Recipe #15: Michigan Winter Beer Fest Snack Mix

Salty?  Yes.  Sweet?  Just enough.  Spicy?  Yep.  Healthy?  Well, not really but WAY better than chips or festival food.  I have packed a bunch of this yum-stuff up for the Winter Beer Fest tomorrow.

1 cup plain Cheerios (or use a generic version)

2 cups pretzel twists

1 cup salted peanuts

1 cup wasabi peas

1 cup dried cranberries 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix all ingredients in a large oven safe pot or baking dish.  Bake for 15-20 minutes then let cool.  Baking plumps up the cranberries and somehow makes the flavors go together even better.  Mix again and pour into a container with a tight fitting lid.  Easy! 

 

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Recipe #14: Blueberry Lemon Cornmeal Pancakes

Warning: These are not like traditional pancakes.  They are not light and fluffy and overly sweet.  They are hearty and dense and filling.  They will also make you feel great, not bloated and headache-y with that icky throat feeling that you get from traditional pancakes with fake syrup.  Lemons and blueberries have been friends forever and when you put them together in this breakfasty treat they are truly bitchen.  This is another adaptation of a recipe from the Engine 2 Diet Book which itself was an adaptation of a recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance.   

Yay! Blueberry pancakes that WON'T make you feel like this.

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 c. cornmeal

2 cups almond milk

1/2 cup vanilla flavored soy yogurt

The juice and zest of 2 lemons

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen & thawed blueberries

Cooking spray

Real maple syrup

Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl and stir very well.  It will look weird and watery but it is supposed to.  Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl (if you have one with a pouring lip- use it) and stir very well to combine.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until there are no lumpy parts.  Keep in mind that cornmeal is very grainy and whole wheat flour is, y'know, brownish, so the batter is not going to have the same texture or color that you may be used to with traditional pancakes.  Do not panic about it, just fold in the blueberries and stir.  Spray a large skillet/frying pan with cooking spray and heat over a low-medium flame.  When a drop of water sizzles in the pan, it's go time.  Pour batter into center of the pan and swirl it around to make it thinner and even.  Cook for about 4-5 minutes until pancake is very easily lifted with a spatula--don't rush it or you will have a broken pancake.  Flip and cook on the other side for another 3 minutes.  Keep going until you have used up the batter.  Respray the pan as necessary.  If you want to serve them all at once, keep them warm by putting a glass plate in a 200 degree oven.  As you finish the pancakes, add them to the plate.  Serve with real maple syrup-- I know it is expensive but it is so much better (and better for you) than the fake stuff and you don't need very much at all to take these over the top.   

 

Recipe #13: President's Day Tempeh with Lentils and Barley

Hear ye, hear ye!  I declare this dinner to be AWESOME!

Folks, when you eat lentils or barley you are quite simply taking a bite out of history.  According to my sources, barley has been around since about 10,000 BC and archaeologists have discovered 10,000-year-old lentils in Greece.  Soooo old!  This recipe also includes tempeh, which is fermented soybeans.  So basically, tempeh is old before you even bring it home from the store!  OLD!  So, on this eve of President's Day 2011, let us honor history by eating some really old foods.  

1 package tempeh (8 oz)

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup uncooked yellow lentils

1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley

3 carrots, peeled and shredded

1/3 c. minced red onion

1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons Bragg's or tamari 

1 Tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (I recommend Annie's Naturals)

1/4 teaspoon (plus an extra pinch) sage 

1/4 teaspoon (plus an extra pinch) thyme

Pinch rosemary

Black pepper

Pour broth into a large pot with carrots and onions.  Bring to a boil, add lentils and barley and 1/4 tsp each sage and thyme and the pinch of rosemary.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer uncovered for about 40-50 minutes until almost all liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender.  During the last 25 minutes of cooking time, get the tempeh going.  First, cut tempeh into very small chunks or just crumble it with your hands.  Steam tempeh in a covered steamer basket over boiling water for 10 minutes.  Heat the olive oil in a medium sized skillet and when a drop of water sizzles in the pan, add steamed tempeh chunks.     Stir fry the tempeh for about 5 minutes then add the Bragg's or tamari, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, pinches of thyme and sage and cracked fresh pepper.  Stir fry about 5 minutes more.  Serve tempeh on top of barley and lentil mixture.   A simple spinach and tomato salad with Three-Two-One Blast Your Face Off Dressing, is a nice compliment.   

