Fitting the Bill

Happy Presidents' Day!!! And while I should be lauding George and Abe collectively, I still do on their individual days. Abe's big day was February 12th and as a little girl, I made log cakes for the occasion. Tomorrow is George's big day and something cherry will have my name on it, his, too! Which reminds me, I do need to research both of those remarkable men and their foods...get back to you on that next year! Til then, here is another president that's on my mind.

As you know, Bill Clinton no longer eats animals. For about a year now, he has eaten generous amounts of veggies, fruits, whole grains and legumes. Like me, he also starts off every morning with a protein shake. Chelsea, his daughter, wanted him to look picture perfect for her wedding and designed a plant-based diet for him to lose 15 pounds. He embraced it and lost 23.

Bill himself had read some of the books we list as references and decided that going plant-based would fill both his daughter's heart's desire and it might even help fix his. He has had bypass surgery and some lingering complications to boot. Judging from the recent photo below, his new way of eating fits the Bill.

He was in Little Rock this past Saturday to open up a new community theater. I would have given my eye teeth to be there. I wonder what and where he ate??? Here is a soup that might have been perfect to serve him.  A Korean variation of a miso soup, it is a shoe-in fit for Meatless Monday, especially on a Monday during this raging flu season, and it is about time for a tofu recipe. Like a rare visit from a former president, I don't eat or feature tofu very often. Lots of folks have a tummy virus. (All the more reason to let me help you with your food and skincare for whole body defense!) This soup fits the bill for that, too...delicious, soothing, and healing.

Bill's Tofu Soup

1/4 cup crumbled dried seaweed, such as wakame or kelp (see Tip) 
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cups water
2 tablespoons white miso (see Note), or to taste
1/2 cup diced firm tofu...must be organic, non-GMO!!
  *I also add in some mushrooms

Place seaweed in a medium bowl, cover with water and let soak for 20 minutes.
Combine scallions, garlic, sesame oil and pepper in another bowl. Warm a medium saucepan over high heat and add the scallion mixture. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in 4 cups water and miso. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the liquid does not boil. Whisk to dissolve the miso.

Drain the seaweed and stir it into the soup along with tofu. Cook over medium-low for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste and season with more miso, if desired. Don't let soup boil after you add in the miso...it will diminish some of miso's wonderful natural, healing powers!

Tip: Wakame is easier to find than you think. Look for wakame in natural-foods stores,  Asian markets, lots of grocery stores in the "international section" and even Drug Emporium has it.

Note: Miso is fermented bean paste made from barley, rice or soybeans and is used to add flavor to dishes such as soups, sauces and salad dressings. It is available in different colors, depending on the type of grain or bean and how long it’s been fermented. In general, the lighter the color, the more mild the flavor. It will keep, in the refrigerator, for at least a year and is usually found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. There are also some dried misos available. Check the label to see how to use them.

Here are the brands I use...

When Friday Met Monday

Maybe Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan could whip this up together in a sequel to "When Harry Met Sally". The goal is for Monday's recipe to work with Friday's recipe so that you have a whole meal option easing you into the weekend. These are the potatoes that I made to go with Monday's Denver Scramble and I used every color and kind of potato I had on hand. The more color, the more punch nutritionally and they all look so pretty together. I also like the little hint of sweetness that the sweet potatoes bring to the mix. Mingling those flavors with the herbs, especially the fresh rosemary, is delish!

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Hash Taters

Mixture of purple, yukon gold and sweet potatoes, sliced into bite -sized pieces*
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced (or use 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced  
1 teaspoon  dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 scant teaspoon sea salt
fresh black pepper
dried red pepper flakes, optional

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and green onions and saute lightly. Add potatoes, herbs, sea salt and extra splash of oil, if needed. Continue to saute with lid on until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. You will have to stir frequently to scrape off potatoes that stick to the bottom of the pan.

Here is what joining forces looks like. Enjoy! 

*Note: Potatoes are also on the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list and so ask, ask, ask, buy organic and if you must, peel...although I don't. Lots of antioxidants in the peels.

If you are not eggs-actly sure...

Such a week for meat and eggs. Recalls and more recalls. And a perfect, but unexpected topic to discuss today. I love eggs and look forward to having them on the weekends. I like them for any meal, not just breakfast. The French say there are about 1000 ways to cook eggs. I know about 10 and so eggs seemed to offer me an endless culinary adventure, until this week.

