Jambalaya

When I lived downtown there was a dirty jazz bar across the street that served delicious veggie jambalaya (and the best raspberry vodka and lemonade in Seattle). No jazz or cocktails when I made this at home, but it still turned out awesome. Don't be intimidated by the long ingredient list. This made enough for 2 dinners, a few lunches, and some in the freezer.

This was my guide http://www.gumbopages.com/food/veg/veg-jambalaya.html and I changed it up for the season and personal taste.

• 2 small yellow onions, diced
• a shallot, diced
• 1/2 head garlic, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell, diced
• A few super sweet teenage carrots, diced
• box of mushrooms, diced
• 4 small zucchini, diced
• handul of frozen ochra
• can of diced tomatoes
• 2 cups black eyed peas
• 2 cups (or so) brown rice
• 6 cups water and buillion
• Creole seasoning to taste (about 3 tsp.)
• sprinkle of dried thyme
• 1 can tomato paste

Caramelize tomato paste in a small pan over medium low heat. This takes a lot of time, so get it started while you saute everything else. Just keep stirring it so it doesn't burn.

Heat oil in a large pot.Saute onions, shallot, garlic, carrots, and bell peppers for a few, till tender.

Add zucchini and ochra, saute another five or so minutes.

Add tomatoes, salt, creole seasoning, rice, and black-eyed peas. Mix well.

Then, back to the paste: deglaze the pan with some of the stock. stir and combine thorougly. I had four cups of the stock in a large pyrex and added the paste to this and stirred well.

Add veggie stock/tomato mix and remaining stock to the pot. Stir and cover.

Cook for an hour till liquid is absorbed. Do not stir while it's cooking.

Potato and Cauliflower Curry

I'm not the best at taking pictures of food, but that's an actual picture of what I made, so yay for me. Kari and I had this last night and it was awesome. I freaked out a little because I thought the curry was going to be too thick so I added a little too much water, but it turned out great, and we have enough left over for at least one more meal. I got this recipe from a food blog I read called The Kitchn.

Potato and Cauliflower Curry
Serves 4-6

1 large or 2 small onions, diced small
1 pound (about 6 small) red potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 cup of water
2 cans (14.5oz) diced tomatoes in their juices
1/4 cup yogurt (sub 1 cup coconut milk and leave out the water to make it vegan)

Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a 4- to 6- quart dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the onions with a half teaspoon of salt until they are soft and translucent. Add the potatoes with another half teaspoon of salt and cook until they are browned on all sides. Add the cauliflower and cook until it is also browned in spots. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds

Toss in all of the spices and stir until they are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the tomatoes and their juices. Add the water or coconut milk. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and let the curry simmer until the potatoes and cauliflower are soft, 15-20 minutes. For a thicker sauce, remove the lid in the last five minutes of cooking to let moisture evaporate.

Turn off the heat and stir in the yogurt. Taste the curry and adjust the salt, pepper, or other seasonings as desired. This curry will keep for one week refrigerated or up to 6 months frozen. (If you're planning on freezing some of it, don't add the yogurt until you're ready to serve the curry.)

Artichoke, Mushroom and Leek Crostini with Pesto

Another great recipe from The Kind Diet! Even my meat eating husband mmm'd and yum'd during eating! Somehow I lost my picture of these but I did find one of Cheryl in action. See how happy she is! Also we had these for lunch so I cut the baguette horizontally. The recipe calls for small vertical cuts, rounds. Trust me and whip up a batch! You will loooove these!!

1 whole grain baguette

2 T. EVO
2 t. balsamic vinegar
2 T. mirin
2 t. shoyu
sea salt
3 - 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 c. thinly sliced leek
2 c. sliced button mushrooms

Artichoke Spread
1 can whole, water-packed artichoke hearts, drained
1 T. EVO
1/2 - 1 t. umeboshi vinegar

Pesto
1 c. fresh basil leaves
3/4 c. raw pine nuts
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 - 2 T. umeboshi vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
4 - 6 slices whole grain baguette
finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Combine the oil, vinegar, mirin, shoyu and 2 pinches of salt in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, leek, and mushrooms. Cover the pan and when you hear sizzling, gently shake the skillet, holding the lid in place. Reduce the heat to low and braise until the leek is quite tender and deeply browned, 5 - 10 mins. remove the lid and allow any remaining liquid to cook off. Remove from heat and stir gently to combine.

