My Daily Bread...sometimes rice

When it comes to mealtime, the spectrum goes from mundane grub to gourmet. Most families rotate the same handful of dishes week after week, while others travel the culinary world in search of new cuisine. 

 

Some people simply eat to live while others truly live to eat. Do you know someone that would skip eating if they could, that see lunch as an interruption to their busy day? Do you know someone that moments after finishing lunch, have their mind on what's for dinner?

Above, miso sprouted mung bean red pepper sushi, using zucchini in place of nori. Nori can be used for rolling, but it doesn't hold up unless served right away.
 
I wouldn't say I live to eat, but I do find a good meal uplifting, setting the tone for what I do next. A very short menu of recipes items is what I typically draw from each day. More often than not, what can be made in fifteen minutes and needing no more than 5 ingredients wins.

When I don't have fifteen minutes, I'll usually have some leftovers in the fridge to fall back on. Definitely making large batches that last a few meals is a big time saver.

To the left, raw wild blueberry cheesecake with pecan crust. Cashews and bananas make the perfect base.

SUPERFOOD PACKED LIFE SAVER

Every morning I start out with a protein shake with one or two scoops of Brendan Brazier's Vega. As the best snack ever, dip a ripe banana in raw almond butter and then in the choc Vega. Try it sooner vs later.

(from anywhere across North America you can get it from Ryan and Courtney, the cool people at Vegan Essentials, or from Giacomo, raw food vegan bodybuilder, at Vegan Proteins)

Taking pictures of food has become a good habit for me. It's nice to be able to share a fun little visual journal of some of the food I've made for others and myself over the past year or so. Again, keep in mind that I don't eat like this all the time.

VEGAN THANKSGIVING

THANKSGIVING DESSERT - MAPLE PEAR PIE

Maple tempeh (marinated in maple syrup, garlic, agave, balsamic vinegar & olive oil), roasted green beans, carrots, mashed potatoes and peppered mushroom gravy.  
Savory seitan roast (wheat gluten with vegetable stock, garlic & sesame seed oil), wild rice cherry stuffing, Brussels sprouts, carrots and broccoli.

Above, rustic pizza (sauteing the mushrooms with garlic before topping the pizza adds all the more flavor) and two-bite seitan wellington (pastry can be filled with homemade seitan, Tofurky or walnut & mushroom filling).

FAJITAS ARE FUN

Instead of bell peppers I cooked marinated chayote squash. Chayote has great texture and holds flavors well. The protein was strips of seitan, wheat protein, brushed with garlic oil and baked til lightly crispy. Homemade salsa and mexi rice rounded out the toppings. Napa cabbage and lettuce leaves are fresher alternatives to tortillas.

90 of these raw coconut butter pecan cheesecake cups were made for a party recently. Coconut, pecans, cashews and banana form the base.

Below, broccoli napa ramen. Vegetable stock heavy on the ginger and scallion, with some sesame seed oil.

NOODLES & NACHOS

Purpose and Spice

I was really moved after watching the video of five star chef Narayanan Krishnan. It is so beautiful to see someone with a clear and driving purpose in life.

The following is an excerpt from the article Once a rising star, chef now feeds hungry.
 

In 2010 Narayanan was a Top 10 CNN Hero.

 "Krishnan founded his nonprofit Akshaya Trust in 2003. Now 29, he has served more than 1.2 million meals -- breakfast, lunch and dinner -- to India's homeless and destitute, mostly elderly people abandoned by their families and often abused.

Krishnan's day begins at 4 a.m. He and his team cover nearly 125 miles in a donated van, routinely working in temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

He seeks out the homeless under bridges and in the nooks and crannies between the city's temples. The hot meals he delivers are simple, tasty vegetarian fare he personally prepares, packs and often hand-feeds to nearly 400 clients each day.

Krishnan carries a comb, scissors and razor and is trained in eight haircut styles that, along with a fresh shave, provide extra dignity to those he serves."

Building the Akshaya project

You can also view on Youtube Narayanan Krishnan and on the CNN site Narayanan Krishnan CNN Heroes Tribute.

Tasty Palettes' Ven Pongal

Naturally I was curious about the Ven Pongal and Sambar dishes Krishnan mentioned in the videos so I looked them up.

The blog Tasty Palettes has the recipes for the Ven Pongal and a few variations of the Sambar. It's quite an impressive blog. The dominantly Indian recipes are rooted in tradition but many include contemporary touches or options.

What is notable, is the large number of vegan or vegan friendly dishes available.

Apricot Cantaloupe Sorbet...Mousse...Smoothie...you decide

We had a few cantaloupes left after COK's Bring a Friend BBQ held earlier in September, so we gave them to our gracious host Heather Shenkman. Follow her cardiologist, vegan activist and Ironman Triathlete adventures at her own blog Vegan Heart Doc.

Here's the recipe that I gave to her for a cantaloupe sorbet. The cashews give the dessert its creaminess and the apricots are the perfect whole food sweetener.

Apricot Cantaloupe Mousse with Wild Blueberries

1 cup dried apricots (1/3 lb)

1 medium sized cantaloupe (5" in diameter)(1 lb), peeled and seeded

4 oz of raw cashews (1/4 lb)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt (optional) 

2 tsp stevia powder or 1/4 tsp stevia liquid (optional)

Combine all in high speed blender or food processor til uniform texture and smooth.
Makes 9-10 3oz servings.

