Double Mushroom Miso Soup and Sesame Broccoli

When my husband is out of town, I often let our daughter E pick what we'll have for dinner. Almost always her first pick is lasagna, followed by peanut butter noodles or macaroni and "cheese." The girl loves her pasta. Recently, however, I was thrilled when she told me what she wanted: Miso soup. Actually, what she said was, "I want a soup that's warm and brothy, mostly liquid, not all thick and full of stuff like most of your soups are, Mom."

She had me there. Usually when I make soup, I cram in veggies and beans and potatoes to make it a one-pot meal. I am, as I've said before, basically a lazy cook, and if I can get away with making only one dish for dinner, I'll take the easy way almost every time.

But I can do brothy, if that's what she wants; after all, brothy is easy, too. E's crazy about miso soup, so that's what we settled on, with silken tofu just like her favorite Japanese restaurant does it. Of course I had to add a little extra something-something: mushrooms-mushrooms. I adore the earthy flavor that shiitakes contribute to miso soup, and I tossed in a few white mushrooms for good measure. And you know what? We each ate three bowls. Because that's the kind of thing we can get away with when her father is away!



Double Mushroom Miso Soup
(printer-friendly version)

6 cups vegetable broth (I used No-chicken Broth)
1/2 cup (.35 ounce) dried sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon dried shredded wakame (optional, but good)
1 cup sliced white mushrooms
1/2 carton (about 6 ounces) firm silken tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used Mori-nu Lite)
2-3 tablespoons white miso

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil and add the dried mushrooms and seaweed. (If you are using whole dried mushrooms, add them now, let them soften, and remove them and slice before adding back to the pan with the other ingredients.) Simmer until mushrooms are softened, about 10 minutes.

Add the button mushrooms and silken tofu and simmer until the mushrooms are tender. Ladle out about 1/2 cup of the broth and stir it into 2 tablespoons of the miso. Mix until smooth and add to the pot. Taste, and if more miso is needed, repeat the process with another tablespoon of miso.

Allow the soup to simmer for about 5 more minutes without boiling and serve.

This makes about 6 large bowls or 8 smaller ones. Based on 6 servings, each bowl provides 38 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (11% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 705mg Sodium; 1g Fiber.



Along with the soup, we enjoyed Sesame Broccoli. This isn't so much a recipe as a cooking technique:

Sesame Broccoli for Two
(printer-friendly version)

I'm always surprised when people tell me they never use the broccoli stems. Don't throw them away! They're loaded with nutrients and taste.

2 large stalks broccoli, cut into florets and stems peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon additional sesame oil
additional water as needed
sesame seeds for serving

First prepare the broccoli by cutting off the florets and dividing them into bite-sized pieces. Then chop the smaller stems into little chunks. Cut off and discard the bottom tough part of the broccoli stalk--about 1/2 to 1-inch, depending on the broccoli. Stand the stalk up on end and trim off the tough outer skin with a sharp knife (or just use a peeler). Slice the stalk into diagonal slices, about 1/8-inch thick.

Have about 1/2 cup of water ready by your stove. Using a wok or non-stick skillet that has a cover, put the sesame oil and 2 tablespoons of water into the pan, and heat it until it begins sizzling. Add the ginger and stir for 1 minute. Add the broccoli and, if the pan is dry, another 2 tbsp. of water. Stir quickly and cover. Cook for one minute.

Remove the cover and stir. Add another splash of water and cover again. Cook for one minute.

Repeat the process of stirring and adding a splash of water one more time. Check the broccoli, and if it is bright green yet becoming tender, it is done. If you want your broccoli more tender, repeat the process until it's how you like it. When it's done, add another tablespoon of water, the soy sauce, and the 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil. Toss well and serve immediately, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Makes 2 servings, each providing 102 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat; (19% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 254mg Sodium; 9g Fiber.

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This made an excellent light meal for me, but it was a little too light for E. After eating 3 bowls of soup and more than her share of the broccoli, she made herself a bowl of cereal. In retrospect, I should have included a grain or starchy vegetable with this meal, so I suggest you try it paired with some rice, noodles, or roasted winter squash.

