Sunshine Citrus Bread

I had a great time visiting with my parents and my sister and her family for a few days, and though I've been taking a much-needed vacation from the computer, I just couldn't resist adding one final recipe for the year. Besides, I just came back from Louisiana with more bags of citrus fruit than I brought home last time, and I need to start finding ways to use it up. Also, I finally managed to buy some of the King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour that I've been reading about for a while, and I wanted to try it out. So, I thought, how about a quick-bread made with...calamondins!

If you've been reading here for a while, you'll remember calamondins. They are small citrus fruits, bigger than kumquats, smaller than clementines, that people often grow as ornamental plants. I enjoy their tart taste as an alternative to lemon in tea and pies, but I realize that they aren't available to most of you, so the following recipe is written so that you should be able to use oranges, tangerines, or kumquats. Like kumquats, calamondins don't have to be peeled, so if you're using oranges or tangerines, be sure to chop up some of the peel to add to the bread.

This recipe makes one very large or two regular-sized loaves, something I didn't realize when I tried to pour all the batter into my one medium-sized loaf pan. I ended up dipping out some of the batter and putting it into muffin cups, which led to the loaf not rising as high as it should have in the middle. But that was the only problem with this bread—and it didn't affect the taste at all. It was light, tender, and strongly citrus-flavored, and my husband and daughter could not tell that it was made with whole wheat flour and without oil. It's a new family favorite that I think we'll make a winter tradition. And during cold season, who couldn't use a little extra vitamin C?

Sunshine Citrus Bread

1 cup citrus puree (see instructions)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups white whole wheat flour (or a combination of whole wheat and white flour)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup raisins

For calamondins: Cut about 12 calamondins in half and remove the seeds. Place them in a food processor and pulse to chop completely. Measure out 1 cup of puree and reserve the rest for another use.

For kumquats: Place about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of kumquats into food processor and pulse to chop completely. Measure out 1 cup of puree and reserve the rest for another use.

For oranges or tangerines: Peel 2 large or 3 medium oranges or tangerines and cut them into quarters. Remove seeds, if necessary, and place the fruit into a food processor. Pulse to chop completely. Measure out 1 cup of puree and reserve the rest for another use. Grate or chop 2 tablespoons of the peel, and add it to the recipe along with the cup of puree.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and oil or spray one large (9 X5X3-inch) or two medium loaf pans. In a large mixing bowl, combine the puree, sugar, soymilk, and apple sauce. In another bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients and mix well. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir just until all the flour is moistened. Do not over-stir.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes for one large pan, less time for smaller pans. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.

Makes 12 servings.

Each serving, using pecans, contains 197 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (17% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 282mg Sodium; 4g Fiber

Each serving, without nuts, contains 163 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 38g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 282mg Sodium; 4g Fiber

Let me take a minute to thank all of you wonderful readers and fellow bloggers for making 2006 a great blogging year for me. I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to get to know you through your comments, emails, and blogs, and I look forward to what 2007 will bring. Happy New Year to you all!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Vegan Eggnog Cheesecake

You know a dessert is good when your photo shoot is cut short because you started eating it! But it's no wonder I gave in to temptation; I decided to combine two things I can't resist—eggnog and cheesecake. (Vegan versions, of course.) And the combination was just as delicious as I expected.

But enough from me. I'll let the photos do the talking.

This one is saying, "My graham cracker crust is the perfect crunchy contrast to my creamy, brandy-kissed filling":



And this one is saying, "Mmmm, you know you want a bite!"



I wish I could tell you that it's fat-free, but I've been a bad, bad girl. I'm not worried about Santa leaving a lump of coal in my stocking because I've already got lumpy thighs in my stockings--and it's desserts like this that made 'em that way! So consider this the last hurrah. Next week I'm going back to posting recipes for eggplant and collard greens, and this blog is going to live up to its name again. But until then, won't you join me for this little slice of decadence?



Vegan Eggnog Cheesecake
(click for printer-friendly version)

Many thanks to Nic at Bakingsheet, upon whose Vegan Cheesecake recipe this one is based.

