dear G-d!! decadent good [for you] -ness shake.

meandering through my sunday afternoon, i'm past that time for lunch...and not quite at that time for dinner ... i'm not really hungry, and don't want to snack ... but i have that craving for something to give me energy and satisfy the desire for something tasty ... i think i came up with just the thing.

ingredients and directions:

mix
1 cup chocolate unsweetened almond milk
4 tbs hemp protein powder
2 tbs dark cacoa powder
1 tbs chia seeds
2 tbs agave nectar
ice

give a whir in a blender and drink with a rich, sweet smile on your face.
mmmm, mmmm good!

Refrigerator Roundup: Between Seasons Summer/Fall Samedi Soiree.

Having wheeled home yet another bike load of fabulous vegetables from my favorite Farmer's market, I spent Saturday night cooking what I couldn't fit into my too-tiny coldbox. After surveying all the veggies still on hand from the last trip, and what would likely be the first to pale from most recent one, I decided to throw together these two down-home delights. While the butternut squash hints at the Fall that is still yet to come, I like pretending we are actually going to feel a change of seasons here in the Deep South, and winter squashes are my favorite staple veggies to have on hand…they keep well without refrigeration for a long time, and singlehandedly, make a stew a meaty, meatless delight…toss with some beans and cook-up for a hearty meal that even a carnivore would love.


Spicy Butternut Squash and Pinto Frijole Achiote Stew

Ingredients:
One butternut squash, Peeled and Cut into approx. 1 inch chunks.
2-3 small yellow onions, skinned and chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can or 2 cups beans your choice…I used pinto beans.
4-6 chopped tomatoes, or you can cheat like I did and use 1 can prepared chopped tomatoes.
Approx 1 tbs Achiote [Annato seeds]
2 tbs Olive Oil
Approx. 4 dried red chiles.
Cumin
Paprika
Cayenne

Preparation:
Assemble and prepare all of your vegetables.
**Tip: I find it easiest to peel a butternut squash if it is microwaved for approximately one minute before cutting.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or 4 quart pot.

Add the chopped onion, begin to stir until translucent.

Add the garlic, stir.

Add the achiote, stir until it begins to dissolve. The onions and garlic will immediately color golden.

Add the green and orange pepper and stir.

Once everything has begun to season, Add the butternut squash, continue to cook until the squash begins to brown ever so slightly at the edges.

Add the beans, stir.

Add the tomatoes, stir.

Season liberally with cumin, cayenne, and paprika.

Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let it cook until the flavors meld and everything begins to soften a bit – approx 20-30 minutes.

Remove dried chiles before serving.

**For outright belly-lovin' decadence, serve over cornbread or polenta – in a word, yum.


Saturday night, I also threw together this southern delight. While the orange juice hints at Summer, the shallots complete the dish with a savory sophistication. I was very pleased at the result…and to think, I had previously only taken the time to compost the greens…I had no idea what I was missing out on!

Beet Greens with Caramelized Shallots and Balsamic Orange Glaze

Ingredients:
One bunch Beet Greens, rinsed well – stems cut into 1-2 inch pieces, leaves cut into ribbons
2tbs. olive oil
2-3 shallots, skinned and thinly sliced
One orange, skinned and cut into segments or
Approximately 1/3 cup of orange juice
Splash of white balsamic vinegar
Pinch of raw or brown sugar
Coarse sea salt; pepper to taste

Preparation:
Rinse the beet greens thoroughly…these tend to be gritty buggers. I prefer to fill a bowl with ice and water and baptize them several times letting the sand to dislodge into sediment at the bottom of the bowl. It is not necessary to dry thoroughly…I just give them a shake or two before cooking.

Heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.

When warmed, drop the shallots with a sizzle into the pan…brown slowly, stirring often.

When the shallots have cooked past translucent and are beginning to brown, throw in a pinch of sugar

Follow with a splash of balsamic, cover and allow to reduce.

Add the greens and stir to coat.

Continue stirring until the leaves of the greens begin to give up their water and reduce.

