Days 23 thru 31 aka Thanksgiving and Regaining Momentum

Holiday Greetings! I hope everyone had a gorgeous Thanksgiving, full of love and gratitude. The G/J/Me Household Thanksgiving 2010 Vegan-O-Rama was pretty ridiculously awesome. It was absurd. And wonderful. I want to share about our meal, and then a little about L and V's meal, and get caught up on the process to date. First, let me just walk you through our menu [which was, of course, 100% vegan, organic wherever possible (mostly organic), and the only things containing wheat/gluten were the proteins (tofurkey, field roast, etc.)]:

The eating began with a fresh crudite spread of sliced vegetables and ranch, with hot artichoke spinach dip on toasted baguette, and an assortment of gluten-free crackers to enjoy the mushroom pate and two new cashew cheeses of G's original recipe - a green herb-crusted derby cheese and a sharp smoky cheddar. To top off this amazing hors d'oeuvres spread, G created mini cheddar quiches with caramelized shallots and home-smoked tempeh.

Salads and sides included wild rice pilaf; a fresh green salad with cranberry, walnut, and apple; orange fennel salad; caramelized yams; brussel sprouts; garlic mashed potatoes; gluten-free stuffing/dressing with home-made gravy from scratch; roasted root vegetables with pomegranate seeds; green bean casserole in a cashew-mushroom cream sauce with fried shallots and gluten-free bread crumb topping; corn; and two kinds of cranberry dressing (traditional and pear cranberry chutney).

The main dishes/proteins in our feast were tofurkey, field roast, and cranberry celebration roast.

J's talent in the kitchen always amazes me, but on this day (and the day before, for that matter) he truly astounded me with his thoughtfulness, attitude, skills, and planning. The execution of this meal was pretty righteous, and everyone chipped in for something or another - whether it was me doing the green bean casserole early to get it out of the way, or Max and other friends peeling and boiling potatoes.

Natalie, our go-to bartender lovely, was in prime form. The cocktail list for the day went as follows: spiced cider with honey crisp apples and anise stars (with and without whiskey/rum); fresh pressed/mulled cranberry with lime, local vodka, and natural tonic; and tangerine- and cucumber- infused vodka martinis.

G's dessert line-up was absolutely delectable and creative: traditional pumpkin pie, maple bourbon pecan pie, cranberry tarts with whipped cream, pear-cranberry sorbet, peanut butter rice crispy treats with chocolate ganache topping, and pumpkin chocolate swirl cheesecake bars. All vegan, mostly organic, pure love. And a supreme pleasure, which I am still grateful for, to enjoy.

A photo collage:

L really wanted to try and strike a balance between what she's learning with me and been eating the past month, and what her and her family are used to - what the meaningful rituals are food-wise versus what's flexible and where the opportunities were to make things the "new" way. Turkey was still on the table, but an attempt was made to decrease the amount of dairy and wheat in the meal, and when there was no alternative, L enjoyed things in very small amounts.

They ate leftovers through the weekend, and on Monday/day 30, L had a friend over for lunch, and requested the raw kale pilaf be prepared again. This was enjoyed also for dinner with a pasta dish (below) and for lunch I brought over a few leftover cashew cheeses (the green herbed and the smoky cheddar), which L and her friend heartily enjoyed along with a fruit spread and some cups of tea and good catching up.

As far as L's healing process - it continues. L went eight hours last weekend without a dose of her nerve painkiller, which is considerable. Weight loss hovers around the same, which is great considering the birthday trip/Thanksgiving combination that was last week. L continues to be focused and driven, much less passive than in the beginning. She purchased a step and a bosu ball and is increasing the focus in her physical rehabilitation - really honing in on strengthening her ankles. She speaks intently on walking without braces in the future. She is starting to increase her water consumption - I would love her to get up to 140 oz. or so a day at least to help her body and liver flush her system. Her favorite things so far have been the herbed squash, raw kale pilaf, tofutti cream cheese (a little on the processed side, but a great cheese alternative), Rudy's brand gluten-free bagels (contain egg whites), fettuccine alfredo, G's homemade cashew cheeses, and green tea sweetened with peach or pineapple juice. We talk all the time about the spiritual aspect of this healing journey, and prayer is the closing for many of our days together. Monday we decorated the house for Christmas, and it was a blessing to see L so excited and festive, and also to hear many of her family histories and holiday anecdotes. The personal relationship between L and I has really deepened, I am now identified as "another daughter", and I even took Max over to their house when he was in town for Thanksgiving (it was so fabulous to spend the holiday together!) so L could "approve". It was lovely time spent.

