Quick Buttery Coffee Cake (made with Pancake Mix)

Posted: November 8, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Breads, Breakfast Foods, Desserts, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

(Becky, the Mama.)

This is our second week of condo living in regions of the U.S. where the sun is shining, the grass is green, the birds are singing and this week, in Oceanside, California, the ocean is waving.   


The sentence (and scene) above is brought to you by our much younger selves, when we each bought Time Share, never dreaming that someday we’d end up married to each another, with four vacation weeks to use up, per year, between us.  (And it is a use it or lose it proposition. So what can we do but go play?)

Neither of us would say that Time Shares are great financial investments; but man oh man, they have been AWESOME investments in terms of fun, extended get-aways  for our marriage. We’re both blessed with jobs we can do anywhere, as long as we have laptops and cell phones.

Some ways that we save money and also get business done while we’re away:

1) We drive instead of flying whenever possible, getting crazy good deals on hotels using Hotwire.com or Priceline.com.  I stock up on books on tape from the library (Greg listens with earphones while driving),  and we have wifi – via his cell phone– and a plug for my lap top (goes in the cigarette lighter)  in the car, creating a roving office-on-wheels. I get some of my best writing done on the road, my feet up on the dash, computer on lap, pillow behind my head. Greg also sees clients everywhere we go.

2) We always look for places to stay that have a full kitchen, bringing along a couple of boxes of kitchen essentials so that I can cook “on location” rather than eating out.

For whatever reason, cooking is an enormous treat for me, and especially when on vacation. I like the challenge of creating good meals from whatever supplies I bring, plus fresh local meats and produce.

It has been a long time since I’ve baked something sweet, at home or “abroad,” but today  after a nice long walk through an artsy Farmer’s Market with Greg, I began thinking that a warm coffee cake with a crunchy, buttery, cinnamon topping sure sounded good. 

Coffee cakes are one of my favorite treats to make because they typically aren’t overly sweet, they whip up and cook quickly, and it makes its own topping while baking.  If you have a good basic recipe, you can swing it a dozen ways!   Add blueberries or chopped apples, a variety of nuts, a little citrus zest, or even chocolate chips and you can dress up a basic cake anyway you want to go.  The added bonus: you get to eat cake for breakfast.  What’s not to love?

I didn’t bring baking powder or soda with me, however (a HA!) I brought some pancake mix.  Sure enough, I sleuthed up a recipe online for coffee cake made with pancake mix that got some lovely reviews.  I used it as a starting point, played with it a bit, and within 30 minutes… from stir to cut and serve…I was eating a fluffy, moist, perfectly balanced coffee cake.  So good, this will be my Go-To Coffee Cake Recipe from now on.  This recipe makes a small cake (perfect for a couple),  so I plan to double the recipe when I get home and make this for our big family next week, arriving for what we call “Thanksgiving Camp.”

Quick Buttery Coffee Cake (with Pancake Mix)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1 c. pancake mix, any kind (I want to try Trader Joe’s pumpkin pancake mix! Vegans use an egg & dairy-free mix)

1/3 c. sugar

1 egg  (vegans can use fave egg substitute)

1/3 c. almond milk (or any kind of milk you like)

¼ c. butter, melted  (I used ½ olive oil, ½ butter, Or use your favorite vegan butter.)

Topping:

2 T. softened butter (or vegan butter)

¼ c. brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

2 T. pancake mix (or flour)

2 T. oatmeal (or mixture of oatmeal, hemp seeds, chia seeds)

1/3 c. chopped pecans (almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts)
Instructions:

In a medium sized bowl whisk pancake mix and sugar together.  Add egg, milk, butter and stir until smooth.

Butter a small pan, such as a round cake pan.  (I found a small broiler pan in the condo that worked well. It’s smaller than it looks in the pictures, only about 8 by 10 inches. )

Mix topping in another small bowl and crumble on top of batter.  

Bake for 20 minutes.  It will look a bit like the surface of a crater, but with each “dent” there’s the yumminess of melted butter and cinnamon going through the cake. Sooo delicious.  Serve warm and crumbly!!  (Or if I serve it later, I’ll zap a piece for just a few seconds in microwave.)

