Veggie Prairie Girl

MEET YOUR MEATLESS MATE

2012-02-02T11:20:00.012-07:00

Well with Valentine's Day coming up shortly I thought I'd give you all the heads up (well those age 20-35) about an event hosted by Vegans and Vegetarians of Alberta. "Meet Your Meatless Mate" is scheduled for February 9th! Act quickly - registration closes February 4th! Register for it at info@vofa.ca or directly through Noorish Cafe. You are able to pay for your enrollment online. You must pre-register to participate. It's a good opportunity to check out not only the local singles scene but also the Noorish Cafe as that is the meet up location for this event. Drinks, tasty treats and conversation - $20.

And for the rest of us that don't fall into the above age range well how about we just go check it out whenever! Open every day except for Mondays. I love their full name - says it all: Noorish Conscious Eatery and Superfood Elixir Bar ( 8440 - 109th Street). They offer a whole lot more than just wholesome food: Cafe - Retail - Teaching Kitchen - Yoga -Meditation. Do check out their website - there is too much to list here.

Handmade Vegan Chocolates by: The Chocolate Doctors

If you're looking for vegan peanut butter cups (and who isn't?) check out The Chocolate Doctors. I adore peanut butter anything! Of course - I'm always willing to experiment - especially if it involves chocolate. Take a look at this special chocolate that they are offering for Valentine's Day - sounds divine!

"Try our new Mayan Spice Chocolate just in time for Valentine’s Day. It's filled with a chocolately caramel-like filling with a hint of cinnamon and cayenne."

You can find them at the Alberta Avenue Farmer's Market on Thursday nights from 5-8 p.m. And if you really need another reason to visit Noorish Cafe this clinches the deal! Apparently they do stock their chocolates there as well -- got the following little tweet from their website:
"Making chocolate all day today! Stocking up the fridge at Noorish with all 3 box sizes!"
They are also willing to cold ship to several major cities in Canada:
Vancouver, Kamloops, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Montreal, and Toronto.

Vegetarian Tastes of Toronto

2012-01-29T15:51:00.055-07:00

The recipe book pictured above is pretty self-explanatory -- it's a collection of recipes put together by the Toronto Vegetarian Association. It was published in 1996 and contains my favorite pate recipe of all time which I've written about previously and you can find all that here. Anyhow the point of today's post is to ask if anyone out there knows of anyone who might have a copy they're willing to part with. A reader is looking to replace his copy which was lent out and never returned. I have to agree - overall it's an awesome collection of great vegan recipes.

I'm glad he asked me about it because I had it tucked away in a box and had to hunt a little as I have quite a few corners in my house with boxes - which I should label but unfortunately I'm not always super organized. I'm getting better. The last few boxes I put away I did put big bold labels on them so I know exactly what's in them. I know -- if you have stuff in boxes do you really need it?? Most likely not that bad but for now I'm not willing to part with some things. Don't get me wrong - I do let go of stuff -- in fact I hit up Goodwill yesterday and dropped off two bags of stuff so I'm not an all out hoarder or anything!

And did I come back with a little bit of stuff? I sure did! But I restrained myself - I was happily filling my cart but sat down - took a deep breath and after some deliberation returned several items. I came home with 3 beautiful balls of yarn (which will be used to make my beloved African Comfort Dolls which are donated to Icross Canada) and a book for my daughter Nicole - 7000 most loved quotations. She loves quotations...there's hardly a day that goes by that she doesn't put one out there so you can see it was a very necessary item and will be well used. I also bought a box of sparkly beads which will be used on some future comfort dolls and that was it. If you ever have a few spare dollars to donate I would really recommend keeping Icross in mind - they help the poorest of the poor and it's 100% volunteer run.

Below are two sample pages from the cookbook. I've always wanted to make the quiche one but never have yet! I love red lentils and it sounds delish! It would make a great Valentine's Day recipe - made with red colored lentils and good for the heart.

Rice Rusks & Fontaine Sante Hummus

2012-01-27T10:35:00.003-07:00

Crispy yet soft rice rusks are specifically geared towards toddlers but perfect for anybody looking for a nice light gluten free cracker that lends itself well to almost any topping! I've been using them for a snack anytime I don't feel like racking up a bunch of calories and yet want a little something. The size and shape makes them perfect for dipping. Of course hummus is always my number one go-to-dip and if you're not feeling like making it yourself - Costco is carrying a Canadian made brand - Fontaine Sante that is creamy and not over garlicky! But maybe I'm getting immune to garlic so perhaps I might be a poor judge on this one.

It's a little thinner than my homemade hummus and those you typically buy - you can see difference in texture by checking out photos below -- that will give you an idea. Homemade hummus is pictured with the baby mum mum and fontaine sante is in container. However don't let that deter you -- it's really really good and it made a "hummus convert" out of my husband who formerly wouldn't touch it! Voted Number #1 dip by Canadian Consumers - my husband would agree.

President's Choice offers an organic brand of rice rusks and so does Baby Mum Mum - price difference is $1 with PC coming in lower at $2.99 for a box. They taste identical so whichever is more convenient to pick up will do the trick. I also like them with raspberry jam and my 4 year old grandson loves to dip them in peanut butter. Like I said they go with everything and with gluten free becoming more and more necessary for so many people I'm all for keeping such items on hand to use as an alternative to wheat based products.

Power Fruit Blend

2012-01-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

Run, don't walk, to your nearest Real Canadian Superstore or wherever you can find PC brand Organics in your neck of the woods! This Power Fruit Blend of dark sweet cherries, blueberries and blackberries will have you going back for more. Fresh picked flavor sounds cliche but in this case it's as close as you're going to get from plucking it out of your freezer! I love eating these, slightly thawed, straight out of the bag - they're that good. My new favorite morning shake is: 1/2 cup soy milk, 1/2 cup Happy Planet Juice (Mango Peach Party) and 1/2 cup of the power fruit blend. I used to love dairy yogurt shakes. This mixture of soy milk and juice gives it that nice tangy similar flavor.

My mom, who was always ahead of the pack when it came to health trends, actually made homemade yogurt for our whole brood! And it was a big brood - 8 kids - so I can see why she opted to make her own. A couple of little plastic tubs wouldn't last long. She would make big pots of it using this beautiful stainless steel bowl (which I still have) pictured below. It's the only thing left of her old Kenwood Mixer which was I'm sure one of her most treasured items at the time. Lucky for me my mom far outlasted the mixer and is still in wonderful condition (as is my father) at age 82! They are both super active and their favorite keep fit activity is stepping along with Richard Simmons and going out dancing. Their freezer is also packed with fresh vegetables from their own garden! Keys to good health - make your own bread and yogurt, grow your own veggies and sing and dance!

Here's a pic of my mom (82) and sister (60) in the kitchen this past Christmas! Hollywood ladies take note - you don't need plastic to look beautiful at any age! And double bonus - they can smile and turn their necks without any effort :O)

Organicville Sriracha Sauce

2012-01-17T10:13:00.022-07:00

What is Organicville Sriracha Sauce?

It is a bright red, multi-purpose hot sauce made from high quality cayenne peppers with red jalapenos and garlic. The sauce is hot and tangy with just a hint of sweetness which sets it apart from your typical hot sauces. Organicville Sriracha Sauce is certified gluten and vegan which is very important to many of us these days. Check out the Organicville website for more information on their entire line of wholesome products and for some awesome recipes in which to use them.

I'm slowly trying to use more spices in my cooking especially when you hear about all the purported health benefits of using them. So many are considered to be powerful anti-inflammatory aids and of course Cayenne pepper is right up there for that. Check out this website for the 17 health benefits of Cayenne pepper if you are interested in reading more. I've always loved frontier chili powder and that's my usual spice that I put in everything from soup to tofu dishes! Lately though I'm starting to add a dash of hot sauce and I'm finding it to be a good thing to add a little heat - especially when the temperature outside is dipping to -30C like it is this week! The photo below is a pic I took this morning and it's so cold that as soon as I opened the door to take a pic the window frosted up immediately -- brrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Artisana Coconut Oil and Instant Oats = Yummy!

2012-01-10T13:22:00.052-07:00

HAPPY 2012 EVERYONE!

Hope you all enjoyed the end of year festivities. It's resolution time once again and I'm going for the typical "it's time to lose a few pounds". However I'm not going to go crazy and record every last calorie as that hasn't worked too well in the past for me. What I am going to do is just try to focus on eating less and less processed foods and see how it goes. Today I have a pot of simple red lentil soup simmering on the burner and have just finished a bowl of instant oatmeal. I know - I should be eating steel cut oats right? I tried them once and wasn't too impressed but perhaps in the future. In the meantime I'm using President's Choice Instant Oatmeal (Organic) right now because of the good taste and reasonable price. Can't remember exactly but it was just under $3.

I do like the Organic O brand (Safeway) as well but the President's Choice (Real Canadian Superstore) brand has less sugar than the Organics O brand even if you take into account that the O brand has 8-43gm packets and the President's Choice has 10-38gm packets. The PC maple brown sugar oatmeal has 6 gm sugar and the Organic O maple brown sugar has 12 gm sugar. I should just buy a bag of quick rolled oats and call it a day but I really love the convenience of the individual packets and the individual flavors for variety. Organic O brand is more expensive and has less total weight. PC=380gm for about $3 and the Organic O=344gm for about $5. If you're looking to reduce your food budget (who isn't) and/or if you have a larger family it really pays to compare similar products especially since Canada doesn't have any creative couponing opportunities like the USA.

Tip to Reduce Sugar in Instant Oatmeal: I have bought the Organic O brand and I'll tell you an easy way to reduce the sugar and salt is to pour the contents of the packet through a sieve and then you can toss out 1 or 2 teaspoons and you now have a much lower sugar/salt content. You'll be surprised at how much sugar/salt is in each little packet - I was!

#1 - Start off with directions on the packet which tells you to add boiling water to the oats and let stand - I do this but make sure to put a plate on top of your bowl to keep the steam inside.
#2 - Get a small stainless steel pot - add your steamed oatmeal along with 1/2 cup of your favorite non-dairy beverage (I used Natura Vanilla Soy Milk) and simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes - make sure to stir once or twice and keep a lid on it.
#3 - Add 1/2 teaspoon of Artisana Coconut Oil - this fat is good for you and 1/2 teaspoon is minimal and totally adds a significant boost in flavor to a simple bowl of oatmeal.

I would highly recommend purchasing Artisana Coconut Oil -- we've tried out quite a few different brands and this one is by far the best I've come across so far. This one has a few pluses going for it right off the bat -- it's in a glass jar, it's raw and the company is devoted to supporting small organic farmers. And the taste is tops! It's expensive (about $15.00) but this is a product worth splurging on! I love their slogan:

Raw life-energy from sun, to plant to body!

If recipes such as coconut curry, kickin almond pesto, thai noodles and the like appeal to you I suggest you go check out their website. Yummy!

Juicing 101

2011-12-28T17:51:00.008-07:00

A Dinosaur is interested in new spells and concoctions :O) The above is an example of the gentle introduction into the world of juicing: one apple, one orange and one carrot -- delicious!! This blends awesome in the vitamix -- nary a bit of leftover pulp to speak off! I'm calling this juicing 101 because I've never juiced before and I'm not ready to dive into the hard cord world of kale and chard quite yet -- maybe next week :O) Anyhow daughter Nicole has been juicing for the last month and has been sending me links and videos to watch and I'm starting to get interested. I've also been watching a fellow facebooker and veggie prairie girl blog follower post links and picture of her fresh juices and so I'm wondering what all the hoopla is about and am doing some research. She posted an excellent link to a you tube video that gives some background on the importance of excellent food choices to support a healthy body and be free of degenerative diseases (Charlotte Gerson). You can find it here.

Of course the best thing is personal experimentation so I want to slowly start introducing more fresh juices into my diet. My love affair with cooked foods knows no bounds and I'm starting to think it might need a few boundaries! Especially after watching this 4 part interview with Karyn Calabrese (photo below - age 63 - I might have to listen to her interview again - she looks so vibrant and from what she says she has tons of energy and is free from disease)!What I like about her is that she is not overly preachy - in fact she stresses that the you should do what is right for you. She is an excellent speaker and has a wonderful way of conveying what has worked for her and others she has helped to attain a better quality of life.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2011-12-24T10:37:00.003-07:00

Sugar and spice and everything nice - that's what pumpkin cheesecake is made of! Bonus is it's very easy to make though you do need a good blender or food processor to whirl the tofutti and tofu together silky smooth. I got the recipe from fat-free vegan kitchen though I did go against her advice and used pumpkin pie mix and am really glad I did. I did mine with organic sugar - I was concerned that agave syrup would make it too runny -- not sure if it would or not but I didn't want to chance it. I also substituted tapioca starch for the cornstarch - that change didn't seem to effect the outcome as it baked perfectly.

Caramel sauce on top was added by me and I loved the two together. It's not part of the original recipe from fat-free vegan kitchen - it's the same sauce used on the salted vanilla caramel cupcakes. If you find that is too sweet for you trying whipping up some coconut creme instead. I've not tried it myself but I'm sure it would be delicious. I have had coconut cream pudding at Padmanadi Restaurant and it is delightful so I'm pretty confident the whipped coconut cream would be as well. Another nice addition might be a scoop of So Delicious Gourmet Vanilla ice cream. I have some in the freezer and look forward to experimenting :O) I'm also thinking this pumpkin pie filling would be perfect as mini tarts with a little star piping of whipped coconut cream.

I found this absolutely spectular pumpkin pie mix by Farmer's Market at Earth's General Store. It's flavored to perfection for this application. Farmer's Market goes the extra mile by ensuring that the cans that their beautiful organic pumpkin pie mix comes in have BPA- free liners!

This is my second time making this recipe - and it was by request from my DD Nicole who celebrated her 30-something birthday yesterday. She was my beautiful Christmas surprise in 1979! She was supposed to be my New Year's baby but came a wee bit early and consequently I rushed out of the house with half-baked xmas cookies left in the oven (I did turn it off). I also had request to make some vanilla cupcakes by my other DD Rachel and I love how they turned out so here's a pic of them and of my two lovely darling daughters! I used the same recipe as the salted caramel vanilla cupcakes but I took away 2 tablespoons of white flour and subbed with 2 tablespoons of tapioca starch and will do that again for future cupcakes. I think it makes it a little lighter tasting which I like for vanilla cupcake. I used Let's Do Confetti Sprinklez for a little added glam! I used smucker's strawberry topping in the icing to get the delicate pink color - worked nicely and gave it a nice little tang.

Soy Eggnog and Natural Candy Canes

2011-12-23T10:25:00.002-07:00

If you're looking for some "eggnog flavor" over the holidays I've recently tried two vegan nogs. The Vitasoy and Soy Nice brand. Both were good but different. If you prefer a thinner "eggnog style" with a definite spicey flavor you'll want to go with Vitasoy Organic Holly Nog! This one is 60 calories and 11 gms sugar per 1/2 cup serving. The Vitasoy would be suitable as a hot beverage if you like that kind of thing - I do. The So Nice would not.

The So Nice Noel Nog is quite a bit thicker and spices are not as distinct. It is also 60 calories per half cup serving but slightly higher in sugar at 16 gm. Both are very tasty and certainly worthy of gracing your holiday table.

One more product that we tried out for the festive season were some "natural" (organic, no corn syrup, gluten free, no artificial colors or flavors, vegan and kosher) candy canes. Made by Tru Sweets - they have a slightly peppermint slightly sweet flavor that is geared to the younger set but I enjoyed them too! Our resident 4 year old loved them - he had one and then helped decorate the tree with the remainder. They have a nice soft pinky-red color to them and look beautiful.

Healthagetti

2011-12-22T19:18:00.001-07:00

Decided a little healthier alternative to a popular kid's canned tomato pasta was needed in our household. So we picked up a package of organic Prairie Harvest alphabet pasta and some organic roasted tomato sauce (Neal Brothers). Check out their website to view all their products -- they are definitely Sauce-some as advertised! I would have preferred a slightly larger size alphabet pasta but that's not easy to come by in an organic version. I believe that there might be some larger size just "O"'s and I just might try that out another time. Anyhow the alphabet pasta I got does serve the purpose and was a definite requirement as the first question our little tester asked (more like demanded) when presented with the bowl of "healthagetti" (before even looking himself) was "Are there letters in it"? Anyhow it passed with flying colors as he eagerly ate the entire portion with great gusto!

Boil some filtered water (4 cups) in a large pot. Add 1 cup of alphabet pasta. Boil until it's the texture you like - mine took about 20 minutes but I prefer it more on the soft side. Drain. Add your pasta sauce (I whirled the sauce in the magic bullet so as to ensure there were no chunky bits of onion as that would turn off our intended target audience - a picky 4 year old!) Taste and add a bit of the following if required to make it taste more like the commercial product: organic canola oil, sea salt, and a pinch or two of organic sugar. Add a tablespoon of water or soy milk if it seems too thick. It also benefits from the addition of a tablespoon or two of a good organic ketchup (Simply Natural is excellent). And don't forget the "sneaky sauce" addition of a steamed carrot if you want to add a little extra Vitamin A.

I didn't have any cheesy products on hand but add a shake of a good vegan parmesan if your little one likes cheese flavor. Link here for a simple homemade version I intend to try out soon. It made about 3 cups. I froze a one cup portion for a future meal. I'm hoping it freezes nicely and reheats well as it would be an awesome timesaver to have some healthy vegan toddler meals on hand. Like most soups and chili "Healthagetti" is better the second day - the pasta absorbed a whole lot more of the tomato sauce and consequently the alphabet letters were a bit larger too! A win-win situation and like day number one our tester finished up his lunch with much enthusiasm.

4 cups filtered water
1 cup alphabet pasta or "O"'s pasta
1 cup smooth tomato pasta sauce
organic canola or olive oil (to taste)
salt (to taste)
organic sugar (to taste)
steamed carrot (optional - added to tomato sauce)
vegan parmesan (optional)

Peanut Butter & Jam Frosted Jewels

2011-12-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

These are jewels cause they are super easy to make, they're vegan and they're so good.

1/4 cup earth balance margarine
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar

1 cup of organic unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Soy vegan eggnog (enough to bind)
about 1/4 cup or so

Cream the margarine and peanut butter together with a wooden spoon. Add the sugars and mix well. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Add as much vegan eggnog as required to making a easy to roll dough. Probably about a 1/4 cup or so as that is what I ended up using. Press together and roll into a cylinder - wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for a couple of hours or so. Roll balls - flatten with glass and make thumb imprint - add some yummy red jam and bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes depending on size you make.
Cool and drizzle with some vegan royal icing (icing sugar mixed with a few teaspoons of water until nice pouring consistency). A pretty cookie for the Vegan Christmas Platter!

And just to balance out all this sugar may I suggest a lovely green shake (cucumber, kiwi, orange, celery, apple, purple kale and spinach) compliments of Nicole !

