The Cooking Lady

'Cheeze' Sauce

2012-01-27T18:20:00.000-08:00

If you ask most vegans what they miss the most about their meat eating days, most would say it is cheese. I cannot say that I fall into that category. Did I use it? Yes. Did I go out of my way to use it in recipes? No. But I still love my broccoli, or cauliflower smothered in a cheese-style sauce. Well fasten your seat belts, cuz it's about to get real.

I have found a cheese-style sauce that would make Velveeta lovers curling their toes in sheer delight. So let's get down to this recipe...shall we?

1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup flour
1 t garlic powder
1-2 t salt (start with one, taste, and add more if needed)
2 cups water
1/4 cup vegan margarine
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Combine all dry ingredients into a saucepan and mix thoroughly. Add water and whisk on medium /high heat until thickens and starts to bubble. Remove from heat and add margarine. Stir until completely combined. Serve over steamed/boiled vegetables.

This is so delicious, that I can eat this all be itself. And these ease of this dish is what is the scary part. So go make this and let me know how it goes. And remember, make...eat...enjoy!

Spicy Carrot Soup

2012-01-27T09:22:00.000-08:00

Straight out of the bull pen...don't think hot. this is such an unusual recipe that I had to share it with you guys. This is not what I would call a comfort-style soup. But it is something I would make to show folks how versatile we vegans can be. Now, on to the recipe.

4-6 carrots, scrubbed and chopped (peeling not necessary)
1 walnut size piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped coarsely
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup almond butter (but can substitute any nut butter of your choice)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 t curry
1/2 cup orange juice
1 t salt
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Take first 5 ingredients and boil until tender. Put all cooked vegetables in the food processor with some of the water and puree until smooth. Keeping the excess water on the side in case you need to thin out your soup. When desired consistency has been reached, return to pot and add remaining ingredients. This soup is suppose to be a thicker style soup. Make...eat...enjoy!

Tomato 'Can Style' Soup

2011-12-27T17:04:00.000-08:00

It is so ironic that I found this and that it is so close to the real thing. I have a couple that comes regularly to my cooking classes at the health food store where I work. And they were looking for a tomato soup that tasted like the one they use to eat when they ate a terrible diet that included canned soup (pure garbage, all of them). And here I have found it. Is it 100% identical? Nope, but it is so close that I am truly in love. So let's get to the recipe and see what you all think. And with us in full swing of soup season, this will fit right in.

1-8oz can tomato sauce
2 cups non-dairy milk (unsweetened)
1 T cornstarch or flour
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
2T catsup
1 t onion powder
1 t chives or oregano
Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/3 t salt and just a splash of pepper)
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Milk all ingredients together in a pot. Whisk constantly while you bring it to a boil. Then quickly bring it back down. Do not stop stirring, for it may spill over. Keep a close eye on it.

The catsup is what makes this dish. And you could make a thinner soup and use water instead...but why would you? I love a thick creamy soup. And if you want a thicker soup, make sure that you use cornstarch instead of flour. They both work well, but the cornstarch will definitely give it a bit more thickness.

And you might think to cut back on the pepper flakes, but don't for if you do, then you will need to increase the salt, and you do not want to do that. I grind fresh pepper in my bowl and not into the soup directly. But do what works for you. And remember, Make...eat...enjoy!

1,000 Island Dresisng

2011-12-24T11:18:00.000-08:00

I am rediscovering salads. Yes, most non-vegetarians assume that those of us who are, live on rabbit food. Ahhh, not true. But I have been on a salad kick lately and experimenting with some dressings and this one hit the spot I remember oh so well.

I was never a super-duper fan of 1,000 Island Dressing, but every now and then I would get a hankering for some and this brings me back to the days of eating the old fashioned stuff. So give it a try and tell me it does not taste like the real deal. And once it sits overnight...watch out!

1 cup vegan mayonnaise(we use Veganaise)
1T sweet relish (NOT dill)
1/2 cup catsup (yep I spell it that way)
1 t onion powder (do not omit)
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Throw all ingredients into a food processor and have at it. You will love this. And so much better the next day. If it were me, I would double this one right form the get go, that way you do not run out when you really need it! Make...eat...enjoy!

Vegan 'Egg' Nog

2011-12-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

A long while back, Vegetarian Times did a survey and asked its' readers what they most would like to have converted to vegan. And the #1 requested dish was egg nog. Who'd a thunk it? And yet, you can now purchase them right in your grocery store or make your own. And making your own is so simple that it is scary. So let's get down to business...shall we?

2-10.5 oz packages, silken tofu(soft)
16 0z milk alternative (pick which one you like)
1T+1t vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar(I, myself would bump it up a wee bit for my next time out)
2T brown sugar
1/4t ground turmeric
1/2-1 cup brandy(optional)(may need more depending on the company you have)
Nutmeg, for garnish
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In a blender of food processor, combine all ingredients:except for nutmeg. Blend thoroughly, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the blender or processor. Chill and serve. And as always, make...eat...enjoy!

Spicy Moroccan Carrots

2011-12-12T05:04:00.000-08:00

I cannot beleieve how I have neglected ny blog. But I hope to get back in the game. I have been teaching vegan classes (both raw and cooking) at my local health food store (where I work) and they have been jammed. What a joy to see so many faces out there trying to change how they eat. And the dishes we have made recently have been dead on fantastic. Meaning, that they have been super delicious.

I have been making holiday dishes since October and what a treat for all of us. For I have had to do some research and step up my 'A' game to make sure that what we are making is presentable to new friends and family. There is nothing more depresisng to try and show non-vegetarians how good our food is when you have no new or good dishes to pull from. Hopefully I can help you all with that. So now on to these unbelieveable carrots.

We found these Thanksgiving morning and knew we had to make them. We did and have never looked back. Make these for your friends and family and they will love you forever.

1&1/2 -2 pounds carrots (sliced, with some thickness to them)
6-7 cloves garlic, minced (do not skimp on this)
1/4 t cayene (anymore will take away from the joy of this dish)
1T cumin
1/2 bunch parsley, curly or flat will do
1 bunch cilantro
Juice of 1 lemon
2T vinegar (we prefer a lighter version. I would not use red wine vinegar)
1T olive oil
Salt to taste (you do not need much)
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Clean carrots and chop as desired, we do not peel ours, but you can if you wish. You can boil in 1/2 cup of water for 7-10 minutes or put them in a steamer. which ever you prefer. You do not want them mushy.

While this is going on, take all the other ingredients and throw them in the food processer. Whirl until you have a well bleneded sauce. Remember to keep scraping the sides of the bowl down. We have made this both hot and chilled, either is fine and dandy. My personal preference is the hot dish, but I would not push away them as the chilled version.

So remember, make...eat...enjoy!

Citrus Dressing

2011-10-14T04:02:00.000-07:00

We were making dinner last night and cleaning out the fridge and the produce bin, trying to use up as much fresh produce before we had to put it in the compost bin or in the freezer for future soup stock.

With that in mind I picked through and weeded out all the veggies in the drawer and had a salad, ready to go. Except for one thing. I was not in the mod for bottled dressing. Even if you go with the 'healthier' versions, you are still eating processed food. But I knew I could find something better.

I had quite a few oranges left over from my organic produce co-op and did not want to lose them. So, through the power of the internet, I started searching for a citrus dressing. On about the 3rd hit I found one I liked and had all the ingredients for(very important in this house). I did have to alter one ingredient though, for I do not use honey, but thank the stars above for agave. This was so simple and the lightness and freshness was unbelievable. So here goes. And trust me when I say this will be a staple for my salads.

1/3 cup agave
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about 1 good orange)
1/4 Dijon style mustard
1-2 T olive oil (optional)
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Add the first three ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until well blended. Then slowly drizzle in the oil and keep on whisking. That is it.

This one is so simple it scares me. And this is what I keep telling folks who are moving over to a healthier diet. Do-it-slowly! You did not get unhealthy over-night, you will not get healthy over night. But think of how good you will feel once you get there. So go make this and remember, make...eat...enjoy!

Pumpin Pie Smoothie

2011-09-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

It can be Thanksgiving all year round...if you want it to be. Well, I am about to show you how this can be done. By making this pumpkin smoothie. I do not remember how I came across these 2 women, but suffice it to say they are a hoot. They are the kind of people who make you want to eat healthy. With that said, let's start gearing up for the holidays and try some new and tasty foods. Let's begin...shall we? But before I let you read the recipe I want you to know where I found this great smoothie. I got it from The Plant Based Dietitian. They have so many little videos and so easy to follow. You cannot resist these two women. They are real and just so full of life. You will see once you visit their website.
16 ounces-unsweetened almond milk
2 bananas-frozen
Dates to taste (I am going 4-5ish)
1T alcohol free vanilla
1-14oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1T pumpkin pie spice (or 2T cinnamon & 1/2 t nutmeg)
Ice-if needed
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Throw all of these things together in a blender and viola, it can be the holidays all year round. I have made this and my husband and myself did not leave any for my children to sample...Awwwwww! Ain't that a shame? Not! So give this a try and you will see just how refreshing yet soothing this lovely little gem truly is. Make...eat...enjoy!

Raw Chocolate Fruit Balls

2011-09-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

A little piece of heaven I shall call these globes of goodness. I made these tonight for my raw food class and they went wild. Now, I have made a few different variations of these and bar none, these have been the best thus far. Trust me on this one. I found these on VegWeb. A truly great site for those new to veganism. They have tens of thousands of recipes to pick from. And how they have them broke down is just a breeze to sift through. So go take a gander at the site, you will not be disappointed.
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 cup nuts (choose any combination you so desire)
1/2 cup chopped dates (use medjool dates and you can soak them for a little bit so they puree better)
1/2 cup apricots, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder (use nibs if you want a bit more texture)
1/8 t almond extract
1 T fresh orange juice
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Mix the coconut and cinnamon together and set aside in a small bowl. Place all thee other ingredients in the food processor, except for the orange juice. Process, adding the OJ until you get a firm not but hard dough mixture.

Have a small bowl of water near by to be able to dunk your hands in so not to have the dough mixture stick to your hands. If you want to help keep the size of the balls even, you can use a tablespoon measure and then roll out the balls in your hand, then roll them in the coconut mixture.

Transfer to a plate and refrigerate for at least 1 hour so they have time to chill and firm up a bit. Serve and watch the smile creep onto folks faces. Make...eat...enjoy!

Spicy Hashbrown Soup

2011-08-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

This is one of those that has an odd ring to it, but if you give it a chance, it just might grow on you. I loved this from the get go, but no one here liked it at all. I will make it again, but I won't have to share. Awwww, ain't that just too bad.

1&1/2 cups hash browns(we shredded our own potatoes)
1-2 T olive oil
1 cup water
3-6 pickled jalapeno slices
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste
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In a skillet heat oil if you are NOT using a non-stick skillet, to a medium-medium high heat. Heat potatoes until they are crisp on both sides.

Add water, jalapenos and nutritional yeast and stir until the flakes are blended.

Let heat until boiling. Remove from heat and add slat and pepper to taste.

This is so simple it scares me. And even though my family did not like this one. I loved it for its taste and quirkiness. So try it and see what you think. and as always, make...eat...enjoy.

Everything Jumbalaya

2011-08-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

I promised this to a customer I spoke to in connection to my health food store. I surely thought I had posted this,but alas, that was not to be. So here I am after a day of playing catch-up from a want-to-be migraine and now I am on a roll of so many chores that have just fallen by the wayside, and this blog being one of those chores.
So on to this delicious dish. Who doesn't love jambalaya. I use to, until I became a vegetarian. Traditional jambalaya is racked with animal products. But my daughter happened upon a great dish she snatched form The Food Network and we veganized it. And what a lovely dish it is now. I know those who consume traditional jambalaya will say this dish has to have meat to survive. We have disproved that saying and gone one step farther. Ours would stand up against any traditional jambalaya on any day of the week. So go ahead, make this dish and say I am wrong. And for the record, I usually do not like complicated or lengthy recipes, but every once in a while there is one that falls into its own category...this is one of those dishes. so save it for a special occasion or when company comes over and you will not be disappointed.

2 cups brown rice(uncooked)
1 T olive oil
1 T vegan butter
1 block of extra firm tofu(pressed & cubed)
1 package of sausage(Italian if you have it, we use Tofurkey, but use your favorite)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Several drops of hot sauce or 2 pinches of cayenne pepper
2-3 T all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 (14 ounce) container vegetable broth(or your own homemade)
1 t cumin
1 rounded t chili powder
1 t poultry seasoning(there is no meat in poultry seasoning)
1 t vegan Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped scallion for garnish(optional)
Fresh thyme, chopped for garnish(optional)
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Cook rice according to directions.

Place a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and butter to the pan. Add cubed tofu to heated oil and butter. Brown tofu for approx. 3-5 minutes. Add onion, celery, green pepper, bay leaf and cayenne.

Saute vegetables for 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over pan and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and broth. Season with cumin, chili powder, poultry seasoning and Worcestershire sauce. Bring liquids to a boil. This is best when it slow cooks for a few hours. But be careful for the tofu has a tendency to fall apart if cooked too long. so no more than a few hours on a low slow heat. And served over rice it delicious.

If you want to jazz it up a bit, add some wild rice to your regular rice and have even more fun. So make...eat...enjoy!

A Dear Passing

2011-08-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Well I am ready to get back to posting more. I have been dealing with some life issues. For one, my sisters husband passed away very unexpectedly and it was due to his health. She had begged him for years to take off the weight (which he was morbidly obese), but he never did.
His entire family had serious weight issues and not one of them did a darned thing about it, and it killed them all. And to add insult to injury, two of them got so huge in their final years that they could not even got off the recliner, for the most part. that is not living, that is existing.

So not only is my sister going through the normal anger that goes along with grieving, she is dealing with a second anger, which is related to his not heading her words to get the weight off.

I still hear people say that heart disease runs in my family. Well that is the biggest lie this side of the Mississippi. Heart disease runs in those who eat garbage. And my brother-in-law proved that...with his life.

I am on a deeper mission to get myself even healthier now. I was never worried that I would perish form any of the diseases brought on by eating incorrectly, but I need to step it up a bit. So get ready for some new and as always healthy recipes.

Vegan Ranch Dressing

2011-07-27T03:51:00.000-07:00

To say I was a ranch dressing fan would be a false statement. Does that mean I never used it on my salads? No, I would occasionally use that flavor, but if I had other choices, I would opt for something else. With that said, I would like to introduce to you one of thee best vegan alternatives to traditional ranch dressing. I, of course, found it on VegWeb. But I found it quite by accident. Yes, I was looking for a new dressing, but not a ranch one in particular. But there it was staring at me and I had all of thee ingredients.
I am giving you thee altered recipe, for thee original was a bit too runny for all our tastes. And if I had read the reviews, then I too would have seen that the general consensus was the same as mine. But you do not have to go through that same mistake, I am giving you thee updated version. So try it and see how truly right I am.

1/4-1/2 cup non-dairy milk(use plain unsweetened if you have it)
1 cup vegan mayo(We use Veganaise)
1 t each, garlic and onion powder
2-3 T red wine vinegar
1 T fresh or dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
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Throw all ingredients into a blender/food processor and whirl until smooth.
If you like it thicker, and more like a dip, then stick closer to the 1/4 mark of milk. But if you prefer it more like a dressing, then go closer to the 1/2 mark.
I tell you that is all you have to do. And both my husband and daughter could not believe how close to the real thing it truly was. When all three of us agree on something, we know we have a winner. So, make...eat...enjoy!

Golden Spicy Cauliflower

2011-06-30T04:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, I cannot believe I have not posted in such a long time. Never fear, all is good. But suffice it to say I have been very busy, and in a good way. But you don't want to read about all the fun stuff in my life, you want new recipes, and man do I have more than a few to add here. So let's get started.

I have rejoined an organic co-op. It is a bi-weekly pick-up and the produce rotates every time. the prices are very comparable to what is out in the store, but what I like most about it, is that every time you are getting different items. Which means you are forced to try new dishes. Awwwww, what a shame. NOT!

I have already gone through at least 1/3 of my produce already and 1 week has not gone by. I may have to bump to an every week pick-up. But now on to this lovely new dish I discovered. Cauliflower. LOVE-IT! In any way, shape, or form. But I of course, wanted something new and different. Enter Dr. John McDougall. I had picked up one of his and his wife's cookbook at a flea market. Best $2 I ever spent.

I went scouring for something with cauliflower and found it, but I was on crunch time and had to make sure I had all or at least most of the ingredients. Viola! In comes this recipes, save for the onions, I had everything in my pantry or fridge. Wow! I loved this dish. I got home late last night after having made the dish, ran out for a meeting that ran Waaaay too late and had dinner at 9:30 at night. Served it over some brown rice and I just may have it for breakfast this morning...just kidding.

Make this, but do not be fooled by how spicy it looks, for the flavors end up melding together and coming off brilliantly for sure. Make it and call me in the morning.

1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 T grated ginger
1 cup water
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 T rice vinegar
2T soy sauce
1/2 t ground turmeric
Freshly ground pepper
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Place the cauliflower, garlic, and ginger in a saucepan with 1/2 cup of the water. Cook, stirring, occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes longer. Stir occasionally during cooking to prevent the cauliflower from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Now, one would think that with not 1 drop of fat in this dish it would taste bad. Oh no, this was divine and I cannot wait to make it again and again and again. Make...eat...enjoy!

Spinach Hummus

2011-04-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

Well, who knew spinach could be made into hummus? I didn't know. But I do now. This last Raw Class I was scrambling at the last minute, which I usually try not to do. And when I do look for recipes for my class, I definitely keep them simple and gadget friendly. Meaning, I do not use recipes that use dehydrators, or high-powered blenders. I want people to see that eating healthy DOES NOT have to be expensive, save for the food itself.

I would rather spend a little extra now then be pumped up on TONS of medication the pharmecuticals fell we need. But if we just changed how we ate, we would not be in the mess of health this country is in. Look at all thee other countries around the world that live on whole foods. You do not see their countries ravaged with obesity, cancer or diabetes. Why is that? Well, it is because so many compnaies here are trying to sell you a load of crap and tell you that Cheerios is a nutritional breakfast. Have fun with that. It is a business and if they do not sell their product they have no jobs. So they will bend the facts so far past realism that you would think eating insect wings is good for you, because they paid some scientist to say it is so.

You know what has to be done, go with your gut (no pun inteded) and just eat whole, organic food and the rest will take care of itself. Now on to this delicious reipe. I will not acept any mariage proposals after you have made and eaten this. And I do want to give credit where credit is due. I found this lovely gem at VegWeb! I love that place.
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1 clove garlic (put through a press)
2 to 3 cups spinach
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 to 4 tablespoons raw tahini (or regualr tahini if you are not a hard core raw foodist)
olive oil, as needed (mine equaled about 1 T)

Place garlic and spinach in food processor and process until minced finely. Add lemon juice and tahini and blend until the consistency of hummus. You can add olive oil if needed, but the spinach and tahini should be enough. For me I needed just a very small touch of oil.

I have fallen in love all over again with this recipe. I already love spinach, I just love it more now. Make...eat...enjoy!

Breakfast Quinoa

2011-04-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

Well I will openly admit that for the longest time I was not a huge fan of quinoa. Yep, I will openly admit it now. And I know what the problem was. In the beginning I was not cooking my quinoa long enough. Now I know better. With that said, let me inform you that if your quinoa has not opened up its little tail and separated form the grain itself, then you have not cooked your quinoa long enough.

I was looking for some new breakfast cereal (not boxed) and I am so over all the tried and true we have here. In walks quinoa. I was looking through Sarah Kramer's book, 'La Dolce Vegan' and looked through the breakfast section and out pops this quinoa recipe. I had all thee ingredients ( a big one in my home) and viola, 15 minute later we were eating breakfast.

So let's make this dish and you can thank me in the morning.

1&1/2 cups non-dairy milk
1/2 cup quinoa (remember to rinse VERY well)
1/4 cup raisins (I would add more next time)
1/2 cup fresh fruit (your choice)
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Ina medium saucepan on high heat, bring the milk to a boil. Reduce heat immediately and add the quinoa and raisins. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Remember, once the tail has separated from the grain, you are good to go. Add a touch of sweetener (if you like) and maybe a dab of vegan butter and or some nuts of your choice.

This was beyond scrumptious. I would make this again in a heart-beat. And now I have one more hot grain I can add to my already lengthy hot cereals for my morning food. Make...eat...enjoy!

That's Life

2011-04-10T16:51:00.000-07:00

I can hear Ole Blue Eyes singing away. But that is not what I am referring to. And for those of you who may not know who ole blue eyes is referring to...Google the name. With that out of the way, let me tell you that I found this recipe quite by accident. And some times the best things come from accidents. AND, I found it on VegWeb, one of my most loved sites to find recipes.

My husband is home with a small injury. He is fine...hopefully but with him being home, he is getting cabin fever and if I do not have some healthy things for him to munch on, he may start asking for someone to bring home crappy snacks, hence my making 2 desserts today. One of them was my black bean brownies. And if you have not made them yet, then please do so, you will not regret it. And thee other was this new recipe I found.

If I am making a new recipe, and moreso on a whim, thee only thing I am looking for is if I have all thee ingredients...nothing more...nothing less. Well, this such a recipe fit that criteria. Now, is it the healthiest recipe in the world? Nope, but we all have our vices, plus hubby was/is not feeling well, men are such babies, and in the marriage contract I agreed to make him sweets when he was sick. Naaah, just kidding, but it sounded good. So now, on to this recipe.

