October | 2011 | anunrefinedvegan

Oct 31 2011

Happy Halloween! Pumpkin Coconut Curry with Dry-Fried Tofu

I can’t resist the small pie pumpkins that appear in stores this time of year – always it seems, in huge piles in giant cardboard boxes. So many cute pumpkins! Usually I roast them and scrape out the flesh to make pies, or I freeze some and incorporate it into pancakes, biscuits or muffins. A few weeks ago I came across a pumpkin green curry recipe (in an issue of Women’s Health) for which one small pie pumpkin is perfect. The original recipe says to “steam the pumpkin” once it’s been cut into bite-sized cubes, which sounds like a great idea except that splitting open a pumpkin is not a simple affair. My regular knife bounced off the gourd like a kid on a trampoline. The cleaver was employed to cut mine into quarters and even then, peeling proved to be impossible. So I placed the quarters on parchment paper on a baking sheet and roasted for about 25-30 minutes at 425F, then scooped out the flesh and cut into chunks. It worked just fine.

Pumpkin Coconut Curry with Dry-Fried Tofu
Serves 4

~1 lb. extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into 16 pieces
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
4 cups pumpkin, cut into small cubes (or roast, as I did)
8 oz. package of crimini mushrooms, quartered
3 cups broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced (or grated with microplane)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth + more for stir-frying
3 tbsp. green curry paste
4 tsp. soy sauce or tamari
1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, for garnish
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
2 cups hot brown jasmine rice

Prepare jasmine rice (on stovetop or in rice cooker). Season tofu with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer in a non-stick pan – do not add any oil. Heat tofu over medium-high heat, pressing to release any liquid and cook for about 5 minutes per side or until nicely browned. Remove from pan and slice into strips. Set aside.

If not roasting pumpkin: place pumpkin chunks in a large steamer basket and steam for about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and steam for another 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft – broccoli should still be bright green.

Heat 1/4 cup or so of vegetable broth in a saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots, ginger, garlic, mushrooms and red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant – do not brown. Add coconut milk, 1/2 cup vegetable broth, curry paste and soy sauce and bring to a boil.

Add tofu, pumpkin* and broccoli – stir very gently so as not to break apart the pumpkin. (*I decided to add the pumpkin as a kind of garnish on the top of the curry so as not to break it down too much.) Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until liquid thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Divide jasmine rice between 4 bowls, top with pumpkin curry and garnish with lots of basil and cilantro.

Tagged Asian, basil, brown rice, cilantro, curry, garlic, jasmine rice, pumpkin, spicy, stir fry

Oct 30 2011

Did You Know?

I’m as addicted to food and cooking magazines as much as I am to cookbooks (see An Autobiography in Cookbooks for more on that) and after several months, old issues start to pile up and I get nervous and anxious about it until I can’t stand it anymore. That’s when I brew a cup of tea, get a pair of scissors and pile the stack of magazines on the dining room table and do a little surgery, cutting out the recipes that I think I’ll use someday. I came across some interesting, perhaps useful factoids while eviscerating a fairly recent issue of Cooking Light. Observe:

I’m a fan of wheat germ and add it to pancake batter, sprinkle it on top of my morning oatmeal and use it in muffins and cookies as well – and that’s a good thing – but wheat germ is not a whole grain. A whole grain consists of bran, endosperm and germ. Wheat germ is…only the germ. So sprinkle and enjoy, but make sure you’re getting true whole grains elsewhere in your diet.

Garlic. If it’s a savory dish, chances are excellent that I’ll be adding copious amounts of it. I can get a little lazy sometimes with the mincing, especially when I’m in a hurry, but the more you mince, the more you release heart-healthy thiosulfinates, which prevent blood platelets from clumping – keeping your arteries clear. So mince for everything you are worth! Or to make the task a little easier, get yourself a kitchen tool you never thought you needed (but will cherish): a microplaner. One of these bad boys makes quick work of garlic and really releases those thiowhatevermajiggies.

Do I love flaxseeds? You bet your cute, little shiny seeds, I do! Let me count the ways: they’re a vegan’s omega-3 friend, they replace eggs in baked goods like a champ and add a warm, nutty flavor to cereal, muffins, pancakes, cookies and the occasional salad. And they love us back – but only if the little seeds are ground first. You can purchase flaxseed meal or make your own with whole seeds using a spice/coffee grinder. Keep either variety in the refrigerator or freezer to retain freshness.

Shake it like you mean it – your soy milk, that is. You’ve probably seen it at the bottom of your soy milk carton – a thick white…sludge. Yum. But that sludge contains stuff that is good for you, namely the calcium that has been added to the soy milk. Shake, drink, enjoy.

