Monthly Archives: October 2009

Friday Inspiration: Unusual Fruits and Vegetables

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So how have you been doing with your apple-a-day goal?

I’m happy to say that I DID IT! I’ve eaten an apple every day since last Friday. I have to admit it really hasn’t been that difficult, I mean the apples – especially the Honeycrisps – are SO GOOD! Even D. is choosing an apple for his snack these days!

So since that was so easy (!), for this next week I propose shifting the focus away

Can you guess what this is?

Can you guess what this is?

from the familiar and onto the unfamiliar. Unfamiliar fruits and veggies, that is. It’s so easy to just stick to what you know, eating the same foods week after week. How often do you go out of your way to purchase a food that makes you think “gee I don’t even know what to do with this!” ? It’s slightly uncomfortable, isn’t it? I mean, WHAT IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT???

But then again, you just might love it.  :)

So over the next week, I will try FIVE new fruits and veggies. Right now I’m thinking that these are the five that I’ll explore:

  1. Persimmon
  2. Yuzu
  3. Damson
  4. Jerusalem Artichoke
  5. Chicory

Of course this all depends on whether or not I can find these foods in my local markets. :)

So how about you? Are you willing to join me in exploring unusual fruits and vegetables?

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“Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

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Vegetarian Athletes

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tonygI think there is a misconception out there that you can’t be a top athlete on a vegetarian or vegan diet. Like, you won’t get enough protein to sustain the extra activity, or something like that.

Well here’s a list of veg athletes that I’ve compiled over the past few weeks. Check it out – you might be surprised!


Hank Aaron Baseball Player
Charlie Abel A raw vegan muscleman and personal trainer
Ridgely Abele Winner of eight national championships in karate
Brian Anderson Pro Skateboarder
Anastasia Ashley Surfer
Raja Bell NBA Basketball Player
Steve Bellamy Founder of the Tennis Channel
Steve Berra Proskater
Rob Bigwood Pro Arm-wrestler
Surya Bonaly Olympic figure skating champion
Brendan Brazier Professional Ironman triathlete
Peter Brock Australian touring car driver
Leroy Burrell Olympic Champion
Peter Burwash Davis Cup winner and professional tennis star
Andreas Cahling Mr. International Bodybuilder
Chris Campbell Olympic wrestling champion
Nicky Cole First woman to walk to the North Pole
Luke Commo UFC Ultimate Fighter
Mac Danzig professional mixed martial arts fighter
Sally Eastall Marathon Runner
Matt Field Pro Skateboarder
Prince Fielder Milwaukee Brewers
Danny Garcia Pro Skateboarder
Tony Gonzalez Atlanta Falcons starting tight end
Estelle Gray World record holder, X-country tandem cycling
Ruth Heidrich Six-time Ironwoman
Keith Holmes World-champion middleweight boxer
Desmond Howard NFL star, Heisman trophy winner
Peter Hussing European super heavy-weight boxing champ
Moses Itkonen Pro Skateboarder
Seba Johnson Olympian
Scott Jurek ultramarathon runner
Scott Jurek Ultramarathoner, Course Record Holder
Jim Kaat Baseball Player
Billie Jean King Tennis Champion
Forest Kirby Pro Skateboarder
Killer Kowalski Wrestler
Chris Lambert Pro Skateboarder
Georges Laraque NHL Pittsburgh Penguins
Tony Larussa Baseball Manager
Debbie Lawrence World record holder, women’s 5K racewalk
Marv Levey Buffalo Bills Coach
Carl Lewis Track and field star
Carl Lewis Olympic Track Star
Sixto Linares World record holder, 24-hour triathlon
Ingra Manecki World champion discus thrower
Bill Manetti Power-lifting champion
Mike Manzoori Pro Skateboarder
Cheryl Marek World record holder, x-country tandem cycling
Ben Matthews U.S. Master’s marathon champion
Rick McCrank Pro Skateboarder
Dan Millman World champion gymnast
Edwin Moses Gold medalist – 400-meter hurdles
Joe Namath Football Player
Martina Navratilova Champion tennis player
Paavo Nurmi Long-distance runner, 9 Olympic medals
Fiona Oakes Olympian
Jen O’brien Pro Skateboarder
Robert Parnish Center (Bulls)
Bill Pearl Four-time Mr. Universe
Laban Pheidas Proskater
Lawrence Phillips Football Player (49ers)
Bill Pickering World record-holding swimmer
Venkatesh Prasad Cricketer
Stan Price World weightlifting record holder, bench press
Pat Reeves Power Lifter
Andrew Reynolds Pro Skateboarder
Murray Rose Swimmer, many Olympic gold medals & world records
Geoff Rowley Pro Skateboarder
John Salley Toronto Raptors
Dave Scott Six-time winner of the Ironman triathlon
Brad Staba Pro Skateboarder
Lucy Stephens Tri-athlete
Art Still Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs MVP defensive end
Salim Stoudamire NBA Basketball Player
Brian Sumner Pro Skateboarder
Ed Templeton Pro Skateboarder
Jamie Thomas Pro Skateboarder
Sergei Trudnowski Pro Skateboarder
Christine Vardaros World class cyclo-cross racer
Jane Wetzel U.S. National marathon champion
Ricky Williams Former NFL running back
Charlene Williams Olympic champion figure skater
Kenneth G. Williams Bodybuilder -3rd at the 2004 Natural Olympia
Tyrone Willingham Notre Dame football coach
Joel Tudor Surfing champion & Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt

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Vegan Thai Pumpkin Soup

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veganmofo

A pumpkin stem

Image via Wikipedia

I went to a local pumpkin patch the other day – don’t you just love pumpkin patches? There is just something so enchanting about walking through a sea of plump orange pumpkins. I took home up a few carving pumpkins and a sugar pumpkin. Usually the smaller sugar pumpkins are the ones used for cooking, but I decided to try cooking one of the carving pumpkins just to see how it would turn out.

I sliced the carving pumpkin into large hunks, and scooped out the seeds and the stringy stuff. Then I put the pumpkin pieces on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and baked at 325F for about 90 minutes.

DSC_0203 ps

I scooped out the fleshy part and discarded the skin. Then tonight I made pumpkin soup! I love the Thai combination of coconut, chilis, and pumpkin, so I started with those ingredients and went from there.

Vegan Thai Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 T canola oil
  • 4 shallots, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 2 Thai chilis, chopped
  • 2 T chopped ginger
  • 1 t cinnamon
  • 2 1/4 C veggie broth
  • 1 can lite coconut milk
  • 4 C chopped cooked pumpkin
  • 1/2 t Thai chili paste (for extra spice – optional)
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste
  • Salt to taste

Directions

  1. Pour the oil into a large saucepan or stockpot, and heat over low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, chilis, and ginger and saute until the shallots are soft.
  2. Add the cinnamon, veggie broth, coconut milk, pumpkin, and chili paste. Bring to a boil, and then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the flavors have emerged.
  3. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Here’s the finished soup, garnished with fresh basil:

DSC_0250 ps

I served the soup for dinner, along with thick slices of my homemade Multigrain Bread:

DSC_0237 ps

The bread recipe came from a book that Kat lent me, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread by Peter Reinhart and Ron Manville. If you are into baking your own bread, this is a great book as it gives a lot of the explanations on how the recipes work. It’s so interesting and chock full of recipes, so of course I ordered my own copy so that Kat could get her book back! There was one time when I never made bread from scratch, but it’s actually quite easy and not as time consuming as you might thing. Oh and homemade bread tastes amazing :) . Now it just seems like such a waste to buy bread!

Do you cook with fresh pumpkin? What do you make with it?

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Natalie Portman – Vegan “Evil Doer?”

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Natalie Portman encounters the Berlinale audie...
Image via Wikipedia

Wow – talk about getting smacked!

This morning the Huffington Post printed an editorial by Natalie Portman. In the piece, Portman explains how reading Jonathan Safran Foer‘s book Eating Animals convinced her to evolve from being a vegetarian into a vegan activist. Portman praises Safran’s courage in writing a book that seems to promote unpopular beliefs (only about 1% of Americans are vegan), especially in an age where discussing the torture and slaughter of animals is often characterized as “unmanly, inconsiderate, and juvenile.” Portman writes:

“…[Foer] reminds us that being a man, and a human, takes more thought than just “This is tasty, and that’s why I do it.” He posits that consideration, as promoted by Michael Pollan in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which has more to do with being polite to your tablemates than sticking to your own ideals, would be absurd if applied to any other belief (e.g., I don’t believe in rape, but if it’s what it takes to please my dinner hosts, then so be it).”

