Thursday, October 28, 2010

Friday, October 22, 2010

{BLACK BEAN SALSA}

This salsa is supposed to be served over these corn waffles, but it's a great salsa for anything.


6 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
⅓ c. sliced green onions
2 T. snipped fresh cilantro
2 T. lime juice
1 to 2 serrano peppers, chopped*
¼ t. salt
¼ t. cumin
1 ripe avocado, chopped




• Roughly chop tomatoes and combine with black beans, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, serrano pepper, salt, and avocado.

* I only use one half of a serrano pepper because they are so hot, and I don’t use any seeds. You might want to wear gloves or put your hand in a sandwich bag while chopping, and make sure you wash your hands after and don’t touch your eyes or face. They do add a good flavor, and they don’t make the whole thing too spicy, but you have to be careful with them.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

{VEGAN ALFREDO WITH PEAS}

I made a few changes to this recipe.  We liked it even better.  (A bit less tofu-y, and a bit more complex flavor.)

1 lb whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente.


1/2 c. water
2 c. shallots or onions, chopped
1 lb. frozen peas (about 2 1/2 c.)


1 12.3-oz. pkg. firm silken tofu, pressed
1 1/2 c. non-dairy milk
1/3 c. nutritional yeast
1 head garlic, roasted*
1 t. onion powder
1/2 t. salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch nutmeg

1/4 c. fresh parsley

  • In a medium saucepan, saute onions in water until soft.
  • Add peas and saute an additional 2 minutes.
  • Blend 2nd group of ingredients (tofu through nutmeg) until very smooth (2-3 minutes).
  • Add cream mixture to onions and peas.
  • Heat on low until heated through.
  • Add parsley, and serve over whole wheat pasta.
*To roast garlic, peel off flaky paper stuff, leaving the whole head of garlic intact.  Wrap in foil.  Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.  Allow to cool.  Squeeze out garlic cloves.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

{SQUASH ENCHILADAS WITH SPICY PEANUT SAUCE}

Thanks, Lucy!  This was really good.  I actually changed the recipe to make a smaller amount for my small family; I'll post the original (9x13) and the smaller one (8x8).  I also cut the spice way down.  I'll post the spice amount as a possible range.  I used the smallest amount.

8-10 whole wheat or corn tortillas (5 for an 8x8 pan.)

{FILLING for both 9x13 and 8x8}

1/4 c. water
1 carrot, diced
1 1/4 c. mushrooms, diced (I left these out.)
1/2 c. onion, diced

1 1/2 c. butternut squash, cubed and steamed
1/2 c. jicama, diced
1/2 c. Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1 T. white or apple cider vinegar
1/2 t. salt
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Saute carrot, mushrooms, and onion in water until the carrot is tender.
  • Add the cooked squash, jicama, apple, sunflower seeds, vinegar, salt, and cilantro.
  • Mix well and set aside.

{SAUCE FOR 9X13]

2 c. water
1 T. bouillon
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cumin
1-2 garlic cloves, minced (1/2 t.)
1-2 canned chipotle chilies, chopped*
1-3 T. chili powder

1/4 c. water
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 T. onion, minced
1 T. flour

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
  • In a medium saucepan, combine first ingredients (water through chili powder).
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Meanwhile, in a small skillet or saucepan, saute the oregano and onion in water until the onion is soft.
  • Whisk in flour.
  • Slowly whisk chili sauce into onion/flour mixture.
  • Bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Strain and discard chunks.
  • Add peanut butter to remaining liquid.
  • Mix well and set aside.
*You may want to wear gloves while handling the chilies.  The oils can irritate your skin.


{SAUCE for 8x8}

2 c. water
1 T. bouillon
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cumin
1-2 garlic cloves, minced (1/2 t.)
1-2 canned chipotle chilies, chopped
1-3 T. chili powder

1/4 c. water
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 T. onion, minced
1 T. flour

1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
  • In a medium saucepan, combine first ingredients (water through chili powder).
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Meanwhile, in a small skillet or saucepan, saute the oregano and onion in water until the onion is soft.
  • Whisk in flour.
  • Slowly whisk chili sauce into onion/flour mixture.
  • Bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Strain and discard chunks.
  • Combine 2/3 c. chili sauce and 1/4 c. peanut butter.  (Freeze extra chili sauce for next time.)
  • Mix well and set aside.

{ASSEMBLY}
  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Place a spoonful of squash mixture down the center of each tortilla.  (I packed all of the filling into 5 whole wheat tortillas.)
  • Roll up and place seam side down in a lightly oiled 9x13 (or 8x8) baking dish.
  • Pour peanut sauce over the top.
  • Bake for 20 minutes.

Friday, October 15, 2010

{CHEESECAKE}



{9-INCH GRAHAM CRUST}

1/2 c. grape nuts cereal
2 c. Mother's Graham Bumpers cereal*
1/3 c. applesauce
1/4 t. almond extract
  • Preheat oven to 315.
  • Process grape nuts in processor until it's the consistency of heavy sand.
  • Add graham bumpers and pulse cereal in food processor until it's the consistency of bread crumbs or heavy sand.
  • Add almond extract.
  • Slowly add applesauce, mixing by hand, until it's moist but still kind of crumbly.  You don't want it globby.  You may not need all the applesauce.
  • Press into a 9-inch pie dish to form a crust.  (Don't worry if it seems like you won't have enough; just keep spreading and pressing.  It will work.)
  • Pack the crust down tightly.
  • Bake at 315 for 8 minutes.
  • Remove crust from oven and allow to cool completely before adding filling.
*You can use whole wheat graham crackers instead, but they have added oil.  Or you can use GrapeNuts cereal, processed really small.  Or a combination of any of those will also work.  GrapeNuts make a chewier crust.  The Graham Bumper crust was nice and soft.  Definitely my favorite so far.