1 cup cinnamon flavored cereal(I used Cinnamon Life)
1/2 cup sugar (I used succanat)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup nondairy milk (I used Almond Breeze Vanilla flavor)
1 t vanilla extract
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 cookie sheets. In a large bowl, with a potato-like masher, mash the cinnamon flavored cereal until it resembles crumbs. Mix in the sugar.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add and combine the dry ingredient mixture to the cereal and sugar mixture.

Add the vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract into the rest of the ingredients and mix together until no more flour-powdery-substance is visible.

Spoon cookies onto prepared cookie sheets, and roll each cookie into a round ball. Bake for about 15 minutes (give or take), depending on your oven. Rotate cookie sheets between upper and lower oven racks halfway through baking.

Now...I did find these just a wee bit on the crumbly side. But no so much so that I would not make them again. And, if they are too crumbly for you, as a cookie, then let them be crumbles and sprinkle them on top of vegan ice cream. Ahhh, what a shame for a cookie to have to top ice cream, Ahhhhhhh!! Make...eat...enjoy!

Creamy-Not Always Coleslaw-Dressing

2011-03-31T04:10:00.000-07:00

That 'Not Always' part, I added myself. I wanted a homemade salad dressing that my husband will eat. He is still buying bottled dressings. And from Kraft of all companies. Ick! Anyhow, I was going through La Dolce Vegan who is the How it All Vegan authoress', and found this oh so simple dressing. Yes yes, it is meant for coleslaw, but where in the world of veganism is there a rule book that says this 'has' to go over shredded cabbage...yeah, just what I thought.

With that said, I loved this recipe. It has a wee bit of a bite to it, but best of all, my hubby loved it!!! So make it and love me for it later...and Sarah Kramer also.

3/4 cup vegan mayo
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 T sugar (your choice, just not brown)
1 T fresh parsley, minced (we were out and it was still great)
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
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In a jar or dressing bottle, combine all thee ingredients. Shake well, with the cap on of course and pour on your favorite salad. Makes about 1 cup. My hubby liked this one, as did I, this one will definitely be made again, for sure. Make...eat...enjoy!

Cucumber-Cilantro Soup

2011-03-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

I am definitely making up for lost time. I am always scouring sites for recipes I can use when teaching my raw food classes. I happened upon this really great recipe on, of course, VegWeb. The ease to this recipe is scary. And that is what is all about for me at least in the raw world.

So many people want to try it, but feel if they do not have a $700 dehydrator, or a $600 blender, that they cannot go raw. Yes, it is great to have those items, but for those of us who cannot then it is still do-able for sure. In walks the Cooking Lady.

Think gazpacho when you eat this soup. It is cold but it could be served at any time of the year, and more so if you live in Florida. Try this and trust me, you will not regret it one little bit.

2 cups chopped cucumber (about 1 large cucumber)
1 & 1/4 cups water
1 avocado
1/2 cup cilantro
1 T lemon juice
2 t agave or any liquid sweetener
2 t apple cider vinegar(If you have not tried Braggs vinegar, then do so)
1 clove garlic (run through a garlic press)
1/2-3-4 t salt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now here comes the complicated part. Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until ingreditinets become smooth.

That's it. Please make this. It is so simple and so enjyoable. You will not regret it. Make...eat...enjoy!

Best Vegan Mac & Cheese

2011-03-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

What has to be thee ultimate comfort food? Macaroni and cheese, without a doubt. And I have been searching high and low for one that fits the bill. We were doing all right and doing with, but I had just not found that real gutsy, stick-to-your-ribs type of mac and cheese. Step back folks for I have found the perfect recipe. Oh no, I did not do this one on my own, for I am still dabbling with this veganism. But there is a cute story to go with this recipe (as with so many of my dishes).

I was at work (my local health food store) and I always look at what folks purchase. And when I see enough veggie stuff, the first question I ask them is, 'Who is the vegetarian/vegan in the house?' and they usually tell me...conversation started. So this one young woman came through and we started up a lively conversation and I informed her that the one dish I had not quite mastered as a vegan yet was mac & cheese. 'I have the perfect recipe for you.' she tells me. 'There is this site you have to go to and check it out.' And of course I ask which site and she tells me VegWeb. I tell her to stop right there, and that I already know which recipe she is talking about.

Right about that time we both quote the recipes title. Waaait for it: Best Vegan Mac and Cheese In The Entire World...Seriously. I am not kidding that is the title. And they are so correct. So many poeple have altered the recipe but I have not. Thee only thing I have done is cut back just a tad on the say sauce and thee oil. But other than that keep it as it is, unless you find you want to change it after you have made it a time or two.

I would be hard pressed for anyone not to go back for seconds or thirds for that matter. And when the kids go back for more, then you know you have a winner.

1&1/2 pounds macaroni (dry)(preferably elbows)

Cheese Sauce:
1 & 1/2 cups 'unsweetened' non-dairy milk
1 & 1/2 cups nutritional yeast
1 cup of oil
1 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
1/4 (12 ounce) block firm (not silken) tofu
1 T garlic powder
1 T paprika
1/2 T salt (may eventually use less)
Dollop of mustard (Use whatever you have on hand)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Boil your macaroni according to package direction. While the pasta is boiling, make your sauce. Once the pasta is drained, pour into a large lasagan pan. Add all cheese ingredients to a blender or food processor and whirl until blended.

Pour cheese sauce over macaroni. Here is where it gets a little different. You will need to fold the sauce into the macaroni. Meaning that you to turn it over and over until it is thoroughly combined. This will take more than just a few stirs. Rotate the pan if you have to, but do it.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Yeah, you heard right 15 minutes. This dish is the Rachel Ray of healthy food. Make...eat...enjoy!

Ginger 'Chicken'

2011-03-20T05:13:00.000-07:00

Yeah yeah yeah, you all know I do not eat chicken. But when you are transitioning form eating meat to vegetarianism and then from vegetarianism to veganism, you still want that connection the things you remember eating. that does not mean you want to remember how those meals got to you plate, they were familiar to you and most of the times there were good memories involved around eating time (hopefully).

With that said, I found this little recipe quite by accident. At the health food store I work at, there is a rack of books that I browse through when it is slower. I take away tid bits of information from these cookbooks and sometimes I fall upon a recipe that piques my interest so much that I know that I just have to make that recipe. Well this is that recipe.

This one is not very complicated and if you are already on the road to health then thee ingredients will not come off as odd. I have all these items in my pantry 99% of the time.

I will, however, admit that this is a bit time consuming. So be ready to be in the kitchen. This is one of those meals that you make to show folks just how good vegan food can truly be. From beginning to end, you are looking at about 1&1/2-2 hours. that is from start to dinner table.

Please read thee instructions carefully. I did not on my first time. I did not ruin the dish, but it got better the second and now even the third time making the dish. I love this dish. But the one thing I have not done is change the spices. The spices you see here, give it a classic chicken feel/flavor. And if you are someone who is in the kitchen then you will recognize by name and then by smell the traditional poultry seasoning spices. Ahhh, the small of is intoxicating. Reminds me of Thanksgiving. Anyhow, on to the recipe.

I almost forgot, I found this in the How It All Vegan 10th Anniversary edition book. Excellent book. I can't wait to add it to my collection. Read on-make-eat-enjoy.

Mock 'Chicken':
1 cup wheat gluten 'flour' (may need to purchase at a health food store)
1 cup water

Broth:
4 cups water
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup soy or tamari sauce (we use low sodium versions)
2 t onion powder
2 t dried sage
1 t dried thyme
1/4 t salt

Ginger Dish/Sauce:
3 3-inch pieces of fresh ginger, peeled into paper-thin coins ( I minced mine)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy or tamari sauce
2 t corn starch
1/4 cup water
2 green onions, finely chopped

In a medium bowl, stir together the wheat gluten flour and water until it becomes elastic. Knead for 5 minutes and set aside.

In a large saucepan, bring all the broth ingredients to a boil. Slice gluten into 1 inch chunks(or strips, whatever style you want is fine) and drop carefully into broth. Reduce heat, cover with lid and let simmer for 50-60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until broth has reduced.

In a large pot on medium-high heat, saute the ginger in oil for 3-4 minutes or until ginger starts to soften and change color. Add 'chicken' chunks and saute 2-3 minutes more, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add the say sauce, cover pot with lid, and turn down heat to medium. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce evenly coats the ingredients.

Once the 'chicken' is cooked, stir together the corn starch and water in a small bowl. Add to pot and stir together well until sauce is thickened. Place 'chicken' in a large serving bowl, garnish with green onions, and serve with rice. You can also add some steamed veggies and have a very colorful meal. Please enjoy, we always do.

All American Cole Slaw

2011-01-07T05:35:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe I have not posted this recipe. I looked all over my own blog, for I was wanting to make it thee other day. And since we are revamping our recipe book here at our house, our papers were a bit scattered. Since I did not find it here, I had no choice but to ruffle through the papers. Luckily for you folks we found it.

This is as All American as you can get. I have always loved cole slaw. But they are either dripping in regular mayonnaise, or made by companies I no longer support. (Case in point, KFC)

When we found this, oh so long ago, we fell in love. The simplicity and thee ability to veganize it was simple stupid.

1&1/2 pounds green cabbage(purple if you feel adventurous)
3 T malt vinegar (I have substituted with rice wine)
1/4 t salt
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
2/3 cup vegan mayonnaise (We use Veganaise)
1-2 t celery seed (Optional, but I find it is must)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar, salt, mayo and celery seed. Set aside. This way it mixes more smoothly into your slaw.

Chop or process your cabbage to the consistency your family likes. Add to a medium/large bowl. Pour your mayo mixture over the slaw. I recommend at least 30 minutes of sitting time, but you can just as easily put it right on the table. Enjoy this, we love it here.

Sweet And Sour Sauce

2011-01-07T05:14:00.000-08:00

One of the easiest and quickest ways to get veggies into your system and diet is via a stir fry. We could live on them here, in this house. They are easy to prepare, but do require quite a bit of chopping. Depending on how much you make, you can use the modern conveniences of man and whirl stuff down in a food processor. I still do some chopping thee old fashioned way...by hand. I can see putting a half a green pepper in a chopper.

My daughter usually does the stir fry. However, she was working a bit of a later shift and I was off. And, it being her first day of college, I asked her what she wanted in way of special dinner. Egg rolls she said, not batting an eye. Her and my husband are not vegans. So, when I went to purchase egg roll wrappers I read thee ingredients and I knew then it would just be stir fry for me. And that was not a complaint. I had some vegetables in the fridge already but did pick up a few more. We, in this house, find that any stir fry needs to have cabbage...color irrelevant.

What I was needing, was a stir fry sauce, for my daughter has her stir fry sauce in her head and she was working. So off to VegWeb I go. It takes very little to find recipes there, for they are easily divided into categories. And categories they have. If they don't have it, you don't need it.

I am just about to the point now that I can look at a recipe and see if it is going to work or not. I took the plunge. I will 'NEVER' make another sauce for my Asian food again. This was incredible. And I served it over brown jasmine rice. I can now die a happy woman. Make this and know you have experienced Nirvana.

1T cornstarch
1/3 cup vegan brown sugar
1/2 t freshly grated ginger (either use a microplaner or hand grater)
1 T soy sauce or tamari
1/4 c rice wine vinegar (well worth having in your pantry)
1/4 c veggie broth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mix together the tamari, vinegar and broth. Set aside. Mix separately the brown sugar and cornstarch. Add the corn starch mixture to the liquids. Once mixed thoroughly add the grated ginger.

If you mix this early enough, you can keep stirring it every time you pass the bowl, making sure the sugar is completely dissolved, but not a necessity. Plus the flavors marry. Pour this over the veggies you are cooking up for your stir fry. It will thicken pretty quickly. but that is to be expected.

I am still happy and am looking forward to left-overs today. Eat this, and often.

Bran Muffins

2011-01-05T09:10:00.000-08:00

Most folks do not get enough fiber in their diets. And yes, you can buy that powdered crap, but who wants to drink that goo. I say bring on the bran muffins.

Here is where a few folks make a very big mistake. Yes, add fiber to your diet. Yes there is more than one way to add fiber to your diet. Yes, muffins are fun to make and eat, for they are so interchangeable. But, what you have to remember, is that fiber pulls moisture/water from your system. So, if you are not drinking enough water to flush the fiber through your system, you are going to get clogged up. Yeah, no one likes to talk about poo, but it's a fact of life, we all have to go poo. And we all know it is much nicer when we go more easily. So there I said it. Eat more fiber, while drinking enough water to flush fiber and your poo is better.

Now let's make some muffins.

1 & 1/2 cups oat bran
1 & 1/4 cup liquid, (non-dairy milk, water, juice)(I used milk)
1/3 cup liquid sweetener such as agave or maple syrup (adjust to taste)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup flour (preferably a whole grain flour)
1 T baking powder
1/2 cup fruit (optional)
1/2 cup nuts (optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat oven to 400.

Mix together the bran, milk, sweetener, and oil. Let stand for a few minutes. Sift in flour and baking powder. Mix thoroughly. Add nuts and fruit.

Spoon into your muffin tins. Oil slightly if not using muffin paper. Bake for 22 minutes or until slightly browned on the top.

These came out tasting great, but just a wee bit dry. But not so much that I would alter the recipe. I might add some applesauce next time to add a bit of moisture to them, but not necessary. Enjoy them. We are.

Lemony Lentil Soup

2011-01-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

I love soup. And for many different reasons. First off, I did not find my love for soups until I lived up north way back in the day. Yes, this native Floridian was transplanted to the great white north for about 3 & 1/2 years. And I loved it tremendously.

You have to keep in mind that I only knew of snow and the such through movies and post cards. So for me to see it first hand was just an incredible experience. I think everyone should experience snow. It is truly amazing.

Back to food. Soups. Ahhh, yes, these lovely little concoctions can be a meal in and of themselves. You got that right. If you have enough goodies in them, all you need is a beverage to wash it down and lest we for get thee ever popular bread on the side. Pick a bread...any bread and you are good to go. There may be more than a few who feel that this is just a precursor to an entire meal. Hogwash I say. If you look at some soup recipes, you will see for yourself that that are a meal in a bowl Alllriiight, serve it over some noodles or rice, which ever suits your fancy. But know this. It is not necessary. And as of late, I found this one on VegWeb.

1 cup green or brown lentils (dry)
4-6 cups veggie broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
1/2 t salt
1/2 t curry powder
1 medium onion, about 1/3 cup, finely chopped
olive oil as needed
1/2 - 1 cup brown rice (uncooked)
1 - 2 lemons
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pick through lentils, clearing out all debris. Then rinse thoroughly. In a large soup pot, add your broth along with your lentils, bring to a boil.

Lower the heat to a low steady full boil, but not a full rolling boil. Add the bay leaf, oregano, curry powder, pepper, and salt. Cover and cook for 25 minutes.

While the soup is cooking saute the onion and rice in your olive oil. Coat your pan with enough oil that the rive and onion do not stick, but not so much they are swimming in thee oil. About 5-6 minutes. Once your timer has gone off, add your rice/onion mixture and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Serve hot and with a dash of lemon. If you think lemon sounds odd in this soup. Put your wrinkled nose aside and trust me on this one. Once you have had this soup, you will not be able to eat it without the lemon. Now go make this and name your first born after me as thanks.

Vegan Potatoe Pancakes

2011-01-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is having a safe and healthy New Year. I know I was in bed early on the eve for I had laryngitis to deal with. Plus, I had a 2 hour drive down to Miami on the 1st. With that said, I have been looking over my recipe box on the VegWeb website and I have been making about one new recipe per week, sometimes more. I feel very good about that. Be honest with yourself when you answer this question.

When was the last time you made a new dish? How long ago was that dish? And what are you doing to find and make new dishes? Well, once you find your answer may I suggest you get off your duffs and start scouring my blog. I have hundreds of recipe all falling into a multitude of categories. And I am adding new categories all the time. that means, to me at least, that I am expanding my cooking realm.

But let's move on to this oh so simple recipe. Many of my recipes are a last minute effort to put something on the table that I have most of the ingredients for. This is one of those that i usually am not without...potatoes. We live on potatoes. So many folks are fearful of carbs. I embrace them. People say we shouldn't eat so many carbs. Well yeah, if you are eating Wonder Bread and McDonald's french fries. But if you consume complex carbs, you are going to be fine. Trust me, I just proved it.

I am not one to step on a scale, and I don't think I have stepped on one in over 1 year. But in order to join the high school kids on the food journal I had to punch in some statistics. My weight being one of them. So, I broke out our homes old scale, stepped on, stepped off, stepped back on, stepped off, then called my son. I asked him to step on so I could see his weight. And sure as all get out his weight was correct. Well that made me tickled pink. that meant that since going vegan I had dropped 10 pounds without even trying. So there you have it, from a woman who LIVES on carbs, you can still take off the weight and have your carbs. If anyone tells you otherwise, they are bold face lying to you.

2 egg replacers (4 T water, 4 t baking powder, and 2 T olive oil)
2 T flour
1/4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground pepper
4 potatoes, peeled and shredded
3 t onion powder or 1/2 onion minced
1/4 olive oil
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mix together the egg replacer in the order it is given, taking care to let the baking powder and water stop fizzing, then slowly add your oil. then set aside.

In a large bowl, add the 'eggs', flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add the onion powder or your onion, mix until combined. Add your potatoes.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Carefully drop about tablespoon size batter balls into the grease. some folks suggest to flatten your mixture, but I did not feel the need to do this. Turn once bottom side has browned, making sure not to let them burn.

these were great, simple and quick. what more could you ask for? Nothing!!

Cabbage Un-Roll

2010-12-30T17:01:00.000-08:00

This is another so easy recipe that it scares me to death. I have such wonderful memories of my father's mother making stuffed cabbage when we would visit her in Michigan. Man she could make that dish like no one else I knew. I would crave as soon as our feet hit the floor of her house. I have made this dish a few times as a vegetarian, but rolling them leaves is a bear. With that said, in walk this recipe. So easy a monkey could make it. So read on and make this with comfort food in mind.

1 head of cabbage, chopped
6 carrots, chopped, (optional, we used them)
1 jar-24 ounces tomato sauce
1 bullion cube, (we used our own broth)
1 package vegan ground beef, (use your favorite)
1 t salt, maybe more
1/2 t pepper, maybe more
8 cups of cooked rice
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Put cabbage, carrots, sauce(plus one can of water), and bullion/broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes., or until the vegetables are soft. Stir in your veggie ground beef, add spices and serve over rice.

Could this dish have been any simpler. Was I lying when I said a monkey cold make this dish...no disrespect to those primates. But see the ease of this lovely comfort food. serve this on a cold night with a slab of cornbread.

This was another great dish from VegWeb.

Creamy Avocado Dressing

2010-12-29T17:36:00.000-08:00

Told you I was on a roll. Again, I found this one when I was looking for a non-vinegar dressing. This fit the bill. Easy and simple to make. But always remember, to make sure your avocado is ripe before using it, especially for dressings. I found this one on VegWeb as well.

2 ripe avocados chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
lime juice to taste
Water as needed
sea salt as needed
1/2 t cider vinegar, optional
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Place onions, garlic and avocado in a blender. Add lime juice and water until desired consistency. You like it thinner, then add more water. Sprinkle in the sea salt and vinegar for a bit more tanginess.

You are good to go. See how simple. I did use the blender, but I am going to try the food processor next time and see how that goes.

Swiss Chard Spaghetti Squash

2010-12-29T17:22:00.000-08:00

I have so many recipes to get up, I have no idea where to begin. So here goes. I found this on VegWeb, and made it because I had all thee ingredients...a big plus in this house. It was simple to make and simple ingredients. Try this, you are going to thank me in the morning.

1 spaghetti squash
1/3 cup of olive oil (less if you think it is too much)
4-5 chard leaves, washed but not dried and sliced in threads
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 lemon or lime, juice and pulp
1 t salt
1/2-1 t pepper flakes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cut spaghetti squash in half and bake in a 350 oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remember to remove seeds and pulp but not the flesh of the squash. Once squash is done, then you can move on to the rest of the dish.

Saute garlic in oil for about 1 minute, on low as not to burn the garlic, not a good thing to do. Add chard and tomato. Toss and cover for 3 minutes, or until chard wilts. Stir in lemon/lime juice along with the pepper flakes and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Add squash threads to the pan. Mix all together and serve immediately.

I took down the pepper flakes form thee original recipe. I knew I would be on fire if I added 2 teaspoons of pepper flakes. I would add more lemon next time, but it was still delicious just like I typed it here.

Jana's Famous Herb Dressing

2010-12-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

I am going to openly admit that I have slacked off on my salad eating. It has to do with nothing other than pure laziness. I prefer not to purchase bottled dressing, but alas, it came to a point where I did. I was not happy.

For the last two days, I have been cleaning out the fridge. It has been a two fold operation. I have been throwing out left-overs that did not get eaten, and I have physically cleaned out the fridge. Meaning I have disassembled the door and the drawers and also wiped down the shelves. Man, there is nothing better than a clean refrigerator.

So, since I was on a roll, I decided, that instead of throwing away the wilty vegetables, that I would put them to good use and make a soup. But, as I was cleaning out the fridge, I also threw out all my bottled dressings. So...out came the How it all Vegan Cookbook and I started flipping through the sauces section and stumbled upon this very potent dressing.

This is not for the faint of heart. No, it is not a spicy dressing, it is just a very powerful set of herbs all dancing around the bottle. And just by my first taste test. I would highly recommend that you let this set over night in the fridge so everything has time to marry. I am almost tempted to pour this over my pancakes. Just kidding.

