Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Spice Up Your Breakfast

I really enjoy exploring other cultures through their food. There's a lot of history there. My children are usually skeptical of new cuisines, a fact prompting me to wonder why our 13 and 16 year old boys always badgered us to go to the local Chinese buffet after church. While I'm not a big fan of self-serve buffets (germs and gluttony...need I say more?), I did get excited that perhaps they were curious about Chinese food and perhaps that curiosity might lead to someone to share in my joy of mei fun and broccoli with garlic sauce. After being seated at our table, we were all given the go ahead to hit the buffet. The starter gun must've gone off without my hearing it because those two teenage boys were off like a bat out of you know where. After carefully choosing just the right mix of noodles, veggies and soup, I sat down to enjoy my Asian delights. It was then that I discovered why my boys wanted to go to the Chinese buffet...all you can eat french fries! Yes, our Chinese buffet has nestled amongst its delightful offerings a huge pile of crinkle-cut, frozen, then reheated, I might add, mediocre french fries. Oh well, they did eat the fortune cookie on the way home...does that count?

This dish was introduced to me by our dear friends from Jordan. We love to eat at their house because when you walk in, it feels as though you stepped into a Persian marketplace. Cardamom and cinnamon fill the air and the spread of food that we're always offered there is nothing short of amazing. This is my take on ozzi, my favorite dish that my friend makes. The original dish is a mixture of cooked rice and short pieces of angel hair pasta, laced with spices and topped with plain yogurt and almonds...sometimes green peas, too. Although I have only been served it as a dinner side dish, I love it as a Middle Eastern sort of breakfast porridge...so filling and deliciously exotic. The ingredients may sound strange to be put together, but it is SO delicious...I promise you'll love it! Thanks, Wafa!


Ozzi
Approx. 2 cups of steamed basmati or jasmine rice (brown or white)
1/2 c. of plain yogurt or if you're lucky enough to live near a source for Wildwood Soy yogurt, use that...it just needs to be plain and tart, not sweetened
1/2 t. each of nutmeg & cinnamon
1/4 (or more) c. of toasted slivered almonds
salt to taste

Layer all the ingredients in a bowl then enjoy the sultry goodness, adding more almonds and yogurt as needed...you can thank me later.


Tuesday, September 27, 2011

What's in YOUR pantry?


Fresh food purists look away...this is a straight from the pantry, "just be glad that I didn't revive my love affair with Papa John" type dish...quick to the table and really tasty. It's not going to win any beauty pageants, but beauty is in the eye (tummy) of the beholder, right? Make Double the Corn bread as its sidekick and you've got one yummy, filling dinner.

Veggie Stew with Double the Corn Bread
For the Stew:

1 T. jarred minced garlic
1. T. thyme
salt & pepper to taste
32 oz. Low-Sodium reg. flavor V-8
28 oz. can of chopped or crushed tomatoes
2 bags of frozen stew vegetables (whole new potatoes, carrots, onions, celery or something similar)
1 can of cut green beans (I like Allen's brand Italian green beans)
2 T. veg. "beef" broth (I like Better than Bouillion brand No Beef Broth concentrate)

Throw everything in a large stockpot over medium high for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 3o minutes or until all the potatoes are softened but still whole. Alternately you can cook this on low for 4 hours in the crock pot.

For the Double the Corn Bread:

1 box Jiffy brand cornbread mix
1 15 oz. can of creamed corn
EnerG brand egg replacer to equal 1 egg
Plain, unsweetened soy, rice or almond milk
1 T. canola oil

Put the oil into an 8 inch cast iron skillet and place in the oven, preheated to 425 for at least 10 minutes. Mix cornbread mix, corn and egg replacer in a medium bowl, adding "milk" until batter is smooth, but thick. Pour batter into the heated skillet and bake at 425 until browned on top and knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Invert on a plate immediately after taking from oven to serve. Serves 8.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Sandwich Night


Sometimes you just feel like a sandwich. It's hard to beat peanut butter slathered on a couple slices of whole wheat bread (preferably Pepperidge Farm....Sara Lee, in a pinch) with blackberry jam...seeded, sugared, yummy blackberry jam. This sort of sandwich feels like lunch to me, or even breakfast on the run, but not dinner. Dinner needs a substantial, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of sandwich. The kind of sandwich that fills you up and gives you that, "I'm ready to veg out and get ready for bed" feeling. Here's just that sandwich...rich, hearty, oozing with Italian flavors and soft, spicy vegetables and wrapped up in crusty, grilled ciabatta bread...enjoy!

