DeliciousWisdom

Pumpkin Pecan Butter

Delicious Wisdom — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:32:00 GMT

This autumn deliciousness is so easy to make that I feel a little weird even calling it a "recipe", especially since I decided to use canned pumpkin. But let's be serious -- literally the only ingredient in the can is "pumpkin", which still allows me to feel all pure and clean, food-wise, so let's all shave 30 minutes off of this project by using it.

(That being said, I know that canned pumpkin is not easy to find outside of the U.S. So readers in, let's say, Australia can certainly puree freshly cooked pumpkin. It will contain more liquid, even if drained well, and therefore require a longer simmering time on the stove.)

Use the final product over vanilla ice-cream or swirled into plain yogurt, spread it on toast or muffins for breakfast, slather it on waffles or pancakes instead of syrup. Love it for all of the beta carotene, fiber, iron, and assorted other healthy bits.

Prep Time: None
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Yield: About 3 Cups
Ingredients:
29 oz Can of Pumpkin (not “Pumpkin Pie Filling”!)
1 Cup Agave Nectar or Real Maple Syrup
¼ Cup Fresh Orange Juice
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ Tsp Ground Ginger
½ Tsp Ground Nutmeg
¼ Tsp Ground Cloves
¼ Tsp Sea Salt
½ Cup Finely Chopped Pecans
Directions:
Combine all ingredients except pecans in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stirring often, continue to simmer for 30 minutes or until mixture is nicely thick. (Turn the heat down to medium-low if it starts to get too bubbly and crazy.)

Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium flame. Add pecans and, stirring constantly, toast chopped pecans until they just begin to brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Take the pumpkin mixture off of the stove and stir in the pecans. Let it cool, then transfer to a container, cover tightly and refrigerate.

Lemon Kasha Crunch Cookies

Delicious Wisdom — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:56:36 GMT

Kasha, or toasted buckwheat, is one of those items that comes across as very hippie-health-food-coop-bulk-bin, but is really way more flexible than you'd think. It's ridiculously good for you (like all whole grains), cooks in 20 minutes (which beats brown rice by quite a margin) or can be soaked overnight for breakfast porridge, can be eaten cooked OR raw, and it has a flavor that reminds me of eating Sugar Smacks when i was a kid. They're called Honey Smacks now and they certainly don't contain buckwheat, so I'm not sure if that makes any sense.

The point is that kasha has a distinct flavor that, if you like it, will make you really love these cookies and, if you don't, will make you hate them.  (Hey, it's another opportunity for me to use parenthesis! And tell you that-- if you do hate kasha --you can use 3/4 cup chopped walnuts instead.)

For buckwheat lovers, these are dense, lemony and delicious with tea. The uncooked kasha creates a surprising little crunch, like a Rice Crispy but more nutritious. I should really go find a bowl of old-school cereal, because apparently that's what's on my mind.

And as an FYI: This recipe contains the ubiquitous whole wheat pastry flour and is therefore not for the gluten-intolerant, but buckwheat itself is not a type of wheat and therefore contains no gluten.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes
Yield: About 30 Cookies
Ingredients:
3 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
½ Tsp Sea Salt
1 ¼ Cups Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar
1 Large Egg
¼ Cup Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp Finely Grated Lemon Peel
½ Cup Whole Kasha (otherwise known as buckwheat)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and sea salt. In a separate bowl, beat together sweetener, egg, lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir in the kasha. Stir in the flour mixture, in two batches, until well combined. Roll the dough into 1” balls and then press down with your thumb to create a fat little disk. Place these onto a greased cookie sheet and cook for 10 minutes. Cool, then store in an air-tight container.

Shredded Beet and Carrot Salad

Delicious Wisdom — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:33:00 GMT

I realize that this recipe may not have the glamour of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies or the raw sex appeal of a Vanilla Bean Ricotta Bread, but let me tell you something: This is a really awesome effing salad. And, to get everything out of the way, I will immediately address that fact that "raw beets" sound undelicious by saying that they are amazing in shredded form. And who wants to cook beets anyway? It takes forever.

To make this salad happen I am, once again, begging you to become familiar with the shredding thing on your food processor. It will change your life and here's why: Start shredding the vegetables you've got laying around in your fridge into convenient, easy to eat, more delicious than the sum of their parts salads...and you're doing something that's like juicing, but infinitely better because you keep the fiber. I only stopped being intimidated by the shred function about a year ago and I can't stop making what I mentally refer to as "garbage salads" out of everything in my kitchen.

