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Basil Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons and Homemade Parmesan Cheeze
August 11th, 2010Hi y’all! How are things going? The week sure is going by fast and while it has been a little hot here in MI, we have also enjoyed some summer showers.
I have been enjoying a lot of good workouts lately combining Zumba, kickboxing, a weights class, and racquetball games with Ryan. I find myself working out twice a day and feeling WONDERFUL! I have been definitely been limiting my carb intake and eating more salads, veggies, and protein.
I received an update from my naturopath and realized that I had to lay off on foods with gluten. Gluten tends to not help one lose weight and that meats no SEITAN, Field Roast Sausages, or wheat related products. CRAZY, since I just started making my own seitan, I want to do everything possible to cleanse my body of non-natural foods so I tried not to dwell on having to limit and remove gluten from my life. Needless to say, I have 2 packages of Field Roast that I have been trying to get rid of so that I can start not eating gluten. What kind of protein can I eat now? Well, I will start eating more tofu, and more tempeh. Tempeh seems to be the hardest thing for me to get used to but I have several recipes in mind. I am taking one day at a time.
UPDATE: This recipe I made before I found out I have to eliminate gluten. Thanks for that note!
I recently came across a great recipe using tomatoes in a way I have never used them. Oh She Glows veganized Smitten Kitchen’s version of the recipe so I was ready to take it on. I slightly adapted the recipe and I did not bake in the oven. I only cooked it over the stove for 10 minutes over low heat because I did not want to kill too many vitamins. Angela has lovely pictures and makes me always want to prepare what she is making. She also has a nice recipe for vegan parmesan. While I had been using Parma’s vegan cheese I knew it was better to save money and make my own.
So here I took on two new recipes which only took 30 minutes between the two! I made the Scalloped Tomatoes and accompanied them with the Wild Mushroom Pate’ I posted a while back. This was our dinner and boy was it good! No need for meat! Ryan even enjoyed each bite. Good to know that my cooking skills are coming out with good results.
Basil Scalloped Tomatoes
serves 2
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 slices Ezekiel bread, (or other whole grain) chopped into 1/2-inch croutons
6 roma tomatoes, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Sucanat
1 teaspoon Kosher sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup chopped basil leaves, lightly packed
1/4 cup 3-minute vegan parmesan cheeze
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread cubes and mix well with oil so that they are evenly coated. Cook bread, stirring frequently, until crisp on all sides for about 5 mins.
While the bread is toasting, combine tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are crisp, add the tomato mixture to the skillet, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Pour into a 1 quart shallow baking dish and top with Parmesan cheeze. Ready to eat!
Homemade Parmesan Cheeze
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I used Herbamare seasoned salt)
Toast sesame seeds until lightly browned and then throw all ingredients into a blender. Process for 30-60 seconds. Enjoy your vegan parmesan cheese!
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Chocolate-Almond Coconut Bites and Two Reviews
August 9th, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
What a great way to end the weekend! I am glad to say that it has been nice not having to travel the last 2 weeks so that I could have a chance to catch up on activities and chores around my home. After a weekend of running errands, cleaning home and going to a Jazz Festival.
Yesterday we had a great time in Old Town’s Jazz Festival which was located just outside a friend’s home. Look at the crowds:
We had a chance to hear guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan who has a gold-selling Grammy® nominated album Magic Touch. HE alternated playing guitar with one hand and playing the piano with another hand. It was really incredible! Enjoy an excerpt that I recorded:
After church today, I felt like I wanted to take a drive and walk somewhere different. I took a long hour drive to Novi and walked around Twelve Oaks Mall. I had people telling me about this town for a while that I decided to take a look for myself. It certainly does NOT compare to any of the malls in Lansing. It was a huge mall and I obviously was not prepared wearing my sandals. I walked for 2 hours, perusing shops and people watching. It is incredible how much diverse the area is compared to where we live.
