LV Community Vegan/Vegetarian Potluck October

Last night was the sixth Community Vegan/Vegetarian potluck in Longview and I think it was one of the nicest.  We had about the same amount of people, thirty or so, made some new friends and ate some great vegan and vegetarian food.  We didn't have very many vegetarian dishes this time or the last. It seems the potluck is going in a vegan direction all by itself.  There were lots of gluten free dishes including cookies, pumpkin scones, and brownies.  I made two batches of the popular vegan mac & cheese one with brown rice noodles and the other with quinoa noodles. I omitted the bread crumbs for gluten free mac & cheese.

All the cooks put on an impressive buffet.  Among the wonderful dishes we had were:  Black eyed pea salad with a homemade dressing, steamed cauliflower with onions, fresh frozen peas, and a sauce made with veganaise and mustard, French green lentil stew, Turkish garbanzo bean salad, a harvest grain salad, a fresh fruit bowl, spinach salad, tofu adobo, a cactus and black bean salad, a pitcher of fresh berry smoothie, and lots more.  The desserts were plentiful, all vegan, and most were gluten free:  Pumpkin spice carrot cake with cream "cheese" frosting, raw cashew chocolate, coconut fudge, Gluten free pumpkin scones, gluten free chocolate brownies, and Gluten free vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  What fun it was trying all the different dishes.  I was thinking that it was such a joy that everyone made something wonderful themselves and it was obvious that they put care into it.  I remember hosting potlucks for another organization years ago and I was usually disappointed when the store deli fried chicken and pre-made macaroni and potato salads showed up. 
Many of our guests are new to plant based eating and it's such a treat to see the joy on someone's face when they discover the many things they "can" eat that they didn't think they could before.  The gluten free folks, for example.  I know many women who are gluten intolerant or avoid it for pain issues and didn't think they'd ever get to eat baked goods again.


Our guest speaker didn't appear, but that didn't hamper our fun at all.  It was a rainy night and there may have been bad traffic.  I was told by Jill from NW Veg when I was thinking about this potluck that sometimes that happens there is no speaker, so they've often just gone around the room and introduced themselves and talked about why they are there.  So, after a lively dinner filled with the conversations about the new and interesting foods we were eating, I talked a little bit about why I suggested we start this potluck and opened up the room for questions, comments, or success and/or failure stories. We had a great discussion.  There was some sharing from a couple people about how eating a plant based diet has changed their health for the better.  There were questions about diabetes and other diseases from people who's doctors have suggested they try a plant based diet to improve their health.  It was a warm, interesting, conversation between us all.  We all got to know each other a little bit better too.   As it turned out, no one missed our speaker at all.  I've had a couple emails and phone calls today from attendees who wanted to tell me what a good time it was and that the discussion was very good.  Each one of them told me they learned something last night.  YES!  That's why I started this potluck.  Smiles and JOY!  I am hoping we can all learn more together.

Thanks everyone for your culinary efforts and for showing up!  Our next potluck will be in January, probably around the third week on a Friday night again.  I'll let you know the date.  I think I am going to round up some equipment and show Forks Over Knives after dinner.

Summer is Here!

The last two weeks seem like I've been in continual motion.  Summer is here, and I've been taking full advantage of it. Our vegan/vegetarian potluck was June 26 and another success.  We had about 25 people and the sun showed up so we were able to sit outside and visit.  The musicians who contacted me didn't show up, but it was not a problem.  We had a great time getting to know each other and sharing what we prepared with each other.  We had some door prizes this time and my husband made some great flower arrangements with flowers from our yard. Our next potluck is August 21 and my friend John has agreed to play  music for us.  He has his own original folksy-blues kind of music, it should be very enjoyable.


Right after that, we held a bake sale at work for our Relay for Life team and baked for three days. I made about 12 dozen vegan cookies, spelt foccacia bread, and some chocolate beet cake. Donna, Tracy, & Michele were also busy in their kitchens, we filled two long tables with goodies and I think we raised a little over $200 for our team. My favorite was Michele's chai muffins with pistachios.

The very next weekend was the fourth of July and we played with the hippies up at the Rainbow Gathering.  That was an enjoyable experience, it involved a bit more hiking than I was ready for.  If we ever decide to go backpacking, I might have to start working out a bit more before we get going and definitely pack less.  I am so glad we made it, much of it did feel just like home.  I had so many memories of our friends and family in La Honda, especially the ones that are no longer with us. I volunteered at a vegan kitchen on "Serenity Ridge".  It was a beautiful spot with a lot of friendly people, musicians playing their guitars, drums, and singing camp songs.  The weather was great, a bit cold at night, but the sun came out for all three days we were up there.  It was just like being a kid at summer camp.

