Bayit and Garden

If You Love Brownies like I Love Brownies, Oh, Oh, Oh What a Snack!

2012-02-03T13:20:00.000-08:00

ב"ה

For some reason, I was in the mood for brownies this week (it might have had something to do with Dr. Oz having a brownie that I can't eat (it has whole wheat flour -- I can only eat sprouted wheat). So I decided to get a recipe that I could use as a guide. It was a pretty standard recipe, but I changed it (I don't even know where I got the recipe and I just jotted some notes down), and this is what I did:

I took 1/2 cup of organic natural (the only ingredients in this peanut butter are peanuts and salt -- if you, or someone you might give the brownies to, is allergic to peanuts, you can use almond or cashew butter) -- and put it in the top of a double boiler to soften a bit. In the meantime, I put 1/2 cup each of almond and sorghum flours, 2/3 cup of all natural cocoa powder, stevia equivalent to 1 cup of sugar, 1/4-1/2 cup chopped nuts of your choice (I used pecans this time). Then I added the somewhat softened peanut butter (I use chunky organic from Shop-Rite) and then added 1 cup of almond "milk" (unsweetened Almond Breeze Vanilla) and 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla (all natural, alcohol free, optional). Stir until everything is blended.

Line an 8"x8" pan with non-stick aluminum foil or regular foil and parchment paper and pour the batter in and even it out. Put in the oven at 245 degrees for about 2 hours or under baked through. In the meantime, to make the frosting, take 3-6 Tablespoons peanut butter in the top of the double boiler, add stevia equivalent to 1/2 - 1 cup sugar (to taste) and 1-3 Tablespoons cocoa powder. Blend together while it's over the boiling water of the double boiler and add almond milk as needed (by the tablespoon or 1/8 cup) to make it spreadable. When you take the brownies out of the oven, before they cool, spread the frosting evenly on the brownies. When they cool, cut into 16 squares (4 x 4) and enjoy. (I put them in a container in the refrigerator so they wouldn't spoil).

Waste Not, Want Not, Aw, heck, just Waste Not

2012-01-08T20:18:00.000-08:00

ב"ה

I'm currently watching the Food Network (yeah, OK, sure, I'm getting hooked on the Food Network). I'm watching a show called "The Big Waste" in which four famous Food Network chefs (one I know from "The Chew", two I know from "Chopped" -- one is a judge and the other was a celebrity contestant, and the fourth I know from watching a Thanksgiving special of his) are given the challenge to create a meal for 100 guests only using food that was destined to be discarded -- in other words, it was heading for the trash heap.

While I've been watching this, besides being overwhelmed by how much perfectly good, edible, sometimes even healthy, food is ending up in the trash or in the compost heap. While the food that they are collecting includes meat (like beef tongues, hearts and kidneys), poultry (like Halal chickens with wings that are broken in their machines) and seafood (like oysters returned by a good customer and a huge fish that was bruised on the inside), it reminds me of why I became a vegan.

I have been raised as an Orthodox Jew. I was always taught that we shouldn't waste food. We were also taught that we need to care about everyone, not just ourselves or our family. So when I read that it takes way more land to grow food for vegetarians (and even more for omnivores) than it does for vegans, I decided that I didn't want to eat selfishly.

At the end of the show (which I'm sure will be re-aired) they showed a web site to go to (cookingmatters.org) and I found this article called 10 Tips to Waste Less Food. After watching this, I realize I've been on the right track, but I still need to do more.

I think we all need to do whatever we can to help cut down on the waste. I think from now on, I will try to look past "looks" -- bruises can be cut off, not all fruits or veggies are perfectly shaped. This doesn't mean they won't taste good or be nutritious.

We in the US have become spoiled. We want everyone we interact with to be thin, gorgeous and perfect; we want the same for our food. I think we need to realize that, for food as well as people, perfection is not necessary, in fact, it's not even possible. Would you reject your friends or pets because they weren't perfect? Don't reject your apples or tomatoes just because they aren't perfect. The food we waste could help feed people who are less fortunate. Think globally and act locally shouldn't be just a cliche.

That's a Wrap, Boys.....

2011-12-18T18:54:00.000-08:00

ב"ה

Since Thanksgiving, I've been doing a lot of experimenting. One of my new "dishes" is a Beta-gnocchi roulade with cauliflower and veggie filling. I used the gnocchi dough from my previous post, added more sprouted grain flour to make a thicker dough (one that I can roll out or press out flat). I then take the dough, press it out flat on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, spread with cauliflower sauce from a previous recipe, then top it with sauteed veggies (mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, sweet potato, etc.). I then roll this up as well as possible (well, I haven't been able to really roll it up, so much as fold over the sides). I then bake it in the oven at 245 degrees until it is baked through, then I spray it with olive oil (I use a pump spray bottle) and bake until browned.

When I serve this (sliced and laid on its side) I top the pieces with the cauliflower sauce.

I also created two new desserts -- fruit crisp and dessert gnocchi. For the crisp, I used the ginger-bread-cookie recipe from a previous blog entry, laid it out on the bottom of a foil and parchment lined square pan (I use more parchment and another pan to press the dough into an even layer, spread as smoothly as possible). I bake the crust for about 2-2 1/2 hours at 245 degrees -- while this is baking, I mix together one sliced apple, one sliced pear, 1/4-1/2 cup frozen blueberries, a handful of dried, apple-juice-sweetened cranberries and about 1/2 bag frozen sliced peaches (you can cut the sliced fruit in half if you like) in a bowl with spices (cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, etc. to taste) and a bit of stevia. When the crust is baked, I take the fruit, spread it on top of the crust, and bake until the fruit is soft and baked through. I keep it in the refrigerator so it doesn't spoil.

The dessert gnocchi, I make with one jar organic baby food sweet potatoes (or two small steamed sweet potatoes peeled, if desired, and mashed). I add stevia to taste and about 1/4 cup almond flour and enough sorghum flour to make a stiff dough. I add 1/4 cup cacao nibs and then cook them like the gnocchi. When they are finished boiling and have been removed with a slotted spoon, I lay them on a parchment-foil lined cookie sheet, spray with olive oil, and bake at about 350 degrees until browned (then I flip them over, spray again and bake again).

These taste pretty good just like this, but..... If you take 100% cocoa unsweetened chocolate, melt in a double-boiler, add stevia to taste (when melted). Then poke the gnocchi balls with a toothpick and dip in the chocolate, using a small spoon to get the chocolate all over the balls, and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. To whatever chocolate is left over, add ground or chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, etc.), mix through and drop in small spoonfuls onto the parchment. When all the chocolate and chocolate covered gnocchi are on the parchment, take the pan and put it in the refrigerator to harden. When it's all hardened, take the pieces (breaking apart if they ran together) and put them in a container in the refrigerator for keeping.

Gnocchi, Gnocchi, a Thousand Times Gnocchi......

2011-11-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

ב"ה

I do the grocery shopping in my household (my Mom occasionally goes to one of the local farmer's markets, but I do most of the shopping). So I am exposed to so many foods that I can't buy. Lately, I've been obsessed with gnocchi.

When I'm going to sleep, I have a tendency to think about new recipes I want to try, so the idea of making gnocchi was tossing over and over in my brain. I had wanted to use pumpkin puree, but the canned pumpkin puree I've used in the past hasn't been in the stores for a while [noto bene: I want to try making some pumpkin desserts for Thanksgiving so, after my best friend told me an easy way to deal with fresh pumpkins, I picked up a handful (that's 4) small pumpkins at the local organic food co-op. I hope to be able to report some successes with that sometime in the next few days.] so I decided to use baby food (I like to keep small jars of organic baby food in my pantry/closet for just this reason). I took one jar of sweet potatoes and one jar of winter squash and added some spices (I like the curry spices -- I added turmeric, coriander, cumin, paprika and ginger) and sprouted grain wheat flour (I started with 1/2 cup, then added more by tablespoon until it got to a firm consistency -- I ended up with about 3/4 of a cup). When the dough was smooth, I put up some filtered water to boil.

I then took the dough and took small amounts (that I then shaped into a ball, more or less) and dropped up to six at a time into water with a rolling boil. After making sure it didn't stick to the bottom of the pot (that usually only happens when the water isn't boiling vigorously enough), I wait until the little orange balls float to the top. Then I set the timer for one minute and let them boil another minute.

After the timer buzzes, take the dough-balls out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon. Do this until you have created dough-balls with all the dough.

You can put these in the refrigerator or the freezer or serve them. I put my cauliflower sauce on it and it was delicious. If you have a favorite sauce, try that.

Thanks to the Chew....

2011-11-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

ב"ה

I like to watch "The Chew". For those of you who don't know about "The Chew", it's sort of a take off on "The View" with food, recipes and cooking -- and Dr. Oz's daughter.

I'm a big fan of Dr. Oz's and, though I don't agree with everything he says or has on his show,I respect him. I've read several of his "YOU" books (with his best friend Michael Roizen) and I try to watch his Fox program whenever I can.

While Dr. Oz isn't a vegetarian, he has mentioned that his wife is. A few days ago, Lisa Oz was on "The Chew" with her daughter, Daphne, and together they made a nice autumn chestnut soup. Now, of course, I never follow anyone's recipe (except my own :-) without making some changes.

