Monthly Archives: May 2012

May 31 2012
43 Comments
Garden, General

Hunting Hornworm

Hornworm HangingIt’s hunting season here in Oklahoma; no license needed and weaponry is just a matter of personal taste.  Some of us on the ranch kill with our bare hands, but me, I don’t have the stomach for the “wet work.”  I prefer the bottom of my shoe.  Here on the 160 we’ve instituted a Zero Tolerance Program (ZTP) for this particular varmint.  The prey: the crafty, conniving and voracious hornworm.

Where do hornworms come from?  Large (and really quite beautiful) Sphinx moths deposit eggs on the undersides of tomato leaves and the larvae eventually chew their way out of the eggs and into the green Eden of healthy, succulent tomato plants.  The tiny caterpillars become fat, juicy and quite large (3″-4″) as they feast on the tender leaves.  They seem to love to dangle from the very tops of the plants, but it takes patience to spot these critters.  They are the color of the plants on which they feed, but the tiny spike at the ends of their bodies gives them away.

Hornworms can quickly and efficiently strip bare the branches.  The caterpillars – if my shoe doesn’t find them first – will molt four times before going walkabout.  They find some nice, comfy soil, dig in and during the final molt a green skin forms which eventually – buried – will turn hard and brown.  After about three weeks, the skin splits and an adult moth emerges – to begin the cycle of destruction all over again.

Hornworm Close Up

Hornworm on High

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May 29 2012
84 Comments
Chocolate, Desserts, Pies and Tarts

Chocolate-coated Key Lime-Coconut Creme Pie

Slice of PieLast week Things My Belly Likes threw down a challenge to cook and bake with items that one would normally bypass in the grocery store.  Check out her blog and see just how crazy and creative she got with this.  I, as usual, was a little slow on the uptake and not only missed out on the week’s challenges, I only managed to come up with one challenge recipe.  Better late than never.  Incidentally, I completely rejected the idea of using lima beans (I’m not ready to go there yet, if ever).  Instead, I poked around our sporadically lame, occasionally bountiful Walmart produce section and chose a cute little bag of key limes.  I know, I know – how challenging is that?  Well, I’ll have you know that I’d never created nor ever eaten anything with key limes so I’m saying they fall squarely in the “challenge” category.  Yes, I could’ve grabbed some jicama, but c’mon people.  I’m only human.

This pie is a combination of coconut creme and key lime so the tangy lime has been tamed somewhat – feel free to up the amount of juice (reducing the other liquids to compensate) or add more lime zest.  The hint of chocolate and the crunch of the toasted coconut and cacao nibs is a wonderful counterpart to the creaminess of the “custard.”  I’m pretty happy with the results of this challenge.  Bring on the lima beans (not)!

Key Limes in Bowl

Chocolate-coated Key Lime-Coconut Creme Pie
Serves 8

Crust:
1 cup nut meal (I used almond, left over from making milk)
1 cup walnuts
1 tbsp. hemp seeds
2 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tbsp. date puree

Cut Key LimesCrust coating:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1/4 toasted coconut flakes
2 tbsp. Choffy or cacao nibs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Filling:
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp. agar flakes or powder
1 tbsp. arrowroot powder mixed with 1/4 cup cool water
12 oz. silken tofu
1 tbsp. key lime zest
1/4 cup key lime juice
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. liquid stevia

Make the crust:
Pour the walnuts into the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add the nut meal and hemp seeds and pulse a few times to combine.  Add in the remaining ingredients and process until a moist meal is formed.  Pour into deep 9″ pie dish and use wet hands to pat out the crust until evenly distributed along the bottom and sides.

Chocolate-coating:
Line a small baking pan or dish with aluminum foil.  Set aside.  In a double boiler, melt the coconut oil and chocolate.  When smooth, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, Choffy (cacao nibs) and toasted coconut.  Spread about half of the mixture along the bottom and up the sides of the prepared crust.  On the prepared baking sheet, drop melted chocolate to form small disks – you aren’t going for perfection here.  Put baking sheet and crust in the ‘frige while you prepare the filling.

