Mexican Style Beluga Lentils

Hello Dearies!

I hope that all of my wonderful lovelies are doing well. And, on that note, I just wanted to let you all know that things in the hollow are settling down a bit and becoming much more hollow-like again;-), which is quite a relief. Phew...!

I still haven't made anything marvelous or decadent yet, but I did make these beluga lentils the other day. The little container full of these black beauties was in my cabinet since my mother's last visit. She often drives down to visit with a carload of dry, organic goodies from The Dekalb Farmer's Market in Atlanta. Have you been there, Dearies? It's an amazing place-one writer with The NY Times wrote an article about the market, where he claimed there is nothing quite like it in the U.S.

Anyway, point is that I realized I neglect so many of the dried beans and legumes that my Mom lovingly gifts us, so I decided to go ahead and stew some. I didn't expect more than a healthful, wholesome meal. However, I ended up with a protein and spice mixture so scrumptious that I smacked my own rear and screamed 'Yee Haw!!!'.

I'm just kidding. I didn't do that. I'm not even a country music fan. The lentil meal was quite nice though, Dearies (smile).

Here's the recipe:

1 Cup Beluga Lentils (Rinsed)

3 3/4-4 Cups Water

1 Tsp. Red Wine Vinegar

1 Vegetable Bouillon

1 Bay Leaf

1 Tsp. Cumin

3/4 Tsp. Paprika

1/8 Tsp. Onion Powder

1/8 Tsp. Garlic Powder

Black Pepper and Hot Sauce to taste*

Place water, lentils, bay leaf, and bouillon in a saute pan and bring to a boil. Stir. Allow to boil hard for about 45 seconds to a minute. Turn the heat down to where it will keep the lentils at a low simmer and place a lid on the pan at an angle, so that steam can escape. Allow to simmer on low heat, stirring intermittently, for about 20-25 minutes. Once the lentils start to look plump and done, add the vinegar, dry spices, pepper, and hot sauce. Mix and remove from the heat.

*Hot sauce really adds something special to mix-it with the cumin is just wonderful!

Salt to taste and enjoy with rice, mashed potatoes, or with just some slaw as pictured.

Yum Yum!

p.s. These are called 'Mexican', as Cauldron Boy says they taste like really good Mexican food?!

Bonbons, Basil, & New Year's Promises!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Oh, my lovelies, we have all entered into another 365 mystical days here on middle earth. In the realm of men, this usually involves some promises to ourselves. Many call these promises resolutions. They are often naughty habits we are certainly not going to do anymore or enchanting actions we will begin to take for the betterment of ourselves and maybe even the ones we love.

I have quite a few of these resolutions. Some are quite serious. For example, I have promised myself that I will no longer underestimate myself and, for that matter, others. You know, I'm just not going to allow myself to act like a naughty witch and be disappointed in myself later. I think you all know what I'm talking about here:-)

Most of my promises are culinary and health related though. I'll spare you all of them, but, as you may know, I have a little issue with sweets. I love them-any kind, anywhere. So I really need to make sure that we concentrate on having mostly wholesome sweets around the house and ready for work lunches. Hence regularly making healthful, wholesome sweets is one of my culinary resolutions for 2011.

One sweet that has really helped me are these bonbons I found on one of my favorite blogs. I'm reposting them due to how much they have aided me in controlling myself and also because I tweaked the recipe to include a less expensive, super healthful protein as well as high fiber, starchy oatmeal. The flavors have also been adjusted a bit to include chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and orange juice. They are just delicious, and I can't eat anything for at least 3-4 hours when I've had about two of them. They are just satisfying and really amazing!

Here's the recipe:

1 Packed Cup of Dates (Deglet Nour)

3/4 Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds (Toasted)

1/4 Cup Rolled Oats

2 Tbsp. Cocoa

1 Tbsp. Raw Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup*

1 Tbsp. Orange Juice

1/4 Tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 Tsp. Real Vanilla Extract

For Rolling: Cocoa, Coconut, Sesame Seeds, Powdered Sugar, Crushed Pistachio, Etc...

*Honey substituted for either of the sweeteners above will cause for a somewhat greasy ball, so beware...

Place sunflower seeds in a dry pan and toast on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool.

In a food processor, place the oatmeal and whirl for about 8-10 seconds. Add cooled sunflower seeds and whirl till the seeds and oatmeal become a fine meal. Then add the dates, cocoa, cinnamon, agave, and vanilla. Whirl till the dates are broken down and everything is very well mixed-this was about 20 seconds for me. You will notice the mixture is dry and not quite coming together. Measure out 1 Tbsp. of orange juice and whirl about half of it into the mix. See if the mixture comes together. If not, add the other half tbsp.

Wet your hands slightly with water before rolling (orange blossom or rose water are really nice, but regular water is fine too). Take a piece of the sticky dough and roll into balls that are about the size of a quarter or a bit larger if you like. After being rolled, immediately toss each ball in cocoa or your desired coating.

p.s. If you are tossing in cocoa or powdered sugar, be sure to tap off the excess powder! One can inhale it...

On a gardening note, Dearies, I want to show off that I am successfully achieving one of my goals, which is to eat more local and out of my own yard. Which brings me to the Cluckfrey's Vegan Chicken sandwich we ate today. It was delicious. Most importantly though was that the lettuce, basil, and even the avocado came out of my own front yard. Aren't you proud of me, my lovelies?!

I hope so, and I hope that all of my best elves and even trolls are able to achieve their goals/resolutions for this year of 2011!