If you're more interested in thick and hearty soups than thin and brothy ones, here are a few of my favorite one-pot meal soups:

• Garden Vegetable and Bean Soup
• Yellow Split-Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Kale
• Ethiopian-Inspired Red Lentil Soup
• Rustic Red Kale and White Bean Soup
• Collard Greens and White Bean Soup
  

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Thanks for all your kind words and congratulations on the VegNews news. I still haven't managed to get a copy of the magazine, so I'll just have to take your word for it but at least now it's on their website!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Southwestern Split-Pea Soup

Special Note: A couple of commenters (thanks VeggieGirl and Aimee!) let me know that they've received the latest edition of VegNews magazine and that I won as the readers' favorite veg blog. I'm a little afraid to believe it until I see it myself, so let's just say that I'm cautiously ecstatic. Whether it's true or not, thanks to everyone who voted for me; you win my award for best readers! And if you're here because of the magazine, welcome! I hope you'll stick around, take a look at the Recipe Index, and especially check out some of the Readers' Favorite Recipes.

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You may recognize the photo below. I first posted about this soup over a year ago, but at the time I was having trouble with the timing of the recipe, so I kept it to myself. Since then, I've made it several times, never the same way twice, and it's always come out delicious. Most recently I cooked it for a potluck lunch and had to substitute for two ingredients I was missing and actually burned the bottom of the pan. But since several people tracked me down to rave about the soup, I figure that this recipe is practically fool-proof. Well, it's proof against this fool, at least!

I'd waited until the last minute to make my potluck dish, figuring I could throw this soup together quickly in the pressure cooker. Then I ran into a big problem: no yellow split peas. But I had some chana dal--a split relative of the chickpea--and decided to use them instead. From my experience, they take a little longer to cook, so I started them in the pressure cooker and added a couple of minutes to the timer.

While the beans were cooking, I began assembling the other ingredients only to find that the tomato paste I usually use in the recipe was also missing from my cabinet. So I quickly decided to substitute a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, the kind that is made by Rotel. I have to say that I thought the soup tasted even better with the tomatoes, so that substitution was actually an improvement. And since I really couldn't tell the difference between the chana dal and yellow split peas, I was sure that the soup was going to be a success...so sure that I left it cooking on the stove and forgot it! The bottom burned and a thick layer of peas stuck to it.

But you know what you do when this happens, right? If you're lucky, you can pour off the soup at the top, without stirring, scraping, or otherwise disturbing the burned part at the bottom. You may lose a lot of your peas this way, but believe me, you don't want that burned sludge in your soup. I tried it, and thankfully it worked. I thought I could detect a certain smokiness that wasn't caused by the chipotles, but fortunately no one else did. Recipe saved!


No new photo--the potluck crowd ate the whole pot!

Southwestern Yellow Split-Pea Soup
(printer-friendly version)

This main-dish soup is comfort in a bowl! My daughter calls this her "favorite spicy food," but it doesn't have to be very spicy. Use the mild type of chili-tomatoes and add chipotle peppers only to taste.

1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound yellow split peas (or chana dal)
1-2 teaspoons canned chipotle pepper, minced
7 cups hot water
1 cup sliced carrots
2 teaspoons mild chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies (mild or hot, depending on taste)
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (or 1 roasted red pepper)
salt to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
chopped onions, tomatoes, jalapeño pepper for garnish

In a pressure cooker, sauté the onion in a little water until translucent. Add the garlic and cook one more minute. Add the split peas, chipotle, water, carrots, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Seal the cooker and bring to high pressure. Cook for 9 minutes at high pressure. Remove from heat and allow pressure to come down naturally.

(You can also do this in a regular pot--just cook until the split peas are tender.)

Open the cooker and add all remaining ingredients except garnish. Taste and add additional chipotles, chili powder or other seasonings as needed, and add additional water if it seems too thick. Cook uncovered on low for at least 15 more minutes. Serve in bowls with garnishes on top.

Makes about 8 servings. Each serving (using 1 tsp. salt) provides 258 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (4% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 293mg Sodium; 17g Fiber

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Tofu and Vegetable Cacciatore on Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Last night I made a dish with two ingredients that I don't like very much, and it turned out so delicious that my husband is insisting that I make it every week, and my daughter, who doesn't like three-fourths of the ingredients, ate every bite.