Filling:
In a small saucepan, bring the coconut milk, water and agar to a boil.  Boil gently for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, combine the lime zest, silken tofu, lime juice, maple syrup, stevia liquid and arrowroot mixture in a food processor and process until very smooth.  When the coconut milk mixture is ready, pour it into the food processor and pulse a few times to incorporate it into the tofu mixture.  Pour into the prepared crust and refrigerate until firm.

Serve garnished with disks of coconut-Choffy-chocolate on top.

Corner of Pie

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May 27 2012
56 Comments
Fitness

My Top 5 Fitness DVD Mistakes

Pile of Fitness DVDsBefore I launch into my Top Five, I need to send out a few Thank Yous!  I’ve received blogging awards over the past week or so and the kind folks who shared them with me deserve a big shout out.  From My Cooking Life and The Misfit Baker came the One Lovely Blog Award; Inkspeare passed along the Illuminating Blog Award and Vegan Sparkles shared big award love as well.  Please stop (just kidding!) before my ego gets out of control!

I don’t write very often on this blog about one hugely important component of my life; something I began doing for my health long before I ditched Coney dogs and chocolate milkshakes: physical activity.  Without my daily dose of running/walking/rowing and strength training, I get real squirrely real fast.  My routine is pretty simple: 45 minutes of cardio of some kind followed by ~30 minutes of strength training or targeted abdominal work.  When the day goes right, I add a 30-minute yoga routine to my afternoon.  The strength training/ab work often centers around fitness DVDs for two reasons: 1) I’m not a joiner.  Fitness classes are just not my thing.  I prefer being the sole witness to looking clumsy; and 2) I live in the boonies.  There is no gym closer than 25 miles from me and so, my home is my gym.

Over the years I’ve amassed a decent collection of fitness DVDs, though I haven’t quite reached junkie status.  Some routines I go back to again and again and some just never lit that essential spark that meant I would stick with it.  Without further ado, here is my Hall of Shame of fitness DVDs.

Stott DVDFive: Stott Pilates
There’s nothing inherently wrong with this DVD.  It’s perfectly nice.  Much like a glass of warm milk is perfectly nice.  If you like that sort of thing.  Sometimes the routines just don’t grab you and this is one of those times.  I have a ton of Pilates DVDs, most of them hosted by Ana Caban and I guess my heart kind of belongs to her.

Pilates ReformerFour: Pilates Reformer
You remember that boyfriend/girlfriend you broke up with for some silly reason like they put too much salt on their food or they like to listen to Air Supply?  Well, I broke up with this DVD because the “hostess” too many turn-offs to ignore.  Her voice is grating, she looks unkempt (and out of shape) and her cues are annoying.  I was often too busy grumbling about her to get into the routine.  That being said…it is a pretty good workout.

Tai Chi DVDThree: Tai Chi
One word that has never been used to describe me is graceful and I’ve come to grips with the fact that I will never be gazelle material.  This DVD underscored that reality.  I was looking for a way to reduce stress while challenging my muscles in a new way so I picked up this DVD on sale at Target.  I mean, how easy does Tai Chi look, right?  Some arm floating action here, a little leg bending there.  Yeah.  After several days of this DVD, I’d only gotten through the first four moves.  After that I was hopelessly lost.  I’ll stick to yoga.

Cathe DVDTwo: Cathe Basic Step + Cardio & Weights
All the stuff I wrote above about Tai Chi?  Ditto and then some.  I’m a clutz.  I cannot for the life of me follow or remember routines or dance steps and all of my life I’ve avoided making coordinated movements with, near or alongside groups of people.  Working through this DVD brought a slight whiff of me – the dorky, trumpet-playing pep band member – in high school watching the cute cheerleaders go through their routines on the sidelines of the basketball court.  I confess that there is still a tiny part of me that carries around the resentment and utter terror I had of the wolf pack cheerleaders.  This DVD brought all those negative feelings rushing back and suddenly I was the flat-chested, metal-mouthed, spectacle-wearing wuss getting pummeled in dodge ball.  Out, damn Cathe.  (I do love her ab circuit DVD, however.)

