Veggie Might: Red Cabbage with Apples

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Does anyone else have those friends who bring out your inner junk-food junkie? For me, it's my friend C. She's a tall, slender woman who barely eats. Food is just not on her radar.

C doesn't cook; she can eat an apple and call it lunch. She will eat one serving of potato chips and put the bag away. It's unnatural. And unfortunately, I don't share her resistance to wolfing down the whole bag.

So to counter a weekend spent with C (and cinnamon rolls, guacamole chips, popovers, and White Castle), I made Mark Bittman's delicious and deliciously simple Red Cabbage with Apples. I wish I'd taken a photo of the cabbage as I cut it. If you make this, take a minute to marvel at the magenta and white brain-like twists and turns. Gorgeous.

True to form, I made a few tweaks. I could barely taste the clove, so I upped the recommended amount. I thought I could peel the apples while the cabbage cooked, but I was wrong. You'll need to stir the cabbage frequently to avoid scorching and add a bit of water or stock if necessary. The pink brains need your attention, and they're worth it.

This dish is bright and tangy with a hint of sweet. Curling up with an overproduced sci-fi miniseries and a bowl of red cabbage and apples will cleanse any lingering junk-food guilt that may linger from a weekend food frenzy or holiday sweets-fest. And it tastes so good, you may forget you're being healthy.

(Incredible red cabbage photo from Flickr member jasonwebber.)

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might also dig:

• Grilled Swiss Chard
• Hot and Sour Cabbage Soup
• Italian White Bean and Spinach Soup

~~~

Red Cabbage with Apples
From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman
Yields 12 1/2-cup servings

1 tbsp canola oil (or any neutral oil)
1 head red cabbage (about 2 lbs), cored and shredded
3 medium - large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
4 - 5 cloves
1/2 cup veggie stock
salt and pepper to taste

1) Core and shred the cabbage. Peel, core, and chop the apples into chunks.

2) In a large sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cabbage and cloves, and cook for 20 minutes or until soft. Stir often and be careful of scorching.

3) Add veggie stock and apples. Stirring frequently, cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or until apples are soft (or the texture you like).

4) Fish out cloves (if you can find them) and serve alongside a hearty main dish.

5) Dig in; and if you end up eating it all, it's okay. It's sooo good for you.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
66.1 calories, 2.67g fat, 2.75g fiber, $0.35

Calculations
1 tbsp canola oil: 120 calories, 14g fat, 0g fiber, $0.08
1 head red cabbage: 352 calories, 2g fat, 24g fiber, $2.00
3 medium Granny Smith apples: 312 calories, 0g fat, 9g fiber, $2.00
4 - 5 whole cloves: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
1/2 cup veggie stock: 10 calories, 0g fat, $.10
salt and pepper to taste: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.04
Totals: 794 calories, 32g fat, 33g fiber, $4.24
Per serving (totals/12): 66.1 calories, 2.67g fat, 2.75g fiber, $0.35

Veggie Might: Red Cabbage with Apples

Posted by admin

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Does anyone else have those friends who bring out your inner junk-food junkie? For me, it's my friend C. She's a tall, slender woman who barely eats. Food is just not on her radar.

C doesn't cook; she can eat an apple and call it lunch. She will eat one serving of potato chips and put the bag away. It's unnatural. And unfortunately, I don't share her resistance to wolfing down the whole bag.

So to counter a weekend spent with C (and cinnamon rolls, guacamole chips, popovers, and White Castle), I made Mark Bittman's delicious and deliciously simple Red Cabbage with Apples. I wish I'd taken a photo of the cabbage as I cut it. If you make this, take a minute to marvel at the magenta and white brain-like twists and turns. Gorgeous.

True to form, I made a few tweaks. I could barely taste the clove, so I upped the recommended amount. I thought I could peel the apples while the cabbage cooked, but I was wrong. You'll need to stir the cabbage frequently to avoid scorching and add a bit of water or stock if necessary. The pink brains need your attention, and they're worth it.

This dish is bright and tangy with a hint of sweet. Curling up with an overproduced sci-fi miniseries and a bowl of red cabbage and apples will cleanse any lingering junk-food guilt that may linger from a weekend food frenzy or holiday sweets-fest. And it tastes so good, you may forget you're being healthy.

(Incredible red cabbage photo from Flickr member jasonwebber.)

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might also dig:

• Grilled Swiss Chard
• Hot and Sour Cabbage Soup
• Italian White Bean and Spinach Soup

~~~

Red Cabbage with Apples
From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman
Yields 12 1/2-cup servings

1 tbsp canola oil (or any neutral oil)
1 head red cabbage (about 2 lbs), cored and shredded
3 medium - large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
4 - 5 cloves
1/2 cup veggie stock
salt and pepper to taste

1) Core and shred the cabbage. Peel, core, and chop the apples into chunks.

2) In a large sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cabbage and cloves, and cook for 20 minutes or until soft. Stir often and be careful of scorching.

3) Add veggie stock and apples. Stirring frequently, cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or until apples are soft (or the texture you like).

4) Fish out cloves (if you can find them) and serve alongside a hearty main dish.

5) Dig in; and if you end up eating it all, it's okay. It's sooo good for you.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
66.1 calories, 2.67g fat, 2.75g fiber, $0.35

Calculations
1 tbsp canola oil: 120 calories, 14g fat, 0g fiber, $0.08
1 head red cabbage: 352 calories, 2g fat, 24g fiber, $2.00
3 medium Granny Smith apples: 312 calories, 0g fat, 9g fiber, $2.00
4 - 5 whole cloves: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
1/2 cup veggie stock: 10 calories, 0g fat, $.10
salt and pepper to taste: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.04
Totals: 794 calories, 32g fat, 33g fiber, $4.24
Per serving (totals/12): 66.1 calories, 2.67g fat, 2.75g fiber, $0.35

Veggie Might: Newsflash! Scientists Getting Closer to Lab-grown Meat

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian. The illustration is borrowed from the uber-talented Natalie Dee.

A group of scientists in the Netherlands, funded by the Dutch government and a sausage maker, are getting close to viable lab-grown meat replacement. According to Sunday’s Telegraph, they “have created what was described as soggy pork and are now investigating ways to improve the muscle tissue in the hope that people will one day want to eat it.”

The Sunday Times reports that while, “the scientists have not tasted it...they believe the breakthrough could lead to sausages and other processed products being made from laboratory meat in as little as five years’ time.”

In April 2008, PETA’s Ingrid Newkirk issued a challenge to Scientists Everywhere: figure out how to grow meat in the lab, and we’ll stop actin’ the fool all over the place and give you a million dollars*. Turns out that Newkirk’s gauntlet toss, which came just weeks after the In Vitro Meat Symposium in Norway, was unnecessary.

Scientists Everywhere were already on it, driven by their own innate “what happens if I do this?” genes. They also claim to be spurred by a quest to reduce the environmental impact of the meat industry and encouraged by NASA researchers’ 2002 “success” with tank-grown fish fillets, born of a few goldfish cells and "fetal bovine serum" (blargh).

The Times article is careful to mention no one is allowed by law to taste these delicacies yet, but researchers believe they will have a viable meat replicant within five years—missing the PETA deadline by three and forfeiting the prize money. The science dude(tte)s don’t seem to mind. (See the “what if I go like this?” genes.)

My first reaction to this news is “Eeeewww!” But then, I remember that I just had faux turkey for Thanksgiving. So what am I getting all skeeved out about? Probably “fetal bovine serum,” for starters.

Essentially, three factors come into play for me: an existing environmental crisis that would benefit greatly from the reduction, if not elimination, of industrial farming; animals that would benefit from not being killed for food; and concerns about GMO and bioengineered food. The former two seem like big wins.

Factory farming is a major contributor to the global environmental crisis. According to Science News, “roughly half of the GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions due to human diets come from meat even though beef, pork and chicken together account for only about 14 percent of what people eat.” Plus, consider the increasing number of food safety scares every year: from mad cow-, e-coli-, and salmonella-tainted meat to poisoned produce from feedlot runoff. Safe, sterile test-tube meat isn’t sounding so bad…

But then there’s that pesky GMO-bioengineering issue. I know that processed foods are not as nutritious as whole foods. But what no one knows are the long term effects of genetically modified organisms in our corn, wheat, and soybeans. How different is Petri meat from Bt corn?

So what do you think of all this fiddling around in the lab? Vegetarians, would you eat meat if it didn’t come from an animal? Omnivores, would you consider a bioengineered meat replacement if it helped the environment? Spill in the comments. I’d love to hear what y’all think.

*Psych! PETA will never stop actin’ the fool.

~~~

If you like this article, you might also like

• 26 Common Food Labels, Explained
• COOL (Country of Label Origin) for You and Me
• The FDA and USDA, Explained to the Best of My Ability: a Semi-Coherent Guide to the Government Agencies Regulating Food

Veggie Might: Newsflash! Scientists Getting Closer to Lab-grown Meat

Posted by admin

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian. The illustration is borrowed from the uber-talented Natalie Dee.

A group of scientists in the Netherlands, funded by the Dutch government and a sausage maker, are getting close to viable lab-grown meat replacement. According to Sunday’s Telegraph, they “have created what was described as soggy pork and are now investigating ways to improve the muscle tissue in the hope that people will one day want to eat it.”

The Sunday Times reports that while, “the scientists have not tasted it...they believe the breakthrough could lead to sausages and other processed products being made from laboratory meat in as little as five years’ time.”

In April 2008, PETA’s Ingrid Newkirk issued a challenge to Scientists Everywhere: figure out how to grow meat in the lab, and we’ll stop actin’ the fool all over the place and give you a million dollars*. Turns out that Newkirk’s gauntlet toss, which came just weeks after the In Vitro Meat Symposium in Norway, was unnecessary.

Scientists Everywhere were already on it, driven by their own innate “what happens if I do this?” genes. They also claim to be spurred by a quest to reduce the environmental impact of the meat industry and encouraged by NASA researchers’ 2002 “success” with tank-grown fish fillets, born of a few goldfish cells and "fetal bovine serum" (blargh).

The Times article is careful to mention no one is allowed by law to taste these delicacies yet, but researchers believe they will have a viable meat replicant within five years—missing the PETA deadline by three and forfeiting the prize money. The science dude(tte)s don’t seem to mind. (See the “what if I go like this?” genes.)

My first reaction to this news is “Eeeewww!” But then, I remember that I just had faux turkey for Thanksgiving. So what am I getting all skeeved out about? Probably “fetal bovine serum,” for starters.

Essentially, three factors come into play for me: an existing environmental crisis that would benefit greatly from the reduction, if not elimination, of industrial farming; animals that would benefit from not being killed for food; and concerns about GMO and bioengineered food. The former two seem like big wins.

Factory farming is a major contributor to the global environmental crisis. According to Science News, “roughly half of the GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions due to human diets come from meat even though beef, pork and chicken together account for only about 14 percent of what people eat.” Plus, consider the increasing number of food safety scares every year: from mad cow-, e-coli-, and salmonella-tainted meat to poisoned produce from feedlot runoff. Safe, sterile test-tube meat isn’t sounding so bad…

But then there’s that pesky GMO-bioengineering issue. I know that processed foods are not as nutritious as whole foods. But what no one knows are the long term effects of genetically modified organisms in our corn, wheat, and soybeans. How different is Petri meat from Bt corn?

So what do you think of all this fiddling around in the lab? Vegetarians, would you eat meat if it didn’t come from an animal? Omnivores, would you consider a bioengineered meat replacement if it helped the environment? Spill in the comments. I’d love to hear what y’all think.

*Psych! PETA will never stop actin’ the fool.

~~~

If you like this article, you might also like

• 26 Common Food Labels, Explained
• COOL (Country of Label Origin) for You and Me
• The FDA and USDA, Explained to the Best of My Ability: a Semi-Coherent Guide to the Government Agencies Regulating Food

Veggie Might: Thanksgiving Tips, Part II—The Sides

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Last week, my CHG lovelies, we discussed hosting and main dishes for a vegetarian/vegan-friendly Thanksgiving. This week it’s all about the Side Dish.

The side dish is a vegetarian’s best friend. When you’re just starting out on the veggie path, loading up on sides is an easy way to eat out or eat at someone else’s house with minimal hassle. And at Thanksgiving, let’s be honest, the side dishes are the best part of the meal.

So let’s take a look at a few classic Thanksgiving sides and how easy it is to make them vegetarian or vegan—and healthier too! (Most of the recipe renovations below are vegan. You can sub dairy butter or milk in most cases.)

THE CLASSICS
 
Dressing—Traditional stuffing (goes in the bird) and dressing (goes on the side) contains meat bits and stock. But you can easily and tastily fix that. Start by replacing the bits with celery, onion, and garlic. Then switch the turkey stock with vegetable stock and you’re good to go. If you’d like to add a fat, use olive oil or butter (dairy or non); then go crazy with the sage and thyme. It’ll be the dressing of your dreams.
VeganYumYum’s Chestnut Stuffing (scroll down, you’ll see it)
Wild Mushroom Stuffing from Serious Eats

Gravy—Gravy doesn’t need those drippings to be savory and delicious. It just needs flour, salt, vegetable stock, spices, and a quick flick of the wrist.
I Can’t Believe It’s Vegan Gravy from VegWeb
Vegan Gluten-free Gravy from Cupcake Punk

Mashed Potatoes—Wait. Mashed potatoes are vegetarian, right? Well, that depends. Sometimes people use chicken stock to add flavor. Vegetable stock will substitute nicely. If you have vegans on the way, substituting nondairy milk will still make your taters rich and creamy.
Jinxi Boo’s Easy & Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Kale and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes from 101 Cookbooks

Sweet Potato Casserole—Sweet potatoes are so nearly perfect on their own, and yet, every year, we slather, smother, and cover them with cream, eggs, and marshmallows until they’re barely recognizable. If you’re having vegetarians, they might excuse the eggs and cream, but the marshmallows will still be a deal-breaker. Try a pecan topping instead. To lighten it up, make it vegan and keep the flavor: replace the eggs and cream with nondairy milk and butter *. I promise: your omnivore guests will NOT know the difference, especially with all those delicious pecans on top.
Sweet Potato Casserole from Fat Free Vegan
Nikki’s Sweet Potatoes from 101 Cookbooks

Green Beans or any other green vegetable—My grandmothers, Midwest and South, never put a vegetable on the table without bacon or ham in it. But believe me when I tell you, vegetables do not need meat to taste good. Olive oil, a little vegetable stock, maybe some garlic, slivered almonds, lemon juice... SALT and PEPPER. I could go on and on. Vegetables, if they’re fresh—hey, even if they’re frozen—are delicious and vegan all on their own.
Martha Stewart’s Green Beans and Almonds
Green Beans with Lemon and Pine Nuts from Epicurious

Green Bean Casserole—Now this one is trickier. I tried green bean casserole once unsuccessfully with mushroom soup from a carton and soymilk. Not. The. Same. It was before I cooked regularly and knew about things like “thickeners” and “comparable replacements.” It was a liquidy, bland mess with fried onions on top. But don’t let my failure stop you from experimenting or trying one of these amazing-looking renovations.
Vegan Green Bean Casserole from Fat Free Vegan
Columbus Vegan’s Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry Sauce—Most cranberry sauce, whether from a can or homemade, is vegan from the start: just cranberries, sugar, and water (though canned will likely have HFCS). However, some folks like to tart up their cran with gelatin, making it a no-no for vegetarians and vegans alike. If you want to get creative, try adding other fruits or add spices like ginger and clove.
Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir from Simply Recipes
The Pioneer Woman Cooks’ Homemade Cranberry Sauce


YOUR CHANCE TO EXPERIMENT

Maybe your holiday gathering is less traditional or you just want to try new things. There are thousands of fall side dish recipes out there—from the simple to the gourmet—to give your wind to creative wings. Here is a sampling:
Sweet Potato, Corn, and Jalapeño Bisque from everybody likes sandwiches
Cauliflower with Lemon Brown Butter and Sage Salt from the New York Times
Browned Butternut Squash Couscous from Chow
Dan Barber’s Kale Salad and Creamy Parsnip Rice from NYT’s Well Blog

And here’s a bonus recipe from my kitchen to yours, in case you haven’t had enough squash (or kale). This delicious, colorful dish would make an eye-popping Thanksgiving side. It can also be served as a main course with a grain.

