Posts Tagged ‘ organic ’

Interview with Paul Graham

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5/21/2013:

Part I – Paul Graham
Eating Vegan In Vegas

Paul Graham was born, raised, and lived most of his life in the San Jose area of Northern California. While in the San Jose area he worked with teens and professional athletes and was the chaplain for the Oakland A’s baseball team. He moved to Las Vegas, NV in 2004 where he is a writer, green realtor, and top wedding officiant. He has been a vegan since 2007 and began the Eating Vegan in Vegas blog in 2011. Paul writes a weekly Sunday column, Being Vegan, for “The Las Vegas Informer,” an on-line newspaper which carries his column in its sister publications in California and Texas. ORDER Paul Graham’s e-book.

In addition, Caryn covers the topics of bees and the colony collapse disorder as well as the recent press on BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

REAL Holiday Dinner Menu 2012

RECIPES
Bread Sticks
Risotto Milanese in Saffron Vegetable Broth
Butternut Squash Lasagna
Tempeh In Crosta
Roasted Garlic Smashed Turnips and Potatoes
Sauteed Chard
Crostada Di Ricotta
Torta Al Limone

Interview with Julie Guthman 8/15/2012

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Episode #162

8/15/2012:

Julie Guthman
Weighing In, Obesity, Food Justice and the Limits of Capitalism

Julie Guthman (Ph.D., Geography, University of California, Berkeley) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has written extensively on contemporary activist efforts to transform the way food is produced, distributed, and consumed. Her book, Agrarian Dreams: the Paradox of
Organic Farming in California (University of California, 2004), won the 2007 Frederick H. Buttel Award for Outstanding Scholarly Achievement from the Rural Sociological Society.

TRANSCRIPTION:

Caryn Hartglass: Hello, I’m Caryn Hartglass and you’re listening to It’s All About Food. And it’s the 15th of August 2012. Thanks for joining me today. We’re going to have a lot to digest today so I hope you’re ready to do some serious chewing.

We talk about food on this show and all things related to food, health, the environment, and animals. And I’m always learning something, which is one of the things that I enjoy most about doing this program. I learned an awful lot from the last book that I just read and I’m going to be talking about that today and bring on the author of this book, Julie Guthman. Read more »

Interviews with Jim VanDerPol and Jason Das

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5/30/2012:

Part I: Jim VanDerPol
Conversations with the Land

Jim VanDerPol farms and writes in a western Minnesota world very different from the one in which he was raised in the 1950s and 1960s. The small, diversified farms and tight-knit communities of his youth have been replaced by town jobs and gigantic equipment operating on huge tracts of land. The culture of the agriculture that Jim knew is almost entirely gone, and he wants it back. Through his farming, alternative marketing, writing and work with sustainable agriculture groups in Minnesota, Jim is making an important contribution toward efforts to resurrect that culture. Where others simply pine for days of yore and lament what has happened, in Conversations with the Land Jim offers a clear and down-to-earth vision for what each of us can do to return agriculture to something that can do better by the environment, the people who live within it, and even the nation as a whole. Those who are concerned that we have moved too far from the land will find much to think about – and draw inspiration from – in the pages of this book.

5/30/2012:

Part II: Jason Das
Super Vegan

Jason is a co-founder of SuperVegan.com. He is responsible for most of the design and front-end code on the site, and more than a little of the content. Along with Deborah Diamant, Jason is a co-founder and co-organizer of Vegan Drinks.

Jason is also a freelance web developer and an artist in various capacities. You can keep tabs on his various rackets at Jason Das.

TRANSCRIPTION PART I:

Caryn Hartglass: Hello I’m Caryn Hartglass and you’re listening to It’s All About Food. How are you doing today on this May 30, 2012? Well we get to talk about food on this show, my favorite subject and touch a lot of different subjects related to food, food and health, food and the environment, food and all life on Earth. I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on food, well I think about food all the time, but I’ve been realizing how many of us who are talking about the alternative food movement and trying to change the way our food is grown and how it’s grown, going from giant agribusiness to encouraging more organic locally grown farming, farming that is sustainable. I realized that a lot of us that are in this conversation really have a privilege to be able to make choices about our food. There are many people who can’t even make choices because either access to food or because of their financial situation, they just eat whatever they can and that’s a problem. We should all have access to affordable, healthy food and there is a wide range of that and what I’m really focusing on lately is aligning myself with other people that are in the alternative food movement. I was exposed to a great deal at the Brooklyn Food Conference recently. There were so many different panels, over 175 with people talking about all different kinds of issues when it comes to food. The thing is many of us disagree on some of the fine points and I think it’s so important that we align on the broad strokes, big issues: organic, fresh, locally grown, food that supports our communities. With that, I’m going to introduce my first guest. He’s an author, Jim Van Der Pol, he has a new book, Conversations With the Land and he farms and writes in western Minnesota, a world very different from the one in which he was raised in the 1950s and 60s. The small diversified farms in tight knit communities have been replaced by town jobs and gigantic equipment operating on huge tracts of land. The culture of the agriculture that Jim knew was almost entirely gone and he wants it back. Through his farming, alternative marketing, writing, and working with sustainable agriculture groups in Minnesota, Jim makes an important contribution towards efforts to resurrect that culture, where others simply pine for days of yore and lament what has happened in conversations with the land. Jim offers a clear and down-to-earth vision for what each of us can do to return agriculture to something that can do better by the environment, the people who live within it, and even the nation as a whole. Those who are concerned that we have moved too far from the land will find much to think about and draw inspiration from in the pages of this book. Thank you for joining me on It’s All About Food, Jim.

Jim Van Der Pol: Well I’m happy to be with you.

Caryn Hartglass: I read your book, I enjoyed it. I like especially in New York City, books that have short chapters, unique essays. So this is a collection of essays. It’s very convenient to read on a subway.

Jim Van Der Pol: Yes, good.

Caryn Hartglass: When you’re just sitting and you don’t have a lot of time, you can get a nugget each time and get back to it later. Very good. There’s a lot of passion in this book and a lot of different emotions and we might hit on some of them. The first thing I wanted to talk about was the beauty and the love of the land that you find over the seasons, the change that goes on, how dynamic it all is. How surprising it all is. There’s a number of different essays where you go over a number of situations like that. Well the seasons, farming is never ever the same.

Jim Van Der Pol: No, it’s not and it takes command of your life, basically. When you do it for as long as I’ve done it, because the day length constantly changes and because the work needs to fit the season and the seasons in effect chase the work so you get it done when it needs to be done instead of two weeks or two months too late, there’s that constant attention to basically the environment or the world that you’re living in. I think of it as a conversation and that’s part of the reason why I used the title I do. It’s a conversation, it’s a communication with the environment. I’m not exactly sure how to express it more fully than that.

Caryn Hartglass: I really like the title and it’s so important to pay attention and so many of us don’t pay attention to most things that pass us by. So that’s really an accomplished skill that you’ve developed that unfortunately many of us have lost through the generations.

Jim Van Der Pol: That’s right. One of the things I try to point out in several of the essays is that it’s important for us, whatever we’re doing, to live in the place we’re living and that starts with living in our own bodies instead of on television or on the internet. You don’t have to farm to do that, but farming, at least farming the way we do it here on this farm, kind of insists on it. I guess I feel pretty lucky, I’m not sure that with another occupation I would have been led into the kind of approach to my surroundings that I am.

Caryn Hartglass: Well there’s lots of things we can always imagine, oh I could have done that or what would have happened if I made that choice, but you’re definitely, you seem very well suited for farming.

Jim Van Der Pol: Yes, I think I am. It’s a curse sometimes of course, but most of the time it’s a blessing.

Caryn Hartglass: Well, you know, a lot of things in life, a lot of things that people have difficulty in life, any challenge that comes along, we tend to resist and that makes it so much more of a struggle no matter what challenge it is, it’s resisting. The feeling that I got with farming was that you understand that you’re not in control.

Jim Van Der Pol: Yes, that’s right.

Caryn Hartglass: You just have to go with whatever comes, try and be prepared.

Jim Van Der Pol: In order to operate a farm or to live on a farm and work on a farm, you need to be pretty steady temperament and strong minded, but at the same time you have to admit that everything that you think you’ve got planned for the plan or for the week or for your life or for this project or the other that has to do with the farm can be knocked awry and taken apart in an instant just by change in the weather, the biology of the plants or animals that you’re working with and by a number of other things, markets in the financial system for example.

Caryn Hartglass: Something that we are not doing, we as a global culture. When we evaluate wealth in the world we don’t really, I don’t think the equation has got it down at all. I’m not a doom and gloom kind of person, but if we had horrible crisis that made it really difficult for people in urban areas to access food, it would really, really be serious and we do not value people who own land and grow food on that land enough. If we ever come to a situation, we’re routed. Everything falls apart. Those that are on the farms with the food are the ones who are going to survive.

Jim Van Der Pol: Yes, that’s right. If we ever come to a situation where everything falls apart, I hope and I’m sure probably yours as well is that it falls apart a little slowly so that we’ve got time to react to it. We have ourselves in a lot of ways in a situation that would be a catastrophe if we’re facing a sudden change.