Last week we were blessed with a reunion with old friends. Tony & Catherine were visiting Oregon from Virginia to support their niece who is walking the Oregon Coast for charity.  We spent Thursday afternoon walking around Portland and had dinner at the Blossoming Lotus, in Portland, and in my opinion one of  the best vegan restaurants in Portland.  The last time we saw them was about 22 or 23 years ago when we met in Yosemite for some camping and hiking.I've known Tony and Catherine since I was about 22, we've had some crazy times together.  Cathy & I were reminiscing about a weekend, long ago, we traveled from LA to Las Vegas in the back of our Chevy Luv truck. Yes, we went all the way on a small mattress in the back of the truck and had a great time.  Can't imagine doing that now. I remember our 'truck lag' lasting all weekend.  Standing still felt like we were still moving.

The garden is growing well and I'm beginning to find treasures every time we go out.  Last week I harvested kale, spinach, garlic scapes, a couple artichokes, and lettuce.  Garlic scapes are the curly flower top that shoots out of the hard necked garlic.  I cut them off to give more energy and nutrients to the garlic head growing below the ground. The garlic scapes are great sautéed and can be stored and used for flavoring future dishes. I've rough chopped them and placed them in the dehydrator.  Woo who, the house is filled with the smell of garlic, so strong, I wonder if the neighbors can smell it. I'll grind some into a powder when they are completely dry to use in raw marinara sauces and other goodies I make this year. Our artichokes are coming in strong this year.  I've already plucked a nice big one to try.

This weekend I'm attending a 2 day Vegan Fusion workshop taught by the co-author of my most favorite vegan cookbooks,  Vegan World Fusion Cuisine, Mark Reinfeld.  I'll be sure to post about the fun I had there.

Simple Vegetable Soup & Raw Chocolate Raspberry Pie

I just did the basics last week, pot 'o black beans, a big salad, a simple vegetable soup, and a raw chocolate raspberry pie. I am lucky enough to still have a few berries in the freezer from last summer.

Vegetable Soup: broccoli, carrots, red onions, sweet peppers, garlic, Jerulsalem artichokes, and brown rice.

Raw Chocolate Raspberry Pie

Crust - Raw Almonds,  Med Jul Dates, coconut flakes
Filling - raspberries, coconut butter (pureed coconut flakes), organic cocoa powder, and agave.
Topping - Cashew Coconut Creme

Blueberry Goodness and other Culinary Delights

Morgaine and I put our culinary delights together this weekend.  I like going out to her place. She lives on an island on the Columbia River.  It's not very far, about 20 miles, but it seems like I've gone somewhere far when we're out there.  The scenery is a bit different driving along the river, there are many shorebirds and a fresh coastal smell. It was a great break.  She's also a whole foods cook, working with the freshest, local ingredients available. We both love the adventure of just trying something that sounds good with the ingredients currently available, recipe in hand or not.  Dessert was very blue and very tasty.She made some blueberry pie with local blueberries she put up last summer.

I made a vegan blueberry pudding cake, a variation of the lemon pudding cake I've made before from the Vegan Dad cookbook.  I substituted blueberry juice for the lemon juice in the recipe, used orange zest instead of lemon, and put a layer of fresh blueberries on the bottom of the pan before the cake batter.

They were very good together, parfait style with a little soy whipping creme.

For our dinner, I made vegan AuGratin potatoes and roasted a whole acorn squash.  She made some wonderful whole grain bread, vegetables tempura with a nice variety of fresh vegetables, onions, carrots, yams, and more.  She also made a sweet and sour sauce for the vegetables and some sautéed chicken breast.  Most of the meal was plant based.  This is where my flexitarian comes in.  I didn't enjoy a whole portion of chicken breast, but I did have a small taste.  After all, someone did go to the trouble to make it, I am going to show my appreciation for her cooking and try it. I also know that she obtains her animal protein from the most local sources. I used her homemade sauce over the tempura vegetables, it was a great combination.  Together we came up with a great feast and there was some jolly conversation in the room after dinner, but soon there was a quiet that came over the house as everyone settled in very well fed and relaxed.

Vegan Au Gratin

Homemade Fresh Whole Grain Bread

Tempura Vegetables

Almond Butter Madeleines

 
I told you I was going to make some Madeleines today.  Up until about a week ago, I had never heard of them.  Apparently they are a little cake with quite a long history.