I took advantage of stopping at a few stores that I have not been to in a long while like TEAVANA! This place is definitely bad news. I cannot help but smell all the variety of teas. Some know me as a tea addict and collector as well as a coffee bean collector as well. I knew I had a budget so I made several careful choices and was able to talk to a friendly salesperson named Carmen. She was really nice and we got to talking about her kids and how they were so different in their eating habits and in health. She even mentioned here desire for eating better but not knowing how to go about it. We talked about veganism and how to incorporate more whole foods and I was even able to tellher about my website. It was really a nice time. Look at all my goodies!
Tomorrow I will share the other goodies I found because I need o share with you a GREAT recipe I have been sharing with some people. Ryan and I were talking about Almond Joy bars with someone and Ryan exclaimed how that happened to be one of his favorite candies, so then I happened to tell him how wonderful it would be to make a vegan version of this candy.
My mind became fixated on coming up with a recipe. Since I had a bottle of Tropical Traditions Coconut Concentrate, I decided to try my hand at creating a healthier and vegan version.
Tropical Traditions gave me an opportunity to review this product and so I began creating a recipe. Coconut Cream Concentrate “is certified organic whole coconut meat in concentrated form. It contains no additives* (not even water). The dried coconut meat is ground into a very fine powder, giving it a creamy consistency. It is 100% natural coconut made from certified organic Philippine coconuts grown without pesticides or fertilizers.” How great is this? You have seen on previous posts about my eating coconut meat fresh from a young coconut but this is the meat ground already. I used this for my coconut filled and for the chocolate sauce. If you decide to order from Tropical Traditions please use my Reference Number: 5723635
Another product I also used was Vanilla Bean Paste from Singing Dog. I have only used extract before but this paste allowed me to get a Tablespoon equivalent to a whole vanilla bean. It already has sugar added and it was quite delicious. I added this to my chocolate sauce.
The recipe I created uses all products in its natural form therefore, if you think it has a high fat content, it is all natural and in moderation a healthy saturated fat. The original recipe consists of sweetened condensed milk and sugar but I replaced it with coconut concentrate and agave nectar. It makes for a great snack or even a dessert for those that have a sweet tooth, ;). Ryan snagged another one today while I was out! Naughty boy! Enjoy the recipe for all its purest forms.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Chocolate-Almond Coconut Bites
makes 8 bites
Coconut filling
16 almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 Tablespoons Tropical Traditions Coconut Concentrate
3 Tablespoons agave nectar
2 Tablespoons SO Delicious Coconut Milk
Mix all the ingredients except for the almonds until it becomes moist. Form into 8 rectangular bites, about 1 Tablespoon of mixture. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place 8 coconut bites on the paper. Refrigerate overnight or for an 1 hour.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Chocolate sauce
makes 1 1/2 cups sauce
1/4 + 1/8 cup Green & Black Cocoa
3/4 cup Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil
4 Tablespoons Tropical Traditions Coconut Concentrate
5 Tablespoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons Singing Dog’s Vanilla Bean Paste
Place all ingredients in a blender and mix well. The sauce is ready for use. This sauce can be used for dipping, for chocolate-covered almonds, over ice cream, etc. If refrigerated, melt over warm water bath.
Assembly
Place 2 almonds on top of each bite. Place one bite on a form and dip in the chocolate sauce. Make sure that the excess chocolate drips well and place back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the other bites. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat the dipping process twice, refrigerating 30 minutes in between each dipping session. Once it has been refrigerated for the last 30 minutes, they are ready to eat!
Total time: 2 1/2 hours setting time
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Eating time: 5-10 seconds SO GOOD!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Chocolate-Almond Coconut Bites
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Creamy Basil Ranch Dressing
August 5th, 2010
Yesterday I enjoyed a nice boat ride around Lake Michigan and almost lost my dinner! Here are a few pictures of our evening.
Lately I have been enjoying a variety of salads using spinach, romaine, kale and other greens. I usually have a standard dressing I tend to usee all the time, but this past week I decided to make something completely different.
Before going vegan I occasionally liked trying bleu cheese or ranch dressing on my salad just because I wanted something different. I also enjoyed it at specific restaurants where they prepared it in house. My normal salad dressing consists of 3-5 ingredients: balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. It usually does the trick and a nice big salad is consumed with no complaints.