Caryn Hartglass: And so we don’t value farming enough or at all in some situations. People don’t even realize that we need to eat every day. We just take food for granted, many of us do and so now we’re in this situation where we have really given away our choices. We’ve given away our freedom when it comes to food by allowing giant corporations to take over and do what they will with our food system.

Jim Van Der Pol: That’s right, we have. And that’s the situation I was talking about where we’ve put ourselves in a position where a change could be a catastrophe. When you put that kind of control in the hands of so few people, so few powerful people that have a kind of a truncated goal having to do with making lots of money generally. Just under the theory that things are going to work out. We approach food almost as a religious belief that is that, our modern food system is all automatically going to be able to adjust immediately to whatever changes might be forced upon it. and we all might be able to find what we need in the grocery store and I don’t think that’s true.

Caryn Hartglass: You write in many different essays there are some continuing themes, if you were the emperor who was in charge of the entire world, I get a feeling for how you might change things, but it’s clear that we have trouble with the economy, many people are out of work, and we’ve created this situation by taking away jobs, especially on farms, by having these big corporations grow in really unsustainable ways. Maybe you could talk a little bit about that. How important it is for kids to grow up in a farming environment and participate.

Jim Van Der Pol: I’ve written in a few places, in a few essays in the book about that subject because when you life in a rural area, you’re always almost automatically needing to be concerned about the kids because we’re in a situation where we have steadily shrinking populations, our towns are smaller and smaller each decade. Our schools are needing to consolidate and the school buses travel more and more miles to get enough kids together to actually operate a school and we have all too many cases with both parents working some miles away from home. Often the kids are not seen to as well as they should be because the income from the jobs that the parents have just really isn’t enough because that’s not paid well enough. As a matter of fact we should as a nation in an area like this, we short our kids because we do not honor what the entire working people do. Including farming and a lot of other things as well that make our economy and our society run. I have one essay in the book entitled “Boys” and it simply is my reflection on what it seems to be to grow up male in this day and age compared to what it was when I grew up some 60 years ago on this farm that I’m operating today and the difference as I wrote that essay, the difference became really startling to me. I grew up wanting to demonstrate my value to my elders and that was economic value as well as a social value and that I would fit in and so on. It was a great joy to me when the day came that I could keep up in terms of physical work with my own father and with my uncles and hired hands and neighbors that got together to do the work. When I really arrived at that stage of young male adulthood where I could do that, I could sense acceptance all the way around the circle of men that were working, that I was working with. I don’t think very many boys have that chance today. I think the closest that we get with it is high school athletics and of course that’s only a minority of the kids that participate in that. I end that essay by saying something I believe, if I’m remembering it right, something of girls to the effect that I wasn’t speaking of girls because they didn’t grow up wanting to be a man and I wouldn’t be able to speak intelligently about it. I think as a general rule, we can only do a good job with our kids by needing them in a lot of ways. One of them is economics, that’s important. Needing them socially in terms of their view of what the world looks like and what they can tell us older ones who have got more experience than they do, but different perceptions because we didn’t grow up with the same surrounding social furniture that they have. I think we need to need our kids and I think when we can figure out ways and means of doing that in a real way, that is, I think our kids will have fewer problems growing up.

Caryn Hartglass: I agree with you 100 percent. We seem to be doing less and less in this country. So we’ve shift so much manufacturing oversees and even some of the farming that’s done with giant agribusiness I know that we have a lot of illegal aliens and very low paid foreigners that do a lot of the work mostly because people don’t want to do that work and the pay isn’t good for that kind of work.

Jim Van Der Pol: That’s it of course. In one of my essays, or two, I write about where I think this started. It started in the 70s when corporations caught on to the fact that they could benefit financially by disrespecting laborers and it’s been getting steadily worse ever since. I’m sitting on a phone talking now just six miles south of a dairy that milks 6,000 cows every day and they have built several bunkhouses to house the young men they get from Ecuador and Colombia in order to do that work. It’s not that that’s the most pleasant livestock kind of work that there is because it isn’t. Being in confinement, it’s not real attractive work really for anybody but the fact of it is that the young folks that are here from South America because the farm that gets them in can pay lower wages that way. That’s really the entire fact and there would be people in our society, people that have been here for some generations, that would take those jobs if they paid 50 percent more than they do.

Caryn Hartglass: Absolutely. Everything is so crazy in terms of where the subsidies go to pay for who benefits and who doesn’t and we pay for so much in our tax dollars that are invisible to us. If we could take some of that and put it towards paying better salaries for people would make such a difference.

Jim Van Der Pol: You make a wonderful point and that pops up here and there in my writing, which by the way is ongoing, this is a collection of columns and I read one every month but you make a wonderful point about that, that the money that we are spending helping all the victims would be better spent organizing an economy that didn’t produce so many victims. We don’t seem to get that, there doesn’t seem to be any political voice for that in our government, in our senators in power and so it just keeps getting worse and worse. Another thing I think that shouldn’t be ignored, that can’t be ignored from my point of view that I feel very strongly about this is that kind of situation where young men who are not paid enough money and are always away from home are caring for livestock is kind of in and of itself not a good situation for the livestock either.

Caryn Hartglass: I’ve heard so many horrific stories about workers that are brought in from other countries and some of them are treated almost like slaves. This is in our country America, but there are things that we can do, aren’t there.

Jim Van Der Pol: There are.

Caryn Hartglass: What can we do Jim? What can we do?

Jim Van Der Pol: Well, are you asking me for suggestions?

Caryn Hartglass: Help!

Jim Van Der Pol: I think you know what my answer’s going to be, if you don’t you will by the time I’m done giving it. That is that there’s this whole idea of a small change that I write about in the last essay of the book, which is 5 or 6 columns put together. We best change things by changing how we think and changing how we live and that requires going a little out of our pathway. It maybe requires buying food at a farmer market. Maybe it requires making a link with a farmer for some of the things that you want to buy. Or maybe it requires simply putting pressure on our grocery store or choosing a grocery store that is willing to be pressured to establish better communication between you the buyer and the people that are supplying the store. In parts of the world and I’m talking more about Europe here, there are postings on the supermarket or on the market walls leading you to an understanding who it is that brought the food and what some of the ins and out of producing it were. There’s a place for electronic communication in that. So I think that that’s the best place to start and you can do more that start. You can make up your mind to live your life that way. You can also, if you have access to some space, you can garden. Gardening teaches a lot about life and about what farming really is. Again, depending on your neighborhood, you might get in a few backyard chickens which are a wonderful kind of project because it teaches you about what really tastes good in an egg and that may teach you about some of the silly attitudes of your neighbors too, depending on your situation. Whatever I think, what it amounts to is paying more attention to what we eat and if we have the wherewithal to do it and if everybody does it as you pointed out in your lead in, but if we have the wherewithal to do it and be willing to pay a bit more for that kind of food.

Caryn Hartglass: Well it’s all about a long term perspective and that’s just something that’s unheard of in this country. Everything is short term. Pay the least amount you can without thinking of the long term impact of your purchase and where it comes from.

Jim Van Der Pol: Yes, that’s right. We talk in our circles here a lot about three part goals and double bottom lines and things like that, the double bottom line being not always catch profit but also that we produce quality. The idea that a profitable farm is not enough by itself, there has to be a high quality of life enacted with it and that there has to be a community connection connected with it. I guess what I’m saying is that we need to try whatever we can think of to do the best we can to encourage that kind of thinking and planning in the people that we buy from, instead of just the cash profit margin.

Caryn Hartglass: There are a number of really critical things that absolutely have to change. This is my vision. I would love to see all the giant corporations out of food production. I would like to see the return of small farms. I would like to see genetically modified food and seeds disappear and I think foods should be grown organically and for people to most of their food within a region that’s near where they live.

Jim Van Der Pol: I can’t argue with a single item.

Caryn Hartglass: I don’t know if you’re aware of this Jim, but I’m a vegan and I encourage people to eat plant foods and I know that you’re a livestock farmer. We might not agree on some things but we definitely can agree on some very, very big concepts and those are the ones that I just outlined and they’re so important.

Jim Van Der Pol: I think we can, I agree.

Caryn Hartglass: One of my favorite essays was in the beginning where you talk about the weatherman and weathermen on television.

Jim Van Der Pol: Weather reports sound different to a farmer than they do to most people I think.

Caryn Hartglass: It’s funny because I related to it and I never really thought about it the way you put it. Where for most of us the weather matters on the weekends.

Jim Van Der Pol: That’s true and I can see where that comes from.

Caryn Hartglass: I’m here in New York and I think it’s CBS where we get the weather with Lonnie something or other but we see him around New York City sometimes, riding his bike and he’s on television with his gorgeous suits telling us about the weather and it’s a joke. Ok, let’s see we just have a few more minutes. Have you ever experienced or been pressured by some of the giant agribusiness companies when it came to your own business? I’ve heard about so many stories about small farmers not being able to compete and sometimes actually being run off the land.

Jim Van Der Pol: The latest version of that is generally or often has to do with Monsanto and their efforts to protect their patented seeds and they’re pretty aggressive in court and don’t have too much trouble getting their way as far as cooperation with law enforcement. If they think some farmer has saved a seed of theirs they regard that as patent infringement so they pursue that person in court. That’s kind of the latest version of that.

Caryn Hartglass: You know people that have experienced this.