1 12.3-ounce package extra firm light silken tofu
1 8-ounce package Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegan eggnog (see note)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 1/2 tablespoons brandy or rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, packed
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 prepared graham cracker or oatmeal cookie crust

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Drain the tofu and put it and the Tofutti cream cheese into your food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the sugar and eggnog, and process again until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (except crust) and process until completely smooth, about 3 more minutes. Pour into the pie crust and bake in the middle of the oven for about 55 minutes (do not allow to brown). Filling will be slightly jiggly, not completely set until chilled.

Remove from oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate until completely chilled (the longer, the better). Serve sprinkled with additional grated nutmeg.

Note: You may use vanilla soymilk instead of eggnog. Just increase the brandy to 3 tablespoons and the nutmeg to 1 teaspoon and add an additional two teaspoons of sugar.

Makes 8 slices. Each slice contains:

-filling only, no crust: 234 Calories (kcal); 7g Total Fat; (28% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 191mg Sodium; trace Fiber

-with Fat-Free Oatmeal Cookie Crust: 323 Calories (kcal); 8g Total Fat; (21% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 56g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 301mg Sodium; 2g Fiber

-with Keebler Graham Crust: 345 Calories (kcal); 12g Total Fat; (33% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 50g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 308mg Sodium; trace Fiber

These estimates use Vitasoy Holly Nog. Cheesecake made with other soy nog or soymilk will differ.

And with this recipe, I'm officially on vacation. I'll be spending the next few days with my family, so let me take this time to wish you all a happy holiday. If you're looking for ideas for vegan holiday meals, take a look at the end of this post from November. Some other good options include Cranberry Relish, Sweet Potato Casserole, Ambrosia, and Green Bean Casserole.

Season's Greetings!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food low-fat

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Reading other food blogs over the past couple of weeks has made me think a little about how being vegan has influenced my gift-giving. While lots of cooks, vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike, merrily bake and pack up goodies to give as gifts, I've become a little hesitant about giving gifts of food. It's not that I don't think that vegan food can be as tasty as non-vegan—I've had plenty of people ask me for recipes, not even realizing that the dish in question was vegan. It's just that being vegan has made me see that we all have different food preferences, restrictions, and needs and that what might be a treat for me could be a disappointing reminder of something they can't eat to people who have, for instance, diabetes or celiac disease. I've been on the receiving end of many gifts of goodies that I don't eat, and while I'm happy to pass them along to someone who will appreciate them, I would hate to give a gift that resulted in someone else being disappointed.

On the other hand, there's just something about a homemade gift of food that is so much more personal than anything you can buy. So, when I saw these cute ceramic loaf pans at Michael's, I decided to put my concerns aside and make little loaves of pumpkin bread, one of my favorite recipes, for my daughter's teachers and bus driver. I put them into baskets, along with a few Lindt Excellence Dark Chocolate Squares* and some candy canes:

I'm just going to hope that none of the recipients are following low-carb, gluten-free, or sugar-free diets or are allergic to pecans or pumpkin. But I figure that even if they have to pass the edibles along to someone else, at least they'll have the little loaf pan and basket to enjoy or re-use .

Pumpkin Spice Bread
(click for printer-friendly recipe)

When cooking this for other people, I usually use a little oil, as noted in the recipe below. It makes the loaf lighter and less likely to sink or be gummy in the middle. But you can make it completely fat-free and still have a tasty treat.

Wet ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup canola oil (or apple sauce)
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed well with 4 tablespoons water

Dry ingredients:
1 2/3 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Oil 1 regular sized loaf pan or 4 small ( approximately 3 1/2 X 5 1/2-inch) loaf pans or a dozen muffin cups.

Combine the wet ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl and blend well. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the liquid mixture to the dry, and stir well. Stir in the nuts, if desired. Pour the batter into the pan(s) and place on the center rack of oven. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean--about 15 minutes for muffins, 35 minutes for small loaf pans, and 60-70 minutes for one large loaf. Allow to cool before removing from pan. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving, with oil and 1/4 cup pecans, contains: 318 Calories (kcal); 10 g Total Fat; (26% calories from fat); 3 g Protein; 57 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 237 mg Sodium; 1 g Fiber.