This combination is the best. It's colorful, wildly nutrient-dense, naturally sweet in it's own way, and a gigantic hit every time I serve it. And, for the busy hostess, it comes off as much more complicated than it actually is. Which makes you look fancy.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: none
Yield: 4-6 Servings
Ingredients:
3 Good-sized Raw Beets (or, like I used today, 2 mammoth beets and 1 little guy)
6 Medium-sized Raw Carrots
1 Small Onion, red or white
A Small Handful of Fresh Basil Leaves
¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Shred the beets, carrots, onion and basil leaves. You'll want to put the basil leaves in first so that the other vegetables force them through for a better shred. Pour all of the shreds into a large bowl and throw the olive oil, vinegar, and a generous helping of sea salt and black pepper on top. Toss, taste, and add more of any of the dressing ingredients if needed. Serve.

Spicy Shawn Burgers

Delicious Wisdom — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 22:43:00 GMT

As part of my ongoing mission to invent scores of veggie burger recipes and avoid the weirdo boxed ones whenever possible, today I send the Spicy Shawn Burger out into the world. Why are they called this? Because my friend Shawn requested a burger with both spiciness and visible evidence of vegetables, and they have been named in his honor. (Am I saying that Shawn is a spicy man or that the burgers themselves are spicy? Who can say?)

Feel free to be sub in a different vegetable, if one of the listed choices is not around. As always with your home-made veggie burgers, serve on some decent bread with colorful vegetables. Use condiments if you like things like Ketchup. And freeze the cooked leftovers for another day.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 Burgers
Ingredients:
1 Medium-sized Carrot
1 Medium-sized Sweet Potato or Yam
1 Medium-sized Zucchini
1-1/2 Cups Cooked Cannellini Beans (or one can, drained and rinsed)
1 Cup Whole Grain Bread Crumbs
Whole Wheat Flour for Dredging
Spice Paste:
1 Tsp Caraway Seeds
1 Tsp Ground Coriander
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1 ½ Tbsp Chili Powder
1/4 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Mint
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grate the carrot, sweet potato and zucchini. (This is infinitely easier if you use the shred function on a food processor, but you could also do it with a hand grater.) Place all grated vegetables into a bowl and add the cannellini beans. Mush them together with the vegetables, using your hands, until they are smashed and begin to bind together the rest of the ingredients. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the spice paste. Again using your hands, combine spice paste with the vegetable mixture until well blended. Add in the bread crumbs and mash until blended. Form into 6 burgers, dredge lightly in the flour, and place on a generously oiled baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flip over and bake for another 20 minutes or until well crisped.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Delicious Wisdom — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:52:00 GMT

I started out wanting to make some healthed up version of classic peanut butter cookies, then ran into a bag of grain-sweetened chocolate chips in a health-food store this morning and decided to find a way to eat them. So, here we are.

Like the last post, these are made with whole wheat pastry flour. Unlike regular whole wheat flour, you can substitute it right into your baking with nary a concern. (Oops, sorry to go all Gwyneth on you by using pretentious words to describe healthy recipes. She owns that.) Maybe someday soon you'll be able to find whole wheat pastry flour in a regular grocery store, but until that day comes -- get it at the health-food store.

*As for the chocolate chips themselves, I've mentioned before that you can buy grain-sweetened (which refers to brown rice syrup, a macrobiotic favorite with subtle sweetness), dairy-free (not necessary, but these cookies are dairy-free in every other way-- so it helps if you want your cookie to stay consistent) chocolate chips in your local (...wait for it...) health food store. OR you can use regular chocolate chips and remain satisfied with the fact that the dough itself contains no butter, no refined sugar and no refined flour. Because no one's trying to win a whole food medal, right?

Prep Time: 7 Minutes
Cooking Time: 10-12 Minutes
Yield: About Two Dozen Cookies
Ingredients:
1-1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
½ Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tsp Baking Powder
¾ Cup Maple Syrup
½ Cup Unsweetened, Natural Peanut Butter
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Large Egg
1 Heaping Cup of Chocolate Chips*

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a large baking sheet. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. In a large bowl, combine maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour mixture until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape the mixture into balls, about ¾” in size, then place on the greased baking sheet. Press them down with a fork, first in one direction, then the other. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Let cool completely before eating them, because they taste better that way.

