The Other Meat

This made me laugh!!!  Someone close to me mentioned that this might not be the anti-meat slogan I would want to use in certain countries..Some cultures like the taste of cats...

I have to start adding new entries into this blog...

! promise to add new entries..starting tomorrow!! heheheh 

Raw.....yum

I've been checking out the dishes offered this new raw restaurant called Nzyme.  http://nzyme.ca/menu
I'm totally in love with  The Pond Scum Pie! It is so delish!  So are the Kale chips. The chef is a self-taught young man who is oh-so-very passionate about raw food and very very knowledgeable and engaging... He will wax poetic about the health benefits of a raw diet.  I wonder if he feels this strongly about how this diet benefits animals and the earth also.  Regardless, he inspired me to try incorporating more raw foods into my diet.  I'm trying to perfect Kale chips...Mr Nzyme suggested I cut out the stem of the kale leaf...(he called it the heart of the leaf!), toss  the leaves in marinade and dehydrate in a dehydrator for 10 hours...The first marinade I tried was powerful and just an itsy bitsy too bold...It pretty much knocked me on my rear!!! I like bold and spicy flavours but I do like to be conscious and coherent as I eat... I'll keep trying and when I'm happy with the final result, I'll publish it ...

This recipe was given to me by my beautiful daughter...She got it from VebWeb (a great site!). http://vegweb.com/   It tastes like it's not good for you...like vegan junk food...Yum! I really love the textures in the dish....Tofu with a crispy coating and a soft chewy interior smothered in a smooth sauce...Yumx2.  I pressed the tofu first for about 1/2 hour to get rid of excess moisture....Enjoy...


General Tao's Tofu

Ingredients:

    1 (12 ounce) box firm tofu, in 1" cubes (frozen and thawed, if desired)
    1 egg equivalent (e.g., EnerG Egg Replacer), prepared
    3 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons water, divided
    3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided
    vegetable oil for frying + 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
    3 green onions, chopped
    1 tablespoon minced ginger
    1 tablespoon minced garlic
    2/3 cup vegetable stock
    1/4 cup granulated sugar
    2 tablespoons soy sauce
    1 tablespoon white vinegar
    1 tablespoon sherry, optional
    red pepper, to taste
    steamed broccoli, to serve

Directions:

1. Mix the egg replacer as specified on the box and add an additional 3 tablespoons water.  Dip tofu in egg replacer mixture and coat completely.  Sprinkle 3/4 cup cornstarch over tofu and coat completely.  Watch out that the cornstarch doesn't clump up at the bottom of the bowl.

2. Heat oil in pan and fry tofu pieces until golden. Drain oil. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in pan on medium heat.  Add green onions, ginger, and garlic; cook for about 2 minutes.  Be careful not to burn garlic. 

3. Add vegetable stock, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, sherry, and red pepper. 

4. Mix 2 tablespoons water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and pour into mixture stirring well.  Add fried tofu and coat evenly.

Serve immediately with steamed broccoli over your choice of rice.

Serves: 4, Preparation time: 30 Minutes

The Intimacy of the Table

by Henri Nouwen

The table is one of the most intimate places in our lives. It is there that we give ourselves to one another. When we say, "Take some more, let me serve you another plate, let me pour you another glass, don't be shy, enjoy it," we say a lot more than our words express. We invite our friends to become part of our lives. We want them to be nurtured by the same food and drink that nurture us. We desire communion. That is why a refusal to eat and drink what a host offers is so offensive. It feels like a rejection of an invitation to intimacy.

Strange as it may sound, the table is the place where we want to become food for one another. Every breakfast, lunch, or dinner can become a time of growing communion with one another.

I love this.....because it's so true.... 

This recipe below I've changed a bit...I upped the coriander to 3/4 tsp and the turmeric to 1/2 tsp...
It's yummy...

Last night, to celebrate Valentines Day, Meatless Monday and Veguary, I hosted a Vegan meal and invited a few of my carnivore friends...Kudos to the ones who showed up! Brave souls they were...not because they  they were game to try a meatless meal but they were also game to eat  my cooking..LOL!!

The meal turned out well both food-wise and fun-wise..I'm blessed and honoured to have such warm, wonderful people as friends and bonus...they all happen to be interesting people to boot!

The menu for last night included:

Appetizers:

Nachos with homemade guacamole and salsa

Entree:

Mexican Tortilla Bake

Fruit Salad

Cornbread

Dessert:

Vegan Brownies with Vegan Ice cream

Remember there no meat, cheese, eggs or milk in any of these dishes! Very easy, very homey, very casual and very relaxing...a perfect meal!

Recipes are below..Enjoy!

Moniquexox

Vegan Ice Cream

2 ½ cups of blueberries

1 ½ cups of filtered cold water or coconut milk (coconut milk gives it a richer taste but has less of a colour punch)

½ cup agave nectar or maple syrup

2 Tbsps liquid non hydrogenated coconut milk

1.   Combine 1 ½ cups of coconut milk or water with 1 cup of blueberries and sweetener in a food processor or blender. Process for 1 minute. While machine is running, pour in the coconut milk and coconut oil in a steady stream.

2.   Cool mixture in freezer for 30 minutes before pouring into ice cream maker. Process as per your ice cream maker’s directions. Freeze until firm, about 3-6 hours.

Makes 5 1/2 cups

I’m in the process of giving up eggs.  It's hard....Eggs seem to be in everything.... I love egg salad sandwiches though.

