Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Pickled Dandelion Greens and Stems


I recently started making pickled dandelion greens. I hated to waste the stems. I often threw them out because they are bitter when eaten raw. I didn't know what else to do with them until I thought to add them to the leaves and pickle the whole stem.

I discovered that the brine cut through the bitterness of the raw stem and created the right amount of stability to add zing to our hummus and dip experience.  In the pickling, I include whole garlic cloves and red onion slices.  I also used the fresh dill from my window herb garden.

I first read about how important dandelion greens our in our diet years ago. The hard part is now knowing what is good for you to eat, but actually convincing your family to eat it. This is the first time that we have all enjoyed our dandelions. In the past, I have sauteed them with success.  I treat them like I would any other leafy green.


There is a variety of dandelions to be purchased or grown. The variety I find in the grocery store is not the type that grows in my yard. Although we could eat them I choose not to because the previous owner used chemicals on the yard. If you choose to collect or forage for dandelions in the wild, keep in mind the location and how they have been treated. 


Pickled Dandelion Greens and Stems

1 bunch of dandelion greens, washed and sliced (see photo)
1 small red onion, sliced
Fresh dill
Raw garlic cloves
water
white vinegar
sugar
salt

1.  Chop dandelion greens and stems and red onions.  Peel the garlic and leave whole.

2.  In a container of your choice, add dill, greens, onion, and garlic.  Fill the jar 1/4 full with white vinegar.  Fill the jar within 1 inch from the top with water.

3.  Add 1/2-3/4 cup sugar (depends on how sweet you like your brine) and 1-2 tablespoons of salt.

NOTE:  This is an easy way to make brine for any jar you use. This gives you the freedom to pickle small and large batches. You can heat the brine before adding it to your ingredients. I personally don't because I like the bit of crunch they maintain when I use a cold brine.

4.  Let pickled dandelions marinate for a full day. I say this because dandelions are tough.  They need the extra time to brew.  They will last 2 weeks in the fridge. NOTE: You can test the brine a few hours into the process to see if you wish to add more sugar or salt.  I believe that there is not a perfect recipe because our taste buds are all different.



Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Mushroom Risotto #vegan


Mushroom Risotto is a family favorite.  We love the creamy texture of this dish. It warms our bellies on those cold days while living at the beach. Normally we would be eating this more in the winter months but this year, it's cold.  The beach is cold, windy, and most days, misty.  Last year we had beautiful weather and this year is different. 

To escape the cold we have been leaving the area and camping in Bend, Oregon.  We love Bend.  We were there two weeks ago and it was 95 degrees.  AHHHHHH...that felt so good.  So good, in fact, we just scheduled another week.


Making risotto is not as quick as throwing rice in the rice cooker. It takes some time. Just clear your schedule for about 25 minutes and devote the time to bringing this creamy and filling dish to your family's table. The key to making risotto is adding enough liquid to ensure the rice is not crunchy.  I personally do not like the rice to have a bite to it. I want mine to be a smooth bite.

This is a vegan recipe. I have chosen to use a vegetable stock, no cheese, and fresh vegetables from our local Farmer's Market.  I will say that I used Miyoko's European Style Butter to saute the vegetables and it added a depth of flavor to this dish.

**This is not an ad.  All of the products I mention are simply because I use them in my kitchen and they are what works best in our menu planning.

Next time I will be making the risotto with corn. MMMM...now I want Corn Risotto.

I use the Braggs Amino Acids at the very end to add a robust flavor.  I hate to say the word "meaty" but that is what it does in my opinion.  We use a lot of vegetable stock and sometimes it is nice to have a different flavor and this provides that. This dish with the mushrooms and black pepper pairs nicely with the "meaty" flavor of the amino acids.



Mushroom Risotto #vegan

Makes about 4 cups.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegan butter or oil, see comments above
1/2 zucchini, diced small
1/2 medium onion, diced small
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1.5 cups Arborio Rice (risotto rice)
4-6 cups vegetable broth
 1 small can of pre-cooked mushrooms, drained
1-2 tablespoons Braggs Amino Acids

1.  In a heavy dutch oven (I use Le Creuset), heat vegan butter.  Add the zucchini and onion. Saute until clear, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more.

2.  Add rice and lightly brown rice.  Warm the broth/stock in a separate pan and have near by with a ladle.  Prepare to stay at the stove until this dish is done.  The risotto will stick if you do not stir constantly.

3.  Ladle one scoop at a time to the rice mixture. Stir until absorbed and then repeat.  Stir, add broth, stir, add broth, repeat.  Do this until the rice is creamy and soft.  HINT: My rice tripled in size when it was close to being finished.

4.  Add the amino acids and mushrooms. Continue adding broth until risotto is complete.

5.  Serve immediately or store in a covered container in the refrigerator.  Warm to serve left overs.




Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Aquafaba Mayonnaise #vegan



This recipe really excites me!  