- 1/4 cup flax oil or olive oil
- 4 T nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 t pepper
- 2 T maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or through a press
- 2 T fresh thyme, or 1 T dry
- 1T fresh rosemary, or 1/2 T dried
- 1 t fresh oregano, or 1/2 t dried
- 1 T of sesame seeds
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mix everything in a bowl, except for the oil. Slowly whisk in the oil to the mixture whisking the entire time you are pouring. This gives the oil a chance to emulsify. If not then your oil will pretty much stay separated. This is strong dressing, but oh so worth it.

Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

2010-12-14T15:18:00.000-08:00

Another great recipe I found when looking for something sweet to eat. I myself, am not all that much into the whole sweet tooth thing, but my husband and daughter are for sure. And, I have no problem making the sweet dishes, so in comes this glorious recipe and I am lovin' it 100%.

I made these at work, and people were wanting to take me home with them, just to cook these little devils of joy. So, without further adieu let's get rockin' and rollin'.

-Nonstick spray or a touch of oil to coat pan
-2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
-2 cups canned pumpkin
-1 cup vegetable oil
-2 t vanilla
-4 cups all purpose flour (I used a mix of unbleached white and whole wheat)
-2 t baking soda
-2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
-1 t nutmeg
-1/2 t ginger
-1 cup nuts, chopped
-1&1/2 cups raisins (optional, but I highly recommend)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking sheet. Beat sugar, pumpkin, oil and vanilla.
-Sift together dry ingredients. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until smooth. Blend in raisins and nuts.
-Drop spoonfuls (I used tablespoon measure) on prepared baking sheet, and bake for 12-15 minutes.
-Makes 5-6 dozen

The 1 Tablespoon measure is a perfect size for these cookies. they do not spread out stay in the little mounds I set them down in and they are really cute to look at. So make these and you may even give up pumpkin pie.

Shepard's Pie

2010-12-14T04:51:00.000-08:00

What a great comfort food. I did not have this made for me as a child growing up. Oddly enough. my mother is from the South, but my mom never made this dish. What a shame, for this is such a simple basic, easily adaptable recipe you could have ever imagined. You can easily adapt it to whatever you have a in your pantry and or freezer and or fridge. It is that inter-changeable.

So let's get down to business and show you this recipe. Just so you know I am finding a great majority of my recipes on VegWeb. This is a strictly vegetarian recipes, but how they break them down into so many different categories is mind blowing. And if they do not have it, you don't need it. Another great plus is that these recipes are submitted by folks like you and me. So these recipes have been tried and tested over and over again. Plus folks who make these recipes send in their reviews with what they have added or taken away, so extremely user-friendly.

Olive oil (As needed)
1 (12 ounce) package veggie ground beef
2 large carrots, grated
1 medium onion, chopped
1&1/2 t rosemary
1T + 1&1/2 t vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1&1/2 t salt
1 cup frozen corn
7 potatoes, boiled and mashed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook ground 'beef' with onion and grated carrot in olive oil for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
-Add salt, rosemary and Worcestershire sauce and m ix well.
-Put mixture in casserole dish and top with corn and then potatoes. I would make sure the potatoes are not very stiff, for they will cook more in the oven. So make sure there is a bit of a give to them.
-Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Just give me a piece of cornbread or biscuit and I am good to go.

Raw Chia Pudding

2010-12-07T04:11:00.000-08:00

All I can say is Wow!! I have been putting up more raw recipes and that is because I am the teacher of raw food at my local health food store. Now, one would think that with all these recipes I would have already crossed over to being a raw foodist. But not so. So, I am thinking to myself, what has me lagging behind. Well I have finally figured it out. It is s two-fold reason, but it is going to sound like more of an excuse, which in reality it is. And think about that for a moment. When someone tells you that cannot do something for a reason, it is usually just an excuse. There...I said it. I feel much better now. Admitting your problem is half the battle.

Reason number one is; I am just being lazy, for I have enough recipes to start working with, but I have just not pushed myself. Reason number two; My family is truly not into this whole raw food scene. Hubby is alright with it, but not my daughter. Yeah yeah yeah, I know, we have to do it for ourselves and not others. One day I will get there. But long the way I am enjoying these new dishes all the same. Now on to the recipe.

I had seen this woman, Mona at a Vegetarian Festival in Orlando Florida. If the word raw was in the description, I was there. I liked her from the get-go. She was real, down to earth and approachable. She talked in lay-mans terms and that made me feel comfortable. When I saw this chia pudding mush, I thought...no way is this going to amount to anything. Man was I wrong.

I will openly admit there is a texture issue. However, if any of you have ever eaten a bowl of tapioca, then get your brain in that direction and you will know where I am coming form. I myself, use to love tapioca. So this was like walking down memory lane a bit. The ingredients are simple enough and very little preparation time is involved. Just the soaking of the seeds. Once that is done, you are home free. So let's get cracking...shall we?

1/2 cup chia seeds
3 cups water (filtered if possible)
1 cap raw almond milk (this is where I used prepared almond milk. I do not have thee equipment to make my own milk)
1/2 cup diced red apple (about 1 apple total)
3/4 cup cup raisins
3 T raw agave
1 t nutmeg
2 t cinnamon
1/8 t cloves
Pinch of sea salt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You will need to soak the chia seeds the night before or like I did early in the morning, that way, I can have the pudding by dinner time. Stir the seeds with the water for at least 30 second. This is quite a necessity. Learn form others mistakes...please. Each seed needs to be thoroughly coated. If not then a stick, slimy film occurs and this does not make for a good pudding base. Also they need to soak up as much water as possible. For if not then they soak it up in your digestive track and that makes for things to move allot slower, if you get my drift.

Take the soaked chia seeds and stir them up. I swear I felt like I was back in science class. The consistency is wicked cool. Stir in your milk, spices, raisins, apples and agave. Also add your salt, but only a pinch. Now, let the bowl sit for at least an hour so the raisins can plump up. If you can give them more time then by all means, do so.

Tofu Pumpkin Pie

2010-12-01T07:05:00.000-08:00

I am not a big sweet eater, but I do love my pumpkin pie. And why is it that we have to keep it down to once a year. Who invented that rule? Well they are stupid. For I am going to break with tradition and start making this lovely dessert all through the year. All I have to do is stock up on canned pumpkin and I am good to go. I even have a pie crust to go with this pie...who knew???

I had been wanting to make a tofu pumpkin pie for a few years now, but I had not been impressed with those I had seen out there. But this one took me by surprise. I think once you are a cook who is in the kitchen long enough you can pretty much read the ingredients, you can tell how it will go. Well this was one of those recipes. I knew by looking at it, that we were good to go. However, my daughter thought I was off my rocker when I told her I was trying a brand new recipe, sight untasted and moreso on thanksgiving. What kind of fool was I? Well, as it turned out not a fool at all. this, bar none was the best pie I had ever made. And not a soul knew it was made with tofu.

I then took this same recipe and made it at work and not one customer knew it had been made with tofu. Tofu gets a very bad rap. And here is what I tell folks who think tofu is bad tasting. 'Yes, it tastes like nothing if you eat it right out of the container, even I don't do that. Eating tofu is like eating a plain baked potato. Would you eat a baked potato with not one drop of anything on it? I think not. the same goes for tofu. You have to give it flavor. And don't blame the tofu, blame the person who made the dish, they probably did not know what they were doing with it and hence the bad rap.'

I am here to disprove that tofu tastes like nothing. So here goes and hold on to your boots, for you are going to be amazed. Thank you to VegWeb for this lovely dish

1-16 ounce can of pumpkin puree
3/4 cup sucanat, or sugar, or 1/2 cup maple syrup
1 (10-12) ounce package of silken tofu (firm)
2-3 T corn starch to firm of the pie filling
1 t each, ground allspice and cinnamon
1/2 t each, ground ginger and nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground cloves
1 (9 inch pie shell) (recipe to follow)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) Preheat oven to 425
2) Blend the pumpkin and sugar. Thoroughly mix in tofu and spices.
3) Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes.
4) Lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 60 minutes. Let cool down before serving.

I do not recommend low fat tofu, this could be a disaster, but if you feel then need, then by all means do so. But it's pumpkin pie, have at it folks.

Savory Biscuits

2010-12-01T06:38:00.000-08:00

Man do I have allot of catching up to do. I made quite a few new recipes over the holidays and even since then. I love trying new dishes. I just wish I could plan out a menu a bit better than I do. It's not that I do not have the time, I just need to get myself motivated enough to plan a menu. I know it is not that difficult and I surely have enough recipes to do just that, who knows, one day.

Now, on to this recipe. I love biscuits. always have...always will. My aunt and Nanny, use to make them from scratch. Please remember they were made in the true Southern tradition, with whole milk and lard. I will also openly admit that I do not think you can a truly healthy/vegan biscuit that will look like the ones in the commercials, but I will die trying. and even if not then I know mine are pretty darned close and I am AOK with that.

I have been scouring VegWeb lately and finding some terrific recipes. Do you want to know why? Well I am going to tell you. these recipes are submitted by folks like me and you. And they will review any given recipe and tell you how it is. I like honesty, even if it is critical. Yes, no one likes to have their dishes torn apart, but how are to ever learn how to improve on perfection.

These Savory Biscuits fit the bill this morning. I had all thee ingredients and that was all I needed. So off i went, up to my elbows in flour. But it was oh so worth it. With that said, let me get you the recipe.

2 T apple cider vinegar
1 cup non-dairy milk
1&2/3 unbleached white flour
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
5 t baking powder
1 t dried herbs (your choice)
1 t salt
5 T margarine (we used Earthbalance)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
-For the buttermilk: To a measuring cup add the vinegar. Add the milk to fill the measuring cup to the 1 cup measure. Stir gently and let set for a minute or two to let curdle.
-In a bowl add flour, nutritional yeast flakes, baking powder, herbs and salt.
-Cut the margarine into the flour mixture until it is crumbly.
-Add the buttermilk to the flour mixture until if forms a ball of dough.
-On a lightly floured surface roll the dough to about 1 inch thickness. Cut biscuits with a sharp cutter** and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet
-Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes.
-Makes 12-14 biscuits
** This dough was a bit wet, so I kept sprinkling in a bit of flour just a little bit at a time, as not to over flour the recipe. I also took a small drinking glass and used that as my cutter. It worked perfectly. But to help it not to stick to the dough itself I had a small mound of flour to keep dipping the rim of the glass into so it would not stick. It worked perfectly.

These were fabulous biscuits and i can change them from savory to sweet with one fell swoop of an addition or eliminating of a few ingredients. Yowser!

What Do You Eat?

2010-11-23T18:01:00.000-08:00

Being a vegetarian, I get this all the time. But moreso around the holidays that question seems to be a favorite to be asked by those who still have no clue what us veg-heads really truly do eat for dinner.

I mentioned this in a previous post that I volunteer at a local high school and talk to them about vegetarianism and how their meat gets to their table. I love the shock treatment every now and then. And I always tell them, that if they do not believe me, to look it up for themselves. I could not make this stuff up.

The one question that I got asked over and over was what will I be eating on Thanksgiving. Well for me, that is a no-brainer, I have been doing it for years, so I do not even think about it any longer. But for those who may be new to the whole vegetarian thing, just sit back and think about even a traditional Thanksgiving and what is on the table once you remove the dead flesh.

1) Green bean casserole
2) Mashed potatoes
3) Corn, on or off the cob
4) Sweet potatoes
5) Salad
6) Soup
7) Bread
8) Cranberries
9) Corn pudding
10) Pie
11) Ice cream
12) Cakes

So, as you can see, there is no lack of food at my table. And all of these dishes can be vegetized. Change the broth from meat based to veggie based. Use vegan butter over dairy butter. The list goes on. So when someone asks you what you eat at Thanksgiving...tell them, everything!!

Lentil Loaf

2010-11-23T04:03:00.000-08:00

I recently had an event at my health food store where I work. We were given organic, free range turkeys to cook up and sample out. I was the designated vegetarian who made all the side dishes, showing people that you did not have to have a slab of dead flesh in the center of your table in order to have good food.

We were given samples of pre-packaged, instant gravy to use for our mashed potatoes. They were, luckily, vegan and gluten free. What I loved was the recipe on the back of one of the packages that was for Lentil Loaf. And I am always trying to perfect a mock meat loaf. Yeah, yeah, yeah, i know I will never completely achieve the same exact flavor, but I will keep on trying. And I have to say, this one is not all that bad. I will tweak it a bit, and it is not as close as our Skinny 'B' recipe, but not bad for being 100% non packaged foods. One for the naturalist in me.

I took the little package home and gave it a whirl. And moreso because I had all thee ingredients. So many nights i am flying by the seat of my pants. And luckily for us we do not need to thaw out any meat. And for the most part I have beans cooked in bulk and in the freezer. So for me to throw some frozen cooked beans in a pot of hot water while I get dinner ready is nothing. Shazam, we have dinner on the table. So let's get this recipe up and see how it rolls.

1 onion, diced
2T water
2 cups cooked lentils
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1 cup ground rolled oats
1 cup cooked barley or brown rice
1/2 cup pureed tomatoes
1/2 t each, garlic powder, rosemary, and basil
2T soy sauce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cook onion with water for about 5 minutes in a saucepan until onion is tender. Combine cooked onions and all other ingredients in a large bowl. Pat mixture into an oiled loaf pan. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve with gravy and enjoy.

I found this a tad bland, but could be easily remedied by adding a bit more spice. And, I could taste the walnuts, don't know how to fix that one, but I will get it. This held together quite well and would make this again without evening thinking about it. try it, you will like it.

Apple Crisp

2010-11-17T03:35:00.000-08:00

This dish is a variation on a theme...thee apple pie. So many folks will but an apple but and I will give you that some of them may even be taste worthy, but nothing, and I mean nothing, can stand up to a homemade apple pie(or anything homemade for that matter).

But there are many a people who break out into a cold sweat at the thought of making a pie crust from scratch. And I will be the first to admit, that making them is not my forte. With that said, in walks the apple crisp family. there are so many different ways to do this one, that an entire book could most more than likely be written on this dish alone. however, you have not made the version made by Vegan in Louisiana for if you had, you would have flooded her blog or mine with many thanks.

I will be making this more often, that is for sure. It is quick and easy and oh such a comfort food. My first time making this of course was here at home, then I will be making it at a huge event at my job(Nutrition S'Mart) for Customer Appreciation Day. they will be making 2 organic turkeys, and I get to make all the side dishes. It is my hope, to show folks that you do not have to consume animal flesh in order to eat at 'any' holiday and you can still have a full plate with dishes that are traditional and meat free. And most folks have no clue you are feeding them vegan food until you mention it. that is why I do not say one word until they have eaten the dishes and then I pop the surprise on them. And then it hits them, that a vegetarian diet is do-able, you just have to think a bit more originally.

So on to this lovely dish.

8 cups of cored, peeled apples (about 10 apples)
1 cup raw sugar
1&1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1&1/4 cup quick oats
1 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Core and peel thee apples
Cut into 1/4 inch slices
Mix apples and raw sugar together and spread evenly into a 9x12 baking dish
Add the butter to the flour
Mix together with hands until well blended, it needs to be crumbly
Add the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt
Mix together with hands until all ingredients are well blended, this too will be crumbly
Sprinkle the topping over the apple mixture, it does not have to be pretty
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes
Cool on rack for 20 minutes

I cut this recipe in half for my first time making it at home. B-I-G mistake. I may never make an apple pie again. this is so comfy and cozy, and you can even add a scoop of your favorite ice cream alternative and have at it. Take that to all you who think vegan food is just sticks and cardboard. Neener neener, I have a great dessert and don't have to share!

Raw Brownie

2010-11-14T15:11:00.000-08:00

I found this like I always do, when I am looking for a new dish to teach at my raw food class where I work. I have had this saved for quite a while, but never got around to using it, but I finally got my butt moving and made it. So glad I did.

Do not think all warm and fuzzy with this, for you will not get it. what you will get is something so close you will be able to fool others.

1 cup ground pecans
1 cup chopped dates (not soaked)
1/4-1/3 cup raw cacao powder
1 t agave nectar or honey if you prefer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Process the pecans and cacao powder together in a food processor. In a separate bowl add chopped dates and agave/honey. I prefer to chop my dates by hand. As messy and time consuming as this is, it is my preference. Most everything else is fine in the processor, but I like to chop dates by hand. Just my thing.

Add your pecans to the bowl with your dates and agave/honey. This is your your bicep workout comes into play. You are going to have to work this allot. Did I mention allot? Once you get all thee ingredients worked together really well, then mash them into your glass baking pan. I pressed it down with my knuckles when I balled up my fist. But if you have anything with a flat bottom, then use it to smooth out the top of the brownies. It gives it a nice look and a bit more presentable, other than seeing knuckle imprints on the top of your brownie mold.

I suggest putting it in the fridge for about an hour. Just so it sets up. These are joyful and cut quite nicely. I may be having to add these to my holiday table. Yay to raw food.

Raw Cranberry Salad

2010-11-14T03:29:00.000-08:00

Well, it is getting to be that time of year again...the dreaded holidays. I have to admit, that I still enter them with a bit of trepidation, but only because we have been so ingrained to believe that any meal, and especially Thanksgiving cannot continue without a slab of dead flesh. I am here to prove those folks wrong.

I recently volunteered at a local high school and talked to them about vegetarianism and told them some startling numbers about meat-eaters and cancer. I also told them their parents would say that I was a whack job. But that they did not have to believe me, do the research. And that is my new motto now. If you don't believe me, go see for yourself. For most of these numbers are form our own AMA or ACA, so I don't need to make this stuff up.

So as I was talking to these kids, the one big question was,'What 'DO' you eat?', and my tried and true answer was,'Everything you don't.', which always gets them thinking. For like many people out there, most folks do not have a varied diet, and if they would make a food diary, they would see that. So, I used Thanksgiving as an example. I asked them to think about the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving portrait, but they all looked at me like I was Medusa, meaning that not one student knew who Normal Rockwell was...Google him.

With that said, I told them to envision a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but, we were going to take away the turkey. Now, tell me what is left on the table. Well these little dynamos were able to rattle off names of food in a matter of seconds a minimum of a half a dozen dishes that were meat free and that all of those dishes could not possibly fit on my plate all at once, so, 'I' was going to have to go back for seconds, possibly thirds, and that was only because I stopped them from naming 'side dishes'. I showed them that their side dishes became my main dishes. And then it hit them that anyone, not just me, could easily survive at Thanksgiving and never eat a dead animal. Eureka!!

Now, on to this brilliant dish that one of my bosses gave me. We will be using this at my job for our upcoming Customer Appreciation Day where we will be serving organic turkeys and a plethora of side dishes that yours truly will be making. So any and all side dishes will be vegetarian if nothing else. And this little gem is for the raw foodists out there. This is to die for and it will most definitely be on my Thanksgiving table for sure.

1 container of cranberries (8-16 ounces)(frozen is all right if fresh is not available)
2 navel oranges, peeled and roughly chopped
1-2 red delicious apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
Raw honey or agave to taste (start with 1 tablespoon and work your way up)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Make sure you have washed all fruits and dump them into your food processor. If your honey is hardened, then you can easily melt it in a double broiler type set up as not to bring above 118 degrees. Once your sweetener is ready, add to processor and hit your pulse button...if you have one. If you do not, then do not turn on your processor and walk away, you want this salad to have some consistency, but small enough that is not quite minced, but pretty darned close.

Play with the size of chunks you are willing to eat and let it be done. This is better if done the day before, for the sugar will draw out some of the water and make it a bit soupier. I may never cook a cranberry ever again.

Raw Taco

2010-11-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of attending a vegetarian festival in Orlando Florida. The Orlando Veg-Fest is a mecca of vegetarians who are there to have a good time and of course eat til your hearts content. I also was able to ride over there with some really good friends and meet another friend there. with that said, me and Hank went about trying to eat every food available. We nearly succeeded. We decided to split all the dishes. So one of us would purchase the first dish and the other one would purchase the second dish until we were full.

However, we ran out of time before we ran out of money or empty stomachs. Hank had a bicycle race to get to, so he had to cut out a bit earlier than he truly wanted. Bummer, for I had more food to taste.

The first dish that graced our palettes was a raw taco. Now I am extremely open to new foods and new ways of preparing them. But I am also a bit skeptical when something claims to be so close to its traditional dish. But I was up for it. The taco was purchased, split with Hank and instantly regretted that action. Oh, not the eating of the taco, the sharing of it with Hank. Next year he is own his own, i ma in never sharing a raw taco with anyone, ever again.

I then knew that I wanted to make these delicious little roll-ups, so I asked one of the girls behind the food counter if I could have the recipe for I taught raw food classes back in Port Saint Lucie. She gladly gave me her email address and said that I could email her and she would be happy to give it to me. I got home and set the card aside running into a busy week. I kept saying I would email her, but I just kept putting it off.

Then I was looking through one of the little magazines that I get at my place of work, Delicious Living and saw raw food on the front cover. Then it hit me, I had seen a raw taco recipe in there. I could not flip to that page fast enough. I had no idea what was in the taco I had tasted at the festival, but I know that this recipe had to be a variation on a theme. I was willing to give it a go.

This is a dish I have not regretted form the get go. I was in pure heaven as I ate these again. I was transported back to the festival and also elated that I could now make these on my own and still feel confident serving these to guests. Now most folks would have a hard time seeing these as a main entree, but we were very happy eating them as such.

So enough with my babbling, let me post this lovely little recipe and see how simple it is to make and even easier to eat.

