Noodles Cauliflower

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

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!

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

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

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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.)

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

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......

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