Red Day (Peppers and Beans)

Sometimes it just seems like every meal of every day could contain wheat products.... That can't be good. Not just because it is wheat, but because too much of anything can't be good. I had toast with peanut butter and banana for breakfast, leftover pasta with roasted red pepper and spinach sauce for lunch, and I when I got home from work, I was determined that our supper was not going to contain wheat products too.

I started by throwing some cubed potatoes with olive oil and sea salt in the roaster, but I had no idea what to have with the potatoes. My imagination was not working well, so I went to an old favourite recipe booklet. While flipping through to one of my old stand-by recipes, I found one for "Red Bean Salsa with Baked Potatoes."  Hmmm.... a salsa to go with potatoes.... baked/roasted.... whatever.... sounded good to me. 

As usual, I altered the recipe based on my likes and what I had in the cupboard, but it was really delicious and simple.

Red Bean Salsa

Into a bowl put:

1 19 oz can red beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

1 cup ripe tomatoes, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

fresh chopped cilantro to taste (I like lots)

Stir all ingredients together, cover and refridgerate for an hour or so.

It was yummy on roasted potatoes, but would be great with tortilla chips too!

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce 

Put into a roaster, or large cake pan:

4 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered

1 large onion, quartered

6 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil

Roast at 350 for about an hour or until pepper skins are loose.  Let cool until touchable. 

Remove skins from the peppers. Put peeled peppers and the rest of the roasted veggies in a blender. Blend until smooth, then transfer to a sauce pan. Add several handfuls of spinach and heat through. Toss with your favourite pasta. 

Peanut Stew by Natalie

I just returned from an inspiring work weekend with some wonderful women! It is so nice to get together with like-minded people and be motivated to continue valuable work.
Natalie arrived with food for all 4 of us on Friday night. She made this wonderful Peanut Stew. So delicious. It reminded me of butter chicken, from the days when I used to eat butter chicken.... :) Even though I just ate it 2 nights ago, I'm going to re-create it for the family tonight. It would be delicious served with naan bread. 


Here are the instructions in Natalie's words.  Message from Natalie:  It is a pleasure to share the recipe!!!

PEANUT STEW

1 large onion (sliced)

three large slices of ginger

1 zucchini (chopped)

1 very large yam (peeled and chopped)

1 tbsp coriander (crushed in a pestle)

1 tsp cumin (crushed in the pestle)

1 tbsp curry powder (rounded or flat, up to you)

1 quart canned tomatoes

1 tsp salt approximately

Put all of these ingredients into a cooking pot, add a little more water to almost cover the veggies. Cook till yams are tender. Shut off the heat.
Add 1/2 to 1 cup of peanut butter. Stir until it dissolves and thickens the stew. Peanuts (often called ground nuts) were ground up to use as a thickener in many dishes in African countries.

Add spinach and stir until it looks wilted.

Serve over millet, quinoa, or brown rice.

I like to fry my onions and spices in a little bit of olive oil as my first step and then I add the rest of the stuff to cook but obviously, this time I did not do the frying.

Italian Night?

So lucky to have spent the last week in sunny Phoenix with Ethan and my Dad and Pat. We all enjoyed the warmth, the golf, and a bit of spring training baseball! While we were there, Pat cooked up one her favourite dishes, and as it happens, now one of mine!
Tonight I am recreating it with less-fresh ingredients than Pat used, and I'm adding my favourite caesar salad recipe. Mmmmm! Enjoy!

Caesar Salad (yes, it's vegan)
1 small head romaine lettuce, chopped and cleaned
two hands full of cheese-free croutons (I use the plain coarse breadcrumbs that look like croutons)
Mix together the following ingredients for the dressing:
1 clove of chopped garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp sea salt
Toss with the romaine and croutons.


Garlic Tomato Pasta Sauce
Lightly saute:
6 cloves of garlic 
2 Tbsp olive oil
add:
2 large ripe tomatoes or 1 16oz canned Italian style tomatoes

¼ c. water if using fresh tomatoes

1 tsp. dry basil or use equivalent fresh (1/4 cup)

¾ tsp. salt,

¼ tsp. each black pepper, crushed red pepper or cayenne

continue cooking sauce until your pasta is done. Allow it to reduce to the consistency you like.

Tonight I am adding Ethan's favourite - a sliced baguette with olive oil/balsamic vinegar for dipping.

This is one meal that everyone will love!

2 Soups

It's January in Canada, and the weather is definitely living up to our expectations. Snow last week, snow on the weekend, snow in the forecast. Luckily, we don't have to do much travelling in this one-horse town, so the snow is welcome...as long as the snow blower is working, and Fred is at home to operate it!
These are both vegan and gluten free.

Curried Vegetable Rice Soup
of course you could use any veggies, or rice that you prefer, but here  is my variation :)
-cook 1 cup of brown rice in 2 cups of water and set aside
2 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
4 brocolli stalks, peeled and sliced (save the florets for another time)
1 cup sugar snap peas, washed and cut in half
2 cups veggie broth
-boil veggies in broth for a couple of quick minutes
Stir in:
rice
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 can of light coconut milk
Heat through, then add 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Serve immediately.