Mediterranean Vegetable Panini with Basil Aioli
Serves 2.

For the sandwich filling:

1/2 med. onion sliced in half and then into thin slivers
1 c. sliced mushrooms, cremini or baby bellas
1 roasted red pepper or the jarred equivalent thereof
1 t. olive oil
1/2 c. veg. broth
1 t. each of: minced garlic, basil, oregano and thyme
salt & pepper to taste
1 t. balsamic vinegar

Heat a large skillet on med-high heat. Add olive oil and 1/4 c. of the broth. Add onions and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and peppers, the spices and the vinegar, sauteing until mushrooms are soft and slightly browned. Add the remainder of the veg broth, if needed, to keep pan from getting dry. Salt & pepper to taste and keep warm.

For the Basil Aioli
1/4 c. vegan mayo (I like Follow Your Heart's Reduced fat Veganaise - found in refrigerated section, usually near the tofu)
1T. basil pesto
1t. granulated garlic

Stir all ingredients well.

For the Panini:

2 ciabatta rolls
spinach or basil leaves
veggie filling (see above)
basil aioli (see above)

Heat a cast iron grill pan on med-high. Spray with olive oil and lay bottom portion of a sliced ciabatta roll on grill pan. Top with 1 T. of the aioli and then top with half of the veggies. Top veggies with spinach or basil leaves and finally, the top portion of the ciabatta. Grill sandwich with another heavy pan on top of the sandwich to weigh it down or alternately, with a panini press or George Foreman grill. If using the 2 pan method, flip sandwich over and weigh down again to brown other side. Repeat with remaining ciabatta roll for the second sandwich. Serve hot.


Friday, September 23, 2011

Smoky Black Bean Stew with Green Chile Cream


We love, love, love Mexican fare at Casa Strickland! Nearly every Sunday after church in nearly every city we've ever lived, we head, as my dear husband says, "South of the Border" for lunch. When we lived in Knoxville, TN, our Catholic church was nestled amongst several HUGE churches...Presbyterians to our left, Lutherans to our right and the biggest of all, the Baptist church down the street. Their church was so big that they had to have policemen directing the traffic when they all began to leave at one time. Our joke (meant in the best, most loving way) was that if we wanted to eat lunch out, we had to "beat the Baptists" to get there. Parents will do anything to get their kids away from visiting with their friends and FINALLY getting into the car, won't they? One of my fondest memories at that time was when we had dragged our feet getting into the car after church and the jury was still out as to who would make it to our favorite Mexican restaurant first ...the Catholics (us) or the Baptists. After we safely raced to the restaurant and into the building, we were left standing right inside the big glass front door, waiting for our table. Right at that time a huge swarm of cars packed to the gills with hungry looking people, pulled into the parking lot and headed for the building. Now I have no idea what church, if any, these folks had come from, but my dear son, Peter, yells out at the top of his lungs as only a 1st grader can get away with, "Mommy, the Baptists are coming, the Baptists are coming!" Thankfully, the beautiful Latina hostess (who was probably Catholic and felt my pain at that time) whisked us away and to our table. We got to eat in peace without anyone being offended enough to comment and after that, the kids that wanted to eat Mexican after church understood the importance of getting in the car.