If you take a look at the title up there, you already know what the dish is. But what are the two ingredients I'm not so fond of? Spaghetti squash and frozen tofu.

Try as I might to like spaghetti squash, I've just never been a big fan. Sure it looks sort of like spaghetti, but it tastes nothing like it. In fact, it usually doesn't have much taste at all, just a texture that varies from mushy to semi-crunchy depending on the individual squash and how it's cooked. I've always wanted to like it because it's so much better for you than pasta, but after the last time I cooked it, I just decided to leave it alone for a while, until last week when I saw a pretty striped one at the farmers' market and picked it up on a whim.

As for frozen tofu, I don't really dislike it, but I do think it requires the right recipe. As you probably know, freezing tofu changes its texture totally. It goes from being smooth and tender to spongy and chewy. If you freeze it not knowing that the texture changes and then try to use it in a recipe that calls for regular tofu, you're liable to have a disaster on your hands. But in the right recipe, frozen tofu is really wonderful. It sucks up the sauce and flavors of a dish and provides a great chewy texture. I love it in jambalaya, and now I've found another great use for it in this recipe.



To begin this dish, I first prepared the spaghetti squash in a way I hadn't before. In the past, I've sped up the cooking of the squash by microwaving it or steaming it. This time I roasted it with garlic, and the taste was much, much better. I still couldn't sit down and eat a whole plate of it without a sauce on top, but it made the perfect foundation for the cacciatore, a rustic Italian-style stew. Roasting the squash takes a little while so I recommend doing it earlier in the day, if possible, or at least starting it before you make the cacciatore. I followed the recipe here, with two changes: I used olive oil spray instead of the oil called for and I cooked it for about an hour. I think the cooking time depends on the individual squash, so be sure to cook yours until it is completely tender.



Tofu and Vegetable Cacciatore
(printer-friendly version)

1 package (14-16 ounces) firm or extra-firm tofu, frozen and thawed (see note)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped (I used 1/2 red and 1/2 green)
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
3 cups eggplant, coarsely chopped (about 1 small globe or two Japanese eggplants)
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup white wine (see note)
1 cup vegetable broth (I used fatfree "chicken-style" bouillon)
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, canned
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon basil
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
generous grating of fresh black pepper

Defrost the tofu and squeeze as much liquid as possible out of it. Squeeze it gently so that it doesn't tear. A little liquid left inside will not hurt this dish. Cut into cubes about 1/2-inch thick. (Frozen tofu tends to expand when cooked, so err on the side of smallness.)

Spray a large non-stick pot with olive oil and saute the onion until it begins to turn golden. Add the rest of the vegetables, cover, and cook for about 5 more minutes at medium heat, stirring every minute. Add tofu and the white wine, and cook uncovered for about 1 minute.

Combine the broth and the tomato paste and stir until smooth. Add it, the tomatoes, and all remaining ingredients to the pan. Stir well and turn heat very low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Serve over spaghetti squash, pasta, rice, or potatoes.

Makes about 6 servings, each containing 142 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (25% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 691mg Sodium; 5g Fiber.

Notes:

I freeze tofu the quick and easy way. I simply take the unopened box of tofu and put it in the freezer for at least 24 hours. When I'm ready to use it, I either put it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw or thaw it in the microwave. Then I remove it from the water and gently squeeze it between my hands to get out as much water as possible. (You will be amazed how much there is!) This is a great way to use tofu that is about to reach its expiration date; it will stay good in the freezer for months.

The white wine gives this dish a great flavor, but if you don't have any, a light red wine will do. If you don't want to use alcohol, substitute the same amount of vegetable broth.

Finally, you can substitute the frozen tofu with baked or pan-fried tofu if you'd like, but frozen tofu is much easier.

vegetarian cooking food fat-free vegan

Vegan Magic Cookie Bars

Warning: This is not a fat-free recipe. In fact, there is absolutely nothing healthy about this recipe except, perhaps, the nuts. This is definitely the most fat-filled, junk foodish recipe that you'll see on this blog, ever. I just want to make that clear right from the start or else I'll get letters. I'll probably still get letters. (You know who you are.)



