Real Food Update

I haven't had time made time to post - life is busy! I'm always amazed at the food blogs that come replete with photos for each step. I can't fathom the time involved.  But, I did manage to remember to snap a few shots of different things and thought I'd at least throw those up so that I can remember what I've been making (thank god for phone cameras). :)

For hubby's birthday - Choco-Mocha Cupcakes with Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting ... mmmmm.  At least so they tell me. I did not make these gluten-free (purposefully - I didn't want to eat one or eight of them).  The frosting was GF and very, very tasty.

                                  

Very tasty Gluten-free bread!  This is made from a major mix of flours - I've worked and tweaked this recipe and am happy with the result.  I don't eat a lot of any kind of bread, but it's nice now and then to have a slice. I've been contemplating moving over to making this the main only bread in the house as I don't think gluten is particularly healthy.  And why not serve a bread that's made from organic, whole grains and is gluten-free?  The main answer? This is an expensive bread.  Whole wheat is much, much cheaper. Even organic. But we don't eat much bread so maybe it's worth it.... Literally, food for thought.

Mushroom-Walnut Roast (this is not a good picture - it's yummy & actually looks pretty IRL)  I made four or five of these and now have them in the freezer. They are good, everyone eats them (some without realizing there are mushrooms involved), and I had a ton of mushrooms. I actually think this recipe would be super good as burgers. May be to try it in the future.

Quick'n'Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Last night I was craving something a little sweet - rather unusual for me as I tend to go for salty. I didn't want to break the bank on calories and fat, however, and I didn't want to spend a lot of time mixing and waiting for my precious treat to bake. Quick search and voila! I found a recipe on My Vegan Cookbook for Low Fat Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies. It looked promising.  I decided to adapt it to a gluten-free cookie, and sadly I had to increase the fat because I am out of applesauce.  Other than those minor changes, I kept the recipe the same.

W-O-W. Yummy. I'm not kidding, these are good. My husband and I ate the entire first batch. (Note: I do not recommend this form of gluttony, I only admit to doing it myself.) Give them a try - they require very few ingredients and are super quick. And as cookies go, they aren't loaded with lots of bad stuff.  (But they are still cookies, so I won't say they are "healthy.") I made a batch this morning for my girls and the girls were in heaven.
  
Quick'n'Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable or palm oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

  Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Dump all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
3. Stir with a wooden spoon or a wooden fork. Mix very well until all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Scoop dough with tablespoon and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
5. Using a fork, press down and make the traditional crisscross pattern on the top of the cookies. You should get about 15 - 18 cookies.
6. Bake for about 8 minutes. Cookies will be very soft. Allow to sit on hot cookie sheet for another 5 to 10 minutes until firm. 

Enjoy!

Notes:

1. You can substitute 1 tablespoon of applesauce for 1 tablespoon of oil to reduce the fat. 
2. I think you could successfully substitute another nut or seed butter for a fabulous cookie!
3. The combination of dark brown sugar and buckwheat flour makes for a seriously dark cookie - don't let this scare you. The taste is divine.  

Real Review - 6/6
Self:  "Okay - I'm in heaven. A gluten-free cookie I want to eat."
The Spouse: "Mm. This is my batch. Where's yours?"
The Sous-Chef: "Mommy! These are so good! Can I have two more?"
The D.Q.: "YUM."
Miss U.N.: "These are really good!"
Wild Thing: "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."

Wild Mushroom and Spinach 'Frittata'

I went to an auction on Saturday evening and bought a few (okay, a dozen) raffle tickets - I promptly stuck every single one into the jar for the HUGE basket of wild mushrooms*. I wish I had taken a picture of the basket.  There were actually two baskets, and the other winner is a single woman. After we got home and I started to unload the basket, I began to wonder if winning was such a good thing after all - and I seriously became curious as to what the single gal was going to do with so many mushrooms when I was struggling to figure it out with a family of six voracious eaters.  As I unloaded the basket they kept coming and coming - it was like the bottomless bag in Mary Poppins. I imagine many mushroom posts coming up....

But mushrooms are one of my favorite things. Not only are they tasty both raw and cooked, they are full of wonderful nutrients and minerals and are, in my humble opinion, one of nature's best medicines. A good source of B vitamins, mushrooms also have important things like zinc, selenium and copper (which I just find amazing). I listened to a lecture a few years ago given by a mycologist and was impressed to learn that mushrooms are antioxidant champions and immune system mega-boosters.  Mushrooms are also great for our planet and serve as our housekeepers, cleaning the soil. I love mushrooms.  And I love mycologists - I think anyone that studies fungus must be an interesting character.

