Peppahs

More delicious foods this week. I was in a comfort food mood, so I decided to make a healthy version of jalapeno poppers. I took light cream cheese, tomatoes, and fake beef, mixed them up, and stuffed them in halved jalapenos. Baked at 350 F for about 15 min, and totally delicious results.

To make 8:
4 jalapenos
2tbsp light cream cheese
1/2 roma tomato
1/2 cup soy "beef"


Okay, now I have to admit it, I liked them so much I decided to make another version as a dinner food. I can't say I changed it much: halved a green pepper, and added in salsa too. Baked at 350F for 20 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 green pepper
1/2 cup soy meat
1/4 cup salsa
2 Tbsp light cream cheese
1/2 jalapeno, diced


I love stuffed peppers. I think there is something awesome about food that is it's own bowl, requires very little prep or clean up, and typically is pretty healthy. I'm loving having time this new year to get creative with fun, low cost food.

Food time

Food time is the best time, especially when you have time to make good food! I have decided to take winter quarter off to write my thesis, and that means I've actually had time to enjoy life. I feel guilty if I don't do something athletic or productive every day, and I have time to make recipes that are more complicated than a granola bar. It is wonderful.

I'm going to share my obsessions for the week with you:

Fake scrambled eggs (tofu scramble):
This is due to my egg allergy. I'd always heard nutritional yeast tasted like egg-y, nutty, cheese, but I never tried it. So this week I got around to it, and made my new favorite breakfast food.
Ingredients (serves 2):
1 half onion
1/4 green pepper
1/2 jalapeno
2 cloves garlic
1/2 block tofu
1/4 cup salsa
salt, black pepper
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 Tsp tumeric
olive oil

Dice onions and cook on medium in a 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet. Add diced green pepper and jalapeno and garlic after two minutes. Allow the veggies to soften and cook before adding tofu chunks. Stir and add in salsa. When food is cooked turn off heat and add seasonings and yeast. Stir and serve.

You can forgo the salsa and put a diced tomato in the "eggs" too.

I also made a fantastic warm lentil salad, I was given the original idea from Yoga Journal, but I changed it up a bit:

Ingredients:
1 cup lentils
3 stalks celery
2 cups diced root veggies
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons diced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
2 Tbsp wine optional (I used white wine)
Juice of half a lemon

Rinse 1 cup brown lentils, then boil in 2 cups water with a pinch of salt for 25 minutes.

While that is going, roast 3 stalks of celery, and two cups finely chopped root veggies (I used half an onion, half a sweet potato, and 1 carrot) with two cloves garlic at 400 F for 20 minutes.Before roasting the veggies add 1 tablespoon olive oil, a half teaspoon of thyme, salt, and pepper (also 2 tablespoons wine if you have it), toss with your hands to evenly coat all the veggies.

When the lentils and the veggies are both cooked, mix them together with 3 tablespoons diced fresh parsley, and the juice of one half of a lemon. Stir up, and eat while warm.

Vegetarian superfood!

I should probably get ready to go to yoga, so I'll have to write more later, but I have more recipes to share. Happy Eating!

A post without a common thread-

First, homemade crackers. I love crackers, but they aren't at all sustainable or healthy. You can't call these healthy, but they are definitely much more sustainable.

Gouda Parmesan crackers:
1/3 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c grated Gouda/Parmesan (or whatever hard cheese you have)
1/6 c flax seeds
2 tbsp butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
A pinch of garlic powder
A pinch of paprika
1-2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 375F. Combine dry ingredients in a food processer, mix. Add butter and pulse until evenly distributed. Add milk and mix, then put mixture in the fridge to cool down for a bit. When the dough is harder, take teaspoons of it and smush it flat on to your greased baking sheet with a greased glass bottom. Bake 10-12 minutes, flipping 2/3 of the way through. Should be crispy, if not, put back in oven. Yummy, like fancy crackers from the store.

I only had two crackers left when it came time to photograph. Mmm.