Are all oatmeals created equal? For the most part, yes. Whether it’s the long-cooking Scottish variety, rolled or instant (which is pre-steamed to cut down on cooking time), they all contain the same vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber – even though you probably feel more virtuous eating the big, slow-cooking groats. I would suggest, however, that you avoid those frightening packets of oatmeal that contain way too much sugar and salt and strange chemical flavorings. For an overnight solution to the fast and healthy breakfast dilemma, see my post, Morning Fuel, Made the Night Before.

Tagged flaxseeds, garlic, microplaner, oatmeal, soymilk, wheat germ

Oct 29 2011

9 Comments

Pies and Tarts

Chocolate Creme Pie

No self-respecting vegan could hold her head up if she didn’t offer a recipe for chocolate creme pie – and the reason is – it’s just so damn good and easy, that to withhold the knowledge of how to make it would be downright criminal. Thus, I offer my humble rendition of this classic pie, which includes an ingenious, nearly fat-free (and easy) crust. And because I know right after the first bite you’re going to ask some questions, here are the answers:

Yes, that’s tofu.
No, there isn’t a drop of eggs or milk in it.
Indeed, it is low in calories and low in fat (compared to the dairy version), but no, it’s can’t be considered health food.
I have no idea why you haven’t tried it before.

Chocolate Creme Pie
Serves 6-8

1 12 oz. package silken tofu (I used firm, light)
2 cups vegan, grain-sweetened semi-sweet chocolate chips (Sunspire chips fit the bill here)
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Crust
1 cup Grape-Nuts cereal (not flakes)
2 tbsp. flaxseed meal + 6 tbsp. water (whisk together and let sit for a few minutes)
1/4 cup apple juice concentrate

Preheat the oven to 350F. Make the crust: stir together all of the ingredients and pat into a 9″ pie plate. It takes some patience, but you’ll be able to push some of the crust along the sides. When the oven is ready, pop in the pie pan and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned and toasty. You’ll smell it and it will smell good. Allow to cool while you put together the creme part.

In a double-boiler (or if you are more attentive than I am, in the microwave) melt the chocolate chips. Place the tofu, milk and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor and whirl until it’s smooth and creamy. When the chocolate is melted, add it to the tofu mixture and whirl again until everything is smooth and is a deep delicious color. Spoon the tofu mixture into the crust and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving.

I serve mine with a huge, steaming cup of hot chocolate-mocha (stay tuned for the recipe), but a tall, cold glass of soy or almond milk would be welcome as well. You could garnish it with fruit or with a smattering of chocolate shavings.

Inspiration for the Grape-Nuts crust comes from Fat-Free & Easy by Jennifer Raymond. I added flaxseed meal to her simple recipe to help hold the crust together – works pretty well, I must say. The chocolate creme pie part comes from the fantastic vegan baking book, The Joy of Vegan Baking, by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. I added the cinnamon and omitted the peanut butter.

Tagged chocolate, chocolate creme, no bake, pie, tofu

Oct 28 2011

Middle Eastern Lentils & Rice w/ Lemony Salad

I love just about anything with lentils; they’re quick to prepare, inexpensive, tasty and as they cook down they kind of melt and give way and add a nice creaminess and body to soups and stews. Here’s another simple and filling rice-and-beans dish, this one taking inspiration from the Middle East.

Middle Eastern Lentils & Rice
Serves 4

1 tbsp. soy sauce
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
1 cup brown rice
4 cups boiling water
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Salad:
4-6 cups mixed greens
1 cup cherry tomatoes (use red and yellow for lots of color), halved
1/2 cucumber (peeled if you wish), thinly sliced
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

Dressing:
3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp. agave nectar
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. salt

Combine dressing ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

Heat 1/4 cup of water and soy sauce in a large pot. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the lentils, rice, boiling water and salt. Bring to a simmer and cover, cooking over medium heat until beans and rice are tender. This should take about 45-50 minutes. Add additional water as necessary to keep mixture from sticking.

In the bowl that contains the dressing, add the salad greens, the tomatoes, red onion and cucumbers and mix. When the lentils and rice are finished, scoop a portion into a bowl and top with a generous amount of salad. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Tagged brown rice, easy, health, healthy, lentils, quick, salad, vegan

Oct 27 2011

Bait & Switch: Another Reason Not to Eat Fish

As if it weren’t enough that the oceans are being depleted of life and that the fish that are left are toxic with heavy metals…Now you’ve got a nearly 50% chance that the expensive tuna fillet you ordered at a restaurant will be escolar - the so-called “Ex-Lax” of fish because of what it can do to your digestive system – or some other type of inferior fish.