My creamy dressing needed to be healthy and I knew immediately I was not going to use Veganaise or Tofutti sour cream. I found 1/4 cup of tofu in the fridge and started with my experiment. A normal ranch can consist of a variety of herbs but I wanted to focus on basil since my potted basil had been doing well.
Ingredients were placed in a bowl and blended quickly with an immersion blender. Ryan likes Ranch but I somehow don’t like purchasing pre-made dressings when I can very well make it at home.
I added my basil ranch to our dinner salads and Ryan gave it a 2 thumbs up! Success. Now I can add a new dressing for future salads.
Creamy Basil Ranch Dressing
makes 1/2 cup
1/4 cup firm tofu
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon white ground pepper
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt or Herbamare
Place all ingredients in a bowl and using an immersion blender, blend well. Use a blender if you do not have an immersion blender.
What dressings to you like making at home? Are there specific ones you purchase at your local health store?
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Lemonjello’s and Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies
August 5th, 2010
I finally get to talk about one of my favorite coffee shops in Western Michigan! Lemonjello’s is located in the heart of downtown Holland, Michigan and is right across from Hope College. Even though I do not live in Holland, this isa place I find myself all the time. It is the perfect environment for friends and family to meet over coffee and yummy eats.
Picture from website
Lemonjello’s serves fair traded coffee and espresso drinks and has a variety of baked goods that include bagels, scones, muffins, granola bars, cookies, and specialty baked goods as well. Another fun thing about this place is that it offers vegan options. There is hummus with veggies and pita wedges and 2 different selections of soup daily, which include a vegan chili and broccoli cheddar or tomato basil soup.
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| Vegan Chili with a Veggie Bagel |
Another unique activity that happens at Lemonjello’s is that it features local and regional music from area artists. There are nights where there is OPEN MIC night and back to back evenings with concerts. Even though the cafe is small, the owner has developed an area that can be converted in a smaller stage area with lights and all. VERY resourceful.
Even though there are several coffee shops and cafes in the area, I believe this is one of the most popular places. WIFI is free. The coffee is delicious. There are great eats and there is great music playing all day.
I had a chance to interview the owner, Matthew Scott, who ended up telling me a little about himself and how Lemonjello’s came to be part of Holland’s community.
Are you originally from Michigan? If not, how long have you been in MI?
I am from Michigan originally. Born in Grand Rapids — moved around a lot– landed in Holland around 2 yrs old– tried to leave several times but then got the opportunity to do Lemonjello’s.
How long have you been a vegan? Have you found it difficult to lead a vegan lifestyle?
11 years. But really the past 5-6 years I’ve been what I call a 95% Vegan. Because I have a lot of food allergies and intolerances, I sometimes have to choose to eat something that has a small amount of an animal derivative (like casein or choosing something with a little egg instead of something with gluten) instead of something that will more negatively affect me. It’s difficult in that respect. My body can’t process yeast or dairy, I choose not to eat meat, and I have been on a low gluten diet the past few years. I’m trying to learn how to balance all of that to stay healthy. I’m learning how to do more and more to eat vegan, gluten-free, & yeast free, but it takes a lot of time to prepare food and I work a lot. For that past couple of years I’ve been trying to perfect a vegan and gluten free muffin for my store– one that is as moist and muffin-like as a normal muffin. About a month ago, I felt like it was finally where I wanted it and we started serving them at the store. (the gluten-free vegan BlackBarely muffin– Blackberries but not really anything else normal in it, so my baker came up with BlackBarely as a name).
So there are ways to avoid everything I try to avoid in food, but it sometimes takes a while for me to learn to do it and have it taste how I want.
Why have you chosen a vegan lifestyle?
