Zucchini, Kittens and Rabbits

As I was chopping up some zucchini for dinner last night, I realized that summer is finally here.  Zucchini always reminds me of summer.  Both my mother and grandmother grew it in abundance in their gardens.  My mother would cook constantly with the massive amounts that we would harvest. She served it as a vegetable, but also made zucchini bread, which was definitely considered a new, fairly exotic item during those times (at least in the Midwest). I considered zucchini bread to be a real treat because my mother was such a “no sugar” healthy food advocate.  Sugar rarely passed my lips as a child.

My grandma, an immigrant from Italy, would also cook with zucchini when it was in season.  She would make it for literally every meal.  "You eat what is in season and in the garden," she would say.  Sometimes she would use some of her zucchini to work into the antipasto she canned during the summer.  Other than that we ate our fill and gave away bags and bags of it to the neighbors.  I got really tired of eating zucchini at her house.  I still have it memorized…  "Saute a little butter with a little onion, add a fresh sage leaf from the garden, cover, cook on low until it sweats."

Al dente.  Of course, she was Italian.

Right after it rains - if you have been lucky enough to have rain this summer, or not battling the horrible floods - the summer days bring a humid, lush feeling like no other.  Although I'm pretty notorious for disliking the heat immensely, I do definitely respect and appreciate the season.  Yes, zucchini flourishes in the summer.  Everything seems to flourish in the summer.  

This year it seems to be our urban backyard that is flourishing.  Two overly active birdbaths.  A mother rabbit plus her little bunny baby, and this year the biggest surprise of all, a mother cat and her two orange kittens.  Nothing like opening the back door at 6am and finding two orange little balls of fur fast cuddled up in the chair - wide eyed and surprised.  My husband said "at least they're cuter than squirrels (which we also have in abundance).  Maybe they'll even help keep the mice away."  My neighbor says all the activity is due to the “good vibes” radiating out from our backyard.  Other friends suspect the fairies in the rose and herb garden.  I think it's because they all know they are safe and we will not hurt them.

Of course throughout all of this, our two sweet old rescue pugs snore their day away.  The third rescue, Franky, remains on high alert.  So I guess I'll be outside clapping and banging before we let him out.  

Enjoy your July.  Take some time to observe and love your own backyard.  You might be surprised what you find.

 

~ diane fergurson

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Healthy Winter Meals - Busy Day Chicken

To warm your spirit on a cold winter's day!

l.  Spray the bottom of the baking dish with a non stick spray...whatever size dish you have on hand.

2. Layer as many sliced potatoes as will fit in the bottom of the pan.

3.  Layer chicken pieces on top.  Whatever you happen to have.  I had thighs.

4.  Sprinkle with liberally salt, pepper, paprika.  I threw some thyme on top because I happened to have it growing in the kitchen.  You could use rosemary or leave it plain.

5. Cover with foil. (put NO liquid in it)

6.  Bake 350 for around l.5 hours.

Enjoy!

*I wouldn't not recommend chicken breasts for this dish.
They are not juicy enough.  If you do use them, add some water
to the bottom of the potatoes before baking and reduce the cooking time by at
least a half hour...or more.

Pizza - Gluten Free or Not, Your Choice

When I was growing up, Saturday night was pizza night.  My mom would begin making the tomato sauce early in the morning and let it simmer all day.  She would start the dough in the afternoon, letting it rise at a nice easy pace, then punch it down and let it rise again.  In the early evening she would roll out the dough very, very thin, put it in a round pizza pan, top it with the sauce, some mozzarella cheese and sometimes some ground beef or sausage.  The oregano would go on last.  My mom would bake her pizza it until it was very crispy.  It was so delicious, it honestly was to die for.  Everyone who tasted it was hooked.

Later on when I became older and met my husband, he too fell totally in love with my mom's pizza.  He began making it for us when we got married, using her her original recipe.  He was fascinated with the dough process and how also thin he could roll it and how crispy he could make it.  Our sauce, unfortunately, was never quite the same as my mother's.  It's probably because I did not can fresh tomatoes like she did, so I never could replicate that deep rich taste.  

Eventually we did create a substitute.

A few years ago when our household became gluten free, the pizza was one of the first things that had to go.  We missed it, the kids missed it, and even though we dutifully tried just about every gluten free crust and dough recipe, the pizzas were just never the same.

  The crusts were just too thick, and over all tasted pretty icky.

