Warm Winter Foods

Okay, folks, I'm just going by my memory here. If you'd like to try these, I know that you may alter some of the ingredients to your liking. That's how I cook, so of course, go ahead. Well, earlier in the week, I bought a large butternut squash, and it sat in my basket on the kitchen counter for a couple of days. Then on Wednesday, I got the urge to cook something in the crock pot and decided to make a squash stew. I peeled and cubed the squash, then decided to add some celery, onion, corn, great northern beans, and a variety of seasonings. I cooked all the ingredients in a light veggie broth. I added the corn and beans (which were precooked) during the last 20 minutes. The result was a delicious soup.

What's soup without bread? Well, since I had some pumpkin and some cornmeal in the pantry, I searched the web for recipes for pumpkin cornbread muffins. I came across several, but was not satisfied with any. So, I just took a few ideas from each and created my own recipe. I baked the batter in a glass, 9" x 9" cake pan. It turned out well.

Mom, my sister, and I each had two helpings. I don't think the men in the house cared for it. I ate some again tonight and still have some left over. I'm going to remember this meal and add it to my Veganishta Creations collection. This would be a warm and hearty meal for anyone on a cold winter's eve.

Veganishta Squash & White Bean Soup
1 large butternut squash
1/3-1/2 of a large, white onion chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 large celery stalks, chopped
1-1/2 cups corn kernels
2 cups white beans (pre-cooked)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
Sea salt to taste
1/8 tsp. chili pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tbsp. marjoram leaves
2 tbsp. veggie bouillon base
6 cups of water, or enough to cover the ingredients

Place all in crock pot (except corn and beans) and cook on high for three hours; then on low for one to two hours; add the corn and beans the last 15 minutes or half hour.

Veganishta Pumpkin Cornbread
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup brown sugar (you can substitute your preferred sweetener)
1 tbsp cinnamon
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/4 cup almond milk

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and pour into 9" x 9" cake pan or muffin pans of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Serve with Earth Balance butter--that's what I did!

A Very "Green" Salad

No recipe here, exactly. Made a very green salad for dinner last night. After I had broken my food processor the night before, I labored at the cutting board with knife and cut and sliced away at: romaine lettuce, fresh kale, savoy cabbage, green zucchini, cucumber, celery, shallots, and then a little color with carrots and tomatoes. I made an olive oil, rice vinegar, apple juice, and brown rice syrup dressing on the side. Little bowls containing sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, diced fresh figs, and calamata olives for the taking provided some added nutritional complements. I had two helpings of the salad and the rest of the family enjoyed it as well.

No salad pictures, but here is a photo of why we are wearing our coats this week in Phoenix.  This is a photo of our icicle-laden fountain by our church.

We're off to Old West Cave Creek today for some flea marketing. At least the sun is shining, but we will still need our coats today.

Veganishta

A Trip to Whole Foods Market Wearing a Coat in Phoenix!

Okay, well, The Veganishta broke down this morning and put on the winter jacket, you know, the one appropriate for a winter visit to Flagstaff, etc.?  Back home in Chicago where I grew up, they are experiencing a near-like 1967 snow storm, as well as many other states across the country. I just received some Picasa photos from my son-in-law. Everyone is off for a "snow day." The snow, folks, was up to his hips, and he is at least 6'1" or maybe 6'2".

We are not without the effects here in AZ. It's pretty darn cold here today. The high will be 48. After living here for about eleven years now, it has been rare for a high temp during the day such as this. And since my blood is thinned out, as they say, I had to wear my coat. My sister and I drove to the Whole Foods Market to pick up some staples and fresh produce. We lingered inside for two hours! A Vita Mix blender demo was taking place, and we stayed until we sampled: a fruit smoothie, a green veggie smoothie, hot veggie soup, and a raspberry sorbet! LOL It was our "brunch."

We loaded up the goodies in our cart—fresh kale, broccoli, kale salad, a variety of organic grains, some good olive oil, some nuts, etc. The kale salad from the deli was very good. We enjoyed it for lunch with some of my lentil and brown rice warm side dish. In my steamer yesterday, I made brown rice and lentils and used some for my veggie loaf, but then decided to add some sauteed onions, fresh cumin, turmeric, and some canned tomatoes with basil and garlic. This mix will provide a protein side dish for lunches for the rest of the week. We ate some of it along with some of the kale salad for lunch. It was very good for a cold, blustery day in sunny Phoenix.

Now, thanks to the inspiration Whole Foods Market, The Veganishta will create her own rendition of a good, cold, kale salad. I'm sure she will post the recipe when it happens!

Stay warm and cozy,
Veganishta

Oats and Barley Scramble to the Rescue

For the last week, mom and I have been rearranging furniture, organizing, and cleaning. In the midst of all this new-year readying around the house, The Veganishta managed to whip up two delicious breakfasts.