I decided to keep some of the main ingredients, but I made it my own.

Here are the ingredients I used:

2 cups Vegetable broth (I used packaged Imagine)
1/2 cup frozen shiitake mushrooms
1 small sweet potato, diced
2-3 cups frozen broccoli florets
2 cups almond "milk"
1/2 teaspoon each turmeric, paprika, ground ginger and coriander
1/4 teaspoon each ground cloves, garam masala and cumin
5.3 ounce package of chestnuts
2 tablespoons dried cranberries (optional -- I use the apple juice sweetened variety)

(All the veggies and spices I use are organic, as are the chestnuts)
I basically started by putting the first 3 ingredients in a pot and started cooking until it boiled. I turned the flame down, simmering the ingredients. I added the "milk" and spices, continuing to simmer, then added the chestnuts. When everything was cooked through, I added the broccoli and simmered for about 2 minutes, then turned off the flame and allowed the mixture to cool a bit. I put all the solid ingredients with as much liquid as I needed into my food processor and pureed. I added the cranberries after most of the pureeing was finished and pureed some more, leaving some chunks of cranberries. The cranberries add a bit of sweetness.

I'm sure you can try this with other veggies, perhaps some onions, scallions, garlic, perhaps carrots (or other orange veggie) or even zucchini (or other "summer" squash).

If you'd like to see the segment where Daphne and Lisa Oz collaborate to make Daphne's version of this soup (the segment is about 6 minutes long with commercial), see it here.

"Lasagne"

2011-10-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

ב"ה

After developing a nice creamy sauce from cauliflower, I decided to try to use it to make Lasagne.

Reminder: Make the sauce by steaming a medium head of cauliflower until soft, take the steamed cauliflower and 2 Tablespoons of tahini and puree in a food processor (adding non-dairy milk as needed, little by little -- I used unsweetened almond milk). Add whatever veggies you like (sauteed -- I like mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, carrots, etc.) and puree until smooth. Add more veggies and don't puree.

So, to make the lasagne (which I made for the first time last week for Sukkot -- and I made more for this holiday week (Shmini Atzeret and Simhat Tora -- and I thought it was delicious) -- I took a large can Muir Glenn fire roasted chopped tomatoes (you can choose whatever tomato product you like) and spooned out a layer on the bottom of a foil lined 8" square aluminum baking pan (this time, since I had "stuff" left over the first time, I used a second pan -- a loaf pan, and made a second slightly smaller lasagne). I then put a layer of mung bean noodles (I didn't fully cook them -- I just dropped them in boiling water, turned off the flame, and strained out the boiling water) by spoonfuls. Then I spooned on a layer of the cauliflower sauce, another layer of tomatoes and I topped the whole thing with a sprinkling of chopped almonds (any nut will do here).

As you can probably tell, there is a lot of room for your own additions or subtractions or just adjustments. I used garlic in the sauteed veggies but didn't add any spices this time (sometimes, when I'm making the cauliflower sauce I add turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, garam masala, etc.). Spicing is definitely a way to personalize this dish (I think if you've been reading my blog regularly, or at least as regularly as I've been writing it, you know I don't add salt to anything, so if you like salt, feel free to add that too).

All you need to do is experiment, eat an enjoy!

Ginger "bread" cookies

2011-09-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

ב"ה

These are similar to previous cookies (and it's about an hour before Rosh Hashana right now, so I'll make this quick)....

These are no WROBS (Wheat, Rye, Oats, Barley, Spelt) and no sugar cookies. Take 1/2 cup each sorghum flour, almond flour, almond "milk" (unsweetened) and almond (or other nut) butter. Add stevia to taste (I use a heaping 1/4 teaspoon), 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 3/4 of a teaspoon ground ginger. Blend together. For pan cookies, take an 8X8 pan, line with aluminum foil and parchment paper, and spread the batter on bottom. Bake at 245 degrees for 3 hours. Let cool and cut into 16 (half, half, until you have 4X4 cookies across). Or make into cookies and place on a parchment paper cookie sheet and bake at 245 for about an hour, flip and bake another 1/2 hour. The Sorghum flour has a bit of sweetness that it adds to the mix.

Noodles Cauliflower

2011-09-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

ב"ה

I was getting into a bit of a rut and my medical practitioner told me to avoid grains (yet again), so I decided to come up with a new recipe. I've been eating some mung bean pasta (I was also advised to eat more protein and this pasta has 20 grams of protein per serving) and I wanted to come up with a good sauce for it.

In the meantime, I've been rediscovering my lifelong love of cauliflower. Cruciforous vegetables keep popping up in articles I've been reading about healthy foods. So I decided to take a head of cauliflower and steam it, Then I took out the food processor, added the steamed cauliflower (except for the floret or two I snuck into my mouth), a bit of almond "milk" and 2 tablespoons tahini. I pureed the whole "business" and added filtered water (about 1/2 cup twice, so 1 cup total). I had sauteed some veggies (a few mushrooms, a quartered-sliced zucchini, and a handful of shredded carrots) and added 1/2 the veggies to the sauce and pureed again. I then took the rest of the veggies and stirred them into the sauce. I later put the sauce on a package of cooked mung bean noodles and mixed it all together. It came out really delicious.

Eggplant Salad

2011-08-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

ב"ה

I write also for Squidoo and I also evaluate other people's "lenses" (I'm what they call an Angel). So this means I often float around the site looking for other "lenses" (Squidoo's word for article). I was looking through vegan "lenses" and I found one I liked: The Tastiest Vegetarian Sandwich Fillings.

I liked the sound of the "Roasted Eggplant Cream", (I also loved the graphic that was with it) and, so, when I was out shopping yesterday at the local health food co-op and they had two gorgeous, nice firm eggplants, I decided to "do it".

I took the eggplants, washed them, cut off the stems and cut them in half lengthwise, put the halves down on parchment paper and tin foil on a cookie sheet. I roasted them in the oven at about 400 or so degrees until soft -- then I broiled it on low for a few minutes. I scooped out the eggplant, put it and 2/3 cup of cashews and some chopped sauteed garlic (I chopped up some garlic -- about 6 or 7 cloves -- let it sit for 30 minutes -- sauteed the garlic and used half for my sauteed kale, which I put into my salads, and the other half for the eggplant) and then I added turmeric, coriander, paprika and cumin (about 1 teaspoon of the first three and 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin). I also sprayed a few spritzes of olive oil (I have a spray bottle that my friend "Michelle Nevada" gave me for a birthday a number of years ago) and pureed in a food processor until smooth (there were still small pieces of the cashew in there -- if you want it totally smooth, you might want to use cashew butter).

This came out really good by itself but when I put it on bread it was spectacular! Next time I try this, I may try broiling the eggplants until the skin burns. That always adds a certain smoky taste that I love in eggplant salad.

"C" is still for Cookie, but this time Vanilla Rules!

2011-06-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

ב"ה

I've been making the cookies from C is for Cookie, That's Good Enough for Me. I still love these cookies, but when I was Israel recently, my niece came to my sister's for each Shabbat and brought, for my father, some vanilla cookies she made. Though she didn't give me a recipe, I designed my own, based on hers.

The ingredients that I use for these are: 1/2 cup each Spelt flour, almond flour (or meal), organic crunchy peanut butter (no added sugar or fat), and almond "milk". In addition to this, I put in stevia to taste. I use a powdered stevia which I put in with the flours, then I add the almond "milk" (and, into the pools of "milk" I add 1/8 of a teaspoon of maple extract and 1 1/2 Tablespoons non-alcohol vanilla extract) and then add the peanut butter (and blend them all together as well as I can) and if it's still a bit stiff, I put in a bit more "milk" until the consistency is as I like it.

After I get all the ingredients together, I line an 8" X 8" pan with no-stick aluminum foil. Then I press the dough (with a spoon) into the pan, getting it as flat and as even as possible. I bake it at 245 degrees for an hour and a half (90 minutes). I then let the pan cool a bit, and cut it into 16 pieces (4 X 4) and put them into a container. I try to make these whenever I can since they are so easy. They make a good nosh.

Check out my other blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women

Check out some of my squidoo lenses (articles):

Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Why be Vegetarian?
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington

My Salad Days

2011-01-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

ב"ה

I'm not a huge salad person. I know that's probably a bit surprising, since I've been a vegetarian for 33 years, but for me to like a salad it has to be easy to make and delicious (as in well worth the trouble).

But I've gotten myself into a salad routine these days -- I take 1/2 container of grape tomatoes, 1 medium or 1/2 large cucumber (or 2 small Kirby cukes), 1 avocado, 1 can of sliced black olives (small can) and 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and a few sprays of olive oil (I use a pump spray).

Cut up all the veggies, add the olives (drain them first), add the vinegar and oil, mix everything together.... It's good with a sandwich (or without) and I also like it with my smoothie.

Check out my other blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Jewish Sandwich

Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):

Don't miss my latest Veg*n Themed "lens" -- If you love animals Don't eat them!

Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi
Why I'm a Red Sox Fan

Giving Thanks and Passing the Mashed Potatoes (et. al.)

2010-12-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

ב"ה

People have a tendency to associate Thanksgiving with a huge Turkey. But when one is vegetarian (which I've been for 33 years), Thanksgiving takes on a new meaning.

Stuffing that omnivores look forward to actually stuffing into the rear end of a dead turkey, I, as a vegan, look forward to baking in my oven and eating with vegetables.

I made two stuffings this Thanksgiving -- wild rice with chestnuts and cranberries and bread stuffing. The wild rice stuffing was wild rice, spices (turmeric, coriander, cumin, paprika, a little chili powder), one small bag of chestnuts (I get them pre-cooked and pre-peeled in a plastic/aluminum pouch), and some dried fruit juice sweetened cranberries. I also put in a bit of onion/garlic/scallion (sauteed in a bit of olive oil). I cooked the wild rice (I started with 1/2 cup raw), with the spices. After the wild rice was cooked (about 45 minutes) and cooled a bit, I added the chestnuts (which I cut into smaller pieces) and the cranberries. I mixed it all together and stored it in a container in the refrigerator (I made it on Sunday) and heated it up on Thursday before the guests came.

The bread stuffing (which I currently have a batch of in the oven) I made by cubing the bread (I made 4 cups of cubes with 6 pieces of Ezekiel bread), toasted them in the oven (at 245 degrees for a long time -- until they were all toasted nicely) after which, I put them in a paper back for anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days.

I then take the bread cubes, add 1 cup vegetarian vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, some chives and cilantro (if you don't like those herbs and spices, substitute your own -- I don't like the "Scarborough Fair" spices, except parsley ("parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme") -- and a teaspoon of arrowroot. I mixed in some sauteed onions, garlic and scallions and mixed all the ingredients together in a bowl, then transferred it to an 8X8 pan and put it in the oven at 245 degrees until the top was crusty. (It can be stored in the frig and warmed up before the meal.)

I also remade a soup I had originally made the week before when I had a mild bronchitis. I sauteed up onions, garlic and scallions (the garlic I let sit 30 minutes after cutting up to release the medicinal substances) and shiitake mushrooms in a bit of olive oil (I use a spray). In the meantime, I took 1/4 cup each black and red lentils and green split peas, along with 1/4 cup of wild rice, and put them in a pot with filtered water, veggie stock (1-4 cups -- according to your taste and sodium needs*) and 1 teaspoon each turmeric, coriander, paprika, garam masala and 1/2 teaspoon cumin and chili powder. Boil it up and let it simmer until the beans are tender and then add the veggies and cook a bit longer until the flavors meld.

* boxed veggie stock has a lot of sodium. I happen to need more sodium in my diet -- I hate salt and I was told I need 2000-2500 mg of sodium because I drink a lot of liquid, but most people do not need more than 1500 mg per day, so keep an eye on the sodium or make your own vegetable stock

Check out my other blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women

Check out some of my squidoo lenses (articles):

Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Why be Vegetarian?
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington

C is for Cookie, That's Good Enough for Me -- part two

2010-11-18T23:04:00.000-08:00

ב"ה

I've been making the cookies from C is for Cookie, That's Good Enough for Me and I have found that the way I've come up with doing them now is the best and quickest cookie recipe I have found -- my friend Michelle Nevada thought I should call them "Haifa Cookies" because I was telling her what I put it -- 1/2 cup of 5 different ingredients -- so she said, "Haifa cup of this, Haifa cup of that...". Her 5 year old son was nearby and he started singing "Haifa cup of this, Haifa cup of that..." over and over again, so I told her if I ever sell these (or maybe just to get people to link to "Bayit and Garden") that he should make a YouTube video for me.

In any case, the ingredients that I use "Haifa cup" of are: Spelt flour, almond flour (or meal), organic crunchy peanut butter (no added sugar or fat), cacao nibs, almond "milk". In addition to this, I put in stevia to taste. I use a powdered stevia which I put in with the flours and nibs, then add the peanut butter (and blend them all together as well as I can) and then I add the almond "milk" (if it's still a bit stiff, I put in a bit more "milk" until the consistency is as I like it.

After I get all the ingredients together, I line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then I either wet my hands and shape the cookies with my hands or I drop then on the paper with a couple of spoons. I bake them at 245 degrees for an hour, flip them over, than bake for another 30 minutes. Then I put them in a container. I love them so much that I make them whenever I can (they are easy). They make a good nibble.

Check out my other blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women

Check out some of my squidoo lenses (articles):

Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Why be Vegetarian?
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington

My World and Welcome to It......

2010-10-27T22:36:00.000-07:00

ב"ה

Today was one of those days. I basically devoted most of the day to cooking for שבת (Shabbat -- the Sabbath). I started this morning by readying the beans for soup and cholent. I took out 6 kinds of beans -- garbanzos, adzuki (little red beans), soy, kidney, pinto and black (I needed to go to the local health food store to pick these up -- I had run out) -- and barley (unhulled, not pearl). I put 1/8 cup of each (2 tablespoons or a coffee measure) in a pot for soup and the cholent pot (I put 2/8 or 1/4 cup of barley in the cholent pot and also 1/8 cup almonds). I quick soaked the soup beans (that's boil up the beans, turn off the flame, cover and let sit for an hour). I left the cholent beans for tomorrow (I'll soak them from early morning for 6 hours and then set up the cholent pot -- aka my slow cooker -- by draining the beans, putting them and the veggies I left for them -- I'll explain that later -- 1/8 cup each of wild rice and black lentils and spices and a pitcher full of filtered water on "high" on the slow-cooker until it boils, then put it on "keep warm" (the lowest setting) -- and then Friday morning, I'll make kugel for the cholent -- I take 1/8 cup of mixed chopped nuts -- I chop them up once a week and usually use cashews, almonds, walnuts and pecans -- 1/8 cup whole spelt flour and 1/8 cup whole rye flour, some filtered water (enough for the consistency you like -- I like very stiff kugel, so I often add more flour after the water) -- form into balls (or spoon in if it's very loose and that's how you like it) and put into the cholent and turn it to high until it boils and then turn it down to "keep warm".)

Anyway, back to the soup. Once the beans were "quick soaked", I drained the beans, added 1/8 cup each of wild rice and black lentils, filled with filtered water, and added a package of frozen winter pureed winter squash. I also added 1 teaspoon each of turmeric, coriander, paprika and garam masala, and about 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder.

In the meantime, I cut up (julienne) 4 medium to large onions and sauteed them in a large frying pan with olive oil. When they got soft, I added frozen shiitake mushrooms. I also added some dried crimini mushrooms (after breaking them up between paper towels with a hammer) -- the liquid from the other veggies helps rehydrate them. I cut up two small, skinny eggplants and one nice size zucchini and added them next. I also added some frozen chopped kale (I get fresh organic kale and chop it in the food processor, then I put it in small snack bags and into the freezer -- it stays very well and this makes it easy to add to all sorts of things) and I hand chopped one branch (lots of leaves) of broccoli rabe.

When all the veggies were done, I took about 1/4 of what was there and put it into a container to put in the refrigerator for tomorrow to use in the cholent, took another 1/4 of the veggies and put in the soup (still cooking). Into the rest of the veggies, I put one package of tempeh, cut into small pieces.

I also wanted to put some beans into the tempeh/veggie dish. I took 1/4 cup of adzuki beans and "quick soaked" them. Then I drained them, added 1/4 cup wild rice and the same spices I added to the soup. Tomorrow, I'll add the same spices to the cholent. When the beans and wild rice were done (about 30-40 minutes simmering on a low flame in a covered pot), I added them to the tempeh/veggie dish and stirred the whole thing together and simmered until all the ingredients melded together.

After the soup finished cooking, I made some compote in the same pot as the soup and earlier I had made some cookies.

So now, for Shabbat, I have soup and a main course, cholent for Shabbat afternoon, and compote and cookies for dessert.

Check out my other blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women

Check out some of my squidoo lenses (articles):

Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Why be Vegetarian?
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington

C is for Cookie, That's Good Enough for Me

2010-10-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

ב"ה

I was in the mood to create some cookies tonight. So I got out my spelt flour (took 1/4 cup) and my almond flour (also 1/4 cup), added some crunchy peanut butter (also 1/4 cup), and some cacao nibs (ok, I know this is getting monotonous, 1/4 cup) and mixed it around a bit. I added stevia (to taste) and then added 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk and stirred it until all the ingredients were well mixed together.

After blending all the ingredients together, I put the dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I made 15 cookies with the above recipe. I baked them at 245 degrees for about an hour, then checked them and baked longer in 15 minute increments until they were to the desired "doneness".

I figured out, based on the above ingredients, that each cookie has about 100 calories.