"Some sources, including the New Oxford American Dictionary, say madeleines may have been named for a 19th century pastry cook, Madeleine Paulmier, but other sources have it that Madeleine Paulmier was a cook in the 18th century for Stanisław Leszczyński, whose son-in-law, Louis XV of France, named them for her. The Larousse Gastronomique offers two conflicting versions of the history of the madeleine.^"

They're pretty easy.  I tried them first using a recipe from Cook Almost Anything.  The first time I made them, I followed the recipe pretty closely.  This time I substituted Almond butter for the butter, date sugar for the brown sugar, and sucanat for the white sugar.  They came out pretty nice.  I think I'll try another batch or two this weekend using some egg substitutes to get a vegan version.  These look like a nice treat to take to work Monday, it is Valentines Day, a good day for bringing treats.  OK, any day is a good day to bring treats. 8-)

Almond Butter Madeleines

adapted from a recipe by Cook Almost Anything

1/2 cup ground raw pistachios or raw almonds
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, this time I used spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sucanat slightly ground in the food processor
1/3 cup date sugar
3/4 cup almond butter
about 2 TB vegan margarine
2 eggs

Combine vegan margarine and almond butter together and warm just to melt.  Set aside to cool.

Sift together the ground pistachios or almonds,  flour and baking powder and set to one side.

Place the eggs, sugars into the bowl of a food processor and process until combined. Add in the sifted flour mixture and pulse to amalgamate. With the motor running, slowly pour in the cooled, melted butter - stop as soon as it has been mixed through.

Spoon out the batter into a sealable container and store in the fridge to rest - from a few hours to overnight.

Lightly oil and flour the madeleine molds and carefully spoon in the batter to two-thirds fill each cavity. Bake in a preheated oven, 350°,  for about 10-15 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Allow to cool slightly in the tray before dislodging them. Let them cool completely, ridge side up, on a wire rack.

Finish off with a dusting of icing sugar before serving.

Wild Rice and Pecan Pancakes

While sitting in the waiting room of the jail in St. Helens, of all places, there was a Bon Appetit magazine.  I picked it up and started looking at the recipes. I noticed a recipe that looked really good for wild rice pancakes.  What was I thinking?  I went to the window and knocked on the bullet proof glass and asked the receptionist if she would copy it for me.  To my surprise, she did it. I slid it through the little bank drawer you use to give them your ID.  She sent it back with a copy of the page for me.

The recipe is really called Buttermilk Wild Rice Pancakes, but I took out the buttermilk and egg. Although the recipe said they make a great accompaniment to any meat.  I found them a very good main course.

Buttermilk Wild Rice Pancakes

3 cups water
2/3 cup wild rice
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour (I used WW pastry flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used 1/2 cup oat milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice)
1 egg or egg replacer for a vegan pancake
1 tablespoon whipping cream (I used coconut milk creamer)
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
11/2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 teaspoon olive oil

Combine 3 cups water, 2/3 cup wild rice and 1 teaspoon salt in medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until wild rice is tender, about 40 minutes.  Drain well.  cool to room temperature. I made it the night before.

Mix sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground black pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl.  Whisk buttermilk, egg and 1 tablespoon whipping cream in small bowl to blend.  Add to four mixture and stir until well blended.  Mix in cooked wild rice, chopped pecans, and finely chopped shallot.

Cooking in heated olive oil as you would regular pancakes, until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side.

We enjoyed them with the roasted roots I made this weekend.

The Vegan/Vegetarian Potluck was a Success!

Our first vegan/vegetarian potluck in Longview was a delightful experience.  We cleaned up the store and put out some tables, lit some candles, and put out some wonderful food.  Thirty five people showed up with a nice variety of vegan and vegetarian dishes. I didn't taste anything I didn't like and I saw many people going back to the buffet tables more than twice. 



I may have missed some, but of the wonderful dishes to choose from for dinner was:

Lentil Salad
Cauliflower & Raisin Crustini
Spanikopita
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Spinach Quiche with green & red peppers and cheddar cheese
Vegetarian Pizza
Roasted new potatoes with cheddar cheese, yellow bells, olive oil, butter, and balsamic vinegar
Vegan Taco Soup with crunchy toppings like tortilla ribbons and roasted sunflower seeds
Butternut squash and white bean stew with almonds, chickpeas, potatoes, raisins, and spices
Crock Cheese made with tofu and white miso
Raw Kale Salad with Root Veggies
Green salad with romaine, green leaf lettuce, spinach, almonds, and pureed plums
Vegan Cornbread
Asian Pasta and Greens salad
Pumpkin Pie Bars
Sweat Meat Squash Muffins
Peanut Butter Celery Logs
Chocolate Beet Cake muffins with Raspberry Icing
Hibiscus Lemon Cheesecake (I have some of that to munch on today, Thanks Morgaine  :D)