Over a five-month period, reporters at the Boston Globe purchased 183 pieces of fish at 134 restaurants and grocery stores throughout Massachusetts and had samples tested at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario – which houses a database called Barcode of Life Data Systems. BOLDS stores the DNA of nearly 115,000 species of plants, insects, and animals. What they found was that, in Massachusetts at least, there was a good chance that the fish you ordered would be substituted for a different and lower quality piece.

According to Boston Globe reporter Jenn Abelson, “Eighty-six percent of all the seafood that Americans consume is imported, and the FDA inspects less than about 2 percent of it.”

If it’s happening in Massachusetts, you can bet it’s happening everywhere else, too. If you’re still eating fish, you’re harming the environment, your health – and you’re being cheated and lied to for your trouble.

Tagged activisim, FDA, fish

Oct 27 2011

5 Comments

Cakes and Cupcakes

A Delicious Failure: Sunken Chocolate Cakes

Poking around the overburdened shelves of cookbooks in my garage I came across the big, beautiful volume called Death by Chocolate Cakes by Marcel Desaulniers and got it into my head that I really needed to veganize one of his particularly decadent recipes from my B.V. (Before Vegan) and R.S. (Refined Sugar) days. He called it Chocolate Heart of Darkness Cakes which should give you an idea about its rich and very, very dark and chocolatey goodness. These kind of chocolate cakes enjoyed an extended popularity in restaurants for a while – lava cakes, I guess – the kind that are all warm and melty in the middle and cakey on the outside.

I tied on my apron and pulled out the flaxseed meal (to replace the 3 eggs in the original recipe), my whole wheat pastry flour, my soy yogurt and Earth Balance (instead of butter and the egg yolk) and some stevia and maple sugar to use instead of refined, white sugar. Oh, and the almond milk with which to replace the heavy cream used in the truffles (did I mention that truffles are the first step in making these cakes?).

Batter mixed and muffin cups filled; truffles tucked into the freezer – it was show time. Into the oven went the muffin tin filled with lovely, shiny-with-chocolate batter. After five minutes it was time for deft and quick action: pushing one frozen truffle into the “heart” of each muffin cup. Then back in the oven for 20 more minutes. The first sign of trouble was that after the suggested time, the cake part was still not baked through…nor was it after an additional 10 minutes…nor after an additional five. After that, I decided they had to come out sometime whatever the consequences. After resting on a wire rack for 20 minutes, I was ready to see what I’d wrought. I ran a sharp knife around the edge of one of the cakes and I quickly realized that it wasn’t going to come gracefully out of the tin in one piece. So grabbing a spoon I simply scooped one out and put it on a plate. Warm, dusky chocolate aroma. Melting truffle center. Taste-testing ensued, revealing a very delicious, rich and chocolate…cake, sort of… The truffle was sublime, the cake had a nice crumb. Only trouble was, the cakes would never come out of the pan in perfect shape. So, they will be spooned out one by one and consumed and I will continue to tweak the recipe. I believe the fault lies in the truffle, which as hard as it is to believe, was just too large for the cakes. They overwhelmed the batter portion resulting in a cake that just couldn’t hold together.

So stay tuned. My version (perfected?) of Marcel’s Heart of Darkness cakes may be making a reappearance – this time with a recipe.

Tagged cake, chocolate cake, truffles, vegan

Oct 26 2011

1 Comment

Food News, Miscellaneous, Vegetables

Super Broccoli

Usually when I hear the words “scientist” and “food” used together, my hackles rise. That was the case this morning when I saw the headline announcing that British scientists had developed a super broccoli which apparently boasts two to three times the usual amount of glucoraphanin – a nutrient that is believed to help keep heart disease at bay by breaking down fat so that it cannot clog arteries.

As I read on, I found out that there is no GMO voodoo going on, just a hybrid of British broccoli with a glucoraphanin-packed, but bitter Sicilian broccoli. On sale already in Britain, human trials are being conducted to find out if there’s a difference in the heart health of those eating regular broccoli and those consuming the super variety. The taste of this hybrid variety is reportedly similar, but slightly sweeter than, regular broccoli.

Those of us in the States will just have to muddle through for now with the old familiar variety, high in fiber, vitamin C, lutein and cartenoids. Will other “super” vegetables follow?