A Note about Stevia: Stevia, which is an all natural tea leaf that is sweeter than sugar but has no calories and actually is an adaptogen (which means it helps other nutrients and herbs work better), is safe for diabetics and doesn't have the same issues that artificial sweeteners (like aspartame, saccharin and sucralose) have. It comes in different forms -- liquid and powder being the most common -- and some versions have added erythritol (which is also calorie free and safe for diabetics and naturally occurring, but, like other "sugar alcohols" -- like sorbitol, mannitol and maltitol -- can cause digestive issues). The reason I don't usually give quantities with stevia is that it depends on which stevia you use. For the most part, liquids sweeten at the rate of 60 drops is equivalent to on cup of sugar, whereas stevia powders with no additives it takes about 1/4 teaspoon to sweeten like a cup of sugar. Stevias with erythritol (like some currently available in grocery stores) often take more -- one I used for a while takes a bit over 2 teaspoons.

Check out my other blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women

Check out some of my squidoo lenses (articles):

Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Why be Vegetarian?
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington

Who Wants to be a Vegan?

2010-10-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

ב"ה

So my Mom and I went yet again for me to try out for "Who Wants to be a Millionaire". This is my 7th time trying out, the 5th time going to take the test while also going to be in the audience. It seems as though whenever we go to be in the audience I, ב"ה, pass the test. But I hadn't been there in the audience for three years -- this having to do with Jeopardy! -- I took the Jeopardy! test on line, was called into an interview, was called to be on the show (twice -- the first time they asked me to be on was חול המועד פסח Hol HaMoed Pesah -- the intermediate days of Passover when I couldn't make it, so they called me back on ערב יום כיפור Erev Yom Kippur -- the day before Yom Kippur -- to come to California to be on Jeopardy!, taping in November, airing in early 2009).

From Jeopardy!, I was told I couldn't be on another game show for 6 months; "Millionaire", on the other hand, required me to wait a year before taking the test again. And, since they tests aren't given all year long, I couldn't go back to take the test again until this year.

Ok, so let's call that one long diversion. Whenever my Mom and I go to NY (or anywhere else) we like to sample the food. But, for the most part, I haven't had the opportunity to eat at a good vegan restaurant because of the geography of most of the vegan restaurants on the Jewish Database on Shamash.org. But today, after not finding a good enough geography for us, I looked again, using a map that showed where on the map the restaurants were and found a vegan restaurant very near Penn Station called Loving Hut.

I have to tell you, though I think they do most of their business by take-out (besides being near Penn Station, they are also quite near the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where, BTW, I went Part Time for three years before going back to college Full Time) because there aren't many tables (and the tables only seat two) but the food is delicious and the service is first class. I had a delicious lentil soup and a tofu and vegetables dish that they redid to accommodate my diet. I also had some lemon water to drink and a banana smoothie. My Mom had a bowl of tofu and udon noodle soup with sea vegetable (I love sea vegetables, so I used the chopsticks to pick the sea vegetable out of the soup) and a vegan burger with a side salad. Both were delicious. (My mom took the house dressing, a ginger and carrot dressing, on the side because she wasn't sure she'd like it -- then she asked for seconds). Also, when the check came, there was no sticker shock. The prices were very reasonable.

I heartily recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys good, healthy vegan food.

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Israel and it's Place in the World
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Strong Biblical Women
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Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Why be Vegetarian?
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington

Avocado's Number

2010-09-27T23:43:00.000-07:00

ב"ה

There's nothing like the holidays to make one come up with new recipes. I was supposed to go to a friend for supper last night (but the heat kept me home) and I wanted to make something to bring with me to eat, so, because it was יום טוב (Yom Tov -- holiday days) and I could cook, I decided I was going to make a salad that would be an entire meal in one. I also decided to try to put in all the colors of the vegetation rainbow.

I boiled up 1/2 cup dry whole spelt orzo. While I was doing that, I also sauteed up an onion and some frozen shiitake mushrooms. In the meantime, while the food was cooking, I started cutting up the "rainbow" -- for red: Apple (one whole, chopped), tomato (1/3 to 1/2 container of grape tomatoes cut into four), and dried cranberries (cranberries with apple juice and sunflower or safflower oil -- 2 Tablespoons) -- for orange/yellow: carrot (one-two coarsely grated) -- green: cucumber/Kirby (three Kirbies or one small cucumber diced) -- blue/purple: dried blueberries (see the comments on the dried cranberries -- 1 Tablespoon).

After the orzo and onions/mushrooms were cooked, I cooled them (in a room with a fan -- that helps it cool faster) and added them to the "rainbow". I also added 1 Tablespoon organic extra virgin olive oil and 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. It came out so good that the first time I made it, I ate just about all of it in one sitting. The most recent time I made it (ok, this was tonight and it was only the second time) I also added 1/4 of a 10 ounce package of frozen broccoli florets. I love the way broccoli tastes in salads.

I also made a buckwheat pasta and sauce dish for Yom Tov. I opened a small can (not the really small can, but not the really larige can) of whole tomatoes. I sauteed up an onion and some mushrooms as above. I also added quartered, sliced zucchini and eggplant (the long skinny type). When the veggies were done, I added the can of tomatoes and then I added my favorite spices -- turmeric, coriander, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and garam masala (and sometimes brown mustard seed) -- 1/2 teaspoon of all except the cumin and chili (which I used 1/4 teapoon of each). I cooked 1/2 package of buckwheat soba noodles. When that was done, I added the pasta to the sauce and served. It was delicious.

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Israel and it's Place in the World
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Strong Biblical Women
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Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
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Why be Vegetarian?
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Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
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Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington

A Little Q and L

2010-08-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

ב"ה

Lately I have become convinced that the major problem with with the American diet is that people let too many other people cook for them. Instead of starting off with fresh ingredients or ingredients like unprocessed grains and beans, most Americans either order out or "cook" by warming up frozen meals or mixes. But there are always ingredients in these foods that can cause health issues, whether it's unhealthy saturated or trans fat or mono-sodium glutamate or some chemical that didn't exist in the 6 days of creation.

I have been reading a few things about diet. One of them was a link that keeps popping up on my Facebook page and the other was a Rodale Press (Prevention Magazine) book I just bought called "Diabetes without Drugs" and I decided that I'm going to make some changes in my diet by eating less processed food. I can still eat "Food for Life" sprouted corn tortillas since they are made only from organic sprouted corn, water, sea salt and lime. But the veggie burgers I've been eating have a problem -- they have canola oil which is one of the things that I am trying to phase out of my diet. So I made some burgers for myself last week with organic oatmeal, frozen mixed vegetables, some sauteed veggies (like onions and garlic), some water and a bit of whole rye flour to hold it all together -- then I sauteed/fried them in olive oil (which I sprayed from an oil spray bottle that one of my best friends bought me for a birthday present a number of years ago). After that, I wrapped them in aluminum foil and put them in the freezer. I put them between two of the sprouted corn tortillas in my sandwich machine for about 30 minutes.

So tonight, I decided to make something simple but different -- I took 1/4 cup each of red quinoa and red lentils. I carefully washed the quinoa (to remove the bitter natural substance that acts as a natural pesticide), put it with the lentils and 1 1/2 cups or so of filtered water. I added my favorite spices -- 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, coriander, ginger, garam masala, and 1/4 teaspoon cumin, paprika, fenugreek, and cinnamon. Meanwhile, I slivered up an onion and sauteed it in olive oil, also slivered up a few cloves garlic (which I let sit for 1/2 hour because that's supposed to release the good stuff in garlic). After the onion was soft and a bit caramelized, I added 1/2 cup sliced, frozen shiitake mushrooms and sauteed for a few minutes. After the garlic sat for 30 minutes, I added the garlic (I had turned off the onions and mushrooms to keep them from burning, so I turned the flame back on then added the garlic) and cooked for a bit, until all the veggies were cooked through. By then the quinoa/lentil mixture was done, so I added the veggies. It turned out delicious! I hope you all like it.

I would just like to add that I did a variation of this recipes where I used 1/4 cup each of red quinoa, wild rice, red lentils and black (French) lentils. I also added sliced zucchini and skinny eggplant to the veggies. Other than that, this was pretty much the same as before.

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Israel and it's Place in the World
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Strong Biblical Women
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Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Why be Vegetarian?
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
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About the Jewish Calendar
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The Rice is Wild!

2010-08-13T00:16:00.000-07:00


See merchandise with this design at			http://www.printfection.com/compugraphd/Other/_s_357110

B"H

I thought it would be nice to tell you all how it is that I go through the process of coming up with a new recipe (well, at least the sort of recipe I get by getting ideas from other recipes).

Today, I had a bit of extra time with nothing much to do and no one to compete with for the kitchen, so I decided I was going to try two recipes from last month's issue of Prevention.

One was a recipe listed in an article in the August 2010 issue where they collected "no-cook" recipes from readers. For me this was not exactly "no-cook" since it called for onions and I have a reaction to raw onions (I can't even touch raw onions, so I wear plastic gloves when I peel and chop onions) so I sauteed the onion in a bit of olive oil (I have an oil spray). I used some of the onions for the other recipe, too, but I'll talk about that later. This was a recipe for Chilled Cucumber-Avocado Soup. It called for 2 unpeeled cucumbers, 2 avocados, a cup of vegetable broth (I used filtered water), 2/3 cup each yogurt and milk (I used 1 1/3 cups almond "milk"), a couple of tablespoons chopped onion (that's where I used the sauteed onions), a tablespoon lemon juice (I just used the juice of one nice sized lemon), chopped mint (I used fresh basil), a teaspoon of vinegar -- I used white wine vinegar. I skipped the "pinch of cayenne". I pureed the whole business in a food processor (it didn't puree smoothly -- there are still some lumps, but it's good).

