2 C cooked lentils (canned is fine)
• one apple, cubed
• 1/2 onion, diced
• small yellow squash, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• vegetable broth or red wine
• 1 T fennel seeds
• 1 t dried rosemary
• 1 t dried sage
• black pepper and salt, to taste

1.) Saute onion and garlic over medium heat until they start to brown and stick to the pan

2.) Add a splash of red wine or vegetable broth (or even water) to deglaze the pan 

3.) Add the apples and squash and cook until the apples start to soften (about 2 minutes)

4.) Push everything to the side and add the fennel seeds to the bare pan to toast; once they pop you can mix everything together again and cook for another minute

5.) Add the lentils, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper. Cook until lentils are warmed throughout

I take back everything I said about fennel... I love it year round! Once it gets hot, though, I'll use it in stuff that doesn't require to stove to be on!

What the Kale?!

Confession: I used to feel guilty for hating kale. I really tried to like it, but it was just too hardy to eat raw and I'm not a fan of any cooked green. I was persistent, however, in my quest to enjoy kale because it might be the healthiest thing you could ever put in your mouth. It's low in calories and high in fiber, iron, calcium and vitamins A, C and K. It's full of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. Kale is what all the other greens wish they could be! 

So in my search for the best way to prepare kale I came across a recipe for "massaged kale". You literally give the kale a massage and it changes before your eyes! The reason this made it easier for me to eat was because it wasn't as fibrous as raw kale, but it wasn't slimy like cooked kale (did I mention that I REALLY hate cooked greens?)!

Massaged Kale Salad  

Ingredients:

• one bunch kale
• one mango, diced* 
• roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
• juice of 1/2 a lemon**
• less than 1 T olive oil
• pinch of kosher salt
• coarsely ground black pepper 

     1.  Tear the kale into pieces and place in a large bowl

     2.  Drizzle with just a bit of olive oil

     3.  Reach in and squeeze the kale, a handful at a time, until it starts to wilt. It will actually start     to smell like ripe bananas after a minute or so!

     

     4.  Once it seems fully wilted, mix in your diced mango, seeds, salt, lemon juice and pepper 

*This is also really good with apples, pears or grapes. If you want veggies instead of fruit, roasted squash, pumpkin or sweet potato would be great, too!

**Balsamic vinegar is also really good in place of lemon!

It's tangy from the lemon juice, sweet from the mango, crunchy from the seeds (not pictured in this salad!) and a little salty. You now have every food craving wrapped up into one healthy salad. Eating this got me so used to kale, that I now eat it raw without making a face! I really hope you like it! 

A Breakfast Fit For Jack Johnson

The weekend is here (and halfway over, oops) and it's time for a little comfort food! Vegan style! I've got tons of comfort food recipes I can't wait to share with you: biscuits and sausage gravy, Italian sausage, meatloaf, hot dogs, lasagna... you name it, I've got a vegan version.

But instead of throwing my super advanced recipes at you, how about we start off with something easy? PANCAKES! But not just any old pancakes. BANANA PANCAKES! FYI: I hated referring to Jack Johnson in the title, but it was just too easy. Now that song will be stuck in my head for days!

So here are the redeeming qualities to this recipe:

• NO WHITE FLOUR! These are made with oats and whole wheat flour (go ahead and buy a bag! Then you'll have no excuse not to use it!). Fiber, fiber, fiber is your friend.  
• NO SUGAR! The sweetness comes from the banana. Plus, if you're eating them with maple syrup, who needs the added sugar? Again- maple syrup, not table syrup. Your blood sugar and your taste buds will thank me.
• NO EGGS! Did you know that vegans eat a cholesterol free diet? Cholesterol is only found in animal products, so by eliminating those, you eliminate any cholesterol concerns! I know what you're thinking: eggs have protein. Yes they do, but so do plants and most people get way too much protein as it is.
• I've saved the best for last: You will only dirty TWO DISHES! Everything is thrown in your blender and poured right into the skillet! 