One day my husband came across my mom's dough recipe and decided he would try to make it exactly as written, only substituting gluten free flour.  No other additions or adjustments.  We had a feeling it might actually work because we were going to use the Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Flour, which I think is the closest replication on the market to regular white or unbleached wheat flour for baking.

The big difference you'll find when using the Cup 4 Cup GF Flour compared to others is that it's so light.  So many GF flour blends that are used for baking, even by some of the most popular gluten free bakeries, are just way too heavy to be used for a lighter baked good.  The Cup 4 Cup GF flour is primarily a very light rice flour and you use as it is - literally substitute it cup for cup in any type of recipe.  No other additions are required.

As requested by friends, below is my mom's dough recipe. 

You'll have to work your own magic for the rest of the pizza.

Gluten free or not gluten free, enjoy!

This recipe will make 2 pizzas.

Pizza Dough

2 1/4 c. flour

3/4 c milk

1 Tb. sugar

1 pkg yeast

2 Tb. oil

1 tsp salt

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 c lukewarm water.  Scald milk, add oil, sugar and salt to milk.

When lukewarm add dissolved yeast and mix.

Put part of flour in milk and mix really well.

Then add the rest of the flour.

Grease top of dough and cover.

Let rise up to 1 1/2 hours.

Roll dough out very thin. 

Transfer to greased cookie sheet.

Add sauce and toppings.

Bake 15 - 20 minutes

Notes: If you use GF flour, your dough will not rise very much.  It also will not have the elasticity when you roll it out, so it may take some finesse on your part to learn how to manipulate it.

In addition, they do sell a Cup 4 Cup Pizza Crust Mix.  It think it's less expensive however, to buy a bag of the flour and make the dough recipe.

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Mind Body Spirit Book Review: The Dharma Feast Cookbook - Recipes For A Fresh Start

Dharma Feast Cookbook - Recipes For A Fresh Start
by Theresa Rogers and Tika Altemoller
Published by Kalindi Press 

Reviewed by Diane Fergurson


The Dharma Feast Cookbook - Recipes For a Fresh Start, is definitely the kind of cookbook that you are going to want to own because chances are you are going to find yourself using it all the time.  In fact, after briefly looking over the PDF for the book that I was sent for review earlier this year, I promptly placed an ordered to Amazon for a physical copy to keep in my kitchen. Clean, was the word that kept coming into my head. Clean flavors, healthy and fresh food.  Something we can all benefit from.


As you look through the book you will notice that the premise for the book draws off the best of the nutritional ideas put forth through traditional diet, vegetarian cooking, macrobiotics, and raw food cooking and acid/alkaline ph considerations.  There is a section of the book which offers a step by step guideline to help eliminate unhealthy eating habits.

This book is the perfect addition to anyone's cookbook collection, and it is especially a nice, affordable addition or gift for anyone who is vegetarian.  I was going to add this book to our Holiday Gift Picks list, but I've honestly enjoyed it so much I decided to give it a separate review.

Below is one of my standing favorites from the book...a great Tabouleh recipe using quinoa.
This is also perfect for the person, like me, who loves Tabouleh but is also gluten free.

enjoy!

~ diane

Link to the book on Amazon.

Quinoa Tabouleh

5 cups quinoa

10 cups water

1 bunch parsley, chopped very fine

1 red onion, chopped very fine

3 red bell peppers, chopped very fine

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cook quinoa.  Set aside.  It should be fluffy.  If it's mushy use less water next time.

Combine vegetables in bowl.  Mix lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.  Pour over vegetable mixture and stir.  Let sit 1 hour.

Mix marinated vegetables with cooled quinoa.  Add more olive oil and lemon juice to taste.

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Drop The Ice Cream Habit - Switch To Sorbet

Our household has been eliminating dairy from our diet for
quite awhile now...my husband the last holdout...
but all of that changed this summer when he discovered the wonderful world
of sorbet.  I think he has made about every flavor imaginable at this point, but
so far the hands down winner is definitely blueberry.

Yes, sorbet has sugar in it, but we do know enough 
about health and nutrition to not ever let an
artificial sweetener of any kind past our lips.
We organic sugar when we need it for the occasional sweet.

Anyway, the recipe is delicious and even if you don't have an ice cream maker
there are plenty of sorbet recipes online that do not
require one.

So whether you need to drop your cholesterol, or just get tired of
that congested "yuck" feeling that you have after
 you eat ice cream (which was his case),
I suggest you try sorbet! 

enjoy!