This Old House and Cinnamon Buns

2011-11-25T10:44:00.005-07:00

This is the house where I lived from aged 6-18 years old. They were wonderful years. My parents recently sold the house to my younger sister and her husband. So fortunate for me because all my best childhood memories are wrapped up inside the walls of this house and the walls of my mind. They are the ideal couple for this home because they have extensive renovating experience and lots of great ideas to keep the old homestead in beautiful and tip-top condition. The above pic was taken this fall and is still a work in progress but I'm loving it!! One of my favorite memories is the wonderful cinnamon buns that my mom made often for us. I guess that's where I get my love of baking fresh breads. We were a family of 8 kids growing up with two wonderful parents so we were very fortunate indeed. I wish every child could grow up the way we did. We also had neighbors a few houses down who had 13 kids! Well if you can believe it we would all get together once in a while and guess what this mom baked for all of us - cinnamon buns!! Another talented wonderful mom who put lots of love into her baking! So cinnamon buns hold a really special place in my heart - aside from the fact that they are utterly delectable fresh out of the oven and without all of the preservatives and other stuff you can't read on the store bought packages! Oh and least I forget both my mom and the neighbor used wood stoves for the longest time for all their cooking and baking! The early sixties were like a "Norman Rockwell painting" - idyllic and carefree (at least for me)!

Anyhow all that bread making rubbed off on me and one of my favorite things is baking fresh cinnamon rolls and they are so easy to do I encourage everyone to at least try it once. It's amazing how little flour (about 2 - 2 1/4) it takes to produce 12 lucious buns. I am still old fashioned in that I prefer the traditional yeast -- I want to see it rising before I put it into my flour! I don't want quick mix anything when it comes to baking bread! One tip I tried that works really well is to put your bread in a closed oven along with a bowl of steaming boiled water. Makes a lovely cosy environment for the bread to rise nicely. I took photos of the steps to making the buns -- once your dough has risen and you have punched it down. I did this batch with pecans because I was out of raisins. I want to try them again with freshly steamed/diced pieces of apples or canned pears which is something I've never tried but sounds yummy! They're also terrific without bits of raisins or fruit in them if you prefer them straight up cinnamon (well don't forget the butter and brown sugar layer to go with it)! I use a liberal spreading of Earth Balance margarine and muscovado sugar as the starting point before anything else! I also love the icing sugar/water glaze on top - I drizzle a bit when they first come out of the oven so it soaks into as many of the crevices of the bun as possible and then I finish it off with another application once the buns have cooled.

1-1/4 cup of soymilk/water

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 packet of traditional yeast

3 tablespoons melted Earth Balance margarine

1/4 cup of organic white sugar

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

2 - 2 1/4 cups organic unbleached white flour

Stir the sugar into the warmed soymilk/water mixture (used 3/4 cup of each). Sprinkle with yeast. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar, salt and melted margarine (make sure it's not too hot). Stir in the flour a cup at a time until you get a dough that pulls way from the bowl. Knead until smooth and elastic. Put into a clean bowl - grease top and sides of dough with a bit of olive oil or margarine. Let rise in a warm spot for about 1-1/2 hour.

Punch down and roll out on counter top into a rectangle shape. Spread with margarine, sugar, cinnamon and whatever fruit or raisins you decided to use. I ended up with 12. Place into a lightly greased pan - and let rise again in a warm spot for another hour or so. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Glaze with icing. Cool and glaze a little more!

5-Grain Pizza Rolls

2011-11-18T18:23:00.005-07:00

Pizza Bun Dough

1-1/4 cup of soymilk/water
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 packet of traditional yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup kamut flour
1-1/2 cup spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir the sugar into the warmed soymilk/water mixture (used 3/4 cup of each). Sprinkle with yeast. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir in the flour a cup at a time until you get a dough that pulls way from the bowl. Knead until smooth and elastic. Put into a clean bowl - grease top and sides of dough with a bit of olive oil or margarine. Let rise in a warm spot for about 1-1/2 hour.

Punch down and roll out on counter top into a rectangle shape. Spoon on your sauce liberally and top with your pan-fried tofu. I used medium firm tofu that I marinated overnight in a few spices and olive oil. It is more like tofu cubes and crumbles but that is perfect for inside these pizza rolls. Roll up your dough just like you do for making cinnamon buns and cut into equal pieces. I ended up with 12. Place into a lightly greased pan - and let rise again in a warm spot for another hour or so. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Sauce:
A purchased jar of Edens Crushed Organic Tomatoes with garlic and onion. I sauteed veggies as shown in the pan above (1 onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 shallot, 5 cauliflower florets, 1 small sweet potato, 1 carrot and 2 pieces of large swiss chard). I sprinkled with about 2 teaspoons of veggie broth powder and added about 1 cup of water and let it simmer for a good hour or so (on low heat with a lid on). By that time the water was more or less evaporated and the veggies were very soft. If there is too much water left either pour it off or take lid off and let it sit on the stove until it's gone. I whirled the veggies in my magic bullet briefly and then mixed it with the Eden crushed tomatoes. The two mixed together is pictured in the bowl above. I ended up with 2/3 cup mashed veggies and decided to add 2/3 cup tomato sauce to come up with the blend I wanted for the pizza buns. I was inspired to make a healthier tomato sauce thanks to the Sneaky Chef book I looked through recently. This is not one of their specific recipes - I figured almost anything goes with tomato sauce and those were the veggies I had in my fridge. So use whatever you have on hand that you think would work or used just the crushed tomatoes -- works perfectly well all on its own and saves a few steps. I have a picky 4 year old I'm trying to get more veggies into or I would opt for the quick and easy route myself!

Hearty Autumn Soup

2011-10-17T20:31:00.010-06:00

This is one stick-to-the-ribs hearty soup for a chilly fall day. Earthy fresh taste and full of super nutrition to keep you feeling tip-top!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup minced parsley
4 carrots, diced
2 small beets, diced
2 cups diced green cabbage
2 cups diced sweet potato
2 cups diced potato
1 cup diced tomato
1/2 cup converted rice
1-1/2 cups cooked white beans
2-3 teaspoons veggie broth powder
salt/pepper/spices to taste
4-6 cups water

Saute your onions and garlic until lightly carmelized. Add the rest of your veggies, rice and beans (if using canned I would suggest draining and rinsing before adding to the soup). Start with 4 cups of water. Sprinkle in your veggie broth and spices. Bring soup to a boil, turn down heat and simmer until done. Add water as required. I did a couple of turns through the soup with my stick blender - leaving it pretty well half pureed and half chunky. I let it simmer like that for another 1/2 hour - stir once in a while as the rice gets a little starchy and can start sticking a bit. The crackers featured beside my soup are Mary's organic gluten free crackers. My husband went shopping to Costco on Saturday and after sampling it he decided to buy a family size pack for all of us to try. A crispy cracker full of sesame seeds which helps to give it lots of flavor.

I purchased the white beans for this soup at the Dutch Delish store here in Edmonton. I love the size and I love the fact that they are packed in glass jars. A very nice clean taste. I got a kick out of their motto - "Vers van het land " which translated literally means "fresh from the land"! The little blue/white label states that it has "minder zout en pure smaak" which means "less salt and pure taste". I'd have to agree - with all their claims - they are indeed a soft skinned, delicate and fresh tasting white bean. Dutch Delish has a large variety of vegetables, beans and sauces packed in glass jars. The Hak brand minced spinach is amazing too and if you can believe it only has two ingredients: spinach and nutmeg - no crazy additives or color -- just fresh from the garden taste goodness! Don't forget to pick up a box of speculaas cookies while you're there -- they're a dutch staple and they are a wonderful light cinnamon-gingery cookie. When we were young my mother used to make us speculaas sandwiches for a treat -- don't knock it till you've tried it. We loved them!

Blueberry Oatbran Muffins GF

2011-10-17T16:59:00.005-06:00

These are my favorite gluten free muffin to date. I love the lucious filling of blueberries and the sprinkle and sparkle of coarse sugar on top (1/2 teaspoon is all it takes to add a sweet crunchy coating). This recipe is nearly identical to my original recipe that I created for the gluten free Banana Oatbran-Pecan muffins with a few changes to better suit the moister content of blueberry filling.

1 cup oat bran
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup almond flour
2 tbsp. tapioca starch
2 tbsp. golden flaxseed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/4 cup *apple* juice
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 banana (frozen or fresh)
cut into little chunks

coarse sugar for topping
1/2 teaspoon per muffin

Mix together all the dry ingredients and sift - there will be oatbran leftover - just toss back into the dry and mix through. I like to sift the dry ingredients as that ensures that the flaxseed, tapioca starch, salt and baking powder are evenly distributed throughout the main flour mixture.

Mix the liquid ingredients into a 2 cup liquid measure cup - total liquids needs to equal 1-1/4 cup. Add any of the liquid ingredients (I prefer to add extra apple juice) to ensure you get to that 1-1/4 cup. If you don't have apple juice use pineapple or orange or whatever else you might have on hand.

Dice your banana (fresh or frozen) into little chunky size pieces (one slice cut into four is about right - you want them big enough so they don't disappear into the baked product as they are delicious when they stay tiny bite size pieces once baked). I always freeze my excess bananas just peeled whole and put into freezer containers. They're easy to slice and dice from frozen -- a little chilly on the hands but it works.

Pour in your liquid ingredients - mix together. Fold in your diced banana pieces. Then using a 2 tablespoon measure distribute about half of the batter evenly between the 9 muffin liners. Now dip a 2 tablespoon measure into a bag of frozen blueberries (I rarely have fresh so that's what I use - I buy organic wild blueberries for my muffins) and put about that much on top of the batter in each muffin cup. Don't worry about defrosting the blueberries -- I always put them in totally frozen. Push down a little with the tip of your finger. Divide the rest of the remaining batter evenly on top of blueberries. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of coarse sugar.

Bake for 18-20 minutes at 375. Let cool in muffin pan for about 5-10 minutes. Remove gently using a big spoon and place on a cooling rack for another 20 minutes or so. I freeze whatever I don't eat the first day. For best flavor defrost on counter and reheat on low in the toaster oven or microwave to give it that fresh baked taste.

October 26th. 2011: I just made another batch of these and I subbed the agave with 3 tablespoons of homemade organic brown sugar (1 teaspoon of molasses stirred into 1 cup of organic white sugar until it becomes soft brown sugar). Gave them a slightly more cake-like texture and I decided to add a lemon glaze (I love lemon flavored anything) just to kick it up a notch and the result is seriously outstanding.

I opened up one of the muffins to show how many blueberries I fit into each one -- a full two tablespoons.

Take the Veggie Challenge - and win Prizes!

2011-10-10T14:45:00.001-06:00

The Toronto Vegetarian Association sponsors a Veggie Challenge. Daily e-mail recipes, support and prizes at the end of the challenge. Prize offers available almost anywhere in the world so sign up and start winning!!

TOP 10 FOOD ADDITIVES TO AVOID

2011-10-07T01:39:00.001-06:00

Get your printable list of the top 10 food additives to avoid from http://www.foodmatters.tv/
You can also watch the documentary "Food Matters" online for free tomorrow and Saturday.

James & Laurentine
Producer / Directors ‘Food Matters’

"We here at Food Matters are committed to helping you help yourself. We believe that your body is worthy of good care and that no one is more suitably qualified to care for it than yourself. Think of us as your nutritional consultants and know that we are here with you on your journey to a healthier life".

T-Rex Dinosaur at the Bulk Barn

2011-09-26T20:40:00.001-06:00

My soon-to-be 4 year old grandson woke up from his nap and the first think he said was: I dreamed I had a T-Rex Dinosaur Cake for my birthday - Is it my birthday yet? I'm not surprised he dreams of dinosaurs - he's consumed with them this summer. He does dinosaur roars at the local parks and what amuses me is that all the dads know exactly what he is :O) So if he's dreaming of a dino cake is there any way we could not put one together? I think not! So I quickly started googling! And of course Wilton has a T-Rex form cake pan suitable for the preschoolers. Thank goodness. An even bigger thank goodness is that the Bulk Barn outlet at south common will rent you the cake pan for a mere $1.99 per day (plus $20.00 refundable deposit). I can't see that we'll want to make it more than once or maybe twice? In any case $1.99 is a bargain and it won't be collecting dust on the back shelf somewhere for years and years.

I really like Bulk Barn - they have lots of gluten free products available plus natura soy milk for one of the best prices I've seen anywhere. And if you're into cupcakes (and you might have guessed that I am) they have all kinds of cupcake liners and special little packages to gift your cupcakes in. They also sell the 3-in-1 cake carrier for $3.00 less than Wal-mart. Now that's a good deal! Check out the link above as their website is extensive and informative. There's also a printable coupon for $3 this week that you can use on a $10 or more purchase from now until October 6th.

Bulk Barn
2077 98 St NW
Edmonton
(780) 461-4454

Espresso Cupcakes

2011-09-23T22:17:00.004-06:00

These are a-m-a-z-i-n-g especially if you love espresso and amaretto. We used a combination of a couple of different recipes plus a few ideas of our own. This was a joint effort in the kitchen between me and my DD. We had a lot of fun making and sampling it! If anyone is urgently requiring the recipe please e-mail me -- if not I'll be posting it later. If you're out at Padmanadi this weekend ask for a slice of Maya's vegan Lemon-Blueberry Bundt Cake - if there is any left to be had that is! We were there Thursday night and indulged in it and it was d-i-v-i-n-e!

Here's a website worth checking out -- the Veg Coach tells you how to eat Vegan on $4 a day! Also check out the Vegetarians of Alberta and Earth's General Store websites for a whole slew of events for the month of October!

October 1st (Saturday)
Kick-off the month of fun at Earth’s General Store (9605 82 Ave) on International World Vegetarian Day! Join us at noon for a vegan barbecue. Stay for the musicians until 4pm. Local vegan vendors will be showcasing their products and there will be a Used Book Sale with proceeds going to VVoA. Donate your used books! Drop off any book at Earth’s General Store the Friday night before or when you come out to enjoy World Vegetarian Day.

Coconut Lentil Soup (Crockpot Recipe)

2011-09-23T03:17:00.001-06:00

We put this on before we left the house and when we came home the wonderful aroma of this full-bodied soup welcomed us. What a treat to come home to. Super simple and super delicious. Break out the crockpot and give this one a whirl. For a lower fat version use 1/2 soy milk and 1/2 coconut milk. Coconut milk has enough flavor to allow you to cut it with the soy milk without any problem. Do remember to wash your lentils very very well. They seem to need it -- ours seemed very "dusty" for lack of a better word.

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils, washed very well

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

14 ounce can tomatoes

2 carrots, chopped

1-1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup coconut milk

Soften onion and garlic in olive oil. Wash your lentils and wash them some more! Add all the rest of the ingredients except for the coconut milk. Put into your crockpot (about 3-4 quart size) and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 8-10 hours. Add your coconut milk at end of desired cooking time and let it bubble for another 15-20 minutes until heat through. Makes about 6 - 1 cup servings.

Salted Caramel Vanilla Cupcakes

2011-09-17T19:59:00.002-06:00

So here's what I was up to today! Could not resist trying out the recipe that I found on the Toronto Vegetarian Association website last night whilst browsing. I have had the pleasure to meet the fabulous Sherry Vanstone and have been lucky enough to partake of her delicious vanilla cupcakes recently (Maya's wedding May 2011) and so was quite sure these would be delectable. And thousands agree as she entered this recipe last year and she won first place for Best Vegan Cupcake and Best in Show. Recipe can be found under the TVA website and is called The Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off Booklet of Recipes. These cupcakes are out of this world delicious. Tasted even better the next day if that's possible (it was)! The caramel sauce had integrated deeply into the cupcake and all I can say is "get off the computer and go and make these"! I can see why Sherry won first place with this outstanding combo of flavors.

Veggie Prairie Girl Ramblings
My first batch of cupcakes I made exactly as per the recipe. For the second batch I had to use 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup soy milk because I didn't have a full cup of soy milk left in the house. I had made a batch previous with only soy milk and for some reason the batch with coconut milk rose nicer. Could be because coconut milk was room temp and soy milk was cold? Or because of the coconut milk? This brand contained coconut milk, water and citric acid for ingredients. Perhaps citric acid helped them rise a little more? I'll have to do another comparison making two batches before I come to a conclusion on the "rising" issue. Perhaps my vinegar might have been flawed in the first batch and perhaps that was responsible for them being a little lower - there's always variables whenever things don't turn out exactly as anticipated. I was using organic vinegar and it seemed there was a lot of sediment on the bottom -- perhaps I should have shook it before measuring out the required amount. However regardless of my "rising issues" the taste was perfection.

Notice the indentations in top of cupcakes -- I wasn't sure how to pool the caramel nicely so instead I took the end of wooden spoon and just jabbed each cupcake. Maybe I was little over enthusiastic with the depth of the indentation. Because I would drip in the caramel and it would just keep disappearing and disappearing. Fortunatley for me the disappearing act proved to be a good thing -- it was super delicious next day as the caramel had soaked throughout middle of cupcake. Next time I'll do the same (because it WAS good!) then seal the top with a dab of icing and then make a little puddle. I also need to buy some coarse salt to sprinkle on top because all I had was fine sea salt and it didn't do the trick. I baked my cupcakes for 16 minutes at 350. Made 9 regular sized cupcakes.

Green and Gold Community Garden Produce

2011-09-14T14:42:00.005-06:00

What does $20.00 buy? An amazing array of super fresh healthy vegetables for your family and a hand-up for African women. The Green and Gold Community Garden offers us the chance to think/act local and think/act global. After reading about it in the Edmonton Journal I headed out to the university research farm on Tuesday evening and was quite pleased to be able to avail myself of some garden fresh produce and to support the women of Rawanda. A win-win situation all the way around. A big round of applause to all the volunteers who work the garden and allow us the opportunity to make some nutritious meals and be happy that 100% of all the monies paid for the produce are donated to the Tubahumurize Association, in Rwanda.

Tubahumurize is a not-for-profit organization that supports socially and economically marginalized women through counselling, vocational training, health education, and employment opportunities. In 2010, the garden’s second summer of operation, they raised $21,587.00 from donations for the garden produce. The garden is open to the public on Tuesday evenings from 7-8:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 11-1 p.m. Check the link above for further details. You can put yourself on their e-mail list and they'll update you twice a week as to what vegetables are available.

P.S. Last night there were a few bundles of various colored "marigold/mum/daisy" type flowers that were selling for $4 a bundle. Somebody said they were called "straw" flowers (quite dry to the touch yet firm). Very cute - very prairie-style flower arrangement :O)

The Perfect Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie

2011-09-11T15:47:00.001-06:00

The perfect vegan peanut butter cookie compliments of Betty Crocker circa 1975 and vegan ingredients circa 2011! Paired with a glass of delicious chilled original flavor soy milk for the ultimate classic snack. If you have never tried Muscovado brown sugar (Cuisine Camino) it's definitely worth seeking out. Bonus - this is a super duper easy recipe. No need to even dirty a mixer - a strong arm and wooden spoon will suffice. You'll have them in the oven in 5 minutes or less!

1/2 cup Whipped Organic Earth Balance margarine
1/2 cup Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter
1/2 cup organic white sugar
1/2 cup Muscovado Brown Sugar
1/4 cup soft tofu (sunrise blue label)

1-1/4 cup unbleached organic white flour (Western family)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon organic baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Mix the first 5 ingredients together. Add the 4 dry ingredients. Roll into balls (2 tbsp each). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Crisscross with fork. Bake for 10 minutes at 375. Let sit for a few minutes on your baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Took a dozen of these to Kinsmen Park with us yesterday and we enjoyed them very much under the beautiful blue alberta skies! The happy sounds of squeals and giggles echoed all over the park - the loudest of which I swear came from my precious grandson Nico. He finally agreed (more or less) to leave at 8 p.m. after 5 hours of pure joyful play.

