Rosemary Brown Rice
Cool and refreshing vegetables in a light olive oil rosemary garlic dressing mixed with wholesome, tender brown rice.
Cool Rosemary Brown Rice Salad
1 cup uncooked brown rice or 3 cups cooked brown rice (If cooked ignore steps 1 and 2)
1 ¼ cup water
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup tomatoes chopped
¾ cup snap peas chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp ground/finely chopped rosemary
1 tsp finely chopped or crushed garlic
1. Pour 1 cup uncooked rice into sauce pan (capable of holding at least 4 cups of liquid). Heat the rice on medium high until the grains start to turn golden brown.
2. Depending on the type of sauce pan you are using it may be necessary to let the rice cool so that the pan does not warp on contact with the cool water/broth. Add 1 cup of the water and 1 cup broth to the rice. Bring the rice to a low boil and cook covered for about 45 min (until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender).
3. Bring ¼ cup water in a small frying pan or sauce pan (uncovered) to a boil. Once it is boiling add the garlic, rosemary and one teaspoon of the olive oil. Let the mixture cook until half of the water has evaporated.
4. Pour the hot rosemary garlic mixture on top of the rice then pour in the remaining olive oil and all of the chopped vegetables.
5. Mix thoroughly and enjoy!!
This whole recipe is perfect for different interpretations. The vegetables can be chosen from whatever is available and seasonal. I happen to have olive oil, but any oil that you prefer is perfectly fine, although it may influence the flavor of the salad. Originally I cooked the garlic and rosemary in only oil to bring out the flavor, but then it occurred to me that the oil would be better for the body in its uncooked form. That is also why the hot garlic and rosemary mixture is poured over the rice before the rest of the olive oil is added. This allows the mixture to cool and keeps the majority of the olive oil raw (if you are using cold pressed oils).
Posted 09/06/2015
Light and fresh vegetables wrapped in rice and seaweed.
3 cups cooked brown rice
3 medium carrots
1 avocado
1 large leaf of swiss chard
1 Tbs rice vinegar
4 pieces of seaweed
soy sauce or Braggs
-
Put the rice in a bowl and sprinkle vinegar over the rice. Stir rice thoroughly to disperse vinegar.
-
Cut carrots lengthwise (I usually cut them in half and then cut each half into thin strips). Cut avocado in half (cutting around the seed then twisting the two halves to pull them apart). Pull the seed out then pull the peel carefully off both halves. Cut each half into about 8 slices. Cut the chard away from the thick stem running through the center and then cut these two pieces to fit the width of your seaweed.
-
Lay the seaweed on the sushi rolling mat, making the perforations in the seaweed perpendicular to the wood of the mat.
-
Spread a thin layer of rice over the whole piece of seaweed except a 1 cm space at the far end.
-
At the other end place the vegetables along the edge, making sure that they stay within in the first 3rd of the seaweed.
-
Slowly roll the seaweed and rice around the vegetables, trying to pull them in tight and pushing down with every movement forward.
-
Cut the roll into slices about 1 inch thick.
-
Soy sauce or Bragg’s can be used as a dipping sauce or can be sprinkled over the cut sushi.
Some other ideas for vegetables to roll include lettuce, spinach, cucumber.
Posted 09/17/2015
Simple Sushi
Falling apart soft cookies without the refined flour and excessive sugar.
1 ½ cup spelt flakes (or old fashioned oatmeal)
¾ cup whole spelt flour
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup and 3 Tbs vegan butter
2 tsp egg replacer and 3 Tbs water
1 ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup chocolate chips
¼ cup shredded dried coconut
pinch of salt
-
Combine sugar with butter and vanilla until smooth.
-
Mix water and egg replacer thoroughly then add to the sugar butter mixture.
-
Mix flour, spelt flakes, baking soda and a pinch of salt.
-
Pre-heat oven to 350
-
Stir everything together or use a mixer.
-
Oil a cookie sheet and put a small amount of flour on it, then tap the sheet to spread the flour so that the whole pan is covered. I have found that this works better to prevent sticking than just oil.
For anyone who has never tried or heard of spelt, it is an ancient form of wheat that has not been genetically modified (to my knowledge yet which could change with increased demand). It behaves similarly to whole wheat flour but seems not to effect those who are sensitive to wheat.
