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I used Alton Brown's recipe, cutting back on the butter and sugar. My substitutions are in brackets.
Ingredients-
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds ( I used green pumpkin seeds- love the flavor)
1 cup sliced almonds ( A mixture of crushed almonds and walnuts)
1/2 cup wheat germ ( Wheat bran)
1/2 cup honey ( 1/4 cup)
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed ( 1 ounce)
1 ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan ( about a tsp)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries (raisins and cranberries)
* I also added 1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
- Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside ( I used a silicone loaf pan). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ
(and coconut) onto a sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.- Combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
- Remove the oat mixture from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine.
- Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down. Place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.
One reviewer suggested using a bigger pan ( 9x13) to reduce crumbling. I ended up using a smaller loaf pan (This was before I'd read the reviews). With the reduced butter and sugar, my bars had a slim chance of staying whole.
We layered the granola with berry yogurt for dessert.
I just dug out these photos from my camera. They were all taken well before I got the stomach flu. Believe it or not, I still feel rather funny in the stomach when I look at them. Don't get me wrong. The pancakes were great; however, I'm in no position to swallow them now. It's just gruel, cucumbers and water for me. Anyway, my OCD dictates that I feel obligated to post these photos.
This is the better four-grain pancake recipe I found. The original recipe is by Vaishali of "Holy Cow!". It's already vegan and definitely a keeper.
For people who like bananas, this is the one. So very dense and full of banana flavor, these pancakes are like a real meal. The original recipe, by Culinary Healing, can be found here.
I was going to refer to some old posts of mine on veganism and sexism...but it seems that they were made on earlier blogs, which I've since deleted. Oh, well.
Today, Thom emailed me an NY Times article on veganism and sexism/feminism. The article isn't bad, it's well written and gives lots of different view points, from a vegan strip-club owner who oh-so-cleverly-and-creatively calls feminists "feminazis," to anti-porn feminist Carol J. Adams' book The Sexual Politics of Meat. (As well as my favorite cookbook author Isa Chandra Moskowitz. w00t!)
To me, the article is a summary of really annoying ways of "selling" veganism, naked girls and fat-shaming among the two most popular, the former of which is ironic since most vegetarians and vegans are female.
To be honest, I think the idea of "selling" veganism is laughable because it's almost impossible to do. People will think of almost any excuse not to go vegan, like tradition, convenience, "it just tastes good," "free-range" meat, some dumbass idea of how hard it is for humans to stay at the top of the food chain, not giving a shit, etc. Even for people who would seem to be perfect candidates for veganism, like animal lovers, pacifists, and bleeding-heart liberals, any excuse not to be vegan is a good excuse. A friend of ours (bless him) is THE most bleeding-heart liberal I have ever met in my life. He lives in the backwoods of Virginia and campaigns for the democratic party there. Relating an anecdote about positive racial dialogue will literally bring him to tears. But he's also overweight, to the point where it's causing health problems. Even in the face of the facts that dropping meat from his diet could benefit his health, the environment, and animals, he'll make up some excuse for continuing to eat meat.Thom told me about this and although I'm usually not a vegan prosletyzer, I tested it one day. He was talking about how methane is damaging the environment, and I said, "Well, if there were fewer cows because people stopped eating them....." and he literally shut down the conversation right there. He refused to hear another word. So, no, I don't think you can "sell" veganism because people are creatures of habit, and even when the facts stare them in the face, they still won't change unless it's something they've thought about long and deeply.
This doesn't stop people from trying to "sell" veganism, oh no. Those with the money will try to sell it just as you would try to sell anything else:
“Sexuality is what society will turn its head for more than anything else,” said Ingrid Newkirk, the president of PETA, who added that the recent advertisements were just one of the group’s strategies. “We try to reach everybody in different ways.” She noted that the group has also shown naked men in ads.