Tomorrow, I am going to spend the night at L and V's house - both to have our movie night aforementioned (double feature: "What the Bleep Do We Know?", and "Food Inc."), and to give G and J a little post-Thanksgiving, post-house-full-of-people, quiet evening alone with the animals in their home. Here's the recipe for the easy pasta I made on Monday, featuring soy curls (in the bulk section at Whole Foods) - basically, dehydrated textured gluten-free soy protein. They absorb the taste of whatever you cook them in, after you re-hydrate them. They can be chopped down - for this recipe, I left them as-is - about 1-2" thin, curly strands.

Easy Pasta Dinner_____________________________________________________________

1 package gluten-free brown rice noodles

1 jar marinara sauce

2 cups of re-hydrated soy curls

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

2 cups mushrooms (I used cremini), chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1-2 cups broccoli, chopped

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

olive oil

Heat a dab of olive oil in a pan, then saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of each of the herbs, and then saute in this order: mushroom, carrot, celery, broccoli. When the broccoli is slightly tender, add the jar of sauce, stir to combine, and set aside. While you are doing the veggies, cook the noodles as instructed, taking heed not to overcook (rice noodles especially need a cold bath when they're done and not to stand for too long or they'll just end up one congealed giant noodle mess). In a pan, heat a small amount of oil and add the soy curls and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of each of the above herbs. Fry on medium high heat until soy curls are crispy, well-seasoned, and light to dark golden brown in places. Add the soy curls, sauce, and noodles together to serve, but store separately in the refrigerator if you have leftovers.

Here we go month two!

May what you feed yourself continue to inspire and edify you and your purpose,

JRW

Days 18/19/20/21/22

Pre-Thanksgiving Greetings! More than time for a little catch up. Days 18 through 20 L and V were on their trip for V's birthday, and took the salads I had prepared and L did her best to find healthy solutions along the way. It's a little untimely that the 90 day mission is happening over the holiday season - I have to own a little frustration at the fact that I feel we're losing a little traction due to holiday festivities and trips (mine, too - there's no blame here) and the fact that we can't expect L and V to turn their entire ritual traditions upside down. L is doing her best (and that's all anyone can ever ask, right?) to slip in the righteous alternatives where she can. At any rate, we're all doing the best we can (G/J and I are "hosting" a pretty epic Thanksgiving gathering of sorts) on all fronts to maintain healthful decisions given the hectic pace of the next week.

When L and V got home on Saturday/Day 20, I was in the middle of making a soup using up some veggies in the fridge. I knew the Thanksgiving fridge was going to need some room (L and V are having 6+ people), and I wanted something hot simmering on the stove when they got home. I've kept and froze a lot of my vegetable scraps over the weeks, and made a homemade vegetable stock. It was awesome, and so fresh, and super easy - if you don't compost, start freezing your carrot, celery, potato, turnip, onion, garlic, etc. scraps and saute them briefly so they release their flavor (you can use some herbs if you want, or some fresh herbs in a soup sock), and then fill the pot with water and bring to a boil, then simmer for about 45 minutes, then use a mesh strainer and voila! Brilliant. I had mad turnip scraps from the Autumn Lasagna, and the stock had a really nice earthy root vegetable thing going on. The soup I made was a sort of variation on my week one minestrone, using brown basmati rice instead of noodles and adding some zucchini and random things I found in the veggie drawer.

On Day 21/Sunday, we had a surprise birthday gathering of L and V's family and friends, and it was a blast! G baked organic/vegan/gluten-free hummingbird cake cupcakes (crushed pineapple and banana in the cake, cream cheese frosting, and a walnut garnish...quite possibly the tastiest thing I've ever had and a total front-runner in consideration for wedding cake ideas) and J made vegan ranch dip and a gorgeous mushroom pate (gluten-free crackers of varying type and a fresh crudite vegetable platter completed the spread). You need to eat these things. They are amazing. Here you go:

J's Ranch Dip_____________________________________________________________________________

1 cup vegan mayo (Vegannaise brand)

1 cup vegan sour cream (Tofutti brand)

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp finely chopped green onions

¼ tsp onion powder

2 tsp minced parsley

¼ tsp garlic

¼ tsp paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until smoothly combined throughout. Store refrigerated. This stuff is amazingly ranch-y.

Porcini-and-Pecan Pate__________________________________________________________________

2 medium Portobello mushrooms, stemmed (1/2 pound is what the recipe calls for)

1 cup pecans

½ cup dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons tamari

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ tablespoon nutritional yeast

½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

1 teaspoon light miso

2 dry-packed sun-dried tomato halves

Salt

Crackers or toasted baguette slices, for serving

1. Put the pecans in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for one hour.

2. Meanwhile, in a small heatproof bowl, cover the porcini with the boiling water and let stand until softened, about 15 minutes. Rub the porcini to remove grit; transfer them to a small bowl. Reserve the soaking liquid.

