Veggie Heroes

Last June, Jill Yarnall at New Heritage Cooking started a great series of interviews with vegetarians called Veggie Heroes. I'm very honored to have been chosen for her latest installment. So, if you've ever wondered why I became a vegetarian or whether I prefer tofu or tempeh (I bet you can guess), check it out. She even persuaded me to give her a photo that shows most of my face!

While you're there, take a look on Jill's sidebar at the list of her previous Veggie Heroes, people like Nava Atlas, Howard Lyman, and Erik Marcus . Now those are some real heroes! Thanks, Jill, for all of your heroic work.

Making Soy Yogurt

My family is crazy about soy yogurt. My husband puts it on his breakfast cereal, my daughter likes it in smoothies, and I eat it with fruit, mostly frozen berries at this time of year. But I have a problem with store-bought soy yogurt. The only brand I can find "plain" is Whole Soy, and it's neither plain nor wholly soy: Organic Evaporated Cane Juice is the second ingredient, and for a supposedly plain yogurt, it tastes very sweet. I find that it's impossible to use it in non-sweet dishes such as raitas because of its excessive sweetness. To top it off, it doesn't even taste very "yogurty"—it's missing the distinctive tang of real yogurt.



So around the time I bought my soymilk maker, I decided to buy an inexpensive yogurt maker. While you can make yogurt in any container that you can keep warm, I've found that my drafty house isn't the most reliable place to make yogurt. The Salton yogurt maker is just a simple device that keeps the yogurt at a stable temperature, and when the yogurt is finished incubating, the container goes right into the refrigerator. No more contributing to landfill waste with those plastic yogurt containers! If you make your soymilk at home, the cost of homemade yogurt is a fraction of the cost of Whole Soy, but even using packaged soymilk, you can save a lot by making your own.

The one big difference between soy yogurt and dairy yogurt is that soy yogurt won't get as thick as dairy unless you add something to it for thickening. For a while I was adding pectin to my yogurt, as instructed by Bryanna Clark Grogan's excellent tutorial on soy yogurt. I kept having uneven results, however; for some reason, my yogurt sometimes came out with lumps of pectin in it, but other times, it was fine. I finally decided to try using agar instead, and lately I've had more consistent results. I don't use a lot of agar because I don't want it to come out jelly-like; instead I use just enough to give it a slight thickness. It's not as thick as dairy yogurt, but it's thick enough for how I use it.

The following instructions were written for using packaged soymilk. For best results, select a brand that is not fat-free. (I know, this is that last place you thought you'd hear that!) Different brands produce different results, so be prepared to do some experimenting to find out which brand works well for you. I've found that Soy Dream works better than any of the other brands I've tried and also makes a whiter yogurt. (Unfortunately, Soy Dream was unavailable when I was making the batch in the photos below; I'm using VitaSoy Complete, which my husband bought on clearance, and it's off-off-white. Beware of letting spouses shop!) If you are using homemade or unsweetened soymilk, add 1 tablespoon of sugar to it--yogurt cultures need some sugar to feed upon.



Homemade Soy Yogurt
click for printer-friendly version

This recipe will fill a yogurt maker that uses a single 1-quart container.

1. Take 1/2 cup of plain soy yogurt out of the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.

2. Put a kettle or pot of water on to boil. While it's heating, gather your materials:

• dinner plate
• 2 large spoons
• 1 whisk or hand blender
• large (non-plastic) microwaveable bowl
• food thermometer
• 1 measuring teaspoon
• agar-agar powder
• 1 quart plain soymilk
• yogurt maker

3. When the water boils, scald the dinner plate first, making sure that the whole surface comes into contact with the water. Then scald the other utensils, including the thermometer, and place them on the plate. Be sure you also scald the hand blender or whisk, the bowl, and the yogurt maker's container and anything else that might come into contact with the yogurt. You don't want any stray bacteria growing in your yogurt!

4. Put two cups of the soymilk into the bowl and sprinkle it with a teaspoon of the agar powder. Allow it to soften for a few minutes. Then place the bowl in the microwave and set it on high power for about 4 minutes. Stir every minute until it reaches a boil.

5. When the soymilk reaches a boil, remove it from the microwave and add the remaining two cups of soymilk. Stir well. Put the food thermometer into the milk and wait until the temperature drops to about 115° F. While you are waiting, stir the soymilk every once in a while to keep the agar from gelling.

6. Plug in your yogurt maker to begin warming it.

7. When the temperature of the soymilk drops to 115° F, add the 1/2 cup yogurt. Blend it in very well using either a whisk or hand blender. Pour it into your yogurt maker's container and place inside the yogurt maker.

8. Check the yogurt after 5 or 6 hours. If it's as tart as you'd like, you may stop then, but normally it will take about 8 hours to reach the right tartness. (I find that when I use store-bought yogurt as a starter, it takes much longer, often 12 hours, to be ready.) Do not worry if it has separated. When it seems tangy enough, remove it from the incubator and whisk or blend it well with the hand blender. Put it into the refrigerator and chill for several hours. Your yogurt will now be ready to use.