Uh oh. It’s the latter part of that last sentence, “e.g., I don’t believe in rape, but if it’s what it takes to please my dinner hosts, then so be it,” that got Portman in trouble with Gina Serpe of E! Online.

Serpe’s reply was published just hours later with the headline Natalie Portman Equates Meat-Eating With Rape. Referring to Portman’s Huff piece as a “Harvard-caliber book report,” Serpe translates Portman’s statment into “those who choose to feast on flesh without regard for the moral implications might as well change their name to Roman Polanski.” She then goes on to accuse Portman of “sensationalizing meat-eating” and “grossly discounting the severity of rape.”

HUH?

The girl was giving an EXAMPLE, hence the use of “e.g.” She didn’t say meat-eating = rape. She didn’t call all meat-eaters “child molesters.” She didn’t discount the severity of rape – if anything her point (sticking to your ideals) could only be emphasized by choosing an issue that most everyone would agree IS quite serious. Veganism is an ideal, as is non-violence, compassion, and yes, opposition to rape.

And talk about sensationalizing an issue – Serpe was extremely reckless in creating such a grossly distorted title for her article. I have to wonder, does Serpe has something personal to settle with Portman? Or with vegans in general?

Anyway, my opinion of course. But take a look at Portman’s article on The Huffington Post, and then at Serpe’s reply on e!online and tell me what you think.

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Vegan Cooking Demos on Ellen

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I don’t watch a lot of daytime TV but one show I really love is Ellen. And I love her even more since she came out as a vegan about a year ago.  :)

Recently Ellen has twice hosted her personal chef on her show to demonstrate how easy it is to cook up a healthy, yummy, vegan meal. On Sept 30 they cooked up vegan tacos:

And just last week they prepared a vegan roast with veggies and mashed potatoes:

She also hosted Wolfgang Puck on Oct 15, who whipped up a Whole Wheat Pizza with Chanterelles, Eggplant, and Leeks:

You can find the recipes for these meals at Ellen’s website.

YAY ELLEN!

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Friday Inspiration

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About a month ago I noticed that few fruits and veggies were finding their way onto my plate. A change in my eating habits was in order,

Fresh vegetables are common in a healthy diet.
Image via Wikipedia

which I know from experience is a very difficult thing to do. To get the support and inspiration I needed, I decided to publicly announce my commitment to include more fruits and veggies in my diet. I challenged myself – and you! – to eat NINE fruits and veggies every day for one week. The feedback I got was terrific – apparently I’m not the only one who could stand to add more “dirt candy” to her diet. And so we became a community of fruit-n-veggie eatin’ fools!

I did pretty well for that week –eating anywhere from 6-9 veggies each day, which was a huge improvement for me. And yet the romance of striving to eat nine fruits and veggies a day eventually subsided and (just speaking for myself of course) eventually my eating habits went back to the way that they were. And so here we are a month later and again I’m looking at my diet and again seeing lots of room for improvement.

I am a work in progress. :)

I’ve decided that for each week through the end of the year, I will challenge myself to foster healthy eating and living habits. Each week I will have a new focus. This is just my way of keeping myself engaged and inspired in the process. I hope you’ll join me! The more the merrier, I say, and so I’ve set up a separate page where YOU can share how you are meeting your healthy living goals. Why not support and inspire each other?

An Apple a Day

For the next week, Friday to Friday, I intend to eat at LEAST one apple each day. Now this will not be too difficult given that I absolutely adore Honeycrisp apples and I’ve been stockpiling them over the last month or so. But can I be sure to eat at least one apple every day? Can you?

Who’s in? How will you make sure to eat at least one apple a day? Leave your comments on the new Friday Inspiration page.

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Scrambled Tofu

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I love making scrambled tofu because there are just so many ways you can go with it. You can give it an Indian flare, an Asian infusion, or a Mexican flavoring for example. I also LOVE having breakfast for dinner. So we have scrambled tofu about once a week and each time it’s slightly different.