Blend the artichoke hearts, olive oil and umeboshi vinegar in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.

Blend all ingredients for the pesto in a food processor until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Slice the bread into little rounds and brush the bread lightly with oil on both sides. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake until the bread is lightly browned and crispy at the edges.

Spread the artichoke mixture on the bread, mound the leek mixture generously on top, and finish with a dollop of pesto and a sprinkle of parsley.

***Last summer when I had lots of basil growing on the deck I made a bunch of pesto, filled an ice cube tray and froze it. Then I popped them out and put the batch in a ziploc. I am still fortunate enough to have a couple of "cubes" on hand for my next batch.

Roasted Jalapeno Salsa

I love spicy food! And yet I am aware of the fact that many people do not. Some people actually do not even like spicy food. So I make many dishes more mild than my taste buds delight in. This recipe, torn out of a magazine, can accompany soups and chili to add a bit of heat, keeping the mild and hot people happy at the same meal.

4 jalapenos, halved
1/2 c. fresh cilantro leaves
1 - 2 T. fresh lime juice
1 T olive oil
1/3 c. chopped onion
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Place jalapenos on a broiler-proof baking sheet, cut side down, and broil until slightly charred (this may take anywhere from 3 - 5 mins). Slice crosswise and in a small bowl toss with the remaining ingredients. Serve with soup or chili.

Tuna Salad Sandwich (kinda)

This recipe is from The Kind Diet . A new fav that I'll make part of our regular meals. It was delicious, easy to make and has an easy ingrediant list. We ate it in a whole wheat wrap and I baked sweet potato fries tossed in olive oil, cumin & chili powder. Cheryl loved it and so did my friends Amy and Caeli. So! Success with the meat eaters.

Tempeh is made from fermented soy beans. It's high in protein and has the B vitamins because of the fermentation. I've only seen tempeh sold at Whole Foods and Trader Joes. Richard, do you have Trader Joe's in Indy?

I doubled the amount of veganaise, did not use dill, capers or parsley (bc I didn't have any), and did not blanch the onions or celery. Next time I probably won't blanch any of the veggies.

I think red wine vinegar would be a good sub for the umeboshi vinegar.

INGREDIENTS
1 8-ounce package of tempeh

1 red onion, minced

1/4 cup umeboshi vinegar

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/2 carrot, chopped

1/2 cup fresh or frozen and thawed corn kernels

1/3 cup fresh or frozen and thawed peas

1/2 small cucumber, chopped (peel only if the cucumber is not organic)

1/4 cup chopped kosher dill pickles

1 tablespoon Veganaise

1/2 tablespoon Dijon or stone-ground mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon drained capers

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley



STEPS
Bring water to a boil in a pot fitted with a steamer basket.

Cut the tempeh in half, and place in the steamer basket.

Steam for 20 minutes.

Set aside to cool.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. 

Add the onion, and boil for 10 to 15 seconds (if you dig raw onion, you can skip this step)

Use a strainer or slotted spoon to transfer the onion to a mixing bowl.

Keep the water boiling in the pot on the stove.

Add the vinegar to the onions, stir well, and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

While the onion marinates, blanch the celery, carrots, corn, and peas in the reserved boiling water for 10 seconds each, scooping them into a mixing bowl as each vegetable is done. 

Set aside to cool.

Drain the marinated onions through a sieve, and rinse quickly under running water.

Squeeze the excess liquid from the onions, and add to the bowl with the vegetables.

Cut the cooled tempeh into small cubes, and add to the bowl along with the cucumber, pickles, Veganaise, mustard, lemon juice, and dill.
Stir well to combine.

Serve topped with capers and parsley.

Vegetable Stuffed Potabellas

We had these last night, and 2 out of the four were awesome, but I don't blame the recipe, I blame the crappy Portabellas I bought. Also the next time I make this I'm going to broil them even longer than called for, they were still a little undercooked. I got this recipe from Healthy Cooking Magazine. Obviously you can leave the cheese out at the end, but I felt like it really brought everything together, and the mushrooms reminded me of mini pizzas coming out of the oven. Next time I post, I'm going to share the sandwich bread loaf I've been making every week, and if anyone is interested I've also been making my own butter in the kitchen aid and I can share that process as well.

