Hummus and Cheezey Spice Crackers

This is a waaay better alternative to the typical sugar-laden snacks of late.  I don't always have time, but I love making these things at home as opposed to buying them from the store.  I just feel like when I put my own energy into them, they carry something special that a cracker sitting in a box for weeks is lacking.  Part of that "special something" is burning half of the first batch ; )

Garbanzo Hummus
1 can of garbanzos, drained and rinsed well
1 clove of garlic
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of salt
pinch of whole cumin seeds
dash of pepper
couple tablespoons of water
dash of sesame oil

Into the Vita-Mix...push it down and mix it up till smooth.

Cheezey Spice Crackers
Adapted from Oh She Glows

Preheat oven to 350.

Use whisk to mix:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sucanat
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon asefotida
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
(all spices are optional...add what you are in the mood for)

Make a well in the center, and add:
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup liquid (I used almond milk)

Whisk the liquid, then use a spoon to mix the entire batch.  Use hands to stick it all together and give it a few kneads.  Roll out between two sheets of wax paper or on a heavily floured surface.  Roll out until you have the thickness of crackers you like (the thinner, the crispier).  Transfer the entire sheet of dough to a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet.  Cut cracker shapes with pastry cutter, pizza cutter, or knife (be careful not to scratch your pan!).  Brush with olive oil (or not, I did both and they were both fine) and sprinkle with salt or leave as is.  It's okay if the crackers are touching, and if they stick they can be broken apart after.  You can also move them apart by hand.  They don't expand out, just up (and just a tiny bit).  Bake for 17-22 minutes or until golden and crispy.  Let cool.  Bake a little longer for crispy, or less for softer crackers.  I found 18 minutes to be my perfect level of crispiness.

Green Smoothie Revelations

As I pondered my recent ongoing fatigue over my green smoothie* today, something dawned on me.  It's been about six months since I became vegan, and I've been blogging for about four months, so I guess you can say I started eating about five months ago.  Meaning, I pay attention and eat real food rather than cookies and white flour and fatty stuff.  Smoothies in the morning, something "real" for lunch (crackers and hummus doesn't count anymore, unless it's just a snack), and usually homemade dinners almost entirely from scratch.

Well, I have been on vacation for the last week or so, and eating lots of sugar (thank you, holidays) and subsisting on coffee for most of the morning and afternoon (literally, I don't know how it gets so late before I realize I'm still in my pj's).

And guess what came back?  Daily fatigue.  Wanting to lounge around all day (and night), with only brief periods of having energy to do really basic things like clean the house or wash my hair or feed the dogs.

I think I've finally acclimated to eating.  And now I'm one of "those" people (ie. normal) that get tired and grumpy when they don't eat.  I used to turn my nose at those people.  Toughen up, geez! I would think to myself when I heard people complain about skipping a meal.  Eat a cookie and get over it already!  I think since I've been skipping my morning smoothies, I'm tired by noon.  No lunch--tired till evening.  Make dinner--have energy and stay up past midnight and sleep way in.  Then the cycle continues the next day.

I've finally put two and two together.

I think I'll start eating again.

And I think I'll get out of these pajamas.

================
*Green Smoothie:
1 banana
4 small kale leaves w/stems
3 dates
2 teaspoons chia seeds
dash of cinnamon
2 brazil nuts
10 raisins
1/2 cup regular oats

These smoothies are SO much better with the Vita-Mix!!!

Graham Cracker Showdown

I scoured the internet looking for the "perfect" recipe.  Here are the two finalists.  The line under the word "cracker" is actually the profile view of a graham cracker, not my cursor.  

|

 (see? graham cracker.)

|

(there's another one.  getting hungry?)

Team One 

A sweet, soft graham cracker.  Very easy to make--can make it in one bowl.  

Team Two

Also sweet, but the dough is a bit harder to work with.  Wonderful spices create a nice aroma and flavor.  Seems to have less sugar than the Team One crackers.