Do you have any favorite vegetarian recipe renovations you’d like to share? A terrific side we just have to hear about? Let us know in the comments.

~~~~

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts
• Quinoa with Mustard Greens and Shitake Mushrooms
• Eww!...That’s Not Vegetarian 101

~~~~

Roasted Winter Squash and Kale
Serves about 6

1 medium butternut, acorn, or kobacha squash
6 cups kale, stems removed and torn into small pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
30 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive or canola oil
1 tsp sea salt

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2) Peel, deseed, and chop squash into cubes. Toss in a bowl with 1/2 tbsp of oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2/3 of the chopped sage leaves.

3) Spread evenly on a baking sheet and place in oven for 10–15 minutes or until squash is tender.

4) In a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet, heat remaining oil. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper, and sage and, stirring, cook for 3 more minutes.

5) Add kale and salt. Cook until kale is wilted and tender, about 7–10 minutes.

6) Remove from heat and toss in roasted squash.

7) Serve at your Thanksgiving dinner or anytime you want to impress a crowd.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
108.5 calories, 2.4g fat, 3.3g fiber, $0.57

Calculations
1 medium butternut, acorn, or kobacha squash: 252 calories, 0g fat, 12g fiber, $1.25
6 cups kale: 198 calories, .36g fat, 6g fiber, $1.74
1 red bell pepper: 51 calories, 0g fat, $1.13
1 small onion: 20 calories, .1g fat, 1g fat, $.25
2 cloves garlic: 8.4 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, $.024
30 fresh sage leaves: 2 calories, 0g fat, 1g fiber, $.20
1 tbsp olive oil: 120 calories, 14g fat, 0g fiber, $0.08
1 tsp sea salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
Totals: 651 calories, 14.5g fat, 20g fiber, $3.42
Per serving (totals/6): 108.5 calories, 2.4g fat, 3.3g fiber, $0.57

(Horn of plenty photo from Flickr member bkwdayton.)

Veggie Might: Thanksgiving Tips, Part II—The Sides

Posted by admin

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Last week, my CHG lovelies, we discussed hosting and main dishes for a vegetarian/vegan-friendly Thanksgiving. This week it’s all about the Side Dish.

The side dish is a vegetarian’s best friend. When you’re just starting out on the veggie path, loading up on sides is an easy way to eat out or eat at someone else’s house with minimal hassle. And at Thanksgiving, let’s be honest, the side dishes are the best part of the meal.

So let’s take a look at a few classic Thanksgiving sides and how easy it is to make them vegetarian or vegan—and healthier too! (Most of the recipe renovations below are vegan. You can sub dairy butter or milk in most cases.)

THE CLASSICS
 
Dressing—Traditional stuffing (goes in the bird) and dressing (goes on the side) contains meat bits and stock. But you can easily and tastily fix that. Start by replacing the bits with celery, onion, and garlic. Then switch the turkey stock with vegetable stock and you’re good to go. If you’d like to add a fat, use olive oil or butter (dairy or non); then go crazy with the sage and thyme. It’ll be the dressing of your dreams.
VeganYumYum’s Chestnut Stuffing (scroll down, you’ll see it)
Wild Mushroom Stuffing from Serious Eats

Gravy—Gravy doesn’t need those drippings to be savory and delicious. It just needs flour, salt, vegetable stock, spices, and a quick flick of the wrist.
I Can’t Believe It’s Vegan Gravy from VegWeb
Vegan Gluten-free Gravy from Cupcake Punk

Mashed Potatoes—Wait. Mashed potatoes are vegetarian, right? Well, that depends. Sometimes people use chicken stock to add flavor. Vegetable stock will substitute nicely. If you have vegans on the way, substituting nondairy milk will still make your taters rich and creamy.
Jinxi Boo’s Easy & Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Kale and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes from 101 Cookbooks

Sweet Potato Casserole—Sweet potatoes are so nearly perfect on their own, and yet, every year, we slather, smother, and cover them with cream, eggs, and marshmallows until they’re barely recognizable. If you’re having vegetarians, they might excuse the eggs and cream, but the marshmallows will still be a deal-breaker. Try a pecan topping instead. To lighten it up, make it vegan and keep the flavor: replace the eggs and cream with nondairy milk and butter *. I promise: your omnivore guests will NOT know the difference, especially with all those delicious pecans on top.
Sweet Potato Casserole from Fat Free Vegan
Nikki’s Sweet Potatoes from 101 Cookbooks

Green Beans or any other green vegetable—My grandmothers, Midwest and South, never put a vegetable on the table without bacon or ham in it. But believe me when I tell you, vegetables do not need meat to taste good. Olive oil, a little vegetable stock, maybe some garlic, slivered almonds, lemon juice... SALT and PEPPER. I could go on and on. Vegetables, if they’re fresh—hey, even if they’re frozen—are delicious and vegan all on their own.
Martha Stewart’s Green Beans and Almonds
Green Beans with Lemon and Pine Nuts from Epicurious

Green Bean Casserole—Now this one is trickier. I tried green bean casserole once unsuccessfully with mushroom soup from a carton and soymilk. Not. The. Same. It was before I cooked regularly and knew about things like “thickeners” and “comparable replacements.” It was a liquidy, bland mess with fried onions on top. But don’t let my failure stop you from experimenting or trying one of these amazing-looking renovations.
Vegan Green Bean Casserole from Fat Free Vegan
Columbus Vegan’s Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry Sauce—Most cranberry sauce, whether from a can or homemade, is vegan from the start: just cranberries, sugar, and water (though canned will likely have HFCS). However, some folks like to tart up their cran with gelatin, making it a no-no for vegetarians and vegans alike. If you want to get creative, try adding other fruits or add spices like ginger and clove.
Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir from Simply Recipes
The Pioneer Woman Cooks’ Homemade Cranberry Sauce


YOUR CHANCE TO EXPERIMENT

Maybe your holiday gathering is less traditional or you just want to try new things. There are thousands of fall side dish recipes out there—from the simple to the gourmet—to give your wind to creative wings. Here is a sampling:
Sweet Potato, Corn, and Jalapeño Bisque from everybody likes sandwiches
Cauliflower with Lemon Brown Butter and Sage Salt from the New York Times
Browned Butternut Squash Couscous from Chow
Dan Barber’s Kale Salad and Creamy Parsnip Rice from NYT’s Well Blog

And here’s a bonus recipe from my kitchen to yours, in case you haven’t had enough squash (or kale). This delicious, colorful dish would make an eye-popping Thanksgiving side. It can also be served as a main course with a grain.

Do you have any favorite vegetarian recipe renovations you’d like to share? A terrific side we just have to hear about? Let us know in the comments.

~~~~

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts
• Quinoa with Mustard Greens and Shitake Mushrooms
• Eww!...That’s Not Vegetarian 101

~~~~

Roasted Winter Squash and Kale
Serves about 6

1 medium butternut, acorn, or kobacha squash
6 cups kale, stems removed and torn into small pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
30 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive or canola oil
1 tsp sea salt

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2) Peel, deseed, and chop squash into cubes. Toss in a bowl with 1/2 tbsp of oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2/3 of the chopped sage leaves.

3) Spread evenly on a baking sheet and place in oven for 10–15 minutes or until squash is tender.

4) In a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet, heat remaining oil. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper, and sage and, stirring, cook for 3 more minutes.

5) Add kale and salt. Cook until kale is wilted and tender, about 7–10 minutes.

6) Remove from heat and toss in roasted squash.

7) Serve at your Thanksgiving dinner or anytime you want to impress a crowd.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
108.5 calories, 2.4g fat, 3.3g fiber, $0.57

Calculations
1 medium butternut, acorn, or kobacha squash: 252 calories, 0g fat, 12g fiber, $1.25
6 cups kale: 198 calories, .36g fat, 6g fiber, $1.74
1 red bell pepper: 51 calories, 0g fat, $1.13
1 small onion: 20 calories, .1g fat, 1g fat, $.25
2 cloves garlic: 8.4 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, $.024
30 fresh sage leaves: 2 calories, 0g fat, 1g fiber, $.20
1 tbsp olive oil: 120 calories, 14g fat, 0g fiber, $0.08
1 tsp sea salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
Totals: 651 calories, 14.5g fat, 20g fiber, $3.42
Per serving (totals/6): 108.5 calories, 2.4g fat, 3.3g fiber, $0.57

(Horn of plenty photo from Flickr member bkwdayton.)

Veggie Might: Vegetarian Thanksgiving Tips, Part I—The Main Dish

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

(Find Vegetarian Thanksgiving Tips, Part II: Sides here.)

The how-to-survive-holidays trope has become as traditional as pumpkin pie. But for so many vegetarians and vegans, it’s still a struggle to negotiate a group meal with family, and even friends, during holiday celebrations that revolve around the slaughter, roasting, and consumption of a once-cute bird or mammal.

Though attitudes are changing, as a recent episode of Top Chef revealed, even seasoned chefs still don’t know what to do with us.

Thanksgiving is especially challenging, since its entire focus is turkey, but it doesn’t have to be. Thanksgiving can be a fun, joyous—dare I say, gratitude-inspiring—experience for everyone. Here are a few tips to help the veggies, and the omnis who love them, enjoy that most meat-centric of American holidays.

If you’re the vegetarian/vegan guest:

• Find out what’s on the menu: Make a call; send an email. Know what’s being served, so you will be able to plan ahead. 
• Make your needs/restrictions clear: The degrees of vegetarianism are still confusing to people. If you are a gluten-free vegan, tell your host exactly what you cannot eat. Better yet, once you’ve heard the menu, say what you can eat. 
• Offer suggestions: If your host is not comfortable or used to cooking for vegetarians/vegans, recommend easy replacements, like vegetable broth for chicken broth, olive oil for butter, or leaving meat out of vegetable dishes. 
• Offer to bring a dish: Bringing your own dish, especially to a holiday meal, takes some of the pressure off the host, ensures there is something you can eat, and illustrates with gustatory aids that being a veg is a culinary adventure.

If you’re the omnivorous host:

•  Ask about your guests’ dietary restrictions: Don’t be afraid to ask what your guest does or doesn’t eat. They’ll be touched and thrilled. Plus, it avoids dreaded mealtime surprises: Oh, you’re vegan. Yeah, there is milk in the mashed potatoes. Why yes, you do taste bacon in the green beans! 
• Ask them for help if necessary: Don’t be shy about asking your veg guest for suggestions, tips, or even to bring a favorite dish. Like I said before, they’ll be thrilled you asked. 
• Only serve fake meat if you want to: Not all vegetarian/vegans require a commercially processed meat replacement product at every meal. They can be expensive, often high in sodium, and boring/dry if not prepared properly. Day-to-day, I’d rather get my protein from whole-food sources. But faux turkey can be fun come holiday-time. My peeps like it. If you’re unsure how to approach faux turkey, check my Rx below. If you’d still rather avoid it, ask your veggie guest to go BYO on the FT. 
• Special Fake Meat Novelty Alert: Omnis are fascinated with fake meat, often surprised to find it’s not half bad in the hands of a cook who knows how to doctor it up. If you choose to serve fake meat, make sure you have enough for EVERYONE, not just your vegetarian guests. I have been to dinners where everyone “tried” the fake meat, taking full-sized portions, went back for seconds, and left little for the vegetarians.

If you’re the vegetarian/vegan host with omni guests:

• Ask about your guests’ dietary restrictions: Even people who eat meat have issues. Food allergies abound. Ask and be as accommodating as possible. The golden rule applies. 
• Don’t make a big deal about the veg thing: Except for meat entrées, most people eat vegetarian food all the time without thinking about it. If you don’t make a big deal about the food you serve being “vegetarian,” neither will your guests. 
• Ask your guests for help if necessary/Don’t worry about serving meat: If your omni guest(s) must have turkey for it to be Thanksgiving (or Arbor Day), ask them to bring it or any other meat-laden dish that will ensure their comfort at your table. Otherwise, let them know there will be plenty of delicious food for all.

Now that hosting is covered, let’s talk tofurkey and its main course alternatives.

Art by Flickr member Fuffer.

Leigh’s Store-bought Faux Turkey Rx
Commercially prepared faux turkey can be bland and boring if cooked as directed. But by following these not-at-all earth shattering steps, you, too, can have a tasty, noncardboard fake meat experience at your holiday gathering.

1) Defrost: Thaw your fake bird in the fridge overnight.

2) Marinate: Soak that sucker in some oil and spices, like the Scarborough Fair blend (parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme).

3) Roast: Put your faux turkey in the oven, with some carrots and potatoes if you want, and cover with foil.

4) Baste: Baste it regularly, approximately every 10–15 minutes or so.

5) Watch: Follow the cooking instructions on the package. Translation: don’t overcook it. You want your faux turkey to be moist (eww).

That’s it. Simple and delicious. Omnis and veggies at my Thanksgivings past have said so. But maybe you’d rather make a fake turkey from scratch. Seitan is easy to make, if a little time consuming. I use Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s recipe from the Post Punk Kitchen. Here are more links to get your mind whirling.

Meatesque Recipes from the InterWebs
The Kitchn’s Thanksgiving Tofu Loaf
Epicurious’ Thanksgiving Meatless Mains by Crescent Dragonwagon

Fat Free Vegan’s Quinoa and Red Lentil Cutlets

Or you could skip the fake meat altogether. A delicious squash and grain dish with seasonal vegetables would be a welcome alternative. Check out some of these links for inspiration.

Alternative Thanksgiving Main Dishes from the InterWebs
Serious Eats’ Meatless Main Dishes
NY Times’ Thanksgiving Vegetarian Entrees
Fat Free Vegan’s Mushroom, Lentil, and Wild Rice Timbales

Do you have a favorite vegetarian/vegan Thanksgiving entrée? Fool-proof hosting tips you’d like to impart? Please share in the comments.

