BOOK REVIEW: One-Dish Vegan

I absolutely love meals that can be served out of one bowl and have all of the important nutrients right in that dish, so Robin Robertson’s new cookbook, One-Dish Vegan was right up my alley. The book contains over 150 hearty soups, salads, and entrees that really are complete meals. As is usual with Roberson’s recipes, they are drawn from cultures all over the world. You’ll find everything from Senegalese-Inspired Red Lentil Soup to Louisiana Red Beans and Rice to Turkish-Style Stuffed Eggplant with Walnut Sauce. And for chili lovers, she has a whole chapter devoted just to chili with selections like Tequila Sundown Chili, Devil’s Food Chili and Orange-Scented Chipotle Chili.

We tried the Cauliflower Comfort Casserole made with layers of butternut squash, potatoes, cauliflower,  greens, and walnuts covered in a white bean sauce and it was absolutely delicious (though you might want to allow extra time because I needed to bake this quite a bit longer than the recipe indicated). We also loved the Lentil and Butternut Soup as well with its complex array of spicy, sweet, and savory flavors. My daughters have asked for the Fettuccini with Creamy Cannellini Tomato Sauce next and it is simple enough that I think they will be able to prepare it themselves.

All of the recipes in the book have clear, easy-to-follow instructions. Although many of the recipes are fast and easy to make, there are more complex dishes too that will take more than one bowl or pot to prepare them—but I think you’ll find those worth the effort. I just love that these recipes are so healthy and made with whole food ingredients and there is enough variety to suit pretty much any taste. This is a great book to use during the busy holiday season ahead, and would make a wonderful gift as well.  

Easy Greens

I found the cutest little baby bok choy at the Farmers' Market yesterday and rather than adding them to a soup or stir-fry like I normally would, I decided to let them shine all on their own. I had also been wanting to try my new bottle of Mango Balsamic Vinegar from my last trip to Global Gardens so . . . voila . . . . Mango Balsamic Braised Boy Choy!

Wash and coarsely chop the bok choy. Coat skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the boy choy and stir a bit. Cover and cook about 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drizzle boy choy with Mango Balsamic Vinegar and sprinkle on some sea salt. That's it! Easy and yummy.

Rutiz Farms CSA Box

Thanks to my wonderful CSA -- Rutiz Farms . . . look at all the wonderful meals we had this weekend made from food in Friday's CSA box.

Roasted potatoes, beets, cauliflower and broccoli; strawberry-blueberry pancakes (using the multi-grain pancake mix from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook); Minestrone Soup; and to relax a lovely cup of lemon-balm tea made from leaves of my new lemon balm plant!

Salad Spinners

I gave a talk Saturday about ways to incorporate more local foods and greens into your diet. One of the recipes I demo'd was a salad with my 30-second salad dressing. I told participants that a salad spinner is a great idea. When your lettuce is dry, the salad dressing adheres better so you need less of it. (Another tip for using less dressing is to toss your salad in a bowl with the dressing. When you put salad on your plate and add teh dressing there, you'll use much more.)

I also love that my spinner came with a cover. When I get my head of lettuce home from the farmers' market, I tear off the leaves, soak and wash the whole head and spin in the spinner. Then I replace the spinner part with a cover and I have clean, ready-to-use lettuce all week. It's much cheaper and much healthier than the bagged lettuce sold in stores which has been found to contain high levels of bacteria.

One of the attendees gave me a couple of other uses for salad spinners so I thought I'd share.

- If you put too much dressing on your salad, put it in the spinner and spin off the excess.

- When you hand wash items, spin them in your spinner before you lay them out to dry. She says she has an old one exclusively for this--I'm going to check the thrift store when I go. I think this would be great to dry bathing suits too. Would I look weird carrying a salad spinner to the high school pool?

So how about you--any salad spinner tips you want to share?

Super Foods for a Healthy Pregnancy and Lactation

One of my articles is featured this month at www.VegKitchen.com: Super Foods for a Healthy Pregnancy and Lactation--plus get my cashew yogurt recipe!

Roasted vegetables

I am a huge fan of roasting vegetables--it brings out so much incredible flavor and sweetness that it's pretty much the only way I cook veggies anymore. In the summer, I usually do them on the grill so as not to heat up the house--green beans, zucchini, bell peppers, and asparagus are my favorites. But in the winter, I love to have them in the oven, which warms up the house and fills the air with a wonderful aroma.