*Unless you really know what you are doing, don't pick your own mushrooms! And if you obtain wild mushrooms, be sure they come from someone that really knows their stuff - there are many mushrooms that are poisonous to humans. 

Wild Mushroom and Spinach Frittata (with extra mushrooms on top)

Ingredients:

• Mushrooms, chopped (I didn't measure - I chopped approximately 3 or 4 cups for the frittata), and more mushrooms for topping (I would estimate 2 cups chopped)
• Bell pepper, chopped (I used 1 large)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (reserve about 1 tsp for the toppping)
• 1/4 cup minced chives, plus extra for topping
• one "bunch" fresh spinach (I didn't measure this either - it came from the garden), chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 packages firm silken tofu (Mori-Nu)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch or potato starch
• 1 Tbsp tahini
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil an 11x7 baking dish.
2. Splash some water in a skillet and add the garlic, bell peppers, and mushrooms over medium-high until the mushrooms start to release their juice.  Stir in the chives, pepper, and the rosemary. Add the chopped spinach. Once well mixed, cover and remove pan from heat (the spinach will wilt). Allow to cool somewhat.
3. Except for the garlic and mushrooms reserved for the topping, add everything else to your blender.*  Process in the blender until very smooth and creamy.  Add this mixture to the mushroom mix and stir well. 
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
5. In the same skillet, heat a little olive oil or water. Add the reserved mushrooms and garlic. Cook until the mushrooms release their juice. Add the chives and mix well. Spoon this mixture over the top of the frittata.
6. Place pan in oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350. Bake for another 35-45 minutes (begin to check around the 30 minute mark) or until frittata is firm in center and a knife inserted comes away relatively clean.
7. Remove and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. This can be served at room temperature or even chilled.

Notes:

1. *For the blender, I use a Vitamix. If you don't have a high-powered blender your mixture may not be as creamy and smooth. 
2. This recipe serves six, but only if you have plenty of side dishes. If you are only serving it with a simple salad, double it.
3. You can easily add in different veggies - I think asparagus would be delicious in this and when it's in season I make try it. 
4. You can also make this in muffin tins, a pie pan, a 9x13 .... just bake until a knife comes out relatively clean and frittata looks firm. 

Real Review - 5/6
Self:  "Mmmmm."
The Spouse: "Mhmm. Why didn't you make more?"
The Sous-Chef: "Delicious!"
The D.Q.: "I won't try it." (I rarely let my kids get away with this, but in DQ's case, she really can't stand mushrooms. Yet....)
Miss U.N.: "This is good!"
Wild Thing: "I like it - why didn't you give me more?"

Frosted Mini Pumpkin Muffins

My girls attended a Harry Potter Potluck, and of course each one wanted to bring something different - and elaborate (i.e., not suitable for travel by car).  These muffins were one of the items.  While these are certainly not an everyday item, they look cute and make a great addition to a brunch menu (or Harry Potter menu as they go nicely with Pumpkin Juice).  This recipe is inspired by the recipe for pumpkin muffins in Vegan With a Vengeance with only a few changes.  Please not that the recipe below is NOT gluten-free, but these are easily made gluten-free by following the GF suggestion in the notes.

Frosted Mini Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground all spice
• heaping 1/8 tsp ground cloves (I love clove, and I use freshly ground but if you aren't as big of a cloves fan use less)
• 1 packed cup cooked pumpkin
• 1/2 cup nondairy milk or creamer
• 1/2 applesauce
• 2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place liners in a mini muffin tin (this recipe make about 3 dozen mini muffins). 
2. Sift or whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In a different bowl (or large measuring cup), whisk together the wet ingredients.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until well combined.
5. Using a tablespoon, fill the mini muffin tin (fill to just below the top).
6. Bake for about 15 - 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting  
Basic frosting is easy to make - it's a matter of ratios. For this frosting, use a 1:1 ratio of vegan margarine and vegan cream cheese, and a 1:8 ratio of the margarine to sugar. Add some vanilla extract to taste and a splash of soymilk/creamer if it seems to thick. When you make different types of frostings you simple change the ratios (and usually use shortening instead of cream cheese).  I've been making frosting for years without a recipe, but if it helps here is one based on a recipe in the back of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegan margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powedered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Cream together the margarine and cream cheese until just combined. Beat this while slowly adding powdered sugar in small amounts. Mix only until smooth and creamy. Add in vanilla. Store in fridge until ready to use it.
   

