I was vegetarian in high school. Man, that would make a great t-shirt. We could print them and hand them out to dozens of our friends. I too could wear one. When I was a Junior in high school, my brother took his now wife on a trip to visit family in Seattle. In the airport on the way home a young man with a shaved head, and I always imagine an orange robe, handed my brother some literature on becoming vegetarian. My brother was changed immediately. If my brother was waiting for something to believe in, I'm glad that the Hari Krishna got to him first. Because if he dove head first into, say, Scientology as quickly and devoutly as he became vegan, he might be living in Tom Cruise's basement by now operating the rainbow making machine that distracts the aliens from stealing our baby's brains while they sleep. Isn't that what they believe? Anyways... Not willing to be out hipster-ed by my older and let's just say it cooler big bro, I became vegetarian too. I didn't really know why. I just did it and thought nothing about eating cheese, milk and eggs. Being "vegetarian" was enough. Having no real convictions, I am proud to say that I remained vegetarian until well into college. That's not bad for not really caring. And that is how I remained, a "lazy vegetarian" as my brother once introduced me - until November of this year. November, you see, is world vegan month. Yes, it is a little cheesy(tee hee) but I went totally vegan for November. Not much of a stretch seeing as how it is the only way I know how to cook and my true love and partner is vegan, but still I did start to notice how often I was eating animal products outside my home in the absence of eating animal products outside my home. Whew! For the first time I was eating my values and that was the warmest most satisfying feeling of being full I have ever indulged in. If I am being totally honest, I will have to tell you that the reason I never crossed over completely into being vegan outside my home is because I was scared. Yes, I was scared that by limiting myself I would be missing out in life. It is difficult to describe that what I felt during November was a limitless freedom I could not have anticipated. I will tell you a story. During this last semester I spent many hours studying with a close omnivore friend. I knew that I would be heading over to her house at 6pm straight from school. I did not want to eat any animal products so I packed myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. When I arrived at her house she proudly placed a plate of left over chicken pizza in front of me. She had saved it for me knowing that I would be hungry. I felt trapped. This was not freedom. If I was Justice, I could just say, "I'm vegan". End of story. But being me, the girl who didn't want to limit herself out in the real world, I had no recourse. I had no religion to fall back on. What I did next still makes me feel sad that I was unable to say, "No thank you". While my friend went upstairs to check on her baby I picked off the chicken and ate the pizza. Never again. I am vegan - is the greatest mantra I have ever uttered. It is my magic incantation that saves me from ever feeling obliged to take part in what I believe is the senseless, cruel, angry, and unhealthy practice of enslaving animals.
I'm back blogosphere, and this time its personal.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
My Story Part I
I miss my electric kettle. It was stolen from a friend's car outside my work yesterday. It, along with my friend's purse and an over sized glass jug of rum was taken. Somewhere, someone is impersonating my poor friend while drunk on rum and tea. They should be easy to spot. How did my kettle end up in such an unfortunate circumstance? I'm glad you asked...
I wanted the big bottle of rum. Justice was buying and the small bottle was on sale for 14.99 where as the much much larger one was only 19.99. I think I've made my point. All of this rum was intended to be the star player in some hot buttered rum. How do you get the rum hot? Well that's where the kettle came in. I hauled all of this over to my buddy's house for our holiday party. Not wanting to be a party pooper I left my supplies for any guests who were still thirsty after I went home. Hence during its journey home to me my favorite kitchen staple was lost forever.
Why do you care about my less than sad story? And how could I possibly feel like the victim while my friend is now going to have to piece her life back together one ID at a time? Well, you don't. I don't blame you. I am only trying very hard to get to the point of this post. With hat in hand I am about to speak the words that no one in my immediate circle ever anticipated. So humbly and quietly but with no less vigor I would like to announce that I am no longer "vegan at home". I am now vegan everywhere.
I wanted the big bottle of rum. Justice was buying and the small bottle was on sale for 14.99 where as the much much larger one was only 19.99. I think I've made my point. All of this rum was intended to be the star player in some hot buttered rum. How do you get the rum hot? Well that's where the kettle came in. I hauled all of this over to my buddy's house for our holiday party. Not wanting to be a party pooper I left my supplies for any guests who were still thirsty after I went home. Hence during its journey home to me my favorite kitchen staple was lost forever.