Once your yogurt is made, you can mix it with fresh or thawed fruit, use it in smoothies, or use it in any recipe calling for yogurt. Be sure to save 1/2 a cup to use as your next yogurt starter.

Serious Cat Photos

Well, I did it. I finally changed this blog over to the New Blogger. It seems to have gone well, but I couldn't be certain until I'd actually posted something. And since I don't have a new recipe for you, I thought I'd show you photos of my third favorite photography subject (after family and food): CATS.

My cats always look so serious. I wish I could get them to smile, but that's just the way they are. I assure you that they are happy, healthy, friendly cats, but they're also very serious. The one in front, Bud, will come running the second my daughter raises her voice in distress and will meow repeatedly to let us know that she's in trouble. He's a very loving, loyal cat, but not given to smiling.

Despite his sentry-like stance in this photo, Domino is no watch-cat. If an adult other than D. or me enters the house, he runs to hide in our bedroom. Kids are a different story. He's never been afraid of children and will plop himself down in the midst of a crowd of them.

Leda, in the background, is a true scaredy cat. In fact, I took this photo because it's one of the few times she's emerged from the house. She hides under the sofa or bed from everybody except D. and me (including, unfortunately, E). At night she comes out of hiding and sleeps on my pillow, keeping my head warm and probably my lungs filled with cat fur. At less than 5 pounds, she's the size of a kitten, but she's 11 years old.

And that's the Serious Cat round-up for this week, brought to you by the New Blogger.

Tags: cats

Quinoa Vegetable Paella

I love quinoa. Sure, it has a great nutritional profile, but what I like best about it is that it's fast: it cooks in about a third of the time it takes to cook brown rice, which makes it possible to throw together a meal at the last minute and still enjoy a whole grain.

By now you probably know that quinoa is an excellent source of high quality protein. It contains all nine essential amino acids and is especially high in lysine, an amino acid that is scarce in most plant foods but is necessary for tissue growth and repair. What you might not have heard is that quinoa is full of all sorts of other nutrients. According to The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia, it's a rich source of calcium as well as magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorous. And to top it off, it's gluten-free, so those who are sensitive to gluten can enjoy it in its whole state or made into flour, pastas, or breads.

I'm glad that it's so nutritious because it means I can get a healthy meal on the table quickly on nights when it's gotten too late to get a pot of rice cooking. Though the grains are smaller, quinoa can be used in almost anything rice can. It can form the base for a stir-fry or a bean dish, it can be made into pilafs, and it's especially good in grain salads. In the recipe below, I used it instead of white rice in a vegetable paella and discovered another way that my family loves quinoa.



Quinoa Vegetable Paella

This is one of those dishes that seem to improve overnight. Reheated leftovers make a great lunch. Spicy food lovers note that this is a subtle dish, not a spicy one.

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup quinoa
1/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed
2 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
dash cayenne
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 14-ounce can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 3/4 - 3 cups vegetable broth
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 can artichoke hearts, rinsed and cut into quarters

Put the quinoa into a large bowl. Cover with water and stir well to wash the grain. Pour off the water and then repeat the washing process. You may also put the quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly.

Sauté onion and garlic in a deep non-stick skillet with a little water until soft. (I use my inconveniently-named "chicken fryer" for this.) Add the quinoa and saffron and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Add paprika, cumin, cayenne, tomatoes, peppers, beans, and 2 3/4 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, and cook covered for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, check to see if more broth is needed. If it looks dry, add the remaining vegetable broth. Place the zucchini on top of the quinoa and re-cover. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until quinoa is done. Remove the cover, stir in the peas, and cook uncovered until peas are warm and all liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Arrange the artichoke hearts on the top and serve. Add salt at the table, if necessary.

Makes about 6 servings.

Per serving: 288 Calories (kcal); 3 g Total Fat; (9% calories from fat); 13 g Protein; 55 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 307 mg Sodium; 10 g Fiber

Extra! Here are a few delicious-looking, vegan quinoa recipes from around the blogs:

• Quinoa, Corn and Spinach Chowder from bunnyfoot
• Quinoa Balls with Puttanesca Sauce from vanesscipes (Oh, I am drooling!)
• Quick Quinoa Paella from speedvegan
• Quinoa/Pistachio Salad from Fun With Your Food
• African-Inspired Quinoa Peanut Soup from Eat Peace Please (by way of Nava Atlas)
• Vegan Quinoa and Brown Rice Sushi and Cavi-Art from Spice Island Vegan (Beautiful!)

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

Susan's Lite Goddess Dressing

A couple of weeks ago, someone in the Fatfree Vegan YahooGroup asked if anyone had a lower-fat alternative to Annie's Goddess Dressing. Over the years I've heard a lot about this dressing, but I'd never tasted it. Since it comes so highly recommended, I decided to buy a bottle, test it out, and try to make my own recipe.

When I looked at the bottle in the grocery store, I realized why I'd never bought it before: at 130 calories and 13 grams of fat per serving, it gets 90% of its calories from fat (from canola oil and tahini). But I bought it, took it home to try it, and immediately decided I was better off never having tasted it! It's so delicious, it's almost addictive: thick with a deep, almost smoky sesame taste. I knew immediately that it was going to be hard to come anywhere near its flavor without using lots of tahini.

