Black Bean Soup with Quinoa and Kale

Dr Greger's How Not to Die cookbook is a real winner. I have made three recipes so far and all three are delicious. It's definitely a cookbook for all shelves. Go get it now!

Ingredients:
4 cups Vegetable broth
1 red onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves (I used more), chopped, of course
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup red quinoa, rinsed and drained
 2- 15.5 ounce cans of (BPA free) black beans Or three cups your own cooked black beans
1 14. 5 ounce can chopped tomatoes (BPA free as well)
2 teaspoons savory spice blend. Ill share his mix at the bottom but feel free to make your own.
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  -ground pepper to taste
 3 cups chopped red kale

In a large pot heat the 1 cup of broth over medium heat. Add onion, celery, garlic, carrot and sweet potato. cook stirring occasionally till all the veggies are soft- about 5 minutes.
Add the bay leaf, quinoa, beans, tomatoes, spice mix, spices, black pepper and the other 3 cups of broth. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer. Stir in the kale. Cover and cook until the quinoa and veggies are tender. - about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf (I always forget to do this and it becomes the the baby in the King's cake at Mardi Gras) Serve piping hot and delicious!

Tumeric Latte Mix #2

There was something just a bit too harsh about the original turmeric latte mix I posted so I took to experimenting again. This recipe was arrived at by the olfactory  method. It just smelled right. I think it has a more mellow flavour. Let me know what you think.

For the Mix:
1tsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
pinch of finely ground black pepper
few grains of salt
Stir ingredients together well. Store in a container that seals well.

For the Latte
Stir 1 tsp of Latte Mix into 8oz of milk of choice. Heat, stir again & enjoy!

eggplant chana masala

There is nothing like a nice, richly, spiced bowl of Indian food on a cold day. This recipe came almost directly from the vegan cookbook called Crave, Eat, Heal.

1 large eggplant
1 tsp sea salt
1 TB coconut oil, optional,
2 small onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. tumeric
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garam masala
2 cups diced tomatoes ( I used a 28 oz can)
1 cup water
1 large can chickpeas, drained

Wash the eggplant. Cut off top and bottom then chop the eggplant into  1 inch pieces. Place in bowl and sprinkle with salt.
In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, saute the onion in oil or vegetable broth (I used vegetable broth) till they are translucent. Add garlic, ginger, and eggplant. Cook, stirring often for ten minutes.
Add cumin, turmeric, paprika, and garam masala. Mix well to thoroughly coat the eggplant. Stir in the tomatoes water, and chickpeas. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. (the recipe says to put in lemon juice and cilantro, but since I do not like cilantro I omitted that.)

French Toast for Two

Delicious! This plant based version of French toast is so much better than thick slices of white bread soaked in eggs & dairy.

Ingredients
5/8 cup of almond milk
1 Tbs ground flaxseed blended in 1/8 cup of water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cinnamon
4 slices of 100% whole grain bread

Method
In a flat bottomed shallow bowl whisk all the ingredients together with a fork. Heat a non stick pan / electric griddle to medium / 350. Coat both sides of the bread slices with mixture & cook until lightly browned on each side. Top with your favourite toppings. I had maple syrup & blueberries this morning. Yum!

baba ghanoush

photo soon

Baba ghanoush that delicious middle eastern "dip" is very versatile. When we decided to get some at the supermarket we noticed that the makers had included yogurt. That meant it was time to get out the food processor and make my own. After some research I also learned that it is typically fattier than I thought with the addition of olive oil and lots of tahini. I found an excellent recipe in The Plant Pure Nation by Kim Campbell (of the Campbell dynasty.) It's the only one that added yummy, nutrient-rich chickpeas!

2 medium eggplants
1 15 ounce can chickpeas - drained
5 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, I used 1 whole juicy lemon
3 Tablespoons of tahini
pinch of salt
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to about 400. Wash and then prick your whole eggplants with a fork (5-10 times). Place on a baking tray and cook till soft inside. Let cool.
Scoop out the center into the food processor. Discard skin.

Combine all the ingredients till it forms a smooth paste.
Top with fresh parsley if you desire.

butternut squash soup

Butternut Squash Soup 

Sorry, we ate it and I forgot to photograph...will do later.  It was enjoyed by many at Thanksgiving!

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• water
• 1 large yellow or sweet white onion, chopped
• 1 medium apple, any variety, peeled and diced
• 2 cups prepared vegetable broth, or 2 cups water with 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 2 teaspoons good-quality curry powder
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, or more, to taste
• Pinch of ground nutmeg or allspice
• 1 14-ounce can light coconut milk (I added more)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Garnish

• 2 medium red onions, quartered and thinly sliced
• a couple of squirts of tamari

• Directions:

1.    To bake the squash, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut in half and place halves, cut side up, in a foil-lined, shallow baking dish and cover tightly with more foil. Bake for 30 to 50 minutes, until you can easily pierce the flesh with a knife. Scoop out and set aside.