3. Cut the Portobello caps in half and, with a sharp paring knife, trim off the dark gills on the underside of each one. Slice the caps into ¼-inch-thick pieces.

4. In a bowl, whisk together the tamari, olive oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, rosemary and miso. Add the sliced portobellos and toss to coat thoroughly. Let stand for 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.

5. In a small saucepan, combine the soaked porcini and sun-dried tomatoes. Slowly pour in the porcini soaking liquid, stopping before you reach the grit at the bottom. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat until the tomatoes are tender, about 4 minutes.

6. Drain the pecans and transfer them to a food processor. With a slotted spoon, transfer the marinated portobellos, porcini, and tomatoes to the processor: puree to a coarse paste, adding about ¼ cup of the porcini liquid if the mixture is too thick. Season lightly with salt.

7. Transfer the pate to a crock and serve with toasted baguette rounds. The pate can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve lightly chilled or at room temperature.

From Chef Sean Baker of Gather Restaurant in Berkeley: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/porcini-and-pecan-pate

At some point in the not-too-distant future, G is going to (taDAH!) guest post on sauces. Hooray! Vegan, gluten-free sauces from scratch - barbeque, teriyaki, garlic butter for garlic bread...that will be a not-to-be-missed post. I'm super excited.

Here's a couple things a little on the spicy/acidic side as far as L/V goes, but that J has been creating in the kitchen and experimenting with (remember - he has his own burgeoning gluten-free path), and that I feel compelled to share because they are amazingly tasty and some really fun, fresh, and seasonal flavors:

Yam Enchiladas with Pomegranate Mole Sauce______________________________________________

3 large yams

1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

½ tablespoon coriander (powdered, not seeds, as the recipe suggests, and only ½)

¾ tablespoon cumin (crushed, not seeds, as the recipe suggests, and only ¾)

1 chopped jalapeno, for extra-spicy version

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons organic brown sugar (not just one)

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 14-oz. can crushed tomatoes

Seeds and juice from 1 pomegranate

1 tablespoon heated corn oil (optional)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (added to the recipe)

4 large corn tortillas

½ cup daiya mozzarella “cheese”, shredded (added to the recipe)

Preheat the oven to 350. Bake the yams until soft (45 minutes to an hour). Do not turn off the oven when the yams are removed. Meanwhile, sauté the onion in a large skillet over medium heat until transparent. Add the garlic, cumin, and coriander, and continue to sauté for 5 minutes (adding the chopped jalapeno for the extra-spicy version). Add the cocoa, chili powder, brown sugar, and oregano, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the pomegranate seeds and juice. Pour the mixture into a food processor and puree (an added step to the recipe – who wants chunky sauce?) then return to the pan and simmer for at least 20 more minutes, adding water as necessary to create a medium-thick sauce. Slice the yams in half, scoop out the cooked yam from its skins, and place in a warm bowl. Mix in the black beans. Dip the tortillas in the hot corn oil (or wrap in foil in a warm oven) until limp. Fill each tortilla with the cooked yam/bean mixture and roll into an enchilada shape. Cover the bottom of a 9 x 11 inch baking dish with enough of the sauce to coat the bottom of the pan. Place in the baking pan and cover with the remaining sauce and a sprinkle of daiya mozzarella shreds. Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake the enchiladas for 10 to 15 minutes. (J baked them for more like 30-35).

Based on a recipe in "The Gluten-Free Vegan" by Susan O'Brien, pg.107

The side is a raw kale salad with avocado.

A pomegranate massacre!

Tomato and Red Lentil Dhal______________________________________________________________

4 oz./100 g tomatoes, skinned and chopped

4 oz./100 g red lentils

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon paprika

Pinch of chili powder

Black pepper

1 dessertspoon tomato puree

15 fl oz./450 ml water

Soak the lentils in water for 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onions and garlic until softened. Add the mustard seed, cumin, paprika and chili powder and fry for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and cook until pulpy. Dissolve the tomato puree in the water and add to the pan together with the drained lentils. Season with black pepper and stir well. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft and the mixture thickens.