My typical Mexican dine-in meals have evolved from tamales, beef fajitas and beef enchiladas to cheese dip, chiles rellenos, and cheese enchiladas (I really did think all that cheese was healthy!) to most recently, a few chips with salsa, guacamole salad, veggie fajitas (no cheese) with rice and beans...still delicious...still spicy...still satisfying, but no meat or dairy...ole'! My Smoky Black Bean Stew is for those nights that you don't feel like getting gussied up to go out or just need to make dinner right after lunch because of your insanely activity-packed evening schedule ahead. This stew is so easy and quick that you can have your dinner on the table in less than an hour...that's making good time at our house! It can also be thrown into a crock pot after browning the first ingredients and cooked on low for up to 4 hours...freezes well, too! (The stew, not the Green Chile Cream)

Smoky Black Bean Stew with Green Chile Cream

For the stew:
3 (15 oz.) cans of organic black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium onion, diced
1 t. dried oregano
1 T. cumin
1 t. chipotle chili powder + 2 t. reg. chili powder (1st choice, but SPICY)
or 2 t. each of smoked paprika and reg chili powder (2nd choice)
or 1 T. regular chili powder + 5 dashed of Liquid Smoke (last choice, but still good)
1 t. Adobo powder (found in Latin section of grocery store. Use Adobo with or without pepper or cumin)
1 (15 oz) can of organic tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can of organic crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can of Rotel tomatoes & Green Chiles
1 c. vegetable broth

Saute onions in veg. broth over high heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add spices and cook about 5 minutes more. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes and beans. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over rice or with tortilla chips. Drizzle approximately 1 T of Green Chile Cream over top of stew...enjoy!

Green Chile Cream:
This recipe may sound strange for those who have not replaced cream with cashew...please try it, though...it's delicious. Also great as a dip for tortilla chips!

1 (4 oz) can of diced green chiles
3/4 c. raw cashews
1/2 c. plain, unsweetened soy milk (I like Westsoy brand for this)
1 t. fresh lemon juice
1 T. oil
1 t. salt
1 t cumin

Mix all ingredients in (pref. a high speed, like a Vita-Mix) blender on high until really smooth and creamy.Will keep covered for 1-2 days refrigerated.





Thursday, September 22, 2011

Faux Meats...a second look



I am usually not a fan of "faux" anything...especially meats. They typically impart a distinct taste that is truly offputting to me. Fake bacon is the worst! I would probably give a kidney (or at least offer it) to someone who could invent a true to taste bacon substitute. Tasty veg chicken nuggets are usually pretty easy to find. I figure by the time that chicken graduates to the nugget stage, there's not much real chicken left anyway so fake nuggets can't be too far off the real ones. My children love the chicken made by Gardein, Boca and Quorn...slathered in ketchup, of course. I was never a huge fan of real chicken, so finding a good nugget hasn't been top of my bucket list. But...I truly love chicken piccata. Golden, crispy and oh, so yummy with it's subtle hint of wine and lemon, it was nearly always my Italian restaurant entree of choice. Taking meat out of my diet has been an adventure in recreating my favorite dishes. I have finally found a chicken piccata recipe that I love. (smiles)

Gardein Chicken Piccata on Crispy Italian Noodle Cake
with Lemon-Garlic Tatsoi

For the Noodle Cakes:
Cook per package directions 8 oz. of angel hair pasta (regular white pasta is best here). When al dente, drain noodles and pack into 4 round-bottomed containers, approximately 1/2 inch thick (see photo above). Alternately, you could use a hamburger press, but you would need one for each noodle cake to be stored. Let cool in fridge 4-6 hours or better yet, over night and the noodles will form a compressed cake o' noodles.

Cook noodle cakes until brown and crispy in olive oil- sprayed skillet, topping each with salt and pepper while cooking.