Next week…Part II—A vegetarian’s best friend: The Side Dish.

~~~

If you like this post, you’ll love:

• Mailbag: Mom Seeks Help with Teen Veg
• Pumpkin Orzo with Sage
  
• Make Your Own Meat

(Original photo and art by Flickr members Ameyfm [pie] and Fuffer [drawing].)

Veggie Might: Vegetarian Thanksgiving Tips, Part I—The Main Dish

Posted by admin

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

(Find Vegetarian Thanksgiving Tips, Part II: Sides here.)

The how-to-survive-holidays trope has become as traditional as pumpkin pie. But for so many vegetarians and vegans, it’s still a struggle to negotiate a group meal with family, and even friends, during holiday celebrations that revolve around the slaughter, roasting, and consumption of a once-cute bird or mammal.

Though attitudes are changing, as a recent episode of Top Chef revealed, even seasoned chefs still don’t know what to do with us.

Thanksgiving is especially challenging, since its entire focus is turkey, but it doesn’t have to be. Thanksgiving can be a fun, joyous—dare I say, gratitude-inspiring—experience for everyone. Here are a few tips to help the veggies, and the omnis who love them, enjoy that most meat-centric of American holidays.

If you’re the vegetarian/vegan guest:

• Find out what’s on the menu: Make a call; send an email. Know what’s being served, so you will be able to plan ahead. 
• Make your needs/restrictions clear: The degrees of vegetarianism are still confusing to people. If you are a gluten-free vegan, tell your host exactly what you cannot eat. Better yet, once you’ve heard the menu, say what you can eat. 
• Offer suggestions: If your host is not comfortable or used to cooking for vegetarians/vegans, recommend easy replacements, like vegetable broth for chicken broth, olive oil for butter, or leaving meat out of vegetable dishes. 
• Offer to bring a dish: Bringing your own dish, especially to a holiday meal, takes some of the pressure off the host, ensures there is something you can eat, and illustrates with gustatory aids that being a veg is a culinary adventure.

If you’re the omnivorous host:

•  Ask about your guests’ dietary restrictions: Don’t be afraid to ask what your guest does or doesn’t eat. They’ll be touched and thrilled. Plus, it avoids dreaded mealtime surprises: Oh, you’re vegan. Yeah, there is milk in the mashed potatoes. Why yes, you do taste bacon in the green beans! 
• Ask them for help if necessary: Don’t be shy about asking your veg guest for suggestions, tips, or even to bring a favorite dish. Like I said before, they’ll be thrilled you asked. 
• Only serve fake meat if you want to: Not all vegetarian/vegans require a commercially processed meat replacement product at every meal. They can be expensive, often high in sodium, and boring/dry if not prepared properly. Day-to-day, I’d rather get my protein from whole-food sources. But faux turkey can be fun come holiday-time. My peeps like it. If you’re unsure how to approach faux turkey, check my Rx below. If you’d still rather avoid it, ask your veggie guest to go BYO on the FT. 
• Special Fake Meat Novelty Alert: Omnis are fascinated with fake meat, often surprised to find it’s not half bad in the hands of a cook who knows how to doctor it up. If you choose to serve fake meat, make sure you have enough for EVERYONE, not just your vegetarian guests. I have been to dinners where everyone “tried” the fake meat, taking full-sized portions, went back for seconds, and left little for the vegetarians.

If you’re the vegetarian/vegan host with omni guests:

• Ask about your guests’ dietary restrictions: Even people who eat meat have issues. Food allergies abound. Ask and be as accommodating as possible. The golden rule applies. 
• Don’t make a big deal about the veg thing: Except for meat entrées, most people eat vegetarian food all the time without thinking about it. If you don’t make a big deal about the food you serve being “vegetarian,” neither will your guests. 
• Ask your guests for help if necessary/Don’t worry about serving meat: If your omni guest(s) must have turkey for it to be Thanksgiving (or Arbor Day), ask them to bring it or any other meat-laden dish that will ensure their comfort at your table. Otherwise, let them know there will be plenty of delicious food for all.

Now that hosting is covered, let’s talk tofurkey and its main course alternatives.

Art by Flickr member Fuffer.

Leigh’s Store-bought Faux Turkey Rx
Commercially prepared faux turkey can be bland and boring if cooked as directed. But by following these not-at-all earth shattering steps, you, too, can have a tasty, noncardboard fake meat experience at your holiday gathering.

1) Defrost: Thaw your fake bird in the fridge overnight.

2) Marinate: Soak that sucker in some oil and spices, like the Scarborough Fair blend (parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme).

3) Roast: Put your faux turkey in the oven, with some carrots and potatoes if you want, and cover with foil.

4) Baste: Baste it regularly, approximately every 10–15 minutes or so.

5) Watch: Follow the cooking instructions on the package. Translation: don’t overcook it. You want your faux turkey to be moist (eww).

That’s it. Simple and delicious. Omnis and veggies at my Thanksgivings past have said so. But maybe you’d rather make a fake turkey from scratch. Seitan is easy to make, if a little time consuming. I use Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s recipe from the Post Punk Kitchen. Here are more links to get your mind whirling.

Meatesque Recipes from the InterWebs
The Kitchn’s Thanksgiving Tofu Loaf
Epicurious’ Thanksgiving Meatless Mains by Crescent Dragonwagon

Fat Free Vegan’s Quinoa and Red Lentil Cutlets

Or you could skip the fake meat altogether. A delicious squash and grain dish with seasonal vegetables would be a welcome alternative. Check out some of these links for inspiration.

Alternative Thanksgiving Main Dishes from the InterWebs
Serious Eats’ Meatless Main Dishes
NY Times’ Thanksgiving Vegetarian Entrees
Fat Free Vegan’s Mushroom, Lentil, and Wild Rice Timbales

Do you have a favorite vegetarian/vegan Thanksgiving entrée? Fool-proof hosting tips you’d like to impart? Please share in the comments.

Next week…Part II—A vegetarian’s best friend: The Side Dish.

~~~

If you like this post, you’ll love:

• Mailbag: Mom Seeks Help with Teen Veg
• Pumpkin Orzo with Sage
  
• Make Your Own Meat

(Original photo and art by Flickr members Ameyfm [pie] and Fuffer [drawing].)

Veggie Might: Make Your Own Mustard

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

What do you do when you need a quick meal, have veggie dogs leftover from camping, but the only mustard is the fancy balsamic garlic mustard you picked up in at the New England Maple Museum in Vermont? (Oh, we’ll visit there again, CHG campers, don’t you worry.)

If you’re me, you wonder if you could make your own mustard out the beaucoup yellow powder taking over your spice cabinet. (Then you eat the veggie dog with the fancy mustard.) But it got me investigatin’.

I read up on mustard making at Mother Earth News, a blog called Montana Jones, and the trusty How to Cook Everything Vegetarian cookbook by Mark Bittman.

Turns out, you get pretty weak mustard from just adding water and vinegar to commercial mustard powder. But with only a touch more effort, you can get some sinus-clearingly fantastic mustard with yellow and brown mustard seeds.

Chow simplifies the mustard seed situation better than anyone, but here’s a quick breakdown:

• Yellow mustard seeds can vary in color from brownish yellow to white. Yellow mustard seeds are best known and most readily available to Americans.
• Brown mustard seeds are dark brown or black and easily found in spice shops and Indian groceries.
• Black mustard seeds also range from dark brown to black but are smaller, more pungent than the other two varieties, and primarily used in Indian cooking. Black mustard seeds will also confuse your enemies!

The making is simple: soak the mustard seeds in the water, vinegar, spice mix for a few hours to overnight, puree, and TADA! Mustard. The nuances are only slightly more complicated.

Mustard loses its power over time. If it’s too strong at first, let it sit a while—a few hours up to a week—before you serve. Store your homemade mustard in glass, ceramic, or even plastic containers. Mustard will ingest a metal container. Mmm….ore-y. Fresh ingredients will affect shelf life, but homemade mustard will keep for a couple of months or longer.

Whether you use a blender, food processor, or mortar and pestle, Mark Bittman warns you will not get commercial smoothness with home equipment. He’s right, as far as I can tell, but I like mine with a coarse texture.

I made two batches and let them sit overnight: one just straight-up the MB way, though I used garlic powder instead of fresh, and one with horseradish. Both were explosivo when I zapped them in the morning before work but had mellowed to perfection by lunchtime. My tofu sandwich rocked my socks.

Once you have the basic recipe down, you can be creative and experiment with spices and sweeteners. Soon you’ll be making your own fancy mustard and selling them at museums all across the northeast.

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might always like:

• Barefoot Contessa’s Barbecue Sauce 
• Golden Delight Egg Salad 
• Save Money on Seasonings: Make Your Own Mixes (MYOM)

~~~

Spicier Brown Mustard
Yields 8 oz, or approximately 24 teaspoons
Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.
NOTE: Alas, Leigh’s camera perished in Lake George last week. This placeholder photo comes from Cookthink. It's a nice site, and you should visit there.

2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Generous pinch of salt

Horseradish Mustard
Yields 8 oz, or approximately 24 teaspoons

2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2-inch cube of fresh horseradish, chopped
Generous pinch of salt

Instructions are the same for each recipe.

1) Combine ingredients in a glass or ceramic container with a lid. Plastic is okay, but metal is a no-no.

2) Let stand overnight or at least 2–3 hours.

3) Puree in a blender or food processor until the desired consistency is reached. (I tried one batch in each and found the blender to have a slight edge on smoothness.) Add a drizzle of water to keep the blades whirling.

4) Pour back into glass container and let it mellow for a day or so.

5) Serve on your favorite sandwich or veggie dog and know spicy mustard.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
9.2 calories, 0.5g fat, 0.3g fiber, $0.02

Calculations (for horseradish version)
2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds: 104 calories, 6g fat, 4g fiber, $.19
2 tbsp brown mustard seeds: 104 calories, 6g fat, 4g fiber, $.19
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar: 12.5 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, $.04
1/2” cube of horseradish: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.07
[1/2 tsp garlic powder: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02]
generous pinch of salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
TOTALS: 220 calories,12g fat, 8g fiber, $.51
PER SERVING (TOTALS/24): 9.2 calories, .5g fat, .3g fiber, $.02

Veggie Might: Make Your Own Mustard

Posted by admin

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

What do you do when you need a quick meal, have veggie dogs leftover from camping, but the only mustard is the fancy balsamic garlic mustard you picked up in at the New England Maple Museum in Vermont? (Oh, we’ll visit there again, CHG campers, don’t you worry.)

If you’re me, you wonder if you could make your own mustard out the beaucoup yellow powder taking over your spice cabinet. (Then you eat the veggie dog with the fancy mustard.) But it got me investigatin’.

I read up on mustard making at Mother Earth News, a blog called Montana Jones, and the trusty How to Cook Everything Vegetarian cookbook by Mark Bittman.

Turns out, you get pretty weak mustard from just adding water and vinegar to commercial mustard powder. But with only a touch more effort, you can get some sinus-clearingly fantastic mustard with yellow and brown mustard seeds.

Chow simplifies the mustard seed situation better than anyone, but here’s a quick breakdown:

• Yellow mustard seeds can vary in color from brownish yellow to white. Yellow mustard seeds are best known and most readily available to Americans.
• Brown mustard seeds are dark brown or black and easily found in spice shops and Indian groceries.
• Black mustard seeds also range from dark brown to black but are smaller, more pungent than the other two varieties, and primarily used in Indian cooking. Black mustard seeds will also confuse your enemies!

The making is simple: soak the mustard seeds in the water, vinegar, spice mix for a few hours to overnight, puree, and TADA! Mustard. The nuances are only slightly more complicated.

Mustard loses its power over time. If it’s too strong at first, let it sit a while—a few hours up to a week—before you serve. Store your homemade mustard in glass, ceramic, or even plastic containers. Mustard will ingest a metal container. Mmm….ore-y. Fresh ingredients will affect shelf life, but homemade mustard will keep for a couple of months or longer.

Whether you use a blender, food processor, or mortar and pestle, Mark Bittman warns you will not get commercial smoothness with home equipment. He’s right, as far as I can tell, but I like mine with a coarse texture.

I made two batches and let them sit overnight: one just straight-up the MB way, though I used garlic powder instead of fresh, and one with horseradish. Both were explosivo when I zapped them in the morning before work but had mellowed to perfection by lunchtime. My tofu sandwich rocked my socks.

Once you have the basic recipe down, you can be creative and experiment with spices and sweeteners. Soon you’ll be making your own fancy mustard and selling them at museums all across the northeast.

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might always like:

• Barefoot Contessa’s Barbecue Sauce 
• Golden Delight Egg Salad 
• Save Money on Seasonings: Make Your Own Mixes (MYOM)

~~~

Spicier Brown Mustard
Yields 8 oz, or approximately 24 teaspoons
Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.
NOTE: Alas, Leigh’s camera perished in Lake George last week. This placeholder photo comes from Cookthink. It's a nice site, and you should visit there.

2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Generous pinch of salt

Horseradish Mustard
Yields 8 oz, or approximately 24 teaspoons

2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2-inch cube of fresh horseradish, chopped
Generous pinch of salt

Instructions are the same for each recipe.

1) Combine ingredients in a glass or ceramic container with a lid. Plastic is okay, but metal is a no-no.

2) Let stand overnight or at least 2–3 hours.

3) Puree in a blender or food processor until the desired consistency is reached. (I tried one batch in each and found the blender to have a slight edge on smoothness.) Add a drizzle of water to keep the blades whirling.

4) Pour back into glass container and let it mellow for a day or so.

5) Serve on your favorite sandwich or veggie dog and know spicy mustard.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
9.2 calories, 0.5g fat, 0.3g fiber, $0.02

Calculations (for horseradish version)
2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds: 104 calories, 6g fat, 4g fiber, $.19
2 tbsp brown mustard seeds: 104 calories, 6g fat, 4g fiber, $.19
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar: 12.5 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, $.04
1/2” cube of horseradish: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.07
[1/2 tsp garlic powder: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02]
generous pinch of salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
TOTALS: 220 calories,12g fat, 8g fiber, $.51
PER SERVING (TOTALS/24): 9.2 calories, .5g fat, .3g fiber, $.02

Veggie Might: Vegetarian Miso Soup

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

Hi Readers! I thought of you every time I went grocery shopping or cooked a meal over the last month. I’m so happy we’re back together.

Back in June of 2008, I wrote an article about hidden meat that can trip up vegetarians and vegans, warning particularly of fish and chicken stock in soups. Blinded by my own ignorance, and probably the good-faith assurance of some waiter at some restaurant in 1991, I’ve been contentedly slurping down fishy broth at sushi joints across America, alongside my avocado rolls and edamame.

God bless the child that knows it all.

Miso soup is not vegetarian. I stumbled on this shocker last winter while reading the charming Japanese home cooking blog, Just Hungry, and I’m just getting around to sharing it.

Luckily, the mourning period was short-lived. The blog’s author, Maki, clued me in and gave me a vegetarian alternative in one fantastic post. I chose not to dwell on the amount of bonito fish flakes I must have consumed over the last 18 years.

Miso soup is made from a standard Japanese soup base called dashi, which combines water, kombu (dried seaweed), and bonito (dried fish flakes). Dashi can also be made with shitake mushrooms added to the mix.

The vegetarian/vegan version is just dashi without the bonito flakes. Yes, just two ingredients: water and kombu seaweed. I was able to score kombu at a fantastic price from a Korean grocery near my office. You can also find kombu at gourmet markets, health food stores, and larger grocery stores with a Japanese foods section.

Making dashi is an overnight process, but the soup that follows is so easy, light, and flavorful, you will want to make it by the tanker truckload. However, I must advice against that. Miso doesn’t stand up well to boiling and should be served right away. Otherwise, it gets angry and bitter.

You can add whatever veggies you like to your miso soup. I used scallions and a few button mushrooms, along with strips of the soaked kombu instead of the traditional wakame seaweed. It turned out to be too tough, so I’ve left it out of the recipe. Play around and see what you come up with. It’s a whole new fish-free world.

~ ~ ~

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Lemon Zucchini Miso Soup
• Homemade Vegetable Stock
• The Boyfriend’s Bare Bones Miso Soup

~ ~ ~

Vegetarian Miso Soup with Mushrooms
Yields 6 1-cup servings
Adapted from Just Hungry.
LEIGH NOTE: Please excuse the camera phone picture. My camera and I took an accidental swim in Lake George (brrrrr!) while canoeing a couple weekends ago. Fingers crossed it will dry out yet.

Dashi
8 cups cold water
1 12” strip of kombu (wide, black seaweed)

Miso soup
8 cups of dashi
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
2 scallions, chopped (white and light green parts only)
1/4 cup yellow, white, or blended miso

The dashi part
1) Soak kombu in water overnight (or at least an hour) in the refrigerator.