The second recipe I made was Spanish Style Rice Salad. But, since I'm not a huge fan of rice, I used 1 cup wild rice (which I love and use often) -- cooked about 45 minutes in 2 to 2 1/2 cups filtered water. I also used half the olive oil, basil instead of oregano, used a mix of white wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar, used 1 container of orange cherry tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes, 1 small can (drained) sliced black olives instead of 1/4 cup pimiento stuffed olives, sliced, used 1/2 the olive oil (1/8 cup instead of 1/4 cup), and didn't add garlic (I would have sauteed that also, with the onions, if I had had some in the house). I cooked the wild rice, let it cool, added the cooled chopped onion, quartered the tomatoes, chopped up the cucumber, dumped in the can of black olives, chopped up the basil, added the oil and the vinegar, and mixed it all together until the ingredients were mixed well. I put it in a container to put in the refrigerator.

I liked the way both of these recipes came out and I think I'll try them again.

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Israel and it's Place in the World
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Strong Jewish Women

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Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Why be Vegetarian?
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington

Smoothie Operator

2010-06-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

ב"ה

A few weeks back, my Mom and I went to "the city" (in our neck of the woods, that means New York City, a place where both of us have lived at some point in our lives) and after taking care of what we were there for, we walked from the West 60s to Penn Station to take the train home. It's been a few years since the two of us went together and my Mom has slowed down a bit, so it was harder for her to do the walk than the last time.

We stopped at a wonderful health food store on 8th Avenue, but we didn't sit while there, so my Mom wanted to stop some place we could sit. So we stopped at a Starbucks. Because I'm vegan (and diabetic, so I can't have sugar or sweetened soy milk), they made me a smoothie with bananas and strawberries. It was delicious.

So it got me to start making my own -- I take 2-3 bananas, a bag of frozen strawberries, 1 1/2 to 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk, sometimes I add 1/4 to 1/2 bag frozen mixed berries or frozen mango, and then I add stevia to taste (or your sweetener of choice, or no sweetener if you think it's sweet enough without it) and whir it together in a blender. (If it's too thick, I add some filtered water to help it whir better.)

This is a good start -- if there's anything else you'd like to put in (other fruit, some nuts, etc.), experiment. With the summer heat (we've had temps in the high 80s to the high 90s), this is very refreshing. It's also very filling.

Check out my other blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
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Don't miss my latest Veg*n Themed "lens" -- If you love animals Don't eat them!

Strong Biblical Women
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Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
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Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
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About the Jewish Calendar
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Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi
Why I'm a Red Sox Fan

I love kale!

2010-06-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

ב"ה

Our town has a farmer's market in the summer (ok, part of spring, all of summer and part of autumn) on Fridays. This year's market was inaugurated this past Friday (I had been waiting, a tad impatiently, for them since I noticed signs that said "Farmer's Market June through November" and it was already June) and I got to see the people I see year in and year out at the only Organic booth there.

Because it's the beginning of the season, there were "slim pickins" . But the woman who runs the booth, who's known me for a few years, knows that I love purple food. So she steered me over to the Purple Kale.

Kale, BTW, happens to be one of my favorite veggies. It shows up regularly on Nutrition Action Magazine's list of the best fruits and vegetables (like this article about the 5 most overrated and underrated foods from May 2010).

But, unlike spinach and some other veggies, I can't get frozen organic kale. So what's a lazy-ish kale lover to do?

I'll tell you what I do: I take the kale (1-2 bunches at a time), wash it in a mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar mixed in with cold water. I rinse each kale leaf in the vinegar wash then rinse it in running water. I turn on the food processor before I put in the kale, then a toss in the kale leaf by leaf (after pulling the greens off the stems and ripping the leaves to make them smaller and easier to get into the food processor chute).

I then put the chopped up kale into zip bags (snack size) and zip them up and put them in the freezer. They keep there for months. I can then take kale from the bags and saute it (as I did today -- I took that sauteed kale and tossed it into my salad) or toss it into soup. I also like to put some kale on my sandwich machine sandwiches (see my blog entry of Sunday, March 7, 2010 called Marshall's and Soup )

Kale is high in calcium and iron. Like most greens, it's also high in beta carotene.

Check out my other blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Jewish Sandwich

Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):

Don't miss my latest Veg*n Themed "lens" -- If you love animals Don't eat them!

Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi
Why I'm a Red Sox Fan

Beans and Peanut Butter Sauce

2010-03-31T23:42:00.000-07:00

B"H

Monday afternoon, a few hours before I was scheduled to go over to my cousins for the Pesah Seder (the traditional/ritual meal of Passover evening) I decided I needed one more "dish" to bring with me (since I am a vegan on a very strict diet, I generally bring my own food wherever I go). I decided to make something with beans, but what should I do with the beans? (unlike most Ashkenazic Jews (Jews whose families originated in Northern and Eastern Europe), I am permitted to eat beans, rice, corn, peanuts, etc. (called "kitniyot") on Pesah).

I looked around and saw a jar of peanut butter and decided to make a peanut butter sauce.

I started with 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) each of pinto, black, garbanzo, adzuki and kidney beans. I soaked them (well, the first time I did the "quick soak" -- boil them up and then turn off the flame and let them sit for at least an hour), then added 1/4 cup wild rice and 2 tablespoons black lentils. I added my favorite spices-- a teaspoon of each -- turmeric, paprika, coriander, cumin -- and a squeeze of spicy brown mustard and cooked it for 45 minutes (and a bit more until all the water was absorbed). While the beans were cooking, I sauteed a red onion (I sliced it into thin strips) and some frozen shiitake mushrooms. Then I added 1/4 cup of natural (no added sugar or fat, etc) peanut butter, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond "milk", a bit of stevia (for sweetness) and 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar and stirred it together until it's all blended.

When the beans were ready, I added the sauce and mixed well.

I think the peanut butter sauce added a certain je ne sais quoi to the bean dish. I actually shared it with some friends and they both liked it, too.

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Marshall's and Soup

2010-03-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

ב"ה

I love being thinner. Granted, it takes a LOT of hard work (mostly in the cooking area), but I love going shopping for clothing now. Of course, I would like it a lot more if I had more money to spend, but I digress.....

So I went to a local strip mall because I needed a new sandwich machine (the one I got as a gift has "given up the ghost" after daily use for the past few months -- I discovered "Food for Life" sprouted corn tortillas and I've been making sandwiches using two tortillas -- one on the bottom and one on the top -- and Dr. Prager veggie burgers -- I like Tex-Mex and Bombay flavors -- I add any or all of the following: my own vinaigrette [balsamic vinegar, spicy brown mustard and stevia to taste]; frozen shiitake mushrooms; shredded carrots; vegan cheddar cheese; kale*; a slice of tofurky "lunch meat style" vegan "meat" and I top with the second tortilla and cook in the sandwich machine for 20 minutes -- yum!) -- there's a Target there and that's where the original machine came from -- and on my way over to the Target, I got "waylaid" by the Marshall's (I've been wanting to check it out since I got to size 12 and now that I'm even wearing some size 10s and even the occasional 8 -- OMG, in High School I wore a 14-16! -- so this was the day....)

So I found myself at the "clearance" rack (I've always said if I were even at a singles event and a guy would come over to me and ask me my "sign", I'd answer "clearance -- 70% off"), pulling all sorts of things off to try on. I ended up with 10 items (coincidentally the max they allow in the "fitting room") of various sizes ranging from 8 to 12. Most of the tops were too short (they did fit but were impractical), the two pairs of size 10 jeans fit, but the legs were made for someone about 6 inches taller than Julia Child (who was 6 feet tall), so, despite the fact that I loved them and they were $3 and $5, I decided that hemming jeans wasn't on my schedule (and since they were flare legged, cuffs were out of the question). I ended up with an Anne Klein size 10 black skirt (I'm DESPERATE for skirts, particularly black skirts -- ladies, do you agree that you can never have too many black skirts???) that cost $5 (no tax in our state).

I got out of the "fitting room" and started telling the woman there (a bit on the chubby side) that I needed new clothes because I had lost some weight and now was wearing a size I didn't even fit into in High School (please don't ask how many years ago that was -- suffice to say it was a long time ago). So she asked me how I did it. I told her about regulating my adrenals (and with it, my blood sugar) with nutrient supplements and then I told her that soups are good -- particularly if you make your own without salt (or with only a bit of salt). I told her my "quickie" soup recipe.....

I take 1/8 cup each (two tablespoons or a coffee measure) of three different kinds of lentils (black, green/brown and red), sometimes also split peas, add water and spices (I like spicy brown mustard, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala, etc.) cook for a while, then add two bags mixed vegetables (different styles are nice -- I just did one today with plain carrots, corn and string beans and another called "California mix" with cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, etc.) and sometimes I add a package of either frozen chopped spinach or frozen butternut squash. It makes a great soup and it's a minimum of work (no chopping veggies, no soaking beans)....