Now, on an unrelated note, my back has been killing me with all the work I've been doing. I bought a pound of epsom salts at Fred Meyer, and I wanted them to have a little fragrance (without buying the chemically enhanced ones in the beauty section that are bad for the environment, and for you), so I took 15 lemon balm leaves, and 4 mint leaves, and crushed them up with a pint of the salt. Now I have a pleasantly minty bath salt that I can scoop from, and I left the mint in big pieces, so I won't have to include it in my baths (less clean up). You can make your own herbal bath salts by using epsom salts or sea salt, adding herbs, and essential oils if you have them. Better for you, the environment, and your pocket book. I may buy a small lavender plant so I can use that to scent my salts as well.

Minty and relaxing.

Well this was short and sweet. Next time I'm going to do a long list of easy household cleaners, that for the most part are all three ingredients or so. Tonight I don't really have time, but keep your eyes out, because I'm hoping to post them this week. I'm also hoping to post some updated garden photos, as it is really starting to thrive. I hope everyone is having a good week, and I'll post more when I'm able.

Spring has sprung, but things sprang back pretty quickly

It is cold. And wet. And April. Where is the justice? Last week I was gardening, riding my horse, and hiking. This week? Basically bundled up in bed with tea. I'm hoping that if I'm very good, we'll have a sunny day sooner or later.

This week was odd. I was pretty happy, though really missing Leo (there is always such a stark contrast after he leaves, but I typically adjust after he's been gone a week or two). Mainly, I felt kind of guilty for feeling good when there is so much awful stuff going on right now. I'm disgusted with our political in-fighting, dismayed with the mindset of the nation, and distressed over the situation in Japan. But personally, I've been feeling pretty good. I guess realistically it wouldn't help for me to be distraught, and I'm hoping there is something I can do to be more constructive. I am playing around with organizing some sort of fundraiser, even something so mild as having a game night where people bring small donations. Or a dessert potluck where people bid small amounts on dishes? I don't know, I shall ponder this more.

First week of classes. I like this quarter. I have yet another epidemiology class that was required, but at least this one seems to be taught better than my last, so I'll work through it. Plus, it just has a take home midterm and a term paper for assignments! Woot. I have toxicology, which my adviser recommended as easy, but apparently the tests are notoriously hard. Not good, but at least I know ahead of time to stay up on things. I'm kinda hoping my background in biology will help me out with this class, as so far none of the concepts are that new or difficult. We'll see though. I also have a seminar class (this week was super depressing, and all about how the democrats in office support big business and are anti-worker health, but hide it better), and my thesis writing class. But mainly, I have Global Environmental Politics. I'm in love. Or rather, in fascinated disgust, horror, enlightenment, and inspiration. The class is going to be amazing. We do have to read 200 + pages a week, but it is all really interesting works on environmental science, politics, and law. For this class we also write a research paper of our choosing, and I'm debating between two climate change topics.

I either want to write my paper on how climate change is causing formerly tropical or contained diseases to spread to places where they aren't seen as often, or year round, and how we will need to respond to the situation. This is very interesting to me, as it takes a lot of the things I'm interested in and puts them into a correlated package. I'm worried I won't find enough information though, as I think the driving US belief is that climate change is "unproven". I know there are lots of speculative microbiology articles on this topic, so if I was able to speculate on the global response issues I might be able to write a really interesting paper. My other idea was to talk about how climate change, specifically the desertification associated with it, contributes to warfare in countries where water is scarce, and probably use Darfur as my main example. There are many examples, but the genocide in Darfur is a huge reflection on how water scarcity from climate change and environmental damage can cause nations to be torn apart.

The first week of new classes is always the best. Planners are filled in, and possibilities are endless. I'm just hoping if I manage things well, I won't drown under my five classes and internship. I'm trying to be pretty proactive.

My latest kitchen experiment was grapefruit shaved ice. Pretty much delicious. I have a ton of grapefruits right now, as they are pretty cheap at Freddie's, and I decided to get creative.