Cilantro-Cashew Cheeze(makes 1 cup)
1&1/2 t garlic (about 2 cloves)
1/2 t sea salt
1 cup raw cashews
2&1/2 T fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup filtered water
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ground Walnut Meat (makes 1 cup)
1 cup raw walnuts
1&1/2 t ground cumin
1&1/2 t ground coriander
1/2 t liquid aminos, tamari or soy sauce
Pinch of salt to taste
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
to make cheeze: Place garlic and salt in a food processor; process into small pieces. Add cashews and process into a paste. Add lemon juice, cilantro, and water; process to mix well. Set Aside.

To make walnut meat: Place walnuts, cumin, coriander, liquid aminos, and salt in a food processor. Process into small pieces until the mixture looks like ground meat; be careful not to over process into a butter.

Spread 2 tablespoons cheeze down the inside spine of each romaine leaf. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons walnut meat. Add salsa and avocado slices. Wrap and serve.

I could eat this fro breakfast...oh yeah, being a raw foodist means there are no meal boundaries. Eat what you want...when you want and enjoy always!!!

Teff Banana Pancakes

2010-10-30T04:14:00.001-07:00

Well here is the second recipe I made at the gluten free event I attended. So many people find pancakes to be a comfort food...and they are. I could eat pancakes every day, that is how much I love them. And there is no one style I like better than others. So when I needed to find one that could satisfy and still be good enough for gluten free folks, I knew I had a challenge in front of me.

Usually I make all my dishes at home before releasing them onto my unsuspecting public, but this was one of those dishes I knew(hopefully) that I would not mess up. It paid off. The recipe was a hit and turned out picture perfect. I think there was one person in the back that cried, for he had not had pancakes in such a long time. So this is for all those folks who have had to give up a very important comfort food.

2T flax seeds, ground
2 bananas, ripe (or ripened, frozen and thawed out)
1&1/2 cups vanilla milk (soy, almond, hemp, rice)
1T vanilla
1T honey
1&1/2 t olive oil
1&1/2 cups teff flour (Teff is a grass grown in Ethiopia)
1T baking powder
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t cinnamon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grind flax seed (or use pre-ground flax seed, more commonly known as flax meal) in a coffee grinder, until powdery. In a medium bowl add banana, vanilla, milk, honey, and 1/2 oil. Blend well.

In a large mixing bowl, combine teff flour, baking powder, sea salt, and cinnamon. Stir in banana-milk mixture.

Heat your skillet or griddle to a medium heat. Using tablespoon measure, scoop up the batter and pour on to hot griddle. Cook pancakes for 3-4 minutes, or until holes appear, or a dry rim forms around thee outer edge of the pancakes. Flip and cook for another minute or two. Serve plain or with syrup or yogurt.

These were fantastic and I would be hard pressed for anyone to tell me these were not traditional pancakes. Make them and see for yourself.

Quinoa Tabouleh with Chickpeas

2010-10-30T03:55:00.000-07:00

I suddenly realized how long it has been since I posted any new recipes and it is pitiful. this was a dish I found when I was asked to make a couple of dishes about gluten free. I know a little bit about gluten free issues, but not so much so that I could teach a class about it. However, I can talk about cooking.

The lady who puts together the calender at the health food store
I work in asked me to find a dish or two to make at a special event, and this one struck a cord, only because Tabbouleh is such a traditional dish in the Mediterranean diet but is made with cracked wheat. Not good if you are adhering to a gluten free diet. In comes quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). Other than changing the wheat to quinoa, this dish is pretty much like the traditional tabbouleh, but this was oh-so-good. So now, on to the recipe.

1 cup white quinoa, drained and rinsed
1&3/4s water, boiling
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1T lemon juice
1T white wine vinegar
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
4-6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 cup canned chick peas (make your own whenever possible)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped mint (or 1/4 cup if mint is dried)(spearmint is preferable)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rinse and drain the quinoa. Bring the water and 1/2 t salt to a boil. Add the quinoa, and reduce the heat to low. Cover pan, and simmer until grains are dry, fluffy and tender and the white germ ring shows, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil (olive oil being added last) lemon juice, vinegar, 1/2 t salt and black pepper to taste. Stir into the hot, cooked quinoa(for better absorption flavor). Transfer to a bowl, and let cool. If refrigerating, bring to room temperature before adding thee other ingredients. Combine the tomatoes, green onions, cucumber, chickpeas, parsley, and mint and let stand for 30 minutes to soften slightly. Add to the quinoa and toss gently.

This was a wonderful alternative to the traditional tabbouleh. And can easily be served and for those with gluten issues they can still enjoy the best of both worlds and us traditionalists miss out on nothing.

Raw Kale Salad

2010-09-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

Now I know what you must be thinking, all salad are raw. Not entirely. If you add cheese, eggs, croutons, bottled dressing, roasted peppers, then you have just 'killed' your living salad. With that said, you will need to make your own dressing and for the most part form scratch. Not as difficult as you might think. And I found this lovely gem in Alissa Cohen's book Living on Live Food. Which is a wonderful book. I plan on purchasing this myself on my next paycheck.

The book is broken down into three different sections, so to say. there is the informational section, the in's and out's of raw food. then there is the testimonial section, with before and after photos. then there is the recipe section. My boss let me borrow the book to find some new recipes, and find them I did, and just hours before my shift at work. Nothing like being a last minute Larry. But it worked out wonderfully. And what people kept asking me the most was, 'What is this dressing?' Well low and behold, there was no dressing, it was incorporated into the salad already. What a concept.

So...without further adieu, let's get on to this salad recipe.

1 head kale, shredded (I prefer lacinato)
1 cup tomato diced
1 cup avocado (About 2 Haas)(make sure they are ripe, or this will be a bit difficult)
2&1/2 T olive oil
1&1/2 T lemon juice
1 t Celtic sea salt (I used regular sea salt)
1/2 t cayenne pepper (do not omit, you will regret it)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rinse and dry the kale. Remove any woody stems. If need be, slice the kale down the middle so you do not have large pieces of greens going into your salad. Place a few leaves on top of each other and shred as thin as possible. Do this until all your kale is shredded.

In another bowl, chop your tomato and set aside.

In a large bowl add all your other ingredients. Squish together all ingredients until the avocado is thoroughly mixed in with all ingredients. There may still be a few tiny lumps in there, but very few. Now takes a handful of kale and add to the dressing, squeezing the kale until the dressing is coating the kale. Now grab another handful of kale and do the same. Keep doing this until all the kale is mixed with the dressing.

Take the tomatoes and add to the kale salad. You can either toss them into the salad itself or leave them on top. I prefer them to be gently tossed in. That way they will have the dressing on them as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had so many customers loving this, even if they were not raw foodists. They realized that they were able to, with this recipe not have to worry about bottled dressing. Who knew!!!???

Feta Schmeta

2010-09-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I have struck gold once again. And all thanks to Sarah Kramer and her How it all Vegan book. I tell everyone that I meet, that his is my proverbial cooking bible. I would be lost without this book. It is simple and using ingredients that are found, for the most part, in your everyday grocery store. Do not get me wrong, there may be one or two ingredients that you may have to get at your local health food store, but that is not a bad thing.

I went looking for this because I have made the final leap to letting go of cheese. I know for the most part, cheese is made with rennet, which is the lining of an animals stomach. Mostly a cows stomach, but I have recently found out that it can come from a pigs as well as a sheep's. So, I am choosing to not eat the cheese. Letting go of cheese was my final hurdle to veganism. But I shall prevail. With that said, please enjoy the simplicity of this dish and make it often. I know I will.

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 t salt
1 T dried basil
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t dried oregano
1 pkg firm herb tofu, cubed or crumbled(we used plain tofu)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a large bowl, mix together the oil, water, vinegar, salt, basil, pepper and oregano. Marinade the tofu in the mixture for at least one hour or more. Makes aprox. 1/2 cups.

I did mine a wee bit differently. I put all thee ingredients into the food processor and whirled them together. I did not massacre them, I just blended them together long enough to get the ingredients mixed thoroughly. Worked fine for me. This dish was incredible. I took some to work today and one of my co-workers said she had made it and it tasted like butt (she used an entirely different word), and I told her that she had to try mine. She did and was then in love with me, telling me how she could actually bathe in that stuff. Suffice it to say, the dish was a smash hit. This will be made often in my home.

Raw Pancake

2010-08-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Folks...when I tell you I am enjoying these new raw recipes, do not take me lightly. For i love cooking food. Yes, I am one of those freaks who can stay in the kitchen all day and not mind one little bit. And that goes for the dish washing as well.

With that said, I stumbled on this little dish over at The Bee's Knees Kitchen. This was so simple I nearly cried. There is one tiny glitch. It wasn't a problem for me, for i am use to flax seeds. But for those of you who may not be aware of their gelatinous state when mixed with a liquid, then please prepare yourself. Didn't stop me from gobbling this pancake down. And even my daughter gave it a taste. She is not into the raw thing, but still gave it a thumbs sideways. Not bad...I think.

1 cup ground flax seeds or 3/4 cup whole (I prefer ground)
2 bananas
1&1/2 T agave or maple syrup
1T cinnamon
1t nutmeg
1/2 t allspice
1/2 t cloves
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grind the flax seeds using your 'S' blade on your food processor or magic bullet until a meal forms(we used our coffee grinder). Empty into a medium sized bowl. Blend the rest of the ingredients and empty into the bowl with the flax meal. Lightly fold the mixture together and let sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the fruit topping. This will allow the flax meal to become a bit thicker.

EDIT IN: It would be nice if I gave thee assembly instructions. I must be losing my mind. Divide the thick, sticky cinnamon pancake batter in half over 2 plates, or pie plates. We have a plethora of pie plates, so we used them. Using a spatula, smooth out the surface into a round circular pancake form. Top with your fruit mixture of choice. Drizzle with honey, maple syrup or agave nectar.

For your fruit topping, you do not have to be a rocket scientist. Cut up some fruit, sprinkle with some sweetener, if you so desire and have at it. Make this, you will be smiling a bit more because of it.

Stephanie's Asteroids

2010-08-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a new recipe for work. Since I cook at my new job at Nutrition S'Mart, our local health food store, I am always making one main dish, or side dish, and always have a dessert of some sort. But this week I was bamboozled as to to make for the dessert end of the dishes. I try to make something that is easy, quick, tasty and what people can recognize. Who wants a recipe with 18 ingredients, that they will only use once. So I go for the stick to your ribs kind of meals...dessert included.

With that said, please hold on to your hats, for this dish is simple stupid. Even my bachelors can make this. And want to know that kicker? You know you want to know. There is NO BAKING involved. You got it. All you have to do is melt down some ingredients and Viola! Dang it's good to be me.

I got this recipe form Sarah Kramers La Dolce Vegan book. My kids got this for me for Christmas last year. I had cracked the book but had not really gone through it. Big mistake on my part. This is a very eclectic book of recipes she has collected from friends and readers. How cool is that? Try these and tweak them where needed, I know I do.

1&1/2 cups quick oats (we used rolled oats)
1 t ground cinnamon
2 T shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 cup sugar (I would go 3/4 next time)
1/4 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/4 cup milk (can use soy, rice or almond)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a medium bowl, combine the oatmeal, cinnamon and coconut and set aside. In a small pot on medium heat, heat the sugar, peanut butter, and milk until soft and smooth, stirring often to avoid burning. Pour peanut sauce into oats and stir until well blended. Form mixture into balls on a plate or cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Makes 8 large or 16 small Asteroids.

These are so yummy and with a taste that brings you back to your childhood of homemade peanut butter cookies, minus the heat of the oven. Make them, you will thank me in the morning.

Mashed Potatoes - NOT

2010-08-19T04:05:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe quite by accident. Where I work, (Nutrition S'Mart) there is a small little raw food book that is a great introduction to the raw food world. What I mean by that is, it is simple, and easy read, common ingredients, and the instruction lines are three lines at the most. Now who cannot get into a recipe that has only three lines of instructions. I am all over that one.

The name of the book is Rapid Raw and it is loaded with tons of recipes. Oh, by the way, we sell it at the store but are currently waiting for the latest shipment. From soup to nuts. No really, I mean that. One day when I was having a slow moment at work I was scouring through the book and this one dish caught my eye. I love cauliflower. And I had no idea just how versatile it truly was until I started messing around in the raw world.

Try this recipe and see what you think.

2 avocados (they need to be EXTREMELY ripe, or this recipe will not work)

1 cauliflower head, chopped

1/4 cup lemon juice, (about 2 lemons)

1 sweet onion, chopped (I used a half of one for it was huge)

1 t salt

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wait for it....Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and creamy. All right, there is a bit more to it than that, and here is what I have found. I process the cauliflower down to the consistency of cous cous. Transfer it to the bowl you will be serving it in and then process thee other ingredients...THEN put back the processed cauliflower. If you do not do it this way, you will be doing ALLOT more bowl scraping and time is of thee essence with this dish.

After my husband ate this version (my first attempt tanked badly) he mentioned that this could also go as a guacamole dish, all you have to do is add some tomatoes. And you do not even have to inform your unsuspecting public what is in the dish. then when they are raving about it, tell them cauliflower has been added, and watch their faces. Yes, I have a streak of evil-ness in my blood.

Me at my raw food class preparing said dish.

Vegan Kibbeh

2010-08-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may not be familiar with Middle Eastern food, may I make a suggestion? TRY IT! I was introduced to Middle Eastern cuisine way back in 1991 when my husband found some long lost relatives. If I had to choose one ethnic food to eat from, it would be the Mediterranean food. Their dishes are very vegetarian friendly. And I just discovered how I can veganize one of my favorite meat dishes of theirs. Man am I a happy camper now.

This is a bit on the time consuming part, but trust me it is well worth it and your friends will be impressed. Here is the original recipe for the meat version of Kibbeh. And if you have not visited the Middle Eastern recipe site I have on this blog, then please do so. these are the real deal and looks like it could have come from someones kitchen. I know for I have witnessed their food making first hand.

Thee only thing I changed was I used Gimme Lean Ground Beef style meat substitute. And man was it a winner. But the real critic was to be my son. He is not a vegetarian and my mother-in-law brings him a few kibbehs when she does make them for she knows how much he loves them. So when I made mine, I hoped he wold like them so I could make them at a family dinner. Well low and behold he actually loved them. So I now have another veggie dish I can serve my son. I will convert him yet.

You can add some Hummus to the table along with some Arabic Pickled Turnips. We had some carrot salad and away we went. It was a delicious meal. You could also have some yogurt, vegan or not on the side to dip your kibbeh in. I dipped mine in my hummus. Good times at the Cooking Lady's house.

Juicing With The Juice Daddy

2010-08-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

Well here I am talking about one of my favorite people. I am going to be doing this in many of my upcoming posts. What is ti, you may ask, that I am referring to, well I am going to tell you. There are people in this world, (in the health realm) that inspire and make you take a look at what you are doing, or there lack of, in the world of nutrition. Meaning, what is it that you are doing to make your temple...AKA your body, a better place to live?

If you sat down and wrote a daily diary of your food intake and your activity level (notice I did not say exercise), how would you rate? On a scale of 1-10, where would you fall? 1 being the least healthy and labeled a couch potato, or a 10, where you are doing some form of movement on a near daily basis, and putting into your moth the best possible food imaginable. I am not a 10 yet, but I am working on it for sure.

This man, and if you have not heard of Jay Kordich, then let me introduce you to him. I found about him the first time I was a vegetarian and then I began to juice, but not nearly as much as i should. That was back in 1992-ish. Fast forward to 2010. the man is 87. Go on take a look at him. How many men or women do you know that look that good at 87. Heck, how many people do you know look that good at 50...40, or even 30?

The man cured himself of pancreatic cancer back in the late 40's. He had a promising career in Pro Football, but got way-laid by this so called disease that was most definitely going to not only end his career, but end his life. And yet, here he is a testament to how diet alone changed his life, AND saved it as well.

My juicer is ancient, and I do not juice half as much as i should, but like I have stated in so many of my posts. I am on a journey of better health. Please join me and go visit Jay on his website, where you can sign up for free emails. And when you do that, you can download a fee ebook for free. I want to look that good and feel that good at 87. We all know it is possible. You do not have to carry around a suitcase of medications to be able to live. that my friend is not living. It is your doctor telling you that if you do not take these pills you will feel bad and not get better. WRONGO!

There are so many people now bucking the tried and true system and taking their health into their own hands. And they are feeling better for it and not lugging around a gallon size freezer bag of medications and a computer sheet filled with meds that you need to hand to each and every new doctor. you go to. Doctors are there for a necessity, but most of them would be out of business if we all get well. Think about that one for a minute. You get better and where does that leave them. Not riding around in that little red corvette.

Do the research, see for yourself what is out there. And DO NOT be afraid to take your health into your own hands. You will thank yourself for it in about 30 some-odd years.

Jay Kordich And Why He Juices

"Meatloaf"

2010-08-10T04:34:00.000-07:00

If you have not read The Skinny Bitch, then please find a copy and do so. But if the title alone has not given you a fore-warning as to its content, then let me warn you now. It is not for the faint of heart. In other words, if you do not like being told the truth about your diet and or what you are putting in your moth in an in-your-face kind of way, then by all means, do not pick this book up.

These two women tell it like it is. And for most people that is too much. There will always be those people who say, 'Well if I don't know where it comes from then it doesn't bother me.' Really? What if folks had felt that way about Hitler, where would we be today. Being passive is not going to make the changes that need to be made in our food realm. Get yourself educated and see what is really going on in the cattle and dairy industry. You may find out that our government who is supposed to be protecting our food supply, is letting it be altered to the point of not being recognized. But that is for another post.

Now, on to this delicious recipe.

1T refined coconut oil, plus more for the pan (we now use this oil all the time)
1 carrot, cut into 1/4 inch dice (I would shred or grate next time)
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4 dice
1 onion, cut into 1/4 dice
3 ounces mushrooms, your choice, cut in 1/4 inch dice (about 2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t sea salt
1 t pepper
2 slices vegan whole wheat bread
1 cup toasted almonds
2 (14 ounce) package Gimme Lean ground beef style
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup catsup
2 T chopped parsley

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 10x4x3 inch loaf pan (or anything you have).

In an 8-10 skillet, over medium heat, melt the oil. Add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are crisp-tender and any liquid the mushrooms have released is cooked off, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the bread and walnuts, pulsing to form a coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the 'beef', oats, catsup, parsley, and the vegetable mixture. Use your hands to mix well. Transfer the loaf mixture to the prepared pan, spread it into an even layer, and bake for 45 minutes, until tip of a knife inserted into the center, comes out piping hot.

Sweet Mother of Abraham Lincoln. this is bar none, of of the best mock meat loaves I have ever eaten. Make it, eat it and then make some more.

Decadent Brownies

2010-08-10T04:17:00.000-07:00

My lovely daughter found these brownies via The Food Network. Now, there is not much I do watch on that network, but I highly suggest people do indeed watch them and for many reasons.

We actually love Paula Deen. Why you may ask, well I will tell you. My heritage, on my mother's side at least, is rooted deep in Georgia. So for me to sit and listen to her is like a slice of heaven. And trust me when I say she is thee epitome of Southern Hospitality and the real deal I might add.

And you can always pick up a cooking tip or a gadget you may like to try or a new spice or a spice you did not know how to use. the possibilities are endless.s So pick a show and go for it.

But my daughter and I will see a recipe she has made and see how far we can veganize (I made that word up, so it is a real word now) it. Then we try our version and see if it works and if we like it. We may need to tweak it or it may not be salvageable. But we don't know until we try.

With that said, try these brownies. My daughter made the first batch like the recipe stated but the second batch was so much better and so much healthier as well.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup vegan margarine
4 large eggs (we used our own substitute. Use what works for you all)
2 cups sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan.

Melt the chocolate and margarine on low and stir every 30 seconds or so until the chocolate is completely melted. Add your egg substitute, sugar, and vanilla extract and mix well with a spatula. Add the flour and stir to combine. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

When cool, cut into 1&1/2 inch squares and store in the fridge in a plastic container. Really, you have got to be kidding me. There were no left overs to save. Guess we double batch next time.

Eating Abroad

2010-08-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

For those of us who have chosen a healthier life style, it now becomes more difficult to eat out. Yep, restaurants would rather shovel us a bunch of garbage and make a higher profit, then offer something healthy. But here is a website that can help you navigate your way around any unknown city.

I myself try to pack as much food as I possibly can, but that is not always do-able. So when you cannot drag your food with you, this is a place that can hopefully help you out in a pinch. If I had only known about this site before I went to Tampa last week, my trip would have been so much less stressful. But now i know for my next visit and for my upcoming trip to Orlando in November.

The site I am referring to is Happy Cow. It is so nice to be able to punch in most any city and find at least a handful of places to get something. But it much more then just a directory. there is a recipe section, community section and so much you can surf for. So give them a gander and enjoy the site. I know I do.

Corn Fritters

2010-08-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

I have no clue how I found this young woman, Vegan in Louisiana, but I am loving her recipes. They are simple and for the most part, easy to make. And even though I love being in the kitchen, there is nothing like a simple yet delicious recipe. Well here you have it folks. So dig in and try these. You will not regret it one little bit.

And before you say it, yeah, I know they are not super healthy, for they are fried, but hey, I don't smoke, I don't drink so I fry foods once in a while.