Have you ever gotten a craving for something and you finally just had to give in? My mother used to make these overly-rich but amazing treats for holidays and special occasions, but in the last few years I never even thought about them, assuming that they were lost to me because they contain a primary ingredient that is so non-vegan that it's hard to conceive of a workable substitute. But something I saw on another blog or in a magazine must have reminded me of them because suddenly the craving was there and I just couldn't let it go.

No, strike that. I think I could have let the craving die a natural death, but there was something about the challenge of veganizing a seemingly unveganizable recipe that spurred me on. Sure, the idea of revisiting an old childhood favorite had its appeal, but I think the explorer in me just wanted to see if it could be done. So I spent literally days coming up with a recipe that I thought might work before putting it to the test, afraid even as I did it that I'd wind up wasting my time and ingredients. But, miracle of miracles, it worked, and they tasted just like how I remember my Mom's.



What are they like? They're decadent. They're melted chocolate, coconut, and nuts on a buttery crust of graham cracker crumbs held together by a creamy layer of...Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk? Well, they used to be, but not anymore. Believe it or not, my old friend silken tofu worked its magic again!



Again: Not a fat-free recipe!

Vegan Magic Cookie Bars
(printer-friendly version)

Note: I don't recommend this tofu mixture in every recipe containing sweetened condensed milk, but it does work in this one. The cornstarch helps it thicken as it cooks, so definitely don't try it in recipes that are not cooked. Try this instead.

1/3 cup extra-firm silken tofu
1/3 cup vanilla soymilk
1/3 cup unbleached sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup Earth Balance Margarine
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (check package ingredients carefully--most aren't vegan)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2/3 cup flaked coconut
3/4 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F and spray a glass 8x8-inch baking dish with non-stick spray. In a blender, puree the tofu, soymilk, cornstarch, and sugar until completely smooth.

Put the margarine into a bowl and melt it in the microwave (or do this on the stove and pour into a bowl). Add the graham cracker crumbs and mix until well-moistened. Pour them into the prepared baking dish and press evenly to cover the bottom of the pan.

Pour the tofu mixture over the crust. Sprinkle with the nuts, cocount, and chocolate chips, and press it all into the dish firmly with a fork.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into about 16 bars. Devour!

I really didn't want to know the nutritional profile on these, but I made myself look. One bar (1/16th of recipe) contains 160 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat; (51% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 71mg Sodium; trace Fiber.

I suppose that's not too horrible if you can keep yourself from eating more than one (in my dreams!) Still, I'll be reserving these for special occasions. I'm definitely bringing some to my parents' house for Christmas!

Some ideas for future testing:

• Leaving out margarine and making them with this oatmeal crust instead.
• Carob chips?
• Agave nectar instead of sugar

Oh, if you're wondering, the nutritional profile of the non-vegan version is almost identical to this one except it has 2 mg. of cholesterol. So please don't think this recipe is healthy just because it's vegan!

In my next post I will atone by making something super-healthy. I'm thinking winter squash, greens, and beans. Yum!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food

Limericks and Pupusas

Though a vegan can often be seen
Eating lentils and tofu and beans,
Still when omnivores pass
They invariably ask
"How do you get your protein?"*

Yesterday, Isa, the punk goddess of Vegan with a Vengeance fame, held a vegan limerick contest on her blog with the prize being a signed copy of her new book Veganomicon. I didn't find out about it until just before it ended, and then I had a brain freeze and couldn't think of anything to write. When I woke up this morning, the lines above just popped into my head, and perhaps they should have stayed there, but like a song that you can't get out of your mind until you sing it out loud, I hoped that by posting my poor limerick here I could stop thinking in anapestic trimeter.

You can hop over to Isa's blog to check out the winners, which are much funnier than mine (and not so G-rated).



So what does this have to do with pupusas? Not much, except for the fact that the word "pupusa" always sounds dirty, at least to my American ear. I actually tried to write a limerick about pupusas and got this far:

A Salvadorian dish called pupusa
Intrigued a vegan cook named Susan....

No, "Susan" doesn't really rhyme with "pupusa," but it was as close as I could get without using "fuchsia," which now that I think of it looks dirty, too. (You wouldn't know it from reading this blog but I have a dirty mind and a potty mouth, especially when I trip over a toy or read the letters to the editor in our local newspaper. But I struggle mightily to keep this blog G-rated so that someday my daughter will read it and realize that my vocabulary at one time extended beyond "No you can't have a cell phone" and "Who the **** left that skateboard in the hallway!")