Which recipe will become part of my official recipe collection???  

Trying to decide was hard...nearly impossible.  

It was like choosing between Edward and Jacob.

or Dave Chappelle and Dane Cook.

or The Office and 30 Rock (or Dexter and Weeds).

or Dyson and Oreck.

or Vegan Deli Slices and Baby Bologna.

I had to eat many, many graham crackers before I could decide.

I think it's a tie.

But if I have to choose one, I'm going with easy.  One bowl graham crackers will be showing up at my house and at the kids' snack table very soon!

*************

Team One Adaptations:  Used sucanat instead of sugar.  Worked just fine.

Team Two Adaptations: Used all whole wheat flour instead of white flour so the dough was a bit moist in texture.  Next time would use less oil (probably would cut it down by one tablespoon).

The Vegan Project. Reflections on the Omnivorous Husband.

[Sigh.]

This is one of those posts that qualify the title.  It's really a "Diary" entry.  Like a wistful teen reflecting on her time at the mall with "him".  But the good news is that I don't feel "Frenzied" very often because the kitchen seems to be my niche now.

I guess you could say that I feel pretty complete about The Vegan Project.  If you've just started reading my blog, The Vegan Project started when my meat-loving husband found out he had cholesterol problems (they are hereditary in his family) and he decided (on his own) to try a vegan diet for two weeks as a last ditch effort to avoid cholesterol meds.  He ended up eating vegan for 3 or 4 weeks, and then a few more weeks of eating some cheese in moderation and turkey or chicken for lunch, but at home--strictly vegan.  His cholesterol level did go back to normal and the happy ending is...he doesn't need meds.  Vegan Project: Success!

Of course, that's just the synopsis.  There were lots of details involved in the story that I left out.  Because for some of us, being vegan is sort of a journey, rather than a mere decision.

Nowadays, he eats vegan at home for the most part, doesn't like the taste of milk anymore so drinks almond milk with his cookies and cereal, and enjoys having his meals cooked for him every night.  (History lesson about this blog: I started it so that I would be inspired to cook because I never cooked dinner before unless it was cheese quesadillas or pre-made raviolis and a frozen vegetable.  Blogging  inspired me to cook and eat healthy and my whole life has changed because of the help and support I get via the blogosphere!  Thank you, friends!)

"Then why the sad face, mom?"

This morning I read this post at Happy Herbivore and it got me thinking about the vegan mentality.  I don't expect my husband to be a vegan (if you met him, you would understand) but what I don't love is when he tells people that by the end of the vegan diet he was spacey and had lost too much weight.  I don't attribute this to the vegan diet, I attribute it to not eating enough in general.  When you don't have mid-meal snacks or a pound of rotting meat leftovers in your GI tract to keep you full longer, you get hungrier and, yes, spacey.  Vegan food digests easily and quickly, and one must do a little snacking and eat a little more.  

I just wish people would say what's true--"I like cheese and meat".  If the hubbie really wanted to be a vegan (as he does seem to "believe in" the vegan diet), he could succeed and have more mental clarity (I totally do!) and gain weight (my vegan friends out there who struggle with your weight can attest to this, no?).  Anyway, I just don't want him to misrepresent the vegan diet to others, nor mislead himself.  

But the good news is, I would have never guessed we'd be eating vegan dinners every day.  More importantly, we're eating together most days, as a family (even if sometimes it's in front of the TV).  It's incredible.  Not only to eat vegan but to finally feel like I'm pulling my weight in the kitchen (not to sound chauvinistic but that I can keep my husband happy in this way is kind of a surprise).

It's not that I'm feeling nostalgia for the days past when he was 100% vegan.  That was a freakin' lot of work, making breakfast, lunch, and dinner!  I'm okay (rather grateful) with how things are now.  He embraces my crazy vegan ways, and I embrace his flexibility and how he sometimes pretends to love dinner when I know he couldn't possibly.

