Vegetarian Fiction

I have had this book since 1998, and I don't know how many times I have read it. It's actually a Young Adults book. During Tropical Storm Fay, we lost power several times, never knowing for how long each outage would last. So, I found myself in front of our bookcase looking for entertainment. This is the book that called to me.

It's Sunshine Rider: The First Vegetarian Western by Ric Lynden Hardman. I suppose I should warn my vegetarian readers that it takes some time before the hero, Wylie Jackson, becomes a vegetarian, and even after his change of heart there are still some pretty graphic meat references. For example, at the very beginning of the book, there is a recipe for Porterhouse Steaks that starts with a LIVE cow.... Each chapter begins with a recipe, including a few vegetarian recipes. The humor in the book extends to some of its recipes. For instance, here is part of the recipe for Masoor Dal:

"Into this smoking cauldron pitch the peas; there will be a sound like a cow backfiring. This is to be expected."

The recipe ends: "It's a dandy surprise."

I love it! So if you can handle the occasional graphic meat reference, it's an amazing and fun journey of a young man becoming an adult in the Wild West.

Chestnut Pancakes (Gluten Free)

DH and I were in Orlando for the day recently and on our way out of the city, we stopped at a natural foods store, Chamberlain's. There we found a few items we have a hard time finding in other places in Florida, such as blue corn meal, maple sugar and other things. DH also put in our cart this bag of chestnut flour:

We have never used it before but have heard that it is delicious. So we decided to try it, even though it is quite pricey. We found online this recipe for gluten-free chestnut pancakes published by the manufacturer of the flour. It only uses a 1/3 cup of the chestnut flour, so if we keep using recipes like this, our small bag of flour should last a little while. We hope so, as we are loving it! The flour itself even smells wonderful! It adds a deep, sweet and nutty flavor. The pancakes are not as light and fluffy as more traditional pancakes, but they are packed with flavor and are very satisfying.

We topped this batch of chestnut pancakes with some caramelized bananas. We have found they are also good with apples or a bit of maple syrup.

Polenta with Gorgonzola and Almonds

Oh my, this is the most luscious polenta we have eaten in a while. We could have eaten the whole pot if not careful. It is so creamy and sweet, with a nice crunch from the almonds. Really it so richly flavored that we would even happily eat it as a dessert. We ate the polenta along with tofu baked in a honey-Dijon sauce and some green beans sauteed with garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

The recipe is very easy and quite quick, taking only minutes to prepare. The trick is that the recipe calls for quick cooking polenta, so instead of stirring the pot of polenta for a long time, it only takes 5 minutes of stirring. However, the polenta that I purchased was super quick cooking polenta, and only needed one minute of stirring. A gourmet meal in one minute!

The brand I used was de la Estancia Organic Polenta. It is not an instant product even though it only needs a minute to cook. The package says that it is not pre-cooked nor processed, and that the reason it is naturally quick-cooking is because it has a low starch content and a super fine grind. Since I used this polenta, I did need to alter the amount of liquid ingredients in the recipe. The recipe calls for 5 cups total of liquids, but I reduced that to 3 cups total per the package recommendation. I would read the package directions to be sure of the cooking time and liquid amounts required for the particular brand.

Polenta with Gorgonzola and Almonds
Gourmet Magazine April 2008

3 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups milk
salt (around 1 1/2 teaspoons total, divided)
1 cup quick-cooking polenta
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces Gorgonzola dolce
1/3 cup unsalted roasted almonds, chopped or sliced
freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring water, milk and 3/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large heavy bottomed sauce pan. Sprinkle in the polenta and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes (or per package directions).
2. Remove from heat and whisk in Parmesan and butter. Serve sprinkled with Gorgonzola, almonds and freshly ground black pepper.

Agave Nectar or Miel de Maguey

When we were in Mexico in February, we picked up this jar of Miel de Maguey, which is agave nectar. We really wish we had bought more, as it is superb! It is so delicious, with a much deeper and more fruity agave flavor than any we have bought in the US, and I have tried every one I have seen. This jar we are savoring and are using it on dishes where we will be able to taste and appreciate the special flavor.

It was interesting to note while we were there that many Mexicans use agave nectar as a medicinal supplement rather than as a sweetener. When we were talking about how popular agave nectar is here in the States as sugar substitute, it was interesting to find out that in some parts of Mexico it is more commonly just eaten by the spoonful like a dose of medicine. So, I had to explain how to use it as a sweetener. That was a little surprising to me, since besides honey, agave is a sweetener native to Mexico. The nectar from the agave plant has been extracted and used for food since pre-Columbian times. Sugar cane was brought to Mexico in more recent history. Perhaps it was because I was talking to people in Yucatan, and agave is not a crop grown there. In Yucatan, bee honey is a big industry and has always been used there as a sweetener.