Anyway (and yes, there really is an anyway, though I'm tempted to write the bulk of today's post in parentheses, just because), I've been interested in pupusas since the first time I saw them mentioned very casually on some vegan message board, as though everyone knew what they were. Since I'm not from El Salvador, where they originated, or California, where they are popular in some areas, I've never seen a pupusa, which as it turns out is simply a stuffed tortilla, sort of like a quesadilla, but with the filling completely enclosed. I've been meaning to make them for months, and I finally got a chance last night.

I adapted this recipe from Myra Kornfeld's The Healthy Hedonist, and I have to say that I can't recommend the recipe as it's written in that book. It called for 5 cups of masa harina and 2 1/2 cups water, but that is way too little water for the amount of masa flour. I had to add more water just to get the mixture to form a dough, and later, when I checked a few recipes online, I realized that they all used even more water than I had. The recipe also called for using warm water and kneading the dough for 2 minutes, and since none of the other recipes I've looked at do those things, I can't say for sure whether they are necessary or not. Next time I might try another recipe for the dough, such as this one, just to see how it comes out, though I do prefer the following technique for forming the pupusas.

Despite the difficulty figuring out how much water to use, I think the pupusas came out well, especially after I got the hang of forming them and patting them out thin enough. The black bean filling was really delicious, though I didn't have quite enough to fill all the pupusas, so I had to make one plain, unfilled tortilla. Next time, I plan to fill some of them with "cheeze" in addition to black beans.



Black Bean Pupusas
(printer-friendly version)

Filling:
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can black beans (1 1/2 cups), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Tortillas:
5 cups masa harina (I used Maseca)
3 1/2 - 4 cups warm water

Sauté the onion in a non-stick saucepan until softened and add garlic. Cook for one minute more. Add the remaining filling ingredients, except the lime juice, and cook for about 5 minutes, until hot. Using a potato masher, mash the beans until they are creamy. Simmer uncovered, stirring often, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice. Set aside to cool as you make the dough.

Put the masa harina into a large bowl or into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 3 cups of water and stir. Add more water until the mixture clings together and forms a dough. It should be soft and pliable and not crack when you press on it. Knead the dough for about 2 minutes (1 in a mixer fitted with a dough hook).

Divide the dough in half and return half to the mixing bowl, covering it with plastic wrap. (If you like, you can refrigerate half the dough to use later, as I did.) Take the other half of the dough and divide it into 9 equal pieces. Cover 8 of the pieces with plastic wrap or a damp cloth while you work on one piece.

Form the piece of dough into a ball, and place it in the palm of your hand. Use your fingers to make a hole in the dough and work it until you form a cup that has walls that are about 1/4-inch thick:



Add about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of beans to the "bowl," enough to cover the bottom but leave at least 1/2-inch clean at the top:



Pinch the sides together, leaving a little extra "nub" at the top:



Pinch off the little nub of dough, sealing the top, and return the piece of dough to the bowl (you can gather all the pieces at the end to make another pupusa):



Now's the tricky part. Gently but firmly press on the dough to flatten it out. Try putting it in your left hand and pressing down on it with your right as your right thumb also compresses it from the side. When it's flat, put it down on a cutting board and use your hands to flatten it even more, until it's between 1/4 and 1/2-inch thick and about 4-5 inches in diameter. Take care not to squeeze the filling out, and repair any small tears by pinching them closed (or even take a bit of dough to make larger repairs.)

You can make all the pupusas this way and then heat your griddle and cook them all, or you may cook each one as you make it. (I prefer to make a couple, get them started on the stove, and continue shaping pupusas as the first two cook--it seems to be quicker this way.)

Heat a cast iron griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pupusas until brown spots appear on the bottom and the tortilla appears dry, about 3-4 minutes. Then turn over and cook until the other side is browned. Keep them warm in the oven until all of them are cooked. Serve hot.

Makes about 20 pupusas.



I served these in two different ways. The first time I made a coleslaw recipe similar to the traditional Salvadorian pupusa accompaniment, curtido. Unfortunately, it was all eaten up before I took photos, so the second time I served them, I made an impromptu avocado salad (avocado, tomato, salt, pepper, lime juice, chipotle chili powder). I liked both the coleslaw and the avocado salad, but I'd have to say that D and I preferred the pupusas topped with the salad, along with some spicy salsa.

