Rice Pudding

OH MY....yesterday's snow hit me like a ton of bricks with bad moods.......argggggghhhhh.....I drove into Brattleboro to teach a class I was subbing for a friend- I was a bit grumbly......Class was small as was to be expected with the sh*t storm happening at a clip only to matched by the Weather Girls' It's Raining Men...I was in town until about 12:15 and the snow hadn't let up at all. I almost got stuck again pulling out onto Main St and the highways were no better. 91 we were moving about 30 mph single lane, and then there were those who were blowing by (I saw one of them later spun out into the median).
I pull into Putney and started to go up rt 5 just through town and there was a line of cars- stopped. GREAT.....GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT...home seemed SO far away, it took forever for me to get this far!!!! ARRRGGHHHH..... I waited for a bit and then got out of my car to see what was happening. Cars had just spun out around the bend, out of town plates, two wheel drive.....not going anywhere...Cars were trying to go up AND come down...it was a mess. The line behind me grew longer and longer. Almost an hour I was there so when it was my turn to navigate the bend, it felt fantastic to clear it- no problem, now I just have the remaining 4 miles of uphill to go. All in all, by the time I got home I was DONE, my stomach was upset and all I wanted was easy mellow uncomplicated food. RICE PUDDING......it hit me so clearly... I knew what I was going to be smelling cooking in the house. But what about dinner???
Who cares...I started on the Rice Pudding.
I scoured the web for rice pudding recipes and adapted this version to be made entirely without any dairy- it came out so delicious- heavenly actually...it was creamy and warming- JUST what I was in the mood for. I have to say, it is pretty uncomplicated, and super satisfying in every way.

• 3/4c white basmati rice
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups soy/rice milk (or other nondairy milk)
• 2c Silk Creamer
• 1/2 cup agave
• 1T vanilla
• 2t cinnamon

In a large saucepan, place the rice, salt and water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover, continuing to simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked and tender.
In a bowl or large measuring cup/ container, mix the soymilk, creamer and agave and cinnamon and then add to the rice, mixing gently, everything together with a whisk until all is well incorporated. Keep the heat on low, stirring frequently- every 15 minutes or so, cooking for 30–40 minutes until the mixture is thick and creamy.
Once cooked, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla and top with more cinnamon. This is unbelieveable warm but it was just as if not even more delicious this morning......and again this afternoon ;)

I still couldn't quite figure out what I wanted for dinner. I really wanted pasta with *butter* - no greens, no sauce- just a big bowl of white pasta with butter-but we didn't have any pasta left and it was STILL snowing! I keep Rice Pasta in the cupboard so I made a Vegetable Soup with Rice Pasta, spirals with just a simple broth base (onion, carrots, celery, ginger and veggie bouillon), and I packed it with cauliflower, spinach and pasta spirals. This was equally satisfying- one of my most favorite soups. You can vary it by using different vegetables or by adding tofu or beans - it is never disappointing.........UNLIKE THIS SNOW.....

Hummus Canapes & Kitchen Appliances

I LOVE MY KITCHEN APPLIANCES.......they make cooking efficient- with the right tools, anything is possible. Today I am speaking primarily of my trio of MUST HAVES for the vegan kitchen-The Vita-Mixer, The Cuisinart Food Processor and my new food dehydrator (this one being the most recent addition but I have already embarked upon dried apples, mangoes, sprouted and dried almonds and next will be Kale chips!).


My Cuisinart has been upgraded to a beauty of a machine this winter and I just adore it. They have made a lot of changes since my older model which I had for over 10 years- including a work bowl that nests inside a larger work bowl, allowing for smaller jobs to be processed easily with less clean up or in lieu of using the bigger bowl. The price is around $180-225- depending where you buy it from but is well worth every penny.