Tracy Anderson DVDOne: The Tracy Anderson Method.
Here it is.  My biggest fitness DVD mistake.  I remember precisely the frame of mind I was in when I purchased this.  I’d reached a fitness plateau.  I was bored with my usual routines.  I figured a six-pack (hell, I’d settle for a 4-pack) belly was a mere press of the DVD player remote – if I could just find that magical DVD.  In my lowest moment, in a time of vulnerability – a perfect storm of weakness – I stumbled on an interview with Gywneth Paltrow where she extolled the virtues of Tracy’s unique workout.  The high-and-tight buns, the firm quads, a tummy as flat as a pancake griddle: mine for the taking.  Here’s the thing.  This sucker is over an hour long.  Combined with my daily 45-minute cardio session, it was a commitment I couldn’t make.

Maybe, just maybe I would’ve stuck with it, but then there are the gyrations.  Yes, I wrote gyrations.  I could handle the pseudo-ballet moves and the awkward positions, the dining room chair over which I had to drape myself (placing the chair in exactly the right spot to avoid slamming a foot into the couch), but when I got to the segment targeting the abs, I had to holler ’nuff.  I still had some pride left, dammit.  I would look around the living room to make sure Kel couldn’t see me in action and then I’d gamely attempt to gyrate.  Even Tracy looks embarrassed doing it.  After making it through, oh, three or four times, I shoved the disc to the back of the TV cabinet and moved onto something else.

Now for the fun part.  Just because these DVDs didn’t do it for me, doesn’t mean they’re not perfect for somebody else.  So – I’m giving them away.  If you’d like one of these babies, leave a comment below telling me which one you’d like (one per commenter, please) and I’ll mail it to you, no questions asked.  First come, first serve.

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May 25 2012
94 Comments
Building Block Recipe, Dips and Spreads, Herbs

Smoky Pesto Cashew Cheez

Cheez SandwichA mere few weeks ago I was all hot for coconut butters.  Now I’m onto nut cheez.  The original recipe for this came from The Complete Guide to Vegan Substitutions and called for roasted red peppers and jalapenos.  I made a batch nearly straight-up (reduced the olive oil) true to the recipe and was just blown away by the flavor.  (When it’s still hot, it smells uncannily like diary cheese.)  It’s by far the best-tasting nut cheez I’ve ever made.  I’ve got a thing or two against commercial vegan cheezes but still felt like I was missing out, so this recipe is a great addition to my list of vegan staple items.  Slap a slice or two of this stuff between some red chile tortillas, grill – and you will be a very happy camper indeed.

The second time I made it, I thought pesto would be an ideal “add-in” instead of the jalapenos and red peppers.  It makes for a beautiful little loaf of healthy, reduced fat vegan cheez.  Totally worthy atop homemade crackers or melted between crunchy-soft bread.  Making cheez at home is not a cheap option – a 1 oz. bag of agar flakes is about $6.99 and cashews are pricey as well, but a little of this cheez goes a long way and last time I looked, my homemade stuff didn’t have any ingredients I couldn’t pronounce (or tons of oil, either).

Smoky Pesto Cashew Cheez
One big ol’ loaf or 2 smaller rounds

1 oz. agar flakes or powder
3 cups water
2 cups raw cashews, ground into a fine powder
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4-1/2 tsp. Liquid Smoke
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion flakes or powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
~1 cup quick, oil-free pesto (recipe follows)

Pesto Cashew Cheez on Board

Basil

Quick Oil-free Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
dash ground black pepper

Make the pesto:
In a food processor, pulse the basil, garlic and pepper until finely chopped.  Remove from processor and set aside.