Add the orange segments…add the orange juice.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Once again cover, reduce heat and allow simmering until it reduces.

Serve up steaming hot, and try to eat just one serving.

refrigerator round-up, or simply the best tempeh i've ever had!

Fresh tempeh at the market, Jakarta, Indonesia.

okay. sometimes even a skinny vegetarian wants something 'meaty' to eat after a long day during a long week at work...and since i've been feeling a little tired of late, i wanted something substantial, but not heavy. as always, tempeh takes the cake [pun intended]. when cooked just right, tempeh can be the meatiest tasting veggie meal, but far more so than tofu, tempeh requires attention to preparation. i have learned the hard way: the more thought you put into the prep, the far more enjoyable it will be.

what's so rewarding about tempeh is it truly a wonder 'meat'...with nearly as much protein as chicken, but no cholesterol. tempeh also provides a greater amino acid profile due to its sprouting and fermentation. it is these same principles that make it such a joy to cook with, because unlike tofu, tempeh starts out firm and does not require freezing [as tofu does, to make it more solid]. and in spite of its denseness, tempeh is very low in calories. lastly, tempeh is unique among meat substitutes, because it has a fairly high amount of vitamin B-12 and iron.

and so, when you're feeling a little spent, something like a tempeh 'bacon' wrap for a summer meal is the way to go. the prep takes a small amount of time, but the smile on your face when you take the last bite is definitely worth it.

sweet and sour tempeh 'bacon' and avocado wraps

ingredients:

something to sink your teeth into:
1 - 8 or 10 oz. block of tempeh, cut into thin slices

[here's what i did.] turn the rectangle of tempeh long side down. slice the short side into thin strips, let's say approx. 1/8 of an inch.

set aside.

sauce ingredients:
2 tbs grapeseed oil, or olive oil

2 small cooking onions, or 1 large, sliced into thin rings

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 small finger of ginger, cut into 4 thin pieces

2 tbs tomato paste

1/4 cup thin soy sauce - [i used a combination of tamari and mushroom soy]

1/4 cup maple syrup - [the sweet part]

splash of red wine vinegar - for the technically minded, let's say 2 tbs.

1/2 -3/4 tsp chipotle pepper sauce [a must for smokiness]

2 tamarind pods, remove the outer shell, squeeze out the seeds and scrape the paste from the inside [if you can find tamarind, this adds an incomparable complexity, a perfect sour to the sweetness]

1 pinch of cayenne pepper, or cajun seasoning

2 bay leaves

1 pinch of clove powder

other goodies:
flat bread wraps, i prefer flatout lite lowfat bread because it has 9 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber - 90 calories, and it holds together very well!

mixed greens, or mesclun

avocado - i used a big, fat 'slimcado' or florida avocado [a good source of those important MUFA fats]

preparation - now, let's get cooking!!:
gather all of your ingredients.

in a larger sized sauce pan, heat the oil and soften the onion until it is translucent and begins to release its flavor [approximately 2-3 minutes]

when it has begun to cook, add the remaining sauce ingredients to boil over medium high heat, careful not to scorch the bottom of the pan.

when the sauce has begun to boil, add the tempeh, stir with a wooden spoon to coat, and reduce heat to a simmer.

cover the pan and allow the tempeh to simmer in the sauce approximately 15 minutes. as the sauce boils down, the tempeh will begin to fry and crisp in the pan.

now, we're on a roll:
when the tempeh is finished, place your wrap flat on the counter.

top with mesclun

layer with steamin' tempeh [ you won't need any other sauce, it's that good]

finish with avocado slices

and [badumdum - dorky drum roll] it's a wrap!

