WWFD: cheese, cheese craving, and battling it.

I sometimes really crave cheese.

When I think about it, it is absolutely disgusting - the lactated excretions from an animal, concentrated and left to mold... doesn't sound appetizing. And yet, there's pretty good medical evidence to explain why for most folks who eat a plant-based diet, giving up cheese is the hardest thing: some of the compounds in cheese probably bind the opioid receptor in the brain. Dr. Neal Barnard gave a lecture about this phenomenon years ago that I suggest you consider checking out.

Meanwhile, I feel challenged to avoid eating casein since even small amounts of it (and other dairy proteins) are positively correlated with cancer growth. Plus, cheese is the richest source of saturated fat in the diet of most Americans - correlated with heart disease and premature death.

So, what's a gal to do when Mac n Cheese is really what'd hit the proverbial spot?

This gal invented something.

I give you, with no further ado:

truffled wheat macaroni with creamy mushroom cheeselike sauce

whole grain, low in fat, and some plant-based protein too!

this comes together very quickly.

the basic recipe: boil some whole wheat pasta in well-salted water. I'll confess that I add a tiny bit of vinegar to the water with whole wheat pasta - improves flavor and texture.

meanwhile, dump into a bowl: some dried mushrooms (I get them at Costco) and warm water to rehydrate.

dump into the blender: half a block of soft tofu, Mori-nu is my favorite brand, along with two tablespoons of white miso paste (Miso master is my fave). blend on high until smooth.

have on hand: salt, pepper, white truffle oil, and red vermouth.

put it together:

put 1 tsp of oil of your choosing (olive, or vegan butter, or whatnot) into a large skillet.

put the mushrooms (chopped) in there and let them get a little sear on them, but don't burn them. Add a little salt to help the mushrooms sweat a bit.

(you could toss in some garlic, too, if you're into that).

then deglaze the pan with some vermouth. let it bubble mostly off but not to dryness.

drain the pasta, drop it in there, too.

a little sage would be nummy if you've got it, also.

then dump in your tofu-miso goop.

mix mix mix.

if it gets too watery, let it cook more or add a tablespoon of seasoned breadcrumbs to thicken.

if it gets too thick, add in more vermouth (or a little water).

salt and pepper to taste.

finish with some toasted breadcrumbs and a teensy dribble of truffle oil (real, not that chemical stuff) on top and eat.

(a little fresh sage on top would be good, too).

a more complete and accurate recipe to follow, but you get the idea.

enjoy.

if you want to details, e-mail me.

if this grosses you out, don't cook it.

Lazy veganist lunch

I made for myself a yummy dish for my lunch today consisting of only 4 ingredients: shirataki noodles, one raw yellow pepper, red curry powder, and defatted peanut powder (before you turn your nose up, this stuff is natural, delicious, low in fat and higher in protein than regular peanut butter - not all refined things are bad, IMO).

Took about 30 seconds to prep, and contains about 100 calories for more food than I can eat.

Tossing in a piece of fruit, a flax pita, and a high-energy snack for pre-gym (I can list my favorites another time), this contributes to a fruit-and-veg dense, totally plant-based, satisfying eating day. (so no criticisms that my lunch is only 100 calories, ok?)

And how often can most of us say that we had a "satisfying eating day?" Just sayin...

More importantly, this is delicious, filling, high in fiber, very low in fat (about 1.5 grams in the whole serving, which is around 2.5 cups of food), contains around 9 grams of protein (not bad for a dish that is under 100 calories!), and 1 grams of sugars.

This lead to my considering further what to call the upcoming cookbook... How might you feel about "Lazy Vegan" as a title? Would you buy that book?

Grtfl-1

A friend of mine posted a license plate today as her facebook image: GRTFL-1.

Happy thanksgiving.

This is the first year that I've hosted this fete, and I have had a lot of mixed feelings about it. I do prefer the idea of a holiday without racial, ethnic, political, religious, or other ideology that has evolved to just be simple: We are Americans, We are thankful.

But this also becomes such an ugly display of vices in our country, and I'm hoping to succeed at refocusing my own energies in a positive manner in spite of this. Billions of dollars spent on sport, pre-Black-Friday sales, unity-in-gluttony! For me, that means a healthy but still yummy meal, and focusing on my amazing husband, wacked-out-but-lovable family, and the greatest circle of friends a gal could ask for.