Vanilla Bean Ricotta Bread

Delicious Wisdom — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:56:00 GMT

I received the inspiration recipe for this from a reader named Kristina, who is awesome for throwing me challenges like this.
It was all about butter and sugar, which I can only assume was delicious...but probably also guilt-inducing, sugar-crash-causing, and straight up fattening. With this version (as with all healthier versions of things), you can eat more of it! I am going to be honest and tell everyone that I put a generous slab of butter onto one of my late-night slices, not because it needed it, but more because it was there and I knew there was none inside it. And THAT is the beauty of healthy cooking -- choice. Hehe.

Anywho, I'm really happy with the results of this bake-over. (Like a make-over, but with baking!...and I'm shocking myself by both writing this and then -- if I leave it in the paragraph -- actually putting such cheesiness out into the world.) If you're looking for a breakfast item with subtle but tasty sweetness, a way more decadent texture than should be possible without butter, and a damn nutritious list of ingredients, this is your guy.

Note: Whole wheat pastry flour, as opposed to regular whole wheat flour, is a must here. Find it at your local health food store or well-stocked supermarket.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 Minutes
Yield: 1 Loaf
1-1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
2-1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1-½ Cups Whole Milk Ricotta
½ Cup Real Maple Syrup
3 Large Eggs
½ of a Vanilla Bean
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch loaf pan.
In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together ricotta, maple syrup, and eggs. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the blunt side of a small knife, then beat them into the batter along with the vanilla extract. Stir dry ingredients into the ricotta mixture, scraping down the sides as you go. Stir until just well mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth top with a spatula. Tap pan on counter a few times to remove air pockets. Put cake in oven and let bake for 15 minutes, then turn 180 degrees to ensure even browning. Lower the temperature to 325°F and let bake until cake springs back when lightly touched, the sides of the cake have pulled away from the sides of the pan, and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes more. Let cool completely, then serve.

Sundried Tomato Tabbouleh

Delicious Wisdom — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:16:00 GMT

The other night we had a small Mediterranean feast, which included things like falafel with tahini sauce, hummus, and toasted pita with garlic and olive oil. For the sake of contrasting, cooling freshness--we also had tabbouleh. I love all things within this particular food genre, but tabbouleh has had, for me, a tendency to bore the old tastebuds...mostly because it tastes like parsley, which doesn't exactly smack you in the face with flavor. But you know what's not boring? Sundried tomatoes in oil. Not boring at all. It turns out the combination of flavors is delightfully zingy, quite pleasing to the eye and, perhaps most importantly, easy to throw together.

As I was making everything, it occurred to me that there are several common ingredients running through this collection of foods...and that this meal would be a bit like drinking a vat of lemon juice and olive oil with some chickpeas for protein. Except combined in a MUCH more texturally pleasing way. And, although that may be strangely accurate, the Mediterranean feast was an amazing and delicious dinner for a warm evening.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes, plus about two inactive hours
Cooking Time: None
Yield: About 4 Cups
Ingredients:
1 Cup Bulghur Wheat
2 Tbsp Good Olive Oil
Juice of 2 Large Lemons
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1 ½ Tsp Sea Salt
½ Large Cucumber, diced
1 Bunch Scallions, white and light green parts, sliced
½ Cup Chopped Sun-dried Tomato, packed in oil
Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Combine bulghur with 1-1/2 cups of boiling water, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and sea salt. Stir, cover and let sit for 45 minutes. Stir in cucumber, scallions, sun-dried tomatoes, sea salt, and black pepper. Refrigerate for at least one hour (longer is better) and serve.

Doctor Your Salsa

Delicious Wisdom — Fri, 08 May 2009 01:44:00 GMT

There is a strange phenomenon going on in the foreign food aisle of the grocery store and I think we should all take advantage of it:
The cheaper you buy your salsa, the more likely that will contain nothing but whole foods, all ground up and mixed together. Expensive, more fabulously flavored salsas not only contain sugar, which seems kind of unnecessary, but they also cost more, which is not so great either.