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Healthy Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal (Vegan, Sugar-Free, Freezable for Quick Kid’s Breakfasts)

Posted: November 6, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Breakfast Foods, Gluten Free, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jackson’s favorite breakfast is oatmeal. He eats a bowl every single morning. To save time, I make a big batch with thick-cut rolled oats, chia seeds, hemp seeds, raisins, cinnamon, and bananas every week, then freeze it in ice cube trays. In the mornings, all I have to do is heat up three or four cubes of frozen oatmeal with one cube of frozen full fat coconut milk (I always freeze extras when making a recipe that calls for less than a can). Sometimes I add blueberries, apples, leftover baked sweet potatoes, canned pumpkin, or shredded carrots to the oatmeal, but this cinnamon raisin version is so simple and it requires no chopping or preparation at all, so I make it most often.

When Jackson sees me putting his frozen cubes of breakfast in a bowl to be heated, he waves his hands in excitement and runs to his high chair begging me to put him in. He acts like the 90 seconds it takes to heat his breakfast is a lifetime.When I finally give him his bowl, he sets the spoon aside, dips his hand in, and eats it by the fist full. Within minutes, it’s all “gone, gone.”

I feel a little bad that I’ve never made him pancakes or waffles, yet I figure, why change a good (and healthy) thing? Most mornings I don’t have time to have a battle of wills or to keep trying different things until I find something he’ll eat. For months, he has had oatmeal for breakfast and he has never turned his nose at it. This little routine keeps our mornings peaceful, at least long enough for me to have my first cup of coffee.

Full of healthy omegas, sweetened with fruit, this oatmeal is delicious and healthy for kids and adults alike.

Healthy Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

Serves 4 adult-size portions (8 child portions)

Ingredients

3 cups of water

2 cups of milk of choice (I use unsweetened almond or coconut) or use more water

1/4 t. salt

2 c. rolled oats (not quick-cooking) (use gluten-free oats for gluten allergies)

2 T. hemp seeds

2 T. chia seeds

1 c. raisins

1 t. cinnamon

1 banana, mashed

Directions

In a large sauce pan, bring water, milk, and salt to a low boil. Watch closely or you’ll have a great big mess if it boils over. (Don’t ask me how I know this.) Reduce heat to med-low and add all the remaining ingredients. Cook on med-low to low for about 1o minutes or until all the liquid is just absorbed. Stir occasionally. Serve immediately or freeze for later.

Dry ingredients.

Freeze for later:

I made this batch this morning and served Jared, Jackson, and myself a bowl. What was left filled 1 1/2 ice cube trays  (about 24 cubes). Just scoop it onto the tray and with a spoon or spatula, spread it out evenly among the cubes, pressing down gently to make sure it’s packed firmly. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze. Once frozen, pop out and transfer to freezer bags.

I usually heat 3-4 cubes of oatmeal with a cube of frozen full fat coconut milk for 60 seconds. Stir and then heat again for about 30 seconds. With my microwave, this is a perfect temp for my one-year old. Reheat times will vary though. If it’s dry, stir in a little milk of your choice.

Toddler breakfast ready in 90 seconds. I usually add a cube of full fat coconut milk to his too, but I used my last cube yesterday.

Variations:

Add pumpkin, leftover baked sweet potato, or shredded carrots while cooking, or stir in strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, almond butter, or peanut butter. Get creative…or don’t…make life simple and stick to one combination you love over and over again. 🙂

Leave out the raisins and add blueberries for a delicious fruity version. Jackson loves this, but it’s a little messier, so I just do it when I have time to sit and help him eat.

 

Smoky Baked Goulash

Posted: November 3, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Beef, Main Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

(Becky, the Mama.)

The other night was crazy.

I performed my usual bedtime routines: bath, then walked through the kitchen on the way to the bedroom, put lotion on my feet and legs and got in bed.

Suddenly my feet were on FIRE! Could not imagine why, but I rushed to get a wet cloth and washed them off.  Thankfully, the pain subsided, so I padded back through the kitchen, applied  more lotion, back in bed. Feet on fire!

I trekked back to the  kitchen where I saw that while making the recipe, I somehow spilled Tony’s Cajun Seasoning all over the kitchen floor. So basically, I was putting salt and cayenne pepper on my feet, then rubbing it in with lotion.

I hate it with this happens, don’t you?

So enjoy this recipe for Smoky Baked Goulash, as it is delicious and easy and great for a crowd.  (When your family is tired of turkey, this is a great make-ahead dish to stick in the oven and serve with a simple salad.)   Just make sure to let it melt in your mouth, and not on your feet.

