Rice & Tomato Dish

Being a poor college student is catching up to me; I haven't been able to go grocery shopping in the two weeks since my parents came out due to a lack of funds. Unfortunate as this is, it does give me the opportunity to be more creative in my cooking skills(lest I be eating white rice plain). Furthermore, since my mother was kind enough to bring me some home-canned tomatoes when she came out to visit, I decided that a nice rice & tomato dish sounded nice, despite the fact that I had no idea how to cook such a thing. This leads to the natural conclusion: mix alot of stuff in a bowl and see if it turns out well. Thankfully, it did.

Rice & Tomato Bake

1 cup long grain rice, any variety(wild rice would actually be very nice)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
5-6 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tbsp Spanish Paprika
2 tsp Cilantro
3/4 tsp Thyme
3/4 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Sea Salt

1 pint jar of tomatoes(canned tomatoes are unsafe; if you don't can tomatoes yourself use about 2-3 large tomatoes instead, cutting them up and stewing them beforehand)
1 1/2 2 cups water

Mix everything in a large metal bowl, making sure the spices are stirred in very well. Start on the lesser side of the water, you can add in more later. Put it in a baking pan and bake at 350˚ for around 1 hour, 15 minutes, checking on it every 25 minutes or so to make sure it hasn't dried out. If the water level seems too low, just pour more water on and mix it all up well; after it bakes for another five minutes nobody will be able to tell that you ever did this anyway. It's finished when the rice is nice and soft.

As for the spices, the amounts of each can be increased or decreased as to preference; I didn't actually measure anything that was going into the dish besides the rice. Oregano and rosemary would both be fairly nice, and hot pepper could be added if an extra kick was desired.

Happy Cooking :)

Herbal Remedies Three

My herb collection just keeps growing, yes. A man does need a hobby after all. My tinctures are done as well, so I can testify towards the effectiveness of some of these herbs in that form. The others I've only used externally so I can give them a thumbs up in that respect(as can over a thousand years of herbal lore).

Pokeroot - This is probably the most dangerous herb I'll mention, so take note of that. You are to take a single drop of the tincture per day to help overcome colds, chest infections, etc.. as it works as cleanser of the lymphatic system among other things. Do not use for more than two weeks and dear lord, do not overdose(I've heard stories of people becoming lightheaded and ill from 2-3 drops a day). From my experience it's quite effective though.

Pleurisy Root - It is an herb for the affliction within it's very name, "Pleurisy"(known to me as "The Royal Clusterf*ck", but that's another discussion). Pleurisy is when the pleura, a membrane between your lungs and chest wall become inflamed to a viral or fungal infection(rarely the latter). It's insufferably painful, causes severe, unexplainable weight loss, and basically makes you meaner than a rabid wolverine on cocaine. So basically, anything that can help with it's pain is a godsend(the hospital just gives you tylenol or vicodin and tells you to duke it out). It's an expectorant, a diuretic, a cathartic, and an anti-spasmodic. As well as helping with the inflammation a bit. The only thing to worry about is the diuretic part, as it could cause a potassium or calcium deficiency if used in the long term.

Devil's Claw Root - This is probably one of the more popular up-and-coming herbs used today. It's an anti-inflammatory and a pain killer used for chronic issues such as arthritis and cancer(I've heard first hand about it being a supplement for cancer patients from doctors). It's also sometimes used as a digestive aid, though that is up in the air. This is easily found in Europe in Standardized extracts, especially in Germany(Germany has a regulated medicinal market of herbs, unlike the US). It needs to be used continuously to be most effective, but it has been shown to be effective.

Yarrow - This is a perennial herb of ancient renown. It was known as herbal militaris because the fresh or re-hydrated leaves can be applied to wounds to help staunch the blood flow and as an antiseptic. It is also used internally for the treatment of severe bruises and inflammation, both useful after battles. Yarrow is also said to help induce sweating, lower fever, help digestion, and aid in menstruation. It's a must have in the cabinet of just about anyone.

Myrrh - Yes, Myrrh. As in "Frankincense, Myrrh, and Gold" kind of Myrrh. This tree resin, likely originating in what is present day Somalia/Yemen Region, used to be worth it's weight in gold to the people of the biblical times. This is because it's a potent anti-septic, often used today to ensure oral sanitation and hygiene. Myrrh is also a component in some perfumes/incense and liqueurs. I use it to make a toothpaste along with a few other things.

Egg Substitute

Many vegan recipes call for eggs to be substituted with "Ener-G" egg substitute. However, this is filled with corn and does not bode well for us. I figured I'd post this substitute than can be used in leu of it, for future reference:

Ener-G Type Egg Replacer

1 cup potato starch
3/4 cup tapioca flour
2 tsps baking powder

Mix all well.
Store in airtight container.

To use:
1 & 1/2 tsp powder + 2 Tbs water = 1 egg.
1 & 1/2 tsp powder + 1 Tbs water = 1 egg yolk.

I got this off of a GardenWeb forum, which is a very useful site. If you want to see the other useful egg substitutes, check out www.theppk.com; Isa give a full explanation for each.

Herbal Remedies Two

I'm jumping into Herbal medicine more and more these days. Since pleurisy has become my White Whale of sorts and doctors don't really seem to be helpful in anyway, herbs are my last refuge. I recently ordered a stock of herbs for respiratory ailments, most notably "Pleurisy Root", to treat the affliction of that name. I've discovered some other herbs of use in the meantime though.

First, however, it is good to know how to make a tincture:

Get your hands on some decent quality, 80 or 100 proof potato vodka(I use Luksusowa). Warm apple cider can also be used, from what I've heard. Mix one part herb per five parts alcohol and let it sit for at least four weeks, preferably six. While it is brewing, I recommend putting them in a canning jar and tightly sealing the lid; store in a cool, dark place as well. At the end of the brewing time, strain the herb out, squeezing it strongly to get all the fluid you can. Store it in amber bottles to protect from sunlight damage and make sure it's away from children, as they are very potent and can cause harm if misused.