Notes:

1. To make these pretty, using a star attachment place on one frosting star in the center of each muffin and several around the top to cover the tops of the muffins. Place a raw (green) pumpkin seed on each center star.
2. To make these gluten-free, you can substitute the flour exactly but add 1 tsp of xanthan gum or other binder.

Real Review - 6/6
Self:  "Well, I didn't get any this time around because they aren't gluten-free, and that's probably a good thing because I would eat the whole batch if they were."
The Spouse: "Mhmm. I think I need to sample one or ten more..."
The Sous-Chef: "These are SO good."
The D.Q.: "Pumpkin muffins rock! Can we have these for breakfast?"
Miss U.N.: "MMMMMMM.  I love pumpkin."
Wild Thing: "I love frosting! Can I have extra frosting? These are my favorite."

Sprouted Bean Salad

Photo from: truroots.com

Costco is not one of my favorite places. However, they do occasionally come through for me - 3-packs of organic soy milk, 3-pounds of organic sugar ... and now an organic, sprouted 3-bean trio. These are fabulous - you can cook them VERY quickly, or you can soak them and make raw dishes (I've tried a variety of raw spreads).  We've had these for some time, but tonight I made something different. My hands were tied - we didn't have any greens in the fridge and while our kale, spinach and chard are starting to grow nicely I didn't have time to cut and wash enough for salad as dinner was about done. So I turned to a different kind of salad - bean salad.  This is probably one of the easiest dishes and could easily be a main dish if doubled or tripled.  I would have added more to it but I was short on time.  As a side dish, it actually was preferred over the main dish by several family members. 

Easy Sprouted Bean Salad

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup dry beans (Tru Roots Organic 3-Bean Mix)
• 1 cucumber
• 1/2 an onion, diced OR several green onions (tops and all) diced
• 1/2 cup chopped herbs (I used parsley as that's what I had)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• juice of one lemon
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• 1 - 2 tsp sugar or agave nectar

Directions:

1. Cook beans - ratio is 3:1; combine in a pot, bring to a boil; cover and simmer on low-medium heat for about 5 minutes; remove from heat and let sit for at least 10 minutes; drain
2. Rinse beans under cold water until they are cool or at least room temperature
3. Place diced cucumber and onion, herbs and beans in a bowl and mix well
4. Add the cumin and lemon juice
5. Drizzle in olive oil and stir - add salt, pepper (both to taste) and sugar
6. Mix well - serve immediately or refrigerate and serve when ready
7. Enjoy!

Notes:

1. You could make this raw by soaking the beans ahead of time - when they are tender prepare as above.   Just be sure to rinse thoroughly after soaking.
2. Add or subtract anything from this dish - I was going to add celery but ours had turned very soft and wasn't crunchy enough for salad. I also think chickpeas would be excellent in this dish. 
3. This served my family of 6 as a side dish with about 1.5 cups leftover for lunch tomorrow. I would estimate serves 6 as a side dish or 3-4 as a main dish, although so much depends on the size of the veggies one uses... If I were eating this for my one-and-only dish I would then say serves 2-3. 

Real Review - 6/6
Self:  "Hey, this is good. Good!"
The Spouse: "Mhmm. This would be even better on a hot day."
The Sous-Chef: "I think this is spicy, but I really like it." (She thinks it's spicy because the onion was pretty strong.)
The D.Q.: "I like this (pointing to the main dish), but THIS (pointing to the bean salad) is my favorite!"
Miss U.N.: "Mommy. I really like this - can we have this for lunch?"
Wild Thing: "I think this is spicy, too. Can I have more?"

Broccoli Melt Down

Okay, this recipe is "da bomb." I'm not kidding. It's right up there for me with my favorite kale and nutritional yeast salad combo. Which means I feel like dying a happy death with every bite. It's that good. I don't have a photo because the stuff literally vanished from the massive bowl last night. I can promise we will have this often at my house, so when possible I will snap a pic.  I adapted this recipe from Brendan Brazier's Thrive Foods book. (By the way, this is my favorite Brazier book yet - great, great info and delicious recipes. Totally worth the $13.) I process the ingredients differently, use a few different ingredients, and changed the quantities. But that is where this deliciousness originated.