Make the cheez:
Clean and dry the bowl of the food processor and grind the cashews. Either lightly oil a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan or use medium-sized ramekins to get round cheezes.  One loaf pan is perfect for this recipe, but if you go smaller, you will need more than one pan or dish.

In a medium-sized sauce pan, bring the 3 cups of water and agar flakes to a boil and keep the mixture at a nice, rolling boil for 5 minutes, whisking often.  Meanwhile, add the remaining cheez ingredients – but not the pesto or the water/agar – to the food processor.  Process until everything is combined and you have a thick paste.  When the agar mixture has boiled for 5 minutes, remove from the heat and immediately whisk in the cashew mixture.  It will start off rather chunky, but will melt into the agar.  Once it’s all whisked and smooth, quickly dump in the pesto and stir only one or two times.  You don’t want to fully incorporate the pesto – you’re looking for streaks and lumps.

Quickly pour the cheez into the prepared pan(s) or dish(es).  Pop into the ‘frige and allow to firm up.  Once the cheez is firm, you can remove it from the pan(s) by running a knife around the edges.  Serve sliced, as is, or use in quesadillas or grilled sandwiches.

Cheez on Board

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May 23 2012
56 Comments
Dips and Spreads, Main Dishes, Raw, Soups and Stews, Tofu, Vegetables, Virtual Vegan Potluck

Miso-Ginger Soup with Lettuce Veggie Cups & Two Dipping Sauces

Miso-Ginger Soup

Lettuce CupsThe first time I made this simple miso soup, I was home alone and suffering from a bad cold.  All I wanted was soup (a little sympathy wouldn’t have hurt, either), but I didn’t have the desire or energy to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  Miso was the perfect solution.  Quick, easy, comforting and healthful to boot.  You can make it as fancy or as simple as you like.

The veggie wraps come nearly unchanged from a terrific recipe in Moosewood Restaurant New Classics.  The biggest revision I made was to ditch the egg roll wrappers (I’ve never been able to successfully wrestle those rascals, anyway, and the ones available to me aren’t vegan) in favor of crisp lettuce.  I also omitted the cooking oil.  The sauces are a result of my tinkering with several different recipes.

If you participated in the recent Virtual Vegan Potluck, wanted to participate or if you’d just like to keep current on the what’s happening, please Like our new Facebook page dedicated to the event.  We’ve posted all of the links to the wonderful recipes from everyone who did participate – please visit and check it out!  You can also keep in touch via the Potluck Twitter handle, @veganpotluck.  Thank you!

Miso-Ginger Soup
Serves 4-6

2″ piece of ginger, peeled and microplaned (or finely minced)
6 cups water
Red Miso, White Miso Paste3-4″ piece kombu
4 tbsp. white miso
3 tbsp. red miso
1 tsp. tamari or soy sauce
2 scallions, chopped + additional for garnish
fresh cilantro, chopped

Other add-ins, if desired:
cubed silken tofu
thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
grated carrots
buckwheat noodles

Put 6 cups water in a large saucepan.  Add the kombu and the microplaned ginger.  Gently heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.  Remove kombu.  If using add-ins, put them into the soup now and simmer for a few minutes, just to slightly soften the vegetables. (I cook the buckwheat noodles separately and just stir them into the soup at the end.)

Whisk in the miso and the tamari.  Do not let the soup boil.  Cook for about 30 seconds.

Divide soup among 4 or 6 bowls and garnish with additional scallions and cilantro, if desired.

Lettuce Cup in Hand

Lettuce Veggie Wraps
Serves 6 or more

2 oz. bean thread noodles
vegetable broth for cooking
2 cups green cabbage, grated
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced or microplaned
1 cup carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Medium-size head red lettuce or your favorite tasty green

Soak the bean thread noodles in warm water until softened, about 15 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable broth and saute the cabbage for about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, garlic and ginger and continue to saute for another 4 minutes.  The mushrooms should be soft.  Add the carrots and bell pepper and cook an additional 5 minutes or until carrots and pepper are hot, but still have a nice bite.  Remove from the heat.