Soy Stained Tofu Salad

Happy Saturday!

I noticed in the comment section of my last post that a few different folks commented on eating radishes alone stating that they never thought to do it. And the truth is we don't usually eat them alone either. Sometimes we do, but they often get tossed next to a bed of rice & beans or are incorporated into a larger salad like this tofu salad shown here.

By the way, this salad is quite delicious, and I am posting it b/c it is my Cauldron Boy's favorite salad;-)

Here's the recipe, Dearies:

Tofu Salad for 2

1/2 Block Organic, Firm Tofu (patted dry & sliced)

1 3/4-2 Tbsp. Low Sodium Soy Sauce

1/4-1/2 Tsp. Toasted Sesame Oil

Red Pepper Flakes

Fresh Cilantro/Scallions

Radish Salad

Lay out your tofu on a plate. Be sure that you have dried it well with clean paper towels. Slice and set up your tofu as desired (I like to also pat the individual slices a bit with a clean paper towel but this optional). Drizzle the soy sauce and sesame oil over the top. Sprinkle with cilantro, scallions, and red pepper as you please. Then surround with the prepared radish salad.

Chill for at least 10 minutes and enjoy!

Simple Radish Salad

Hello Dearies!

I know it's been a while since I've posted. This is mostly due to my laptop dying this last week along with camera issues that ensued the very next day. My old laptop owed me absolutely nothing being that he has faithfully served multiple people in my family for quite a while now, but I was hoping that my little point and shoot camera would last a bit longer. That being said, she is an old camera. She has not been used much till I began blogging here though, hence her complete and utter desire to leave this life is a bit frustrating. And especially so when I look at the prices of new cameras. Sheesh!

Outside of technical difficulties, I haven't blogged much due to not feeling like the food I made this last 10 days was anything of note. This changed in my mind as I took photos of my radish salad that I eat quite often here in the hollow. I was only taking the photos to see what my camera would do at different times with different light coming in when I thought 'why don't I post a lot of the food we so often eat?' I mean, it's real food, and there must be something good about it or we wouldn't eat it so often. Right?! Maybe...?

So I suppose this post is a little tribute to the food we often eat that is less than glamorous-a simple radish salad that makes just about any meal more fresh and certainly more crunchy and delicious (smile)...

Crunchy Radish Salad

1 1/4 Cups Sliced Radish

3/4 Tbsp. Olive Oil

3/4-1 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar

1/8 Tsp. Salt or to taste

Black Pepper to taste

Fresh Cilantro to garnish (optional but good)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Chill for at least 10 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

p.s. the fruit cake I accidentally posted the other day will be here soon. I had a toasted piece of it today with cream cheese, and it was unbelievable-yum. On that note, do any of you Dearies have a family recipe for edible fruit cake (smile)?

Witchy & Trixy Things!

Hello Dearies!

I hope you are all getting geared up and excited for the wonderful Halloween weekend coming our way. If you still need some help with this, I hope you will stop by The Urbanite where the wonderful Trix of Tasty Trix has featured my Spooky Blue Mash and Garlic Seared Brussels Sprouts along with some other super fabulous and witchy recipes...

Oh, and Brussels Sprouts done in this style will convert almost any hater of this cabbage family plant *wink*!

Also, Dearies, Nancy of Spicie Foodie announced this week that she will be holding a monthly roundup of everyone's best recipes. Be sure to submit yours by October 30 for this month!

If you are interested in the roundup, click here.

Oh, and to all of my lovelies who doted upon me with awards this week or who tagged me (smile), I will catch up to doing a post on this soon. I just started a new job today, and I've got a date with my pillow right now!

Be good, Dearies *wink*...

Stella Witch

p.s. I would like to thank Mary of Keep Learning Keep Smiling for introducing me to the majesty potato;)

Cold Season & Smoothies?!

Good Morning, Dearies! I hope you are all having a relaxing Saturday.

We are now officially in the first days of Fall, my lovelies, and I want to broach a very important and often overlooked health issue. An issue that will effect almost every single one of you this coming season either directly or indirectly. This subject is the health of your/the gut! Yeah, I know that sounds a bit weird, but it simply means the digestive system (smile).

Why does one need to worry about the health of the digestive system particularly in the Fall & Winter? Well, this is the time of year when we often get sick with either a virus or bacteria at least once if not twice. A visit to the doctor often involves a round of antibiotics if we have come down with something like strep throat, pneumonia, bronchitis, or the like. Sometimes, we even walk away with quite a strong dose of antibiotics when the M.D. is unsure of what ails us.

A round of antibiotics is often needed for certain ailments-no doubt. However, we must remember that antibiotics of any kind do not discriminate when they flow through our systems. They kill our stomach, intestinal, and even vaginal flora (natural & protective bacteria) just as quickly as they slaughter that streptococcus or other harmful bacteria that has invaded our system. The immediate results can be anything from a severely upset stomach to diarrhea and yeast infection. The long term effects are much worse. Indeed, I could write a book about them being that they range from obesity to malnutrition. I've decided that wouldn't be prudent on this lovely Saturday though...

Instead, I ask that you still include a nice treat of organic dairy or soy yogurt and the like with fresh fruit at least every other day, even though you may not be craving cold yogurt and fruit quite as much now that the heat is dying down. The probiotics from the yogurt will keep your gut healthy while the fruit provides a powerful dose of essential minerals and antioxidants like Vitamin C, which will ward off sickness to some extent anyway. Who knows? You might even be able to avoid antibiotics altogether this year!

