Vive La Republique! (or, WWFD on Bastille Day)

Just a quick thought today after a conversation with my husband -

neither of us remotely misses eating meat.

This came up after a Bastille Day dinner - where we made vegan crepes. I'll tell you how to do it yourself below. I think I'll be reusing this as an easy weeknight dinner, since it was easy, fast, and we could each prep our own dinner and kind of graze on it, flexibly, until we were sated.

Fillings (this was refrigerator potluck, as you might imagine, since if you know me you'll know that I don't use recipes and I don't plan meals, yet we eat nicely!) were culled from

1) a bag of pre-cooked, pre-seasoned chickpeas in a cumin-and-ginger sauce (this is the Trader Joe's version of Tasty Bite, same manufacturer - kosher, vegan, and ok-tasting alone) to which I added a cube of Dorot frozen cilantro and tossed it in the nuker (why do we call it that?)

and

2) about 2 cups of frozen organic chard, some leftover artichoke hearts, and some leftover "vegan feta" that I made from tofu and has been marinating in my fridge, a smidge of soymilk to thicken, a pinch of salt, a packet of True Lemon (henceforth to be dubbed "the greatest lazy person's seasoning", or glps for short) and 3 Dorot garlic cubes - all tossed in a saucepan and heated until hot.

for a sidedish I made speedy tasty cauliflower inspired by my friend, Kelly Reine (but mine is lazier than her method): one bag of frozen organic cauliflower florets, tossed frozen into a medium saute pan. To this I added about a teaspoon of cheap olive oil (there is no need to cook with anything fancy), and let them get warm and slightly browned. Then I added 2 finely minced jalepenos (ribs and seeds removed) and let them bask in the heat for a few moments, then added about a half tablespoon of capers and their juice, toss. To finish: toss in another teaspoon of oil, and about 1/4 cup of panko crumbs. toss and toss until it is all lightly coated brown and good. Then to finish: one packet of "glps", salt and pepper to taste.

Finally, to eat: get your crepe pan hot, spritz with a touch of cooking spray, make a fresh crepe, fill will the filling of your choice,

et apres,

mange-toi!

So, you want to make a vegan crepe, eh?

Crepes without eggs may be an offense to some (and probably to the French as a whole), but as an exercise in veganism, I wanted to prove it could be done. Since I was feeling earthy-crunchy, these were whole wheat and not sweetened, since I was planning them only for savory use.

Here's the way:

3 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer + 4 tablespoons water
1 cup whole what flour
1 1/2 cups nondairy milk (I used plain soy)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used melted Earth Balance stick)
about a teaspoon of salt (you can use less if you're not into salt, I am, but whatever)

6 drops of Stevia extract (this is highly variable in potency, so I suggest using tiny amounts and adjusting to your own taste. For a crispier browner crepe and if you aren't into minimizing your carbs, evaporated cane juice or sugar could be used here)

nonstick spray


1. whisk egg replacer and water. pour in about half of the soy milk, and whisk together. then add the flour all at once, whisk like a banshee.

2. Mix in the remaining milk, and whisk until lumps are gone. Add vegetable oil and seasonings. (Next step takes some practice, but then it will be awesome)

3. Spray pan with some non-stick type spray, heat at medium to low. Ladle batter into pan. and rapidly spread the batter either by tilting the pan or by using the ladle or a spatula. this requires some practice. you may need to add some water to adjust your batter thickness to achieve the desired result.

4. Let it cook for about 2 minutes, then pry around the edges with a spatula. then with two hands shake it a little so it comes loose, and flip it. Cook the other side for another minute or two, and serve.

WWFD, No.2, part deux

sorry that it has taken me a while to post this - I got rather fabulously sidetracked HERE, with THIS GUY. More to come on that soon. It is just too huge to cram in without thought, since I never edit squat.