Cuisine Camino Tip for using Muscovado Brown Sugar:
Caramelize it and use it as you would use icing to write on a cake: Make the caramelized mix, write your text on a parchment paper, keep it at room temperature and that´s it!

Zucchini Season

2011-08-26T12:42:00.119-06:00

Zucchini season is in full swing on the Canadian Prairies. Lucky for me a co-worker at my husband's office bought some of her zucchini harvest to share (thank you so much Sharon!).

A little background on the zucchini taken from Wikipedia. The description presented doesn't exactly inspire --- anything that contains the words "swollen ovary" is not music to my ears or any other female on the planet earth I'd dare to hazard to guess! I'm always surprised at the produce that I think is a vegetable is actually a fruit. Here's the direct quote from Wikipedia:

"In a culinary context, the zucchini is treated as a vegetable which means it is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment. Botanically, however, the zucchini is an immature fruit, being the swollen ovary of the female zucchini flower."

Anyhow don't let that put you off -- it's darn healthy: 1/2 cup provides 19% of the recommended amount of manganese. Also provides useful amounts of folate, potassium, and vitamin A. And lets not forget how fortunate we are that it often grows quite easily in our prairie gardens.

JFYI: There is a big birthday buffet coming up at Padmanadi on August 31st. Sources have revealed that there will be 1000 vegan cupcakes to celebrate Kasim's birthday. Count me in!! Maya's vegan vanilla cupcakes are amazing - they get a 10/10 from me and that's not easy to do! I got carried away thinking about the buffet - but time to get back to the matter at hand: here's my list of ingredients for a healthy way to enjoy beets and zucchini. Start with:

1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 yellow onion
1 container medium-firm tofu
chili powder, cumin and garlic powder

Dice your onion and cube the tofu. Season with chili powder, cumin and garlic powder. Add a splash of paul bragg and just let it all simmer in the olive oil whilst you start chopping the veggies below. Add water as needed to keep it from sticking. Throw in about 2-3 teaspoons veggie broth powder.

Put a lid on it and simmer for however long you like. I simmered it for about 2 hours. You can serve it over rice if you leave it liquidy-like. I didn't have any rice on hand so I stirred in about 1 cup of mashed potato to thicken and that worked out quite well. Picture of the mixture in the frying pan is how it looked before I added the mashed potato. Picture below has the mashed potato in it.

4 carrots
3 beets
1 zucchini
2 potatoes
1/2 cup diced green cabbage
2-3 teaspoons veggie broth powder
water as needed

This is a recipe that might do well with the slow cooker. The initial softening of vegetables whilst you chop you have to do regardless - the bonus of course would be not having to worry about it sticking whilst it is simmering for the next 2 hours. I was just reading the introduction to 125 best vegetarian recipes for a slow cooker so I'm now thinking how I can incorporate my recipes to such. I was reading it aloud at the park to my daughter whilst my grandson was playing on the slide and one part made me laugh. I said "listen to this" -- over 25 million slow cookers are sold every year world wide. And my daughter said "and there are only 50 actually being used"! We continued to peruse the recipes and have plans to try some soon as they all sounded delicious and doable. I'll post our favorites on here as we try them out. That might take a while though so I would advise that in the meantime you beg, borrow (it is available through the Edmonton Public Library) or buy the book: 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson. I was lucky enough to find a pristine copy (for only $2.99) at my local Goodwill Store.

Chocolate Cupcakes - take 2!

2011-08-20T10:47:00.017-06:00

I've made these cupcakes too many times to count but I love them because they are very forgiving and still usually turn out no matter what you may or may not change. I barely had 1 1/4 cup unbleached white flour left in my cannister so I had to add 1/4 cup oat flour. I'm thinking I just might do this on purpose next time as it seemed to make it a little bit denser and "fudgier" which I liked! I used 3 tbsp. olive oil + 2 tbsp. applesauce instead of 3 tbsp. canola oil + 3 tbsp. of pureed baby prunes and 1 cup of soy milk instead of the cold water. I'm surprised how neutral olive oil can taste in so many recipes. I threw in an extra tablespoon of Cuisine Camino cocoa powder (5 tablespoons instead of 4 and still included 1 tbsp. of decaff instant organic coffee). I'm thinking that the strong flavor of cocoa possibly works well to neutralize the olive oil flavor in this case.

For the crowning glory I whipped up a batch of quick "lemon" icing -- squeezed some fresh lemon, 3 tablespoons of earth balance (whipped organic) and of course powdered sugar. Whipped organic margarine on it's own doesn't seem to produce a super stiff icing but firm enough that it doesn't run off the cupcake. Ideal mixture for those days you don't want to pull out the decorator and/or need an Eiffel Tower size topping! Not that I don't love cupcakes that are top heavy - I surely do. My grandson LOVES icing and in fact loves it so much that he thought it would make a great hair gel! I was tidying up my cupcake mess when he came running to me "Mema do you like my new hair?" Pictured below is him with his lovely icing hair gel. Needless to say count 1,2,3 and he was floating with his rubber ducky in the tub getting a new do!

He was due for a haircut anyhow but this kinda of speeded it up! He agreed to the cut - he's used to it as we go from curls to smooth to curls quite often. Takes him about 3-4 months to get same amount of curls back that were just shaved off!

Back to my cupcakes though -- the final touch was a mini-ginger cookie and last but not least a swirl of Cuisine Camino chocolate (chips melted with a bit of earth balance margarine and thinned to right consistency with soy milk). I used the trusty mini plastic bag with tip cut off for that part. These mini ginger cookies are a real gem that I found at Giant Tiger recently. They're made in Canada and appear to be made with only vegan ingredients. Doesn't say vegan on the box but I can read all the ingredients clearly and they are straight forward and nothing weird! Brand name is Hollandia. A 400 gram tub was only $2.77 the day I bought it. I'm quite sure that Bulk Barn also carries the exact same cookies as I purchased 100 gm there and ingredients and taste are identical to Hollandia brand. They charge 66 cents a 100 gm so works out to about same price.

Mrs. May's Nut Clusters

2011-06-08T14:10:00.047-06:00

Coconut Almond Crunch - a good-for-you vegan snack by Mrs. May's that I just tried out this week. It certainly qualifies as a terrific energizing food to give you some get up and go anytime you start to feel like you're losing steam. Cute little squares for easy portion control. About 1 pluspoint per square if you're following WW plan. Worth every pluspoint! Website says that Safeway and Costco sell Mrs. May's but it's a U.S.A. site so not sure about here. I purchased them at a local store in my neighborhood (Brander Gardens) called El Chami.

Description

Coconut boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance. It quickly creates a nutritional boost of energy that lasts. Coconut also supports tissue and muscle healing and repair, enabling the body to endure heavy exercise. Ninety percent of fat in almonds are unsaturated fat which help lower bad cholesterol! Loaded with protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E. Help prevents osteoporosis and regulates blood pressure. Pick up a bag of Coconut Almond Crunch today for a natural nut and healthy nut snack!

Ingredients
Almonds, Coconut Flakes, Rice Malt, Evaporated Cane Juice, Sea Salt.

Eco-Force

2011-06-02T17:32:00.007-06:00

I was at Planet Organic last night and happened upon a display stand of eco-force products. As I was in the market for a couple of fresh sponges I decided I'd buy them along with some other items that looked like they might be useful for more than one thing. The clothes pegs for one -- I actually bought them because I've not been having much luck with the clips that are intended for reclosing chip bags and the like and thought these might be better. I liked that there was no metal clip as that was the part that keeps breaking and seems there is no way to put them back together. The marketing skills of the Eco-Force people are awesome -- loved how they came up with the description "hurricane grip force" for the clothes pins! Certainly cinched the deal for me.

Another use I thought of for the "hurricane grip force" clothes pins (don't all little boys need something as indestructive sounding as that for just about everything?) was a little game my 3 year old grandson and I could play together whilst sitting on a blanket under the shade of my beautiful Aspen tree. The bright colors are appealing and he loves to do funny little things and I thought he would enjoy clipping them around the basket whilst learning how to count. There's 24 so it will keep him happily counting for a little while yet! I also like to buy green products that are actually useful and not priced excessively high. These were very well priced. The basket and pegs went for $4.59. 2pk recycled sponges were $2.59 and the handled dishwash scrubber was $2.29. There are refills available as well for the handled dishwash scrubber (actual name is "dish-matic")!

Did you know?

Aspen is probably North America's most abundant tree, due to its widespread occurrence. For everyting you ever wanted to know about the Aspen check out this information-packed page - you'll be surprised at all the uses the Aspen provided for the First Nations People and early settlers! For instance: The Cree made a tea from the inner bark that was helpful in treating rheumatism, diarrhea, liver and kidney problems, and coughs. Don't know how tasty it would be but they were certainly resourceful!

Black Beans & Broccoli Burgers

2011-04-02T18:32:00.019-06:00

Ingredients

1 can Black Beans - 15 oz size
1 package firm tofu (454 gm)
1 1/2 cup cooked broccoli and/or cauliflower florets
1 cup quick oats (raw)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 cup JK fine grind Almond Flour
1/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons mustard
2 tablespoons veggie broth powder
1 tablespoon paul bragg liquid amino

spices - chili powder, garlic & parsley powder,
curry powder, freshly ground black pepper, thyme,
cayenne pepper - to taste.

add: finely diced and sauted onion, garlic
and/or sauted mushroom slices if desired
(not vital - they taste great without it too)

Grate your block of tofu into a large bowl using coarse grating side. Rinse canned beans and add to the tofu. Precook your broccoli/cauliflower florets and chop into small pieces. Add your oats, nutritional yeast, almond flour, veggie broth powder, spices, ketchup and mustard. If you decided to use the onions, garlic and/or mushrooms -- add now. I was making these for lunch item and did not want to have major garlic/onion breath so did not. Using your hands mix together well. Taste your "raw" mixture and adjust seasonings as required. Shape into veggie burgers using 1/2 cup mixture for each one. I wanted "fat burgers" so I did not press them flat.

Fry gently in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil until browned lightly on both sides (the pre-frying can be eliminated if you wish - I was looking for an extra crispy outer coating so that is why I did pre-fry). Carefully slide onto a cooking sheet (lined with parchment paper if desired - I did so). If you decide not to pre-fry I would suggest perhaps a light coating of olive oil brushed on before putting them in the oven. Cook at 350 for about 20 minutes - flip over (carefully) and cook about another 20 minutes. These firm up nicely once cooled a bit. Makes 7 burgers that are delicious dipped into the recommended ketchup. Next time I make these I'm going to try replacing of 1/2 cup of the raw quick oats with 1/2 cup cooked quinoa.

The Simply Natural Ketchup is worth seeking out if you have time as it's truly thick and has a delicious fresh tomato flavor. Planet Organic carries this brand in Canada. I used Eden organic canned black beans for this recipe as I was not prepared enough to cook them from scratch. However I did recently purchase a 16 oz box of dried beans (also Eden brand - photo below) and will have to see if they are as tasty as their canned beans. Their canned beans are outstanding - perfectly cooked and no tinney taste! Note: Their cans are BPA free. All varieties of Eden canned beans are on sale this month at Planet Organic - 2 for $4.49.

Banana-Pecan Oatbran Muffins (GF)

2011-03-31T11:43:00.005-06:00

Dry Ingredients
1 cup oatbran
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
2 tablespoons golden ground flaxseed
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients
2/3 cup soy milk
1/3 cup apple juice + 3 tablespoons
3 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ripe banana cut in little chunks
50 gms chopped pecans (22)

Topping:
an extra pecan (not toasted) and
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
for each muffin mixed with
a little cinnamon if desired

Line muffin tin with 11 paper liners or oil - whichever method you prefer. I prefer "If You Care Muffin Liners" myself over anything else. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toast your pecans at 300 degrees for about 5 minutes - watch carefully -- they burn easily. Chop roughly. No need to toast the pecans for the topping - in fact better that you don't. It will toast whilst baking.

Mix together all the dry ingredients and sift - there will be oatbran leftover - just toss back into the dry and mix through. I like to sift the dry ingredients as that ensures that the flaxseed, tapioca starch, salt and baking powder are evenly distributed throughout the main flour mixture.

Mix the liquid ingredients into a 2 cup liquid measure cup - total liquids needs to equal 1-1/2 cup. Add any of the liquid ingredients (I prefer to add extra apple juice) to ensure you get to that 1-1/2 cup.

Dice your banana into little chunky size pieces (you want them big enough so they don't disappear into the baked product as they are delicious when they stay bite size pieces once baked) - add through the dry ingredients - tossing around to distribute them evenly. Pour in your liquid ingredients - mix together. Let stand a minute or two to thicken. Then using 1/4 cup measure distribute batter evenly between the 11 muffin liners. Add leftover using teaspoon -- will be about 2 teaspoons per muffin to use up. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar and top with one pecan half. Bake for 16-18 minutes at 375. Cool. Enjoy as many as you like the first day - freeze leftovers. Reheat for a few minutes in toaster oven or microwave if desired.

Calorie Count
Did an approximate calorie count on these: they are 131 calories each without any pecans whatsoever. They are 148 calories each if you put one pecan on each muffin and they are 180 calories each if you add 50 gms of pecans (that equals 22 pecans) to the batter and one pecan on top of each muffin. Also for those on ww they are 4 points plus each approximately for the 180 calorie version.

Baronia Pasta @ Italian Centre

2011-02-21T08:52:00.002-07:00

I have talked about the Italian Centre before and it bears repeating -- it's a great place to shop for excellent products. Above are a few items that were purchased on a recent shopping trip. The Baronia pasta was outstanding and I would highly recommend it. They grind their flour fresh at their own mill and use only fresh spring water. There is a serious taste difference between Baronia and your ordinary run of the mill pasta. Start checking the ingredients on some of the pasta brands and you'll be surprised at what they've added and you'll realize why some don't stack up. The Italian Centre Shop also has a very good selection of gluten free pasta including my favorite brand Tinkyada. I made a delicious lasagna last week and it met with rave reviews. Nobody knew it was made with gluten free lasagna noodles and they were surprised how tasty it was because they had previously had bad experiences with other GF brands. I will be posting that recipe sometime soon as it was an especially tasty combo of yams, tofu and spinach.

Natural Value Sandwich Bags

2011-02-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

I really like thse little sandwich bags by Natural Value. I don't know a lot about Kosher rules but these are Kosher certified so if that concerns you these are definitely worth buying. Not only that, according to my sister, they wash up several times and the zipper action works better than Ziploc. Now that's something to rave about! I find that Ziploc baggies smell "plasticky" so that's why I was very happy to find that these do not. I made up a batch of my "prairie girl gluten-free flour mixture" today and portioned it into my favorite little baggies. They're not meant for the freezer so I'll be putting the filled sandwich bags into a big Ziploc container (which I do like and use and re-use over and over again).

Stuffed Potatoes for the Freezer

2011-02-18T21:31:00.001-07:00

This is a 5 step program to pretty potatoes - almost higher maintenance than a bleached blonde! But the lure of having these in the freezer for instant potato gratification at a moment's notice helped push me through until phase 5!

Step#1 - Scrub potatoes well. Prick with a fork. Rub with a wee bit of olive oil or margarine. Do the same with one large yam. Put on a cookie rack on top of a cookie sheet and bake in oven at 400 degrees for one hour.

Step#2 - Cool slightly. Cut in equal halves.

Step#3 - Hollow out carefully - leaving the thinnest edge possible without destroying your potato shell. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Step #4 - Mash your potatoes and yam together - use a little warmed unsweetened soy milk and earth balance margarine. And add a little more salt and pepper. Divide mixture evenly between all your potato shells and smooth the top with a knife. These can of course be done without the yam - I just used it because I liked how it gave it a rich cheesy look! You can stop at this step of course if you don't enjoy piping! But it sure does look pretty! I could not

resist doing it.

Step#5 - Using a piping bag - add another top layer of piped stars or whatever works for you. I really need to get a special potato piper thingy! But I just made do with what I had. These are now ready to put on a sheet and partially freeze for about 1-2 hours. Take out and then package correctly for longer term freezer storage. Max: 4-6 months in freezer for best taste.

When ready to eat - defrost and reheat at about 325 degrees for about 25 minutes. Garnish as desired. I'm thinking some caramelized onions and tofu sour cream would be delish!

Broccoli - What's New and Beneficial!

2011-02-15T19:54:00.013-07:00

Broccoli can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will cook it by steaming. The fiber-related components in broccoli do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when they've been steamed. When this binding process takes place, it's easier for bile acids to be excreted, and the result is a lowering of your cholesterol levels. Raw broccoli still has cholesterol-lowering ability- just not as much.

Broccoli has a strong, positive impact on our body's detoxification system, and researchers have recently identified one of the key reasons for this detox benefit. Glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiian, and glucobrassicin are 3 glucosinolate phytonutrients found in a special combination in broccoli. This dynamic trio is able to support all steps in body's detox process, including activation, neutralization, and elimination of unwanted contaminants. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are the detox-regulating molecules made from broccoli's glucosinolates, and they help control the detox process at a genetic level.
Broccoli may help us solve our vitamin D deficiency epidemic. When large supplemental doses of vitamin D are needed to offset deficiency, ample supplies of vitamin K and vitamin A help keep our vitamin D metabolism in balance. Broccoli has an unusually strong combination of both vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and vitamin K. For people faced with the need to rebuild vitamin D stores through vitamin D supplements, broccoli may be an ideal food to include in the diet.

The above is just a small excerpt from the WHFOODS site - continue reading for more reasons to make broccoli a big part of your life! I was hooked after the first two paragraphs but there is so much more to be excited about so keep reading!!
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=9

The reason for my broccoli extravangza today is due to the fact that I picked up a super size bag of it from Costco recently. It contains 16 cups of raw broccoli. There was no way I was going to use 16 cups before the best before date so I had to deal with it. It's prewashed but never mind -- I couldn't resist putting it into a bucket full of cold water to which I added salt and rinsed it a few more times for good measure. I then steamed it, chilled it, froze it on a cookie sheet and then divided it into 2 cup portions. I chopped the stems into itty bitty tiny pieces and did the same with them . They will make a great addition to my future soup pot. All this for $4.99 - a real bargain considering the excellent vitamins one cup contains as well as 4.6 gms of protein and 4.6 gms of fibre. Check out my recipes for chunky broccoli soup and udon noodles with broccoli.

Chocolate Cherry Oatbran Muffins

2011-02-05T15:49:00.003-07:00

Chocolate and cherries - a timeless classic winning combination. It does not fail to please in this amazingly healthy muffin. Show me any other muffin that uses a mere 1 tsp. sugar plus 1 tsp. fat and delivers this kind of satisfaction and you will have my utmost admiration! One word comes to mind as I enjoy this with my morning cup of organic english breakfast tea: Superb!

Ingredients
1 cup oatbran
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 tbsp. + 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 tbsp. + 2 teaspoons ground golden flaxseed

2/3 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 tbsp. + 2 teaspoons agave syrup
2 tbsp. + 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup (more or less - see instructions) Kiju mango/orange juice
1 cup bing cherries (chopped small pieces)
organic sugar (1/4 teaspoon per muffin sprinkled on top)

Instructions
Mix the first 7 dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the milk, syrup, olive oil and juice together in a 2 cup measure. These combination of liquids should total 1 1/2 cup -- if you are short --- add a little more juice till you have the required amount. Mix the liquid into your dry ingredients. Now fold in your cherries. See the following paragraph for how I prepare my cherries before using them in baking.

