When being cheap and easy can give you a good reputation

Thought you were tuning in for a juicy confession? Sorry to disappoint, but I do promise to deliver the goods on providing a super easy, cheap, flavourful vegan recipe with very few ingredients.

This recipe turned out to be very highly spiced, so I am going with the assumption that it was designed to be served as a topping, such as over basmati rice.  I had leftover chickpeas and potatoes in the fridge, so I mixed them in to make a full meal while toning down the spice.  The result reminded me of a samosa. Will definitely make this again.

 Still feeling a bit led astray that you didn't discover the scandalous details of my secret bad-girl life? No problem-let your voice be heard and I will go to great lengths to make amends by providing a highly detailed memoir of an event that didn't actually happen.

 

Mushroom Mutter Masala

·        2 tablespoons oil

·        1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds (mine were ground)

·        1 small red onion, grated (I substituted green onions)

·        2 cups of thickly sliced button mushrooms (I used canned)

·        Salt to taste

·        1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin

·        1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper

·        1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·        1/2 cup of green peas (I used frozen)

·        Fresh cilantro to garnish

Preparation

1.     Heat the oil and add in the coriander seeds and wait until the seeds begin to sizzle.

2.     Add in the grated onion and cook until the onion begins to turn softly golden.

3.     Add in the  mushrooms and mix well.

4.     Stir in the salt,  cumin, red cayenne pepper and the black pepper with the green peas and mix well.

5.     Cover and cook for five minutes.

6.     Stir in the cilantro and serve.

Where is Iron Man when you need him?

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

 

Seriously, where is he? With the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians being iron, there is a real problem out there!

What is the point of  a muscle-bound super hero, if he is not in the business of delivering nutrient dense meals to iron-needy women? He is totally useless. (though, considering the fact that at least he doesn't wear tights, I can give him a few points in his favour.)

Since I can't expect such a delivery any time soon, I will provide my own iron sources.

 
I chose this recipe as it states  that each serving provides 100% of daily iron requirements. I tried it out and really enjoyed the balance of the spices; definitely one of the better chili recipes out there.

Googling "vegetarian iron-rich recipes" provided me with a ton of interesting choices that I am itching to sample, so Iron Man really isn't needed after all. And if I ever do get my superhero visit,...please, please let it be Wolverine!

 Crock Pot Chili           

1/2 cup olive oil

 4 onions, chopped
 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cubed
 4 (15.5 ounce) cans black beans, drained
 2 (15 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
 2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons ground cumin

 6 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon liquid hot pepper sauce                                                   

        Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until they start to become soft. Add the green peppers, red peppers, garlic and tofu; cook and stir until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, the whole process should take about 10 minutes.
2. Pour the black beans into the slow cooker and set to Low. Stir in the vegetables and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano, vinegar and hot pepper sauce. Stir gently and cover. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

Great Iron information:

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.php

The one question I wish people would stop asking me

No, it's not "Where's the other hundred?" the dreaded one-liner that Dalmatian owners are continually hearing. I still even manage to smile and can usually come up with a variety of  new answers.

It's "Where do you get your protein?" I'm asked it so often that it is incredibly hard not to roll my eyes in annoyance. While I am aware that there are people who use this question rhetorically, simply eager to debate and justify their carnivorous lifestyle, many people are genuine in their curiosity about a lifestyle that seems to challenge the information they have been given since they were a child: You need to eat meat to get enough protein and amino acids.

This conventional wisdom is simply misguided. The amount of protein that a human body needs is hugely overestimated. You can more than enough protein from eating a variety of plant foods. In fact, eating too much protein can cause health problems.

Bottom line: "It is not necessary to consume animal products to meet essential amino acid needs, as long as the diet includes plant foods from all the food groups and caloric needs are met. "

I take this information from my brilliant friend, Marina, who has her masters degree in nutrition. You can read more here, and I encourage you to do so, as she is a wealth of scientifically sound knowledge.

http://pbnutrition.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/the-protein-myth/

I just made this Barley soup last night (Barley is a great grain for protein). I like this recipe as the cumin adds an unexpected diversion from your typical Mushroom Barley soup. Wonderful comfort food for mid-winter.

Barley Soup
1  carrot, chopped                          1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves, garlic, crushed      1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil                              1 cup dry barley
15-20 small mushrooms chopped   ( I used canned mushrooms)
1  tsp cumin                                    splash of Tabasco sauce (to taste)
pepper (to taste)                              1 tsp Braggs or Soy sauce
3-4 cups vegetable stock 
* Instead of veg. stock, I used a vegetarian beef flavoured stock that you can get at the health section of the Loblaws chain stores

In large pot, sauté carrots, onions, garlic, peppers in oil on medium heat until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms are tender. Add barley, cumin, tabasco, pepper, soy sauce and stock and simmer for 20-30 minutes until barley is cooked.

California Dreaming

I don't like winter.  For me to say that is to embrace the power of the understatement in the same way Michael Jackson did when he said "I'm not like other guys." (for people my age, you will get the reference.)

Cold is my kryptonite and this winter has been especially hard, especially when you consider it is still only January. So while I am mentally preparing to take my currently under-walked dog out upon the arctic tundra, I am dreaming of sunny skies. While a beach vacation is not in the cards for me, I can eat like I am on one.

Sweet, spicy and crunchy, these wraps are the taste of summer.  Throw in a strawberry daiquiri and pretend you are on vacation.  Where is that cabana boy when you need him?

Cal­i­for­nia Veg­gie Wrap
4 6-inch flour tor­tillas
4 T cilantro pesto (recipe fol­lows)
2 green onions with tops, sliced thin
¼ cucum­ber, sliced thin length­wise
1 large avo­cado, sliced thin
1 small tomato, sliced thin
1 car­rot, sliced thin length­wise
4 sugar snap peas, sliced thin length­wise
2 large straw­ber­ries, halved and sliced thin
(sweet, red peppers aren't in the recipe, but I added them)
 

Warm the tor­tillas in a dry pan over medium heat. Spread 1 T cilantro pesto on each, then top with the veg­eta­bles. Wrap and enjoy!

Cilantro Pesto
1 C fresh cilantro ( I used the squeeze tube cilantro, so much more convenient)
¼ C pecans, wal­nuts, or almonds
1 clove gar­lic
¼ t salt
2 green onions, cut into chunks
1 t fresh jalapeño, with­out seeds (I used red pepper flakes)
1 t lime juice
¼ — 1/3 C olive oil ( I used way less to cut calories and didn't miss it)