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
3/4 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t Tony Chacheres or Old Bay Seasoning (I had neither so I used a Mrs. Dash blend)
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t paprika
1/2 cup soy or rice milk (we used almond)
1/4 cup water
1&1/2 -2 cups fresh corn(I had bough a bunch a while back and cut it off the cob and froze it. I am a genius)
1-2T oil for frying
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, Mrs Dash, cumin and paprika in a bowl. Add milk and water to dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
Fold in corn.
Heat skillet with oil to med-high heat. When oil is hot, spoon out fritters, about 1 T at a time and flatten with the back of a spoon. Cook until golden brown. (Edges will turn brown and bubbles will form on top, similar to pancakes)
Flip and cook again. Drain on paper towel and enjoy.

These are a keeper for sure. They were simple, easy and a wonderful comfort food.

Supposed To Be Poppyseed Muffins

2010-08-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

I swear I had poppy seeds in my pantry, but low and behold...I did not. So, these muffins turned into raisin muffins. But they turned out great all the same. Just no blinking poppy seeds. Pffft!

I needed a pick me up, for we had not made any new recipes in quite a while, but I found this one in the first vegetarian book that was ever given to me. The New Laurel's Kitchen. That was back in 1992. Stop counting!

This is one of those comfort books that you find on your Nanny's bookshelf after she has passed away and you find out this is where she kept all her tried and true recipes. this is a book that can be handed down form generation to generation. I love this book. Now, on to the recipe.

1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup boiling water
2&3/4 cups rolled oats (about)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2&1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg
2 eggs (I used applesauce)
2T oil or butter (I used coconut oil)
1/4 cup honey(I used honey...that was meant to be funny)
1 cup milk (we used almond)
2 T poppy seeds (WE HAD NONE)
2 t grated lemon zest (we had dried so we cut it to 1 t)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan. (We used our jumbo tin so we made 6 instead of 12)
Soak raisins 5 minutes in 1/4 cup boiling water. Chop coarsely in a blender or by hand. ( left them whole.
Make the oats into a coarse flour in a blender or food processor(if using a blender, do it 1/2 at a time). You will need 2 cups of coarse flour.
Put oat flour in bowl and sift in the other dry ingredients. Beat eggs, oil, and honey together, then stir in the milk, raisins and water, poppy seeds, and lemon zest.
Add dry ingredients to liquid ones, stirring just enough to mix well. Spoon into muffin pans and bake for about 15 minutes.(my oven was 18 minutes) The muffins will be a sunny yellow (mine were not) on top and a delicate brown on the bottom when done.

These were great, even without the poppy seeds. But they just went on the list for next week.

Falafel Queen

2010-07-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

I started out wanting to make hummus, but they cooked little devils of deliciousness turned into delectable balls of goodness, more commonly known as Falafel. But for those of you who have not checked out the Middle Eastern Site on my side bar, please do so. Those recipes are are extremely genuine, so check them out.

But tonight I made the Falafel and man oh man, these little guys came out great, but I did have to adapt the recipe, for I did not have any fava beans, and my chick peas were already cooked and the recipe called for soaked chick peas. I love improvising.

Original Recipe

Thee only thing I did differently was not add fava beans, and I used 3/4 cup of garbanzo flour and also added 1/2 cup whole wheat flour.

These little things were so delicious that I even amazed myself. they were oh so simple to make. So give them a try, whether you make them as is or my variation. Or tweak it to your home/kitchen. Whatever works.

You can use any tahini dipping sauce you like. I just took some Greek yogurt, added some tahini and some crushed garlic and salt to my taste and there you have it. this meal is a no brainer for sure.

Healthy Quotes

2010-07-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

I have been scouring the web and moreso after watching Food Matters...again.

But here are some Healthy Quotes I found on Dr Saul's Website.

If you have not seen this film, then please do yourself a grand favor and rent it...buy it...go see it somewhere. And then tell me that doctors, hospitals, pharmaceuticals are not all bed partners and not trying to make us well at all. For if we got better, they would be out of business. Think about that for a moment and then let it sink in.

This is my second time watching this film and I will watch it 2 more times before I send it back via Netflix. It is one of those films I could watch over and over again. And for those who still think that what the food industry is telling what they are selling you is healthy, then please take off the blinders and see what is really going on. they are LYING to you. Trust me on this one.

You do not have to be a rocket scientist to see that you are what you eat and the pulling up to a fast food joint is the way to go. I had someone ask me, "Well isn't it more expensive to eat healthy?" And that may be true, but only in dollars. I would gladly forgo a movie to put better food in my families stomachs. I may be paying now, but you will be paying later on when you develop cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and so many more I cannot name. I will not be plagued by those diseases, because i have made my choices now and chose not to be filled with pills for every little ache and pain, for I will not have those aches and pains you will be getting.

And yet no one can truly believe that disease can be cured by what you eat all by itself. What a concept. If you think it is hog-wash, then eat super healthy for a week, then go back to you tried and true ways and see how much better your body feels. But remember, you may go through a time of detox, and that is when so many people will say, "But I felt worse." Well yes, because your body was letting go of all the toxins you had been stuffing inside, so it had to come out somehow. Be patient and diligent, it will get better.

Raw Apple Pie

2010-07-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr9Mb5usi4k

I found this recipe while searching for dishes for my next raw food class. This is easy, inexpensive and no oven needed. My family was not to shab on the crust, but it was more a texture thing and not a taste thing. But I will make it again for sure. I think we have been just so use to a smooth crust that they have to get use to the new style of crust. Their plates were still cleaned. Hah!!

Knick-Knack Paddywhack...

2010-07-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

...give a dog a bone. Let's talk about bones for a moment. I talked about protein in a prior post and I will be going into more detail with more information as I learn about the misconceptions we have been led to believe about calcium and protein.

I rarely if ever pay full price for any of may books. Whether I purchase them at flea markets, garage sales, at the withdrawn/reduced section at the library, thrift shops, or on Amazon. I like to find bargains. And believe you me, the bargains are out there, you just have to look.

I stumbled upon a book called The Complete Idiot's Guide to Being a Vegetarian , and if you have ever wanted information for yourself or that skeptical aunt who still tries to tell you that you still need to eat meat at every Thanksgiving, even thought you have been a veg-head for more than 7 years, then this is the book for you. I have even learned tons of interesting things to inform my readers with. It was information I knew 'of', but not 'about'. Now I know.

I recently watched an hour long video from John McDougall (which I will be posting here in an upcoming post) and everything he said in the video is here in this book. This book was published in 1999. The McDougall was made in 2006...I believe. What keeps striking me most is that after listening to so many people about our over proteining ourselves, via meat and or dairy, that folks would still not see the light. That meat and dairy are causing way more harm than good, without a doubt.

I knew a little bit of information about the ratio of protein to calcium and that if it was out of proportion that it would be detrimental to our bones. And it is. We have been led to believe that we need animal protein to stay health. A more falsehood has never been spewed by a industry so powerful as the cattle industry. And the dairy industry is a real close second.

Let me give you a bit from the book I am reading:

Dogs do it.
Deer do it.
Even chipmunks and raccoons do it.
They all produce milk for their babies. Cows do it too. So do humans. Fifty percent of them, anyway.

But dogs don't drink chipmunk's milk. And deer don't drink raccoons milk.

That's because milk is species specific. Each species' milk is tailor-made for its own kind. So how on Earth did people start drinking milk from cows? Even adult cows don't drink cow's milk. And if we drink cow's milk why stop there? Why not drink dog's milk? Or bear's milk?

This is just a sample of the theory behind why we are not designed to drink milk from another mammal. I had this discussion with a dear friend of mine and her question was, 'Why then, were cows put here, if not to feed us?' Heck, for that matter, why are we here? I do not have thee answer. We are humans, they are not. And when I teach or talk to people, I ask them every single time, 'Would you drink elephants milk, whales milk, are any other animal's milk?' And usually thee answer is no. And my next question to them, is why not? Usually they do not have an answer, or they give me the one I am looking for. 'We are not that animal.' BINGO!

This is what I have tried to explain to my friend for a long time (even though at the time I myself was still consuming dairy), is that we were made to drink milk, yes, but from humans, not other animals.

As I kept reading into the whole calcium thing, I learned what I had been wanting to know for the longest time. Consuming extra dairy has not improved our problem with osteoporosis, not one little bit.

And you want to know why we are still getting osteoporosis, well here is the deal:

Protein form plant sources does not have the same effect on you as protein form animal sources. That's because protein form animal sources are have more sulfur-containing amino acids. Now, that is getting a little technical. Suffice it to say that the sulfur in animal products contributes greatly to the acid condition of the blood, which makes the bones lose more calcium. The sulfur also has an effect on the kidneys that causes more calcium to be lost in the urine.

The amount of protein in your diet probably has a great bearing on the health of your bones than thee amount of calcium in your diet.

As you can plainly see, consuming meat and or dairy is not something that is helpful to our systems. But most people will either not believe that or think it has any merit. I choose to believe the part of the medical community who has actually done the research and taken the time to get themselves more that the standard 8 hours of nutritional knowledge they receive in medical school. More on that in an upcoming post.

Like McDogall says multiple times in his video, 'If you don't believe me, go find thee information yourself, it is out there.' And that is just what I am doing.

Grape-Nut Bars

2010-07-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

Another recipe under my belt. sha-BAM! I seriously hope I can keep up this trend. I love experimenting with foods. I love being in the kitchen and seeing the looks on peoples faces when they bite into that dish and savor the flavor. When I am in the kitchen, I am in my element. That is not to say I am by any means a chef. I am a cook and one that is still not comfortable with either winging it or flying by the seat of my pants. That was my mothers strong point. She could open a refrigerator and make something out of a supposed nothing.

Well here I am making a sweet dish and this fits the bill. Now, you have to remember, that with McDougall, his goal is to cut down on extra fat and sugar. So your taste buds will definitely need to get use to this line of cooking. Even though I do not have a sweet tooth, I am finding that I feel the need to sweeten up some of these dishes. But that just goes to show you how we have become accustomed to thee extra sweetener that the companies out there have gotten us use to. I want to break that habit. I am on a mission.

3 cups Grape-Nuts (we do not buy anything from the Post company, so we purchase generic)
1 cup low-fat soy milk (I don't do anything low-fat, so it is full flavor milk for us and we used almond milk)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup raisins
2 t vanilla
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all of thee ingredients together. Pour into a nonstick 9-inch square baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes or until firm. Cool and cut into 12 squares.

This one came out picture perfect. However, thee only thing I may do differently is to use only a 1/2 cup of applesauce and use either agave , molasses or honey to take up thee other 1/2 cup. But other than that it was perfect. And, I added a 1/2 t cinnamon, for in my book, if a recipe has raisins and vanilla, then you must add cinnamon. It was a great addition.

Macaroni & Cabbage

2010-07-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

Another McDougall recipe here. I hope to stay on this roll. Thus far, he has proven to be a pretty good cook. And his book on everything else is not too bad either. Thee only thing I would change is to add some basic spices, like salt and pepper, but other than that, this is such a simple, hearty meal and I can see myself making this during the winter more often.

12 ounces whole-wheat macaroni (we used elbows)
5 quarts boiling water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup water
1 small head cabbage, coarsely chopped
One 28 ounce can whole tomatoes (we used diced)
One 8 ounce can tomato sauce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drop the macaroni into the boiling water and cook until just tender, 8-10 minutes. Saute the chopped onion in the 1 cup of water until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped cabbage and saute until the cabbage is limp.

Lightly oil a casserole dish. Spread a layer of cooked macaroni on the bottom, followed by a layer of cabbage and onion. Repeat until all is used. Slightly chop the tomatoes while still in the can, then pour over the macaroni-cabbage mixture. Pour the tomato sauce over everything. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until the sauce appears to have thickened slightly.

I added just a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper, and it was just enough. I will add this to the entire recipe from the beginning the next time I make this dish. I winner in my book.

Spicy Tofu Burgers

2010-07-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

I am trying to learn how to work with tofu. Sometimes I hit it just right, others...well, I just can't seem to get it. But I will keep on trying. I love burgers. I loved them when I was a meat eater, but I just can't seem to get anything even vaguely close. Yeah, I know, I am no longer using meat. But man do I miss a quality burger. Not that McDonald crap they call burgers. Pfffft!

But I would never go back just to have that flavor again. I am a big girl and can be the grown up. So tonight I tried another McDougall recipe. Now this one id all right, but it needs some tweaking. The burger itself held together fantastically, but it still had that tofu taste. And I even let the tofu marinade before forming the burgers. But I will keep on trying until I hit it just right. so keep on reading and when i hit the jackpot, you will know about it.

1 pound firm tofu, drained
1&1/2 cups rolled oats
2T soy sauce (we use tamari)
1T dijon-style mustard (we had none so we used stone ground mustard)
1/4 t fresh cracked pepper
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1 t grated fresh ginger
2T minced fresh parsley (we were out)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the tofu in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Moisten your hands. Shape into 8 patties and place on a non-stick baking sheet (we have none so I took a wisp of oil and painted it on a cookie sheet).

Bake for 20 minutes on the first side; turn over and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with your favorite toppings and condiments.

I am finding that with just these two recipes, I am not missing the fat and or the sweetener. I am looking forward to more new dishes from this book.

Overnight Porridge

2010-07-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

I love oatmeal. Always have, always will. And I am always looking for ways to bring it to the next level or spruce it up a bit. So, with my new found love for John McDougall and having found one of his cookbooks at a flea market about 1 year ago, I am beginning to dive in.

Now I openly admit to not liking every recipe we make. Some of them are downright garbage worthy. So I will not say I like a dish, just because it is a healthy one. If I don't like it, you will hear about it for sure. With that said, I tried a new twist one oatmeal. One of the things I look for in a new recipe , is mostly whether or not we have all if not, most of the ingredients, then we move on to the making process.

This one I was a bit skeptical about and for a couple of reasons. 1) There was only 1 tablespoon of sweetener for the entire dish. That is not to say I slather sugar in my food, but by making this dish, I realize just how much I came to depend on any sweetener to make our food palatable 2) I was not going to add my usual dollop of butter.

Yep, today was my first day of my venture into being vegan. I openly admit that I may fall off the wagon, and trust me when I say it was extremely tempting to dive in at work and grab a few pieces of cheese, but I did it, I left the liquid meat out of my mouth and I am still here to type about it...who knew.

So on to the recipe. Very simple, common ingredients and you just prep it the night before and viola!, you have a new recipe in the morning.

1/2 cup bulgur
3T rolled oats
1T molasses or brown rice vinegar (we used molasses)
1/3 cup mixed dried fruit pieces or raisins (we used raisins)
1&1/2 cups water
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Place all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Transfer to a saucepan. (It has microwaveable directions, but since I no longer use a microwave, I am not going to offer those instructions)

Stove method: Cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently.

I served this as is, no added sugar or sweetener and it was to die for. Next time I will change the fruit and maybe add some nuts. A definite keeper for sure.

Serves 4

I Use To Think

2010-07-03T03:18:00.000-07:00

Way back, when I was a vegetarian the first time(1992, before the Internet took off), I had a hard time adjusting, and for many reasons.

1) Lack of recipes (Or so I thought)
2) No support (You can imagine a woman in her child bearing years, telling her family she was losing meat. How dare I)
3) Nowhere to get information (Or so I thought)

So as you can see, I was in a pickle...or so I thought. I ended up finding a Vegetarian Times magazine and getting in touch with a local support group, which did OK, but that was my foot in the door. At that time I met vegans who I thought were weird. I mean come on, I had already given up all meat, why go that far? Little did I know the brainwashing that had been and is still going on by the meat and dairy industry.

We have been and still are being sold a bag of goods that would lead us to believe that we 'need' both meat and dairy to be healthy, when in fact just thee opposite is true. I have listened to people who tell me that our bodies need either meat or dairy, and some ask me, if we don't need meat or dairy, then why were cows put on the earth. I really don't have that answer, but why were we put here, if you can answer that, then you are one up on me. But dairy is touted as the 'perfect' food. Yeah, if you are a baby cow who needs to get from 100 pounds to 600 pounds in 6 months. go ahead, do the math.

If we were designed to drink milk form another animal, then why are we not selling or drink elephant milk, or rhino milk, or for that matter, whales milk. Why, because our bodies could not stand the fat content. We are humans...they are not. And where in the 'wild' nature do you see other animals drinking one anothers milk? You don't. You only find that in human society stories. So if it does not happen in nature why are we doing it? Beats me.

But I sat here just the other day as I am contemplating going full vegan and it hit me. When I listen to those who still consume meat and hear them say, 'I just can't see how you live without eating meat.' I would look at them and think what ninny-heads. How whacko are you, it is oh so simple to lose meat...to me that was. Now that I am on thee opposite side of the coin and trying to let go of dairy (for the eggs have been gone for a while now), I can see how people view me just as a vegetarian. So trust me when I say I will be a bit more compassionate when I talk of my eating habits.

I thought I knew the evils of dairy, but I was still astonished when I saw this video with John McDougall. I knew of this man, but had no idea just how smart he was. And his angle was never about animal rights. He always came strictly from a medical point of view. His peers told him he was nuts to tell people they could get better just form diet alone. But you know what? He was/is right. He has proven time and again. And one of the lines he uses in this video is' Don't take my word for it, look it up yourself.' He has done his homework and is the real deal.

I hope to be dairy free in a few weeks. I have always been a small step person, butter is no biggie, but cheese, I am finding that to be a bit more difficult. But I shall endeavour and be where I want to be in my own time. But for those who may want to hear about the man and his message I am talking about, please take the time to watch this video. I know, it is 1 hour and 15 minutes. It took me an entire day to watch it. I watched it in segments. But his message is clear and no denying what he is telling us. That dairy is just liquid meat.

The Perils of Dairy

'Chikin' Nuggets

2010-06-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

Well I think I have finally found a recipe that will have me leaving the store bought brand of chic nuggets and patties in the freezer section. Please do not misunderstand me, I love the convenience of pulling them out of the freezer and plopping them into the frying pan. And the journey is turning out to be pretty darned tootin' good.

I stumbled upon these quite by accident via Post Punk Kitchen on Facebook. The recipe comes from Opera Girl . She is not a vegetarian, for she has meat dishes, but this one caught my eye and I had more then 90% of the ingredients.

I made them and they looked so much like the nuggets you get in a little box with toys that I scared myself. Thee only thing I need to work on is the texture. They were just a bit soggy in the middle. Not so much that I did not eat 4 of them...oh my gosh, did that just slip out on to the blog. The seasonings were to die for. Take that fast food. These will definitely be on our plates again for sure.

1 cup cooked chick peas
2T olive oil (for frying)
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/3 cup water
2T low sodium soy sauce/Tamari
3 cloves garlic, grated with a microplane
1/2 t lemon zest (we were out)
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t dried sage (we were out)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) In a mini chopper process the chick peas until mostly mashed.
2) Put the chick peas in a medium sized mixing bowl and add the rest of thee ingredients. Turn the mixture onto a cutting board and knead for 3 minutes until you see the strings of gluten forming.
3) Using a knife, divide the ball into 4 even sections. Then divide those 4 into 4 more balls. Shape the hunks of dough into nugget style shapes.
4) Heat up a think layer of oil in a heavy bottom skillet over a medium-low heat. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.

Honey Mustard Sauce

2T coarsely ground Dijon mustard (we used deli style mustard, stone ground)
1T honey
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mix well and serve with nuggets.

This is going to work well once I master the texture thing. I am hoping to make them into cutlets for a more main course style food. Wheeeeeeeee!

I Got Your Protein...Right Here!

2010-06-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

For those of you who still may think that you 'need' meat to get your protein...think again.There have been more than enough articles written to support a vegetable based lifestyle and that if done correctly gives us way more than enough protein. But there are forces who would lead you to believe that you need meat to sustain an ample amount of protein in your diet. Pfffft! Yeah, have fun with that. Those would be you meat industry lobbyist. And lobbyist is just another word for legal bribery, in my book of course. If I were to go to a judge and try to persuade him/her to alter my guilt or innocence by how much I donate to his campaign, I would be thrown in jail however, these morons, are still allowed to go in to Washington and gives TONS of money to senators and congressmen, all in the name of contribution. Puh-leaze!

I just to choose to educate people. And when and if they are ready to open their eyes, they can do so by their dollars. Yes folks, there is power in numbers. And the numbers I am talking about is how and where you spend your hard earned money. I choose not to spend anything from Kraft. Why you may ask.Well I am glad that you did. Kraft is connnected, if not owned by Phillip Morris, which we all know is one of thee biggest tobacco companies in the world. Not where I want my hard earned dollars to go. And if you don't think that by not spending your money somewhere does not hurt...then think again.

So I have been doing a bit of research to see where we get our protein from. I myself do not worry about it any longer, for i know what I eat is loaded with protein. And so much so that even on a vegetarian/vegan diet, if done properly, is way more than enough protein. Most Americans, eat the S.A.D.(Standard American Diet) diet, are getting way too much protein, which is even more taxing on the system.

So here are just but a few of the ways to get enough protein and see that you really do not need as much as you think. Who do you think sets the standards for thee amount of protein we need to get. The FDA. And who supports thee FDA? Big time lobbyists. Time to rethink what you eat and where your money is going.

Broccoli - 4 grams in 1 cup
Brown Rice - 5 grams in 1 cup
Refried beans - 7 grams in 1/2 cup
Soymilk - 7 grams in 1 cup
Peas - 8 grams in 1 cup
Tofu - 11 grams in 5 ounces
Oat bran - 16 grams in 1 cup
Lentils - 18 grams in 1 cup
Chick peas - 18 grams in 1 cup

And if we are still going by what the FDA tells us we need, which is a whopping 30 grams per day, then a veggie diet is AOK in my book. But I myself feel we do not need that much protein, but that is just me. An article I read goes further in stipulating that meat may be loaded with protein, but there is a major downside to it as well. Put aside the animal thing and how those poor creatures are being treated. Let's crunch some numbers, shall we?

