Fruit Gel Babies

School started for us in Mississippi about four weeks ago, but I know that in other parts of the country and world, parents are just now preparing to send their kids back to school. For vegan parents, that means we start looking for good foods to put into our children's lunch boxes. And while we want the food to be healthy, we know that it also has to be something that our kids will actually eat. That's where these Fruit Gel Babies come in.

Most kids love "jell-o" and my daughter is no different. We've been happy lately to find Dole Fruit Gels in the supermarket, and the mandarine orange flavor, at least, is vegan. But they're relatively expensive, contribute to landfill waste, and contain added sugar and artificial flavorings. So what I've been doing is making my own gel cups at home, using 100% fruit juice and no added sugar.



The recipe below made about 8 Fruit Gel Babies, but then my daughter and her friend got home from school and ate most of them (well, I helped a little). I used various sizes of plastic cups--I think the ones shown are 4 ounces each--and went very simple and used canned fruit salad packed in juice, but you can use freshly chopped fruit. Just be sure to dip apples and bananas in orange juice to prevent browning, and avoid using fresh pineapple because it will prevent the agar from gelling.

Fruit Gel Babies

1 28-ounce can or 2 14-ounce cans fruit packed in juice
about 1 1/2 cups apple juice
1 tsp. agar powder
small plastic containers

Drain the juice completely from the can of fruit into a 2-cup measure. Add apple juice to equal a total of 2 cups of juice. Pour it into a saucepan, and sprinkle the agar over the surface. Set it aside to soften for a few minutes.

Divide the fruit equally among the plastic containers. (You may use 8-10 tiny containers or fewer larger ones.)

Stir the agar into the fruit juice, and begin heating it. Cook, stirring regularly, until it reaches a boil. When it's boiling and all the agar seems to be dissolved, remove it from the heat. Spoon it equally over the fruit in the plastic cups--you'll want to fill them almost to the top so that the gel won't slosh around in your child's lunchbox. Tap the bottom of each cup gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles.

Let them cool on the counter; then put the tops on the containers and place them in the fridge.

These took a grand total of 10 minutes to make and less than an hour to firm up. Feel free to go all creative and add food coloring and interestingly shaped fruit if you want, though I have to say that the kids in my house didn't need any tricks to get them to eat these Babies.

Kid-Friendly Bonus: E's Top 5 Lunchbox Entrées

E's lunchbox often contains the same boring things: either PB&J sandwiches or SmartDeli "bologna" and olive sandwiches. Other days we get a little more creative and get out the thermos. Here are her favorite things to see when she opens her lunchbox:

1. Hummus with crackers/pita wedges and carrots
2. Spaghetti with marinara sauce or any leftover pasta dish
3. Thai Kitchen rice noodles or ramen noodles (I add broccoli slaw while cooking the noodles to add more nutrients.)
4. Mexican Sushi or burritos with refried beans
5. Split Pea Soup, once the weather cools down

Of course, this can't compare to the variety of lunches on the vegan lunch box blog, which you should check out if you haven't already. There are a whole lot of ideas there, for grown-ups as well as kids!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free Eat to Live

Eggplant Paprikash

Yes, it's my weekly eggplant recipe! I know you're as excited as I am. After all, you can never have too much eggplant.

As part of my agenda to convert everyone into Eggplant Lovers (aka Aubergine Admirers and Brinjal Buddies), I've transformed the traditional Hungarian chicken paprikash into a vegan dish worthy of an eggplant. Mild Hungarian paprika gives the sauce its vibrant color and rich, distinctive flavor, while tofu "sour cream" adds creaminess and zing.



Eggplant Paprikash

1 large onion, halved and cut into thin wedges
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. red pepper (optional)
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. eggplant (about 2 medium) cut into 1-inch cubes
2 bell peppers, any color, sliced (I used red and yellow)
1 cup vegetable broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glen Fire Roasted)
1/8 tsp. Liquid Smoke flavoring
1/2 cup tofu sour cream (see below)

Tofu Sour Cream:

1/2 package (about 6 ounces) lite silken tofu
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tbsp. cashew butter or tahini
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)

Blend all the ingredients for the tofu sour cream until completely smooth, and set aside in the refrigerator until needed.

In a large, non-stick saucepan, sauté the onion in a small amount of water until it begins to brown, about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, and red pepper (optional), and stir for one minute. Add the salt, eggplant, peppers, vegetable broth, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer until the eggplant is tender, about 15-20 minutes.