Another Warning: Do not ingest essential oils of herbs unless you have the

expressed consent of a medical professional. Most are highly toxic in even small amounts.

Thyme - This stuff is truly a lifesaver. It is a potent anti-septic(especially if you have the refined oil, though that is dangerous to use internally, a few teaspoons will kill you), a digestive aid, and an excellent cough remedy. To make thyme tea, seep 1-2 tsp in a cup of boiling water for ten minutes. The stronger the tea, the better really. Also, if you mix in around 2 tbsp of honey per cup of extremely strong thyme tea and cook it down, you can make your own cough syrup. To use as an anti-septic, make a tincture and apply a few drops to the cleaned wound.

Cayenne(Red Pepper) - It is more proper to say "Red Pepper", as Cayenne is not actually a very common pepper in terms of quantity of sale in the US and any truly hot pepper will do the job. It can be used as a digestive aid, chronic pain, shingles, and cluster headaches. It is most commonly taken as an infusion, where 1/4-1/2 tsp will be used per cup of water after a meal(it will probably upset your stomach if you haven't eaten). To help with chronic pain, mix 1/2 tsp of the powder per cup of warm vegetable oil and apply to the areas in pain. Before you think that's just going to burn and feel unpleasant, remember that capsaicin, one of the active constituents of Red Pepper, is commonly used in pain creams and lotions. And don't forget to just put some in your food for some spice!

Cloves - I unremittingly love cloves in pretty much any context. I love clove tea, cloves in my smoothies, cloves in my hot toddies, and cloves in my baked goods, naturally. Cloves, besides being delicious, can serve three very useful functions: a digestive aid, a disinfectant, and an oral anesthetic. The last is most commonly done with the essential oil: as your doctor about that stuff that they rub in your mouth before shots; it most likely contains clove oil. If you drink clove tea it is much less potent but it will still cause a slight numbing of the tongue and mouth. As a digestive aid, make the tea out of 1-2 tsp of ground cloves per cup of boiling water and let it steep for at 10 minutes. I warn you,

however, that if you're new to the tea you'll want to err on the side of less, not more, as the tea is very strong tasting. The tea can also be used as mouthwash.

Allspice - This is actually the berry of a large tree found in the Caribbean(native) and south of the Border in various places. It can do basically all the same functions as cloves can, though it is not an anti-bacterial. The tea of 1 tsp of the powder per cup of boiling water is a good digestive aid and a slight oral anesthetic. If you live somewhere that you can get the fresh berries, you can crush them and apply that to painful joints and muscles for some relief. For us northerners, it is just a delightful tea and spice.

Cilantro(Coriander) - As a digestive aid, it is not a very potent one compared to peppermint or chamomile. However, coriander seeds have an amazing citrus and sage flavor that is a delight in a tea. Seed 1 tsp of bruised seeds(or 1/2 tsp powder) per cup of water for five minutes. The fresh, bruised leaves can also be used as a temporary anti-septic.

Pysillum - I guarantee you that you have seen this plant more than pretty much any plant in your life. It grows literally anywhere; it pops through sidewalks, in fields, in your yard, even through the heat of blacktop. The brand named laxative aid Metamucil is basically ground pysillum seeds. What is this prevalent herb? The plant in flower:

If you still don't recognize it, get the hell out of your house and go look at your sidewalk. You will find that, and its' large broad leaves fairly shortly. The leaves are what I'm more interested in anyway. Take the leaves, crush them, and apply them to rashes, bites, burns, or anything that itches and it'll take away all that sensation within a few minutes. The small leaves can also be eaten as a salad green; the larger ones are more bitter and stringy, so avoid them.

As a general rule of thumb, limit the intake of tincture to 1-3 mL(.2-.6 teaspoons. A shallow 1/4 tsp to shallow 3/4 tsp) and infusions(tea) to three cups a day. Always check for verification, as some herbs you want a very small amount; I'll mention that in my next herbal post.

Raw Chocolate Pudding

Pudding is not something that a vegan should really crave or try to eat: they're basically egg yolks, starch, and sugar cooked together to make a creamy delight. I am, however, an overwhelming stubborn person. I wanted some damn pudding and I will get some pudding. However, this recipe didn't really come from that craving, it came from me messing attempting to make an avocado drink(don't ask). Enough of my ranting though, here it is:

Almost Raw Chocolate Pudding

2-3 Medium Hass Avocados

2 Tbsp Maple Syrup(to taste)

2-3 Tbsp Raw Cocao Powder(you can also use 1/4-1/3 cup of chocolate chips you melt in a pan)

Water until proper consistency.

This is as easy as it looks: Put the avocado flesh into a blender with the water and syrup. Mix well and add in the cocao/melted chips. Mix well and then add more chocolate or syrup to taste. It'll hold in the fridge for a day or two and is excellent with fresh fruit.

My First Mustard

Goddamn, it has been forever since I've posted. I attribute that to laziness, illness, and an actual dislike of writing(don't ask why I'm writing this, I don't have enough energy to answer). But to get to the point:
Making My Own Mustards!!!