I got to thinking, for the last ten months, I've actually also been "rearranging, organizing, and cleaning up" my insides. LOL Yeah, I'm laughing but really, I'm serious. Since making my green smoothies, I have more energy and my vegan diet has aided my detoxification process along. I'm thoroughly blessed by the wonderful food God provided for us and try my best daily to nourish my body as He would see fit.

Having always loved oatmeal since a child, and still do, I now just leave out the white sugar and add some extra goodies—diced apple, cinnamon, and walnuts. A little Stevia, if needed, adds to the tastiness. I have really grown to live okay without sugar. Really, folks, it is possible. I just had to take a picture of my breakfast the other morning, as you will see here—Veganishta Morning Oatmeal. I realize this oatmeal dish is nothing new and unique, but just wanted to share. It makes me feel good.

Since I'm out of tofu and trying to limit that a bit, I made another great morning scramble. My daughter calls me the "Queen of Stir-Fry," 'cause it seems I do a lot of it. So, instead of tofu or quinoa, I decided to cook some barley. I added some of my usual ingredients and dished up some good scramble. I shoved some in the face of the Mister, who immediately poured barbecue sauce on it (to disguise the taste of the spinach), but he ate it all and was strengthened plenty for his mountain hike. I had learned that the Roman gladiators ate barley before a contest. The Veganishta Barley Scramble fed us plenty of protein and other needed nutrients to get our day going.

Veganishta Barley Scramble
1/2 cup uncooked barley (makes 1-1/2 cups cooked)
1/4 of a large yellow bell pepper sliced or diced
1/4 of a large red bell pepper sliced or diced
1/4 cup of sliced or diced red onion
2 tsp. fresh cumin, ground with the mortar and pestle
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1/4 tsp. red chili pepper flakes
sea salt to taste
2 cups fresh or frozen leaf spinach

Saute red onion for one minute in olive oil; add bell peppers and saute all for two minutes (medium heat); add the seasonings, stir, continue sauteing on low-med heat; add the spinach for the last minute. Then turn heat off; add the barley and scramble it all together. Serve with toast (Ezekiel bread is good). I use Earth Balance (soy free) butter. Be strong for the day!

The Veganishta

Smooth Going to Green Smoothie

This morning, I finally developed a system to make green smoothies with my regular Oster blender. It's not a fancy blender, although I intend to get one of those monsters sometime soon. Trick is to put in the liquids first, then cut up your fresh kale and spinach in little shreds or pieces. This worked for me. I bought organic baby spinach leaves and just tossed them in as they were, but I did cut up the kale. Here's what I made and it was smooth and tasty.

Veganishta Morning Green Drink
1 large leaf fresh curly kale
3 large handfuls of fresh, baby spinach leaves
6 oz. orange/pineapple juice
6 oz. cherry juice
1 radish
1 tsp. sushi ginger slices (pickled, from the jar, 'cause I ran out of fresh)
2 scoops "Life Greens" plant protein mix

Pour in your juices first; then add the other ingredients one at a time and blend; add the protein powder last and blend all again to your desire of "smoothiness."

Enjoy and be healthy!

Hate Grocery Shopping

Well, I am sitting here preparing a grocery list. This is the part I absolutely hate about food and cooking. The cost of groceries is so unbelievably high, and I wish I were in an environment where I could grow my own veggies. I suppose I could grow them here, but it would be a whole new way of learning how to do it. I think I will try to grow some in large pots out on the patio. It may be time to start growing greens and herbs. I've got a crock pot of great northern beans cooking with some wakame seaweed and a touch of olive oil. Since discovering how to make good beans in the crock pot two weeks ago, I am now planning on doing this and freezing a supply so they'll always be on hand for cooking up interesting recipes and meals.

With colds and flues and the like going around this time of year, I also am amazed at a new remedy I discovered that knocked out my sinus infection/cold in one day. I put some honey in one teaspoon and sprinkle 3-4 shakes of cayenne pepper onto it (about 1/8 tsp.) and then just swallow it down with one swallow. Wham bam, slam, next day no runny nose, no stuffy nose, and no runny eyes. It's marvelous friends. I am doing this a few times a day to keep germs away. I think it's actually helping with inflammation and arthritis as well.

Okay, on to the grocery list now. Wish me luck!

The Veganishta

Soup's Up

What to make for dinner tonight turned into a "toss it in the pot" and "serve it hot" meal.

A Veganishta version of pasta e fagiole was born. Water, vegetable stock base, small shell pasta, white cannellini beans, canned diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and onion made its way into the pot. Sauteed diced yellow onion and fresh ginger also jumped into the mix. Several shakes of some sweet basil and some white pepper along with a few pinches of sea salt topped it all off. Then the asparagus made its way in, and the meal was complete. Simmered for only 20 minutes and served hot, this fast soup creation had a nice light broth, but proved tasty and satisfying for both The Veganishta and her Veganishter.

Not always so unique, but easy and quick, The Veganishta likes to share how delicious meals can be created from food stuffs on hand.

Until next thyme,
The Veganishta