Feb 2010
Lentil Sloppy Joes
02/24/10
Or "Snobby Joes" as the recipe is called. These lentil powered sloppy joes have fast become a family favorite. The recipe comes from this great vegan cookbook written by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. The book is called Veganomicon, and it does a great job of being irreverant and translating comfort food favorites into vegan friendly dishes. I have discovered many creative substitutions by using this book. The first night that I make these sloppy joes they are almost always eaten in the traditional manner. You know with buns and all....
After the initial serving, however, the leftovers are fair game. My husband loves to eat the lentils with chips like a dip. (Actually, that is also a favorite of mine.) I use it as a topping for baked potatoes. In fact, last night I made some mashed sweet potato and just plopped some of these lentils right on top. Can you say yum? Well, you would if you tried them.
Now, although I am not vegan, I do eat primarily a vegetarian diet. I use a lot of vegan cookbooks because they help me with dairy free recipes and ideas. (My internal systems all work better without dairy.) There are two main reasons I am not a vegan today. I love honey and salmon. Simple.
I also happen to love lentils. Always have. I use them in so many ways because they take on the flavors of what you are cooking. They are inexpensive, versatile, and really good for you.
Lentils are an ancient food source dating back to Neolithic times. They are third in line behind soybeans and hemp for the amount of protein offered (26%.) Lentils are missing the two amino acids, methionine and cystine, but when sprouted they are a complete protein. Also, when lentils are combined with rice or another whole grain they compliment each other, providing a complete protein source.
Lentils are one of the best sources of iron in the plant kingdom, making them essential to a vegetarian diet. They also are an excellent soure of folate and dietary fiber. Dietary fiber, we have learned, is important in maintaining stable blood sugar levels as well as supporting healthy elimination.
So back to the Snobby Joes, I guess you may want to be clued into Isa's recipe....
Ingredients List:
1 cup uncooked lentils
4 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sized onion, diced small
1 green pepper, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chile powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup tomato paste
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
4-6 kaiser rolls
Pour the lentils and water into a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Once lentils are soft, drain and set aside.
About 10 minutes before lentils are done, preheat a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, unitl softened. Add the garlic and saute a minute more.
Stir in the cooked lentils, chile powder, oregano, and salt. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and the mustard, and heat through.
Turn off the heat and let the pot sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld. Serve on whole grain buns or bread. Mix up a batch of sweet potato fries to go along and enjoy!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
After the initial serving, however, the leftovers are fair game. My husband loves to eat the lentils with chips like a dip. (Actually, that is also a favorite of mine.) I use it as a topping for baked potatoes. In fact, last night I made some mashed sweet potato and just plopped some of these lentils right on top. Can you say yum? Well, you would if you tried them.
Now, although I am not vegan, I do eat primarily a vegetarian diet. I use a lot of vegan cookbooks because they help me with dairy free recipes and ideas. (My internal systems all work better without dairy.) There are two main reasons I am not a vegan today. I love honey and salmon. Simple.
I also happen to love lentils. Always have. I use them in so many ways because they take on the flavors of what you are cooking. They are inexpensive, versatile, and really good for you.
Lentils are an ancient food source dating back to Neolithic times. They are third in line behind soybeans and hemp for the amount of protein offered (26%.) Lentils are missing the two amino acids, methionine and cystine, but when sprouted they are a complete protein. Also, when lentils are combined with rice or another whole grain they compliment each other, providing a complete protein source.
Lentils are one of the best sources of iron in the plant kingdom, making them essential to a vegetarian diet. They also are an excellent soure of folate and dietary fiber. Dietary fiber, we have learned, is important in maintaining stable blood sugar levels as well as supporting healthy elimination.
So back to the Snobby Joes, I guess you may want to be clued into Isa's recipe....
Ingredients List:
1 cup uncooked lentils
4 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sized onion, diced small
1 green pepper, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chile powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup tomato paste
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
4-6 kaiser rolls
Pour the lentils and water into a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Once lentils are soft, drain and set aside.
About 10 minutes before lentils are done, preheat a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, unitl softened. Add the garlic and saute a minute more.
Stir in the cooked lentils, chile powder, oregano, and salt. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and the mustard, and heat through.
Turn off the heat and let the pot sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld. Serve on whole grain buns or bread. Mix up a batch of sweet potato fries to go along and enjoy!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
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Punjabi Rajma
02/16/10 Filed in: Beans
Red kidney beans are the stars of this creamy dish which can be used as an entre or as a side dish. I like to serve punjabi rajma by itself with some warm whole wheat pita, but it also goes nicely with brown basmati rice and some sauted greens.
This is an adaptation of another of Madhur Jaffrey's recipes. This recipe is dairy free so I replaced the butter and heavy cream with coconut milk and oilve oil. I chose So Delicious coconut milk to create the creamy texture that heavy cream would create without imparting a distinct coconut flavor. Other milk substitutes could also be used such as soy creamer or hemp milk. Both are thicker than regular soy or almond milk and thus would add to the creamy texture of the dish.