It is challenging to feel truly grateful, I think, for most of us... Let alone to express that sentiment in a genuine, uncontrived, honest, and straightforward way. I strongly suspect that this is the reason for all of the distraction for so many of us: parades, football, pigging out, excessive drinking.

As a "foodie" person, I have been carefully considering the real meaning and value of many Thanksgiving buzzwords: turkey (rejected for many reasons), pumpkin (yum), grateful (ideally), bounty (sounds good except for paper towel), stuffed (I prefer to avoid it).

I'd love to challenge you, dear reader (since you are probably my friend) to not eat to excess and instead feel charitable today. Thanks, and Giving. Today I'm giving thanks for my place on the planet, the people around me, mindfulness, and choice.

WWFD: basic-idea bibimbap

I was hungry.

I was cold.

When I have that grey-day feeling, I really crave a dish that I get a local sushi hotspot, Ok-dol Bibimbap. It is white rice served in a super-hot stone pot, topped with an array of warm seasoned vegetables, as well as fresh cool veggies and pickles, served alongside a warming rich sesame-and-chili red sauce. Oftentimes, fish or meat and an egg are in the mix - I want that savory warmingness, minus the life-depleting animal proteins. So, what’s a lazy, hungry, plant-based-diet-eating gal to do? I was exhausted, so Bibimbap got the nearly-instant vegan kitchen treatment, and I just kind of made it from stuff in the pantry and fridge.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

The shocker?

It was wicked delicious!

I’m writing this down before I forget how I did it. If you improve on this, definitely let me know! All of this is approximate, probably wrong, and might not work for you.

With caveats aside, here're the deets:

The plan:

make the rice.

While it is cooking, make the veggies.

Make them one-at-a-time in the same skillet to minimize dishes.

Meanwhile, invent the sauce.

Heat and glaze tofu.

Then layer into a serving bowl with the rice on the bottom, and neat little piles of each component on top, sauce on the side.

RICE:

The best method to cooking plain rice, I swear, is the traditional Japanese method. I learned this from the book Kansha by Elizabeth Andoh. Measure out a cup of white rice, and put it in a medium-sized bowl. completely cover with water, and swoosh it around, rubbing it in small handfuls in your palm. strain off the now-starchy water, and repeat a few times until it is mostly clear. I know that most Japanese-style American rice says it is pre-washed, but do not believe this. Drain, and put the rice into a pot or saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add 1.25 cups of fresh water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Try not to peek - just listen. Then lower the heat and simmer-cook for another 5-7 minutes until nearly all of the water is absorbed - the sound will change. If you must, open at this point, increase the heat to high, and rapidly give a few tosses to remove any excess water - this should take no more than thirty seconds. Alternatively, just increase the heat to high, wiggle the pot a bit for 30 seconds (like Jiffy-pop), then turn the heat off. Set the pot aside, still tightly covered, for ten minutes. Your rice will be perfect. When ready to serve, use a flat spatula or paddle-like device to cut into the mass without squashing the grains and fluff it a few times. for this dish, I folded in some sesame seeds, too.

VEGGIES:

I made carrots, spinach, and mushrooms since that is what I had.

CHOP STUFF UP: I also prepped (into a tiny mince) some scallion and about 5 cloves of garlic.

The mushrooms were very thinly sliced, I sliced the carrots lengthwise into long thin strips.

the spinach was pre-washed baby spinach and I did nothing whatsoever to it.

I made the mushrooms first, figuring the leftover liquids in the pan would lend an earthy savoriness to the next batch-o-veg.

BASICS: into a nonstick skillet, I dropped a bit (maybe a teaspoon, maybe less) of dark sesame oil, then the rinsed and sliced mushrooms, added a small pinch of salt, and cooked them until they were softened. I added tiny splashes of water until they started to lose their own to prevent sticking. I deglazed the skillet with about a tablespoon of sake, and let it burn off. Then I pulled the mushrooms out of the pain and set aside.

next, I cooked about a tablespoon of the garlic until it was fragrant but NOT browned (garlic shouldn’t brown, it is bitter that way), then tossed in the carrots. similarly, to control sticking without adding more fat, I added teaspoons of water as needed until the carrots were halfway softened (I like my veggies pretty crisp), then to finish I dropped in a generous pinch of sesame seeds, a half teaspoon of Agave nectar, tossed to coat, and removed the carrots from the skillet.