Posted 10/8/2015
Vegan Chocolate Chip Coconut Spelt Flake Cookies
Flavorful and hearty vegetable dumplings with tender spelt wrappers.
Dough:
1 ¾ cup flour
5/8 cup water
Filling:
1 cup diced potato
¾ cup diced zucchini
¾ cup shredded carrot
¾ cup diced swiss chard
1 tsp heaping of diced garlic
1/8 tsp finely diced or shredded ginger
sprinkle of cloves
2 Tbs olive oil
½ tsp honey
¼ tsp salt
Directions:
-
Mix flour and water to make the dough. Dough should be stiff and not tacky. Flour may be added if the dough is too wet.
-
Mix all of the filling ingredients well so that there are not clumps of intense ginger or garlic.
-
Pinch off a tablespoon sized piece of the dough and use a rolling pin and a floured surface to flatten it into a circle about 3-4 inches in diameter. Wet the edges of the circle with water.
-
Place 2-3 tsp of filling in the center of the circle. Grab two opposite sides of the circle and pinch them together. Then slowly pinch the edges together all around the circle ending up with a pot-sticker/half moon shape.
-
Once some of the dumplings are formed start boiling water or vegetable broth to cook them. A steamer can also be used. I have tried both methods and the steamer decreases the possibility that the dumplings will open while cooking.
-
If boiling, gently place dumplings in boiling water, make sure that the pan has enough water so that the dumplings are not touching the bottom. Boil for about 8 minutes, then use a slotted spoon or spatula to dip them out.
-
If steaming, bring water in the steamer to a boil and make sure that the steamer is lined with foil to prevent sticking. I actually oiled the foil as an extra precaution. Steam dumplings for about 8 minutes.
The vegetables in this recipe can easily be substituted for others (whatever is available and fresh). I also contemplated using sesame oil instead of olive oil, which would give the dumplings more flavor.
One question I ran into while making these was "Should I call them dumplings or potstickers?" From what I have read the only difference is in the method of cooking them. Potstickers are generally fried, while dumplings are either steamed or boiled. Evidently the distinction has nothing to do with the shape of the product.
Posted 10/20/2015
Spelt Dumplings
A surprising combination of earthy buckwheat groats, fermented tofu and crunchy vegetables with a mouthwatering Thai peanut sauce.
1 cup cooked buckwheat groats
1/3 cup sliced tempeh
¼ cup chopped or sliced red onion
1 leaf of swiss chard, chopped
½ cup chopped snap peas
1 clove of garlic diced
3 Tbs water (if using stainless steal instead of non-stick)
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs Thai Peanut Sauce (I purchased it at Whole Foods)
-
Heat olive oil in a frying pan until a sprinkle of water causes a sizzle. Add the onion, garlic, and snap peas. Cook until the onion looks slightly translucent and the peas are a bright green.
-
Add the remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly to mix the peanut sauce in well.
-
Cook until the tempeh is warmed up and the swiss chard has wilted, about 5 min.
There are many possible variations of this recipe. I have tried it with millet instead of buckwheat and with cabbage instead of chard. The Thai Peanut Dressing can be substituted for your favorite marinade/sauce. Additionally, the first time I made this I let the tempeh marinade in the peanut sauce for an hour to cover up its slight flavor.
Posted: 11/05/15
Buckwheat Tempeh Hash
Soft fries with a parsnip kick and a wonderful thyme flavor.
2 medium parsnips (cut into French fry sized pieces)
1 tsp thyme
½ tsp garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
-
Wash parsnips and cut them into sticks about 3.5 inches long and approximately ½ inch square.
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-
Put all parsnip sticks into a bowl and sprinkle with oil, thyme, and garlic. Mix thoroughly.
-
Lay fries on a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan (with foil if you do not want the fries to stick at all to the pan) and spread them out evenly in one layer.
-
Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until the fries are tender.
The flavor of the fries will depend on the sweetness of the parsnips themselves. So far I have not experienced a really bitter one, but they can be a bit spicy.
Posted: 12/08/15
Thymey Parsnip Fries