Banana Pancakes

makes about 12 pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
•  2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk  
• 1 or 2 ripe bananas (1 for fluffier cakes and 2 for flatter, but super banana-y cakes)
• Pinch of salt

1.) Mix everything except the bananas in a blender until smooth

2.)Add bananas and blend again

3.)Spray your favorite pancake skillet and get to flippin'! 

You are more than welcome to mix in any of your favorite goodies, such as blueberries, nuts, dark chocolate, etc. And if you have the time, I highly suggest making a double batch so that you can freeze the left overs. Then, when the mood strikes, you can pop one straight into the toaster or microwave.  

So enjoy your banana pancakes, go put on Jack Johnson, grab a hacky sack, make some plans for an ultimate frisbee game and let's never speak of that song again!

-Becca

The Vegan Pantry

I have learned more new words in the last two years than I did in the first 26 years of my life. When you start to expand your pantry to include things other than frozen pizza and Ben & Jerry's you start to find that there are a lot of weird sounding foods out there, but not nearly as weird sounding as the chemicals that we've grown up eating or the diseases that these chemicals can bring on! I have marked with an asterisk which foods I would suggest trying to incorporate first. These are the basics that are affordable and tasty. These foods are also SO good for you, and whether you be vegan, vegetarian or meat eater, the ultimate goal for all is good health, right?! 

My basic rule for deciding what to eat is that it has to have some sort of nutritional value. If I feel like making cookies I don't beat myself up over a craving. I will, however, make sure that I make them with whole wheat pastry flour, maple syrup and apple sauce instead of white flour, white sugar and oil. See? You can add nutrition to almost anything! Now that's not to say that I haven't been known to down a whole sleeve of Oreo's in one sitting (yes, Oreo's are vegan!) but I try to make that an exception to the rule.

Maybe a goal for this week could be to buy one of these things and replace it for something not so great. Maybe instead of a plate full of eggs and bacon in the morning, you could eat some oatmeal sweetened with maple syrup, or cook up some brown rice instead of white rice or pasta, or grab a handful of sunflower seeds and a couple figs for your snack at work instead of chips or pretzels. Baby steps!


Grains:

• Quinoa*- my favorite! It's super high in protein and sits much lighter than rice and other grains.
• Brown Rice*- Jon already liked this, but I was strictly a white rice girl. My advice: suck it up and eat the brown rice! You'll get used to it and start to prefer it!
• Steel Cut Oats- I have had oatmeal every morning for about 3 years. I will never get tired of it. Rolled oats are great for granola, baking and oatmeal, but I much prefer steel cut oats for this!
• Buckwheat- Very earthy, but it's great to cook like rice and serve with roasted veggies, sprinkled raw over yogurt or made into a porridge

 Seeds and Nuts:

• Whole Almonds*
• Walnuts*
• Cashews
• Pecans
• Peanuts
• Sunflower Seeds*
• Sesame Seeds
• Chia Seeds- yes, you could make a chia pet out of these- but they're so much more fun to eat! Full of fiber and protein, chia seeds can absorb 9 times their weight in liquid! Put some in juice, yogurt or oatmeal and let sit for about 10 minutes or longer (even overnight). Because of the expansion of these seeds, you feel much fuller for longer!
• Flax Seeds- Great source of Omega-3's, but be sure to grind them before you eat them to get the most nutrients out of them
• Chia and Flax seeds make great egg substitutes for baking or binding. Just soak 1 tablespoon of chia or ground flax in 3 tablespoons water for 5-10 minutes. This makes one "egg". 

