COOKING DURING QUARANTINE

What are you making while in quarantine?  Being stuck at home has its benefits.....saving money by cooking at home, fresher ingredients, creativity in the kitchen.  We have salads, melon soup, breakfast grain and berry bowl, mushroom fettuccine, quickpea quiche, tempeh enchiladas with mole sauce, cole slaw and roasted corn (oh, and a couple of cold ones).  Please feel free to post any of your food photos.

Love is Served

Made this delicious recipe Cast Iron Chickpea Quiche with Toasted Almond Romesco and Cashew Ricotta (and many more) from the new Cafe Gratitude, Gracias Madre and Gratitude Cookbook Love is Served, Inspired Plant Based Recipes from Southern California.  Click the hyperlink to buy your copy.

Self Quarantine Friday Night In

PASTA BOLOGNESE

We may be stuck in the house but that doesn't mean we have to miss our Friday night out....just that this is Friday night in.  This Pasta Bolognese is delicious and is paired with a TJ's Cabernet Sauvignon and Chopped Salad with a Tri-Citrus Salad dressing (Lemon, Tangerine and Lime) with fruit from our trees.  We can't visit our favorite local Italian restaurant due to the Corona Virus, so this is our favorite from the blog. 

Summer Zucchini Crop

It's that time of year again when there is so much zucchini in your garden that you don't know what to do with it. You can freeze (I shred using a Cuisinart and put them in one cup amounts in baggies to be frozen), dehydrate, sautee', make ratatouille or spiralize it into zucchini pasta.  The one that everyone goes back to and is the most satsfying is this zucchini bread recipe.

SAGE VEGAN BISTRO-CULVER CITY, CA

Dinner!

Top left buckwheat crust pizza with heirloom tomatoes and cashew cream, jack fruit tacos , pierogi with soy ginger reduction.

SHOP AT SPECIALTY MARKETS

Try shopping at specialty markets such as Korean, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Indian etc.  Not only do they have some of the best looking and most exotic produce, there prices are amazing when compared to your neighborhood grocery store.  All of the Shiitake mushrooms shown above were about $2.32 US.  When you buy them dried, which is usually the only way you can get them at the grocery stores, they are about $8.50 for approx 6 mushrooms.  BIG SAVINGS!

Shop the sauces and spice sections as well as you can find tons of things to experiment with to add that extra zip to your dishes.  Don't know what something is, a quick google of the item or write it in the notes section of your phone and look it up later along with recipes using the item.  Have fun on your journey.

KNOW YOUR BMI - HOW NOT TO DIE REVIEW

This Article comes from the book How Not to Die written by Michael Greger, M.D. (founder of one of my favorite and very informative web-sites NutritionFacts.org) and written with Gene Stone. He talks about how to figure out your BMI (Body Mass Index) which is your weight in pounds vs. your height in inches.  Many say that it's not a fair assessment because people that are in shape with lean muscle may have a higher BMI due to the fact that muscle is heavier than fat.  He addresses that as well.

From the book:

"To study body weight, we usually rely on body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of weight that also takes height into account.  For adults, a BMI over 30 is considered obese.  Between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered "ideal weight."  In the medical profession, we used to call a BMI of under 25 "normal weight."  Sadly, that's no longer normal."

He goes on to give an easy way to calculate you BMI which I will give a version of here.

With a calculator:

Using a person 5'11" or 71 inches and weighing in at 200 lbs. we'll break it down
Multiply your weight X 703  (200 X 703 = 104,600)
Divide that answer by 71 and then that answer by 71 also  (104,600 ÷ 71 = 1980.2816)
(1980.2816 ÷ 71 = 27.89)
Your body mass would be 27.9 which is considered significantly over weight

If you want to figure it out another way if you don't like these results and think you're in great shape, try the Weight to Height Ratio (WHtR)

Grab a measuring tape
Stand up Straight and take a deep breath, exhale and let your stomach hang out
The circumference of your belly (halfway between the top of your hip bones and the  bottom of your rib cage) should be half your height - ideally less.

What do we learn from all of this?  If you don't like the results of either test, look in the mirror and recognize that it's time to take your health into your hands and start making better choices.

I highly recommend Dr. Greger's book and please feel free to look information up on his website.  His videos are great.   He is a straight talker and wants everyone to be the healthiest they can be and believes that what you eat is the number one indicator of your current and future health..

CHICKPEA SCRAMBLE

This is such an easy go to breakfast dish.  Have some chickpeas, (canned garbanzo or ones that you cooked), a bit of spinach, some spices and you're good to go.  Serve it with some smokey roasted new potatoes, whole wheat toast with my oil-free cream cheeze and you've got a meal.

15 oz can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed well if canned
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 cup no salt vegetable broth (Roasted Vegetable Stock)
1-2 cups organic baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon black salt (or sea salt if you don't have it)
1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper
*optional add sauteed mushrooms and onions (about 1/4 cup of each)

Rinse chickpeas well and mash, leaving some of them crushed but not completely mashed for texture.
Add the chickpeas to a heated non-stick pan.  Add the spices and vegetable stock and stir well.  Add the baby spinach and cover until the spinach begins to wilt...about 1 minute.  Keep cooking until you get the desired consistency...not floating in liquid but not too dry either.

