Simple Spice Cake - Oil Free

I've been involved with theater for the past few years and I had the privilege to portray Mrs. Frank for a production of The Diary of Anne Frank earlier this year. Because of my interest in food, I volunteered to make the food that was part of our onstage scenes. There's a scene for New Year's Day 1944 celebrating with spice cake. Historically The Diary of Anne Frank is one of many stories of Jews hiding during the holocaust, and it takes place in Amsterdam, Holland.

I loved spice cake when I was young and hadn't had any for years until I was looking for a recipe for this play. I hope you enjoy this simple version. It isn't overly sweet and I like it that way.

Spice Cake - Oil Free

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (185 degrees Celsius). Prepare a large loaf pan or a square  (8"x 8") cake pan using parchment paper to line pan.

Mix and set aside:
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed (dark preferred)
1/4 cup water

Mix in separate bowl and whisk to mix (using a small sieve to sift any lumps):
1 1/2 cup whole grain flour (can be whole wheat pastry flour)
1/3 cup turbinado sugar or 3 Tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon Chinese five spice OR pumpkin spice

Mix in a separate 2 cup liquid measuring cup the following:
1 cup applesauce (can be part pumpkin puree)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons dark molasses (not blackstrap, unless you prefer it)
ground flax seed & water as directed above - add here to liquids

Mix the wet into the dry ingredients. It should be a fairly stiff batter. Pour and spread into your prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes (less for cupcakes*) or more until toothpick inserted comes out clean. After removing from the oven, let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then remove and cool.

You may add a bit of grated carrot, zucchini, etc before baking. If batter seems too moist and not stiff, add some more flour, a little at a time, before you bake. Some people like dried fruit or nuts (I added chopped dates to the one in the photo above).

Note on the spices: I really like to use Chinese five spice for this, as it tends to have star anise flavor and is like taking the cake up a notch from the pumpkin spice most people are used to. I also prefer Chinese five spice that does not include pepper, which might be hard to find, but you can use the pepper versions too. I plan to post my own spice blend recipe for Chinese five spice soon. Most people have a ready made pumpkin spice that can be used, otherwise you can follow my recipe for that here.

Optional sauce topping: I have used a simple strawberry sauce as a topping sometimes. You can make this by pureeing fresh or partly thawed frozen strawberries in a blender with a little water and your choice of sweetener if needed. It is a nice addition. I originally used strawberries because we also ate strawberries in the play in another scene. I never used it this way onstage, but it was a fun thing to have for the cast party! =) You could use another fruit for the same idea. You may frost instead if you like after it cools. I like it plain without any extra anything on top.

*Cupcake tip: You can use canning lid rings (no lid) on a cookie sheet if you don't have a muffin pan. It holds cupcake papers/liners nicely for cake batter. This is what I do, since I don't own a muffin pan. This was how I made spice cake cupcakes for our concession stand for snacks at intermission for the play.

Homemade Matzah & The Feast of Unleavened Bread

We are in the season of the Feast of Unleavened bread. We had a lovely Passover Seder with friends of ours this past Shabbat. So in light of this season, I thought I would share a homemade matzah recipe, no matter how you spell it (matzo, etc).

To get a recipe for Apple Walnut Charoset, click here. 

 Whole Grain Matzah - Unleavened Bread

Move two oven racks to the top and near top positions. You will be baking these in the top 1/2 to 1/3 of your oven. Prepare cookie sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine in a bowl (or in a food processor):

3 cups whole grain flour (I used a combination of spelt, wheat, corn and einkorn flours, and a few whole seeds of millet, flax and sunflower)
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix well (if using food processor, use "s" blade or dough blade on pulse setting until combined well). Add flour as needed to get a dough that isn't sticky, but not too dry. Divide into 12 pieces (or for the size above, they were more like 14-16 pieces per batch). Roll out, adding flour as needed, to keep from sticking. You can roll out extra thin for a more cracker-like type of matzah or you can roll a little thicker to get a softer and thicker matzah. After rolling, make sure to pierce with a fork or dough docker to keep the matzah from rising. Bake on prepared sheets for 6 minutes per side, for a total of 12 minutes baking time. (The size of matzah in the photo above is about a larger hamburger bun size that is flat, but not as thin as cracker type.)

Variations: I added basil and sun-dried tomatoes to one batch. My son added honey to another batch. He also added basil and oregano to a batch that we eventually made into small matzah pizzas last evening. I want to try adding some garlic next. You can come up with variations just by adding favorite seasonings or add in finely chopped fruits or vegetables.

Yummy Popcorn

When invited somewhere and asked to bring a snack to contribute to a table for an informal evening, I often bring popcorn. After a friend showed me a recipe from a Bragg's bottle of apple cider vinegar, I knew I had to try it at home. Whether you pop your popcorn in a kettle on the stove or air pop, this is a good way to enjoy!