Try it yourself with different kinds of mixed veggies or quick cooking legumes and your own spice mix. And got easy on the salt.

* I buy fresh (organic) kale and I rinse each leaf in a mixture of vinegar and cold water, then rinse in running water, then I shred the kale in the food processor, put the shredded kale in snack baggies (zip bags) and put them in the freezer so I can add kale to soup, sauteed veggies, and my sandwiches.

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Check out my other blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
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Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):

Jewish Wedding Customs
Going to a Wedding Single
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Ruth and Naomi
Strong Biblical Women 5: Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Strong Biblical Women 6: Yocheved -- Mother of Moshe (Moses)
Strong Biblical Women 7: Miriam
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Purim, Esther et al
Being an internet small business owner
Why I'm a Red Sox fan
Pythagorean Theorem
My Blogs
Top 10 Presidents
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How Can We Appeal to G-d for Forgiveness?
Math Tips 2
Searching for a Fashion Partner
Math Hints 3
One Actor, Two Shows (TV Quiz)
Presidential Tidbits
Why Should anyone hire Me?
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
My experience on Jeopardy
Project:Runway and how it got me excited about designing again
Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?
My Vocational Experiences
Check out my Stress Release Mix list

Cholent

2010-01-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

B"H

My father goes down to the Kosher store every Thursday to buy (dare I "speak" the words) meat and poultry for Shabbat dinner (which he and my mother begin cooking on Thursday night). (I mostly like to do my cooking on Wednesday, but I usually make my cholent (a bean and barley dish) on Thursday.)

So today, my father ordered chopped turkey but got distracted and forgot to get the turkey. So I volunteered to walk all the way down the block (I needed the steps -- I try to hit 12,000 steps a day) to get it for them.

While I was there, I saw the husband of a friend and we got to talking about my cholent. Someone was standing on line and we started talking about how I make my vegan cholent.

So I started telling her how I make it and she took it down on a piece of paper (was it the back of an envelope??? Shades of the mythology of the Gettysburg Address!). In any case, when I got home, I remembered I forgot to tell her one thing (If you're reading this, I forgot to tell you to add almonds also to the soaking beans)....

Ok, so here is how I do it. I have 5 different beans I really like that are relatively easy to get. I also use barley (not pearled barley -- I get unprocessed barley from the local health food store) and almonds and (black) lentils and wild rice. I take 1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) each of the 5 beans (black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, adzuki beans (which I also get at the health food store) and almonds along with 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) barley. I try as much as possible to get organic. I take all the beans and barley I measure out, put it in my slow cooker and cover it all with cold water and I soak it either overnight or for about 6 hours.

I then drain the beans, add 2 tablespoons each of the lentils and wild rice, cover the beans, etc., with water, add my favorite spices (which are -- 1 teaspoon each turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala, paprika, and sometimes chili powder -- I also add 2 teaspoons brown mustard seed when I have it -- and a generous squirt of spicy brown mustard -- I also add grated fresh ginger -- I take a piece of ginger about an inch or so wide and grate it in) and turn the dial on "hi" until the water boils. Then I turn it down to "keep warm", add veggies (that I saute Wednesday -- onions -- I like red onion -- shiitake mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, carrots (I use shredded carrots) whatever you like) and leave it overnight.

In the morning, I turn the dial to "hi" again and make up the "kugel" -- flour and water (right now, I can't eat wheat, so I use spelt and oat flour or sprouted wheat flour -- which I can eat) -- I personally like my "kugel" really stiff (I use about 1/2 cup flour and 1/4-3/8 cup water) but my Mom likes hers loose, so she makes it more like cake batter -- mine is more like cookie cutter cookie dough. I make the "kugel" into small balls and drop them into the boiling cholent, cover the pot again, and turn the dial back down to "keep warm".

If I start the bean soaking Thursday morning, add the "kugel" Friday morning, it generally tastes perfect by Shabbat lunch.

B'Tai'avon! (that's Hebrew for "bon appetit!")

I'd love to hear about your variations in the comments......

Compugraph Designs web site

Check out my other blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women

Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):

Jewish Wedding Customs
Going to a Wedding Single
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Ruth and Naomi
Strong Biblical Women 5: Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Strong Biblical Women 6: Yocheved -- Mother of Moshe (Moses)
Strong Biblical Women 7: Miriam
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Purim, Esther et al
Being an internet small business owner
Why I'm a Red Sox fan
Pythagorean Theorem
My Blogs
Top 10 Presidents
Bottom 10 Presidents
How Can We Appeal to G-d for Forgiveness?
Math Tips 2
Searching for a Fashion Partner
Math Hints 3
One Actor, Two Shows (TV Quiz)
Presidential Tidbits
Why Should anyone hire Me?
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
My experience on Jeopardy
Project:Runway and how it got me excited about designing again
Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?
My Vocational Experiences
Check out my Stress Release Mix list

Carnie Wilson Unstapled

2010-01-23T23:53:00.000-08:00

B"H

I've been watching the new show on GSN "Carnie Wilson Unstapled". It's sort of like watching a train wreck. But I'm finding it fascinating.

It reminds me that everyone has a set of problems that other people who find easy to solve (and, perhaps, she would find my issues easy to deal with.... or not????)

I've been dealing with weight issues since High School. Before he passed away, one of my HS teachers was in the local nursing home and I went to visit him -- our visit ended when he needed to go to lunch and I walked him to the cafeteria. As he turned to walk in, he turned to me and said, "you were chubby in HS".

So I have been fighting this fight for a long time. But each step of the way, I've had small successes. I first went high fiber, then vegetarian, then low fat, then vegan -- recently, I went on a diet that my alternative medical practitioner put me on and started treating my adrenals with nutrient supplements.

Along to way, I discovered a few things -- firstly, I discovered that I love sweets and if I try to cut them out of my diet, I will have crazy cravings. So I discovered stevia, a natural no-calorie sweetener. I have used it to make cakes, cookies, biscotti, puddings (mostly tapioca), iced herbal teas, even vegan "gello" using herbal tea and agar. I've also made Popsicles, sweet and sour dishes, pancakes (and a strawberry "syrup" to go with them), cereal (hot and cold), even chocolate. I also use whole grain flours (including sprouted grain wheat -- I'm still not allowed regular wheat or rye, but I'm finally allowed spelt and oats! -- so this Pesah -- Passover -- I can have spelt matza.....)....

Secondly, I discovered that it's easier to lose weight if I exercise (I love walking and I keep track with a pedometer -- I aim for 12,000 steps a day, which I often get -- I usually average my steps for Sunday through Thursday (I can't wear the pedometer on Shabbat -- the Sabbath -- so Friday and Saturday, I don't have accurate readings for my steps, so I don't count them in the average, though I do record them). In my little log book I record my morning blood sugar (Sunday through Friday) and my morning weight and fat percentage, water percentage and bone percentage (per my scale -- also Sunday through Friday). This past week, I averaged over 14,000 steps for the five days and mos of the time recently, I've been keeping my blood sugar under 110.

I discovered that if I walk when I'm talking on the phone or when I'm watching Jeopardy (often twice a day on weekdays) and Millionaire, that helps me reach my step goal (also walking around town, or around the block, or going to the gym).

In the past XX years (my weight loss odyssey):

I lost about 30 pounds from my heaviest point in my 20s until my sister's wedding in my early 30s (and anther 10 pounds before my brother's wedding about 6 months later).

I lost another 30 or 40 pounds by the time I was re-diagnosed with diabetes about 8 years ago.

I lost another 30-35 pounds in the past almost 2 years.

I'd like to lost another 10 pounds, but I won't make myself crazy doing that -- just keeping from gaining weight right now will be enough.

This is one of the issues Carnie is dealing with. The other issue is that she spends as much money as she makes (considering she's making the Newlywed Game and has a few other enterprises, this is a considerable accomplishment.

I've spent the majority of my life not getting a regular paycheck. As a matter of fact, despite the fact that I'm a graphic artist, a writer and a tutor, I've been a programmer, a technical writer, a teacher (computers, wood shop and Hebrew school), I worked several summers for the state of NJ employment office, administrative assistant for several concerns (including office manager for a psychology group), and a zillion other jobs... but I've never been able to support myself, and except for 2 years, I never made a salary that anyone would consider reasonable, never even near the median income in this country.

So I look at Carnie's spending -- and I think to myself how much easier things would be for her if she bought things that weren't quite so overpriced. It's sort of like Carrie Bradshaw, Sara Jessica Parker's role on Sex and the City. Carrie was a shoe buff -- there was one episode where she mentions having 100 or so pairs of shoes. That part didn't faze me, since I probably have close to that many. But I spend an average of less than $10 a pair of shoes. Carrie said she averaged $300 a pair. Miranda, her friend, said, "do you realize how much that is?" so Carrie said, "$3,000?" and Miranda said, "No, $30,000!!!". If I do have 100 pairs of shoes, they probably total less than $1,000 and I've been collecting them over the course of several years. That's what Carnie spent on one diaper bag.