Dried Fruits, Nuts and Sweeteners

Dried Fruit (non-sulphate and unsweetened):

• Dates
• Prunes*
• Figs*
• Raisins
• Apples*
• Apricots 

Flour:

• Whole Wheat
• Whole Wheat Pastry- great sub for white flour in baked goods and most breads
• Unbleached White- I try not to use white flour, but if I do I use about one third of the amount called for and sub the rest for whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
• Oat- easily made at home by grinding oats in a spice or coffee grinder
• Almond- see above!
• Vital Wheat Gluten- great for making seitan, a delicious meat substitute

Sweeteners: 

• Maple Syrup*- it's the best tasting stuff in the world and it's got lots of minerals, so it's good for you, too! Get Grade B because it's less refined, so it's got more of the good stuff in it!
• Raw Agave*- made from the same plant as tequila... how could you go wrong? I've heard mixed reviews about agave lately, as far as the fructose content, but everyone's a critic of something. It's plant based and minimally refined, so it's a much better alternative to artificial sweeteners and white sugar.
• Sucanat- short for sugar cane natural. Unlike white sugar, it hasn't been stripped of all its nutrients.
• Molasses 

Milks:

• Almond Milk*- we get unsweetened orignal
• Dark Chocolate Almond Milk* - Silk's brand is better than any chocolate milk I've ever had
• Soy Milk
• Oat Milk- we make our own for cheap!

Add caption

Beans & Legumes:

We buy ours in bulk to save money, but canned will do just fine!

• Black beans*
• Red Beans*
• Chickpeas
• Lentils*- loaded with Iron and Protein; especially when paired with quinoa
• Pinto Beans

Vinegars and Oils:

• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar*
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Rice Vinegar
• Coconut Oil*
• Olive Oil*
• Sesame Oil

Spices, Vinegar and Oil

Spices:

• Basil*
• Oregano*
• Turmeric*
• Paprika*
• Fennel
• Cumin*
• Black Peppercorns*
• Mustard Seeds
• Chili Powder*
• Coriander
• Sea Salt*
• Cardamom
• Star Anise
• Nutmeg*
• Cinnamon*
• Allspice
• Dill
• Sage
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Ginger*
• Garam Masala
• Curry Powder
• Chinese Five Spice

Spices and This and That

This and That:

• Dark Chocolate*
• Nut Butters* 
• Sriracha*
• Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids (kind of like soy sauce without the sodium!)
• Nutritional Yeast- a byproduct of molasses that tastes like cheesy fish food, but Jon likes it
• Curry Paste
• Homemade Mustard
• Homemade Vanilla Extract
• Almond Extract
• Agar Agar- dried seaweed powder that makes a great sub for gelatin
• Arrowroot- good sub for cornstarch, most of which is GMO

Hope this helps a bit in your search for new and exciting foods! 

-Becca

Accidental Veganism

To quote Joey Russo, "Whoa"! Surely I'm not the only Blossom fan out there... right? I'm super excited to have a blog to channel all of my creative genius through! Full disclosure: I'm not creative at all and the only subject I consider myself to be a genius in is Harry Potter trivia. The reason I'm excited about this project is because it's time for me to speak my piece about why I live the way I do (yes I did have to google whether it was "piece" or "peace"!).

It's hard being vegan because the word alone carries such a negative connotation. When I tell people I'm vegan I get one of two reactions: they get angry or they feel judged. As though I feel I'm better than them because I don't use animal products. So, to clear the air, I have never judged anyone for eating meat or dairy! You do what you do and I'll do what I do. Just don't judge me for telling you I can't eat the cookies you made. Trust me... I want to eat the cookies!

 I never meant to give up dairy and eggs. It was a total accident. I've been vegetarian off and on since I was 10. I read in Tiger Beat magazine that JTT was a veg! Surely I'm not the only Jonathan Taylor Thomas fan out there... Anyway, it's been 13 years since I've had meat but I never dreamed of giving up my milk, eggs and cheese. Those people were crazy! Flash forward 11 years and I was feeling kind of funky. I cleaned up my diet a lot by eating almost strictly whole foods and no sugar. My stepmom used to joke that I was the only vegetarian who hated vegetables. It was true. I struggled to cut out all the processed food I ate, but suddenly salads started tasting good and I didn't miss my fruity pebbles so much (mmm... Fruity pebbles). I felt like a million bucks and had the energy of a 5 year old (is that creepy?)! 