Drain the bean thread noodles and cut into 4″ lengths with scissors.  Add them to the vegetables along with the scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, basil and cilantro.  Stir to combine.

To serve, place a generous spoonful of the bean thread mixture onto lettuce leaves.  Dip.  Consume.

Hoisin Sauce

Hoisin Sauce

2 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
2 tbsp. tamari
1 tbsp. vegetable broth
1 1/2 tbsp. black bean garlic sauce
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. molasses
1 small clove garlic, microplaned or finely minced
1/4 tsp. chile garlic paste
dash ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and dip to your heart’s content.

Chile Garlic SauceChile-Garlic Sauce

1 tbsp. tamari
1 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (or additional tamari/soy sauce)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. white vinegar
3 tbsp. vegetable broth
pinch crystallized stevia or maple sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced or microplaned
2-3 scallions, sliced

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and let sit for about 30 minutes.

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May 21 2012
53 Comments
Bread, Brunch, Chocolate, Yeast Breads

Bread To Convalesce By: Chocolate-Cinnamon Babka

Cut Loaf

2 SlicesWhen a neighbor of ours went in for some major foot surgery – surgery that would leave him house-bound for quite a while – Kel and I thought it would be nice to drop off something comforting to help with his convalescence.  I occasionally send a fresh loaf of whole grain bread this neighbor’s way – the man appreciates a good loaf of bread – but this time I wanted something a little extra special to help with the healing process.

I’m a firm believer in the healing powers of chocolate, the comforting qualities of the smell of cinnamon and the health benefits of fresh- and home-baked bread.  Together those qualities must offer unbeatable rehabilitative properties, right?.  And since I was going to the effort anyway, I doubled the recipe so that Kel and I could comfort ourselves, too.  Thank goodness neither one of us required surgery.

Chocolate-Cinnamon Babka
Makes 2 loaves

Dough:
1 tsp. agave nectar
2 packages dry yeast
1 1/2 cups soy or almond milk, warmed
6 tbsp. maple sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. egg replacer + 3 tbsp. water (whisk together until frothy, then set aside)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
3 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
8 tbsp. vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

Filling:
1/2 cup maple sugar
1 tsp. powdered stevia
6 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz. semi-sweet vegan chocolate, finely chopped (chocolate chips work, too)

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and agave in the warm soy milk and let sit for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the maple sugar, vanilla extract, salt and egg replacer mixture.  Add the bread flour  and about 2 cups of the whole wheat flour and stir until well-blended.  Add the butter and stir again.  You’ll have a very sticky dough.

Now’s the time to knead the dough.  Lightly flour the counter and knead, adding whole wheat flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking too badly to your hands.  You should have a soft, slightly sticky dough by the time you’re done (8-10 minutes).  Place dough in a large bowl that’s been lightly sprayed with oil.  Cover and let rise for an hour and a half, or until doubled in size.  Punch dough down and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl.  Line the bottom of two 9″x5″ loaf pans with parchment and lightly spritz the sides of the pan with cooking oil.

Divide the dough in two and starting with one piece (keep the other piece covered), roll it out to a 16″ square.  Sprinkle filling over the dough, leaving a 1/4″ border.  Roll up the dough just as you would for cinnamon rolls.  Pinch the ends to seal.  Holding the roll by the ends, gently twist the dough as if wringing out a towel.  Fit the dough into the pan.  I formed mine into a u-shape to get it into the pan.  It looks funky, but comes out beautifully as it rises and bakes.  Repeat with the second piece of dough.

Cover both pans with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let rise for about 45 minutes.  Preheat your oven to 350F.

Bake the loaves for about 40 minutes or until nicely browned.  The bottom should sound hollow when tapped.  Cool the loaves in the pans for about 10 minutes before removing and allowing to cool completely on wire racks.