Smoky Baked Goulash

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Serves six to eight people

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1/2  lb  sweet Italian turkey sausage

(*Vegans: In place of beef and sausage, use a mixture of crumbled vegan sausage– Field Roast Apple Sage brand recommended; lentils or beans; and chopped Portobello mushrooms to equal about  2 ½ cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced or grated

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

½ c. BBQ sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray’s brand)

1 t. cumin

1 t. smoked paprika

1 t. Hungarian paprika

½ t. Tony’s Cajun seasoning

Salt & Pepper to Taste

8 oz  Penne Noodles (I used a high fiber Barilla Plus brand)

½ c to 1 c. cheddar cheese

1 red onion, diced

1 chopped sweet red or yellow pepper (or mixture)

½ cup Lite Ranch Dressing

¼ cup sliced olives, green or black

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package directions.  While they are cooking, brown the hamburger and crumbled turkey sausage in a large skillet  (Vegans, use a little olive oil and sauté the mushrooms and vegan sausage, then add beans or lentils.)

Add can of crushed tomatoes, bar-b-que sauce and seasonings to browned meat in skillet  Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate pan sauté onions and pepper in olive oil. (To save time, you can do this when you brown the meat.  But it is prettier to see that layer of color on top of the casserole.)

When noodles are done, lightly oil a large rectangle casserole pan, and place noodles in it, in an even layer.   Gently spoon the meat sauce over the noodles.

Next, spoon sautéed onions and peppers over the sauce.  Then sprinkle cheddar cheese over all, as much as you like.  (We go light on the cheese, but if you love it, go for it! Vegans, omit cheese or use a vegan cheese product.)

Then pour pretty “squiggles” of Ranch Dressing over cheese layer. (Vegans use Vegan Ranch Dressing or make Rachel’s awesome recipe!)

Finally top with olives.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until melts and dish is hot all the way through.

Variations: This is a great recipe for using left-over veggies: corn, diced carrots, mushrooms,  diced squash, beans — it is all good.

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Honey & Lime Tortilla-Sopapillas

Posted: November 1, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Desserts, Fruit Dishes, Mexican Dishes, Snacks, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

(Becky, the Mama.)

Sometimes the simplest things really are the best.  I call this recipe Vacation Sopapillas because I usually have the ingredients lying around the condo or timeshare.  If I were a person of the camping persuasion (which I am not), I would definitely be cooking these babies up around the campfire, using an iron skillet.  Hopefully, however, I’ll never be forced to do that.  My husband bought me this greeting card, and truer words have never been spoken.

I also call these my Vacation Sopapillas because they are so ridiculously addicting that I don’t allow myself this treat on a regular basis.  So I try to only make them on vacation. Seriously, if you cook these… try to eat just one and let me know if it is humanly possible.

This is a recipe you can throw together with minimum mess in a couple of minutes, just for little ol’ marvelous you.  Since they are best eaten fast and warm, I don’t even try to serve these to a crowd.  This a gift you give to yourself, and maybe, just maybe, one other person who you love very, very much.

The trick is to use uncooked tortillas.  If you’ve never tried them, boy, are you in for a treat.  You’ll never go back the pre-cooked varieties again. The brand I like best is called Tortilla Land (click link for $1.00 off coupon) and typically you find them in the refrigerator section of Costco and sometimes Sam’s or Wal-mart.  If I can’t find this brand of tortillas, however, it seems I can almost always find Guerrero brand (click on link for $1.00 coupon) which are soft semi-cooked tortillas, and they are not refrigerated.  They just hang out on the shelves with the other regular tortillas in almost any major grocery store.  Be sure to look for the yellow packaging (as pictured below); they should look very thin, not quite cooked all the way.

The beautiful thing that happens when these uncooked or semi-cooked tortillas hit a very hot skillet with a little olive oil/butter is that they puff up, very much like a big sopapilla. Only without all the work and the frying.  My favorite version of these tortilla sopapillas is simple.  After cooking I quickly slather it with a little butter, honey, a squeeze of lemon or lime, and light sprinkle of raw sugar.  To eat it – you can tear it up in little pieces; roll it up enchilada style; or cut it in fourths, bending it in half, and eating it the way Italians eat flexible pizza.

For variety, I also like filling the puffy tortillas with sliced bananas that have been gently cooked in a skillet with a little butter and brown sugar. Then I roll it up like a burrito and drizzle with a bit of honey.  Cooked apples with cinnamon and sugar make a fabulous filling as well.  The only limits to this simple recipe is your imagination.