But I gave it a shot, and while my Goddess dressing doesn't taste exactly like Annie's, it does maintain some of the sesame taste while managing to be significantly lighter. Instead of using a base of canola oil, I opted instead for lite silken tofu. I used pretty much the same seasonings as Annie's, but I cut the tahini down to one tablespoon and used 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil to enhance the sesame flavor. When it's all blended together, this whips up into a very thick dressing, but in a "fluffy" rather than heavy way. And in terms of calories, you can have almost 7 times as much of my dressing for the same amount of calories in 2 tablespoons of Annie's. How many of us really use only 2 tablespoons of dressing, anyway?

In fact, my recipe is so light that I almost wish I had used more tahini in it. I wanted to keep it very low in fat, but if you'd like a more pronounced sesame flavor, feel free to add more tahini. Just remember, for every tablespoon of tahini that you add, you increase the fat content of one serving by about 1 gram.



Susan's Lite Goddess Dressing

Make this dressing more like the original by increasing the tahini a tablespoon at a time, until it tastes the way you like. Remember that the fat and calories go up as the tahini increases!

6 ounces lite firm silken tofu (1/2 pkg. of Mori-Nu)
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon tahini
2 green onions, white parts removed, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, packed
1 large clove garlic

Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. (The Magic Bullet worked well for this.)

Makes 10 servings of 2 tbsp. each. Per serving: 19 Calories (kcal); 1 g Total Fat; (45% calories from fat); 1 g Protein; 1 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 164 mg Sodium

Here's a nutritional comparison of my dressing to the original:



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

Green on Green Soup

At the beginning of the year, I made a commitment to myself to get back to healthier eating: fewer breads and desserts and more vegetables. I especially wanted to get back into the habit of having a salad for lunch, but so far I just haven't been able to do it. With the weather so cold, salads just haven't appealed to me, even ones with hot ingredients, like Taco Salad.

So I've been eating a lot of soups and stews and trying to get my vegetables that way. Yet I still felt I wasn't eating enough of those green, leafy vegetables that are right at the top of the nutrient density scale. A few days ago I decided to experiment with making a soup that was both packed with nutrition yet still...edible! And though it won't win any beauty contests, I think you'll be amazed with how delicious this unabashedly healthy soup tastes.

I start with a base of split peas and use a pressure cooker to speed things up. For sweetness I add carrot and sweet potato (I used the white-flesh kind, just to keep from muddying the green color), and for their earthiness, I include some mushrooms. Then come the greens, 2 pounds of them. I used what I had on-hand—bok choy, spinach, romaine, and some fresh collards from my garden—but feel free to use the ones that you like best. Fresh basil added at the end gives the soup a hint of a pesto flavor, and cashew butter adds richness and depth. I think you'll find that every bite of this soup tastes different; in one spoonful you taste basil, but in the next you detect a certain sweetness, and just when you think you've figured it out, you notice the split peas. The color may be monochromatic, but the taste certainly isn't!



Green on Green Soup

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If you're turned off by thick, green liquids or just don't like greens at all, this probably isn't the soup for you. But if you're brave enough to give it a try, I think you'll like it. It grows on you—in a good way! I had it for lunch three days this week, and I liked it better each time. And my husband took it for lunch one day and came home raving about it.

1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 carrots, cut into chunks
1 sweet potato, cut into chunks
1/2 cup split peas, rinsed and drained
6 cups water

8 ounces mushrooms, halved
2 pounds chopped greens—any combination of any greens, such as kale, collards, swiss chard, spinach, romaine, bok choy
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon celery salt (optional)
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh or frozen basil (or about 2 tablespoons dried*)
1 tablespoon cashew butter (optional, but good)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste

Optional Garnishes:
Lemon slices
Plain soy yogurt

Place the first 6 ingredients into a large pressure cooker, seal, and bring to high pressure. Reduce heat to maintain high pressure for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pressure to come down naturally while you prepare the remaining ingredients. (For stove-top cooking, simmer until split peas are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes.)

When the pressure is down, use a hand blender to puree the soup. Or, blend in batches in a regular blender—be careful because this is hot and splatters easily. Add the next 6 ingredients (*and the dried basil, if you're using it) and cook for about 30-45 minutes, until greens are completely tender. Add additional water if necessary to prevent soup from becoming too dry.

Add the remaining ingredients and use your blender again to puree the greens and mushrooms until fairly smooth. Check seasoning and add salt as needed, and thin with a little water if you find it too thick. Serve with additional lemon or try it with a spoonful of plain soy yogurt stirred in.

Makes 4-6 servings. Based on 4 servings, without salt, this provides: 290 Calories (kcal); 4 g Total Fat; (11% calories from fat); 18 g Protein; 52 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 89 mg Sodium; 20 g Fiber.

Want to see how healthy this soup is? Based on a 2000 calorie-per-day diet, it provides 41% of your calcium, 23% of iron, 167% of vitamin C, 612% of vitamin A (i.u.), 212% vitamin B6, 50% vitamin B12, and 143% of folicin. The only thing it's low in is sodium!