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May 20 2012
50 Comments
General

Someone Else Should Make Dinner

CandlesEvery year since we moved to Oklahoma, in the weeks coming up to my birthday, Kel asks, “What would you like to do for your birthday?”  And every year I reply, “Let’s go into the city!”  Just in case you think the Sooner state is all Dust Bowl and whipping-winds-plains, Oklahoma boasts two cities: Oklahoma City and Tulsa.  But when I say “the city,” I mean Oklahoma City.  We tried Tulsa one year for my birthday, and it was great, but – we just like OKC better.  I could give you the reasons why, but I don’t want to bruise Tulsa’s feelings.  Suffice to say the reasons have to do with coffee, food and ambiance.  It doesn’t hurt that a big, beautiful Whole Foods recently opened its doors there.

One of the main reasons I like to go into the city for my birthday is because of my philosophy that on my birthday, Someone Else Should Make Dinner (as well as the other meals, if possible) – and our tiny, shadow of a town just can’t offer the kind of eating opportunities that we prefer.  But OKC does.  This year my birthday wish was no exception.  May 18 was the day and we hopped into the Subaru and headed west.  Here’s what we did:

Lunch, Mocha, Bookstore

Lunch.  Mocha.  Old Books.  Dinner.
No journey to Oklahoma City is complete unless we’ve stopped at Whole Foods at least once.  Not only is it a reliable place to pick up a vegan meal and load up on staples for the pantry, it’s in a really fun area with unique shops and great walking space for Ike (and us).  After a quick shopping trip in WF and lunch on their patio we headed into downtown proper for our caffeine fix at a local roasters.  OKC has become a real gourmet coffee town, which works for Kel and me quite nicely.

Matthew Kenney

After coffee, we gave Ike a good walk and relaxed a while before dinner at Matthew Kenney.  I’ve written about this place before and it still amazes me that OKC is home to a raw restaurant and raw culinary institute.  How did that happen?  The restaurant staff is made up for the most part by students and the food is inventive, fresh and flavorful.  Both the food and the restaurant itself are beautiful.  The real stand-outs on the menu are always the desserts.

One thing that strikes me about this restaurant is how different the kitchen is.  And I don’t mean because everything is raw and instead of ovens and flat-tops, there are rows of Vitamix blenders and dehydrators.  Have you ever noticed the frenetic buzz of activity in the open kitchens in conventional restaurants?  The staff is constantly moving, dodging each other, smoke and steam rising, plates and hot pans flying everywhere.  At Matthew Kenney, there is a much slower vibe.  Staff pad back and forth behind the large work areas carrying big bowls of fresh greens, chunks of fruit and trays of dehydrated produce.  There’s no need to worry about flipping that steak before it goes from medium-rare to well-done.  It’s almost Zen-like in the spotless kitchen at Matthew Kenney and that peacefulness translates into one’s dining experience.  (Icing on my birthday “cake” was a gift certificate waiting for me at the restaurant – thank you, dear!  You know who you are ;-) .)

Better Block OKC

Build A Feet-happy City.
I love that Oklahoma City is growing in positive ways.  Rundown areas are being revitalized, new buildings are going up and shops and restaurants are coming in and the young population is eating it all up.  A small pop-up street fair of sorts happened to take place during our visit, so I knew we had to go check it out.  The Better Block OKC project was all about demonstrating how to make cities more pedestrian- and people-friendly with the focus on quick and inexpensive (think re-purposed and recycled) solutions for maximum effect.  There were temporary store fronts, food trucks (no vegan ones, sadly), graffiti artists, live music, crafts and fresh, local produce for sale.

Boathouse District Collage

Down By The River (The Boathouse District).
Ever since living in Cambridge, MA and then in Washington, DC, I’ve nursed a secret desire to row.  There’s just something about it – the early mornings, the glide over the water, the athleticism – that appeals to me.  I planned on taking a rowing class in DC, but we moved before I could turn that plan into action.  Being rather land-locked on a ranch, the only rowing I can do is atop my beautiful Indorow machine.  I love it, but it’s a far cry from being on the water.  Little did I know that rowing had – well – followed me to OKC.  The premier training site for Olympic and Paralympic rowers is right there – on the Oklahoma River.  And I just found this out about a week ago.  I’m so tickled by this, you cannot imagine!  Tops on my list of things to do in OKC was visit this site and I wasn’t disappointed.