2) Bring to a simmer in a large heavy bottomed pot for 5–10 minutes. Do not allow it to boil.

3) Remove kombu and discard. (Or it can be saved and cooked for other dishes if desired. It’s rather leathery, otherwise.)

The miso soup part
4) Add mushrooms and scallions to dashi. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes.

5) Ladle out about 1/2 cup of broth into a small bowl. Stir in miso until dissolved. Remove soup from heat and stir in miso mixture. Taste and repeat, adding more miso if desired.

6) Serve immediately alongside avocado rolls and edamame across America.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
26 calories, 0g fat, 0.9g fiber, $.32

Calculations
8 cups of dashi (12” strip of kombu + water): 0 calories, 0g fat, and 0g fiber, $.3

Veggie Might: Vegetarian Miso Soup

Posted by admin

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

Hi Readers! I thought of you every time I went grocery shopping or cooked a meal over the last month. I’m so happy we’re back together.

Back in June of 2008, I wrote an article about hidden meat that can trip up vegetarians and vegans, warning particularly of fish and chicken stock in soups. Blinded by my own ignorance, and probably the good-faith assurance of some waiter at some restaurant in 1991, I’ve been contentedly slurping down fishy broth at sushi joints across America, alongside my avocado rolls and edamame.

God bless the child that knows it all.

Miso soup is not vegetarian. I stumbled on this shocker last winter while reading the charming Japanese home cooking blog, Just Hungry, and I’m just getting around to sharing it.

Luckily, the mourning period was short-lived. The blog’s author, Maki, clued me in and gave me a vegetarian alternative in one fantastic post. I chose not to dwell on the amount of bonito fish flakes I must have consumed over the last 18 years.

Miso soup is made from a standard Japanese soup base called dashi, which combines water, kombu (dried seaweed), and bonito (dried fish flakes). Dashi can also be made with shitake mushrooms added to the mix.

The vegetarian/vegan version is just dashi without the bonito flakes. Yes, just two ingredients: water and kombu seaweed. I was able to score kombu at a fantastic price from a Korean grocery near my office. You can also find kombu at gourmet markets, health food stores, and larger grocery stores with a Japanese foods section.

Making dashi is an overnight process, but the soup that follows is so easy, light, and flavorful, you will want to make it by the tanker truckload. However, I must advice against that. Miso doesn’t stand up well to boiling and should be served right away. Otherwise, it gets angry and bitter.

You can add whatever veggies you like to your miso soup. I used scallions and a few button mushrooms, along with strips of the soaked kombu instead of the traditional wakame seaweed. It turned out to be too tough, so I’ve left it out of the recipe. Play around and see what you come up with. It’s a whole new fish-free world.

~ ~ ~

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Lemon Zucchini Miso Soup
• Homemade Vegetable Stock
• The Boyfriend’s Bare Bones Miso Soup

~ ~ ~

Vegetarian Miso Soup with Mushrooms
Yields 6 1-cup servings
Adapted from Just Hungry.
LEIGH NOTE: Please excuse the camera phone picture. My camera and I took an accidental swim in Lake George (brrrrr!) while canoeing a couple weekends ago. Fingers crossed it will dry out yet.

Dashi
8 cups cold water
1 12” strip of kombu (wide, black seaweed)

Miso soup
8 cups of dashi
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
2 scallions, chopped (white and light green parts only)
1/4 cup yellow, white, or blended miso

The dashi part
1) Soak kombu in water overnight (or at least an hour) in the refrigerator.

2) Bring to a simmer in a large heavy bottomed pot for 5–10 minutes. Do not allow it to boil.

3) Remove kombu and discard. (Or it can be saved and cooked for other dishes if desired. It’s rather leathery, otherwise.)

The miso soup part
4) Add mushrooms and scallions to dashi. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes.

5) Ladle out about 1/2 cup of broth into a small bowl. Stir in miso until dissolved. Remove soup from heat and stir in miso mixture. Taste and repeat, adding more miso if desired.

6) Serve immediately alongside avocado rolls and edamame across America.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
26 calories, 0g fat, 0.9g fiber, $.32

Calculations
8 cups of dashi (12” strip of kombu + water): 0 calories, 0g fat, and 0g fiber, $.3

Veggie Might: From VM Labs - Miso Mashed Potatoes

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Friday, I went to seen an oral surgeon for a consultation. I left the doctor’s office down two wisdom teeth and up a bolt of gauze. Had I suspected this course of events (and been running less late or less concerned with the doctor seeing clean teeth), I would have eaten breakfast.

Cut to two hours later when my entire mouth is numb and I’m starving—like low-blood sugar, kinda woozy, I-need-food-now starving: Grapefruit juice to the rescue. I chugged about a quart and only a cup or so ran down from the corners of my Novocain-paralyzed mouth.

Since I’ve been traveling and hosting a ‘tween for the last two + weeks, my cupboards have been pretty barren. Looking around the kitchen, I spied a large russet potato. Mashed potatoes would be the perfect way to fill my aching belly via aching jaws. I scrubbed and chopped the potato, threw it in a pot of water, and took a doctor-prescribed painkiller. The anesthesia was wearing off.

Though I was ravenous and in pain, I still wanted something to go in the potatoes—something interesting, I decided. Maybe it was the meds.

The interior of my fridge looked like the shelves of a mad scientist’s laboratory. There seemed to be hundreds of jars and containers, pickling mystery and breeding mayhem. I sorted through the aging leftovers and experiments. Too tired and cranky to defrost vegetable broth, I pulled out a jar of vegetable stock paste and a tub of red miso.

Stock is great for giving potatoes, pasta, and grains a kick without adding the calories and fat of butter; and I keep store-bought stock mix around for emergencies. Plus, this one is low sodium, so, bonus. I added a 1/2 teaspoon to the boiling water. Miso does the same kind of thing, Japanese style.

Once the potato was cooked to my liking, I mashed them up with a fork, water and all, adding a dollop of miso and a few grinds of black pepper to the madness.

I was so hungry, anything would have been amazing during those few first bites. But as the novelty of eating wore off and I started tasting, I noticed the potatoes were quite good: rich and savory, without being heavy. I imagined serving them next to green beans and dolled-up tempeh or seitan at a family meal.

My frankenpotato success was surprising, especially considering the slapdash manner in which this—I hesitate to call it a recipe—came together. Emboldened by my happy experiment...

Bonus Hall of Shame entry: Sunday, I made a second attempt at Mark Bittman’s eggplant gnocchi. The extremeness of the FAIL was so repugnant, so grey and slimy, I won’t even make you look. It tasted okay, perfect for my mush-mouthed needs, but it’s back to the laboratory on that one.

Miso Mashed Potatoes
Serves 2–3

1 large russet potato (approx 12 oz)
Just enough water to cover potatoes (about 2 cups)
1/2 tsp vegetable stock paste (or add 1/2 cup of veg stock to water)
1 tbsp red miso
salt and pepper to taste

1) Wash and chop potato. Peel if you like. I prefer skins in my mashed. Bring about 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan in the meantime.

2) When the water boils, add stock paste and potato. Stir occasionally and cook uncovered at a low boil until potatoes are soft.

3) Using the cooking water as your liquid, start mashing with your tool of choice. I used a fork.

4) Add miso and keep mashing until the desired consistency is reached. Add a splash of broth/water if necessary. (It wasn’t for me.)

5) Enjoy until your mouth feels better and even after. Goes great with ice cream.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
2 servings: 172 calories, 0.1g fat, $.56
3 servings: 115 calories, .067g fat, $.37

Calculations
1 large russet potato: 313.5 calories, 0.2g fat, $.75
1/2 tsp vegetable stock paste: 8 calories, 0g fat, $.08
1 tbsp red miso: 22.5 calories, 0g fat, $.27
salt and pepper: negligible calories and fat, $.02
Totals: 344 calories, 0.2g fat, $1.12
Per serving: (totals/2): 172 calories, 0.1g fat, $.56
Per serving: (totals/3): 115 calories, .067g fat, $.37

Veggie Might: From VM Labs - Miso Mashed Potatoes

Posted by admin

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Friday, I went to seen an oral surgeon for a consultation. I left the doctor’s office down two wisdom teeth and up a bolt of gauze. Had I suspected this course of events (and been running less late or less concerned with the doctor seeing clean teeth), I would have eaten breakfast.

Cut to two hours later when my entire mouth is numb and I’m starving—like low-blood sugar, kinda woozy, I-need-food-now starving: Grapefruit juice to the rescue. I chugged about a quart and only a cup or so ran down from the corners of my Novocain-paralyzed mouth.

Since I’ve been traveling and hosting a ‘tween for the last two + weeks, my cupboards have been pretty barren. Looking around the kitchen, I spied a large russet potato. Mashed potatoes would be the perfect way to fill my aching belly via aching jaws. I scrubbed and chopped the potato, threw it in a pot of water, and took a doctor-prescribed painkiller. The anesthesia was wearing off.

Though I was ravenous and in pain, I still wanted something to go in the potatoes—something interesting, I decided. Maybe it was the meds.

The interior of my fridge looked like the shelves of a mad scientist’s laboratory. There seemed to be hundreds of jars and containers, pickling mystery and breeding mayhem. I sorted through the aging leftovers and experiments. Too tired and cranky to defrost vegetable broth, I pulled out a jar of vegetable stock paste and a tub of red miso.

Stock is great for giving potatoes, pasta, and grains a kick without adding the calories and fat of butter; and I keep store-bought stock mix around for emergencies. Plus, this one is low sodium, so, bonus. I added a 1/2 teaspoon to the boiling water. Miso does the same kind of thing, Japanese style.

Once the potato was cooked to my liking, I mashed them up with a fork, water and all, adding a dollop of miso and a few grinds of black pepper to the madness.

I was so hungry, anything would have been amazing during those few first bites. But as the novelty of eating wore off and I started tasting, I noticed the potatoes were quite good: rich and savory, without being heavy. I imagined serving them next to green beans and dolled-up tempeh or seitan at a family meal.

My frankenpotato success was surprising, especially considering the slapdash manner in which this—I hesitate to call it a recipe—came together. Emboldened by my happy experiment...

Bonus Hall of Shame entry: Sunday, I made a second attempt at Mark Bittman’s eggplant gnocchi. The extremeness of the FAIL was so repugnant, so grey and slimy, I won’t even make you look. It tasted okay, perfect for my mush-mouthed needs, but it’s back to the laboratory on that one.

Miso Mashed Potatoes
Serves 2–3

1 large russet potato (approx 12 oz)
Just enough water to cover potatoes (about 2 cups)
1/2 tsp vegetable stock paste (or add 1/2 cup of veg stock to water)
1 tbsp red miso
salt and pepper to taste

1) Wash and chop potato. Peel if you like. I prefer skins in my mashed. Bring about 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan in the meantime.

2) When the water boils, add stock paste and potato. Stir occasionally and cook uncovered at a low boil until potatoes are soft.

3) Using the cooking water as your liquid, start mashing with your tool of choice. I used a fork.

4) Add miso and keep mashing until the desired consistency is reached. Add a splash of broth/water if necessary. (It wasn’t for me.)

5) Enjoy until your mouth feels better and even after. Goes great with ice cream.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
2 servings: 172 calories, 0.1g fat, $.56
3 servings: 115 calories, .067g fat, $.37

Calculations
1 large russet potato: 313.5 calories, 0.2g fat, $.75
1/2 tsp vegetable stock paste: 8 calories, 0g fat, $.08
1 tbsp red miso: 22.5 calories, 0g fat, $.27
salt and pepper: negligible calories and fat, $.02
Totals: 344 calories, 0.2g fat, $1.12
Per serving: (totals/2): 172 calories, 0.1g fat, $.56
Per serving: (totals/3): 115 calories, .067g fat, $.37

Veggie Might: I Love Radishes

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

First things first, Kris, you deserve some big love for your massive tomato undertaking. Kudos, fine lady. You are an inspiration. Also, I’m free most weekends for supper if you need help with that. (Thanks, Leigh! - Kris)

Now on with the show...

Radishes don’t get a lot of love, confused as they often are, along with parsley, as garnish. But radishes are little peppery, crunchy pods of joy.

This summer I’ve been experimenting with different kinds of radishes, discovering French breakfast radishes for the first time, and enjoying good, old, regular red ones.

Unfortunately, some of my experiments have been less than successful. For instance, my attempt at veganizing Chilled Radish Buttermilk Soup (from Gourmet via Epicurious) by adding vinegar to soymilk still hasn’t quite worked. (The trick works great in baking.) I’ll keep you posted.

Here’s my favorite among the recipes I’ve tried: a delight from a May issue of New York magazine called Kyle Bailey’s Butter-Poached Radishes. (Who knew NY Mag would become a regular recipe source?)

The recipe calls for French breakfast radishes, which have a slightly sweeter flavor. But I found it works just as well with the more readily available red radishes as well. When choosing a bunch, go with longer radishes, as opposed to rounder, if possible.

If it sounds rich, it is. The original recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of butter for just 3/4 pound of radishes. Wow.

But, never fear, Dear Reader, the dish has been sufficiently and deliciously CHGified. And veganized, if you use vegan margarine like I did. (Sorry, Julia Child.) You’ll never miss those extra 2 tablespoons.

Poached radishes are surprisingly sweet, even the regular ones. I substituted white wine vinegar for the raspberry version called for (it’s what I had), thinking I may need to add sugar for the desired effect. No siree. Tangy, sweet, and with a hint of licorice from the tarragon, the radishes are a perfect complement to greens or a summer salad.

I made this dish twice, once with fresh tarragon and once with dried (pictured). Go with fresh if you possibly can. The flavor is so much livelier.

Radishes will be in season for just a bit longer, so grab a bunch while you can. They’re not just pretty to look at. They are delicious for eating and being surprised that you too love radishes.

Pods of Joy with Tarragon
adapted from Kyle Bailey’s Butter-Poached Radishes
serves 3

1 bunch radishes (3/4–1 lb), French breakfast radishes or red radishes (pictured)
1 tbsp unsalted butter or vegan margarine
3 dashes white wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable stock
2 tsp fresh tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Remove greens and ends, and slice radishes lengthwise into quarters.

2) Melt 1/2 tbsp of butter in a skillet.

3) Toss in the chopped radishes and add a dash of salt and pepper.

4) Sauté over low-medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.

5) Add white wine vinegar and sauté another minute until the radishes turn bright pink.

6) Add vegetable stock and remaining butter. Cook for another minute to glaze the radishes.

7) Remove from heat and add fresh torn tarragon leaves. Salt and pepper to taste.

8) Serve as a side dish and marvel at just how much you love radishes.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
Per serving: 43.7 calories, 3.67g fat, $0.44

Calculations
1 bunch radishes: 26 calories, 0g fat, $1.00
1 tbsp vegan margarine: 100 cal, 11 fat, $.12
3 dashes white wine vinegar: negligible calories and fat, $.10
1/4 cup vegetable stock: 5 calories, 0g fat, $.05
2 tsp fresh tarragon: negligible calories and fat, $.04
Salt and pepper to taste: negligible calories and fat, $.02
Totals: 131 calories, 11g fat, $1.33
Per serving: 43.7 calories, 3.67g fat, $0.44

Veggie Might: I Love Radishes

Posted by admin

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

First things first, Kris, you deserve some big love for your massive tomato undertaking. Kudos, fine lady. You are an inspiration. Also, I’m free most weekends for supper if you need help with that. (Thanks, Leigh! - Kris)

Now on with the show...

Radishes don’t get a lot of love, confused as they often are, along with parsley, as garnish. But radishes are little peppery, crunchy pods of joy.