Hand Blender Update: The day after I announced Amazon's low price on my favorite hand blender, they went and raised the price! It's still a good deal at $49.99, but I'll keep you posted if it goes lower. I apologize to those of you who tried to buy it but found that the price had gone up.

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

Clouds in the Sunset or Roasted Butternut and Cauliflower Soup

When my daughter was younger, I started calling cauliflower "clouds" and broccoli "trees" in the hope that cute names would make eating her veggies more fun. I really didn't need to bother because broccoli was always one of her favorite vegetables, and though less-loved, cauliflower was a vegetable she ate readily. Though E. has reached the ripe old age of 9 1/2 and probably doesn't even remember them, the nicknames still live on in my mind, at least. Every time I cook cauliflower I think of clouds, so when I put together this bright orange soup, I couldn't help thinking of the florets as clouds bathed in the orange glow of a sunset.



Roasted Butternut and Cauliflower Soup
(printer-friendly version)

Roasting the squash and cauliflower gives this soup a delightful sweetness, accentuated by a hint of freshly squeezed orange juice.

1 butternut squash
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed or chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons mild curry powder (see note)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon sherry or vermouth (optional)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
juice of one orange (or 1/2 cup orange juice)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut the butternut in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds. Spray or rub a rectangular baking dish with oil (lightly) and place the squash in it cut-side down. Put the squash into the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the cauliflower florets into a small, oiled baking dish of their own. After the squash has cooked for 15 minutes, put the cauliflower in with it. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is beginning to brown and the squash can be pierced easily with a fork. (They will probably be finished at different times.) Remove from the oven and set the cauliflower aside.

Allow the squash to cool until it's easy to handle, and scrape the flesh out of the skin and into a bowl. Use a fork or masher to mash it a little.

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in a little water until it is translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 3 more minutes, adding water as necessary. Add the squash to the pan along with the curry powder and the vegetable broth. Using a hand blender, blend the soup to a smooth puree. (Or, if you don't have a hand blender, puree the soup in your blender in batches.) Reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 15 minutes.

Add the cauliflower to the soup. Taste for seasoning, and add sherry, salt, cayenne, and additional curry powder as needed. Cover and allow the soup to simmer until the cauliflower is tender. Add the orange juice, cook for 5 more minutes and serve.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving provides 234 Calories (kcal); 1 g Total Fat; (2% calories from fat); 6 g Protein; 58 g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 560 mg Sodium; 9 g Fiber

Note: Using good curry powder makes a huge amount of difference. If you like the curry powder you are using, that's great, but if you often find that your curry dishes lack flavor or taste bitter or "off" in some way, it could be that your curry powder is old. Buying from spice stores, where the turnover is quick, or in small quantities from the bulk bins in natural food stores can help ensure that the curry powder you're using isn't months or even years old. My personal favorite mild curry powder is the Maharajah Curry from Penzey's. It's more expensive than most because it contains saffron, but every time I use it, I'm happy I ordered it. (No, they don't pay me--darn it! I'm just a happy customer.)

Product Alert: The hand blender that I use (and love) is now at Amazon for only $29.99. I'm a little peeved that it was $69 when I bought it, but at least you can take advantage of this low price! (And Amazon actually does pay me a small commission if you buy through my link--just so you know.) [Update 1/20/07: They raised the price on us! They're $49.99 as of today. Sorry to those of you who didn't get to order at the low price. I'll keep checking and let you know if they get that low again.]

Thick and Hearty Pinto Bean Chili

Mississippi is finally getting a taste of the cold weather that's sweeping across the country, and though some transplanted Northerners here may think that it's long overdue, I just want to hibernate. Maybe I'm getting old, but I have no desire to go outside once the weather is below freezing. Yes, I know that in other places people are dealing with snow and ice and we're lucky here that we have neither. I can certainly sympathize with those of you who are dealing with severe weather, but that's why I live in Mississippi. Mild winters are our reward for putting up with humid summers and mosquitoes the size of hummingbirds!

I'm not the only one around here who doesn't want to go outside when the temperature drops. Though the furry members of the family cope by burrowing under pillows or settling into comforters, I prefer to keep warm by cooking—and eating—hearty stews and soups. Mostly I've been cooking up old favorites that have already been featured here: Easy Bean and Vegetable Soup is my go-to recipe when I'm cold and in a hurry, and Beefless Stew is my family's definition of comfort food. But a couple of nights ago I was craving chili—not pinto bean soup, as some chili recipes turn out, but thick, rich chili.

The recipe I came up with doesn't differ much from most vegetarian chili recipes, except for the use of dried New Mexico chiles instead of chili powder. I was able to find dried chiles in my local supermarket, next to the refried beans and tortillas. Dried New Mexico chiles can vary in degree of heat, but the Melissa's brand that I used were fairly mild; if you like your chili spicy, you'll need to add red pepper to increase the heat in this mild, kid-friendly version.



Thick and Hearty Pinto Bean Chili
(printer-friendly version)

Dried chiles and unsweetened cocoa give this chili a deep, rich taste. If you can't find dried chiles, try substituting 1 cup of vegetable broth plus a tablespoon or so of chili powder. Increase the chili powder to taste.