Now, I hadn't eaten mustard in a year, as that was how long it'd been since I realized this whole corn thing. However, mustard is one of my favorite condiments and is very useful in cooking(especially Dijon). I decided to start my adventure with a very basic brown mustard, assuming that it would be hard to mess up. Luckfully, I was correct in the assumption. This mustard is spicy with a slight sweetness to it as well. It mellows out after the initial punch and leaves a delightful aftertaste. A few more comments after the recipe:

Basic Coarse Brown Mustard
1/3 cup Brown Mustard Seeds
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp Raw Apple Cider Vinegar(I use Eden Organic, you could use any safe apple cider vinegar though)
1 clove Garlic, halved3 tbsp water
3 tbsp Raw Honey(I trust Raw honey over processed; the flavor is also far superior)
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 pinch ground cinnamon
Mix the seeds, apple cider vinegar, and the garlic together in a cup and let it sit in the fridge for at least two days. This process is called "blooming" and can be done in as little as 36 hours, though the longer you let it sit(though not too long as it just goes bad), the more mellow and nice the flavors will become. If you don't let it bloom at all, it will be pure fire and taste terrible.
Remove the garlic from the mixture and add the rest of it to a food process(or a blender, though the processor is easier). Add the water in as well and blend until somewhat smooth; it will stay fairly coarse even if you process it for a while, so don't worry on that front. Put in the honey, sea salt, and cinnamon and mix well. I know that seems like a large amount of honey, but believe me, you'll need it.
Keep the honey in a tight sealed container and it should store for a while. If you let it sit for a few days you'll notice the flavor changing; that is normal and enjoy the variety.

The finished product:


*I got this recipe from a gardening forum, in case anyone was wondering.

Almond and Pepita Butters

I am in hardcore love with Almond Butter. I honestly eat the stuff every single day, a few tablespoons a day. Now I understand that most people would recoil from that, saying it "has too much fat", but my insistence is that fat is a very good thing. The only reason people really have to fear fat is because either they eat too much processed foods, which mess with your system in a plethora of ways, especially with respect to fat, or they eat too many fatty animal products. Since neither of these apply to me, I really don't care about what the USDA says about my "daily intake"(or pretty much anything else the USDA has to say either, really). Furthermore, nuts are filled with mono and unsaturated fats, which are proving to be good for heart health and proper weight control(Ahh, irony). I made my first pepita(raw pumpkin seed) butter today and I found it excellent spread on fruit. So eat up and enjoy, these butters are amazing:

Almond Butter

1 cup raw almonds(technically almonds from California are not strictly raw, they've been steamed and are ordered by law to be so in order to avoid salmonella outbreaks)

1/2 tsp sea salt(optional)

Put the almonds in a food processor. Chop the almonds for twelve to fifteen minutes until they become a smooth butter, and the following steps of the butter should be seen:

- First the butter should become a meal, and regular scrapping of the outside of the food processor is going to be necessary.

- The meal will begin to stick together and ball up and will stay like this for around half to one minute, it will them break back apart into a meal.

- The meal will quickly turn into a butter but it will need to be processed for a few more minutes to get that proper smoothness and shine that one expects from an almond butter.

This may take as little as 10 minutes, depending upon your food processor and the freshness of your almonds. As a rule, use as fresh as almond as possible because otherwise you'll have to add oil to get the proper smoothness. Do not soak the almonds before making the butter though because it will never get pas the initial meal stage; I learned that the hard way.

This butter is much faster than the almond butter:

Pepita Butter(Raw Pumpkin Seed)

1 cup pumpkin seeds

2-3 tbsp pumpkin oil(I have yet to find raw pumpkin seed oil, so I used refined sunflower oil because it doesn't have a flavor strong enough to effect the butter's flavor)

1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt

Put the pumpkin seeds in a food processor and run on high until they make a fine meal, this will only take a few minutes at most. Slowly add in the oil a tablespoon at a time until the butter becomes nice and smooth. The amount of oil will depend on the moisture content and quality of the seeds. Add the sea salt in once the desired consistency is reached and mix it one last time.

You can use either of these butters anywhere that you use peanut butter for allergy reasons or just to get a new twist to things. I'm currently searching for raw peanuts(fairly difficult to find) and will make a post about peanut butter when I finally find them.

Carrot Beet Curry Soup

My oh my, it is one delicious soup. I admit, it may sound odd at first glance but I assure you, it is one of the most amazing soups I've had in a while. The sweetness of the carrots and golden beets, along with the curry and coconut milk make an amazingly filling meld of goodness. I originally found a recipe online for a vegetable curry that they decided to make into a soup and I decided to accommodate the basic idea to what I have on hand. It's an easy soup to make and you will not regret it.

Golden Beet & Carrot Curry Soup

3 large golden beets, cut into around .5 x 1 inch segments(wing it)
1 bunch of carrots(around five or six, I believe), cut into ≈1 inch segments
1 large onion, cut into crescents
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2-3 tbsp Yellow Curry Powder(I opted toward the larger amount, as I love curry powder)
1/2-1 tsp salt
The zest of one lemon, cut into thin strips*

2-3 cups water
1 can of coconut milk
Lemon juice, to taste



*If you have lemongrass, cut the amount of ginger in half and omit the lemon zest. Use one six-inch piece of stalk, quartered and sliced thin instead.

There really was no methodology to making this soup to be honest; I had started cooking the beets in the water and decided I didn't want another repetitive beet & carrot soup so I winged making this instead. Basically, throw everything except the lemon juice in a large pot and simmer it until the beets and carrots are soft, then run it through a food processor. Add more salt or lemon juice to taste if you wish. It should probably take 30 minutes or so. Serve hot.

Harvest Co-Op

I was literally giddy with joy today. Why? Because I not only found Eden Organic tomatoes(the only canned tomatoes I've personally seen that are only tomatoes, no citric acid crap), I also found some Willow Run soybean margarine at the same place. What is this nice place you ask? Why, the Harvest Co-Op Market, right by Central Square in Cambridge, MA. I know, not very useful for anybody who's not in the Boston metro area, but very useful to us(it's the only place I know of that sells either of these goods). Also, the place being a co-op has fringe benefits:
- Community owned and proceeds go to them, not some unknown corporation
- Have local produce when in season
- Mostly fair-trade and organic
- Has a nice cafe that serves many different teas
- Bulk spice area(I don't buy spices in bulk usually due to contamination concerns. However, I always buy Bay Leaves and whole seeds in bulk, as they are always extremely overpriced, especially Bay leaves).
- They're nice people.