Each serving, without oil and with 1/4 cup pecans, contains: 264 Calories (kcal); 3 g Total Fat; (8% calories from fat); 3 g Protein; 59 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 237 mg Sodium; 2 g Fiber.

Each serving, without oil or nuts, contains: 239 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (0% calories from fat); 3 g Protein; 58 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 237 mg Sodium; 1 g Fiber.

I'm sorry I don't have a gluten-free version, but if any of you gluten-free bakers out there have any suggestions, I'd love to give them a try.

It's been a while since I've contributed to Sweetnicks' Tuesday round-up of antioxidant-rich recipes, but it looks like I'm posting this right in time. Did you know that pumpkin is high in folate as well as beta-carotene? Or that cinnamon reduces blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes? Check out the other healthy but tasty fare over at Sweetnicks later tonight.

* Lindt Excellence chocolate is non-dairy, though made on equipment used to process products containing milk.

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

Italian Lentil and Vegetable Soup

I didn't have much time to blog this weekend, but I did spend an hour or two adding a new category to the blog's recipe index: Readers' Favorites. I looked back over the comments for every recipe posted since this blog began back in January and took into consideration emails that I've gotten from you readers in order to compile a list of your favorite recipes. I'm sure I missed some, so if you don't see a recipe that you've tried and liked on the list, be sure to leave me a comment. The best place to comment is on the recipe itself, so that others considering making it can read your review. Just use the handy search box in the sidebar to locate the original post. I'll try to update the favorites page as time allows.

Speaking of time, does anyone have any extra that they can lend me? And can anyone explain to me why everything has to happen in December? School performances, piano recitals, field trips, parties...it just doesn't stop! Not until January, that is, when nothing happens and we're all glad to have a break. In honor of everyone's lack of time this month, I'm presenting you with this holiday gift: A delicious "meal in a bowl" soup that takes about 20 minutes to cook in the pressure cooker. Don't have a pressure cooker? Well, I can't present you with that, though I will include instructions for making this hearty, stew-like soup in a regular pot.



Italian Lentil and Vegetable Soup

7 cups water (you can make this cook faster by using hot water)
1 1/2 cups regular (brown) lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 cups chopped cabbage
2 cups Italian green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (may use frozen)
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 medium red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 carrots, thickly sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1/4 cup (packed) chopped basil (or 2 teaspoons dried)*
salt to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
parsley for garnish (optional)

Put all of the first set of ingredients, water through black pepper, into the pressure cooker. Bring to high pressure and cook for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and reduce pressure with a quick release method.

Add the remaining ingredients, except for the vinegar and parsley, and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Just before serving, add the balsamic vinegar. Serve garnished with parsley, if you like. Makes about 8 servings.

To cook without a pressure cooker: Put all of the first set of ingredients, water through black pepper, into a large soup pot. Cook, covered, for about 35-45 minutes, until lentils and potatoes are tender. Add water as needed during cooking to keep soup from becoming dry. Add the tomatoes, basil, and salt and cook for at least 10 more minutes. Just before serving, add the balsamic vinegar and serve, garnished with parsley (optional).

*Note: I used some of the basil that I froze this summer to give the soup the taste of fresh basil. If you froze your basil in ice cube trays, use about 3 basil cubes--or more to taste.

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

Calamondin (or Lemon) Pie with Oatmeal Cookie Crust

I started making this pie years ago, while visiting my parents for the winter holidays. In November, their citrus trees start producing more fruit than my parents can use, so by December they're giving fruit away by the bagful. And since my father has a big sweet-tooth (which E. and I have inherited), he's always looking for ways to transform those lemons, oranges, and other citrus into sugary desserts.

One year, he wanted a lemon pie, and my parents, being the gracious hosts that they are, suggested that I make it for him. I guess it doesn't sound so gracious when I put it that way, but what they really wanted was a vegan pie that all of us could enjoy. So I found a recipe for lemon pie filling in the classic Farm Vegetarian Cookbook, and the rest is history.