3 large dried New Mexico chiles (see note above)
1 1/2 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (no salt added)
3 cups cooked pinto beans (or 2 cans, rinsed and drained)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
cayenne or other red pepper, to taste

Remove and discard the stems from the chiles. Place them in a small saucepan and pour the water over them. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Put the chiles and the water into a blender and puree until well-blended. Pour into a strainer, pressing lightly on the pulp to get out all the flavor. Throw the pulp away and reserve the liquid.

In a large non-stick pot, sauté the onion in a little water (1 tablespoon to start) until it's beginning to brown. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and a little more water and sauté for 3 more minutes. Add the reserved chile sauce, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and paprika and bring to a simmer.

In a small bowl, mix the cocoa powder with 1/4 cup hot water until it is well blended. Add it to the chili. Taste for seasonings and add salt and red pepper to taste. If it seems bitter add sugar. Cook on low for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Makes 4-6 servings.

For 4 servings (including all optional ingredients): 256 Calories (kcal); 1 g Total Fat; (4% calories from fat); 14 g Protein; 50 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 568 mg Sodium; 15 g Fiber

For 6 servings (including all optional ingredients): 171 Calories (kcal); 1 g Total Fat; (4% calories from fat); 9 g Protein; 34 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 379 mg Sodium; 10 g Fiber

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

Curried Tempeh Sushi

Sometimes two seemingly incompatible tastes come together and the result is magic. This, my friends, was not one of those times.

I don't know what got me thinking that sushi with a filling of curried tempeh would be a good idea. I just know that once the idea was in my head, nothing was going to convince me that it was a bad one. Nothing except the first bite.

I had my first sign that something was just not right when my husband and I sat down to eat. He'd completely finished his salad and hadn't touched the sushi. When I suggested he try it, he asked what was in it. "That curried tempeh I was making," I answered. "Does curry go with sushi," he asked. "No, silly, it's FUSION. I'm being CREATIVE!" Famous last words.

We got through the meal and managed to eat most of the sushi, but I really regretted that I hadn't made any other kinds. We weren't even completely sure how to eat it. Wasabi was out because the curry itself was already spicy enough. Soy sauce didn't seem right. I eventually found that dipping it in the sesame-ginger dressing left in my salad bowl actually improved it. We both ate a lot less sushi than we normally would, and since I'm supposed to be avoiding white rice, perhaps that's a good thing.

All in all, it wasn't horrible: we ate the meal without gagging, I had the remaining sushi for lunch the next day (with more sesame-ginger dressing), and we found that the leftover curried tempeh makes a pretty good sandwich filling. So, if you're a "glass half full" kind of person, perhaps you could call this one a success. But I promise not to make it if you ever come over for dinner!



Curried Tempeh Filling for Sushi or Sandwiches

4 ounces tempeh, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon canola oil (optional)
1/2 cup red onion
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1 1/2 teaspoon good-quality mild curry powder (I used Maharajah--see the red thread of saffron in the close-up?)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup light coconut milk (or vanilla soymilk mixed with 1/2 tsp. coconut extract)
salt to taste

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and put the tempeh cubes in it. Boil for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain water. Set aside.

Either spray a non-stick pan lightly with canola oil or use 1/4 teaspoon of oil. Place over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook until onion becomes translucent. Then add the ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. Stir and cook just until the seeds begin to pop. Add the curry, cayenne, and tempeh. Mash the tempeh into smaller pieces using a fork or a spatula as you stir. Add the coconut milk (or substitute) and salt and cook, stirring, until the liquid is mostly absorbed.

Allow to cool before using as a sushi filling. For sandwiches, use warm or cold, mixed with a little vegan mayo if desired.

I also used strips of yellow bell pepper in my sushi rolls. I'm not good at explaining how to roll sushi, so I'll just direct you to this webpage that explains it well with photos.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Red Bean-Chipotle Burgers

Well, I think I owe you all a recipe! The last two posts have been mostly about photos, and yesterday I even put you to work picking out my best photo from December. Thanks to all of you for your input, by the way. The Kiwano Sorbet seems to be the overwhelming favorite--which is good to know since I had been leaning toward one of the other two. I really appreciate your taking the time to offer your feedback. Keep it coming!

A few days ago, my family was in the mood for a good old burgers-and-"fries" meal. Now, you know I try to eat as little processed food as possible, so rather than reach for a frozen Boca or Garden burger, I opted to make a bean-based burger from scratch. And though these are not as fast as a microwaved burger from a box would be (what is?), they're really easy to mix together in the food processor and they cook in about 25 minutes. While they're in the oven, you'll have time to assemble your condiments and slice and chop any vegetables you want on your burger. Spinach, red cabbage, and tomato, anyone?



Red Bean Chipotle Burgers

These bean and grain-based burgers may not taste like meat, but they're a delicious meal in their own right. Use as much or as little chipotle peppers as you like; the flavor can be a subtle smokiness or a raging inferno!