Yummy Popcorn

Start with popped popcorn, then add in amounts as desired:

melted coconut oil (unless you popped on stovetop)
soy sauce (Liquid Aminos, coconut aminos, Nama Shoyu, etc.)
apple cider vinegar or brown rice vinegar
nutritional yeast
seasoned salt or other salted/no-salt blend you like
mustard powder
garlic, fresh crushed and minced or dried
cayenne pepper

Other optional add-ins:
curry powder
basil
oregano
parsley

My Pantry List

This is in response to a long overdue post I had promised my cousin (I didn't forget!). In thinking about what I stock in my pantry, I realize that it changes with the seasons and various discounts I find. I include what I usually have on hand in fresh produce as well. We try to eat a lot of raw foods, so you'll see that reflected here.

Greens are listed separately because they are so important. I rotate the greens for breakfast smoothies, but I always try to keep salad lettuces on hand for other meals. I don't usually have all these greens at the same time. Right now we are still using kale (Lacinto and Red Curly) and Swiss Chard from our garden.

Following is a general list that you should feel free to adapt to your situation. These are what I thought of today (I will try to update as I think of others). I rarely have all these things at the same time. I buy as I can and try to watch what is in season and on sale. Please see additional notes at the bottom of the post.

Seeds and Nuts

• Almonds (for homemade almond butter)
• Sunflower Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sesame Seeds & Tahini (sesame seed butter)
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Hemp
• Chia
• Flax (dark and light)
• Cashews
• Coconut, shredded (unsweetened)
• Seeds for Sprouting (alfalfa, mung bean, etc.)

Grains

• Brown Rice
• Wheat/Rye/Spelt Berries (to grind fresh into flour)
• Rolled Oats (Old Fashioned)
• Popcorn (kernels for popping)
• Quinoa
• Whole Organic Corn (for grinding into cornmeal)
• Millet

Legumes, Dried (organic preferred when sprouting legumes)

• Split Peas
• Lentils
• Black Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas)

Vegetables

• Carrots
• Onions (and Green Onions)
• Sweet Potatoes
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Garlic
• Tomatoes (fresh and sun-dried organic)
• Bell Peppers 
• Hot Peppers (fresh and dried)
• Ginger Root
• Winter Squash (Butternut, Acorn, Pumpkin)
• Peas (frozen)
• Sweet Corn (frozen)
• Broccoli
• Beets
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini

Greens

• Romaine
• Leafy Lettuces
• Spinach (fresh and frozen)
• Mixed greens
• Kale
• Collard Greens
• Swiss Chard
• Dried Teas: Peppermint, Spearmint, Chamomile
• Fresh Herbs: Parsley, Cilantro, Basil, etc.

Fruits

• Lemons
• Apples
• Bananas
• Berries (frozen)
• Raisins, organic
• Dates (Pitted and also Medjool)
• Avocados

Sea Vegetables (Seaweed)

• Nori (for "sushi" wraps)
• Kombu (makes beans more digestible)
• Wakame (for miso soup)
• Kelp, powdered (in my Spices list)

Sweeteners

• Honey (local)
• Maple Syrup (local)
• Green Stevia, powdered (in my Spices list)

Oils and other condiments:

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Nama Shoyu (raw soy sauce) or Coconut Aminos
• Olive Oil, extra virgin, organic
• Coconut Oil, extra virgin, organic
• Mustard
• Salt (we like "Real Salt")
• Vegetarian Formula Nutritional Yeast
• Miso
• Carob Powder
• Homemade Vanilla Extract (recipe coming soon)
• Dried Herbs and Spices

Occasionally:

• Pasta
• Tofu/Tempeh
• Tomato paste
• Yeast (for baking bread)
• Arrowroot (for thickening)
• Figs
• Home canned tomatoes
• Mushrooms (fresh and dried)
• White Potatoes
• Pineapple
• Young Coconuts
• Other fruits in season
• Other vegetables in season

I go to discount stores and find other foods that we can enjoy periodically. Sometimes I'm able to find things that I normally use at a much better price, but selection may be very spotty. I find that if I check in now and then at places I'm going by anyway, I can sometimes get a very good deal. My standard is buying ripe bananas (with brown spots - I use them for smoothies) at a deep discount for only 19 cents per pound at a local grocery store I frequent. Sometimes there are even organic bananas marked down for the same price. Keep an eye out for deals and marked down produce. We buy a lot of it and it pays to check.