And for Xmas he got me lots of cooking things.  A new set of All Clad cookware (even a griddle for tortillas! woo hoo!), The Accidental Vegan, and my new Vita-Mix.  Can't complain about that!

Teff Balls, Brussels Sprouts, Marinated Tofu and Two Sauces

Tonight's feed was entirely a one-man show.  I made it, I ate it, I cleaned it all up.  But aren't we worth it?  Isn't it okay to cook even though "he" is eating out?  Of course cereal or a smoothie sounds better, but where in the rule book did it say that I'm cooking mostly for him so if he's not here then most of my reason for cooking is obsolete?  

That was an overboard rant, but I'm not deleting it.

And while I'm being dramatic, I'll present tonight's menu as if it were being presented to me on a menu at a table whereby I'm on a date... with myself.  Head chef: Stephanie.

*  *  * 

Chef Stephanie's Special for 12-26-2010

Tofu Rouge

Tofu in a spiced dijon tomato marinade broiled under high heat for a crisp yet tender filet, served on a bed of fresh, organic lettuce

Choux de Bruxelles

Roasted brussels sprouts with thinly sliced red onion accented with black pepper

Teff Puffs

Miniature bread puffs made from whole grain spelt flour and whole grain teff flour

Cremes du jour

Today's yellow sauce is a cheesy fondue-like sauce made from cashews, nutritional yeast, and a variety of warming spices.  The green sauce is a kale-garlic sauce accented with lemon and black pepper.

Please include a 110% gratuity with all dinner parties.  If you need assistance calculating 110% x $0, please see your waitress, who is also dining with you and is you.

*  *  *

I was going to post recipes, but I'll just give a brief run down.  And here is the jungle that was my plate.

Tofu:  covered in a sauce made of dijon mustard, tomato paste, and better-than-bullion.  Baked on 350 for 15 minutes.

Brussels sprouts: halved and tossed in olive oil with salt, pepper, and red onion.  Baked at 350 for 30 minutes (15 minutes uncovered, then added 1 cup of water and covered for remaining time).

Teff Puffs: 1//2 cup teff flour, 1/2 cup spelt, pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (for fun) and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum.  Mixed in food processor and added 1/4 cup almond milk (with s-blade, not dough blade, as it wasn't mixing well).  About 1/2 cup water slowly until the dough began to form a ball.  Took out ball, kneaded for a few minutes, and let rest for 20 minutes.  Shaped into small balls and baked at 350 for about 15 minutes (until crisp on outside).  They were very good!

Sauces:  Cheese sauce-cashews, water, nutritional yeast, onion powder, smoked paprika, a dash of salt, black pepper, and tumeric.  Kale sauce: 6 kale leaves, 1 garlic clove, salt, pepper, tumeric, cayenne pepper, lemon juice (one lemon), blended on high in Vita-mix until warm (about three minutes).  The kale sauce was good with the cheese sauce, but not alone.  It tasted too healthy and kale-ish.  I know it was very healthy, though, so I ate lots of it.

So much for brief!

Will I make this again?  [Drumroll please...] Yes!  Especially the tofu marinade and the teff puffs.  They were so interesting and cute and unique and tasty that they deserve a comeback.

Raw Cashew Cheesecake from VT

That looks like the Godzilla of forks sitting next to that petite cheese cake slice

From Vegetarian Times:

Raw Cashew Cheesecake

• 2 cups macadamia nuts
• 1 1/2 cups cashews
• 1/2 cup pitted Medjool dates
• 1/4 cup dried coconut
• 6 Tbs. coconut oil, melted (gently warmed)
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup raw agave nectar
• 1/2 sun-dried vanilla bean
• 3 cups mixed berries, such as blueberries and raspberries