When the eggplant is done, check the seasonings and add more salt if necessary. Stir in the Liquid Smoke (optional) and the sour cream, and cook for another minute, until warmed through. Serve over pasta (I used Tinkyada Pasta Joy brown rice noodles) or rice. Serves 4.

How many eggplant recipes have I featured here? Even I'm not sure, but here are links to a few of them:

Stuffed Eggplants and Not-So-Dirty Rice
Eggplants and Tofu in Spicy Garlic Sauce
Eggplant Creole
Rigatoni with Zucchini and Eggplant
Farmer's Market Quinoa

I'm sending this over to Sweetnicks for the Antioxidant-Rich Foods Roundup tonight. Check it out--maybe there'll be more eggplant there!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free Eat to Live ARF/5-A-Day

5 Foods to Live For

I've been tagged for a meme. Now, before you worry that I should get my shots updated, let me explain that a meme is simply something that all the cool kids are doing, and being "tagged" for it means that I've been asked to join in. Sort of like, "If all your friends were jumping off a bridge, would you jump, too?" (In a word, Mom, yes.)

This particular meme was started by Melissa at The Traveler's Lunchbox, though she designated it a "joint project," rather than a meme. The idea is to "create a list of food bloggers' top picks for things you've eaten and think that everyone should eat at least once before they die." I was tagged by Ilva of Lucullian Delights (whose photos are so beautiful that they make me want to move to Italy and take photography lessons from her). Thanks for thinking of me, Ilva.

I had a hard time choosing only five foods that I think everyone should try. My mind went immediately to the simple: a ripe tomato still warm from the sun, figs and peaches and satsumas right off the tree--in short, the fresh food I grew up picking from my father's garden. (Oh how surprised he'd be to hear that, given the amount of resistance I put up to doing any work in that garden!) But I looked at the other food bloggers' lists and saw that these simple pleasures had mostly been covered, so I decided to go in a different direction and name for you the five dishes that I'm most happy to have discovered.

1. Tapenade: Though I first prepared tapenade for my wedding ten years ago, my attachment to this rich spread made of Kalamata olives and pinenuts isn't sentimental. It's just that good. Others agree with me--after the wedding, people kept requesting that I make and bring tapenade to every party we went to.

2. Ethiopian food: Go to the Adams Morgan district of Washington, D.C., and walk into just about any Ethiopian restaurant you come to. Order the vegetarian meal, and prepare yourself for a symphony of tastes that you'll never forget. Have fun using injera, a spongy flatbread like no other, to pick up bites of food. And don't forget to swing by and pick me up before you go because I will never turn down Ethiopian food.

3. Mussamun curry: When we lived in Columbia, South Carolina, my favorite take-out meal was from a Thai restaurant that made the best Mussamun curry with tofu. It was ridiculously fattening, full of coconut milk and peanuts, but it sent me on a lifelong search to find curry that good again. It can be found, but not in Jackson, Mississippi. At least not until I perfect the recipe.

4. Pesto: Pesto on pasta. Pesto on potatoes. Pesto on the end of a spoon. Peppery, garlicky, basily pesto, I'm so glad I found you!

5. Pralines: My father was the candy maker in my family (and the chief candy eater, too). He used to dedicate a whole Saturday afternoon to making pralines full of cream, butter, and pecans. I can make them, too, and even with vegan ingredients they're rich and decadent and impossible to resist.

Well, that's my list. I've just noticed that nothing on it is fat-free, but these are special occasion foods to try before you die--not to eat until you die. For daily eating, I suggest sticking to those simpler pleasures that I mentioned first. You'll live longer!

Though I hate to pressure anyone into it, I'd love to hear what the following bloggers would add to the list:

Karina at Gluten-Free Goddess
Catherine at Albion Cooks
Bryanna at Notes from the Vegan Feast Kitchen
Isil at Veggie Way
and any of you reading this--share your lists!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food foodbloggers meme

Weekend Dog and Blog Blogging

I wanted to share with you a couple of blogs that I've been reading, but since no blog entry is complete without a photo, I thought I'd break my own "food-only rule" and post a photo of my dog, Jazzy. I managed to get her to stand still long enough to take her photo yesterday--a rare event for this hyper dog. She's looking up at her squeaky ball that I'm holding ransom, waiting for me to throw it.

