Posts tagged recipes

I forgot about the joys of silken tofu. Usually I buy a bunch and leave it in the back of my fridge for months and months and months (which is heartless, but cool: the stuff has an incredibly long shelf-life.) Tonight I was grouchy with the munchkins and I felt the need to atone with brownies for the boys and brownie laced breastmilk for the girl. I think everyone went to bed lovin’ me again, because nummy brownies right all wrongs.

Silken tofu replaces eggs and fat and creates a loverly texture, so dense you will not miss the fat. And if you do, you are wrong. And I may fight you.

Healthy Low-Fat Suck-up Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups brown rice flour (or sub. any wholegrain flour, just omit the guar gum)
• 1/4 tsp guar gum
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 generous tsp cinnamon
• 1 package Lite Silken Tofu (I use Mori-Nu)
• 1 cup cocoa
• 2 tbs flax seeds
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1 cup (or more, to taste) natural dry sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla (or other extract such as almond, coconut, orange or mint)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit and prep a 9”X13” baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, guar gum, baking powder, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a food processor, blend tofu until smooth. Add cocoa and process until blended. Add flax, apple sauce, sweetener and extract, pulsing to blend with each addition.
4. Slowly add dry ingredients to food processor (in 2 or 3 batches) and blend until thoroughly mixed.
5. Spoon into prepared pan and spread evenly (batter will be very thick).
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Then give them to the people you were mean to. It’ll be ok, we all have our off days.

Okay Blog. I will write you a bit, but then back to my book.

I never get the bloody Fast Reads from the bibliotheque because the only time I can read uninterrupted is in the bathroom and you can only pretend to go to the bathroom so many times a day before the family starts getting worried and then suspicious and then you have a 2 year old and a 7 year old sitting at your feet even when it’s the real deal and that’s just mentally scarring for everybody.

I also have a steadfast and elitist rule to avoid books that are movies at all costs, but the internets assured me that the author of this puppy was thoroughly peeved about the casting choices and the plot seemed intriguing, so I bit the bullet and now here I am, a mere 167 pages into the 541 page beast and only 4 days to go! $1.50/day if I don’t finish in time, oh the humanity!

As an aside, is there anyone who doesn’t find it humiliating to be seen reading a book with movie stars plastered across the cover? Probably. But you’re wrong not to be embarrassed. I am so judging you.

So I don’t feel like writing, I don’t feel like answering emails (even REALLY good ones that I am VERY excited about that I WILL acknowledge first thing in the morning’a’saurus) and I didn’t much feel like feeding my hungry family. But their grumbly-tumblys were interfering with my silent reading time, so I made them this. It is very fast. Make it when you want people to leave you alone.

Very Fast Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch knob ginger, minced OR 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 large head of broccoli, chopped (stalks peeled and diced too)
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste
• 3 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup + water for stir frying

Method

1. In a wok over med-high heat, stir fry onions in water 2-3 minutes until they start to become translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook for additional 2 minutes.
2. Add all other ingredients (including the 1/4 cup water), cover and cook until broccoli is tender (about 3 minutes).
3. Serve over brown rice or udon noodles.

And because I want my people to grow up big and strong, I also heated up some Yves Asian Ground Round and let the peeps make Asian-style tacos, which entails rolling said round up in lovely, crispy lettuce leaves.

Okay, this post for sure cost me like $3. I really must depart…NOW

Hiding from H1N1 has weakened our tender little immune systems and now the smallest of the people and I are wallowing in our own muccii.

Cooking sucks when you are sick. No matter how hard I try to make like a 2nd grader and hack into my elbow pit, I just know my family is getting a little bit of DNA with every bite. Not to mention that my spice to other ingredient ratio is completely out of whack on account of my having no discernible nostrils at the moment. I made Happy Herbivore’s African Kale and Yam Soup, but I made it spicy, like triple the chilli flakes and a hefty dose of Louisiana hot sauce spicy. Burn out your ear drums spicy. I thought it was perfect, ecstasy in a bowl, but I’m the only one who had seconds, so either the rest of my household is a bunch of pansies or I grossly miscalculated the difference between happy spice and scary spice.