Next, I made the spinach. This is so easy, “they” should take away your stove if you can’t make it. I threw in another microsplash of sesame oil, and some garlic. Once the garlic was cooking, I added in three large handfuls of baby spinach. This will wilt down to nearly nothing speedily, so keep stirring. The pan was deglazed with a small splash of rice wine vinegar, and I added a bit of salt to taste. The spinach was set aside.

While all that was cooking, I made the sauce. Now, real Korean grandmas, don’t gang up on me. I know this is a bastardization, but I prefer to see it as hunger-induced fridge-ingenuity. ok?

SAUCE: I squirted some ketchup (I used Whole Foods organic ketchup, which is apparently gluten-free? This isn’t an issue for me, but just in case it is for you, read the labels) into a small bowl. To this, I added Sriracha to taste (I used a lot, you might prefer less), the remaining raw garlic, and small volumes of both the sesame oil and some agave nectar. I’d guess the proportions were 3 T of ketchup, 1 T of sriracha, a teaspoon of very finely minced garlic, a teaspoon of dark sesame oil, and a teaspoon of Agave. But this is all a guess. keep stirring and tasting. yum.

TOFU: I had some “savory flavored” firm pre-marinated tofu in the fridge. I cut it up into 1 cm cubes, ish. This went into the skillet used for the veggies and was heated through, with small additions of water to prevent sticking. It tasted bland. So I added in some of the scallion, some soy sauce, and a generous plop of the fake bibimbap sauce, and glazed them nicely, cooking the sauce down to a thin film of sticky spicy lacquered goodness.

TO ASSEMBLE: place rice in the bottom of a large bowl. Artfully arrange the vegetables in tidy plops on top. Add the tofu, also in a neat pile. Toss some of the remaining raw scallion over the center, and serve with the sauce on the side.

notes/ideas: The technique of “water frying” as it is called in some south Asian cooking traditions permits a LOT less oil to be used. In this recipe, the sesame oil is used predominantly for its flavor, which is strong and aromatic. To my nose, bibimbap is really typified by a savory intense mix of sesame, salt, vinegar, sugar, chili and garlic that I find so irresistible in many Korean dishes. This could be made with an alternative grain (brown rice, quinoa), the rice could be a little caramelized (like a paella) to be truer to the stone pot kind (YUM), but I was too hungry. Just cook up piles of whatever vegetables you have on hand and season each thematically but separately. I also think a pickled ingredient or two, and something fresh and cold would add more flavor and texture. Ideally, I should have sought more of a balance of sweet/savory/bitter-roasted/sour/spicy in the toppings to yield a more harmonious dish. But for fridge-pantry roulette, this totally hit the spot and was cooked very speedily.

let me know if you can fix it?

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.

why avoid meat?

For some reason, that I do not know, today three different people (a friend, my sister, and my dad) all asked me about my reasons for not eating meat.

This is not a culinary diatribe today, just some interesting ideas.

Why avoid meat? It is rational. As a physician, I feel that a vegan diet is probably a significant reducer of risk in terms of all-cause mortality. I don't really care about animals, but commercial meat farming is so insane that there i no way that an ethical human should eat it. But that's just me. But I care about my carbon footprint.

Read on kids...

The Hunger Argument

Number of people worldwide who will die as a result of malnutrition this year: 20 million
Number of people who could be adequately fed using land freed if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: 100 million
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by people:20
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock:80
Percentage of oats grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 95
Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90
How frequently a child dies as a result of malnutrition: every 2.3 seconds
Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: 40,000
Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 250
Percentage of U.S. farmland devoted to beef production: 56
Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce a pound of edible flesh from feedlot beef: 16

The Environmental Argument

Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect
Primary cause of greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels
Fossil fuels needed to produce meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 3 times more
Percentage of U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75
Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising: 85
Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million
Amount of meat imported to U.S. annually from Central and South America: 300,000,000 pounds
Percentage of Central American children under the age of five who are undernourished: 75
Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pound of rainforest beef: 55 square feet
Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses:1,000 per year

The Cancer Argument

Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week: 3.8 times
For women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week: 2.8 times
For women who eat butter and cheese 2-4 times a week: 3.25 times
Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs. less than once a week: 3 times
Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily vs. sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times.