My Vita-Mix, which I have had again for over 10 years is one of my most favorite kitchen tools EVER....I do soups, desserts, shakes, drinks- this thing is like a blender on steroids and for me proves to be an invaluable asset to my kitchen counter. It is expensive, I think maybe $3-400, you can also purchase refurbished ones that cost less and come with the same lengthy warranty if anything should happen (NOTHING DOES-the thing is a monster....)
There is a job for each tool, and some jobs that can cross from one to the other so that is what I am playing with lately- which job goes with what tool. Last night I made Fresh Spring rolls and made home made Hoisin Sauce- (peanut butter, tamari, sesame oil, chili sauce, vinegar and ume paste) and I tried it in the small work bowl of the Cuisinart- it was messy- I ended up transferring the sauce over to the vita-mix and that's what happened for me today while making hummus.

Because my old processor was such a beast, I never kept it on the counter- thus I never pulled it out to use it either. I would make delicious creamy hummus in the vita-mixer but today , I tried making it with my new silver bullet Cuisinart, gloriously seated on the counter. I have to say- the vita-mixer makes it like commercial hummus you buy in the store- no lumps, no chunks- smooth blissful Hummus. The Vita-mixer also allows you to incorporate herbs or peppers and blends eveything entirely for full flavor of each added ingredient. SO...I started in the Cuisinart but ended up in the Vita-Mix....

I love Hummus- what could be bad? Chick Peas...tahini.....garlic...lemon juice....YUM.... I had Chick peas staring back at me for the past several days in the fridge- left over from my Chick Nuts explosion last week, so for lunch, I made Hummus Canapes (hummus atop home made seasoned pita crisps, tomatoes and sprouts)...

Hummus:

• 2c cooked chick peas, washed and drained
• 1/4c olive oil
• 1 heaping T of tahini
• 2t ground cumin
• juice from one lemon
• 1 clove of garlic, smashed
• 1/4c water
• salt and pepper to taste

Put everything in the processor or your choice except the water- add in slowly to desired consistency. Season to taste.

Pita Crisps:

• 3 whole grain Pitas, cut into triangles
• 2-3T olive oil
• 1t cumin
• 1/2t paprika
• 1T nutritional yeast
• salt & pepper to taste

Toss all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix until well coated. Lay out pita on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until browned and crispy.

To assemble the canapes, spoon hummus over a pita crisp, top with diced tomatoes and sprouts. *D E L I C I O U S*

Linguine with Vegan Meatballs!

I was still dragging around some yesterday- went to spin (THANK GOD) and then came home and paced around my abode for the duration. I did have the inclination to make some sauce- I figured I was home for the long haul and the smell of sauce on the stove is an incredibly fond childhood memory- so off I went....time to make the sauce. My traditional sauce has become a no brainer and a staple- in the winter I make sauce at least once every two weeks if not once a week. I think I may have posted my sauce before but it is

• 1 large can crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 jar of tomato sauce
• 1 large onion
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 3-4T olive oil
• 1t maple syrup
• 1 empty tomato can plus one empty tomato paste jar of water (rinse out the leftover tomato)
  
• chili pepper
• salt and pepper

I decided we would have Linguine and "meatballs" for dinner. I remember helping my mom make meatballs - I LOVED THEM....more than the pasta they went on. You can dress them up with spices or fresh herbs, minced parsley is especially delicious but I was going for easy yesterday....m e l l o w.........My mom would start the sauce in the morning so by the time I came home from school, there would be meatballs and sauce for snacking. The whole house had this incredibly warm, cozy, savory smell that filled the rooms...... I would linger in the kitchen stealing 2nds and 3rds- she would yell at me to get out of the meatballs- that and the french baguette she would buy to go with dinner...FRICKEN YUM.....

I make them almost the same way she does except I use a ground meat substitute mixed partially with a sausage substitute, last night I just used Gimmie Lean (which comes in a tube in the "meat" section), breadcrumbs (I made my own out of two slices of whole grain bread), 1/2 of an onion-minced, salt, and pepper.



The need to measure here is relative- you want them to hold together so if there is too much bread, they will fall apart during cooking- My mother's rule of thumb was that whatever the consistency of the meatball before it is cooked will be the same after, so it shouldn't be too dense or to crumbly. You know this by mixing with clean hands, when they start to feel right, they are ready for shaping. I spoon them out with a small ice cream scoop and then with wet hands, roll them into their even, round, shape.