Lime & Honey Tortilla-Sopapillas

Ingredients:

1 raw or semi-cooked tortilla (Tortilla Land brand or Guererra preferred)

1 t. olive oil

2 t. soft butter (vegan butter for Vegans)

2 t. honey

small squeeze fresh lemon or lime

1 t. raw sugar

Instructions:

Put 1 t. olive oil and 1 t. soft butter in a hot skillet, and stir until blended.  Put one uncooked tortilla in the pan. When it puffs up and browns on one side, flip it and brown the other side.

Immediately put tortilla-sopapilla on a plate, spread with butter, then honey, a quick squeeze of fresh lime and a sprinkle of raw sugar.

For banana sopapillas: slice one small banana and put in a skillet with a teaspoon of butter and a teaspoon of brown sugar. Stir just until bananas are warm and absorb butter and sugar.  Proceed as above, only fill the tortilla with warm banana slices, roll like a burrito and serve with a little more honey. Eat with knife and fork.  A dollop of ice cream and sprinkle of cinnamon couldn’t hurt either.

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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Chipotle Pumpkin Salsa

Posted: October 30, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Cooking with Love, Gluten Free, Mexican Dishes, Sauces and Dressings, Snacks, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , | 11 Comments

(Rachel, the daughter)

I’m heading out to drop Jackson off with his Mimi (Jared’s mom) for a couple of hours this afternoon. This is the third day in a row that she has offered to help out with Jackson so I can work on the book. Although she insists it is all her pleasure, I’d like to let her know how much I appreciate her help.

In my husband’s family, steak is probably the most revered food item… followed closely by chips and salsa. They aren’t into chocolates or sweets. I know, GASP! Their idea of dessert is a bowl of salty popcorn. But they love their meat and potatoes and their chips and salsa. Since steak is an awkward gift for a vegan to give, I often jar up my love and appreciation for them in the form of salsa. Occasionally, Rhonda will show up at my door with an empty jar, “In case you or Jared plan on making salsa anytime soon,” she’ll wink.

Last weekend I stumbled upon an amazing salsa recipe by chance. I was out of a few of my staple salsa ingredients and just started throwing things in the food processor to try and whip up a make-do salsa for our Mexican-themed dinner. I was bummed when the food processor stopped spinning and I opened it up to see a thin almost watery salsa. I grabbed a can of pumpkin and added it to the salsa, then found some chipotles in Adobo sauce in my freezer. I gave it another spin and voila, I had a thick, creamy, smoky salsa with a touch of sweetness, a hint of pumpkin, and a nice kick of spice. I was smitten.

I liked it so much I made another batch today (some for us and some to share with Jared’s parents). It conveniently makes enough to fill two 32 oz spaghetti sauce or mason jars–one for you and one to share with a friend. Don’t be surprised when they show up at your door step with the empty jar and a little wink and a nudge, though.

Chipotle Pumpkin Salsa

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients

3 tomatoes
2 cups of frozen corn (or 1 can drained and patted dry)
2 small jalapenos
4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt
1 14.5 oz can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
4 chipotles in Adobo Sauce (slice open and remove seeds from two of them)
1 can of pumpkin
1/2 c. cilantro (use it if you like it, but it’s optional)
1/2 t. sugar
1 t. onion powder
1/4 t. salt

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Pour corn kernels on one half of pan. On the other side, put the jalapenos, garlic (wrap unpeeled garlic in foil to prevent them from burning–not like shown below), and tomatoes sliced in half with cut side up. Use a pastry brush to put a small amount of olive oil on the tomatoes and corn. Sprinkle tomatoes with a touch of sea salt. Roast for 20 minutes.

In a food processor, add all the remaining ingredients except the corn, plus the tomatoes and jalapenos (you may want to seed the jalapenos if you don’t like a lot of spice–you can always add the seeds back in if it’s not spicy enough). Squeeze the garlic from its peel into the food processor bowl. Process until everything is chopped and blended to the desired texture. I went for a smooth texture on mine. Stir in corn. Serve with chips.

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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Super Healthy Almond Kale Salad with Clementine-Maple Dressing

Posted: October 28, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Asian Dishes, Fruit Dishes, Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

(Becky, the Mama. )

Greg and I just spent two days on a road trip, driving from snow-covered Denver to the blue skies, hot air balloons, rusty-red mountains, green grass, gorgeous flowers and warm sun of Arizona.  As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, I grabbed my bathing suit from the suitcase (still in the car) ran into the condo and threw it on, then dashed to the swimming pool. The sun was still in the sky, but sinking, so I arranged my lounge chair just so, where I could get the maximum rays, then sat down and basked and beamed with happiness. For as long as I can remember I’ve been a sun and a water baby. I wore my dark hair in two braids, as a little girl, and by summer’s end I always looked like Pocahontas, my skin as “brown as a berry,” my mother said.