Happy Spice does not wear leopard print wrestling boots, that’s how you can tell the difference.

At any rate, I’m staying out of the kitchen today, camping on the couch with the middle child and becoming one with Yo Gabba Gabba, the show that was made for the mushroom addict lurking deep inside all of us.

Now, somebody order me some Green Cuisine take-out…NOW!

Ridiculous, really, but I forgive it because it is such a dang tasty spread, yummy on crackers, pitas, veggies, toast, in sam-iches, you name it. Not cereal though, that would be disgusting.

I wanted fat free Baba Ganoush, because that’s how I roll, so I made some. And then I learned something, which is all we can really hope for, right?

I learned that, Baba Ganoush, unlike most things, improves with age. It does not become crotchety and scared of technology, telling the same stories thrice times an hour; instead it becomes more flavourful and delicious on sour dough rye toast.

(photo courteousy of http://www.me3dia.com)

Maybe Tomorrow, Babe, I’m Just Not That Into It Tonight Baba Ganoush

Ingredients

• 1 bulb garlic
• 1 medium-large eggplant
• olive oil cooking spray
• 1/4 light silken tofu or low fat vegan mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• juice of one lemon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut eggplant in half length wise and make three, deep, diagonal slits in the fleshy bits, down the length of each half. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and spritz with cooking spray.
2. Remove the papery outer layer from garlic and slice off at least the top 1/2 centimeter of the bulb to expose cloves. Spray lightly with cooking spray and wrap entire bulb loosely in aluminum foil.
3. Lay eggplant halves sliced side up on a parchment lined cookie sheet along with garlic package. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the fleshy bits of each vegetable are super soft. Allow veggies to stand until they are cool enough to handle.
4. Removes seeds from eggplant (they get scared from the heat and bunch right up, making them easy to scoop out).
5. Scrape the flesh from both halves of the eggplant into the bowl of a food processor or blender, along with 2-4 cloves of roasted garlic*, tofu, salt and lemon juice. Puree until smooth.
6. Refrigerate overnight for a rollicking good eat or, for those of you with no self control (pick me!) eat it right away for instant gratification, but mediocre performance. Serve with fresh cut veggies, pitas, not cereal.

*Use the rest of the head of garlic for tasty toasts: mash it up with some rosemary and rock salt to taste and spread it on your favourite crusty bread for a fat free take on traditionally fatty garlic bread.

Single-Mom-ing-it-up for the next couple days. Kids have a lot to say, whether they can “talk” or not. Once those whipper-snappers are in bed, though, that’s when I hit productivity overdrive: I watch Days of Our Lives online and write helpful, evergreen articles about pertinent topics for numerous publications under various pseudonyms. And I wash sheets, because Pull-ups are for suckers.

I also think about food. Alot.

But if if I’m not cooking for manfriend, I’m a lazy toad. I fed the munchkins good stuff, no worries there. But as for me, today I ate an entire loaf of Bubby Rose’s Farmhouse Sourdough and not much else. Now I feel nutrient depleted and I dream of this:

I put batteries in my camera and this is the the spicier than usual curry I yummed about last week. And I want it now. So brightly flavoured, multi-textured and full of healthful goodness. And yet I’m too weak from bread to cook. For shame!

I also want CNN to go back to normal. Ever since that redesign their reporting has become infused with a melodramatic flare that would be more appropriate on Days of Our Lives. Did I mention I’m watching Days right now. It’s really bad. But my curry is good and I don’t feel like writing about allergy-free lunches right now. Will you do it for me?

Tomorrow: high-protein vegan breakfasts. I promise I’ll be less scattered. And if you’re reading this, please leave me a comment with your favourite high-protein vegan breakfast. I want it so bad. I may even give you something for it….

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!

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.

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?