I buy canned bing cherries - rinse and drain them. Then freeze in a container. I then slice the frozen cherries into nice small pieces so that they are incorporated evenly throughout the batter (smaller pieces tend not to sink to the bottom of your muffin). Use about 1 cup for this recipe.

Put 1/4 cup batter into each prepared muffin cup (I am back to using the If You Care Muffin Liners as they are reformulated and are again perfect for releasing low fat muffins).

Sprinkle each muffin with 1/4 teaspoon of organic white sugar (optional - but it does add a nice touch). If you figure it out these muffins are very low fat and very low sugar. Approximately 3/4 teaspoon of each per muffin when you make 11. The extra 1/4 teaspoon makes it approximately 1 teaspoon per muffin - well worth the little sprinkle! Enlarge the photo and you will see that the sugar creates a crunchy & sparkly topping that looks and tastes yummy.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 16-18 minutes. Made 11 muffins @ 1/4 cup batter per muffin.

13 new superfoods

2011-01-28T10:48:00.007-07:00

I love the lists of superfoods that nutritionists write up on and put on the internet to share with all of us. See note below Chatelaine heading encouraging you to post it for others to read. I wanted to diarize it on here so that I can refer to it and start using these foods on a more regular basis. #13 is already incorporated as I've been switching oatbran for oatmeal for some of my morning breakfast fare. I'll be posting my favorite recipe for breakfast oatbran muffins later this week. And in accordance with the listed superfoods I should probably be adding raspberries and/or prunes to these little gems. A few omega-3 friendly walnuts and/or pecans would also boost the nutritional value. In the meantime peruse the list below and add some to your weekend shopping list.

13 new superfoods you should start eating now!

This year's hot list of nutritional powerhouses includes beets and prunes.

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Chatelaine - Wed, 26 Jan 7:00 PM

By Megan MacMillan, RHN

1. Raspberries Fresh raspberries rule for fibre, with twice as much (8 g per cup) as blueberries have, and frozen ones contain double the vitamin C of frozen blueberries. They score extra points as one of the best sources of ellagic acid, a powerful antioxidant thought to inhibit cancer-cell formation.
2. Beets A great source of folate, which guards against birth defects, beets may help detoxify carcinogens and relieve inflammation. The greens are rich in eyesight-saving lutein and zeaxanthin, so eat them too.
3. Safflower oil Olive oil gets the glory, yet safflower oil, a polyunsaturated fat, deserves praise too. A recent study found cooking with it increased lean muscle, stabilized blood sugar and torched belly fat - which could be promising news for people with diabetes and those battling the bulge.
4. Cabbage Like kale, its dark, leafy cruciferous cousin, cabbage deserves top billing as an excellent source of sulforaphane, which is known to boost production of enzymes that detoxify carcinogens and may also be particularly protective for those with colon cancer-susceptible genes.
5. Barley With a nutty taste and a chewy bite, this grain is great for people on wheat-free diets and boasts almost twice the fibre of brown rice. Both hulled and pearl barley contain hefty amounts of beta-glucans, hunger-busting fibres that have been shown to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
6. Prunes Prunes, or dried plums, are not just good for relieving constipation. The phenols in prunes may preclude brain-cell damage, and clinical trials indicate that they may reverse bone loss. And there's another bonus: Prunes' fibre generates "friendly" gut bacteria - the kind that kill pathogens and aid digestion.
7. Cauliflower Don't let its lack of green fool you! The anti-carcinogens in cauliflower, such as isothiocyanates, may slow cancer-cell growth. Plus, a cup of cooked florets delivers over 90 percent of the daily value for vitamin C, an antiinflammatory.
8. Parsley More than a garnish, parsley is full of beta carotene, which may bolster immunity and alleviate arthritis. Just two fresh tablespoons provides 70 percent of the daily intake for vitamin K, low intake of which may be linked to weak bones.
9. Button mushrooms Contrary to its humble reputation, this mushroom is a health warrior, armed with cancer-fighting selenium and energy-boosting vitamin B12. Mushrooms may combat obesity, too: A recent study found that they satisfied hunger just as much as red meat, but for 65 calories and zero fat!
10. Sea veggies From dulse to kelp to nori, sea vegetables feature a full array of minerals, including iodine, which helps keep metabolism strong. They also supply lignans, compounds that may rid fat cells of excess estrogen, elevated levels of which raise breast-cancer risk.
11. Black beans Full of diabetes-fighting fibre, black beans are loaded with magnesium, which facilitates calcium absorption and supports a healthy immune system. What's more, they contain tons of antioxidants - on par with plums and 10 times the amount in tomatoes!
12. Rutabagas Sky-high amounts of potassium in this root veggie help sink blood pressure and ease muscle cramping after tough workouts. A dieter's dream, rutabagas also contain less than half the calories and carbohydrates of sweet potatoes, as well as a good dose of slimming fibre.
13. Oat bran Already love oatmeal for breakfast in the morning? Why not try oat bran instead? Culled from the husk of the oat, oat bran offers more soluble fibre, which soaks up and eliminates harmful LDL cholesterol. Lower in calories than regular oats, oat bran enjoys a slightly better nutrient profile too, with higher amounts of protein, iron, vitamin B and vitamin E.

Looking for recipe ideas that include these superfoods? Try these nutritious and delicious dishes.

More stories from Chatelaine

3-Minute Veggie Meal

2011-01-23T19:15:00.001-07:00

That's right -- it's a frozen box of veggies! There's something to be said for having some easy items on hand in the freezer or on the shelf that are healthy and quick. This one was tested and approved by daughter Nicole. Only 60 calories per serving (about 125 for the entire box). Contains yummy sugar snap peas, roasted potatoes and red bell potatoes. She paired this with ready to serve rice (pictured below)! Both were surprisingly tasty for fast food. With respect to the rice you have a choice of regular white, brown or basmati. The two items together would make a quick take-along meal at the office and/or for those with limited time to devote to food prep. The rice would also work well as an "emergency food" box item.

Breakfast Cookies

2011-01-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year everyone! It's already near the middle of the month and now that all the chocolates and other sweets are devoured it's time to get serious! And since I don't want to give up cookies entirely I decided the only way was to seriously modify the ingredients . Here's my starting cookie. It may get more modified along the way but for right now this one is totally satisfactory and I am pleased that it's also gluten free. The only thing that concerns me is it's fairly high fat (but good fats - so great for growing kids). However at my age I can stand to use less fat (even the good kind) so my next thought is to try another batch with no olive oil and perhaps 1/2 the peanut butter and subbing 1/4 cup of roasted, mashed sweet potato to take it's place! It's a thought and I'll report back on that once I've tried it out! I didn't know what to call this cookie but since I always say I'd love to just eat cookies for breakfast I decided to go with that! In my opinion the ingredients make them healthy enough to use as a breakfast on the run.

Ingredients

1/4 cup oatbran

1/4 cup oat flour

1/4 cup ground golden flaxseed

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons soy milk

1/2 ripe banana

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup quick oats

Measure 1/2 cup oats into a small bowl. Whirl oil, agave nectar, soy milk, banana and vanilla in magic bullet (or blender). Pour this over the 1/2 cup oats. Mix together and let sit while you measure the ingredients from oatbran to sea salt into a slightly larger bowl. Add the 1/4 cup peanut butter to the soaked oat mixture. Mix the wet and dry together well. Roll into balls using 1 tablespoon dough each. Press down with bottom of a glass to flatten. I used a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Makes 17 cookies.

Holiday Spices Muffin

2010-12-22T15:04:00.012-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone!
Happy Holidays!
Winter Hugs!

I thought that was such a cute little saying - "Winter Hugs" -- that one came compliments of my daughter Rachel from her new "warm" home in Vancouver, B.C. She left the prairies this fall lured by the promise of less winter and more "big city" things to do! Lucky for me Vancouver is only 1 hour and 10 minutes from Edmonton via WestJet or AirCanada but a whole lot further via the trail through the Rockies! (12 hours)! Hard to believe she is basking in above temperatures with greenery still abounding whilst we are shovelling our way out every second day and bundling up to keep ourselves from turning into ice statues!

Lucky for me I'm able to be indoors cooking and baking today. Decided to make a muffin using the warm holiday spices - nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon and adding molasses in keeping with the season.

Ingredients

3/4 cup unbleached organic flour
1/4 cup oatbran flour
1/4 cup oatbran
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon golden ground flaxseed
3 tablespoons orange/mango juice
2 tablespoons applesauce
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup soy milk
1 cup finely grated carrot (about 1 large carrot)

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir the 3 tablespoons juice into the 3/4 cup soy milk. Add the flaxseed, molasses, applesauce, olive oil and grated carrot. Stir. Combine the wet and dry together. Using 1/4 cup measure - divide evenly between your muffin cups. (I got 11 out of this recipe). Bake at 375 degree for about 20 - 22 minutes.

I was also busy entertaining the little elf today! Lucky for us we decided to swap last year's glass xmas balls with some inexpensive unbreakables. He's busy decorating and re-decorating the tree and himself. The pic on the left was his take on what to do with the pointy decorations and the pic on the right was him asking for more pics of him but I arranged those jewels :O)

Organic Animal Crackers (Kirkland)

2010-10-29T00:00:00.000-06:00

$10 buys you a super-size cannister (4 lbs worth) of organic animal crackers. These are almost worth the price of the costco membership alone. I kid you not. These are delicious and addictive. Two things that should not be in my vocabulary especially since they're made with wheat -- but it's organic wheat so that makes it all good, right? Fortunatley I'm only committed to reducing my total wheat intake not totally eliminating it so I'll indulge occasionally. These would be delicious whirled into crumbs for pie crusts and other such treats.They are a big hit with my 3 year old grandson and so far everyone else who has tried them too.

The ingredients listed would make it seem they are vegan yet what confused me was the word dairy on the front of the cannister. I don't know if it's an error or they're just covering themselves because the equipment they process these on are not dedicated dairy-free. In any case neither milk nor eggs are listed as one of the main ingredients and they're not super high in sugar either. It's so nice to see more organic, economical and fairly healthy treats for our little people being incoporated into mainstream shopping outlets. I say keep them coming - especially if they're going to be as tasty as these cute little crackers.

Super Simple Supper Soup

2010-10-28T23:54:00.001-06:00

Super Simple Supper Soup -- if you can say that in 2 seconds or less you deserve a big bowl of this lovely soup! I enoyed making it -- so fast yet so good! Also super economical - just super super all the way around :O) If you have never tried Tinkyada rice noodles you're in for a treat. You'd never guess they are gluten-free and have rice bran to boot. Worth picking up and adding to your food pantry!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced

2 carrots, sliced

2 cups green cabbage, finely diced
1/2 cup broccoli pieces
1/2 cup cauliflower pieces
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon (vegetarian no chicken soup base)
Handful of brown rice noodles (Tinkyada)
Six cups water

Directions for this soup are simple - saute first 3 ingredients for about 15 minutes while you are chopping the broccoli and cauliflower. Now add soup base, broccoli and cauliflower and simmer under about 4 cups of water for 30-45 minutes. Add another 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Then add a handful of rice noodles broken into bite size pieces. Reduce heat and simmer until noodles are done to your preference. Be prepared to want seconds -- this soup is yummy for the tummy!

Add a slice of toasted Silver Springs Chia bread (new product from Silver Hills that is wheat-free) with pate or hummus and you've got yourself a "full-meal" deal that won't break the bank or clog up your arteries !

GF SuperHero Breakfast Muffins

2010-10-28T20:04:00.005-06:00

I was all excited to put my lentil puree to the test so here's what I came up with. Since my main objective was to have something super healthy and quick to jumpstart my day I threw in as many of the purported superfoods (oatbran, flaxseed, cinnamon, blueberries and lentils) I could think of! And since i'm cutting back on wheat it also had to be gluten free. I'm quite pleased with the flavor and texture. I might change it ever so slightly next time by cutting out 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and replacing it with 2 tablespoons agave nectar! Also might switch oatbran to 1/4 cup and flaxseed to 1/2 cup. Anyhow it tasted mighty good as is so go for it!

Ingredients

1 cup *gluten free flour mixture*
1/2 cup oatbran
1/4 cup flaxseed
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
*2 teaspoons cinnamon*
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup lentil butter
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup mango/orange juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 ripe banana

1 cup frozen blueberries

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whirl liquid ingredients together. Pour into the dry. Mix together well without overbeating. Add the frozen blueberries. Use 1/4 cup batter per muffin. Bake at 375 degrees for about 18 minutes. Cool. Eat one and feel good about how many of the superfoods are contained in such a tiny little package! Eat two and feel like a superhero :O)

*Gluten-free flour mixture: 2-3/4 cups organic brown rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca starch plus 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal. This makes 3-1/2 cups gluten-free flour.*

*2 teaspoons cinnamon gives muffin quite a prounounced cinnamon flavor -- if you like a more delicate flavor use only 1 teaspoon *

Lentil Butter

2010-10-28T16:10:00.005-06:00

I've been reading through the Canada Pulses Guide to Beans, Peas, Lentils and Chickpeas and intrigued by their use of lentil puree in place of butter in baked goods. So I thought I'd get on the lentil puree bandwagon here and do some up -- some to freeze and a bit for later today to try in some baking. I decided to make it up in 1/2 cup containers (that I had saved from applesauce) - freeze, pop them out and then put them into freezer containers. That way I figured I had just the right amount to use in the average recipe in place of part - 1/2 the stipulated quantity of margarine or butter. It's very simple -- I soaked my little brown lentils overnight and then cooked up in the morning. The soaking goes a long way towards shortening your cooking time so I'd say that's a good time as well as energy saver.

Directions:

Whirl 1-1/2 cups drained, cooked lentils in vita-mix blender or food processor (recommended) with 1 tablespoon of water, 2 tablespoons of applesauce and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. I decided to add the applesauce and sugar so my lentils would be infused with a bit of sweetness as I'm planning to only use this in baked goods and I thought it would keep them pleasantly flavored whilst frozen! Hope so -- we'll see when the time to defrost them comes. Legume purees aren't easy to do in vita-mix until I learned the trick behind this. The only way is to keep the vita-mix blender on 3 -- any higher and it just won't do a thing. Use your tamper and keep it rotating. I would recommend a food processor as the best way to make lentil puree. I don't have one right now but I'm seriously considering purchasing a small one for this as well as my hummus. Hummus doesn't do the best in the vita-mix either unless you do at least 2 cans at one time. More seems to be easier for this machine. Nevertheless it's still a chore and I believe it will be less of a chore and easier to get your mixture out of food processor then digging to bottom of a blender.

Le Petite Brown Lentil Soup

2010-10-22T22:05:00.036-06:00

This soup was delicious beyond words. Really! I don't know why but this combination of veggies combined with pre-cooked lentils and rice (leftover from making lentil burgers the day before) and simmered together was delectable! I wish I could can it and mass produce it! Well glass bottle it! Cans leave a yucky taste no matter how wonderful the soup might be. Anyhow put this soup together if you have any love at all for lentils -- these little brown lentils are especially tasty! The ones I used are the Clic brand. See sample of dry lentils below for reference.

The croutons are by Fresh Gourmet (organic,seasoned) and are highly coveted in our household. Fresh Gourmet in this case is not misleading as the croutons are indeed fresh and tasty. Sold in most grocery stores: (Walmart, Safeway, Save-On and Planet Organic come to mind as places I've located them). Make sure to get the croutons labelled "seasoned" if you're looking for vegan as I'm not sure about the others.

For more information on pulses including lots of tips/recipes check out this terrific booklet produced by Pulse Canada. One little tip: DO spread your dry lentils on a white plate or paper towel and check for anything that should not be there! I do a half a cup at a time and more often than not I find a very small clump of dirt. You might even find a green split pea amongst the brown lentils so do your checking and then rinse well in colander before cooking. I know they say that lentils don't need to be pre-soaked but if you want to shorten the cooking time it's a good idea. Especially the yellow lentils -- these take way longer than what the package says. And never add salt until they're cooked or that will also impede the progress of them softening sufficiently.

Ingredients

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 cup of finely diced green cabbage

1 cup green peas (frozen)

1 sweet potato, diced

1 white potato, diced

1 cup cooked brown lentils

1 cup cooked sushi rice

3 teaspoons veggie broth powder

1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon Vegetarian,

"no chicken base" flavor

Saute onion, cabbage and carrot in olive oil until softened. Add all the rest of the ingredients along with water to cover. Simmer for 1-2 hours. Add more water as required untill soup is as thick or thin as you prefer. If you have time 2 hours bubbling on the burner doesn't hurt it at all - I think it just tastes better the longer it slowly simmers. It smelled wonderful. I took out a couple of ladles of soup (about a cup) and whirled in the blender and put it back through the soup. I like to do this as it binds everything nicely together and gives it a little more flavor yet. I'll be doing this one again - after all the canned lentil soups I've tried (several organic brands included) -- nothing comes even close to tasting as delicious as this simple recipe does.

I like the Harvest Sun Organic veggie broth powder with no yeast added. This one seems to work best for me. The Better than Bouillon is exceptionally full-flavored -- just be careful to start with a little at a time -- it's very concentrated. If you have any problems with yeast though this isn't the one for you as it does contain autolyzed yeast as one of the ingredients. I did do a little search on homemade veggie broth powders and I'm thinking I'd like to give this a try once I run out of my store bought stuff. For the sake of economics as well as more control of the ingredients. This one sounds good -- minus the celery seed as I'm not fond of that spice. I'll replace it with another favorite and perhaps add one or two more but generally the idea for a lot of veggie broth powders is to add spices to a base of nutritional yeast. Poultry seasoning (rosemary, bay leaf, sage, oregano, marjoram, and cumin) might be a quick & tasty blend to add to base of nutritional yeast. Think I'll see about finding a good poultry seasoning -- either Frontier or M&B will hopefully have a suitable organic one to purchase.

Nico's 3rd Birthday Party at Padmanadi!

2010-10-19T23:35:00.007-06:00

We had a great evening at Padmanadi for my grandson's 3rd birthday. The cupcakes were made using my favorite chocolate cake recipe. My daughter could not find any suitable decorations so she improvised using stickers attached to sturdy toothpicks. It worked and Nico was happy to have his fireman theme that he's currently excited about. The gorgeous shirt he is wearing was a gift from Kasim and I'd have to say it suits him perfectly! We ordered the dinner for 10 plus added 4 extra dishes as our party totalled 16 people that evening. It was the first time for some of our guests and even though they are not vegetarians they were very pleased with the taste, quantity and quality of the food. Below are a few extra pics from our wonderful birthday celebration!

Homemade Brown Sugar

2010-10-17T16:10:00.003-06:00

I was just looking for something fun to do today in the kitchen so I thought I would try making homemade brown sugar. I had read about it a few times but was skeptical that it would be anything I would want to use. After all the thought of just pouring 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of molasses over 1 cup of white sugar didn't really sound all that promising. But was I ever wrong! I encourage any serious bakers to make their own -- I've never smelled or felt such nice brown sugar before. It's much simpler even than how Martha demostrates you do it - she uses a food processor. I don't know about you but I don't want to clean up anymore stuff than I have to.