They also have white willow bark in bulk form, as to make a tea from. As far as I know, the tea is supposed to be fairly bitter but still have the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. They also sell gelatin and vegetable capsules(which I do not trust) in bulk, so I guess one could make their own white willow bark pills, if you had a way of measuring the weight needed for each pill. I just don't know how safe it is to buy the herb in bulk.

It's a bit of a hike from Boston College, but it was well worth it. Check the nice people out.

Almond Cheese!

When I went to the Prana Cafe the other day, I had some nut cheese there. It was the first time I'd actually eaten it but I had heard about it before many times. Now if you're being really strict about it, it wouldn't truly constitute a cheese because it doesn't undergo the formal fermentation and separation process(though I have heard of a company in NYC that does make true nut cheeses, they are expensive as hell though). However, I did ferment this cheese for a day to make the flavor a bit more full bodied and complex tasting. The texture is much like a ricotta cheese and the taste, though not like cheese, is quite good and unique. I would recommend giving it a shot for anybody who (occasionally) misses the nice, rich cheese often used in things like ravioli. The basic gist of how to do it:

- Take 1 cup of raw almonds and soak them for at least twelve hours in water at room temperature. This should start them sprouting, which makes the proteins more easy to digest and nutritious. Take the almonds and pinch them to pop off their skin. If the skins won't come off easily and the almonds aren't fairly engorged, then allow them to soak for a longer time until it's easy to pop the skin off.
- Put all the skinned almonds in a blender, they should fill to around the two cup mark. Add water up to the 3.5-4 cup area, and blend the almonds for at least five minutes on high speed(use ice crush in the beginning to chop all the almonds up initially, your blender will thank you). Pour this mixture into a bowl and cover it with a towel or cheesecloth and let it ferment for twelve hours.
- Using either a sprouting sack or cheesecloth, separate the cheese curd from the whey. Let it continue to drain for another twelve hours. It is optional at this point to put the cheese in the fridge; try the curd and see if you like the flavor. If you want it to be a bit more flavorful and sour, let it sit out at room temperature at this point(if it's hot where you are, I would recommend putting it in the fridge regardless. It's be quite sad if it went bad).

That's all. Take the curd off the cheese cloth or out of the sack and eat is however you wish. I've been using it as a spread in wraps, though it is commonly used as a fake cheese in raw pizzas and would be excellent on crackers with fruit. Watch out for how much you eat at one time though, as it is very rich and it could make you feel ill if you eat more than around a quarter cup at a time. It should hold for around five days in the fridge.

As for the whey, it is commonly used in salad dressings or to add a flavor to raw soups. I unfortunately did not know what to do with it and let it it out considerably longer and threw it out due to fear that it went bad. I vow that I will find some tasty use for it though, it seems promising.

This can also be done with other nuts, especially cashews and macadamia nuts due to their high fat contents. I believe you follow the same procedure for cashews but you skip the soaking process for the macadamia nuts; I've heard soaking gives them an odd flavor. You'd want to double check that elsewhere though. Happy Experimenting!

Prana Raw Cafe

This cafe easily made my weekend. It's a Raw Food Cafe located in Newton Center, Massachusetts(around six or so miles outside of Boston) and due to various parts of the Raw Foodist philosophy, they are completely corn free. It has to do with the fact that most corn needs to actually be cooked before it's eaten and it's viewed as a micro-toxin, therefore being unappealing as well.

Anyway, while this cafe is a bit pricier than the average college student place to go, it's well worth it. The total meal cost me around twenty bucks but I got warm Pizza Du Jour with a carrot-beet-apple-ginger juice. My friend got some raw tortillas that were quite excellent as well. While I don't have any pictures(my camera officially died a while ago), there are a few comments:
-Raw Food's version of cheese(all raw food is completely vegan) is by far the best fake cheese I've ever had. It has a fairly high fat content due to it's making out of tree nuts, an excellent creaminess, and the consistency is proper. In other words, it maintains all the pleasant elements of actual cheese without the whole animal product-ness or the weird rubberyness that most vegan cheeses do.
- Their version of bread is still fairly unusual to me, but it's not bad. Raw Foodists don't eat any grains because they require cooking for proper digestion, so their breads are usually dehydrated vegetables of some kind. It gives more variety than one would initially thinks and works excellent for things such as tortillas.
-They have a nut ice cream and a plethora of desserts and while it was my initial intention to get some of these as a fairly belated Birthday treat to myself, I didn't feel like spending quite all the cash I had on me. However, it does give me an excuse to go back :).

The restaurant's website:
www.pranaraw.com

Yellow Split Pea Soup

Split peas are basically lentils bigger brother that really isn't spoken of much. If you really want to make a soup or the like that requires lentils, split peas will substitute in fine and have a large amount of protein and iron as well. However, the only place I really see or have heard of them being used is in Split Pea soup, which I always imagined as a kind of being made of green garden peas and therefore pretty gross sounding. Once again, my conception was terribly off base(I mainly subsided on Northern Eurpean/Irish food as a kid, so I didn't know about all these things) and the soup is actually delicious. The recipes I found were fairly sparse in flavorings though, so I mixed the ones I found with Vegan Dad's tarka dahl recipe, keeping the parts of each that I preferred. My composite:

Yellow Split Pea Soup

1 cup split peas, rinsed
2 cups water
1" ginger, minced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, cut into crescents
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp red chili flakes, or two large whole dried chilis
1/4-1/2 tsp salt, to taste mainly

1/4-1/2 tsp ground mustard, optional

Cook the onion, ginger, and garlic in a pot with the oil until the onions are translucent. Add in all of the other ingredients and cook until the split peas are very soft(they will basically disintegrate) and serve hot. Make sure not to undercook the split peas, I did that one time and it ends poorly.