To get her attention, you have to either offer her treats or play fetch with her. I figure it balances out as long as we play with her enough to burn off the calories of the treats. (Dog lovers can check out more doggie photos at Sweetnick's later this weekend.)

Now, for the real reason for this post: If you look at my links list, you'll notice that I read (or try to read) way too many blogs. I've recently been going through them and trimming off any blogs that aren't posting anymore to keep the list useful to people looking for good blogs. Today it occurred to me that there are a lot of interesting vegan blogs that aren't getting much attention and really deserve it. So every now and then, when I don't have a recipe to post, I'll point out to you a blog you should check out. (Please don't be hurt if I don't mention your blog--it's probably because it's already receiving a lot of comments or links.)

First of all, Dilip Barman of Dinner with Dilip has done something that amazes me: ever since June of 2004, he's cooked a different vegan dinner for his wife and himself. No repeats! He's been blogging these dinners since this past March, and while he doesn't always include recipes, he has photos of the dinner plates and very detailed descriptions of the food. Since Dilip teaches cooking, you'll also get a glimpse at what he's cooking up in his classes. If you can't think of anything to make for dinner, browse through Dilip's archives for some great ideas.

Kaji's Mom...A Transition to Vegan is a brand new blog, just started at the beginning of this month. Kaji's Mom (Kaji's a dog, by the way) provides recipes, many of which are low in fat, and takes gorgeous photos of the food. She's just getting started, and I, for one, want to see her keep on blogging, so drop in and let her know if you like her stuff.

You know, people rarely blog in a vacuum; it's feedback from readers that keeps most bloggers blogging. So please, whenever you visit a blog that speaks to you in some way--with a photo that made you salivate, a comment that made you laugh, or a cooking idea that you never would have thought of--leave the blogger a comment so that he or she will know that someone is listening, that someone appreciates the time and effort that goes in to the blog. I know I need to be better about commenting, too, but with over 100 blogs on my blogroll, it's hard to get around to all of them. But I will try.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food blogging dogs

Poached Pears in Raspberry Sauce

I'm going to share this elegant-looking dessert with you even though I'm the only person in my house who will eat it. My husband, apparently, does not like pears. He's told me that before, but I guess it just didn't register because I can't imagine anyone not liking pears--or any other fruit. (I can't think of a single fruit I don't like.) So he didn't even try this. My daughter, on the other hand, tried one bite of it but didn't want more. She likes pears, I think. Maybe she doesn't like cooked pears? Oh well, more pears for me!

The recipe is super-fast and easy because you use a microwave to cook the pears. If you don't like microwaves, you can cook the pears on the stove, but you'll need to simmer them in fruit juice or other liquid, whereas if you cook them in the microwave, you're basically poaching them in their own juices.



Poached Pears in Raspberry Sauce

4 Bosc pears
1 1/2 tsp. maple syrup
cinnamon
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 cup apple juice
1 1/2 tsp. orange liqueur
sweetener to taste (I used 3 tbsp. agave nectar)

Peel the pears and trim the bottoms to that they (maybe) stand upright. Put them in a microwave-safe casserole dish, drizzle them with the maple syrup and sprinkle them with cinnamon. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Cook on high power until they are tender, but not mushy, about 8-10 minutes. When they're done, lift them out of the dish and place them on serving plates. Reserve any of their juices to add to the raspberry sauce.

If the raspberries are frozen, heat them in a saucepan until they're thawed. Then put the raspberries and orange juice in a blender, and add any juices from the pears. Puree until completely blended. Set a strainer over the saucepan, and pour the raspberry mixture through it, stirring and pressing on it to force the juices into the pan while removing the seeds. Add the orange liqueur and sweetener to taste. Heat, stirring, until mixture thickens slightly, about 5-10 minutes.

Serve the pear on a dessert plate or bowl surrounded by raspberry sauce. Garnish, if you wish, with extra raspberries.

One pear per serving: 192 Calories (kcal); 1 g Total Fat; (4% calories from fat); 1 g Protein; 48 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 1 mg Sodium; 8 g Fiber.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free Eat to Live

Roasted Okra

My new favorite way to eat okra is so simple and easy that it almost can't be called a recipe. All you have to do is wash the okra, put it in an oiled baking dish, sprinkle it with seasonings, and bake it. The beauty of this is that no cutting is involved, so you never come in contact with the dreaded slime!