The Cholesterol Argument

Number of U.S. medical schools: 125
Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30
Nutrition training received by average U.S. physician during four years in medical school: 2.5 hours
Most common cause of death in the U.S.: heart attack
How frequently a heart attack kills in the U.S.: every 45 seconds
Average U.S. man's risk of death from heart attack: 50 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat: 15 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat, dairy or eggs: 4 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption of meat, dairy and eggs by 10 percent: 9 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption by 50 percent: 45 percent
Amount you reduce risk if you eliminate meat, dairy and eggs from your diet: 90 percent
Average cholesterol level of people eating meat-centered-diet: 210 mg/dl
Chance of dying from heart disease if you are male and your blood cholesterol level is 210 mg/dl: greater than 50 percent

The Natural Resources Argument

User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.: livestock production
Amount of water used in production of the average cow: sufficient to float a destroyer
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of wheat: 25
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of California beef: 5,000
Years the world's known oil reserves would last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13
Years they would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260
Calories of fossil fuel expended to get 1 calorie of protein from beef: 78
To get 1 calorie of protein from soybeans: 2
Percentage of all raw materials (base products of farming, forestry and mining, including fossil fuels) consumed by U.S. that is devoted to the production of livestock: 33
Percentage of all raw materials consumed by the U.S. needed to produce a complete vegetarian diet: 2

The Antibiotic Argument

Percentage of U.S. antibiotics fed to livestock: 55
Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13
Percentage resistant in 1988: 91
Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: ban
Response of U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: full and complete support

The Pesticide Argument

Common belief: U.S. Department of Agriculture protects our health through meat inspection
Reality: fewer than 1 out of every 250,000 slaughtered animals is tested for toxic chemical residues
Percentage of U.S. mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 99
Percentage of U.S. vegetarian mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 8
Contamination of breast milk, due to chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides in animal products, found in meat-eating mothers vs. non-meat eating mothers: 35 times higher
Amount of Dieldrin ingested by the average breast-fed American infant: 9 times the permissible level

The Ethical Argument

Number of animals killed for meat per hour in the U.S.: 660,000
Occupation with highest turnover rate in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker
Occupation with highest rate of on-the-job-injury in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker

The Survival Argument

Athlete to win Ironman Triathlon more than twice: Dave Scott (6 time winner)
Food choice of Dave Scott: Vegetarian
Largest meat eater that ever lived: Tyrannosaurus Rex (Where is he today?)

Source = "Diet For A New America" by John Robbins

Seitanism is Simple, you can do it yer damned self!

I feel that I have made a good case for seitan.

Seitan is good.

Seitan is soy free (if you make it that way)

Seitan is cheap if you make it yourself (costing about 1/5th of the price of mass-produced chicken for the same dose of lean protein). But I had been previously really frustrated that the seitan I made myself at home was always a little spongy- textured and more chewy than I might prefer.

So I would buy it. But that gets expensive (still cheaper than chicken, but by vegan home dining standards... and frankly, I'd rather spend my dahluhs on gorgeous produce), and wastes lots of packaging (not all of which can even be recycled), as well as use of fuel, and contributes to a degree of globalization of my food supply that can be more-avoided.

The trick is this: you have to make it right. Just like all good and simple things, the trick is technique. If you don't believe me, I invite you to try to eat broccoli my mother has prepared on a holiday. just broccoli, salt, and water - should be simple and perfect - but it is a mushy, ghastly, sulfuric mess. Technique, rather than posh ingredients, is sometimes all the difference.

I like to do this in my electric pressure cooker. But if your kitchen hasn't adopted this new-school means to an old-school method, no worries - here's a recipe for the typical stovetop.

This will taste kinda chickenish. If you want it "duck" ish - make the same thing, but use mushroom broth (I know, sounds weird, but the earthiness to me is more ducky/marrow-y) and season with five spice powder. Or come up with your own way. If you figure out how to make one that tastes like a good piece of fish (but remains vegan) please tell!

Meanwhile:

I'm using a 1:2:2 ratio. That is really the whole recipe. This is easy to remember.