Tofu in general is a staple in our house. Made from coagulated soymilk, tofu has very little taste or smell and so it takes on whatever flavors you pair with it. Tofu is a good source of protein – 100 calories of tofu contains 11 g protein. In comparison, 100 calories of ground beef provides 8.9 grams of protein, and  100 calories of cheese contains just 6.2 grams. Tofu is also low in calories . In addition, depending on how it was made tofu may have about 227mg of calcium in each 1/2 cup serving, which is about 22% of the Recommend Daily Allowance for calcium.

Here’s an interesting comparison of tofu to animal protein sources:

Protein (g) Calcium (mg) Calories Fat (g)
 Cholesterol (mg)
1/2 cup Firm Tofu 10.1 204 94 1.5 – 5 0
4 oz Beef 26 20 331 15 113
1/2 cup diced Cheddar Cheese 16.44 300 265 21.87 69.24
1/2 cup 2% Milk 5.1 148 60 2.4 9

The batch of scrambled tofu I made today is my current favorite.

DSC_0054

Scrambled Tofu

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil (NOT extra virgin – that’s not for high heat cooking!)
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 red or orange pepper, diced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced or pressed
  • 1 package firm tofu, drained and cut into four large slices and pressed between a couple of towels for about 15 minutes to remove excess moisture
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 cup fresh salsa – I used Santa Barbara brand, which is my favorite, but of course you could also make your own.
  • 2-3 vegan sausage patties, chopped – I used Yves
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast – I ♥ Red Star
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Vegan cheese – Daiya cheddar if you can! (optional)
  • Flour or corn tortillas (optional)
  • Avocado (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium to high heat for about a minute or two. Add the chopped onions and saute until the onions are soft and turning light brown, about 8-10 minutes.
  2. Add the peppers, cumin, thyme, and garlic and saute for about 3-4 more minutes stirring frequently.
  3. Tear off large bite size chunks of tofu and add to the pan, along with the turmeric, salsa and sausage. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, using a metal spatula to turn over the tofu every few minutes. I learned from Isa to really get underneath the tofu when you turn it so that you get some of the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan. If the tofu begins to get dry you can either add in some more salsa or sprinkle with water.
  4. Add in the nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper and cook for about 5 more minutes, occasionally turning the tofu.
  5. In the last minute of cooking, add in the Daiya cheese and gently stir until it melts. Serve in a warmed up tortilla with chopped up avocado and extra salsa.

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O Chickpea I Heart You

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veganmofo

I don’t know why but lately it feels like the day zooms by and suddenly it’s bedtime and I’ve barely touched my “to-do” list. What’s up with that?I keep thinking, OK tomorrow I’ll have time to do “X.” And then tomorrow whizzes by and it’s the next day.

A lot of people have been asking me lately, “how do you get your protein?” (Anyone else ever get that question??? ;) )

One way I get my protein is by eating beans. If I had to name my most favorite bean I would have to say the chickpea. Also knows as the “garbanzo bean, I use chickpeas to make homemade hummus,

White and green chickpeas

White and green chickpeas. Credit: Wikipedia

falafel, and Indian dishes such as Chana Saag (chickpeas and spinach). I love tossing them into salads. After reading Isa‘s recipe for Fronch Toast, I recently used chickpea flour to make my Coconut Peanut Butter and Banana French Toast recipe, which was amazing. With a few herbs and spices added they are even great eaten straight out of the can! I especially love to roast chickpeas, which is what I did tonight.

DSC_0077

Here are a few fun facts about chickpeas:

  • Chickpeas, which originated in the Middle East, are one of the oldest cultivated veggies – they have been carbon dated back to 6790BC
  • There are two main types of chickpeas: Desi (darker, smaller seeds, rough coat) and Kubuli (lighter colored, larger seeds, smooth coat)
  • Recent studies show that chickpeas can help lower cholesterol
  • Chick peas are high in fiber, protein, zinc, and folate

ROASTED CHICKPEAS

Ingredients

  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1-2 Tbs olive oil (NOT extra virgin)
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed
  • chili powder
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. On the stove, heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium heat.
  3. Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
  4. Add the chickpeas, chili powder, salt, and pepper to and mix thoroughly.
  5. Put the skillet in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
  6. Enjoy straight out of the oven or add to salads or pasta.

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Top Five Favorite Small Kitchen Appliances

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Technically this post is not about vegan food, and therefore not following VeganMoFo guidelines. However I propose that you need to PREPARE all of that food somehow and so here are my top five favorite kitchen appliances for making awesome vegan food.