The drawback is that cheap salsa will occasionally taste like green peppers in watered-down ketchup. So, for your consideration, I present a way to take advantage of the benefits of cheap salsa, make a condiment so nutritious you could conceivably eat it as a meal, and impress your friends at parties. On that third point, I’m not exaggerating. This mixture brings on the compliments.

As for the benefits...
Lest we forget, cilantro is a leafy green and therefore has all of the goodness of the genre: fiber, phytonutrients, and -- as an added bonus of this particular herb -- a reported ability to assist in removing toxic metals from our delicate systems. Like mercury from your fillings.

Serve it with chips, next to any taco or burrito, over a salad, or – as I did tonight – with simple cheese and caramelized (ok, burnt) leek quesadillas.

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cooking Time: None
Yield: A Few Cups
1 Jar of Plain, Inexpensive Salsa
1 Cup of Corn Kernels (or one of those little cans, drained and rinsed)
1 ½ Cups of Cooked Black Beans (or one can, drained and rinsed)
1 Bunch of Cilantro, rinsed and chopped
Juice of 2 Limes

Directions:
Dump the salsa into a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Serve immediately or, for better results, let it sit for a few hours in the fridge to let the flavors combine.

Raisin Chutney

Delicious Wisdom — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:08:00 GMT

Chutney is good to have around because it turns bites of food that are maybe a little bland into exotic, flavor-filled festivals of zippiness. This one is inspired from a recipe in Flavors of India by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff, with several modifications -- like the plumping of the raisins, which makes for a softer texture. I’m serving it tonight next to a basic stir fry, like the food version of a glittering accessory to a nice but unremarkable outfit.

This particular chutney is good because:
1. it takes only moments to make
2. it is extremely yummy
3. perhaps most importantly, it is made of common ingredients that will go with a variety of meals, snacks, and sandwiches

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: None
Yield: About 1 Cup
1 Cup Raisins
¼ Cup Water
1 Tsp Fresh Chopped Ginger
1 Tsp Molasses
¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Directions:
Submerge the raisins in very hot water and let them soak for 5 minutes, then drain. Blend all ingredients, including raisins, in a blender or food processor until chunky but well mixed. Serve as a sweet/spicy addition to meals and snacks, with a cheese platter, over a baked sweet potato, or as an exotic touch to a sandwich.
Keeps for two weeks, refrigerated.

Mac and Cheese Burgers

Delicious Wisdom — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:12:00 GMT

My mission in life is, apparently, to turn every food that I like into a whole-food-ified veggie burger. I do this because any ingredient combination will become both adorably portable and generally welcomed by humanity once put into burger form. Today, I made a burger out of macaroni and cheese, so I should probably be ashamed of myself.

Thing is, these are so much healthier than they sound.  They're mostly beans, yet there's so much surface area on them that the cheese on the top and bottom of each one gets crispy in the same delicious way as the top of a pan of regular mac and cheese. The whole grain couscous, which is a miniscule little form of pasta, steps in as the 'macaroni' and blends right into the burger. Dropped onto a slice of whole grain bread, topped with some crispy, fresh vegetables and served with sauteed spinach, they're about as nutritious a context as macaroni and cheese has seen in awhile.

For extra zing, feel free to add a few cloves of minced garlic and/or some red pepper flakes to the mixture.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 Minutes
Yield: Four Burgers
1/3 Cup Uncooked Whole Wheat Couscous
1 Tsp Olive Oil
¾ Tsp Sea Salt, divided
1-3/4 Cups Cooked Cannellini Beans (or 1 Can, drained and rinsed)
1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, preferably organic
1/3 Cup Whole Grain Panko Bread Crumbs (or whatever kind you’ve got)
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
A Very Generous Pinch of Nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease a cookie sheet with olive oil and set aside.
Bring ½ cup of water to a boil. Stir in olive oil, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, and the couscous. Immediately cover, remove from heat, and let it sit for five minutes. Fluff with a fork when done.
In a large bowl, combine couscous with remaining ingredients, including the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Mash all of it together with your hands until most of the beans are smashed and everything is well combined. (And may I suggest not mixing in the breadcrumbs as well, so that they end up in only some of the bites-- like a little surprise?) Divide into four parts and form into flat patties. Place the patties onto the greased cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes, flipping about halfway through.
Serve on a whole grain bun or whole grain toast with a slice of tomato, sprouts, baby spinach or whatever other fresh vegetables you’ve got.