Serve with your favorite hot sauce

The potatoes were red, purple and white baby new potatoes that were previously boiled whole and quartered for this dish.  I heated a non-stick pan and added the potatoes.  When they became caramelized on two sides, I added 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika, a pinch of sea salt and 1/4 cup of Vegetable Stock.   Stir the potatoes until mixed well and cook until the stock evaporates.

MAKE YOUR OWN PLANT BASED TURKEY

Click here for the recipe

MASHED POTATOES

Mashed Potatoes. to me, are the perfect food.  They offer comfort, flavor and lots of whole food nutrition and they're filling.  Make lots and keep them in the fridge for that quick snack.

Ingredients:

4 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes
1/4 cup vegan/plant-based Sour Cream or Aioli
1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice (I prefer almond)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
sea salt (start with 1/2 tsp
white pepper to taste (go easy with this...it's stronger than black pepper)

Place the cold potatoes in a pot of cold water.  Boil the potatoes, skins and all, until fork tender (stick a fork or knife in and there should be no resistance) .  Drain the potatoes.  Add the remaining ingredients and mash.  Taste and adjust seasonings.
Serves 2-3 (or in my case 1)

Photos from:

Sunday Supper
Seitan or Wheat Meat
Turkey Day
Meat Loaf

JAPANESE/KOREAN FUSION SALAD

While visiting Cafe Gratitude recently,  we had this delicious salad that was surprisingly flavorful, filling and satisfying.  I thought I would try to replicate it by putting my own twist on the ingredients and sauces while keeping with some of the same flavors.  It is Japanese/Korean fusion because it combines ingredients that are typically found in Japanese food such as Daikon radishes, sesame seeds, Kelp, Udon Noodles and Tamari with Kim-chi which is very Korean.  Needless to say, the combination is amazing. Here's what I did.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup each of shredded Daikon radish, julienne of cucumbers, thinly sliced radishes, scallions, diced red bell pepper and cilantro.  I added a cup of micro-greens as well.  

1 cup of Organic spicy Kim-chi

For the noodles I used buckwheat Udon noodles prepared according to package directions.

For the sauce I reduced a 1/3 cup each of the following: fresh Ruby Red Grapefruit juice, orange juice and lemon juice along with 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger root using a micro-plane and 2 tablespoons of Tamari.  Reduce it by half.  When it's cooled a bit, add it to a blender with 1 cup of walnuts and 1 cup of Tahini Sauce.  Once it's all blended, add water until you get the consistency you want....I went for a thick salad dressing.  

I mixed all of the ingredients in a large bowl with as much dressing as you like, but start with about 1/2 cup.  

Garnish with 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon of Dulce Flakes

TBT SUMMER TOMATO PASTA

It's that time of the year when the tomatoes are piling up on the counter, the basil has become a shrub and you don't know what to do with it all.  Here's one of the simplest and most delicious pasta dishes you can make.  You all know that Sherry Vinegar goes great with tomatoes, right?  Well, now you do....and this critical ingredient rocks the dish (don't waste your time substituting the vinegar....buy some sherry vinegar).

Ingredients:

1 pound whole grain angel hair pasta (I prefer semolina)
2 to 3 pounds of homegrown tomatoes chopped
8 oz package of sliced sun-dried tomatoes (you can make your own, just don't buy them packed in oil)
1/2 medium red onion chopped
2 cups basil chiffonade (roll the basil leaves to look like cigar and finely slice into ribbons of basil)
3 tablespoons at least of sherry vinegar (you'll taste later and add more if needed)
sea salt (at least a teaspoon of salt)
freshly ground black pepper

Begin boiling a large pot of water for the pasta
While waiting for the water to boil, chop up the tomatoes and onion and add to a large bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.   The salt will draw out tomato water and create a fresh tasting sauce.(The earlier you do this step, the more tomato water your sauce have)  When you put the pasta in the boiling water (it will take 4 minutes), add the vinegar to the tomatoes and onion and stir.  When the pasta is done, reserve a couple cups of the pasta water.  Drain the pasta but don't rinse it.  Add the pasta to the bowl of tomatoes and onion.  Mix really well, until you can see tomatoes throughout.  While this rests, add the sun-dried tomatoes to about a cup of the pasta water to re-hydrate them.  After about 2 minutes drain off the water and add them to the pasta.  Throw in the basil and mix it all again.  If it seems to dry, add some of the pasta water.  The vinegar should be a pleasant taste in the background but not over powering.  If you need more add it.  Taste for salt and serve.  We ate all of this for two people it's that good.

UPROOTING THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH

I love this guy and the interesting way he presents information. Very informative!

HUNGRY?

Nachos.  I've blogged about these before but they're still really good.  Made these for some friends recently and that's all we had for dinner.  They didn't last!

Here's the recipe

EAT PLANT BASED TO FIGHT ALZHEIMER'S

SUNDAY SUPPER

Miss those Sunday Roast dinners? This is a delicious Roast Au Jus served over Yukon gold and sweet potato mash with roasted corn and fresh peas in a lemon soy sauce. 