From “A Vegan Taste of India” by Linda Majzlik, pg. 36

Spiced Millet and Spinach________________________________________________________________

Millet layer:

8 oz./225 g millet

8 oz./225 g carrot, scraped and grated

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 rounded teaspoon yellow mustard seed

1 rounded teaspoon cumin seed

½ teaspoon turmeric

20 fl oz./600 ml water

Spinach layer:

1 lb./450 g fresh spinach

8 oz./225 g courgette, chopped (zucchini)

8 oz./225 g green beans, topped, tailed and chopped

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 rounded teaspoon garam masala

1 rounded teaspoon black mustard seed

½ teaspoon fenugreek

Pinch of chili powder

6 cardamoms, husked and the seeds separated

Black pepper

4 fl oz./125 ml soy milk

1 rounded dessertspoon corn flour

Topping:

1 oz./25 g pistachio nuts, grated

2 tomatoes, sliced

Chopped fresh coriander leaves

Heat the oil for the millet layer and fry the carrot, cumin, and mustard seed and turmeric for 2 minutes. Stir in the millet and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed and the millet is done. Spoon the mixture into a shallow greased baking dish and press it down evenly.

Wash the spinach, squeeze out excess water and chop finely. Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion and garlic until soft. Add the garam masala, mustard seed, fenugreek, chili powder and cardamoms and fry for 30 seconds more. Stir in the spinach, courgette, and green beans and season with black pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes until just tender. Mix the corn flour with the soy milk and add to the pan. Raise the heat and stir until the mixture thickens. Spoon the spinach mixture evenly over the millet. Sprinkle the pistachios on top and finish with the tomato slices. Cover and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve with a vegetable dish.

From “A Vegan Taste of India” by Linda Majzlik, pg. 64-65

As we march into a busy but blessed week, I hope you and yours are enjoying all the gratitude this abundant holiday season conjures. Life is beautiful, and I am honored to share and serve,

JRW

Day Sixteen & Seventeen

Hello hello! So, it's V's birthday tomorrow, so L and V went to the Oregon coast and get back Saturday night. I mentioned this earlier this week, and how I don't expect them to maintain 100% vegan/gluten-free/anti-inflammatory while they're basically on a vacation, but I did want to do everything I could to set them up for success, and I think I did! I made three sides (four including Day Sixteen's leftovers), and tupperwared them so they can take a cooler on the road with them and throw stuff in the fridge in the hotel room. To my mind, it's all about L not making hungry decisions, if you catch my drift. I whipped all three of these "salads" up in no time yesterday, they won't go bad anytime soon, and they all turned out SO DARN tasty, I was kind of impressed with myself:

Betcha By Golly Bean Salad______________________________________________

(I totally didn't come up with that name - this is a Susan O'Brien recipe from "The Gluten-Free Vegan", pg. 42)

Susan suggests orange juice instead of pineapple - I did pineapple juice because it's less inflammatory/citrus is contraindicated for L, and Susan also uses 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper, which I omitted (again - for L, not because I didn't think they'd be a nice addition). And I used ground cumin because I was out of cumin seeds. And I used more walnuts and cilantro than the recipe calls for. Here's my version:

1 can or 15 oz black beans (soaked, drained, rinsed)

1 can or 15 oz kidney beans (soaked, drained, rinsed)

1 can or 15 oz white kidney beans/cannellini beans (soaked, drained, rinsed)

2 tabelspoons pineapple juice

2 cloes garlic, finely chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or more)

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and freshly ground pepper (optional, to taste)

Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix really well to ensure flavors come together (pineapple juice, cumin, etc.). Cover and store in the refridgerator to serve chilled.

The cool thing is this is such a high-protein salad, that a couple bites goes a long way. L isn't a huge bean/legume fan (yet), but she was down for a few bites. V, on the other hand, is a huge bean fan and was all about it.

Here's a salad that L's acupuncturist recommended, and then I talked to J about it, who gave me the idea to massage a little sea salt into the raw kale because it "cooks" it slightly, since this is a raw kale pilaf, in essence:

Raw Kale Pilaf with Pine Nuts________________________________________________

1 bunch kale, red kale preferrably

2 cups cooked brown basmati rice

1 vegan bouillon cube (optional)

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 cup raisins

squirt of Bragg's

squirt of lemon juice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

sea salt and pepper, to taste

Start the rice. You can do it in water; I used a vegan bouillon cube for just an extra tad of flavor. Wash and de-rib the kale. Take a very small amount of sea salt and dash the leaves, then massage them gently for a moment to rub the salt into the kale, to "cook" it. The chop the kale super finely. Teeny cole slaw style. Put in a large mixing bowl and toss with a 1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Once your rice is done, leave the lid off and fluff and let cool completely (you don't want the kale to cook anymore), then toss with the chopped kale, add the raisins and pine nuts, remaining 1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, squirt of Bragg's, squirt of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste (maybe just pepper - you salted the kale). Store in a sealed container in the fridge and serve chilled.