Hummus, Tabouli, and Baba Ganoush

Never buy hummus. It's terribly overpriced and extremely easy to make yourself. That is, if you have a food processor. You can do it in a blender or by hand as well but it's a considerably larger pain to do so(but still much more cost effective). Tabouli is also quite easy to make, though it does take some more ingredients you may not have on hand and a bit more time. Still, it's a much better choice than buying it greatly overpriced. Baba Ganoush is much more work compared to the other two but still worth doing yourself(especially for us corn-allergics who dislike buying such things).

Hummus

Can of Garbanzo Beans(15 or 19 ounces)
Fresh Juice of 1 Large Lemon
3 Tablespoon of Tahini(sesame seed paste, often found with Indian or Southeast Asian foods in the store)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil(I always use more than this to get the proper consistency. The more you put in, the smoother it will get, to a point. Too much and you'll have some freakish oily soup.)
4-5 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, Minced
A Pinch of Sea Salt.

You can put just about anything you want in hummus to be honest, here are a few other recommendations: green olives, marinated artichokes, pine nuts, or parsley.

Put everything in the food processor together and blend until smooth. It should hold quite a long time in the fridge if you use fresh garlic, as it is an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial all in one.

Tabouli

1 cup Bulgar Wheat, presoaked
1.5 cups Parsley, finely minced
2 tablespoons Mint, finely chopped
1.5 Green onions, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon Ground Pepper
1/8 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt, extra fine
1 Medium tomato, seeded and diced(I recommend something fleshy, like a Roma)
1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 medium cucumber, or 1 small one, peeled and sliced
1/2 head Romaine lettuce
1.5 tablespoons olive oil

Soak the Bulgar in 2 cups of water for one hour. After one hour, drain(it won't soak all the water up, don't worry). Mix all the ingredients excluding the lemon juice, oil, cucumber, and romaine lettuce leaves. Add the lemon juice, toss, and chill for one hour. Mix in the olive oil by tossing and serve upon the lettuce leaves arranged in a spoke fashion. Sprinkle on the cucumber on the top. Serves 3-4. It will last a few days in the fridge.
Note: I swiped this from Bob's Red Mill, though their product is by no means necessary. I haven't made my own in quite a while so I cannot verify the safety of that brand's product either.

Baba Ganoush
Adapted from David Lebovitz

3 medium-sized eggplants
1/2 cup tahini (roasted sesame paste)
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/8 teaspoon chile powder
a pinch or two of cummin
1 tablespoon olive oil
a half bunch picked flat-leaf parsley or cilantro leaves

Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Prick each eggplant a few times, then char the outside of the eggplants by placing them directly on the flame of a gas burner and as the skin chars, turn them until the eggplants are uniformly-charred on the outside. (If you don’t have a gas stove, you can char them under the broiler. If not, skip to the next step.)
- Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re completely soft; you should be able to easily poke a paring knife into them and meet no resistance.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth.
- Taste, and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Chill for a few hours before serving. Serve with crackers, veggies or toasted pita chips.

Storage: Baba Ganoush can be made and refrigerated for up to five days prior to serving.

Warming Chickpea Soup

I was looking at the variety of dried beans and grains sold at the Whole Foods the other day and one of them had a recipe for "Velvety Chickpea Soup", which looked nice. However, being the thrifty man I am, I decided to buy the chickpeas in bulk just from whole foods as it as about half the price. But since I'm also a somewhat absent-minded man, I did not write down the recipe. I had some dried chickpeas though and a yearning for some chickpea soup now though; so, I'd be damned if I wasn't getting some soup. So I winged it with a variety of spices and it turned out very well in my opinion. (Sorry for the lame name though, I'm not terribly creative at the moment.)

Warming Chickpea Soup

1.5 cups dried chickpeas
5 cups water

6-8 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, cut into crescents
1 inch cube of ginger, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1.5 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoons ground cayenne
1/2 teaspoons spanish paprika
Juice of 1/2 large lemon

A bunch of sweet carrots, with their greens.

The night before, put the chickpeas in a pot with the water, cover, and let sit at least eight hours. They should just about double in size. Drain and put into a pot again with water with a teaspoon of baking soda added and let them sit for a half hour. That step is optional but helps clean them. Drain and rinse afterwards.

Put the onion in a large soup pot with the oil and fry until soft and getting translucent. Add in the coriander, garam masala, cumin, garlic, and ginger and fry until fragrant(around 30-60 seconds). Add in the vegetable broth and the chickpeas and let them cook for three hours, stirring occasionally. Once the chickpeas are soft, stir in the cayenne, paprika, and lemon juice. Put this mixture in the food processor and puree until it is smooth. Cook for another ten minutes and serve hot.

Shred the carrots and add a generous portion of them as a garnish along with some of their chopped greens.

Notes about the soup are:
1) This is very hearty and filling, so don't let it deceive you when it comes to the amount to dish out for a meal.
2) You can basically change any amounts of the spices in the recipe, since I winged just about everything.
3) I just had carrots sitting around but you could garnish it with whatever you want. I think the carrots add a nice crunch and sweetness to the dish.
4) I think if you added in some olive oil(a few tablespoons) into the soup when you add the cayenne it would help make the soup richer. It's not uncommon to do so with chickpea soup so it's probably a good idea.

Herbal Remedies

I recently messed up my food perpetrating Shenanigans that, in retrospect, were not so wise. But then again, so are most shenanigans. However, due to corn being in the vast majority of medicines I can't really take any of them(this is true for all of us corn-allergists). So I've been slowly moving into the land of herbs/spices to help cure or at least stymie my ailments enough to make them manageable. Here are a few that I've been using recently:

White Willow Bark- This is the natural equivalent to aspirin and in my personal opinion, quite the godsend. I took this constantly while I had pleurisy and it helped relieve the swelling and pain a bit. It's more expensive than aspirin but even people who aren't allergic to corn have told me that it's much more effective than aspirin is, so it's worth it. The only corn-free version I can find isn't vegan and it's basically the only place I'll make an exception to my veganism.