So, if Carnie ever does read this -- Carnie -- call me, I could help you with your issues (and maybe you could help with mine??? With your name, maybe more people would buy my designs -- the ones I sell on Cafe Press and Zazzle)

And if you get a chance, you may want to check out my chocolate recipe -- for each square of 99% cocoa baker's chocolate (I melt in a double boiler) I add 1/8 cup each of cacao nibs and mixed chopped nuts and enough stevia to equal 1 cup of sugar (2 teaspoons of the one I use) and 1 teaspoon erythritol (another natural no-calorie sweetener) -- I mix well and drop it by 1/2 tablespoons on parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and put it in the refrigerator until it sets and I keep them in a container in the refrigerator.

Compugraph Designs web site

Check out my other blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women

Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):

Jewish Wedding Customs
Going to a Wedding Single
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Ruth and Naomi
Strong Biblical Women 5: Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Strong Biblical Women 6: Yocheved -- Mother of Moshe (Moses)
Strong Biblical Women 7: Miriam
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Purim, Esther et al
Being an internet small business owner
Why I'm a Red Sox fan
Pythagorean Theorem
My Blogs
Top 10 Presidents
Bottom 10 Presidents
How Can We Appeal to G-d for Forgiveness?
Math Tips 2
Searching for a Fashion Partner
Math Hints 3
One Actor, Two Shows (TV Quiz)
Presidential Tidbits
Why Should anyone hire Me?
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
My experience on Jeopardy
Project:Runway and how it got me excited about designing again
Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?
My Vocational Experiences
Check out my Stress Release Mix list

Chocolate!!!!!

2010-01-14T21:47:00.000-08:00

B"H

A few months ago, I went down to Princeton to Whole Foods -- a store I love. It amazes me sometimes how many new and wonderful foods I find there. The last time I was there, I found a chocolate bar -- a baking chocolate that is parve (many of the baking chocolates are certified dairy even if there are no dairy ingredients -- if they're made on dairy equipment), 99% cocoa and natural. I bought it and checked it out with my alternative medical practitioner (he checks foods to see how my body reacts to them and the food that works with my body I can eat) and he said I could eat it.

I took the chocolate and melted it, added 2 tablespoons each mixed chopped nuts and cacao nibs (chopped cacao beans) and two teaspoons (equivalent to about 1 cup of sugar) of stevia. Then I took the mixture by the 1/2 tablespoon and put them on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. I then put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator and when the chocolate solidifies I take it off the parchment and put it in a plastic container and keep them in the refrigerator. I love them. (I had to find the baker's chocolate on the 'net to buy it again -- it just came today so I could make more....). This time I added a bit of erythritol to help with the sweetness (the chocolate is a bit on the bitter side) and I think it helped.

Compugraph Designs web site

Check out my other blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women

Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):

Jewish Wedding Customs
Going to a Wedding Single
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Ruth and Naomi
Strong Biblical Women 5: Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Strong Biblical Women 6: Yocheved -- Mother of Moshe (Moses)
Strong Biblical Women 7: Miriam
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Purim, Esther et al
Being an internet small business owner
Why I'm a Red Sox fan
Pythagorean Theorem
My Blogs
Top 10 Presidents
Bottom 10 Presidents
How Can We Appeal to G-d for Forgiveness?
Math Tips 2
Searching for a Fashion Partner
Math Hints 3
One Actor, Two Shows (TV Quiz)
Presidential Tidbits
Why Should anyone hire Me?
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
My experience on Jeopardy
Project:Runway and how it got me excited about designing again
Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?
My Vocational Experiences
Check out my Stress Release Mix list

My Version of Israeli Salad

2010-01-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

B"H

I have always loved Israeli salad, but when I'm making it for myself, I generally want more than the simple tomatoes and cucumber Israeli salad. And, recently, I decided to try eliminating nightshades from my diet (some minor aches and pains have me wondering about arthritis, so I am trying it out).

So I'm now making my own version of Israeli Salad -- I chop up a big cucumber and one avocado. To that I add some shredded carrots (I get them pre-shredded -- orange and yellow carrots) and then I "dress" it with 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar [note added 1/7/2010 -- I bought some balsamic vinegar yesterday and it tastes even better than that cider vinegar], a few squeezes of spicy brown mustard (the only kind of mustard I like) and a bit of stevia (for a bit of sweetness).

I then mix the entire thing and allow the flavors to meld. This is a good way to get veggies into your diet.

Check out my other blogs:

Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women
Everything Goes
Israel and its Place in the World
Jewish Sandwich

Check out my squidoo lenses:

Eat a Healthy Breakfast Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Ruth and Naomi
Strong Biblical Women 5: Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Strong Biblical Women 6: Yocheved -- Mother of Moshe (Moses)
Strong Biblical Women 7: Miriam
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Purim, Esther et al
Being an internet small business owner
Why I'm a Red Sox fan
Pythagorean Theorem
My Blogs
Top 10 Presidents
Bottom 10 Presidents
How Can We Appeal to G-d for Forgiveness?
Math Tips 2
Searching for a Fashion Partner
Math Hints 3
One Actor, Two Shows (TV Quiz)
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Why Should anyone hire Me?
My experience on Jeopardy
Project:Runway and how it got me excited about designing again
Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?
My Vocational Experiences
Check out my Stress Release Mix list

Chocolate "Cheese" (Tofu) Cake

2009-12-24T19:49:00.000-08:00

B"H

I have a subscription to Prevention magazine. I generally read it for the health articles (what can I say? I'm addicted to reading health information). But I also check out the recipes. Occasionally I'll find a recipe I can use as is, but more often I find recipes that will work very nicely with my current dietary needs if only I switch off a few ingredients.

I ran across just such a recipe in one of the recent issues. It's called "Triple Chocolate Cheesecake" (link to it here). In it are several ingredients I don't eat:

Chocolate wafer cookies
50-50 butter blend spread
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cream cheese
Neufchatel cheese
Sugar
Eggs

I substituted for a few of them, just decided to leave out others. For the wafer cookies (which are to be crushed) I used 3 ounces each of cacao nibs and Ezekiel cereal. I put the nibs and cereal into the food processor with about a teaspoon of stevia (the stevia I use, a teaspoon is the sweetness of about 1/3-1/2 cup of sugar). Instead of the butter blend, I used 1/2 cup pumpkin puree. This adds beta carotene with a minimum of calories. I added the pumpkin and processed with the crumbs. I lined an 8" X 8" pan with parchment paper and spread the nib/cereal/pumpkin mixture on the bottom of the pan. I baked it in the oven at 245 degrees for about 20 minutes.

For the chips, I substituted 1 square of unsweetened baking chocolate (the one I used is 99% cocoa). I melted the square of chocolate in a double boiler. I put a container of tofu (which I substituted for the cream cheese) in the food processor with 2 teaspoons of stevia and 1 Tablespoon non alcohol organic vanilla. I started processing and when the chocolate was melted, I poured it in while the tofu was processing. I poured the mixture over the crust and baked at 245 for about 40 minutes (until set).

Check out my other blogs:

Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women
Everything Goes
Israel and its Place in the World
Jewish Sandwich

Check out my squidoo lenses:

Eat a Healthy Breakfast Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Ruth and Naomi
Strong Biblical Women 5: Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Strong Biblical Women 6: Yocheved -- Mother of Moshe (Moses)
Strong Biblical Women 7: Miriam
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Purim, Esther et al
Being an internet small business owner
Why I'm a Red Sox fan
Pythagorean Theorem
My Blogs
Top 10 Presidents
Bottom 10 Presidents
How Can We Appeal to G-d for Forgiveness?
Math Tips 2
Searching for a Fashion Partner
Math Hints 3
One Actor, Two Shows (TV Quiz)
Presidential Tidbits
Why Should anyone hire Me?
My experience on Jeopardy
Project:Runway and how it got me excited about designing again
Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?
My Vocational Experiences
Check out my Stress Release Mix list

Compote

2009-12-13T11:09:00.003-08:00

B"H

Over the course of my life, I've been put on diets for my blood sugar and other health issues. Because I'm a vegan I tend to eat high on the carbohydrate side and low on the protein side (and, if you're thinking "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", with fats usually "just right"). So a few times in my life I was put on diets where fruit was a no-no. Beside fruit being very healthy, I also happen to love fruit. So whenever I went from not being able to eat fruit to being able to eat fruit, I jumped in with both feet, so to speak.

Lately, I don't like to pick and choose which fruits I'm going to eat, so I make compote. The compote I make is based on what my Mom used to make when we had a plethora of fruit that was "going" (as in, raw fruit that is not quite spoiled yet, but not quite edible).

I can make a better compote in the summer because there are more fruits available -- plums, peaches, nectarines. But in the winter (like now????) I use a lot of frozen fruits -- I can get berries (mixed, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries), peaches, mangoes, pomegranate seeds, and cherries (among other things) frozen. I also like to add goji berries (which I found help with the normalization of my blood sugar). Apples and pears (I prefer both red) I can usually get all year round. I cut up what need to be cut up, add the frozens and the dried fruit (goji berries, sometimes dried blueberries or cranberries) and put it in with some stevia (I use as a sweetener) and pumpkin pie spices (1 teaspoon), turmeric (1/4 teaspoon) and some coriander (1/4 teaspoon), and sometimes a bit of cardamon (just a pinch).