6 ounce porter house steak - 38 grams of protein(which by FDA standards is already over the limit) & 44 grams of fat, and 16 of those 44 are saturated. Read more in an article here

Now for those of you who may have youth on your side. Trust me when I say that Mother Nature has a way of playing catch up, and she ain't always nice about it. So those Big Macs now will be your triple by-pass in a few years, not necessarily in decades. So you keep on thinking that meat is your best source of protein. Here are some more numbers.

Corn on the cob - 1 cup - 5 grams
Collards - 1 cup - 4 grams
1 medium baked potato - 5 grams
Spinach - 1 cup - 5 grams
Peanut butter - 2T - 8 grams
Almonds - 1/4 cup - 8 grams
Peanuts - 1/4 cup - 9 grams
Cashews - 1/4 cup - 5 grams
Pumpkin Seeds - 1/4 cup - 8 grams

As you can see, it is quite easy to obtain your protein from elsewhere. And no, I do not sit around doing the math. I just eat and enjoy my food. And for those of you who may say, well nuts are fat. Yep, but so is that T-bone steak you ate last week, and I will take my nuts/seeds over your T-bone any day of the week, ounce for ounce.

Cool 'N Spicy Watermelon Salad

2010-06-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

This I found on a Facebook group I belong to. Raw Vegan Recipe Exchange. They have some great recipes and to date I have used two of them. I am not a fan of mixing sweet and savory, but I saw that I had all thee ingredients and went for it. I am now a believer in sweet and savory. Try this over the summer, it is a dish you will not regret trying.

3 cups cubed watermelon
2T jalapeno (diced, I used less)
2T mint (I used dry)
2T lime juice (I used lemon)
pinch of salt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I put all thee ingredients on our already cut watermelon and this was unbelievable. For those of you who try this, please drop me a line on what you think of it, I am very curious to see what others think.

Happy Birthday Son

2010-06-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

My son may be getting older, but I am not. Okay, maybe a little. But yesterday was my sons 21st birthday. Man oh man, where does the time go? Now usually he has a big to do, here at home, but this year he wanted it be just a quiet gathering, meaning, his immediate family and super-close friends. Two of the three friends could not make it due to prior obligations or work, so it came down to just enough people to sit at our dining room table.

I was at work all day, which was a 45 minute drive away. So suffice it to say, I would not be the one cooking dinner. In steps my daughter. We of course, had asked my son what he wanted for his birthday dinner and he fessed up right away that he wanted mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. Taters are easy enough. But her macaroni and cheese are very grown up. But last night she out did herself.

Then there was the coup de ta (sp?). She made her brother a golden cake. Basically a vanilla cake. To him, as long as it is white, it is vanilla. We have not told him otherwise. She found the recipe for the cake and the frosting at Food Network, but let me tell you, there are no words to describe how good these recipes were.

Gold Cake

3/4 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening (I have no idea what she used, but I will find out)
1&1/4 cup sugar
2&1/2 cups cake flour (she used unbleached white flour)
3t baking powder
1/4t salt
8 egg yolks, beaten (I know I have given up eggs, but I did try the cake all the same, but I would love to find a substitute)
3/4 cup milk
1t vanilla
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 (9 inch ) cake pans with shortening and set aside. Cream together the shortening and the sugar. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly alternate adding the egg yolks and milk with the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Add the vanilla and mix well. Pour into the prepared pans, about half the batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
1t vanilla extract
1-2T whipping cream
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on ow speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading.

Suffice it to say, our dinner last night was to die for. And all thinks goes to my lovely daughter Nana Brain!!

Pasta And Navy Bean

2010-06-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

I have had this recipe for so long that I cannot even remember where I got it, or from who. Needless to say this is easy and filling. And so much so that for me at least, it is a one pot style meal. Meaning that I don't need anything else but some bread and a tall glass of iced tea and I am good to go.

3/4 lb dry pasta
2T olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 large tomato, chopped (I used canned for I was out of fresh)
2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 water
3 sprigs parsley, chopped
2t dried oregano and basil
2 cups broccoli florets (mine were the frozen style)
2 cups cooked navy beans (I had soaked a bunch and cooked them in bulk, then froze the leftovers)
1/4 cup chopped black olives
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cook pasta according to directions, drain well. In a large pot, heat oil, and saute garlic until lightly browned. Stir in tomatoes. Add tomato sauce, water, parsley, oregano and basil. Cook uncovered over medium heat smashing tomatoes with spoon.

When sauce thickens, add broccoli. Simmer covered until broccoli is tender but crunchy. Add beans and olives, mix well. Simmer covered until heated through. Stir in pasta. Serve with parsley.

This is so pretty to look at and again, it is just a meal in and of itself, nothing else is needed. Try it, they will ask for it again, you can bet on it.

Paper Or Plastic?

2010-06-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

Not anymore, or so it will be in California in the foreseeable future. By the year 2012, you will no longer be asked if you want paper or plastic, you will either have to bring your own, or be charged $.05 for a recycled paper bag. I can't wait for that to get to my home state.

I was recently at the grand opening of a grocery store where my company is a vendor. There were many of us from our company, and us who demonstrated the meat and cheese (Yes I work for a deli meat company) would rotate between giving out samples and greeting customers at the front door.

I saw a lady walk in with a bag from Whole Foods that read, 'I use to be a plastic bottle.' It was ingenious. I mean think about it. I told her how much we do in the green category and our conversation was going splendidly until an old fart of a man walked by and gruffed out, 'You will never see my use any of those.' I, of course, could say nothing, for I was on duty. But the lady I was talking to, did not have to obey my constraints. She, without missing a beat, politely told him, when they start charging you for them, you may see things differently. She had won me over.

But my daughter asked me, 'What if you gave people a discount for using the reusable bags, won't that make them use them more often?' And I told her no, and for this reason. People are so accustomed to BOGO, 1/2 off, sale, reduced price, clearance. BUT, when you take their money from them right out of their pockets, that makes them mad, and people do not like parting with their money.

So, I look forward to the day when folks get charged for the bags they use. There are may a day that I walk out and never even use a bag...for 1 item...really?

Read more here.

Raw Hummus

2010-06-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

I love raw food and I love hummus. Now my other half feels the need to have pita bread in order to eat hummus. And inasmuch as I agree, it is not a necessity in my book. I feel you can enjoy this lovely dish without the added circular things of joy. And yes I love Pita Bread. But if you have ever eaten it from a fresh Arab Bakery, you will N-E-V-E-R eat it from a grocery store again. Trust me when I say that everything after that is a farce. Well a while ago I had seen a raw hummus recipe on Youtube, but it was quite complicated. And not that I am against complicated dishes, but I googled raw hummus and got this lovely recipe.

Now the young lady who's blog this is no longer blogs but she gave us this lovely dish to relish in and thank you muchly I might add. I may go back and attempt to make the other raw chick pea hummus, but not until I have enough time to do so and that my friends will not be for a while. But in thee interim, go and make this one, and enjoy whether it be with a piece of pita bread or some raw veggies, this is worth the making.

Recipe is Here

1 large zucchini, peeled and diced
1/2 cup tahini
2T olive oil
2T lemon juice
1t salt
1t cumin
1 large clove garlic, pressed
Sprinkle of paprika
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peel the zucchini until all the green is removed, this is extremely important otherwise your hummus will come out green and in no way resemble traditional hummus. Combine all ingredients in food processor except for paprika and process until smooth and creamy. If you consistency is not coming up like you want it to be, then add a bit of water until you get where you want to be. Serve in a glass bowl and sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with olive oil if you so desire, and enjoy.

Sprout. Sprout. Let It All Out!

2010-06-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

I love this chick. She has taught me so much and because of her, I am seriously contemplating getting my own Youtube channel...nah, just kidding. But the thought has crossed my mind. I love food, preparing it, cooking it and then eating it, so why not share that passion with others. One day.

But on to the real reason of this post. I have begun to sprout. No, not lie that, because i am older and no longer growing, but I am sprouting beans and seeds. Right now, in the fridge, I have alfalfa sprouts and lentil sprouts, and both batches came out fantastic. And so darned easy, even a monkey could pull this off. And I am now in the process of sprouting mung beans. So far so good.

These little gems are a powerhouse of foods. Take what they offer and multiply it be thee nth degree and that is what you have in the way of foods. It did take a wee bit to get use to their earthy flavor, but once you get rolling you just can't stop. I love my sprouts and use them on just about anything and everything and just nibble on them when I need a little hold me over. So get off the couch and give sprouting a try, you will not regret it.

Tofu With Tortillas

2010-05-27T16:49:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe because it was the 4th down and we had to punt, or run with the ball. I, myself, had wanted Mexican night, but I did not call to see if we need anything. then my daughter said that her and her father would be out an about so if we needed anything they could pick it up. My husband then, politely told my daughter that I had just spent nearly $200 on groceries the last time I was at the grocery store, so he was not about to go and pick up miscellaneous items. And he was right.

She then pointed out that there was no cheese. But I told her, there was no rule book that said there 'had' to be cheese on Mexican night. What do vegans do? Oh yeah, do without. Then I realized I had no bulgur, which is what I use as my meat substitution since trying to get away from processed meat analogs. Then it hit me, I had a few scraps of different blocks of tofu and could use that instead. Time to break out the cookbooks....all 13 of them.

I struck gold when I got to number two. I found this gem of a recipe in my Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook. We had at least 95 % of thee ingredients and besides, we were all starving, so we made it work. Here is this simple recipe and is a great introduction for those who want to try tofu but have no clue how to use it. Well here is your chance to dive in.

1T virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped finely
6 corn tortillas, torn or cut into 1-inch pieces (we left ours whole & made our own)
3 plum tomatoes, diced (we used on the vine tomatoes)
1 pound firm tofu (we used scraps of tofu from left over bits of tofu from other recipes I had made through the week)
1-14 ounce can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree (we used Ro-tel lime and cilantro flavor)
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 dried oregano
Salt to taste
1 cup grated cheddar cheese or soy cheese (we had mozzarella)(optional)
Prepared salsa (optional)(we had none)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring until lightly golden. Add the remaining ingredients except the cheese and salsa, cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with grated cheese, cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes more. Serve as is or top with salsa.

I did not cover mine with a lid, for it was very liquidy and I wanted some of that liquid to cook off. It worked. I also did not put the cheese directly on the dish while it was cooking. Some folks like easy cheese and others like to pile it on, so we grate it into a serving bowl and everyone can do as they please. I would definitely make this one again. I like simple dishes that I can whip together in just minutes and use with few pre-packaged products, and this one fit the bill.

You Can Cook

2010-05-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

So may people think you need to be a chef to go into a kitchen to create a lovely meal. Nothing could be further from the truth. all you need is a passion...and a passion for food and for showing others what your passion is, which is food.

I myself, could be in the kitchen (dishes included) all day long and not give a care. I did that, about 4 years ago at Thanksgiving. My sister was here with her brood and my other sister showed up and we were nearly 19 some-odd people strong. We cranked in the kitchen from right after breakfast until the time we sat down. Now granted, there were many people to cook for, but I have learned as I go along with each now holiday and this next will set folks on their heels. Thanksgiving of 2010, we will not serve meat.

I can see my husband saying it now. These people expect meat. OK, then let them cook it and bring it. I have no problem with that, I myself will not be cooking a poor defenseless bird this year. I have no problem with others eating meat but I no longer feel the pressure to 'entertain' people in my home and go by their rules. I am not trying to come off as condescending, but I no longer feel I have to conform to everyone else's norm. It is not what I do, so why do it now? What if I did not consume alcohol, would folks expect me to serve liquor at my house if it went against the grain of my beliefs? I think not, so what is the difference? There isn't any difference. It's just that so many folks feel that you 'have to' have meat at the table that they feel lost without it. I feel just thee opposite. I find it a challenge to fill that void, so bring it on.

I do have a feeling however, that our guests may be smaller when we declare that there will be no bird...or pig for that matter, gracing our tables. With that out there, you can very easily start on your own private journey and get in the kitchen. They say, 'A way to a mans heart is through his stomach', that is so very true. But you may feel inadequate in the kitchen. Well let those feelings go. Stop being afraid, for that is when two things happen. 1) Your fear over takes you and it has then won. 2) When you become afraid, accidents happen. So find your mojo and let's see what is so good about being home in the kitchen over that lousy drive-thru window with even crappier food.

1) It's economical.
Home cooking saves money...bar none. Do the math yourself. Figure out how much it would take you to eat out 3 meals a day and do give me that dollar menu for all three meals, I ain't buyin' that.

2) It's safer.
When you do the cooking, you have control over what goes into your meals. And buying organic makes it all that healthier.

3) It's Healthier.
Even if you are not a raw vegan, you can still eat healthier. For anyone who has seen me in action, you all know the 3 questions I tell you to ask about your food. a) Can you pronounce thee ingredients? b) Would you have those ingredients in your pantry? c) Would your great-grandmother recognize it as real food? Know what is in your food and where it comes from.

4) It tastes better.
You may find your food may need a touch more salt for a while, but that is because you have been brainwashed, manipulated into thinking that is what you want and or need. WRONG! Big food chains have been changing your taste buds for years, but let me be the one to tell you, you do not need 1,238 milligrams of sodium to have something taste good.

5) It tastes like you want it to.
You like spicy, nutty, sweet, then go for it, but there is only so much they can alter when the food has been processed beyond anything and made in some factory. But at home, skies the limit and how your food can taste.

6) It's satisfying.
There is nothing more satisfying to your stomach and to your ego than to see people enjoy your creation. And you can take full credit for making that rice pilaf and smile all the while. Go on, you deserve it.

7) It makes reducing meat consumption easier.
If you haven't tried it yet, visit, Meatless Monday and see how many people are giving it a try...one day at a time. Small moves people, small moves.

8) It is a gift to future generations. 100 years ago there was no such a thing as a restaurant chain, or mass produced foods, or factory farmed animals. People took the time to cook and then sit with family and enjoy said meal. How many of you actually sit down at an actual dinner table and eat together with any member of your family? I do, even if it is only one of my family. We have gotten away from that tradition. Maybe you can kindle that again in your home. And sitting in front of the TV with a slice of pizza does not count.

9) It enriches your life.
Have a pot luck dinner. Do a dinner and a movie night. Do a food theme night that correlates with a board game or movie or color coordinate with a holiday. At Saint Patrick's Day have everyone bring something native to Ireland or bring something green. You get my drift.

10) It makes a statement.
When you tell someone that you will not join them at the sports bar or the local pizza house, and they ask why...tell them. Maybe by hearing your reasons, you will have planted a seed. they may not take root right away, but eventually you will hit upon someone who it does take hold with.

Where Do You Get Your Protein?

2010-05-23T18:12:00.001-07:00

I teach raw cooking classes every month at our local health food store. As I explore the raw food aspect of eating I am discovering so many new things. And I am also learning as I go along. That is what is so wonderful about what I do. I can teach and learn at the same time. And the people in my lovely audience do not seem to care. For we all know that eating healthier is a no-brainer. So just do it, as Nike says.

But it takes me by surprise that even in this day and age, I still get asked this question, 'Where do you get your protein?' And sometimes, I have to think about it, for, to me, it is ingrained that I get mine from sources other than an animal, that I no longer even think about it. But I am learning that omnivores are still being led to believe that you 'NEED' to eat your meat. Wrong. And thee only people who benefit from you consuming so much protein, are 3 people and they are...1) The cattle industry, 2) Your cardiologist, 3) Your pharmacist.

With that said, if you suddenly got all better and no longer needed drugs or your doctor, the balance of our society would be greatly altered. So I have put together some cut little answers/come-backs to the people who still find it necessary to ask the standard vegetarian question, 'Where do you get your protein?'

1) Where do I get my protein?
a) Same place meat does...greens!

2) How are you supposed to gain muscle if you do not eat meat?
a) Let's go ask an elephant, rhino, gorilla...shall I go on?

3) How potent is your protein from your plant based foods?
a) 100 calories of steak is 5.4 grams of protein. 100 calories of broccoli is 11.2, you do the math.

4) Aren't you protein deficient?
a) No one has even been diagnosed with protein deficiency, but, you can consume too much protein. The average American on a SAD (Standard American Diet) consumes, on average around 100 grams of protein a day. But all thee average American needs is around 30 grams.

Now For Some Did You Knows

Green vegetables are about 1/2 protein, 1/4 carbs and 1/4 fat.

Animal protein promotes every type of cancer in rats.

The amount of animal protein consumption in china is directly correlated to cancer incidences. Read, 'The China Study', you will understand.

All animal protein is devoid of fiber.

So, after you give an omnivore any or all of these answers, turn to them and politely ask, 'Where do you get your fiber?'

Zippy Zucchini & Carrots

2010-05-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well, at my raw food class last night I made two recipes. Both were from Rita Romano's book Dining in the Raw. I found it at a book bin at my local flea market that is funded by Martin County Library Systems. I go there specifically looking for cookbooks. And I have found quite a few different books. Granted, I only look for vegetarian books, but I am finding them all the same.

This recipe I made because the first one also had carrots. This was thee other recipe I made. Now you have to remember that the zucchini salad I had not made of yet so my audience was the guinea pigs. But hey, it is a free class and you can see the ingredients, you decide. And I liked the different taste the dressing gave, but if I had to do it again, I would not julienne the zucchini. I would either shred it or use a potato peeler to get it to the consistency I like. So without further adieu, here comes last nights recipe.

2 zucchini, shredded or julienned
3 carrots, shredded
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/2 t nutmeg
1/8 t cayenne pepper
2T tahini
Braggs to taste (this is soy sauce...basically)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Julienne zucchini and carrots. (I preferred to shred mine. I think they vegetables absorb the flavors of the dressing better.) Combine remaining ingredients in a blender with 1/2 cup water. (If I did this one again, I would put the dressing ingredients in a small mini chopper and whirl it around) Pour over vegetables, mix well and serve.

I really like how this dressing broke the traditional mold of oil with lemon or oil with vinegar. So many of us, even if we prepare food from scratch, get into a rut with food. This recipe definitely made me think out of my own little food box. I will make this at home and hope everyone likes it as much as I did.

Food With A View

2010-05-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I truly amaze myself with these witty titles. And if you don't get the title, ask me next time I see you and I shall explain. Moving on to more pressing matters. There has been quite a bit of buzz over the movie Food Inc. And rightfully so. We, as consumers, have been led to believe that what we throw into our grocery carts is food. I beg to differ. I was recently at a cooking event at a local high school. And I gave them a mini quiz...of sorts. I took 4 common things that are called food, listed thee ingredients, then let them see if they could figure it out for themselves. They were instructed not to Google the list and see if they could come up with 'any' of the foods listed...teacher included. Only one young lady got that one of the foods was a poptart. Other than that, no one could name the foods.

I then asked three questions, which is lately, becoming my new mantra. And here is what I ask people when they question my eating choices (see, I did not have to say diet):

1) Can you read and pronounce the list of ingredients on the back of any given food product in your cupboard/pantry?
Answer: No body admitted to being able to read any label in their pantry. So thee answer was a resounding no.

2) Would you have said ingredients in your own cupboard/pantry?
Answer: And again, no one fessed up to having high fructose corn syrup, let alone sodium stearoyl lactylate on their shelves at home. So again that answer was a hearty no.

3) Would your great grandmother recognize it as real food?
Answer: and of course the answer was no.

I no longer have to be the food police. I just show people what is out there and they take any or all of that information and do with it as they so please. If they choose to put on blinders then so be it, but it is not because I have not informed them. Do your own research, see what is being done to our food. In a word, it has been and is being bastardized. Major corporations like Monsanto are genetically modifying our food, just to it can resist certain bugs during the growing season. Plants are being manipulated to be able to let them grow on the same patch of land over and over again. Guess these big agri-businesses never heard of crop rotation.

I am going to give you a list of some of the films I have seen and will be seeing in the fore seeable future, to get me up to speed about our food industry. We, as consumers, have the power to bring any company to their knees. Want to know how? Thee almighty dollar. I know a dear friend of mine will not purchase any food if they give microwave instructions on their box. And yes, you guessed it, she does not use a microwave, but then neither do I. I will not purchase anything from Kraft. For they are partnered with Phillip Morris and I will not support the tobacco industry. So bye bye went my Boca Burgers. Yes, Boca Burger's are owned by Kraft. Not in my freezer any longer.

Will my lowly dollar make a difference? Probably not, but I plan on spreading the word and tell people to write to anyone you feel the need to. Your congressman, senator, food companies. You name them...write them. The power of the pen, and it is mightier then the sword. Hit them where it hurts, their pocket books.

Movies to watch:

1) Food Inc.
This movies tells it like it is and what our so-called food has become. There are some mild graphics so be aware you will be observing slaughter houses.

2) Fed Up
I tried to find a site with information about this documentary, but did not find any good ones. It is on Netflix and I was able to watch it instantly. Find it and see what has been and is being done to our food supply.

3) Food Matters
Heck, the trailer alone gives me gooseflesh. This film is sitting on my TV as I type this waiting for me to view it. I am so pumped up and will comment here on my blog. I have always believed that doctors, pharmaceuticals and lawyers are all in bed together, but that is just me. And why would doctors want to truly make us better? For if they did, they would be out of business.

4) The Future of Food
This film scares me into realizing how our so-called government is suppose to watch out for us and regulate our food for safety...riiiight!

5) Our Daily Bread
If you think your food is not being manipulated, then think again. Scientist will tell you it is for the betterment of things. My theory is, if you mess with mother nature long enough, she will bit back.