Tagged broccoli, health, healthy, super broccoli, vegetables

Oct 26 2011

2 Comments

Salads

Sprout It Out

Right next door to a small Mexican restaurant (where they’ll make you a vegan burrito if you ask) in an industrial part of Salt Lake City, there’s a small, unassuming store that’s easy to miss. It’s a tiny health food store and purveyor of fresh ingredients to local vegan and vegetarian restaurants called Cali’s Natural Foods. One afternoon while poking around the bulk grains, the fruits and vegetables and the cases filled with tofu, yogurt, tempeh and jars of Vegannaise, I came across a basket filled with mason jars and small packets of seeds. Future sprouts. I’d been hearing about the health benefits of the cute little fellers, so I decided to buy a jar and sprout some for myself. I’ve been sprouting regularly ever since. Now my stir frys, salads and sandwiches all get the royal sprout treatment.

Sprouts are loaded with vitamins, minerals and enzymes – bursting with all the good stuff stored in the seed to give the future plant a jump start. They are a whole food, easily digestible and research has shown that sprouts may also protect us from diseases like cancer and heart disease.

To reap the most benefits, get a variety of seeds (broccoli, alfalfa, buckwheat, etc.). You don’t need a special jar to get your sprouts going (tho’ you will need some seeds; try Whole Foods or other natural foods store or go online), you can start some in a pie dish or in a small baking dish. Just remember to rinse and drain them daily and to keep them in the dark for the first 3-5 days. They’ll need a few hours in the light get their green on. They’re ready to eat when they’re the size you like. Keep any remaining sprouts in the refrigerator – remembering to rinse and drain daily – until they’re all gone!

Tagged health, healthy, salad, sprouts, vegan

Oct 25 2011

6 Comments

Salads

Simple Side Salad w/ No-Oil Vinaigrette

I know, I know – a salad is to a vegan what a sock is to a shoe, or what jelly means to peanut butter: totally obvious. But don’t underestimate a good salad! I’m often at a loss for a quick and simple side dish after I’ve spent a lot of energy and time on a main dish (and totally forgotten – until I’m nearly ready to serve – that it needs a sidekick), so it pays to have some fresh greens and various veggies in the refrigerator with which to toss together a crispy symphony of herbaceous riches. Salads complement nearly every entree, they come together lickety-split and they’re nutritional powerhouses.

Simple Side Salad
Enough for 2

1 medium-size tomato, chopped
handful of fresh, mixed greens
8 kalamata olives, chopped
a few thin slices of red onion
fresh basil leaves, if small, leave whole; if large, coarsely chop

Dressing:
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
t tsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
~ 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 small clove garlic, minced
dash black pepper

Whisk together dressing ingredients; set aside. Divide the greens among two small plates and top with tomatoes, chopped basil, red onion and olives. Drizzle with dressing. Serve.

The dressing takes its cue from Rip Esslestyn’s dressing, which can be found in Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., MD.

Tagged basil, easy, garlic, greens, health, healthy, no-oil dressing, olives, quick, red onion, salad, vegan

Oct 24 2011

1 Comment

Main Dishes, Soups and Stews

Rice and Beans with Greens and Artichoke Hearts

This is an extremely satisfying and flavorful play on one of my favorite – and classic – combinations: rice and beans. The basis for this is a recipe by Laura Ulm that is featured in her wonderful cookbook, Vegan YumYum. This was the first vegan cookbook I bought and I love everything about it: its compact size, the big photos (she takes her own), the inventiveness of the recipes…I highly recommend getting a copy for yourself and also check out her blog, VeganYumYum (although it looks as if she hasn’t updated it in a while). There are lots of great recipes. Anyway, I started with her recipe (omitting the olive oil and pine nuts) and added some ingredients I love and which I thought complemented her original idea.

Rice & Beans with Greens & Artichoke Hearts
Serves 4

1 cup brown rice (cooked in a rice cooker, or on the stovetop)
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 or so of vegetable broth
1/2 cup oil-packed sundried tomatoes, rinsed, drained and blotted to remove excess oil and chopped
1 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts, chopped
2-3 tsp. Italian herbs (whatever you like: basil, thyme, rosemary; a mixture is nice)
2-3 generous handfuls of chopped Swiss chard, spinach or other quick-cooking green
Lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Prepare the rice.

In a large skillet, saute the onions and garlic in the vegetable broth, letting the liquid cook off before adding more to prevent burning. Do this until the onions are tender. Add the herbs, salt & pepper, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and beans, stirring gently to combine. Add a splash of vegetable broth if the mixture seems dry. When it’s heated through, put the greens on top of the bean mixture and cover with a lid. Allow the greens to wilt and then stir gently into the bean mixture.

To serve, ladle a nice, big scoop of brown rice into a bowl and top with another nice big scoop of the bean mixture. Using a microplane, zest the lemon on top of the bean mixture, sprinkle generously with basil and serve.

anunrefinedvegan

unbleached, unprocessed, unrefined…and cruelty-free

Monthly Archives: October 2011