The okra come out slightly crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and they're perfect finger food (like green French fries, but don't use ketchup). Even my husband, who says that okra is not his favorite vegetable, loved these. For me they're the perfect side dish or light lunch--super-easy, fat-free, and delicious.

Roasted Okra

about 1/2 pound of small, whole okra per person
salt to taste
pepper to taste
olive oil spray

First, start with the smallest okra you can find. Larger okra tends to be woody, which wouldn't work in this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Spray a shallow baking dish with olive oil, add okra, and season to taste. Give the okra one quick (1/2 second) spray with olive oil, and put them into the oven. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes, until okra is browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Serve hot out of the oven.

You can also jazz these up with spice blends such as garam masala, curry powder, chili powder, Creole seasonings, or jerk seasonings--whatever your taste demands. But simple salt and pepper is amazingly good and allows the fresh flavor of the okra to shine through.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free Eat to Live

South Carolina Golden Mustard Barbecue Sauce

When I moved to South Carolina, I was surprised to discover that the barbecue there was yellow instead of red. Tangy and sweet, mustard-based barbecue sauce was very popular, but I don't think I ever got a chance to sample the barbecued pork that the natives raved about because I became vegetarian shortly after moving there. Fortunately, the bottled sauce was available in stores, and once I tried it, I developed an instant love for it.

When we moved to Mississippi six years ago, my husband and I thought far enough ahead to bring several bottles of barbecue sauce with us. After all, we'd been importing Louisiana ingredients into South Carolina for years, and we were now prepared to drag South Carolina staples to Mississippi. Unfortunately, our stockpile of mustard sauce eventually ran out and a decent substitute was not to be found anywhere in Mississippi. What to do? It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out that I should just make my own.

So here's the recipe for the sauce. Be careful as you cook it not to lean over the pot or else you'll get a snootful of vinegar fumes!



South Carolina Golden Mustard Barbecue Sauce
(click for printer-friendly version)

1/2 cup prepared mustard (I use spicy brown mustard)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp molasses
1-2 tsp turmeric (makes it yellower)
3 tbsp agave nectar or other sweetener
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp celery salt (optional)
1/4 tsp rubbed thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Makes about 1 cup (enough for the tofu recipe below).

To make the Barbecued Tofu and Vegetables pictured above, I combined the sauce with 1 pound of cubed extra-firm tofu, 2 medium zucchini (cubed), 1 medium red onion (cut into wedges), and 1 red bell pepper (cubed). I poured it into a 8 X 11-inch non-metal baking dish (sprayed with non-stick spray) and baked it at 400 F for about 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.

Tofu benefits from a longer cooking time than the vegetables, so another option is to mix half of the sauce with the tofu and bake it alone for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through; then add the vegetables and remaining sauce and cook for 15-20 more minutes. The vegetables will be tender-crisp while the tofu will firm up and absorb more of the sauce.

This family favorite meal is certified as kid-friendly: even the spice-intolerant E. loves this one!

Did you know that mustard and turmeric are good for you? Mustard seeds contain phytonutrients that have been studied for their anti-cancer effects, and turmeric contains a powerful antioxidant that is believed to help people with arthritis, protect against breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer, and do a whole lot more.

For more antioxidant-rich recipes, check out Sweetnicks weekly event ARF-Tuesdays, which is posted each Tuesday night.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free ARF/5-A-Day

La Peche en Rose (Rosy Peach Cake)

There will be two morals to this story.

Moral #1: You can't judge a cake by its photo.

People seem to enjoy seeing the photos of the dishes on this blog, and I certainly enjoy taking them, so much so that last week, after a lot of research, I bought myself a much better camera as an early birthday present (and Christmas, Valentines, and anniversary present too, if you believe what I promised my husband). I wanted to start using it right away, of course, but the problem is that I was used to my old camera, and it's been a long time since I've operated a fully-manual camera. So my first few photos were not exactly great. The Fresh Lima Bean and Herb Soup took a passable photo, but my Eggplant and Tofu in Spicy Garlic Sauce, one of the best dishes I've had in a long time, looked pretty miserable for something so good.

Neither of those dishes was particularly photogenic, so I set out on Friday to make something worth photographing. My neighbor had brought me several peaches from her vacation, and I needed to use them while they were fresh, so I decided to make a peach cake, infuse it with rose water, and serve it with rose-soaked peaches on top. So far, so good.

