Category Archives: Recipes & Food, Mostly Vegan

“Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.” ~Catherine Douzel

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We love tea.

We can’t do without our afternoon cuppa.

Fragrant spiraling steam from the spout signals to the senses that proper steeping has occurred and it’s time to pour a golden amber or grassy green stream of molten happiness. 

Ahhh. That first sip never fails to satisfy — to stop time for a moment and live IN that moment of pure pleasure.

A pot of tea is a wondrous thing.

(It’s so funny; as I re-read what I wrote, I could easily substitute champagne or tequila  — also my favorite beverages — for “tea.” LOL)

teapot9Ginger, Korean ginseng, Yogi green tea, genmaicha, even fennel seeds (steeped in boiling water and delicious)…and once in a while Twinings or PG Tips .

I never consciously decided to collect teapots, but they seem to be growing and multiplying and spawning others to join our family.

Navigate through these seven teapots; some given as gifts, some found abandoned and dusty in thrift stores and secondhand shops;  some purchased fresh and new.

Are you a tea lover? What’s your fave?

A few of my favorite quotes about tea: 

Make tea, not war. ~Monty Python

Tea is a divine herb. ~Xu Guangqi

Having picked some tea, he drank it,
Then he sprouted wings,
And flew to a fairy mansion,
To escape the emptiness of the world….
~Chiao Jen

Where there’s tea there’s hope. ~Arthur Wing Pinero

Great love affairs start with champagne and end with tisane. ~Honoré de Balzac

Water is the mother of tea, a teapot its father, and fire the teacher. ~Chinese Proverb

 Some of my faves…

Cast iron teapot, great for genmaicha.Cast iron teapot

Polka dot pot!Polka dot pot

Tea for one.

Tea for one Flowers and lilac; think frilly frocks and high tea. “Pass the scones, my dear.”Lilacs and flowers

A woodland fantasy of pink and green.

Frogs and flowers

From one of my tugboat man’s voyages to Trinindad; only ornamental but spectacularly hand painted and primitive.

Ornamental teapot from Trinidad

A beautiful sculptured teaset for our twentieth wedding anniversary from Angel Boy and DIL. China is the traditional 20th gift. Thank you, guys!   We had guests yesterday afternoon and  I served tea in these elegant cups. So classy!

Beautiful white sculptured pot and cupsI’ll plan a Part Two with pics of my other teapots, the antique ones.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cairn for Wordless Wednesday

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Wednesday’s almost over; 5:00 p.m. in SoCal — a few minutes ago I took these chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, stacked them up, and snapped a few pics.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cairn

chocolate chip cookie cairn5

chocolate chip cookie cairn


Learn What “Eat Small” Means From Scientific American

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Mexico-Property of Enchanted Seashells, Confessions of a Tugboat Captain's Wife

Mexico-Property of Enchanted Seashells, Confessions of a Tugboat Captain’s Wife

I think we can all agree that it’s important to eat healthy and it’s equally imperative that we become better stewards of our world, especially our oceans.

My Yale prof son asked me to share this interesting and informative  Scientific American video and article produced and written by his friend, Patrick Mustain.

Patrick Mustain is a Communications Manager at the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. He is interested in how environmental factors (built, social, media, economic, etc.) affect health behaviors and outcomes, especially those places where media and public health intersect. You can find more of his work at his website, patrickmustain.com. Follow on Twitter@patrickmustain.

*As you watch the video, look for the wooden bowl used to make a salad. I gave it to my son a while back and it’s now starring in a film! It’s famous!
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clickhere_button_redwhite_10Eat Small: Why our Big Fish Problem is leading to big fish problems. (VIDEO)

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P.S. I’d appreciate shares on his behalf. Thank you!

Ring, Ring! #Hing is the Key to Cosmic Flavor Success

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I’ve been on a journey of sorts attempting to replicate the taste of authentic Indian cuisine, specifically Red Lentil Daal.

I’ve tried it a handful of times and it’s always fallen short of the mark.

But I think I’ve found the missing puzzle piece!

One day, I heard #Aarti Sequeira, Season 6 #FoodNetworkStar winner, talk about hing, and I knew right away that I needed to find it and try again to master the art of daal.