3 cups (1 1/2 pints) fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained 

(can use frozen unsweetened)

1/2 cup water

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a blender or food processor puree the blueberries with the water until smooth.

  Pour mixture into a large bowl.  Add the sugar and lemon juice.  Whisk to blend.

Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.  Whisk the mixture to blend and pour 

into the canister of an ice cream maker.  Freeze according to directions.  

Transfer to covered container and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.

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Apple Cake - Gluten Free and Delicious

It's summer - cookouts, dinners with friends, and
usually everyone ends up bringing a dish.  These days since I'm gluten free, one thing I have

learned early on - if I think I'm going to want dessert, I'd better bring some myself.

  This gluten free apple cake is a new addition to my collection.  I adapted if from an old apple cake recipe I had in my file box.  One of the great things about this cake is that it is not made from a mix.  People are always shocked to find out it's not only gluten free, but has buckwheat flour in it too!

  You'd never know.  It's definitely a winner!

  Enjoy!

 

1 1/4 cup raw sugar (or less)

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups peeled, diced, raw apple

1 cup all purpose gluten free flour mix (I use the mix from William Sonoma)

3/4 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat sugar and eggs together until thick and light.

  Beat in oil and vanilla, stir in apples.  Sift flours, salt, cinnamon, and fold into

the apple mixture.  Pour into oiled and floured 9 inch square baking pan.

Bake 45 minutes or until done. (time may be less).

Cool and sift powdered sugar over the top before serving.

Can also be served with ice cream.

This recipe also makes great muffins.

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Top 10 Reasons to Avoid and Label GMO's

A big thanks to Cory Trusty and the ECOEtsy Team for sharing this article with us.  Although there is a vote coming up in California, this is an important issue that we all need to become more educated and vocal about.  It directly effects our health and well being.  Chances are if you are not currently feeling the effects of eating GMO food (increased allergies etc), you most likely will in the future... or your kids will ~

 Vote Yes on Prop 37 T-shirt by EmanateVitality on Etsy

Proposition 37, a Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food Initiative, is on the November 6, 2012 ballot in California.  The EcoEtsy team is in favor of GMO labeling and we hope you will support this initiative.  Before I tell you why, do you know what GMOs are?

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism, and GE stands for Genetically Engineered.  This is not the same as hybrid creation by normal cross breeding means.  GMOs are created in a lab by combining DNA from completely different organism.  For example, BT corn is corn that has been created with the addition of a bacterial gene which encodes for the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin.  This toxin is then made in every cell of the corn.  GMO foods have been on the market in the US for the last 20 years.  Some of the most common GMO foods include corn, soy, safflower, Canola, Hawaiian Papaya, sugar beet, Aspartamate, milk from rBGH treated cows, yellow crookneck squash, and zucchini.

Top 10 reasons to label and avoid GMOs

1) We have a right to know what is in our foods, so we have the freedom to choose what to eat and what kind of agriculture practices we support.  Without labeling we don’t know what is in our food, though it is estimated that 80% of processed foods contain GMO.

2) The US falls short in best accepted policies for GMO labeling.  50 countries now label genetically engineered foods including Australia, Japan, Mexico, Russia, the European Union and China.

3) Serious health issues are linked with GMOs in humans and animals including: cancer, infertility, allergies, and irritable bowels.  We do not have assurance of safety.  The Food and Drug Administration does not test GMOs despite warnings from it’s own scientists.  GMO manufacturers suppress independent safety testing with patenting of seeds.

4) Herbicides and Pesticides used in GMO farming are highly dangerous to farmers health.

5) GMO farming increases use of toxic herbicides creating superweeds.  These superweeds lead to more pesticide  use.

6) GMOs contaminate the natural and Organic seed supply through pollination between GMO and Non-GMO crops.

7) GMOs do not improve crop yields.  This is particularly important in the context of climate change and drought.  Organic crops have shown to consistently produce better under drought conditions.

8) GMOs are dangerous to the livelihood of farmers.  Unlike traditional crops farmers are not allowed to save seed to replant for future sowing.  Farmers face expensive court battles, including Monsanto versus Vernon Hugh Bowman whose case will be heard in the Supreme Court.

9) GMOs promote seed slavery.  A seed is not an invention. That is why patents on seeds are illegitimate. Even in a genetically engineered crop, the original seed come from farmers. Patents on seed are based on biopiracy… Patents on seed allow corporations to prevent farmers from saving and exchanging seed. Thus patent violates farmers’ right to save, use, reuse, breed and exchange seed as their commons.

