Cashew-Ginger Sauce

Ben says: It is pretty much the same thing as the Orange-Ginger Sauce but you can add it on top. I am telling you, why don't you just get the book! This book is one of my top 4 cook books. 

Moosewood Cookbook, Mollie Katzen, pg 90.

2 cups toasted cashews
1 cup water
2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs. honey
2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
cayenne, to taste

Puree everything together in a food processor or blender. When it is as smooth as you like it, transfer to a tightly lidded container and refrigerate. Heat gently before serving.

Orange-Ginger Sauce

Ben says: It is so handy-  take whatever veggies you have, preferable some onion included, and fry them with or without oil (it doesn't matter to tell you the truth) and add the sauce 1/2 through the cooking process.


Moosewood Cookbook, Mollie Katzen, pg 90.

2 Tbs. Cornstarch
1 cup orange juice
2 to 3 medium clovers garlic, minced
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce

Salt, pepper, and cayenne, to taste

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:
1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
1 to 2 Tbs honey
1 to 2 Tbs dry sherry
1 scallion, finely minced

1. Place cornstarch in a small bowl (if you're using this for stir-fried vegetables) or in a small saucepan (if you're using this for anything else).

2. Add orange juice, and whisk until the cornstarch dissolves. Stir in all remaining ingredients (including optional additions).

3. If you are using the sauce for stir-fired vegetables, stir from the bottom, and add to the wok or skillet about midway through the cooking. If you are using this for anything else, place the saucepan over medium heat, and gradually bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Lower heat to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, until thick and glossy (3 to 5 minutes). Server hot or warm.

Whipped Cream (Inspired by Gabe the cow)

     

We saw Gabe just a few hours before his last breath on 1/15/2012. A veal cow normally lives 16 weeks in horrific circumstances. Gabe was lucky he was able to live most of his 16 years of life in a place where people could love him.

Gabe was a companion cow to Emily, the famous cow at the “Peace Abbey.” You can read the story about Emily at http://www.peaceabbey.org/tour-guide/emily-the-cow/

Gabe was spotted brown and white and while it may just be a simple honor to name a recipe after Gabe, this is the best whip cream ever. 

1 can coconut milk (not the “light” version)

½ tablespoon vanilla extract

½ tablespoon vanilla powder

 

Chill the coconut milk over night or freeze the coconut milk at least 2 hours.  When you open the can, place the firm white part in a blender. (Save the rest for coffee or smoothies.) Add the vanilla and whip in a blender until it is looks like homemade whip cream.

You can always add more vanilla as needed.

Daikon Radish Fritters

A treat food that can be made using a food processor. We made carrot/daikon salad to go with the fitters since we have a lot of daikon right now.

Ingredients

1 ½ cup grated daikon

2 teaspoons salt

3 small potatoes, skin on, grated

1 clove of garlic, minced

½ white onion

½ teaspoon baking soda (although perhaps it can be left out)

½ cup panko organic bread crumbs

2-table spoons hot sauce

¼ an inch of oil for the frying pan – Sunflower oil works best.

1.     Place the grated daikon in a large bowl, add water to cover and salt. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

2.     Mix everything (but daikon) in a bowl while the daikon chills.

3.     Drain daikon, add to bowl and mix.

4.     Pour oil into a large skillet. Heat over medium heat.

5.     Make patties. Smaller ones are easier to handle.

6.     Fry patties in the hot oil until firm and nicely brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on a towel.

I like to cook the batches right after each other of them at once while the oil is hot.  

Quinoa Flake/Peanut Butter Cookies (Vegan, Gluten Free)

I made theses lovely cookies last night. It is an adaptation of a recipe from Salad Girl's blog at: http://www.thesaladgirl.com/2010/03/09/womens-work-and-a-recipe-quinoa-flake-cookies-gluten-free/

3/4 cup rice syrup 

2-3 cups of quinoa flakes 

1/4 cup coconut oil 

1/4cup peanut butter

dash of salt 

1/2-1teaspoon vanilla 

1 Tablespoons cornstarch mixed (no lumps) with 2 teaspoons water.

Directions
Preheat oven to 375F.
Mix 2 cups of quinoa flakes and along with the rest of the ingredients. (If your running short on quinoa flakes, then decrease the vanilla to 1/2 teaspoon and mix the cornstarch with 1 1/2 teaspoons of water.)