Note about wheat/gluten and soy: We have been eating wheat free for about one year now. I don't stock any wheat, rye, spelt, wheat based pastas, or yeast (not wheat, but I wouldn't use it anyway) because of this. I include it here to show what you may need if you use wheat/gluten based products. We also eat very little soy, but do include it occasionally (I never use TVP or soy oil). Because of these two reasons, I never buy pre-made meat analogs, as it seems that 99% of these products contain one or both, wheat and soy.

I try to include recipes on this blog that give you alternatives to pre-packaged (read: marketed to vegetarians) "alternatives" out there. Vegetarian offerings in stores have come a long way in the last 20 years. There is still so much to be desired if you consider the sensitivities and allergies that people have these days. Making things yourself tastes better when it's homemade and it's usually cheaper, but not always. At least you know what's in your food this way!

I hope this list gives you an idea of how I do things at our house. Your list may look very different than mine. Make it yours.

Energy Bites

We've been snacking on these sweet morsels lately. They are popular at our house. If anyone knows me, they know that it's difficult for me to follow recipes to the letter. I'm always changing things out, probably because I didn't have the exact ingredients on hand.

So in usual fashion, I substituted similar items to achieve the desired result. I found the basis for my version here. Following is my "chocolate covered cherries" version. Easy to mix up. No further cooking or heat is used. Enjoy.

Energy Bites

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup almond butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3/4 cup sunflower seeds, made into a coarse meal
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup dried bing cherries, chopped
1/4 cup dried goji berries, crushed/chopped
1/4 cup carob powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a bowl with your hands. Cover and chill for an hour or so. You may find using a tablespoon or two, more almond butter will help to keep it together. Roll the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Store in fridge, or for longer than a few days, in the freezer.

Options: You could use raisins for the dried fruit. Peanut butter could be used instead of almond butter. Remember to be creative and use what you have and add here and there as desired. It's your creation! =)

Wild Rice Stuffing

I thought I would try a gluten free recipe for stuffing this year. It's been so long since I've had wild rice and this sounded so good. It was delicious when I made it today. Even got compliments on it tonight at a church dinner. If you've ever had wild rice, you've experienced that wonderful chewy texture. It'll all come back to you, when you have some of this stuffing.

You can substitute other dried fruit and nuts instead of apricots and pecans. If you don't want a sweet element to it, just leave out the dried fruit altogether. Allergic to nuts? Leave out the pecans. This is made like bread stuffing, but uses brown rice and wild rice instead. You could also use this to stuff peppers, winter squash and maybe even mushrooms. Tell me how you use it.

Wild Rice Stuffing

1 Tablespoon grapeseed/coconut oil
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup uncooked wild rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage (or 3/4 Tablespoons dried)
1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped pecans
salt, to taste

In a large pot, on medium-high heat, saute celery, onion, wild rice, and garlic in oil for about 3 minutes. Stir in broth and sage. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and cover, then simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in brown rice and bring to boil again. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, let stand, covered for 10 minutes. Stir in apricots and pecans and taste for seasoning.

Simple & Quick Pizza Crust

I use this recipe every time I need something quick for pizza preparation. It reminds me of a biscuit crust. This recipe makes enough for a good thick crust for a cookie sheet size pizza. If you want thin and crispy use this recipe for two sheets or make half the recipe.

We had this last night topped with marinara sauce, spinach, broccoli, garlic, onions, and sliced tomatoes, and a sprinkle of oregano. My children loved it. (See added edited note about photos.)

Simple & Quick Pizza Crust

4 cups whole wheat (or other whole grain) flour, also works with gluten-free flour!
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/3 cup water

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Prepare your pizza pan by oiling it. I use coconut oil. You can use cornmeal to flour it if you like as well. Spread, roll out or pat into pan. When rolling, use a glass tumbler to roll right in the pan. Prick with fork. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, without toppings (or only 5 minutes for a thin crust).

Remove from oven after pre-baking. Then add toppings as desired and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until done. Be sure to watch the thin crust to make sure it doesn't burn on the bottom.

Edited to add: the option of a gluten free crust will work with this recipe. I have now made this successfully at least three times this way. And it is still like a biscuit crust. The photo above shows the gluten-free crust dough waiting to be put on my sheet to prebake. Here it is starting the prebake.

 And then of course, afterward...

So good!
Toppings in the photos: my daughter's pizza sauce, garlic, onions, 3 colors of local bell peppers, a kale and spinach chopped mix, and my favorite - Kalamata olives!

Almost Raw Carob Chip Cookies

Here's another recipe from the "Everyday Raw" book by Matthew Kenney that I adapted. Again, in the original recipe, he uses raw cacao powder. I use carob powder instead.

Grind your own cashews and rolled oats for the flour called for in the recipe. I used my Vitamix to blend them to flour. Measure the flours after they are ground.