Grapefruit shaved ice:
Juice of three grapefruits
1 cup sweet white wine
1/4 cup baking splenda (not the concentrated stuff)

Freeze, but break apart with a fork periodically as it freezes, so it gets a fluffy texture. Yum. If you use sugar instead of splenda you'll need to dissolve it by heating the grapefruit juice a little and stirring before adding the wine. If I had champagne, that would also be a lovely addition to the recipe.

Grapefruit Muscato Shaved Ice.

Friday I just chilled at home after class, as it was pouring. I rode on Thursday, so I didn't feel too guilty about not getting to the barn. Instead, I did yoga and watched a documentary on oceans. I've become a true Seattlelite.

Saturday I went to a pretty fantastic and inspiring talk called Culinary Herbs: Rediscovering Kitchen Medicine. It was a talk that focused on common kitchen herbs and their benefits, as well as giving tips on how to cook with them, make herbal teas, bath soaks, and salves. I really enjoyed myself, and I liked the information was backed by scientific journal articles. I like my hippie habits to have weight behind them. The talk focused on oregano, parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary, mint, lemon balm, marjoram, callendula, and anise. I will not be growing all of these herbs, as some would never get used in my garden except for herbal concoctions, but I was inspired by the talk to go buy lemon balm. They served tea made from this cousin of mint at the talk, and I really enjoyed it. I also have parsley, rosemary, and thyme growing. I'll buy oregano, and that combined with my chives, basil, and all the other herbs I listed should keep my life pretty flavorful.

After I rode Starla in between bouts of rain. I can tell spring is here when I start brushing a small animal's worth of hair off her before each ride. I hope this is a sign it will get warmer soon!

On my way back I stopped by the Yakima Fruit Market, my new favorite place. They have such cheap plants. I bought my all blue potato starts there, and my lemon balm today. The place is also helping feed my kale addiction. I very much recommend it to anyone traveling out on the Bothell-Woodinville Hwy.

I lucked out and happened upon a wine tasting on my way back from the market. Nothing like getting pleasantly buzzed for free. I even bought some of the wine being shown, since it was massively on sale.


Saturday night I went to my friend Sarah's for her bday, but was kind of tired and ache-y, so I only stayed an hour. This worked out to my favor, because I got a surprise phone call from Leo when I got home, telling me he finally found a car to buy. This will be fantastic in a couple months when I head out, because we can go camping on Mt. Lemmon and beat the heat. I'm excited :) It was nice to talk and catch up for a couple hours before bedtime.

Made vegan scones on Sunday morning, while finishing up homework and getting ready to head out to the barn. This is one of my favorite recipes, off of VegWeb.com at http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5767.0. I tend to modify the heck out of it though, as it is a super modifiable recipe.

My version (today's version, rather; I've also made fruit scones, vanilla scones, poppyseed scones, etc, using this base):

Strawberry Almond Scones:

1.5 cups flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon turbinado sugar
1/8 cup margarine, softened
1 tablespoon almond extract
3/8-1/2 cup nondairy milk
1/4 cup diced strawberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in margarine until crumbles form.

2. Stir in milk. Drop by large spoonful (or make them into cute shapes) onto an ungreased baking sheet.

3. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until just brown on top.


Serves: 4-6, Preparation time: 5 - 10 min

Mmm. Spread with strawberry jam and you are golden.

I realize a majority of this rambling post has been about food, but what can I say? It is cold outside, and I like eating :) I leave you with tonight's dinner, asian stuffed bell peppers with carrot, onion, tofu, cabbage, cracked wheat, and swiss chard.

Damn, it feels good to be a gangster.

Sunshine on my shoulders

It feels so much like spring right now! Sunshine and blue skies, my horse is starting to shed her winter coat, and I've got plant starts on my windowsill. Day two of the long weekend, and I feel like being lazy and luxurious, rather than doing the huge amounts of schoolwork I have for this week.

Yesterday I got to ride in the sunshine, and made my first attempt at correcting Starla's gingivitis. I bought mouthwash, put it on a washcloth, and held it to her gums, hoping for some antimicrobial action. I was also a little afraid of losing my fingers. Luckily, though she objected to having a hand in her mouth, she liked the minty-fresh Crest. She kept licking the washcloth.