This summer I’ve been experimenting with different kinds of radishes, discovering French breakfast radishes for the first time, and enjoying good, old, regular red ones.

Unfortunately, some of my experiments have been less than successful. For instance, my attempt at veganizing Chilled Radish Buttermilk Soup (from Gourmet via Epicurious) by adding vinegar to soymilk still hasn’t quite worked. (The trick works great in baking.) I’ll keep you posted.

Here’s my favorite among the recipes I’ve tried: a delight from a May issue of New York magazine called Kyle Bailey’s Butter-Poached Radishes. (Who knew NY Mag would become a regular recipe source?)

The recipe calls for French breakfast radishes, which have a slightly sweeter flavor. But I found it works just as well with the more readily available red radishes as well. When choosing a bunch, go with longer radishes, as opposed to rounder, if possible.

If it sounds rich, it is. The original recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of butter for just 3/4 pound of radishes. Wow.

But, never fear, Dear Reader, the dish has been sufficiently and deliciously CHGified. And veganized, if you use vegan margarine like I did. (Sorry, Julia Child.) You’ll never miss those extra 2 tablespoons.

Poached radishes are surprisingly sweet, even the regular ones. I substituted white wine vinegar for the raspberry version called for (it’s what I had), thinking I may need to add sugar for the desired effect. No siree. Tangy, sweet, and with a hint of licorice from the tarragon, the radishes are a perfect complement to greens or a summer salad.

I made this dish twice, once with fresh tarragon and once with dried (pictured). Go with fresh if you possibly can. The flavor is so much livelier.

Radishes will be in season for just a bit longer, so grab a bunch while you can. They’re not just pretty to look at. They are delicious for eating and being surprised that you too love radishes.

Pods of Joy with Tarragon
adapted from Kyle Bailey’s Butter-Poached Radishes
serves 3

1 bunch radishes (3/4–1 lb), French breakfast radishes or red radishes (pictured)
1 tbsp unsalted butter or vegan margarine
3 dashes white wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable stock
2 tsp fresh tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Remove greens and ends, and slice radishes lengthwise into quarters.

2) Melt 1/2 tbsp of butter in a skillet.

3) Toss in the chopped radishes and add a dash of salt and pepper.

4) Sauté over low-medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.

5) Add white wine vinegar and sauté another minute until the radishes turn bright pink.

6) Add vegetable stock and remaining butter. Cook for another minute to glaze the radishes.

7) Remove from heat and add fresh torn tarragon leaves. Salt and pepper to taste.

8) Serve as a side dish and marvel at just how much you love radishes.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
Per serving: 43.7 calories, 3.67g fat, $0.44

Calculations
1 bunch radishes: 26 calories, 0g fat, $1.00
1 tbsp vegan margarine: 100 cal, 11 fat, $.12
3 dashes white wine vinegar: negligible calories and fat, $.10
1/4 cup vegetable stock: 5 calories, 0g fat, $.05
2 tsp fresh tarragon: negligible calories and fat, $.04
Salt and pepper to taste: negligible calories and fat, $.02
Totals: 131 calories, 11g fat, $1.33
Per serving: 43.7 calories, 3.67g fat, $0.44

Veggie Might: Esquites (Divinely Roasted Corn)

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

It’s been a highly politicized year for corn: High-fructose corn syrup wars have been raging, and Food, Inc reminded us that American farmers mostly produce corn that feeds livestock and the agri-industrial complex.

But let’s forget all about politics for today. It’s summer; the sun is shining; and, if you can stand the humidity, it’s high time to talk about corn that people eat.

Corn is a nearly perfect food. It’s sweet; it’s savory; and it can be cooked a million ways. I’m always on the lookout for a new way to use corn, and New York magazine’s In Season recipe from a couple weeks ago left me all atwitter.

I’d never heard of esquites, but, after a little bit of research, I discovered the delicious truth. Esquites is heavenly Mexican street food: corn, butter, cheese, lime, and epazote with optional mayo. Served in a cup with a spoon, you’re ready to hit the town. That beats a dried out pretzel any day.

The NY mag recipe comes courtesy of Chef David Schuttenberg of Cabrito, a restaurant I’d neither heard of nor been to. But man, this stuff is good, so who knows...

His version of esquites has no mayo and adds onion and garlic. I subbed cilantro for epazote and queso blanco for the tangier cotija cheese, both purely because of availability. Parmesan would have been a better sub for the cotija, but hey, it’s what I had on hand. I also significantly reduced the amount of butter (and subbed vegan margarine), and it was still amazing.

The second best part was roasting the corn over the open flame of my gas stove. Though I love the flexibility of cooking with gas, I’ve always been a teensy bit afraid of my stove. I’ve had two small kitchen fires in the 14 years I’ve lived this gas-heated community. But for roasted corn, I was willing to work through my fears. (Next up: down escalators.)

The best part was eating the results. Oh sweet St. Honoré, the esquites were divine. (was divine? I’m having cross-lingual subject-verb agreement issues.) Roasting brings out the sweetness in the corn in a way you just don’t get from boiling. This dish will become a permanent part of my summer rotation. It’s best hot, but it was also delicious at room temperature on a blanket overlooking New York harbor.

Oh, hey, Honoré, patron saint of corn? Can you take up this whole industrial corn mess with the big G and see what y’all can work out? ‘k. Thanks.

Esquites (Roasted Corn)
adapted from David Schuttenberg’s Esquites in New York magazine
serves 4 – 6

4 ears corn, husks removed
1 tbsp vegan margarine or butter
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk epazote (stems separated from leaves, and leaves finely chopped)
or
2 tbsp cilantro (thicker stems separated, leaves finely chopped)
1 lime, juiced
2 tbs. cotija cheese (available at many Mexican bodegas, parmesan is a good substitution)
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste

1) Heat a grill, or turn on your gas stove burner. Cook 2 ears of corn until black, but not burnt. Set aside to cool.

2) Remove kernels from remaining two ears of corn with a knife.

3) Melt the butter and add olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

4) "Add raw corn kernels and stem from epazote" or cilantro. Cook 5 or 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Corn should be juuust cooked through.

5) Remove kernels from roasted ears of corn.

6) Up the heat to high and add the charred kernels of corn to the pan. Stir until heated through.

7) Squeeze in lime juice. Add salt and cayenne to taste.

8) Remove epazote stem and move mixture into individual bowls or a serving bowl. Top cheese and chopped epazote or cilantro leaves. (To be honest, I mixed everything together in the serving bowl and it was gorgeous.)

9) Eat and gimme an Amen.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
Serves 4: 192.5 calories, 7.5g fat, $.82
Serves 6: 128.3 calories, 5g fat, $.54

Calculations
4 ears corn: 508, 8g fat, $0.1.33
1 tbsp vegan margarine: 100 cal, 11 fat, $.12
1/2 tbsp olive oil: 60 calories, 7g fat, $.04
1 medium white onion: 40 calories, .2g fat, $.50
2 cloves garlic: 8.4 calories, 0g fat, $.024
2 tbsp cilantro + stems: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1 lime, juiced: 9.5 calories, 0g fat, $.10
2 tbsp queso blanco: 44 calories, 3.6g fat, $.19
salt: negligible calories and fat, $.02
cayenne pepper: negligible calories and fat, $.02
Totals: 770 calories, 30g fat, $3.26
Per serving (totals/4): 192.5 calories, 7.5g fat, $.82
Per serving (totals/6): 128.3 calories, 5g fat, $.54

Veggie Might: Esquites (Divinely Roasted Corn)

Posted by admin

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

It’s been a highly politicized year for corn: High-fructose corn syrup wars have been raging, and Food, Inc reminded us that American farmers mostly produce corn that feeds livestock and the agri-industrial complex.

But let’s forget all about politics for today. It’s summer; the sun is shining; and, if you can stand the humidity, it’s high time to talk about corn that people eat.

Corn is a nearly perfect food. It’s sweet; it’s savory; and it can be cooked a million ways. I’m always on the lookout for a new way to use corn, and New York magazine’s In Season recipe from a couple weeks ago left me all atwitter.

I’d never heard of esquites, but, after a little bit of research, I discovered the delicious truth. Esquites is heavenly Mexican street food: corn, butter, cheese, lime, and epazote with optional mayo. Served in a cup with a spoon, you’re ready to hit the town. That beats a dried out pretzel any day.

The NY mag recipe comes courtesy of Chef David Schuttenberg of Cabrito, a restaurant I’d neither heard of nor been to. But man, this stuff is good, so who knows...

His version of esquites has no mayo and adds onion and garlic. I subbed cilantro for epazote and queso blanco for the tangier cotija cheese, both purely because of availability. Parmesan would have been a better sub for the cotija, but hey, it’s what I had on hand. I also significantly reduced the amount of butter (and subbed vegan margarine), and it was still amazing.

The second best part was roasting the corn over the open flame of my gas stove. Though I love the flexibility of cooking with gas, I’ve always been a teensy bit afraid of my stove. I’ve had two small kitchen fires in the 14 years I’ve lived this gas-heated community. But for roasted corn, I was willing to work through my fears. (Next up: down escalators.)

The best part was eating the results. Oh sweet St. Honoré, the esquites were divine. (was divine? I’m having cross-lingual subject-verb agreement issues.) Roasting brings out the sweetness in the corn in a way you just don’t get from boiling. This dish will become a permanent part of my summer rotation. It’s best hot, but it was also delicious at room temperature on a blanket overlooking New York harbor.

Oh, hey, Honoré, patron saint of corn? Can you take up this whole industrial corn mess with the big G and see what y’all can work out? ‘k. Thanks.

Esquites (Roasted Corn)
adapted from David Schuttenberg’s Esquites in New York magazine
serves 4 – 6

4 ears corn, husks removed
1 tbsp vegan margarine or butter
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk epazote (stems separated from leaves, and leaves finely chopped)
or
2 tbsp cilantro (thicker stems separated, leaves finely chopped)
1 lime, juiced
2 tbs. cotija cheese (available at many Mexican bodegas, parmesan is a good substitution)
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste

1) Heat a grill, or turn on your gas stove burner. Cook 2 ears of corn until black, but not burnt. Set aside to cool.

2) Remove kernels from remaining two ears of corn with a knife.

3) Melt the butter and add olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

4) "Add raw corn kernels and stem from epazote" or cilantro. Cook 5 or 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Corn should be juuust cooked through.

5) Remove kernels from roasted ears of corn.

6) Up the heat to high and add the charred kernels of corn to the pan. Stir until heated through.

7) Squeeze in lime juice. Add salt and cayenne to taste.

8) Remove epazote stem and move mixture into individual bowls or a serving bowl. Top cheese and chopped epazote or cilantro leaves. (To be honest, I mixed everything together in the serving bowl and it was gorgeous.)

9) Eat and gimme an Amen.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
Serves 4: 192.5 calories, 7.5g fat, $.82
Serves 6: 128.3 calories, 5g fat, $.54

Calculations
4 ears corn: 508, 8g fat, $0.1.33
1 tbsp vegan margarine: 100 cal, 11 fat, $.12
1/2 tbsp olive oil: 60 calories, 7g fat, $.04
1 medium white onion: 40 calories, .2g fat, $.50
2 cloves garlic: 8.4 calories, 0g fat, $.024
2 tbsp cilantro + stems: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1 lime, juiced: 9.5 calories, 0g fat, $.10
2 tbsp queso blanco: 44 calories, 3.6g fat, $.19
salt: negligible calories and fat, $.02
cayenne pepper: negligible calories and fat, $.02
Totals: 770 calories, 30g fat, $3.26
Per serving (totals/4): 192.5 calories, 7.5g fat, $.82
Per serving (totals/6): 128.3 calories, 5g fat, $.54

Veggie Might: Peach, Tomato, and Basil Salad, a.k.a. Salad Redeemed

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

Like most people, I hate to waste food for fiduciary and children-starving-in-Africa-and-right-here-at-home-reasons. So when I improvise in the kitchen, I stick to a few basic tropes:

garlic + greens + beans
ginger + vegetable + grain
lemon + vegetable + pasta

They all = awesome, and the mixing and matching make me feel like there is variety in my diet.

Recently, I picked up some fresh fava beans from the farmers' market. They were a special treat because they were A) expensive and ii) I'd never had them before. Once home, I browsed my cookbooks for guidance. I didn't trust myself to go it alone.

Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian had a delicious-sounding fava bean salad with mint, and I fortuitously purchased just the right amount: 2 lbs still in the pods. I put a sticky note on the page for later.

The next day, I was drooling over the food porn at The Kitchn. A peach-tomato salad with basil caught my eye. "Must. Have.," I thought. I put a star next to the entry in my blog reader for later.

Later...I found myself in the kitchen with the primary ingredients for both salads. That's where it all went south. I thought, "Hey! The secondary ingredients in these salads are similar. Plus, mint and basil are nearly interchangeable with fruit. I'll just combine the recipes. They will taste great together!"

Never have I been so wrong about food. To begin with, I overcooked the beans, so they came out of the pods (and then the shells--so much work) all grey and mushy. If we eat with our eyes first, mine got food poisoning.

Despite appearance of the beans, I pressed on. The smell should have clued me in next. I can't exactly say why, but the beans just smelled like they didn't belong there. But still I proceeded with my plan. And as you can likely guess, the flavor combo did not work. The rich, creamy beans were almost nauseating paired with the bright, tangy peaches and tomatoes. It wasn't so much that it tasted bad; it just tasted wrong.

But the peaches and tomatoes were delicious together, tangy and sweet, even stuck in the fava bean muck. I picked out the fruit and ate it anyway, then immediately made another salad with only the stars.

It was glorious; I was redeemed. It felt good try, fail, and try again. And someday, when I'm feeling less queasy about fava beans, I'll give them another go.


Peach, Tomato, and Basil Salad
adapted from Chef Rowley Leigh, courtesy of The Observer
serves 3

2 small to medium peaches (about 10 oz combined)
1 large tomato (about 12 oz)
juice of 1/2 lemon
6 basil leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1) Place the tomato (or tomatoes) in a bowl and pour boiling water over it. Let it sit for about 30 seconds. Run under cold water and peel off the skin. Repeat with the peaches.

2) Cube the tomatoes and peaches and place in a medium bowl.

3) Drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over the fruit. Sprinkle the chopped basil leaves and toss lightly. Salt and pepper to taste.

4) Serve with confidence and a nice sauvignon blanc.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
62.7 calories, .8g fat, $.84

Calculations
2 peaches: 118 calories, 0g fat, $1.24
1 tomato: 44 calories, 0g fat, $1.11
juice of 1/2 lemon: 6 calories, 0g fat, $.12
3 basil leaves: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1/2 tsp olive oil: 20 calories, 2.3g fat, $.02
salt and pepper: negligible calories and fat, $.02
Totals: 188 calories, 2.3g fat, $2.53
Per serving: 62.7 calories, .8g fat, $.84

Veggie Might: Peach, Tomato, and Basil Salad, a.k.a. Salad Redeemed

Posted by admin

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

Like most people, I hate to waste food for fiduciary and children-starving-in-Africa-and-right-here-at-home-reasons. So when I improvise in the kitchen, I stick to a few basic tropes:

garlic + greens + beans
ginger + vegetable + grain
lemon + vegetable + pasta

They all = awesome, and the mixing and matching make me feel like there is variety in my diet.

Recently, I picked up some fresh fava beans from the farmers' market. They were a special treat because they were A) expensive and ii) I'd never had them before. Once home, I browsed my cookbooks for guidance. I didn't trust myself to go it alone.

Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian had a delicious-sounding fava bean salad with mint, and I fortuitously purchased just the right amount: 2 lbs still in the pods. I put a sticky note on the page for later.

The next day, I was drooling over the food porn at The Kitchn. A peach-tomato salad with basil caught my eye. "Must. Have.," I thought. I put a star next to the entry in my blog reader for later.

Later...I found myself in the kitchen with the primary ingredients for both salads. That's where it all went south. I thought, "Hey! The secondary ingredients in these salads are similar. Plus, mint and basil are nearly interchangeable with fruit. I'll just combine the recipes. They will taste great together!"

Never have I been so wrong about food. To begin with, I overcooked the beans, so they came out of the pods (and then the shells--so much work) all grey and mushy. If we eat with our eyes first, mine got food poisoning.

Despite appearance of the beans, I pressed on. The smell should have clued me in next. I can't exactly say why, but the beans just smelled like they didn't belong there. But still I proceeded with my plan. And as you can likely guess, the flavor combo did not work. The rich, creamy beans were almost nauseating paired with the bright, tangy peaches and tomatoes. It wasn't so much that it tasted bad; it just tasted wrong.

But the peaches and tomatoes were delicious together, tangy and sweet, even stuck in the fava bean muck. I picked out the fruit and ate it anyway, then immediately made another salad with only the stars.

It was glorious; I was redeemed. It felt good try, fail, and try again. And someday, when I'm feeling less queasy about fava beans, I'll give them another go.


Peach, Tomato, and Basil Salad
adapted from Chef Rowley Leigh, courtesy of The Observer
serves 3

2 small to medium peaches (about 10 oz combined)
1 large tomato (about 12 oz)
juice of 1/2 lemon
6 basil leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1) Place the tomato (or tomatoes) in a bowl and pour boiling water over it. Let it sit for about 30 seconds. Run under cold water and peel off the skin. Repeat with the peaches.

2) Cube the tomatoes and peaches and place in a medium bowl.

3) Drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over the fruit. Sprinkle the chopped basil leaves and toss lightly. Salt and pepper to taste.

4) Serve with confidence and a nice sauvignon blanc.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
62.7 calories, .8g fat, $.84

Calculations
2 peaches: 118 calories, 0g fat, $1.24
1 tomato: 44 calories, 0g fat, $1.11
juice of 1/2 lemon: 6 calories, 0g fat, $.12
3 basil leaves: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1/2 tsp olive oil: 20 calories, 2.3g fat, $.02
salt and pepper: negligible calories and fat, $.02
Totals: 188 calories, 2.3g fat, $2.53
Per serving: 62.7 calories, .8g fat, $.84

Veggie Might: Chilled Summer Squash Soup/Manifest Soup

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a regular Thursday feature about all things Vegetarian.

Summer squash is not a vegetable that excites me. My experience with winter squash is much more established and deliciously experimental. However, when faced with zucchini, I draw a blank.

Perhaps my lack of enthusiasm comes from the perpetuation of the uninspired vegetable plate in New York City restaurants. A vegetarian entrée staple, the grilled or roasted vegetable plate (or sandwich or salad) usually consists of five or six slabs of overcooked zucchini and yellow squash, undercooked eggplant, soggy red pepper, and if you’re lucky, a mushroom. Drizzle with olive oil, serve on a bed of wilted lettuce, charge $12.00, and you have something I never want to eat again as long as I live.

But come summer, squashes are everywhere, looking bright and sunny and inviting. Zucchinis are deep, mottled green; yellow squashes are cute and knobby. And at 99 cents a pound, I want to buy them by the basketful despite the fact that I have no idea what to do with them.

At a recent trip to the farmer’s market, I settled on two of each. I figured I could sauté a pair into a stir fry (which I did and it was awesome—stay tuned to this space) and sleep on the other two. I figured would come to me.

And it did. I wanted soup…A cold soup…Something light and refreshing on a hot day.

It occurred to me that I could just tinker until I got something that resembled soup and hope it tasted good cold. Then I thought of the floppy roasted zucchini. Barf. I wanted guidance. Somewhere out there in the universe must be a recipe that replicated what I could almost taste in my mind.

I stared at the many spines on my cookbook shelf, some I haven’t cracked in years, a few not since purchase. I pulled down one of the latter, Cooking the Whole Foods Way, a cookbook I bought during my brief vegan period.

Written by cancer-survivor and PBS cooking show host Christina Pirello, Cooking the Whole Foods Way touts the healing powers of a macrobiotic, dairy-free, unprocessed diet. At the time I bought it, I rarely cooked but had big dreams of doing so. At 500+ recipes with no pictures, the tome was too overwhelming and remained untouched.

As I thumbed through, I wondered why I’d left this book unused for so long. Page after page of whole grains, legumes, vegetables—whoops, fish?—okay, skip that section. (Editor’s note: The 2007 edition of Cooking the Whole Foods Way is 100% vegan.) But still. The recipes were right up my street, and “Jim’s Lemon-Zucchini and Leek Soup” was exactly what I wanted.

It was if I’d willed the soup into being. Everything about it sounded light and summery. As I read the instructions, I thought to myself, that’s what I would have done…that’s what I would have done.

What I would not have done is thought to have added a whole pound of leeks—or lemon juice—but they are perfect additions, and let me tell you, the lemon juice makes this soup.

After I had whipped everything together in no time flat, I zapped it in the blender, took a taste, and thought, “Meh.” I was so disappointed. Then I remembered the lemon. Zap-zap! Amazing!

Bright, sunny, and delicious, I had it for dinner the next evening with tortilla chips and a salad. It was the perfect meal on a humid, summer night, and it fed me for a week. Summer squash is no longer uncharted frontier; and I have a new favorite map. It was destined all along.

Chilled Summer Squash Soup
Adapted from Jim’s Lemon-Zucchini and Leek Soup
Yields 6 1-cup servings or 4 1-1/2-cup servings

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 lb leeks, sliced and cut into 1/4” pieces
1 lb zucchini (green and yellow), sliced and cut into 1/4” pieces
4 cups vegetable stock
4 oz tofu, crumbled
2 tbsp yellow miso
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste

1) In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, with a dash of salt. Cook 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2) Add squash, leeks, and another dash of salt. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

3) Fill pot with enough broth (or water) to just about cover the veggies. Jack heat up to high. Boil. Once it begins to boil, drop the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot. Simmer 30 minutes.

4) When 30 minutes are up, add tofu plus any remaining broth (or water). Simmer 10 more minutes.

5) Scoop out about a cup of broth. Add miso to that cup. Stir until it's all dissolved. Pour back into soup. Simmer 3 or 4 more minutes.

6) In a blender or with a stick blender, puree soup until smooth. (Let cool a little before using a regular blender so it doesn't explode.)

7) Add lemon juice and fresh ground pepper to taste. Give it another zap of the blender.

8) Chill 2 to 12 hours. Serve with salad and sourdough bread or tortilla chips contented it was meant to be.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
135.6 calories, 2g fat, $.89 (6 servings)
203.4 calories, 2.9g fat, $1.34 (4 servings)

Calculations
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil: 40 calories, 4.6g fat, $0.03
3 cloves garlic: 12.6 calories, 0g fat, $.04
1/2 large onion: 40 calories, .2g fat, $.50
1 lb leeks: 324 calories, 0g fat, $1.89
1 lb summer squash: 140 calories, 0g fat, $.99
4 cups vegetable stock: 60 calories, .4g fat, $.76
4 oz tofu: 125 calories, 6.4g fat, $.40
2 tbsp yellow miso: 60 calories, 0g fat, $.54
juice of 1 lemon: 12 calories, 0g fat, $.15
sea salt: negligible calories and fat, $.02
fresh ground pepper: negligible calories and fat, $.02
Totals: 813.6 calories, 11.6g fat, $5.34
Per serving (totals/6): 135.6 calories, 2g fat, $.89
Per serving (totals/4): 203.4 calories, 2.9g fat, $1.34

Veggie Might: Chilled Summer Squash Soup/Manifest Soup

Posted by admin

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a regular Thursday feature about all things Vegetarian.

Summer squash is not a vegetable that excites me. My experience with winter squash is much more established and deliciously experimental. However, when faced with zucchini, I draw a blank.

Perhaps my lack of enthusiasm comes from the perpetuation of the uninspired vegetable plate in New York City restaurants. A vegetarian entrée staple, the grilled or roasted vegetable plate (or sandwich or salad) usually consists of five or six slabs of overcooked zucchini and yellow squash, undercooked eggplant, soggy red pepper, and if you’re lucky, a mushroom. Drizzle with olive oil, serve on a bed of wilted lettuce, charge $12.00, and you have something I never want to eat again as long as I live.

But come summer, squashes are everywhere, looking bright and sunny and inviting. Zucchinis are deep, mottled green; yellow squashes are cute and knobby. And at 99 cents a pound, I want to buy them by the basketful despite the fact that I have no idea what to do with them.

At a recent trip to the farmer’s market, I settled on two of each. I figured I could sauté a pair into a stir fry (which I did and it was awesome—stay tuned to this space) and sleep on the other two. I figured would come to me.

And it did. I wanted soup…A cold soup…Something light and refreshing on a hot day.

It occurred to me that I could just tinker until I got something that resembled soup and hope it tasted good cold. Then I thought of the floppy roasted zucchini. Barf. I wanted guidance. Somewhere out there in the universe must be a recipe that replicated what I could almost taste in my mind.

I stared at the many spines on my cookbook shelf, some I haven’t cracked in years, a few not since purchase. I pulled down one of the latter, Cooking the Whole Foods Way, a cookbook I bought during my brief vegan period.

Written by cancer-survivor and PBS cooking show host Christina Pirello, Cooking the Whole Foods Way touts the healing powers of a macrobiotic, dairy-free, unprocessed diet. At the time I bought it, I rarely cooked but had big dreams of doing so. At 500+ recipes with no pictures, the tome was too overwhelming and remained untouched.

As I thumbed through, I wondered why I’d left this book unused for so long. Page after page of whole grains, legumes, vegetables—whoops, fish?—okay, skip that section. (Editor’s note: The 2007 edition of Cooking the Whole Foods Way is 100% vegan.) But still. The recipes were right up my street, and “Jim’s Lemon-Zucchini and Leek Soup” was exactly what I wanted.

It was if I’d willed the soup into being. Everything about it sounded light and summery. As I read the instructions, I thought to myself, that’s what I would have done…that’s what I would have done.

What I would not have done is thought to have added a whole pound of leeks—or lemon juice—but they are perfect additions, and let me tell you, the lemon juice makes this soup.

After I had whipped everything together in no time flat, I zapped it in the blender, took a taste, and thought, “Meh.” I was so disappointed. Then I remembered the lemon. Zap-zap! Amazing!

Bright, sunny, and delicious, I had it for dinner the next evening with tortilla chips and a salad. It was the perfect meal on a humid, summer night, and it fed me for a week. Summer squash is no longer uncharted frontier; and I have a new favorite map. It was destined all along.

Chilled Summer Squash Soup
Adapted from Jim’s Lemon-Zucchini and Leek Soup
Yields 6 1-cup servings or 4 1-1/2-cup servings

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 lb leeks, sliced and cut into 1/4” pieces
1 lb zucchini (green and yellow), sliced and cut into 1/4” pieces
4 cups vegetable stock
4 oz tofu, crumbled
2 tbsp yellow miso
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste

1) In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, with a dash of salt. Cook 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2) Add squash, leeks, and another dash of salt. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

3) Fill pot with enough broth (or water) to just about cover the veggies. Jack heat up to high. Boil. Once it begins to boil, drop the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot. Simmer 30 minutes.

4) When 30 minutes are up, add tofu plus any remaining broth (or water). Simmer 10 more minutes.

5) Scoop out about a cup of broth. Add miso to that cup. Stir until it's all dissolved. Pour back into soup. Simmer 3 or 4 more minutes.

6) In a blender or with a stick blender, puree soup until smooth. (Let cool a little before using a regular blender so it doesn't explode.)

7) Add lemon juice and fresh ground pepper to taste. Give it another zap of the blender.

8) Chill 2 to 12 hours. Serve with salad and sourdough bread or tortilla chips contented it was meant to be.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
135.6 calories, 2g fat, $.89 (6 servings)
203.4 calories, 2.9g fat, $1.34 (4 servings)

Calculations
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil: 40 calories, 4.6g fat, $0.03
3 cloves garlic: 12.6 calories, 0g fat, $.04
1/2 large onion: 40 calories, .2g fat, $.50
1 lb leeks: 324 calories, 0g fat, $1.89
1 lb summer squash: 140 calories, 0g fat, $.99
4 cups vegetable stock: 60 calories, .4g fat, $.76
4 oz tofu: 125 calories, 6.4g fat, $.40
2 tbsp yellow miso: 60 calories, 0g fat, $.54
juice of 1 lemon: 12 calories, 0g fat, $.15
sea salt: negligible calories and fat, $.02
fresh ground pepper: negligible calories and fat, $.02
Totals: 813.6 calories, 11.6g fat, $5.34
Per serving (totals/6): 135.6 calories, 2g fat, $.89
Per serving (totals/4): 203.4 calories, 2.9g fat, $1.34

Veggie Might: Reaching into the Mailbag—Mom Seeks Help with Teen Veg

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

*Editor's Note: This post has been edited to include more helpful links. Please to enjoy!

Back in May, you, the Veggie Might/CHG readership, responded to my call for suggestions with some terrific ideas that I will continue to incorporate into posts and recipes. You also asked some great questions. Today, I’d like to address one that stood out. Kate in NJ said...

My teenage daughter is teetering on the edge of vegetarianism. As a Nutritionist, I have no problem being sure she gets what she needs from a meat-free diet. However, I would love some tips on making meals that are easily converted to suit my carnivore husband and son. I really do not want to make two meals each night. Thanks!

This is an issue that many families face, and as kids grow-up, make new friends, and cast wide their social nets, they are more and more likely to encounter people with a wide variety of diets. Hopefully, this primer will help smooth the transition and give you some ideas for family meals that keep everyone happy.

1) Know the facts.
Not everyone is a nutritionist. The first question I am asked about my vegetarian diet (still!) is “Where do you get your protein?” If I was a championship bodybuilder, I could understand the relevance, but alas, I have a pretty standard existence and moderate exercise routine.

Vegetarians can get a full complement of proteins and amino acids from plant sources such as beans, legumes, nuts, grains, seeds, and, yes, soy. The body can’t tell the difference between animal and plant derived protein; and as long as you eat a variety of these foods throughout the day, you’re covered.

The same goes for iron-rich leafy greens, beans, and whole grains. They get a boost when eaten alongside foods high in vitamin C, like broccoli and tomatoes, so the more diversity in your diet, the healthier you’ll be.

Calcium is another easy fix. Even if you avoid dairy, there are so many plant-based and calcium-enriched sources available, you should not have reason for concern. Leafy greens (them again!), tofu, legumes, and molasses (really) will strengthen those bones and teeth.

The only nutrient people can't get from plants is vitamin B12. However, it’s easy to find in fortified cereals and everyone’s favorite food topping, nutritional yeast.

With a little label reading and a few minor adjustments, your newly vegetarian friend/self will be healthy and happy for a long, long time. For the record, I’ve been doing it for 18 years with excellent check ups from my doctor all along the way. If you still have questions about nutrition, the Vegetarian Resource Group can help. This handy PDF, Vegetarian Nutrition for Teens, gives you all the info you need in a quick reference format.

2) Keep an open mind.
When I announced to my parents that I was becoming a vegetarian, my dad teased me all summer with questions and taunts about having Piglet for dinner. I pouted, proclaimed how much healthier I was, and that meat was evil whenever I could.