"I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it".  ~Abraham Lincoln

       

 

           

Recipe #12: Chocolate mousse

Here is another recipe adapted from the Engine 2 book.  This is truly awesome and so easy!  The cinnamon was my touch.  I think adding a little natural peanut butter to the mix and then topping the mousse with sliced bananas would really take it over the top.  It is seriously outta sight just like this though.  Please note: it is important that you use silken soft (not firm) tofu otherwise you will have chunky mousse.  I used Mori Nu which is available at most grocery stores in the produce section.   

1 package silken tofu
2 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 c agave nectar or pure maple syrup or a combination of both

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and break up tofu with a fork.  Beat with a hand held mixer on high until ingredients are well blended and there are no lumps.  Chill until ready to serve. Makes 4 servings.      

Recipe #11: Valentine's Day Chili

I didn't have dinner with huzbers on Valentine's Day since he was at work.  To be honest, we don't really care much about Valentine's Day.  If we do anything it usually involves something silly like giving each other joke presents (tacky light up roses from the gas station or something).  Yesterday turned out awesome though because huzbers made me dinner from my favorite cookbook Appetite for Reduction and it was waiting for me when I got home.  He even left little lime wedges out!  Adorable. 

Eating Chipotle Chili with sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts by yourself while watching Unites States of Tara is not most people's idea of romance but to me it pretty much ruled.  The recipe calls for crushed coriander seed.  He admitted that his first his plan was to smash the seeds with a hammer.  He ended up using a rolling pin instead.  

Yum! Not too shabby for someone who says they can't cook.

Recipe #10: Three Two One: Blast Your Face Off Dressing

You'll find this recipe in the Engine 2 Diet Book as "Beam Me Up, Scottie" Dressing.  Of course I don't know the Scottie it is named after so I don't get the inside joke.  You can call it whatever you want.  This is so easy I kinda feel like a fool for not coming up with it on my own!  I served it over a bean and brown rice salad that I took to my first ever vegan potluck (with strangers) last week.  I was a little nervous but everyone was really nice and the food was ridiculously good.  What a great experience to go somewhere and be able to try EVERYTHING without asking questions and not having to hear things like: "Whoops- that has beef broth in it, does that count as meat?" after you have started chowing down.     

3 parts Balsamic vinegar

2 parts Dijon mustard

1 part Agave nectar

Black pepper to taste 

Whisk it up.  If you want it a little thinner just add a few drops of water.  

You'll find more Engine 2 marinades, dressings etc. here. 

Recipe #9: Drunk and Lazy Chili

Last winter we brewed a smoked porter that so smoky we couldn't drink it.  Fortunately, we found some great ways to cook with it!  This is a lazy chili because there is little chopping, a lot of cans and only one pot.  The porter adds a great depth to what otherwise might be a pretty typical veggie chili.        

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can corn

3 cans chili ready chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon each:

                cumin

                chili powder

                Sriarcha hot sauce (optional)

                garlic powder

1/2 c. (4 oz) smoked porter (Stone Smoked Porter would be perfect)

10 oz of veggie sausage style crumbles (or microwave patties and break up into small pieces) 

1 red onion diced

Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast- optional 

Rinse and drain beans and corn.  Put all ingredients except porter into crock pot and stir well.  Add porter very slowly while stirring so it doesn't get too foamy.  Cover and cook on low for 3- 5 hours, stirring occasionally during cook time.  Stir one more time before serving and adjust seasonings.  Top with cilantro and serve with corn bread or chips if desired.