Hing is also known as Asafoetida —  have you ever heard of it? You might remember reading about a foul smelling old herbal remedy used to ward off the flu by wearing an asafoetida bag around one’s neck. It’s folk name is Devil Dung, and that’s about how bad it smells. In its uncooked raw state, it STINKS.

But you shouldn’t judge this herb before trying it.

When cooked, hing becomes fragrant and has a flavor reminiscent of fried onions.

There’s an Indian store, Bharat Bazaar in San Marcos, not too far away from where we live, and I picked up a jar of hing.

This time my Red Lentil Daal was absolutely mouth-watering.

Hing proved to be the missing link, providing an eloquent essence to the other spices: cumin, chili, coriander, ginger, fennel, mustard seed, and cinnamon.

We paired our meal with Truett Hurst 2010 Bewitched Chardonnay from California’s Russian River Valley, a bewitching harmony of fruit and oak.

Hing really is the key to cosmic flavor success. 

Photo courtesy of gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com

Photo courtesy of gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com

But…who was the first person with that light bulb thought about stinky hing transforming itself into something tasty? I mean, it could have been toxic and poisoned everyone, but there was that very first time someone  –probably a woman — plucked it, held their nose, tossed it into a pan, and served it to their family. I like that kind of creativity and imagination.

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I did a little more research and leaned a lot about hing (asafoetida) from The Health Site http://health.india.com/diseases-conditions/health-benefits-of-hing/

It enjoys a unique place in Indian cuisine. When cooked with other spices, the strong pungent smell of hing adds a mysterious flavour to dishes. It is used most commonly in dals (lentils), sambars, and various other spicy vegetarian dishes.

In Ayurveda, hing is used to aid digestion, cure colic, and stagnation in the GI tract. Hing burns ama. It is a primary herb for Vata.

It is known to be anti-flatulent, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial; works as a laxative, nerve stimulant, expectorant, and sedative.

Here are the few reported health benefits of hing:

Indigestion– Hing has been used since ancient times as a home remedy for indigestion, the reason why it is routinely used in most day to day Indian cuisine. Its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties help alleviate digestion problems like upset stomach, intestinal gas, intestinal worms, flatulence,  irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), etc. Drinking a few small pieces of asafoetida dissolved in half a cup of water gives quick relief from indigestion. Hing is an excellent laxative and prevents constipation. A pinch of asafoetida taken with butter milk provides quick relief from flatulence. It is also considered an excellent remedy for colic in babies. Many Ayurvedic preparations available in the market for gastric problems use hing as an ingredient.

Menstrual Problem: Hing can be a powerful against a host of women’s menstrual problems like pain, cramps, irregular periods and dysmenorrhoea. The herb is also useful in the treatment of candida infection and leucorrhoea (thick white/yellow coloured discharge from the vagina).

Impotency: This culinary herb has been used to cure impotency in men. It is also known to increase libido and can be used as an aphrodisiac.

Respiratory Disorders: Hing, one of the oldest remedies to be used for treating respiratory tract infections, acts as a respiratory stimulant and expectorant to release phlegm and relieve chest congestion. Hing mixed with honey and ginger is used for respiratory disorders such as chronically dry cough, whooping cough, bronchitis, asthma, etc. It has also been successfully used to fight influenza. Studies have shown that antiviral drug compounds produced by the roots of the hing plant can kill H1N1, the swine flu virus and can be used for new drug development against the virus.

Diabetes: Hing is used in the treatment of diabetes because it helps pancreatic cells to secrete more insulin thereby decreasing blood sugar levels.  To lower blood sugar levels, eat bitter gourd cooked with hing.

High blood pressure: Coumarins present in the herb aid in thinning of blood and prevent blood clotting. The anticoagulant property along with the healing effect of hing protects against high triglycerides and cholesterol and helps lower blood pressure.

Pain: Taking hing dissolved in water alleviates migraines and headaches. A piece of hing mixed with lemon juice can work wonders for an aching tooth.

The Humble, Beatific Biscuit

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Not out of a can.

Not out of a box.