Kale is great for the stomach, has a warming thermal nature, and is an exceptional source of chlorophyll, calcium, iron, and vitamin A (PP, 541). Pine nuts are good for the liver (important for L), quells wind conditions, and lubricates constipated systems (PP, 534). Grapes (raisins) benefit the kidneys and liver, reduce edema (L's ankles can swell), and are a blood tonic (PP, 618). Brown basmati rice strengthens the spleen-pancreas, expels toxins, and is concentrated in B vitamins and therefore beneficial for the nervous system (PP, 472-3). Vinegar moves stagnation, reduce accumulations in the liver, relieves damp conditions, and according to Paul Pitchford, "people who feel toxic and sluggish during a transition from a refined-food and meat-centered diet to one of whole vegetal foods can profit from a little vinegar or lemon...this remedy can provide relief while toxins are being released" (PP, 205). L has been a little sleepy in the afternoons the last couple days, and I wonder if it isn't because we're well into week three at this point, and toxins in her tissues (aspartame, preservatives, etc.) are being released and flushed by her body. Lemon juice is a known liver tonic, in small amounts.

Due to this awareness, I've really been pushing the water drinking. L and V, strangely and funnily enough, remark, "We don't really like water". !! ?? !! Umm....yeah. V actually is having some back problems, and his chiropractor asked about how much water he's drinking and talked about how one's intercostal disks inbetween spinal vertebrae can get dried out when we don't drink enough water, leading to back pain and decreased mobility, etc. So both of them just...really need to drink water. I feel a big water post coming soon, and J/G and I have been talking about water at home, as well. It is about drinking more. But it's also about where your water comes from, and how you come to drink it. But first - it's about drinking more.

Anyway - to sum up the Raw Kale Pilaf: it's a crazy liver powerfood combination. Next time I drink too much - I'm totally making this. And washing it down with dandelion tea. I think it may be the ultimate hangover cure. I'll get back to you on that.

Here's the third "salad", and it's again adapted from a recipe in "The Gluten-Free Vegan", pg 45 - although, I was going for what was in the fridge/on hand and it only barely resembles Susan O'Brien's at this point:

Fruit and Nut Salad________________________________________________________

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1 large organic apple, cored and chopped

1 cup fresh organic raspberries

1 cup fresh organic red grapes

1 teaspoon pineapple juice

Combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss gently until evenly combined. Store in a sealed container in the fridge and serve chilled.

Now, for the most amazing, high-protein, cheesy, vegan, delicious, gluten-free mac and cheese EVER:

J's Mac and Cheese Bake__________________________________________________

3/4 cup cashew cream

1 12 oz. silken tofu

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon Bragg's

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 cup daiya cheese (cheddar)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon miso (mellow)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon corn starch

1 cup unsweetened soymilk

Combine all of the above in a food processor and blend until smooth.

1 package gluten-free corn or brown rice noodles macaroni noodles. I've had both in this dish now, and both are equally lovely, in my opinion. If you are into corn, you'll love the corn noodles. The rice noodles cook quickly, and remember you're going to bake this also - I basically boiled them for about 10 minutes (the package said 16-17), and then immediately doused them in cold water to stop them cooking, and to ensure they don't get all stuck together.

Mix the cooked noodles, the cheese sauce mixture, and a bag of frozen peas in a large pot on medium heat until the mixture combines and peas are no longer frozen. Pour into a large casserole pan and top with a light sprinkle of daiya cheddar, and Mary's Gone Crackers original crackers (crumbled finely) and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until all daiya has melted and desired crispy edges are achieved.

I doubled this recipe because I wanted them to enjoy it for dinner on Day Sixteen, but also have some leftovers to take on their trip with them. The sauce doubled just fine, although I added a bit more dijon and onion powder and salt and pepper to give it just a bit more flavor. And I did two packs of noodles, but left the peas at one bag. Cooking time was about the same.

For dinner on Day Seventeen, they had leftover Mac and Cheese and sampled the salads that I made for them to take on the trip.

And at long last....the first picture collage. I know I need to take more pictures, and I will. Consider this a first step. Photographing food is certainly not my forte.

Teriyaki-Fried Tempeh, Wilted Kale, Herbed Sweet Potato, and Apple Quinoa Pilaf

Betcha By Golly Bean Salad

Fruit and Nut Salad

Raw Kale Basmati Pilaf with Pine Nuts and Raisins

Mac and Cheese Bake...leftover -style

A dinner of sides

And I shall close with a photographic homage to my soy-rizo enchiladas by G:

I love that Spiritual Nutrition is in the background of that last one.