There’s a wonderful walking and bike path that follows the river with plenty of trees and good views of the city skyline.  The boathouses are architecturally stunning and being able to watch the elegant boats skimming over the water is a real treat.  I felt the itch to climb into a sleek, tapered scull and take off – with Ike as the coxswain, of course.

We wrapped up our OKC visit with a trip to Second Chance Books (Kel and I can’t resist used book stores) followed by lunch at Coolgreens (a local chain offering fresh salads and flatbreads) and one last mocha for the road.  Now I’ve got a whole year to plan our next birthday adventures…

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May 19 2012
52 Comments
Garden, General, Herbs, Nature, Vegetables

How The Garden Grows

Green Tomato

Green tomatoes.

It’s really full-on summer here – though the calendar disagrees with me – in Oklahoma and besides having tomatoes, peppers and basil in the greenhouse, Kel has things humming along in the outside garden as well.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, he’s really been a one man show this year as far as the gardening goes.  I putter out to help here and there – and to help myself with whatever is ripe – but he’s done 99% of the work, and he’s done beautifully.

The garden space has slowly expanded since we moved here in 2007.  It took us a full year to realize that we cannot plant produce straight in the ground.  The soil just isn’t that good, but more than that, the Bermuda grass ate our lunch, so to speak.  It creeps, crawls and invades anything that it can.  So, we covered the garden plot with black plastic and let it cook for nearly a full year.  And we raised the beds to boot.  This year we’ve added a couple of new spots that will be ready next year, after the black plastic, the sun and the worms do their work.  Here’s how things look:

Full Garden

The full garden with areas under black plastic.

Basil Plants

Beautiful basil. Our honeybees will go crazy when these are in full bloom.

Strawberry Plant

A strawberry plant, new this year.

Grape Vine

So many grapes this year!

Green Peppers

Bell peppers from the greenhouse.

Potato Plant

Potato plants; imagine all of those happy, little spuds underground!

Straw Bale

Close-up of a straw bale. My artist’s eye loved the tangles of dry grass.

Blueberry Plant

Young blueberry plant, covered in unripe berries.

Row of Onions

Sturdy row of onions.

Lavender

One of my contributions: lavender.

Red Hot Pokers

Red Hot Poker, for the hummingbirds.

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May 18 2012
28 Comments
Cookies and Bars, Desserts

Tahini-Orange-Date Crumble Cookies

Cookies in Green Cup

I was immediately intrigued by a recipe for Orange Blossom Tahini Cookies at Savory Simple.  Beautiful little cookies – but what was hooked me was the use of tahini.  I’d only ever used it for savory dishes.  I tucked the recipe away and well, kind of forgot about it until I made my date crumble mistake.  A tahini-based cookie sounded like the perfect way to use some of that sweet, crunchy (sesame-seeded) mixture.  I veganized the cookie recipe, swapped white flour for whole wheat, added almond flour and reduced the amount of sugar and fat – and I added a good handful of date crumble.  These cookies have the most tender crumb and they bake up beautifully.  The aroma when they bake – out of sight.

Many thanks to Everyday Vegan Girl for passing along the Versatile Blogger Award and to VegHotPot and Nina at Tabkhet el Yom (What’s for lunch?) for bestowing the One Lovely Blog award to this here blog.  I enjoy and admire all of these blogs, so it’s a huge honor.  Thank you, ladies!  Oh and hey – check out the Creative Kitchen Challenge at Things My Belly Likes.  I’m probably going to play along with this one.

Tahini-Orange-Date Crumble Cookies
Makes 16

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup almond meal (a good way to use the almond pulp from making almond milk; just make sure it’s dry and finely ground)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. powdered stevia
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/4 cup maple sugar (or omit stevia and use 1/2 cup sugar)
1/2 tbsp. maple syrup
4 oz. prune puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. orange extract
1 1/4 cups Date, Cherry, Walnut & Ginger Crumble
Demerara sugar for sprinkling

In a small bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt and stevia.