Almost any winter veggies work--root veggies are always great, but also broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts . . . whatever. Today, I did a combination of carrots, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. Cut everything up into bite-sized pieces. I cut the bigger brussels sprouts in half but left the smaller ones whole. Put the cut veggies into a bowl and toss with enough olive oil so that the veggies are well-coated. Then sprinkle with sea salt and any fresh or dried herbs that strike your fancy . . . thyme, rosemary, tarragon, etc. I often add a splash of good vinegar as well. Balsamic works well, but today I used blood orange vinegar. Place on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven (the temperature is flexible so if you are cooking something else that needs the oven at 350 or 450, you can just adjust the cooking time). Roast for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally. If the chunks are big, you can cover the baking sheet with foil for the first 10 minutes or so to let the veggies steam, then remove the foil and let them brown. That's how I did the batch in this picture. My daughters gobbled these up like candy.

(Oh, yeah, if you're wondering about the mushrooms in the picture. I added them after I removed the foil for the last ten minutes of cooking.)

Caryn Hartglass It's All About Food

I was on the radio show It's All About Food on November 24. We had a great discussion about eating whole foods, nutrition for kids and families and a whole bunch of other things related to eating more healthfully. If you're interested, you can listen or download the podcast here.

Check out this post for books that promote healthful eating.

Books to promote healthy eating

I was on Caryn Hartglass's It's All About Food radio show today talking about helping kids and families to eat more healthfully. She asked me about my job as a library technician at an elementary school library. She wanted to know what books would I recommend to promote healthful eating . Well, the first one that popped into my head was Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess--I like the message of not being afraid to try to new foods. Later, as I thought over the show, it hit me that encouringing kids to eat green eggs and ham might have offended listeners who were most likely vegetarian or vegan. I was thinking though . . . since the ham is green, perhaps it's veggie ham???? Anyway, while I stand by the message of encouraging kids to try new foods in that book, here are some more veg-friendly titles you might want to try with your kids:

I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks
Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmot (not vegetarian but still a good one)
To Market, To Market by Anne MIranda (one of my favorites . . . funny, promotes whole foods and not eating animals)
Making Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
Grow It, Cook It by Jill Bloomfield
Eat Healthy, Feel Great by William Sears

And for kids' cookbooks, we love Mollie Katzen's books like Honest Pretzels, etc.

I'm sure there are lots more out there, but here are a few off the top of my head. Feel free to comment with other suggestions.

Amazing Bean Recipe

I've been so enjoying cooking this summer--actually having the time to browse cookbooks and try some new recipes. I was intrigued by a dish I found in Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking for Giant Crusty and Creamy White Beans. I didn't have the exact ingredients she called for, but I did use her idea. Below is my version. Thanks Heidi for the great idea--the beans come out crispy on the outside, but creamy on the inside. My family LOVED these and it was so easy to do.

Crispy White Beans

1 (15-ounce)can large white cannellini beans
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
sea salt
2 cups baby spinach

Empty the can of beans into a colander. Rinse well to remove all the bean juice. Let sit to drain. Meanwhile, pour olive oil into a large skillet—just enough to cover the bottom. Place over medium-high heat. Let oil heat for a minute or two until hot. Pour the beans into the skillet—be careful not to get splattered. Spread them out so that beans are in a single layer. Let the beans cook without stirring them for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bottoms are browned. Use a spatula to flip the beans. Let cook about 3 more minutes, or until browned on that side. Sprinkle the spinach over the beans. Drizzle the spinach with a little olive oil. Gently fold the beans and spinach together until the spinach is wilted. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Backstage Radio Show

I will be on the Backstage Radio Show today at 1 p.m. PST. Go to www.healthylife.net and follow the instructions to listen live . . . or if you missed it, get the podcast.