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 ounces) white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons Pure Olive Oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 large portobello mushrooms (4 to 4-1/2 inches), stems removed
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese

Directions

• In a food processor, combine the beans, 1 tablespoon oil, water, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and process until pureed; set aside.
• Place mushrooms on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 4 in. from the heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until mushrooms are tender.
• Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the red pepper, red onion and zucchini in remaining oil until tender.
• Spread about 1/3 cup reserved bean mixture over each mushroom; top with 1/2 cup vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 4 servings.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

This chili is freaking delicious and my favorite. I've made a few small changes, but the original is from one of Leah's friends found here.






2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
1 large sweet potatoes, diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
3 T chili powder
2 t ground cumin
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 t crushed red pepper
1/4 to 1/2 t chipotle crushed red pepper (optional)
2 t dried basil
1 bay leaf
salt to taste
2 (14.5-ounce) cans roasted diced tomatoes (or reg if you can't find roasted)
2 cups water
3 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro, green onion slices

Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Add bell peppers, jalapeño, and sweet potato; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook about 1 minute. Add chili powder and next 7 ingredients; stir and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and water. Simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes. Stir in beans, and continue to cook another 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf, and stir in lime juice. Garnish, if desired.

Jamaican Style Red Beans and Rice

2 c. cooked red beans, heap the cups and make sure there is lots of cooking liquid included
1 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
1 fresh hot chili, finely chopped
1 1/2 c. long grain brown rice
1 t. salt
fresh ground pepper

* rice has the same problem that legumes have as far as phytic acid goes (see below, Red Beans). Soak for 1 hr and rinse well before adding to this dish.

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly oil a baking dish. Place all the beans and their liquid in a baking dish. Mash slightly. Add chili, coconut milk, rice, salt and pepper. Bake in a covered dish for 30 - 60 mins. Remove from oven and test rice. If needed bake for additional time.

Red Beans

This is the base for the Jamaican Style Red Beans & Rice. I will post the beans by themselves because they are so versatile and can be used in lots of different recipes. Make a big batch and freeze what you don't use. You'll come up with something when you go scavenging in the freezer at a later date!

2-3 T. olive oil
1# small red beans
1 med onion, chopped fine
1 or 2 jalapenos, chopped fine
3 med garlic cloves
1 t. fresh thyme or 1/2 t. dried thyme
1 t. sweet paprika
2 bay leaves
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
Pepper
3 c. veggie broth
6 c. water
1 thumb size piece kombu
1 t. red wine vinegar

* remove seeds and veins of jalapeno if you do not want spicy beans.

Using 4 qts cold water and 3 T. salt, add beans and soak 8 hours. Drain and rinse. Heat oil and sauté onion and jalepeno. Add garlic and cook for a couple minutes. Then add seasonings and mix. Next add veggie broth, water, kombu and beans and simmer for 45-60 mins. Remove kombu & bay leaves. Add vinegar and cook for additional 30 mins or until beans are tender.

* Legumes contain phytic acid which interferes with the absorption of zinc, iron, calcium and many other essential minerals. Phytic acid is water soluble though. So soaking the beans for at least an hour and rinsing well neutralizes the acid. As a result you have a bowl full of vitamin and mineral rich beans!

* Ok, as promised, here's the scoop on kombu. Kombu added to legumes during cooking infuses them with minerals, improves digestibility, reduces gas (hurray!), and tenderizes.

Gomashio

This recipe is from The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. It's a delicious condiment made from toasted sesame seeds and sea salt. Sesame seeds are full of calcuim with black sesame seeds having a higher amount of minerals than tan seeds. Its really delicious on rice, but I've been using it on all sorts of foods (stir fries, soups, greens...). Toasting the seeds completely changes their flavor.

It's easy to make and can be stored in an airtight container for 2 weeks. Simply add one teaspoon fine sea salt to a dry skillet over medium heat and roast for about 3 minutes until salt is very dry and slightly browned. Transfer the sea salt to mortar and grind to a fine powder. In the same dry skillet, still over medium heat, toast 6 tablespoons of rinsed sesame seeds until the seeds have a nutty aroma, puff up a little, and crush easily between your fingers. Add roasted sesame seeds to mortar and crush together with pestol until seeds are mostly ground.

