I have my mother to thank for all my cooking skills. She taught me that food is Love, and must be lovingly prepared. She taught me that you can follow a recipe for a pie crust, but you can't make a great crust until you know how one feels when it is ready to be put in the pie pan. It takes experience, patience, discipline, and dedication to make a good cook. She taught me this through her actions, how well she took care of her family. Thanks, Mom, for all you've taught me. --Kathleen |
"Any time we eat it's holy. We should have ritual and ceremony, not just gobbling down some food to keep alive." -- M.F.K. Fisher |
" ...I honor you for your desire to more fully understand the implications of your eating habits. I respect you for your urge to become more aware and capable of making life-affirming choices about what you put in your body. The decisions you make at a grocery store, at a restaurant, and in your own kitchen have an importance that is often overlooked: They help to determine the quality and nature of the life that will be yours thereafter." " I've noticed that you can learn something interesting about another person if you find out what constitutes the optimum kind of meal to him or her. To me, the best meals may be elaborate, or they may be simple, they may be occasions of quiet solitude or of joyous festivity, bu they are each in their own way holy. To me, the best meals speak of beauty, balance and grace. They help you to relax, to enjoy yourself and others. They nurture your senses and your soul. They provide you with wholesome food, and bring health and happiness into your life. --John Robbins |
High Fiber Low Fat Fruit Muffins 1-1/2 cups wheat bran 1 cup soy milk 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 ripe banana Egg Substitute equal to 1 egg Stevia equal to 16 tsp. of sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, mango, pineapple), chopped if not small. (Also 1/4cup chopped dried fruit can be used) DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease mini-muffin cups or line with papers. 2. Mix together: wheat bran and soy milk. Let stand for 10 min. 3. In a large bowl, mix together: applesauce, mashed banana, egg substitute, stevia, and vanilla. Beat in bran mixture. Sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir into bran mixture until just blended. Fold in fruit. Put into muffin cups. (Makes 24 muffins if you put a well rounded tablespoon in each.) 4. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 min. (Check at 15 minutes.) |
Even Tastier Fruit Muffins 1-1/3 cups wheat germ 1 cup quick cooking oats (Or break up whole oats in the food processor) 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP whole wheat flour 1 TBSP grated lemon zest 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt Pinch ground cloves 1/2 cup soy buttermilk (soy milk + lemon juice to equal 1/2 cup, let set 10 min.) egg substitute powder equal to 4 eggs 7-1/2 servings of stevia pure extract powder (1svg = 1/32 or 1/40 tsp. appr.) (extract that is not diluted with fiber) plus 1-1/2 tsp of lquid 1 tsp. vanilla extract 8 dried dates, or prunes, finely chopped 1 small apple peeled cored and grated (can substitute 1/2 cup applesauce) 1/2 medium banana, mashed 350 degree F oven Spray mini-muffin tins with non-stick oil spray Large bowl: combine wheat germ, oats, flour, lemon zest, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cloves. Medium bowl: combine soy buttermilk, egg substitute, stevia and liquid, and vanilla. ; stir in dates (prunes), apple, banana. Add to wheat germ mixture; stir until just combined. Spoon batter into cups, filling each about two thirds full. Bake until golden (around 20 min.) Cool in pan for a few minutes (5 or so), then on a rack completely. Makes about 24 |
Kathleen’s Meatless Loaf 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded 2 onions, finely chopped 3 TBSP + 1 TBSP olive oil 1/3 cup peanut butter or cashew butter 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed ½ tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp fresh gingerroot minced or grated, or ¼ tsp dried ginger 1-1/2 lbs. zucchini, diced 2 cups texturized soy protein, hydrated 2 TBSP nutritional yeast (opt.) ½ cup almonds, chopped ½ cup walnuts, chopped ½ c. wheat germ ¾ cups oatmeal 2/3 cup coconut milk ½ to 3/4c. dried, flaked coconut 2 TBSP soy sauce Pepper to taste Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sauté onions and carrot in 3 TBSP olive oil until onions are translucent. (6-8 min.) Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and ginger. Sauté 1 min. longer. Remove from heat. When still warm, stir in peanut butter. Let cool. In a separate pan, cook zucchini in remaining 1 TBSP oil. Combine onion mix, zucchini and remaining ingredients. Place in an oiled dish or pan. Bake for 1 hour (45 min.?) Makes about 15 servings. |