5000FruitLg

Credit: Vitamix

Vitamix. Hands down this is the best investment we’ve ever made in a small kitchen appliance. The Vitamix is a commercial-grade blender that will pulverize the heck out of anything you put in it, including whole carrots, half an apple, big globs of peanut butter, full ice cubes, etc. The Vitamix motor  heats up the food as it blends. So to make soup you can just fill the Vitamix with hot water and your veggies, blend for about 5 minutes, and voila – piping hot soup. At about $400-500 the Vitamix is NOT cheap, but it will last forever. We used to go through blenders like crazy trying to support our smoothie habit – about 2 a year! We’ve had our Vitamix for about five years now and it never lets us down. (TIP: For a good deal, look for a refurbished Vitamix.)

Food Processor. Some things just don’t belong in a blender and that’s when I use my food processor to chop, shred, puree, and sift. Yes, SIFT! This is a baking trick from  Alton Brown: Pulse your dry ingredients in the food processor 4-5 times. The dry ingredients get combined much better than I could do with a spoon, and the aeration you create helps the dry ingredients absorb the wet ingredients better. No more messy and clunky sifters! I have a Cuisinart but I’ve heard the KitchenAids are better.

Panasonic_SR-MS182_600p_270x269

Credit: Panasonic

Rice cooker. I love my Panasonic rice cooker! When I used to prepare rice on the stove it usually turned out a disaster. Rice cooked on the stove needs to be constantly watched to make sure it doesn’t boil over or stop boiling, and even then it doesn’t always turn out well. My rice cooker churns out perfect rice every time thanks to it’s “fuzzy logic” that enables it to make adjustments as it cooks so that the rice turns out just right. A rice cooker can be used to cook other foods as well – entire meals in fact, according to this New York Times article.

Immersion Blender. My simple KitchenAid immersion blender has helped me to enjoy making soups! Many recipes ask you to pour the hot soup into a blender, blend the soup, and then return the hot ingredients back into the pot. There are many opportunites to burn yourself and make a mess when you use this method! The immersion blender lets  you do the blending right in the pot – it’s faster, less messy, and less dangerous :) .

Ice Cream Maker. I LOVE ice cream and homemade ice cream is amazing! So while my Cuisinart ice cream maker is not particularly practical or versatile, I wouldn’t be able to make ice cream without it. Which could be a good thing…or not…

What’s  your favorite small kitchen appliance?

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Coconut Lime Muffins

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veganmofoDSC_0024For the past few days I had this idea in my head to make a lime muffin. I started thinking about all the fabulous flavors that would go well with lime – cherry, raspberry, almond, chili – and then my friend Cheryl recommended “coconut.”

Bingo.

So I got to work making Coconut Lime Muffins and I have to say I think the very first batch was perfect! I took a recipe I found for non-vegan coconut lime muffins and my changes are below.

Vegan Coconut Lime Muffins

DSC_0030

Ingredients

  • 1.5 c AP flour
  • 1/2 c whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 c flaked coconut
  • 1 T lime zest
  • 1 t baking soda
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 3/4 c sugar
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 1 T MELTED coconut oil
  • 1/4 c plain or vanilla soy milk
  • 6 oz vanilla soy yogurt (with cultures)
  • 2 T fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 c almond slivers (optional)
  • 1/4 coconut for sprinkling on top

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350F and prepare a regular muffin pan (12 tins) by spraying it with canola oil.
  2. Combine flours, coconut, lime zest, baking soda, and salt in your food processor and pulse 5-6 times before transferring to a large bowl. If you don’t have a food processor, then simply combine everything in a large bowl and whisk for about one minute.
  3. In  separate bowl, combine the sugar, applesauce, melted coconut oil, soy milk, soy yogurt, and fresh lime juice. Use an electric mixer for about 1-2 minutes or until all of the wet ingredients are thoroughly mixed together.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and add in the almonds if using. Stir until just barely combined – you may still have a few spots of dry ingredients and that’s ok.
  5. Immediately spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan so that each tin is filled to the top. I had some extra batter and ended up making about 9 more mini muffins in a separate muffin pan. Sprinkle coconut on top of each muffin.
  6. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and let sit undisturbed for about 2 minutes before transferring the muffins to a rack to cool.

Enjoy your Vegan Coconut Lime Muffins!

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