Turmeric- Turmeric is most commonly known as a flavoring in middle eastern/indian dishes or as a coloring. However, turmeric is also an antiseptic and an anti-inflammatory. If you want it as an antiseptic, merely make a paste out of it with water, apply to the cut area, and cover it with a band-aid or the like. As an anti-inflammatory, take around 1 tsp of the ground turmeric with around 2-3 tsp of raw honey orally. It will taste fairly unpleasant but it will help.

Bromelain- This is a "sulfur-containing proteolytic digestive enzyme that is extracted from the stem and the fruit of the pineapple plant" according the National Institute of Health. Now Foods makes a Quercetin with Bromelain pill they say is corn-free and I think it's trustworthy. Anyway, Bromelain can function as an anti-histamine and an anti-inflammatory. Considering how bloody hard it is to get an anti-histamine that is corn-free and doesn't make you really groggy, this is useful to have around.

Peppermint- Peppermint is at once calming and energizing. The methanol will help clear up your respiratory system, allowing ease of breathing and a slight comfort when ill. It is also said, along with wintergreen and other forms of mint, to help with increasing appetite. One's stomach and bowl can also be calmed by peppermint, making the tea excellent to have during a bout of indigestion. It's essential oil(once properly diluted, naturally), can also help with headaches when applied to the temples.

Honey - Once again, I'm one of those dirty vegans who will still eat honey. That being said, I very rarely use it in cooking because I prefer Maple Syrup(as it stays a liquid at room temperature, while raw honey does not). Honey, besides being delicious, has many useful properties though. It is an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Put some on the pad of a bandage and put it over a wound and it'll keep it nice and clean for quite a long time. It is also an excellent thing to pick-me-up in herbal teas(especially peppermint) and makes the aforementioned turmeric palatable(or at least able to put down). I've also been told that regularly eating raw honey can help with pollen allergies if you eat honey that was produced off of the same kind of things you're allergic to; it must be raw honey though.. As a side, but important, note, never give an infant under 1 1/2-2 years old honey; there is a possible risk of dormant bacteria being in the honey and their immature immune and digestive systems cannot handle it(they can get Botulism, which is a very serious and possibly fatal illness). Avoid processed honey as well, as it could be artificially sweetened or have some corn-derived processing.

Lavender- Lavender is actually another useful plant within the mint family. It is also excellent for its calming and soothing effect. Lavender is often used to fill small bed pillows to add a pleasant smell to the beds as well as help in making the restful mindset. It's essential oil, when diluted, can also be applied to the skin as an anti-inflammatory and does wonders for aroma-therapy. It's not an herb I use terribly often but I wouldn't want to be without it, either.

Garlic- Garlic is one of the loves of my life. The flavor that garlic gives to food, cooked or raw, is amazing and surpassed by very little in my mind. It also has a plethora of medicinal uses: it's an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, lowers cholesterol, and will help keep away insects and ticks. My brothers regularly eat it raw when ill, though it may be a bit harsh for some people in that form. I've also read that if one eats a combination of the raw and cooked garlic on a frequent basis, it have anti-carcinogenic effects. It's also rumored to help control and lower blood sugar levels but that's somewhat up in the air. The only downside of garlic consumption is, if one eats enough of it, it causes halitosis, a fancy word meaning one exudes a somewhat unpleasant, garlic-y smell. Seeing its many benefits makes it worth in my opinion, though.

Ginger- Ginger, in the form tea usually, is known to help with indigestion and motion sickness(also vomiting due to pregnancy). It is also used for colds, coughing, and other like illnesses throughout southeast asia. Other uses haven't really been studied much and have a great variety of claims.

Fresh Spring Rolls

My mother loves Vietnamese spring rolls and I obliged her by making some before I left back to Boston College. There is no Vietnamese restaurant anywhere near me in Michigan, so it's a bit of a treat for her(and me, since I never go out to eat anymore). They are easy to make, they just take a fair amount of preparation time and finesse to make a first. If you're too impatient, you're just going to tear apart the rice wrapper and it'll just be a pile of fillings and some torn up rice paper. While this may taste nice, It's not what we're shooting for. Anyway, here's the methodology:

Vietnamese Fresh Rolls

8 Extra-Firm Tofu(a little more than half of the normal tofu package)
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Oil
1/2 tbsp Curry Powder
1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Ground Pepper
2-3 Cloves Crushed Garlic

Rice Paper
Shredded Carrots
Bean Sprouts
Vermicelli(Rice) Noodles
Lettuce(I prefer Boston Bib)

Slice the block of tofu into slices that around 1/4 of an inch thick, maybe a bit more. Mix all of the top group of ingredients well and marinate the sliced tofu in that mixture. Try not to break the tofu pieces at all, that just makes your end job harder. Marinate it for at least one hour, though I usually do it for an afternoon.
Brown the tofu in a pan, cooking it well. Slice it in half length-wise, and get all of the bottom group prepped nice and ready for yourself. Dip the rice paper in warm water, put the tofu in the bottom, and all of the other ingredients on top and fold together. Yes, I'm being purposefully vague on how to do that becasue I'm giving you a video link on how to do it. Yeah, I pretty much stole the recipe. What of it?

