Cookbook Review: Cooking the Natural Way

I feel like I am forever cooking.  While I enjoy the task, there are (a lot of) times when I lose inspiration and cannot come up with meals to prep. 

My favorite way to pique my interests again is to go through cookbooks.  I have a few that I reach for quite a bit.  I like to keep weekday meal preparations to a minimum, so I do plan ahead.  I pick 3-5 items for the week that I make a list and shop for all at once.  That way, I am not running out to the store last minute.  All the ingredients are on hand. 

All of the cooking I do is Vegetarian and a lot of times Vegan, which usually comes down to omitting the cheese in a recipe or we will serve it on the side.  Here are three of my favorite cookbooks:

True Food Seasonal, Sustainable, Simple, Pure (2012) by Andrew Weil MD and Sam Fox with Michael Stebner.   This book was written by the creators of True Food Kitchen restaurants.  The recipes span from breakfast to desserts. The focus is healthy eating at home. Throughout the book are short essays discussing food habits, cooking tips, proper portions and seasonally cooking. There are several recipes we enjoy. We love the Asian Cauliflower recipe.  This can be a great side dish or served over brown rice (which is what we do) for a complete meal. Another favorite is the Fettucine with Kale Pesto.  It is so simple to make and so delicious.  True Food is not a vegetarian cookbook, there are several seafood and poultry recipes as well.

Super Natural Cooking, five ways to incorporate whole and natural ingredients into your cooking(2007) by Heidi Swanson is another go to for healthy, clean cooking.  This cookbook is written by a popular healthy eating blogger.  She helps the reader transform their pantry. The photos in this book are so vibrant and soothing.  Food in its truest form.  She suggests ways to move toward a whole-grain, whole foods healthier way of eating, without being too preachy.  She has been featured in the Washington Post, Vegetarian Times Magazine and on NPR.com.  The Sprouted Garbanzo Burgers are amazing and can be made gluten-free if you use GF bread to make bread crumbs.  But the burger actually becomes the bun and you put your fillings inside.  Chunky Lentil Soup is a tasty cold weather meal.  Not only does this contain protein filled lentils, it also has butternut squash.  It is so hearty and filling.  Perfect meal when paired with a green salad. She also has some great breakfast ideas and a tasty Power Bar recipe. 

Lucky Peach presents Power Vegetables! (2016) by Peter Meehan and the editors of Lucky Peach  This has an ”in your face” kind of feel to cooking with vegetables. Some of you might be familiar with the Lucky Peach magazine or newsletter.   The text and recipes are very powerful.  This is a cookbook that makes vegetables the center of the meal.  The photos are vibrant and energetic.  It is very inspiring and makes you say, “YES!!” I can do this!  I have only had this book for a few weeks, but I have made the Ribollita (bean soup) and it was easy and quick when you use canned beans.  The Falafel recipe is my next goal.  With only 8 ingredients, it seems like a pretty easy recipe to make.  This is a great cookbook for Meatless Mondays!  You will not leave the table hungry.

DIY Advent-ure

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us and the Christmas tree is up, we had some time for a DIY project.  This simple and fun Advent Calendar is a great project to do with the kids or on your own. The best part of this is you only need to make 12 days worth. We used chalk to write the days, so once you use one cone, you can wipe off and use it for another day later.  You could actually do 6 or 7 if you are really pinched for time. We went with pink and gold to give it a vintage feel. But, you can customize to match your color scheme.
All the items were purchased at Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts.  Everything was on sale for 60% off and when you sign up for emails or texts, you will receive more coupons for discounts.

Supplies:  Paper Mache cones (we used 2 sizes), for the gifts

                 Wooden shapes ( we used ornaments), for the days
                 Acrylic paints (we used 3 colors, plus one sparkly paint to give the small cones a shimmer)
                 Chalk board paint
                 Chalk
                 Bakers twine and jute rope(we had in our craft stash)

1. Begin by painting  inside of the cones, let dry.  
2. Paint the outside, let dry and repeat. We put 2 coats, plus the shimmer coat.  
3. Paint the wooden shapes however you desire. Do not forget to paint the space with chalkboard paint for the numbers. ( we used pink matte acrylic paint on some of the numbers and the chalk wipes off just fine)
4. Once all is dry you can assemble.  Punch a small hole in the front and back of the cone and slip the small string through the holes to create a handle, add wooden shape and tie in a knot.  Please make sure you  punch the holes in the front and back so you can slide it on the rope for hanging.  We decided to make 2 rows just so we can hang it on our small shelves, but you could do one long one if you prefer.

We used 3M Command strips and hangers to attach to the shelves, so they are easy to remove when the count down is over.
December 1st cannot come soon enough!