Through my adolescent years, I was always sick. I started testing food because a friend suggested it. I felt so much better that I started eating at her house. Her family was vegetarian & she was a vegan. I learned a lot about foods I had no prior experience with and learned how to prepare them. I adopted that lifestyle because I felt a ton better. I learned a few years ago that I was born without a gallbladder and that probably causes my body to process some things less efficiently (dairy, meat, fats, grains, yeast). It’s nice to finally have a real reason for my diet, but I wouldn’t go back even if I could eat anything again. In the process of getting to where I am now, I have fallen for this lifestyle. I agree with animal rights issues and farming & sustainability issues. I think that it forces me to be healthier and eat more variety and more in season foods and more local foods. I think I am eating more in line with what was intended for our bodies. It just makes sense to me.
How long have you owned Lemonjellos?
7.5 years. January 2003 we opened.
I know that you have a BUSY music schedule at the cafe, but something I wanted to know is whether you are musically inclined?
Yes. I have been playing and performing since I was 7 or 8 years old. In high school I toured with 2 different choirs as a vocalist and as a drummer. I was also in an alternative rock band that did quite well during my high school & college years. After college, I spent 2 years touring on weekends as guitarist/vocalist for an indie band called Annie’s Apology. We released 2 eps and a full length record and did pretty well for ourselves for that time in the music world. We played a lot of coffeehouse venues. I realized through a few good and a lot of bad experiences that most places either served a good product and sucked at booking/promoting their concerts or did the music side well but didn’t serve a good beverage. Usually these places wouldn’t last long because they didn’t have the one to sustain the other. I wrote the business plan for Lemonjello’s Coffee with my drummer because we thought there had to be a way to serve a great product and run a sustainable business that could financially support a venue and that would ultimately produce a place and an atmosphere that would be something for everyone. I never thought I’d actually do it and I never thought it would go this well, but we are one of the longest running all ages venues in Michigan…
You mention supporting the local farmers by being a part of Equal Exchange, but why is it you do not mention that you also sell vegan food and baked goods?
It’s something in process. I need to update that. I took out some stuff when we redid our website last year. We were unable to get our vegan chocolate sauce for about 2 years, so we were having difficulty serving a vegan mocha (something we’ve been known for since we first opened) that tasted good. About 3 weeks ago, I got my first batch back in. It’s not the same exact product we used to use, but it was created in the same chocolate lab using a similar recipe. I think it’s better. It’s vegan, organic, gluten-free, & fairly traded (both the sugar and the chocolate. And it doesn’t use high fructose corn syrup like most other vegan options on the market! I have to import it from a company in Canada called CE Organics, but it’s worth it.
So when we couldn’t get the chocolate I wanted and we didn’t have a vegan muffin (still. I just couldn’t get it right), I backed off any direct statements. Then I found out the Morningstar meatless crumbles we were using in our Vegan Chili were no longer vegan. I did some research and found out that they never released that they were changing their recipe to one that included egg and casein. There were a lot of protests online. The only response from the company I ever saw said (basically) “Sorry. Deal with it.” We changed our classic Vegan Chili recipe as a result and the new recipe is also gluten-free, so that ended up fine. But I was horrified that for possibly a few days or even a couple of weeks, I was serving a non-Vegan chili. There’s no way to know. I check packages regularly, but not every day. But this instance has made me check things more regularly. A similar thing happened a copule of years ago when our top selling soup came in and the box had a new ingredients list with “chicken stock” typed in larger letters at the beginning of the list. I sent it back, but that could have been missed if I wasn’t putting that order away.
There are enough unannounced changes in the food industry like this that it’s made me wary. There are also tighter rules on allergen handling now. I’ve tried to work on Lemonjello’s the past year or so in this regard– tightening what we do and how we handle things and how we package things and I think we now deal with allergen issues; vegan items in a better way that is above the par of most places around.
All that to say that am feeling re-confident now about our products and the vegan things we offer. This summer has given me time to get back to where I wanted to be– vegan chocolate for mochas, a vegan muffin, a second vegan cookie option (and maybe a third soon), and more staff awareness on food handling and packaging so there’s not cross-contamination.
Is Lemonjello’s everything you envisioned it to be?
Yes and No. I never thought it would last this long. I’ve never done anything this long. So it’s exceeded my vision. But it has become the place I envisioned because lots of folks have come in and made it the place they wanted and needed– that was always my ultimate goal.