**serve with broccoli rabe and garlicky cannellini

rapini [broccoli rabe] and cannellini

so easy. so good.

ingredients:
1 head broccoli rabe [heads-up!: i will now heretofore use rabe and rapini interchangeably, simply because, i'm not sure which one i like the sound of better]

2-3 cloves garlic, or more if you wish

1 can cannellini beans

1-2 tbs olive oil

coarse sea salt

quick and dirty directions:
take a fresh, fresh head of broccoli rabe. rinse to drain any dirt or grit

or like my head had, clumps of roots.

with a larger chef's knife, trim the leaves and tips away from the woodier stalks

set the leaves and tips aside. discard [compost] the stalks

take each clove of garlic and cut into paper thin slices

heat the oil until it is sizzling

add the garlic and cook quickly, just until it starts to blush a golden tan

throw in the broccoli rabe and stir continuously until it begins to cook down and reduce in size.

the rapini will give up some water, but not much...when it has begun to release its liquid it will be an even brighter green

at this point, take the cannellini and drain and rinse thoroughly [or else it will add too much liquid to the pot]

throw in the beans and cook, stirring for about 3 more minutes

finish with a coarse sea salt for flavor


***sit down for a super-satisfying dinner, and if you find yourself in my shoes, you will have enough to pack a cooler lunch for your next day of tooling about town on the bookmobile [mobile library] to seaside senior homes and summer camps, and still more left over to walk a lunch offering of gratitude across the street to Christine's house as a thankyou for internet horking and some tender care for her equally hard week.***

refrigerator round-up - or holy cow, whole grains!

okay, like most of my recipes, this one is another "stacha-in-my-head"...as jane's mum used to say, which is a fancy way of saying, i made it all up from scratch. fiber never tasted so good.

ingredients:

½- ¾ cup whole wheat berries
½- ¾ cup wild rice
1-2 carrots, cut into cubes
1-2 celery ribs, cut into cubes
1 orange pepper, cut into cubes
1 yellow pepper, cut into cubes
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
½- ¾ cup dried cherries
splash of walnut oil
juice of 1 lemon

preparation:

in two separate pots boil the wheat berries and wild rice with just enough water to cover each by approximately 1-2 inches. When the water is boiling, season each with just a pinch of salt. Boil both for approximately 40 minutes to 1 hour until all the liquid has cooked out. [if the grain is getting too soft, and there is still too much liquid…pour out the excess and boil down] for the fluffiest grains, evaporate the water and turn off the heat. Cover each pot with a towel between the pot and the lid, and let the grain steam until fluffy and tender in its own heat.

When the grains are sufficiently drained, add to a large mixing bowl and combine all of the following ingredients.

Finish with the splash of walnut oil [simply, no other oil will do…trust me, the buttery-ness of this delectable liquid is worth every penny]. Slice 1 whole lemon in half and squeeze over the salad.

Prepare to eat more than you thought you would.

boy, I wish I had some Good Chinese - refrigerator roundup in just 10 steps.

so…here's another refrigerator round-up which i threw together last night after riding home my 9 mile [one way] trek from work via bicycle…it was late, late…as i so luckily ran into my friend leisy, out on her own set-o'-2wheels, and talked, and talked, in some parking lot with trees that kept spitting mangos at us while we sat, sharing both tears and laughter into the quiet of dusk. and then, i got home and christine rambled by to talk about her possibility of going to kenya and wanting to borrow a book to escape her daily humdrum and harassing me about my general hermitude and threatening to subscript me into her schnauzer nanny service. and the whole point is…as food is so often a topic of conversation around me [i had been pondering what i was going to make all. the way. home]…it was a late evening before starting dinner, and it was all christine's fault, because she was the one who said: chinese.

so here's my not-so-authentic [ie. i make things up as i go] official stir-fry. but it still satisfied my hungry belly in the end.

meatless goodness for protein:
10 ounces tofu, cubed
*see marinade prep below

crunchy vegetable goodness for goodness' sake:
prepare these first:
4 garlic cloves, chopped – separated in 2 small portions
½ inch finger of ginger, finely chopped – separated in 2 small portions

later, you will prepare these:
¼-½ red cabbage, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, quartered and cut into slivered half-moons
2-3 stalks celery, chopped on the diagonal
½ cup daikon radish, cut into thin rectangles
½ broccoli, finely chopped