But it's a history that keeps evolving. The family citrus grove seems to produce more calamondins than any other fruit (calamondins are the little smaller-than-ping-pong-ball fruits that I wrote about here and which you can see here), so a few years ago, in an effort to do something with them, I started using them instead of lemons in the pie recipe. They're a little less tart than lemons, so the pie has less of a bite, but they do have the advantage of having a very thin rind, so the peel can just be chopped up instead of zested. The only drawback is their size: I had to juice 18 of the tiny things just to get the juice for this one pie!



I developed a new crust for the pie this year, based on an oatmeal cookie recipe, and I really believe that this is the best fat-free crust that I've ever had. Similar to a graham cracker crust, it holds up well when sliced and has a nice crumb. Now, having said that, I'm going to warn you that it's still a fat-free crust, so to people expecting a fat-free crust it will taste great, but to the general public it may taste a little strange. If you're going to be making this pie for other people, you might want to consider using a traditional pastry or graham cracker crust, but if you're limiting your fat or gluten intake, this is the crust for you!

Fat-Free Oatmeal Cookie Crust

1/2 cup quick oats (use gluten-free oats, if necessary)
1/2 cup sorghum flour (may use whole wheat flour or a mixture of unbleached and whole wheat)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 tablespoons natural sugar
1/4 cup apple sauce

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly oil a 9-inch pie pan.

Put the oats into a food processor or blender and process until finely ground. Add the remaining dry ingredients and blend well. Transfer to a bowl and add the apple sauce. Stir well until completely combined.

Put the mixture into the pie pan, and starting at the center, flatten and press it with moistened fingers until it evenly covers the bottom and extends up the sides of the pan as far as possible:



Put it in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, until it it is crisp but not overdone. Set aside to cool before filling.



Calamondin Pie Filling

Calamondins are not as tart as lemons, so I use a little less sugar than for lemon pie. If you like your pies on the sweeter side, feel free to add up to 1/2 cup more sugar or a little stevia or other low-calorie sweetener. (Look here for the lemon pie recipe.)

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon agar agar powder (or 1 more tablespoon cornstarch)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 cup water
3/4 cup calamondin juice
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped calamondin rind

Combine sugar, cornstarch, agar, and salt in a saucepan. Stir in the soymilk and water until completely combined. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. (Please do not leave it even for a minute or you may have lumps and burned pieces in your pie filling!) When it reaches a boil, turn the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the calamondin juice and chopped rind. When well-mixed, pour into the pie crust. (If you have any extra, pour it into small bowls for a crust-free dessert.) Chill until set. May be served with vegan whipped topping, if you have any.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free gluten-free

Flowers and Florets

Before I jump right into the recipe, I just wanted to say that if you're a Mississippi vegetarian, you missed a great get-together last Saturday. Seven adults and four children gathered at the High Noon Café for delicious food (I recommend the Blue Bowl with peanut sauce) and lots of conversation. If you're a vegetarian anywhere near the Jackson area, do consider joining us for our next event. Being a vegetarian in Mississippi can be isolating, and you just don't know what a great feeling it can be to share experiences with other vegetarians until you do. Contact me by email and I'll tell you how you can get on our discussion list.

Now, about those Flowers and Florets. Last night I decided to roast delicata squash and cauliflower together and then toss them with a curry sauce. I probably should have chopped the squash into cubes, but I just couldn't do that to something so beautifully shaped. So I sliced the squash instead, hoping for a daisy-like shape, and it worked pretty well, but cubes would have been easier to mix with the sauce. The wonderful thing about delicata squash is that no matter how you slice it, the skin is edible. I kept the seasoning light in this recipe to complement--not overpower--the sweet taste of the roasted vegetables.



Roasted Delicata Squash and Cauliflower with Curry Sauce

In this recipe, I use coconut water, which I find in the "ethnic" section of the supermarket. The only kind I can find is sweetened, but unsweetened varieties do exist. It lends a very light coconut taste to the sauce but is really not essential. I just had a can open and decided to use it; apple juice and water should work as well.