Why do you care about my less than sad story? And how could I possibly feel like the victim while my friend is now going to have to piece her life back together one ID at a time? Well, you don't. I don't blame you. I am only trying very hard to get to the point of this post. With hat in hand I am about to speak the words that no one in my immediate circle ever anticipated. So humbly and quietly but with no less vigor I would like to announce that I am no longer "vegan at home". I am now vegan everywhere.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Grateful Gardeners
Yes, this is embarrassing. It has been too long since I have recorded my daily adventures in veganism. The funny thing about my long absence is that it has nothing to do with the cooking block I was dealing with last year but more to do with how busy I have been creating new meals. I should just start from the beginning though...
This Spring my new family-in-law lost their patriarch, Joseph Manha. Sadly I was not given enough time to get to know him very well. Since his passing though I have learned that he was a very caring, creative, and loving father, husband and grandfather. I have since learned this from his widow, my grandmother-in-law, from the stories she has shared with me when I come over to her house to work on our garden. You see, she was generous enough to allow Justice and I to make a garden in one of the raised garden beds that Joe built for his own gardening. Joe was an amazing gardener. The plot we were given was 40ft by 6ft! I am so grateful to my grandmother-in-law for this amazing gift. I only wish Joe could know how much joy it has brought us all summer. We are already talking about what we will plant next year!
My GMIL has been so helpful- giving Justice and I advice about what to plant and how to plant it. She barely even teased us when we made the rows 2 feet across and about a mile high. (We learned quickly why this was a huge mistake...) After some trial and error, our garden is doing remarkably well. We have several varieties of tomatoes, enough crookneck squash and zucchini to feed a small village, green beans, peas, Swiss chard, carrots, jalapenos, green bell peppers, green onions, and pumpkins. Not only do we have our own vegetables to enjoy but we are surrounded by other gardeners who have shared their veggie wealth. We have enjoyed Yukon gold potatoes and mustard greens, arugula and fresh basil. I have never eaten so many locally grown vegetables!
There has been no chance for cooking block to set in as I have had no time to waste so as not to waste my bounty. Below is a tomato soup recipe I came up with tonight to pair with some Tuna-less sandwiches from Vegnews. A note to Brett: If you want these to taste like Mama's tuna-fish use sweet pickles instead of dill and green onions instead of red onions.
Reno Represent Tomato Soup
4 cups Mirepoix
6-7 homegrown tomatoes quartered
4 tbsp. olive oil
4 ounce can tomato paste
handful fresh chopped parsley
8 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a stock pot. Add Mirepoix and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook on medium for about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and another pinch of salt. Cover once more and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add tomato paste to water and dissolve. Add this to the pot. Add parsley and a tsp. pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook uncovered for about 30 minutes. Blend the soup and strain it to remove any seeds. Give it one last season with salt and pepper and serve with the Tuna-less sandwiches.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Hot Diggity Dawg!
Long ago my favorite after school "snack" was a big fat juicy Nathan's all beef hot dog. The crunchy pop that would occur between my teeth with that first head on bight would send flavor dancing in my mouth. Man, I loved a good hot dog. It follows then that the first vegetarian faux meat I would enjoy would be a hot dog. My go to hot dog is the "Smart Dog" brand. Although I must say that by far the best veggie dog comes in a can from Loma Linda California. These are bit spendy on my part time budget though.
In my continuing effort to make quick nutritionally sound meals I have revisited the hot dog as major staple food. Now, although I love the dog itself I really only see it as an opportunity to pile on as many amazing toppings as I can imagine and because I never keep hot dog buns in the house I am not limited to the tiny surface area they afford. I serve my dogs on whole wheat pita breads. They end up looking more like hot dog tacos. Recently I have broken with another seemingly self-imposed hot dog rule and I put two dogs in my pita. One hot dog is never enough for me but making a whole other one is always way too much. Problem solved! Tonight I made a wonderful apple citrus chutney and piled it high atop my double dog with a dollop of zucchini relish. Enjoy!