Book Review: Bean Appetit

Bean Appétit is packed with creative ways to make healthy foods not only delicious but fun. The dishes are so bright, colorful, and creative, they’re more like art than meals. Like the “High Note Nibbles” sandwiches, for example, that look like a piano keyboard. Or the “Bug Bites”—dragonfly-shaped pitas sandwiches made with fruit, turkey, and a pickle. The almost florescent-purple “Starry Night Bites” are made from berries and sticky rice and adorned with cheese stars. But my favorite was “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” which looks like the character from the book by Eric Carle. Chicken-and-vegetable-stuffed spring rolls form the body with a big tomato as a head and pretzel sticks as legs. It’s so cute and sounds really tasty. There are many more fun creations for parents and children to make together—with lots that don’t even require any cooking.

The recipes and language in Bean Appétit are appropriate for the preschool crowd. Directions to “Shake your hips and get ready to mix:” or “Roll around on the floor while chanting ‘Go bananas’ will be fun for young children, but may turn off older kids. Interspersed between the recipes are silly conversation starters, such as “Who do you know has the silliest singing voice?” or “Would you rather share your sleeping bag with a bat or a bear?” There are games like “Flash Dance” (a flashlight dancing game) and food related trivia like “Table Manners from Other Countries.” The book is bright and appealing with whimsical illustrations and colorful photographs. This would be great for parents of preschoolers and preschool or kindergarten teachers.

Heathy Breakfast Ideas

Listen to this foodcast for some healthy breakfast ideas. And here are a few recipes from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook.

Crunchy Buckwheat Cereal

Here’s a cold breakfast cereal you can feel good about. It is easy to make in advance and will keep in your refrigerator for days. It’s delicious sprinkled over fruit, too. This is gluten-free.

2 cups raw whole buckwheat groats

2 tablespoons maple syrup, brown rice syrup, agave nectar, or honey (optional)

1/4 cup nut or seed butter (almond butter, tahini, etc.)

Preheat oven to 300ºF. Spread buckwheat on large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Stir buckwheat around a bit. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes more until golden. Immediately mix hot buckwheat with sweetener and nut or seed butter until buckwheat is coated. Cool. Store in covered jar in refrigerator. To serve, place 1/2 cup of cereal in bowl, cover with milk. Add fresh or dried fruit if desired.

Makes 4 servings

High-Protein Porridge

This cereal is a good source of minerals and B vitamins, as well as protein--plus it's gluten-free.

1/3 cup quinoa

1/3 cup millet

1/3 cup amaranth

5 cups water

Pinch sea salt

1/4 cup flax or sesame seeds, ground

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom (optional)

Rinse quinoa. Place grains, water, and sea salt in heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent cereal from sticking to bottom of pan. Stir in ground seeds and spices.

Makes 4 servings

Instant Oatmeal

Store-bought instant oatmeal is usually loaded with sugar. This version is just as convenient but much healthier.

Mix together 4 cups quick-cooking oats, 1 cup dried fruit (e.g., raisins), 3/4 cup chopped nuts or seeds (e.g., almonds). Store in covered container.

To serve: Pour about 1/2 cup of mixture into bowl. Cover with boiling water. Let sit one minute. Top with milk or yogurt if desired.

Makes 5 1/2 cups

Note: For extra chewy cereal, use regular rolled oats.

Try the following combinations:

 -       Chopped dried apple, cinnamon, and walnuts

-       Raisins, coconut, and sunflower seeds

-       Dried bananas and almonds

-       Dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds

 

Lunch Box Thermoses

With the weather turned cooler, I'm really using thermoses for my daughters' school lunches. Not only do they get a healthy, hot lunch every day, it's so easy to give them dinner leftovers or soup. 

Here's a few tips:

- Get a smaller thermos. I really like the 5-inch high thermoses. They are the perfect size for kids and fit easily into any kind of lunch box. The last couple of years I was using the thermoses sold by Laptop Lunchbox but not only was they expensive, even the smaller size is just too tall. My kids don't want that much of any one item and it's harder to eat from that tall bottle, especially for younger kids. And, if you don't fill the thermos all the way, the food cools down too fast. (The smaller Laptop Lunch ones are great for adults though.)

- Get a stainless steel thermos--plastic leaches chemicals into the food when hot food is put into it (which is why I don't recommend the 'heat and go' type thermoses).

- Fill the thermos with hot, hot water while you are heating the food. This will help the thermos to heat up and the food will stay hot longer.