Kathleen’s Meatless Mushroom Gravy ¼ c. nutritional yeast 3 TBSP whole wheat pastry flour 1 cup water + ½ cup water 2 TBSP soy sauce 2 tsp. olive oil ¼ tsp. garlic granules ¼ tsp. onion granules ½ c. dried Shitake mushroom slices 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper Soak mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water, set aside. Toast nutritional yeast and whole wheat pastry flour until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat. Process water, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic granules, onion granules and mushrooms in food processor until smooth and all mushrooms are in tiny pieces. Using a wire whisk gradually beat mushroom mixture into yeast/flour mixture until smooth. Add ½ cup water to thin the mixture to desired consistency. When mixture thickens and comes to a boil, cook 1 – 2 minutes longer, and remove from heat. Season with black pepper. |
Thanks to Post Punk Kitchen and to "the wrong umbrella" (user name) for sharing this recipe. http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6799 I form this seitan into patty size pieces and bake as per instructions, except I increase the broth and bake uncovered. Chickenish Baked Seitan Ingredients Dough 1 1/2 c wheat gluten flour (I use 2 cups) 1/2 c chickpea flour 2 cups water pinch turmeric 1 tbsp nutritional yeast 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp "chicken" flavored veggie broth powder (or any broth paste/boullion/powder--I don't think the chicken flavor is essential but it's what I usually use for this recipe, and I usually have it around) 1 clove garlic, pressed or chopped very fine Cooking broth (I double the broth, and bake uncovered) 3 cups veggie broth 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 onion, roughly chopped 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 1 tsp dried parsley 2 tsp rosemary, dried or fresh 1 tsp dried thyme 2 bay leaves 1/2 tsp black pepper pinch turmeric 3 tbsp nutritional yeast Olive oil for oiling pan Directions Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil the pan you will bake it in, which should be either a casserole with a lid or a medium-deep roasting pan you will cover with foil. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the water, garlic, and soy sauce, stir until doughy. Knead 10 minutes and stretch dough until it's thin and oblong, about 8x12". (I make it into cutlets or divide into 24 smaller clumps and form into little medallions.) Put the dough in the pan. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. While it's resting, mix the broth ingredients together. Pour broth mixture over dough, cover, put in oven. Bake for 1 hour, flip, bake another hour, covered. Take out of oven, let cool uncovered. Tip: resist the temptation to overseason/oversalt the broth because it all cooks down into the seitan during cooking and becomes very concentrated. The onions and garlic are good to save for whatever you'll be cooking the seitan in. If you don't have the herbs, leave them out and it will still be tasty. This is a very flexible recipe when it comes to flavors. |
Curried Split Pea Soup Sauté in a stockpot, medium heat, about 5 minutes: 1 TBSP olive oil 1 med. white or yellow onion, ¼” dice Add and sauté for 2 more minutes: 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 TBSP fresh ginger 2 tsp. curry powder 1 tsp ground cumin ¼ tsp. ground coriander ¼ tsp. ground cardamom 1 generous pinch of cinnamon 2 tsp. salt Add and stir well: 8 cups water Add: 1 pound dried split peas 1-2 carrots (3, if they’re small) Cover and bring to a boil. Lower to medium heat, and simmer for about 1 hour until the peas are tender. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serves 6-8. About 4 Weight Watchers points per cup. One cup is very filling. |
Curried Split Pea Soup |
For more Recipes, check out my Veganfortheloveofitall Blog (link is below) www.veganfortheloveofitall.blogspot.com/ |
“To live in a human body, you must have access to a certain amount of life-sustaining energy. You may either use this inherent energy in a nourishing and self sustaining way, or in a destructive and debilitating way. In the case that you consciously or unconsciously choose negligence or self- abuse over loving attention and self- respect, your body will likely end up having to fight for its life.” --Andreas Moritz |