The batter shouldn't be stiff, but if it is too running to form a mound of dough, then add more quinoa flakes.

Cook on an ungreased pan for 12-15 mins. The bottom of the cookie should be a nice brown.

Simple Tahini Cookies - Vegan and sugar free

Ben likes to make these cookies for potlucks and they are hit! 

Ordinal recipe is from Kathy Sant (Sant’s Natural Foods) published in the Harvest Co-op Cookbook, March 1994, pg. 125. Ben’s notes are in italics.

1 ½ cup rolled oats

6 Tablespoon tahini

½ cup honey or Barley Malt, Rice Syrup or Agave. A mix of sweeteners is especially nice.

½ teaspoon cinnamon and ginger, or cardamom if you have it.

Optional: Raisins and nuts, coconut, and chocolate chips *

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a medium size bowl. Drop by spoonfuls or roll into medium size ball on an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten. (We oil our cookie sheet). Cook at 350 degrees F, 8-10 mines.

Tester Note:  They crumble a bit if you try to take them off the cookie sheet when they are hot, so let them cool before you take them off or line cookie sheet with foil and peel off when cooled.

* SunSpire Grain Sweetened Chocolate Chips are available at Whole Foods. 

Pineapple or Fruity Icecreamy (Vegan)

In the Winter, when the dry heat drains me, I crave more icecream, raw salads and raw foods. 

1 cup non-sugar soy milk like Eden

2 1/2 ish cups of frozen pineapple or strawberries, or whatever!

.5 cup of honey.

Some Vanilla powder

 

If using raw honey that is think or creamy, then mix the honey and the soy milk first in the Blender. Otherwise, load it all in at once.   I use a Blendtec's ice cream setting, but a normal blender should work fine. 

Totally yummy!

I get my Vanilla powder raw from http://www.livingtreecommunity.com/

A little goes a long way.

Vegan Iceing (white basic)

This iceing is really good for one day. After that, it hardens up and by day 3 it is too hard if you leave it in the fridge.  We would suggest just iceing the parts that your planning to serve and leaving the iceing out on the counter if you refrigerate your cake.


1 box of Organic Creamed Coconut*
1 Tablespoon or so of Extract  - I used Almond which makes it taste like marzipan,, but anything will do.  Try Lemon Juice.
1 Tablespoon of maple syrup.
about 1 Tablespoon ofH20
Whip it in the blender.


*I bought mine on Amazon "Let's Do Organic Creamed Coconut, 7-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)"
http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Do-Organic-Creamed-Coconut/dp/B00113ZZ5U
Whole Foods also caries it. 

Ginger Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze (Vegan/Sugar free)

This is from Ben’s favorite cookbook May All Beings Be Feed , John Robbins,  1992 pg. 380. It is out of print, but you can find it used.  Ben follows the recipe without adjustments. Instead of orange glaze, sometimes we make the white icing recipe that is on the blog or "Gabe's whipped cream". It doesn't need it, but it sometimes I really just want the texture.

It takes awhile to make it, so I suggest prepping one day and making it the next. The reciepe can be doubled

Makes one 8 inch square cake or one 9 inch round cake, or cupcakes. ***

¾ cup unfiltered apple juice *

½ cup canola or safflower oil (or grapeseed oil) **

1 ½ cups raisins

½ cup maple syrup

Grated zest of 1 orange

1½ cups of grated carrots (about 3 med. Carrots)

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh gingerroot
2 cups wholewheat pastry flour

1-teaspoon nonaluminum baking powder

1 teaspoon Baking soda

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2-teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup coarsely chopped raw walnuts

Orange Glaze 
(we don't use all the glaze, so we save it for a stirfry sauce)

3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and 8 by 8 inch cake pan or a 9-inch round pan and dust with flour, shaking out the excess.

Put the apple juice, oil, ½ cup of raisins, the maple syrup, and the organic zest in a blender until smooth. Add the carrots and ginger and pulse just to mix.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together. Add the apple juice mixture and combine, using a few strokes as possible so you do not over mix the batter. Fold in the remaining 1 cup raisins and the walnuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use the spatula to spread the batter evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the orange glaze: In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup and orange juke and stir together until thoroughly blended. 