For the Gardein Chicken Piccata:
(4) Gardein brand chicken scallopini, thawed
1/4 c. flour
2T. chicken seasoning (I used McCormick brand Montreal Chicken Seasoning)
2 T EnerG Egg Replacer (or if you MUST, use 2 egg whites)
1/4 c. water
3 T panko bread crumbs
3 T regular unseasoned bread crumbs
2 t. garlic powder
1 T. dried parsley
1 T. olive oil
1 T. vegan butter substitute (I ALWAYS use Earth Balance brand)

Mix together flour and chicken seasoning in a shallow plate. In another plate mix together egg replacer and water, stirring until dissolved. In yet another plate, mix panko, bread crumbs, garlic powder and parsley. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, then egg replacer mixture, then crumb mixture. Repeat for all chicken pieces. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet on med-high and lightly sprinkle salt on the pan while heating.When heated, add the Earth Balance and the olive oil, heating 1 minute more. Add the breaded Gardein chicken and brown on both sides. Set aside and keep warm until ready to use.

For the Mushrooms:
8-10 medium cremini or baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean and thickly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1. T Earth Balance

Lightly salt a skillet (again) while heating to med-high. Add the Earth Balance, heat 1 minute more, then add garlic and mushrooms, sauteing until slightly browned and soft. Again, set aside and keep warm.

For the Lemon Garlic greens:
4 Large handfuls raw tatsoi greens or spinach
1/4 c. vegetable broth
1 t. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat veg broth and olive oil over med-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to let burn. Add greens, a handful at a time, turning until bright green and barely wilted. Remove from heat.

For the Piccata Sauce:
1/2 c. good quality white wine (one that you would drink)
2T Earth Balance
1/4 c vegetable broth
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1T. non-GMO cornstarch
3T. cold water
In the same pan where you cooked the chicken, deglaze the pan with the wine over med heat, allowing the wine to reduce by half, approximately 8 minutes. Add veg broth and reduce heat to low. Mix the corn starch and cold water in a cup until dissolved. Add to the reduced wine, stirring constantly until smooth and slightly shiny. Add lemon juice, 1 t. at a time until desired tartness is reached.

To plate:
Divide wilted greens into 4 equal portions and make a "bed" on each plate. Top with a noodle cake, then chicken, then mushrooms, then spoon sauce over. Enjoy!

Serves 4 generously.


Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Grilled Eggplant and Portobello Napoleon

I'm always trying to find an acceptable AND delicious way to substitute for the non-vegan ingredients that I love. I still have yet to find a Tofu Scramble recipe that didn't taste like mashed up tofu with tumeric and various spices (not sounding good to me even if you made it with scrambled eggs!) and, until now, a sub for ricotta cheese. I have finally found one that makes my tummy happy and my mouth smile. Hope that you like it! Don't let the long list of steps put you off...all the steps can be done a day in advance and they really are simple.

Grilled Eggplant & Portobello Napoleon with Fresh Tomato Sauce
and Tofu Ricotta

For the Tomato Sauce:
(2) 14.5 oz. cans of organic diced tomatoes (I like Muir Glen)
1 6 oz. can of organic tomato paste
1/2 of a medium onion, diced
2 t. each of oregano, basil and parsley
1/8c. olive oil
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced (depending on how much woman/man you are)
salt and pepper to taste

*Saute onion in olive oil until soft and slightly browned. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes longer. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. After simmering, use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until desired "chunkiness" or alternately, you could blend the sauce in a blender after simmering (be careful!). This recipe will yield more than you need but is delicious on pasta or as a pizza sauce. It also freezes well!

For the Tofu Ricotta:
1 16 oz. block of firm or extra firm water-packed tofu
3T. lemon juice
3 T . nutritional yeast
1 T. minced garlic
1. T parsley
2t. basil
1T. Sweet White Miso (I like Miso Master)
4 oz. vegan cream cheese ( my ALL time fave is Galaxy Brand Plain vegan cream cheese)

*Drain the tofu for at least 15-30 minutes to release excess water. If you use tofu on any sort of regular basis, I would certainly recommend a Tofu XPress...works wonders! If you don't have one, put the block of tofu in a small colander (set it in the sink!) and weigh it down with a small plate with something heavy on top, like a large can of tomatoes . Now kick yourself for not ordering that Tofu XPress. When the tofu is nice and drained, proceed with the ricotta. Mix the miso and cream cheese well in a bowl (these are the two toughest ingredients to get softened to mix, so it's easier to mix them first. Then add all other ingredients except tofu, incorporating well. Mash the tofu with a fork and the mix into the other ingredients until the texture is somewhat like dairy ricotta.