Frozen Fruit Smoothie-2-3 Servings

1 Cup Organic Frozen Fruit (Preferably Fresh Frozen*)

1 Cup Organic Soy or Dairy Yogurt

Organic Dairy or Soy Milk to taste

1-2 Tbsp. Agave Syrup/Honey

Pinch of Cinnamon

Place the fruit and yogurt in a blender. Blend till smooth. Slowly add sweetener to your taste. Upon seeing the consistency, add milk in splashes till you reach your desired texture and consistency-some like it thick while others like to slurp through a straw! *Fresh frozen means fresh fruit placed in a plastic bag and thrown in the freezer the night before for smoothies!

Note: The mango smoothie shown here was made with fresh frozen fruit from the recipe above with an added tsp. of fresh ginger-it was amazing;)!

Other probiotic rich foods are tempeh, sauerkraut, and kombucha!

p.s. To my lovelies on the other side of the globe entering into summer, I wish you sunny days with many smoothies;-)!

Stellar Vegan Sausage

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to share a couple of vegan recipes with you all that I really enjoyed this last week. Oh, and they are, of course, Cauldron Boy approved too! Cauldron Boy is a bit more open to vegetarian and omnivore foods, so I like to think the vegan food is pretty good when he's liking it and asking for seconds;)

First, is my 'Stellar Vegan Sausage'. I really like this recipe, as it is easily made with ingredients that most people have in the cabinet save the liquid smoke. The recipe is also nice in that these really do look like sausages and taste a lot like them too. The only downfall is that the texture isn't really like sausage. The upside of the downside is that the texture is that of a delicious bean patty, so no worries (smile).

Stellar Vegan Sausage-Serves 2

1 15 oz. Can Organic Garbanzos (drained)

1/2 Cup Rolled Oats

1/4 Cup Raw Sunflower seeds

2 Tbsp. Red Onion (chopped)

1 Tbsp. Low Sodium Soy Sauce

1/2 Tsp. Cumin

1/4 Tsp. Dried Thyme

1/4 Tsp. Paprika

1/4 Tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2-1 Tsp. Hot Sauce

1/2 Tsp. Liquid smoke*

3 Tbsp. Water

*If you are vegan, be sure to use a brand of liquid smoke that is actually vegan like Colgin, etc.

In a food processor, place the oats and sunflower seeds. Process for about 7-8 seconds-that's it! Then add the rest of the ingredients. Process to a course looking meal. This probably took me about 10 seconds. It will be different from processor to processor. Just don't process down to a cream, as the mix will be difficult to work with and form into patties. You want the mix to be processed but still meal like.

Form into patties. Sprinkle with extra paprika and sauté in about one Tbsp. of olive oil on medium heat (low heat will cause for greasy patties). Allow each side to sizzle for about 2-3 minutes. Enjoy with ketchup, mustard or whatever you like!

The next recipe is a Vegan Bearnaise Sauce. This sauce was really lovely over our steamed broccoli and cauliflower.

Vegan Bearnaise-Serves 4

1 1/4 Cups Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2 Cup Raw Cashew Pieces

2 Tbsp. Nutritional Yeast

1/2 Tbsp. Dark Soy Sauce

2 Cloves Garlic

Hefty Pinch of Black Pepper

Hefty Pinch of Dry Tarragon Leaves

1/4 Tsp. Sea Salt

1/4 Tsp Turmeric (color)

Note: Some people like to add a tbsp. of melted Earth Balance to the mix for extra creaminess.

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend till very smooth. Place the contents of the blender in a sauté pan or pot on low heat. The Bearnaise will look watery and not quite right. Don't worry. Bring the heat up to medium high stirring constantly. The mix will almost immediately begin to start changing to a cream texture. Once you reach your desired creaminess and texture, remove completely from the heat. Serve over your favorite steamed fresh vegetables and such.

Enjoy, my lovelies!

Los Bombones de Marly

Marly's Bonbons!

This post is sort of a follow-up post to my 'Sugar Addiction & Scary Things' post. Some of you may have read my thoughts on sugar and excess carbohydrates in reference to body chemistry. Although the hefty length of that post might have discouraged quite a few of you;). Either way, I've been avoiding all cane and beet sugars (refined or not) along with things like A.P. flour, white rice, white bread, & the like.

I must say that it was hard at first. Not only in the realm of addiction and cravings either. Though I had plenty of that-no doubt. It was also hard as someone who blogs though. I mean, baking was and is such a large part of my culinary life. And it's hard to no longer be able to strut over to the kitchen and bake up something wonderful with my existing culinary knowledge that makes baking so very easy to do when sugar and A.P. flour are on the scene.

All of sudden, I've had to actually think about what I'm going to bake and how!? And this involves a lot of research, experimenting, failures, happy surprises and the like. It also involves me having to come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to have a picture of some lovely yellow cake smothered in rich milk chocolate on FoodGawker. Well, I might. If my experimenting goes as planned...

Till then, I made Ms. Marly's lovely, no-bake date bonbons! They are so easy & delicious. Plus, I don't have to feel bad about eating them. Well, not unless I eat a whole lot them!

Marly's Bonbons

2 Cups of Dates (Deglet Nour)

2 Cups of Raw Nuts*

1/4 Cup of Organic Cocoa**

2 Tbsp. Coconut Flakes

1/4 Tsp. Orange Blossom Water + some for hands

Sesame seeds, desiccated coconut, crushed pistachio/almond, cocoa for rolling

*I used raw cashew pieces.

