Four Books and One Move Review

These are all food related in one way or another.

The Lucky Ones – My Passionate Fight for Farm Animals

by Jenny Brown, founder of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary
What an amazing person. This gal was 10 years old when she was diagnosed with bone cancer and eventually lost part of her leg below the knee. When she was in her teens she made the connection between food and animal exploitation. She eventually founded the Woodstock Animal Sanctuary, whose mission is the hands-on work of rescuing, rehabilitating and caring for farmed animal refugees — as well as educating the public about the horrific treatment of animals who are raised for food.

This is her journey, along with stories of some of the animals. The book is highly readable with a friendly, casual style. The back of the book includes resources for further reading, films, cookbooks, websites and some recipes. This book shows how much a determined person can do and really make a difference.

Defiant Daughters – 21 Women on Art, Activism, Animals, and The Sexual Politics of Meat

I have had a copy of The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol J. Adams for over 20 years. I have yet to read it. It just isn't an easy read even though I do enjoy non-fiction. All of the contributors of Defiant Daughters have read the book and credit it with the awakening of their identities as feminists, activists, and women. I did find most of their stories interesting. I have drug out my copy of The Sexual Politics of Meat and hope to read it before 2014!

Warrior Pose – A War Correspondent's Memoir. How Yoga (Literally) Saved My Life 

by Brad Willis aka Bhava Ram
What a powerful book. And what does it have to do with food? Towards the end of the book he eventually becomes a vegan. But that is just a very small part of the book. This guy was a successful war correspondent. At the height of his career he breaks his back and manages to work through the pain and deny that it is broken. Eventually he has to get it fixed, the surgery fails (of course!) and he is permanently disabled. Then comes all the alcohol, medications, and to top it all off he is diagnosed with throat cancer. He was treated for cancer and then they could do no more and gave him a couple of years to live. Talk about bad to worse. He ends up abandoning Western medicine and goes to a pain management center which leads to yoga. Today he is pain free and cancer free. This book is so well written. Some memoirs are boring. Not this one. His talent for writing shines. This is a memorable book that I think will be lodged in my brain for a long time to come.

Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats from Around the World.
Fantastic, Alergy-Free Ethnic Recipes

by Allyson Kramer

I was lucky enough to win this book online. Most recipes have a color picture. The chapters are African, European, South & Central America, Asian & Oceanic Fare and North American from Canada to Mexico.

Recipes that caught my interest

Africa: Peanutty Parsnip and Carrot Soup; Spiced Lentil Harira Soup

Europe: Pain Ordinaire, a crusty white bread; Roasted Tomato and Beet Bisque, a good way to try out more beets; Veggie Frittata with Salsa Verde; English Cottage Pie although I'd leave out the TVP and use some lentils instead; Baked Pierogi with Dilled Sour Cream

South & Central America: Fennel and Kale Corn Bread; Caribbean Black Bean Soup; Farina Pizza, the crust is made from garbanzo flour

Asia: Tofu Noodle Soup (Pho); Savory Stuffed Grapes (stuffed with chickpeas and spices); Masala Mushrooms (stuffed with cauliflower and spices); Vietnamese Salad Wraps; Spinach Mushroom Curry; Indian Crepes with Sorrel and Spinach; Australian Veggie Pie

North America: Mini Potato Skins; Baked Potine; Cheddary Cheese Wheel (a cashew based nut cheese); Maple Pumpkin PIe with Cinnamon Walnut Crust

What I don't like about this book is the heavy use of faux meats, cheeses and coconut cream. Some of the recipes are fried. Only a couple of dessert recipes caught my eye but there are sweets in each section. This would be a good book for a transitioning vegan or someone who wants to eat less meat and desires gluten free meals. Quite the variety of recipes.

Vegucated – DVD

Synopsis: Part sociological experiment and part adventure comedy, Vegucated follows three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. Lured by tales of weight lost and health regained, they begin to uncover the hidden sides of animal agriculture that make them wonder whether solutions offered in films like Food, Inc. go far enough. This entertaining documentary showcases the rapid and at times comedic evolution of three people who discover they can change the world one bite at a time.