You can add some iron to the gomashio by using a cast iron pan.

Greens

I have been eating lots of greens lately and cannot get enough! My favorite are collard greens but I also love kale and mustard greens. Greens are packed with minerals like calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. They are also high in antioxidants and fiber. If I have any in the fridge, I usually end up eating them for breakfast. I juice with them every few days and cook them 2 or 3 times a week. I used to hate taking the time to trim the leaves, but I'm over that since they make me feel so good. Here is my basic cooking method:

1 bunch greens
1-2 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
few red pepper flakes
soy sauce

1. Cut out the central rib from each leaf. Roll and slice or roughly chop leaves and rinse in collander.

2. Chop stems and rinse. (The stems are full of minerals and add a nice crunch).

3. Add olive oil and garlic to a cold pan. Saute on medium heat until garlic is fragrant (few minutes).

4. Add stems and red pepper flakes and saute a few more minutes.

5. Add damp greens to pan and cover. Cook and stir occasionally until greens are tender and not bitter. This could take 5 to 15 min. Taste the greens to make sure any bitterness is gone.

6. Add a dash or 2 of sauce sauce a few minutes before greens are done.

Lemony Lentil Tabbouleh Salad

I love lentils and am always looking for new recipes. They are inexpensive, easy to prepare, high in protein and loaded with minerals and vitamins.

This is my variation on of the Lemony Lentil Salad from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.

1 cup dried lentils
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic (smashed but whole)
3 lemons
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 tomatos
1/2 onion
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch mint leaves
salt & pepper
1 cup cooked brown rice (optional)

1. Put the lentils in a medium pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Add the bay leaf and garlic. Cover and simmer until just tender but not burst, about 20 min., occasionaly checking to make sure there is enough water.

2. Squeeze the juice from 2 lemons, and add finely chopped segmants from 1 lemon (peel and cut away membrane, being careful to remove seeds) into large bowl. Add olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Drain whatever water remains from the lentils, discard bay leaf and garlic, and stir them into the dressing while still hot. Allow to slightly cool.

3. In a food processor, chop the tomatos and add to lentils. Chop the onions and add to lentils. Then chop parsley and mint and add to lentils. Let rest and stir occasionally to distribute dressing. Taste and season if necessary.

Optional: add rice 1 cup of cooked brown rice.

This is great as leftovers but should be brought to room temperature for best flavor.

Golden Split Pea Soup

This is 1 of 2 recipes I tried today from Clean Food by Terry Walter. I was so excited to make this that I got up early on my day off. It proved a worthwhile sacrifice! I think I like the golden split pea flavor better than the traditional green. It tastes, well, not as green. I changed a couple of minor things and what follows is her recipe with a couple of my modifications.

2 T. EVO
1 lg. yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 stalks celery, diced
4 carrots, diced
1 c. chopped tomato
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/4 c. mirin
2 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 t. powdered mustard
4 c. golden split peas
10 c. water
1 t. sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf

* t = teaspoon T = tablespoon

* Mirin is a Japanese sweet cooking wine. It can be found at Whole Foods. If it is not in your grocers Asian aisle I would try your local Asian store.

In large soup pot over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add celery and carrots and saute another 3 minutes. Add tomato, potato, mirin, vinegar and mustard and stir to combine. Rinse and drain split peas and add to pot along with remaining ingredients. Bring soup to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer at least 4 hours, adding water as needed to thin. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Note: I used a handheld submersion blender to partially puree soup before serving. The picture above is before pureeing.

Sea Vegetables

If you are like me you will see some ingredients in the recipes we post that are unfamiliar. Sea vegetables such as kombu, kelp, nori, wakame (to name a few) offer a super-rich and easily absorbable supply of minerals and vitamins including iron, calcium, vitamin A, potassium magnesium, phosphorus, iodine, zinc, selenium and copper. In addition, they help to reduce tumors and masses and bind to radioactive substances and heavy metals to pull them from our bodies. A greater explanation will be provided as they are used initially in each recipe. Kombu pictured at right.