----pay attention to this important separation----

1 orange pepper, cut into cubes

½ cup or more sugar snap peas [what i had], or more traditionally, snow peas
½ cup bean sprouts
4-5 scallions - greens and whites – chopped
¼-½ cup tree ear fungus, softened with boiling water: steep approx 15 minutes – toss with rice vinegar
3-4 shitake mushrooms, chopped

other stuff:
1 tbs or more arrowroot
approx. 4 tbs. grapeseed oil, separated
* important, grapeseed oil has a very high smoking point and is quite possibly the healthiest oil for frying as there is very little chemical alteration by the heat

first step: drain and towel press tofu [squeezing out as much water as possible ensures it can soak up any marinade]
prepare and marinate the tofu.

second step: chop the garlic and ginger

third step: prepare the marinade and cube the tofu

*marinade prep: [what i came up with chemistry lab-like that tasted pretty good]:
approx. ½ cup vegetable broth
approx. ¼ cup tamari or soy [i used a mushroom brewed soy sauce]
approx 1-2 tbs sriracha [whoo-hotstuff!] chili sauce
splash of mirin
splash of rice vinegar
splash of honey
½ portion of the ginger
½ portion of the garlic

toss all the marinade ingredients together in something sealable and large enough to include the cubed tofu. i used a covered bowl…and shake it, shake it, like a maniac. let it steep and do its thing while you prepare the veggies.

fourth step: chop and lay your veggies out next to the stove

fifth step: heat your wok…approx 20 seconds, or until a drop of water sizzles in the bottom of the pan

sixth step: pour ½ of the grapeseed oil in the wok

seventh step: when the oil is sizzling, flash fry the tofu until it is browned on all sides and crispy…mmmm.
when the tofu is done, remove to a bowl and wipe the wok clean [careful little hands]
***very important: reserve the marinade from the tofu, and stir in the tbs. of arrowroot to thicken the sauce***

eighth step: pour the second ½ of the grapeseed oil in the wok. add the veggies in the order in which they were listed to be prepared…the first group will take slightly longer than the second to cook…on average…good and crunchy but cooked veggies will take around 3 something minutes. so….3 minutes with the first batch, then throw the second batch in for 2 or so minutes. stir like a hungry fiend with your wooden spoon.

ninth step: when the veggies are expertly cooked, throw the tofu back in the wok. [here's where that reserved marinade comes in handy] toss the marinade in and cover the wok. let the goodness steam for just a short bit

tenth step: break out the chopsticks, serve over your favorite starch or by itself.
eat and be happy.

refrigerator round-up - more summertime good eats.

Ingredients:

1 package rice paper rounds [most easily found – cheaply- at your local Asian market]

*tip: these are sized and look very much like tortillas, but are opaque - until heated - white

½ cup red cabbage, chopped finely

½ cup carrot, cut into matchsticks or shredded

½ cup daikon radish cut into matchsticks or shredded

½ - 1 cup sprouts, soy, mung or bean, chopped in half

½ cup bamboo shoots, cut into matchsticks

½ cup shitake mushroom, chopped

¼ cup toasted cashew nuts, finely chopped

¼ cup green onion, mostly green parts cut into tiny rings

6-8 oz. tofu, cut into tiny cubes

cilantro, fresh, for garnish

Preparation:

Assemble all of your ingredients. [i usually make small piles all on one cutting board]

Boil a small amount of water…simply enough to fill a bowl the width of the rounds
with approximately 1 or 2 inches of steaming hot water.

When the water is prepared, simply take 1 round and press it into the water bowl for approx. 6 seconds. it will immediately become translucent and begin to curl at the edges. Quickly pick it up and move it to a flat surface where you can assemble the roll

*tip: it helps to have that surface directly next to the water bowl

Lay the dampened round flat [careful, once wet it tends to cling like saran wrap]
and assemble a small layer of each ingredient in the center leaving approximately 1 inch on the ends and 1½ inch on the sides [for folding]

*tip: once assembled the rolls are very translucent, so it helps to top with cilantro for sheer beauty!