The next practice came from my Nana- she used to pan fry her meatballs prior to adding to a sauce- besides mixing everything under the kitchen sink into her meatballs (to extend the meat, saving $$$)- she would fry them so they would absorb less sauce while cooking (so smart) so it would yield more sauce. I pan fry them to give them a nice color and crust. I don't always add them back into the cooking sauce- last night I didn't- just a quick pan fry and then they are set aside for the top of the pasta.
This is also the point where I eat like FIVE of them with the cooked sauce, hovering over the stove like when I was 11- nostalgic of my after school snacking routine....

Pasta for me is such a comfort food- semolina pasta especially, I could eat it all of the time- I don't though- again, too much no-whole-grain guilt. I planned ahead yesterday and had purchased Whole Wheat Cappellini but when it came down to making dinner- whole wheat ironically seemed too heavy- we had traditional (DELICIOUS) organic linguine instead. Not that there isn't a place for pasta alternatives- I am a BIG rice pasta proponent and also enjoy a bowl of whole wheat pasta now and again- but Linguine, Spaghetti, Capellini pasta- shouldn't be messed with, it is such a treat..........

I had fresh broccoli that I cleaned and trimmed up- I blanched it for 4 minutes in the salted pasta water (SO smart) and then tossed it with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper- another one of my staples and favorites- especially cold. SO..... there you have it- Linguine with Vegan Meatballs and Lemon Broccoli.

Purple Blues

I have to say, I am feeling the weight of winter, the cold, the blaas....- every time February rolls around with it's 28 days, I say- either out loud or to myself- it is the fricken longest month of the year. Even with a consistent practice of yoga, exercise and healthful eating, I tend to feel a bit cagey. I have been a bit in the doldrums with food creatively speaking this past week, wishing that I were living in LA, Boston or NY for alternative and unique veg dining experiences.....local Chinese Food can only take me so far......It isn't so much even that I haven't made good food- I think it is genuinely the need to be replenished, taken care of, my soul to be fed by another....(and cleaned up by another).

Last week I purchased a food dehydrator which I am really excited to use- It made me think of when we have a garden, all of the cool things we will be able to do. I am excited to try RAW recipes with it as well. I bought a whole bunch of apples and mangoes- that I have yet to prepare- See what I mean???...... all of the makings but not so much inspiration these past few days....I would love take out....vegan take out.

Yesterday I made Roasted Purple Sweet Potatoes with Onions and Maple Syrup- they came out really nice, I was a little confused eating them- but they were sweet and nutty. I sliced them with a mandolin, did the same with the onion. Tossed them in a bowl with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper and roasted them for an hour at 400 degrees.



For dinner, I made a Lentil Loaf- I would actually call it the Half Assed Lentil Loaf- I had made a pot of French lentils and had them in the fridge and I had quinoa, also sitting in the fridge. SO...in a bowl I mixed the lentils, the quinoa, diced onion, about a cup of breadcrumbs (I made), some olive oil, ketchup, salt and pepper- I did zero measuring, prepared mainly by checking if the mix was holding together or not. I had purchased some string beans and seared them with garlic and made a quick mash of potatoes. It all sounds more glorious than it came out- I mean it was good-it had a good taste, it was yummy, but my MOOD...eating has felt a bit deflated as of late! Candle Cafe....take me away.......

I teach Yoga class tonight at 6:15 with my awesome students so we will be eating later......CB is doing the cooking, Escarole and Beans with brown rice- a staple in our house and a favorite.......It is a one pot sort of meal that always comes out incredibly delicious and satisfying...