2.    Heat some water (1 TB approximately) in a soup pot. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.

3.    Add the apple, squash, broth and spices. Bring to a steady simmer, then cover and simmer gently until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes.

4.    Transfer the solids to a food processor with a slotted spoon, in batches if need be, and process until smoothly pureed, then transfer back to the soup pot. Or better yet, simply insert an immersion blender into the pot and process until smoothly pureed.

5.    Stir in the coconut milk and return the soup to a gentle simmer. Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until well heated through. Season with salt and pepper. If time allows, let the soup stand off the heat for an hour or two, then heat through as needed before serving. I like to make it the night before..then the flavors meld together in the fridge.

6.    Before serving, heat oven to 400. Place the red onions on a cookie sheets and sprinkle with tamari. Cook till soft and slightly caramelized.

7.    To serve, ladle soup into each bowl, then place a small mound of onions  in the center.

This recipe is from the NY Times...I adjusted it slightly. 

How not to die cookbook

It's finally here! I just opened it up to view all the yummy recipes and glossy photos. Dr. Greger has outdone himself. Expect lots of recipes and reviews to come. This book is one for your shelf. 

Tumeric Latte Mix

This recipe came about because of the generous acts of two friends. One friend bought a big bag of turmeric last spring, which she shared with me. The other friend gave me an envelope of Latte 1 from The Golden Number. Instead of ordering more when it was gone, I experimented with making my own recipe.
I love making lattes in the evening using almond milk but you can try my recipe with whatever kind of milk you enjoy. I used teaspoons as my unit of measurement because I had only a small amount of ground ginger when I went to experiment. Use the unit that works for you! 

1&1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp sugar

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp salt

6 grinds of black pepper

Stir all ingredients together well.
To make a latte, stir together 1 tsp of the mix plus 8oz of your preferred milk. Heat & enjoy!
I like to use almond milk plus either a drop of vanilla stevia or a little bit of honey. It's good without sweetener too.

Adding 1/4 tsp of cocoa powder to a tsp of the mix is also nice.

Vegan Banana Muffins

Super moist, flavorful vegan banana chocolate chip muffin!

Adapted from the Minimalist Baker blog. She made a tasty crumb topped muffin.

Muffins:

• 5 Tb water and 2 Tb  flaxmeal to make flax eggs
• 4 medium ripe bananas (don’t worry about measurements – it’s forgiving)
• heaping 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) or coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1.5 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (or unbleached all-purpose)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4-1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

1.    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and lightly grease a standard size muffin tin (will make 10-11 muffins)

2.    Prepare flax egg in a large mixing bowl. Let set for 5 minutes.

3.    Add banana and mash, leaving just a bit of texture.

4.    Add brown sugar, baking soda, salt and whisk for one minute.

5.    Stir in vanilla, melted butter and mix.

6.    Add flour and oats and stir with a spoon or spatula until just combined. Lastly, fold in chocolate chips .

7.    Divide batter evenly among 10-11 muffin tins, filling a generous 3/4 full

8.    Bake for 17-22 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes, remove from muffin tin and serve warm.  I freeze them and take out one by one (heat or microwave)

  These are a go to breakfast. I made loads of them at the residency and everyone liked them...and they weren't vegan!

Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins

Yesterday was Thanksgiving & I loaded my plate with lots of veggies! I had oven roasted sweet potato & beets, steamed cauliflower & broccoli, mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy (from My Beef With Meat), & of course cranberry sauce. "Where was your protein?", all the meat eaters are asking. My answer - I made raw pumpkin-maple pie with baked oat crust from THE oh she glows COOKBOOK. It's packed with nut protein & pretty darned yummy too!

Then there was leftover pumpkin puree. What's a hen to do? A little research & merge a traditional pumpkin bread recipe with a vegan pumpkin muffin recipe & here it is!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar (your choice)

1/4 cup molasses

1/3 cup canola oil

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 flax eggs (2 Tbs ground flax mixed with 6 Tbs water)

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder

I tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

Prepare a 12 muffin pan & set aside. Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, make the flax eggs &  let rest a few minutes. Stir in the rest of the wet ingredients. Add the spices, raisins & nuts. Stir well. Add flours, baking power & baking soda. Stir gently just until all ingredients are combined. Fill muffin pan & bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

chocolate black bean protein bars

•  Awesome Chocolate Black Bean Protein bars
•  
• 1 large can black beans (drained and rinsed very well)
• 1/2 cup dutch or regular cocoa powder
• 2 packs of chocolate protein powder (I used Vega chocolate performance protein -30gr protein) or 1 cup of chocolate protein powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 
  
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 tbsp pure almond extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 TB soy milk  more recently I tried 1/3 cup
• 1/2 cup (or more) vegan or bittersweet chocolate chips (Not optional; omit at your own risk.)