Thanks to my friends for all your help.  Rachel put together a beautiful flier, Michele used her fantastic scrap-booking skills to make us some table signs, Christy, Lester, Rhonda, & I turned that little produce store into a dining room for the evening, and everyone prepared something great for the dinner. I do believe the potluck was very successful. Everyone I've heard from enjoyed themselves and are interested in doing it again.  Peter gave a great talk with a lot of information in a very short time. I was toast yesterday, but I don't think the next one will be as much work. Next time, I'll have a little more help with the arranging. I think having one monthly might be too much, but every two or three months might work.  We'll see. Christy and Les at Payton's enjoyed it and are up for doing it again.

Strawberries, Rhubarb, & Sago

I played with some of the strawberries I put up last spring/summer this weekend. I made this strawberry rhubarb tapioca pudding and some strawberry ice cream. (Ice cream post to come later.)

Strawberries, Rhubarb, and Sago (Tapioca Seed)

I thawed some rhubarb sauce I made this summer and froze and layered it with some cooked Sago. I lightly cooked sliced rhubarb, an Orange, and a couple tablespoons of Agave down to a nice sauce and put some in the freezer last summer. I also thawed out a few strawberries

I found an easy vegan recipe for Rhubarb and Sago from a blog called "Cook Almost Anything" and used my rhubarb sauce.

Coconut Sago
½ cup sago (seed tapioca)
1 cup coconut cream
1½ cups water
½ cup sugar (I used sucanat)

Place the sago, coconut cream, water and sugar into a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat. Be careful not to let the mixture boil and make sure you stir this often so the sago cooks evenly.

The sago will swell and the mixture will become quiet sticky as the starch is released. Once the sago has become translucent, it will be cooked and remove it from the heat.

Layer the pudding and the Rhubarb sauce and chill for a little while.  The pudding gets thicker as it cools, it doesn't take too long to set.  This can be eaten warm or chilled.

Fruited Quinoa & Sugar Free Apricot Muffins

Cherry Vanilla Quinoa

We usually have a smoothie during the week for breakfast, but on the weekend I like to do something different.  I found a nice recipe for quinoa and apricots, cooked in non dairy milk with raisins and vanilla.  I used dried cranberries and the apricots I canned last summer.  The quinoa is kind of special because I grew it in the garden, homegrown quinoa.  We failed to take a picture of it, but I'll post the recipe because it's very easy and it came out very good.  It was raining pretty hard this morning and a warm breakfast was very welcome.

Fruited Breakfast Quinoa

Makes about 6 1/2-cup servings

Quinoa is a highly nutritious grain that was a staple in the diet of the ancient Incas. It has a delicious flavor and a light, fluffy texture.

1/2 cup dry quinoa, well-rinsed
1 1/2 cups vanilla rice milk
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 cup chopped fresh or canned apricots
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine quinoa and rice milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a slow simmer, then cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the quinoa is tender. Stir in cranberries, apricots, and vanilla, then transfer about 1 1/2 cups to a blender and purée. Return puréed mixture to the pan and stir to mix. Serve warm or chilled.

I opened two pints of apricots and drained them for the quinoa.  I was left with about a cup of apricots and quite a bit of good liquid from canning.  When I canned them, I only used  lemon juice and a little stevia. I made some sugar free muffins by substituting 1/2 teaspoon of liquid Stevia and about 1/2 cup of the apricot juice.

Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Apricot Muffins

Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Apricot Muffins

    * 2 cups whole wheat flour
    * 1/2 tsp Stevia and 1/2 cup apricot juice or water
    * 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
    * 1/2 tsp baking soda
    * 1/4 tsp salt
    * 1 tsp ground ginger
    * 1 cup coconut milk
    * 3 tbsp sunflower oil
    * 1 TB ground flax seed and 3 TB water
    * 1 cup canned apricots

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a nonstick 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray, or line with paper cups.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, oil and egg.

Make a well in the flour mixture and add wet ingredients. Stir until just moist.

Scoop about 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup followed by a teaspoon of apricot preserves. Fill cups evenly with remaining batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden, then cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12 regular or 24 small muffins.