10) Labeling will offer more options for the consumer at no extra cost, because they will have the opportunity to vote with their dollars.  Opponents of Prop 37 suggest that labeling GMOs will result in increased food prices.  However there is no evidence that  food prices have increased in the many countries that have implemented GMO labeling.

Photo by Soul Role

Nancy of Soul Role is an EcoEtsy team member living in Hawaii.  She echoes these concerns as a consumer and farmer and summarizes as follows:
"As a consumer it is very important to me to know WHAT is in everything I eat and feed my family.  I have read studies with US government data showing GE crops have produced an overall increase, not decrease, in pesticide use compared to conventional crops. I am working hard in my life to limit my families exposure to pesticides and chemicals and anything that requires the use of more known carcinogens is not ok in my opinion.  From what I have learned there has been very little long term testing on the effects of GMOs on the human body which is another huge reason why I do not trust them.  As a farming family, we do not support GMO seeds, because plants grown from  them will not produce their own seeds which makes the farmer a slave to the GMO seed companies.  There are many more reasons why we want to see all products using GMOs to be labeled accordingly."
Need more evidence about the dangers of GMOs?  Watch the full length film Genetic Roulette now through November 6th

Californians, will you vote yes next month to label GMOs?  Everyone else, will you ask you friends in Califonia to vote yes on prop 37?  You can also volunteer by making phone calls.  Spread the word and feel free to repost this top 10 list to your blog or website.





This post was written by...

aquarianbath – has written 3 awesome posts on Eco Etsy.
Cory is the owner of AquarianBath.com She is an Etsy Bath and Body product seller, soap maker, community herbalist, organic gardener, and homeschooling mom. Her background is in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Biology. Cory and her family live in Daytona Beach, which is USDA growing zone 9a. Follow her blog for more articles.

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Mind Body Spirit Odyssey Book Review: Understanding Your Food Allergies & Intolerances

 
Understanding Your Food Allergies & Intolerances
by Wayne Shreffler, MD, and Qian Yuan, MD,
with Karen Asp
Harvard University Health Publication
St. Martin's Paperbacks


I recently purchased this book on a whim, in an independent bookstore while browsing through the health and wellness shelves.  What got my attention was that it was small and compact (it wouldn't take me hours and hours to read), it had only been out for a few months, and it was published by Harvard Medical School. The fact that the book also addressed the growing, widespread problem of food intolerances - not just food allergies - also interested me.  I was not disappointed reading it. 

In a very clear, concise, relevant way, Understanding Your Food Allergies & Intolerances presents the most up to date current information that is related to food allergies and also food intolerances.  First, the authors explain what the difference is between a food allergy and a food intolerance, something that most people are not familiar with.  They discuss possible symptoms, from mild to severe, and how people can feel and react when they eat a food that their body is not reacting well to.  There are many of the symptom they mention that most people do not even connect to food, which as a result can lead to many misdiagnoses and the taking of medications that are either not appropriate or are not needed at all.

The authors also discuss the medical testing that is used to diagnosis a food allergy - what you can expect. Also what type of a physician you should see.   Should you go to your regular doctor or an allergist?  They also discuss the use of an EpiPen, when it is prescribed, and the importance of wearing an Allergy Alert bracelet or charm if your condition warrants it.

Other topics include; how to find and eat in an allergy friendly restaurant, how to travel with a food allergy or intolerance, decoding food labels, carrying a chef's card, sending your food allergic child to school, vitamin D and the connection with food allergies, ethnicity and gender as related to food allergies, therapies for food allergies (which includes Traditional Chinese Medicine), and the cross contamination of foods - which is very important for those, in particular, with gluten allergies.  Gluten intollerance, celiacs and IBS are also covered too, along with many other areas of concern.

Understanding Your Food Allergies & Intolerances is a little gem, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has food issues or suspects that they do. I hope the book finds it's way on to many shelves not only in homes, but in the marketplace as well.
 

~ diane fergurson

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Dear Whole Foods - Do You Really Have To Label It New Age ?

Dear Whole Foods,

This is not 1975 anymore.  It is the year 2012.  The labeling of a product category, particularly in your chain of stores, "New Age" is not only offensive to many of your customers... it is downright outdated and unenlightened.  How about not labeling it at all? Or, if you find you have to name it, at least use the term Alternative Healing or something of that nature.

Oh my dear Whole Foods... I should probably really stop this note with my complaint about your New Age labeling, but I can't.