I just used a fork and mashed happily away until there were no more clumps of molasses and voila -- a lovely bowl of soft and aromatic brown sugar. As you can see by my picture below I should have mashed a little longer and I did do so before putting it into the mason jar pictured above. There is very little chance that you can do anything wrong with this recipe - you can pour anywhere from 1 tablespoon to 6 tablespoons of molasses into your sugar and you'll still turn it into brown sugar! However for my taste the 1 and 1/2 tablespoon was just right!

Mediterranean Veggie Tofu Loaf

2010-10-16T21:41:00.028-06:00

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-1/2 cup diced frozen veggies

1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage

350 gm firm tofu

1 grated carrot

2 cups dry bread cubes (moistened with veggie broth)

1/2 cup ground peanuts

1/2 cup almond meal

1 tablespoon veggie broth powder

2 tablespoons ketchup (simply natural brand is great)

2 teaspoons wet mustard

1 teaspoon garlic/parsley powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

Saute the veggies in the olive oil until softened and mostly cooked. Grate tofu and carrot into large bowl. Knead together using your hands. Add the rest of the dry ingredients as well as the ketchup/mustard and spices. Knead some more until thoroughly mixed. Taste and adjust seasonings if required. I added a splash of paul bragg liquid aminos and kneaded a bit more. I lined my pan with parchment paper and pressed the mixture firmly into the loaf pan. Bake at 375 degree for one hour. At about the 50 minute mark you can remove loaf from oven -- spread a little extra ketchup on top and return to oven for last 10 minutes. Cool about 10-15 minutes in pan. Remove and cut into thick slices or squares. Leftovers are great -- eaten cold or warmed up.

*If you prefer veggie patties I'm sure this mixture would serve you well. I would flour the patties lightly, pan fry for a few minutes on both sides and then bake in the oven for 15 minutes -- flip over and 15 minutes more should suffice.*

Veggie Prairie Girl Rambles

This started as a "cleaning out the freezer" recipe. I'd had this half used bag of veggies kicking around for a while and I was tired of seeing it in my freezer. So I emptied into a colander, rinsed off the frozen crystals and let it sit for a few minutes to thaw slightly. Don't let it thaw completely or it will be a super slippery mess that won't be as easy to chop. The super slippery mess that you have from veggies at times is the reason I prefer wooden cutting boards (wet stuff is slippery as heck on plastic boards)! Also if you are looking for a new wood board find one that is solid! The ones like in the picture below are pretty well guaranteed to split and the ensuing cracks are a haven for bacteria. I'm always scrubbing my board with a paste of baking soda and vinegar. Vinegar has anti-bacterial properties so I'm big into using that as opposed to bleach. I can handle the smell of vinegar but bleach is just so nasty. I'm in the market for a new solid wood board myself -- just very difficult to find in local stores and I don't want bamboo either! Bamboo splinters easily -- at least the ones I've bought have. Use a big sharp knife to chop veggies into mini pieces: see my before and after picture below.

I grated two blocks of 175 gm tofu on the rough side of my grater and then I grated one large carrot on the fine side.

Below is the mixture after adding all the rest of the spices and ingredients.

Mixture patted firmly into loaf pan lined with parchment paper for easy removal.

Vegan Candy List

2010-10-15T14:13:00.001-06:00

I was looking at one of my favorite veg blogs called: Your Vegan Mom and liked that she put up a link for some vegan ideas for Halloween. Go check out her site for all the links. In the meantime I'm going to put up the list of candy directly onto my blog here as a handy place for myself and other people to refer back to when required. (This official list is from another awesome website - VegNews)! I can vouch for the Panda Licorice -- it's my favorite brand available. In the past I have a hard time not eating the whole box when I buy it so I have to restrain myself from putting it my grocery cart. My grandson (age 3) loves them too and has the same problem I do -- when he knows we have it in the house -- he'll come 5 times a day asking for it so I found it easier not to have them for right now. In the future (when we both learn better control) I can bring them back ! I can also vouch for YummyEarth products -- I love their mints and do keep those in my purse and in my cupboard. I used to love Mentos but I don't love their long list of ingredients -- YummyEarth has only 3 ingredients in their mints and I know what each one means! I buy the YummyEarth mints at Planet Organic (southside location) in Edmonton.

Airheads Taffy (website)
Allison's Gourmet vegan caramels (website)
Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks (website)
Azure Chocolat Beauty Bark (website)
Biona Organic Wine Gums (link)
BoomChocoBoom! Ricemilk Bar (website)
Brachs Fruit Slices (website)
Charms Blow Pops (website)
Charms Pumpkin Flat Pops (website)
Chick-o-Sticks (website)
Chuao Chocolatier Spicy Maya (website)
Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit (website)
Crispy Cat Candy Bars (website)
Crows (website)
Cracker Jack (website)
Cry Baby Candy (website)
Diivies Super Stars (website)
Dots (website)
Dum-Dums (website)
Endangered Species dark chocolate (website)
Endangered Species Dark Chocolate Halloween Bug Bites (website)
Ginger People Ginger Chews (website)
Go Max Go candy bars (website)
Goody Good Stuff Sours (website)
The Humphrey Company Original Popcorn Balls (website)
Jolly Ranchers hard candy (website)
Let's Do Organic Gummy Bears (website)
Mamba Sour Fruit Chews (link)
Mary Janes, regular and peanut butter kisses (website)
Newman's Own Licorice Twists (website)
Now and Later (website)
NuGo Organic Chocolate Bar (website)
Panda Soft Licorice (website)
Peanut Chews, Original Dark (website)
Pez (website)
Pure Fun Organic Halloween Pops (website)
Q.Bel Double Dark Wafer Bars (website)
Saf-T-Pops (website)
Seitenbacher Gummy Candies (website)
Sjaak's Organic Chocolates (website)
Sour Patch Kids (website)
St. Claire's Organic CandyTarts (website)
Stockley's Cinder Toffee Candy (link)
Super Bubble (website)
Surf Sweets Fruity Bears, Gummy Swirls, and Super Sour Bears (website)
Swedish Fish (website)
Sweet & Sara Marshmallow ghosts and bats (website)
Tropical Source chocolate bars (website)
VerMints (website)
Whizzers Chocolate Beans (website)
YummyEarth lollipops (website)

Vegan Vanilla Marshmallows!

2010-10-12T17:11:00.004-06:00

Well "Dandies" vegan marshmallows have finally arrived at Planet Organic! What a nice surprise that was -- especially since I was thinking of ordering them online so that I might have some on hand for the xmas holiday baking ahead. I love that I can just go pick them up and so will you if this is something you've been missing. They're a little stickier to get out of the bag than "gelatin-based" marshmallows but I'm willing to do a little separating for this speciality item. After all it's not something that you can easily make yourself. I would advise keeping them in a cool place. Perhaps they weren't kept under ideal conditions enroute from the manufacturer -- hence a few of them were sticking together. I know that the online stores won't guarantee them if mailed out during hot weather. But never rmind all that as the sticking is really a minor issue and they were easy enough to separate. The taste is perfect and they were absolutely delish on top of my hot cocoa! The hot cocoa was made with 2 tablespoons of melted coca camino semi-sweet chocolate chips and soymilk. A nice rich flavor thanks to using chocolate chips vs cocoa powder and well worth the splurge. The super cute little mug was a "thanksgiving gift" from my mom. It's Laurel by Jan Hagara (1985)!

I hope I never ever break it because it's so adorable and of course extra special because my mom bought it just for me! She bought it because the cat looked like our "sophie" (white fluffy birman) and for all you other cat lovers I'll give you a sneak peak at our little resident feline friend. She's 5 years old now and is getting used to be chased around by a 3 year old toddler :O) Birmans (also called Sacred Cat of Burma) are very mellow and their sapphire blue eyes are beautiful. If you like a mild mannered cat that is also playful the birman is an excellent choice.

GF Chocolate Chip-Banana Muffins

2010-10-04T01:44:00.018-06:00

Ingredients

1 cup *gluten-free flour mixture*
1/2 cup JK almond flour
1/2 cup oat bran (made into flour)
1/4 cup stoneground white rice flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon golden ground flaxseed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup organic canola oil
1/4 cup Kiju orange-mango juice
1/4 cup agave nectar

1 banana (finely diced)
1/2 cup cuisine camino chocolate chips

Whirl oat bran in blender (I used magic bullet with mini cup - worked perfectly for this) until it turns into flour. Sift all dry ingredients (including the freshly ground oatbran) together into large mixing bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips. Measure wet ingredients into a two cup measure, stir together and pour into center of dry ingredients. Add finely diced bananas on top of liquid ingredients. Stir till all is mixed together. Let sit for a few minutes (this allows batter to thicken slightly). Use about 1/4 heaping cup batter per muffin (I used the If You Care baking cups). Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 12 very tasty gluten-free muffins!

*Gluten-free flour mixture: 2-3/4 cups organic brown rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca starch plus 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal. This makes 3-1/2 cups gluten-free flour.*

Quinoa-Lentil Stew

2010-10-01T20:38:00.012-06:00

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion - diced fine
4 carrots (medium size)

2 cups water
2 small garnet yams - diced
1 russet potato - diced
3/4 cup quinoa grain (rinse well)
1 tablespoon veggie broth powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic/parsley powder

2 tablespoons peanut butter
*1 can Amy's Lentil Soup*
1 tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos

Saute onion and carrots in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Stir in your seasonings. Add 2 cups water, chopped yams and potatoes and the rinsed quinoa. Simmer for 20 minutes. Then add Amy's Lentil Soup, peanut butter and bragg. Simmer for another 45-60 minutes.
*If you don't have Amy's lentil soup -- substitute 1-1/4 cup cooked lentils and add an extra 1/4 cup liquid *

You can also let it chill in the fridge for a while and make into lentil patties if you like. Take out 1 cup of lentil mixture. Add 8 crushed soda crackers plus 2 tablespoons of golden ground flaxseed. Taste and add extra spices if desired. Mix together and divide into 6 equal size patties. Put about 2 tablespoons flour on a plate. Flour both sides of each patty. Fry in olive oil for about 3 minutes on each side. I like having home cooked "street food" to go. It's a lot easier, quicker and cheaper than trying to find some healthy vegan food when you're away from your home base.

Blueberry Double Bran Muffins

2010-09-27T17:16:00.010-06:00

Dry Ingredients
1 cup unbleached organic white flour
1/4 cup organic white sugar
1/4 cup organic brown sugar
1/4 cup organic oatbran
1/4 cup all-bran cereal (dry)
1 tablespoon golden ground flaxseed
2 teaspoon organic baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients
3/4 cup EdenSoy - Original Unsweetened
soy milk beverage
1/4 cup organic canola oil
1/4 cup organic agave syrup
3 tablespoons orange-mango Kiju juice

Berries
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
(thawed and drained)
Just before folding into your batter:
Sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of flour and
bit of white sugar - toss gently to coat all
berries.

Streusel Topping
2 tablespoons camino cuisine brown sugar
2 tablespoons organic unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon earth balance margarine (organic whipped)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Measure wet ingredients together in a 2 cup measuring cup -- then pour onto top of dry and fold together gently using as few strokes as possible. Let batter sit for about 5 minutes - the oatbran and bran cereal will expand somewhat thickening the batter a little. If it still seems a little too thin at this point add another 2-4 tablespoons of flour. Fold in the thawed, drained and floured berries 1/3 cup at a time. I sprinkled the blueberries 1/3 cup at a time spread evenly over the top of the batter so they would be well distributed and not sink into one location exclusively.

One quarter cup batter per muffin will give you one dozen. Sprinkle with streusel mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 mintues. If you don't eat them all the first day -- freeze them -- they'll stay a lot fresher that way. When you want one -- thaw out slightly -- pop in the toaster oven at 225 for about 5 minutes and they'll taste fresh baked again.

*Blueberry Double Bran Muffins: a original recipe created by Veggie Prairie Girl*

Molasses Latte: No caffeine or Carrageenan!

2010-09-20T10:38:00.007-06:00

Somewhere I stumbled across an article on carrageenan and promptly freaked out. I also realized how many places I've noticed it listed as an ingredient -- including my well loved Silk Soy Milk! This is what it said:

"Carrageenan is about as wholesome as monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is extracted from rice, and can equally be considered natural."

If you want to read the article in it's entirety click here! It's written by Robert Cohen. If you're hungry for more just throw carrageenan into your search engine and you'll be reading for days. I've had a nagging suspicion for a while that it might not be the best ingredient for me and I noticed it particularly after eating soy ice cream. Perhaps because I ate too much of it at one sitting? And I'm thinking that there is probably more carrageenan used as a thickener in a serving of soy ice cream than in soy milk and maybe that's why I would notice it more after the ice cream. The results were gastro related and recently my daughter realized that she had the same problems after soy milk. I put two and two together and realized that the carrageenan was a common thread and it is almost exclusively used by EVERY soy milk producer out there. Do your own search and you'll see it's very difficult to find any non-dairy milk made without it. Even Almond Breeze is using it as a thickener.

So last night I hustled myself over to Planet Organic as there isn't a store in Edmonton that has a larger selection of non-dairy drinks to peruse. I wanted a substitute immediately as I was down to my last few drops of precious Silk Milk. The only one I could find that met all the criteria I was looking for (gluten free was top priority as well) was the unsweetened Westsoy. I was impressed to see ONLY two ingredients on the label: reverse osmosis purified water and organic soybeans. Even more impressive would be if I made my own milk -- and it might just have to get to that point one day but not this week! I've read a few articles on making your own almond milk and it seems relatively straightforward -- just a matter of buying fresh almonds and trying it out. One other commercial brand that I have researched and plan to continue to stock up on is Natura. I phoned them this afternoon and they assured me it contained no gluten, carrageenan, msg and/or any components thereof (I was concerned about the natural flavors listed on the carton). It's a canadian product (made in Quebec) and is available at Costco (great if you have a membership or know somebody that does and will pick you up a few cases). If you need to use it in large quantities or wish to put some on an emergency shelf it's a very good price at $1.50 per 946ml carton.

And check this: the Westsoy I purchased has 12g of protein per serving as opposed to only 6g of protein in silk milk (and I'm sure that is the average for all of them). So putting two and two together -- there has to be a lot more of something else in the other ones to fall that short of the amount of protein. Too many fillers or more water. Certainly something to think about. It might seem more expensive at first glance ($3.69 for 1L) but when you consider all the facts you are most definitely getting more food value for your dollar and a whole lot less of some things you might not want!

My monday morning breakfast (pictured above) featured my newly coveted Westsoy, heated gently in a pot on the stove, and to which I added one teaspoon of Wholesome Molasses. Please -- never heat soy milk in a microwave -- it does something to the flavor that is in a simple word - "yucky"! My on the stovetop method resulted in an enjoyable hot drink that had a definite coffee-like flavor. I added my GF pumpkin muffin (recipe coming soon -- a bit of a sunken treasure but I'll try again - regardless it was one of my best failures ever!), an organic banana and one perfect organic Medjool Date! If you have never tried Medjool Dates I highly recommend you give them a try! I'm feeding them to my grandson in place of candy! We're doing our best to severely limit his intake of sugar-laden evils. He loves the dates so it's all good.

Cauliflower & Daiya Cheese Soup

2010-09-16T21:19:00.010-06:00

Even though summer is not officially over -- I think unofficially it's pretty well a done deal on the prairies here in Alberta. So officially it's soup season full throttle ahead for me. Nothing cheers up a crisp, fall-like day as much as a warm, tasty bowl of homemade soup. I'm so glad I have the time to indulge in such things because omg the canned soups are tasting even less appealing than ever. My daughter was feeling like a classic bowl of campbell's tomato soup last week but unfortunately it was a huge letdown -- somebody changed the recipe and/or the ingredients and it's not good! She was a real trooper to even eat it -- I tasted a bit that was left in the pot and it was barely palatable!

Well I was shopping at Wal-mart yesterday and believe it or not I got a head of cauliflower for $1! Talk about a bargain and since it's not a vegetable that's on the high pesticide list I thought it would be great to use as the basis for a huge pot of soup. Anyhow back to my soup and the daiya cheese! I picked up a small package from Earth's General Store (cheddar flavor) and I have to say it is a huge improvement over the italian blend flavor that I had ordered from Daiya last December. I do love that you can grate it and store it in the freezer until needed. It is easy to use straight from the freezer. And a little goes a long way -- I only used 1/2 cup for this soup and I thought that amount was just right. See how I freeze my cheese -- I don't want it touching the plastic container directly so I line it with eco-friendly wax paper. It might be over-kill but makes me feel better about storing it long term in plastic.

Ingredients

1 white onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, diced finely

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 russet potatoes, diced

1 head cauliflower

2 teaspoons veggie broth powder

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 teaspoons salt

4-6 cups water

2 tablespoons white rice flour (stoneground)

2 tablespoons organic peanut butter (Nativa)

2 cups original flavor soy milk (Natura)

1/2 cup grated daiya (cheddar flavor)

1/2 bag of frozen broccoli (optional)

(steamed separately and stirred through last)

Directions:

Saute the first three ingredients in the olive oil until softened. Add about 4 cups water initially -- add more while cooking if necessary. Add your potatoes, cauliflower and spices/salt. When cooked to your satisfaction mix the next three ingredients together (flour/peanut butter/soy milk) and stir into your pot. Add the 1/2 cup grated cheese. Simmer your soup until it thickens and cheese is melted. Add broccoli if you decide to use it -- I did as I was feeling the need for some greens but of course it's perfectly tasty without it. Enjoy!

Banana-Almond Muffins

2010-09-06T13:52:00.007-06:00

I've been craving muffins again and love creating new versions of old favorites. Muffins have got to be one of the easiest recipes to fool around with and personalize to your own taste. I'd hazard to guess there must be several thousand awesome muffin recipes already out there and several thousand new versions left to create. I decided to make a very low but not entirely gluten-free muffin. I had bought a package of JK fine grain almond flour from Planet Organic recently and was interested in trying it out. I'm a huge almond fan so in addition to the almond flour I also added some freshly ground almonds. They are very moist and of course slightly denser than the average full-flour muffin but I'm loving them so I'll be making them again soon!
p.s. I used tamari flavored almonds so if you see that there is no salt added to this recipe that's why! I suggest adding a bit of salt if you are using unsalted ground almonds.

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup JK fine grain almond flour
1/4 cup ground almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tbsp. ground golden flax
3/4 cup soy milk
3/4 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup organic canola oil

Mix dry ingredients from sugar to cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. Blend the flax, milk, banana and canola oil together on high speed for about a minute or so. Stir wet and dry together using fold and turn technique.

Using 1/4 cup measure divide equally into your prepared muffin tin (I am using If you Care liners again as they have been reformulated and are working perfectly - thank goodness). Bake at 350 for about 18 minutes. Makes 11 muffins. Good freezer item -- when thawed they are still nice and moist.
p.s. try to buy Cuisine Camino brown sugar -- the flavor is unbeatable and I love the fact that it's organic, fair trade and Canadian.

*Banana-Almond Muffins - original recipe created by Veggie Prairie Girl*

Happy 50th Birthday Kasim!