Jim Van Der Pol: I know of people. I don’t have any close friends and nobody in this community that I know of. What we do have in kind of a more general way is anybody that farms organically and our farmland is certified organic, you worry about general drift. Corn is very promiscuous and the pollen goes for miles on wind and if the pollen drifts from a neighbors GMO corn to my organic corn what I’m going to harvest at the end of the year is going to be something less than organic whether I wanted it that way or not. So you live in a little anxiety thinking that at some point the organic buyers are going to apply another test and they’re going to see that GMO amount in there and I’m going to not be able to sell my crop that year. Or maybe it might be possible that I might even be pursued by the company that thinks that I planted seed without buying it from them because I’ve heard those stories and I have every reason to believe they’re true. It’s not a personal experience as much of a generalized anxiety about that. Before the GMO controversy grew up over the past few decades, farmers my size have been encountered agribusiness largely through price discrimination and that has taken place not so much when we sold our products as when we bought our input, when we bought our seeds and so on. We can’t get the volume deals on seeds so we’re paying sometimes a good deal more money for the same seed. Sometimes on livestock particularly, it’ll happen that if you don’t sell enough animals at a time, you’re going to take a cut on the price on those. I’ve had that happen to me so that I’ve taken ten percent less price because I’m bringing in ten hogs instead of 100. So it’s those kinds of things that the agriculture business are always there, they kind of make the playing field in terms of our finances and our economy and it’s always a worry. Sometimes it really reaches out and hits you but most of the time you’re just living with that generalized worry.

Caryn Hartglass: Well thank you so much for talking to me on It’s All About Food, and I hope you don’t worry too much. Have some peace in your life.

Jim Van Der Pol: So do I.

Caryn Hartglass: Enjoy your farm and your family and thanks for writing Conversations With the Land. I really enjoyed reading it.

Jim Van Der Pol: Thanks for having me on.

Transcribed by Meichin, 4/18/2013

TRANSCRIPTION PART II

Caryn Hartglass: Hello I’m Caryn Harglass, we’re back! You’re listening to It’s All About Food. Ah yes, I can relax now! We’re going to be talking about fun vegan things with Jason Das who is the co-founder of Super Vegan. He is responsible for most of the design and front end code of the site supervegan.com and more than a little more of the content. Read more »

Interviews with Atina Diffley and Karen Le Billon

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4/4/2012:

Part I: Atina Diffley
Turn Here Sweet Corn: Organic Farming Works.

Atina Diffley is an organic vegetable farmer who now educates consumers, farmers, and policymakers about organic farming through the consulting business Organic Farming Works LLC, owned by her and her husband, Martin. From 1973 through 2007, the Diffleys owned and operated Gardens of Eagan, one of the first certified organic produce farms in the Midwest. To contact Atina or Martin Diffley, visit www.organicfarmingworks.com.

4/4/2012:

Part II: Karen Le Billon
French Kids Eat Everything

Born in Montreal and based in Vancouver, Karen Le Billon is an author and teacher. Married to a Frenchman, she has two daughters, and her family divides its time between Vancouver and France.

French Kids Eat Everything (HarperCollins) is Karen’s newest book, a memoir about family and food, inspired by a year spent in her husband’s hometown–a small seaside village in Brittany.

Karen has a PhD from Oxford University, and is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Rhodes Scholarship, a Canada Research Chair, and Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 award. She currently teaches at the University of British Columbia.

She is one of the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation’s Real Food Advocates.

TRANSCRIPTION PART I:

Hello I’m Caryn Hartglass and you’re listening to It’s All About Food. Hi and Happy April. It is April. I think it’s my favorite month. Not just because it’s spring but because I was born in the month of April and I’m celebrating my birthday all month. Read more »

Pumpernickel Bread, Gluten-Free

When my father was young he worked in a bakery. He explained that they would take the cake that did not sell during the day, crumble it up and turn it into pumpernickel bread. This fascinated me – using cake to make bread? Maybe that’s why pumpernickel tastes so good. This is my vegan, gluten-free version. And no, I do not use leftover cake!

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1 1/2 cups garbanzo flour
2 cups arrowroot, corn or potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour
4 teaspoons xanthan gum
4 Tablespoons sugar (evaporated cane juice)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 packages active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup molasses
4 1/2 cups warm water (more water may be necessary)

Preheat oven to 200F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, garbanzo flour, starch, tapioca, cocoa and xanthan gum.

In a medium size bowl mix the sugar with the yeast and pour in about 1 cup of the water. The water should be lukewarm, not hot, or the yeast won’t work. Beat the mixture with a fork and let sit for about 5 minutes. The top should foam. If it doesn’t the yeast is not good and the dough won’t rise. Mix in the molasses and oil. Pour the yeast mixture over the dry ingredients and incorporate with a fork whisk. Mix in another cup of water. Continue adding water until the mixture has the consistency of thick cake batter. It will be a creamy, very thick liquid.

Pour batter into two greased loaf pans, filling each pan about half-way. Place on the top of the oven and cover with a towel. I have a gas oven with the burners raised above the top surface of the oven so that the pans are not directly touching the heat – they are just in a warm environment. If you have a flat surface cook top you many want to place the pans on a rack so they are not in direct contact with the heat. Allow the batter to rise and double in size – rising above the top of the pans. This can take from 30 to 60 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 400F and bake loaves for 10 minutes. Remove loaves from the oven and cover each with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake the covered loaf pans for about 35 minutes. To determine if the bread is done, insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. I like a moist bread, so I baked it for 35 minutes after covering. The toothpick was free of crumbs but there were some gummy spots which when cool becomes a moist, spongy bread. Remove from oven and let cool.

Delicious served with our REAL Prune butter.

Choucroute Garnie

Choucroute garnie is a famous Alsacian recipe for preparing sauerkraut with potatoes, chopped onion, sliced apples, black peppercorns, cloves, garlic, juniper berries, bay leaves and white wine. I have created my own “traditional” recipe here with tempeh instead of the traditional meat and sausages. Cooking sauerkraut and potatoes in white wine is simply heavenly.

1 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups sauerkraut
8 small potatoes or 4-6 medium/large potatoes, scrubbed, (peeled only if not organic) and cut in quarters.
3 cups white wine
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 cup water
Optional: 1 package of tempeh or other veggie meat: baked tofu, sausage, seitan, cut in chunks
Dijon mustard
Horseradish

In a medium to large heavy pot or French oven (3 1/2 quart or larger), pour enough wine to coat the bottom – about 1/4 inch in depth. Turn the heat to medium. When hot, add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add a little more wine if it starts to dry. Add in the remaining ingredients, sauerkraut, potatoes, peppercorns, bay leaves, wine, water and veggie meat (if using). Cover, stirring occasionally and cook until potatoes are soft. Serve with Dijon mustard and horseradish.

Kale, Red Cabbage, Daikon, Ginger Stir Fry

Sometimes I go out of my comfort zone and create something new. I rarely use daikon radish although I can’t say why. It’s a very versatile root vegetable and I have enjoyed it raw in salads and cooked as well. I recently bought some and made a dish with several ingredients I don’t typically put together. And it was GOOD. Here it is.

1/2 pound kale
1 pound red cabbage
4 or 5 cloves of garlic
1 inch fresh ginger
1 daikon radish
2 shallots
juice of one large lemon
water

1. Mince shallots and garlic. Scrape skin off the ginger with the edge of a spoon and mince.
2. With a knife, scrape the exterior skin off the daikon. Slice into 1/4 inch or thinner rounds.
3. Wash the kale. Rip the leaves away from the stalks. Roll the leaves up into cigar shape cylinders and slice kale into strips (chiffonade).
4. Slice the cabbage into thin strips, 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide.
5. In a heavy cast iron frying pan or a wok, on medium high heat, add 1/4 cup of water. When the water starts to sizzle add the garlic, ginger and shallots. Stir regularly and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. If the pan dries out add a little more water. There should never be too much water or too little, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, less than 1/4 inch.
6. Add the daikon slices and cook until they are soft.
7. Toss in the red cabbage. If your pan is not very big it may take a minute or two for the cabbage to shrink before you can stir it and mix it in with the other ingredients.
8. Add in the kale. Let it wilt and stir in with other ingredients.
9. When all the vegetables are soft, turn the heat off and toss in the lemon juice.
10. Serve immediately.

Interviews with Kim Barnouin and Amie Hamlin

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE PROGRAM BELOW AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST. 

Listen to: PART I WITH KIM BARNOUIN

Listen to: PART II WITH AMIE HAMLIN

3/14/2012:

Part I: Kim Barnouin
Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps

She is the co-author of the New York Times Bestseller Skinny Bitch, and Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, as well as Skinny Bitchin, Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven, and Skinny Bastard. She released her first solo book Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook in October of 2010. She is the founder of her website www.healthybitchdaily.com, a fun and informative green living guide for women.

3/14/2012:

Part II: Amie Hamlin
NY Coalition for Healthy School Lunches

Amie Hamlin began as Executive Director of New York Coalition for Healthy School Food in when the organization was founded in 2004 and has worked to expand the reach of her organizations work over the years. NYCHSF currently partners with the New York City Office of SchoolFood and the Ithaca City School District Child Nutrition Program, offering plant-based entrees to over 17,000 students. NYCHSF also offers Wellness Wakeup Call, a nutrition education program available in K-5 and 6-12 versions, written by Registered Dietitians. Amie has worked in the non-profit world since 1996 when she was Director of a Tobacco-Free Coalition and then of two environmental non-profits.