• 2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
  
• 1 large head of escarole
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  
• 3T olive oil
• chili pepper, pepper & salt to taste
• 1c water
  

In a large saute pan, add 1T olive and 1 clove of garlic, add salt and chili. Saute the escarole over medium high heat until wilted- remove from pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add 2T olive oil, and the remaining garlic, chili, salt and pepper. Add the beans and saute until coated. Add 1 cup of water and let the beans cook partially covered until the beans start to break down and get creamy- about 15-20 minutes - you may need more water if they look dry. In the last phase of cooking, add back in the cooked escarole until everything is heated through. Serve over brown rice or whole grain bread. I quickly made Gomasio
(GO-MAS-EEE-O) to sprinkle over the rice- unhulled sesame seeds with salt, toasted in a hot pan until golden and roasted. Make a lot of this- it is awesome to sprinkle over everything- it is hard to believe so much taste can be in that little seed.....

The sun is shining a little bit longer each day.....March is next week.....spring is right around the corner.....COME ON SPRING........

Chick Nuts

I usually like to exercise first thing in the morning- it keeps me grounded and based in reality for whatever may be coming for the remainder of the day- but I had a couple of appointments to go to yesterday. My plan was to take care of some stuff I had to do, come home, work a little and then go to my friend Diana's yoga class in the afternoon in town. Exhausted after running errands and appointments, I finally got home and wouldn't you know...... my All-Wheel-Drive "Vermont" car got stuck......in my own driveway....so after almost an hour of insisting I wasn't stuck, and after Claudine and me dug the thing out, I was finally...unstuck........but IN NO MOOD..... to say the least. I came inside feeling all wiggy, off and displaced. After all was said and done it was around 4 o'clock.

I needed to figure out dinner because if it was not addressed, I could see my mood going from bad to worse. So we decided on Rosemary and Garlic Chick Peas- they came out delicious but I have to tell you how I got there because what happened along the way was what was REALLY amazing....

So I drained two cans of beans (no time for dried to start), and in a hot pan, sauteed some garlic and chili pepper. I put the chick peas in and tossed them in the oil garlic mixture and covered them with water. I got the Brown Basmati rice ready in water and on the stove. I was reconciled that I needed to move, I needed to do something especially after feeling so agitated, so now my plan was to go upstairs and spin for 30 minutes, 40 at the most. So off I go, chick peas are on low and when I went upstairs, I just didn't feel like doing much- so instead of the spinning, I rolled out my mat and went into Down Dog. It felt simple and amazing so I just started to flow on my mat. I started doing inversions and balancing poses and my practice just kept coming- I did big poses that felt absolutely incredible, Queen Pigeon and Splits- it just poured out of me voluntarily which was surprising seeing I had felt pretty benign about practice some time earlier.....so about AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER .....I came downstairs to an incredible smell and Claudine at the stove- literally scraping out the chickpeas from the bottom of the pot!

All of the water had cooked out of them and they were "roasting" in the oil on the bottom of the pan- she had been out walking with the dogs only to come into the hissing sound of the pot. She salvaged about 1/2, unscathed by the heat and was transferring them into another dish when I walked in.
I tasted one the "burnt" ones.....IT WAS SO FRICKEN DELICOUS! I ate almost ALL of them- saving the few Claudine could get to. So today, I am "roasting" chick peas...ON PURPOSE.....

• two cans of organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  
• 3T Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed, minced
• 1 chili pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Toss everything together in a bowl and transfer to a cookie sheet and bake for 50 minutes in a preheated oven at 450. These should taste just as delicious before going into the oven so season them to your taste.
You could spice them with cumin or different tastes but they are SO satisfying. They are an amazing source of protein (7 grams) and fiber (5 grams) per 1/2 cup. They are nutty, crunchy and are perfect as a quick in-between snack.


Dinner last night was indeed delicious- Garlic Rosemary Chickpeas with Brown Basmati Rice Pilaf (I tossed the cooked rice with the 1/4c of leftover lentil soup I had in the fridge- let it heat altogether in the last 5 minutes of cooking) with Sauteed Lacinato Kale.

After dinner and clean up, I immediately put dried chickpeas in a pot to soak over night to make the
Chick Nuts today......All 4 cups of them!

Where I left off......