Just a few modest ingredients, mixed and mashed and melded together to create blissful, aromatic, crusty-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside rounds of simple decadence.

Plain, buttered, or drizzled with agave, these are so satisfying with a bowl of Veggie-Lentil Soup, especially for those of you suffering from the #polarvortex with subzero Arctic temps.

biscuit7We don’t have gluten problems, so I used regular old white flour.

I don’t often bake items that are not 1000% nutritious, but we were totes craving the real thing.

It’s OK to indulge once in a great while, don’t you agree?

Here we start. You only need five ingredients; I’m sure everyone has milk, flour, shortening, salt, and baking powder in the pantry, right? #baking

biscuit2Next, it’s time to cut the shortening into the dry ingredients. I use a fork. Simple!

biscuit3 Add milk, mix, and let it rest for a few minutes to develop the gluten.
Then, roll it out and use a biscuit cutter or a glass if you’re cool like me. 

biscuit5

I always use parchment paper. Bake until they’re golden brown. You’ll be able to smell them as they rise and attain perfection. Don’t over bake or you’ll be able to use them as hockey pucks LOL.

biscuit6

Display on a pretty and fancy plate!. YUM!

biscuit1

Simple But Special #BiscuitRecipe

This recipe makes 8 to 12 biscuits

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 3/4 cup milk
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
  2. In a large mixing bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. Pour milk into flour mixture while stirring with a fork. Mix in milk until dough is soft, moist and pulls away from the side of the bowl.
  4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and toss with flour until no longer sticky. Roll dough out into a 1/2 inch thick sheet and cut with a floured biscuit or cookie cutter. Press together unused dough and repeat rolling and cutting procedure.
  5. Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheets and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.#baking

Yummy Black Bean Brownies and Lentil Cookies

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These recipes were originally requested by my good friend at TheFurFiles.

My Angel Boy is coming tomorrow, yay!!!! (That’s what I call my son, in case you’re a new reader/follower.)

Now all is right in my little corner of the universe which means that today I’m baking. A lot.

Lentil Cookies, Persimmon Bread (recipe coming soon), Snickerdoodles, and Corn Bread to go with Veggie Chili for tonight’s dinner. Oh, and a Pumpkin Pie, cos Angel Boy requested it.

These are not vegan ‘cos of the eggs and butter (in lentil cookies) but I think it’d be simple to create a version without them.

Black Bean Brownies

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 9-inch square baking pan. In a blender, puree the beans with the oil. Add the eggs, cocoa, sugar, coffee, and vanilla. Melt half the chocolate chips and add to the blender. Blend on medium-high until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the blender and pulse until just incorporated. Stir in the remaining chocolate. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until the surface looks somewhat matte around the edges and still a bit shiny in the middle, about 20 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and removing from the pan. My family thinks they taste better the longer you let them sit, so the beany texture dissipates.

Lentil Cookies (Alton Brown‘s version)

  • 9 1/2 ounces whole-wheat pastry flour, approximately 2 cups*
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 8 ounces sugar, approximately 1 cup (1/2 white, 1/2 brown)
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature, approximately 1/2 cup***Sometimes I use half oil, half butter, or all oil. Depends on my mood and my pantry.
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups lentil puree, recipe follows
  • 3 1/2 ounces rolled oats, approximately 1 cup
  • 4 ounces dried fruit, approximately 1 cup
  • 2 1/4 ounces unsweetened dried shredded coconut, approximately 1 cup

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice. In the bowl of a stand-mixer with a whisk attachment, cream together the sugar and butter on medium speed. Add the egg and mix until just incorporated. Add the vanilla and lentil puree and mix until combined. Add the flour mixture and blend on low speed until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the oats, dried fruit and coconut. Form the dough into balls about 2 teaspoons in size and place on a baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving about 1-inch of room in between. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.

Lentil Puree:

  • 4 ounces lentils, approximately 2/3 cup, picked over and rinsed
  • 2 cups water

In a small pot over medium heat, combine the lentils and the water. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Remove from the heat and puree. If using immediately, let cool. The puree may be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. Yield: 1 1/2 cups lentil puree.

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What’s FUDGE Got To Do With It?