When the cake is done, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Transfer to a wire rack, and while the cake is still warm, brush on the glaze with a pastry brush.

* we have used regular apple juice successfully
** (we only use safflower oil or grapeseed oil because canola is made from rapeseed, a GMO plant that wasn’t originally made for human consumption.)
*** Yummy cupcakes - 350 degrees, 10-15 mins.

Blue Corn Bread (Vegan)

This corn bread doesn't use flour and it doesn't really rise. I bet there are plenty of good recipes on the web, but I really liked this one tonight with our chili. Maybe it is less than a real bread, and more of a thick pancake. Whatever it was, it was yummy and I am sure we will make it again.

11/2 cup blue cornmeal
2 eggs worth of egg replacement
3 Tablespoons dried maple syrup (less would be fine too)
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1/4-1/3 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup of soymilk
1/4 cup olive oil

Cook in a preheated oven at 350 degrees in an oil cast iron skillet for 25 mins. 

Squash Pizza (Vegan)

Pizza is my one of my Favorite Foods and we have it every week during the winter cold. Yummy.

Cornmeal Crust (Frozen section of the market)*
1 Butternut Squash
1-2 Leeks or in a pinch onion
Olive Oil
Some Tomato or apple
Squash seeds pan roasted or Walnuts/Pine nuts/Almonds

Slice one or two leeks and heat in Olive Oil until wilted. Add chopped, peeled Butternut quash (seeds removed).
Cook for 10-15 mins. Meanwhile, preheat oven (425) and pan dry roast nuts, and make salad.

Blend in blend squash and leaks in blender. Most of the squash will be thinned down for soup tomorrow. Spoon enough squash to cover the crust.  Put some tomato or apple slices on the squash. Add nuts. Cook in preheated oven for 13 mins at 425 Degrees.

*Vicolo brand Ingredient has Organic Wheat, Organic Cornmeal, Organic Soybean Oil, Yeast, and Salt. Whole Foods carries it.

 

Creamy Tomato Bazil Soup (Vegan)

Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 2:57pm

It's a great quick meal out of the pantry. It is also a good" make a head"  meal since the longer the flavors have to mingle, the better. It's even good cold in summer.

I tend to make cornmeal pizza the same night.  I  cook the garlic for the pizza at the same time I am making the soup and  I use some of the tomatoes and pinenuts for pizza.

Creamy Tomato Bazil Soup
32 ounce of Organic Tomatoes.(ex. crushed with Basil in the can, frozen or fresh)
1 can of Organic Coconut Milk
3-7 cloves of garlic
Good Virg. Olive Oil
Basil if you have it.
Roasted Pinenuts (optional)
Saute the garlic in olive oil. Add tomatoes and some of the basil along with the coconut milk. Simmer until hot or dinner time. Add pinenuts and basil as garnish right before eating.

Parsley & Strawberry Icecreamy (Vegan)

1 cup Eden or non-sugar soy milk
1/4 cup honey makes it sweet. I think it would be good without the honey.
10 oz bag of Organic Strawberries frozen
1/2 cup (more or less) of parsley.  If you want, copy it up a little before hand.
( Mint would be good too.)

Why Parsley? Well, those who know me well know that is my cure all and one of my fav things. It keeps me going when skies are blue. (I love the gray.)

That is because it has:

+ beta carotene
+ vitamins B12
+ folate,
+ "more vitamin C than the equivalent amount of orange."
+ "contains immunity-enhancing phytonutrients like luteolin that curb inflammatory processes in the body," + and other organic compounds, including myristicin and folic acid.

Information is from Parsing Parsley. Psychology Today. March/April which is quoted on:
http://achsnews.blogspot.com/2010/03/health-benefits-of-parsley-featured-in.html

Olive Tapenade (Vegan)

4 Clove Fresh Garlic crushed
8 oz of Capers (1/2 a jar)
12 oz Olives – chopped
Olive Oil - Enough oil to mix it up and then to cover the top of the jar.

Either chop by hand or use a food processor.