- If heating food in the microwave, I find out how much food fits in the thermos by filling it with water and pouring it into a measuring cup. Then when heating food in the morning, I fill the measuring cup to that level (my thermoses hold about 1 1/4 cups of food) and just nuke that. Never microwave in plastic -- chemicals leach into your food. Or of course, you can heat the food in a pot on the stove.

- Don't forget to pack a fork or spoon. (Woops -- have done that several times. Sorry kids!)

Healthy Lunches that Kids Like

Listen to my soundbyte for some ideas for healthy lunches that your kids will like. For more recipes, try these cookbooks:

 The Vegetarian Mother’s Cookbook and Simply Natural Baby Food by Cathe Olson

These books have lots of recipes for sandwiches, soups, muffins, cookies and crackers made from whole foods. There are also great breakfast recipes that can be used in lunches like pancake mix, French toast, muesli, and scrambled tofu.

Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair

Lair has tons of whole foods recipes and a great section on packing lunches.

Vegan Lunch Box and Vegan Lunch Box Around the World by Jennifer McCann

These books, by the creator of Vegan Lunch Box Blog, have innovative and delicious ideas for the lunch box (though most take quite a bit of prep).  All the recipes are delicious and very well tested.

The Vegetarian Family Cookbook by Nava Atlas

This is a great all around cookbook. The book includes a section on sandwiches, wraps, and school lunches.

Vegan Deli by Joanne Stepaniak

This book is full of salads and soups – perfect for the lunchbox or picnic.

Get Cultured-Miso

Listen to part two of my Get Cultured Soundbytes. This one features miso. And after you've heard about all the benefits, here are recipes from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook to try:

Tahini-Miso Sauce

This white sauce is great over tempeh, vegetables, grains, or pasta.

1 cup water

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

1/4 cup tahini

1 tablespoon miso

Pinch ground nutmeg

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (optional)

Black pepper to taste

Whisk or blend all ingredients together. Pour into saucepan. Heat over low heat until thickened.

Makes about 1 cup

 

Miso-Noodle Soup

This is a soothing soup that is great for upset stomachs or jangled nerves. I especially like it with brown rice pasta.

5 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons chopped wakame

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup chopped kale, cabbage, watercress, or other green

1/2 cup snow or snap peas

1/2 cup small uncooked pasta noodles

8 ounces tofu, diced

2 tablespoons miso

Soy sauce to taste

Place water and sea vegetable in medium-size pan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered 10 minutes, or until pasta is just cooked. Remove from heat, stir in miso. Season with soy sauce if desired.

Get cultured-Yogurt

Listen to the first of my Get Cultured soundbytes. This one focuses on yogurt. Below is my recipe for Cashew Yogurt from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook.

Cashew Yogurt

This creamy, nondairy yogurt just takes a few seconds to mix up. The incubation period is 8 to 24 hours depending how warm you keep it.

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup water

Place cashews in blender and grind to a coarse powder. Add water and blend until smooth. It should have a consistency of heavy cream. Pour mixture into a jar and place in warm location (70ºF to 100ºF). Cover with a light towel or napkin. Start checking the yogurt after 6 hours. First you should notice bubbles forming. When it has formed thick curd with a layer of liquid (whey) on the bottom, cover and transfer to refrigerator. Chill for at least one hour. When ready to eat, stir the whey and yogurt together. Add a little honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, molasses, fruit, or jam if desired. Yogurt will keep refrigerated up to a week.

Makes 2 cups

Note: Choose a place where the temperature will remain constant to incubate your yogurt. I like to fill a small cooler with warm water and place the jar in the water (make sure the water is below the level of the jar). Another good place is on top of the pilot light in a gas stove. As long as the temperature in your house is at least 70ºF, you can place the jar anywhere. Keep in mind, the lower the temperature, the longer the incubation. At 70ºF, it will take about 20 hours.

Get Cultured!

Listen to my soundbite about the benefits of cultured and fermented foods. I have many recipes to make yogurts, vegetable pickles, and dishes that use miso in The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook. Here are a couple of recipes:

Cashew Yogurt

This creamy, nondairy yogurt just takes a few seconds to mix up. The incubation period is 8 to 24 hours depending how warm you keep it.