Instructions

Homemade Chocolate Protein Bars: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in a high-quality food processor. Blend until absolutely and completely smooth. (A blender works if you absolutely must, but the texture and taste will be much better in a food processor.)  Pour into a greased 9x12 rectangular pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and press down with your hand. Cook the homemade chocolate protein bars 20 minutes. They will still look underdone when you take them from the oven, but this is okay. Let cool. 
When I used the Vega all in one chocolate smoothie powder it was easy to cut them right away. With the Vega sport performance powder they were fudgy-er and needed to be refrigerated overnight before cutting. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. 

*Try the protein powder of your choice.

This is an adaptation of Chocolate Covered Katie's wonderful recipe. Check out her tasty blog.

Szechuan Beans & Tofu

Szechuan Beans and Tofu

Ingredients

Sauce
3 tbs tamari
2 tbs honey
2 tbs cider vinegar
4 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Tofu
1 lb firm tofu, pressed & cut into whatever shape you fancy
1 tbs tamari
1 tsp sugar / maple syrup
1 tbs olive oil

Beans
1 tbs olive oil
1 lb fresh green / yellow string beans, in bite size pieces
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup water
chopped chives or green onions

Method
Since I was planning to serve this over brown rice, I started cooking the rice first. Then I made the sauce & put it aside while I prepared the beans & garlic. Next came the tofu prep. Heat a large non stick skillet, add oil then tofu. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side until golden & crispy. Then add the tamari & sugar / syrup & stir until tofu is coated. Remove from heat & set aside. In another large skillet heat olive oil & add the garlic & beans. Stir & cook for 1 minute. Then add the crushed red pepper & water, cover & cook until beans are tender crisp. Remove cover & add the sauce, stirring until it comes to a boil. Add the tofu & chives, stirring to coat. Remove from heat & serve over rice or noodles of choice.

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango

A yummy meal with food I had on hand. This weekend I had brewed up a big pot of lazy man's black beans and I decided to use some to make this recipe I found in Veganomicon. I recipe called for cilantro...a spice i promptly removed and simply used the spices in my garden.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 super large mango diced small
1 red pepper diced really small
1 cup chopped scallions
1 cup fresh mix of mostly basil with mint and parsley
2 TB Japanese vinegar (she called for red wine vinegar )
2 Tb oil
dash of herbamare
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups of cooked black beans (or on 15 oz can)
lettuce leaves

Combine  mango, pepper, scallions, spices with vinegar and oil. Add quinoa and beans. It's best room temperature...let it sit awhile to absorb flavors.

If you don't have quinoa ready just combine 2 cups water and 1 cup rinsed quinoa. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. I like to cook it with the lid on. Cooks in about 15 minutes. Wait till water is absorbed.

Carrot pineapple muffins/ cupcakes

It's my husband's birthday and he requested a low sugar cake. Ha! Now that's a challenge, especially since his favorite cake is carrot cake. I browsed around the internet for ideas then scoured my cookbooks. Finally I got an inspiration from Veganmicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. This is an adaption that was a hit. Since I used them as "cake" we ladled some coconut cream on top as "frosting."
Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy yogurt
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 TB ground flaxmeal
1/4 olive oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup crushed pineapple (all the juice is squeezed out)
1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate
1 large carrot -grated
1 heaping teaspoon orange zest (no white)
1/2 cup golden seedless raisins

 sift in:
1 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 and grease 12 cup muffin tin.
In large bowl whisk together yogurt, milk, flaxmeal. Whisk in oil and brown sugar.
Sqeeze the pineapple dry add to mix. Add carrot , apple juice concentrate, zest and raisins. Sift in all the dry ingredients.
Stir only to moisten. Scoop into muffin tins. Scoop high...these muffins don't really rise. Bake 23-27 minutes depending on the size of your tins. (mine were large rectangles so I did 27.
Cool to cool 5 minutes then transfer to a rack.
YUM!

SUPER Ginger Cookies

These cookies should be wearing  capes, they are sooooo super. When I was in Bow-Edison, Washington I tasted an amazing ginger cookie. It wasn't vegan! But I needed to figure out how to create a vegan version. My friend Lisa and I did the “research”(which amounted to repeated tastings.) I took notes in my phone and finally I had the time to figure it out. 
This is my favorite cookie recipe..... actually dangerous to make and have in the house.
Yummers!

Ingredients
½ cup coconut oil
1 cup organic granulated sugar, I used Sucanat
4 TB molasses
1 flax egg- which is 1 TB flax and 2 ½ TB water
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves

add 3TB water (about) to make a nice stiff dough
Add
3 TB sugared ginger
 1/3 cup chocolate chips- mini I like Enjoy Life
sugar to roll in

Directions
Preheat oven to 350º and prepare baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Cream coconut oil and sugar together in a large bowl using a mixer. You want to whip it. Add molasses and flax egg, and beat thoroughly. Sift flour, cocoa powder, soda, salt, and spices into the creamed mixture.  Add water to make stiff dough.
Add chips and sugared ginger to your taste.
Roll dough into ball about 1 “. Press into sugar. 

Bake for 13-14 minutes. Take the parchment paper with cookies and place on table. Let cool for several minutes –if you can! Good luck eating just one!