To this day, I wonder if I am part Indian, as I disdain shoes and socks, preferring to be bare foot, even in the winter. I seek out sun like a lizard, anywhere I can find it. I do know that my grandmother Nonny and her family came to Sweetwater, Texas from New Mexico. Her eyes were a twinkling blue, her hair a stunning natural silver, and her skin turned a deep olive every summer.  She loved being outside in her garden, always in a flower print dress (I never saw her in slacks), and if we grandkids were lucky, she’d see and catch a baby horned toad, which us we loved to hold and play with more than any store-bought toy.

But I digress.  Back to the pool.  When I could see the sun dipping in the sky, I jumped out of the lounge chair, hurried back to the condo, grabbing this and that from boxes of food stuffs and ice chest we brought from home – kale, dried cherries, hemp seed,  sliced almonds, Clementine oranges – quickly creating the world’s fastest salad. Then photographing it while there was still natural light on the patio overlooking an emerald green golf course. After two days of road trip food burgers and fries, my body was craving something green and healthy.  This is truly a Super Salad, loaded with nutrition – and it was soo yummy, I know I’ll be making it again and again.  The nice thing about using kale in salads is that the salad still has lots of chew and crunch the next day, and in fact,  it seems to get even better as it has time to sit and soften a bit in the dressing.

Super Fruit & Almond Kale Salad with Clementine Maple Dressing

Ingredients for salad:

2 to 3 cups of chopped kale, leaves only – no stems (I was able to find it pre-chopped and mixed with some shredded carrots in the grocery produce aisle)

2 Clementine oranges, peeled and pulled apart in sections

2 T. dried cherries or cranberries

1 T. hemp, flax, or chia seeds

2 T. sliced or slivered almonds

1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts

Ingredients for Dressing:

¼ cup red wine or rice wine vinegar

Juice from 1 Clementine orange

1 T. pure maple syrup

1 t. soy sauce

2 t. good mustard

¼ cup olive oil

dash garlic powder or about 1/4 of a fresh garlic clove, grated

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Put kale in a large  bowl and knead and massage it with clean hands for a minute. This will break down the fibers and make the kale tender enough to eat raw.  (Sometimes I run hot water over it in a colander to soften the kale first, knead it, and then rinse again in cold water.)  Add all the rest of the ingredients for a salad and serve in a pretty flat platter.   Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together and drizzle over the salad.  Serve and enjoy.

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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Tofu Scramble Tacos

Posted: October 23, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Breakfast Foods, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Mexican Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: , , , , , , | 7 Comments

(Rachel, the daughter)

Jared, Jackson and I went to the Texas State Veggie Fair this weekend. I’m a terrible blogger and didn’t take any pictures of my food. I blame my hungry toddler. We scoped out all the food trucks and booths and contemplated fresh squeezed juice or mac-n-cheese and a barbeque sandwich, but our eyes kept venturing to the long line behind the Corn Dogs and Fried Cinnamon Rolls. When in Rome, right? What’s a fair without fried food? I stood in the 20 minute line while Jared took Jackson to play on the playground.

Finally, I returned to my boys juggling two corn dogs, a fried cinnamon roll and a handcrafted root beer. We sat on the lawn and indulged. If you’re having trouble imagining how good it was, here’s Jackson’s face after his first bite of fried fair food.

“Fried food, where have you been all my life!?!”

I think this picture says it all. Yum.

That deep fried cinnamon roll was worth every glorious calorie, but as soon as I got home, I whipped up a big kale salad for dinner. My body felt like it was shutting down from all the grease, sugar, and processed fake-meat products I had consumed.  Sometimes you just have to give your body what it wants and then deal with the consequences.

For months after going vegan, I continued to crave eggs. I couldn’t get them off my mind. One night, after a wedding with nothing vegan on the menu, we went with some friends to a bar with a midnight breakfast burrito buffet. I was so hungry and finally caved and ate an egg and potato breakfast burrito. My stomach was in knots for two days, proving wrong the myth that if we are craving something our body must need it.

Lucky for me, I finally discovered a breakfast burrito that satisfied my craving for eggs without sacrificing my vegan diet or my stomach lining.  Tofu scramble looks and feels just like pale scrambled eggs and with a little seasoning tastes eerily similar. Jared has been nagging me to make this all week. It’s truly crave-worthy. If you’re curious about tofu or have had bad experiences with it before, try out tofu scramble.