Recipe #8: Tiggy's Walnut Pâté

Did you know that amazing things can happen when you soak nuts in water and then pulverize the living hell out of them in a food processor?  I always knew this in my heart I suppose.  After all, peanut butter and tahini are both totally outta sight!  I just feel like the day I made a salad dressing with cashews I opened a whole new world of possibilities.  In this recipe, walnuts are chopped, not pulverized (so go easy, tiger).  This fancy and fabulous party pâté is courtesy of Chef Tiggy:

 

3 cups walnuts, soaked in water
¼ cups soy sauce
¼ teaspoon cumin (or to taste)
2 scallions
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1/4 -1/2 of a red pepper
Handful cilantro (optional)
1 clove garlic (or to taste)

Soak walnuts overnight.  Chop veggies into large chunks.  Drain walnuts and place together with veggies and remaining ingredients in food processor and process for 20-30 seconds.  Refrigerate until served.  Serve with pita, crackers, veggies, zucchini boats.

Loosely adapted from Raw Renegade    

Recipe #7: Roasted Beets and Garlic

Since I just posted a recipe for turnips, I thought it made sense to follow with a recipe for beets.  Like turnips, people are usually either indifferent, confused, or disgusted by beets.  I thought I hated them until last summer when I decided to give them another chance.  I bought some local beets, roasted them in olive oil and totally fell in love.  I recently converted my mom after we bought some at the Flint Farmer's Market a few weeks ago.  Beets are cheap, easy to find any time of year, super good for you, yummy hot or cold, and they are about the prettiest color veggie out there.  They add an awesome color to dishes, they are great for word play ("Yo! These are some dope beets!" groan) and Dwight Schrute grows them.  They are sweet and "earthy"--like candied dirt but better!  Not sold yet?  Well, give this a try:

Look how cool I am! I'm like a ruby that you can eat!

3-5 medium beets
3-5 teaspoons olive oil
3-5 cloves garlic, peeled
sea salt
pepper



Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Peel the beets.  You can roast them without peeling them and the skins will come off easily but you have to wait until they are cool enough to handle and it can be messy.  I like to just get it over with.  Place each peeled beet in the center of a square of aluminum foil big enough to cover it.  Drizzle each beet with 1 teaspoon olive oil and top with 1 clove of garlic.  Sprinkle with sea salt and crack some fresh pepper on them then wrap the foil so the beet and the garlic are snuggling closely (awww).  Place wrapped beets on a cookie sheet and stick them in the oven.  Check to see if they are "forking tender" (hee hee) after 45 minutes.  To do this, CAREFULLY open one of the foil packages and stick a fork in the largest beet (since that is the one that will take the longest to cook).  You'll want to avoid dripping searing hot olive oil on your skin at all costs.  Give them another 10-15 minutes if they are not done yet.  After that, remove them from the oven and carefully peel back the foil and let them cool down a little.  Slice the beets or cut them into chunks and mince the garlic.  Reserve the olive oil that you used for roasting.  You'll notice that your knife and cutting board are now covered with an awesome magenta color.  Don't worry about it, just rinse them off and they should be fine.  Put beets and garlic in a container and drizzle with the reserved oil.  Add a little more salt and pepper to taste.  Eat them now or put them in the fridge to eat on salads later on.  In Appetite for Reduction, there is a recipe for roasted beets that uses no oil- just beets in foil.  This is a great option if you are not wanting the extra calories from the oil.  

Beet Greens 
If you bought beets with the greens on and the leaves look bright and aren't limp, eat 'em up!  Wash them well, remove leaves from the stems, chop the stems and saute them by themselves in 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil.  After 5 minutes, add the chopped leaves and a Tablespoon of water, stir well and cover.  Leaves should wilt after about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a few drops of lemon juice.  If you have walnuts, chop them up and add them too.  Walnuts and greens are pretty much a perfect combo in my book.  

     

Recipe #6: Steamed Turnips

Steamed turnips?!  Barf!  This must be a joke.  