I enjoyed this moved except for the part where they showed them the "hidden side of animal agriculture." I really, really wish everyone would acknowledge what goes on in factory farming. There is such a disconnect between that hunk of beef, hamburger, etc., and where it comes from. I've seen it and don't need to anymore. I get it. Every time I think of a chunk of aged cheddar cheese I visualize that poor cow in miserable conditions. But I digress. The movie was entertaining and two of them are still vegan (although there have been slip ups) and one is still struggling.

Whole Grain Confetti Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

I love cold rice salads and this is a good one. The base is short grain brown rice, flecked with lightly steamed broccoli and carrots, uncooked chopped zucchini and red cabbage. Add any vegetables you like; these just happen to be my favorites. The zesty lemon tahini dressing is adapted from Blissful Bites cookbook. I highly recommend this book, lots of photos. The author uses very little oil and many of the recipes have a macrobiotic slant. This is a wonderful recipe to make ahead of time and eat for several days.

Ingredients
3/4-1 cup raw brown rice
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1 cup chopped broccoli
1/2-3/4 cup chopped carrots
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1/2 medium zucchini chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red cabbage

Directions
Cook rice according to package directions and set aside.

Lightly steam broccoli and carrots, until crisp-tender, rinse in cold water and drain.

Make dressing (see below). Place brown rice, and all the vegetable into large bowl. Mix well. Add dressing to taste, mix and refrigerate.

Lemon Tahini Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp white miso
2 tsp maple syrup
1-1/2 TB tahini
1 TB low sodium tamari
1 TB brown rice vinegar
sea salt and pepper to taste

Mix in blender. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Potato Sourdough Bread with Spelt and White Whole Wheat Flour

This bread is big, soft and airy with a chewy crust, and a mellow sourdough flavor. The ingredient list includes freshly ground spelt and white whole wheat flours because I enjoy their less assertive flavor. I find that when I bake with all whole wheat flour it is overpowering.

Ever since I began to maintain a sourdough starter I've been working on improving my "artisan" loaves. I've found that I really prefer the taste of my starter to others and making your own artisan bread is a whole heck of a lot cheaper than buying bakery bread. In Anchorage, Alaska I have spent $9 on a single loaf of artisan bread. It really does not take a whole lot of effort to make bread; you just have to plan ahead and show up every few hours and lay your hands on it.

Soudough bread making tips and tricks that work for me:
1) The texture of sourdough bread is improved if it has baked potato or even baked yams included in the list of ingredients.

2) A very active starter. My starter had been fed once a day, for 3 days in a row.

3) Include a resting period of 15 minutes after the ingredients are mixed.

4) Resist the urge to add too much flour.

5) Use a heavy duty stand mixer.

Potato Sourdough Bread with Spelt and White Whole Wheat Flour
This recipe is a very bastardized version of Potato Bread from Ed and Jean Woods' "Classic Sourdoughs" book. The original recipe uses all purpose flour, milk, and butter which have been replaced with non-dairy milk, extra olive oil and whole grains. Makes one large loaf.

 Ingredients
1 cup sourdough starter (100% hydration, AP flour)
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
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1 tsp salt
1 medium baked potato, crumbled, skin included
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1 cup spelt flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 TB vital wheat gluten plus enough organic all purpose flour to equal 1 cup (16 TB total)
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extra flour for dusting or added if too wet

Directions
Add starter, non-dairy milk, and extra virgin olive oil into mixer bowl. Mix. Add salt and crumbled potato. Add all three flours and mix well, using dough hook. After it's mixed, let it sit for about 15 minutes. This lets it absorb the flours.

Mix on medium speed for about 6-10 minutes until dough passes the "window pane" test and is smooth and satiny. It will be sticky! Try not to add extra flour unless it is hopelessly wet. There is a happy medium in regards to flour and it depends on how humid it is, the flours, etc., etc. This is why I like to use a mixer, it can be a bit wet and sticky and I don't have to handle it.

Put in lightly oiled bowl or container; cover and let rise until double. Rising time will depend on how warm it is in your kitchen and how active the starter. I put my dough on top of the refrigerator and it was doubled in about 5 hours. You could let it rise overnight. The longer it rises the more pronounced the sourdough flavor will be.

After it has doubled, use a spatula to gently ease the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. If it gets REALLY flat, knead in additional flour before shaping.