6) Raw for 30 Days
This makes me want to cry, and tears of both kinds. Tears of joy and tears of sadness. There is nothing better than to see someones light bulb go on. What truly amazed me about this was the emotional detox these people went through and only due to the food they ate. This is a very inspirational film. And we all know someone who is diabetic.

I have given you so much to take in for one post. And I will be adding more films as I go along. What I know is that knowledge is power and we are empowered we can makes choices and those will then become changes. We all have thee ability to do things with our lives. We 'can' change the world...one choice at a time.

How to make a Green Smoothie

2010-05-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

Well I have finally taken the dive and started to make green smoothies. And yet, I have not purchased a high-powered blender. I am using my nearly 30 year old Hamilton Beach blender. So, until I can see my way to get a Vita-Mix or Blendtec, I will probably only be able to make green smoothies with spinach. For it is thee easiest green to pulverize.

Do not get me wrong, they are still extremely delicious. I go through about 1 bag of spinach a day. My recipe makes about 1 quart and I split that with hubby. So, we are not getting the 15 veggies she is touting about in this video, but heck if I am only getting 7 in my 1/2 quart...I can live with that. Can any of you say that you even come close to getting 7 a day of fresh fruit and vegetables, let alone 15.

I will eventually work my way up to 1 quart a day, but I love how they taste, and each green smoothie is nothing like the one I made the day before. So I use what I have and deal with it. I did however, purchase a bag of frozen fruit to be able to add to my smoothies in case I run out of my surplus of frozen bananas.

It was not as difficult as I though to make and or drink these luscious little drinks. They go down smooth and I look forward to the day that I do not have to split my quart with my hubby.

Faux Egg Salad

2010-05-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

This was made on a whim and spur of the moment type night. I am so not a wing it person, and my cookbooks are always close at hand. I had 2 tubs of tofu that I needed to get used up. So I skimmed through my How it All Vegan and Viola, up popped this faux egg salad recipe. All I can say is, my-oh-my. This is definitely a keeper. Just one more reason to buy a tub of tofu.

1lb medium tofu, mashed (we used firm)(please remember to squeeze out the excess water first)
1/2 cup soy mayo (we make our own with this recipe)
4T chopped parsley
1/4 cup relish (we used sweet relish)
1&1/2 T prepared mustard *We like Ba-Tampte. It is thee best mustard on the planet*
1-2 stalks green onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (I put mine through a press)
1&1/2 t salt
1/4 t turmeric
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ina medium bowl, mash the tofu with your hands (I used a potato masher) or fork and add the remaining ingredients. Mix together well and chill before serving. (We had to get dinner on the table and it was still fine served immediately) Makes 2-4 servings.

Wow, this was so good that my husband prefers this one over my fake tuna salad. And I would have to agree with him. And this was so close to the real thing that my daughter would not eat it. Scary, huh??

What Do Vegetarians Eat Anyway?

2010-05-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

I think there is a blog with that name. And to be totally honest, I hear it all the time. And I am always ready for those who do inquire. Wait for it...'Everything you don't.' ...eat that is. And for the record, vegetarians do not eat fish. If they do, then they are certainly not vegetarians. Unless by some cosmic design, they moved fish to the plant category...yeah, that's what I thought. And this is from Merriam-Websters definition of what a vegetarian is:

'consisting wholly of vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, and sometimes eggs, or dairy products'

Well, there you have it folks, no fish in that description, what-so-ever. And now back to what do we eat. Well let me give you a view as what we do eat at any given dinner time. Tonight's dinner were these dishes.

Hot Crash Potatoes

Faux Egg Salad

Japanese eggplant sauteed in teryaki sauce

Bok choy, lightly pan fried with onions, garlic and hot pepper flakes

Roasted carrots and garlic *which accompanied the potatoes up above

Fattoush Salad *minus the lettuce*

So, as you can plainly see, we do not lack in the way of food on our plates. In fact, I was so stuffed, that I could not finish my faux egg salad. But it will go with me for lunch tomorrow, that is for sure. So do not think you 'need' to have meat on your plate, for it is not necessary, and your figure and heart will thank you.

Kimchi~~Korean Sauerkraut

2010-05-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe that I cannot believe that I have not posted. Am I nuts? Do not answer that. So, now that I am moving into a more raw type diet, I will surely be adding these types of dishes. If you do not know, fermented food is one of the best foods to ingest, and for many reasons. It is a natural preservative and it beats the heck out of store bought pickles. Again, they have turned a beautiful type of food and turned it into garbage.

Try this and you will not regret it. They are simple and easy to make. And my son tells me, as long as I can keep up production, he will fore go store bought and eat mine on his subs!! Yeah to me.

1 head green or Napa cabbage, cored and shredded
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup grated daikon radish (optional, but I used it and liked it)
1-2T freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 t dried chile flakes
2 t sea salt
1/2 cup filtered water
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Place vegetables, ginger and red chile flakes in a bowl and mash down with a wooden pounder to release juices. Stuff into a 2 quart-sized wide-mouth mason jars and press down with pounder. The top of the vegetables should be 1 inch below top of jar. Mix water with salt and pour over cabbage mixture. Add additional water if needed to bring liquid to top of cabbage. Cover tightly. Keep in a warm place for 2-3 days before transferring to cold storage.

I did not have a 2 quart mason jar so I put it into two 1 quart-sized jars and it worked out just fine. You may leave the jars out on your counter and they will ferment just fine. Remember, you may hear a bit of hissing as the veggies are doing their thing. So don't think you have a snake in your kitchen, it is just veggies expanding.

I found this recipe from Nourishing Traditions. And even thought she does have many a meat recipes in this book. Her philosophy is all about traditional cooking and no processed foods. I would recommend this book, even with the meat recipes in it. Tons of information in this book.

Ginger Snaps

2010-04-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

You ever have a recipe that you would love to master, but for some odd reason, you just never got around to it, or it just fell by the wayside? Well here is just such a recipe. I have always enjoyed ginger snaps. But as I have gotten older, I knew there was something better than what came out of a bag. And yet I never pursued the recipe with any sort of vengeance. I made a few recipes here and there, along the way...until tonight.

Bar none, these are the best ginger snap cookies I have ever eaten. Loved the ingredient list, for those are all things we keep in our pantry. all the way down to the prunes. My son loves them. Always has, and hopefully always will. The girls over at Greener Eating have this glorious recipe that I am now sharing with all you folks.

I don't remember how I found this blog, but they are a joy to read and their recipes look fantastic. Trust me when I say I will be trying out some of the things thy have posted about, and you will see my results right here.

2 cups whole wheat flour (we used spelt flour)
1t cinnamon
1t cloves
1t ginger
1/4-1/2t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 cup prunes + 2T(we pureed our own)
1 cup succanat(we used raw sugar)
1&1/2 T water
1/4 cup molasses
Sugar for dipping
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small-medium bowl, mix sugar, prunes, molasses, and water. Add. Add the spices, then add the flour. Refrigerate the dough for a few hours, but can go as long as overnight. I held out only for 2 hours. Roll the dough into balls and dip into dipping sugar. Flatten the cookie in your hand and place on greased cookie sheet. I found the dough to be extremely sticky, so I would suggest a small bowl of water to dip your hands into to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

They will be a bit soft when you take them out of thee oven, but they firm up quite nicely and get them to a cool wire/rack just as you scoop them off the cookie sheet.

I will definitely be making this little gems again, and again, and again.

Raw Potato Salad

2010-04-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

I am definitely jumping into this raw food thing with both feet. And I am usually up for just about anything new. So to say I was more than willing to try a raw potato salad recipe was another huge understatement. Heck, I am the woman who when she was a little girl would sneak up behind her mother and snatch one of the raw potatoes, that had been cut up in french fry shape on their way to the fryer....oh wait, that was last week.

Anyhow, I loved how this sounded and the book in which this came form, warned the readers, that it had an unusual taste, but heck, I am a vegetarian, we are ready for unusual. So thee only ingredient I was missing was the cilantro. But no worries, today was shopping day and we love cilantro anyhow, so it would not go to waste.

Well, it's not that I love or hate it, it is just like Rita said, it is an odd flavor, I could even put it in the classification of, it's an acquired taste. But I am unsure if I will make this one again. But hey, I tried. I still love raw potatoes

7 medium potatoes, shredded
1/2 red onion, chopped
1T extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime (we used 1/2 lemon)
Braggs to taste (we used tamari)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (we used about 1/3 a bunch)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peel and shred potatoes. ( I used a box grater, for I broke the grater blade of my food processor) Peel and dice onion. Combine all ingredients. This dish is best eaten the same day otherwise the potatoes will turn color overnight. Let marinate 1/2 hour before serving. This has a most unusual taste.

See the last line I wrote? That is a direct quote from her own cookbook, Rita Romano that is.

Move Over Mayo

2010-04-26T17:13:00.001-07:00

Well another one bites the dust. And no, that is not a line form one of Queen's songs. But oh what a group. You are sorely missed Freddy Mercury. Anyhow, on to better things. I have been toying with thee idea of going vegan and am in that process as we speak. As soon as I find alternatives to dishes, condiments, and what not in the world of food, I lose thee old food and in comes the new one.

To say that I am addicted to mayonnaise, is an understatement. And I have to be honest, I have been cutting back recently. So much so that I went form buying a quart of mayo at a time to purchasing a pint sized jar this last shopping trip.

Well, I then remembered Sarah Kramer's (of How It All Vegan) recipe with tofu being the meat (pun completely intended) of this recipe. I am learning to use tofu and in more ways than I could ever have imagined. With that said, today was shopping day and soft tofu was on the list. Knowing good and well that was the version needed for the new mayo recipe. Today was a blitz of new recipes, but this one I somehow knew I would like. And you might look at the ingredients and think you will like a dish, but that is not always the case. But in this one, it was divine. Thee only thing I found a bit unusual was the tartness from the lemon juice. Do not get me wrong, I am a lover of anything involving lemon, but this was just a smidgen too much. I will work out the kins and get it right, but this will be the last conventional jar of mayo that comes into my home. Make this and know egg yolks are no longer needed to slather on to a slice of bread.

3/4 cup soft tofu
2T lemon juice or vinegar (we used lemon juice)
1/2 t salt
dash of pepper
2T oil (we used olive)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a blender or food processor, blend together (on high speed) the tofu, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oil until thick and creamy. Store in refrigerator in a clean, dry container with a tight-fitting lid. Will keep for 7-10 days. Makes about 1&1/2 cups.

Black Bean Brownies

2010-04-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Every now and then you come across a recipe that piques your interest. This is one such recipe. And for more than one reason. I love brownies, but not chocolate. I love brownies, but not sweets. I know I am a wealth of oxymoron's. I still prefer salty over sweet, but once in a while I get a hankering for a little bit of sweetness. Insert Black Bean Brownies. When I first saw this recipe I knew right then and there I was going to make them. Now, you have to remember, that I am not one of those people who crinkles their nose up at unusual ingredients. And I think that is because I have moved away from the conventional way of thinking about food. And once you do that, your possibilities are endless. Open your mind.

I found these lovely little treats at Happy Herbivore. But I had no idea just how easy and good they were. Plus thee ingredient list is something we can all recognize and pick up at our local grocery store. Yes, even thee agave is now in every grocery store I visit. Who knew.

I am going to have to tweak them a wee bit, but not too much that I will post about it. I think that mine were just a bit too soft. So insert more oatmeal or black beans. You see, black beans are not just for Latin Cuisine.

15 ounces black beans drained and rinsed (we make our own)(in bulk so we have them ready to go)
2 whole bananas
1/3 cup agave
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1T cinnamon
1t vanilla
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup instant oats (we flake our own)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan (we use coconut oil) and set aside. Combine all ingredients except oats, in a food processor or blender until smooth, scrapping sides as needed. Stir in the oats and pour batter into pan. Bake approximately 30 minutes (we needed a bit more), or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing...if you can.

In A Pickle

2010-04-24T04:17:00.000-07:00

I love pickles, sweet and dill alike. Always have-always will. And I know that fermentation is a great way to get foods into our bodies that are more readily digestible. And we here, in this family at least, purchase dill pickles in bulk. I had made my own pickles a while back and due to laziness had not gotten around to making them again and moreso because my last batch called for whey. Now I have talked to a few women about pickle making and they remember their grandmothers making pickles, but never adding whey. So I am trying to understand thee importance of putting into our foods. Enter Megan Telpnar.

This girl is cooky and cool. I lover her quirky, upbeat style of telling you about our foods. And she is how I see myself if I ever got into video making. Food is good for us, if prepared in the proper manner and then eaten as such. With that said, I finally got around to making these little devils only because I was lacking all ingredients at the same time. If you make these and think you will be tasting the same version from what you have been purchasing off the shelf...then stop right here. For that is not what you will be getting. Those are factory processed and nothing like your Granny use to make.

Thee only flaw to my batch of pickles is that hey were not dill-y enough. But no worries, I will just increase thee amount and problem solved. My batch came out perfect other than that tiny glitch, but that is the joy to making your own food, what works for one may not work for another. they are still delicious just not like the store bought kind. Make them, I mean come on. Fill a jar and let it sit on your counter top...really??

To The Tameka's Of The World

2010-04-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

This young lady I am writing of, has no idea I am writing about her. But she has grabbed my attention. Not many people effect me the she has. I met her recently at one of my raw food classes. Now you have to remember, I am totally new at this raw food thing, so to say I can whip out factoids on what vitamins and minerals are laden inside of raw food...well I am not quite there yet. I hope to be soon enough.

With that said, Tameka came and sat in one one of my best classes, which of course was a raw dessert class, in which I made Raw Oatmeal Cookies and my utmost favorite Raw Chocolate Pudding. But to say I thought I had made was an understatement. I thought I had seen the last of this young lady. She was energetic enough (but then so many who come to my class are and then they fizzle out, and that goes for other food classes as well, not just mine) and looked as if she was truly hooked on what I was trying to sell (which was just a new way of eating). So when my next raw food class came to be, no Tameka to be found. Alas, another one falls by the wayside. Until this past Earth Day. *insert climatic music Dun dun dun*

I was at Liberty Medical and was representing Nutrition S'Mart which is the store where I teach my food classes every month. The lady who is their community director (A fancy name for 'person to get name of store out in the community') was with me through thee entire event. And thankfully so. I would have to guess that nearly close to 1,000 + came by our table. I figured out, the closer we got to this event, that I would need help and that we would indeed be seeing allot of people.

Now mind you that this crowd was not going to be an easy sell to get them to see that organic, healthy, raw food was the way to go. So we figured that if we showed them a simple,easy, recognizable dessert, that we could grab their attention. It work. I am not sitting here saying that everyone who came through our line is going to become a raw food vegan. But we did open some eyes there. And all I kept tell them about my raw oatmeal cookies were just a few things I had to ask them, which of course none of my questions were deniable:

1) Can you turn over your boxed cookies and pronounce all thee ingredients?
Answer: No

2) Would you have said ingredients in your cupboard?
Answer: No

3) Would your great grandmother recognize those ingredients as real food?
Answer: No

That was all I had to say to them. For that got their wheels turning. I was not judging them, I was just opening their eyes to the obvious in a semi-comical manner. I got allot of,"Yeah, you are right about that." Which was a great thing to hear, for you know they had to think about it just a wee bit on the ride home. They may not go home and throw out the boxed cookies, but I but you at least a dozen folks will attempt to make the cookies they ate yesterday and maybe even a small percent will like them enough and have enough curiosity to come and take one of my classes and see what healthier eating is all about.

Well much to my surprise I caught, out of the corner of my eye, a lady I recognized. Low and behold I was looking at Tameka, the young lady who was so enthusiastic at my dessert raw food class. And she stood there, trying to sell these people on my cookies. And took it a step further and boasted on how great the raw chocolate pudding was and they would not believe that avocados were the base of that dessert and they would never know how good it was until they had tried it. For she herself was a non-believer until she tried it, and now she believes.

All she kept doing was touting how great that raw chocolate pudding was and the no one would believe it had been made with avocados. Then I asked her why she had not attended my last raw food class, for I had made this great Raw Cauliflower Cous Cous Salad and my friend Dotty from Nutrition S'Mart came to my defense and said it was awesome. And then you saw the look on her face, it was slack-jaw. She then commenced to tell me the reason she had not shown up was that she thought that the same recipes would be served again. I told her, 'Definitely not." And that it was my goal to change the food each and every class. And as I am teaching these classes, I too, am learning tons of information. But more then they vitamin packed information. I want people to see how easy an inexpensive it truly can be to go raw if one if a percentage of your diet.

And I now see thee enthusiasm she exudes, and the changes she is making in her life. 'She' has been doing it in little steps and that is how it should be done. Unless you are dealing with drugs, alcohol or cigarettes, most changes can and should be done gradually. You alone can set that time table and it should be right for you. And when you find that spot where you are completely comfortable, then stop. You will know. If you were to look up the word change in the dictionary, you would find Tameka's picture, for she is thee embodiment of what we can all accomplish. If we all had more Tameka's in this world, it would be a better place.

What amazed me a bit when we did our Earth Day event was that people were genuine confused by the fact that you could eat raw oatmeal cookies and they could taste good. There was just one person who kind of bamboozled me with her response to my saying, "Try our raw, organic whole foods oatmeal cookie." And one lady cam back with, and very politely I might add. 'I Am watching what I am putting into my body.'

Well needless to say, that blew me away. I mean how much healthier and or better could you get with raw organic whole foods. I was then the one who was confused. I only hope that we cracked open the door for people to think outside of their S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) and see the possibilities out there. And that vegans and raw foodists do not live on twigs and salads.

Carrot Salad

2010-04-20T10:04:00.001-07:00

I am a culinary genius. Please do not thank me now, I have a recipe to post. After teaching my raw food class last night, I knew I had to start expanding my knowledge of raw food AND my repertoire of meals.. Suffice it to say I have dug out my cookbooks, raw and vegetarian and I am on a mission, to see what is out there in the raw food world and how easy I can make these dishes...not just for me, but for my adoring fans. *Was thee adoring fans a bit too much?*

I love carrots, and I have always preferred them raw. And I have made the traditional carrot salad that is laden with mayonnaise, and that is all fine and dandy, but move over mayo, here comes a salad that even Bugs would envy.

4 large carrots, shredded (mine were smaller, so I used 5)
3 scallions, minced (I used red onion)
Juice of 1 lemon
1t orange rind (didn't have, didn't use it)
1T extra virgin olive oil
3T fresh parsley, minced
1/4 t cayenne (I will cut it to 1/8 next time)
1/2 t cumin
Braggs/Soy sauce/ tamari to taste
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Combine all ingredients, toss well and let marinate for at least 1 hour before serving.

I made this and served over basmati rice my daughter had made for veggie sushi she made for her lunch, and oh my stars. This is a keeper and one I will be making for friends and family and definitely at my next raw food class.

I snagged this recipe from a book I got at a used book sale. Do not think you have to spend top money and expensive books. If you have the money and want to, then by all meas do so, but there are so many books out there and many of them have salad recipes. Pick one up for $.50 and see what is inside. This book is Dining in the Raw by Rita Romano

You Don't Need Surgery

2010-04-20T04:38:00.000-07:00

Since starting to teach raw food classes at my local health food store, I am searching all over the place for raw food blogs, website, communities. And the one that sticks in my mind most often and who I mention every single class is Phillip McCluskey. If this man can change the way he eats and feels about food, then anyone can. Read about how he came to the realization that he was indeed obese. It is an eye opener.

When I was starting to add raw food to our diets, I began google them everywhere, and believe you me, there are plenty of sites and YouTube accounts on Raw Food. Check them out and see what you like. There are many different styles out there. From the meek and mild to thee In Your Face raw foodists. I like Phillip, he is somewhere in the middle, someone I could find myself talking to and not feel as if he were talking down to me. That is how I like to feel when in someones presence. I like to feel comfortable. And if I would invite them to my backyard BBQ, then they are AOK in my book.

People feel the need to have the quick fix when it comes to weight loss. But bottom line...it did not take you 1 day to get that big, what makes you think you can get thin super-quickly. The whole idea of weight loss is how you 'feel' about food mentally before you actually start the process. For most it is a crutch. I know of a friend who did in fact have gastric by-pass surgery a few years ago. And the night before the surgery, this person went to an All-You-Can-Eat rib joint, and ended up woofing down 3 plates of ribs. Now you tell me what kind of mentality that is? That is definitely not someone who is ready to change their eating habits. Changing the way you think about food is in the mind before it deals with the mouth. And most people do not get it. And, for those who do get the stomach surgeries, there may not be some'one' telling you what to eat, but there is some'thing' telling you how much you can and cannot eat. And that is your stomach. For it is has been taken down to a size that is most unnatural. Talk about butchering the body.

So what is worse, getting to a size that puts you into a morbidly obese classification or having to go under the knife and have major surgery that many cannot adhere to. Last I heard the failure rate in gastric by-pass surgery was a whopping 85%. Hello, that alone should tell you something. It is not a free ticket to eating whatever you want. I believe there should be mandatory food classes for those who are considering the surgery. There should also be cooking classes to show people who to really prepare food and then be able to apply it to their lives. I know folks are working 40 hours plus and many of those people are single mothers. But with a wee bit of planning, you can still eat healthy, it is just a new way of doing things. I myself make my bread from scratch and I go a step further and grind my own wheat. And people look at me like I have 3 heads when I tell them this. But for us, in this house, it has become part of who and what we are. Did we get here overnight? Absolutely not. I do not suggest folks to go cold turkey. Rarely, if ever, do people have the ability to go cold turkey and stick with it. Baby steps. Find something that you want to change, and tackle it and master it. Once you have done that, then move on to the next thing you want to readjust in your life. For us it was food and positive attitude. They seem to go hand in hand.