Eggs Florentine

Delicious Wisdom — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:29:00 GMT

This one is by special request (a request that was more specific than "um, could you please post something?" but I guess I'm addressing those too) and I was more than happy to oblige because, after making it, I got to eat it.

Eggs Florentine is one of my favorite special-treat breakfasts. However, I've always been sort of amused/horrified by the concept of "Would you like some more egg yolk sauce on your eggs? With butter?" It is good, but it is crazy. So although the concept of a vegan (and optionally soy-free) hollandaise sauce served over an actual egg may seen contradictory, for me it works. If it doesn't work for you, which would also make sense, then use the sauce over asparagus, steamed cauliflower, or as a topping for luxurious enchiladas (for that, I'd make it thinner with some extra water). It would also be delicious on whole grain toast with sauteed mushrooms or on a plain baked potato.

I would say that there are three very important elements to a hollandaise sauce, vegan or not: rich fattiness, tanginess and creaminess. Cashews make this stuff both rich and creamy, while providing a fabulous source of copper and magnesium. For tang, lots of lemon juice. If you make it with unsweetened hemp milk, oat milk or rice milk, it's also soy free.

Nutritional yeast is the only specialty ingredient here, but it is well worth finding if you havn't already. There are not alot of non-animal sources of vitamin B-12, but nutritional yeast is a great one. It's fabulous with balsamic vinegar on cauliflower and an integral ingredient in cheeseless macaroni and cheese. Get thee to a health food store and buy it.

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes
Yield: About 1-1/2 Cups of sauce (or enough for 4 Servings)
Hollandaise Sauce:
½ Cup Raw Cashews
1 Cup Milk, non-dairy, unsweetened
¼ Cup Nutritonal Yeast
½ Tsp Dry Mustard
½ Tsp Sea Salt
¼ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
Juice of 1 ½ to 2 Lemons
If making the eggs florentine, you’ll also need:
4 Organic Eggs
4 Slices Whole Grain Bread
A Few Large Handfuls of Baby Spinach

Grind the cashews into a powder using a coffee or spice grinder. Combine all sauce ingredients, except lemon juice, in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, whisking to combine. Turn down heat to low and continue to let simmer for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in enough water to get to desired consistency, which could be as much as ½ cup. Sauce thickens as it sits, so the quicker you use it the less water you’ll need. Turn off the heat and whisk in the lemon juice, to taste, until mixture is smooth.

In the meantime, poach the eggs (see here for a great set of instructions on that), toast the bread, and sauté the spinach until just wilted—either in a little olive oil or the water still clinging to the leaves after rinsing. Season the spinach with sea salt and black pepper. Smear a little olive oil onto the toast, if you’re feeling naughty.

For each serving, layer toast, then a little spinach, then an egg, then drizzle generously with sauce. Sprinkle with a little paprika or black pepper for color. Serve immediately.

Butternut Squash Fries

Delicious Wisdom — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:45:00 GMT

This began as a Weightwatchers recipe, so it is already -- as Ms. Ray would say -- "figure friendly". What was missing was the cinnamon, for some depth of flavor and to bring out the sweetness of the squash. And olive oil, to avoid cooking spray and make the fat more beneficial. And a longer cooking time, because when i left them in as long as originally suggested...they were crunchy. And not so much in the fun way, but more in the 'raw squash' way.

The final result is scrumptious and, strangely, just as satisfying as a regular fry. So if you wake up some morning thinking, "I really need a huge dose of vitamin A, plus some vitamin C and a mouthful of fiber...and I also want french fries", then these are the answer.

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cooking Time: 20-25 Minutes
Yield: 4 Small Servings or 2 Larger
Ingredients:
1 Medium Butternut Squash
1 Tsp Olive Oil
¾ Tsp Sea Salt
½ Tsp Chili Powder
Pinch of Cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lop the long part of the butternut squash off and slice off the outer peel. (Set the bottom bulb aside for another day.) Cut into quarters, long-ways. Then cut each piece into quarters again, long-ways. Cut each of these long pieces in half, which should leave you with a french-fry shape.

In a small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients (it'll be like dark, wet sand), then toss fries in the mix to coat. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until fries are soft on the inside and colored on the outside. Serve hot.