TRANSCRIPTION PART I:

 

Hello everybody. I’m Caryn Hartglass and you’re listening to It’s All About Food. It is an absolutely gorgeous day here in New York City on March 14th, 2012. I am so happy to be here this hour to talk to you, especially about my favorite subject: food. It’s going to be a good one today, a good hour. Read more »

Glutamate, GE Corn, Sugar and Bioplastics

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March 4, 2012: Responsible Eating And Living presents it’s first live broadcast featuring the ASK A VEGAN show. In response to a listener’s question regarding nutritional yeast being an excitotoxin, I talked about glutamate and glutamic acid including MSG, Monosodium Glutamate and other foods with glutamate, whether or not they are healthy or not? Next I discussed Monsanto’s newly approved GE sweet corn, GE corn in the United States, bioplastics, recylcling plastics, the new National Center for Health Statistics report on Consumption of Added Sugar Among U.S. Children and Adolescents 2005-2008.

Listen to the next LIVE broadcast here on the REAL Worldwide Radio very Sunday from 7-8pm Eastern Time.

Blueberry Pan cake, Gluten-free

This is literally a blueberry pan cake. In other words, you pour it in a pan and bake.

12 ounces blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup rice flour
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup sugar (evaporated cane juice)
1/4 cup sesame tahini
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup brewed Chai tea (strong)
1 cup soy milk or other nondairy milk
1/2 cup of boiling water

Preheat over to 375F. Grease a large Pyrex baking dish with a tablespoon of vegan butter or oil and set aside.

1. Mix the dry Ingredients in large bowl: rice flour, garbanzo bean flour, tapioca flour, baking powder and baking soda.
2. In another large bowl, mix the Ener-G Egg Replacer with cold water. Add sugar, tahini and cream together. Add in vinegar and mix well.
3. Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
4. Add hot tea and nondairy milk.
5. Mix thoroughly and let set for 20 minutes.
6. Spread the blueberries evenly at the bottom of the greased baking pan.
7. After the 20 minutes resting period, add the 1/2 cup of boiling water to the batter and mix well. Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream. If it’s too thick, thin it with a little more boiling water.
8. Pour batter over the blueberries.
9. Put pan on the center rack of the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Test by piercing with a clean tooth pick, it should come out clean and dry. Otherwise it will need to be cooked a few minutes more. Cool for 1 hour before slicing. Serve with your favorite spreads – jellies, nut butters, vegan butter, etc.

Chemicals – the good and bad.

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2/26/2012: The show theme was chemicals, good chemicals and the bad.
Marty Krutolow, the pilot, a.k.a. the Flying Vegan, joined me and we compared “lab meat” to Quorn. I also talked about Monsanto losing a chemical poisoning case in France; herbicides and pesticides; and some delicious new recipes on REAL. This was the final ASK A VEGAN show on the Progressive Radio Network. ASK A VEGAN can now be heard live here on the REAL Worldwide Radio very Sunday from 7-8pm Eastern Time.

LISTEN to hear the entire 2/26/2012 program.

Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies, Gluten-Free

Chocolate and mint are perfect partners. Here’s a gluten-free version of the chocolate chip mint cookie. They are especially good to dunk in Teeccino Herbal Coffee.

1½ teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer in 2 tablespoons water
¾ cups vegan butter (Earth Balance buttery spread)
½-3/4 cups sugar (evaporated cane juice), I use 1/2 cup but if you like a really sweet cookie use 3/4 cups.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
1½ cups white rice flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup semisweet nondairy chocolate chips

1. In a small bowl, beat together the egg replacer and water.
2. Cream together vegan butter and sugar. Add the egg replacer mixture, vanilla and peppermint extracts.
3. Mix the dry ingredients together – rice flour, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum and cocoa powder. Add to the shortening/sugar mixture and knead into a dough. If the dough is too crumbly add a tablespoon or 2 of water. Knead in the chocolate chips. Cover bowl with wax paper and let dough chill for about 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Take a small piece of dough, about 2 tablespoons, flatten with your hands into a circle about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and place on the cookie sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used up.
6. Bake for about 12-14 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Light Rain Soup

Vegetable Soup? All my soups are made with vegetables, but should I call them all “vegetable soup”, when they are all so different and unique? I named this soup after the weather today, Light Rain. The herbs give off a lovely, cozy fragrance to the home. I used a lot of dried herbs in this recipe. I buy them in big bags, not in small jars. It’s more economical this way especially when I use herbs so frequently.

Dark green tops from 2 leek, chopped into 1/3 inch pieces
(I steam the white and light green parts to make Leeks with Vinaigrette)
3 carrots, cut into small squares, 1/4 inch
1 onion chopped
1/2 bulb of fresh garlic, minced
4 medium organic potatoes with the skin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes. (if not organic, peel off the skin)
1/2 cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried leeks/parsley/fennel mix
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kelp powder
8 cups water

1. Place a large soup pot on the stove on medium heat.
2. Add in leeks, onions and garlic. Dry saute for about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add wine. Stir occasionally and cook for about 10 minutes until all the vegetables are soft. Make sure there is always some liquid in the pot.
4. Add the potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and herbs. Stir well.
5. Pour in the water, stir, cover and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes until potatoes are soft.
6. Remove from heat and serve.

Serves 3-6

Raisin Cookies – Gluten-Free

When I was in college in Pennsylvania we would go to the farmer’s market. There was an Amish bakery that sold raisin cookies. They were so simple, soft, gooey and so good. I have not had them in decades! I have recreated a vegan, gluten-free version here.

Cookie dough
4 cups white rice flour
4¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup Earth Balance buttery spread
1 cup sugar (evaporated cane juice)
1 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2½ teaspoons xanthan gum

Raisin Filling
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cups boiling water
1 cup seedless raisins

In a medium bowl mix flour, baking powder, nutmeg and xanthan gum. In another bowl, blend shortening with sugar and add vanilla. Slowly add in the flour mixture, making a dough. Add in the water, a little at a time. The dough should be damp and slightly sticky. Cover with wax paper or towel and put in the refrigerator for about an hour.

In a medium saucepan, mix together cornstarch and sugar with boiled water. Cook on medium high heat. Add in the raisins. Stir occasionally and cook until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. With a hand blender, or in a blender, puree the filling. Set aside to cool.

When ready to bake the cookies, preheat over to 350F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Divide the cookie dough into quarters. Make a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Make 1/4 inch thick slices and place them on the cookie sheet. Spoon about a teaspoon of filling in the center of each cookie. Take another quarter of the dough and make another log, slightly larger than the first. Slice the dough a little bit thinner that the first log. Top each cookie with another slice, pinching down the edges to seal. It’s okay if the dough cracks a little or the filling oozes out. Repeat with the other half of the dough. With the tips of your fingers you can smooth any cracks or rough edges.

Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Let cool. Makes about 18 cookies.

TIP: This dough can be sticky. The extra moisture eliminates the gritty texture of the rice flour when the dough is cooked. Keeping the dough very cold helps minimize sticking when handling. Use 1/4 of the dough at a time, keeping the rest refrigerated until ready to sue. A small amount of potato or corn starch on your hands may help when forming the cookies.

Dill Poppy Seed Bread – gluten-free

This gluten-free, yeast bread is perfect for sandwiches. I like it because I can make very thin slices with it. I usually make one standard loaf and 2 mini loaves. I like to slice the mini loaves and toast them to use a crackers with dip.
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1 1/2 cups garbanzo flour
2 cups corn starch (potato starch may be used instead)
1 cup tapioca flour
4 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt (OPTIONAL – personally I don’t use any salt)
2 Tablespoons sugar (evaporated cane juice)
2 packages active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 1/2 cups warm water (more water may be necessary)
1-2 tablespoons dill weed
1/4 cup poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 200F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, garbanzo flour, corn starch, tapioca and xanthan gum, and salt.

In a medium size bowl mix the sugar with the yeast and pour in about 1 cup of the water. The water should be lukewarm, not hot, or the yeast won’t work. Beat the mixture with a fork and let sit for about 5 minutes. The top should foam. If it doesn’t the yeast is not good and the dough won’t rise. Pour the yeast mixture over the dry ingredients and incorporate with a fork whisk. Mix in another cup of water and the olive oil. Continue adding water until the mixture has the consistency of thick cake batter. It will be a creamy, very thick liquid. Stir in dill and poppy seeds.

Pour batter into two greased loaf pans, filling each pan about half-way. Place on the top of the oven and cover with a towel. I have a gas oven with the burners raised above the top surface of the oven so that the pans are not directly touching the heat – they are just in a warm environment. If you have a flat surface cook top you many want to place the pans on a rack so they are not in direct contact with the heat. Allow the batter to rise and double in size – rising above the top of the pans. This can take from 30 to 60 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 400F and bake loaves for 10 minutes. Remove loaves from the oven and cover each with aluminum foil. Bake the covered loaf pans for about 35-45 minutes. To determine if the bread is done, insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. I like a moist bread, so I baked it for 35 minutes after covering. The toothpick was free of crumbs but there were some gummy spots which when cool becomes a moist, spongy bread. Remove from oven and let cool.