1 delicata squash or other small winter squash (about 1 pound)
1 head cauliflower
canola oil spray
black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 tablespoon good curry powder (homemade or store-bought, to taste)
1/2 cup coconut water or 1/4 cup apple juice mixed with 1/4 cup water
salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F. Oil or spray a large rectangular baking dish.

Prepare the squash by peeling it (not necessary with delicata, but necessary for all others), removing the seeds, and slicing it or cutting it into 1/2-inch cubes. Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets. Place squash and cauliflower into the baking dish, mist them with canola oil, and sprinkle with freshly-ground black pepper. Put into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, stir, and check for doneness. Check again every 5 minutes until squash is tender--a fork should be able to pierce it easily, but it is not falling apart. Remove from oven and toss with sauce (below).

While the vegetables are roasting, sauté the onion in a little water or broth over medium heat until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic and sauté one minute more. Pour in the oil and immediately add the curry powder. Stir and cook for 30 seconds, and then add the coconut water or apple juice/water mixture. Stir well and add the roasted vegetables. Add salt to taste, toss to coat well, and serve. Serves 2-3 people.

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

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

I'm going to be honest with you and admit that I'm not a big fan of holidays. Stressing over some arbitrary date on the calendar--to cook certain foods, travel long distances, buy token gifts, and so on--has never been my idea of fun. For a long time, I felt the same way about the traditional holiday meals, too. Every year when I was growing up, I'd beg my mother, "Why do we have to have turkey? Can't we have spaghetti instead?" I wasn't a vegetarian back then, just a budding iconoclast who never did care for traditions--or turkey. (Today, I get the same argument from E., though she's arguing to substitute lasagna for dressing. I'm sure my mother is happy to see me get a dose of my own rebellion.)

Something strange happened, and as I became older, I developed a real love for some of the traditional dishes of the winter holidays. Maybe without the dead bird as centerpiece, I finally felt free to celebrate the holidays as a sort of Festival of Starches. Let's face it, what's not to love? To a carb addict like me, cornbread dressing, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, yeast rolls, winter squash, and sweet potatoes are pretty close to the perfect meal!

This sweet potato casserole is one of the highlights of any holiday meal for me. A word of caution, though: In my family, sweet potatoes are dessert, so if you're expecting a savory side dish, look elsewhere. I always serve this after the meal, along with some coffee to fight off the post-feast sleepiness!



Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
(printer-friendly version)

Note: This isn't a fat-free recipe, though it does have less fat than other recipes of its kind.

4 large or 6 medium sweet potatoes, cooked (I used a pressure cooker) and peeled
2 tablespoons margarine
1/4 cup soy creamer or soymilk
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup unbleached white flour
3/4 cups chopped pecans
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray (or wipe with canola oil).

Mash the sweet potatoes with the margarine until smooth. Add the soy creamer, orange juice, vanilla, sugar, maple syrup, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour into prepared casserole dish.

Mix the topping ingredients together until well-combined. Spread or sprinkle over the casserole and bake for 45 minutes or until hot throughout.

Makes about 10 servings. Per serving: 298 Calories (kcal); 13g Total Fat; (38% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 44g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 195mg Sodium; 3g Fiber. Weight Watchers: 6 Points.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food

On T-Shirts, Eggplants, and Ambrosia

I'm sorry I haven't had time to post this weekend, but it's getting to be that crazy time of the year. I do want to update you on a couple of things, but it'll have to be a quickie.

First, I had trouble deciding on a t-shirt of the week, so I thought I'd just show you three cute designs that I found and let you decide:

Leave me a comment letting me know which is your favorite, and I'll add the one that gets the most votes to the sidebar sometime tomorrow.