2010-09-01T00:37:00.015-06:00

Attended a delightful "Vegan Birthday Bash" in honour of Kasim's 50th birthday last night at Padmanadi Restaurant. The buffet was outstanding and the desserts were numerous! One simple yet very delicious dessert was rice pudding with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a fresh blueberry on top. People were lined up outside the door waiting patiently for tables to leave so they too could have their turn at some pure enjoyment. Kasim has made his mark on the edmonton veggie scene that's for sure. I don't think anyone ever dreamed that one day there would be people lined up waiting to come into such an establishment -- not in a province which is basically the U.S.A. equivalent of the state of Texas! Kasim is always the best host ever and mingled with the crowd inside and outside -- smiling, hugging, taking pictures and thanking them for coming. I can't believe I didn't take photos of the buffet -- what was I thinking!! Unfortunately I wasn't thinking blog at that point as I was too busy trying to keep track of my little grandson who loves to follow Thomas and/or Kasim in and out of the restaurant. Photo below is of Kasim with his two biggest fans -- Thomas (Kasim's son) and my grandson Nico (in the white shirt)! They love Kasim -- which is easy to do -- he's always got a beautiful smile and wants to please everyone. Happy 50th and many more!

He gave a gracious and heart-warming speech -- here it is in case you missed it!

MY DEAR FRIENDS !

WELCOME TO MY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION ! TODAY, I FEEL SO PROUD OF YOU, FOR BEING HERE WITH ME, FOR GIVING ME YOUR BLESSINGS AND WARM WISHES, FOR SINGING WITH ME, AND FOR SHARING THE JOY AND HAPPINESS OF MY BIRTHDAY.

YOU KNOW, THIS TIME I REALLY CAN’T WAIT FOR THIS CELEBRATION TO HAPPEN. BECAUSE, FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS I HAVE CELEBRATED MY BIRTHDAY FAR AWAY FROM HOME, AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS AND AWAY FROM PADMANADI FAMILY.BUT I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NOTHING COMPARED TO A BIRTHDAY- CELEBRATION AT HOME!

ON THIS VERY SPECIAL DAY, I WOULD LIKE TO SINCERELY THANK ALL MY FRIENDS AND VALUED CUSTOMERS FOR GIVING ME YOUR TRUST, FOR GIVING ME THE STRENGTH AND THE GREATEST LOVE TO ENABLE ME TO CONTINUE SERVING YOU HERE AT PADMANADI. BELIEVE ME, THAT IN SO DOING, YOU HAVE MANAGED TO KEEP ME MORE AND MORE ENERGETIC AND HARDWORKING EVERYDAY. AND THEREFORE, I MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT TODAY I HAVE REACHED THE AGE OF FIFTY !

OH YES MY FRIENDS ! I AM FIFTY ! BUT I WON’T STOP SERVING MY CUSTOMERS JUST YET, THAT’S FOR SURE !!! THIS MORNING I LOOKED AT MYSELF IN THE MIRROR AND I SAID: “HEY...YOUR REAL LIFE WILL JUST START AT FIFTY !!!”

ANYWAYS, THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING MY BIRTHDAY !I LOVE YOU ALL !

Fantsy Meatballs and Healthy Veggie Wraps!

2010-08-26T17:39:00.019-06:00

Well I've still not been doing any new and exciting dishes that I would want to blog about but my daughter, Rachel was inspired to try a few new veggie recipes this week. The fansty meatbealls above (recipe here (make sure to scroll down to see the fansty meatball recipe as the very first recipe is "mock meatballs" and the second one is the "fantsy meatballs" pictured above) - from Jean Pare's Meatless Cookbook) was a big hit and eagerly devoured by her hard-working husband!

She also made the sunflower pate (previously featured on my blog here) and she used it and some freshly made hummus to make the delicious wraps featured below! She loved her hummus so much she re-named it yummus which pretty well sums up how I feel about anything made with chickpeas! I think there are never enough food pics out there so I'm including the rest of her food pics for your viewing pleasure!

I'm definitely inspired by all these lovely photos and am starting to feel motivated to try something new too! Just been reworking all the old recipes -- not that's a bad thing -- all of them are delicious and healthy but I do love to keep seeing new variations of veggie dishes. My first challenge might be to try and veganize the fansty meatball recipe -- and since I just picked up some cheddar Daiya from Earth's General Store I'm looking forward to giving it a try in the near future. In the meantime, if you're not following a pure vegan diet, than the above recipe will delight you as it is an excellent combination of ingredients that work really well in producing a sturdy, tasty veggie meatball.

p.s. -- Earth's General Store carries the the same organic eggs as Planet Organic but he manages to offer them for $2.00 less per dozen so go there and pick up that and whatever else you might need to get cooking!

Deliciously Simple - Baby Potatoes & Organic Strawberries

2010-07-21T03:32:00.048-06:00

This is the time of year when the produce is just so wonderful -- why can't it be like this all year long? These baby potatoes were so tasty - I just can't get enough of them. I tossed a whole bag of these little beauties into the sink and scrubbed them really well. I put them in a large roasting pan, drizzled them with virgin olive oil, sprinkled them with garlic & chili powder, added 2 sweet walla onions (in large chunks - they really shrink as they cook) and about 1/4 cup water. I covered my dish and put into a 350F oven for about 1-1/2 hour. I cooked a bowl of rice in the oven at the same time in order to make the best use of my energy consumption. I like to cook up extra rice whenever I can and freeze in portions for quick future meal prep. I ate a plateful of potatoes straight out of the oven topped with the onions. I followed this up with a luscious bowl of strawberries for dessert and because they were all so perfectly delicious it was very satisfying!

Simplicity is not only easy but simply scrumptious! Eat each bite with great joy and lots of thanks that we are able to partake of the bounty that mother earth continues to provide despite many ongoing harsh environmental conditions (man made and natural)! In the spirit of giving back thanks to the earth perhaps we need to start looking at some ways in which we can be "greener" in our own environment. A good place to start is by taking a trip to Earth's General Store @ 9605 - 82nd Avenue right here in Edmonton. The staff there are very knowledgeable and very willing to assist in the quest to be greener! Also check out the various green blogs online and see if you can't pick up a few pointers. Any change you can make is good for you and good for us all collectively!

Padmanadi Vegetarian Fine Cuisine

2010-06-24T22:56:00.003-06:00

June 19th, 2010 will be forever remembered in Edmonton as the grand opening of Padmanadi Vegetarian Fine Cuisine @ 10740-101 Street! Not only was this date exactly 7 years 7 months and 7 days after the arrival of Kasim and his family in Canada but the sun could not have been shining any brighter on this wonderful occasion. The restaurant was overflowing with smiling patrons who had long been anticipating this very special day. There was non-stop musical talent and heartfelt speeches -- including one by former NHL player George Laraque who publicly declared himself to be a vegan on June 1st, 2009.

I was very happy to be able to attend this beautiful event and even more excited to hear that they would now also be featuring vegan brunches every Saturday and Sunday from 9-2! I was lucky enough to be able to partake in a vegan brunch the very next day and I can hardly wait to go again this weekend! It is SO worth a visit whether you are vegan or not! The fresh squeezed organic orange juice is just the first part to the start of an outstanding organic experience. Pictured below is one entree that is unlike anything vegan you have ever tried before - "Eggs Benedict" served traditional style here along with veggie ham. Photo number two below is an order of Banana Coconut French Toast served with a side of veggie bacon. Check out their menu on their website for more details that will have you circling the date on the calendar for the next weekend brunch! http://www.padmanadi.com/documents/brunch_menu.pdf

Well that's all I'm going to feature for today. Look forward to further posts in the future -- there's just too much goodness to cover in one article! In any case I hope to see you at Padmanadi soon!
If you're interested in viewing photos of the grand opening click: http://www.flickr.com/photos/35723494@N04/sets/72157624215504583/

Becel vs Earth Balance

2010-05-06T09:44:00.002-06:00

When I saw the ads popping up on my computer that Becel had bought out a vegan margarine I was so excited. Another super large corporation plasters the "V" word for all the world to see on another very mainstream product. It's awesome to see that veganism is penetrating the minds and pocketbooks of behind the scene shareholders. It makes me laugh to think of these stuffed suits sitting in boardrooms saying what the "H" is Vegan but who cares -- put it on there if it's gonna make us more $$$$! They may not be a "pure" company like Earth Balance but hey how fussy can we get at this point! Not everyone can afford to shop at exclusive health food stores with their exclusive prices. So if we're looking at that as a dividing factor (and I don't think it is one we can forget) than we have to be thankful for whoever was behind the scenes at Becel that is helping to bring a new vegan product to the masses.

It's too easy to get caught up in "pure" attitudes and overlook the fact that for many people disposable income is an issue and there is a pretty big difference between $3.99 for Becel from Safeway and $5.69 for Earth Balance Organic Whipped Butter Spread at your local health food store. It's also much easier for people to find a "chain grocery store" than an "organic food store" in most neighborhoods. I understand that there may be other issues behind Becel but if we're looking strictly at what's on the label and for people who want to be Vegan and support the concept of veganism than it's a really positive new product for them to embrace.

With respect to flavor - Becel does have that going on -- it's a nice light buttery taste and one that most people are used to. I love the fact Becel is spreadable straight out of the fridge whereas with Earth Balance (particulary the non-whipped versions) you have to remember to put it on the counter for a bit or you won't be spreading anything. I find that the Organic Whipped Butter Spread is the tastiest product, as well as the easiest spreading butter in the Earth Balance line and will continue to use it as I prefer to use organic wherever possible. And of course, the 1/4 lb blocks of Earth Balance hard margarine are still ideal for baking cookies and the like. With the increasing demand for organics in the marketplace I'd guess that it won't be long before Becel will come out with an organic version of their vegan margarine as well. In the meantime I'm pleased to know that there is now a second choice out there and it's as close as the nearest grocery store shelf in almost any neighborhood.

Vegan Shampoo & Vegan Bakery (Toronto)

2010-03-24T00:44:00.005-06:00

You can't eat this but it was pretty exciting to see a "vegan" shampoo on the "regular" store shelves. Not only that they actually put the word vegan on the back of their product. If you click on this picture it should be big enough to see it clearly. I love the pretty colors they used to package the shampoo as well. Clearly I'm a product junkie and easily taken in but just for the record it did a fine job of shampooing and conditioning my hair. Who ever thought that vegan would become mainstream enough for a major cosmetics company to start using such terminology to market their product? Obviously veganism has made it's mark and it's clear it's not a trend but a movement that's only going to continue to gain strength with every passing day, month and year!

I'm still remaking all my favorite "old" recipes on here and neglecting my creativity in trying new vegan recipes in favor of knitting but I'm gearing up towards some ideas for fresh spring recipes. It's hard to believe that Easter is less than two weeks away.

If you live in the Toronto area you are too lucky for words -- today my facebook friend Sherry Vanstone posted a comment about a new Vegan Danish Bakery. I've given you the link so you too can drool and wish you had such a bakery near you! A girl can dream! Ask me how jealous I am of Sherry -- so much so I'm almost looking a little green :)

Gluten-Free Carrot Muffins

2010-02-27T18:31:00.010-07:00

Another delicious gluten free version of one of my all time favorites -- carrot muffins. I've been craving them for a long time but I've been reluctant to put down my knitting needles. Still going strong on the knitting but my desire for a fresh muffin finally did me in and I spent today doing some baking and cooking. I've just been making the same old recipes so had nothing new to share but I think if you're looking for gluten-free versions of baked goods you're going to really enjoy this carrot muffin recipe I came up with today. Turned out a bit sweeter than I expected so might try it with a little less sugar next time but otherwise seriously delicious and they filled the kitchen with a wonderful spicy aroma thanks to the cinnamon. In case you're wondering why you can't see the raisins (I just recently bought Newman's Own brand of organic raisins and I highly recommend them) or carrots it's because I blended my wet mixture in the Vita-Mix -- my grandson won't eat muffins with whole raisins hence my reason for blending! If you have a fussy little toddler this works out perfectly. He loved them -- and ate 1-1/2 for a snack! I love gluten free verson muffins for toddlers because almond flour is nutritionally superior to white flour and since they are too young to eat nuts whole it's a great way to get in some extra calories.

Ingredients

1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp. agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup finely grated carrot
1/4 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vinegar

1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix the wet ingredients together -- let stand for about 1/2 hour or so to allow raisins to plump up. In the meantime measure out your dry ingredients. I put all the dry ingredients in my vita-mix as well to whirl them together and also to make the almond meal into a finer grind. I can only get the Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal and it's slightly coarse so I find it works a little more like a flour by processing it in the Vita-mix along with the other flours and dry ingrdients. I also whirled my wet ingredients in the Vita-Mix as well but this is totally optional. Mix wet and dry together thoroughly. I used 1/4 cup mixture per muffin. (I used If You Care Muffin Liners -- which have been revamped and are once again excellent -- make sure to look for the red triangle on the side to assure it's the new, improved version!). This batch made 11 muffins. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Most muffin recipes say 350 but maybe my oven runs on the low side because I need 375 to produce a nicely baked muffin. One day I should do a real test with an oven thermometer.

My latest trio of comfort dolls! These little guys are so fun to knit and I'm just so glad that they're going to comfort children who have very few luxuries in this life. Thanks to ICROSS Canada for giving me the opportunity to participate in this.

GoGo Quinoa Soup-Stew

2010-02-03T14:16:00.070-07:00

What an aptly named product -- GoGo Quinoa! We all need to go to quinoa more frequently but it's a tough one for some people due to the bitter flavor it can have depending on the brand you buy and how it's cooked. Well this one is a no-brainer and there is absolutely no bitter flavor whatsoever so pick up a package of GoGo Quinoa and Vegetable Soup mix and make this delicious soup-stew with it! It's really inexpensive considering it's organic, fair trade and good for you! I picked up several for $3.29 each and each box contains two packets of 65 gms. You only need one 65 gm packet for this recipe. I've been busy knitting comfort dolls (see veggie prairie girl rambles below for more info on this if you're interested) so I've been neglecting my cooking duties! However after 3 days of literally muffins and smoothies I thought it was time for a little more veggies in my life and my favorite bean -- chickpeas. I'd still rather continue knitting than cook this week so I was looking for something really really quick and this is it! For the amount of effort and ingredients it's got a lot of great flavor plus you're getting a good portion of the "got-to-get-more-in-your-life-quinoa-grain". Plus it makes a very nice mild blend for hungry little toddlers if you have a little munchkin running around your house like I do! Whirls up nice and smooth in the mini container of your magic bullet.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 carrots, sliced

2 potatoes, cubed

1 (14 oz) tin diced tomatoes

1 cup cooked chickpeas (I used canned organic)

1 (65 gm) packet of gogo quinoa

2 teaspoons veggie powder
2-3 cups spring water

Saute your onion and carrots for about 5 minutes in the olive oil. Add 2 cups water, the potatoes, tomatoes, chickpeas, veggie powder and quinoa. Simmer until veggies are cooked -- add more water depending on whether you want soup or stew-like texture. This soup cooks up quickly and is ready too serve in less than 45 minutes. Really tasty! GoGo Quinoa!

Veggie Prairie Girl Rambles

People around the world are knitting African Comfort Dolls for the HIV/AIDS orphans of Africa and children of other disaster regions. (4000 dolls were recently sent to Haiti along with meds). The dolls are used as packing material to cushion medical supplies and when the meds are unloaded, the dolls are given to orphans and the children of the poorest of the poor. Often the doll sent as packing material is the only toy these children will ever own and many HIV AIDS orphans are buried with their dolls. Billy Willabond, a Canadian Peacekeeping Veteran, is the National President of the International Community for the Relief of Starvation and Suffering (ICROSS CANADA) and I send all my completed dolls (I've made 155 to date and plan to make many more) to their address in British Columbia. He is very punctual about letting you know your dolls have been received and that they are very much appreciated so it's a gratifying organization to donate to. The dolls are a quick knit and they turn out so cute for the effort involved. Pictured below are five that I just completed this weekend. Feel free to e-mail me if you want anymore details or have questions about how to knit them or finish them. This is a very simple pattern which is good because simple is all I know when it comes to knitting. Regardless of your level of expertise it's a satisfying project to be involved in. I encourage everyone to go to the ICROSS website to learn more about what they've done and what they continue to work towards. Also check out this blog and learn how two Vancouver women who, after knitting comfort dolls for ICROSS, were inspired to find a unique way to raise funds for charity.

Sweet Potato Hummus

2010-01-25T12:07:00.010-07:00

I was inspired to make a sweet potato hummus after seeing it listed on Oprah's website under the category: superfoods! I couldn't bring myself to make the recipe listed there however because I could not handle the thought of 1/2 cup of oil added to 2-1/2 cups of finished product. I personally think that kinda of defeats the purpose...I think even my 2 tablespoons is a bit on the high side as I know you can make it without any oil whatsoever and it still tastes fine. So feel free to eliminate the oil from this recipe. I also really love the taste of the traditional use of tahini in hummus recipes and therefore I do use it and I couldn't believe it wasn't included in the superfood recipe that Oprah listed. After all tahini is a great fat full of beneficial calcium. We really should send her an improved recipe. This is a great recipe for kids as they generally love the taste of sweet potatoes. I remember my nephew Aaron, as a toddler, was a picky little eater but he would always always eat sweet potatoes! My 2 year-old grandson Nico confirms this to be so, as well, as he was eating this by the spoonful right after I made it. For an excellent reference with respect to "everything you ever wanted to know about sweet potatoes" check out this website! Did you know you could bake several at once and they stay good in the fridge for 7-10 days? How handy is that? Did you know that you can make an attractive houseplant from a sweet potato? All that information and much more is on the above listed website. Do give it a quick read through.

Ingredients
1 can (regular size) of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 sweet potato (roasted)
1 tsp. garlic/parsley powder (or head of garlic roasted along with sweet potato)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tablespoon paul bragg
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tbsp. tahini
2 tbsp. olive oil
2-4 tbsp. original flavor soy milk

To roast your sweet potato -- scrub it, rub it with margarine, prick it with a fork and place on a wire rack inside a ovenproof dish (I put it on a wire rack so that it doesn't get burn marks as that sometimes happens if you place it directly onto your dish). You can probably pick up cheap, small wire racks suitable for this purpose at your local dollar store. I bent mine to fit the dish I use when roasting vegetables and save it just for that purpose. Bake at 425F oven for about 45-55 minutes depending on size. Cool, peel and you now have lots of sweet potato for your hummus recipe. Eat a little if you like -- it's delicious right out of the oven exactly as it is. And considering how long it stays good in the fridge (and freezes) bake up a couple of extra while you're at it. I would also suggest roasting a head or two of garlic along with your sweet potato to use in the above recipe in place of the garlic powder if you have extra garlic bulbs on hand. When you're not able to use fresh garlic I suggest that you use a very good brand of garlic powder like the organic Morton & Bassett as their quality is outstanding. The difference is definitely noticeable!

Now just put your roasted hummus and all the rest of your ingredients into a food processor or Vita-Mix and process using as much of the 2-4 tbsp. soy milk as required until it's the consistency you like. I use soy milk as I always have it readily on hand but you could subsitute vegetable broth if you like. Throw in some extra pepper or cayenne if you like things spicy. Enjoy with whatever you deem fit (I'm thinking of making some homemade fries to dip in it)!

3-Veggie Buddha Soup

2010-01-13T23:22:00.003-07:00

This soup is for my Buddist friends who do not use garlic or onions in their cooking. I don't think I've ever made a soup without onions but surprisingly this didn't effect how tasty it turned out! It's also a real timesaver not to have to do the chop/saute onion/garlic routine so if you're super hungry this is a real bonus. A special hello to my favorite Buddist friends known collectively as "The Padmanadi Family".