Flatten the rested dough slightly, then lift each side to the center, turn and do it again to form a ball. Gently pinch closed. Place the shaped loaf seam side UP in a proofing basket that has been sprinkled with flour. Cover, and let rise for 2 to 4 hours until it doubles in bulk. I like to bake my artisan loafs in a La Cloche, that has been preheated for an hour in a 450 degree oven. Bake for 25 minutes, take off the lid, and bake 15 more minutes to brown. Cool on wire rack. DO NOT cut into the loaf for at least an hour.

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This is how I make my bread. If you continue to bake your own bread, you will end up using methods that suit YOU and that is the beauty of baking bread. There are many different ways to do it and who's to say which is the right way? I say the right way, is the one that works for YOU.

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This post has been submitted to wildyeastblog.com/.

Bake awesome artisan bread in La Cloche Brick Oven

"Also known as an instant brick oven, this bread baker consists of a stoneware bell or dome that fits over a wide, shallow dish with 2-inch-high sides. It is one of the most successful implements developed for home baking."—Chuck Williams, founder of the Williams-Sonoma company and author and editor of dozens of books on the subject of cooking.

La Cloche turns your regular oven into a brick oven. It helps to create an artisan style bread with a crisp, chewy crust. I really like the results I get from the one I purchased online from Breadtopia. They cost around $50-$60 and can be found online and at some kitchen stores.

If you search online for how to use a La Cloche, you will see there's more than one way to bake with it. Here is my method:

1. About an hour before I plan to bake, I place the La Cloche on the bottom rack in the oven and set it to 450 degrees.

2. When I am ready to bake the bread, I transfer the risen dough from a Brotform basket and invert it onto a piece of parchment paper. Slash the top of the dough. Open the oven door, pull out rack, and carefully remove the top of the La Cloche baker and set it aside. Lift the bread dough by the edges of the parchment paper and carefully transfer to the bottom of the La Cloche baker. Place the lid back on, push the oven rack back in, close the door and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and finish baking the bread until it is done, usually about 15 minutes. Cool baked bread on wire rack.

If you are serious about baking artisan breads this is a nice way to do it. Some people have great success with a dutch oven or even clay pots but I wanted one of these and haven't regretted it. It's held up well and my bread is delicious.

And while you're at it,  do yourself a favor and buy a large Danish Dough Whisk. These are super handy devices to mix doughs by hand. I like the large one because it's easy to clean.

Please watch for next post on one of my most successful loafs of bread yet – potato sourdough bread with spelt and white whole wheat flour.

Potato Sourdough Bread with Spelt and White Whole Wheat Flour baked in La Cloche

Spicy Roasted Sprouted Chickpeas

Do you find beans hard to digest? I do, even after years of cooking my own beans and following all the tips and tricks: Soak beans overnight and discard soaking water, boil with kombu, etc. Beano was never an option because it's expensive, especially if you take some every time you eat beans. I prefer a more holistic approach.

A couple of weeks ago I read about sprouting beans before cooking them, something that had never occurred to me. The method: Soak the chickpeas overnight, and then sprout them over a couple of days. Cook the sprouted chickpeas for about a hour. Wow, what a difference it made in their digestibility.

I had some leftover sprouted chickpeas (uncooked) and figured they'd be delicious roasted – and they are! A spicy, delectable treat for your salad. These sprouted chickpeas are much tastier than using canned or cooked. After baking them, they remind me of roasted potato.

For greater detail on sprouting and the digestibility of beans, read this ForTheLoveOfFood blog post. It may seem like a hassle to sprout before cooking but I'm here to tell you it's really not. I like to keep goodies sprouting all the time. It's like having a garden right next to the sink. It's cheap, easy, quick, and empowers you in your choices of what to eat.

Spicy Roasted Sprouted Chickpeas
1 cup dry chickpeas
 Avocado oil
Susitna Chili Blend

Cover chickpeas with water and soak overnight. Drain, rinse, and drain again and place in sprouting container. Rinse and drain 2-3 times a day until a tiny sprout starts to emerge from the peas. Rinse, drain, and pat dry.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss chickpeas in a bit of avocado oil, spicy chili blend to taste, and spread onto cookie sheet. I like to line the sheet with parchment paper. Stir chickpeas every 10 minutes until lightly browned. They take about 25 minutes to roast.