Next, I've been feeling kind of guilty about not telling you what happened with the Thai eggplants and citrus fruit that I wrote about after Thanksgiving. I'm afraid I made up a new, very successful recipe for the eggplants but didn't write it down or photograph the dish. You see, it was late and we were starving by the time the meal was ready, and I really didn't expect it to turn out as well as it did. If I remember correctly, I pan-fried tofu, sautéed the quartered eggplants, and mixed them with a peanut sauce. We really loved the texture and taste of the eggplants--much crisper than the regular kind. If I can find Thai eggplants, I promise I'll make it again and share the recipe.

As for the citrus, I'm a minimalist when it comes to fruit, so mostly I've just been eating it. I do plan to make a pie, so watch for that in the next couple of weeks. But until then, here's a simple recipe that is a holiday tradition for many people in the South, but probably even more so in my family because we always have oranges ripening at this time of year. My father, aka "The Perfectionist," always removes all the membranes from the oranges when he makes this; in other words, he cuts out each section from the membrane that divides it from the others. I'm much lazier than that, so I just chop the oranges, membranes and all, and it still tastes great.

Ambrosia

2 oranges, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups fresh or canned pineapple, chopped
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Mix all ingredients well. Refrigerate and let the flavors mingle for at least a day. Serves about 4. Truly nectar of the gods!

I haven't forgotten my promise to post the sweet potato casserole recipe, so expect it soon.

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

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Pasta all' Amatriciana is a traditional Italian dish that's usually made with bacon (or pancetta, I'm told, though I have no idea what that is). I've never had it the traditional way, but in my less health-oriented days I used to make a vegan version of it with [foodies, close your eyes] Bacos. As anyone who has ever been addicted to Bacos will understand, that recipe was delicious. There's just something about Bacos...so smoky, so salty, so....

Okay, I'll quit drooling. Besides being loaded with salt, Bacos are pretty high in fat. In small amounts as a condiment, they're fine, but as a main ingredient in a recipe, they're a nutritional no-no. So I set out to update this family favorite using tempeh instead of Bacos, with limited success.

I started out by marinating the tempeh for 15 minutes, but I really think a longer marinating time would improve the taste. Liquid Smoke, which I used to give it a bacony flavor, seems to dissipate during cooking, so I kept adding it while the sauce was simmering. In the instructions below, I say to add it right at the end of the simmering time, to get the full benefit of the smokiness.

Did it taste like the Bacos version? Not really. But it was good in its own right and similar enough to remind us of an old favorite that we haven't had in a long time.



Bucatini all'Amatriciana

4 ounces tempeh, crumbled
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable broth
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke seasoning
1/8 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1 small onion, chopped
2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained and juice reserved
1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
salt to taste
12 ounces bucatini, perciatelli, or any long, tubular pasta, cooked al dente
soy parmesan

Mix the first 6 ingredients and set aside to marinate for at least half an hour and up to 24 hours.

Spray a non-stick skillet lightly with olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tempeh mixture and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, chili powder, paprika, and 1/4 cup of the tomato liquid and stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 15 minutes. If it begins to look dried out, add a little more tomato juice. Add the Liquid Smoke and salt to taste. Toss with the pasta and serve sprinkled with soy parmesan. Makes 4-6 servings.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Rainbow Stir-Fry

I had planned to write about a pasta dish today, but I'm under strict orders to post this recipe immediately. I don't really mind; in fact, I'd love to use the phrase "guest post by my daughter" right now, but the truth is, E. likes to cook the food, photograph it, and eat it, but she doesn't want to write about it. It's too much like all those reports she has to do for school.

So I'll just have to be content with the fact that my darling daughter and wonderful husband got in the kitchen and actually cooked dinner two nights in a row. I've been having some back trouble that makes it painful for me to stand too long on the hard tile of our kitchen floor, so for the past two nights, D. and E. have come to the rescue. The first night I helped out by telling them which ingredients to use and how much to add to make our fall-back meal, a fast and easy soup, but last night they did it all themselves, with the help of E's favorite cookbook Kids Can Cook: Vegetarian Recipes. They adapted the recipe for Asian Stir Fry--adding tofu and cutting fat--and did an excellent job.