By hand or in a stand mixer, cream the butter and maple sugar.  Add the maple syrup, prune puree and extracts.  Process until well-mixed.  Carefully add the flour mixture and just as the dough is coming together, pour in the crumble.  Process just enough so that the crumble is thoroughly incorporated.  The mixture should be covered and chilled for several hours.

Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.   Scoop up generous tablespoon-sized balls of dough and roll them quickly.  When all of the balls have been formed, wet the bottom of a glass and gently press down the cookies.  Sprinkle with Demerara sugar.

Bake for about 15 minutes, switching pans halfway through.  Allow to cool for a few minutes on the pans, then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Cookie Cut in Half

Stack of Cookies

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May 17 2012
53 Comments
Beverages, Vegetables

Chocolate-Cherry-Banana (Green) Smoothie

SmoothiesA few days ago while doing a sort-of, kind-of inventory of my canned goods, I noticed four cans of tart cherries staring back at me.  Wow.  When did I buy those??  I grabbed one and checked the date: getting close to expiration time.  I’ve been on a mission to use those cans before the clock strikes midnight on them (what exactly happens on the expiration date anyway?  Do they self-destruct?  Instantly acquire botulism?)  My first recipe was a vegan version of Cauldron and Cupcakes’ Cherry Ripe Slice (I love the name of this recipe – I feel like I could change the words around and it would still make sense).  I must admit that my first go-round on these didn’t come out quite as expected.  Perfectly edible, but not ready for prime time.  I encourage you to check out Nicole’s decadent version – it looks and sounds wonderful.  (In the meantime, I’ll enjoy my smoothie variation of her dessert.  See the recipe below the Chocolate-Cherry-Banana Smoothie recipe.)

This, my second recipe using a can of cherries came out much better.  Perhaps because there was no measuring, substituting and baking.  Daily dose of greens included at no extra charge.

For those Virtual Vegan Potluckers out there (and anyone else who is interested), I created a Facebook page just for the event.  (Thanks, Lorna, for the idea!)  It’s a little rough around the edges, but I’m working on it!  Please check it out and give it a Like.  I’ll be slowly sharing the links to everyone’s VVP posts.  Click here to be whisked away to the Virtual Vegan Potluck page.  Also, the VVP Pinterest board is now complete!  And…the VVP now has its own Twitter handle: @veganpotluck.

Chocolate-Cherry-Banana (Green) Smoothie
Serves 2

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 very ripe bananas, sliced (frozen would be nice)
2 tbsp. powdered unsweetened cocoa
natural sweetener to taste (I used crystallized stevia)
1 15 oz. can pitted, tart cherries (packed in water, not syrup), drained well and frozen (or use 2 cups bagged frozen cherries)
A big handful of baby spinach
cacao nibs, optional

Put everything (except the cacao nibs) in a blender or Vitamix in the order shown and blend until smooth!  Divide between two glasses and sprinkle with cacao nibs.

Smoothies from the Top

Cherry Ripe Slice Smoothie
Serves 2

1- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp. coconut or vanilla extract
2 very ripe bananas, sliced, fresh or frozen
2 tbsp. powdered unsweetened cocoa
natural sweetener to taste (I used crystallized stevia)
1 15 oz. can pitted, tart cherries (packed in water, not syrup), drained well and frozen (or use 2 cups bagged frozen cherries)
A big handful of baby spinach
cacao nibs, optional
toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, optional

Put everything (except the cacao nibs and toasted coconut flakes) in a blender or Vitamix in the order shown and blend until smooth!  (If using both frozen bananas and cherries, you will need more liquid to get and keep the mixture moving.)  Divide between two glasses and sprinkle with cacao nibs and toasted coconut flakes.

Chocolate Cherry Coconut Smoothie

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