Four Alarm Vegan Chili

Looking through the posts this morning I realized I haven't posted my vegan chili here yet.  I may have, but I can't find it.  I have been making this chili recipe since 1980 when I first discovered vegetarian food could be wonderful. It was just published in The Flexitarian Cookbook, a benefit for Slow Food USA and Yoga Bear

This chili was pretty popular in the little town where we lived in the bay area, La Honda, California. I used to make it in mass quantities for the local annual Green Peace Festival and other events. I have won four chili cook offs with this recipe, the first one in the "most unusual" category, kind of like me, most unusual. It's not complicated and very colorful. It's vegetarian only because I added cheddar cheese as a garnish, but if you leave off the cheese it is a vegan recipe. It's a great source of protein and fiber as well as a good warmer on a cold day.

Vegan Chili

Vegetarian if you add cheese

Three medium onions, sliced in rings
Three Anaheim peppers, remove the seeds, slice thin
Three stalks of celery sliced thin
Two to three jalapeno peppers, depending how hot you like it, take out the seeds and slice thin
A 28 oz. can of tomatoes, diced, crushed, whole, your choice, I like the fire roasted tomatoes ( I used canned tomatoes from our garden.)
Four or five cloves of garlic, chopped, sliced, crushed, your choice
1 TBL crushed basil, (I dry basil in season and use a coffee grinder to crush the leaves)
One tablespoon Chipotle chili powder, regular chili powder is fine I have just grown to like the smoked Chipotle flavor
A dash of chili sauce, Tabasco sauce or your favorite flavor
One tablespoon apple cider vinegar
About a half teaspoon each of sea salt and pepper, or to taste
Water just enough to cover the beans

About six cups beans:

3 cups white beans, great northern or pinto beans,
3 cups black beans or kidney beans,

I am using dried beans soaked for about four or five hours, if you use canned beans, use three small cans of each color with the liquid in the can, decreasing the water you use Or, you could use six cups of one kind of bean, I like the different colors and textures myself.

3/4 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup raisins
2 TBL chopped parsley

Saute the onions, celery, and peppers until tender. Add the garlic, basil, chili powder, and salt and pepper and saute for a couple minutes more. Add the tomatoes, chili sauce and vinegar and cook for about three to five minutes. Add the beans and water and simmer on a low setting for about an hour, or until the beans are tender. If you are using canned beans, they are already cooked, so simmer for about thirty minutes instead. Add the cashews, parsley, and raisins and simmer until the cashews are tender, usually about 15-20 minutes. Garnish with some sliced green onions and grated cheddar cheese. Leave off the cheese and it's a vegan meal with no cholesterol.

Sometimes I have served it over a little Bulgar wheat in the bottom of the bowl. This adds a little more depth to the meal. I have also used a little beer in the liquid for an interesting flavor.

Everyone balks when they hear that this chili contains cashews and raisins, but they all like it when they try it. The cashews become like a sweet bean and add a nice flavor as well as some added plant protein and fiber.

Vegetarian/Vegan Potluck in Longview

We're having the first of, I hope, a regular vegetarian/vegan potluck in Longview next Friday night. I've always incorporated vegetarian meals in our menus.  I've been interested and preparing vegetarian dishes since the early eighties.  I had two main dishes that I made that were big hits in our family, vegetarian chili and lasagna, . My chili recipe has just been published in The Flexitarian Cookbook.  I used to make it by the gallons for an annual Green Peace festival in San Gregorio, CA. As I progressed in my cooking experience, I wanted to make more healthy meals.  I was always a skinny thing growing up, but sometime in my thirties I began to take on some weight.  Most of the people in my maternal family suffer from obesity and the related diseases that go with it, specifically diabetes. My grandfather died of heart disease about the same age as I am now.  I believe it was directly related to his lifestyle and eating habits.  He owned a diner. I wanted to avoid that so I started studying more and more about plant based eating.  I started buying vegetarian cookbooks and experimenting regularly. Soon we got to the point where we were eating vegetarian most of the time, not just once or twice a week. Now, we eat vegan most of the time.

I love to cook, as anyone who reads this blog knows.  I couldn't continue making the same dishes over and over again.  This wasn't going to work.  I found NW Veg in Portland, Oregon about six years ago.  I saw an ad for a Veg Fest in Portland so I thought I would check it out.  It was their first one, I think. When I got there, I was so excited, there were tables of wonderful food, books, the authors of the books, Earth friendly ideas for home and health, CSA information, and much more.  There were over 40 vendors there with samples of vegetarian and vegan items I had seen in the market, but wasn't sure what to buy.  I had an opportunity to hear from the creator and co author of the Blossoming Lotus' cookbook, Vegan World Fusion Cuisine.  (Which is now my favorite vegan cookbook) I watched a vegan sausage cooking demonstration and promptly went home and recreated what I had learned.  Sometime after that I met Chef Al Chase and took his five day vegan culinary arts course.  I was so pleased when I got home.  Now I could not only understand what many of these vegetarian and vegan ingredients were, I could bake without butter, eggs, or milk.  I participated in the Master Vegetarian Program NW Veg put together a few years ago.  A ten week class complete with knowledgeable speakers and cooking demos. We even toured a permaculture farm in Portland and checked out a couple vegan restaurants during the class. The Veg Fest has now blossomed into a two day event held at the Portland convention center.  Check it out this year!