Over the last few years many of your customers, those of us who have provided the solid spending base to help you grow and get where you are, have found themselves disheartened and disappointed with your every growing proliferation of the healthy "junk food" items which line your store shelves.  If a "healthy" junk food item is talked about on Dr. Oz...a display is up at your store within the week.  The store I was in this morning has enough Kale Chips to feed a small country.
Established companies that have provided quality products and nutrition for many years have found their products completely taken off of your shelves and replace with your lesser quality store brand items and your ever present selection of Fair Trade "Chachkies".  In some of your stores the counters with your meat and sea food products are so large and expansive that a lot of the goods are never sold.  Wasted...nice ~

That said - yes I have to admit though, Whole Foods I am very thankful that I am fortunate to not only live near one of your stores, but two.  And that you are employing people and providing them with health care benefits in an otherwise dismal economy.  But out of the two stores I live by, I still prefer shopping in the small one.  Imagine that.  It's not (quite) as mass market.

I still believe in what you are doing, trying to offer American consumers a healthier life style choice with what they eat - even though you completely caved in recently on the Monsanto GMO fight, which made many of our friends angry enough to sell their stock.

Well, whatever.

Anyway, all that said... If you could just get rid of the label New Age in your stores, that might be a small step back into the right direction.

Diane Fergurson
Editor, Mind Body Spirit Marketplace/Odyssey
Montclair, New Jersey




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Blueberry Buckwheat Corn Muffins - Gluten Free

One thing I missed when I started eating gluten-free/wheat free was having a really hardy, tasty muffin.  I know that might sound silly to some people - but nothing beats muffins fresh out of the oven, especially in the winter.  A grain that I have enjoyed incorporating into our diet lately has been Buckwheat.  (Buckwheat is a gluten-free).  So I decided to try using Buckwheat flour to make some gluten free muffins. 

The Gluten-free Blueberry Buckwheat Corn Muffin recipe below is just wonderful.  I've been making them for us at least once a week.  Lowfat and delicious, the first time I made them I ate 3 right out of the oven!  These muffins are also a great food item you can make to help introduce your friends and family to alternative grains.  We would all benefit health-wise from eating less wheat, especially with the GMO's that is currently found in the flour we eat.   enjoy!

1 cup Buckwheat flour (I used Hodgson Mills)
1/2 cup Yellow Corn Meal (I used Arrowhead Mills organic gluten-free)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (I use sea salt)
1/4 cup sugar (I use organic)
1 regular egg and 1 white replacer equivalent for 1 egg (total 2 eggs)
1/4 cup melted butter (I used 1/4 cup melted Earth Balance soy free spread) 
1 1/4 cup milk (I used low fat milk, you can use soy if you'd like too) 
Blueberries (about 1/2 cup)


Preheat oven to 400.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease muffin tins.
Mix together all ingredients.  Batter will be thin.  Fill muffin tins 2/3 full - muffins will rise.
Put blueberries on top of each muffin, poke down and bake aprox 15 minutes.

*You can try stirring the berries into the batter, but they will most likely sink because the batter is thin.

                                                Another Buddy Fergurson approved Recipe!

~ diane fergurson

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Holiday Baking Gluten Free Rice Krispy Treats

I originally posted this recipe for Gluten Free Rice Krispy Treats on my blog, In A Creative Context, and it received so much attention I decided to share it again here.  Fast, easy, gluten and wheat free - this is an easy, delicious cookie to make this Holiday Season that everyone will enjoy!
                                                                                                          ~ diane fergurson


Ever since my daughter became gluten-free, I've been experimenting with different baking options.  I've found that introducing new flours into the diet and also experimenting with different leavening agents to actually be rather enlightening, as well as extremely interesting.  Since I've always enjoyed cooking, it's been more of a discovery of sorts.  Through this process I've also realized that for people with a yeast allergy (like myself) many of the foods and baking ingredients that you will end up cooking with and eating also tend to be gluten-free.

The other day I was trying to think of something simple to make, that would satisfy my sweet tooth, as well as hers, so I thought about some of the foods she use to like when she was growing up.  I decided to make some "Rice Krispie" treats.

It was pretty simple.  Instead of using the "normal" brand of cereal I used the Whole Foods 365 brand, Brown Rice Crisps (healthier).  The gluten-free marshmallows came from Whole Foods as well (in the baking department) - and I also noticed that they are Kosher.  So if you are looking for gluten-free marshmallows in a regular supermarket, if it has a Kosher section try looking there.