Setting aside the bogus notion that men and women are sexualized in the same way and to the same extent, it's clear that PETA has very little idea of what their ads featuring naked women actually mean. Like other ads featuring the sexualized, idealized bodies of women, they implicitly tell you that, "You'll get hot chicks if you do/buy this." Well, that's what it says to heterosexual men, anyway, who are seen as the universal arbiters of experience by advertisers. What do the ads say to women, who are the ones most likely to convert to veganism? "You'll be this if you go vegan." Not too different from the million other messages we get every day. So, more fat/non-mainstream beauty shaming for us. And then there are the ads that blatantly shame us for fat/non-mainstream beauty. "Lose weight by going vegan," a very popular message with PETA.
I'll just come out and say it: "You'll get hot chicks if you go vegan" and "You'll lose weight if you go vegan" are bullshit reasons to go vegan. Motivated suchly, someone might try veganism for 21 days (btw, did Oprah stay vegan?), but as soon as they saw that they didn't get any hot chicks, or they didn't lose that much weight, they'd go back to being an omni. Which is not to say that my own reasons for going vegan aren't self-serving. Obviously, deep down somewhere, I feel I'm getting some sort of payback for being vegan, even if it's not in the form of weight loss or making money or whatever. BUT, if you want people to go vegan, give them a reason that isn't bullshit.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, there are reasons like in Carol J. Adams' book. (For the record, I got a good way into this book, but didn't finish it because the writing annoyed me so much. The paragraphs just seemed to be jumbled together with no apparent connection between many of them, so when I got the main idea, I gave it up.) It goes something like this: "Feminists should stop eating meat because here are a bunch of anecdotes about how men treat women like meat, and about how pornography looks at women like meat, and how meat is thought of vital to masculinity. Therefore, it is IMPERATIVE to you as a feminist, who are disgusted by all pornography, all erotic representations of women, and masculinity in general, to stop eating meat out of PRINCIPLE."
Oh, dear. This means that I have to agree with Adams' feminist politics before I can find a good reason to stop eating meat. I am a feminist, but I don't have a problem with men, or all erotic representations of women, for instance, so I find it hard to get on board with her. It's hard to get someone to go vegan on principle, especially when the principles involved are controversial and, in my humble opinion, somewhat dubious.
On the whole, I think "selling" veganism as sexiness or coolness or an admission ticket to Feminist Heaven is a waste of time, and probably does more harm than good. There are a few good reasons for veganism I can think of: farm animals are the number one producers of greenhouse gases, the terrible working conditions in meat packing plants, the needless toxins taken into the body by a diet high in animal products, and the fact that right now, not in principle, there are animals in battery cages, gestation crates, and incredibly tiny stalls who will be slaughtered and face the very real possibility of being boiled or dismembered alive during the slaughering process, and for the feminist angle -- female animals who live longer lives of more suffering because of their reproductive capacity. All of that is based on stuff that's happening right now, not on principle, not on wishful thinking.
Seriously. Anything left over in your fridge from the party last week, anything you bought on an impulse in the Greek grocery store and haven't a clue how to use, anything you want to eat wrapped with phyllo. There is only one caveat- the filling must be dry enough so that the phyllo sheets don't turn soggy.
If you don't have anything you urgently need to get rid of (you lucky sod, you), try this chickpea, eggplant and tomato filling from Epicurious or the spinach, mushroom and red pepper filling from Emeril. I used spinach, carrots, potatoes, sundried tomatoes, ricotta and hummus.
Ingredients-
1 tbsp plus 1/4 cup of olive oil/melted butter
1 cup packed frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 carrot, diced
1 potato, diced
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp cumin, toasted and ground
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
1/2 cup hummus (or just use chickpeas)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup ricotta (or use crumbled tofu)
salt and pepper to taste
6 sheets of phyllo (from a 1 lb package- available frozen in grocery stores), thawed*
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute until softened.
- Steam the potatoes and carrots until just cooked. You can do that on the stovetop or in the microwave. (Add enough water to cover, nuke for 5-6 minutes. Drain.)