1 small onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 clove garlic
1 16-ounce can light-red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup oatmeal, uncooked
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1-3 teaspoons chopped chipotles (from canned chipotles), to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional for salt-free diets)
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 cup flour (I used white whole wheat but you may use gluten-free flour)

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Put the onion and garlic into a food processor and pulse to chop coarsely. Add the beans and process until coarsely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and process until well blended--just slightly more chunky than refried beans.

Spray a non-stick cookie sheet or silicone baking mat lightly with canola oil. Use a spoon to scoop the burger mixture onto the baking sheet, smoothing it into six patties. (It is easiest to do this by making six "piles" of beans and using the spoon to smooth the top and round the edges of the patties.) Bake for about 15 minutes. When the bottoms are lightly browned and beginning to get crisp, turn the burgers and cook for 10-15 more minutes, until the other side is brown. Do not overcook or they will be tough!

Serve immediately with accompaniments as desired. These keep well in the fridge and can be reheated for a quick lunch.

Makes 6 burgers. Each contains 124 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (6% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; trace Cholesterol; 465mg Sodium (288mg without salt); 4g Fiber.

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

Please Help Me Choose

Each month there's a photo competition for food blogs called Does My Blog Look Good in This?—or DMBLGIT? for short. It's a fierce competition with some excellent food photos. In fact, they're so good that I've been too intimidated to join in, until last month when I submitted this photo of my Stuffed Tofu. It didn't win—the winning photos were definitely superior—but I don't think I embarrassed myself too much.

I'd like to give it another try this month, and I've got it narrowed down to the three that I think were my best from last month. (The photo has to have appeared on the blog for the first time in December.) But I'm questioning my own judgment about which one to choose, so I'd love it if you helped me out. [Update 1/19/07: I took the advice of the majority and entered the sorbet photo into the contest. Thanks to everyone for your comments, particularly those of you who offered detailed critiques. I value all of your advice and input!]

The three photos are:


Kiwano, Banana, and Pineapple Sorbet


Rainbow Stir-Fry


Pumpkin Spice Bread

The photos are judged on Aesthetics, Edibility, and Originality; there are prizes for each category and one overall winner. If you'd like to take a look at some of the other entries before you vote, visit the DMBLGIT? gallery. The competition is steep!

Thanks to Ilva at Lucullian Delights for the idea to take a poll. Her readers chose her lovely entry last month—and it won the award for Edibility!

Just let me know in the comments which one you think I should choose. I don't need to make a decision for a few days, so if you don't vote now, please come back and cast your vote later. Thanks!

Naked Orange Mousse

I should have left well enough alone. I had a perfectly acceptable photo...



But then I had to try to get fancy...



..and wound up making a mess!



Actually, I made the same mistake twice. After cleaning up the second spill, I decided to give up. I'll just have to accept the fact that a mousse-laden spoon is not meant to rest atop a wine glass, even with a dab of "Handi-Tak" adhesive to hold it in place.

To those of you who write admiring my photos, thank you so much for the compliments. But the truth is, I'm still learning and making mistakes on a daily basis. My secret, if you can call it that, is to just take lots of photos, changing the light, changing the angle, changing the focus, exposure, and depth of field. I rarely wish I'd taken fewer photos and often wish I'd taken more. For instance, I wish I'd gotten a better shot of the spoon resting on the glass--one in better focus, with more mousse in the spoon and fewer specks of mousse on the glass--but this time, gravity was working against me. (You can find more photo tips and links to helpful sites at the end of this post from September.)

There's not much to the recipe for Naked Orange Mousse. In fact, it was more of an experiment than a recipe, an opportunity to test out the new Magic Bullet my mother-in-law gave us for Christmas and an attempt to find a way to get my daughter to eat some of the dozens of navel oranges we picked at my parents' house over the holidays. I wanted to see if it was possible to whip oranges and orange juice into frothy dessert, using only a little agar powder for thickening. It didn't whip up as foamy as I would have liked, and it wound up taking longer than I thought it would, but it was completely successful in getting my daughter to eat her citrus fruit. There's just something even kids like about a dessert in a fancy glass. Just be sure to remove the Handi-Tak before serving!

Naked Orange Mousse

1 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon agar powder (for a more gelled mousse, use a touch more)
sweetener to taste (optional)
1 navel orange, peeled and sectioned

Put the orange juice into a sauce pan, sprinkle it with agar, and stir in the sweetener, if you're using it. (I used one tiny scoop of no-calorie KAL stevia.) Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the agar is completely dissolved.

Put the orange sections into a blender (or into the large container of the Magic Bullet). Pour the orange juice mixture over the oranges, and blend at high speed until as smooth as possible. Place the blender into the refrigerator. In 15 minutes, blend again. Refrigerate for another 15 minutes and then blend again. Pour into glasses or bowls and refrigerate until set. Makes 2-3 servings.