Some small gift ideas:  a small ornament for the tree, nail polish, stickers, a note of kindness or a challenge to do a random act of kindness to someone, lip balm, craft supplies. coupon for a hot chocolate or ice cream, small wrapped chocolates or a candy cane, small jewelry or charms, small toys, buttons or pins, patches, keychain or power sticks.
                                     

Thanksgiving On the Side

To most thanksgiving day cooks, roasting the perfect turkey and making the most delicious gravy are the key to a successful celebration. But, because we are vegetarians, showing up to the table with the perfect sides is our goal. When our guests are talking about the vegetables and stuffing as much as the Turkey, we know we won. Besides the mashed potatoes, cranberries, homemade applesauce and salads, the stuffing and corn and winter squash dishes are our family’s favorites. We have yet to find another dish that surpasses the flavors of these two dishes.

The first side dish that we cannot seem to live without on the thanksgiving table is Corn and Winter Squash with Spinach.  This recipe has been adapted from a  Bon Appetit recipe from 1998. The original included bacon and cooking the vegetables in the bacon grease, I changed that and cook the vegetables in olive oil.  This year we added Brussel Sprouts!

Our Country-Bread Stuffing with Vegetables was adapted from a recipe in Bon Appetit Magazine from 2001. The original recipe calls for pine nuts, and since we have a family member that has a nut allergy, we have omitted the nuts from the recipe. I have included the pine nuts and a few other add in possibilities to the end of the recipe (see below).

 Corn and Winter Squash with Spinach Recipe:

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 ½ pounds of butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into ⅓ inch pieces
2 cups Brussel sprouts, cleaned and halved

9 ounces of baby spinach leaves (about 1 ½ bags)

16 ounce package frozen corn, thawed

6 tablespoons of chopped, fresh basil

Saute onions, squash and brussel sprouts in olive oil over medium heat until squash is tender, about 12 minutes.  Add spinach and corn and toss until spinach wilts and corn is heated through, about five minutes.  Stir in basil, season with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl and serve.  Option with bacon: omit olive oil, cook nine slices of bacon until crisp about 10 minutes and then add the onions, brussel sprouts and squash, then continue as above.

 Country-Bread Stuffing With Parmesan and Vegetables

Recipe:

2 14.5-ounce loaves country style white or whole wheat sourdough bread, crusts trimmed, bread cut into ¾ inch pieces (about 16 cups)

8 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ cups freshly graded parmesan cheese (can be omitted)

¼ cup (½ stick) butter

2 very large red onions, coarsely chopped 

31/2 cups coarsely chopped celery

2 large red bell peppers, coarsely chopped

8 garlic cloves, chopped

4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

4 teaspoons dried oregano

½ to ¾ cup thinly sliced fresh basil

4 large eggs, beaten

Canned low salt vegetable broth

Optional: ¾ cup raisins 

                                  ¾ cup pine nuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place half of bread pieces in large bowl, add three tablespoons oil and toss to coat.  Optional: add half a cup of parmesan cheese and toss.  Spread bread in single layer on one prepared sheet, repeat above steps with remaining bread and spread on second sheet.  Bake bread until golden, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Cool on sheets, transfer to a large bowl.  

Melt a quarter cup of butter with the remaining two tablespoons of oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onions, celery, and bell peppers, saute for about 15 minutes.  Add chopped garlic, rosemary, and oregano; stir one minute.  If using add in raisins and pine nuts, stir two minutes. Transfer that to bowl with the bread, stir half a cup of basil and remaining parmesan into stuffing. Season generously with salt and pepper.  Mix eggs into stuffing.  

To bake stuffing in dish:

Spread mixture into buttered 15x10x2 inch baking dish,  add ¾ to 1 ¼ cups of vegetable broth throughout.  Cover with buttered foil and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.  Towards the end, remove foil for crisp, browned edges.  Sprinkle on remaining basil and serve.

Bahn Mi - My Way

We love Bahn Mi.  Recently, our favorite tofu Bahn Mi was removed from the menu at one of our go-to lunch spots, we were determined to create our own version.  A Bahn Mi sandwich is a vietnamese sandwich with french influence as a result of their colonization in Indochina.  Vietnamese ingredients meet french ingredients such as the baguette to create the perfect sandwich.   It's a simple recipe, perfect for lunch or a casual dinner with just a bit of preparation.   Scroll down to view the recipe!