Fold the ends in toward the center and Fold one side over the ends. Begin to "roll" until you are left with a tight, tiny roll approximately 3 – 4 inches in length and 3 inches in circumference…the rice paper will adhere to itself in a perfect seal.

Chill or Serve immediately with your favorite dip.

One of my favorite dips is:

3 tbs. plain fat free yogurt

½- ¾ tbs. curry powder

Juice of ½ lime

Stir until it's homogenous goodness.

Dip and Delish. And...if you're like me at dinner last night, pair your lite fare rather unconventionally with a heavy Chilean cabernet. it's so recklessly incorrect, you'll feel absolutely decadent.

refrigerator roundup, or what to do with those summer vegetables.

[okay, i think an awful lot about food...and for those of you who know me...when i appear to be staring off into space, chances are i'm concocting some meal in my head with what i know to be in my refrigerator, soo, i just have to share this tasty, little vegetarian better-than-fast food i scared up in the kitchen sunday night...round up all those languishing summer vegetables in your fridge...taco bell ain't got nuthin' on this Mexican pizza]

2 limed corn tostadas
1 cup freshly made, or canned chipotle refried beans

[note the chipotle is verrry important. the smokiness is incomparable]
1 zucchini, diced
1 red pepper cored, diced
1 spanish onion, diced
[feel free to come up with your own combination of vegetables, but these worked especially nicely]
1 pinch cumin
1 pinch powered chili
1 ounce queso blanco or other Mexican cheese
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
1 small avocado, slivered [optional]
2 tbs grapeseed oil, divided [can substitute olive oil, or some other vegetable oil]

Heat 1 tbs the grapeseed oil in a skillet over medium high heat

Flash sauté the zucchini, onion, and red pepperSeason with the cumin and chili

Remove from heat and set aside warm

Return the skillet to the burner
Heat the second tbs. of oil until warmed.

When thoroughly warmed, press one tostada into the pan evenly with your fingertips
Allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds or until it begins to golden

Spoon the refried beans on top of the tostada as it continues to crisp

Spoon the zuke/onion/pepper mixture as a second layer

Top with the cheese
Finish with Avocado and Cilantro

Place the second tostada on top and [masterfully] flip

Wait as patiently as possible [important…it's in the details] until the second side is crisp and golden.

Remove to dinner plate, and mind your manners as you devour.

* if you must indulge in something akin to sour cream, try plain fat-free yogurt.
it's full of protein and healthy probiotics

[yum]

adventures in going raw...or the wonders of walnut meat.

i've been drawing great inspiration for transitioning to raw lately by submersing myself in great 'un'cook books like the fabulous RAWvolution by matt amsden, and wanted desperately to make a great raw dinner on the fly without having to put too much effort into the prep or process. it's a little overwhelming at first to adapt to a cuisine that tastes best with some pre-meditation [ie. soaking whole grains and nuts or sprouting seeds, and the like] or dehydrating for 24-36 hours before eating, but his cookbook is filled with enough off the cuff recipes to thrill even a happy kitchen geek like me.

i've yet to acquire an excellent food processor, so my tools were a little limited. but substituting my [usually adored] magic bullet mini-processor, i ground my walnuts [un-soaked] and followed the recipe to the letter, except for the substitution of tamari for nama shoyu. [i must make my weekly visit to my favorite local asian market for the right supplies].

sure enough.. i imagine the nama shoyu or braggs is essential, because the woody taste of the tamari was pretty overpowering, and the magic bullet more pulverized instead of chopped the walnuts...so the consistency left a bit to be desired, but my fast raw dinner was a pretty good quick eat after an hour of cycling home in the rain.

[how my walnut taco meat should have looked but didn't]

Ingredients

1½ cups raw walnuts, ground in food processor

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

¾ teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons Nama Shoyu or Braggs Liquid Aminos

a pinch of cayenne

Preparation

Mix and serve. [pretty basic, eh?]

recipe courtesy of: gone raw