In any case, I put the fruit (and spices, etc.) into a nice size pot with a good cover and put it on a low flame. Don't add water!!! The fruit makes enough liquid -- just make sure the pot is well covered and the flame is as low as you can put it without the flame blowing out (since you are going to leave it for a while). I check the fruit every 15 minutes or so, mixing it up when necessary (it has a tendency to cook from the bottom up).

When it's all cooked, turn the flame off and let it sit until it cools a bit, then put into containers of your choosing and keep in the refrigerator. I don't know how long it will stay -- I generally eat it within a week. (You'll figure out after some trial and error what works best for you and your family.)

By the way, I make my own pumpkin pie spice -- I use it in my breakfast cereal, so I make a lot -- I just made some this morning with 8 tablespoons cinnamon, 4 tablespoons powdered ginger, 2 tablespoons each nutmeg and allspice, 1 tablespoon cloves, and, since I like curries, I added 1 teaspoon coriander and 1/4 teaspoon cardamon.

Check out my other blogs:

Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women
Everything Goes
Israel and its Place in the World
Jewish Sandwich

Check out my squidoo lenses:

Eat a Healthy Breakfast Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Ruth and Naomi
Strong Biblical Women 5: Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Strong Biblical Women 6: Yocheved -- Mother of Moshe (Moses)
Strong Biblical Women 7: Miriam
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Purim, Esther et al
Being an internet small business owner
Why I'm a Red Sox fan
Pythagorean Theorem
My Blogs
Top 10 Presidents
Bottom 10 Presidents
How Can We Appeal to G-d for Forgiveness?
Math Tips 2
Searching for a Fashion Partner
Math Hints 3
One Actor, Two Shows (TV Quiz)
Presidential Tidbits
Why Should anyone hire Me?
My experience on Jeopardy
Project:Runway and how it got me excited about designing again
Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?
My Vocational Experiences
Check out my Stress Release Mix list

Fake Chicken and Pasta

2009-12-01T14:28:00.000-08:00

B"H

I guess you all probably noticed that I started this blog over a year ago but didn't quite know what to do with it. But tonight I threw some food together and made an interesting meal and I thought this blog would be a great place to share this sort of quickie recipe (it would also be a good place for me to write these sorts of recipes up so I wouldn't forget them either!)

When I was in Israel recently, I found some fake chicken which I really liked. I took some home with me and have been using it little by little. If you live in Israel, it's called "k'mo ohf" (as in "like chicken) -- it's dehydrated, soy and, IMHO, delicious. I think I bought it at the Anise in the Azrieli Mall in Modiin. (I didn't find it at the Anise I ran across in Jerusalem). I think there might be a product like this in the US (and probably in other countries). This is a link to their site -- even if you don't read Hebrew, there are pictures so you can get an idea of what it looks like.

So, I took 25 grams (this came out to about a heaping 1/4 cup) of the fake chicken, boiled it up to get soft (about 10-15 minutes). While I was waiting for this, I sliced up a red onion, sprayed a frying pan (using a pump sprayer) with olive/canola oil (it had both in it) and started sauteing the onion on a small flame. When the "meat" was ready (soft and drained), I added it plus a couple of handfuls of frozen shiitake mushrooms, frozen chopped spinach, and frozen mango. I added 1/4 teaspoon of each of these spices: turmeric (which I put in almost everything), cumin, coriander, ginger (I usually use ginger root, but I thought the powder would work for this), sweet paprika, garam masala, chili powder and stevia (or to taste -- you can use whatever sweetener you use -- honey, agave nectar, sucralose, etc. for a sweet taste). I also added a pinch each of cardamon and fenugreek and a couple of "squirts" of Spicy Brown Mustard (this is my favorite kind of mustard).

While this was cooking, I had boiled up some water and added 25 grams of black bean pasta (I guess you can use the pasta of your choice). When the pasta was done, I drained it and added it to the pan. I mixed it all up and, voila!

I'm sure you can substitute your own favorite spices, I just happen to like curry spices. If you make this, I'd love to hear about your experience -- did you like it? Were there any problems making it or finding the fake chicken? By the way, as I made it, this dish had about 24 grams of protein.

Compugraph Designs web site

Check out my other blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women

Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):

Star Trek Quiz
Hanukka Gifts Under $25
Jewish Wedding Customs
Going to a Wedding Single

Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Strong Biblical Women 4: Ruth and Naomi
Strong Biblical Women 5: Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Strong Biblical Women 6: Yocheved -- Mother of Moshe (Moses)
Strong Biblical Women 7: Miriam
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Purim, Esther et al
Being an internet small business owner
Why I'm a Red Sox fan
Pythagorean Theorem
My Blogs
Top 10 Presidents
Bottom 10 Presidents
How Can We Appeal to G-d for Forgiveness?
Math Tips 2
Searching for a Fashion Partner
Math Hints 3
One Actor, Two Shows (TV Quiz)
Presidential Tidbits
Why Should anyone hire Me?
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
My experience on Jeopardy
Project:Runway and how it got me excited about designing again
Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?
My Vocational Experiences
Check out my Stress Release Mix list

The Name Game

2008-05-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

B"H

When I was first in Israel about 23 years ago, I was living in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) with my aunt and I would look in the English language newspapers and see the word vegan (at the time I was ovo-lacto vegetarian). I used to get all excite until I realized these were apartment listings for Bayit Vegan (a section of Yerushalayim that literally means House and Garden).

I have been thinking about adding a blog about cooking and veganism, but I needed to come up with a name for it. I remembered that and was going to call it Bayit Vegan but I was worried people would think it was about stuff to do with the place Bayit Vegan. So I decided on Bayit and Garden even though "and Garden" isn't the same as vegan (as in one who eats no animal products).

So, I'll quickly tell you about my food odyssey -- I'll try to go into more detail as the blog progresses...

I grew up in a family that keeps Kosher, so my diet was already limited in the minds of some (when my best friend started keeping kosher, she told her class about it and they marveled at her self-control and wondered what she ate -- so she said to them , "if you think what I'm doing is bad, let me tell you about my friend [meaning me]!". When I was in my late teens, I read about high fiber and started eating higher fiber foods. A couple years later, I went veg, starting as an ovo-lacto vegetarian (meaning I ate eggs and dairy but not meat, poultry or fish).

A few years ago, my diabetes symptoms (which started when before I became vegetarian -- they went into "hiding" so to speak for about 25 years) reared their ugly head again and I had to cut out fruits, sugar, white flour and all processed carbohydrates. I also cut out all trans fats. This further limited my choices.

Recently, in an effort to lower my fasting blood sugar, I cut all grains (including rice and corn) from my diet. Basically, what I've been left with is beans, vegetables and tree nuts (I cut out peanuts also).

So, I have had to be very creative in my cooking.....

Lately, I've gotten into creating soups. They are never the same. You see, I don't generally use recipes. I may try a recipe (because of my limitations I rarely, if ever, follow it totally) but mostly I create.

To create a good soup, you need bean/nuts/lentils, spices and condiments and lots of vegetables (root vegetables are good, but also garlic, onions, summer squash, eggplant, peppers -- bell or hot, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, etc.). What I do is take some dried garbanzo beans (and/or sometimes black beans), almonds, lentils (I like black lentils), and sometimes wild rice (I can eat wild rice but not brown rice). I put them all in a pot with water and boil the water -- then turn it off, cover the pot and let it soak for an hour. I then saute some veggies in olive oil (onions, garlic, grated ginger, mushrooms (I like shiitake) scallions, peppers, diced zucchini, etc.) and add them (and spices -- my favorites are curry, paprika, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, and I also like to add spicy brown mustard) to the beans etc. (after draining out the soaking water and adding new water). The trick is to put in ingredients that you like so that no matter what happens, you will like the soup.

There are times when I want a heavy filling soup and on those occasions I add more of the beans and wild rice and almonds. When I want a lighter soup, I add more vegetables and less of the beans, etc.

I also used to make puree soups -- these are good hot or cold. These work well when you have a lot of brightly colored vegetables, like sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, kale, broccoli, watercress, etc. What you do is make the soup from vegetables only (or with a small quantity of nuts) and spices, then when it's cooked through, puree the soup in batches until you have the consistency you want (whether that's all puree or part puree and part chopped veggies).

I also like to make something I call "green stuff". I use it as a spread on bread or rolls (made with sprouted grain). I saute up kale and spinach, shiitake mushrooms (I use frozen mushrooms and spinach) and any other green (like basil, cilantro, watercress, etc -- choose your own favorite) and other veggies (like peppers or a bit of squash -- choose your favorites here too). When everything is cooked through (greens should be wilted and other veggies cooked), I puree the whole business with a handful of walnuts, some curry powder, a squirt or two of brown mustard and 2 tablespoons flax seed oil (to add some omega-3s since you can't saute in flax oil I saute in olive or canola oil). I put this in a container in the refrigerator. It stays well and tastes great (in my not-so-humble opinion). Oh, BTW, if you're a saltoholic like my Mom (I hate salt) add salt.

Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):

Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Jewish Perspective of G-d

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