Tofu Scramble Tacos make a hearty savory vegan breakfast or an easy weeknight dinner.

Tofu Scramble Tacos

Serves 4

Ingredients

2-4 T. Olive Oil
2 small red potatoes, diced (or any veggies of your your choice — onions, bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini…)
1 clove of garlic, minced or chopped
1/2 c. frozen corn
1/2 block of tofu
1 t. salt (divided)
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. smoked paprika
1/2 t. onion powder
2 c. baby spinach
8 tortillas (I really like the new Artisan Corn & Whole Wheat Blend by Mission)
16 oz Black Beans
1 avocado, sliced or diced (optional garnish)
salsa (optional garnish)
cilantro (optional garnish)

I used potatoes, spinach, corn, and garlic, but you can easily modify this to whatever veggies or greens you have on hand — bell peppers, poblano peppers, onions, broccoli, carrots, summer squash, zucchini, kale, swiss chard, and collard greens would all be delicious.

Directions

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet, use enough to generously coat the bottom of the pan. Pan-fry potatoes (or any other veggies) with 1/2 t of salt on medium heat until they are tender, stirring often.  I covered the potatoes to help them cook quicker, other veggies may not need to be covered though. Bring heat down and add the garlic. Stir continuously to keep garlic from burning.

As soon as the garlic is translucent, crumble the tofu into the pan (just squish it up in your hands and break into little crumbles). Add smoked paprika, onion powder, pepper, and remaining salt. Return heat to medium and stir and cook for about five minutes. Add corn and cook until corn is heated through ( a few more minutes). Stir in the spinach and cook until just wilted.

Tofu scramble has a texture really similar to scrambled eggs. With the right seasoning, you can hardly tell the difference.

Serve in tortillas with black beans, avocados, cilantro, and salsa.

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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Italian Chickpea Bread Casserole (Vegan)

Posted: October 18, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Italian, Main Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Italian Chickpea Bread Casserole

(Rachel, the daughter)

This weekend we had our first family stomach virus, a true milestone in parenting. Jackson woke up on Saturday morning sick. Sunday night, I went to bed early, my queasy stomach telling me I too had been bitten by the bug.

I’ll spare you all the details, but at the pinnacle of our monumental family milestone, Jackson woke up crying around 3am. Jared tried to console him to no avail, so he brought him to me to nurse him in bed. Within seconds Jackson was calm. And seconds after that, I pulled away, tossed him back to Jared and ran to our bathroom.

Through the walls, I could hear our poor baby bawling. I felt terrible, but knew his daddy had him until I could get to him again. And then I heard sounds echoing my own from the other bathroom.

Oh no. Not Jared too.

As soon as I could, I rushed to Jackson’s room. Pitiful baby was sitting up in his crib with all the lights on in nothing but a sloppily placed diaper, sobbing. Apparently, daddy had been bitten by the bug mid diaper change.

I re-aligned his diaper, zipped him back into his footie pajamas and rocked and nursed him. I prayed “God, just 10 minutes. Please just give me 10 minutes to get him back to sleep in his crib.” He answered and gave me exactly enough time, no more, no less.

These are the moments I wondered about before having kids. The last stomach virus I had was in my first trimester when I was pregnant with Jackson. It was the first time I truly feared becoming a mom and questioned whether I had what it took for the life long commitment of motherhood. I wondered if I’d be able to handle sickness with a baby or child or the sleepless nights. And now I know, it may be really hard, but apparently I can do it. I’ve been to the edge (of the toilet seat) and back. I’ve conquered the throne. I’ve, well, you get the jist of it. I somehow feel accomplished now. Like I’ve come into my own as a mom.

So what if I laid on the floor and let Jackson eat peanut butter straight from the jar for lunch. So what if we watched two episodes of Sesame Street from the DVR. So what if I still have cheerio crumbs and peanut butter stuck in my carpet. So what. I did it. I made it through. Some days that’s the best you can do, just make it through. And I did.

Today I finally felt like my normal self again. After little but broth and pasta for the last couple of days, I was in the mood for a real meal. This Italian Chickpea Bread Casserole hit the spot. It’s warm and comforting and, though it takes a little while to simmer and cook, was very simple to make.

I love the different textures in this dish: crunchy on top, fluffy soft cloud-like in the middle, chewiness in the chickpeas. A texture party in my mouth.