Barbecue Apple Orange Chutney:
1 cup finely dice yellow onion
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
2 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped peeled apple (I used a pink lady)
1/2 cup supremed orange slices chopped
pinch of salt
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (your choice)
In a sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and the pinch of salt. Saute until fragrant and then turn heat down to medium low. Stir occasionally until the onion turns a dark brown color. Deglaze your sauce pan with vinegar. Add the apple and cook 2 minutes. Add the orange and stir a moment and then remove from heat. Add your barbecue sauce. Serve over your double dog!
In my continuing effort to make quick nutritionally sound meals I have revisited the hot dog as major staple food. Now, although I love the dog itself I really only see it as an opportunity to pile on as many amazing toppings as I can imagine and because I never keep hot dog buns in the house I am not limited to the tiny surface area they afford. I serve my dogs on whole wheat pita breads. They end up looking more like hot dog tacos. Recently I have broken with another seemingly self-imposed hot dog rule and I put two dogs in my pita. One hot dog is never enough for me but making a whole other one is always way too much. Problem solved! Tonight I made a wonderful apple citrus chutney and piled it high atop my double dog with a dollop of zucchini relish. Enjoy!
Barbecue Apple Orange Chutney:
1 cup finely dice yellow onion
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
2 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped peeled apple (I used a pink lady)
1/2 cup supremed orange slices chopped
pinch of salt
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (your choice)
In a sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and the pinch of salt. Saute until fragrant and then turn heat down to medium low. Stir occasionally until the onion turns a dark brown color. Deglaze your sauce pan with vinegar. Add the apple and cook 2 minutes. Add the orange and stir a moment and then remove from heat. Add your barbecue sauce. Serve over your double dog!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Frozen in Time
The semester is flying by and I am proud to report that I can now name every bone in human body! Thank you for allowing me to forcibly accept recognition for my achievement.
Obviously this means I have been very busy. Naturally my cooking has changed dramatically in the last two months. But in an effort not to get bored I have assigned myself a new task in the kitchen. I am now trying out satisfying and still delicious short cuts to dinner. The following is what I have learned about frozen foods.
Every time I read something that tells me frozen vegetables are as nutritious as fresh, I believe it. It makes me feel good about the frozen peas I add to most things. All the while I keep in mind that whether or not frozen veggies are as healthful as fresh doesn't mean a thing if they don't taste as good. So I have devised some guidelines for myself after experimenting with many frozen flora.
"Rules For Frozen Vegetables"
1. Frozen peas are the greatest food in the entire world. You can microwave them with a little Earth Balance and you have a delicious side dish. Add them to mashed potatoes. That is an order! Eat them still frozen for a sweet pea Popsicle experience.
2. Frozen spinach is great if you hide it in other things. Never ever serve frozen spinach braised as a side dish. Just thinking about the night I thought this would work puts a fowl taste in my mouth.
3. Frozen corn kernels are fantastic. Pair them up with those frozen peas in the microwave and you have a "hash".
4. Vegetable medleys are a cruel tease. In an effort to streamline my stir-fries I decided to try a vegetable medley pack from Trader Joes. I was immediately seduced by a package calling itself "Hodgepodge". There were carrots, baby corn, sugar snap peas, broccoli, mushrooms, bell pepper and onion. It looked so delicious. Unfortunately I overlooked a vital detail- entropy. All of those vegetables were tossed into this bag and they cook at different rates. Once in the skillet the carrots took forever to cook. Meanwhile the broccoli disintegrated and the bell pepper became little streaks of red slime. With the rice already waiting and the tofu fried I had no choice but to continue with my now doomed "hodgepodge". I hoped the sauce would cover my tracks but no amount of soy sauce was going to save me. Escape this trap vicariously. No short cut should be a waste of time.
Obviously this means I have been very busy. Naturally my cooking has changed dramatically in the last two months. But in an effort not to get bored I have assigned myself a new task in the kitchen. I am now trying out satisfying and still delicious short cuts to dinner. The following is what I have learned about frozen foods.
Every time I read something that tells me frozen vegetables are as nutritious as fresh, I believe it. It makes me feel good about the frozen peas I add to most things. All the while I keep in mind that whether or not frozen veggies are as healthful as fresh doesn't mean a thing if they don't taste as good. So I have devised some guidelines for myself after experimenting with many frozen flora.