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup water

Place cashews in blender and grind to a coarse powder. Add water and blend until smooth. It should have a consistency of heavy cream. Pour mixture into a jar and place in warm location (70ºF to 100ºF). Cover with a light towel or napkin. Start checking the yogurt after 6 hours. First you should notice bubbles forming. When it has formed thick curd with a layer of liquid (whey) on the bottom, cover and transfer to refrigerator. Chill for at least one hour. When ready to eat, stir the whey and yogurt together. Add a little honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, molasses, fruit, or jam if desired. Yogurt will keep refrigerated up to a week.

Makes 2 cups

Note: Choose a place where the temperature will remain constant to incubate your yogurt. I like to fill a small cooler with warm water and place the jar in the water (make sure the water is below the level of the jar). Another good place is on top of the pilot light in a gas stove. As long as the temperature in your house is at least 70ºF, you can place the jar anywhere. Keep in mind, the lower the temperature, the longer the incubation. At 70ºF, it will take about 20 hours.

Rejuvelac

This is one of the most active and easy to digest of the fermented foods because it is mostly water. It has a strong, lemony taste that is similar to lemonade. The ginger is good for digestion and gives it a little extra zing. If the taste is too strong, use rejuvelac to replace part of the liquid in a smoothie.

1/2 cup soft wheat berries

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger root, sliced (optional)

7 cups water

Sprout wheat for 3 days as follows: Soak berries in 2 cups water for 12 hours. Drain. Place berries in quart-size jar. Cover jar with cheesecloth and secure with rubber band. Rinse soaked seeds by filling the jar with water and inverting it to drain through cheesecloth. Position the jar at approximately a 45-degree angle, mouth side down, to allow excess moisture to drain. Place jar out of direct sunlight. Rinse sprouts at least twice daily to provide them with water and wash away by-products of growth.

After 3 days, or when sprouts are about as long as the seeds, remove sprouts and place them in a blender along with the ginger and 3 cups of water. Blend for about 10 seconds, just enough to open the sprouts up a bit. Pour the mixture into a half-gallon jar. Fill the jar with the remaining water. Cover the jar with cheesecloth or a dish towel and let it sit for 3 days in a shady spot. Stir the mixture twice daily to keep the enzymes and live organisms mixed. Smell the rejuvelac each day to monitor its progress. It should have a fresh smell like lemons or sauerkraut. If it smells bad, discard it and start again.

After 3 days, or when it tastes and smells strongly like lemons or sauerkraut, stir the mixture one final time and pour through a strainer. Keep rejuvelac refrigerated in a covered jar but be sure to open the jar every few days to release gasses that will build up. It will last for at least one month.

Sip rejuvelac slowly. If you are not used to eating fermented foods, start with 1/4 to 1/2 cup per day. After a couple of weeks, gradually increase to one cup a day.

Makes 2 quarts

Note: The strained pulp can be used to start another batch. Place pulp in clean half-gallon jar and fill with water. Stir and cover with cheesecloth and ferment as previous batch. It will mature faster – probably in two days. Discard pulp after second batch.

Check out these books which also have great info and recipes:

“Wild Fermentation” by Sandor Ellix Katz

“Sproutman’s Kitchen Garden Cookbook” by Steve Meyerowitz

 

Should cow's milk be part of a healthy diet?

Cow's milk and dairy products are pushed hard in this country. Dairy products have their own very prominent stripe on the food pyramid (with no dairy-free calcium foods given), commercials like "Got Milk?" are widely recognized, my peditrian asks my kids every visit if they are drinking their milk. Most people I talk to -- including and especially registered dietiticans -- think daily portions of milk are necessary to good health. But is milk really that healthy? Check out this article from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

What do vegans barbeque?

When everyone else was eating fish tacos -- I marinated some portobello mushrooms in herbs, soy sauce, olive oil, and water -- then grilled until soft. Sliced them up and rolled in a tortilla along with grilled green beans and fresh salsa -- and oh was it delicious. For dessert, a vegan fruit cobbler with dairy-free vanilla ice cream. It doesn't get any better than that!

Treatment for a cold

Or should I say a TREAT for my cold. I'm feeling sniffly, sore-throaty and general miserable so my lovely daughter made me the perfect treat - Orange Sorbet - full of vitamin C and soothing on my throat.

The recipe, of course, she found in Lick It!