It was a long hard week and while I was deep in sadness, I continued to cook, bake and be in my kitchen. I made so many delicious things, I took photos, wrote recipes, but I just didn't have the heart to post anything or take my thoughts away from Queen Elizabeth. Today I woke up with so much hope and the sun was so bright and I thought it amazing...the human condition to feel so many things, so big, so strongly in such short intervals of time. It made me smile to think about how enduring the heart truly is, the drive to keep going.......so today I am back, and loving my food peace mission.

Some of what was created this weekend:

Confetti Rice with Corn Crusted Tofu and Broccoli.......









....Vegan Boca Burger on Whole Grain Bread with Lettuce, Vegan Mayo, Yellow Mustard and Chili Pepper with Home Made Cabbage Coleslaw....





...last night was Taco night:
(I ate 3!) Corn Tortilla Tacos Stuffed with Seasoned Seitan, Vegan Cheese, Tomatoes, Shredded Lettuce, Tofu Sour Cream and Guacamole.....






and today, I named my plate; "My Body Is a Furnace"......
Tofu Scramble with Tempeh Bacon, Whole grain toast and left over Shredded Salad.....




...and yes I ate that whole plate......






So while I was in the kitchen I looked over on the counter at my Cuisinart Food Processor and next to it were bananas, once gorgeous and golden now BLACK. So banana bread it was to be.

I used the recipe out of my book and this bread came out AWESOME.....I am not sure if I doubled the recipe in the book because after years of making the recipes, this one is still in my memory and I can make it by heart- IT MAY VARY FROM THE RECIPE IN THE BOOK (cause that's how I roll). Before you start your Mis En Place, preheat the oven.

So what I did today was:

• mash 3 bananas and set them aside in a bowl.
• In another bowl, I sifted the dry ingredients (except the sucanat and walnuts, put them in the bowl before sifting):

• 3 1/2c barley flour
• 1/2c sucanat
• 2t cinnamon
• 2t baking soda
• 2t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 2c chopped walnuts- reserve 1/2c for the top of the loaves

In a glass measuring cup I mixed the wet ingredients:

• 1/2c canola oil
• 1/2c maple syrup
• 1T vanilla
• 2t apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/4c rice/soymilk
• banana mash
  

Mix the wet into the dry and mix just until well incorporated. This made two loaves but can be poured into cake pans or muffin pans. Sprinkle the top of the loaves with 1t (for each loaf) crystal sugar and the remaining walnuts. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, check and turn the bread and bake for an additional 20 minutes. FRICKEN YUM.........SO DELICIOUS....if you are lucky, you'll get a piece!.......XOE

Queen Elizabeth

My sweet Queen Elizabeth has been sick and today she died. She has been my 1/2 wild, 1/2 domestic, crazy, loud mouthed turkey who has been living with us for the past several years. The first time I met her, she walked around me, checking me out as she sized me up- I thought she was going to attack me.....but then she stopped , looked at me and she hooked her long periwinkle blue neck around me and leaned into me, hugging me, I cried my eyes out....and the rest is history.

She would parade her feathers, more like a Tom than like a lady, for anyone who came to say hello to her, whistling and cooing. She would run after Claudine and the dogs like she was a part of the pack..."HOW COULD YOU FORGET ME???" ...she would run/fly/whistle all the while trying to catch up.
I watched her vitality slowly fade out of her, her big personality slowly soften. She has made me so aware of how connected we all really are. She took up so much space, it is hard for me to imagine her as someone's dinner. Just because she isn't human, doesn't make her any less important- her life any less meaningful or deserving of a place. My intention isn't to slam people who eat meat but she was a LIVING BEING, with a heart, and will and a desire to do her own thing, whatever her thing was. Lizzy, was just so fucking awesome....she shared so much with me- she gave me so much and I loved giving back to her, it was an exchange, like every other relationship. She was so amazing.
I used to think we were so blessed to have all of these crazy, affectionate, special animals- but it isn't special or even extraordinary, it is WHO THEY ARE, as individual, sentient, living creatures.- it is what we, both Claudine and me, expect to see in them- their true potential- and then, so it is so. She was a part of our family, my GOD how she will be missed. I love you Miss Elizabeth. I love you.