Shepherd's Pie (Vegan)

Another modified version of a recipe. This one is “Shepherd’s Pie” from The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman.2011, pg. 127.

I made it for Thanksgiving without the red pepper flakes and it was a crowd pleaser. I froze the extras and warmed it in a skillet and also in an electric steamer at work for lunch and it freezes great!

Gravy:

1 vegan bouillon cube *

½ cup red wine *

2 tablespoon soy or Tamari sauce *

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 cloves garlic *

¼ nutrional yeast

2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the Filling:

½ lb tofu (previously frozen)*

½ lb seta (homemade, or use more tofu) *

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1.25 pound veggies * I used fresh carrots, celery, onion & peas (frozen).

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon rosemary

For the potato topping:

6 medium potatoes, cubed, boiled

½ cup or less of non-dairy milk  (non-sweetened Eden Soy)*

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) *

Olive oil. No more than ¼ cup plus some to brush on top. I used 1/8 a cup. *

Gravy: Whisk the ingredients together. Set aside.

Filling: You’ll need a fairly large pan. Sauté in the following order:  Oil, onion (until clear). Add garlic, tofi/seitan.  Brown a little. Add celery, carrots, salt, pepper, and celery seeds to the point where it is getting cooked a little. Add the gravy, and cook until a little thicker. About 3-5 mins.

Use a 9in square pan. I lined the pan with parchment. Put the Filling/gravy in the pan. 

Topping: While the potatoes are hot, mash all the ingredients together.  You may want to keep the red flakes aside to sprinkle on top.  I kept the skin on the potatoes. Taste, and add more milk or oil if needed.  Put on top of the filling. Brush olive oil on the very top.

Bake 25 mins. You can brown it using the boiler at the end to brown the top if you would like.

Seitan in the Crockpot + French Onion Soup (Vegan)

Seitan can be simmered on the stove for about 1 hour. When I cook it on the stove, I use a large pot and no onions. 

In the slow cooker, it is a tight fit and the onions help keep the seitan from burning on the bottom of the pot.

Some people like soy sauce in their seitan, but I don't like it very much which means I don't like the store bought seitan much. Seitan freezes well.

Seitan:

1 10 oz box of Vital Wheat Gluten. I used Arrowhead Mills.

1/8 cup or so of nutritional yeast

2 cups water

Or less water, and add some soy sauce (1-2 tablespoon).

2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 more tablespoon of olive oil

1 bouillon cube or vegetable broth

Water to fill the crockpot

2-3 onions sliced.

Soup: Tamari sauce (or soy sauce) to taste. Or, vegan worcestershire sauce.

Add toast rounds or vegan cheese if desired. We use a brand of  vegan cheese call Daiya. Or, make a different type of soup with the onion base.

Mix the wheat gluten with the nutritional yeast. Add about 2 cups of water, and 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Kneed about 5 mins until elastic.  I finish mine by making a mound. Wipe the olive oil on the mound.

Slice the onions. Wipe the inside of the crock-pot with olive oil. Add the sliced onions to the bottom of the crock-pot. Place the mound on top. 

I usually heat water in a kettle, then mix a little water with the bouillon cube. Then add it to the crock-pot.  Lastly, I fill the crock-pot within an inch of the top of the crock-pot with the rest of the hot water.

Cook for about 4 hours on low.

Take out the seitan. Add tamari, soy, or vegan worcestershire sauce to the broth for French onion soup.

Butternut Lentil Burgers (Vegan)

Not being one to follow a recipe, here is a modified version of “Butternut Lentil Burgers” from The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman.2011, pg. 129

I used different spices, didn’t follow the instructions and made a double batch. . Also, I cooked enough lentils for the week and I cooked the squash the night before. While it is best the first day, we stir fried a patty a week later and it still tasted good.  Are these the best vegan burgers ever? Nope, but it really hit the spot and I was tired of black bean burgers.

1 cup butternut squash

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

¼ cup tomato souse *

½ cup red lentils

2 tablespoons sesame oil *

1 tablespoon dried chili *

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup organic panko

1 cup vital wheat gluten

* different than original recipe.

What I did:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine everything except the wheat gluten and breadcrumbs.  Mash together with hands or a potato masher. Add wheat gluten and breadcrumbs.  Stir. Make at least 6 balls for burgers. Flatten them to about ½ inch thick.

