Thanks, Mofos

Look at this knitted masterpiece! Walking the Vegan Line is talented on a number of levels.

Well, technically I suppose this is the last day of Vegan MoFo 2009. It’s been real!

I super enjoyed reading all the other luscious vegan blogs out there and gathered many a new recipe to add to the arsenal. But, by far, the best thing I got out of this exercise was focus.

I have been passionate about food for more than half my life now, and, since having kids, that passion has evolved into a vehement belief that our bodies need, nay, deserve only the very best nourishment that our beautiful Earth has to offer. (Holy crap, am I ever a hippie—somebody douse me in Patch and bury my razor). Since eliminating almost all artificial substances from my diet, I feel so dang good, so much lighter and unburdened by crud. My manfriend joined me on the “dark side” almost a year and a half ago, after spending the majority of his formative years gorging on fast-food and double (triple? quadruple?) helpings of meat. The result? Two weeks in, he tried an A&W Veggie Swiss Delux and it all came out again. And again and again and again. There have been at least three similar incidences involving deep fried “treats” and yet my sensitive bear cannot fully let go of all vestiges of his past. And that’s cool—just wipe the rim when you’re done.

But doesn’t that tell you that our bodies weren’t meant to process heavily processed junk? My poor sheltered babes, how beautiful and unsullied their organs must be, only ever (and by “ever”, I mean in this house—I’m not a total a-hole all the time) having to deal with naturally occurring substances.

But, I digress. VeganMofo 2009 gave me the focus I needed to decide what I want my whole deal to be about: sustainable health on an individual and global level. Please stay tuned. This Mofo’s got somethin’ great a brewin’ (and there will be “ing”s in it. I promise.)

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Borscht is Weird and That's OK

Today was borscht day. Borscht is, well, weird. I mean, I don’t think so now, but I can see why everyone else in my house does.

Beets remind me of my Grandpa Mac and I love how they taste of earth and freshness and are more vibrant than any artificial crap-food I’ve ever seen. It is that vibrant colour that I hoped would draw in the 2 year-old, but while he enjoyed using the various vegetables as pretty pink stamps to decorate the table, I don’t think much made it into his eatin’ hole.

Manfriend choked down half a bowl. That’ll earn him a little something extra later on…like maybe I’ll nurse the baby in the spare room tonight so as to not wake him up. Oh yeah, that’s hot.

And then there’s the picky one. He switched it up on me and loved it. He is now anxiously awaiting his first curiously coloured pee. And, really, aren’t we all? Good man.

Eat This Borscht—Num

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 medium potato, diced
• 1/2 small-medium cabbage, chopped fine
• 2-4 beets, peeled and diced
• 4 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
• 2-4 tbs fresh dill, minced OR 2 tsp dried dill
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbs apple cider vinegar or seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1-2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
• plain soy yogurt or sour cream and more fresh dill to garnish

Method

1. My baby is screaming right now, so just throw everything but the garnish in your dang slow cooker and let’er go for 6-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Adjust seasonings and serve with fresh, warm bread or these bitchin’ perogies

Now leave me be!

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Food for Thought

Made Cornmeal Chili Bake from Everyday Vegan tonight. It was good, I suppose. Manfriend would have liked it in a taco (boys will be boys), and I agree that some sort of tweaking is definitely in order. The cornmeal stayed too darn mealy for my liking. I hate a meal that doesn’t know its place.

Mostly, though, I am thinking abut how riled up everyone is getting over this H1N1 thing. With so much propaganda spewing forth from either side, I’m scared to open my mouth for fear of A) incurring the wrath of someone who has an “informed” opinion on the subject or B) sucking in the damn virus and passing it on to my kin (Seriously. News flash, Close-Talker at Wal-Mart: there is a very, maybe, perhaps harmful, perhaps regular flu bug out there. Get your tongue out of my ear and find the muffin cups yourself!)

So while I am really worried for those who have it or might get it and also for those who have been vaccinated and those who haven’t, I have no idea where I sit and I am getting sick and tired of watching 60 Minutes excerpts from before I was born.

That said, the local paper did publish the magic ingredients of the miraculous/lethal vaccine tonight.

Here’s a hint: you better eat it before it eats you.

No, not L’Eau de Fonzie. Try again. That’s right! It’s shark oil! So, suck it vegans. This flu’s for you!

Sigh. I just want everyone I love to live to see another Happy Days re-run. Too much to ask?

Eat your veggies, wash your hands, don’t lick the windows on the bus and we’ll all make the right decision in the end.

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Feeling Spicier Than Usual

Meet Mr. Sensitive. A special sort of cat-friend.

Mr. Sensitive was absent from the dinner table tonight due to outside obligations (swimming lessons), so I seized the opportunity, nixed the borscht and opted for a spicier than usual curry. Mr. Sensitive won’t eat spice. Any spice. That’s why he’s Mr. Sensitive.