1 part other stuff (more on that in a moment)

2 parts vital wheat gluten (I have had the best results using the Bob's Red Mill brand, ymmv)

2 parts tasty liquid

for the aforementioned other stuff: anything that'll bind water, intercalate itself between the particles of wheat gluten to loosen the strands a bit, and add flavor is the idea. Stuff like corn meal, pulverized oatmeal, soya powder, breadcrumbs, whole wheat flour, chickpea flour, tapioca flour/starch, potato flakes (or "spuds" as my sister and I call them), you-name-it. For this iteration, I divided my "other stuff" into thirds: one third flavored breadcrumbs, one third whole wheat flour, and one third whole soya flour (not defatted). All that said, you could just add the same volume of wheat gluten and make it plain, but it winds up a bit spongier.

so, 1:2:2 - an easy start would be 3/4 cup (volume not weight) of other stuff, 1.5 cu of wheat gluten.

mix together the dry stuff

then add 1.5 cu of any tasty, alcohol-free, lowfat liquid of your choice. I used 1 cube of Rapunzel brand vegetable bouillon in 1.5 cu of warmish water. (p.s. Rapunzel vegan bouillon is delicious and tastes very chicken-broth-y. You use what you like). Add it all at once, and mix it all together until you have a uniform dough.

here's the technique part: in a bowl (since the dough can be a bit wet at first, and you do not want to add flour or anything on a board), knead it by mashing the heel of your hand into the ball so it climbs up the side of the bowl a bit, then flip the upper, displaced dough down onto the doughball, and repeat. flip the whole thing over from time to time. knead for five to ten minutes. that is not a typo. just do it while you watch Justin Bieber's hair grow or something.

then walk away for about 10-20 minutes.

go back, knead again for another few minutes (like three) as you work the dough into a large sausage-shape. try to not taper the edges.

set the log-o-wheaty-goodness on a cutting board, and slice it using a very sharp knife into similar-volume pieces (about 2 fluid oz. each) and then gently stretch/smash each once into a cutlet/slice-of-bread shape and set aside.

meanwhile, get about 4 cups of a tasty liquid (or water, I just made more boullion) simmering in a big pot.

once it is boiling, turn it down and gently drop in, one at a time, stirring gently in between, all of the cutlets.

cover, and gently simmer for about a half hour, stirring occasionally just to prevent sticking.

viola - Seitan.

you can use it right away as is. you can dice it up and treat it like a ground meat. You can mist it in a tiny bit of olive oil, roll through a field of lovely breadcrumbs, and brown in a skillet (making a very convincing, better-than-chicken cutlet)... you could shred it and add some celery, tiny green grapes, and vegenaise for the best tasting chicken salad you ever ate (which, incidentally, contains no chicken) and pop it in a sandwich. I've made piccata. Last night, it was doused with some tomato sauce, covered with Daiya vegan cheese, popped in the "nukuh" for one minute and (poof) - parm-style goodness in under 2 minutes! It can be shaped or formed into other things - like a turkey-breast shape (try poultry seasoning and rolling some sage in) and then sliced... or any other idea you have.

Seitan is more flexible than Johnny Weir. And that guy is awesome.

to store - let it cool to room temp, then store in the container of your choice with some of the cooking broth to keep it moist.

Did you try this? Did it suck? Have a question or idea? Let me know. oh, and if you know how to make Chinese style wheat-meat sausage (which I know is fattier, I don't care, and I love it) - spill the beans! (or gluten, as the case may be).

Seitan is simple, Seitan is cheap!

I think, if most folks realized that they could feed a lot more people a healthier diet, on fewer dollars, without lots of hard, mysterious, or complicated work, they would.

So, let's talk nutrition and price, since I am on a pro-seitan rant (that is not just for the lazy, but also for the cheap!):

22 oz of (dry) Bob's Red Mill vital wheat gluten flour costs around $6.50, and contains 20 30gram servings, each with 120 calories, 5 of which are from fat (0.5 g fat, no saturated or trans fats), only 9 grams of sodium (although, admittedly, I add quite a bit in the cooking process), and 23 grams of protein. (so $6.50 buys you 20 servings of about 23 grams of protein each)

in contrast, 4 oz. of frozen white meat chicken (a standard serving size, info from Empire Kosher) contains 100 calories, 9 of which are from fat in a typical piece of boneless, skinless white meat (1 gram of fat, nearly all of which is saturated), 470 mg of sodium, and 23 grams of protein. A pound of frozen skinless boneless chicken breast costs about $6.50. (i.e. $6.50 buys you four servings with about 23 grams of protein each).