1. Place macadamia nuts in large bowl, and cover with cold water. Place cashews in separate bowl, and cover with cold water. Soak nuts 4 hours, then rinse, drain, and set aside.
2. Pulse macadamia nuts and dates in food processor to a sticky crumb-like consistency. Sprinkle dried coconut on bottom of 8-inch pie pan. Press macadamia nut mixture onto coconut to make crust.
3. Place cashews, coconut oil, lime juice, agave nectar, and 6 Tbs. water in bowl of food processor. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into food processor bowl, and purée until smooth. Pour mixture onto crust, and freeze 1 to 2 hours, or until firm. Remove from freezer, slice while frozen, and transfer to serving platter. Defrost in fridge 1 hour, or on countertop 30 minutes; top with berries; and serve.

Crust after processing

I had to peek in the fridge for this photo because I forgot to take pictures.

Thumbprint Cookies

These cookies are worth writing home about!

This recipe comes from Oh She Glows (and she got the recipe from the Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan cookbook).

(Check her link for the recipe)

I could not for the life of me find Kamut flour so I used all purpose and spelt, heavier on the all-purpose. These spread quite a bit so if you're into small cookies (I am) then make very small balls and try to make the recipe yield to twenty cookies rather than the dozen that she suggests.

My best adaptation was finding this amazing fig jam stuff at Whole Foods to fill these little buggers.  The result was divine.  I also filled some with apricot-peach jam with equally amazing results.

You got that, right?  Divine!!!


I think I'll try these next time. (It's a "life-changing" vegan thumbprint cookie.)

Cabbage and Chickpea Soup

Today's soup came from a post on the Post Punk Kitchen blog this week.  It was delicious, and I just love when colors pop out of the pan before they cook down into a cohesive blended palette.

This soup tastes light yet is hardy.  The fresh dill added notes of tanginess against the milder flavors of the cabbage, onions, thyme, chickpeas, and rice.

I won't post the original recipe since I almost stuck to it completely this time.  I only adapted it by using brown rice and purple cabbage (instead of white rice and green cabbage).

Perfect for a cold winter day like today (got down to 56 degrees!).

Warm Quinoa Salad w/Pine Nut Miso Topping

This would be my attempt at food styling.  Clearly not my forte...yet!

The pine nut miso sauce on warms this salad enough to be enjoyed in the cold weather!  And it got kudos from the omni, who I have slowly taken with me to the dark side.  His palette is beginning to appreciate the subtleties of clean cuisine (as opposed to "needing" fat and high protein dishes to satisfy).

It's Simple (whatever has no measurement, add how much you would want):

Start 1 cup quinoa.  In a separate saute pan, lightly saute 1/2 chopped onion and 2 carrots over medium heat for just 2-3 minutes until shiny but not too soft.  Then add salt and pepper, a handful of cranberries and half of your green leafies (mine were a mixture of kale and chard, about four leaves) and half of your pine nuts.  Saute for another 3-5 minutes, stirring so everything is touched by the heat.   This preserves the crunchy freshness but also warms and softens it just enough.  Stir in chopped fresh parsley to taste. Add the remaining green leafies to the top, cover, turn off heat, and set aside.

In a small saucepan, warm 3 tablespoons of water on low.  Add 2 tablespoons of miso paste, the remaining pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste.  Add 1 date, chopped.  Cook on very low, stirring constantly, for several minutes.  If the mixture is too watery, add more miso or a little flour and cook for a few additional minutes.  This is best served warm over the dish so I kept mine on low, watching to make sure it did not boil.

Add quinoa to veggies, cook over medium for a few minutes, stirring the flavors together.  Serve topped with miso sauce.  Garnish with fresh parsley and black pepper.

My morning cup of joe. And by joe I mean oatmeal.

Okay, friends, just because my stomach is going to take three days (hopefully not more!) to recuperate from my sugar fest over the weekend, doesn't mean I will deprive myself of my morning coffee.