For a plain bread, just omit the dill and poppy seeds.

Vegetable Noodle Soup

This soup features turmeric and nutritional yeast for flavorings. I put turmeric in as many dishes as I can. Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant and has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. With an unusual warm and slightly bitter flavor and, a mild fragrance it is used in curries and gives many foods a bright yellow color. Red Star Nutritional yeast has B12 in it and gives vegetables a more complex, cheesy flavor.

2 leeks, chopped to 1/3 inch pieces, white and green parts
4 carrots, cut into small squares, 1/4 inch
2 celery stalks, diced
1 bulb of fresh garlic, minced, about 1/4 cup
2 teaspoons turmeric
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
salt to taste
water
baked tofu, 14 oz, sliced in 1/4 inch ribbons
4 oz of dry, vermicelli noodles of your choice. Whole brown rice vermicelli was used in this recipe

1. Place a large soup pot on the stove on medium heat.
2. Add in turmeric, leeks, carrots, celery, garlic and nutritional yeast. Stir to coast the vegetables with the spices as the spices toast lightly for about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add 2 cups water. Stir occasionally and cook for about 10 minutes until all the vegetables are soft. Making sure there is always some liquid in the pot.
4. Add 10 cups of water and baked tofu and mix well. Cover and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes.
5. In a separate pot, prepare noodles according to package directions. When noodles are done, drain the water, rinse the noodles and set aside.
6. When soup is ready, turn off heat and uncover the pot.
7. Take four large soup bowls or 8 small soup cups and divide the noodles evenly in each bowl. Pour the soup over the noodles. Serve immediately.

More on Monsanto, White House Sludge, Eating (and Loving) Veggies with Michelle Obama,

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2/12/2012: Caryn talked about the new American organic farmers lawsuit against Monsanto; Sludge at the White House; Michelle Obama & “Eat Your Veggies”; GM Corn; Pepsico Layoffs and falling in love with steamed vegetables.

LISTEN to hear the entire program.

Natural? Processed? What does it all mean? In Search of the Ideal Human Diet.

I am a believer in eating whole, fresh, organically grown plant-foods. But in this world where food can come from any part of the globe and labels on food can suggest all kinds of characteristics (organic, low fat, no fat, low sodium, low carb, natural, etc.) knowing what’s healthy can be really confusing. Add on top of that, information that is put out in conference presentations and blogs by people who are respected when it comes to the best knowledge in nutrition. Some information contradicts other information and we can start to feel panicky. It can be so overwhelming, some just give up, and eat whatever seems appealing in the moment.

I follow a lot of nutrition experts. I have my own biases of course, my own favorite experts, and those who make me roll my eyes in disbelief. There are a few things that are certain. We simply do not know what the ideal diet is for humans, in order to achieve maximum longevity and wellness. We do know that our diets need plant foods, and lots of them. Yes, we are capable of consuming the flesh and bodily fluids of other animals. Yet we know that eating too many animal products dramatically increases the risk of chronic disease. In general, people can do very well on a small amount of animal food or with none at all, as long as the bulk of the diet consists of whole or minimally processed fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds. I personally prefer and promote the latter, a vegan diet, not only for health, but for ethical and environmental reasons as well.

Now that more people are focusing on plant foods we are hearing about the wide range of diets available with different experts stating that their diet is best. What’s a wellness-craving human to do? Read more »

Trust in our food, A New Diabetes Drug, Traffic Light Labeling, Monsanto, GMO protests and Coconut Oil

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1/29/2012: Frequently asked how we can be confident whether our food is organic, I discussed whether or not we can trust the quality of food or other consumable products we purchase. I replied to a listener’s concern about a recent article questioning the compassionate/ethical values of a vegetarian diet and talked about convenience of the new one a week drug for Diabetes; a new study on the power of package labeling; monsanto and protests against genetically modified food; and the benefits of using organic coconut oil for hair and skin.

LISTEN to hear the entire program.

Our Pancake House: Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup, Gluten-free

Memories of buttermilk pancakes and syrup? Here’s our REAL version using soymilk soured with vinegar in place of buttermilk. Serve with REAL blueberry syrup – surprisingly made only with blueberries!

1 cup Brown Rice Flour
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-free flour
4 tablespoons ground flax seeds (I buy them whole, grind them and keep them in a glass jar in the refrigerator)
2 tablespoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
1 tablespoon baking power
3/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups non dairy milk
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons Agave or Maple Syrup
vegan butter for oiling the griddle
REAL blueberry syrup

Pancakes:
1. Mix together flours and baking powder in a large bowl.
2. In a medium bowl add the vinegar to the soy milk.
3. In a small bowl beat together ground flax seeds with 1/4 cup water.
4. Add the flax mixture and the agave or maple syrup to the soymilk mixture.
5. In a medium to large bowl using a hand mixer or whisk whip the Ener-G Egg Replacer with 1/2 cup of water until foamy and forms light peaks.
6. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour and mix well. Fold in the Ener-G Egg Replacer mixture.
7. On a lightly greased hot griddle, pour about 1/3 cup batter and smooth into a circle about 5 to 6 inches wide. I use a small ladle and use the back side to gently smooth the batter into the size I like. After a minute or 2 small bubbles will appear and the edges and top surface will start to dry. Flip and cook for another minute. Repeat until all the batter is used. Re-grease the pan with a very small amount of vegan butter before pouring the batter.
Serve immediately with REAL blueberry syrup. Makes 8-10 pancakes.

1/25/2012 Interviews with Hannah Kaminsky and Alan Roettinger

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1/25/2012:

Part I: Hannah Kaminsky
Sweet Vegan

Hannah Kaminsky began playing in the kitchen at a very young age, encouraged by her drive to create accessible and delicious animal-free eats. By her senior year of high school, she was already busy working on her first cookbook, a vegan dessert book titled My Sweet Vegan. Now Hannah is the author two vegan dessert books, an award-winning blog, and a handful of eBooks. Here, Vegan Mainstream dishes with Hannah about blogging, baking and her newest project, a vegan ice-cream book titled Vegan A La Mode.

1/25/2012:

Part II: Alan Roettinger
Cooking Skills for the Home

Alan Roettinger has been a private chef for over 28 years, serving a broad spectrum of high-profile clients, from entertainers to presidents. A world traveler, he absorbed elements from many cuisines to synthesize a unique, creative, personal style. Alan’s first cookbook, Omega-3 Cuisine, showcases his ability to bring health and flavor together, offering a wide range of dishes that are simultaneously exotic and accessible to the home cook. In Speed Vegan, Alan has kept flavor and health, but expanded these parameters to include quick, easy, and strictly plant-based.

 

TRANSCRIPTION
PART I:

Hello! I’m Caryn Hartglass and you’re listening to It’s All About Food. Happy, happy, happy January 25th, 2012. Time marches on and here in New York City it is a beautiful, clear, very unlike-winter day. It’s like autumn—keeps going on and it’s really delicious. Can’t help but take advantage of it and be outside. But I’m inside right now and I’m talking about my favorite subject: food. And it’s going to be a very, very sweet, yummy show. I hope you’ve eaten because if you haven’t, you might start salivating sometime soon and that can be dangerous. Read more »

Tofu Leek Stir Fry

I love making something new, something satisfying – out of what’s available in the kitchen just BEFORE going grocery shopping, finishing up what’s fresh and leftover before buying new food. Today’s 1/2 package of tofu, leftover leek tops and a fresh crop of home grown sunflower sprouts came together with some pantry essentials to make a great dish.

8 oz firm organic tofu
1 cup chopped leek tops
1 handful sunflower sprouts
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander
4 dried black mushrooms, soaked in hot water
water

Use a heavy cast iron skillet or frying pan on medium heat. Toast the cumin, turmeric and coriander in the pan for about two minutes, stirring regularly. Add in the garlic and leeks and dry saute for another few minutes, stirring to keep from sticking, until the leeks begin to wilt. Toss the tofu in and fully cover with the spices and cook another couple of minutes. Drain the mushroom, slice them in small pieces and add them to the pan. Add a small amount of water, about 1/2 inch in depth from the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir occasionally for another couple of minutes. Add the sunflower sprouts and cook another minute. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Serves 2.

Red Cabbage Masala Soup

This soup features a rich, distinctive, flavorful broth. The secret is a small amount of garam masala: a mix of spices that include cinnamon, roasted cumin, caraway seeds, cloves, nutmeg (and/or mace) and green cardamom seed or black cardamom pods, dried red chili peppers, dried garlic, ginger powder, sesame, mustard seeds, turmeric, coriander, bay leaves, and fennel.

1/2 medium head of organic red cabbage, shredded in 1/2 inch ribbons
1 organic onion, coarse chopped
2 organic carrots, cut in 1 inch round slices
2 organic potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup organic garbanzo beans
1 tablespoon minced organic garlic
8 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1. Place a large stock pot on medium heat.
2. Add the turmeric and garam masala and lightly toast the spices for about a minute, stirring occasionally.
3. Toss in the red cabbage and garlic and let cook for about 7 minutes, stirring regularly. The moisture from the cabbage will start to self-steam itself.
4. Add the onions and carrots.
5. Add about 1 cup of water and saute the vegetables together for about 5 minutes.
6. Add the potatoes, garbanzo beans and the remaining water. Stir.
7. Add in the bay leaf, parsley, dill, pepper, paprika, caraway seeds, lemon juice and vinegar.
8. Let cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Soup can continue to cook over low heat until ready to serve.