Gettin' cozy by the fire (so blessed!),

JRW

Day Fourteen & Fifteen

...were leftover days for L and V. All the bake-able casserole-type stuff had them stocked up with loads to eat. And it gave me a chance to catch up on reading, research, menu-planning, etc. And I'm also working with G and J with some projects pertaining to their business, as well.

Now, I promise to not give frequent vegan lectures. You're not here for a sermon - you're probably here either to hear about what I'm up to/how L is doing and to get some yummy vegan/gluten-free recipes...maybe a combination of the two. But I humbly ask you to read and consider the following, free from judgment, free from criticism - this is purely information sharing because I care about your health. If you knew something I didn't that could change my life for the better, wouldn't you risk upsetting my pattern?

I want all Americans to be liberated through finally being unblinded to the illusion of choice they think they have, and educated about the choices that actually do exist. And we're talking about what you put in your body, what you put in your children's bodies - is there really anything else more worth dispelling some erroneous notions for, even if it causes you deep thought and the difficulty of re-assessment and change? Would you rather your cuisine be curative, or kill you? That might sound harsh, but with the number of Americans suffering from obesity and heart disease, and dying too soon, and passing these bad habits and lifestyle decisions onto their children - what you feed yourself and your family is of utmost paramount importance. If you don't believe me, I implore you to check this out: http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1197994908531FS16OVR08.pdf

I want to share a couple things with you, friend. The first is this article: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/11/07/1818826/watch-your-weight-and-pass-the.html. In talking about veganism with people, I frequently get on my soapbox about dairy, and how these myths that a) it's a good source of calcium, b) it's a good source of protein, c) it's safe for kids to consume as much as they want, and d) it's part of a balanced, nutritious diet are just that...myths. I'm not saying that no one should eat any kind of dairy ever. I'm saying that of the lies sold to us by the densely corrupt food industry - the dairy secrets are some of the best kept, and the truth about dairy is sharply (no pun intended) needed. If ingesting bovine growth hormone, antibiotics, preservatives, and futile fat sounds like a good idea to you - by all means, go for it. I do truly believe that you are the greatest expert on you. I'm standing for the continuation of my species, my planet, myself, and my loved ones, though. Even in the decisions I make about what I eat.

If someone put a gun to my head, and told me to eat a 12 oz. steak or down a pint of milk, I would not hesitate to reach for the steak.

You, in your head right now: "But I love cheese, and I don't want to give it up." "But I've always drank milk, and my cholesterol is fine." "But there really is just nothing better than butter." Busted! I get that it tastes good to you right now. If we only ate what tasted good (salty, sweet, fatty - flavors we evolved a taste for because they are things our bodies need - in moderation - that were hard to come by historically. This evolutionary advantage that our fast food nation is taking advantage of in order to get your dollars), if we only ate what we have emotional attachments and social rituals around, if we never re-educated ourselves about what's on our plate and how it got there and just ate it (willfully ignorant) - we would perish. We are perishing. We are the only species to continue to consume milk past the weaning age, when our bodies no longer have any substantial physiological need for it. We are the only species to consume the milk of another species.

And the federal government is spending millions upon millions of dollars not to make sure you have ready access to organic, whole foods - no, of course not - they're spending that money to ensure you keep eating cheese. Does that sit right with you? Personally, I'm suspect of anything the government is spending that much money on to keep me doing. Hello? Anyone out there?

I challenge you to really read the above article and search your heart. With a plethora of vegetal-based companies offering tasty alternative (not substitute) cheese products at reasonable prices, more and more widely distributed - there really is no excuse. Have you even explored nutritional yeast, soy cheeses, cassava root cheeses/daiya "cheddar" and "mozarella", nut cheeses (cashew cream/cheese), hemp milks, soy milks, rice milks, nut milks, etc. etc. etc.? Contact me if you need help. That's what I'm here for.

Okay, I'm done preaching and shall now resume speaking only to L's healing process. I just know that L isn't having mad dairy cravings, I know she was sleeping better due to less phlegm/no snoring literally days after taking dairy out, and I remember what the "cheese drawer" in her fridge looked like before I got my hands on it. And it just gets me that she was eating something day in and day out that was not only passively hindering her healing process, it was actively sabotaging her immune response, actively increasing her inflammatory response, etc. If you are at all immune-challenged, overweight, infection-prone, chronically tired, digestively sensitive (IBS, nervous gut, etc.), or know for some reason that dairy isn't for you and just thought (either consciously or sub-consciously) that taking dairy out is a necessity, but a change that is too hard to navigate - I dedicate this post to you. Call me. I'll support you in any and all ways I can.