All you do to make the treats is melt 2 Tb. of butter together with the sack of marshmallows (7oz) in a non-stick saucepan.  Stir quickly.  When it is melted, poor the mixture into 6 cups of the brown rice cereal and "very" quickly stir it together.  Transfer it to a pre-buttered, non stick 9x13 pan and press down on the top to even it out.  One trick to do, is butter a piece of wax paper in advance and press down using it instead of your hands.  Cool and then cut into squares.  enjoy!

                                
                                             Another Buddy Fergurson approved recipe!

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Going Vegan – Cheating a Little and No Regrets

In the past few months I’ve been in a couple of situations where it was difficult to stick to a vegan diet. The most difficult occasion was during a trip to Connecticut to attend my grandmother Josephine’s funeral. My family is Italian and I grew up in a pizza mecca. My small hometown of Wallingford boasts about two dozen pizza places and it’s just down the road from New Haven, home of the famous pizzerias Pepe’s, and Sally’s, among other great spots. It’s hard to avoid good pizza when eating out with my family, and this time the pizza was also like comfort food, given the circumstances. After some discussion, we headed to a place in my dad’s neighborhood – Carini’s. 

We ordered a few pies, one of which was a cheeseless. It’s not the first time we’ve had a cheeseless pizza when eating out. Last year during another trip to Connecticut (before I was going vegan), my cousin ordered a pizza with no cheese at Little Italy, another great restaurant in my hometown. Ordering a cheeseless pizza at a great pizzeria means you’re going to get a pie just as delicious as any that is gooey with melted cheese.

I shared the cheeseless at Carini’s with my husband, who has been admirably disciplined, except for one instance when there was absolutely nothing vegan on the menu. Whether he was tempted or not, I can’t say, because he fully enjoyed the pizza sans dairy with barely a glance at the others. I had one small slice of the regular pie and although it was absolutely delish, the one without cheese was excellent as well, and fully satisfying in itself. A good sauce, a good crust, and plenty of flavorful vegetables, made the pie great. 

It showed me something important about being vegan – to not try to replicate or substitute too much, rather to enjoy things as they are, if they’re better that way. In the case of traditional pizza: they are. A great cheeseless pie, whether from a pizzeria or made from scratch at home, tends to be better than pizza topped with non-dairy cheese. We have since ordered cheeseless pies here in Vermont, and though it’s harder to find a true New York style pizza this far north, there are a few great pizzerias in our general area and they’re happy to comply with the “no cheese” request, without batting an eye. 

I don’t regret having cheated a little. I’m following a plant-based diet largely for health reasons, and don’t feel a little bit of dairy on one or two occasions is going to set me back in any significant way. I also don’t regret going vegan… that gooey pizza tasted good, but honestly, after being dairy and meat free for several months, cheese simply seems very, very heavy now! And my dinners out at these great restaurants proved that going vegan does not have to mean settling for substitutes.

                                                                                                                           
~ Nellie Levine

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From the Going Vegan Series:
"Going Vegan - Embarking On A New Path For Better Health"
"Going Vegan - Discovering a Wonderful Variety of Delicious Foods"

Garlic And Honey: Herbal Remedies With A Culinary Twist

Cory Trusty is an herbalist and organic gardener living in Central Florida.  She is also the 
owner of Aquarian Bath, which produces a line of all natural soaps and bath products that are unscented or lightly scented, made only from pure essential oils and are palm-oil free. We thank her for contributing this informative article to the Mind Body Spirit Odyssey.
                                                                                                               ~ diane fergurson



Garlic is a common kitchen herb with many medicinal uses. It can helps resolve colds, coughs, sore throats, and sinus infections. Externally it can be used for skin infections. For chronic concerns, Garlic helps reduce blood sugar and high blood pressure. It is also helpful to treat Malaria and boost immunity for AIDS. It is famous as a de-wormer. I remember my grandpa taking it powdered on everything. The fresh garlic is the most potent to use medicinally, but I am just not one of those people who can handle a raw clove. The first time I tried raw garlic was in Belize. One of the locals was taking it raw and suggested I try it. Too strong for me! I could barely stand it. The last time I tried raw garlic was when I was really sick with a head cold. I chewed, swallowed and abruptly started into a cold sweat, drooling and was about ready to throw up. I given up on raw garlic for myself. Now I use either cooked garlic or garlic in the sweet medicine form: Garlic Honey.