Parsnip-Lentil Soup

I was seeking to make myself a simple carrot-ginger soup the other night but the grocery store lacked any carrots but the large woody ones; they would make a terrible soup. They did have, however, quite the large volume of parsnips so I decided to pick them up instead, due to their similar flavor. As much I love the flavor of parsnips, I didn't think they would make a good one-to-one substitute for carrots in such a place so I decided to make a different kind of soup. Having a bag of indigo lentils leftover that I needed to use(my parents don't eat lentils at all, my mother has some old grudge against them), I mixed the two thing I had to make a soup. It needs some additional spices, but I'm not exactly sure what at the moment(I'm actually thinking a bit of cinnamon, actually). Anyway, here is the basic recipe:

Parsnip-Lentil Soup

1 1/2 cup lentils(green or indigo)
4-5 medium-small parnips, scrubbed and chopped to bit size
1 large onion, in crescents
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups broth
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more if needed
1/2 tablespoon black pepper

Fry the onion and garlic in the pot until the onion is starting to become translucent. Add in the broth, lentils, parsnips, and bay leaves. Cook for 45 minutes or until done in your opinion, then add sea salt and pepper and serve hot. At the end here, if you want to try the cinnamon addition(I did in an individual bowl and it was nice), I would try around 1/2-3/4 tsp ground cinnamon. I would start low and move up, as it is cinnamon.

Wheat-Banana Bread

My grandmother gave me an excellent recipe for banana bread when I was younger but not only is it not vegan but it's overly white, for the lack of a better term. That is, it pretty has white flour, white sugar, and a quick road to fucking up my hypoglycemia for the rest of the day. So I decided to change some of the white flour for whole wheat flour, add in molasses, and use silken tofu instead of eggs. It's a bit dry but since I also think I used a bit too much wheat flour in it; I think if I solve one problem I'll solve them both. So here is my modified recipe, slightly different than the amounts I used, that should work out well. Make sure to use extremely ripe bananas, the ones that almost weird you out too much to eat because of their color.

Wheat-Banana Bread

1 1/4 cup White Flour
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2/3 cup White Sugar*
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon Molasses
1/3 cup Oil or shortening(the original recipe used shortening, so that may give a better texture)
1/2 cup Silken Tofu
1 cup Mashed Banana(around three medium sized bananas)

Preheat oven to 350˚. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Cream all the liquid ingredients except the bananas together in a separate bowl to a smooth consistency. MIx together the dry, liquid, and bananas together and fold together with as little mixing as possible. This recipe basically works the same as a muffin recipe, so the same rule about mixing it as little as possible applies. Put it into a greased 9x5x3 loaf pan and bake for one hour. Cool on a cake rack.

*If you'd like, you can just use light or dark brown sugar instead of white sugar and molasses. It's just that amount of molasses is an inbetween light and brown sugar, as 1 tablespoon of molasses per cup of white sugar gives you light brown sugar, two per cup gives you dark brown. Do it anyway you wish really.

Orange Marmalade

I love orange marmalade. I never enjoyed it as a kid but it's unbeatable on biscuits or a nice piece of toast in my opinion, though it is quite sugary(all jams and preserves are fairly sugary though, so that's kind of unavoidable). However, since St. Dalfour decided to friggin' poison me with their "fruit" pectin, I know of no brand that makes a safe marmalade. So fine. I'll make my own damn marmalade. Here's a recipe courtesy of Kerr, with a small adaptation at the end. Make sure to buy organic produce and scrub the outside of the rinds very well; you want to get as much of the chemical and wax residue off as possible.

Orange Marmalade

2 to 3 oranges, sliced as thin as possible
2 medium lemons, sliced thinly
6 cups water
≈6 cups of sugar, have extra

Tools Needed:
At least 10 half-pint jars
Canning lids and screw caps for said jars
A large, heavy bottomed pot for cooking. This will have to hold all said involved products, so do make sure it's large enough.
A candy thermometer
Possibly a jar boiler.

Yield: It called for seven half-pints, I made eleven. Highly dependent upon the kind and size of the oranges. Always have extra jars.

Slices the oranges and lemons as thin as you can. If you have a mandolin, this works well. Otherwise use the sharpest knife you can get your hands on. Don't start adding your hand slices to the marmalade with it though, that'd be unpleasant in many ways. I did it by hand and quartered them before slicing as to make it easier. This also makes the leftover rind sizes fairly reasonable in the finished product, so it works well.
Mix the sliced oranges, lemons, and water in the pot and bring to a strong boil for 20-30 minutes, until the rinds are very soft. That means you should be able to cut one of the pieces in half with your wooden spoon really easily. Measure out this piping hot product, put it back in the pot, and add in sugar equal to the amount of juice and fruit you measured(a one-to-one ratio, that is). Add this to the juice mixture and cook it until it has a strong boil at 220 ˚F. It will gel if you put a bit of it on a plate and set it in the freezer for a moment
Now this is the important part that must be done in quick and proper succession for it work. Sterilize the jars and the screw caps, drying both afterwards. Add the lids to a small pot of water and bring to a boil to ensure a proper bond. Now, ordinarily when you make marmalade or any preserve you're supposed to process them in a hot water bath(for five minutes for this product) to ensure the proper seal. However, I hate actually doing that because it's overly hot(especially in the summer), takes a fair amount of time, and wastes resources. So instead put the still boiling product inside of the jars, put on the dried lid, screw on the twist cap as tight as possible, and flip upside down and let it sit for ten minutes. Make sure the edge of the jar is fully clean when you put on the lid by the way, or it just won't work. After letting the jars sit upside down for the ten minutes, flip them rightside up and they should seal on their own. You'll hear them pop and eventually all of them should pass the pop test like jam jars do at the store. This should happen with 30 minutes of flipping this back over. If it never happens, prepare the boiler and process in the boiling water bath for five minutes.

Marmalade can take two to four week to set, so don't be distressed if it stays a liquid for a long period; It's perfectly normal. If by some off-chance it never does set, you still have delicious orange syrup to use a condiment. Happy canning.