Vegetable Corn Cakes, Gluten-Free

Breakfast, brunch or appetizer, try these savory Vegetable Corn Cakes. Top with salsa, guacamole, hot sauce or vegan sour cream.

1/2 cup corn meal (polenta)
1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
1/4 cup ground flax seeds in 1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons Ener-G Egg Replacer in 1/2 cup water
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, stringbeans)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, I don’t use any)
oil

Preheat oven to 200F
1. In a small bowl beat flax seed and water until creamy.
2. In a blender or food processor pour in flours, pepper and chopped onion. Pulse to make a coarse mixture. Scoop batter out and place into a large bowl. A hand blender with the blade attachment can also be used.
3. Add flax seed mixture and mixed vegetables and stir well to incorporate.
4. In a medium bowl add the Ener-G Egg Replacer and water. With a hand blender or mixer, using the whisk attachement, beat until white and foamy and forming soft peaks. Fold gently into batter.
5. Lightly oil a cast iron skillet. Heat to medium.
6. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter to form 1/2′ wide, 2 1/2 inch patties. The batter is stiff and you can shape and flatten them in the frying pan to the desired size. Let cook 2 to 3 minutes until nicely browned. Using a thin spatula carefully get underneath the patty to lift and flip. Let cook 2 to 3 minutes on the other side. Remove the corn cakes and place on an oven proof plate or platter. Place in a 200F oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter. Keep corn cakes in the oven until ready to serve.

Serve with salsa, hot sauce, vegan sour cream or guacamole. Makes 8 or 9 corn cakes.

Organic Agriculture, Fracking, Earthquakes, Contaminated Water and Weight Loss

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1/8/2012 Caryn commented on criticism regarding organic agriculture and discussed fracking’s connection with earthquakes and contaminating water. She talked about the very popular New Year’s resolution of weight loss and gave her thoughts on lap band surgery and the recent US News Best Overall Diets report.

LISTEN to hear the entire program.

Holiday tips, osteoporosis, avoiding bloating and feeding the world.

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12/11/2011: For the holidays: ideas for weight control, beverage ideas and how to not feel deprived not eating the unhealthy, non-vegan treats. I spoke about osteoporosis, avoiding bloating and gas, and how organic farming can feed the world. I described a bit of our latest video series called “IT’S ALL ABOUT GREENS” now showing at http://responsibleeatingandliving.com/?p=3503 which shows how to eat more healthy, dark green leafy vegetables. Have you seen it yet?

LISTEN to hear the entire program.

Pina Colada Kale

This is a fun way to get more greens. Pina Colada Kale is a blended salad of kale, pineapple and coconut. It’s quick and easy and so good for you.
Kale, about 4 leaves, stalks removed.
1 cup pineapple, fresh or frozen, cut into chunks
1/2 cup coconut milk (fresh, rehydrated from Edward & Son’s Let’s Do Organic Creamed Coconut or canned)
1/2 cup water

In a blender, add the pineapple, coconut and water. Blend until smooth. Add one piece of kale at a time and blend well. Add ice if desired. Pour into a tall glass. Enjoy!

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT!

Tomato Onion Quiche

REAL men and women eat quiche. Vegan Tomato Onion Quiche.

Basic Wheat Crust (or use your own favorite recipe)

3/4 cup white flour and 3/4  cup whole wheat or 1/1/2 cups white flour
1 stick (1/2  cup) vegan butter (We use Earth Balance)
Ice Water, 6-8 tablespoons

Filling

One cup organic diced tomatoes (one half of a 15 oz can salt-free tomatoes)
1 small onions finely chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 1-4 hours
1 12-16 ounce package Tofu (silken will make a creamier filling, regular tofu will give more of a ricotta cheese texture)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons Red Star Nutritional Yeast, vegetarian support formula
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
dash pepper
One large organic tomato sliced thinly in half moons

Cut vegan butter into flour and knead dough. Add 2 – 3 tablespoons of water at a time until dough is moist and elastic. Roll out dough on a floured cloth to a round for an 8” pie plate. If the dough is too crumbly you can add more water or just press it into the plate.

In a large frying pan, turn heat to medium. Add oil and saute onions until transparent and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Blend onions, tomato, tofu and cashews in a food processor. Start by pulsing, then once everything is mixed, puree until smooth. Add salt, pepper, onion and garlic powders. Pour over crust. Garnish top with sliced tomatoes. Bake at 375F for 40 minutes or until filling is firm and crust is nicely browned.

10 Non Profits You Need To Know

CONTACT: Caryn Hartglass
PHONE: 718-490-0507
EMAIL: Caryn@ResponsibleEatingAndLiving.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION – PDF)

Responsible Eating And Living selected by VegNews as one of the 10 Non Profits You Need To Know.  

OCTOBER 25, 2011, New York, NY. Responsible Eating And Living (REAL), a 501c3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on the benefits of a plant-based diet and planet-friendly lifestyle, is featured in the VegNews Magazine article, “10 Non Profits You Need To Know.”  Ms. Hartglass, the founder of Responsible Eating And Living said, “We are so excited and honored to have been selected, especially since Responsible Eating And Living was launched just four short months ago in July.”

Here’s some of what the folks at VegNews had to say:
Former opera singer and executive director of Earthsave, Caryn Hartglass founded REAL in New York City after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006. With a master’s degree in chemical engineering, Hartglass wasn’t one to accept dubious scientific claims, and found ample evidence in natural cancer-fighting methods such as nutrient-dense diets, exercise, meditation, supplements, and yoga—and has been cancer-free for the past four years. According to the National Cancer Institute, 40 percent of the adult population will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime, making REAL’s work all the more important. The organization’s website serves as an information hub with healthy vegan recipes, and Q&As with cancer survivors offer a well-rounded resource for patients.

For more information about Responsible Eating And Living, or to schedule an interview with Ms. Hartglass, please call 1-718-490-0507 or send an email to Caryn@ResponsibleEatingAndLiving.com.

Soupe au Pistou

Another dish I made very often while living in France was this vegetable soup. Made with a few simple vegetables and herbs, it can be served as a first course or as a meal in itself. It’s the turnip that gives the soup its full flavor.

Soup
12 organic carrots, washed and sliced
3 small to medium turnips, peeled and sliced
3  large leeks or 6 slim ones, cut in pieces from the white part up to the beginning of the green until the green is too fibrous
1 Tablespoon olive oil for sautéing
salt to taste
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
8 cups water or Vegetable Stock
   or Two, 32 oz cartons of low sodium Vegetable Stock
¼ cup chopped parsley

Pistou
one bunch basil
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil for the pistou

1. Sauté carrots and leeks in a large soup pot with oil for 15 minutes.
2. Cover with water, so that water level is 1 inch higher than vegetables. Add turnip and parsley.
3. Cook, covered over low heat until all vegetables are soft.
4. Remove from heat and purée in blender or with a hand mixer, slowly stir in add soy milk to thin and give desired creamy texture.
5. To make the pistou, finely chop basil and garlic and place in a small bowl or jar.
6. Add 1/2 cup olive oil to the garlic and basil and blend ingredients together well. Pistou may be refrigerated.
7. Serve soup and top with a tablespoon of pistou.

Watch the videos below for making the soup and the pistou.

PART I – Soup

Part II – Pistou

We must change the way we feel about food.

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9/25/11: In this show I continue the dialog about the obesity/health epidemic touching on the UN General Assembly meeting in New York on the prevention of noncommunicable diseases, the CalPIRG report on food subsidies, the new Harvard Healthy Eating Plate in comparison to the new USDA My Plate. I talk why it is important to change the way your feel about food and give tips on how to do it. On the delicious side I talk more on homemade Vegan Ice Creams and how to make Japanese noodle soups.

LISTEN to the entire program.

V-BLAT: Vegan Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato

Autumn is here. We are trying to get in a few more days of outdoor eating and V-BLT’s or V-BLAT’s (Vegan Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato) hit the spot. On a busy day, we keep it simple with our favorite store-bought tempeh bacon and vegan mayonnaise, although you can certainly make your own. Try it on our gluten-free Sesame Seed Burger Bun or your favorite bread

One package Tempeh Bacon – we use LightLife Fakin’ Bacon
Vegan Mayonnaise – we use organic Follow Your Heart Vegenaise
Two small avocados or one large, peeled, pitted and sliced thinly
Two small tomatoes or one large, sliced in thin rounds
1 cup shredded lettuce

Spread the insides of the bread with vegan mayonaise.  Top one side with letuce and tomato the other side with avocado and tempeh slices, cut in half.  Put the sides together and enjoy! Serves 4.

9/21/2011 Interviews with Bart Potenza and Joy Pierson, and Jesse Boss

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09/21/2011:

Part I – Bart Potenza and Joy Pierson, The Healthy Candles
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH Bart Potenza and Joy Pierson

Since 1988, Bart Potenza and his partner Joy Pierson have created three successful vegetarian dining establishments. Candle Cafe was the first restaurant to be certified by the Green Restaurant Association and both restaurants are at the forefront of campaigns to green the restaurant industry. The most recent is Candle 79, one of the first upscale organic vegan restaurants in the country.