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

A Year in the Life of a Kitchen

For me, 2006 will always be remembered as "The Year of the Blog." I started writing here a year ago today with practically no experience in reading blogs and none in writing one, with no plan other than to keep a record of what I cook. My purpose, as far as I had one, was to show that eating a plant-based diet of whole, unrefined foods didn't have to be boring. 247 posts later, I think I've stuck to that purpose--with only a few decadent detours like Eggnog Cheesecake and Raspberry Chocolate Cake on special occasions. Along the way, I've discovered why fresh Brussels sprouts are so much better than frozen, found a technique to turn okra into a snack, and transformed cauliflower into a creamy sauce. And, of course, if there's a low-fat way to cook eggplant, I've been determined to try it!

What I never expected was that writing this blog would cause so many changes in my life. Though I still agonize over every word, blogging on a regular basis has made me much more comfortable as a writer; where it used to take me half an hour to write a 2-sentence email, I can now whip one out in 15 minutes. That's progress! And my photography skills have definitely improved. Through practice, study, and a major camera upgrade, I've gone from taking casual snapshots to approaching photography as a serious hobby. Most surprising are the new work opportunities blogging has brought me. I'm very honored to have been asked to write the recipes for a vegan diet book and to take the photographs for a new vegan cookbook. You'll be hearing more about both of these projects in the future!

Over the past year there have also been changes—wonderful changes—in the vegan blogging world. When I started blogging, I knew of only three vegan blogs: Eat Air—A Vegan Food Log, Vegan Lunch Box, and Knocked Up Vegan. (Of these, Chris and Darlene of "Eat Air" are still going strong, Jennifer of "Vegan Lunch Box" has published a cookbook, and Miriam of "Knocked Up Vegan" is now a new mom and has, understandably, less time to blog.) Through them, I learned of a handful of other vegan blogs. As the year went on, there seemed to be an explosion in the number of vegan blogs. Right now I have over 60 linked on my Blogs page, and I'm discovering new ones every day. Getting to know many of you has been, for me, the best part of blogging. Though we're separated by distance and sometimes language, we have become a real community through our exchange of experiences and recipes. Thank you all for sharing so much of yourselves with the world.

Thank you also to Karina, the [Gluten Free] Goddess, whose beautiful words, photos, and often vegan-friendly recipes inspired me to begin this blog. Your friendship and support has meant so much to me!

And so I begin another year. Though I hate to use the word "resolution," I am challenging myself to go back to basics this year, to have fewer "treat" foods like breads and cakes and more inventive ways to use fruits and vegetables. And yes—more eggplant recipes! I hope you'll stick around for another year in the life of this fat-free, vegan kitchen.

Dried Tofu and Vegetables in a Light Ginger-Garlic Sauce

I was racked with indecision. I hadn't really cooked for days, and finally my family was back home with me, my cold was waning, and I wanted to do something with some of the produce in my fridge before it all turned to compost. At first I craved Indian; then I thought Thai curry. I went back and forth between the two so many times that began to worry I'd never get supper on the table. That's when it hit me: Reading about food too much has given me CADD--Culinary Attention Deficit Disorder!

Finally, the brown basmati rice I'd tossed into the rice cooker while I was in my Indian mood was ready. Stomachs were rumbling and people were grumbling, and we just needed to eat. Whatever I did, it needed to be fast and filling. Still not sure what I was cooking, I put some dried bean curd into vegetable broth to rehydrate, began chopping my veggies, and let go of my plans for curry of either the Thai or Indian variety. When speed is important, nothing cooks up faster than a stir-fry.

It took about 10 minutes to have this meal on the table, but I had help. While I chopped the veggies, E. sautéed the garlic, ginger, and carrots. Since she helped, she thought she should get to name the dish. Her choice: "Tai Chi." "Do you know what Tai Chi is?" I asked. "Sure. It's a martial art." Since Tai Chi is slow and meditative and this dish was neither, I didn't think it quite fit. Still, I promised her I'd work the phrase into the blog, and now I have. Motherly duty fullfilled.



Dried Tofu and Vegetables in a Light Ginger-Garlic Sauce

1 1/2 cups dried bean curd pieces or strip-style TVP (see note below)
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 carrots, cut julienne
3 zucchinis, sliced thin (about 1/4-inch)
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 can straw mushrooms, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons kung pao sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili sauce (optional)

Place the dried tofu or TVP into a 1-quart bowl. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil and pour it over the dried tofu. Set aside to rehydrate.

In a large, non-stick wok or skillet, heat the sesame oil and 2 tablespoons of water. Add the garlic and ginger, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the carrots and sauté for 1 more minute. Add the zucchini and bell pepper and 1/3 cup of the vegetable broth from the dried tofu. Stir and cover tightly. Cook, stirring every 60 seconds, until the zucchini is just barely tender, about 4 minutes. Drain the tofu (reserving the broth) and add it and the mushrooms to the pan.

Take 1/2 cup of the broth and add the kung pao sauce, cornstarch, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and chili sauce, stirring well. Add the mixture to the vegetables and cook, stirring, until it thickens slightly. Serve over freshly cooked rice. Makes about 4 servings.

Note: This type of dried bean curd, also labeled as Thit Chay, can be found in many Asian markets. It's made only of soybeans and each 25 grams has 89 calories, 13 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fat. I used only about 1/3 of the 4-ounce bag shown here to make this dish, which means that it supplied around 135 calories, 20 grams of protein and 1.5 grams of fat for the entire dish. (Dried bean curd also comes in sticks and sheets. To me, those types are better used in soups, as in my Chickenless Soup, than in stir-fries.)