Taco Seasoning

Delicious Wisdom — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:41:00 GMT

Today -- I aimlessly wandered the aisles of the Shoprite, looking for a processed product to recreate, healthy style, at home. And while the project did require me to pay the 79 cents for a packet of taco seasoning that will never be used, I’ve got to think that its worth it. How often does your taco night require a package of this stuff? And how freaky are the ingredients?

The second question I can answer right here and now, with a listing of the ingredients in the package I bought: Salt, Maltodextrin (the second ingredient—so you’re getting a lot of this stuff, which is a sweetener/thickener commonly used in processed items), Chili Pepper (Yay! A food!), Monosodium Glutamate (Mmmm, nerve damage…delicious), Corn Starch, Yellow Corn Flour, Spice, Contains less than 2% of the following: Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil (transfat…boo!), Silicon Dioxide (this makes me think of my old silicone swim cap, but is meant to serve as an anti-caking agent), Natural Flavor (read Fast Food Nation and you’ll run from “natural flavors” like they’ve got a weapon), and Ethoxyquin (um, what?).

Just listing these ingredients teaches us two things: 1. There is very little actual food or real spice in there. 2. Most of what you’re purchasing is meant to keep what little there is un-caked, preserved, thickened, and flavor-enhanced. Forgetting the health issues, what a waste of 79 cents.

You can make this in advance and keep on hand like a packet of seasoning (just keep it in something air-tight and label it) or stir it together when called-for. Whatever --- we’re talking about approximately two minutes of work, so it doesn’t really make a difference. I used it just like they said I should on the package: brown one pound of meat (ok, I used crumbled firm tofu), add 2/3 cup of water and seasoning mix, stir, let cook uncovered at a low-flame simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, dump it into a whole grain wrap with some crisp veggies and optional grated cheddar. Done.

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 1 “Package” of Seasoning
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Dried Onion
1-1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
1 Tsp Corn Starch
¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Use immediately or store in a small, air-tight container. Use as you would any packet of store-bought taco seasoning.

REAL Onion Dip

Delicious Wisdom — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:49:00 GMT

This recipe, the first of 2009(!), is in honor of the Super Bowl and that trashy (but delicious) old party chestnut—Onion Dip. I figure, why not make onion dip out of, oh-- I don't know...onions.
Inspired by the onion soup package itself, this gets even better after chilling in the fridge for a few hours.

I went with drained yogurt (aka “yogurt cheese”) for our creamy base, but vegans or dairy-averse can easily blend up some soft or silken tofu in a food processor. I would up the amount of spice to disguise the tofu taste (because, contrary to what is often said, tofu really does have a taste) and expect a slightly looser, smoother dip. Why yogurt over mayonnaise or sour cream or both? Because 1. Mayonnaise is kind of gross and 2. Yogurt actually has digestive benefits. And why use the pointless/more fattening substance when you can choose something that has actual benefits?

Serve with crackers, raw or blanched vegetables, chicken wings, or use as a sandwich condiment. You can plop this version of Onion Dip down on the snack table at your Super Bowl party right next to the other, more obesity-inducing snacks and no one will be the wiser.

*If you’re not already doing it, may this be your introduction to the wonderful world of making-yogurt-seem-like-cream-cheese (Yes, even if it’s the non-fat or low-fat version). Click here for instructions. You'll need to start your dip a day ahead, to give your yogurt time to drain.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes plus cooling time for the onion
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes
Yield: 1-1/2 Cups
Ingredients:
1 Large Vidalia Onion, finely chopped
1 Cup Well-drained Organic Yogurt* (start with about 3 cups of regular yogurt to get to one cup drained)
1 Small Clove of Garlic, minced
½ Tsp Sea Salt
¼ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
1/8 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
½ Cup Grated Carrot
1 Tbsp Fresh Chives, snipped

In a large pan, warm olive oil over medium-low heat and then add onion. Cook for about 10 minutes or until well-softened. Remove from heat and let cool completely. In a large bowl, combine onion, yogurt, garlic and spices until blended. Stir in carrot and chives. Season with additional sea salt and pepper, if desired. Thin with a little milk (any type of unsweetened that you've got in the house-- even soy), if the consistency is too thick. Serve.