For those who are curious, here is a translation of the health claims written on this jar of agave nectar: "rich in fiber, dietetic oligosaccharide, aids digestion and promotes the development of intestinal flora. Natural source of protein, calcium, potassium, vitamin C and antioxidants. More than a sweetener." Now in contrast, here are the health claims written on a some of the bottles of agave nectar that I have found in the US which are marketed to Americans: "a new natural sweetener... low glycemic index that is beneficial for many... diabetic friendly..."

I personally ignore health claims written on food products. I don't trust them. And there is good reason to be skeptical. Agave nectar sold in the US is not without controversy, as apparently some brands that say they're 100 percent pure, really aren't, the glycemic index differs greatly between brands, etc.

I use agave nectar because I like how it tastes, how it dissolves so easily into liquids and because it works well in many of my recipes. I use it sparingly when I do use it.

Bread and Bagels

I figure that if you are going to eat refined flours, you may as well eat the best artisan breads you can find. And in New York, it is hard to decide where to get your bagels or bread because there are just so many outstanding bakeries. Above is olive bread at Grandaisy Bakery on Sullivan. Below, from Ess-a-Bagel, is an Oat Bran Bagel with Tofu Cream Cheese and a Cappuccino. Yes, you read that right, there are vegan cream cheese options. There are eight tofu flavors, including herb, olive, raisin-walnut, etc. But most importantly, they are delicious!

Earthmatters Organic Market

On the Lower East Side on Ludlow there is an organic market with a great vegetarian deli counter. For $9.95 you can fill up the plate with as much food as it will hold. This plate was more than enough to feed both myself and Pedro. On the plate is potato salad, veggie stuffed grape leaves, garbanzo bean salad, cauliflower curry, garden salad with tempeh, etc. There was room to put even more food on the plate, but we didn't need it, as we got plenty full. Everything was yummy. And there were three areas with plenty of tables for seating: next to the front window, on a loft overlooking the market (which also had computers with Internet access) and there was a sort of garden room that was at the highest level.

Cupcakes at Babycakes

Here is a vegan lemon cupcake from New York's Babycakes Bakery. Mmmm. So delicious! No refined sugar, no wheat, no gluten, no casin, no dairy, no eggs, but oh so moist and tasty!

Cafe Viva Pizza

On the Upper West Side of Manhattan, there is an out-of-the-ordinary pizza parlor called Cafe Viva Pizza. It serves kosher, mostly organic, natural vegetarian food with many vegan choices. The pizza crusts are made with whole grain flours, with a choice of spelt flour, corn or whole wheat. You can also get gluten-free pastas. We sampled three pieces of pizza. Clockwise from top: Zen, Carozza, and Santa Rosa. The Zen is vegan with green tea enhanced spelt crust topped with green tea miso tofu, green tea basil pesto, shitakes and maitake mushrooms, red onions, sundried tomatoes and roasted garlic. The Carozza also has spelt crust and is topped with mozzarella, tomatoes, spinach, and Kalamata olives. The Santa Rosa is vegan and has whole wheat crust and is topped with sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, roasted garlic, olives, tofu marinated in miso and soy cheese. We are disappointed that we didn't try one with a corn crust. But, we were way too full. In any event, we were certainly happy with what we ate.

Cafe Mingala

Yesterday we had a spectacular lunch at Cafe Mingala, which features Burmese cuisine. For now, here are photos. I'll give a description later. For now, we're off to do more exploring...

On 06/21 added: OK, now for the descriptions. They were both lunch specials, at $5.50 each. The first dish is Monsoon Vegetable with Mixed Lentils. It reminded us of Puchero, as the vegetables were so varied and the flavor of the broth was nicely developed. It was so satisfying. Below is Chili Soybean and Vegetables. The meat-like chunks are made from soy. It was recommended by the waiter, and it was great. Both dishes are served with Yellow Rice.

Uncle Marky's Organic Harvest Cafe

Lest you think all we are eating in New York is chocolate, here is what we ate for dinner at Uncle Marky's Organic Harvest Cafe. We had the Triple Protein Bonanza, above. It had tofu, tempeh, and quinoa with greens and coconut curry sauce served with steamed veggies. Below are the Seitan Enchilladas which had mixed veggies along with the seitan, served with black beans and basmati rice. It was a tiny place but warm with a very friendly staff and clientele.