For the Napoleons:
1 medium eggplant, sliced about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick (8 slices total)
4 portobello caps, somewhat similar in size to the eggplant slices
1/8 c. olive oil + 1T. for brushing the eggplant
3 garlic cloves, minced
1t. each of basil, parsley and oregano or 1T. Italian seasoning blend

*Slice eggplant, peeling optional. I think that the finished dish looks prettier unpeeled, but I prefer the taste of it peeled...you decide. Sprinkle lightly with salt on both sides and place in a dish to "sweat" out the bitterness, about 10 minutes. While the eggplant is sweating, de-stem the mushroom caps and, with a spoon, scrape the dark brown gills from the underneath side. Mix together the 1/8 c. olive oil, garlic cloves and the Italian spices. Using an indoor grill pan or outdoor grill, grill the mushroom caps, brushing with the oil/spice mixture and the eggplant slices, brushed with the 1T. of olive oil and pepper. Turn veggie to create pretty grill marks. When veggies are nice and soft and slightly brown, take off grill and set aside.

To assemble:
In individual casserole dishes or in one large casserole, for each Napoleon, layer tomato sauce, one eggplant slice, (a smear of your favorite pesto can go well here, too), 2T of ricotta, a mushroom cap, another layer of ricotta (and pesto, if using), another eggplant slice then top off the Napoleon with a nice coating of tomato sauce. Bake in a 375 oven for about 20 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned on top. Enjoy!




The 95% Vegan

I always wanted to be vegetarian, but a juicy steak always seemed to put an end to that. I loved a medium rare ribeye, complete with baked potato oozing with real, full-fat sour cream and laden with real butter. Bacon was one of my great temptations, too...crispy, smoky and oh, so good on my breakfast plate. How could I leave these delicacies behind? After all, meat and potatoes are the American way!

After struggling with gestational diabetes with nearly each pregnancy and struggling afterward with lingering extra weight, I finally realized that my annual Christmas wish of, "World Peace and liposuction" was most likely lost amongst the undeliverable letters to Santa and I needed to take things into my own hands. Loving really delicious gourmet food didn't help matters, but I DO so love to cook and create in the kitchen.

The more that I researched optimal eating for health, especially in regard to diabetes, the more that I kept coming back to the idea of a plant-based diet. Well, I knew that in order for me to kick my beef habit, I had to be totally grossed out by the idea. I do love animals and, like most folks I know, would never eat my own dog, but I didn't have a great problem with beef, pork, chicken or seafood. Enter in Netflix and Amazon, watch a few important streamed movies ("Food, Inc.", "Forks Over Knives", "Fast Food Nation" to name just a few) read some books (The China Study, Mad Cowboy, Skinny Bitch and anything by John Robbins) and well, goal achieved!

Alright, you say...give up meat but don't take away dairy! After all, we need it to build strong bones and teeth, right? If we are one of the largest consuming countries of dairy, why is our rate of osteoporosis one of the highest in the world? Why do my children with asthma start wheezing and coughing after only a bowl of ice cream? I have come to believe that cow's milk is meant for baby cows. Makes sense. I didn't feed my breast milk to my pets (or to a calf, for that matter) because it was meant for MY baby. Why do I want to take a calf's milk away from him just for me to drink, when there are so many other (healthier) options out there? Something to think about.

So after this you ask, "why 95% vegan?" Because I still struggle. Giving up chicken? No problem. Giving up beef and pork and not contributing to the ills of factory farming? No problem. Giving up plain, tangy, tart, tasty plain Greek yogurt? MUCH harder. I struggle with obscure addictions like plain yogurt, freshly grated parmesan cheese and Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream. Hopefully I can find acceptable substitutes for these and close in that 5% gap. We can only hope.