Italian Chickpea Bread Casserole

Serves 6

Ingredients

½ pound chickpeas, soaked or 2 cans drained and rinsed
16 oz crushed tomatoes w/ basil
2 c. veggie broth or water
1 t. coconut or brown sugar
1 t. balsamic vinegar
2 T. dried minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups small tomatoes, whole (I used 8-9 campari tomatoes ) or 16 oz of canned whole tomatoes
8 pieces of bread, (I used Ezekiel Sprouted Whole Grain bread)
Olive Oil for brushing bread
Salt & Pepper

Optional Garnish of Caramelized Balsamic Onions

1 onion, sliced
1 T. Olive Oil
1 T. Earth Balance
1 T. Balsamic Vinegar
1 t. coconut or brown sugar
Pinch of salt
Few twists of cracked pepper

Directions

Drain soaked chickpeas and return to large pot. Add first eight ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil. Then simmer covered on low for 30-45 minutes (until chickpeas are cooked through—if using canned chickpeas you can cut time to 15 minutes), stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350. On a baking sheet, line up bread slices and brush one side with a little olive oil. Place in oven (you can start while it’s still preheating) and bake until the bread is hard, but not burnt (I baked mine for 15 minutes, flipped it and baked for another 15).

In a high-sided casserole dish, lay out four of your pieces of toast. Breaking them up as needed to fit. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

No need for perfection, just fit it in there.

When your chickpeas are cooked through, pour half of the tomato mixture over the bread. Then repeat with the remaining bread and tomato mixture.

Simmering chickpeas with the tomatoes and seasoning.

Sprinkle the top with salt and fresh crack pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.

While this is baking, you can either kick back and relax, make a side salad or veggie and or caramelize some balsamic onions for the top of the casserole. It’s good either way, but who doesn’t love a little caramelized onion on just about anything?

Balsamic Caramelized Onions — you can actually cook down more than this if you have more patience than I do (or don’t have a whiny toddler at your feet testing every patient bone in your body :))

Directions for Optional Balsamic Caramelized Onion

Pour oil and butter into a cold skillet, heat to medium and add onions. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 more minutes or until the onions are soft, brown and completely cooked through.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Italian Chickpea Bread Casserole (Vegan)
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-KQ
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

“Healing” Panang Curry 2 Ways — Traditional and Soup

Posted: October 16, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Asian Dishes, Chicken, Seafood/Shrimp, Soups, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Panang Curry Soup

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Traditional Panang Curry with Shrimp

(Becky, the Mama.)

A sure-fire way to humble yourself is to announce: “I never (fill-in-the-blank)” publically.  (Or worse, “My child will never…..”)   And so when I declared, on Facebook that I almost never get sick, I should have known I was in for it.

For some unknown reason, for nearly a week, day after day, I  forgot to take my daily regime of immune-boosting supplements (fish oil, odorless garlic, probiotics, super green food powder) and woke up one morning feeling as though I was swallowing razor blades.

I went on the attack with liberal doses of all my regular supplements above  plus a couple of more exotic-sounding ones: olive leaf extract and astragalus.  By mid-afternoon my throat had calmed considerably and by nightfall it did not hurt at all.  (I did, however, get the standard stuffy head, runny nose bit – though, thankfully, without fever and it seems to be running its course fairly quickly.)

My husband was also out of town, so I had no choice but to practice good self-care and nourish my body as best I could, all by my lonesome.

In addition to honey-sweetened white tea (more nutrition-packed than green tea) laced with fresh grated ginger, and sips of Feel Good Blueberry Smoothie, I made two pots of healing soup.

First, I made a classic home-style chicken soup, a super quick and easy recipe I’ll share in coming weeks.  The other, is my new favorite “healing soup” – a Thai Panang Curry soup, rich with cancer-fighting and immune boosting antioxidants from the ginger and spices, cruciferous veggies, shitake mushrooms (which contain a compound called lentinan, shown to strengthen the immune system’s ability to fight infection and disease) and vitamin & mineral rich kale. Coconut milk, too, has healing properties.  It  contains lauric acid, antimicrobial lipids and capric acid, which have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties.

Afriend introduced me to my first good Thai Panang curry , when she bought us both take-out containers of it during a working writer’s lunch.  It was love at first bite.  It hit all the strong flavor notes I crave: spice from the curry and ginger, slightly sweet and creamy from the coconut milk, a touch of tang from fresh lime, and salty-savory-earthy from the mushrooms, veggies and broth.