To save time, set your beans to soak overnight. Place the beans in a heavy cooking pot with water several inches above the beans and just leave on your counter while you sleep. In the morning you will find the water has been put to good use and the beans are swollen and ready to cook.
Alternatively, you can add your water and beans to a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and let the beans sit for one hour.
Once beans have soaked, add them to your heavy pot with your three slices of ginger and water. Bring to a boil and let cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for one hour. Discard your ginger slices.
Take a potato masher and mash up about half of the beans. (You can also remove half of the beans and puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot. However, you will have all the more to clean at the end.) Mashing the beans adds to the creamy texture of the dish. Add the salt, lemon juice, garam masala, and the coconut milk. Stir to mix.
Add oilive oil to a small frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook a few seconds. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until garlic starts to brown. Add the chilies whole, stir a few seconds and then add the entire spice mixture to the beans. Mix in.
Remove the chilies before serving.
Ingredients List:
11/2 cups red kidney beans
6 cups water
3 slices of unpeeled ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk- not canned
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 clove garlic
2 dried, hot chilies
A cup of cooked kidney beans provides 43% of the daily fiber requirements. Why is fiber so important? Soluable fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract which binds with bile and moves it out of the body. Cholesterol resides in this bile. (Can we say, yum?) Insoluable fiber creates stool bulk and prevents constipation, which in turns helps prevent irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis. Fiber helps to stabilize blood sugars and lowers cholesterol levels. Those slow burning complex carbohydrates (Yes, carbs are good.) provide a steady store of energy.
Eating high fiber foods also helps to prevent heart disease. In addition to the fiber, kidney beans provide folate and magnesium. Folate helps to lower homocysteine levels. Elevated blood levels of homocysteine are an independent risk factor for heart attack or stroke. Elevated levels have been found in up to 40% of patients with heart disease. One cup of cooked kidney beans provides more than half of the reccomended daily intake for folate.
Magnesium also benefits heart health. When there is enough magnesium around, veins and arteries relax, which lessens resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Kidney beans provide 20% of the daily magnesium requirements.
Kidney beans are also a grat source of iron. Having addiquate iron in the diet is also integral in having enough energy to get through the day. Iron is an interal component of hempglobin, which transport oxygen from the lungs to all body cells. It also is part of the enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism. Pregnant, lactating, and menstruating women are all at risk of iron deficiences because of the increased need for iron. Kidney beans can provide 29% of the daily requirements for iron.
When combined with whole grains such as brown rice, kidney beans provide a great source of fat free high quality protein. A high quality protein is one that provides the eight essential amino acids. There are about twenty different amino acids commonly found in both plant and animal sources. When comsumed, proteins are broken down into their indvidual amino acids which are absorbed and used to make new proteins in the body. The essential amino acids are eight of those twenty which the body cannot manufacture on its own. Therefore, they must be supplied through the diet.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Easy Black Eyed Peas with Mushrooms
02/12/10 Filed in: Beans
The following recipe is from Madhur Jaffrey and her book, Indian Cooking. This cookbook was a very thoughtful gift from my sister-in-law who paid attention to my musings about my interest in Indian food.
After I discovered a little Indian restaurant in my neighborhood, I really fell in love with the cuisine. The combinations of spices and foods, the curries, the sauces, all of it fills me with warmth. I love the smells, the textures, and the gentle heat from the peppers or ginger.
If you have the time, it is worth it to start this recipe from dried beans. I made it easy by using Eden canned black eyed peas. Using dried beans does not make a recipe more difficult, but is does lengthen the cooking time. You can use any brand of canned black eyed peas, but Eden is the only brand that does not line their cans of beans with BPA.
Black eyed peas are a great source of protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates. In addition, black eyed peas provide calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, as well as iron, zinc, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, folate, vitamin A, and pantothenic acid.
The tomatoes in the recipe add a good source of lycopene, the onions and garlic add a host of phytochemicals which eliminate free radicals, cinnamon helps the body regulate sugar, cumin seeds are a good source of iron, and I could go on and on.... The point is, that all the ingredients culminate in a dish full of useful and available nutrition.
Ingredients List:
3 cans of Eden black eyed peas, drained
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms
6 tablespoons of oilve oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons cilantro or parsley, chopped
Put the oil in a sauce pan. When hot, add the cinnamon and cumin, and sizzle for 5-6 seconds. Add the onions and garlic. Saute until the onion begins to brown.
Add the mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms wilt.
Add the tomatoes, cumin, coriander, and turmeric.
Stir together and reduce heat to low and cook for ten minutes.
Add the cans of black eyed peas, and simmer for 20-30 minutes on low. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.
Serve with rice as an entre or side. Enjoy over a baked potato. This recipe will keep in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for several months.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
In Honor of Beans
02/10/10 Filed in: Beans
About 80% of the food I eat, I make myself. Yes, I have a fulltime job with an hour commute, so I do not have a corner on time. However, I am commited to having control over what goes into my body. This means that I cook. I don't cook everyday, but, just like that old adage..... don't cook hard, cook smart.