I took pictures, but just on my kitchen counter, not in my new portable food studio. It is yet to be birthed. Turns out it’s Halloween or something this week and apparently children’s costumes are more important than my flights of fancy. They just don’t realise how fancy I can be yet, that’s all. At any rate, my camera promptly ran out of batteries, so just take my word for it: these photos, under the kind, flourescent glow of my tiny, messy kitchen, were freaking fantastic and you are missing out on some kind of wonderful.

I served this spicy treat over our favouritest butternut squash aglionnotti, but brown rice will do, I suppose. But it won’t be as yummy as our supper. I’m just saying!

Mr. Sensitive Wouldn’t Like It Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch knob of ginger root, minced
• 1 tbs madras curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander seed
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 small yam, diced
• 1 small sweet potato, diced
• 1 cup cauliflower, chopped
• 1 14oz can chick peas
• 1 cup red lentils
• 3 tbs soy sauce
• 1-3 tbs tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
• 1 heaping tbs dried red chilies
• 1 heaping tsp chili powder
• 1 heaping tsp tandoori curry paste
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• water for sauteing + 2 cups

Method

1. Over medium-high heat, saute onions, garlic and ginger in water until onions begins to soften, adding more water as necessary.
2. Stir in curry powder, cumin, coriander and garam masala and saute three minutes more, adding more water as necessary to form a thick curry paste.
3. Add in about a 1/4 cup water and saute carrots, celery, yams and sweet potatoes for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add in remaining ingredients (including the additional 2 cups of water). Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until lentils are very, very soft.
5. Remove from heat and adjust seasonings. Add a splash of lemon juice and serve over rice or pasta. Garnish with soy yogurt and more hot sauce, unless you’re scared.

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FYI:FMR: Farmer's Markets Rule

We went to Michel’s farm yesterday to hand-pick our future jack-o-lanterns, because only losers buy their pumpkins from the supermarket. That’s right. I’m talking about you.

Aside from a great deal of residual manure, I also brought back and entire butt-load of locally grown vegetables. More than can possibly fit in my measly, pansy-footed crispers, my fridge now looks like it needs to be mowed.

These veggies taste so much veggier than even the organic supermarket stuff, so we’ve just been enjoying them steamed the past couple days. But tomorrow, oh, tomorrow, ye be

BORSCHT DAY!!!!!!!!

I love me some beets. So vibrant, so fresh tasting. Grated on a salad with chick peas and shredded carrot—who even needs dressing? But, borscht is my fave. My recipe is an amalgamation of three different recipes and it may even evolve a bit tomorrow depending if the sugar-boogers let me get to the store or not.

Will post the recipe tomorrow, along with my very first food photos shot in my very own portable food studio that my husband is crafting me! Crafty man that he is, he’s also building me a brand, spanking new website in a more appetizing palate. Delicious veggie details to come in the weeks following.

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Tasty Rip-off Oatmeal

Ever have three people who are completely determined to derail you from accomplishing anything at all, ever, follow you around constantly questioning your every move, soiling themselves on your floor and preventing you from getting to the Blue Fox in time for their delicious freakin’ breakfast on Saturday mornings?

ME TOO! What a coincidence!

Luckily, I cracked the code for the Blue Fox’s delicious Cranberry Apple Oatmeal (though I’m not ambitious enough to attempt their fancy preserves on fluffiest-ever toast). And I don’t even make the kids wait in line for 45 minutes first, unless I’m feeling particularly sadistic.

Blue Smox Cranberry Apple Oatmeal

(no copyright infringement here)

Ingredients

• 1 apple, diced (I like Granny Smith, man-friend enjoys him some Fuji and the kidlets like Ambrosia. The world is beautiful because we’re different. It is also a pain in the behind because of that)
• 3 tbs dried cane juice or brown sugar
• 2 heaping tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 quick cooking oats
• 3 cups + 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or raisins, if you’re a hobo. Just kidding. Raisins are great, for sure)
• 1/2 whole almonds (roasted ones make for a loverly crunch)
• Vanilla Flavoured Rice or Soy Milk, to finish

Method

1. Toss apples with sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a medium saucepan to coat.
2. Add 1/4 water and saute over medium-high heat for about three minutes, until apples begin to soften.
3. Stir in oats and remaining water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in cranberries and almonds. Garnish with Vanilla milk (I looooove Vanilla Ryza for its richness and non-sugary-ness and I love Fat Free Vanilla So Good for it’s fat free-ness and its so good-ness).
5. Make like the 3 bears and eat. Wait, they left. You should stay and eat.

NOTE: I like my dried fruit chewy, so I add it at the end, but if you saute it with the apples at the beginning, the fruit will rehydrate into plump little morsels for your enjoyment.

Now come to my house and make this for my kids so I can go drink Mimosas with my husband tomorrow morning instead. Please?

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