NW Veg has been sponsoring vegetarian and vegan potlucks in Portland for many years.  It's an opportunity for people to share their knowledge, ideas, and experiences along this plant based journey.  I've heard and seen some great speakers at their potlucks and other events. Another began in Vancouver, WA about three years ago.  I haven't been to but a couple because they are on Thursday's and Sundays.  Portland is about an hour drive from my home and Thursday and Sunday being 'school nights', I don't get out to them very much. I've decided it's time to try it in our own community.  I asked our local produce store if we could hold it there. What better way to enjoy our vegetarian and vegan experience than surrounded by fruits and vegetables.  Peter Spendelow, the president of NW Veg and an animal activist has volunteered to be our first speaker. He will discuss reasons change to a plant based diet, health, the environment, and the animals. I'm very pleased at the positive response I'm seeing in the community.  I think we're going to have a nice turnout.

So today I am off to the produce store to do some cleaning.  There's a little space in the back that was once a cafe.  I'm going to clean the kitchen so it's presentable next weekend.  I've rented some tables and chairs, I've ordered and printed out some literature from Vegan Outreach and the Physicians for Responsible Medicine website, I've had a lot of help from my friends, and I know what I'm cooking. I'm making spanikopita, a big batch of the VegNew signature Mac & Cheese, and some chocolate beet cupcakes.

So, come out to Payton's Produce in Longview, WA next Friday, January 21, at 7:00.  Bring a plant based dish, a card listing the ingredients, and your place setting.  You can come out for the potluck or just to hear Peter speak. You don't have to be a vegetarian or vegan. If you are interested in adding plant based food in your life, come find out What's For Dinner.

This Grandma Makes Her Own Ice Cream

Babysitting the grandchildren this evening and I want some goodies around when they get here.  I picked up some chocolate mint soy milk the other day.  I don't usually purchase the flavored soy milk, but this was a good price and my husband and granddaughter like chocolate non dairy milks.  It didn't seem to be going very fast so I made ice cream with it. This time I did a very simple recipe with the chocolate soy milk in place of milk and coconut milk creamer in place of the cream. This can be made with any non dairy milk. 

I used a pretty simple mixture this time, it came out very chocolaty with a little hint of mint.

Vegan Chocolate Mint Ice Cream

1 cup sucanot
2/3 cup raw agave syrup
2/3 cup organic cocoa powder
1/4 cup WW pastry flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 cup choc mint soy milk
3 TB egg replacer with 1/2 cup water, whisked until foamy
1 TB vanilla extract
 3 cup choc mint soy milk
1 pint coconut milk creamer

In medium saucepan combine sucanot, agave, cocoa, flour and salt; stir in milk and egg replacer.  cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until mixture boils.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla, choc mint soy milk, and the coconut milk creamer.  Chill until cold and freeze in ice cream freezer for about 30 minutes.

Now, my granddaughter's brother, Eryk, and I are just getting to know each other.   He's physically challenged and doesn't speak or walk.  He does sign, so we are learning to communicate.  This is the second time I've gotten the chance to hang out with him.  He's from a different relationship, my former daughter in law's second son. He's four years old and this year is the first time we've really met.  That's another story for another time. I'm just grateful I get to play with him now. He doesn't like ice cream much I hear because he doesn't like very cold things.  He did cringe the last time he was here when I fed him some peach ice cream.  It took him awhile, but he did finally like it.  I decided to put together a pudding just in case the ice cream isn't a winner.

I made an old  fashioned tapioca pudding, with the tapioca pearls, not a pudding mix.  This is a vegetarian dessert as I did use non dairy milk, but I used the eggs this time.  I wanted a nice fluffy pudding and I didn't want to fool around with a failed experiment today.  I folded in some of the dark red cherries I canned this summer along with a handful of currants, some shredded coconut, and orange zest.  I also grated some cinnamon and nutmeg into the egg whites as they were being whipped into meringue.  I think he'll like it, we do.

