Organic Granny

I checked to see what I had in the fridge.  Lots of greens (chard, etc.), a couple of zucchinis and 2 large carrots that seem to be coming to the end of their days (a little spongy shall we say?) I am all for NO FOOD WASTE-- use it or compost it, and we were hungry. So, I googled CARROT BURGERS and actually came across a delicious recipe that also uses 1/4 C. of walnuts (meaning you don't have to go and buy a large bag-- you can buy yourself a small quantity from the health store bulk bin) and 1/2 C. Panko-- something I have never bought, but I did have some finely grated soda crackers sitting in a container in the fridge that I used in lieu of panko in some other recipe-- they work well for us.  I didn't have fresh cilantro, but I did have some basil-- yes, I know they are not too similar-- not at all-- but it was a taste of herb we were after, right?  And I had everything else right here available. I stuck it all into the food processor, and presto, it was ...

I am cooking up and submitting this recipe because I have a library book that has this recipe in it and I want to remember it.  The book is One-Dish Vegan Revised and Expanded Edition: 175 Soul-Satisfying Recipes for Easy and Delicious One-Pan and One-Plate Dinners and I highly recommend it. I do a number of subs for things I don't have in the house/fridge (example, I don't have baby spinach, I would never buy pine nuts, and I don't really like red pepper all that much). I do find, however, that many recipe-makers tend to have a very tasty outcome and that is what I go for! INGREDIENTS: 8 - 12 oz of Penne pasta, uncooked (I am using brown rice penne- gluten-free) 1/4 C. water 5 Garlic cloves, minced 12 oz Baby Kale (or other greens on-hand, such as chard or spinach), chopped coarsely 1/4 tsp Chipotle Pepper powder ( or 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes) 1/2 C. Vegetable Broth (such as Golden Bouillon) 1 15-oz can of Chickpeas or 1 1/2 C. cooked Chickpeas 1/2 C...

Are you looking for a way to use up all those zucchinis and/or basil in some kind of delicious one-dish meal?  Well, look no further... here is a delightful vegan pasta dish that will satisfy your hunger and your taste buds. The following vegan (no animal products) dish is also oil free, so it is pretty low fat but you will think it is full of cheese.  You will see why!  This recipe feeds 4-6 adults. INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 C. cooked or canned Cannellini Beans  or other White Beans 1/2 C. Vegetable Broth  3 T. Fresh-squeezed Lemon Juice 3 T. Nutritional Yeast 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder Salt  1/4 C. Fresh Basil (minced) 16 oz uncooked  Linguine 2 medium size Zucchini cut into long   thin  strips METHOD: Blend up (or use a food processor) the beans, broth, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and salt.  It should be smooth and creamy, the texture of regular cheese sauce (or as close as you can g...

The harvest fruit is just pouring in these days, and the blueberries, sad to say, have pretty much reached the end of their season (thanks also to the little flocks of birds who make daily forays to the bush before and after I arrive). This yummy vegan dessert is a fruit swap for a recipe using strawberries (link below BLUEBERRY-LEMON BAR recipe).  I don't have any strawberries on hand, but I did have all the other ingredients + blueberries, so.... There is a magic ingredient that allows this vegan recipe to look and taste like a lemon bar made with eggs.  Well, maybe 2 magic (that is, unusual) ingredients depending on how hip you are in your vegan subbing and general gourmet exploration of the vegan life. RECIPE FOR VEGAN BLUEBERRY- LEMON BARS TOOLS and MATERIALS  * 8" x 8" square pan -- the original recipe author insists on this!  9"x9" is too big.  Won't work! *Parchment Paper to line the pan  * Lemon Squeezer.   I use an e...

Here is my latest "cooking gadget"-- An American Sun Oven -- solar oven.  It is some swanky item and it has been on my mind for a long time. So I ordered it. And then my husband and I were ill with a virus for about a month during which there were many beautiful sunny days, but we didn't have the energy. Hahah... energy.  The one thing that the solar oven brings to mind is energy-- from the sun!  Solar energy. Yesterday I opened the box and took it and all its accouterments out and laid them on the kitchen table.  I re-read the manual and watched the video online. We took it into the backyard and learned how to adjust the leg so that I could follow the sun at the right angle.  I learned how to "focus" the incoming sun as well as position the oven properly.  I learned how to shut the various 'clasps' so that the heat would not further escape. I made up a delicious baked bean dish so we could use the beans this weekend for burritos or perhaps...

YES Botanical Chocolate Bars Okay, as a big promoter of eating organic foods , I admit that I generally share recipes for whole food plant-based dishes that contain organic fruits and vegetables-- if you have been here before, you know the recipes: vegan soups, stews, 'cheeses', sauces, casseroles, breakfast foods, etc. But what could I do when I received an email asking if I would consider reviewing some CHOCOLATE BARS?? (or more accurately, 99% organic, vegan, wild-sourced, organic, botanic cacao bars with No GMOs, and studded with healthy botanicals (herbs, spices, tea, mushrooms, essential oils??)). They are also NOT ROASTED which means... tah dah.... RAW VEGAN!!  Oh, and handmade (I guess that means that they DO NOT have the chockies going down the conveyor belts like this classic clip we remember from an  I Love Lucy episode: OF COURSE I SAID 'YES' TO REVIEWING 'YES CACAO' BOTANICAL CHOCOLATE BARS! And then because I live in Canada, it took...

Braised Red Cabbage over Sweet Potato  I recently purchased Anthony William's Medical Medium Life-Changing Foods: Save Yourself and the Ones You Love with the Hidden Healing Powers of Fruits & Vegetables  and although I am a skeptic around the "medical medium" tag, I was excited by the book's layout.  He introduces what he calls the Holy Four: Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs & Spices, and Wild Foods (Raw Honey being the only departure from the vegan whole foods listed as life-changing). Each "life-changing" item, example: Cranberries, contains an Introduction explaining why the food is included, Conditions (such as allergies, staph infections, etc.) that eating the food can help with, a section on Symptoms (that could point to conditions that can be healed), Emotional Support and a Spiritual Lesson (for those who follow Louise Hay and other New Age gurus). There is also a section on Tips and a RECIPE that uses the various life-changing foods, ...