I am very careful about where I buy my eggs and feel safe and at peace with the ones I eat. That is the key. Ask, ask, ask and question everything, even what I share here. This issue goes way beyond our health, safety and enjoyment of eggs. There are dozens of articles and news clips available and so educate yourself on eggs and their whole story from hen to your hand. There are some reference books listed, too, on Our Little Green Book tab. Ultimately, you and you alone have to be at peace with what you buy and either put in or on your body. I have found my "pieces of peace" and want you to find yours, too!

If you are not exactly sure about this whole egg recall mess or if you are setting out to lower your consumption of eggs for whatever reason, it is pretty easy to do, and tasty, too. If you bake a lot, here are some simple substitutions:

1. For each egg in the recipe, substitute 3 tablespoons of applesauce or mashed banana. Most everything will turn out the same and be nice and moist to boot.

2. You can also use flax seeds and water in place of eggs. Use 2 parts warm water to 1 part flax seed and put in a blender for about 15 minutes. Then, blend away and really grind this up until smooth. One tablespoon of this mix equals 1 egg. Refrigerate any leftovers and use up within 10 days to 2 weeks.

I have never tried the actual "egg replacement" products and so I cannot comment on them.

I have had "tofu" egg salad and it is quite good. The secrets to tofu? First, it must be organic and second, the seasonings should be bold. It can absorb whatever flavors you like and be absolutely delicious.  And so, I took this recall as a chance to adventure a little into the tofu unknown. I am still on shaky ground with tofu or I guess I should say, I am in the skill-building stage! The ultimate challenge for me was to find a yummy "scambled'' recipe. By George, I believe I've done it. If you are not feeling the adventure, these would be delicious made with real eggs, too.

Denver Tofu Scramble

1 tablespoon unsalted butter*
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced sweet onion
2 tablespoons minced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
1/2 pound organic tofu, firm or extra-firm
1-1 1/2 teaspoons good quality curry powder
sea salt and fresh black pepper

In a skillet, melt butter and add in garlic and onion, Saute for a few minutes and then add in peppers and saute until they just lose that "raw" state and are still crispy. Drain tofu and crumble or cut into small cubes. Toss with curry powder and add to skillet. Stir to mix well and cover for about 3-4 minutes, or until heated through. Taste and adjust curry. You may want to sprinkle on extra. Season with sea salt (little sprinkle should do it) and fresh black pepper. Serves 2

*Note: For a more Indian presentation, I use butter or ghee as the fat and serve with naan. For a more Asian finish, toasted sesame oil as the fat would be delish, perhaps with a splash of soy sauce and served with rice. For more South of the Border flavors, use olive oil and serve with salsa as pictured here. I didn't have any tortillas on hand though and used my favorite cracker.

You can also cut loose and add in other veggies like mushrooms (saute with onion), tomatoes, corn, spinach, broccoli or whatever suits your fancy. I also like this served in wraps, nestled in tomato or avocado halves, scooped on crackers or chilled with a little mayo added in, like a curried "egg'"salad. Once you get the flavor to your liking, the options are endless.

For a weekend breakfast, this is really good served with home fries or sweet potato fries, which I just realized I have never shared that recipe for...will do later in the week!

Chicken Soup Redux

This is how I felt for several days last week. I had a headache to beat the band. We had a lot of storm systems roll through here and every one rocked and rolled through my head. Between my head and curly hair, who needs The Weather Channel? I am a walking weather report. Rarely under the weather, I was growing increasingly annoyed with the heat, humidity, storms and my headache-y malaise. I needed some chicken soup...my go-to remedy for almost everything. Soup, especially chicken soup, really relieves my barometricly induced head pressure. But, here's the rub. I don't eat chicken any more.

Fueled by pain, my curiosity kicked into overdrive. I remembered having some delicious miso soup last spring. There is a farmstand of sorts near Mom that serves miso soup in its take-out area. It is wonderful and very nourishing, and made with fermented organic soy, not the scary stuff. Sounded like the perfect soup to soothe me and help me learn something new. I am not very experienced in Asian foods...there are just a few Asian recipes on this blog and so pursuing miso soup looked like a win-win.  Just a note: There is so much hype out there about soy. It is in everything and so, be aware. You only want organic tofu and fermented soy products like miso, tamari and tempeh. Steer clear of as many soy protein isolates as you can...they usually have high fructose corn syrup and other bad actors in their mix.

 

I made a big batch and tweaked it throughout the week, adding in chopped green onions, leftover soba noodles, a few chunks of tofu and some baby bok choy.  Every day it was a little different and gave me the fix and relief I needed. It was all gone (and so was my headache) before I got to try out a bunch of other add-in's that would be good, like broccoli and mushrooms. Next time. The miso I had on hand also had a "per serving" recipe enclosed, if you don't want a whole pot full! Just like chicken soup, there are tons of recipes for miso soup...so play.