- Add the spices, spinach, and vegetables to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and stir around for a few minutes. ( I did not reconstitute the sundried tomatoes. They soak up enough liquid from the veggies.)
- Towards the end, stir in the hummus, ricotta and lemon juice. Check the fridge one last time for anything you might have missed that can go into the skillet.
Now, lay two sheets of phyllo down on the chopping board. Brush with butter/spray with oil, starting from the edges and working inwards. Lay two more sheets and repeat the process. Then two more. Repeat.
Cut the stacked sheets into three parallel to the shorter side. You will have three stacks of 6 sheets each.
On each stack, lay down one third of the filling along the short edge. Roll it up, tucking in the edges if you like. ( I leave them as is; crispy edges are fun to eat.)
Brush the finished rolls with some oil, and score into 3-4 pieces.
Lay the rolls on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve with any fancy sauces you have lying around. Me, I'm a ketchup girl.
The strudel can be made a few hours ahead of time. Keep at room temperature and heat for ten minutes in a 350 degree oven before serving.
* Phyllo is a pretty neat ingredient. It sits in the freezer, taking up little space, until you are ready to take it out and turn it into the most impressive strudel, tarts or pies. To thaw it out with minimum tear, leave it in the fridge overnight and then out on the kitchen counter upto an hour ahead of cooking time.
When you're ready, take out as many sheets as needed, cover them with plastic wrap and a moist towel over the wrap. Re-wrap rest of the sheets and pop it back into the fridge/freezer.
Deck Deli at the Loop
We serve healthy, mouth-watering vegetarian meals, sandwiches and pasta everyday from 9am to 7pm daily. We also have a selection of pastries from Becky's Kitchen and our coffees will beat any competitor in a taste test. Come check us out!
Veggie Panini Sandwiches
Single Double
Mushroom Adobo………Php70………Php120
Mushroom Teriyaki…………70…………...120
Ham and Cheese…………..70.…………..120
3-cheese Panini…………….70…………..120
Egg Salad…………………...70…………..120
Vegetarian Pastas
Classic Pesto …. .....Php95
Fresh Tomato…..............95
Salads
Regular Large
Chef Salad…………Php80………….Php100
Greek Salad……………80……………….100
Mexican Taco………….55………………..85
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Asian Rice Lunch Packs
New Dish Everyday
Call 410-1911 or 932-3714
A meal inspired by summer and sunflowers.
You know how those chefs on Food Network go on and on about texture and color and the tart, sweet and salty flavors coming together in a dish? This dish is a perfect study in all that and more.
The recipe is adapted from the smashing Veganomicon (Couscous with apricots and pistachios). I replaced apricots with cranberries and pistachios with almonds, because that's what I had in the fridge.
Ingredients-
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup halved almonds
- 2 cups Israeli couscous (aka pearl couscous, bigger than the regular kind)
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- Zest and juice of one lime
- 1 tsp powdered cumin
- 1 cardamom, powdered
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- a handful of chopped cilantro
- salt and black pepper to taste
- Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan.
- Add the almonds and couscous and stir for 4-5 minutes, until they get toasty.
- Add the cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, zest and stock. Bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat, cover and simmer until the stock gets absorbed.
- Towards the end, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the lime juice, cranberries and the cilantro.
We served the couscous with zucchini and yellow squash, marinated in a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard, and seared on our tabletop grill.
[While I was cooking, A came in and did something I've only
seen men do; he ate some of the almonds I had chopped so carefully, not the
whole ones. I pointed that out, calling it a 'papa thing.' He offered
to chop more almonds. I told him, 'Don't cut your hand'. The guy is a
Surgeon!! LOL..he ended up halving All the almonds in the box, purely
out of WTF spite. :D]
It isn't difficult to purchase a ripe melon when you know what to look for. I've included photos below to help you make a knowlegable choice. Hope you'll give it a try for melon season is upon us.