*PS--The answer to "How do you get your protein?" is "From FOOD!"

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Flowers and Bees

It's a sure sign that I haven't been doing much cooking when I start posting non-food photos. For the next week we have house guests, so I probably won't be doing much experimental cooking for a while. (I tend to stick to tried-and-true recipes when other people's meals are at stake.) In the meantime, here are a few more shots of the flowers blooming right now in my yard and some of the insects who visit them. My apologies in advance to everyone who comes here just for the food. I should probably start a separate blog for my non-food photography, but I can barely keep up with this one blog!


Pink Oleander


Bees on my overgrown basil

We have a huge, wild basil bush that's almost 5 feet tall. I've cut it back twice, but it keeps growing out of control. It's gone to flower now, and before I cut it back again I wanted to get some shots of the bees that continually buzz around it.


Bee closeup

Notice how ragged the bottom of his wings are?


Two bees



E's Daylily

E planted her own garden this fall. She has this one daylily surrounded by purple chrysanthemums.


Daylily closeup



Abelia

Bees love abelia, too, but I couldn't get any of them to stay still.


Mystery plant Milkweed with visitor

I planted this, but I can't remember what it's called. Any ideas? [Thanks to a Texas gardener, all mysteries in this post were solved.]



Another mystery flower--this one a "weed" Gregg's Mistflower



Mystery Red Flower Salvia

Another one that I planted and then forgot. Someone help me with my memory! [As soon as a Texas gardener pointed it out, I remembered!]



Apple Blossoms

Our apple tree blooms at the strangest times. Unfortunately, the squirrels get all the apples before they ripen.



Chrysanthemum

I bought this mum at a silent auction at E's old school about 5 years ago, and I'm always happy when it blooms in the Fall.




And finally, here's that rose that I said I was stopping to smell in my last Flowers post.

To all photo enthusiasts, I took all of these with my cheap, second-hand Vivitar 100mm lens and used the macro adapter for the extreme close-up of the oleander flower.

To me, the major difference between nature photography and food photography is the amount of patience it takes to shoot flowers and insects. I'm used to being in control of the subject when I shoot food photos, but when I'm working outside, I have to deal with the light shifting and--most frustrating of all--the wind blowing and causing the flowers to move. Today as I took these photos I tried to practice some sort of Zen detachment as I waited for the wind to calm and the bees to come into the frame. I'm not a patient person by nature, so this was a good exercise for me!

Tags: flowers photography bees Mississippi

Gluten-Free Chickpea Crackers

Sometimes recipe ideas go horribly wrong. And sometimes really bad recipes can lead to good ones. This was one of those times:

I had another "brilliant" high-protein breakfast idea--to create a crepe made of chickpea flour and fill it with a creamed spinach recipe that I used to like. So I adapted a chickpea pancake recipe by Madhur Jaffrey, omitting the Indian spices and decreasing the oil, and substituted basil and oregano for the spices in the creamed spinach. Wrong wrong wrong! As you can see, I had to fight to get the crepe out of the pan without tearing it up, but the real problem was the filling. When I bit into it, I wished I hadn't wasted my hard-earned crepe on this slimy, bitter concoction. It tasted even worse than it looked!

So I dumped the filled crepe into the compost and began eating the remaining, unfilled one with my fingers. It was surprisingly good all by itself, with no spices or filling. I eventually got out a jar of mango chutney and ate it with that, but the nutty flavor of the unadorned crepe had gotten me thinking: If plain old chickpea flour tastes so good, why not use it to make something else? What about crackers?

The next day I was back in the kitchen making chickpea crackers. The first batch I made plain, just to see if it worked. I really liked the hearty, nutty taste of the chickpea flour coupled with a hint of nutritional yeast, and something about the texture reminded me of the sesame sticks I sometimes buy in bulk at the natural food store. A low-fat, gluten-free version of them seemed like a perfect snack , so a few days later, I came up with a second cracker recipe using a little sesame oil and some toasted sesame seeds. Success! Though not exactly like sesame sticks, they make a great substitute for a treat that's really high in fat and refined flour.