**Green & Blacks Organic Cocoa is excellent!

Place dates and nuts in a food processor and process until quite smooth-this took me about 1 full minute to do, though it may take more or less time depending on the processor. Once pretty smooth, add the orange blossom water, coconut flakes, and cocoa. Process for another 30-45 seconds or until smooth.

Once your mixture looks smooth or at least to your desired consistency, pour a touch of orange blossom water onto your clean hands (the water helps with rolling while perfuming the bonbons). Take about 1-1/2 Tbsp. of date mix and roll between your palms till you have a nice ball. Roll the ball in coconut or desired coating. Repeat this process till done.

Note: You do not have to continually put orange blossom water on your hands-just when they feel too sticky to roll a smooth ball.

Enjoy!

Note: Marly does not use orange blossom water in her recipe. If you do not have any, do not let this discourage you from making these wonderful, healthy treats!

Quick Edamame Soup

I spent my weekend driving around unknown territories in South Florida scoping out the scenery in order to see what the place is all about and such. The trip was strictly business and almost no pleasure, so I'm incredibly beat and my powers are very weak right now, my lovelies. However, it's times like these that my Cauldron does the magic by whipping up something quick, easy, and delicious like my 'Quick Edamame Soup'!

Oh how lovely it is...

Here's the recipe:

Quick Edamame Soup for 2-3

6 1/4 Cups of Low Sodium Vegetable Broth*

1 Cup of Frozen, Organic Edamame Beans

1/3 Cup of Sliced Scallions (greens and white ends)

1 1/2 Tbsp. Garlic (chopped)

1 Tsp. Fresh, Minced Ginger (optional)

2 Small, Organic Carrots (peeled & sliced on the diagonal)

5-6 oz. Rice Noodle Pasta (1/3 a pack of Thai Kitchen Brand)

1-1 1/4 Tbsp. Low Sodium Soy Sauce

1/2-3/4 Tsp. Chile Garlic Sauce

1/4 Tsp. Toasted Sesame Oil

1/2 Tbsp. Peanut or Veg Oil for sauté

Salt to taste

Possible Toppings-cilantro, scallions, chilies, avocado, sprouts, etc...

*Please use a broth that is super low sodium-2-6% sodium is truly low!

In a large soup pot or cauldron, place the 1/2 Tbsp. of veg oil and bring it to medium heat. Once, hot, add the scallions and sauté for about a minute. Then add the garlic, ginger, & carrots and allow to sizzle for about 15-20 seconds more. Add the broth, put the top on at an angle, and bring the heat up to reach a boil. Once boiling, add the Edamame. This will cool the soup down again, so bring it back up to a boil and allow the Edamame to boil with the lid at an angle for only 2 and 1/2 minutes. Remove the lid, stir, and add the soy, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil. Stir again and add the rice noodles. Once the rice noodles have been added, immediately move the soup from the heat and allow it to stand for about 12-14 minutes stirring from time to time (this is how the rice noodles cook-they just need super hot water, not boiling water!). Salt to taste...

Enjoy!

*Did you know?

-Like the protein found in meat, the protein in soybeans a.k.a. Edamame is "complete," meaning all of the eight amino acids needed for human health are present. Soybeans are the only vegetable that contains complete protein!

A Good Cashew Cream

Photo above is a cashew cream w/ dark soy on gluten free brown rice pasta made with my Claudia in mind

There is nothing like a good cashew cream, Dearies! Why? Well, it's just a delicious concoction of nothing but good for us stuff that serves as a cream sauce for pasta while also being a protein. I mean, that's just practical. Plus, like I already mentioned, a cashew cream is delicious. And, in this witch's humble opinion, a recipe/concept any vegan, vegetarian, or responsible omnivore should have on hand for so many reasons. I really can't go into all of them without boring you, so I won't (smile).

I do hope that if a cashew cream sounds strange to you, that you especially will try it. I really think you, your waist line, and your skin will thank me for it later *wink*.

Here's the recipe-Cashew Cream for 2:

1 1/4 Cups of Unsweetened, Plain Almond or Soy Milk

1/2 Cup of Raw Cashews

1 Large Garlic Clove

3 Tbsp. Nutritional Yeast

1 1/4 Tbsp. Low Sodium Soy Sauce

1 Tsp Dijon or Yellow Mustard

1/4 Tsp. Onion Powder

1/8 Tsp. Black Pepper

1/8-1/4 Tsp. Sea Salt

Pinch of Dried Rosemary or, even better, Dried Tarragon

Nutmeg for sprinkling

*This is enough cream for 8 oz. pasta!

Boil your pasta according to the package instructions. Note: The photos here show both a gluten free brown rice pasta as well as an organic, whole wheat pasta.

Place all of the above ingredients except the nutmeg into a blender. Blend for about a minute or until very smooth.

Once your pasta is done, pour it into a colander to drain off the water. Shake as you would normally do to ensure most of the water is gone. Place the pasta back into the empty pasta pot along with the contents of the blender. Put the pot back on the stove and bring the heat up to medium. Stir. It will look watery & like you have too much cream. This will change within a minute or usually less, so watch closely stirring till you see your desired creamy consistency. Once you do, immediately remove the pot from the heat.

Serve with salt & pepper, basil, and a pinch of nutmeg. Enjoy!

p.s. This dish is especially wonderful served with a vinegary cucumber or lettuce salad!