Where do you see yourself or your business in 5 years?
My landlord asked me that last week. It’s now been 5 years since we added on and doubled the size of the space, so we’ve been talking about how much it’s grown since then.
I honestly don’t know. I think I will be doing Lemonjello’s for at least another 5 years, but we’ve more than doubled in business in the past 5 years and I don’t think we can do that in this space again. But I’m wary of another location because I tried opening a second shop (a sandwich shop called Pocket Sandwich Company down the road) and I couldn’t manage both of them and eventually had to choose one.
I think that there will be a lot of me tightening what we do and how we do it. We’re trying to keep up with the changes going on in the coffee industry right now and have some (I think) exciting new things to offer in the next year. And the education requirements for my staff have been going up, which I think will set us apart from the average coffee shop more and more in the coming years. I’m excited to engage more with the constantly growing community of folks here and the communities we’re sourcing our beans from and trying to bring those 2 things closer together.
Matthew allowed me to share one of my favorite vegan cookies from the coffee shop that I enjoy. I was so glad to be able to have an inside scoop on the inner workings of a local business. It teaches me how to be more appreciatice and supportive of more local businesses because they all have visions and we as a community help them come into fruition. Thanks Matthew for a great interview!
Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies
Mix the following dry ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
pinch of salt
Add the following wet ingredients:
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup soy milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
ener-g egg replacer for 4 eggs
When the batter is mixed well, slowly beat these in one at a time:
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cups chopped walnuts
3/4 cups raisins (or dried cranberries)
Shape into 1 ½ inch balls. 6-8 per tray. Flatten somewhat.
Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes or until edges are golden (in a convection oven, so that would change for a home oven… probably more like 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees. Experiment. That’s part of the fun!)
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Mujaddara with Cucumber Tomato Mint Relish
August 3rd, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Can I get some Lebanese or Syrian food? This is probably one of my favorite cuisines but one I do not often try or remember to make. Last week I was craving lentils, perhaps because my body wanted either protein or iron, but in either case, I listened and quickly prepared a meal that was filling, delicious and all together nutritious.
Ryan cannot stand lentils or many types of beans because of texture and flavor. Are there foods you can’t stand because of texture? I made this new dish hoping that I could inspire him to like lentils ina new way, but alas, no luck for me. Good thing anyway since I made this for lunch and he could have himself a peanut butter an jelly sandwich.
Another great thing about this dish is that these are normal staples that can be available in your pantry. Did you know that there are more than 10 different types of lentils? Lentils have high levels of protein and are known for containing minerals, dietary fibers, folate and thiamine. The most important factor for many and important for vegans and vegetarians is the the magnificent source of iron that lentils contain. If you have an iron deficiency (anemia), then lentils are a WONDERFUL source of iron. My mother raised her iron levels eating kale and lentils stew!
Mujaddara is primarily eaten in Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan and many other Mediterranean regions. It is combined with sweet and savory spices and basmati rice. The end result almost looks like a rice and bean pilaf but with SO MUCH flavor. Total time to make this meal is 45 minutes and very much worth it!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Mujaddara with Cucumber Tomato Mint Relish
serves 3
1 cup French green lentils
2 1/2 + 2/3 cups water
1/2 cup basmati rice
1 cup onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Rinse lentils and place in a medium pot and cover with 2 1/2 cups water. Simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, soak the basmati rice in water.
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute’ for 7-10 minutes. Drain the rice and add to the onion mixture. Add the spices and continue cooking for another 7 minutes.
Add rice and onion mixture to the lentils and add the 2/3 cup water and cover. Lower heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes.
Mujaddara is ready to eat. Prepare relish while dish cooks.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Cucumber Tomato Mint Relish
makes 1 1/2 cups
1/2 tomato, diced
1/2 English Cucumber, diced in 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tablespoons mint, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sumac
1/4 teaspoon salt
Toss the vegetables and mint together and add the olive oil, salt,sumac and lemon juice. Serve on top of the Mujaddara.