Both recipes are below. These are very dense crackers, totally gluten-free, and the all-chickpea flour version is especially high in protein and low in carbs. They're thicker than store-bought crackers because I had trouble getting the dough thin without tearing it, but I kind of like them that way. They're sturdy enough to hold up under the thickest of dips. I particularly enjoyed the sesame version with baba ganoush, and I think they'd be good also with hummus, though that seems a little redundant.



Chickpea Crackers
(printer-friendly version)

I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut these out, but using a knife to cut them into squares is actually quicker.

1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan), sifted before measuring
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon canola oil
2-4 tablespoons water

For dusting: gluten-free baking flour (or flour of choice)
Optional: Smoked Spanish paprika for tops

Mix all dry ingredients together well. Stir in the oil and begin stirring in water one tablespoon at a time. The amount will depend on the moisture in your flour. When the dough can be formed into a ball, you have added enough water. (I used 4 tablespoons, but your results may be different.

Knead the dough several times to distribute the ingredients, and then roll it in plastic wrap and set it aside while you preheat the oven to 350F. Dust your work area and rolling pin well with the gluten-free flour. After the dough has rested for 10 minutes divide it in half, put half on the floured surface, and sprinkle the top with flour. Roll it out until it is as thin as you can get it and still be able to pick it up. (Mine came out a little less than 1/8 inch thick or about 3 mm.) Cut it into 1x1-inch squares or use a cookie cutter. Place crackers on a non-stick cookie sheet and repeat with other half of dough. Prick each cracker once or twice with a fork (allows for air to escape and keeps them from puffing up). Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, being careful not to over- or under-bake. Remove from oven and allow them to cool and become crispy. Test one, and if it's not crispy, return to the oven for a few more minutes. After cooking, keep in a sealed container. If they get soft, a few minutes in a hot oven will return them to crispiness.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains 63 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (20% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 172mg Sodium; 2g Fiber.



Sesame Crackers
(printer-friendly version)

You can increase the protein and reduce the carbs by using 1/2 cup chickpea flour instead of the other flour.

1/4 cup chickpea flour (besan), sifted before measuring
1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free baking flour (or flour of choice)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, lightly ground (see Note)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
2-4 tablespoons water

Note: You can buy already toasted sesame seeds, but making them is very easy. Just heat them in a skillet or on a baking sheet in a toaster oven, stirring often, until they begin to turn golden and pop. Watch them carefully because they can burn in a matter of seconds. To grind them, put them in a mortar and crush lightly with a pestle or pulse in a food processor.

Mix all dry ingredients together well. Stir in the sesame oil and begin stirring in water one tablespoon at a time. The amount will depend on the moisture in your flour. When the dough can be formed into a ball, you have added enough water. (I used 3 1/2 tablespoons, but your results may be different.

Knead the dough several times to distribute the ingredients, and then roll it in plastic wrap and set it aside while you preheat the oven to 350F. Dust your work area and rolling pin well with the gluten-free flour. After the dough has rested for 10 minutes divide it in half, put half on the floured surface, and sprinkle the top with flour. Roll it out until it is as thin as you can get it and still be able to pick it up. (Mine came out a little less than 1/8 inch thick or about 3 mm.) Cut it into 1x1-inch squares or any size you want. Place squares on a non-stick cookie sheet and repeat with other half of dough. Prick each cracker once or twice with a fork (allows for air to escape and keeps them from puffing up).

Bake for 15-20 minutes, being careful not to over- or under-bake. Remove from oven and allow them to cool and become crispy. Test one, and if it's not crispy, return to the oven for a few more minutes. After cooking, keep in a sealed container. If they get soft, a few minutes in a hot oven will return them to crispiness.

Makes about 45 1x1-inch crackers. Based on 4 servings: 107 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat; (23% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 169mg Sodium; 3g Fiber.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Holiday Recipes and In the News

I'm putting the finishing touches on a recipe I'll be posting very soon, but I wanted to point out a couple of additions to the blog that you might have missed, especially if you view it through a feed reader.

First of all, with Thanksgiving approaching I thought it'd be helpful to have the links to my holiday recipes right in the sidebar. If you look to the right, below the ad, you'll see a few of my favorites. Plus, if you click on Tofu Stuffed with Brown Rice, you'll find an even longer list at the end of that post. I plan to keep the sidebar list updated with recipes appropriate to whatever holiday is happening.