Broccoli and Goat Cheese Soup

Delicious Wisdom — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:05:00 GMT

Things with only a few ingredients are the best, particularly when those ingredients are pretty good for you.  This is the kind of soup that you put in the fridge and then look forward to eating when you get home because you know that it will be warm, creamy, and therefore sweetly comforting.

Is goat cheese a better choice than your standard cream? Tastewise, I'm going to say that it is, though that's a matter of opinion. Regarding digestion, I've mentioned before that many of the lactose-intolerant of the world have an easier time with goat products because of their higher levels of acidity (which, may I add, also brings a nice dimension to the soup), so there's another reason. I'm not really buying the whole goat cheese/health food thing, because it's still a dairy product and most of us would do well to get our calcium from the same place the goats get it (plants), but that doesn't make it un-delicious.   Enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 20 Minutes
Yield: 4-5 Servings
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
1 Russet Potato, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 Quart Vegetable Stock
2 Heads of Broccoli, chopped
2 oz. Soft Goat Cheese, broken into pieces
Sea Salt and Pepper

In a large pan, heat oil over medium-low heat and add onion. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until softened. Season with sea salt and black pepper, add potato and toss to coat. Add vegetable stock and raise heat to bring to a simmer. Turn heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes or until potato is soft. Stir in broccoli pieces and bring back to a simmer for another 5 minutes. While still hot, transfer about 2/3 of the soup to a food processor or blender, add goat cheese, and blend until smooth. Stir back into the soup until well combined. Season again with sea salt and lots of black pepper. Serve.

Coconut Curry Burgers

Delicious Wisdom — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 12:05:00 GMT

You can make a veggie burger out of any damn thing. Rather than waiting around for Morningstar to come out with a new flavor so that you can pay some painful amount for a box of four -- maybe we should all get inspired by random flavor combinations, skip the fillers and soy protein isolates, and start making our own.

To that end, I offer the Coconut Curry Burger. Serve on good toasted bread with a slab of tomato, add some green leaves, and smear a little orange marmalade on the bun (which may not seem sensible, but will bring this burger to a new, ridiculous level). Even better the next day, after the flavors have gotten to know each other more intimately.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 15 Minutes
Yield: 4-6 Burgers, depending on the size
Ingredients:
1 Small Onion, chopped
½ Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1-15 oz Can of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2/3 Cup Unsweetened Coconut
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
½ Cup Rolled Oats

Spice Mixture:
1-½ Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tsp Coriander
1 Tsp Turmeric
1 Tsp Cumin
½ Tsp Mustard Seed
½ Tsp Ground Ginger
¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
Pinch of Cinnamon

In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat and add onion and peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes or until somewhat softened. In a small dish, combine all spices for the spice mixture, then stir that into the onion/pepper mixture until well combined. Let that cook for another two minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, coconut, eggs, and rolled oats. Using your hands or a potato masher (or a food processor, if you’re just not in the mood for this—but don’t stir in the coconut until afterward), mash mixture until almost all chickpeas are squashed. The more smashed they are, the easier it will be to form the burgers and make them stick together. Reheat the large pan over medium flame with a tablespoon or two of oil. Once hot, form mixture into small burger patties with your palms and then place into the hot pan. Cook on each side, undisturbed, for 4-5 minutes or until well-crisped. Serve.

Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette

Delicious Wisdom — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:28:00 GMT

Just a simple salad dressing or sauce for cooked vegetables. You probably always have the ingredients in the house, so you can whisk it together at will.

From Cooking the Whole Foods Way by Christina Pirello. Bless its little heart -- this was the first cookbook to really make me think about the concept of whole foods.

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cooking Time: 5 Minutes
Yield: About 1 Cup
Ingredients:
¼ Cup Good Olive Oil
Dash of Tamari
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar or Honey
2 Tbsp Prepared Mustard
1-2 Cloves Garlic, minced

Directions:
In a small saucepan, warm the oil and tamari over low heat for about 3 minutes. Whisk remaining ingredients into the oil mixture until emulsified. Use warm or at room temperature.

Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Walnuts

Delicious Wisdom — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:45:00 GMT

Despite an appearance of being stridently against ready-to-eat canned-things (see this week's recipe for Spaghetti-O's), I would be a liar if I didn't begin this entry by speaking the truth:  I have a history of ALWAYS choosing canned cranberry sauce over fresh. I grew up with a professional chef for a mother, so we would have to assume that her fresh cranberry sauce was pretty decent--- but that was irrelevant.