Almost Raw Carob Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups cashew flour, fine ground
1 3/4 cups oat flour
1/2 cup carob powder
1/4 water
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 cup carob chips
optional extra carob chips

Mix all ingredients together, except carob chips. Then stir in the 1 cup carob chips. Form into 3" cookies and press a few extra chips (if desired) into the tops of the cookies. Dehydrate on screens overnight at 118 degrees. Yields about 2 dozen, more if made smaller.

These taste great warm just out of the dehydrator. They are also great after getting cold in the fridge or freezer (where we put them so a certain little girl in our house doesn't help herself to too many!). =)

Perfect Crock Pot Rice

I have had this recipe for quite a while and, like a lot of recipes I collect, it doesn't ever get made. Until one day, I think, well, I need this for a meal today anyway, why not try this method.

I don't know why I haven't tried it before. It really is good. I used brown rice and it came out soft and sticky. We like it this way. Would have worked great for homemade veggie sushi.

Perfect Crock Pot Rice

1 cup rice (brown preferred)
2 cups water
salt
coconut oil (to coat crockpot)
olive oil (optional, to stir in with rice to make it less sticky)

Rub inside of crock with coconut oil making sure to coat the bottom and sides well. Pour in water, rice and salt (as desired). Stir in olive oil, if using. Stir well. Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours.

I actually tripled the recipe for my crockpot. If you make one recipe, you should use a smaller crockpot. The day I made it, we actually went away during the time it was cooking. It may have cooked a bit longer, but it still turned out well. Less cooking may have made it less soft, but nonetheless good.

In With the New...Polenta and Tamale Casserole

Often what a cook needs is some new inspiration. I know that I get into cooking ruts and end up making the same stuff over and over. When I see that, then I try to reorganize my thinking and look at some cookbook from the library or recipes already in my collection that I've never tried.

So I've looked up a recipe a friend sent me once a couple years ago (Thanks, Wendy!). It was for something else, but the filling looked good for something I was making. I've made casseroles up and they are usually good. This one is a keeper. Tamale Casserole to the rescue.

First though, you need to cook up some cornmeal as follows:

Polenta

2 cups ground yellow cornmeal
5 cups water (divided)

Put 4 cups of the water into a large saucepan (the higher the sides the better) and bring to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, take the other 1 cup of water and combine it with the 2 cups of cornmeal mixing well and set aside (this helps to keep from getting lumpy polenta). When boiling, add the cornmeal carefully to the boiling water and whisk together until well mixed. Stir constantly. You will need to have a wooden spoon on hand for mixing once it gets thick and harder to stir. Cook until thick.

For the Tamale Casserole, you will need most or all of the recipe above. If you have extra, you can pour it into a loaf pan, cool and chill. Use this to make corn mush, by slicing (once firm) and pan fry.

Tamale Casserole

1 batch polenta recipe (above)

Saute together in small amount of oil:
2 small or 1 large onion, chopped
4 cups black beans, drained of liquid (or other beans)
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Add:
2 cups salsa

Take bean/salsa mixture and put into a 9x13 in. ungreased casserole and top with the prepared warm polenta, smoothing out all over. Put into oven at 350 degrees F for about 20-30 minutes.

Toppings to have on the side:
shredded lettuce
vegan mayo/sour cream (if the salsa is a little on the spicy side)
nutritional yeast
hot sauce

Enjoy! I know we did!

Old World Black Bread

This recipe is for all those bakers out there wondering if they will ever like rye bread. If you are like me and just can't get to liking rye bread because of the strong caraway seed taste, this bread is for you. The nice thing about making things from scratch is that you can change things depending on your preference.

I honestly cannot remember if there ever was caraway seeds in this recipe someone gave me. I've been making it so long this way, I heartily enjoy this lovely dark rye bread sans caraway. This is a wonderful dark pumpernickel bread which lends itself to baking as a round bread giving lovely oval slices.

Old World Black Bread

Combine:
2 cups warm water
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

Stir together separately, then add to yeast mixture:
2 cups rye flour
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup rolled oats (optional)
1/4 cup carob powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir in:
1/3 cup molasses

Let everything stand for 10 minutes. Add:
2 cups whole wheat flour (or 2 1/2 cup spelt flour)

Add additional whole wheat flour as needed until you have a stiff dough. Knead vigorously for 10 minutes, or until dough is moist, but not sticky. Allow to rise until double (about 1 hour) in a lightly oiled bowl covered with a slightly damp thin towel (I like flour "sack" towels for this).

Punch down and shape into round or oval loaf and place on (oiled or lined with parchment paper) cookie sheet. You can, at this point, lightly "dust" your loaves with additional rolled oats, if desired, and press gently. Then slash with a sharp knife an "X" (about 1/2 inch deep) on top of a round loaf before rising. Or two to three parallel slashes across an longer oval loaf before rising. Let rise 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes or until it sounds hollow when loaf is tapped on the bottom. Yields one 22 oz. loaf.

Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies

This is another recipe I found in a children's magazine. This makes a large batch. You can freeze unbaked dough, or for that matter, bake them ahead and freeze the cookies.

Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix together the following:
7/8 cup oil
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup honey
2 cups applesauce (unsweetened)

Mix together separately and add to the wet ingredients:
2 cups flour (I used whole grain flour)
6 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins (optional)

Chilling the dough will help form better cookies. The original recipe reads "drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet." I used a cookie scoop, like a very small ice cream scoop. Flatten some before baking as they will not flatten on their own. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until done.

Homemade Pizza

Pizza is one of those meals that everyone loves and it brings back good memories too. From reward pizza parties in elementary school to college, eating pizza in dorm rooms and so much more, a comfort food.

My husband was a youth pastor at a church when we were dating and first married. Once we made homemade pizzas for a fundraiser. We made prebaked crusts, cooled them, added sauce and did simple toppings. We had earlier gathered pizza orders for the kinds we were making. We then packaged them up in plastic wrap and pizza boxes and had people pick them up on a certain day.

I don't remember if we made much money or even if the pizzas were popular, but I do remember the memories. And at the request of a former youth (who now is married and has a family of her own!), I am posting the recipe for the pizza crust that I use. I include ideas for toppings as well.

Homemade Pizza (This appears in the "More-With-Less Cookbook" as Cheese Pizza. I have made my own variations on the ingredients.)

Combine in a large bowl:
1 cup warm water
1 package yeast (scant Tablespoon of bulk yeast)

When dissolved, add:
2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil (optional)
1 1/4 cup whole grain wheat or spelt flour

Mix well, until smooth. Add:
2 cups additional whole grain flour, or enough to make a stiff dough (may not need full amount)
(may use part unbleached flour to make a lighter crust...100% whole grain dough is great and fine, but many people will want to ease into this and start out slowly...using some unbleached flour is a good first step)

Knead until elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in oiled bowl and let rise until double, about 30-45 minutes (depending on room temperature and humidity). Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Form 2 balls for a thin crust, or use the full recipe for a thicker crust. You do not need a round pan. I often make pizza with my jelly roll/cookie sheets. Pat out or use a straight, tall drinking glass (or a special pastry short rolling pin) for rolling out directly on a oiled pan. Take a fork and prick dough (not edges) Let rise 10 minutes.

I will pre-bake the crust by itself for about 5 minutes at this point. If I'm making it a thin crust (one batch of dough to two large pans) there's no need. Just make sure that you aren't putting too many toppings on. Otherwise it won't bake well all the way through. (Note on crust in photo: This was made with about half and half unbleached flour and freshly milled whole spelt four.)

Topping Ideas It's best to only have 2-4 toppings for each pizza if thin pizza...if you have a thicker, prebaked crust, turn down the heat to 400 degrees and don't overload the pizza. The photo above shows a pizza made with the thick option (one recipe batch of dough for one jelly roll/cookie sheet pan size - this makes a very thick crust). Toppings that day: fennel seeds, minced fresh garlic, diced onions, broccoli, mashed and seasoned tofu, and fresh pineapple. So good!

Tip: don't have overly wet ingredients or the crust won't bake properly

Sauce: Any homemade or prepared sauce you prefer...doesn't need to be a tomato sauce either. (I like to sprinkle some fennel seed on the pizza. If you decide this option, layer sauce first on the crust, then the fennel seeds, then the other toppings.)

Veggies:
garlic
onion (red is nice)
bell peppers
mushrooms (not just white button)
hot peppers
fresh or sun dried tomatoes
spinach, fresh or frozen (thawed and squeezed dry)

Other:
black (ripe) olives
pineapple (yes!)
anything you might like to try on a pizza...be creative!

Once assembled, put a sprinkling of oregano on top and put into the hot oven. Depending on thickness, bake for about 20-25 minutes or until done. Don't forget to put red crushed pepper on the table for people to add if they like. Enjoy!

Oat Burgers

A name like oat burgers sounds like nothing special. But when I make these at our house, they are anticipated with much joy. Many people think that eating vegetarian must mean eating a lot of meat and cheese analogs (foods made to taste, look and feel like meat or cheese). There's the burgers, crumbles, meatless "bacon", slices, shreds, and other stuff out there.

I found that although I did eat some of these things at first and many of the dairy analogs (especially after going vegan), after a while, these things didn't appeal to me anymore. There's just something about eating good, whole, and if I may say, pure food. And I realized that there are a lot of claims about these foods on either side of the fence about how healthy they are for you.