Put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Put another parchment sheet over them, and then another cookie sheet. Be careful the paper isn’t sticking out.

Bake for 35 mins.

Injera - Ethiopian sourdough bread (Vegan)

This was an experiment and there are several notes below. I am glad I did it once, but I am unlikely to do it again anytime soon. 


Here is my first attempt based on the book "Wild Fermentation" - Sandor Ellix Katz
2 cups of 1 week old sourdough starter.
2 cups of flour. I used whole wheat bread flour
2 cups of Teff.
5 cups lukewarm water.

Mix, cover and keep in a warm place. Stir often as you can. I let mine sit for 28 hours.

I used a cast iron skillet with saffron oil on the bottom heated just a couple of notches on on the gas stove controller.  Anyhow, it should be well below the midway point or it will brown.

5 mins before making it, I added 1 tsp of baking soda and I let it sit for 3 mins. Then I added 1 Tablespoon of salt.

Pour like a crepe into the hot pan and cover. Pour it fast so that the center isn't too think.  (I used a cookie sheet to cover it).  When it bubbles it is done. No need to flip. (although I did flip a few.) It took a few to get the timing right, but it seemed like mine cooked in 5-6 mins without browning too much. Stack with towels or spread them out to cool. For a few of them, I added water to the mix to make the batter thinner but it didn't seem to make too much of a difference.

My sourdough starter was all whole wheat - ground from wheat berries in the BlendTec. If you need my instructions for the starter, let me know.

After I cooked the first couple in a pan with a tin foil cover, I thought "I'll never do this again". Once I realized it could just walk away with a cookie sheet on top and with the timer set to 5 min. it became really easy.

After more reflection, if I was doing this for a restaurant I would use a commercial sourdough yeast starter packet instead. (The type you start the day before cooking.) In fact, I would even just try a regular yeast packet but start it the... night before. While it is cooking, I would try adding a little salt. I prefer WW flour, but if I was selling it for money, I would really try to see work on the combinations of flours. Maybe even ¾ teft, ¼ something else. I am not loving my sourdough starter, so next time I will try commercial yeast.

 



20 hours of injera batter sitting in my kitchen.

Raw Food Creamy Tomato Bazil Soup Injera (Vegan, Raw)

 Raw food dishes are best adjusted to your desires in the moment, or what you have on hand. Serve it room temp for the best flavor.

Raw Creamy Tomato Bazil Soup

Tomatoes (2-4 or whatever)
Bazil
Young Thai Coconut
Garlic
Raw Olive Oil (See below)

Use the meat and the juice of the young Thai coconut. Mixed with crushed tomatoes.( I use 2-4.) Add some fresh crushed garlic and bazil shredded.  Let sit for a few hours for best flavor. Add a little Olive oil on top with basil as a garnish.


www.livingtreecommunity.com has wonderful olive oils. I usually get one bottle every two years, and I enjoy every drop. The "Olive Oil is organic, raw, unfiltered, unheated, and UNPRESSED"

Whole Foods carries Young Thai Coconuts as do some co-ops and Asian markets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPvhxeg_PUA

Where do yoy buy your food?

            A rather common question after "What do you eat?" is "Where do you buy your food?"

We rely on Whole Foods, Farmer’s market and the local co-op for the day-to- day staples. We also belong to Boston Organics for our veggie delivery:

http://www.bostonorganics.com

But for the specialty items, I have been ordering from the below places online for more than 5 years. However, I only order once every 18 months or so because of the cost and shipping charges, but is worth it.

http://www.livingtreecommunity.com/

I have ordered dates, which are the freshest I had in the US. The raw un-pressed olive oil is amazing, but too costly and a waste to cook with. The raw vanilla powder is worth every penny and keeps. The olives are yummy, but when my order gets too expensive, it is the first thing out of the cart.  I would rather get the almond or the cashews instead.

http://www.loveseaweed.com

Seaweed crunchies are the best! They have tested for radiation and the results on are their website.

http://www.therawfoodworld.com/

I like their B-12 patches and the “at cost sales” are a great chance to stock up when something that I normally use goes on sale.

Where do you by your food?