Recipe: Makes Two

Extra Firm Tofu

Thinly Sliced Cucumbers

Red Onion

Carrot Ribbons - Slice Thinly Lengthwise using Vegetable Peeler

Red Pepper

Brown Rice Vinegar

French Baguette

Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

Garlic Cilantro Mayonnaise

Drain the tofu, then let it sit wrapped in a paper towel or clean cloth to absorb liquid for about 30-45 minutes.  Meanwhile prepare vegetables, "pickle" the carrots in a ½ cup of brown rice vinegar in a shallow bowl.  Add in onion slices and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Make sure to stir the vegetables in order to coat them with the vinegar.  Let sit until tofu is out of the oven.  Slice 8-10 cucumber slices, and thinly slice red pepper into strips. 

  Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Slice tofu into 9-12 rectangular pieces and lay on a cookie tray.  Bake for 25-35 minutes until golden brown, and a little dry.  

Prepare Mayonnaise:

¼ cup of Veganaise Mayo

¼ Teaspoon of garlic powder or ½ clove minced

1 Tablespoon Dried Cilantro or 2 Tablespoons Fresh Minced Cilantro

Combine in a small bowl and let sit.

For the last couple minutes that the tofu is baking slice baguette into desired portions, then slice horizontally.   Place the slices in the oven on the top rack and toast lightly.  Remove tofu and bread from the oven.

To Assemble:

Spread mayonnaise on both sides of the bread.  Layer four pieces of tofu on each sandwich and add vegetables.  Additional topping may include: jalapeño slices, fresh cilantro, or even avocado.  Pair with fresh fruit and your favorite chip.  

Dee-Corum: Beep Beep

Beep Beep, Toot Toot.  Should I ever run for office, my first legislation will be to draft a bill making it mandatory for car manufacturers to make all cars with horns that have a maximum 500 ‘beeps’.   After that, it’s $1.00 per beep if you want more.  That’s right, 500 beeps – that’s all you get.  Here’s why …  

Somehow, in our modern society, the car horn has become less a way of communicating a dangerous situation and more a way of communicating “OUTTA MY WAY!”  It is a loud and mostly unnecessary sound that plagues those of us who choose to live in urban areas.  Light changes.  Horn beeps.  Light change.  Horn beeps.  No pause to allow the person to move the foot from brake to gas – just BEEP! 

Rather than honking off all those around you, how about counting to 3? When the light changes, just count to 3.  I’ll bet we all still get where we’re going with a lot less noise.

Toot toot!

Sipping on Fall: Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Yes, we admit it.  We are those people, the pumpkin spice crazed ones.  It starts with pumpkin butter and then suddenly, half of our diet is orange.  This Pumpkin Pie smoothie is a quick way to curb those Pumpkin Pie cravings.  Roasted pumpkin creates a smooth, and creamy base while also bringing an abundance of fall flavor.   Preparing the roasted pumpkin ahead of time gives you the ability to have pumpkin pie at your fingertips. See the Recipe below. 

Recipe:

Red Kuri Squash - Roasted then Frozen

1 Frozen Banana

1 Pitted Date

2 Tablespoons of Justin's Honey Almond Butter

½ Teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice

8 oz Milk of Your Choice or Water (more or less depending on your preference) 

To Roast the Pumpkin:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice squash in half, then into quarters.  Place on a roasting pan and cook for about an hour, or until tender.  If squash appearing to be browning place foil over top of pan.  Remove from oven and once cooled peel the skin. Then, separate into smaller portions (we split it into four), place into freezer proof storage container and freeze until ready to use.  

To make the Smoothie: Place all ingredients in blender with frozen squash and banana, blend until smooth.  We topped it with a drizzle of honey and some extra pumpkin pie spice.  

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How to Create the Ultimate Ghoulish Gathering Spot

Halloween is in T-4 days and you've volunteered to host all the neighborhood kids for a mid trick or treat snack break.  We created an entire treat table with inexpensive goodies from Target, a few treats from Williams Sonoma and the rest is from our own collection of decor.  The secret to a great tablescape is layering, we started with cobwebs and tulle to create a smoky, haunted scene.

Throw in your favorite age-appropriate beverages, like blood orange soda and equally creepy iced pumpkin matcha, green slime anyone?  We are obsessed with paper straws, they are a great addition to any beverage station.  Target always has new colors and designs for the season.  The tulle, faux leather banner, and embellished clothes pins are all from target's dollar section.  The skeleton cookie came in a bag of assorted bones, that you can put together or eat separately.  A fun activity would be to team up and build a skeleton from the bag of bones, everyone wins in this fun activity as you can eat your way through the process.  Skeleton cookies, character picks, chocolates, and caramel apple kit (see recipe here) are all from Williams Sonoma.  We combined spooky themed candies with full sized candy bars to create a ghoulish gathering for the little neighborhood goblins. 

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