Thinly sliced Seitan

Mashed combo of Yukon Gold potatoes and sweet potatoes with Vegan Sour Cream, sea salt and white pepper to taste

Mixture of roasted sweet corn and fresh sweet peas sautéed in a fresh lemon and soy sauce (Ponzu if you have it)

Au Jus:

1 cup Roasted Vegetable Stock

2 tablespoons Vegan Worcestershire Sauce

3 tablespoons light soy sauce 

1 teaspoon Crushed Dried Rosemary (or 2 teaspoons fresh, finely chopped)

1 teaspoon dried Thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh, finely chopped)

1 teaspoon dried Tarragon (or 2 teaspoons fresh, finely chopped)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cloves garlic crushed

Black pepper to taste

Bring all ingredients to a slow boil then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.  Let it rest until you're ready to use, then pour it through a fine mesh sieve. 

CHERRY TOMATO SLICING TRICK

SPINACH RICOTTA LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

I know, I know!  It's a mouthful of a title for the recipe, but this truly is wondrous in your mouth.  People always complain that lasagna is a long, arduous process.   This one would be if you made everything from scratch on the same day.  However, if you put this at the back of your mind to make it after you've made my Best Bolognese Ever recipe ahead of time, (meaning you made plenty to have a lot of leftovers) this recipe will be a snap.  It's only 4 ingredients if you have leftovers, oh, and some already made Ricotta Cheeze.  Here's the recipe.


Ingredients:

1 pound spinach (I used already washed organic baby spinach)
2-3 cups Best Bolognese Ever
Lasagna noodles (I used 100% semolina)
1 cup Ricotta Cheeze
Parmesan Sprinkle (optional and a 5th ingredient, sorry)

Preheat your oven to 375° F 

Boil a large pot of water as if you were making the lasagna noodles (read the side of the box).  I like to use the boil kind of noodles, but you can use the no-boil....it's a preference thing for me but maybe one less step for you.  Set a large bowl of water with ice in it next to the boiling noodles.  Put the spinach in the boiling water for 30 seconds and then lift it out and put it in the ice water.  This will shock the spinach and set the color so you don't end up with black or dark colored spinach.  Wrap the spinach in a kitchen towel and twist the two ends until you squeeze out as much water as possible.

Put the Lasagna noodles in the already boiling water and boil according to the direction on the box (since we're rationing water in California this is a water saver tip).  I used a 9" X 12" baking dish for the lasagna.

Layering: 
1.  The first layer in any lasagna should always be sauce and this holds true here. 
2.  The noodles slightly overlapping each other. 
3.  Thin layer of spinach
4.  Dollops of Ricotta Cheeze
5.  Repeat steps 1-4 until you have three layers ending with a top layer of noodles with sauce.

Tent some aluminum foil over the pan (keeping the aluminum from touching the lasagna) and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the aluminum and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Let the lasagna rest because if you slice it now it will fall apart.  Ideally, if this is a do-ahead meal, refrigerate, slice your pieces, and warm in a 325° for about 25 minutes.

Sprinkle some Parmesan Sprinkle on top and enjoy. 

PARMESAN SHAKER

It's sometimes hard to find substitutes for staples that I used to enjoy when eating a non-plant based diet such as Parmesan Cheese.   This version of the cheese that is so connected to pasta, pizza and many other classic Italian dishes it is easy to make  and very addicting, not to mention delicious.  I used a dry spice container on my Vitamix, but you can use any coffee grinder, spice grinder and many other blenders to achieve the same result.

To your blender/grinder add:

1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews
1/2 cup raw, unsalted almond slivers
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
for a twist you can add some cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, dried Italian herbs, or herbs d'provence.  Be creative, but most importantly, enjoy.

        



CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE

This recipe comes to me from a friend of mine that I was visiting in Colorado back in 2015.  Pat Krummerei is famous for his Cheese Cake but he discovered this recipe and it turns out it's Whole Foods Plant Based.  Sue and Pat hosted us for a great get together and capped off the Pasta Bolognese that I made and Avocado Kale Salad that Bryan prepared (from the Engine2 Diet book) for our dinner.  It was a great way to end the meal....thanks again Sue and Pat.  The recipe above is doubled as I used a spring form pan instead of a pie pan.

Ingredients:

For the Crust
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup oat flour
6 Medjool dates (pitted)
1/2 cup non dairy milk (I used flaxseed)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Pulse all ingredients in a blender or food processor until they become a thick dough ball.  Press these into a pie pan and bake for 15 minutes or until the crust starts to darken slightly around the edges.

For the filling:

12 oz. firm tofu (weighed after water is squeezed out)
8 oz of 100% Cacao chocolate for baking or melting.  I used Guittard brand
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup almond milk (or other non dairy milk)
pinch of sea salt

In a double boiler, slowly melt the chocolate until completely smooth stirring often.  Add all of the filling ingredients to a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Taste for sweetness and if it's not to your liking, add a bit more agave syrup and blend until you get the desired taste. Pour the ingredients into the pie crust and place in the refrigerator to allow the filling to firm up.   Serve with some fresh or macerated fruit for a delicious and rich dessert.