Okay, this sort of thing happens to me in the produce section frequently. I must look relaxed and as if I know what I'm doing or perhaps I'm just a little OCD when selecting my fruits and veggies. I'll admit though, this encounter was more fun than most of my shopping experiences.
I stood in the store, intently perusing the melons. I heard a male voice say, "How do you know when a melon is ripe?" I tried not to smirk, knowing that if I did I was going to LOL. I looked up, surprised to see a fireman standing before me in his blue and yellow S.F. Fire Department t-shirt. "Well... I take a few things into consideration when making my choice" I say casually. "I usually choose the medium sized ones and look at the stem end to determine when it was harvested. If it was cut from the vine and has a long green stem, that means it was harvested early, so it is not vine ripened. If the stem has dried up and fallen off or is loose enough to gently pull away from the melon, than it's probably ripe. I look for the ones that have a clean divot, like that one, see where the stem used to be. Then I press on the divot to see if it yields a bit to the pressure, which is a good sign. Oh! And when most melons are fragrant, they’re ripe." I handed him one of the three I'd been comparing and said, "Does that help?" He grined and said "Yeah thanks! Wow! You really know your stuff". I shruged as I turned to walk away, then glanced back at Mr. SFFD and replied "I'm a chef, it's what I do."
More on melons...
If you can only buy a melon with a stem on it, let it ripen on your counter until you can tug the stem from the fruit. This will happen when the stem starts to dry. When melons mold at the stem end and get soft patches, you may find they taste winey and are past their prime. If a bit too soft but really sweet, you can make a quick soup with the following recipe. I like to cut a melon up when it's at room temperature, but then chill it until ready to serve.
Chilled Ginger Melon Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 2-1/2 pound cantaloupe
3 tablespoons chopped candied ginger
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
a pinch of cinnamon
1 cup crushed ice
1-1/2 cups low-fat yogurt
Garnish:
10 strawberries
sugar to taste
Peel and seed melon, cut into wedges. Place sugar and ginger in blender and puree. Add lime juice and cinnamon and blend until smooth. Add a slice of melon to the ginger mixture and puree. Pour into a large bowl. Blend the remaining melon with yogurt and ice until smooth. Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Chill soup and serving bowels in the freezer for 1/2 hour. Garnish each serving with fresh berries or a berry puree sweetened with a touch of sugar.
Well thanks to Purplesque, I was inspired to use rocket for cooking. I have it growing like mad in the garden but it had never occurred to me to eat it as anything other than a salad green or a pesto. Purplesque asked me if I had made a pesto with it before, and the answer is a definate yes!! Rocket and walnut pesto were the flavour of the month a while back. I must admit, I havent for a while though, as I has basil coming out my ears till about a month ago, and now the corriander is *flourishing* so I have been using that instead. anyway- I digress.
i usually don't follow recipes, unless they are found in "the joy of cooking". but, i love this one a lot. except, whenever i make my own dough, it never turns out right. so, i just buy frozen pizza crusts. i'm a cheater.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chef-daves-grilled-strawberry-and-goat-cheese-dessert-pizza-recipe/index.html
The perfect summer night supper.
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
10 oz baby arugula (or as much as you like)
1 tsp dry basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Zest of one lemon
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 lb penne pasta
salt to taste
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Salt it and add the pasta. Cook the pasta until a little less than al dente. Drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan.
- Add the flour to the oil and stir until browned.
- Gently add the milk to the roux, whisking all the time. Bring the sauce to a boil, then simmer for a minute or two until thickened to a saucy consistency. Turn off the heat.
- Add salt, pepper, zest and basil to the sauce.
- Mix the drained pasta with the sauce and cover. The pasta will soak up the sauce while the veggies cook.
- Heat the other tbsp of oil in a skillet. Add the garlic. Saute until softened.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, arugula, and cook until just wilted. Season to taste.
- Serve the arugula tomato mixture over the pasta.
This was so good, I am now officially an arugula convert. :)