Enter the Health Fairy, the little character that sits on my shoulder and whispers in my ear that fat-free and vegan isn't enough--food should be whole grain, too. I listened to the Health Fairy and used whole wheat flour, even though I knew while I was mixing it up that this particular ww flour was very coarse and bran-filled. I really should have listened to the portly little Epicurean Fairy, but he was off vacationing at Hedonism and not interested in offering advice.

So I used the whole grain flour, and the results were less than spectacular. Of the three little girls who sampled the cake, not one of them finished a piece--though they all ate the peaches off the top. My husband, on the other hand, loved it and was flabbergasted that the girls didn't. I enjoyed my cake conditionally, despairing that the texture was so grainy but reveling in the rose-soaked peaches that taste like the essence of romance.

Moral #2: Do as I say, not as I do.

Okay, so that's more of a parental mandate than a moral, but it will have to do. Please, don't make this with regular old whole wheat flour. Whole wheat pastry flour would probably be acceptable, and I've heard of people having good results from the new white whole wheat flour. To be safest, use unbleached white flour and consider it healthier than a trip to Hedonism.

La Pêche en Rose (Rosy Peach Cake)
(click for printer-friendly version)

5 ripe peaches (may use 1 large can of peaches canned in juice)
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp rose water

3/4 cup flour (whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached white flour)
1/4 cup chickpea flour (or soy flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup soy milk
1 tsp rose water

Remove the skin from the peaches. The easiest way to do this is by blanching them in boiling water for one minute and setting them aside to cool. The skins should slip right off.

Place the orange juice, agave nectar, and 1 tsp. rose water into a bowl. Cut the peaches into 1/2-inch-sized pieces (choose one nice-looking peach to cut into slices for the top of the cake, if you want), dropping them into the orange juice mixture and coating well. Set aside as you work on the rest of the cake.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Sift the chickpea flour before measuring it to remove any large, hard pieces that might be in it.

In a medium bowl combine the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and sugar. Stir together well.

Add soy milk and rose water to the dry ingredients, and stir just until blended. Use a slotted spoon to lift 2 cups of the chopped peaches out of the orange juice, making sure to drain any liquid back into the original bowl. Gently stir the well-drained peaches into the batter. Refrigerate the remaining peaches and juice.

Pour the batter into an 8" baking pan coated with nonstick spray (I used a round silicone pan). Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan. Just before serving, garnish it with the reserved peach slices and powdered sugar, and serve each piece topped with chopped peaches and their juices.

Optional: I added a few chopped cherries to the batter in order to give it a pinkish color. This didn't affect the taste and didn't even affect the color much, but it explains the dark spots you see in the photo. More trouble than it's worth, but you can do it if you want.

Makes 8 servings. Each contains (using whole wheat flour): 149 Calories (kcal); 1 g Total Fat; (4% calories from fat); 3 g Protein; 35 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 160 mg Sodium; 3 g Fiber.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

A Hint of Things to Come

I'll post the recipe soon, I promise, but for now I just wanted something a little prettier than that eggplant (delicious though it was) at the top of the page. Call me vain (at least about the blog)!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Eggplant and Tofu in Spicy Garlic Sauce

I know some of you are probably tired of seeing eggplant here. Eggplant recipes appear on this blog so often that I could probably change the name to FatFree Eggplant Recipes. But there's a reason for that: I love eggplant! I think it's one of the most versatile vegetables around. If you've been avoiding it because you're afraid you won't like it, I think it's time you gave it a try. And this is the recipe you should try. It's so good that even eggplant haters (like my daughter) like it.

If you're eggplant-phobic, do as I did and find some smaller, light purple or white eggplants, like the ones in the photo on this page. They are usually denser, less spongy, and less bitter than the larger eggplants. In this recipe, they are peeled, which makes the texture more appealing to eggplant virgins. They get soft rather than chewy, so be prepared for that before you chow down. Take a moment to savor the aroma of garlic, ginger, and sesame and then dig in. You will not fear eggplant anymore!



Eggplant and Tofu in Spicy Garlic Sauce
(click for printer-friendly version)

This Szechuan-style dish gets its heat from the chili sauce. Look for chili sauce or garlic chili sauce that has red chilies as its primary ingredient. Try to find the kind with the seeds intact, not the smoother type. Then adjust the amount to your desired level of spiciness.