I've been making this mayonnaise for about two years. It really does taste, feel and look like mayonnaise.  I guess that's because, to me and my family, this is our vegan mayonnaise.  

We use it on and in everything that calls for mayonnaise. What makes it so special to me is it taste just like mayonnaise used to taste when I was a kid. It could be my taste buds have changed but the mayonnaise, especially the vegan mayonnaise on the market, is bland and boring.  This has a hint of lemon, a touch of garlic, and a slight twang of salt.  

We have a friend staying in our home and he is slowly being introduced to all types of new flavors and foods.  This is his favorite!  Just the other day he had a good laugh.  He said, " I can't believe that I love fresh tomato on sliced bread with VEGAN mayonnaise."  


What is aquafaba?   It is the liquid that comes in a can of garbanzo beans or white beans.  I have used the liquid from great white northern beans too with great success. I personally do not notice a change in flavor if I use different liquids from different canned beans.  You can also make the beans from scratch and save the liquid.  I have yet to try this method.  If you google aquafaba you will be directed to a variety of recipes.  For me, I think egg whites describe what it looks like best.  The liquid has the same consistency and reacts the same in similar situations.  So far, I only have used the aquafaba to make this mayonnaise. Others have made meringue, frosting, omelets (egg free), cookies, cakes, etc...The list is getting longer and longer and for that, I am so excited.


As far as the oil goes, you can use a variety of oils to achieve slightly different flavor profiles. I personally have used Algae oil from Thrive, a light olive oil brand, avocado oil, and coconut oil (melted).  HUGE SIDE NOTE: if you decide to use coconut oil, then prepare for the mayonnaise to become hard in the fridge.  Not all is lost though. This happened to me. I simply warmed it up, stirred it, and then took my stick blender and re-whipped it to perfection.  I did this twice and each time the mayonnaise was successfully whipped to mayonnaise perfection.  

I really like the flavor profile when using the refined coconut oil. I might use this oil if I am making a small batch and I know that it will all be eaten that day or night.  





Eating only plants allows me to be creative in the kitchen, even more so than before when I ate meat, dairy, cheese, and eggs.  I have to get creative with flavor profiles and ingredients.  Some times I see myself as a mad scientist speaking a foreign language.  This happened last week.  In my excitement of sharing our plant based lifestyle with others, I decided to start a monthly potluck dinner for those who are transitioning to plants only, are already vegan, or have questions of where to begin. Everyone is welcome.  At our first meeting, we had three people. Two were brand new. I started rambling about ingredients, techniques, and recipes.  I could tell that I was losing them and I had to back up a little bit. The ingredients alone are quite foreign to those who don't prepare plant based foods from scratch: nutritional yeast, amino acids, aquafaba, miso paste, etc....

We are excited to meet next month. I met two new people today at the grocery store while standing in line to pay for our groceries. She looked at me and noticed that our purchases were very similar. I asked them if they were vegan. They said YES.  I invited them to our meeting next month along with their daughter.  I love to teach and share my ideas. This gathering is a place for us to find a community of like minded souls, to share in this journey, and to build a strong foundation for helping those who wish to also eat plants only.

Today while at church a lady said to me that it must be hard to be vegan at the beach.  I had to think about that for a minute. I replied, "not really."  I don't crave seafood anymore. I don't want to kill animals.  I believe living at the beach is the perfect place to practice a plants only lifestyle. I see the animals in our area not merely as food anymore. I see them as a friend.


Aquafaba Mayonnaise #vegan

1/2 cup aquafaba (the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans)
1 1/2 cups of your favorite oil in liquid form
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice, fresh if possible
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
salt--start with 1 teaspoon and then add/taste, repeat
2 teaspoons minced garlic from a jar (raw garlic will be too strong)

TOOLS:  A stick blender is the only thing I have ever used to make this mayonnaise. Trying anything else may deliver different results. (The link is not an ad, it is only to show you what I mean when I say stick blender).  

1.  I use a quart canning jar because this recipe will make about 2-2.5 cups of mayonnaise.  Our family uses one quart a week. Add the aquafaba and all ingredients EXCEPT the oil.  Blend on low until bubbly.

2.  Slowly start adding the oil.  I have a way of holding the measuring cup on the rim of the canning jar and letting the oil sssllllooooowwwwllllyyy drizzle into the aquafaba mixture.  This takes about 8-10 minutes.  BE patient.  It will be very loose, and then suddenly it will come together. More oil will make the mayonnaise thicker.

3.  As you go, periodically taste your mayonnaise.  Add more salt, lemon, garlic, or mustard powdered based on how you and your family want your mayonnaise to taste.  Our family likes it to have a slight lemony flavor with a hint of garlic.

4.  When finished, refrigerate.  It should stay thick, unless you used coconut oil, for up to 7-9 days.

Donut Breakfast Casserole

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