Salt & Pepper Tofu

Salt & Pepper Tofu with Amazing Sauce!

Yes, it's another tofu dish, but this is not just any tofu dish, Dearies. This is the one I make and always offer to my and Cauldron Boy's tofu hating friends. 'Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?' I say. And, of course, at the mere thought of tofu for dinner they quickly respond with something like 'No, no. I'm fine. Thank you though'.

Well, dinner starts and then what I call 'the eyes' start to happen. Yes, one all of a sudden notices that this meal looks delicious despite the presence of tofu. Since I am not a mean witch, I quickly address the look with a 'Are you sure?'. A very reluctant and somewhat guilty response of 'Would it be too much trouble to fry some more?' is heard. Little does my lovely know I already anticipated this response and made extra just for this inevitable moment *wink*.

Stories and jokes aside, Dearies, this meal of Salt & Pepper tofu with Amazing Sauce will most likely make a tofu lover out of you if you are not already one. It will indeed convince you that anything can be liked if executed properly. So the super easy recipe is below, and I really hope you will try it. Especially if you identify with not liking tofu so much. Plus, you can come complain about it to me here if you try it and don't like it;-)!

Salt & Pepper Tofu for 4

1-14 oz. Pack Organic, Extra Firm Tofu (Patted Dry & Cubed)

1/2 Cup Corn Starch or Potato Starch*

1/4-1/2 Tsp. Black Pepper

1/8 Tsp. Sea Salt

Vegetable Oil for Frying

*Ellie at Almost Bourdain also makes this dish and she feels that Potato Starch produces a superior result, so, if you're anti corn product, potato starch should be great. Just look at her pics!

Put your vegetable oil at least 1 inch deep in a 8-10 inch wide pot and bring to about 350 degrees/medium heat.

Meanwhile, pat your tofu block dry with paper towels and cut the tofu into about 1 inch cubes. I always try to dry the the tofu as I'm cutting it too, so that it is not water laden. Put your corn starch, salt, and pepper into a large plastic bag and mix. Gently place half of your tofu in the bag and toss it very gently. Grab the pieces out, give each one a pat to displace excess starch, and place them in the hot oil (not warm oil!). Do not move them at all for at least 2 1/2 minutes. Then turn to the opposite end and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Place on a paper towel to drain. Repeat with second batch. By the way, this tofu stays nice and hot for quite a while, so don't worry too much about the first batch getting cold.

Frying Note:

To those of you afraid of frying, just know that I was too. It's so easy for me now though. I don't take a temperature even. I just put my stove to a solid medium heat (#4-5 on my electric stove) and wait about 4-5 minutes. Then I put one piece of tofu in the pot-if it sizzles nicely, I place the rest of them in. If not, I wait a minute or two more. Also, if your oil gets too hot, simply pull the heat down a bit and just watch your food.

The only truly scary thing that commonly happens is splashing water in the oil or using a utensil that has water on it, so don't do that (smile)! Oh, and always fry on the back burner in case a water accident does occur.

Amazing Sauce for 4

6 Tbsp. Low Sodium Soy Sauce (A Good One)*

1/2 Tsp. Toasted Sesame Oil

1-1 1/2 Tsp. Chili Garlic Sauce

2 Garlic cloves (Finely Minced)

1 Tbsp. Scallions (Sliced)

*Please, please use a nice soy sauce like San-J or Tai Hua brand, etc.

Mix the ingredients above and enjoy your tofu with jasmine or black rice and a Tanantha Salad! You guys do know that my Tanantha over at I Just Love My Apron is the salad queen, no? Well, she is-just check out this lovely and you'll realize that salad porn is real...

Agar Agar & Neat Things!

Agar Agar is an algae product valued for its ability to act a bit like gelatin-maybe more than a bit! In fact, one can make the most wobbly of neat gelatin like treats or even somewhat hard gelatin like chews depending on the amount of agar agar used. These chews, as I call them, can be made into different shapes and colors and thrown to the bottom of glasses of iced soy milk for fun's sake...

As you might have already imagined, agar agar is valued by vegans and vegetarians alike. And I have to say that I've even noticed meat eating folks show a lot of enthusiasm towards this product! A lot of people just don't like the idea of gelatin, hooves, and such (smile).

Positives aside, there are two major downfalls to agar agar. First, the price is usually outrageous. Indeed, I just noticed a 1 oz. package of agar agar flakes for $7.49 at my local health food store. Only 1 oz.! Well, I think I've found a solution to this. Maybe. See, I went to my local Asian foods store and found packs of Telephone Brand Agar Agar Powder that were almost 1 oz. packs being sold for a $1.49 each. Powder means more agar agar in comparison to flakes, as recipes that call for 1 tsp. of powder will tell you to double this amount if you have flakes. So I got almost double the amount of product at the Asian store for $6 less!

The second downfall relates to recipe reliability, as recipes for agar agar are difficult to write. This may sounds strange to someone that has never used the product, however, my experience is that I get different results for the same recipe when I use different brands. Hence the recipe below is for Telephone Brand Agar Agar powder. You are more than welcome to try it with a different brand, but I just can't guarantee results! Also, this is kind of a base recipe. If you try it and feel it needs to be more wobbly to meet your taste, just make it with 1/4 teaspoon less agar agar the second time around and so on, etc...