So, with very similar nutrient densities (cutlet sizes are similar to chicken once the seitan is prepared), you can feed FIVE TIMES the number of people a source of lean, palatable, easy-to-prepare protein for the same price.

No kidding.

to say nothing of cholesterol. Milligrams of dietary cholesterol in vital wheat gluten: none. zip. zilch. zero. Meanwhile...

Lots of my patients and friends who are on lower-cholesterol diets choose chicken and eschew red meat to lower their cholesterol intake. But here's the kicker - that very same 23 grams of protein, when you take it from chickens will punish you with 60-200mg (or more, depending on feed, and how skinless/boneless your meat really is).

Seitanism is Simple!

at least, how I do it, it is.

Recently, my sister-in-law was taught (in her medical school class, no less) that ingestion of over 30 grams daily of soy protein may contribute to hypothyroidism, via a "not understood" pathway. Since I probably ingest close to this (or more, depending on the day) and that, at the same time, there is evidence that mortality from heart disease and certain cancers are lowered through ingestion of 25 grams of soy daily (or more, depending on who you read), either I need to be concerned about there existing a very narrow effective dose range for soy products, or this is all hype taken out of context. I suspect the latter.

But that said, for many vegan-ish folks, getting enough healthful protein can be a challenge, especially if we want to get it in a lean format, and not mostly from soy.

I eat beans.

I eat different kinds of nuts.

I eat higher-protein grains (oat groats, quinoa)

but at the end of the day, I could easily ingest a lot of soy stuffs. Soy milk in my coffee (since other vegan milks are typically a lot lower in protein and higher in sugars), soy yogurt, maybe a nice mostly soy TVP product in my lunch, and tofu in my dinner... it is easy to see how it can happen. After all, as I have admitted many times before, I am kinda lazy...

so, friends, enter the realm of seitanism.

details of how to cook it yer damn self to follow.

a new idea: Vegan product review (henceforth, VPR!)

It is no secret that I am kind of a "secret Vegan." I am Veganish. I think it is healthier, better for the environment, and probably better for my soul (If I believed that I had one, but that is another post for another day...) but I am not going to starve in Mongolia if all they have is yak, either. I don't make a "thing" of it, I don't proselytize. I am not an animal-rights activist, or much of any kind of activist, but I kind of do my mostly vegan thing as much as I mostly can. I have no idea if I just offended someone in a yurt somewhere.

In any case, as I have begun my attempts to take myself out of the mass-marketed, fatness-inducing, pre-packed and ready-to-rumble food world, I have noticed that there are just as many products marketed at the other side. It is easy to worry about the environmental, health, and ethical impact of meat-eating, but has anyone really studied the impact of NOT eating it? I mean, as a vegan-for-me person without a real agenda, I have been noticing more and more just how many products (many of which are lousy in one way or another, incidentally) that are marketed (hard!!!) at vegans and vegetarians. Add to this two major desires of mine: First, to avoid eating a vegan mushpile every night ('cuz that is gross) and; Second, to avoid being one of those "white food" vegetarians (you know that guy - the one who eats nothing but crackers, french fries, and peanut butter? this is not healthy and I want no part of it). Thus, some investigation of how to make my Veganish lifestyle effective at providing me with a "normal" healthy broad range of foods, and to avoid having that be so restrictive that I sacrifice nutrients (or taste) is required.

This has prompted a new series:

Vegan product review (or, henceforth, VPR).

VPR #1: Veganaise

This product is widely-hyped, and even comes sealed with plastic that reads "made with solar power" - I guess they figure if you care about one thing, you care about all of the other yuppy causes (and I am not saying I don't, I am just sayin' in general). Purportedly, this is the "best tasting" vegan mayonnaise substitute on the market (well, at least as they market it).

The thing is, I don't even LIKE regular mayo, so I have no real idea how I might integrate this product (which is stiff full fat, albeit all polyunsaturated veggie fat) into my previously mayo-free diet.