It's very simple to make Garlic honey for medicinal or culinary use. All you do is chop up a whole garlic bulb: peel and chop the cloves. Chopping helps release the most potent chemical ingredient in garlic is Allicin. Allicin is created when Alliin reacts with the enzyme Alliinase, which is activated when garlic is chopped or crushed. After your cloves are ready, put them in a clean pint jar. Cover with honey. I used raw wild flower honey. It takes a long time for the honey to seep through all the chopped cloves. So pour slowly.

You can use a knife or a chop stick to get the air bubbles out from among the chopped cloves. The next step is to cover and label and date your jar and put it up in a cupboard for 2-4 weeks. You can use the honey with or with out the garlic at the end of this time. The shelf life of Garlic honey is 3 months. You can take this honey by the spoonful or add it to tea if you have a cough, cold or sore throat.

I love making coleslaw dressing with garlic honey. You can give it a try:

3 tablespoons of herbal vinegar of your choice
3 tablespoons of Virgin Olive or Coconut oil
2-3 tablespoons of garlic honey
1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix the above together and cover with 4 cups of shredded cabbage and 1 cup of shredded carrot. Toss and chill for 2 hours before serving.

~ Cory Trusty, Aquarian Bath

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Going Vegan - Discovering a Wonderful Variety of Delicious Foods

Well, it’s a month since my first post about going vegan, and I’ve settled into this new lifestyle change even more, so I thought I’d share some updates and another quick recipe! 

One of the most remarkable things I’ve noticed about following a plant-based diet is the variety in my family’s menu. There’s a fairly common misconception that because a vegan diet is restrictive in the sense it does not include any animal products, it must be boring and lack variety. And honestly, when my husband and I followed a macrobiotic diet many years ago, we were guilty of a lack of creativity and inspiration in our cooking. We ate a lot of brown rice, adzuki beans, steamed vegetables, and miso (not to mention lotus root and umeboshi plums!). In the years since, we’ve learned a lot about cooking and both of us have worked professionally in kitchens and bakeries. Our approach to this way of eating is as open and exciting as it was when we were focused on gourmet cooking until just a few months ago.

Before embarking on this new dietary path, our weekly dinner menu might consist of grilled salmon, turkey chili, tofu stir-fry, homemade pizza, and pasta with chicken sausage. We would stick to a certain repertoire for a few weeks, then switch it around, maybe opt for baked cod rather than salmon, turkey burgers instead of chili, and so on. In the past week we’ve enjoyed for dinner, multigrain noodles and vegetables with peanut sauce, Cuban black bean soup, falafel pitas, cauliflower and sweet potato curry, and a family-size vegan calzone. All of these dishes and the others we enjoy include good sources of protein, as well as the same fresh vegetables and whole grains we were already including in our diet – and most of them are also low in fat. So far, there is as much variety now, if not more, simply because we are having fun learning new recipes and ways of incorporating new ingredients – or ways of not incorporating things like butter and cheese. Also, the main ingredient in each of these dishes is not meat or dairy, so overall the dishes are much healthier.

What became obvious very quickly was just how many cuisines we can choose to cook from, that don’t require animal products at all. For example, we have always enjoyed Indian cuisine, and except for the inclusion of ghee, many of the recipes are ready-made for the vegan lifestyle. An Indian dish is almost always on our weekly menu now, often using the same recipes we had used before, only with slight alterations. There are Mexican dishes that can be made without cheese – or using a vegan cheese substitute, and our family was simply amazed by how “real” the tofu “ricotta” tasted in our calzone. Many of the Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dishes we had been making are also perfectly acceptable on a vegan diet – focusing on pasta or rice, olive oil, beans, fresh vegetables, and herbs and spices. We’ve even done an all-American sloppy Joe using tempeh. I admit, I was at first skeptical about this, but was impressed by the taste and texture of the tempeh filling. The sloppy Joes were also as much fun to eat as they were when we were kids!

For the first few weeks we did do a lot of simple substituting, and it’s great that there are now some fantastic products that make this easy and delicious (and they are not all soy-based). If we had previously made pasta with chicken sausage, for example, we could easily replace the sausage with a flavorful, meatless seitan variety. The cost is a bit higher, and for those who really love meat – i.e. the particular greasiness of meat, perhaps the seitan isn’t an exact duplicate, but for me (never a big sausage lover), the seitan is almost too much like meat. We have made pizzas using a vegan cheese substitute and although they are not entirely like the best New York style they are darn good, especially when loaded up with fresh or roasted veggies (think perhaps, California style). 