Ingredients
3 large carrots, diced
3 potatoes, diced
1-1/2 cup broccoli florets
1 tablespoon veggie broth powder
2 cups water

Let the carrots and potatoes simmer together until almost done. Then put your broccoli florets on top and let steam until tender. Put through a food mill (I prefer the food mill for this soup's texture). Make a thin white sauce (1 tablespoon margarine, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 cups plain soy milk, salt & pepper and if you like add about 1/2 cup of your favorite vegan cheese, shredded to the warm white sauce ). I have lots of Italian Blend Daiya on hand so I did choose to do so. Stir the white sauce through your pureed veggies and you have a hearty soup that will make you and Buddha happy :)

GF "Kraft" Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-01-12T07:29:00.089-07:00

This is the recipe found on the back of the Kraft peanut butter. The recipe is very simple and that's why I was so eager to try a veganized version. It didn't take much to do so however you need more detailed instructions than what's on the back of the jar. I don't know how they would roll balls out of their ingredients as regardless of whether you use flaxseed or egg the mixture is non-rollable! The only way I was able to roll my ingredients into balls was by placing the bowl of batter into freezer for 1/2 hour or so. They also stated it would make 3 dozen cookies -- I guess you could but they would be miniscule. I opted for 1 dozen normal sized cookies. Be forewarned: for serious peanut butter lovers these could be dangerously addictive! Tasty, crispy, crunchy, peanut buttery goodness -- yep I'm one of the addicts :)

Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup organic granulated sugar

1 tbsp. ground flax plus 3 tbsp. soy milk

1/4 cup quick oats

Stick dough in the freezer until you can roll into balls. Use approximately 1-1/2 tablespoons dough per ball. Put onto parchment lined or non-stick cookie sheet. Press down slightly with fork (I dipped mine in sugar in between pressings hence the sparkly look on my cookies). As shown in the above recipe I put in 1/4 cup quick oats to enhance the ease of making balls and that did help plus it made them a little thicker which was a nice bonus. First batch that I tried without the oats were flatter and slightly more difficult to form but still worked out okay for both taste and texture.

Bake at 325F for 15 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing.

Carrot Coriander Soup

2010-01-10T18:57:00.002-07:00

A harmonious blend of carrots, potatoes and onions, paired with fragrant and flavourful coriander. That's the description on the Knorr brand of carrot & corriander soup. It sounded very inviting but unfortunately a few of the listed items (modified cornstarch, the cream & the sulphites) were not. After seeing those undesirables I thought best leave the stuff in the tetrapak for someone else to eat and I'll just copy all the ingredients except for those. Since I had organic almonds in the cupboard I decided to use those for my cream. It's the first time I've ever whirled any nuts into "cream" and I was surprised how very thick and rich it was. To counteract the excessive richness I diluted the almond cream with a cup of plain soymilk and that worked out perfectly.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, pressed
3 large carrots (about 1/2 lb), diced
4 large potatoes (about 2 lbs, diced
1-1/2 tablespoons veggie broth powder
1 tsp. each: coriander, chili powder, cumin & garlic
1/2 cup almonds whirled with 1-1/2 cup water
1 cup plain soy milk

Saute the onion, garlic and carrots in olive oil for about 10 minutes until softened. Add water as required to keep from sticking. Add the diced potatoes, veggie broth powder, spices and another 2-3 cups of water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until done. Keep an eye on the water level. Whirl your almonds (I used whole organic almonds with the skins on) with about 1-1/2 cups water until nice and creamy.

Add to your soup along with the cup of soy milk. Using immersion blender puree until smooth. Makes about 6 - 1 cup servings. The tetrapak of purchased knorr soup costs $3.99 for 2 - 1 cup servings so you can see how much more economical it is to make your own.

GF Orange-Pumpkin Muffins

2010-01-08T12:47:00.017-07:00

I'm still on the mini bandwagon and was feeling in the mood for a "bit" of a muffin. I bought some organic canned pumpkin a few months ago and had yet to do a thing with it. Well, since I could live on starches (and smoothies) I thought I'd try my hand at making a healthy version of a mini donut . I still prefer gluten free wherever possible. With gluten-free tasting this good it's not as hard as I thought to use my rice flour mixture more often than not. It's got all the good things going for it -- beta-carotene from the pumkin, some vitamin C from the orange juice, lots of omega goodness as not only did I use the flaxseed for egg-subsitute I also added an extra 1/4 cup to my dry ingredients for good measure. All in all a very honorable candidate to receive high scores for low-fat & super nutrients in an itsy bitsy muffin.

Dry Ingredients
1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1/4 cup golden ground flaxseed

1/4 cup almond meal

1/2 cup oatbran

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons agave nectar (maple-flavor)

1-1/4 cup pumpkin puree (canned)

1 cup orange juice (made with 6 tbsp frozen concentrate + water)

2 tablespoons golden ground flaxseed

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons plain soy milk

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Put all dry ingredients through a sifter into large bowl. There will be some oatbran left behind in the sifter -- just mix it back through. Combine all the wet ingredients and whisk until well blended together (or whirl in blender if you prefer). Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and use just enough strokes to blend so there are no lumps of flour remaining. I made 24 mini-muffins using 1 tablespoon batter each. Sprinkle the tops liberally with your cinnamon-sugar mixture. Then bake at 375F for about 8 minutes. With the remainder of the batter I made 4 mini-loaves and these were baked at the same temperature for about 26 minutes. I love the little mini-muffins -- they are very cute with the sparkly sugar topping and look and taste kinda of like a healthy yummy little donut hole. Please note: I used cinnamon/sugar mixture through the batter as well as on top so if you see the same amounts twice here (as in the dry ingredients and in the topping) it's not an error. If you prefer less sweet I'd leave out the sugar in the batter -- just go with the cinnamon alone. I think the sugar on the topping has more of an impact so I wouldn't eliminate that portion .

These are super delicious warm out of the oven. They are a little dry the next day so I would recommend that after you polish off your quota for the first day you freeze them promptly. They freeze well and thaw out quickly. A little zap in the microwave makes them taste almost as good as first day. I think I prefer the batter from this particular recipe baked as the mini-muffins rather than the mini loaves. They seem to cook more evenly that way. The loaves had a slightly dense bottom whereas the mini muffins did not. But if that's all you have it's still very tasty but for perfection I'd go with the mini muffin pan.

Mini Tofu Loaves

2010-01-06T14:50:00.031-07:00

Here's a very easy recipe to make with 350 gms of tofu. If you have a pan like this it's very cute to make these little mini-loaves. If not, you can either do the loaf free-form style and place on a baking sheet, or bake in a small glass baking pan instead. If you prefer a gluten-free loaf substitute the 2/3 cups bread crumbs with another starch such as 2/3 cup cooked rice, quinoa flakes or quick oats. This loaf does not taste the best or slice easily the minute it comes out of the oven. I recommend that you leave it overnight in the fridge before slicing and eating. One mini-loaf made all the slices shown above. It's amazing how much more it looks cut-up than whole.

Recipe
350 gms firm or extra firm tofu
2/3 cup fine bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced onion
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. soy milk
2 tablespoons ketchup in loaf mixture plus
another 1-1/2 teaspoons per loaf on top
1 tablespoon ground golden flaxseed
1 tablespoon paul bragg
2 teaspoons veggie broth powder
1 teaspoon each of the following spices:
chili powder, ginger, garlic powder & pepper

Mix flaxseed with milk in a small bowl and set aside. Put tofu in a medium size bowl and squish it around with your fingers until quite smooth. Add flaxseed/milk mixture and the rest of the ingredients to the tofu. Mix together well. Taste and adjust seasonings if required. Divide into 4 equal portions if using mini-loaf pan as this recipe makes exactly 4 loaves. Spray pans so that your loaves will come out easily. Top each loaf with a teaspoon and a half or so of ketchup.

Bake at 350F for about 1 hour. Cool in pan for 5 minutes or so then turn out onto cooling rack. Refrigerate overnight or several hours (must be very well chilled in order for texture to become firm enough for slicing). Once chilled you can eat it straight out of the fridge either with a salad or on a slice of bread with mustard. If you prefer it warmed you can pan fry lightly and serve it with some steamed veggies. Serves four.

Veggie Prairie Girl Rambles
Considering that the price of tofu is approx. $2.60 for 350 gm of organic and $1.99 for non-organic it is indeed a very economical source of food energy. As well, firm tofu, at 100 calories per 85 gm serving (which is the amount of tofu in one mini-loaf) is a waist-watchers dream! As well, for those who prefer gluten-free, this baked tofu loaf made as such (with the rice, oats or quinoa) is an excellent alternative to seitan when cut into chunks for use in pot pies and stews.

Chefs Roberto Martin & Tal Ronnen

2010-01-04T23:51:00.001-07:00

I was watching Oprah today and she had her favorite vegan chef, Tal Ronnen, preparing Gardein "Chicken" Scaloppini. Perhaps this was a repeat from earlier in the season but it's the first time I viewed it and I was rather happy to see the mainstream attention that veganism is getting. It's really something when America's top two female talk show hosts are both promoting the benefits of a plant-based diet. Ellen Degeneres is a step ahead of Oprah in this department as she has outright declared herself a full-fledged "vegan". However considering Oprah's run-in with the Texas cattlemen years ago it's hard to blame her for keeping any such declarations to herself. It certainly seems she is very much in favor of the vegan lifestyle considering the 21 day vegan fast she chose to do not so long ago. Regardless, it's quite obvious that her delight with finding a substitute for her much loved actual chicken flesh is very real as she exclaimed about the virtues of Gardein! This must be good stuff if Oprah loves it as I remember years ago she declared that she might be able to give up beef and every other kind of animal flesh but don't expect her to give up chicken! Check out Chef Tal Ronnen/The Conscious Cook's website which includes a video clip of him preparing the Gardein "Chicken" Scaloppini that he made on Oprah's show.

Below is a clip from you-tube that features Chef Roberto Martin making a veggie pot pie for Ellen. It's enough to make me run out and buy some Gardein chicken just for this recipe alone. I'm feeling a little under-inspired at the beginning of 2010 so I'm looking for some help. I've just been re-doing all my old standard favorites (and they are good) but it's time to try to bring in something new. And after seeing Dr. Oz tonight on the Joy Behar show it's obvious I need to try and focus on some more "waist-friendly" recipes. He gave a quick tip on how to tell if you need to lose weight. Take your height in inches and divide it in two. That is how many inches your waist should be max -- if not you're in trouble. I can tell you right now...I'm in trouble! So here's hoping 2010 will be the year of lots of healthy inspiration. It will be hard as anything with sugar and fat is super appealing to me but Dr. Oz made a good case for fighting the battle of the bulge so let's see how the year develops! For starters I found a great recipe for sweet potato hummus on Oprah's website under her list of 25 top superfoods -- I'm definitely interested in giving that a try and I'll report on that when I do so. All the best in 2010 and good luck to everyone else with their New Year's resolutions!

Daiya Cheese Review

2010-01-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of hype swirling around on food blogs and facebook about the latest vegan cheese to hit the market. It's called Daiya which I don't know what it means but there it is. Logistically it made the most sense for me to order from the closest west coast online venue and that just happened to be Karmavore which is based in Vancouver. I had to order a minimum of 5 lbs and so I did. It took me several trys over the last two weeks in December to be able to actually place an order. Each time I went online to try and order Daiya it was sold out! My god but this item was going like wildfire and I couldn't wait to get some. Finally my order went through and on December 29th my order was shipped at 3 p.m. to me via Canada Post and miraculously it arrived on December 31st at 11:30 a.m. I was amazed that it arrived on time considering it was the xmas holiday week and the mailman had told me the day before that they were very short on staff and had had to hire 35 extra workers just to keep up with things. I had quizzed him as to when he would be making the rounds in our street on the 31st because I did not want to risk having him not deliver my package and then having it sit on the post office shelves from Thursday to Monday -- that wouldn't be good for a food item. Anyhow I sat at my kitchen window from 11 a.m. on just to make sure I didn't miss him. It worked out very well for me as he arrived at 11:38 a.m. I'm sure he was pleased to see my eagerness and even more pleased that he got to drop off the parcel asap and keep moving as it was pretty darn cold on new year's eve day. The parcel was packaged perfectly and even more surprising the cold packs surrounding the cheese still had a few ice chunks within. So that part was perfectly executed by the staff of Karmavore. I would not hesitate to order anything online from them.

Now as for the actual cheese flavor of Daiya I hate to say I was a little more than a little disappointed. I wanted so much to love it and I thought maybe something was wrong with me because I just wasn't feeling the same excitement expressed by others. Not that it's bad but with all the hype I was expecting something much closer to a "dairy-based" cheese flavor then what it delivers. I think that the ingredients that are used to make it are outstanding and that's a good thing. But for me the flavor, texture and even the smell of Daiya is almost identical to vegan rella. In fact I think you'd have a hard time distinguishing one from the other in a blind taste test. And I like using vegan rella -- it's been an acceptable alternative for me for years. I wouldn't eat it straight on a piece of bread but it's great melted slightly on pizza or in white sauces. The same way that Daiya will have to be used as well. Perhaps Daiya has an edge over Vegan Rella because they took great care to eliminate all the major allergens and I can't argue with the positive aspects of that. However if you live in an area where Daiya is not available and allergies are not a concern than Vegan Rella pretty well will do for you what Daiya is doing. I've included a photo of what Daiya actually looks like compared to the picture at Karmavore. It looks more "cheesy" on that pic. Of course just to be fair their photo is obviously a mixture of the cheddar and the italian shred but that mixture is not available for purchase. You either buy one or the other and I bought the italian shred because the cheddar was sold out! It looks just like vegan rella when I shred it on my fine shredder which is what I always do with it and then freeze it. I wouldn't go through all the trouble to order Daiya online when vegan rella is available locally. And I'm quite sure that soon you'll be able to buy Daiya locally as well so there will be no need to order online. Of course I won't be having to buy either for a very long time as the 5 lbs I purchased filled two very large tupperware containers that are now resting nicely in my freezer. The positive aspect involving Daiya is that somehow they've managed to crack the glass ceiling when it comes to encouraging pizzeria's to offer a vegan alternative to dairy based cheese and that's a major accomplishment that vegans and lactose intolerant people will be very grateful for. I'd be happy to have you add any comments here regarding your experience with Daiya.

Iced Star Cookies

2009-12-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

I love cutout cookies but I always avoid making them because they are more labor-intensive. But I do love how they look and since these turned out so cute I thought I'd share them. I can't even remember where I wrote this cookie recipe down from -- the only change I made of course was to change out the 2 eggs with my ever faithful flaxseed-egg mixture and that was that. I also rolled out the dough much thicker than recommended and I would suggest the same to anyone trying this recipe. Unless of course you prefer very thin and harder type cookie. I made them both ways and definitely prefer the thicker size as the flavor of the sugar dough comes through better that way. The glaze is your standard icing sugar mixed with water. I love this glaze -- it hardens so nice and by using just water you don't have to worry about refrigerating the cookies.

Recipe
3/4 cup hard margarine softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. golden ground flaxseed plus 6 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream thoroughly (preferably with electric beaters) until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add flour (preferably sifted with baking powder and salt) to creamed mixture. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Roll between wax paper to make things easier. I left dough about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out in desired shapes. Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes. Tops will be very pale but underneath should be nicely browned when done. I lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper and re-used the same piece several times. Make sure your cookie sheet is cool before putting on new batch of cookies. Cool, then glaze with icing sugar/water mixture.

Veggie Prairie Girl Rambles
Merry Christmas Everyone! Oh and in case you're wondering what's on my dinner menu tonight besides the iced star cookies here's a clue:

Don't you think all the colors are very appropriate for Christmas? I thought so and since I needed to keep the stove burners open I opted for this crockpot recipe that I tried in November thanks to Tami. I rounded out the dinner with mashed potatoes, country style gravy, bread stuffing and unlimited amounts of dutch style tofu croquettes! I would have liked to have had a few more items on the menu but I've been down with a case of the sniffles these last few days so the energy level wasn't high enough to do so. Ah well, there's always next year! And next year -- I'd better mark my calendar in October for the hunt for almond paste if I don't want to make my own like I ended up having to do this year.

Non-Drip Fruitsicles

2009-12-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

This doesn't seem like a great post when it's so frosty outdoors! But inside there are a few sniffles, sore throats and low grade fever going on so we needed something to soothe those over. I looked through the cupboard and once again canned fruit to the rescue. So for anyone else suffering the "flu-blues" this might be a comforting treat to enjoy. Nutritionally i'm quite sure it beats most of the prepackaged frozen pops on the supermarket shelf.

For these I used a regular size can of fruit salad and a 1/2 banana. I threw out almost all the red cherries because I didn't want to use them. I figure they probably have a lot of red dye added to them to make them look that bright so hence my reason to discard them. One may have escaped my wrath :) Drain all the juice except for about 1 tablespoon. Put the fruit, the 1/2 banana and 1 tablespoon of juice in the blender and whirl until smooth. Spoon (it's fairly thick) into your molds and freeze. I'm looking forward to making some 100% peachicles as I am a big fan of peach flavored stuff! The big unexpected bonus to these was how very drip free they were. My grandson nico held it in his hot little hand for 1/2 an hour and still no mess! He's only two so he's a novice at this and I daresay it's probably the first frozen treat we've given him. He seemed to really enjoy it so between that and the fact that it didn't drip all over him is a good enough reason for me to keep these stocked.

Week Before Christmas Wonderland

2009-12-19T16:50:00.004-07:00

This is what we woke up to this morning -- it's definitely enough "frosty winter wonderland" to put you in the christmas mood. It's actually the view from my kitchen window and I certainly appreciate having it! I especially love it when the birds drop by for a visit and though I haven't seen any lately -- in the fall I had a steady stream. I don't know the names of birds but it seems there's a lot of fluffy little black and white ones this year, the odd bluejay and the even rarer red and grey/white. They are more or less the size of baby chicks -- so totally adorable. Today I also enjoyed watching my husband shovel the driveway and then seeing how lucky he was that our next door neighbor drove over on his snow blower (he rigged up an amazing snow blower -- looks like a mini zamboni) to join in the fight against the accumulation of white stuff! We are lucky to have an awesome neighbor and he's been helpful with many things besides "snow removal" for almost as long as we have lived here (17 years). With only one week until the "big day" I decided to proceed with another batch of my GF Peanut Butter Almond Cookies that proved to be very popular. I really like them too (I'm sitting here typing and enjoying several with a cup of hot chocolate). Here's a sampling of what I whipped up this morning. I stashed some away in the freezer with the hope they stay put until next week :)

Here's a few things I learned this morning in my endeavor to be creative - I'm going to post them just in case inquiring minds want to know :)
#1 -- Jam sinks and shrinks a bit when you put some in indent of cookie before you bake so next time I'll have to put double what I think it needs.
#2 -- Almond paste rises so a little less is needed than you think.
#3 -- Mix melted chocolate chips (plus 1 teaspoon hard margarine) and an equal portion of white sugar glaze (water & icing sugar) -- that way it drys shiny and hard just like the white glaze alone does.
#4 -- The plastic baggy tip is awesome -- tried for the first time ever (I've never been much for decorating in the past -- just starting to get a little creative hence the tips above probably everyone knows but me but hey I need it on here so that I'll remember what to do next year). The first batch of cookies I decorated I drizzled icing from a spoon but this definitely beats that all to heck. So all I did was take a small fork and poke a hole in bottom corner of baggy and spooned in my liquidy glaze and it was done lickety-split and much more evenly that's for sure.