I drove up to my folks place after, for a lazy night with the family. Leo and I caught up that evening. I've really been missing him- it's been a month and a half since the last time I saw him. Maybe it's the pretty weather. I want someone to share it with besides Miss Starla!

My parent's backyard in the sunshine.

Mr. B doesn't like the camera.


Miss Nellie is unconcerned by flash.

I utilized my parent's well stocked kitchen to make kale chips. I just heated the oven to 350 F, seasoned kale leaves with salt and olive oil, and baked for 10 min. I liked them, but I think I'd want to season with something with a stronger flavor next time. Maybe sea salt and lemon juice? I also got the idea for tea-infused vodka, to make an alcoholic Arnold Palmer. It seems really easy (just steep loose-leaf tea in vodka for a few hours), and I think that would be a great summer cocktail. I'll try it when it's warm enough to sit outside!

Kale chips!

My beans have started sprouting :) Success! Now I just need to see if any of the other veggies follows along. I'll post pictures when I get a little more impressive growth. I also went ahead and planted some marigold seeds. I learned at Nunhems that they help keep the pests away (though there is debate over the mechanism of how they do this), and so I thought I'd grow some to plant around the tomatoes.

Baby bush bean.

My friend Shonda came over on Sunday evening and we had a movie night, which was some of the most fun I've had this quarter. We ate pizza, junk food, and watched the BBC's Emma. We will hopefully be able to squeeze something like that in once a month.

Monday I had the day off, but besides riding Starla I put in about 10hrs of homework. The rest of my week was a mess of running around and ups and downs, but I'll talk about that in my next entry. I'm finishing this entry almost a week after starting it! I've been pretty busy. Hopefully just three more weeks of burning the candle at both ends...then I can go on to my even more difficult and time consuming Spring quarter.

A return to the kitchen!

Oh kitchen, I've missed you so. You've been sorely neglected while I do other things, like school and lab work and study group. Basically, school has killed my culinary genius. I didn't do anything too impressive this week, but it felt good to eat fresh and healthy, and not need to microwave any part of my dinner. I made my own bastardized version of Egyptian Red Lentil soup, and apple wheat bread. YUM.

Egyptian Red Lentil Soup
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1-2 carrots, diced
1 cup red lentils
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups water or veggie stock
1 tbsp tumeric
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/8 tsp cumin seeds
Lemon to taste (I add a lot- 1 tbsp lemon juice)
Salt and pepper to taste
This recipe is not authentic (made up by me, based upon authentic food), and many ingredients can be switched out and changed. If you don't have wine, replace with water and saute onions and garlic in a little oil.

Put wine, onions, and garlic on medium heat. Let simmer for five minutes, add lentils, veggie stock, carrots. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, before adding herbs and tomatoes. At this point I lose track of how long I leave it on, but I feel like the whole thing is ready as soon as the carrots are soft, and it is a very fast soup to make. Add the lemon juice when you turn off the heat, right before you serve. It should add a little tang, but not make the food taste lemon-y.

Yum. I've been eating it all week, and I'm still not sick of it. Maybe I'll make more tomorrow.

Vegan Apple Wheat Bread
1 packet dry yeast

1 2/3 c warm water

1/2 c shredded apple
1/5 c molasses
1/5 c brown sugar
1/2 tbsp salt
1 1/2 c wheat flour
1/4 c rolled oats
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, cloves, allspice- basically anything that goes with apple)
1 tbsp flax seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix water and yeast, set aside. Mix dry ingredients, add yeast/water, stirr, add molasses and apple. Stir, pour into greased loaf pan, cover with greased plastic wrap and a cloth, and allow to sit in a warm area for an hour, or until it doubles in size. Bake for 40 minutes, checking as oven temps vary. I ate mine with margarine and a sprinkle of brown sugar. I thought it was not at all bad for a made up vegan recipe, which are notoriously tricky.