If you didn't see me decked out in my robe on Facebook this morning, this is the post for you.  Introducing my new look.  It's called "Wear My Husband's Robe Until My Guts Get Back to Normal".  I also call it "Shower Optional".

This cup, however, is my post-coffee smoothie.  See?

Because my stomach feels like it's going to hate me for a long time, I thought I'd treat it with a warm green smoothie.  If I had seen this recipe one year ago, I would have given it a big "No, Thank You".

The Weird Yet Very Soothing Warm Cup of Stuff That Has No Name

Blend:

1/2 cup rolled oats

2 tablespoons raisins

1 cup hot (not boiling) water

When it's smooth, add:

1 handful kale (I used the crinkly kind)

1 banana

1 pitted date

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1 dash of almond milk

Blend till smooth, enjoy warm.

That should do the trick to get my tummy on the mend.  

Holiday Baking. None of these are sugar free!

December, december, december.  If you are my blogger friend, you probably think I disappeared.  I haven't been commenting on your blog, I haven't been posting, and I have 500 posts in my Google Reader to catch up on.

But now I'm on vacation for two weeks so things should get a lot less hectic, aside from usual holiday stuff...

...like baking!

Over the weekend a non-vegan friend had a few of us over for a baking day.  I'll share my contributions to the day since none of their baked goods are vegan (uh--not even close!).  We all have a different approach to holiday baking.  The hostess has her list of regular, traditional things: thumbprint cookies, frosted sugar cookies, sprits.  My other friend who comes every year has her favorites (she's not a baker but she's perfected these after doing them each year): peanut butter cookies with a hershey kiss on top and mint frosted brownies.

I, on the other hand, bring something different every year, each time taking a risk that it will be a flop.  I've had about a 50% success rate in the past, but this year was a big success.

At my friend's request, I made these non-vegan caramels as we made these last year and they were a hit:

Gingerbread Caramels from Martha Stewart

Then, last night, I found a post about vegan caramels at Tale of Two Vegans:

They're vegan!  And very pretty!  I didn't know this was possible, but I'm definitely going to try these...soon!

We also made Peanut Butter Pillows from the PPK blog:

Hint: do not over-mix the filling or it will be too oily!  I don't think I'll make these part of my regular holiday baking routine...they are a bit oily for a cookie platter and don't hold up during transport very well.  These will be special occasion cookies, though, as everyone loves them.

Next up is Cranberry, Ginger and Pistachio Biscotti from VegNews:

See how it's dipped in the middle? That's because the initial baking was too short.  Just follow the directions and don't try to make it "better" like I did!  They will be fine.  Our first batch were awesome because we followed the directions.  These will be a regular part of our baking list for the future.

Lastly, Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles (say what?!?) from PPK:

It's almost like it can't decide what it is...chocolate, or snickerdoodle.  But they are yummy, have a great texture, and look awesome, with crackles like snickerdoodles and coated with sugar crystals.  Will definitely be making these again next year.  Maybe mixed up with some regular snickerdoodles for fun.

For the rest of my baking exploits this year I will try to add in some color variety...most likely white and yellow or light brown.  For some reason I just can't pass out plates with all dark brown stuff!

Ranting and raving about being vegan. And my dog. And my bra.

Saturday night, I went to gelato with my friend.  And I didn't buy gelato...I bought sorbet!

It was the first time, even since being vegan, that I visited our local gelato joint and remained dairy-free.  Real (milk) gelato simply did not sound good to me.

The friend I was with asked me if I eat dairy when I go out to eat, and I said no.  But honestly, this is a new thing for me.  Before I was more lenient because eating vegan out in the world can be a challenge.  However, the more I do it, the easier it becomes.  And the thought of eating something with butter or cheese is, well, gross.  It really just doesn't belong in my body anymore!

I did succumb to peer pressure on Friday night, however, as my husband's intoxicated co-worker practically cupcake raped me.  (If you saw it, you would understand).  One bite was enough to remind me how sensitive my pallet is to not only dairy but the crap that they put into refined cupcake mixes and pre-made frosting (I'm trying to keep my gag reflex at bay right now).