This is a concoction I came up with using different recipes and experimenting …

 Missing Egg Salad Sandwich Spread

Take one 1 pkg of firm tofu…the pkgs you see with the fake meat products in the produce section of the grocery store….and crumble into small chunks…Throw  tofu into a  pan and fry using a bit of oil…Mix in  ½ tsp of cumin, ½ tsp of turmeric, ¼ tsp garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste…Stir fry tofu until crispy-ish…You may have to scrape bottom of pan often…(these scrapings are delicious and add crunch) ..

Remove from heat, cool a bit then mix in 2-3 Tablespoons of vegan mayonnaise and Voila! You have a very tasty sandwich filling!

When I add the mayo, I toss in finely diced celery, chopped green onion and diced tomatoes…

You can experiment too and create you own delishy-ness…!!!!
Enjoy!!! 
Mxox

Yeah Oprah! (sort of)

Yesterday, a dear friend informed me Oprah was airing an episode  about Veganism. I'm not fond of TV and  rarely watch it but she knew I'd be interested in this. This particular episode was about a Vegan challenge Oprah and 378 staffers participated in for a week.  They all agreed to eat a Vegan diet for a week....no meat, no cheese, no eggs, no milk...There were two guests on the show... a woman, Kelly Freston who authored the book, Veganist (which is a book I have to read) and Michael Pollan, who has written The Omnivore's Dilemma plus several other books.  Ms Freston is a very healthy looking, gorgeous Vegan and is all about being Vegan and following a Vegan diet......Mr Pollan is a meat eater...He claims he eats meat twice a week...which surprises me given the fact he writes extensively about the negative impact and consequences of a meat based diet on individuals, on society and the earth's environment ...He's fully aware how meat eating impacts the environment and our health. He has been inside numerous slaughter houses...   How can he still consume meat? How does he reconcile this with what he knows? He quoted "75% of health costs in the US is spent on chronic diseases linked to a meat based diet"...Mr Pollan comes across as a  warm, witty, intelligent person.  I was a little shocked and somewhat disappointed that Mr Pollan, with all that he knows, continues to be a  carnivore...Maybe I should read his book also...

M xox


This dish is easy to make and tasty.  I added ½ tsp of red pepper flakes to the sauce to give it some zip. I also added cooked, squeezed-dry, chopped spinach to the sauce for added veggy goodness. This can be made ahead! Cover and refrigerate before baking up to a day. Cover and bake in oven for about 30 minutes or until hot throughout…I substituted the cheese with vegan cheese and the cheese tortellini for squash, mushroom or spinach filled tortellini to make this dish vegan.  Enjoy!

TOMATO AND CHEESE BAKED BELLY BUTTONS

1 Pkg (500g) cheese tortellini

2 tsp olive oil

1 small zucchini, grated

1 small carrot, grated

Half red pepper, finely chopped

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups of tomato basil pasta sauce

Half pkg (500g) fresh ricotta cheese (about 1 cup) optional

1 cup of shredded pizza cheese (a mixture of mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan etc)

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook tortellini for about 8 minutes or until tender but firm. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and drain tortellini and return to pot.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat and cook zucchini, carrot, red pepper, oregano, basil, salt and pepper stirring with wooden spoon until vegetables are softened. Pour in pasta sauce and reserved cooking water and bring to boil. Pour over tortellini and stir well to combine.

Scrape tortellini mixture into 10-cup greased casserole dish. Using a tablespoon, dollop the ricotta (if using) on top of the tortellini, mix in a bit then sprinkle with pizza cheese.

Cover and bake in a 375F preheated oven for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and tortellini is hot.

Take cover off for last 5 or 10 minutes to brown the top…

Today is the first of Veguary

Veg•u•ary (noun): Veguary refers to the second month of the year, in which those enthusiastic about fighting global warming, improving their health, or making a positive difference in the world commit to reducing or eliminating their meat intake.

www.veguary.org

How cool is this? A small group of committed vegs hoping to reduce meat intake by dedicating a month to a veg lifestyle...This is their second year doing this...I love this grass roots kind of stuff...It's so sincere and folksy...
This is another great site with the idea of encouraging people to make Monday meals meatless. 

www.meatlessmonday.com

I did post both these sites on my Facebook page and I emailed my family and friends links. I'm worried that I will come off as preachy or pushy...I think people  get turned off by that type of behavior..But how do you get others to rethink eating meat? How does one promote Veggyness without coming off as a jerk? I hoping my "lead by example" strategy works. By passing this Veg info along, I may have crossed that  self-righteous soapbox line... People can be so sensitive about this topic...I don't want to alienate people with attitude...I want them to willingly come over to the "Dark Side" ...lol...

Thanks for reading..
M xox

This curry is delicious and quick to prepare... For the lemongrass, I bought a stalk and smashed it before I added  it to the curry.. I don't see why you couldn't add cauliflower pieces, or green peas, or diced firm tofu...I served it over brown rice...Yum!  Enjoy...

Thai-Style Vegetable Curry

 
Ingredients:

1 large bunch broccoli
2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 cups coconut milk
2 Tbs. tamari soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. dried lemongrass, finely ground
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. ground coriander seeds
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas

Directions:

1. Cut florets from the broccoli stalks and cut each floret so that the top measures about 1 inch across; peel off the outer skin of the stalks and cut into 1/2-inch dice; set aside.
2. Heat 1 Tbs. of water in a large pot (hint: using a pressure cooker will take half the time); cook garlic over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, lemongrass, dried basil, spices, red pepper flakes, reserved broccoli stalks, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms.
4. Over high heat, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally; reduce heat, cover, and cook until sweet potatoes are tender (about 10 minutes).
5. Stir in the broccoli florets and chickpeas; replace the lid and cook over medium heat until broccoli is tender-crisp (about 5 mintues).