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musical-note-2-clip-art_435934
Sing it loud and proud to the tune of Tina Turner‘s “What’s Love Got To Do With It“.

Probably nothing, if you must know, but when we were in Sacramento a couple weeks ago, we stopped for a brief tourist-y couple of hours in Old Sacramento where we purchased fudge from a candy store, and it wasn’t very good.

You know how when your mouth is watering and you’re anticipating the feel and texture of good fudge doing its slow and sultry dissolve, filling your senses with the magnificence of rich flavorful chocolate??….Well, it didn’t happen, so I knew it was time for me to make a batch.

I’ve been making fudge since I was about six years old — always with my mom and her tried and true recipe, which is Hershey’s tried and true recipe.

All fudge is judged by that recipe and that taste.

There is NONE better.

In fact, I would double dog dare you to a “fudge-off” and surpass the delicious fudge creaminess of this fudge. I know a lot of recipes call for corn syrup but this one does not and I think it’s better.

Join me on my fudge-y journey while I channel my inner Nigella Lawson.

Starting out… Don’t let it bubble over!!!

Fudge3

When the candy thermometer hits 234 degrees, that’s the time to take it off the heat. Add butter and vanilla. Let it cool down to 110 degrees. Don’t stir too soon!!!

Fudge4

When it reaches 110 degrees, beat it until it starts to lose its glossy color. It takes about 15 or 20 minutes, so you’ll get a work out.
Fudge1

Pour into 9×9 pan. Wait for it to set up firm and lovely and oh so creamy.

Fudge5  Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Fudge6

Don’t you wish you were here??
musical-note-2-clip-art_435934“What’s FUDGE but a sweet old fashioned notion?”musical-note-2-clip-art_435934

Fudge6

Hershey‘s Fudge
This is the recipe. Follow it EXACTLY. It’s perfect just the way it is.

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa or HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/2 cups milk (I used nonfat ‘cos that’s what we have on hand.)
  • 1/4 cup(1/2 stick) butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Line 8-or 9-inch square pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Butter foil.

2. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in heavy 4-quart saucepan; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil. Boil, without stirring, until mixture reaches 234°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water, forms a soft ball which flattens when removed from water. (Bulb of candy thermometer should not rest on bottom of saucepan.)

3. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. DO NOT STIR. Cool at room temperature to 110°F (lukewarm). Beat with wooden spoon until fudge thickens and just begins to lose some of its gloss. Quickly spread in prepared pan; cool completely. Cut into squares. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature. About 36 pieces or 1-3/4 pounds.

NOTE: For best results, do not double this recipe. This is one of our most requested recipes, but also one of our most difficult. The directions must be followed exactly. Beat too little and the fudge is too soft. Beat too long and it becomes hard and sugary.

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Got Leftover Sweet Potatoes?

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Or yams? Or pumpkin?

(I did.)

MeatFreeZoneAt our house, it’s a meat-free Thanksgiving. 

Even though I haven’t eaten any meat or poultry of any kind since 1971, I used to continue to roast a turkey for Thanksgiving for my son and guests up until a few years ago when I learned about the horrors of factory farming.

Now I tell everyone if they want to eat meat, they can do it someplace else. I haven’t lost anyone yet, so I guess the food I do serve is tasty enough to keep ’em coming!

Here’s our Thanksgiving dinner menu:

  • Lentil-Walnut loaf (full of protein)
  • Kugel (click on it for the recipe)
  • Stuffing
  • Mashed potatoes with vegan gravy
  • Salad
  • Roasted yams
  • Challah
  • Apple and Pumpkin Pie

Challah just out of the oven. Mmmmmm.
Challah

Angel Boy and DIL have gone back to their own lives and my tugboat man and I didn’t have many leftovers because we packed them up with the kids — all except for the roasted yams.

I’m a frugal and thrifty gal when I’m not shopping, really I am. Honest. I swear. For reals.

Here’s what I did with them and it was soo easy!

I used my tried and true recipe for banana bread but replaced the bananas with mashed up yams (you could use sweet potatoes or pumpkin too, of course).

Look how moist and yummy it looks along with oatmeal raisin cookies.Yam Bread

So simple; one bowl; you don’t need to bring out the big mixer for this one.