Potato Leek Soup
saute until onions are becoming translucent:
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 leeks, wash and slice the light green and white parts in 1/4 inch slices.
2 cups chopped onion
add:
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
and saute for another 5 minutes
stir in 4 cups veggie broth
3 large potatoes
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
Cook for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Blend in increments until smooth.
Enjoy.

Rice and Beans

Feeding the world with 2 main ingredients.

Last night I attended a Rice and Bean dinner with some friends. It was to raise funds for some nursing students to go to Guatemala. I can't think of a better eye-opening experience for young adults from our priviledged part of the world. More than witnessing poverty, hunger, health and social problems, I think the important education is the witnessing of the happiness and love of family and friends, in spite of the problems. The sense of community and the interaction of generations puts countries like Guatemala at an advantage.  I hope the students come back with the knowledge that "stuff" doesn't matter. What really matters is a sense of family, community and purpose.
A student who visited Guatemala last year shared information about poor conditions that Canadian mining companies are creating in Guatemala. I am looking forward to learning more.

Rice and beans are the favourite meal of millions of peoples around the world. Parts of North, South and Central America, West Africa, India and Asia all have traditional rice and bean dishes. When you consider all of the types of rice and beans that exist, and the ethnic spices that go with them, the combinations are endless.  Long grain, short grain, aromatic, brown and white rices... kidney, pinto, black, white, broad beans, and black-eyed peas.... they combine beautifully with curry, cumin, garlic, onion, chilies, and many kinds of vegetables, salsas and herbs. Beans can be refried, prepared as a saucy dish, or tossed right into the rice. Any vegetable combination is a great accompaniment to a dish of rice and beans.  Fry up a tortilla or your favourite ethnic flatbread, and you've got a really delicious, satisfying meal.

Nutritionally, rice and beans are one of those perfect combinations. Rice has iron, B vitamins, and protein. Beans are high in fibre and contain iron and protein.  Together they provide all of the essential amino acids - complete protein!

Super-Easy Rice with Beans
into a large sauce pan put...
1 cup of your favourite rice (rinsed and drained)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups of water
cook according to directions for your rice.

When rice is almost done...
saute until onion is translucent:
1/2 onion
1 Tbsp olive or coconut oil
add
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
or equivalent of prepared dry beans, of course.
Heat through.
Add cooked rice and toss together gently.
Serve with your favourite salsa.

Good Sunday Morning

To some, there is nothing like the smell of bacon and eggs sizzling on a Sunday morning.... To me, it's the comforting aroma of home-baked muffins, or that tempting smell of cinnamon wafting through the air, that makes me feel like it's a special day.
Vegan baking takes some practice. Unless you are using a tried and true recipe, and have all the substitute ingredients, it can be challenging.  When I made the decision to stop using animal products, I didn't anticipate giving up many of my favourite comfort foods.  The holiday season is particularly interesting. Parents at the Children's Centre love to show their appreciation to the educators with home-baked goods, and chocolates. I sure appreciate the sentiment, but I am always happy to relinquish my portions to the other staff members. The funny thing is that those things that used to be so irresistible, are not even desirable to me anymore..... unless, of course, I know that they are vegan. Isn't the power of the mind fascinating?  Now, if I could just get it to turn off that desire for salty and crispy, or sweet and soft temptations....
These yummy little pinwheels are a quick and easy treat to throw together on one of those mornings when you desire that home-baked comfort.  I veganized an old favourite biscuit recipe and added some sweetness and a cinnamon twist :) Enjoy.

Cinnamon Buns
Heat oven to 450 and grease a round cake pan.

Mix together:
2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp sugar

Cut in, until crumbly:
1/4 cup vegan margarine

Add:
3/4 cup soy milk

Mix together until it starts to hold together. Knead mixture about 20 times until smooth. Roll out on lightly floured surface until it is about 18 inches x 8 inches or so.
Spread the surface of the dough with:
1 Tbsp vegan margarine

Cover the margarine with about:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins (if desired)

Roll up the dough along the long edge. Cut into approximately 12 rolls, and place, into the greased, round cake pan. They will be squished in there, but that will make the sides soft. If you like the sides crispy, then you can spread the individual rolls out on a greased cookie sheet instead.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until they start to brown.
Dump them out onto a plate as soon as they are done, so they don't get stuck in the pan.
Delicious when warm.

For Jacey

Supper tonight?
We're having pizza! It's so  easy to make pizzas that will satisfy all food-eaters!
I bought some "Greek" pitas. They look like they'll be the perfect size for individual pizzas.
Mine will have a bit of sauce (garlic, basil) tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and olives. Maybe I'll throw some artichokes and pineapple on there too, or some red pepper.... Wait! what about BBQ onions??? Oh, man! So many good choices.
I'm sure Fred will go for the Hawaiian with full cheese, and Ethan will do Hawaiian with no cheese.
It's easy, but remember, less cheese = less calories and fat.