1 pound extra-firm tofu (not silken)
1 tbsp soy sauce (reduced sodium)
2 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
4 small eggplants, about 1-1/2 pounds total, peeled and sliced into strips 2-inches long, 1-inch wide, and 1/4-inch thick (or use one large eggplant)
1/3 cup water
6-8 garlic cloves, minced--about 2 tbsp.
1-inch peeled fresh ginger, grated
3/4 cup vegetable broth or water
1 tbsp vegetarian hoisin sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce (reduced sodium preferred)
3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 tbsp dark sesame oil
1/2 tbsp sugar or other sweetener
1/2 - 1 tsp hot chili sauce (available in Asian markets)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tomato, coarsely chopped
sprinkling of sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch slices and press them lightly between towels to get some of the moisture out. Combine the 3 tbsp. soy sauce with the 2 tbsp. water and 1/2 tsp. sesame oil. Dip each slice of tofu into the mixture and set on a plate.

Heat an oiled, non-stick skillet until hot. Place the tofu slices in the skillet and cook until browned. Turn over and brown the other sides. When the tofu is completely browned on both sides, remove it from the skillet and place it on a cutting board. Cut each slice into 8-10 cubes. Set aside.

Heat an oiled, non-stick wok and add the eggplant and 1/3 cup water. Cover and cook, stirring often, until eggplant begins to brown. Uncover and add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients except the tomato, sesame seeds, and tofu. Simmer uncovered until all the eggplant slices are completely cooked--they will be very soft and start to fall apart. Add the tofu cubes and tomato and cook until heated through. Serve over rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving, without rice, contains 187 Calories (kcal); 8g Total Fat; (34% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; trace Cholesterol; 716mg Sodium; 6g Fiber.

NOTE: Reduce the sodium by using water instead of broth, regular rice vinegar instead of seasoned, and reduced sodium soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce.

Want to check out the other eggplant recipes on this blog? Try the search engine.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food low-fat

Fresh Lima Bean and Herb Soup

When I was growing up, fresh lima beans (or butter beans, as we called them) were often on our table during the summer. Our neighbor would bring us a "mess" of them from her garden, and my siblings and I would sit at the kitchen table and help our mother shell them. I had completely forgotten about them until a few years ago when one of my current neighbors brought me a bag of freshly shelled limas, from a local produce stand rather from her own garden.

I hadn't had fresh lima beans in so long that I wasn't exactly sure what to do with them. I thought I remembered how my mother had cooked them--simmered slowly with ham or bacon--so I attempted something similar, using Bacos or Liquid Smoke seasoning to replace the bacon. I was amazed at how good they were--so tender and buttery, not at all like the dried lima beans I'd been cooking with for years. I started looking for them myself at the farm stand and farmer's market, and during the winter, when they weren't available, I started buying frozen baby limas, a less than stellar replacement but acceptable to someone with a lima addiction.

Though my standard home-style version of lima beans is tasty, I recently wanted something a little different, a dish that would take advantage of all the fresh herbs in my garden. I chose to make a delicate soup, flavored with a mixture of fresh and dried herbs similar to herbes de Provence. The results were wonderful: light and fresh, the essence of summer!



Fresh Lima Bean and Herb Soup

1 large onion, diced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 pound fresh lima beans (may use frozen)
6 cups water or lightly flavored vegetable broth
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 tbsp. fresh, minced)
1 tsp. dried savory
1 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 tbsp. minced fresh oregano (or 1 tsp. dried)
3 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, sliced chiffonade or chopped
1/2 cup plain soymilk
extra water, as needed
salt to taste (optional)
freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat, sauté the onion until it begins to brown. Add the celery and sauté for 2 more minutes.

Add the lima beans, water, thyme, rosemary, and oregano and simmer, uncovered, until the beans are tender, about 50 minutes for fresh beans. As they're cooking, add more water if they become too dry. Add the basil and soymilk and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup (you can blend it all if you want a completely smooth soup). This can also be done in a conventional blender--just a little messier. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and heat for about 5 more minutes before serving.

The soup can be reheated the next day or even served cold. It may thicken overnight, so add more water or broth as needed.

Makes 4 servings. Each (without salt) contains: 159 Calories (kcal); 1 g Total Fat; (7% calories from fat); 9 g Protein; 30 g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 49 mg Sodium; 7 g Fiber.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free Eat to Live

Orange Couscous Curry

It was 9:00 on Sunday morning, and I needed to have a potluck dish ready by 10:30. To complicate matters, I had little desire to cook or even to attend the potluck--I was thoroughly immersed in a mystery novel and could have happily stayed curled up in the recliner with it all day. Nevertheless, I am a mother and a realist, and I knew I'd eventually have to get up and pretend to be a productive member of society. So at a very late hour, I started looking for something to cook.