In retrospect, we both handled the situation badly, but patience won the day. Dad eventually stopped asking if I would ever eat meat again, and I started asserting myself in the kitchen instead of at the table. He is proud that I educated myself and stuck to my convictions, and I make him kick-ass vegetarian food that makes him forget all about Piglet.

The moral of this story is cut a new vegetarian some slack. They may have had an epiphany, of sorts, and will need some time to get acclimated to their new diet digs. And along with a vegetarian diet comes a lifestyle—sometimes. Everyone is different. So don’t get all “but aren’t those leather shoes?!” on them right away.

Be patient; give them time to find their sea legs; and help them out when you can by suggesting veg-friendly restaurants or offering to make the pasta with both marinara and meat sauce.

And new vegetarians: cut your omni family and friends some slack too. It will take time for them to get adjusted to your new diet/lifestyle. They don’t want to be lectured, and they don’t want to feel guilty every time they sit down to a meal.

And if they ask questions like “Are you going to get enough protein?” or “Aren’t all vegetarians anemic?” you can just smile and say, “Yep,” and “Nope,” and move on to more neutral topics like the war in Iraq or the New York State Senate.

3) Get a vegetarian cookbook and cook together.
The best place to learn about vegetarian cooking is in the kitchen. Start with an anthology-style cookbook that has a glossary of ingredients, tips for cooking, food storage suggestions, and a variety of recipes from comfort food conversions to more exotic dishes for experimentation.

[If you’re not ready to commit to a $20 or $30 cookbook, check your local library and test drive a few. Then you can plunk down the cash on the ones you will really use.]

My first vegetarian cookbook is still one of my favorites. For Christmas the year I converted, my parents gave me the Vegetarian Times Cookbook. Not only did the gift let me know that they were beginning to accept my lifestyle choice, it gave us a chance to try out some recipes together while I was home from college.

Mom and I had fun experimenting with ingredients I’d never heard of, like tofu and tahini. One of the first recipes we made was Stuffed Mushroom Caps with tofu. Mom thought it would be a hoot to take them to our big family Christmas Day gathering.

We swore Dad to secrecy until the platter was empty. He munched smugly on ham biscuits while my aunts, uncles, and cousins shoved mushroom after mushroom into their maws. Mom just about burst telling everyone they ate tofu. To my surprise, they thought it was great. If one thing can bring my family together, it’s good food.

Here are some more vegetarian cookbook ideas to get you motivated:
Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook—An extensively updated version of my first veg cookbook. I don’t go to it as much, but it’s comprehensive and a great place to start.
Moosewood New Classics—Perfect for a family in transition. There are a few fish/seafood recipes and a few vegan dishes. It has something for everyone, and a terrific glossary in the back.
150 Vegan Favorites—Don’t be scared by “vegan” in the title. This is probably the most used cookbook in my kitchen, and I love cheese. The slim volume contains primarily one-pot meals that are hearty, flavorful, and stick-to-your-ribs fantastic.

4) Have build-your-own meal nights.
Okay, let’s get practical. You have a family and they need dinner. As CHG reader Clea suggested, “pasta, pizza, ...burritos...” These are prime candidates for build-your-own meals.

We used to have taco/burrito night when I was a kid—long before I was a vegetarian. It’s still a favorite way to have a family meal. Mom puts out tortillas, bowls of chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers, cheese, ground meat, and now, refried beans, and everyone makes their own to their liking. Top it all with guac, salsa, and you’re good to go.

A pizza party is another way to satisfy many tastes. You can customize a pizza in halves, thirds, or depending on the size of your family, make one meat and one veg. You were probably going to make two anyway. Kris has a great pizza recipe right here to get you started.

Stir fry may not seem like a build-your-own dish, but bear with me. Start with the base vegetables, like carrots, celery, peppers, and onions stir fried with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce.

Then, in separate pans, fry up some tofu and whatever meat you like with your veg. Dish out the proteins in bowls alongside bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and mung bean sprouts. Gather the clan around, and let each person choose his or her own adventure.

You create build-your-own-meal nights with pasta, quesdillas, omelets...the list is endless. Get the kids involved in the prep and it’s that much easier.

5) Don't underestimate side dishes.
Maybe it comes from learning to make meals from sides at non-vegetarian group meals over the years, but I love sides. Given a choice, I’d pick the veggie plate almost any day.

As long as there is variety, you really can’t go wrong serving your mixed-diet family a meat and a few side dishes that really rock. The veggie person will have plenty to eat, and the meat eaters won’t feel deprived.

Maybe other vegetarians will disagree, but I don’t need an “entrée” to feel well-fed. I’m not much for faux meat, or meat analogues, as they are sometimes called. They’re fun on occasion, and certainly aided my transition from omnivore to veghead. But fake meat can be high in fat, sodium, and other preservatives, so I enjoy the stuff in moderation.

My idea of the perfect meal is any bean/green combo alongside rice or quinoa and a green salad. These are two of my favorites: Tunisian Beans and Greens and Quinoa with Mustard Greens and Mushrooms. Some people call these side dishes. I call them feasts for a queen.

6) Be willing to try something new(ish).
Many American classics are easily convertible into vegetarian delights with diners none the wiser. Some are vegetarian to begin with; mac and cheese and mashed potatoes come to mind.

Meatless chili and pastas can easily satisfy everyone. But every now and then, try something new. Flexitarianism is the new green, so why not take the opportunity to try an adventurous vegetarian dish with the whole family.

Lentil loaf is one of those classic and classically scoffed at vegetarian dishes that is so worth the time and effort. It’s so hearty and delicious. Or give these tempeh kabobs a try. (Scroll down for recipe; note: shoyu is soy sauce.) Seriously, both these recipes are so good. I’ve served both to meat eaters and received raves.

For more meal suggestions, check out Cooking4Carnivores, a blog about a mixed-diet couple who happily coexists in one kitchen. She’s a vegetarian; he’s a meat-eater. She created a blog to document their culinary adventures in compromise. There are tons of fantastic menu ideas for the veg/non-veg family, not to mention her gorgeous photography.

Best of luck to anyone out there who is transitioning to vegetarianism. I hope this helps. Keep us posted. It’s not always easy, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. My folks adapted pretty quickly, and for that, I will always be grateful. Mom and Dad, you’re the bee’s knees.

Readers, do you have any suggestions? What tricks have you tried to keep the peace at mealtime? Give us a shout in the comments section.

Veggie Might: Reaching into the Mailbag—Mom Seeks Help with Teen Veg

Posted by admin

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

*Editor's Note: This post has been edited to include more helpful links. Please to enjoy!

Back in May, you, the Veggie Might/CHG readership, responded to my call for suggestions with some terrific ideas that I will continue to incorporate into posts and recipes. You also asked some great questions. Today, I’d like to address one that stood out. Kate in NJ said...

My teenage daughter is teetering on the edge of vegetarianism. As a Nutritionist, I have no problem being sure she gets what she needs from a meat-free diet. However, I would love some tips on making meals that are easily converted to suit my carnivore husband and son. I really do not want to make two meals each night. Thanks!

This is an issue that many families face, and as kids grow-up, make new friends, and cast wide their social nets, they are more and more likely to encounter people with a wide variety of diets. Hopefully, this primer will help smooth the transition and give you some ideas for family meals that keep everyone happy.

1) Know the facts.
Not everyone is a nutritionist. The first question I am asked about my vegetarian diet (still!) is “Where do you get your protein?” If I was a championship bodybuilder, I could understand the relevance, but alas, I have a pretty standard existence and moderate exercise routine.

Vegetarians can get a full complement of proteins and amino acids from plant sources such as beans, legumes, nuts, grains, seeds, and, yes, soy. The body can’t tell the difference between animal and plant derived protein; and as long as you eat a variety of these foods throughout the day, you’re covered.

The same goes for iron-rich leafy greens, beans, and whole grains. They get a boost when eaten alongside foods high in vitamin C, like broccoli and tomatoes, so the more diversity in your diet, the healthier you’ll be.

Calcium is another easy fix. Even if you avoid dairy, there are so many plant-based and calcium-enriched sources available, you should not have reason for concern. Leafy greens (them again!), tofu, legumes, and molasses (really) will strengthen those bones and teeth.

The only nutrient people can't get from plants is vitamin B12. However, it’s easy to find in fortified cereals and everyone’s favorite food topping, nutritional yeast.

With a little label reading and a few minor adjustments, your newly vegetarian friend/self will be healthy and happy for a long, long time. For the record, I’ve been doing it for 18 years with excellent check ups from my doctor all along the way. If you still have questions about nutrition, the Vegetarian Resource Group can help. This handy PDF, Vegetarian Nutrition for Teens, gives you all the info you need in a quick reference format.

2) Keep an open mind.
When I announced to my parents that I was becoming a vegetarian, my dad teased me all summer with questions and taunts about having Piglet for dinner. I pouted, proclaimed how much healthier I was, and that meat was evil whenever I could.

In retrospect, we both handled the situation badly, but patience won the day. Dad eventually stopped asking if I would ever eat meat again, and I started asserting myself in the kitchen instead of at the table. He is proud that I educated myself and stuck to my convictions, and I make him kick-ass vegetarian food that makes him forget all about Piglet.

The moral of this story is cut a new vegetarian some slack. They may have had an epiphany, of sorts, and will need some time to get acclimated to their new diet digs. And along with a vegetarian diet comes a lifestyle—sometimes. Everyone is different. So don’t get all “but aren’t those leather shoes?!” on them right away.

Be patient; give them time to find their sea legs; and help them out when you can by suggesting veg-friendly restaurants or offering to make the pasta with both marinara and meat sauce.

And new vegetarians: cut your omni family and friends some slack too. It will take time for them to get adjusted to your new diet/lifestyle. They don’t want to be lectured, and they don’t want to feel guilty every time they sit down to a meal.

And if they ask questions like “Are you going to get enough protein?” or “Aren’t all vegetarians anemic?” you can just smile and say, “Yep,” and “Nope,” and move on to more neutral topics like the war in Iraq or the New York State Senate.

3) Get a vegetarian cookbook and cook together.
The best place to learn about vegetarian cooking is in the kitchen. Start with an anthology-style cookbook that has a glossary of ingredients, tips for cooking, food storage suggestions, and a variety of recipes from comfort food conversions to more exotic dishes for experimentation.

[If you’re not ready to commit to a $20 or $30 cookbook, check your local library and test drive a few. Then you can plunk down the cash on the ones you will really use.]

My first vegetarian cookbook is still one of my favorites. For Christmas the year I converted, my parents gave me the Vegetarian Times Cookbook. Not only did the gift let me know that they were beginning to accept my lifestyle choice, it gave us a chance to try out some recipes together while I was home from college.

Mom and I had fun experimenting with ingredients I’d never heard of, like tofu and tahini. One of the first recipes we made was Stuffed Mushroom Caps with tofu. Mom thought it would be a hoot to take them to our big family Christmas Day gathering.

We swore Dad to secrecy until the platter was empty. He munched smugly on ham biscuits while my aunts, uncles, and cousins shoved mushroom after mushroom into their maws. Mom just about burst telling everyone they ate tofu. To my surprise, they thought it was great. If one thing can bring my family together, it’s good food.

Here are some more vegetarian cookbook ideas to get you motivated:
Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook—An extensively updated version of my first veg cookbook. I don’t go to it as much, but it’s comprehensive and a great place to start.
Moosewood New Classics—Perfect for a family in transition. There are a few fish/seafood recipes and a few vegan dishes. It has something for everyone, and a terrific glossary in the back.
150 Vegan Favorites—Don’t be scared by “vegan” in the title. This is probably the most used cookbook in my kitchen, and I love cheese. The slim volume contains primarily one-pot meals that are hearty, flavorful, and stick-to-your-ribs fantastic.

4) Have build-your-own meal nights.
Okay, let’s get practical. You have a family and they need dinner. As CHG reader Clea suggested, “pasta, pizza, ...burritos...” These are prime candidates for build-your-own meals.

We used to have taco/burrito night when I was a kid—long before I was a vegetarian. It’s still a favorite way to have a family meal. Mom puts out tortillas, bowls of chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers, cheese, ground meat, and now, refried beans, and everyone makes their own to their liking. Top it all with guac, salsa, and you’re good to go.

A pizza party is another way to satisfy many tastes. You can customize a pizza in halves, thirds, or depending on the size of your family, make one meat and one veg. You were probably going to make two anyway. Kris has a great pizza recipe right here to get you started.

Stir fry may not seem like a build-your-own dish, but bear with me. Start with the base vegetables, like carrots, celery, peppers, and onions stir fried with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce.

Then, in separate pans, fry up some tofu and whatever meat you like with your veg. Dish out the proteins in bowls alongside bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and mung bean sprouts. Gather the clan around, and let each person choose his or her own adventure.

You create build-your-own-meal nights with pasta, quesdillas, omelets...the list is endless. Get the kids involved in the prep and it’s that much easier.

5) Don't underestimate side dishes.
Maybe it comes from learning to make meals from sides at non-vegetarian group meals over the years, but I love sides. Given a choice, I’d pick the veggie plate almost any day.

As long as there is variety, you really can’t go wrong serving your mixed-diet family a meat and a few side dishes that really rock. The veggie person will have plenty to eat, and the meat eaters won’t feel deprived.

Maybe other vegetarians will disagree, but I don’t need an “entrée” to feel well-fed. I’m not much for faux meat, or meat analogues, as they are sometimes called. They’re fun on occasion, and certainly aided my transition from omnivore to veghead. But fake meat can be high in fat, sodium, and other preservatives, so I enjoy the stuff in moderation.

My idea of the perfect meal is any bean/green combo alongside rice or quinoa and a green salad. These are two of my favorites: Tunisian Beans and Greens and Quinoa with Mustard Greens and Mushrooms. Some people call these side dishes. I call them feasts for a queen.

6) Be willing to try something new(ish).
Many American classics are easily convertible into vegetarian delights with diners none the wiser. Some are vegetarian to begin with; mac and cheese and mashed potatoes come to mind.

Meatless chili and pastas can easily satisfy everyone. But every now and then, try something new. Flexitarianism is the new green, so why not take the opportunity to try an adventurous vegetarian dish with the whole family.

Lentil loaf is one of those classic and classically scoffed at vegetarian dishes that is so worth the time and effort. It’s so hearty and delicious. Or give these tempeh kabobs a try. (Scroll down for recipe; note: shoyu is soy sauce.) Seriously, both these recipes are so good. I’ve served both to meat eaters and received raves.

For more meal suggestions, check out Cooking4Carnivores, a blog about a mixed-diet couple who happily coexists in one kitchen. She’s a vegetarian; he’s a meat-eater. She created a blog to document their culinary adventures in compromise. There are tons of fantastic menu ideas for the veg/non-veg family, not to mention her gorgeous photography.

Best of luck to anyone out there who is transitioning to vegetarianism. I hope this helps. Keep us posted. It’s not always easy, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. My folks adapted pretty quickly, and for that, I will always be grateful. Mom and Dad, you’re the bee’s knees.

Readers, do you have any suggestions? What tricks have you tried to keep the peace at mealtime? Give us a shout in the comments section.

Veggie Might: Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas - Atomic Pink Food Can Be Good for You

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a regular Thursday feature about all things Vegetarian.

There are some unholy colors out there in processed food land thanks to Red #3, Yellow #6, and Blue #2. But there is naturally occurring neon that will light up the dinner table and set off your mineral and vitamin meters.

Beets, in all their pink/purple, betacyanin glory, kick cancer’s arse and taste amazing too. Beets are a pretty recent discovery for me. Growing up, they were only offered in pickled form, which grossed me out. As an adult, I’ve only had them in salads with nuts and goat cheese. And while that’s a great combo, I knew there must be some other way to use them.