P.S. For all the worrying, sometimes the simplest meals are the best. I served this with extra chili sauce for the grown ups, and we all pronounced it delicious. E. said to make sure I added it to the kid-friendly list.

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

Weekend Photo Blogging

Thank you all for your get-well wishes. Yesterday was the first day I felt like eating again, and I still don't feel like doing much cooking, so I'm sorry to say that I have no new recipes or food photos to post. Since I hate to have no new content on the blog, I've decided to show you some of the non-food photos I took over the holidays. Except for the last one, these were taken in Louisiana around Christmas.

What a Difference an Angle Makes

Below is a shot of a cactus that has overgrown its pot and is growing wild among the more typical Louisiana weeds and undergrowth:



Kind of pretty, huh? Well, step back a little and you find a somewhat less beautiful scene:



I'm going to embarrass my whole family by admitting that that shot was taken on the edges of my father's garden. My dad saves everything for possible reuse. I can see the potential uses he might have for an old hose and a large metal pot, but I don't have a clue what he'll do with the toilet seat. Let's just call this creative recycling and move on.

The Pond

My parents' land consists of an acre of yard around the house, about an acre of garden, and a few acres of pasture land and woods. When my brother and sister and I were growing up, the pasture and woods behind it were like a big playground to us. My parents weren't farmers, so usually the pasture was empty, unless they had leased it to someone to house a couple of horses or a few cows. We'd climb trees and explore the woods, but our favorite spot was the small pond just outside the garden:



We'd build boats to cross it (it was only a couple of feet deep) and use the log bridge to go over to the tiny island in the center:



Over the holidays, I enjoyed watching E. and her cousin play exactly as my sister and I had when we were young. In the photo above, the log in front is actually the aging bridge; the tree that E. is standing on was blown down during hurricane Katrina and landed in just the right spot to supply a newer, more secure bridge. (My parents lost many trees during Katrina, including one that smashed their car and carport; this is the only case of a fallen tree actually being useful!)

The Pasture

In the pasture, there's an old barn that hasn't been used as a barn as far back as I can remember; my parents use it for storage. The boards are weathered and old and almost glowing with green growth:



Part of the pasture is leased to someone who raises cows. My parents don't share my vegan philosophy, and it would probably never occur to them to wonder what the fate of these cows and their offspring will be:



Back to the Suburbs

The final photo brings us back to my house in the city/suburbs, where cows are scarce but birds are everywhere:



Since the cardinal is eating millet and sunflower seeds, perhaps this qualifies as a vegan food photo?

If you've read this far, thanks for indulging me. I'll be back when I have some human food photos to post!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian photos

Chickenless Soup for the Cold

If I were a superstitious person, I'd be worried. I've had black-eyed peas every New Year's Day that I can remember, until yesterday. I started the new year off with a cold so bad that everything tastes horrible. Though I had planned to cook a new black-eyed pea dish, I realized that I had absolutely no appetite for it and no loved ones around to serve it to (home alone on New Year's Day—strike two against 2007).

So, I decided to risk having an unlucky year and skipped the traditional black-eyed peas. When I woke up this morning, my website server, including this blog, was down, along with my email. Strike three! Coincidence? Of course. But I'll admit to feeling a momentary panic that I should have at least eaten a few black-eyed peas out of a can to appease the new year gods. I can deal with a cold, but take away my email and I'm just helpless.

Necessary supplies for treating a cold: hot tea, a blanket, a recliner, and a TV. And, of course, chickenless soup. I made myself a pot of it for lunch and already I'm feeling...well, not any better but at least not worse. It's nice and warming and, usually, delicious. But you see I've got this nasty cold....



Chickenless Soup

1 small onion, minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 cups water or "unchicken" vegetable broth
2 tablespoons Chickenless Seasoning Blend, below (omit if using broth)
2 carrots, diced
1 cup diced potatoes
1 rib celery, diced
1/3 cup dried tofu, crumbled (see below for alternatives)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning (or 1/8 tsp. dried thyme plus 1/8 tsp. rubbed sage)
2 bay leaves

You can find dried tofu in sticks or sheets at Asian markets. Its texture is much chewier than regular tofu, and it must be rehydrated for a while in hot liquid. If it's not available, you can use any of the following:

3/4 cup of cubed, extra-firm tofu
3/4 cup of frozen, defrosted tofu
1/3 cup of TVP chunks
1/4 cup of TVP granules

Sauté the onion in a medium-sized saucepan spritzed with olive oil. When it begins to brown, add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer for at least 30 minutes, until potatoes and dried tofu are tender. Remove the bay leaves to serve, and let the healing begin!

Chickenless Seasoning Blend (adapted from the Healing Heart Foundation):

3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley

Place all ingredients except parsley into blender and process until nutritional yeast is powdered. Be careful opening the blender not to breathe in any yeast dust! Add the dried parsley. You may use this mixed with hot water anywhere chicken broth is called for. Use it to taste, about 1/2 tablespoon per cup of water.

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