It sounds so exotic, but I do not make complicated recipes, especially when I’m fighting a cold, so trust me – this is quick and easy. Feel free to substitute any veggies you have on hand, or enjoy, in this basic recipe.   I’ve included instructions for both tradition curry with rice and also the soup, in the recipe below.

 

Panang Curry with Shrimp

Panang Curry with Shrimp

“Healing” Panang Curry Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk (I prefer whole fat as it makes a creamier soup).

1 ½ cups veggie broth (or chicken broth)  — use 3/4 c  if you prefer to make the thicker curry version

½ small jar Thai red curry (about 3 T – less if you prefer less spice) (This jar of curry is found in Asian section of most groceries now and is small, about the size of a baby food jar.)

1 t. fresh grated ginger (pinch of dried ginger if you don’t have fresh)

1 t. brown sugar

Soy sauce or sea salt  to taste

1 c. rainbow slaw (or broccoli slaw)

1 large clove garlic

1 T. olive or coconut oil

1 T. butter

2/3 c. sliced mushrooms (I used shitake)

1 c. loosely packed, torn kale

1 fresh chopped tomato

2 sliced green onions

Slice of lime

Cilantro (sprig or chopped) and/or basil for garnish

Protein of your choice:  grilled diced tofu, diced or shredded chicken; or cooked shrimp, 1/2  to 1 cup depending on preference.  I use a small amount of chicken in the soup — as I  like the veggies taking center stage in this soup.  You could also sprinkle in toasted peanuts for added protein.  For the curry and rice version I prefer shrimp, about 5 medium shrimp per person.)

Instructions:

Saute garlic with mushrooms, slaw and kale in oil and butter in a deep large skillet until just tender. Dump all the ingredients except the last three (green onions, lime, cilantro or fresh basil ) into a large skillet and simmer until veggies are tender but not mushy. Add chopped fresh tomato last, and stir to heat through.  Ladle veggies and broth into each bowl, then garnish with a sprig of cilantro or basil (or chop it up and sprinkle), some green onions, and a slice of lime to squeeze over and stir in right before eating.

Variation:  To make a more traditional curry instead of soup, use half the broth and put a scoop of jasmine rice in the middle of the bowl before garnishes.  Sauteed shrimp is beautiful, artfully arranged around the rice and on top of the curry.  You can use any veggies you like in place of slaw, mushrooms or kale.  Add slices of cooked sweet potato and pineapple for a creamy pineapple curry.  To add heat, use a few drop of siracha sauce or thai chili paste.

Panang Curry Soup

 

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This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: “healing” Panang Curry Soup
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-Kz
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Nut Butter Banana Hemp Shake (Vegan, High-Protein, Kid-Friendly)

Posted: October 13, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Beverages and Smoothies, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

When your kid begs you for a drink of your high-protein, high-fiber shake full of essential aminos and omegas, you call it quits on your food blog photo shoot and hand over the shake.

(Rachel, the daughter)

I just wrote a long boring post about how exhausting this week has been. Then I hit delete. #boringsnoring #toughenup #writersblock #speakinginhashtagsiswayeasierthanwritingblogsandbooks

I think Instagram and Twitter are ruining my ability to write in full sentences. I mean, do you really need a full explanation when a hashtag and a picture say it all?

#badidea #meltdownonaisletwo #tinycartsarethedevil

#lifewithatoddler #enoughsaid

#joy #bubbles #lovehim

In the spirit of quick and easy, here’s a recipe that has saved me on many an exhausted morning or afternoon this week. High in protein, fiber, and healthy fats, it’s the perfect breakfast or post-park snack for adults and little ones.

#simple #healthy #kid-friendly #10gramsofprotein #6gramsoffiber

Nut Butter Banana Hemp Shake

Makes one 1-cup serving

Ingredients

1 banana (Frozen or thawed)
2 T. nut butter (Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, Sunflower Seed Butter, or mix of any combination)
1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk (or your preferred milk)
1/2 T. hemp seeds
1/2 c. ice

Directions

Blend first four ingredients together for 60 seconds. Add ice and blend until ice chunks are gone. That’s it. Enjoy!

Almond milk + nut butter + banana + hemp seed = #mynewfavshake

I did some quick pen and paper calculations on the one I made today (not pictured). I used half sunflower seed butter and half organic peanut butter. It had about 19 grams of fat, 300 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 6.5 grams of fiber. Remember the fat comes from seeds and nuts, which are good healthy fats.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Nut Butter Banana Hemp Skake (Vegan, High-Protein, Kid-Friendly)
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-Kg
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

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