{FILLING}

2 boxes firm Silken tofu, pressed
12 oz. (1 1/2 tubs) vegan cream cheese
1 c. evaporated cane juice
1 t. almond extract
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. lemon zest
1 1/2 T. egg replacer
3 T. cornstarch
  • Blend all ingredients until very smooth (2-3 minutes).
  • Pour into cooled pie crust.
  • Bake at 315 for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Remove from oven and place away from heat.
  • Allow to cool to room temperature (2-3 hours).  (The cheesecake will fall as it cools.)
  • Chill in refrigerator for at least 10 hours before serving.


{FRUIT TOPPING}

1 can apple juice concentrate
4 c. fruit
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. lemon or lime zest
2 T. cornstarch
  • Pour 3/4 of the apple juice concentrate into a saucepan.
  • Add fruit, lemon juice, and zest.
  • Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
  • Mix cornstarch into remaining apple juice concentrate, and pour into sauce.
  • Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Serve hot or chilled.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

{THE TRUTH: WHAT'S REALLY IN MEAT}

If you have an hour (and if you can get over this guy's quirkiness) this video is well worth your time.

{SWEET POTATO CHIPS}

This is a normal sized cereal/soup bowl with about 1 1/2 sweet potatoes.  As you can imagine, it's easy to go through LOTS of sweet potatoes this way.




These kind of take a long time to cook, and they're gone in about 30 seconds when they're done, but they're oh-so-good and worth it!

  • Preheat oven to 350-400 degrees.  (Experiment in your climate, humidity, and altitude.)
  • Scrub sweet potatoes; you don't need to peel them.
  • Slice sweet potatoes into thin, even slices.  (Easiest to use a food processor or mandoline.)
  • Spread slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
  • Bake for a long time (45-90 minutes, depending on temperature, thickness of slices, etc.), flipping every 10-15 minutes.
  • Keep a close eye on them, and remove them as they reach the desired texture and crispiness.  Some chips may be done before others.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

{IRONIC}

I've read a few of these articles lately- it seems some people are catching on to the craziness of pinkwashing.

Susan Silberstein, PhD, Editor
Ironic Breast Cancer News:
CLUCK FOR THE CURE?
adapted from an article by Ralph Moss, PhD

Recently we learned that in order to fight cancer, we should buy a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. This past spring, the chicken purveyor and Susan G. Komen for the Cure teamed up on a "Buckets for the Cure" campaign at 5000 KFC restaurants nationwide "to raise funds and spread breast cancer awareness." "Spread breast cancer" may be more on target.

Participating franchises sell specially designed pink buckets of chicken, and KFC then donates 50 cents for every bucket that is ordered during the promotion period. The names of "breast cancer survivors and those who have lost their battle with breast cancer will be listed on the sides of the bucket."

KFC has been in the news recently for a great innovation in dining: the "Double Down." This gluten-free all-meat sandwich consists of two pieces of bacon, two slices of cheese, and the famous Colonel's sauce -- which contains soybean oil, sugar, chicken fat, MSG, etc. -- packed between two fried chicken fillets! This "breadless wonder" was launched across the entire US in April of this year.

Then there's the acrylamide issue. In 2000, Swedish scientists discovered this chemical in such foods as potato chips and french fries. The US Food and Drug Administration estimates the acrylamide content in KFC french fries at 117-313 parts per billion, a very high amount.

Acrylamide is classified as a "probable human carcinogen." In rat studies, it increased the incidence of breast cancer, as well as thyroid tumors and scrotal mesothelioma. In humans, there is an increased risk of ovarian and endometrial cancers, renal cell cancers, and mouth cancers. In 2009 a Dutch study showed a positive association between dietary acrylamide intake and breast cancer. The highest consumption of acrylamide correlated with a 43% increase in breast cancer in women with estrogen or progesterone receptor positive cancers.

According to Barbara Brenner of Breast Cancer Action, this is "an egregious example of 'pinkwashing' which occurs when a company purports to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink ribboned product, but manufactures products that are linked to the disease....Make no mistake, every pink bucket purchase will do more to benefit KFC's bottom line than it will to cure breast cancer."

She also points out that KFC, like most fast food chains, is overwhelmingly present in poor and minority communities that tend to have higher breast cancer mortality rates.... It is unfortunate that Komen has chosen to associate itself with products that may, ironically, be linked to increased incidence of breast cancer!

At www.BeatCancer.org, we are not raising money for research and we are not searching for the "cure." Prevention is the cure! There's plenty of research already published on diet and breast cancer, and we teach women every day how to apply that science in their lives -- whether that be for primary prevention, prevention of recurrence, or creating an inner environment that will no longer host cancer.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

{THE ORIGINAL DATE BALLS}

We already have different varieties of this recipe posted: date balls, date squares, and cashew cookie squares.  But this is the original date ball recipe, with flax and walnuts. Very good for brain health.

1 c. sesame seeds
1 c. walnuts
1/2 c. ground flax
1 c. coconut
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ginger
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
1 c. dates, very packed
1/3 c. peanut butter

  • Process sesame seeds in food processor until ground to powder.
  • Add and process walnuts, flax, coconut, and spices.
  • Add and process dates and peanut butter.
  • Roll into balls, or press into a dish and cut into squares.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010