SO, I tried it - cooking with it as a binder, using it to emulsify some salad dressing, and as a spread to moisten an otherwise dry-as-old-bones (not that there were any, this is a VEGAN rant, kids...) sandwich.

and, much to my self-loathing yuppy dismay, I liked it. I mean, it is kind of nice - lighter tasting than real mayo, lacks any musky animalic flavor notes, and has a pleasing degree of vinegary bite. The texture stayed light and whippy when I cooked with it, and it did provide more satisfying throat-lubrication (nasty, but true) to a tofurkey on whole-what pita than cranberry chutney had the day before.

My name is Erica, and I like Veganaise. (this is where you say "Hi, Erica" and make me admit that being Veganish really is less of a lifestyle change or "problem" when it is this easy to make a substitution that seems, even purely culinarily, better.)

lazy. hungry. vegan. (WWFD)

So, I got kind of depressed today, and I was wandering around Whole Foods and got looking at all of their sexy sexy produce.
(hey, you cheer up your way, and I'll cheer up mine, ok?)

And I found some REALLY hot vegetables. Butternut squash, cauliflower, all kinds of kale...
but when I got home, I discovered that we barely had enough space for it all in the fridge, which, in turn, spawned - WWFD!

This required under 5 minutes of prep. The trick to speed here was a pressure cooker.


Lazy person's very low fat vegan squash soup with Asian pear and "sausage"

ingredients:
one butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 2-3 inch hunks

3 cubes of frozen minced ginger (mine is the Dorot brand)

salt and pepper

one tablespoon of vegan "butter" style spread (no partially hydrogenated fats. ever.)

one Asian pear (I had this in the fridge and it was about to go bad. a crisp apple would also do very nicely)

2 "apple and sage" style vegan sausages (or whatever you happen to have)

I served this with some oven roasted cauliflower. If you want to know how to make it, e-mail me. (This is amongst the only ok ways to prep the otherwise often vile flower of cauli, IMO)

here's what to do:

put the squash in the pressure cooker, along with the frozen ginger, about a half cup of water, salt and pepper. Put the lid on it. Set to high pressure for 3 minutes. (no that is not a typo, THREE MINUTES is all that is required).

meanwhile: roast the cauliflower, cut up the apple (or pear, in this case), and slice the "sausage' into coins. put the sausage in a skillet with a spritz of nonstick spray over medium-high heat and get it caramelized on the outside, tossing gently until evenly cooked.

when the pressure cooker has achieved pressure, keep it there for three minutes, and then vent the pressure (carefully, using tongs, since high pressure steam is HOT, hello!) - do not let the pressure out "naturally" as this will overcook the squash.

assemble:

remove the lid, and using a stick blender (or in small portions I suppose, with caution, you could do this in the blender or with a handheld masher), blend it into a smooth soup texture.

thicken and enrich the texture, if desired, with a little vegan "butter" (I like Earth Balance).

top with the pear (or apple, or whatnot) and the "sausage" and eat.

This could very easily be changed up by using different vegetables, different spices, or different add-ins to the squash-sauce (like with some red chilis, chickpeas, and finished with coconut milk instead of butter and maybe some lemongrass, topped with fresh cilantro and minced tofu... a totally different yet equally speedy and yummy dinner).

I am in love with my electronic pressure cooker.

Easy Cheeze? NOT.

I have been experimenting with vegan cheese sauce. I had been kind of obsessed with getting some nutritional yeast. I consulted the Veganomicon. I blended, I tasted, I seasoned. Twice.

The thing is, it sucks.

I don't get it, cuz ya see... nutritional yeast TASTES BAD. not "addictive" not "just like cheese" not "a tasty topping for popcorn" or any other thing that the nutritional yeast council has put out there on the interweb. IT IS HORRID.

that is all.

Celiac disease (and lemon goodness)

so, T and I have a friend who has celiac disease. Now, there is a lot of sensationalism these days about what many folks can and cannot eat, purported food allergies that aren't, all kinds of bullshit in popular social culture about food "intolerances" and other, utter, nonsense. - But this is not.

Thus, I will have to save my rant about people with fake food "allergies" for another day. For now, let us just say that I hate them, ok?

Real autoimmune gluten intolerance can make the way that most Americans eat a minefield for those affected, and in a way, I was impressed with the trust that our friend placed in me when I invited her for a meal. So I wanted to be certain that nothing I cooked made her feel in any way marginalized, and I had absolutely no intention of sacrificing my culinary integrity (nor of making her sick!)