At the vanguard of health food marketing and vegetarianism, Bart Potenza has written and lectured on the virtues of healthy eating for everyone. After studying at the City College of New York Business School, Bart was a successful art dealer for 16 years before making a change-of-career to the health food industry. His new lifestyle impressed him profoundly with his renewed vitality and sense of well being, and he wanted to share that with the public. In recent years, Bart and Joy have passionately supported the efforts of the environmental and animal rights communities, through their work in the Candle restaurants and beyond.

Bart is a proud member of Co-op America, Social Ventures Network, Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, The Presidents Club at F.A.R.M., P.E.T.A. and Farm Sanctuary. He provides a wealth of inspiration and information through his daily aphorisms, which he posts on a chalkboard in both restaurants. A compilation of his works, “Look Two Ways on a One Way Street” is published by Lantern Books. The success of Candle Cafe and Candle 79 proves Bart’s original assertion that eating super healthy vegetarian food is a choice that impacts not only individual health, but also the health of the planet. Bart’s “daily bread” is his quest to make our world better for all humanity. He continues to be inspired by the growth and significance of the green movement.

Joy, a nutritional counselor since 1985, graduated from Tufts University Magna Cum Laude, and is certified by the Pritikin Longevity Center and Hippocrates Health Institute. Her passion for counseling and healing through great food lead her to join Bart Potenza at The Healthy Candle in 1988 where they began creating foods and menus tailored to the nutritional needs of clients from Joy’s private practice, and the Healthy Candle’s ever-growing customer base. Their partnership has flourished, and Joy and Bart have joined to create Candle Cafe, Candle 79, a growing catering and wholesale business, and the internationally best selling Candle Cafe Cookbook.

In addition to time spent at the restaurants, Joy avidly promotes their mission beyond the restaurants’ walls. She has written and lectured extensively about food and nutrition, sharing her expertise with an ever widening audience as more and more people become mindful of the positive effects of healthful eating. She regularly leads workshops and teaches courses on diet and nutrition. Joy has appeared on The Today Show, Good Day New York, CBS News This Morning, The Food Network’s TV Food Diners, and has been a radio guest on Joan Hamburg, The Howard Stern Show, and Walden’s Pond with Sheldon Walden on NPR. Joy serves as a board member of the New York Coalition for Healthy School Lunches and Wellness in the Schools. She is also an active SVN member. Her quest is to continue changing people’s awareness of health and well being and its effect on the planet and future generations by bringing farm fresh vegan food to as many people and as many tables as possible!

For more information visit www.CandleCafe.com.

09/21/2011:

Part II – Jesse Boss
On Being Vegan as a Teenager
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH Jesse Boss

Jesse Boss is a fifteen-year-old, home schooled student living in San Francisco. She’s been vegan for over a year and shares her experiences in this interview.

 

LISTEN TO BOTH INTERVIEWS  

Tales on traveling and finding healthy, vegan food; the ongoing sad saga of GMO’s and a nonprofit which appears to be promoting healthy food but is it really?

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9/18/11: Traveling? In this show, I talk about ordering healthy vegan food in restaurants and in airports. It’s not impossible it just requires some preparedness. I give my thoughts on genetically modified foods, Monsanto’s Roundup Ready herbicide and discuss the new nonprofit organization, the United Farmers and Ranchers Alliance and their upcoming event, Food Dialogues.

LISTEN to the entire program.

9/7/2011 Interviews with Demetria Clark and Karyn Calabrese

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09/7/2011:

Part I – Demetria Clark, Herbal Healing For Children

Demetria Clark started learning about herbal healing at a very young age from friends and mentors she had during her youth and in childhood. She has formally studied and apprenticed with Rosemary Gladstar (in beginner and advanced trainings), apprenticed with Jane Smolnik, studied the Wise Woman Way with Susun Weed and attended workshops given by scores of well-known herbalist from all over the world including David Hoffmann, Christopher Hobbs, David Winston and scores of other amazing teachers. She received her aromatherapy education from the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy and Jeanne Rose.

Demetria has taught herbal and aromatherapy classes since 1996 and in 1998 founded the Heart of Herbs Herbal School. The school offers Herbal and Aromatherapy Certification Programs. Teaching herbs either in workshop format or an apprenticeship model has allowed Demetria to model her herbal and aromatherapy correspondence classes after the apprenticeship programs.

A graduate of SUNY Empire State College with a BA in Human Services, Demetria has also taken many graduate level college courses in forestry, botany, horticulture, and nutrition. She has also done graduate work at Midwives College of Utah and Open University in the UK, was on faculty at the Midwives College of Utah, and adjunct faculty at NH Community Technical College, where she taught herbal and aromatherapy classes at conferences, and apprenticeships. Demetria has also worked for UMASS Medical School in a research capacity.

She is a member of the Northeast Herbal Association, an organization dedicated to merging ancient traditions of Herbalism and the needs of the modern herbalist, and is also a member of United Plant Savers and the American Herbalist Guild. She has published numerous articles in medical, herbal and parenting journals.

A midwife, doula and trainer, Demetria runs Birth Arts International. She is married and the mother of two boys.

For more information visit www.heartofherbs.com.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH Demetria Clark

 

09/7/2011:

Part II – Karyn Calabrese
Soak Your Nuts

Karyn Calabrese is a successful entrepreneur and popular holistic health expert based in Chicago. At 64 years old she looks nearly a generation younger and enjoys boundless energy and great health. She started on her journey of health after suffering from a host of allergies and ailments as a child. In her 20’s, she adopted a vegetarian diet and began juicing to improve her health. After meeting teachers and raw food pioneers, Anne Wigmore and Viktoras Kulvinskas, Karyn gradually transitioned from vegetarian to vegan to a complete raw vegan diet. For the past 30 years, Karyn has been committed to taking care of her body and helping others to do the same. In addition to a raw diet, she believes in regular detoxification and has developed a program that she has shared with thousands of people over the years and is now available in her debut book, ‘Soak Your Nuts: Cleansing with Karyn.’ Karyn’s business also includes 3 vegan restaurants, a holistic wellness center, and a line of all natural supplements, skin care and makeup. Karyn has enjoyed huge success as a health expert in the local and national media including two appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show that featured age-defying women. Karyn was awarded the First Annual Raw and Living Foods Golden Branch Award in 2002 for introducing the idea of raw and living foods to the greatest number of people in the mainstream public.
For more information visit karynraw.com. http://karynraw.com/

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH Karyn Calabrese

 

LISTEN TO BOTH INTERVIEWS

Red Cabbage Soup with Leeks and Potatoes

Whenever I make Leeks with Vinaigrette I like to use the leftover green tops for soup. Leeks go great with cabbage and potatoes. Red cabbage is especially flavorful in this soup.

1 red cabbage, shredded
1 onion, diced
4 leek tops, just the green tops not used in the Leeks with Vinaigrette recipe, diced
4 organic potatoes, rinsed and cut in small cubes.
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 cups water
Tofu Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons chives, finely chopped

Put about 2 cups of water in a large soup pot. Turn heat to medium high. Add the cabbage, leeks and onions and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the turmeric, caraway seeds, pepper, potatoes and remaining water. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes. Serve hot with a dollop of tofu sour cream and chives.

Poached Pears with Raspberry Coulis and Chocolate Sauce

While living in the south of France, I often saw Poached Pears on dessert menus of upscale restaurants. It’s a beautiful dish, very fresh and light with just enough sweetness to finish a perfect meal.

8 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries or strawberries
1 tablespoon or more Sweetener to taste (Evaporated cane juice, Succanat, Agave Nectar, etc.)
8 oz. non dairy semi sweet or dark chocolate
¼ cup nondairy milk: soy, rice, almond
4 organic pears

Raspberry/Strawberry Coulis: Cook raspberries in a sauce pan over low heat until fruit has broken apart and is syrupy. Add sweetener to taste. Set aside to cool. When cool, purée in blender until smooth.

Chocolate Sauce: Melt chocolate in a double boiler (or carefully in a saucepan over low heat). Add milk and stir until smooth.

Carefully peel pears, keeping the stems (if available) in tact. Turn the pears over and remove the core and seeds from the bottom to the middle. The pears should keep their form, and once upright, it should not be obvious that the cores are removed. They do not need to be peeled if they are organic.

Place the pears upright in a sauce pan and fill with water to reach one third the height of the pears. Cook , covered, over medium heat until pears are soft but still keep their shape (about 15 minutes). Pears can also be placed in a microwave for several minutes until soft.

Place two or three tablespoons of the berry coulis on the bottom of each individual dessert plate. Set one pear on top of each pear. Drizzle 1 – 2 tablespoons of chocolate sauce over each pear.  Serve with a small scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream if desired.  Serves 4.

Cassoulet

When I lived in the south of France I learned about Cassoulet, a rich, slow-cooked white bean stew made with different meats, like pork sausages, pork, goose, duck and mutton). This was an easy dish to veganize, adding tempeh, seitan and tofu in place of the meats. The French are very particular about ingredients remaining true to the name of a dish. I apologize to anyone who may be offended because I call this vegan version Cassoulet as well. Whatever you call it, it’s hearty, delicious and satisfying. Bon Appétit.