Basic Agar Agar Jello

2 1/2 Cups of Organic Juice (Your Favorite)*

1 Tsp. Telephone Brand Agar Agar Powder

1-2 Tbsp. Agave Syrup (Optional)**

Berries or Cut Fruit

*I used Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Nectarine juice (1 Cup) to get this nice color in combination with a lighter juice.

*I did not use agave, but feel free to add a bit if you are using a very tart juice blend.

Place 1 Cup of juice in a very clean sauté pan with the agar powder and stir. Allow this to sit for about 5 minutes to dissolve. Then turn the heat on and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow to boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a large measuring cup. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of juice and stir. If you are using a tart juice, also add the agave and stir. Pour into your favorite dessert dishes or shot glasses and allow to cool for 10 minutes on the counter. Transfer to the fridge and allow to set up for at least 30-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Oh, and in reference to Asian Foods Stores, they are usually a treasure trove of amazing foods. I've also never been to one that wasn't a help to my pocket book ;) So, if you have one nearby, you may want to get familiar if you're not already...

p.s. Yes, you can make vegan alcoholic jello shots with this recipe. Just sub in some rum or tequila, etc. for some of the 1 1/2 cups of juice that is not boiled. And you may definitely want to use the agave as a simple syrup to ensure good flavor!

Sugar Addiction & Scary Things!

Oh My Dearies! I have to ask a favor of you, and that is to please read this entire post!? Please? It's important. I promise I will never ask you to do more than look at pictures and key words ever again (smile)...

This post is about sugar addiction just as the title states, but I'm not going to broach the typical realm of how bad refined sugars are for you. Everyone knows that, and we either choose to consume them anyway or not. This post is about sugar in all of its forms, and the addiction that a disturbing percentage of the Western World has to this substance.

First, I'm going to address what happens when we eat even a somewhat healthful meal that has the one downfall of too many sugars or carbs. Let's use something common like an 7 oz. piece of grilled rosemary chicken with a 1/2 cup of organic mashed potatoes and a serving of asparagus. There is also some bread on the table in case we'd like some. Sounds good and healthful, right? But, realistically, this meal will probably also be accompanied by a glass of wine or two, a soda, or some sweet tea. Ooh, and what about dessert? Most people like something sweet at the end of a meal. For good show, let's keep it healthfully sweet and say organic peach cobbler with a crumb topping. We'll even forget the ice cream that would most likely be on top of a cobbler at most tables.

The aforementioned meal has potatoes, which hit the average person's bloodstream almost like a blow from a candy bar. Then there is the glass of wine or soda, which is another pretty good blow. Ooh, and what about that piece of baguette we ate? This is not necessarily a blow, but it is a carbohydrate that will soon be converted in the system to even more sugar. And now we're going to have some cobbler, which has natural sugar in the peaches, added sugar to the peaches for dessert like goodness, and the topping has both sugar and a bit of A.P. flour in it. Sugar, sugar, sugar! Hey, and some people go back for seconds!

So what's the big deal about all this sugar in an otherwise healthful meal that has redeeming qualities like organic potatoes, lean meat, and vitamin rich asparagus and peaches? Well, to understand this you must understand the following:

When sugar, especially refined sugar, hits the bloodstream in large amounts, the body has to borrow from its stores of nutrients in order to process it. Insulin also begins to spike at high levels in order to help convert such a large dose of sugar into energy, as this is insulin's function. This sounds good, unless you know that large amounts of insulin trigger hunger. So this individual that has just consumed too many different forms of sugar by eating the above meal now feels hungry again! Eating resumes to satisfy the hunger and more sugars enter the bloodstream, but there is a big problem this time. The body's insulin was used up on the first sugar & carb laden meal. Hence this second load of sugar is immediately stored as fat!

Yes, we run out of gas or insulin. So not only are our cells struggling with high sugar and the damage it causes (see below), but nutrients are taken from our stores & insulin spikes causing us to be hungry again. So we eat a second time while our body is low on insulin, and we don't get the good effect of sugar being converted to energy this time. Instead, it is stored as fat & we gain weight! And all because our first meal had too many forms of sugar! Oh, and this constant spiking of insulin creates that condition we all know as insulin resistance. Our cells get so accustomed to insulin spikes that they stop responding to it, causing for sugar build up in the blood too.

If overeating, gaining weight, and eventually entering into a state called Type II diabetes doesn't bother you, how about the destruction of your skin? Did you lovelies know that the type of high sugar intake described above destroys both elastin and collagen? To blame is a natural process known as glycation, which happens when sugar in your blood stream attaches to proteins forming harmful new molecules called 'advanced glycation end products or AGEs'. The more sugar we eat, the more AGEs we develop. As AGE's accumulate, they damage proteins in a domino like fashion. Collagen and elastin are some of the most vulnerable proteins to this damage. Hence springy, resilient skin becomes a thing of the past! Of course, this is just one type of damage. I could go on and on...

So what's the answer to this sugar dilemma? Well, there are a lot of lines of thought on this subject. Some say we should avoid refined sugar and sugary foods at all costs, as eating them only makes us want more. Sugar is, indeed, addictive. Others will tell us to stay away from refined sugars, flours and things like white rice/white bread while also being careful with natural sugars. I personally am trying to cut refined sugars and flours out altogether while also being aware of how many natural sugars I eat at each meal. I mean, if I eat a handful of dates, I'm just not going to be able to have a glass of wine that day and vice versa.

I hope you will all consider your own diets and the damage you may be unknowingly doing to yourself. People who break sugar addiction usually rave about the positive effects even saying things like it was the best thing they've ever done for their health and life. I believe Michelle over at Find Your Balance stated something along these lines and knows quite a bit about how to assess and break bad habits like this.