"Rules For Frozen Vegetables"
1. Frozen peas are the greatest food in the entire world. You can microwave them with a little Earth Balance and you have a delicious side dish. Add them to mashed potatoes. That is an order! Eat them still frozen for a sweet pea Popsicle experience.
2. Frozen spinach is great if you hide it in other things. Never ever serve frozen spinach braised as a side dish. Just thinking about the night I thought this would work puts a fowl taste in my mouth.
3. Frozen corn kernels are fantastic. Pair them up with those frozen peas in the microwave and you have a "hash".
4. Vegetable medleys are a cruel tease. In an effort to streamline my stir-fries I decided to try a vegetable medley pack from Trader Joes. I was immediately seduced by a package calling itself "Hodgepodge". There were carrots, baby corn, sugar snap peas, broccoli, mushrooms, bell pepper and onion. It looked so delicious. Unfortunately I overlooked a vital detail- entropy. All of those vegetables were tossed into this bag and they cook at different rates. Once in the skillet the carrots took forever to cook. Meanwhile the broccoli disintegrated and the bell pepper became little streaks of red slime. With the rice already waiting and the tofu fried I had no choice but to continue with my now doomed "hodgepodge". I hoped the sauce would cover my tracks but no amount of soy sauce was going to save me. Escape this trap vicariously. No short cut should be a waste of time.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Happy Birthday Cora!
On February 28th 2008 my beloved sister-in-law gave our family the bestest of gifts ever! On this leap-year eve she gave birth to my niece Cora Lee. As awesome as she was on the first day I have to say that I am pretty partial to the laughing, talking, solid food eating, interactive version she is one year later. We are so lucky to know her! In honor of her unparalleled achievement of having turned one year old I would like to share her birthday cake recipe with you all. I have been holding this one back all year so we could all celebrate Cora's birthday together. I invented this recipe on the very day Cora was born and so named it:
Cora Lee's Banana Creme Pie Cake
Crust:
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup chocolate chips (must be very cold)
Place all of these in a food processor. Process until almost a powder. Press this into the bottom of a well oiled spring form pan.
4 very ripe bananas peeled
1/2 cup maple syrup (agave syrup would work just fine)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp. oil (not olive)
1 tbsp. agar agar flakes
1 cup water
1 tbsp. Arrowroot powder
1/4 cup soymilk
Blend together banana, syrup, oil, salt, and vanilla in a blender until smooth. Leave this in the blender.
Add agar agar to water in a sauce pan. Whisk to dissolve as much agar as possible. Bring to a boil. Simmer about 10 min. Meanwhile add arrowroot to soymilk stir it well. Add this soymilk solution to the agar solution off the stove whisk well. Strain this to get out any chunks of undissolved agar. Add all of this immediatly to the blender full of banana and such. Blend well. Pour in prepared springform pan on top of the crust. Allow to set up in the frigde for 2 hours before serving. Wish Cora many happy returns and enjoy!
Cora Lee's Banana Creme Pie Cake
Crust:
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup chocolate chips (must be very cold)
Place all of these in a food processor. Process until almost a powder. Press this into the bottom of a well oiled spring form pan.
4 very ripe bananas peeled
1/2 cup maple syrup (agave syrup would work just fine)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp. oil (not olive)
1 tbsp. agar agar flakes
1 cup water
1 tbsp. Arrowroot powder
1/4 cup soymilk
Blend together banana, syrup, oil, salt, and vanilla in a blender until smooth. Leave this in the blender.
Add agar agar to water in a sauce pan. Whisk to dissolve as much agar as possible. Bring to a boil. Simmer about 10 min. Meanwhile add arrowroot to soymilk stir it well. Add this soymilk solution to the agar solution off the stove whisk well. Strain this to get out any chunks of undissolved agar. Add all of this immediatly to the blender full of banana and such. Blend well. Pour in prepared springform pan on top of the crust. Allow to set up in the frigde for 2 hours before serving. Wish Cora many happy returns and enjoy!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Aren't Real And That Means They Don't Live In Our Toilet
I promise, I have not made anything worth bragging about in the kitchen lately. Like the layer of cooked on water and oil on my ceramic stove top, I am blocked and try as I might, no amount of fussing elbow grease will get my brain unclouded. Here briefly is a recap of some of the kitchen tragedies I have passed off as "meals" for my new husband:
Cornmeal encrusted tofu- Turns out dry cornmeal stays that way even after being sprinkled on tofu and baked for 15 mins.