So, I'll hold out on you just a little, but give you the bean 'n kale deets, m'kay?

ok.
and now for a Tofu-free good time.

all amounts are estimates, since, as you probably know, I never really measure anything unless a chemical reaction depends on it.

this recipe looks long, but that is only because I have included a level of detail that would make this a cinch even if you have no idea how to cook (wink wink, you know who you are).

also, I never edit. I am lazy.

quinoa
herbs of your choice (I used basil, salt and pepper, since I had some frozen basil cubes, you use what you like)
water
a shallot or two
two large cloves of garlic
one large bunch of kale
one can of chick peas or white beans or navy beans (which as you probably know are white beans... but whatever)
good red wine vinegar (or vinegar of your choosing, nothing presalted or full of preservatives - it is acid after all, not much is required in terms of preservation!)
a touch of (good!) olive oil - this is for eating not for heat conduction, so pick something with a nice flavor that you enjoy. for this application, I used a medium-bodies oil with some pepper on the back of the threat... sounds pretentious, but you know that you know what I mean,)
and a touch of olive oil for cooking or oil of your choice. I think peanut would be horrible in this, though. Butter would be delicious but adds saturated fat and animal product.

nutmeg (secret ingredient here! dried ground coriander is also good with dark greens, ginger too, or whatever you like)

that's it. nothing to it, and other than the kale, almost none of this can't have been in your house/pantry for a while. very little planning, time, forethought, or cash required. there is absolutely no reason you cannot make this, getting a very fast, proteinaceous, vegan meal in minutes.

method:
2 pots: one that is kinda large, the other one can be medium sized.

into the larger pot -
medium heat. about 2 teaspoons of your cooking oil.
dice up the shallot(s) and throw them in. when they are sweated (a few minutes, they’ll look shiny and a little translucent), throw in the garlic (to avoid burning it, since burnt garlic can taste BAD) and swish this around a bit here and there and cook it about one minute, until the garlic loses its sharp flavor (and smell). If you notice browning, your pot is too hot.

meanwhile (or beforehand):
get some water boiling. in the smaller pot. just turn it up to high and cover after salting the water to your taste. (but E, how much water? that depends on how much quinoa you are making. a good initial ratio to plan for is 1 cu quinoa to 1.5 cu water (this will yield just a little less than 2.5 cu cooked quinoa due to evaporation, and then as it cooks you can always add a little more if needed or if you have excess, just uncover the pot and drive it off at the end. It is almost impossible to overcook quinoa for most reasonable people, and since the goal is reasonably quick dinner, there is no time to overcook it. Depending on the size of the grains you have, this will probably take about 15-20 minutes, but check your package directions and obviously, start it earlier or later so everything will be done at the same time, or guess. do not burn it by letting the pan get too hot/dry, and when it doubt, overcook it. undercooked quinoa is what I think gives it a bad reputation)

once it is boiled and salted, dump in the quinoa, stir, add some herbs if you have frozen ones, if you will be adding in fresh, wait until the end), and lower the heat. cover and simmer until it is done. it is done when the little outer rings are falling off but the grains are separate yet not crunchy or toothy at all. to finish, I like to drizzle in a little tasty olive oil (a smidge) and sometimes some lemon. But this is superversatile.

back to the kale and beans (which you’ll do while the quinoa cooks, right?):
wash your kale very well, as it can be sandy/covered in dirt. This isn’t bad for you, but it is unpalatable in terms of texture. I do this by rinsing it well in the sink with cold water, then soaking it for a few minutes in a large bowl of cold water, then drying in the salad spinner. no spinner? roll in a clean towel (no fabric softener!)

I do cut away the biggest/thickest parts of the stems. You can save them for another purpose or compost in the yard. Just toss in freezer and they can be used for vegetable stock. Just unfold a leaf, and at the point where the stem becomes thicker than a drinking straw, stab it and incise it away but running a knife along either side. or fold them in half and cut away like a paper doll. you get it.

then chop it into some biggish pieces that are similar in size - like 2x2ish inches.

drop the kale into the shallots and garlic. stir a bit, cover, and then walk away. if your pot seems to be getting too hot, turn it down. resist the urge to stir too much. this is for lazy people.