I love you all, appreciate the readership and support in ways you can't even know, and no matter what you put in your mouth, in your stomach, in your heart, in your spirit today - may it nourish you, edify you, and may you be well.

JRW

Day Eleven, Day Twelve, Day Thirteen - the "Cuisine" part - (Part II)

So, here's what I made on days 11/12/13, in chronological order:

Yellow Split-Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Kale, courtesy of http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/10/yellow-split-pea-soup-with-sweet.html

You may cook this soup either in a pressure cooker or in a regular pot. You will need to have a pressure cooker that has at least a 7-quart capacity; for smaller cookers, cut the recipe in half or in thirds. Also, if you're using a jiggle-top pressure cooker, add one teaspoon of oil to prevent foaming.

2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon canola oil (necessary for tempering the spices)
2 teaspoons ginger paste or 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 cups water
3 cups dried yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
1-2 tablespoons mild curry powder (to taste)
Salt to taste (optional)
1 bunch kale

Spray a large pressure cooker or pot with cooking spray and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes. When they are becoming translucent, push them to one side and pour the cumin and mustard seeds directly onto the bottom of the pot. Pour the canola oil over the seeds and stir them lightly. As soon as the seeds begin to pop, mix them in with the onions. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook for one more minute. Add the sweet potatoes, water, split peas and curry powder. Stir well.

If using a pressure cooker, seal the cooker and bring it up to high pressure. Cook at high pressure for 8 minutes; then remove from the heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally.

If you're cooking it in a regular pot, cover the pot and simmer until the split peas are tender and beginning to break down, about an hour. Stir regularly to make sure that the split peas don't stick to the bottom of the pan, and add water if necessary.

While the soup is cooking, wash the kale and remove and discard the tough central rib. Chop the leaves coarsely. When the split peas are cooked, add the kale to the pot, season to taste with salt, and add additional water if the soup is too thick. Cover the pot. For kale that retains some crunch, simply leave the pot covered for 5 or 10 minutes without heating, allowing the kale to cook in the heat of the soup. For kale that is more tender, you may return the pot to low heat for 10 minutes.

***My thoughts: this soup was a little frustrating to make because I didn't have a pressure cooker, and the lidded pot I was using didn't seal well, and steam was evaporating, and it was taking a heck of a long time to cook, so I had to keep adding liquid and it messed with my seasoning action a bit. I'd say if you aren't using a pressure cooker, give yourself a solid hour and a half for all the peas to do their thing - and this was after I soaked them ahead of time for about 2 hours.

Here was Day Twelve's dinner...at long last! This recipe is high-effort, but high-reward. A perfect autumn, nightshade-free, vegan, gluten-free, savory, herbed, creamy lasagna:

J’s Autumn Lasagna_______________________________________________________

2 delicata squash

3 turnips

2 Tinkyada brand packages of Organic Lasagne noodles (gluten-free)

2 bulbs of fennel

Fresh (if at all possible) herbs: rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, basil, and parsley

Olive oil

Splash of white wine vinegar

Chickpea miso

1 package tempeh

3 cloves fresh garlic

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper

Bragg’s

Squirt of lemon juice

Squirt of balsamic vinegar

1 ½ cup of cashew cream

Some nutritional yeast

Splash of soymilk

1 package shredded mozzarella mix Daiya non-dairy cheese

Method: Prepare your vegetable layers using the instructions detailed below. To cook the gluten-free lasagna noodles: basically, bring water in a pot to a boil, add the noodles, turn off the heat, and let sit with a lid on for 10 minutes ONLY. Do NOT overcook the noodles. Immediately take from the burner, drain, and lay the noodles on a tray lined with parchment paper to ensure noodles’ are separate and intact. Overcooked noodles are stuck together and rip and then the whole thing just isn’t as pretty. It tastes the same, but come on – let’s be in it to win in, right? Once all the layers are prepared and the noodles are done and your sauce is done, get out your casserole dish and here’s the order: sauce, noodles, squash, turnips/fennel, tempeh crumbles, kale, sauce (spread with a spatula to ensure evenness), noodles, sauce (spread), squash, turnips/fennel, tempeh crumbles, kale, sauce, noodle, sauce, daiya cheese (1/2 a package), and bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until squash looks done and the daiya is melted and desired crispy edge action is achieved.