No, it is not a joke.  Steamed turnips are actually not barf at all.  You don't hear about turnips much so it makes us think they must be weird or gross.  As it turns out, they are an awesome but unfortunately under-appreciated veggie.  The consistency is like a potato but they have way more flavor so you don't have to do too much to them to make them really delicious.  You can usually find them with or without the greens still attached.  The greens are great steamed too- wash them well, remove stems and add them to the steamer during the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time.     

We are turnips and we are adorable.

2-4 turnips, peeled and cut into large chunks

lemon juice

salt and pepper

Steam turnips for 15- 20 minutes.  They should be "forking tender" as my mom says (hee- hee).  Remove from steamer basket and put turnips into a serving bowl.  Top with lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve as is or mash them up with a potato masher.  That's it.     

Engine 2 Diet

I recently purchased the Engine 2 Diet book after finding it used on Amazon.  I was sick with a nasty cold yesterday and spend most of the day in bed reading this little gem cover to cover.  The author, Rip Esselstyn, is  the picture of perfect health.  He follows a 100% low fat vegan diet, competes in triathlons, is a firefighter in Austin, and is pretty easy on the eyes to boot (hee-hee).  The book has some great stories about Rip helped many of his not-so-fit firefighter friends start following his healthy diet.  They were amazed when their cholesterol plummeted along with their weight after just a short time.  It is pretty inspirational AND the recipes look awesome: sweet potato-vegetable lasagna, an alfredo sauce made with tofu, cashews, and soymilk, kale "butter" made with walnuts, and lemon cornmeal pancakes just to name a few.  There is a super simple salad dressing recipe that is only balsamic vinegar, mustard (I'd use dijon), agave nectar and water.  I will be experimenting with several of these recipes and will be sure to report results asap.         

Recipe #5: Tiggy's Edamame Hummus

Edamame is so good! I love tahini in hummus but man does it pack a punch when it comes to calories and fat. This is a new and much lighter version of my all-time favorite dip.          

2 cups edamame, shelled and cooked to package directions

¼ cup soybean oil (olive would work)

3 Tbs lemon juice

2 tsp chopped garlic (or to taste)

¾ tsp ground cumin (or to taste)

½ tsp salt

Puree edamame, oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt in food processor for 30-60 seconds, scrapping sides twice, until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with pita, crackers, baguette or raw veggies.

Yield: 2 ½ cups. Per 2 TBS serving: 60 calories, 5 g fat (0g Sat fat), 90 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 1 g fiber.

Adapted from Soyfoods Guide

Recipe #4: Snow Day Bean Soup

So, there is a giant blizzard in the Midwest and my office was closed today.  Not counting the 1/2 a bottle of vodka in my freezer leftover from my birthday 4 months ago and way too many bottles of hot sauce, these were about all the ingredients that I had.  Old-timey bean soup recipes usually call for animal hocks, hooves, tails, or "frames" which I think is just another word for carcass.  I used liquid smoke which adds a rich and meaty flavor that makes it seem traditional.  If the soup doesn't warm you up, the after effects of the beans and the cabbage will- hee hee! 

10 c. cold water

2 c. (1 lb) bagged mixed soup beans without seasoning, rinsed and picked over

1 small head green cabbage, chopped into shreds

1 large yellow onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian Soup Base (I used the "No Chicken" kind) 

1/2 Tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos (tamari or low sodium soy sauce work fine)

1/2 Tablespoon liquid smoke

Freshly ground pepper to taste
Few drops of Sriacha or other hot sauce to taste (optional)

In a large heavy bottomed stock pot, combine beans, water and bouillon and set over a high flame.  Add all other ingredients and stir well.  Wait until soup comes to a very low boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low.  Simmer for 3-4 hours with the lid on.  Stir soup about every half hour.  If it comes to a boil again, reduce heat to low prevent beans from bursting.  Check beans to see if they are done- should be tender not firm- and remove from heat. Adjust seasonings and replace lid.  Set aside for at least 10 minutes to cool a little before serving.  This is one of those soups that is going to be even better the next day.  Since there is so much of it, it may be a good idea to freeze portions for later.  I think it will be quite cozy hanging out in my freezer next to the vodka.