Veggie Prairie Girl Rambles
Chickpea-Crockpot Update: I finally cooked chickpeas from scratch using the slow cooker. I soaked 1-1/2 cups of dried chickpeas overnight. Then the next day I drained, rinsed and put them in a large pot and pre-cooked them at a rolling boil for about 10 minutes. I then drained again and put chickpeas in my slow cooker with fresh water. It took about 10 hours (at HIGH) to get soft enough for my preference. I couldn't believe how long it took but I guess that's why they are called "slow-cookers"! I was also glad I was home to keep an eye on it because I did have to add water twice during that time as the level was starting to drop ever so slightly below chickpea level. I made sure to use boiling water so as not to decrease the temperature.

I did some research and one suggestion was to soak the chickpeas with 1 tablespoon of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Then drain & rinse of course and then to use spring water especially if you live in hard water area. Which of course we do -- and I know this -- but I forgot. Next time -- spring water only! See if these tips make a difference in how long it takes.Perhaps my chickpeas were old -- I did buy them bulk recently but with bulk who knows how old it is. You would hope not that old but next time I'm going to see if I can buy them pre-packaged with indication of expiry date and see if that helps. There were also a lot of chickpea skins floating around which I don't like but it's not a problem when making hummus. And it did make absolutely wonderful tasting hummus so all in all it was worth the effort. I also did read that a lot of women in India apparently don't care for chickpea skins either in their cooking and take the time to remove them before use in dishes where appearance is important.

Wishing everyone a good time with their baking and hoping to get a few more posts in before Christmas. Right now I'm backtracking through my recipes and trying to get a few more dishes in the freezer cause a lot don't seem to be making it there or lasting too long once they are :)
P.S. Here's a photo I took of the christmas card my sister sent me in the mail - she always sends beautiful cards and so thought I'd share this one with you all! Happy Holidays!

Amaretto Almond Paste

2009-12-19T01:22:00.005-07:00

I was planning to try out a dutch recipe called gevulde speculaas (filled spice cookie or bar) and the filling is almond paste. I tossed around the idea of whether to make or buy and decided I'd just buy. It just wasn't that easy. Seems they were already sold out at all the stores in my area so I was back to "guess I'll try and make it". Scanned out several recipes and decided to go with a combo of two different ones. It's pretty straightforward. It's also fine if you happen to have some amaretto liquor around or don't mind buying some for this recipe and having lots leftover :) I used almond meal so that made it real quick.

Ingredients
1-1/2 cup ground almonds (blanched)
1-1/2 cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons *amaretto*

Mix together. Knead well -- if too sticky -- add a few teaspoons icing sugar until it's a nice cohesive consistency (see how mine turned out in photo above). Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest (in the fridge) anywhere from overnight to a week before using. Apparently it is supposed to develop more flavor the longer it sits. I'm planning to let mine sit until December 24th.

*2 teaspoons almond extract + 4 teaspoons syrup can be substituted for amaretto.*

If you don't want to purchase a full-size bottle just for one recipe see if your liquor store sells single serving bottles - these contain 50 ml (approx. 4 tablespoons).

GF Peanut Butter Almond Cookies

2009-12-16T15:48:00.003-07:00

I have been wanting to make a gluten free cookie for a while now and today was the day. The results were better than I expected. In fact the combination of several types of "flours" made for a very hearty and reasonably "healthy" cookie. I was primarily making these for my grandson and since I'm looking for a "good" higher fat cookie I kept the margarine low but added 1/2 cup of peanut butter for the fat as well as the extra protein factor. Photo shown is the decorated version as I was feeling festive! They don't need the decorations obviously but it's a nice touch for christmas. The glaze is made with icing sugar, water and almond extract. I then made another small batch of glaze and subbed some amaretto liquor for the almond extract and I daresay that's a mighty nice sub if the cookies you are making are for adults only. This batch of cookies was for my DD Rachel who has wheat allergies and she was just as happy as my grandson with the results. Indeed she was quite elaborate in her praises of this cookie so I hope you get the same response.

Ingredients
1/4 cup EB buttery vegan stick margarine
1/4 cup sweetened applesauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup organic granulated sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons *eggy-flaxseed mixture*

3/4 cup *gluten-free flour mixture*
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons quick oats
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons almond meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

l. Cream first seven ingredients together in a medium-size bowl and whip well with electric mixer - I only have small hand-held type and it works excellent for this.
2. Mix next seven ingredients together and then combine with the creamed ingredients. Mix together thoroughly. If necessary add another tablespoon or two of any of the above flours to give dough required consistency. Refrigerate dough for an hour or so.
3. You can make small or medium size cookies. Make balls and roll them through white sugar, press down with a glass and add almond if you so desire. For small cookie use 1 tablespoon dough each and bake in 375 degree oven for about 6 minutes. For medium size cookie use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dough each and bake at the same temperature for about 9 minutes. DD preferred the larger size cookie as they are slightly softer at that size. However the smaller ones do get softer too if , after cooling, you store them in a plastic container. Makes 24-28 cookies if you make the medium size cookie (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dough).

Gluten-free flour mixture: 2-3/4 cups organic brown rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca starch plus 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal. Put through a sifter to make sure it's blended together very well.This makes 3-1/2 cups gluten-free flour. You only need to use 3/4 cup for making the above recipe.*

*flaxseed mixture -- Stir about 6 heaping tablespoons of golden ground flaxseed into 1-1/2 cups water, whipped it a bit with a fork and put it in the fridge. You can use a blender but fork method worked just fine for me. Should have approximately the consistency of egg whites. Store in the fridge for 3 days. Use 4 tablespoons of this liquid (stir each time before using) to substitute for one egg.*

Potato-crusted lentil hot pot

2009-12-15T19:53:00.003-07:00

I was looking for something else to do with red lentils besides soup and found this here . The original recipe is listed below so you can decide whether you want to go with that one or implement a few of the changes I made. I rarely use celery so substituted a small bok choy in it's place and also added half a small zucchini . I used one onion instead of two because to me, for a dish that only serves 4 people, two onions seems excessive. Five fresh organic tomatoes would cost a small fortune on the prairies in winter so I used one 14 oz size can of diced organic tomatoes including the juice which I figured eliminated the need for the 1 cup stock. I also cooked the lentils for closer to 20-25 minutes. I scrubbed my potatoes, buttered them on the outside and cooked them in the oven until tender. I cooled them and then removed the skins before placing on top of the lentil mixture. I used my own spices that I prefer (my usual -- lots of chili powder, garlic/parlsey powder, 4 teaspoons of veggie broth powder, 1/4 teaspoon tumeric, dash of pepper & paul bragg). I forgot the curry powder. All in all a very nice way to use red lentils -- not the most photogenic dish in the world but very tasty. I'll definitely be making this again as it's hard to beat the nutritional value of this combination. Maybe I'm slow but the preparation time took me longer than 20 minutes -- by the time I peeled, cleaned & chopped everything and had the dish oven ready it was more like 45 minutes. They must have speed cooks in these kitchens -- anyhow doesn't matter -- the dish was totally worth spending 45 minutes on!

Serving size: Serves 4
Cuisine type: Modern Australian
Cooking time: More than 1 hour
Special options: Low fat, Vegetarian
Course: Main

Preparation time 20 minutes. Cooking time 1 hour 25 minutes. Recipe is best made just before serving. Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Per serve 9.8g fat; 1719kJ

INGREDIENTS
¾ cup (150g) red lentils
5 medium potatoes (1kg)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium brown onions (300g), chopped
2 medium carrots (240g), chopped
3 sticks trimmed celery (225g) chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
l teaspoon curry powder
5 medium ripe tomatoes (950g), peeled, chopped
1 cup (250ml) vegetable stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15g butter, melted
¼ teaspoon paprika

Cover lentils with water in large pan, bring to boil, then simmer uncovered, about 10 minutes or until lentils are just tender; drain well.
Boil, steam or microwave potatoes in their skins until tender.
Heat oil in large pan; cook onion, carrot, celery and garlic, stirring, over medium heat about 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Stir in curry powder; cook 1 minute. Add tomato, stock and paste, bring to boil; simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and lentils.
Spoon lentil mixture into oiled large ovenproof dish (8-cup capacity). Slice potatoes; arrange over lentil mixture. Brush potato slices with butter, sprinkle with paprika.
Bake hot pot, uncovered, in moderate oven(350F) about 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

Maple-Flavored Banana Smoothie

2009-12-14T20:48:00.008-07:00

This maple-flavored banana smoothie is silky smooth goodness! The agave syrup maple flavor gives it a powerful boost that won't disappoint. I'm hoping to buy this by the gallon. Seriously -- it doesn't get much better than this. Listen to the rest of the lineup of flavors: Blueberry, Hazelnut, Vanilla, Irish Creme, Amaretto, Raspberry and Cappuccino. Which one wouldn't you want? Madhava's Agave nectar Glycemic Index measures in the range of 32. In comparison, Honey is 58 and table sugar measures about 64. Agave has more sweetening power than sugar so you can use less. Generally, 2/3 cups of agave will replace 1 cup of sugar. One note of caution: Agave, like honey, should not be fed to infants under the age of 12 months.

20 oz cold soy milk
1 banana frozen
1 ripe banana
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
3 teaspoons maple-flavor agave nectar

Whirl until smooth. I highly recommend a Vita-Mix Blender if you do lots of smoothies -- it's a worthwhile investment that delivers. I find that the flavor of one frozen banana and one regular banana works really well together. Serves two for a quick and delicious energy boost.

Veggie Prairie Girl Rambles
How's everyone else doing with their pre-xmas duties? I was busy today putting together another 3 dozen tofu croquettes - dutch style because acccording to my DD there is just no such thing as too many croquettes. She picked me up a bag of frozen "veggie ginger chicken" from the whole vegetarian food store so that I can try making a new flavor croquette that we've never had before. It will be interesting to see how it works out. There is a dutch restaurant called Danku in New York City whose signature menu item is the croquette. They stuff their croquettes with many non-traditional fillings such as: mac & cheese, artichokes & spinach and cinnamon-apple to name a few. Those sound like some fun food projects to try out in the future so stay tuned! Perhaps 2010 will be my own personal "year of the croquette"!

Double-Layered Pear Coffee Cake

2009-12-12T02:07:00.003-07:00

You know how they have lazy cabbage rolls? This could be dubbed lazy cinnamon rolls! Cause that's the taste flavor happening here. So quick, so easy, so good! What a great way to use up canned fruits that are not too tasty on their own which pretty well describes the pears that I bought back in September. On top of being not so tasty they were also rather hard so I threw them in the freezer hoping for something good to do with them one day. So yesterday when I was searching through my freezer I spotted them and thought these have to get out of here one way or another! Another way turned out to be this seriously addictive, double-layered, pear coffee cake. So tasty I might just have to go buy some more crappy canned fruit -- I'm sure almost any kind would do here. I'm thinking peaches would be divine. Maybe if we lived in sunny California we wouldn't have to resort to disguising fruits with flour and sugar but unfortunately not only do I have issues with most of the canned fruits but alas, also most of the "fresh" fruits available for purchase in our supermarkets. Anyhow, one piece of this pear cofee cake, warm and fresh out of the oven, will help you forget most of your issues. Heel lekker! (dutch for: very tasty).

Recipe
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour, all-purpose
3 tablespoons margarine (hard)
1 teaspoon frontier organic cinnamon

1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
1/4 cup margarine
4 tablespoons *flaxseed mixture*
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup soy milk

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 c. canned pears, drained & thinly slicedBlend brown sugar, margarine and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in cold, hard margarine in small pieces. Blend thoroughly -- easiest way is to rub it through your fingers several times till mixed well. Set aside.

Combine sugar, margarine (out of necessity, I used 2 tablespoons soft style margarine and 2 tablespoons hard though I think either type of margarine would be fine in this application) and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Cream for one minute. Add the 4 tablespoons flaxseed mixture and whip at medium high speed until fluffy. About 1-2 minutes. Stir in the soymilk.

Sift 1-1/2 c flour,baking powder and salt into a bowl. Stir into your creamed mixture and mix only as much as required to blend the two together.

Spread 1/2 the batter in a greased 9 inch square pan. Batter is a bit stiff and might be a little difficult to spread - if it is -- just spray the back of a spoon with pam and use that to spread it out -- it will be much easier.

Cover with 1/2 the pears and top with slightly less than 1/2 of the brown sugar mixture.

Repeat layers.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 45 minutes. (glass pan)

*flaxseed mixture -- since I've been doing a fair amount of baking this past week I decided to make up my "eggy" flaxseed mixture to keep on hand in the fridge. Easier than making it up fresh each time you need it. I stirred about 6 heaping tablespoons of golden ground flaxseed into 1-1/2 cups water, whipped it a bit with a fork and put it in the fridge. You can use a blender but fork method worked just fine for me. Should have approximately the consistency of egg whites. Store in the fridge for 3 days. I used 4 tablespoons of this liquid (stir each time before using) to substitute for one egg.*

Udon Noodles in Peanut Butter Sauce

2009-12-11T12:37:00.002-07:00

Some slurping noises are encouraged when eating these noodles. According to Japanese custom it's okay to do so and supposedly makes it taste better. Though if you are a peanut butter lover you're going to enjoy these saucy noodles whether you slurp or not -- I just wanted you not to feel bad if you did! It's a simple dish but it does take a bit of time and prep to get it all together. I bought fresh Mr. Noodles Udon Noodles at Save-On Foods. They contain only three ingredients -- flour, water and salt.

1 package of fresh Udon Noodles
1 broccoli crown
1 onion, diced
garlic, 2 cloves
175 gm extra firm tofu, cubed

Instructions
#1 - Boil udon noodles in some water infused with a few teaspoons of veggie broth powder. Drain (save the water) add 2 teaspoons of margarine, cover and set aside.
#2 - Separate broccoli into bite size pieces. Cook/steam your broccoli in the water you saved from step #1 above. Now drain off the water from the broccoli and save this again (it will be used in your peanut sauce). Cover, and set broccoli aside.
#3 - Cube tofu and saute in pan along with the diced onion and 2 cloves garlic. Add some paul bragg and stir fry until everything is nicely cooked and browned. Now it's time to make your sauce.

1 cup water (saved from #2 above)
4 tablespoons peanut butter
2-3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons szechuan sauce
juice of 1/2 lemon

Stir and heat all the sauce ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat for about a minute or two. Now combine your noodles, broccoli and tofu in a large bowl and pour over your peanut sauce. Sauce thickens slightly as it sits and/or cools.
Veggie Prairie Girl Rambles
This stuff is so delicious -- you can eat it hot or cold! I love it either way. Of course I just might be one of the biggest peanut butter lovers out there. My favorite sandwich growing up, and that I have not grown out of, was peanut butter and jam. I'd be happy to eat that for breakfast, lunch, supper or in between. This has got me on a roll -- now I want to make some massive-sized peanut butter cookies that melt in your mouth like shortbread. Or some peanut butter rice krispie squares? Or maybe a peanut butter soy milk shake? Isn't peanut butter one of the most wonderfully versatile food products ever? I am so lucky that I have no family members who are allergic to it but if you do there is a new soybutter called SchoolSafe Soybutter that is supposed to be so close to peanut butter in smell, taste and texture that you won’t believe it’s not peanut butter. Interesting indeed -- I'd be curious to try it that's for sure. It's slated for availability, on some Canadian supermarket shelves (like Sobey's, Walmart, A&P), in February of 2010.

If You Care Baking Cups

2009-12-09T18:56:00.003-07:00

Dear Readers: I am in the midst of doing some xmas cooking/baking right now so today I have nothing to share in the way of a new recipe. In fact I'm enjoying leftovers of last nights' Creamy Chunky Broccoli Soup as I'm browsing through all my past posts trying to decide what to bake and/or cook and put in the freezer just so I don't get caught off guard when the calendar all of a sudden hits December 24th. I'm just starting on my first batch of Tofu Croquettes - Dutch Style . Anyhow this rambling is leading to today's topic of "If You Care Baking Cups". I ran out of my old supply of baking cups and purchased new ones recently. However the new ones were so different it floored me. Here I am always pumping them up on my blog because indeed the old ones were amazing. I had several failures of trying my own cupcake & mookie recipes whereby there was some serious sticking and/or not baking properly at all. I was questioning my own sanity. However I decided that the fault had to lie with the baking cups as that was the only part of the equation that was different -- and obviously so. They felt, looked and handled so poorly. I decided that the only thing to do was to send an e-mail to the office of If You Care and you can read my e-mail as I sent it here:

"I have totally loved the baking cups and have bought them many times. However my latest purchase has not been as pleasing. What happened? They seem way way less non-stick then before. Before they practically fell off the muffin the minute you took them out of the oven. Now you must wait until they are totally cool and then there is still a lot of crumbs left behind. Very crazy -- as the ones I used to get were simply amazing and awesome and I told everyone I could about them. However now I'm scratching my head and saying what happened here? Can you explain. code number inside box says 47200019-03 if that is any help. I live in Edmonton , Alberta and purchased them -- six boxes of them at Planet Organic. This is my second box and it's just as bad as the first. Some of the paper cups in my first box had pieces cut away in them so I had to discard them -- also strange. About the size of a 1/2 quarter coin I'd say at the top. I look forward to your response."

So anyhow I'm pleased to say they responded immediately, with apologies and acknowledgement that there is indeed an issue and they are working on it as quickly as they can. They are going to keep me updated and provide me with "new improved samples" as they become available. In the meantime they have offered (and I have gratefully accepted) to send me some baking cups from their supply of old stock which they still have on hand in their warehouse. I am so excited -- I can't wait to get them. So, anyhow my purpose in today's lengthy post is just to let everyone know that if you feel something is not performing the way it used to DO contact the company because you're probably right! Hopefully they will be as honest and forthright as the If You Care people were with me. In the meantime I'm going to advise you not to buy the current If You Care baking cups on the shelves because they certainly won't live up to the praises I've lavished on them in previous posts! It seems the non-stick finish is totally missing and they are now like ordinary paper baking cup liners. Therefore they could possibly be adequate enough for muffins or cupcakes containing moderate amounts of fat but for what I mostly need them for they won't work. That would be for the lower fat and/or gluten-free items.

I'll do another posting in the future to let you know when the new, improved product (that works like the old product) is available on the shelves. Hopefully we here in Canada will also be getting the two new sizes that they have incorporated into their line. I'd love to make some low-fat mini muffins that release easily from their liners because when their product works like it's supposed there is nothing better on the market that I know of. If anybody does please e-mail me and let me know.

I do have some new recipes I'd like to try but I'm awaiting some "special" supplies from Karmavore, the online vegan shopping store, located in Vancouver. Amongst the special supplies I'm awaiting are some Dandies marshmallows, Daiya Cheese and White Chocolate Bars. The Daiya cheese is supposed to be the hottest new thing to hit the vegan cheese scene so I'm looking forward to trying some recipes with that in the new year! In the meantime I'd like to wish a Happy Holiday Cooking Extravaganza to all the busy little kitchen elves everywhere.