No matter what you do though, Dearies, please don't turn against whole grain, unrefined carbs. Instead, eat them in moderation/small amounts and make good choices like brown rice instead of white while also noticing how many sugary type foods you're eating and drinking at each meal or snack.

In the meantime, here is a sweet that has no refined sugars. It's basic and quite nice.

Vegan Chocolate Pudding

1/2 Package Plain, Organic Silken Tofu

1/4 Cup Organic Cocoa (Green & Black's is excellent)*

1/2 Cup Maple Syrup

1/3 Cup Plain, Sugar Free Soy Milk**

1 3/4 Tbsp. Corn Starch or Arrowroot

1/4 Tsp. Real Vanilla Extract

*A quality cocoa powder is imperative for good results here!

**If you use a sweetened soy milk, you may want to lower the maple.

Place all of the ingredients except the vanilla in a food processor. Blend until smooth-about 30 seconds. Pour the ingredients into a pan on low heat. Bring the heat up just enough to allow the mixture to bubble and thicken while stirring regularly. Allow to bubble for about 3 minutes or until it's a bit thick. Remember it will thicken more in the fridge, so don't over do it. Mix in the vanilla & pour into ramekins. Chill for at least an hour and half-the colder the better!

Enjoy your refined sugar free treat!

To my Rick at Bittersweet, I hope this post doesn't cause any dragon like fury. You know you're my favorite sugar loving elf 'round this here town that is the blogosphere!

*Info on AGE's taken from Prevention (10/2007), Author: Karyn Repinski

Mixed Berry Cobbler & A Giveaway!

Mixed Berry Sorghum Cobbler!

First, I hope you are all having a wonderful day, Dearies! And thank you for all of your supportive, sweet comments left throughout the last week.

This is my mixed berry cobbler. I know it is midsummer in many parts of the world, and many of you are probably in cobbler overload. But I have to share this version for multiple reasons. The main reason is its wholesome deliciousness. I have made a few different cobblers recently with different fruit to sugar to starch ratios and, of course, an array of crumb toppings. This one is the best hands down!

Another reason is that this cobbler is made with inexpensive, organic berries from Whole Foods freezer section. Have you checked it out? A 10 oz. bag of frozen, organic blackberries is $2.69. Try buying 10oz. of conventional or organic blackberries fresh and see what you pay! So this recipe is super healthful and still budget friendly.

The last thing is that my 'crumb' topping is high fiber, low fat, and gluten-free. I can thank Claudia a.k.a. Foodessa for this feat! Claudia introduced me to sweet sorghum flour, which is an excellent gluten free flour in certain applications. I originally wanted to showcase sweet sorghum in a more fantastic way than cobbler, but after tasting this one today I no longer feel that way. You can also see Claudia's beautiful, gluten free sorghum cake that requires no xanthum gum at her blog, Foodessa! It's listed in my side bar if you are a fan of all things gluten-free.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 4 ramekins with oil.

For the topping:

1/2 Cup Rolled Oats

1/3 Cup Sweet Sorghum Flour

1 Tbsp. Light Brown Sugar

1/4 Tsp. Cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup or Honey

2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

In a bowl, mix the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon & salt thoroughly. Add the syrup and oil and combine till you have a crumb like look to the mix. Do not over mix! Set aside.

For the fruit cobbler:

3 1/4-3 1/2 Cups of Frozen Berries*

1/3 Cup of packed light brown sugar

1 1/4 Tbsp. Corn Starch

1 Tbsp. Fresh Lime/Lemon Juice

*I used 1 bag of blackberries and then supplemented with strawberry & mango to reach 3 1/2 Cups of fruit.

Place berries in a large bowl. Measure out the sugar in a measuring cup and mix it with the corn starch. Pour the sugar mixture over the berries and distribute evenly. Add the lime juice and distribute properly. Place the berries in 4 ramekins being sure to overload the ramekin (the berries will shrink down when baking). Also be sure to scrape the sugar from the bowl over the berries. Divide the crumb topping between the ramekins. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before eating.

Serve with coconut or dairy whipped cream. Enjoy!

& A Lovely Giveaway...!

I was recently contacted by The CSN stores. They are offering an $80 gift certificate to one of my devoted readers, and I'm very excited about it. CSN stores have so many lovely items from kitchenware to dining room furniture to bedding and pretty much anything else you can imagine. In fact, one of my favorite kitchen items, my Le Creuset tart pan, is from The CSN stores. This sturdy, well crafted tart pan is just one of the many examples of the type of quality kitchen and furniture items sold by CSN.

So what do you have to do to get it? Well, you can sign up as a follower of my blog or receive my posts via e-mail. The 'follow' button is at the top of this page if you'd like to do that. I'd love it if you did, but you certainly don't have to do so. *The only thing you really need to do is leave me a comment as to why you need or want this certificate. Please leave your e-mail address, so I will be able to contact you in case you win-this is important :)! I will use a random generator to pick a winner on August 5th, 2010.

Here are some tidbit facts that may apply to you:

1. This contest is open to American & Canadian readers.

2. This contest is open to bloggers & non-bloggers alike.

3. Shipping charges/international fees may apply to Canadian addresses.

4. If you are a blogger & win, it would be nice if you posted about your loot!

Good Luck!