Second, I've added a short list of current news items that are relevant to low-fat vegan or vegetarian diets. It's right under the Holiday Recipes in the right sidebar. I'll be adding to it often, so if you see any articles that you think I'd like to link to, please email the links to me at the address in the left sidebar.

That's all the sidebar news. Back in a few minutes with a new recipe or two!

Easy Macaroni and "Cheeze"

It's a funny thing, but the recipe I'm asked for most often is the one I'm most reluctant to give out. Every time I mention that macaroni and "cheese" is one of E's favorite dishes, parents wanting to wean their kids off the dairy stuff and onto something more healthy ask me for the recipe. For a long time, I had to tell them the hard, cold truth: The "cheese" that E loved above all others came from a package, and though I tried recipe after recipe, she wouldn't eat any other mac and cheeze.

And then one day I decided I'd had enough. I was having to mail-order Road's End Cheddar Style Chreese in bulk once every couple of months to keep E supplied with her quickest comfort food. (Her other favorite comfort food, lasagna, doesn't fit into the make-it-on-the-fly category.) Each time I made it, I would look at the short list of ingredients and think that there had to be a way to recreate it at home and I just hadn't hit the right formula yet. So in the interest of eating more local and fewer packaged foods, I started experimenting. I took the sauce from the one cheezy recipe that she had liked, Scalloped Potatoes, and tried that on macaroni. No dice. What worked on potatoes didn't work for her on pasta. So I tinkered with it and then tinkered some more. Finally, sometime last spring I hit on a formula that worked, and we've been Chreese-free ever since.



But I was still reluctant to share the recipe because vegans are notoriously picky about their mac and cheese. Look at any vegan bulletin board and you'll see someone praising a m&c recipe and someone else declaring that the same recipe tastes like $#!+. What works for my family won't necessarily work for everyone else, and I would hate for anyone to spend the time to make this recipe and then be disappointed. Plus I'm just sensitive enough not to want to read online that my recipe tastes like someone's backside.

But enough people want this recipe that I'm issuing it with a disclaimer: If you are used to nutritional yeast sauces AND you like Road's End Chreese, then this might be the recipe for you. Notice that it's not baked in a casserole dish with bread crumbs or anything fancy (E hates that, unfortunately). It's macaroni and sauce, period, though sometimes we do add frozen green peas to make it Macaroni and Peas. But it's quick to throw together on a week night, and I have to admit that our whole family finds it addictive.



Easy Macaroni and Cheeze
(printer-friendly version)

You can make this dish creamier by adding Earth Balance margarine. Try it the low-fat way first, and if you need it to be richer, add a little margarine to taste. This recipe is also low in sodium, so salt-lovers may need to add salt.

1 pound pasta (regular or gluten-free)

Blend together:
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup plain, fat-free soymilk (may use other non-dairy milk)
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon mellow white miso (or additional salt)
black pepper to taste

Put the pasta on to boil, according to package directions. While it's cooking, blend all remaining ingredients together in a blender. When the pasta is al dente, drain it, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and return the pasta to pan. Add the sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Add a little of the pasta water if more moistness is needed.

If the sauce is not as flavorful as you'd like, add a little more mustard and onion powder.

Note: My daughter likes her macaroni a florescent yellow, so I usually add more turmeric.

Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 303 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (10% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 54g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 316mg Sodium; 5g Fiber. Also, if you use nutritional yeast fortified with B-12, one serving provides 100% of the daily requirement of that vitamin.

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Serving Suggestions: We like to have this with a bean dish, such as barbecued beans, and with steamed vegetables, most often a blend of broccoli and cauliflower.

Additional Uses: Heat the sauce alone until it thickens and use it to pour over baked potatoes or top pizzas. Or stir in some salsa and it makes a yummy dip for tortilla chips.

More Mac & "Cheese"
If you don't love this recipe, maybe one of these will tingle your tastebuds:

New Farm Mac and Cheese adapted by Jess of Get Sconed!
Tofu Mom gives us Vegan Cheese Sauce
Re-Vamped Mac N Cheese by Sarchan
Lauren's Vegan Mac and Cheese by Lindyloo

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free