E. wanted me to let you know that she did all the chopping (except for the ginger root), chose the set-up for the photo, and even clicked the remote shutter release (after I chose the angle and focused the camera). And I wanted to let you know that I asked them to reduce the oil in the recipe but failed to notice that it had over 1/4 cup of soy sauce and extra salt. So, to my taste at least, it's very salty. But good. And colorful! Best of all, when E. makes a meal, she tends to eat it, even the ingredients she says she hates like bell pepper. I strongly advise all parents to get their kids cooking; it just may turn them into vegetable lovers!



Rainbow Stir-Fry

1/2 package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes (about 8 ounces)

Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 large onion, sliced
1 large green pepper, thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 head purple cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced ginger root
1 teaspoon salt (reduce if necessary)
1/4 cup soy sauce (reduce if necessary)

Marinate the tofu in the marinade for about 15 minutes. Heat a non-stick skillet and sauté the tofu until brown on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

Put the onion and green pepper into the pan and stir-fry for three minutes. Add the carrots and cabbage and cook until cabbage begins to wilt, about 7 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and the tofu, stir well, and cook 3 more minutes. Turn off the heat and serve over rice. Serves 4.

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

Mini Crustless Tofu Quiches

I don't have a lot to say about this recipe. I mean, there are only so many ways I can say something's delicious—Mmmmm! Yum! Wow! Awesome! Kid-Friendly!—without sounding like a 4th grader.

The story on these quiches is that I saw a non-vegan recipe for mini crustless quiches in a magazine and remembered that I'd wanted to try using silken tofu in a frittata like Kaji's Mom did recently. (Hers looks excellent, by the way. Be sure to check it out.) So one night when my husband and daughter were both out for the evening, I tried these out as an experiment. I figured if it failed, it was just my dinner at risk. I wasn't prepared for them to be so good—or for E. to come home and demand a share of them! After initially exclaiming, "Ew, what is that?" she decided that she wanted to try one. And another. And another. And another. I'd made only 12, so my dinner was rapidly disappearing. I had to promise that I'd make a double batch soon, or there would have been none left for D. Yes, I figured he should get a chance at something this tasty.

They're extremely versatile: Good hot or cold, you can eat them for breakfast, put them in a lunchbox, or serve them for dinner. If you're throwing a party, try making them in mini muffin cups, and they'll be the perfect finger food. (Reduce the baking time for smaller quiches.) Try them with different vegetables, but be careful not to add too many or they may not hold together. Most importantly, plan to either hide them from your family or make enough to share!

Well, I guess I did have a lot to say after all.

Mini Crustless Tofu Quiches
(printer-friendly version)

olive oil spray
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup bell pepper
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives (or one green onion)
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp. dried, crushed)
black pepper to taste

1 12.3-ounce package lite firm silken tofu, drained of water
1/4 cup plain soymilk
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon cornstarch (may sub another thickener such as arrowroot or potato starch)
1 teaspoon tahini (preferred) or cashew butter
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray 12 regular-sized muffin cups well with non-stick spray. (I used silicone cups like these.)

Lightly spray a non-stick skillet with olive oil and sauté the garlic, bell peppers, and mushrooms over medium heat until the mushrooms just begin to exude their juices. Stir in the chives, rosemary, and freshly ground black pepper, and remove from the heat.

Place the remaining ingredients into a food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth and silky. Add the tofu mixture to the vegetables and stir to combine. Spoon equally into the 12 muffin cups: it will fill regular muffin cups about halfway.

Put the muffin pan into the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 F. Bake until the tops are golden and a knife inserted into the middle of a quiche comes out clean--about 25-35 minutes depending on your oven and muffin cups (silicone will take longer than metal, so if you're using a metal pan, check it at 20 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes. Enjoy! They're light, so plan on making more of these—or serve hearty side dishes—if you're serving more than 3 people.