Lentils on Salad- It satisfies the basic human nutritional needs.
Fried Potatoes- "Yep, that's it sweetums."
Taco Bell- I told you it was bad.
I believe I am finally coming out from this culinary rut and to prove it I put together a fairly decent stir fry tonight and served it along side, you guessed it, fried potatoes. The reason for this dry spell? Who can claim they understand the underpinnings of the creative genius that dwells within anyone of us. But if you must know, I blame ER. Yes, NBC's very own ER is in its 1000th and apparently last season and for some reason this has compelled me to watch each week. I do not understand the characters and every time a "familiar face" from seasons past shows up I am not surprised or delighted as the previews imply that I will be. But I watch anyway and like most children left to watch too much television without an adult there to describe what is real and what is fantasy I believe everything that I see. So you will not be surprised by my next statement: I want to be a nurse. Unlike a child though, this goal is surprisingly close to my grasp and in one week I will begin full time schooling again to achieve it. The root of my constipated creative flow- Anxiety. Wish me luck, my beloved readers! I believe I will conquer this goal and once I'm settled down again, I believe the recipes will flow like some slippery bodily fluid that I will no doubt have to deal with once I am in the real ER.
In the mean time make this slippery and easy dish!
The Future Sure Looks Bright Orange Stir Fry
Juice of 2 oranges and the zest of one
1 tbsp Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
1 tsp. Chili Sauce
1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp. Agave Nectar (sugar will do nicely)
2 clove garlic minced
2 tsp. corn starch
Mix all of this together and set aside
Freeze and defrost one block of Extra firm tofu and cut into triangles
Thinly slice 2 large carrots
Cut 3 green onions into 3/4 inch segments
Brown the tofu in oil in a non-stick pan. Add the carrots and onions -cook 1 minute. Pour the liquid sauce mixture into the pan. Stir everything up so that all is good and coated and cook 2 minutes until the sauce has turned thick. Some people might serve this along side rice-radicals! It works just fine next to some comforting fried potatoes.
Cornmeal encrusted tofu- Turns out dry cornmeal stays that way even after being sprinkled on tofu and baked for 15 mins.
Lentils on Salad- It satisfies the basic human nutritional needs.
Fried Potatoes- "Yep, that's it sweetums."
Taco Bell- I told you it was bad.
I believe I am finally coming out from this culinary rut and to prove it I put together a fairly decent stir fry tonight and served it along side, you guessed it, fried potatoes. The reason for this dry spell? Who can claim they understand the underpinnings of the creative genius that dwells within anyone of us. But if you must know, I blame ER. Yes, NBC's very own ER is in its 1000th and apparently last season and for some reason this has compelled me to watch each week. I do not understand the characters and every time a "familiar face" from seasons past shows up I am not surprised or delighted as the previews imply that I will be. But I watch anyway and like most children left to watch too much television without an adult there to describe what is real and what is fantasy I believe everything that I see. So you will not be surprised by my next statement: I want to be a nurse. Unlike a child though, this goal is surprisingly close to my grasp and in one week I will begin full time schooling again to achieve it. The root of my constipated creative flow- Anxiety. Wish me luck, my beloved readers! I believe I will conquer this goal and once I'm settled down again, I believe the recipes will flow like some slippery bodily fluid that I will no doubt have to deal with once I am in the real ER.
In the mean time make this slippery and easy dish!
The Future Sure Looks Bright Orange Stir Fry
Juice of 2 oranges and the zest of one
1 tbsp Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
1 tsp. Chili Sauce
1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp. Agave Nectar (sugar will do nicely)
2 clove garlic minced
2 tsp. corn starch
Mix all of this together and set aside
Freeze and defrost one block of Extra firm tofu and cut into triangles
Thinly slice 2 large carrots
Cut 3 green onions into 3/4 inch segments
Brown the tofu in oil in a non-stick pan. Add the carrots and onions -cook 1 minute. Pour the liquid sauce mixture into the pan. Stir everything up so that all is good and coated and cook 2 minutes until the sauce has turned thick. Some people might serve this along side rice-radicals! It works just fine next to some comforting fried potatoes.
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