                                     

Soothing Miso Soup 

The ingredients were easy to find at the grocery (International Food aisle for wakame and refrigerated case for reasonably priced miso) and I even found the wakame at a drug store.

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced 

3-4 carrots, julienned

3 T wakame, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes*

1 cup white miso (you can also use red or brown)

In a soup pot, combine 6 cups of  water, onion, carrots and wakame. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add one cup of water to miso (it is a paste) and blend thoroughly. Add miso to soup and heat through to warm miso but do not boil! Miso loses some of its healing magic if it boils.

Serves 5-6.

*Wakame is a sea vegetable and comes in dried form and was new to me! Click on the picture and it should enlarge it so you can read what's on the package better. You rehydrate it by soaking in cool water for 5 minutes. The directions are on the bag. I used 3T from about a $4 bag and there is tons left for lots more soup. Wakame adds a nice salty/sweet favor.

Women, Wednesdays and Wonders

They just seem to go together, Women and Wednesdays. Add in some delicious food, sparkling wine, chocolate, girl talk, great friends and suddenly, the whole week looks different. So much so that I am going to write about girlie things every Wednesday, which I know was yesterday but the long weekend has me a day behind. Guys take note; this is your chance to listen in!

Last night I went to a women's potluck, guided by Shakti, "the concept or personification of divine feminine creative power", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakti. In the body of the invitation was this fitting quote:

"Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life--learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work some every day."

~Robert Fulghum
 

And so, I decided to bring one of the most wondrous desserts I have ever made. Please don't let the ingredient list deter you from this chocolate heaven. When I first made this recipe, the taste made me utter, "I can't believe this is tofu" and that outburst is the perfect tag for this wonderful recipe. And, yes, there is also another wonder...no sugar, except what's in the chocolate, is added to the filling!

Melt in your Mouth Chocolate Pie

2 cups finely crushed graham crackers crumbs
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey

Blend all these together and make a crust. Press into 9 inch pie plate.

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces organic silken tofu (not "soft", but "silken" and not the brand Silken either. I use Nasoya)
1 egg, local if available
6 ounces real chocolate chips, melted*
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Greek yogurt, sweetened with a little honey if desired

*Chocolate is a world in itself and a license to play which I do...rarely using the same kind twice!

Blend all these ingredients together in a blender or food processor until smooth, creamy and thoroughly blended. Pour into prepared pie crust and bake 350F for about 30 minutes. Cool and then chill thoroughly. Serve with a dollop of unflavored Greek yogurt that you can sweeten with some honey. Makes one pie, serving 6-8.

Tipsy Times

My son Christian is here for a couple of days and thankfully, is whipping me into shape...technologically and otherwise! He is a whiz with this computer and has helped me gather all (well, most all) of my thoughts and dreams to date under one site...this blog. Feel the love, big love...this is not an easy task! I have a mind that can spin in many directions and formatting it into one spot can be quite like herding wild cats. And so, to balance the order and structure that technology demands, we are cutting loose in the kitchen.

Horses are a favorite animal of mine...they are precious and sweet, like big dogs. (Gosh, I should do a post on my pony Topper! Oh, we had such great times!  Ha...you see how challenging trying to stay focused is? Ok, getting the GPS in my mind back on track...) The Kentucky Derby ran this weekend and while not a fan of horse racing per se, I have to watch the Derby and marvel at those magnificent animals and pray for a safe race. Mint Juleps are the perfect go-with and after several years of different recipes, I think we mashed up a winner of our own. In fact, they were so good on Derby day, we had one last night, too! What the heck. Our mint is quite robust this year and if you need some, give me a shout. It is growing everywhere!!!

Mint Julep


6-8 mint leaves
1 Tablespoon sugar
crushed ice
2 1/2 ounces bourbon
simple syrup (1 part sugar to 1 part water and boiled 5-7 minutes)
sprigs of mint


Put mint leaves and sugar in the bottom of a cup or heavy glass. Crush and mash well. Fill cup with crushed ice, pour in bourbon and top off with a splash of simple syrup. Garnish with a sprig of mint. Yum. Serves 1

Now, Christian is also a confirmed vegetarian and conservationist and I have learned so much about food and helping the environment from him. Both he, his wife Reshma and sister Melissa (all veggies) are whizzes in the kitchen and have been cooking since they were knee high (hmmm...I sense another the post on those early cooking days!) When Christian was in college, there was a favorite restaurant in Boston called Brown Sugar that served Drunken Noodles, fiery and luscious, and although the name suggests otherwise, made without a drop of alcohol. And so, with Mint Juleps in hand, here is the homemade version we cooked up.