I actually kinda sear the kale just a teensy bit, uncovered, because I like the flavor. this is not necessary. Then just wilt it, stirring every minute or so until it looks like frozen spinach. Then turn the pot to low and let it cook, covered, stirring occasionally only.

meanwhile: check the quinoa. stir if needed, taste it, and season.
I sometimes add a few tablespoons of tomato paste or pureed mushrooms for added oomph. olives are good too. so are olives and raisins, pine nuts, you get the idea. I also often toss in dried cranberries and raw smashed almonds.

moving on:
open the can of beans. dump the beans out into a strainer or colander, and rinse them VERY well.
recycle the can.

dump the beans into the kale.
stir the whole mess together and get it all piping blazing hot.

by now your quinoa is probably just about done. there should be no excess water but I like it moist. this isn’t like bulgur, more like rice, ok? more on finishing quinoa (oil, lemon, fresh herbs) is above. this is off the top of my head, ok. I am not a cookbook author. I do what I can.

to finish and serve: scoop the quinoa out using a measuring cup or very small bowl or a ramekin. press it in there with a spoon, smooth out the top. then invert it onto your serving dish and smack it gently. viola - a lovely little puck of high protein whole grain goodness! this is easier with a plastic cup/object than a wholly rigid one.

to finish the kale ‘n beans: shake in a touch (maybe 1/4 tsp) of nutmeg, mace, ginger, or coriander, or whatever you like, or nothing. mix it in well.. turn off the heat. drizzle in some vinegar. taste it. if it seems bland, add a little more vinegar. if it is still bland, add a little salt and pepper. this is usually all it takes.

to serve: spoon the kale over and to the side of the quinoa and eat. I like this mix of flavors particularly with some grilled vegan sausage (italian style) but left it out to avoid the soy (mostly on principle of this post). homey, easy, healthful and good.

to add some color and more antioxidants, add a red vegetable, just dice it up and make a nifty pile somewhere pretty on the plate. or be fancy and puree/tamis it and decorate.

enjoy.
hate kale with mace and vinegar? e-mail me!

Beans, beans, the magical fruit...

or, WWFD #2!

sometimes you don't want soy soy soy everything, which I totally get. A vegetarian pal of mine doesn't eat soy at all, she believes it alters her menstrual cycle. My sister tries to limit the amount of soy products that her small sons eat (also out of concerns for the phytoestrogen effect of soy). I don't believe that any food, eaten in moderation, is likely to do that, however, it does make me consider how much of my protein I get from a single source (thus the whole moderation thing...). After all, in the non-animal protein world, soy is ubiquitous, easy to get, easy to prep given its zillion formats (tvp, soy powder, protein drinks, protein bars, edamame, most fakemeats) making it a habit that I didn't even realize the extent to which I had.

Similarly, I think that there are lots of well-meaning folks who are trying to source their protein from more non-animal places, and wind up malnourished - you know the types - "cheese and cracker" vegetarians and "veggie mush meals" vegans. Missing nutrients, missing variety, and no-one wants to come over for dinner (uh, like totally gross and boring! gag me with a spoon!) making them a very lonely and pasty-looking bunch indeed. When they try to do better, I suspect most people soy-addicts.

and so, with no further dilly dalliance, I will share:

WWFD#2: basil quinoa with braised kale and white beans. no soy, but plenty of protein, fiber, and most importantly, taste.
why? because we like you.

and because I think that beans, an ultra-unprocessed and simple, humble legume, don't get enough love. There is a lot of bean fear out there - they're hard to cook, they taste bad, they're mushy, they're contaminated, and make you toot...

none of which is true if you make them well.

the truth is that beans are a nutritional superstar - they're super cheap, they're portable, they're readily available in dry bulk, and they're full of protein and fiber. Dry or canned, they'll keep in your pantry until your Twinkie goes bad, helping to relieve the pressure of your having to shop or pre-consider your meal when you are stressed and work has left you lobotomized (just me? oh well, disregard that last bit...).

Beans are actually really versatile for cooking, and most have no sugar calories to write home about.

add in kale - a most misunderstood vegetable. Made well, it is not bitter, it is not gritty, and yet it is cheap (!!), delicious, and a good source of non-heme iron.

recipe to follow. this dinner took about 15 minutes to make, most of which was spent passively (stirring the kale, rarely. waiting for water to boil, etc...)

along with a confession: I added a vegetarian (mostly, but not entirely non-tofu) sausage to this when I ate it. some habits are hard to break.