Generally the less processed food, the better. If you look at a veggie burger in the frozen food section and the ingredient list is a mile long, put it back. Then go pick up some of these ingredients and make yourself some oat burgers. Or go make some of your own veggie burgers using this Meatless Burgers - Universal Recipe.

Oatburgers
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons (or more) sage
1 teaspoon salt or Homemade Seasoned Salt

Mix all ingredients well in a bowl* and let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour (can refrigerate). This allows it to firm up to hold its shape better. I can get about 13 burgers out of this recipe if I use the canning lid shaping idea.

(*Vitamix help: put the water in the Vitamix container to the 1 1/2 cup mark, then add onion, cut into quarters, until you reach the 3 cup mark - this adds a little more onion, but we like it this way - then add your premeasured 1 1/2 cup (non-chopped) walnuts. Pulse at about 6-7 on low until chopped well but not pureed. Add to the rest of the ingredients, which are in another bowl, and proceed. This will still make your eyes a bit watery, but it's faster than doing it by hand.)

Once shaped, put on an oiled cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes and then turn over and bake another 10-15 minutes or until done.

Go ahead, put out the burger fixin's: ketchup, mustard, vegan mayo, romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and maybe even some "5 S" Barbecue Sauce to top it off. Have a mouthful of fun! =)

Making Granola in the Crockpot

I am always interested in recipes using the traditional in a new way. For example, making good old fashioned granola in a crock pot. Enter this post on A Year of Crockpotting blog by Stephanie who made something in her slow cooker everyday in 2008.

I decided to try it. Since I have a large slow cooker, I made a double batch. Check Stephanie's blog post for her commentary on making it at her house. I made a vegan version (used oil instead of butter), but other than that I made it almost exactly the same.

It is nice not having to stir it all the time and ending up burning it anyway. This seemed so much nicer cooking it this way. I may try my other granola recipes with much less sweetener and oil like this one. It makes for a much looser cereal and not so much clusters, but I really enjoyed it.

Crockpot Granola


5 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned oats)
1/4 cup honey (or you can use maple syrup)
1/4 cup oil
1 Tablespoon flax seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried fruit (added after unless you like it extra chewy)

Mix all ingredients in your crockpot. Cover and vent with a chopstick (or a wooden spoon like I did). Cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring every so often. Stephanie says if you can smell it, you should go stir it. It can burn, but it won't burn near as fast as it could in the oven. After it is done to your liking, pour out on a cookie sheet or two to cool. Put into an airtight container.

One Great Way To Cook Tempeh

Ever since my first taste of the Tempeh Reuben sandwich at the Mustard Seed Cafe, I have wanted to create it in my kitchen. I use this recipe and everyone loves it.

Tempeh is made from soy by itself or often with other grains and vegetables. If you've never had tempeh, you should try this. For those of you who used to eat meat, tempeh definitely has a "meatier" texture than say, tofu, but more crumbly than chewy seitan. Tempeh is also great crumbled for chili.

Tasty Broiled Tempeh


tempeh
mild oil
soy sauce (I use Braggs Liquid Aminos)
garlic powder
ground coriander

Since tempeh comes in flat rectangular cakes, the way to get 4 square slices for sandwiches is to lay the tempeh on the cutting board, slicing horizonally as if to slice a piece of bread into 2 even thinner slices. Now that they are laying on top of each other, simply cut the two rectangles in half (like this: ==). Or you can slice them on a bias (slant) into "fingers" for non-sandwich recipes or for wraps.

Oil a cookie sheet liberally with mild oil. After slicing the tempeh as desired, place cut side up, on oiled cookie sheet, spray/sprinkle with soy sauce, then garlic powder and coriander. Place under a hot broiler until slightly browned. Using tongs (because it could fall apart on you if you use a fork), turn once, spray/sprinkle soy sauce again and brown on second side. Now it's ready for your recipe.

My favorite tempeh recipe:
Tempeh Reubens

rye bread/pumpernickel/whole wheat bread (toasted if desired)
hot cooked tempeh (see above recipe)
warm sauerkraut
creamy salad dressing (thousand island dressing variation)
vegan swiss "cheese" on top (optional)

Layer sandwich makings in order given and top with another slice of bread on top. Alternatively, you can use a wrap instead and eat burrito style. Yummy!

My Mother's Granola

For at least 20 years, my mother owned and operated a health food store. Though it is no longer around, this recipe for her granola was made many times to sell. I hope you enjoy it.