Luckily, I found a recipe with a flavor intensity to match the out-of-this-world color.

At the farmers’ market, I had picked up a bunch of beets with their tops, plus an extra bunch of greens. (Yes, Kris, we love our greens!) I wanted a recipe that could incorporate both. Once again, I visited with my imaginary mentor, Madhur Jaffrey, via World Vegetarian, making her Beet Curry with Mushrooms with a few renovations.

Essentially, I made it fit my market haul, and the results were eye- and mouth-popping. It takes a little bit of time, but it’s worth the effort. The earthy, sweet beets bounce off the slightly bitter greens and spicy ginger and chilies. Chickpeas make it a hearty almost-one-pot-meal in a skillet. (I served it with rice cooked separately.)

Speaking of chickpeas, I am a new convert to dried beans. I finally mastered the soak, boil, cook process, and wow! The difference is outstanding. I may never buy canned beans again. Organic dried chickpeas from the bulk bin were even cheaper than the conventional my local natural food store.

An economic side note, dried beans are the best deal in town. My only argument with Food Inc. was the moment Michael Pollan (I think) claimed it was cheaper to feed a family with fast food or processed food.

I understand the point he was trying to make—that farm subsidies have skewed the market in favor of the meat industry—but I wanted to raise my hand and offer to feed the movie theater with a bag of dried beans, a bunch of spinach, a bulb of garlic, and my spice cabinet. It would have been a liberal New Yorker version of the loaves and fishes.

Sorry, back-to-back digressions. Back to the beets. Seriously, this recipe is rockin’, and as you can see, it comes out a gorgeous shade of ‘80s hot pink with nary a food additive in sight. If your only experience with beets is a jar of pickles, give this a try and bask in the glow of your good health.

The beets, the greens...They’re atomic!

Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas

1 bunch of small to medium beets (about 9 oz.), peeled and cubed
6 cups beet greens, chopped
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp whole mustard seeds
1 tbsp + 1 tsp ginger, peeled and grated
4 large garlic cloves, minced
3 dried red chilies, whole
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 cups chickpeas
2 tsp salt

1) Heat oil in large cast iron skillet or pan of your choice. When the oil is hot, add cumin and mustard seeds. Stir occasionally.

2) When mustard seeds pop, add the beets and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

3) Add ginger, garlic, and chilies. Stir and fry for another 2 minutes.

4) Add the beet* greens, chopped tomatoes, plus 1 cup of water, and salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer.

5) After 10 minutes, toss in chick peas.

6) Simmer for 30 more minutes.

7) Serve with basmati rice. Dig in and radiate.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
227.75 calories, 5.5g fat, $1.36

Calculations
9 oz beets: 108 calories, 0g fat, $2.00
6 cups beet greens: 48 calories, 0g fat, $1.00
1 tbsp canola oil: 120 calories, 14g fat, $.08
1 tsp whole cumin seeds: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1 tsp whole mustard seeds: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1 tbsp + 1 tsp ginger: 14 calories, 0g fat, $.06
4 large garlic cloves: 17 calories, 0g fat, $.05
3 dried red chilies: negligible calories and fat, $.02
2 fresh tomatoes: 66 calories, 0g fat, $1.33
2 cups chickpeas: 538 calories, 8g fat, $.86
2 tsp salt: negligible calories and fat, $.02
Totals: 911 calories, 22g fat, $5.46
Per Serving (totals/4): 227.75 calories, 5.5g fat, $1.36

*correction

Veggie Might: Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas - Atomic Pink Food Can Be Good for You

Posted by admin

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a regular Thursday feature about all things Vegetarian.

There are some unholy colors out there in processed food land thanks to Red #3, Yellow #6, and Blue #2. But there is naturally occurring neon that will light up the dinner table and set off your mineral and vitamin meters.

Beets, in all their pink/purple, betacyanin glory, kick cancer’s arse and taste amazing too. Beets are a pretty recent discovery for me. Growing up, they were only offered in pickled form, which grossed me out. As an adult, I’ve only had them in salads with nuts and goat cheese. And while that’s a great combo, I knew there must be some other way to use them.

Luckily, I found a recipe with a flavor intensity to match the out-of-this-world color.

At the farmers’ market, I had picked up a bunch of beets with their tops, plus an extra bunch of greens. (Yes, Kris, we love our greens!) I wanted a recipe that could incorporate both. Once again, I visited with my imaginary mentor, Madhur Jaffrey, via World Vegetarian, making her Beet Curry with Mushrooms with a few renovations.

Essentially, I made it fit my market haul, and the results were eye- and mouth-popping. It takes a little bit of time, but it’s worth the effort. The earthy, sweet beets bounce off the slightly bitter greens and spicy ginger and chilies. Chickpeas make it a hearty almost-one-pot-meal in a skillet. (I served it with rice cooked separately.)

Speaking of chickpeas, I am a new convert to dried beans. I finally mastered the soak, boil, cook process, and wow! The difference is outstanding. I may never buy canned beans again. Organic dried chickpeas from the bulk bin were even cheaper than the conventional my local natural food store.

An economic side note, dried beans are the best deal in town. My only argument with Food Inc. was the moment Michael Pollan (I think) claimed it was cheaper to feed a family with fast food or processed food.

I understand the point he was trying to make—that farm subsidies have skewed the market in favor of the meat industry—but I wanted to raise my hand and offer to feed the movie theater with a bag of dried beans, a bunch of spinach, a bulb of garlic, and my spice cabinet. It would have been a liberal New Yorker version of the loaves and fishes.

Sorry, back-to-back digressions. Back to the beets. Seriously, this recipe is rockin’, and as you can see, it comes out a gorgeous shade of ‘80s hot pink with nary a food additive in sight. If your only experience with beets is a jar of pickles, give this a try and bask in the glow of your good health.

The beets, the greens...They’re atomic!

Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas

1 bunch of small to medium beets (about 9 oz.), peeled and cubed
6 cups beet greens, chopped
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp whole mustard seeds
1 tbsp + 1 tsp ginger, peeled and grated
4 large garlic cloves, minced
3 dried red chilies, whole
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 cups chickpeas
2 tsp salt

1) Heat oil in large cast iron skillet or pan of your choice. When the oil is hot, add cumin and mustard seeds. Stir occasionally.

2) When mustard seeds pop, add the beets and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

3) Add ginger, garlic, and chilies. Stir and fry for another 2 minutes.

4) Add the beet* greens, chopped tomatoes, plus 1 cup of water, and salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer.

5) After 10 minutes, toss in chick peas.

6) Simmer for 30 more minutes.

7) Serve with basmati rice. Dig in and radiate.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
227.75 calories, 5.5g fat, $1.36

Calculations
9 oz beets: 108 calories, 0g fat, $2.00
6 cups beet greens: 48 calories, 0g fat, $1.00
1 tbsp canola oil: 120 calories, 14g fat, $.08
1 tsp whole cumin seeds: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1 tsp whole mustard seeds: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1 tbsp + 1 tsp ginger: 14 calories, 0g fat, $.06
4 large garlic cloves: 17 calories, 0g fat, $.05
3 dried red chilies: negligible calories and fat, $.02
2 fresh tomatoes: 66 calories, 0g fat, $1.33
2 cups chickpeas: 538 calories, 8g fat, $.86
2 tsp salt: negligible calories and fat, $.02
Totals: 911 calories, 22g fat, $5.46
Per Serving (totals/4): 227.75 calories, 5.5g fat, $1.36

*correction

Veggie Might: A Confession and a Prayer to Remain Tailless

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

In a recent post, Kris suggested screening Food, Inc., and I complied. Eric Schlosser on a sesame seed bun! This movie rocked me to the core. Weeks later and I’m still reeling.

I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 20 years, mostly for ethical reasons relating to personal health, the environment, and animal welfare (and rebellion against my conservative parents, since we’re telling tales). My mid-90s mantra was, “If we fed people with the food we grow to feed animals that we then kill to feed people, no one would go hungry. And I want to be skinny.”

I spent my 20s and early 30s keeping up with the horrors of slaughterhouses, the evils of factory farming, and the dangers of genetically engineered/modified foods ... until I got burned out. Fast Food Nation and Super Size Me pushed me over the edge.

After taking them in, I vowed never to darken a fast-food door and put the whole sordid business out of my mind. Since then, I’ve resisted reading Michael Pollan or engaging in much of the discourse about food ethics other than to explain why I’m a vegetarian to the few who ask. (I’ve gotten over the rebellion and the need to be skinny; the rest remains.)

I was pretty satisfied with myself and my choices. “I’m a nearly-vegan,” I thought, “I buy organic when I can afford it. I send the occasional email petition to Monsanto. All this doesn’t really concern me. I am not part of the problem. Animals don’t die for my meals. My impact on the environment is pretty darn low.”

Well. Food, Inc. snapped me out of my self-righteous fantasy. And broke my heart several times over.

I don’t want to spoil it for you, but vegetarians are not necessarily off the hook. Just as I like to rail at those Skinny Bitch girls for suggesting that all vegans are skinny (hello, you can eat all the Tofutti Cuties and potato chips you want and still be vegan!), not all vegetarians eat ethically or healthily. So many times throughout the film I felt guilty that my ambivalence is part of the problem.

I realized that, except when I buy from the farmers’ market or CSA, I have no idea where my food comes from, who handled it, and how those people were treated. (I’ll spare you tales of feed lot run-off spreading e-Coli and salmonella to the produce fields. You watch the news.)

A particularly unsettling part of the film highlighted the impact of genetically engineered soybean seeds on farmers. Suddenly, my low-impact, cruelty-free diet/lifestyle had a price tag I could no longer afford. (Don’t even get me started on the fact that what we don’t know how GE foods may affect our health in the long run.) There, in the dark, I had a panicked moment. “Where in the name of Bobcat Goldthwait does my soy come from?”

As soon as I got home, I ransacked my fridge and cabinets in search of GE/GMO foods. I breathed easier when I found none, but my complacency was evident. I don’t want to grow a tail from Frankensoy, and I don’t want workers exploited so I can have relatively cheap raspberries.

Like Kris and the Husband-Elect, I have taken stock of my values and my budget and found I can do more, still enjoy food, and remain tail-free. (Are you there Maude? It’s me, Leigh.)

The CSA did not fit my budget or schedule this year. But three weeks in a row, I’ve shopped at a farmers’ market and bought only organic at my local health food store. I tend to overbuy in the face of a “good deal” and then end up throwing stuff away. Since the shift, my budget has pretty much stayed the same, and frankly, I’ve been better about buying less.

So, with eyes open again, I’m ready to learn more and take on new challenges in my ethical vegetarian walk. I just got The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food from the library so I can catch up on what everyone has been talking about for the last five years. In the meantime, here are a few links that have helped me tuned back in.

Organic Consumers Association is a clearinghouse of information about policy, community action, and organic living. The CSA’s farmer from last year turned me on to these folks. You can sign up for their newsletter or action alerts to make your voice heard.

Marion Nestle’s Food Politics blog is crammed with mind-blowing articles about what really goes on behind the scenes at our food protection agencies. After you’re good and angry, write your congressperson.

Celebrate Food Independence Day with the people who inspired the White House garden. Kitchen Gardeners International is encouraging Americans to celebrate the 4th of July by using only local food at their Independence Day picnics and BBQs.

I’d love to hear what y’all think. Have you see Food, Inc.? Have you read anything about food policy you’d like to share? Care to testify?

(Images courtesy of Natalie Dee and Grain Millers.)

Veggie Might: A Confession and a Prayer to Remain Tailless

Posted by admin

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

In a recent post, Kris suggested screening Food, Inc., and I complied. Eric Schlosser on a sesame seed bun! This movie rocked me to the core. Weeks later and I’m still reeling.

I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 20 years, mostly for ethical reasons relating to personal health, the environment, and animal welfare (and rebellion against my conservative parents, since we’re telling tales). My mid-90s mantra was, “If we fed people with the food we grow to feed animals that we then kill to feed people, no one would go hungry. And I want to be skinny.”

I spent my 20s and early 30s keeping up with the horrors of slaughterhouses, the evils of factory farming, and the dangers of genetically engineered/modified foods ... until I got burned out. Fast Food Nation and Super Size Me pushed me over the edge.

After taking them in, I vowed never to darken a fast-food door and put the whole sordid business out of my mind. Since then, I’ve resisted reading Michael Pollan or engaging in much of the discourse about food ethics other than to explain why I’m a vegetarian to the few who ask. (I’ve gotten over the rebellion and the need to be skinny; the rest remains.)

I was pretty satisfied with myself and my choices. “I’m a nearly-vegan,” I thought, “I buy organic when I can afford it. I send the occasional email petition to Monsanto. All this doesn’t really concern me. I am not part of the problem. Animals don’t die for my meals. My impact on the environment is pretty darn low.”

Well. Food, Inc. snapped me out of my self-righteous fantasy. And broke my heart several times over.

I don’t want to spoil it for you, but vegetarians are not necessarily off the hook. Just as I like to rail at those Skinny Bitch girls for suggesting that all vegans are skinny (hello, you can eat all the Tofutti Cuties and potato chips you want and still be vegan!), not all vegetarians eat ethically or healthily. So many times throughout the film I felt guilty that my ambivalence is part of the problem.

I realized that, except when I buy from the farmers’ market or CSA, I have no idea where my food comes from, who handled it, and how those people were treated. (I’ll spare you tales of feed lot run-off spreading e-Coli and salmonella to the produce fields. You watch the news.)

A particularly unsettling part of the film highlighted the impact of genetically engineered soybean seeds on farmers. Suddenly, my low-impact, cruelty-free diet/lifestyle had a price tag I could no longer afford. (Don’t even get me started on the fact that what we don’t know how GE foods may affect our health in the long run.) There, in the dark, I had a panicked moment. “Where in the name of Bobcat Goldthwait does my soy come from?”

As soon as I got home, I ransacked my fridge and cabinets in search of GE/GMO foods. I breathed easier when I found none, but my complacency was evident. I don’t want to grow a tail from Frankensoy, and I don’t want workers exploited so I can have relatively cheap raspberries.

Like Kris and the Husband-Elect, I have taken stock of my values and my budget and found I can do more, still enjoy food, and remain tail-free. (Are you there Maude? It’s me, Leigh.)

The CSA did not fit my budget or schedule this year. But three weeks in a row, I’ve shopped at a farmers’ market and bought only organic at my local health food store. I tend to overbuy in the face of a “good deal” and then end up throwing stuff away. Since the shift, my budget has pretty much stayed the same, and frankly, I’ve been better about buying less.

So, with eyes open again, I’m ready to learn more and take on new challenges in my ethical vegetarian walk. I just got The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food from the library so I can catch up on what everyone has been talking about for the last five years. In the meantime, here are a few links that have helped me tuned back in.

Organic Consumers Association is a clearinghouse of information about policy, community action, and organic living. The CSA’s farmer from last year turned me on to these folks. You can sign up for their newsletter or action alerts to make your voice heard.

Marion Nestle’s Food Politics blog is crammed with mind-blowing articles about what really goes on behind the scenes at our food protection agencies. After you’re good and angry, write your congressperson.

Celebrate Food Independence Day with the people who inspired the White House garden. Kitchen Gardeners International is encouraging Americans to celebrate the 4th of July by using only local food at their Independence Day picnics and BBQs.

I’d love to hear what y’all think. Have you see Food, Inc.? Have you read anything about food policy you’d like to share? Care to testify?

(Images courtesy of Natalie Dee and Grain Millers.)