Drunken Noodles

1-14-ounce packages 1/4-inch-wide flat rice noodles* (we used 1 14 ounce package Tinkyada brand Brown Rice Pasta "Fettuccine/Pad Thai" size)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (we used combo of coconut and olive oil)
12 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh Thai chilies* (we used 1 Anaheim, 1 Hungarian and 1 jalapeno)
1 16 ounce package extra firm tofu
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc nam)* (we used 1/4 cup mirin)
1/4 cup black soy sauce* (we used organic shoyu soy sauce)
1/4 cup Golden Mountain sauce* or light soy sauce (organic shoyu)
1 tablespoon sugar
4 large plum tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges
4 Anaheim chilies or Italian frying peppers, or 2 green bell peppers (about 12 ounces total), cut into strips
1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves* or regular basil leaves
We also decided it needed some onions and a few shitaki mushrooms for "chew".


The ingredients with an * could be available in specialty groceries or markets, but we couldn't find them here and our substitutions worked well. If not a veggie, you can use 1 1/2 pounds of chicken instead of the tofu.



Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently. Drain.


Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and Thai chilies; sauté 30 seconds. (we did this a little longer) Add tofu and next 4 ingredients and sauté until tofu is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add noodles, tomatoes, and Anaheim chilies; toss to coat. Transfer to large platter, sprinkle with basil leaves, and serve.


Serves 4-6.

Party On!

Hallmark must be in over-drive because it seems I have missed more than several holidays in March already and oodles slipped by me in February. No, not the big ones like Valentines' Day and Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays (remember how fun those were to celebrate separately with a jelly roll "log" cake for Lincoln and sweet cherry something for Washington??) Most of the other "special days" I hadn't heard of but I bet some of you feted the margarita on National Margarita Day, right? Anyone??? I will try to remind those of you who missed it when I remember exactly which day in Feb it was! I have got to read the fine print in my day planner better...certainly it knows all these important dates!! Anyway, onward to March.

March is National Peanut Butter Month and National Have a Friend Over for Dinner Month ( as well as my birth month, Paddy's Day, Daylight Savings Day, Vernal Equinox...) I am not kidding; each week is jam-packed with excuses to have a party or two or three.

March began while I was at my mom's soothing her over the first anniversary of my dad's death. Except for a few blips and crazy weather, things went pretty well. A tear or two or several but overall, she (and I) talked through the remembrances and nearly finished up all the legal/administrative stuff. I am really glad that the first year is behind us. It was great to hear her recall some of their moments together with a little laughter instead of such deep sadness. I do worry about her loneliness and so, among other things I had to do, I also threw a few parties for her pals, not March's dinner idea but lunch.

Both of us love to trying out new recipes on guests (consider yourself warned!) and without knowing it, did give March and peanut butter its due. For one party, our guests were world travelers and so we wanted a fun exotic dish to serve. You can vary this recipe in so many ways. Our guests included two omnivores and two veggies and so I actually made two versions, one with local bay scallops (oh my, they were back in season this year with a salty-sweetness that was amazing!) and the other with tofu. While not a fan of soy, I found this tofu one terrific.

West African Stew

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 large white onion, diced

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced

1 tart apple, diced (sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning)

1 14-ounce can veggie broth

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon Tabasco

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

2 tablespoon orange marmalade

1 pound bay scallops or firm organic tofu ( note: original recipe called for chicken, turkey or shrimp but I had to "make it mine" and substitute sustainable alternatives for omnivores and vegetarians)

1 cup brown rice (cook with 2 cups liquid)

In a large skillet, heat peanut oil over medium heat until hot. Add onions, Worcestershire sauce and minced jalapenos. Saute until onions are brown. Add sweet potato and apple. Stir in 1/2 cup veggie broth. Add peanut butter, stirring until it is absorbed. Turn down heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Add curry, Tabasco, coconut extract, marmalade and simmer 30 minutes, adding remaining broth as needed. While the stew cooks, prepare rice. About 5 minutes before serving, add in scallops or tofu and heat through. To serve, ladle over a bed of rice and top with a merriment of condiments: chopped almonds or peanuts, flaked coconut, sliced bananas, etc.

Serves 4.