I was just telling my husband the other night that I can't believe I'm still a vegan.  I was sure when I started this diet that it would be a phase.  I go through a lot of phases, but this just feels so right.  It feels right like my Snuggie (yes, the 'as seen on TV' snuggie).  It feels right like the sweats my husband is begging me to throw away.  It feels right like the aroma that my dog's slobber leaves on my cheek for me to enjoy for the next hour...

[comes out of daydream state] Oh, um, yeah, vegan.

Just sayin'.  The longer I'm vegan, the more vegan I am.  Next time, I will be using some self-defense techniques before letting cupcake rapists get to me.

And FURTHERMORE...my husband is sick again with a cold (we have preschoolers at our house every day so we're exposed to a plethora of germs).  This is his second time being sick since I was last sick!  This has never happened before in the history of my being a preschool teacher.  Really, ever!  And when I was sick, it did not turn into a sinus infection.  This is a vegan miracle, considering I've never gotten even a small cold without it turning into all out sinusitis.

Go Vegan!

Okay, so I may have slipped due to being force-fed cupcake, but at least I'm not a dog trying to eat and wear a bra at the same time.

Bread, Pie, Beet salad, Kidney Bean Soup, and VP Update

Join me to catch up on this week's kitchen chaos...

The Vegan Project Update and Catching Up

...and it's good news!

His cholesterol levels are within the normal range now!  And he totally attributes it to the vegan diet (I'd estimate that 75% of his meals are vegan compared to 30% before I started cooking and blogging).  And this is without the exercise that his doctor suggested.  Diet alone brought down his hereditary high cholesterol.

Success!

Other than that, here is what I've been up to (and what I remembered to photograph) for the last 10 days:

 My best attempt at making cream by simmering down homemade almond milk were absolutely fruitless.  Without adding sugar, it's blander than bland.  Without fat, there's no cream potential in here.  I don't remember what I actually did with this but it looks like I added some saffron : )

Refridge Thai Curry was SO good!  I had kaffir lime leaves and all of the vegetables to make a rockin' curry.  I'm actually tempted to stop blogging and go make some.

 Appreciating the kodak moments during the cooking process.  This is your brain...this is your brain on a vegan diet...any questions???  Nature's gift of complexity.

 And age.  Or disease.  Lesson learned: don't judge a lemon by it's black dirty exterior.

 I have a great relationship with my pressure cooker now.  At first I was a bit bewildered and intimidated by it.  Now it knows I'm in charge.

 There's the thai curry.

 My mac and cheese from Vegan Yum Yum.  I added one sweet potato for extra vitamins.  I used the extra cheesy sauce as a dip the next day.  Delectable for this former cheese addict. 

After baking in the oven.  I thought it was good before and after baking, personally.

 A faux truffle from dates, walnuts, vanilla, and cocoa powder.  Rolled in toasted coconut.  Inspired by Ani Phyo's Chocolate Cake.  Good and pretty and can be rolled in anything to look cute.  But it's still made from dates and walnuts.

 A party in a cake!  If you're willing to eat sugar during this holiday season, check out the Ginger-Macadamia Nut-Coconut Carrot Cake from Vegan with a Vengeance.  Oh my wow.  Crowd pleaser and looks amazing!  I frosted it with her coconut frosting (loaded with sugar, and I felt sick the next day, literally like I had the flu). I brought it to a party and everyone loved it.  Would I eat it again and risk the sugar hangover?  I'll get back to you on that one.

 Dexter's menu is highly predictable and consistent.  Grain-free all meat kibble and whatever the kids drop at lunch time.

 Mitch waits, hopeful, that more food will magically appear in his bowl after he has emptied it.

***

Until next time...I'll try not to let ten days pass before my next post!