And once you make the changes in your life, you will then see how people react towards you, but be ready for many a folks to get defensive and criticize your new way of life. It puzzled me for the longest time why people treated me like dirt (in a manner of speaking) when I told them I was a vegetarian and was on my way to being a vegan. And once a friend of mine explained it to me, it all became so clear. Once you make the changes and talk about it to others, by you being healthy, you make them look at their own eating styles and if they are honest with themselves, they are going to get mad and then defensive. It is a coping mechanism. I stand my ground, but am also trying to let people know they can do it as well, but in their own time frame. I try to put them at ease, saying that I did not get here overnight. But you will not reach everyone. There will be that one idiot in every crowd that will have a come-back to everything you have to say. Do not let yourself get pulled into that argument. Let-it-go. I no longer get angry or defensive about my eating choices. I explain why I have made them and if they continue to try and make me look like an ass, I stop the conversation right then and there. It's not worth it, for there is nothing you can say that will get them to see why we do what we do, so don't waste your breath or time...they are unreachable and comfortable in their own little world.

See, I told you I post more then just recipes. I am learning to be more understanding when it comes to peoples food choices. Years ago I was a snobby vegetarian, but no longer. Most people will never get to the level of eating habits I am at or on my way to having. And that is fine with me. What I do find offensive is that when I announce that I am a vegetarian, many folks start grilling me, not asking questions, about my choices. And yet, I never ask them about their choices. Why is that? They don't question the type of car I drive, why is what I eat so encroaching to them? Because by me making the choices I have, it makes them realize that their choices are not all that great. And most folks will tell you they want the truth, but in reality, they do not.

Glazed Honey Bars

2010-04-20T04:01:00.000-07:00

My daughter has a sweet tooth, and she openly admits this. I however am more a salty person, Want to know how I know? Well I used love White Russians, which are sweet and creamy, now a Dirty Martini is more my style. But I can't even remember when I had one last. Anyhow, on to more pressing issues...like food.

I am now thee official Raw Food class person at Nutrition S'Mart. And yes, I am learning right along with my students. I love cooking, but this raw stuff is still new to me, but man oh man am I having a blast. To date, I have not made a dish I have not fallen in love with and for many different reasons. For one, the ease. I taught a class last night and thee only kitchen gadgets I took were: 1) Food processor 2) Cutting Board 3) Knife) Citrus Juicer *manual* 4) Bowl and Spoon for dish, so technically this does not count.

Hello, how simple is that. Heck, if not for my purse I could have carried all of those item in with only my hands. I decided at nearly the last minute which dish I was to make and it cam out grand, but that has already been posted. What I want folks to know is that I am still on a journey, and I am not some super duper extremely perfect person eating perfect dishes. Hence this recipe. My daughter found this via The Food Network and it is from Paula Deen. Need I say anymore?

Granted, we make it as healthy as we possibly can, but there are times that you just are stuck with a decadent dish. Whether it be a salad or a dessert. These were so good, that there were none to be put in a left-over container and be put in the fridge. Make these, they are ooey and gooey, but for a treat they are perfect.

2/3 cup vegetable oil (for baking we only use coconut oil now)
1/8 cup honey(if not honey, then use agave)
1/2 sugar(we use raw)
1 egg(tofu or flax seeds are great in place of eggs)
1t ground cinnamon
1 cup self rising flour(I know my daughter used unbleached white, use what you have)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts(so that's what was missing, my daughter does not like nuts in her desserts)
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Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1T mayonnaise
1T milk (we use almond, soy or rice)
1t vanilla extract
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8 pan. In a mixing bowl, beat the oil honey, granulated sugar and egg until well blended. Stir the cinnamon into the flour, then stir this into thee egg mixture and mix well. Stir in the nuts. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let stand while you are making the glaze. In a bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar, mayonnaise, milk, and vanilla. Pour glaze over the cake and spread it with a spatula(Paula says spatuler. I love her accent). Let cool, then cut into bars.

Man were these ever good, but I could only eat these in small pieces or only one. And we all admitted that the glaze made them too sweet. See what becoming healthy does to you? Even making things from scratch and you find them too sweet. This is obviously not a dish you eat every day but once in a while is fine. Make substitutions that make it healthier and then serve it to friends, they will love you. And it is simple stupid to make...in the famous words of Paula herself.

Raw Oatmeal Cookies

2010-03-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

I snagged this recipe from Ani Phyo . I do not remember how I stumbled upon her, but I am guessing it was about raw food or from another cooking blog. Suffice it to say she is wonderful. She is down to earth and someone I would easily invite to my home and feel comfortable around.

I also subscribe to her on Youtube. She is just so cute to watch and see how she does things. She does have a few recipes on her website, but the majority of them are in her cookbooks. I will eventually be buying her books, but for now I just keep googling raw food for websites and blogs.

Watch her in action at a festival.

I tried to upload the video of her, but I could not get it to do so, so please check her out and make these scrumptious little devils.

1&1/2-2 cups rolled oats
1 cup pitted dates, chopped
1 cup of raisins
1 t cinnamon
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Place oats in glass bowl with cinnamon. Stir together until mixed. Chop dates into a semi-fine mush. May I suggest that you oil your knife. We use coconut oil. Add dates to oatmeal mixture. Toss in the raisins. Oil your hands with coconut oil or with warm water. I used coconut oil and it lasted a good amount of time. Keep on mashing together by hand. It will take about 5 minutes, but oh the biceps you will have.

Once the mixture is to a dough-like consistency (you will know) then start forming them into golf ball sized rounds then flatten them into cookie shapes. Bada-Boom, bada bing you are ready to eat these puppies.

My son, who is the pickiest eater I know, tried a small sample then asked for a bigger cookie. Who's your momma now son? Yeah, I thought so!

Vegging In Orlando

2010-03-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought? We (meaning my daughter and myself) usually dread going to eat anywhere. Why you may ask. Don't bother, for I am going to tell you. First and foremost, we are vegetarians, which in the world of food, makes us weirdos to begin with. Being green is another thing to add to the weirdo-ness of our make-up.

We are in Orlando Florida for an sci-fi, anime, comic convention. We have been lucky enough to be close to said convention...about 2 miles. We packed food, knowing how difficult it would be to find a place that could feed us the way we need to be fed.

As we rolled into Orlando amid a very rainy day, we took a wrong turn. But in doing so we stumbled upon a Lebanese restaurant. We knew this from the name of the restaurant, Cedar's. We found our hotel just a few moments later. We then hopped on to the laptop and searched for vegetarian restaurants. We found a few, but the reviews were very mixed. So, we opened all the places that fell into the vegetarian category. And #4 on the list was...yep, you guessed it, Cedar's.

Then it hit us, my son, who is not a vegetarian, could also eat there, knowing that this was not a strictly vegetarian restaurant. So I closed the laptop and off we went. Much to my surprise, this place rocked the house. What you have to remember, is that I am married into a family of Syrians. So I know first hand how real Middle Eastern food should taste. And let me tell you, this place nailed it perfectly.

Not only was the food excellent, but so was the atmosphere, and the help. They were friendly and a joy to be around. The place was decently packed, but not so much so that you were in line around the building. I would recommend this place to anyone who visits Orlando. Those who are even vegan could also eat here, for the dishes Savanah and I ordered, were vegan. BOO-YAH!

I am going to give you the address and phone number if any of you ever want to come for a stay and have no clue where to eat. And do not fear, this place also serves meat, so you can go with mixed company and feel fine.

Cedar's Restaurant
407-351-6000
7732 West Lake Road
Orlando Fl. 32819

Best Ever Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-03-11T03:20:00.000-08:00

I have no clue where I found this recipe. I always try to give credit where credit is due. So I scoured my cookbooks, blogs and found nada. So whoever I snatched this form...there is place for you in the cosmos.

This recipe took all of about 10 minutes to put together, save for the freezing part. And they were perfect in my opinion. My daughter thinks they needed more sweetener, but I disagree. But then again she has a sweet tooth.

This is so close to raw it is scary. And putting raw into my diet is definitely becoming something I am enjoying. So give these a try. You will not be sorry.

1/4 cup soy milk (we used what was in the frig)
2T cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2T sugar (we used raw sugar)
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup uncooked oats
2t olive oil
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Add soy milk, cocoa powder and sugar in a small nonstick saucepan over low heat and stir often until sugar dissolves and all ingredients mix nicely.

DO NOT BOIL (soy milk will curdle and that is ICKY my friends), but make sure it gets very hot. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter and stir into mix until melted.

Stir in oatmeal and oil.

Drop with a greased tablespoon into 16 balls onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper, or spray with non-stick spray. Freeze (covered, if desired) for a minimum of 4 hours. They are better the next day after you make them (This is true)

And yes my friends you eat them frozen. Forget Hagen-Daz, this rules the freezer.

Preparation time: Fast. There is no baking. Hello summer cookies, this is Florida we are talking about.

Black Bean Vinaigrette

2010-02-28T17:50:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe I have not posted this salad yet. I had one of my husbands buddies come over for dinner tonight and I had not made this salad in eons. So before going to work this morning, I soaked the beans then came home, and was able to cook them in about 30 minutes. Darn I love soaking beans and moreso in baking soda.

Anyhow, I knew it called for two ingredients I did not have at home so I made sure I picked them up before leaving to come home from work. And those were cilantro and tomato juice or vegetable juice. today I used tomato juice. Plus thee extra can be used in Bloody Mary's.

This is best served warm or at room temperature. I have had it cooled and it is not the same. Not bad, just not the same. Make this and know there is something else to do with beans.

1&1/4 cups dry black beans, soaked over night or all day long
4-5 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 t salt
1 T red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic minced (we used our press)
1/4 t cumin
1 t hot sauce
1 T chopped cilantro
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable juice
1/2 green, yellow and red bell pepper diced
1 red onion, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
sprigs of cilantro for garnish
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Drain soaked beans and rinse well. Put in a large saucepan with water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat, cover and simmer until soft, about 1-1&1/2 hours. Drain beans, remove bay leaf and return beans to saucepan.

In a small bowl, combine salt, vinegar, garlic, cumin, hot sauce, cilantro and olive oil. Pour over beans. Toss well. Add remaining ingredients except cilantro sprigs and toss gently. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with cilantro.

This is one of those salads that will do well in any season. Make it and enjoy it like we do.

Garlicky Caeser Dressing

2010-01-22T15:40:00.000-08:00

I love not having to buy bottled dressings. Now, if I cold only get my husband to stop buying them. That is not to say I have not fallen off the wagon and used bottled dressing when it is in the house, but my preference is to stay clear of those processed things in a bottle. I went to the produce market today and felt inspired to cook, prepare something...anything. I also keep seeing this picture of a cold pasta salad in the grocery stores I work in. And due to the fact it is a chain of stores the picture is the same in every single store. That is not a complaint.

It is a basic elbow noodle salad, and for color there are black olives, red onion, grape tomatoes and possibly some green peppers. But suffice it to say it is your basic colorful pasta salad. Now I have not had the time to devote to cold pasta salads as I would like to, but I am getting rolling now. For both my husband and I do not have access to any way to warm our noon meals if we are working. So, salads it is. But even for us vegetarians, that can get old after a while. So I thought I would take a whack at this cold pasta salad thing tonight.

The salad ingredients were simple enough, but now it was to the dressing part. I had to get it just right or the salad would die if they, meaning the salad and dressing, did not get along. Along comes the Cooking Lady and I saved the day. I found a scrumptious dressing to pair wonderfully with any salad, greens included. So try this salad out for size and see what you think.

This dressing came from the book I snagged at the withdrawn section of a library down in Fort Lauderdale for $.50...who knew!! Vegetarian Times Complete Cook Book.

Approximately 2 cups cooked elbow pasta
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 red onion, sliced to your liking
1 stalk celery, cut to your liking
Black olives would be perfect for this dish, but we had none
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4-5 cloves garlic (I put them through the press)
1 t virgin olive oil
1 t red wine vinegar
2 t balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 t water
1/2 t dry mustard
1-2 drops hot sauce (I added a bit more)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With a fork, mash garlic in thee olive oil. Whisk in the remaining ingredients. Let the dressing sit overnight in your frig if you want a stronger garlic flavor. Trust me this is strong enough without having to sit overnight, but it is your call. This was a grand way to use cold pasta that we had no idea what to do with. Thank you cold pasta recipes. **Make sure your pasta has completely cooled before adding the dressing.**

Potato Latkes

2010-01-05T14:27:00.000-08:00

I know these are well renowned in the Jewish community, but can I say how much I love these things? I mean, just potatoes alone, you can do like a million things with them. And then add onions. Wow oh wow. I got this from one of my vegetarian books that I snagged at the low price of what...$.50.

But I was hankering for some new recipes. And since my life has been helter skelter during the holidays, it is a joy to get back to trying to new foods and posting again. My first love is food and feel bad when I cannot share things with my readers. So try this. It is simple and oh so easy to make.

1&1/2 pounds of potatoes, grated
2 small onions, minced (we used one large)
3T cornstarch
1T finely chopped fresh parsley (we were out)
Dash freshly ground pepper
2T soy sauce or tamari
Nonstick cooking spray (we used a thin layer of oil)
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Mix all thee ingredients in a bowl. Coat a skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Form 3-inch patties and cook over medium heat until crisp on both sides.

These were great, bu I would lower the heat a bit and cook them a bit longer, or just puree the onions. Either way I am good to go. Did I mention I love potatoes?

Carrot-Raisin Muffins

2010-01-03T14:40:00.000-08:00

I love muffins. Always have...always will. So when I got Vegan With A Vengeance for Christmas, I knew I would be searching for some new muffin recipes. Now keep in mind that I got a jumbo muffin tin at my AVON holiday party as a Chinese gift exchange. Who better to get such a gift. We have used it a few times already.

Before I got so healthy, I loved muffins just the same, except they were laden with sugar, on thee inside and out. But I am now exploring some great recipes with so much less sugar added. And my first reaction still is to say, 'Hey, these are not sweet enough.' But then I realize what I just said and move on. These are definitely a keeper, except I will need to alter the time they are baked. We need to extend our time, for the time given is not long enough for my oven. Try these, eat these and make these again.

1/2 cup raisins
1&1/2 cups flour (we used half spelt and half soft white. Remember we grind our own wheat)
2t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground or freshly grated nutmeg (I was able to use freshly grated. Thank you microplaner)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2t salt
1 cup rice or say milk (we used almond)
1/4 cup canola oil (we used olive)
1t vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray or lightly grease. ( we use coconut oil) Soak the raisins in a bowl of hot water and begin preparing your batter. In a large mixing bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and salt. Create a well in the center and add the milk, oil, and vanilla; mix with wooden spoon until just combined. Fold in the grated carrots. Remove the raisins from the water and fold in. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, (we need at least 25 for our oven) until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Let cool on a cooling rack.

They are healthy and taste good, a concept most folks who are not vegetarians or are poor esters cannot understand. Make them and sit down with a cup of java or tea, they deserve that much at least.

Greek Scrambled Tofu

2009-12-30T17:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you who may follow me and my food journey. I am slowly but surely on my way to becoming vegan. This will not happen over-night and I am OK with that. I can see that in doing so I will be alienating myself even more in the social world. I will be deemed/judged as some sort of freak. It bothers me and only to the point that I look at those who sit in judgement and trust me when I tell you, they would do good by losing some of the things offered in the meat world.

It bothers me when someone who is visibly out of shape and has thee audacity to criticize me food options. Really? Give me a break. Put as I have grown older and hopefully wiser, I do not sit in judgement, or at least I do not verbalize it, I just let them know the benefits I have experienced in losing meat and now dairy from my diet. My actions speak for themselves.

I also love listening to people say they could not let go of meat. And I gently remind them that there is a difference between not being able to let go of meat and not wanting to let go of meat...BIG difference.

I have been a vegetarian now for a year and a half, save for a set back or two. And my brother-in-law just now says he found out about it. Helloooo, you were at my house on Thanksgiving. No meat on my plate then. DUH to him. With all this said, I have been experimenting with tofu. I want to like it. Aren't all vegetarians supposed to like this stuff. Thee easiest way I saw, was to use it as a scrambled egg replacer. My first attempt at trying a new recipe was a near failure. But when thrown from the horse I just get right back on and keep on going.

So, a new recipe has crossed my path. And I enjoyed this one so much that I taught it at our local health food store and it was a big hit. I will definitely be making this one again and now trying other tofu scrambler recipes in the future. Thank you to How It all Vegan for this lovely ethnic flavored tofu breakfast dish.

1 pkg. firm tofu, crumbled (squeeze as much water out as you possibly can)
1-2 T Braggs or soy sauce/tamari
turmeric (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
dried oregano (to taste)
splash of olive oil
6-8 Greek olives, chopped (remove pits if necessary)
handful of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup spinach, chopped
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a large saucepan, add the tofu, Braggs, turmeric, pepper, and oregano to a splash of oil and saute on medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, until moisture has evaporated. Add the olives, sundried tomatoes, and spinach. Cover and cook for 2-4 minutes, until spinach is tender. Makes 2-4 servings.

I am in love. This is winning me over to the tofu side and I am not looking back.

The Perfect Pancake

2009-12-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

You can all thank How it all Vegan for this recipe. Yes, it is a basic simple recipe, but there are times where we stray away from the simplicity of things and make them grander than they have to be. Well not in this case. We all know we love pancakes. I, in fact, could eat them every day. And trust me when I tell you it doe snot have to be for breakfast. There has been plenty a night that my daughter and I have had breakfast for dinner. And vice versa in this house. But most people cannot fathom left-over spaghetti for breakfast.

I went looking for a tofu scramble recipe and stumbled upon a new pancake recipe. It looked too runny, but I stuck to the recipe and let me tell you, this was one of those pancake recipes that you could make, photograph and send off to a magazine for a front cover spot. This, bar none, was thee most perfect pancake. So sit back, and try this, you will not regret it.

2 cups flour (we used unbleached white, but will use our own fresh ground, next time)
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
2 cups soy milk (we used 1 c soy & 1 cup rice milk)
2 T oil (we used olive)
sliced fruit (optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder together. Add the milk and oil and mix together carefully until "just mixed" (if you mix too vigorously, the pancakes won't get fluffy). Portion out about 3/4 to 1 cup of batter onto a hot non-stick pan or lightly oiled frying pan and cover with a lid. Let sit on medium heat until the centre starts to bubble and becomes sturdy. Flip pancake over and cook other side until golden brown. Repeat process until all the batter is gone. Makes 2 or more servings. Garnish with fresh fruit and maple syrup.

This will be in my morning line up for sure. Make it one of yours.

It Still Amazes Me

2009-11-28T04:05:00.000-08:00

We had Thanksgiving at our home this year, as always. We have learned to split the holidays. I always take Thanksgiving and my mother-in-law takes Christmas eve. My brother-in-law and his wife have yet to take a holiday. but it would be difficult for us to go there for a few reasons. They have 4 cats and do not keep up on the tidiness of their living area. And the fact that my husband and son are allergic to them is an extra added kicker.

But we had a nice dinner all the same. This was definitely not my best year. It was not my recipes, they were great. It just did not flow smoothly like it usually does. For one I cooked a ham and a turkey...for thee omnivores in our family. I will not do that again. I make enough dishes that no one would walk away hungry. that is, if they decide to fore go their assumptions as to what vegetarians eat and just give our food a try.

I waited to see how long it would take for someone...anyone to make any type of comment about our eating style. It took til the end of the meal this time. Not bad. My brother-in-law, who is thee epitome of the SAD (standard American diet) made a comment on my daughters plate and what she was eating when I tried to coax his son to try a bit of everything on his plate, even the ham. He went about to make mention that my daughters plate lacked the meat portion. Then he moved on quickly to a story about a friend of his who's child recently went vegan and now the cost of their grocery bill has gone up $200. That may be a viable answer for a months worth of groceries. But what I tried to explain to my brother-in-law (who of course knows everything about everything) is that it is this child's choice. He pointed out that he thought it was a fad. And that may very well be the case. But aren't some habits and or lifestyles start out as fads and then catch on. So what knock what this child is attempting to do.

That was when I diplomatically as possible explained to my brother-in-law (who is morbidly obese), that yes it is a bit more expensive to eat healthy, but I will be better off then the rest of you, making a blanket statement in reference to those who did not eat healthy. I referred to my in-laws, who carry around a small suitcase of pills, as well as my parents. they are now paying for an unhealthy lifestyle. Pay now, or pay later is my motto.

I won't be dragging my butt because of some illness that could have been prevented due to the choices I could have made in my eating habits. I have made those choices now and do not regret them. I did ask both my brother-in-law and his wife, what they would do if their son came to them at an early age and wanted to give up meat? And the wife said she would support her son but would let him know he could always come back to the meat eating world. Huh?! What does that even mean? Are we the dark side? Is it so difficult to imagine life outside the meat-eating box? I guess for some it is, but not for us.

And as this holiday passed, I was talking to my daughter about giving up more animal by-products, such as cheese, dairy and eggs, even thought we use them sparingly now. And her response was, "People already think we are freaks, and it is already difficult to go anywhere other than home to eat, what would it be like if we went vegan?"

So, she thinks about it, but is afraid of the backlash and what people will say. Pah I say. It is now my new project to find us ways to lose more dairy and eggs as well. I am bound and determined to show her that becoming vegan is do-able and that we are already considered freaks, what's one more step in that direction?

So watch as I discover how to incorporate veganism into our lives and not come off as weird...yeah right.