16 ounces Tempeh or Tempeh Bacon (optional)
16 ounces Seitan, Firm Tofu, Baked Tofu or Vegan sausage (optional)
1 pkg. Navy Beans (small white beans) or 4 cans of Navy Beans
1 cup organic, salt-free tomatoes
3 tablespoons Herbes de Provence (thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, lavender)
3 cloves garlic
4 carrots, cut in 1 inch chunks
3 onions, cut in 1 inch chunks
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt to taste
1 cup water or white wine

Soak beans over night. Rinse, drain and replace water and cook, covered in large pot until soft but still whole, not falling apart. Drain. In a large soup pot, sauté garlic, carrots and onions with 3 tablespoons Herbes de Provence in water or white wine for 15 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add the beans, tomatoes, tempeh, seitan and/or tofu and mustard. Cook, covered for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Salt to taste.

Cassoulet can be served immediately or reheated and served later, adding more water if it gets too dry.

Watch the video on making Cassoulet

Coconut Cake

There’s something about coconut that irresistible. When I was young I loved coconut cream pie, coconut ice cream and any other coconut treat that came my way. I forgot about coconut for a while, maybe because most coconut desserts had dairy in them. I decided to make a coconut cake several years ago and made this recipe. It’s heavenly.

CAKE:
1 and 2/3 cups sugar/evaporated cane juice
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oat flour (I take ½ cup of oatmeal and grind it in a blender)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 ½ cups coconut milk (1 can)
2 tablespoons cider or white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

FROSTING:
2- 8 oz vegan, nondairy cream cheese, nonhydrogenated oil version preferred (Follow Your Heart brand is organic)
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp almond extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar or more, to taste
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Adjust oven rack to middle position, heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans; set aside. Mix sugar, flours, baking soda and salt into a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add shredded coconut. Combine coconut milk, water, vinegar and vanilla in large measuring cup. Place vegan butter in a medium bowl. Add coconut milk mixture, whisking until smooth. Add vegan butter-coconut milk mixture to dry ingredients, fold in gently until just incorporated. Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, switching position of and rotating pans after 12 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Sift powdered sugar, removing any clumps. Blend vegan cream cheese, almond and vanilla extracts and sugar with a fork, whisk or beater. Beat at low speed until smooth, do not overbeat. Let chill several hours.

Frost top of one layer, place the other layer on top and cover with frosting. Add shredded coconut to top and sides by gently tossing it onto the frosting. Coconut that does not stick can be pressed into the frosting with a knife.

Chemo and Soda on the Rocks, Put it on Uncle Sam’s Tab

Today’s New York Times had two articles in it that made my chemo-tainted blood boil: U.S. Scrambling To Ease Shortage of Vital Medicine and U.S Rejects Mayor’s Plan to Ban Use of Food Stamps to Buy Soda.

In the first article we learn that there has been an increase in shortages in drugs used to treat cancer, infections and other diseases. The shortages appear to be due to the consolidation of the generic drug industry that “compete only on price and have foreign plants that are rarely inspected”. Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment who go to their appointments for an infusion are told to go home and wait for new supplies to arrive.

The second article informs us about an administrator of the U.S.D.A. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) who explains that New York City’s proposed 2-year experiment to not allow people to buy sodas with food stamps in order to see if it would reduce obesity was “too large and complex” (no pun on my part intended) to implement and evaluate.

What is wrong here? Why are we so sick that we need all these drugs? Read more »

8/17/2011 Interviews with Mia McDonald and Lois Dieterly

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

 

08/17/2011:

Part I: Mia McDonald

Executive Director, Brighter Green

Based in New York, Brighter Green is directed by Mia MacDonald, a public policy analyst and writer who has worked as a consultant to a range of international non-governmental organizations—including the Ford Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund, the Green Belt Movement, the Sierra Club, and Save the Children as well as several United Nations agencies, among others—on issues of environment, gender, sustainable development, women’s rights and gender equality, reproductive health and population, and conservation and animal protection. She has published many articles in popular and environmental media, authored a number of policy papers and reports, and has contributed to four books, including Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai’s best-selling autobiography, Unbowed. She is a Senior Fellow of the Worldwatch Institute and has taught in the human rights program at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and the environmental studies program at New York University. She serves as a director on the boards of Farm Sanctuary, Food Empowerment Project, and the Green Belt Movement International – North America. She received a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a B.A. with honors from Columbia University.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH MIA MCDONALD

 

 

08/17/2011:

Part II: Lois Dieterly

Sinfully Vegan

Lois Dieterly is an elementary-school teacher in Pennsylvania and bakes vegan desserts for a local restaurant. She has been a vegetarian for the last decade and a vegan for four of these years. Dieterly lives with her family outside Reading, Pennsylvania.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH LOIS DIETERLY

 

Tempeh Skillet Dinner

One skillet dinners are easy and have that good, old-fashioned home-style cooking feeling to them.

 tempeh skillet dinner

1 package, 8 ounces, tempeh
1 onion
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 medium hot chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon parsley
1 cup water
1 can, 15 ounces, diced tomatoes (I use the no added salt variety)
1 cup frozen corn
salt to taste (I don’t add salt)

1. On a cutting board, grate the entire package of tempeh.
2. Peel and chop the onion into 1/2 inch size pieces.
3. Turn heat under skillet to medium high. Add all the ingredients above. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Serve with your favorite tortillas. Top with grated Cashew Jack cheese. Serves 2-4.

Only REAL disclaimers please.

 

SAD is the acronym for Standard American Diet and it is sad indeed. The health of Americans is degrading quickly with some predicting that today’s generation of children will not live as long as their parents.  Our diet is killing us and the planet – with animal agriculture warming the atmosphere and degrading the environment faster than you can say “Do you want fries with that?” A diet of organic, whole, unrefined fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds is the answer to health, longevity, and mitigation of environmental destruction. Books, cookbooks, documentaries and websites keep popping up to spread the news about the power of a plant-based diet. Yet every time I read an article or hear a program about vegan diets there is always a warning. Read more »

Oatmeal Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies: Gluten-Free

These are perfect anytime, for holidays, celebrations and especially everyday moments like treating children to warm oatmeal cookies after school or for dipping in your afternoon tea.

2 sticks (1 cup) Earth Balance natural shortening
2 cups sugar (evaporated cane juice)
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds and 4 tablespoons water.
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1½ cups oat flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats
¾ cup ground raw almonds (if allergic to almonds, use sunflower or pumpkin seeds)
½ cup raisins
½ cup nondairy chocolate chips or non dairy chocolate bar cut into small chunks (about 1/4 inch)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Preheat over to 350F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl beat together water and flax seeds. Add vanilla.

Cream shortening and sugar, add flax seed mixture.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, rolled oats, almonds, baking soda, xanthan gum and cinnamon. Add flax/sugar/shortening mixture and mix well. This is a dry, stiff dough. It is easiest to mix with a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or hand electric mixer. You can also knead it with your hands. Add raisins and chocolate chips.

The cookie dough can be used immediately or refrigerated. If using immediately, scoop out a small amount of dough, roll into a ball in your hands and flatten to a round circle. Place on the cookie sheet. Continue with remaining dough, leaving about 1/2 inch between cookies. If refrigerating dough, first roll dough into a log, about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in wax paper. When ready to use, slice dough into 1/2 inch rounds and place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

*TIP: Oat flour can be made by grinding rolled oats in a coffee mill, food processor or blender until fine and powdery.

Green Juice

I can not say enough about the importance of green juice. This is a great way to cram nutrients and super charge the immune system. Many people have asked me how I make green juice. I use a Breville Juice Fountain Elite. The ingredients in my juice vary based on what I find in the market.

green juice
I might use 3-6 stalks of celery, 1/2-1 cucumber (with skin if organic), 5-10 dark green leaves with stalks (can be kale, collards, chard), 1/2-1 whole lemon with the skin, 1 to 2 inches of whole, fresh ginger (with skin). Optional: 2-6 carrots, 1/4-1/2 beet, 1/2 bunch of parsley with stems, 1/4-1/2 onion, 1/2 bunch mint, 1 whole apple (with skin if organic). I also like to take the fiber that is separated from the juice and run it through the juicer 2 or 3 times. You’ll get more juice that way. Broccoli stalks are great too. You can cook the flowery heads separately and juice the stalks, since most people don’t like to eat the stalks. The lemon peel has vitamins and minerals and really smooths out the bitterness of the greens. I love ginger, but the more you add the hotter it will get. Some people like a little onion or raw garlic. I don’t like raw garlic. Here’s an interesting and important point: Many of the wonderful nutrients in the greens are fat soluble so you need to eat a little fat when you eat greens, in juice or salads or whatever. That’s why it’s nice to add a small amount of raw nuts and seeds with the salad. You can munch on a small amount of nuts, like 6 walnut halves when having the juice if you are not having any fat at the same time. If you really don’t like the juice then you can back up and start with a sweeter mix like carrot, apple and ginger and/or lemon. Little by little you can add a leaf or two of kale and get used to the taste. Cucumber and celery are great too, the flavor is very light.

Watch how to make it here:

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