I make dishes that "age." In other words, they get better the second and third day, I also plan for leftovers, sometimes freezing those "planned-overs" for the night I can't bring myself to lift a pot. There is always a second or third meal from every pasta dish, soups are made big and hearty to stand in place of a meal or freeze for another day, and I make a lot of pulses.
According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, pulses are legumes which are soley harvested for dry grains. Among the list are kidney beans, azuki beans, mung beans, chickpeas, pigeon peas, lentil, and black gram. Some beans are eaten both fresh and dried such as black eyed peas, and lima beans.
Beans in general are often an overlooked source of powerful nutrition. They contribute folate, calcium, protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. They also contain very little fat. Studies have shown that while all beans are nutritious, the darker the bean, the more antioxidants.
Many people avoid beans due to their tendency to produce flatulence. This is due to a sugar in the beans called raffinose which creates gas pockets in the large intestine as it's digested. There are several easy solutions to this delimena. Adding a teaspoon of baking soda to the beans while soaking or cooking will reduce the gas produced and will not impact the flavor. Also, several spices will break down the raffinose while adding great flavor; fennel, cilantro, tumeric, anise, rosemary, or bayleaf. Lastly, you can take an exzyme product such as Bean-O. Of course, you could always practice blaming it on your dog..... poor Vegas.
Beans are flexible. A batch of beans can be eated with rice, can be topped on a baked potato, added to a green salad, rolled in a wrap, or eated as a side. The possibilities rival that of peanut butter. You can make Indian inspired beans, italian seasoned beans, or spicy Texas beans. No matter what you tastes, the humble bean can take it on. Beans can even be dessert as is evidenced by these delicious black bean brownies.
With that said, I have decided to do a series of bean dishes. Discussing their contribution to good nutrition and good budgeting. (I forgot to mention that beans are a really inexpensive food source that can sit in your cupboard for a long time. The only beans I have ever thrown away, has been those that I burned so badly, they were not worth saving.) So grab your Bean-O and let's get started!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Cucumber, Avocado, Spinach Sandwich
02/09/10
Hmmmmmm. I love me a cucumber sandwich. My husband thinks I'm crazy, of course, but he lacks an appreciation for the cucumber. I do not believe there were a lot of cucumbers in his youth. Therefore, having a cucumber sandwich is a joy I save for time by myself.
My mother taught me this treat when I was a kid, and since then I have made such a wide variety of cucumber sandwiches. We are mostly English in ancestry so maybe it is in our DNA. You know those cucumber sandwiches they serve with their afternoon tea?
As a kid, I use to pair sharp cheddar with my cucumber. As a young adult I discovered feta and that became my new favorite layer in my sandwich. Leftover hotdogs were often layered in with my cucumbers.
Cucumbers can stand alone and not get lost with many strong flavors. They add a cool cripness to the sandwich which makes a great contardiction to the crusty, toasty bread. Today I may use a non-dairy feta for my strong flavor, but I am just as quick to use a tapenade, hummus, or fresh herb to layer in my flavors.
Today's sandwich started with some sprouted spelt bread, lightly toasted. Veganaise was spread on either slice of taost. Another layer of black olive tapenade was spread on one side while a sundried tomatoe was chopped and spread on the other side. A cucumber was sliced long and thin and layered on top of the sundried tomato. Two slices of avocado were layered on top on the black olive tapenade. A healthy layer of spianch was place in hte center and the sandwich was put together. Sliced in half, I'm a down the middle person, and placed on a plate for consumption. Heaven!
If you are interested in creating your own cucumber sandwich, use your creativity and whatever is in your fridge. Be bold and slap those flavors down. I haven't had a bad one yet.......
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Oil Free Nutty Granola
02/01/10
I like crunchy granola. Mainly, because I like to mix it with yogurt or sprinkle it on soy ice cream. The problem with granola is the high fat content. After adding all the yummy things like nuts, granola is traditionally baked using some sort of oil. The first time I made granola, I found this recipe that used oilve oil. I thought to myself, olive oil is healthy. The recipe made a huge batch, and confident that I would love it, I made it to specifications. What a waste that was. I could taste the oil which really turned me off. So, of couse, I let it sit around until I finally threw it out.
I love to experiment with granola, throwing in a little of this or that depending on what is in the cupboard. Especially with spices, my favorite so far is using chinese five spice. (Chinese five spice also happens to be the bomb in warm oatmeal.) It really adds depth of flavor to a hum drum breakfast.
Today's batch is more traditional for those just starting out. Raisens or cherries can be substitued for the cranberries or blueberries. Agave syrup or brown sugar can be substituted for either the maple syrup or honey. Make it match your cupboard and you are more likely to whip up a batch today!
Ingredient's List:
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dries blueberries
Heat your oven to 250 F.
Mix up all your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix wet ingredients and whisk together in a small bowl seperately. Add the wet ingredients to the oatmeal and mix until evenly distributed.
Spread the mixture in a shallow pan or cookie sheet and bake until dry. Watch carefully and stir the mixture in the pan every 20 minutes or so.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Add the dried fruit. Use as cold cereal with milk or as a treat with yogurt. Enjoy!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.