Instead, I'll share a positive idea that I had: polenta cake.

Being that I had to avoid wheat, and I hate to bake (too much precision for my kitchen ways), I had to brainstorm a bit about something that I thought I could make excellently on the first try (since I never bake and also won't serve something gross to my friends - what kind of friend would that make me?!), and would be a dessert that I would probably like (applying the E-dessert-rule of chocolate-almond-lemon-cherry-caramel-salt-or-bust) (henceforth to be known as the CALCCSOB dessert choice rule), this took some consideration. And then I recalled a cake that I had eaten for breakfast in Greece - a kind of lightly honey-steeped walnut and polenta loaf. While this was tasty with coffee, it was too sweet for after the meal I had planned, and I had no idea how to make it.

so instead, I read some recipes online, changed the ingredients to match what I had in my pantry, and proceeded from there.

and, out of respect for folks who actually bake, I weighed stuff and I threw it into the bowl. huzzah!

The result: not to be even more self-promoting than the sort of narcissist who has a blog, but...

Great.

Seriously. As, she-who-usually-abhors-dessert, I ate a whole slice. T ate all of the leftovers the next day. ALL.OF.THEM.

I served this, in reference to the "Greek breakfast" root idea of this dessert, with some plain Greek yogurt sweetened with a touch of warm honey, dusted with fennel pollen,(Fennel pollen makes everyone think you are fancy, so I highly recommend it) and some quick stovetop berry compote with cinnamon.

This is not low-fat. eat a small slice and relish it (if you care).

This is not vegan.

Vegan swaps: maple syrup (B-grade, preferably) or agave syrup sub for the honey, and one could use raw sugar in the cake itself. I was imagining that in lieu of butter, olive oil (weigh it, not volume) would be excellent as a sub for the butter. If it seems too wet at the end, toss in either a touch of maltodextrin (corn, to keep it gluten free) or (even better) coconut flour to maintain the consistency of the batter. for the eggs, I might suggest subbing the Bob's Red Mill egg substitute. IT does work, but it is not Gluten free, methinks.

Do it. Do it tonight. Here ya go:

2 sticks (about 230 grams) butter, softened
250g sugar
3 eggs
200g corn meal
150g ground almonds (I used Bob's Red Mill almond meal)
1 tsp baking powder
3 lemons (3 zested, 1 juiced)
1 teaspoon of lemon extract (optional, I added this, twice)
taste the batter and if it is bland, add 1/2 tsp of salt (I did not use this)

hardware:
a mixer (or use a hand mixer)
a 9 inch spingform pan
parchment paper
cooking spray (like PAM)
2 med-to-large mixing bowls
pre-heat to 320F, with convection if you have it.

then:
cut a round of parchment paper that will fit on the bottom of the pan.
prep the pan: spray with pam, then set the paper round into the bottom, and spray it lightly.

make the batter:
combine the cornmeal, almond meal (sifted), and the baking powder.
set aside

in the other bowl (or bowl of mixer, I just used a hand mixer):
cream together the butter and the sugar.
then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well to fully incorporate each one.

then fold the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar-egg mix.
then fold in the lemon zest and the lemon juice.
consider adding a small splash of lemon extract.

press the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top and edges to be as uniform as possible. this takes a few minutes. you may prefer to use your hands, cold but dry.
and cook it at 320F for about 30 minutes.
then cover the top with aluminum foil (to prevent excess browning) and cook another 20 minutes or until set but not dry.

cool completely at room temp and serve.

I made this with a berry compote, which is super easy:
drop some mixed frozen berries (mine is the Trader Joe's Cherry Berry mix), probably about a cup or so, into a small saucepan and heat them up.
if they aren't defrosting much, add a little water (like 2 tablespoons)
get it all nice and hot and smash around a bit with a spatula.
to thicken (if needed) - dissolve one teaspoon of cornstarch in 2 teaspoons of water and mix, then dump into the berry mix, stir well and rapidly. once it clarifies, turn the heat off, sprinkle in a little cinnamon, mix and you're done.

vanilla yogurt sauce:
plain greek yogurt, about 1 cup
1 tablespoon of honey
1/2 teaspoon of real vanilla paste
mix.

garnish with lemon-y items and fennel pollen.

IF you make this, e-mail me and let me know if you enjoyed it. I totally intend to make this again.

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.