Seriously, all of us would sit around and rave about how fabulous it was that you could still see the ridges from the can in every slice. And I know we're not the only family who did this, so whatever.

I guess it's because I'm "older" and have more "sophisticated taste" that I've opened my mind to the home-made version. Or maybe its that I "read ingredients on the back of cans" and sometimes "choose not to eat them". Anyway, the shocker turns out to be that... (...suspense...drumroll...)

FRESH TASTES BETTER.

This version, with the addition of spice, was inspired by a spicy cranberry quinoa recipe I made once-- which was delicious. I'm sure you would also agree that it just makes sense to combine sweet, spicy, and sour whenever possible.

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes
Yield: A Few Cups
Ingredients:
4 Cups Raw, Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
3/4 Cup Maple Syrup
½ C   up Water
1 Tsp Grated Orange Zest
Juice of the Orange
½ Tsp Sea Salt
¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/8 Tsp Allspice
½ Cup Chopped Walnuts

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except walnuts in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to mix completely. Simmer for about ten minutes, stirring often, or until all of the cranberries have popped. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, stir in walnuts, and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate to fully cool. Serve.

Home-made Spaghetti-O's

Delicious Wisdom — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:25:00 GMT

Did you know that Spaghettios with Meatballs contain NO meat? The only thing that would stop a vegetarian from eating those things (besides chemicals, if you’re not into those), would be the ‘beef flavoring’. I used to love me a can of Spaghettios with Meatballs but, y’know—ew. I feel betrayed.

This recipe was inspired by the original ingredient list, taken word for word, minus the scary bits, then translated into healthier versions. I was going for that sauce that tastes nothing like the usual spaghetti with tomato sauce, but instead sweeter, smoother, and more like the 1980’s. There are no "meatballs" in here, for simplicity’s sake, but I will suggest that, if you own a copy, the meatball recipe from the Veganomicon would be perfect. Just make them small.

Nutritional yeast, if you choose to use it, can be found in your local health food store. It is B-12-filled alternative to cheese. Also try it with fresh lemon juice and sea salt on your steamed broccoli.

Note: The pasta type is left up to you, but none of this works without an appropriately spagettio-esque shape. For this reason, I had to use refined flour pasta (something called Ditalini that is vaguely ‘O’-shaped)…and will continue to do so until the world evolves to the point where whole grain pastas dominate the market-place and come in every imaginable style and shape.

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cooking Time: 15 Minutes
Yield: About 4 Servings
Ingredients:
½ Lb. Small Pasta (see note)
6 oz. Tomato Paste
1 Cup Vegetable Stock
1 Tsp Onion Powder
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
2-1/2 Tbsp Agave Nectar or Honey
¼ Cup Nutritional Yeast (optional)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in pasta and cook until soft, then drain and set aside. In a saucepan, combine tomato paste, vegetable stock, onion powder, garlic powder, and sweetener. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and, stirring occasionally, cook for about 5 minutes or until heated through and well-combined. Stir in nutritional yeast, if desired, then combine with cooked pasta in a large bowl. Stir well to combine. Serve.

Sweet Potato Truffles

Delicious Wisdom — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:18:00 GMT

Are they dessert? Are they an appetizer? A snappy side-dish for Thanksgiving? I don’t know. But they’re yummy.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cooking Time: 15 Minutes
Yield: About 30
Ingredients:
3 Cups Cooked, Mashed Sweet Potatoes or Yams (Boil in water until soft, drain, then mash.)
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1/3 Cup Real Maple Syrup
¼ Cup Chopped Walnuts
1 Tbsp Butter or Soy Butter (organic, if possible)
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Tbsp Whole Wheat Flour
¼ Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Silken Tofu
Coating:
2 ¼ Cups Finely Chopped Pecans and/or Walnuts
1/3 Cup Real Maple Syrup
¼ Cup Rolled Oats
½ Tsp Sea Salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sweet potato in a large bowl and stir in oats, sweetener, nuts, butter, vanilla, flour, and cinnamon. Beat in tofu. In a small bowl, stir together chopped pecans, the other 1/3 cup sweetener, rolled oats and sea salt. Gently form potato mixture into bite-size balls and roll in nut mixture. Don't worry if it doesn't coat perfectly or if you've got a few bald spots. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.