Broccoli Melt Down

Ingredients:

• 2 large heads broccoli, cleaned and cut into large chunks
• 1/8 cup + 1 TBSP nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 + 1 TBSP cup tahini (I use raw to keep this dish raw, but you can use regular)
• 1 tsp light miso
• 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 TBSP + 1 tsp coconut oil (in liquid form, so if it's hard you'll need to melt it)
• 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• a drop of agave nectar

Directions:

1. In batches, run the broccoli through the food processor, pulsing to obtain small pieces. You want them to be small enough that you'll be scooping them up with a spoon as you eat, but still have the crunch. So don't make broccoli mash!  =D
2. Place all of the broccoli in a large mixing or serving bowl.
3. Place the rest of the ingredients in your Vitamix and process until you get a thick, creamy sauce.
4. Pour the sauce over the broccoli (you'll have to scrape the sides with a spatula).
5. Mix the sauce & broccoli mixture well so that every piece is evenly coated.
6. Enjoy each amazing bite!

Notes:

1. You want to end up with around 8 cups of broccoli - the heads I used were massive. If you use smaller heads, you'll need more. 
2. If you don't have a blender you can stir very, very well with a whisk. Just add the dry ingredients first and mix. Then add the wet ingredients, adding water little by little until you arrive at desired consistency.

Real Review - 6/6
Self:  "OH. MY. GOODNESS."
The Spouse: "Uh, this is amazing. Where's the big bowl?"
The Sous-Chef: "Mhmmm. This is awesome!"
The D.Q.: "Can I have a bigger bowl?"
Miss U.N.: "Mmmm. Why isn't there more?"
Wild Thing: "Mhmm. Good! Very good!"

Carrot-Tofu Scramble

Photo MIA due to missing camera

The most frequently asked questions I receive involve tofu - Do we eat a lot of tofu? Isn't soy bad for you? Isn't soy great for you? Isn't tofu disgusting? How do you get your kids to eat tofu?  How do you get your husband to eat tofu? ... And so on, and so on, and so on. 

The reality is, we don't eat that much tofu. Or soy products in general, for that matter. I wouldn't say we abstain from soy by any means, but I feel that buying organic, non-GMO tofu and eating it a few times a month is acceptable. From what I've read, most of the negative soy information has to do more with isolates and modified soy protein rather than whole, organic soy beans and tofu. And the health benefits of tofu are numerous: high in healthy protein, Omega-3s, selenium, iron and maganese (to name a few). We still don't eat it that often as I typically center our meals around vegetables, but it makes for a nice change now and again!

My girls will actually eat firm tofu plain (which is great when I'm running late and don't have time to do much), and we all love the Chinese sun-dried tofu any way you slice it - raw, cooked, grilled, you name it. Yum! But the all-time family favorite is Carrot-Tofu Scramble. This meal is my go-to dish for busy weeknights. I liken it to a S.A.D. family's mac-n-cheese (but so much better for you and your little ones). This recipe is actually a double order (please note, my children are like ravenous wolves and eat everything in sight - your recipe may actually go a bit farther, or if you are cooking for fewer people simply use half the amount of the ingredients and watch the cooking times). I've adapted this recipe from one I found in an old copy of The Vegetarian Times Cookbook.

Ingredients:

• Tablespoon oil
• Two pounds extra-firm organic, non-GMO tofu - drained
• Two pounds carrots - grated
• 1/2 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos (you can substitute soy sauce)
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 2-3 tsp. sesame oil (depending on taste)
  

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium, and add the grated carrots. Stir frequently until the carrots soften (about 15 minutes - you can speed up the process by covering the skillet).
2. Crumble the tofu into the skillet and stir, cooking for 5 - 10 minutes more.
3. Add the Braggs and the sesame seeds and mix well.
4. Drizzle on the sesame oil and stir.

There are so many ways to serve this dish: hot over steamed brown rice, alone (the way I like it!), cooled as a filler in lettuce wraps (great for leftovers!), as a sandwich filler on bread (gluten-free or not), on a toasted bun (as a kind of veggie burger/sloppy joe)... the possibilities are endless.

Enjoy!

Real Review - 6/6
Self:  "Definitely tasty!"
The Spouse: "This is always good."
The Sous-Chef: "Yes! My favorite!"
The D.Q.: "Mmmmm!!! Can I have more? And more rice?"
Miss U.N.: "Mommy, you KNOW I love this! It's so good!"
Wild Thing: "Carrot Tofu Scramble! Of COURSE it's good - it's carrots and tofu!"