Delicata squash layer: peel them, half them, clean them of seeds, cut into thin orange-slice –sized crescent pieces (it should look kinda like cantaloupe pieces). Saute in a large pan and add the sage (finely chopped), a splash of white wine vinegar, no chicken broth until half covered to the top of the squash, 1 teaspoon of chickpea miso, bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat until barely tender (remember: it’s going to bake, also). Turn off and drain the liquid into something to store it in because you’re going to add it to the fennel/turnip mixture. Set squash aside.

Turnip layer: clean the turnips, cut off the ends, and chop them into very thin circular disks (think scalloped potato -style), wash the fennel bulbs, cut off the ends, and shave into small thin long pieces. Saute some finely chopped garlic in a pan with some olive oil, then add the fennel, and then the turnips. Cook for about 5 minutes, and then add the liquid/no chicken broth that you drained from the squash, and salt and pepper to taste. Put a lid on it and continue to cook on medium heat until barely tender. Turn off heat and set aside.

Kale layer: Wash and de-rib the kale (separate leaves from the stalk), and lightly wilt the kale on medium heat for a couple minutes with a little bit of balsamic vinegar and Bragg’s in a pan using the lid so it doesn't dry out and stirring intermittently. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Tempeh sausage crumble layer: this is totally easy and brilliant. Take a grater and literally grate the tempeh on the largest grate size you have available. Fry in a pan with olive oil, and ½ teaspoon each of basil, oregano, garlic powder, thyme, sage, and fennel seed. Add a couple squirts of Bragg’s, and salt and pepper to taste. Turn off and set aside.

Sauce: It’s basically the same as the alfredo sauce in the fettuccine alfredo last week. But to re-fresh your memory: Melt ½ a cube of earth balance on low heat with 1 teaspoon each of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Add 1-2 cups cashew cream, a squirt of balsamic vinegar, a splash of bragg’s, and some white wine (it cooks off, it leaves flavor behind, you add a bit more – like a ¼ cup, it cooks off, etc. until desired taste is achieved). Salt and pepper to taste. To thicken – add nutritional yeast. To thin – add a splash of soy milk. Keep stirring and seasoning until you’re happy with it.

****L and V loved the yellow split pea soup and they loved the lasagna, but they really loved my day thirteen shepherd's pie:

Jessica's Simple Shepherd's Pie____________________________________________________________

4 large yukon gold potatoes

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk at room temp

3-4 tablespoons earth balance

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

dashes of fresh black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons garlic powder or approx. 5 cloves of fresh diced garlic

fresh chives or some parsley (can be dried) for garnish on top

2 medium to large onions

olive oil

1 teaspoon sage

1 tablespoon basil

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon thyme

2 teaspoons thyme

4 large carrots, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

1 bag frozen peas

About 4-6 cups chopped mushrooms (depends on how much of a mushroom fan you are - I am, big time) for the veggie mix and the gravy

1 head cauliflower

4 small to medium zucchinis

4 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup corn starch

1/2 cup dry white wine or cooking sherry

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Gravy: In a small bowl, mix the corn starch and vegetable broth until dissolved and set aside. Preheat a small pot and saute a chopped onion until translucent, then add mushrooms, approx 4 cloves of garlic or analogous amount of powder, 2 t thyme, 1 t sage, salt and pepper, then add the wine, bring to a boil, and let reduce for about 5 minutes. Add the broth/starch mixture and nutritional yeast (add more nut yeast if it's too runny), and lower heat, simmering for about 15 minutes, stirring often.

Veggie Mix: Chop an onion and add to a heated pan with some olive oil. Once translucent, add 1 T each of basil, oregano, thyme, and garlic. Saute for a moment, and then add your chopped vegetables in this order: carrots, celery, peas, mushrooms, zucchini, & cauliflower - you could also do green beans, kale, potato, broccoli, etc. Use your imagination and favorites. Once everything is seasoned and not overcooked (remember - it's going to bake, also), add gravy and stir until combined thoroughly.

Mashed Potatoes: Wash, half, and boil the potatoes in a pot of water until fork tender. Drain and give a brief initial mash, and then add the 3/4 T earth/vegan smart balance, 1 t salt, pepper, 1 T garlic powder, and 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, and mash until desired consistency.

Method: In a large baking casserole dish, after mixing the gravy and veggie mix together, spoon the mixture into the dish, and top with the mashed pototoes (smoothed out) and a garnish of fresh chives and/or parsley. Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes uncovered, let sit for a moment, and serve.

Big thanks again, of course, to Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and her Post Punk Kitchen recipes for savory mushroom gravy and fluffy mashed potatoes, which served as a foundation for invention of these recipes in my head:

http://www.theppk.com/2010/10/savory-mushroom-gravy/

http://www.theppk.com/2010/10/fluffy-mashed-potatoes/

Now I'm hungry,

JRW