Roux Sauce

I have never really liked the taste of cooked tomatoes very much, which naturally ruins most red sauces for me. So when I became vegan I gave up white sauces for quite a while until I figured out how to make a roux sauce myself. I didn't come up with this recipe at all, so I'll give credits to the original source at the bottom. I prefer to have the sauce on top of noodles with sauteed brussel sprouts, belle peppers, onions, and carrots but you can use it anywhere you wish. It's really just a base sauce so it's extremely versatile to whatever you wish to do with it.

Roux Sauce

1 tablespoon oil or margarine
1.5 tablespoons white flour
≈1.25 cups soy milk*

Pinch sea salt
Pinch nutmeg
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper(as to not effect the color)
1/8 teaspoon ground mustard

Mix the oil and and flour in a heavy pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring well(you really don't want to burn this). Add in the soy milk in 1/3 portions, bring up to a low boil to thicken before each addition. After all the milk has been added, add in the bay leaf, nutmeg, sea salt, ground pepper, and ground mustard. Stir and cook until it is the desired thickness but have it cook for at least five minutes to get the full flavor.

*The brands I use of soymilk are either Trader Joe's organic or Westsoy organic, both only have ingredients of soybeans and water. I've never had issues with either. If you want to make your own fake milk, there are instructions on how to make almond milk in my previous posts and Veganyumyum has instructions for your own soymilk.
Source of original: http://jeenaskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/09/vegan-white-sauce-recipe-vegan-roux.html

Mujadara

I seem to have fallen in love with lentils, in pretty much any form I can get them. Which is nice because it gives me a good source of protein and iron as well as a fair amount of uncomplicated meals. This is one of those meals; however, it does take a long time to do because you need to caramelize onions. Mujadara is basically rice, lentils, caramelized onions, and a bit of spices all mixed together and eaten hot. So if you don't like caramelized onions, move on, it's basically what the entire dish tastes like. This dish is of lebanese origin and from what I've been told usually only served at more legitimate ethnic lebanese restaurants; it's not as popular as something like falafel(it is just as tasty though). Here's the recipe:

Mujadara

4 tablespoons oil
3 pounds white onions

1.5 cups green or brown lentils(red or white will fall apart, indigo will be too stiff)
2 cups long grain brown or wild rice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea Salt & Pepper
Fresh parsley leaves(optional)

Slice the onions into moderately thin rings and add to a deep pan with the oil and cook on medium-low heat until the onions are very soft, around 45 minutes. Don't put a lid on this like I did, it will just make the next step take much longer. Once the onions are sufficiently soft, raise the heat to medium high and cook until they are a deep brown and have sweetened. Mix half of these with the cooked rice, lentils, and spices*. Add the other half of the onions on the top of the dish and garnish with the parsley leaves. Serves four.

*Cook the rice plain in the ordinary fashion. Cook the lentils so they are still somewhat firm but not underdone. If you let them start to break apart it will still taste fine but you'll lose the proper texture and aesthetic appeal. I recommend a cup and half of water per cup of lentils and to cook them for around 30-45 minutes.

Christmas Feasts!

Ahhh Christmas, a time of many dinners and gatherings; all full of food that will either kill me or fails to be vegan. So in other words, it is a time of cooking a plethora of meals for all the aforementioned gatherings. So I designed myself a menu of lentil soup, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts and cranberries, and potato & sauerkraut pierogies; Not all at one of course. That would be a ridiculously large amount of food, not that I object to that at all. I may have spent the entire day in the kitchen but I cannot really object to that at all either. Now after my little intro, I think some recipes are in order...

Lentil Soup

2 cups lentils, green or indigo*
4 cups water
1 bunch carrots
2-3 teaspoons thyme, preferably fresh
3 bay leaves
~2 cups kale leaves, roughly chopped
Red Wine Vinegar

Mix the bay leaves, the lentils, and the water together in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, then add the thyme and and carrots, chopped. Simmer for another 1-1.5 hours, until the soup is nice and thick. Add kale leaves and mix in well, cooking for another ten minutes. Add red wine vinegar as taste individually in your bowls.

Brussel Sprouts and Cranberries

4 pounds brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper

1/2 cup fresh cranberries
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. On 2 large rimmed baking sheets, toss the brussels sprouts with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the sprouts are tender and browned in spots.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, maple syrup, ginger and lemon zest. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until the cranberries break down and thicken, about 10 minutes. Pour on top of hot Brussels sprouts, mix and serve.

Now, for the tour de force(in my mind, anyway)
Potato & Sauerkraut Pierogies
Dough(I recommend doubling this, or tripling if it's a larger group):
2 Tablespoons margarine or shortening (I finally found Willow Run margarine, which makes me unimaginably happy. Yes, I'm easy to please).
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water

For filling, just make some mashed potatoes and buy some sauerkraut(if you make you're own you're twice as cool though)

Cut the dough into the flour with a fork, and mix in the water a bit at a time with your hands until it reaches the proper consistency. It may be a bit more or a bit less than it called for, whatever feels right to you and holds up well. Press between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick, more towards the former. Cut the pastry into ≈2 inch diameter circles, put a generous spoonful of the filling in the center, and fold them together. Press the edges together so there are no holes in the pierogies(I found this quite difficult, try making them a bit wet when you do this and it seems to help some). If you're confident that you actually made them stick together well enough, you can boil them for ten minutes to cook them. If not, just pan fry them until each side is golden brown. Serve hot. These also freeze well for later.

*Indigo lentils are a bit more expensive, but lentils all in all are dirt cheap anyway so there's not much complaint there. They hold up much better during cooking than any other ones(green ones hold up well though, I would avoid red or white for such a soup). Lentils are the third highest of any plant source in protein(after soy and hemp), high in iron & vitamin B1, and low in fat. Combining this with the fact that they're cheap and you're set; one of my favorite foods.