Flash forward another year to October 2011 and I started feeling funky again. I did an elimination diet to see if I was sensitive to any foods. I did a week with no soy, one with no grains, one with no gluten (worst week ever!) and one with no dairy or eggs. After my vegan week I felt great. So great that it stuck. Try being the weirdo who goes vegan a couple weeks before Thanksgiving! Lucky for me, though, my family is used to my strangeness! 

But something else happened to me when I changed my diet: I became happier than I've ever been. Sometimes annoyingly so. I read an interview with Ellen where she suggested that when we eat animal products we are taking in the emotional state of that animal. If you know me at all, then you know that I don't buy into this way of thinking, but I had to give it some thought, because a part of me felt like a huge burden had been lifted off of me. Some sort of unconscious guilt is gone, and if that has to do with me not eating eggs from sad little hens, then so be it! 

It also helps to think of all the wonderful things that my diet does for the environment. I used to get hung up on the whole "one person can't make a difference" mindset, but that's not true. My diet has inspired my posslq* to go vegan and has caused customers of mine to follow the new "Meatless Monday" trend. Even one meatless dish makes a difference, so I feel as though I can make a world of difference!

Which takes us to our recipe of the day- Stir Fry! I debated whether or not stir fry was too simple to start with and then I realized that simple is good!

Stir Fried Pad Thai Noodles with Peanut Sauce

Yield: about 6 Cups

Ingredients:

• Half a box of Pad Thai noodles, Cooked (I boiled the water, turned off the heat and let the noodles rehydrate for about 5 minutes)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 2" piece of ginger, chopped or grated 
• 2 carrots, sliced thin
• 1 bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1.5 cups broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
• Braggs Liquid Amino Acids (or soy sauce or tamari)
• Sriracha
• Peanut Sauce, to taste

1.) Cook and drain your noodles. Rinse with warm water to keep from sticking.

2.) Prep your veggies- chop, dice, slice, who cares! Cooking is not a science, so as long as it will fit in your  mouth, you're fine

Yes, that is the biggest cutting
board in the world

3.) Heat the skillet over medium high heat. No need to add oil- I rarely use it. I know that olive and coconut oil have beneficial fats, but I prefer to get these through spoonfuls of nut butters! Add the onion and cook for one minute or until it starts to brown. If it does start to stick, just add a splash of water. 

4.)Next add the rest of the veggies. Cook a couple minutes.

5.) Add the noodles and the sriracha and Bragg's to taste. I probably use 2 T of Bragg's and 1 T sriracha. 

6.) Once the veggies are soft, stir in your peanut sauce and cook until the sauce is evenly coating everything. Easy as can be! I also like to throw in some crushed peanuts or cashews at the end.  

How about an awesome peanut sauce recipe?

Peanut Sauce

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 T grated ginger
• 3/4 C peanut butter
• 2 T Bragg's (or soy sauce)
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• 2 T light molasses
• 2 T tomato paste
• 2 C water
• 1 T sriracha
• 1/2 t cayenne
• salt to taste

1.) Saute onion over medium high heat until soft- again, no need for oil. Just splash onions with some water if they start to stick

2.) Add ginger and cook about 2 minutes

3.) Add remaining ingredients and cook until thick. If it's taking a while to thicken up, bring to a boil for a couple minutes without stirring and then reduce to medium and stir. After a few minutes it should thicken up nicely. You can also throw it in a blender to smooth it out if you don't like the onion and ginger pieces.

Happy Stir-frying!

-Becca

*posslq, or persons of opposite sex sharing living quarters, is a term that I read to describe two people who aren't married, but have been together for too long to be considered "boyfriend and girlfriend". Seeing as how Jon and I have been together for almost 10 years, I think this is appropriate... he is not a fan of the term, however!