Tapioca Pearls

Spiced Tapioca with Cherries and Coconut

I just roasted a red pepper and made some pizza crust.  Having a rough time with the rising in this weather.  Makes me wish for a gas stove so the pilot light would help keep things warm enough for a dough.  It rose some, it will just be a crispy crust.  Anyway, we're going to make homemade pizza together.  I thought the kids would like that.  I am caramelizing onions, sauteing some fresh mushrooms, grated some organic mozzarella cheese and some almond cheddar. I got some Gimme Lean meatless sausage I'm going to dress up with some of my own herbs.  We'll let you know later how that turns out.  Fun times, I love being a grandma!

Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes

I made potato pancakes with my sweet potatoes this weekend. Mashed sweet potatoes, some grated raw red potatoes, diced onion, spelt flour, and baking powder. I used ground flax seeds and water as an egg substitute. Served with some curried cherry chutney on top. I received the chutney as a gift. It's not for the culinary squeamish, it's got a really strong curry flavor. It went very well with the pancakes.

Christmas Limas - Festive Holiday Pie

The other half of the pot of Christmas Limas I cooked up this weekend became a Festive Holiday Tart.  I was looking through a holiday cookbook I purchased from VegNews Magazine this morning.  I thought since I paid for it, I should probably use it.  I found a recipe for something called a Festive Holiday Tart.  I had most of the ingredients in the kitchen.  It called for canned chickpeas so I used the rest of the Christmas Lima beans I had cooked.  It also called for some frozen spinach and I just happen to have some lovely collard greens and kale.  I lightly sauteed them together, just until they were wilted and bright green,  in a little sage oil and set aside.This is a very unusual pie.  It's very good, but I can't describe it to you by comparing it to anything I've tried before. I thought it would be something like a vegan mincemeat pie, but it's not like mincemeat either. It is truly unique.  It combines the some of the most prominent flavors of the holiday season, thyme, cranberries, fresh greens, and Christmas Limas.  It's a complete meal.

 

This is my version of the Festive Holiday Tart Recipe,

by Drenna Burton

I made a whole wheat, dairy free, pie crust and put it in the refrigerator to chill. 

1½ TB rosemary oil, divided

1 cup diced onion

¾ cup diced fennel bulb

5 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups cooked and drained Christmas Lima beans

     Save the drained sauce for making gravy later

¾ cup + 2 TB pecans, chopped and divided

2 TB fresh lemon juice

1 TB plus 1 teaspoons shoyu, divided

1¼ cup slightly sauteed collard greens and kale

    The original recipe calls for frozen spinach, that will work fine, if you didn't have the fresh greens

3½ TB dried cranberries

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1½ TB dried thyme

1. Preheat oven to 400°  In a skillet over medium heat, heat 1 TB oil, add onion, fennel, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook until onions begin to caramelize. Set Aside

2.  In a food processor, add Christmas Lima beans (reserve about ½ cup), ¾ cup pecans, lemon juice, and 1 TB shoyu, and pulse to lightly chop (do not purée).  Remove half of the chopped mixture from the food processor and transfer to a large bowl.

3.  Transfer sautéed onions to the remaining mixture in the food processor.  Purée until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Transfer purée to bowl with lightly chopped beans and pecan mixture.  Add greens, cranberries, parsley, thyme, and the reserved lima beans.  Stir to combine and transfer to the prepared pie shell, spreading evenly.

4. In a small bowl, combine remaining oil and shoyu, and brush on top of pie and crust.  Sprinkle with the remaining pecans.  Bake for about 35 minutes until lightly browned.

Christmas Limas - with Roasted Beets & Quinoa

My boss has some fun with us at Christmas, she does "a twelve days of Christmas" event as our Christmas gift.  It's lots of fun, it sure makes December a fun month at work. Donna and I receive a gift, go to lunch, take an hour at Starbucks, play a light hearted game together of dominoes or cards with the three of us and no phones for an hour, create something crafty and festive, or sometimes it's a scavenger hunt to find a gift.  The scavenger hunts are fun, she goes to quite a bit of work sometimes coming up with her clever clues.  It might catch on too, others in the building have fun watching us wander around the building hunting for the next clue.  Sometimes she involves them in the game.  My husband likes it too, he looks forward to finding out what we did each day.  She also gives most useful gifts.  One of our days' gifts this year was a basket with three different kinds of beans and spices.  I'll get at least eight to twelve meals out of those beans.

Of the three varieties of beans were "Christmas Lima." I'd not heard of these before and the description sound good, "A savory flavor with hints of chestnuts."   

Christmas Limas (Phaseolus Limensis) are related to the lima bean, similar to the giant Peruvian Lima but plumper. This is a large bean with a maroon pattern over a creamy background. The Christmas Lima may be referred to as a speckled lima or butter bean in addition to a calico bean.