I hope that if you are considering a vegan diet, you will be reassured that it can be a truly bountiful way of eating – and I mean that in the best, most beautiful way – eating vegan truly is an enjoyment of nature’s bounty! 

~ Nellie Levine

Vegan Sloppy Joes with Tempeh

8 oz or 1 package tempeh, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil or water
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 cup cooked or canned white or black beans
15 oz or 1 can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
4 large buns, lightly toasted

Steam tempeh in a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of water - not enough to cover the tempeh. The tempeh is ready when you notice a strong nutty aroma, approximately ten minutes. Drain the tempeh, and mash coarsely in the pan with a spoon or potato ricer.

In a large saute pan, heat oil (or water) over medium heat, and saute onion. Key to a good flavor is letting the onion brown. Add pepper, jalapeno, tempeh, and beans, and saute for a few minutes. Stir to prevent sticking. Add chili and chipotle powder, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato sauce. After adding sauce, simmer for a few minutes. Finish by turning up the heat a little and stirring rapidly to thicken sauce.

Serve on toasted buns, either as sandwiches or open face.

Shown served with http://piratebrands.com/products/tings/original">Original Tings (or as my family calls them - Cheesy Poofs; they are in fact dairy-free and vegan, but with a great cheesy flavor) by Pirate Brands, sweet gherkins, and a glass of almond milk. Very kid-friendly!

* This recipe is adapted from the Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Resources: 

http://www.fieldroast.com Field Roast Grain Meat Co. – delicious sausage-like seitan. Never having been a huge fan of sausage, I actually find these products almost too meat-like! These are flavorful and high quality. Soy free.
 

http://www.daiyafoods.com Daiya cheeses are our first choice for vegan cheese, for their flavor and meltability. They come in two varieties – cheddar and mozzarella. We are now seeing these in our local major supermarket! Soy free.

Almond milk is my personal favorite alternative to dairy milk (in fact, I’ve been drinking it for years and prefer it to cow’s milk). It tastes great in tea. The chocolate is delicious. http://silksoymilk.com  Silk and http://almondbreeze.com/Almond Breeze are both good brands and widely available. Soy free.

http://www.turtlemountain.com/ So Delicious makes coffee creamers with coconut milk that are quite good – we have not found a substitute for half & half that we really love, but so far these are our favorite. Available in major supermarkets. Soy free.

http://www.mimiccreme.com Mimiccreme is another brand that makes coffee creamers, but from nuts. Mimiccreme is heavier and creamier than So Delicious. Soy free.

http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/ Earth Balance, available in major supermarkets, is a brand of vegan margarine that is a great choice as a butter replacement.

Soy and almond milk can be used as a replacement for cow’s milk in many recipes. Other choices that we have not used include rice and hemp milk. Also, many of these brands make other products that are definitely worth checking out. 

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Other articles in this series:
Going Vegan – Embarking On a New Path for Better Health

Curry With A Twist: Green Pepper and Peanut Butter

Whenever we have an international luncheon at work, I always struggle to come up with a dish that will appeal amidst all that meaty splendor spread on the buffet table. It was when I noticed Scott, my son-in-law, eating it with relish, that it occurred to me that I should make it for this year's international luncheon. Sure enough, every one liked it, wanted the recipe and here it is.

This is an improvised version of the Goan curry that is made with homemade ground peanut and coconut paste. One day, feeling lazy, I decided to substitute peanut butter. I have not looked back since then :)
   
Ingredients

medium sized green, red bell peppers (capsicum)-- 2 or 3
medium sized red onion-- one
fresh ginger to taste
Chunky peanut butter--1-2 tablespoon
Olive oil-- 1-2 tablespoon
salt to taste
red chili powder (optional)
turmeric-- 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Instructions 

1. After removing the core and the seeds chop the pepper into small chunks. Cut the onion and the ginger also into small pieces.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet; add the onions and the ginger. (Note: I have also added black mustard seeds. That is the way I cook but you do not have to.)

3. Cook till the onions turn translucent.

4. Add the chopped bell peppers, spices and the salt.

5. Cook till the peppers turn soft.

6. Add the peanut butter.

7. Mix it thoroughly into the cooked vegetables with a spatula till it is all melted and gooey.

You can eat this with nacho chips, pita bread, naan or roti. Any which way, it is finger lickin' good! ~ ~ ~ 

Thank you to Indira Govindan for sharing this delicious recipe with the Mind Body Spirit Odyssey!  Indira's wonderful artwork, Dharmakarmaarts, is available on Etsy.


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