Mousse
Chill in the refrigerator. I added some sliced bananas and wild blueberries for a quick parfait.
Sorbet
Freeze in an airtight container. Because of the low fat content, it freezes like a hard ice cream, so I suggest you defrost slightly before scooping.
Smoothie
Stir or blend 1/2 cup into 1/2 cup of rice milk, hemp milk, coconut water or coconut milk.

click to zoom in

For each 80 gram serving you have get 3 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber and only 5 grams of fat. Adding stevia for extra optional sweetness doesn't add to to the carbs or fat at all.

What's really impressive is you get almost half of your daily recommended intake of Vit A and a third of you Vit C just from one serving.

If you prefer honeydew melons over cantaloupes, just switch them out in the recipe. Blueberries go even better paired with honeydew. If you have raisins, dates or figs in your pantry, go ahead and switch out the apricots for any of those dried fruits.

What! You Put Pineapple in my Burger.

Compassion Over Killing is one of many great local organizations in Los Angeles. As a combination pre-labor day party and vegan outreach event, COK held a BBQ fundraiser social. I was more than happy to help out.

Match premium meat alternatives, one of many contributors, had pounds of their ground chicken and beef drop shipped to me so that I could get them seasoned and BBQ ready. The COK Blog has a full list of contributors to the event.

Steak Fajita Burger:
1 lb Match veg beef
1 green pepper, cored & minced
2 tbsp dried onion powder
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried garlic powder
2 tbsp cumin
1/4 cup button mushroom, chopped & sauteed/browned (optional)
1/2 tsp sea salt (optional)

1st time at the grill, believe it or not

BBQ Cajun Burger:
1 lb Match veg beef
1/2 green pepper, cored & pureed
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dried onion powder
2 tsp dried garlic
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp dried parsley (optional)

Held up great on the grill, chicken stuck to grill less.

Basil Chicken Burger:
1 lb Match veg chicken
3 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried garlic powder
2 tsp dried onion powder
1/2 tsp sea salt (optional)

Hawaiian Chicken Burger:
1 lb Match veg chicken
2/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained
2 tsp dried garlic powder
2 tsp dried onion powder
1/2 tsp sea salt (optional)

Lightly brush each side of patty with oil before grilling or lightly oil skillet if cooking on stove top. Brown well before turning. Each recipes makes 8 2oz patties or 16 1oz sliders.

Condimentwise, the Basil Chicken Burgers went well with Vegenaise, classic ketchup suits the Hawaiian Burgers and Daiya cheese melts great on the Steak Fajita and BBQ Cajun Burgers

Sometimes You Just Want a Cookie

Simple and sweet tooth satisfying, these cookies are packed with fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, some vital magnesium, a respectable amount of protein, some bone building calcium and oxygenating iron.

Wet ingredients:
4 tbsp ground flax or chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup safflower or canola oil (to avoid the GMO/scientifically manipulated seeds, buy organic)

Dry ingredients:
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (fair trade please**)
3 cups of  rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Gluten Free option:
look for packaged oats labeled as made in gluten free facility
use gluten free flour in place of all-purpose wheat flour, here's one available in many stores - Gluten Free Flour

Protein Packed option:
add 1/2 cup of sprouted brown rice protein powder for a boost of 2 grams of protein per cookie, without adding any fat or additional carbs

Heat oven to 350 F.
Mix wet ingredients til uniform.
Stir all dry ingredients together in separate bowl.
Stir wet and dry ingredients together, mix well.
Drop rounded tbsp onto baking sheet (no need to oil if using silicone sheet).
Bake 10-12 minutes (til lightly browned).
Remove from oven, allow to cool.
Transfer to wire rack unless using silicone sheet.
Makes approx 4 dozen small cookies.


**3 top reasons for fair trade chocolate 
 • forced and abusive child labor practices are prohibited 
 • farming families earn a price to meet their needs 
 • environmentally sustainable production methods are required 

If you prefer to read further - Fair Trade chocolate and Why Should I Buy It?

Break it down for me...what's in those tarts anyway

Here's the nutritional info for a single serving of mousse. Each box has the info based on which sweetener was used. (click on box to zoom in)

The dates really plump up the calories per serving, but it also bumps up the fiber and protein. If you are watching your carb intake or your glycemic index, you should stick with the agave or the stevia option. The overall winner is agave, in terms of taste, ease of use and total calories.


Here's the info for the tart shells with the different sweeteners.

They are up there in calories, but look at the high amount of protein, iron and fiber. You also get 30% of your RDI (recommended daily intake) of magnesium, about half your RDI of manganese and over 330mg of Omega 3 fatty acid.  Imagine if you ate 2.

Lastly, here's the info for the mousse with tart shell and for a non tart option, the mousse with just strawberries. The strawberry option for those times you're too tied up to make tarts or for those times you just want some fresh strawberries.

The fresh fruit choice definitely keeps the calories and the amount of fat down. Check out the vitamin C boost! Try slicing the strawberries and spooning out the mousse as a topping, or even simpler, just dip and devour.

p.s. The mousse and the tarts hold up well in the freezer if you want to have some later or in advance. They even take on a fudgey texture once slightly thawed.