I set them to soak Friday night and Saturday morning I cooked them with  filtered water, salt, a diced onion, and a couple carrots.  i wanted to cook them very simply so I could taste the flavor of the bean.  It's a very flavorful bean with a nice texture and doubles in size.

While they were simmering I searched for a recipe.  It didn't take long to find one and I was pleased to find I had all the ingredients handy. 

Christmas Lima Beans and Quinoa

Christmas Lima Beans and Quinoa

 Christmas Lima Beans, Roasted Beets, Quinoa, Avocado, Lemon Juice, sweet onion, honey, and white balsamic vinegar.  The recipe calls this a side dish, but for us it was a perfect winter maindish. 

 

My husband rolled this collard green like a tortilla and had a Christmas Lima burrito. 

Forks over Knives - Special Preview Screening

Special Talk with T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. December 8, 2010

7:00pm at Buchan Hall, Eliot Center, 1226 SW Salmon Street, Portland, OR 97205

T Colin Campbell was raised on a dairy farm, milking cows. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in animal nutrition from Cornell University, conducting thesis research on increasing production of protein in cattle. However, observations he later made while working on a nutrition improvement project in the Philippines, coupled with his research results in the lab, led him to question his prior assumptions of the value of animal protein, as that research linked the consumption of animal products to a number of chronic diseases in humans.

Dr. Campbell is now Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry, Cornell University; Project Director of the China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and Health Project; and author of more than 300 research papers and recipient of more than 70 grant-years of peer-reviewed research funding. He has served on several grant review committees and actively participated in the development of national and international nutrition policy. He is an internationally known lecturer and co-author of The China Study. His work, along with the work of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., is featured strongly in the new powerful movie Forks Over Knives. Come hear a fascinating talk.

All proceeds from this talk will benefit Northwest VEG's education and outreach efforts. To purchase tickets, click on this link to NW Veg.

Special Preview Screening - December 9, 2010

7:30pm at the Regal Fox Tower, 846 SW Park Avenue, Portland, OR 97205

Followed by a panel discussion with special guests:

T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D.

Brian Wendel, Creator and Executive Producer

Lee Fulkerson, Writer and Director

Robert Cheeke, Vegan Bodybuilder and Author

The feature film Forks Over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.

Vegan Mulligatawny Soup

Mulligatawny Detox Soup from The Gluten Free Goddess

I ran across a nice hearty vegetable soup recipe this morning.  It's from the Gluten Free Goddess It's a vegetable soup full of flavor and warms the insides on a winter day.  I just happened to have all the ingredients on hand and it was a good way to use up some of the vegetables from the meals this week like the roasted yams.  I used those instead of the sweet potatoes in the recipe.  I had a red cabbage hanging around just looking for a home, and some other odds & ends like half an onion, a fresh pepper, and some carrots already diced up.

I served it with some toast lightly brushed with some of my homemade sage and rosemary oil.  The cream cheese on top is an herb cream cheese I made this weekend with blanched raw almonds, miso, and dried herbs from the garden.

Vegan Mulligatawny Detox Soup Recipe

This delectable post-modern version of mulligatawny is deliciously complex. The chick peas give it a boost of protein; the apple gives it a sweet-tart kick. Use organic vegetables for maximum detox. Adjust spices if you prefer a mild soup- cayenne pepper has heat.

1 tablespoon avocado oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons mild GF organic curry powder
1 teaspoon organic turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less, to taste
1 medium sweet or red onion, peeled, diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage
1 quart fresh spring water
2 cups organic Super Veggie Juice
1 14-oz. can organic chick peas, drained
A small pinch of sea salt, to taste
1 14-oz. can coconut milk, stirred
Juice from 1 medium lime, or to taste
1-2 teaspoons gluten-free brown rice syrup

For garnish:

Thin apple slices or shredded apple
Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

For a slow cooker:

Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker except the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Cover and cook on high according to your manufacturer's instructions for cooking vegetable soup. When the veggies are tender, add in the coconut milk and lime. Taste test. Add brown syrup to taste. Heat through 15 minutes.

For stove top:

Heat the avocado oil over medium high heat in a medium size soup pot. Add the garlic, ginger, curry, turmeric and cayenne and briefly stir for to season the oil. Add the onion, carrots, cauliflower, apples, sweet potato and cabbage, and sauté until softened, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the spring water and chick peas; season with a touch of sea salt, if desired. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Stir well. Taste for seasoning adjustments. Heat through gently; don't boil.