Ravae's Granola



Mix together:


4 1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup sunflower seeds*

1 cup coconut*

1 cup wheat germ*

1 cup slivered almonds or chopped pecans/walnuts*

1/2 cup sesame seeds*

Mix separately:

1/2 cup oil (I used sunflower)

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Mix together dry and wet ingredients. Spread mixture onto two oiled (or use parchment paper) jelly roll pans (cookie sheets with sides) and bake at 300 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until done as desired. Stir every 15 minutes or so for even baking. After it has sufficiently cooled, put into airtight container.

Optional: After baking, you can add up to 1 cup of raisins/currants or chopped dates/apricots* stirring well to combine.

*Note: I always use raw, unsalted, unsweetened coconut, wheat germ, dried fruit, nuts and seeds.

Photo: this batch of granola was made using chopped walnuts and raisins. I believe I also added a bit more rolled oats as well.

Homemade Popcorn in a Kettle

A sure way to get my family excited about a snack - tell them we are having popcorn! At our house, this "meal" comes up about every Sunday night. And I mean meal too. Our small family of four puts away about three batches worth in one night alone. By that I mean, three full cups of unpopped kernels goes into the "popper" (one cup at a time) and into our huge popcorn bowl, as we call it. Our bowl is very large, I mean gallons large.

I have fond memories growing up when we'd have our popcorn supper on Sunday evenings. Actually my dad is the one who makes the popcorn now. Last I recall, he makes it a few times a week in small batches for an evening snack these days.

I thought you might like to know how we make this delicious and inexpensive treat at our house.
Homemade Popcorn
We get out our 10 quart (no, I'm not kidding) heavy duty kettle.
I have ready on my counter:
3 cups unpopped popcorn kernels (enough for 3 batches)
extra large bowl (to put popped corn into)
oil (currently I'm using coconut oil)
homemade seasoned salt & nutritional yeast
I put oil into the kettle, covering the bottom and 2 popcorn kernels. Put the lid on to cover. I turn the stove on medium heat and then wait until I hear the 2 kernels pop. Then immediately I put in 1 cup of popcorn kernels, close the lid and then give the kettle a "swirl" around to get them coated with oil.
At this point, I wait to hear more popping. When it's pretty steady, I turn the heat to the lowest setting until it gets slow again, then I'll turn it up again a bit more, to finish all the popping. During the popping time, I make sure to "shake" and "swirl" the kettle to keep things moving now and then, so it won't stick and burn to the bottom. I use a heavy bottomed kettle for this reason too.
When the popping stops or is really slow, then I turn it off and wait for anymore to finish popping. Then I open the lid, putting it carefully somewhere it won't melt anything (also, there is oil on the lid by this time, so I make sure there is a safe place to place the lid, keeping this in mind). I use hot pads and pour the popped popcorn into the popcorn bowl. I repeat this another 2 times with the other 2 cups of popcorn kernels.
Add seasonings and stir by using a serving spoon to "scoop" it from the bottom to the top carefully, rotating the bowl as you go (since by now, the bowl is very full).
I like this method, because it seems to me the best way to pop nearly all of the kernels. I rarely get more than 10 unpopped kernels. Seriously. With 3 cups popcorn kernels unpopped for all my batches total. Try it. It works.
Cinnamon/Sugar Variation:
Instead of the usual salt and nutritional yeast, sometimes I use turbinado ("raw") sugar and cinnamon as a dry topping after popping, with just a smidge of salt. Oooh - so good. I prefer this sweet version of popcorn over the syrupy candied "kettle" corn out there.
Pretty decent for a girl who loves an air popper for popping popcorn. Can't wait till we get back for that! I still love air poppers, but none around here, so I had to learn the art of popping corn on the stove. Don't own a microwave (never have) either. My husband says it smells like a theater around here when I'm using coconut oil.

Flour Tortillas

I have made homemade corn tortillas before (delicious), but it's been a long time since I made homemade flour tortillas. I have forgotten how good they can be. It's true that when you start making them at home, you'll wonder why it took you so long. They are that good. My daughter couldn't get enough of them.

Looking for a recipe, I came up with a couple of versions of the basic recipe. Some had flour, water, oil, and salt. Others added baking powder. I decided to do one batch (one dozen) of one recipe with baking powder and another batch without. My recommendation is to make it without, because I didn't think that it made that much of a difference. And I like fewer things in my food to do the job. It's nice to know I could still make these without baking powder in the house.

Here is my version of rustic flour tortillas...chewy and pull-apart-able goodness.

Rustic Flour Tortillas

1 3/4 cup unbleached flour

1/4 cup whole grain wheat or rye flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (optional)

3 Tablespoons oil (or less)

2/3 -3/4 cup warm water

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Mix the oil in with the warm water and pour them in the dry ingredients and mix together. The dough should not be too dry or wet. If too dry, add water. If too wet, add flour. Knead for a couple of minutes. The dough should be moist. Let the dough rest for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces, rolling them into small balls between your hands. Cover them with a thin damp towel to rest for at least 10 minutes (up to 1 hour or so).