Leftover Sweet Potato (or Yam or Pumpkin) Bread
2 cups flour (I use 1/2 whole wheat)
1 cup sugar (brown and white)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
Mashed yam/sweet potato, about a cup
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2-3 TBS milk (or plain, unflavored yogurt)
1 tsp. vanilla (optional: 1 TBS pure maple syrup)
1/3 chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

Mix oil, eggs, vanilla, milk. Add sugar(s) and mix well.
Add mashed yam and mix well. I use a fork; it’s so easy!
Add flour combined with other dry ingredients and nuts. Mix well.
Turn into a loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for about fifty minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
When cool, I make a little glaze with 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 TBS orange juice. It adds a nice sheen to the top of the loaf.

Super delicious with an afternoon cuppa. My fave is ginger tea. Enjoy!

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Happiness is a Fruit + Veggie Bread Recipe: Zucchini, Carrot, and Apple

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This recipe is my own adaptation of a zucchini bread; it’s not too sweet and gets better the day after– if you can wait! Sometimes I drizzle over the top a simple glaze of powdered sugar mixed with orange juice and a little orange zest. It sort of enhances all the flavors.

3-in-1 Fruit and Veggie Bread

Grate enough zucchini to end up with about 1 cup or so packed
1 carrot, grated
1 apple, grated
Zest of one orange
1 teaspoon vanilla plus 1 tablespoon juice from orange
2 cups flour (I use all or part whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4  plus 1 tablespoon cup plain nonfat yogurt or nonfat sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
You can always add dried fruit or blueberries or nuts. My recipes usually reflect what I have around the pantry.
Directions: Mix together all the dry ingredients, add everything else, mix until well incorporated. Fold into loaf pan. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes, check often so it doesn’t become too brown.

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Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush (Tree)

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Bird droppings make great jam.

Perhaps generated by seeds embedded in bird poop; I’m not sure where this tree came from — I never planted it  — but one day there was a little sprout and a few years later it bore its first harvest.

We have two mulberry trees in our yard; the volunteer is fruit-bearing, the other that provides shade to the deck, is not.

silkwormcloseupSilkworms eat mulberry leaves; maybe I could raise a few silkworms and spin my own fabric — except worms are kinda gross, so I guess not.

mulberry tree3

Technically, the fruit of a mulberry is not a berry but a collective fruit, in appearance like a swollen loganberry. When the flowers are pollinated, they and their fleshy bases begin to swell. Ultimately, they become completely altered in texture and color, becoming succulent, fat and full of juice.

In appearance, each tiny swollen flower roughly resembles the individual drupe of a blackberry. Mulberries ripen over an extended period of time unlike many other fruits which seem to come all at once. {Wiki} They’re very sweet and mild.

mulberry tree2

mulberry tree

I learned from Martha Stewart to spread an old sheet on the ground and shake the tree. All the ripe fruit fall; I wash, dry, and freeze in quart bags. So far, I have about eight quarts and the tree’s not done. Raccoons come by at night and gorge themselves;  during the day, crows and other birds eat from the very highest branches.

mulberrysheetA bowl of mulberries.mulberrybowl

Three beautiful specimens. I add them right from the freezer to smoothies and cobblers and I’ll make a batch of jam, too. If I have enough, I’ll make a pie.

mulberry3

Mulberry Jam
(This recipe uses no pectin)

  • 2 1/2 cups mulberries, rinsed (the tiny green stems do not need to be removed)
  • Approximately one cup granulated sugar (I start with a very small amount of sugar and keep tasting. You can try agave, too.)
  • 3 tablespoons water
    Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Drop heat to medium-low and add jars and their lids. Simmer for 10 minutes to sterilize. Using tongs, remove jars and lids and place on a clean towel to let cool.
    In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat, combine mulberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil, boil for one minute, then drop to a simmer. Cook fruit, stirring occasionally, until foam subsides and mixture thickens slightly, about 7 minutes.
    Using a ladle, carefully transfer hot jam to sterilized jars. Wipe mouths of jars clean and screw on lids very tightly. Let cool at room temperature for at least 8 hours before using.
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