Triple Dipped Carob Frozen Banana Bites

I've been watching "Arrested Development" on Netflix. I never watched it when it was originally aired on TV but when Netflix released a new season and I read all the hype I decided to watch a few of the original episodes. I've seen half a dozen and they are funny. The action takes place in Newport Beach, California, my hang out when I was a kid.  The Bluth family owns a frozen banana stand on Balboa Island. When I was a teen we'd drive out to Balboa Island specifically for frozen bananas. I don't know if that stand exists any more but I consumed many of their frozen bananas. Now I'm on a frozen banana jag. Expect more recipes!

This first recipe is for a frozen banana that can be eaten after 6pm and will not interfere with your sleep. I love and adore chocolate but it's a no-no in the evenings. Carob powder is a decent stand in and won't keep you up at night.

If you have a Silpat sheet, use it for this recipe. The frozen bananas will not stick to it and you will be dipping the banana pieces 3 times. The recipe uses only one banana but of course you can make several. There will be a lot of sauce left over that you can use for more frozen bananas, ice cream topping, carob mochas, carob banana smoothies, whatever!

Ingredients
1 very ripe banana (or more)
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1 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup toasted carob powder (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 TB coconut oil
1 TB agave syrup
1 TB maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp chocolate extract (optional)


Directions
Peel and slice banana into about 6 pieces, put toothpick in top and set cut side down on Silpat sheet on cookie sheet. Drape loosely with plastic wrap. Freeze for about 1-1/2 hours.

In the meantime, make the sauce. In a small sauce pan, heat the milk and carob powder. Bring to a simmer and add coconut oil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Take off heat and add sweeteners and extracts. Taste and adjust sweetness. I found 2 tablespoons about right. Let sit to cool.

When banana pieces are frozen, take out, hold by toothpick and dip into carob sauce. Place back on Silpat sheet and put back in freezer for an hour. Dip again and let freeze another hour. Dip a final time and freeze for about an hour. They are ready to eat! I like to store them placed loosely in a plastic container.

Next post: Triple Dipped Almond-Chocolate Frozen Banana Bites

A year ago: I was making Steel Cut Oats. If you haven't tried steel cut oats, you are missing out. Here is a recipe to make some tasty steel cut oats ahead of time in your slow cooker for those busy mornings when you don't have time to cook! http://karensvegankitchen.blogspot.com/2012/06/seriously-spectacular-steel-cut-oats.html

Spicy Tortilla Soup with Fresh Greens and Avocado

I made this batch with black beans and
cut my tortillas in strips before I baked them.

Seems kind of crazy to be making soup on May 17 but when I left work yesterday it was snowing, it snowed all night and it's snowing now. To me, that is soup weather.

My new kitchen love is Pacific Organic Soup Starters, specifically the Tortilla Soup Base. It is so incredibly tasty I do not add any spices – at all. I just saute some chopped onion and garlic, add the soup base, the rest of the ingredients and cook for 10 minutes or so. This stuff is amazing. I figured it had to be super high in fat and sodium so I finally looked on the nutrition panel and was shocked to see only 15 calories per serving and 290 mg of sodium. Oh, and ZERO fat. Another great feature is it's NOT in a can so you don't have to worry about BPA.

If you're unlucky enough to be where it's snowing make it today. If you're hot and sweaty just pick up a container of the soup base and save it for the next rainy day.

Here's my recipe but you can mix and match to your heart's content.

Ingredients
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 32 oz. container of Pacific Tortilla Soup Base
1 can or 1-1/2 cups cooked pinto or black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
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fresh greens or spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 zucchini, chopped
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Toppings
chopped avocado
thinly sliced or crushed baked tortilla strips

Directions
Saute onion and garlic in large pot until limp. Add soup base, beans, and corn and bring to a boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender to thicken a bit. Add chopped greens and zucchini and cook until greens are limp.

Serve in bowl topped with avocado and tortillas.

I made this batch with pinto beans and just crushed my baked tortillas on top. I didn't have any avocado but it was still super delicious.

This is the view from my porch on May 18, 2013 and the reason why I am making soup instead of ice cream.