Potlucks are often not very lucky for vegans and vegetarians. In order to make sure there's something my family can actually eat, I always try to bring a main dish rather than a side dish or dessert, and a main dish that contains several of the major food groups is even better. I decided that I needed a "one-pot meal" sort of dish that contained beans, vegetables, and grain, though with time running out, there just wasn't enough time to cook a grain. So I opted instead for couscous, a tiny pasta that works like a grain in many dishes but cooks many times faster than even the smallest of grains .

I had in mind to make some kind of curried couscous salad, and just for fun I decided to check and see if the always-inventive cooks at Naughty Curry had done anything with couscous. And of course they had! Their Pineapple-Paradise Couscous Curry looked to-drool-for, and I promise you, I would have made it just as it was written except for one big problem: I didn't have any pineapple. But I did have a can of mandarin oranges, so I made a few changes in the recipe but left the spicing pretty much as the Naughty cooks had made it. And it was wonderful--lightly sweet, richly spiced, and delicious hot or cold. Thanks, Trobee and Courtney, for the inspiration.



Orange Couscous Curry
(click for printer-friendly version)

1 tsp. canola oil (necessary to temper the spices)
1 1/4 tsp. black mustard seeds
4 dried chilies, deseeded and cut into irregular strips (leave a few seeds in for added spiciness)
2-inch cinnamon stick
2 tbsp. minced onions
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 ½ cups (12 oz.) orange juice
1 cup baby carrots, halved lengthwise
1 medium-large zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed somewhat
1 15-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained (use the kind that's packed in juice)
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1 1/2 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/4 cup hot water

Masala:

seeds of two green cardamom pods
1 ½ tbsp. coriander seeds
2 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
5 whole cloves
½ tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp turmeric

Grind the masala ingredients to a powder. (I use a coffee grinder for this, but a good blender will work, too.)

In large, non-stick wok or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it sizzles when you drop in a mustard seed. Add the black mustard seeds, chilies, and cinnamon stick. Cover the skillet and wait until you hear the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add onions, garlic, ginger paste, and masala. Sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes, but be careful not to burn it.

Add the orange juice and bring to a boil. Add the zucchini and carrots, cover, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the green peas and chickpeas, and cook until heated through, about 3 or 4 minutes.

Add the salt, couscous, mandarin oranges, and hot water. Stir well, cover, and remove from heat. Allow it to sit for at least five minutes before stirring. Serve hot or at room temperature or chill for a fantastic salad.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food low-fat

Skinny Figgy Bars

I made an impulse buy the other day, one of those "rings" of dried figs. I've been missing fresh figs all summer, so when I saw these dried figs in the store, I bought them without thinking. But then they sat on my kitchen counter taunting me with memories of my yummy, but definitely not low-fat, Holiday Fig Bars. Since I've been trying to cut down on sugar and refined foods lately, making a batch of those bars would not be in my best interest.

But visions of fig bars persisted, as such cravings will when you have the primary ingredient sitting right on your kitchen counter. I finally broke down this afternoon, just in time for my afternoon pot of coffee (another substance I should probably give up but won't), and made fig bars. Actually, I decided to make fig bars healthy. I revamped my recipe so that the oil is gone, the refined flour is history, and the sugar is . . . well, the sugar is reduced. It's gotta have something in it besides figs, you know!

You will be amazed at how good these are. They're low in everything, except flavor.



Skinny Figgy Bars
(click for printer-friendly version)

Filling:

8 ounces dried figs (one round package)
4 ounces pitted dates
2 tbsp. silvered or chopped almonds (optional)
2 drops anise extract (optional)
1 tbsp. agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ginger

Snip off the figs' stems, and put the figs, dates, and almonds into the food processor. Grind to a coarse paste. Stir in the remaining filling ingredients and process until mixed. Set aside.

Crust:

1 cup regular or quick oats, ground in blender until fine
1 cup regular or quick oats, uncooked (not instant oatmeal)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsweetened apple sauce
3 tbsp. agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir in the wet ingredients, mixing well to a thick consistency. Press half the c