To shape, use a rolling pin to roll them out thinly. Rolling from the middle out, rotating the dough circle to get a more even shape and turning over. Use flour on the rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking. They should be about 7 inches in diameter or so, about 1/8 inch thick (they shrink slightly when you cook them).

To cook, preheat a dry skillet on medium heat for a few minutes. You will not need any oil to grease the pan. It helps to keep the tortilla from sticking to the pan by "shaking" the pan or moving it with your fingers carefully while cooking. Cook for about 30 seconds on one side, then flip over and do another 30 seconds on the second side. As the first ones cook you'll be able to adjust your stove as necessary, finishing the rest the same way. They will be done when light brown spots start to appear. It may puff up.

To keep them warm, put on a plate and cover with a dry towel, placing part of the towel underneath to keep the bottom one from getting soggy. Keep them covered, opening only to put another cooked one inside, until serving time. Serve while still warm.

A great link to learn more about what goes into making flour tortillas and other tips, check out James W. Peyton's web page on flour tortillas.

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Gadget review: Revel Tortilla Maker (CTM 660 -120 V):

I had a chance to do something yesterday that I've been interested in doing for awhile. I borrowed a friend's electric tortilla maker. It shapes and cooks.

Like a waffle iron that has flat plates, this small appliance does the work of rolling out the tortillas and then proceeds to cook them right away. Very convenient.

I'm not sure if I will ever buy one, but it satisfied my curiosity about this gadget. If I ever find one (or one similar) second hand and cheap, I would not pass it up.These run about $30-40 dollars new, so you have to think about how much you make tortillas to make it worth the price if you can't wait for it to show up on the second hand/garage sale market.

If you have a rolling pin (and some time) and a stove top, tortillas can easily make it to your supper table. An inexpensive (non-electric) tortilla press makes the work go faster. This electric gadget a little quicker, but not much. I have used a (non-electric) tortilla press before and that is handy too, doing the job of rolling out in one easy motion. The cooking part has to be done on the stove, but otherwise makes the tedious job of rolling out much quicker.

You might do what my friend finds useful for her growing family. She uses this to shape and start the cooking, then transfers it to another skillet on her stove to finish cooking and keep things moving. This can be a good idea when you want to get more done in less time. When I used it, I cooked them exclusively on the tortilla maker, because I wanted to see how it could do the whole process. I liked the results. Next time, I might do some on the stove and some in the maker to make it go quicker, using the tortilla maker to shape them all. Some people find using a couple of skillets on the stove to cook them is handy as well.

Baked Oatmeal

You know you live in a hot climate when it gets down to 75 degrees F and everyone is cold! Recently we've had some cooler weather here in Ghana because of the wet season. It can cool down considerably here right before it storms.

So like everyone during the winter season (in other parts of the world), my mind turns to something warm. From socks and jackets to baked food...like baked oatmeal. I don't ever think that I had this as a child, but children (and the young at heart) love this.

Baked Oatmeal

Dry:
6 c. rolled oats (aka: old fashioned oats)
4 tsp. baking powder, optional*
1 Tbsp. (or more) cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
Wet:
3/4 c. - 1 c. honey/maple syrup
2 c. non-dairy milk, or water (or pasta water, or...)
1/4 c. flax seed/meal ** mixed with 1 c. water
2/3 c. - 3/4 c. coconut oil (can use part applesauce/pumpkin puree or equivalent in mashed bananas)
2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then mix all ingredients together. Put into greased (I use coconut oil) 9" x 13" baking dish. At this point, I let it "soak" for a few minutes. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 45 minutes or more until done. Great warm with fruit and some non-dairy milk. Wonderful for leftovers!

*Note about baking powder: I do not always use baking powder. Using it means that your baked oatmeal will have a lighter texture, more like cake. I do not use it for any other recipe. I found that not using it still gave me satisfactory results. Even our church's men's group loves it, even without it. You can decide. Not sure? Try a half batch without and decide for yourself. Baking powder also adds sodium to the recipe.

**Flaxseed substitute info here. I have used my Vitamix to blend up the water together with whole flax seed to my liking. No cooking required. And if you have flax seed meal (in your freezer only please - it will go rancid fast!) you can just follow the first suggestion in the aforementioned link.
I have been able to use bananas to replace half the "egg" amount with success. If using any applesauce or bananas to replace any oil or "egg" amounts, decrease honey amount.

Great for breakfast or any meal. Try it as a snack meal with homemade soy ice cream sometime! Come back for the recipe in the next post!

For other frugal tips, visit Biblical Womanhood.

Edited on 10/3/2012 to add note about baking powder.