4 mini-quiches contain: 96 Calories (kcal); 3 g Total Fat; (23% calories from fat); 11 g Protein; 8 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 459 mg Sodium; 2 g Fiber

Veggie T-Shirt of the Week #2

My daughter E. caught me looking at this shirt on the computer a couple of weeks ago and said she just had to have one. It seems some boy at school calls her Veggie Girl—and she kind of likes it. (I'm picturing scary teenage times ahead, folks.) When she wasn't looking, I ordered her one of these Veggie Chick Kids' Hoodies, which I'm saving for a Christmas present.

The design comes from the very talented Candi, whom many of you know from her popular blog. You can find a lot of other cute designs at her store, including "Go Veg" and "Cruelty-Free," and she'll even personalize any design with the text of your choice. They're perfect for those of you who have a little vegetarian in your life. Or even a not-so-little vegetarian! Thanks, Candi, for making my Christmas shopping easier!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian t-shirts

Kiwano, Banana, and Pineapple Sorbet

Let me start off by saying this: Do not feel that you have to run out and buy a kiwano to make this recipe.

Okay, let me back up and re-start by saying, do not buy a kiwano unless you just like its spiny shape and swirly orange color scheme.

Hmmm...let me try one more time: Do not under any circumstances buy a kiwano if you are hungry and think you might try to eat it. Trust me. This baby's for decorative purposes only!

So why did I buy a kiwano? Sheer ignorance--and a daughter who gets excited about new fruit. E. and I were in the store, she saw the kiwanos, and I didn't want to discourage her interest in anything from the plant kingdom, so I bought it, protesting that I didn't know what to do with it or even how to pick out a good one.

Turns out, there's no such thing as a good one. I got home and Googled it, naturally, and found people saying what I'm saying to you now: This one's a dud. Seriously, if it didn't have such a distinctive appearance, these things would have been allowed to die out a long time ago. Still, I didn't quite believe that they weren't any good; after all, we're importing them from New Zealand--how bad can they be?



Bad, but not all bad. When you cut open a kiwano, you find that it's attractive even on the inside, a bright green color with lots of nicely formed seeds. But when you try to remove the "fruit" from the shell you discover that it's just a gelatinous mass and that those seeds are too tough to eat. Taste it and you find that it tastes decidedly "green"--not bad, really, but not good either. And the one I bought wasn't sweet at all.

But I was determined to use it anyway. I'd spent $2.59 plus tax on the blasted thing, and I just don't believe in paying that much for a fruit that's purely decorative. So I decided to juice it and then mix the juice with other ingredients that would hide the taste. And I'd get one last decorative use out of its horny little shell.



Getting it out of the shell proved difficult, and juicing it proved time consuming. I once again got out my trusty grapefruit spoon (by now I must have set some kind of blogging record for the use of the phrase "grapefruit spoon") and scraped it out into a bowl. What you see in the photo above is what I got out, but the photo doesn't convey the sliminess of the stuff. It looks pretty liquidy, but when I poured it into a fine mesh strainer, practically nothing dripped out. I had to push on it and scrape the strainer repeatedly to get anything to go through. Finally I resorted to pushing on it with the flat bottom of a plastic glass. After working on it for a good 15 minutes (which is more than it deserved), I got about 1/3 cup of slimy juice.

So I took the juice and made the following sorbet. It contributed a light kiwano flavor that wasn't bad at all, mixed with the banana and pineapple. Mostly I was hoping that it would lend the sorbet an attractive shade of green, but it only looks green if you're expecting it to. The shells made interesting bowls, but they're hard to get to stand upright without doing a hornectomy. Next time, I'll use some of those Meyer lemons I picked instead!



Kiwano, Banana, and Pineapple Sorbet

2 bananas, frozen solid
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks, frozen
juice of one kiwano (or use 1/3 cup of any other fruit juice or lite coconut milk)
2 tablespoons agave nectar or other liquid sweetener (may not be necessary if you use other fruit juice)

Put the frozen fruit in a food processor and allow it to thaw for about 10 minutes. Mix the agave nectar with the kiwano juice. Start up the food processor and pulse to chop the fruit thoroughly. Add the juice-agave mixture and process, scraping down the sides of the processor if necessary, until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately in the shells of the kiwano or in small bowls. Serves 2-3.

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