High Blood Pressure/Hypertension

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood leaving the heart and entering the arteries, and High Blood Pressure a.k.a Hypertension affects millions of people every year. For most people, heavy salt intake is the culprit. Too much salt in our diets causes for an osmotic situation that is never beneficial for the lining of the arteries. Tearing, due to the pressure, can result in a stroke. This causes for a loss of blood to the brain, and the damage from this event can be permanent. Stroke is also just the beginning of serious ailments that high blood pressure can cause.

An aspect of high blood pressure that is often overlooked though is potassium intake. Potassium is a mineral that aids the kidneys in ridding the body of sodium. In doing so, blood pressure lowers due to less salt in the system. Some studies even show that a potassium rich diet can lower the risk of stroke by a whopping 38%. That being said, supplements are not encouraged as they can cause kidney damage.

So here is a list of potassium rich foods, Dearies!

Potassium Rich Foods:

Baked Potatoes

Bananas

Fresh Squeezed O.J./Oranges

Zucchini/Squash

Raisins

Molasses

Spinach

Edamame

Garbanzos

Cantaloupe

etc....

To make this post a bit more personal. My Cauldron Boy visited the doctor about 5 years ago at the ripe old age of 26 years old. The nurse took his blood pressure as usual, and gasped at Cauldron Boy's pressure saying in her sweet, broken English 'I can't believe you come to doctor for eyes when blood pressure like dat!' She quickly laid him down and ran to get the doctor who said Cauldron Boy's pressure was that of a 45 year old man that just suffered a heart attack. Action was in order, Dearies!

So Cauldron Boy eats the foods listed above daily nowadays and his blood pressure is back in check. Here is a raw zucchini salad I make for him regularly that is very rich in potassium. I must also mention that posting this was inspired by Ms. Pacheco Patty. If I hadn't seen her simple, pretty beet salad looking so good, I might have overlooked even posting a salad or doing a post on high blood pressure. So thanks, Patty!

Easy Raw Zucchini Salad

1 1/2 Cups Grated Zucchini

1 Large Garlic Clove-minced

1 1/2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Pinch or Two of Sea Salt

Black Pepper

Toss all ingredients together. Lay the zucchini mix over your favorite organic green with whatever other vegetables you like. Then drizzle the rest of your salad with a bit of oil and vinegar too. Enjoy!

Another high potassium dish I recently made for my Cauldron Boy was from the lovely Gloria's Blog, Canela Kitchen Recipes. It is called a 'Papa Rellena'-a baked one at that. Gloria filled hers with meat and vegetable, but I just opted for garlicky spinach-yum! This tasted like a glorified Knish. I only changed the potato outside a bit by using Jilly's Flax Egg, which is an awesome egg alternative for vegans and carnivores alike.

Gloria's original Papa Rellena recipe is here

Other ways to lower blood pressure besides drastically lowering salt and upping potassium are by lowering your consumption of caffeine, alcohol, & cholesterol rich foods. De-stressing can help too, Dearies!

Tofu Yum Yum

This is a dish I make for my friends that creates the illusion that I'm some type of Asian foods expert. Or at least in their 'not knowing so much about Asian foods' minds. Little do they know that I'm an amateur maker and lover of different Asian foods and styles of cooking too.

That all being said, I don't know how authentic this would be to someone from any part of Asia or to a well seasoned traveler of the Far East. In fact, I'm sure this is something I made up after learning a few different Asian dishes. Hence it is a simple dish, but it's good. Really good. And it's even better if some fresh cut cucumber and jasmine rice are thrown on the scene. Maybe some pickled veggies too if you have any. Oh, and I used organic millet as a starch in some of the photos here...

Recipe for Tofu & Yum Yum Sauce:

1/2 Block (7-8 oz.) Organic Extra Firm Tofu-patted dry with paper towels & then cubed.

2 1/4 Cups Water

1 Vegetarian Knorr Bouillon Cube*

1/4 Cup Sliced Scallion (white & green parts)

1 1/2 Tbsp. Chopped Garlic

1 Organic Carrot (sliced)

1/2 Cup Frozen Peas

1 Tbsp. Low Sodium Soy Sauce

1/2-3/4 Tsp. Toasted Sesame Oil

1/2 Tsp. Sriracha or Chili Garlic Sauce

1/2 Tbsp. Peanut or Veg Oil

2 Tbsp. Corn Starch dissolved in about 1-2 Tbsp. Water**

Serve with extra fresh cut scallion or cilantro

*Knorr is a very high sodium bouillon, which is why I don't add any salt. If you are using a low sodium bouillon like Rapunzel, taste at the end of cooking & then add salt as needed. Do not use soy sauce as salt, or you will end up with a poor attempt at any type of Asian cuisine. One could also just use 2 1/4 cups of low sodium broth for this recipe.

**Be sure to dissolve corn starch in water. If corn starch is thrown into the mix on its own, clumps will form.

Place peanut oil in a sauté pan & bring to medium heat. Add the scallions and allow to sizzle for about 45 seconds stirring if needed. Add garlic and allow to cook for another 20 seconds. Add water, bouillon, peas & carrots-bring to a boil. Allow to boil hard for about 1 minute and lower the heat to a healthy simmer. Allow to simmer for about 3 minutes more. Then add the tofu, soy sauce, sesame oil, & the Sriracha Chili Garlic Sauce. Let simmer for another 1-2 min to warm tofu through. Add corn starch and stir watching closely. Once the sauce begins to look a bit shiny and thick, remove from heat immediately. Serve over jasmine or you favorite long grain rice.

Enjoy!