Chocolate Indulgence in New York

Pedro and I are in New York City celebrating 14 years of marriage. So of course, we are indulging. I dare anyone to pass by the Cacao Bar/Tea Room of MarieBelle Fine Chocolates and not stop. Pedro and I shared a petit cup of Aztec Hot Chocolate and a pot of Dark Obsession Chocolate Rose Tea. Mmm. Great pick-me-up.

We also could not resist sampling a Dark Chocolate Pear Tart at Once Upon A Tart. Wow, delicious!

HealthyWay Cafe review

Pedro and I tried a new restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida over the weekend. It is called the HealthyWay Cafe, and it hails itself as the first organic, all-natural fast food franchise. It opened in December 2006. I didn't have my camera with me, so unfortunately I do not have photos to share at this time. However, I thought it deserves some mention.

I am pleasantly surprised that the first organic, environmentally conscious (although still waste producing) fast-food franchise would be located in Jacksonville, Florida. But being that it is in Jacksonville, it isn't surprising that the restaurant falls short on offering a variety of options for vegetarians and vegans. The only vegan protein source the restaurant offers is black beans. Protein powder, which could be added to smoothies, is the only other potentially vegan protein source. But it doesn't say whether it is vegan or not; so who knows, maybe it's made of powdered poultry. HealthyWay Cafe could at the very least offer tofu. Even Moe's has tofu. But, even better than tofu would be tempeh.

Pedro and I shared the Healthy Way Vegetarian Sandwich and the Vegetarian Meal Pack, both priced at $8.95. Tempeh would have made the Healthy Way Vegetarian Sandwich much more satisfying. It really should have more protein in it, being the same price as the sandwiches that contain an extra protein besides cheese. I would also like to suggest that they offer a gluten-free bread or tortilla option. As for the Vegetarian Meal Pack, it was nice. It said that it comes with balsamic vinaigrette, but I tasted a hint of ginger. In any event, the flavor was much more mild than I would serve at home, but it did have flavor, and I would eat it again. I think that it would have been better with some of the chopped walnuts on top. Walnuts are a great vegetarian source of Omega-3's. It would have also been nice if there were the option of having the Southwestern Meal Pack with tempeh instead of chicken.

The other suggestion I have is to either call all of the vegetarian or vegan options Healthy Way, or call none of them Healthy Way. It is very confusing that the Healthy Way Sandwich is vegetarian, but both the Healthy Way Wrap and the Healthy Way Meal Pack contain fish.

Another thing I would be very interested to see would be nutrition information. And, for example, how does the Vegetarain Meal Pack compare to a Big Mac?

Overall, I was very happy to stumble upon an organic restaurant in Jacksonville.

Curried Split Peas with Millet Bread

In a class at Conscious Gourmet we learned a recipe for Curried Split Pea Soup. But today I decided to make a thicker version, instead of a soup, as I love thick bean dishes. I basically used as little water to simmer the beans as I could. Then when everything was cooked and tender, I pureed in my blender a good portion of the batch. I topped my beans with slices of green onions and a few splashes of ume plum vinegar. And I toasted some millet bread to eat with it. This millet bread is really great. It's made at Deland Bakery in Florida, and I am able to buy it at my local natural foods markets. Here is the list of ingredients for the bread: organic millet flour, brown rice flour, water, sea salt. That's it!

A note about peanut butter & jelly: fats & sugars

When we buy peanut butter, we buy natural. No trans fats, no hydrogenated oils, no high fructose corn syrup, no refined sugars. A brand that my local grocery carries that I really like is Smart Balance Omega, as it doesn't require refrigeration, the oils don't separate, it spreads well and tastes great.

As for jelly, we don't eat it unless we know it is vegetarian. Gelatin is not vegetarian. We eat jam, but again watch out for the high fructose corn syrup and sugar content.

Also of note, some sugar passes through cow bone char as part of the bleaching and refining process. We buy sugars that we know are not processed in that manner. My local grocery carries Florida Crystals. Backstrap molasses, and agave nectar are some nutritious sweeteners. Vegans will normally not use honey, but we are not vegan, and we do use honey. But, we don't eat artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes. There are other reasons why, but in the end, a big reason is that my taste buds object to the aftertaste.

Added April 19: At the Conscious Gourmet I learned a lot of new things that I wasn't aware of about sugars and sweeteners, including some natural sweeteners I had never tried before. I am rethinking my use of sugars and will be trying some alternatives that I have been exposed to. I'll keep you updated on this in newer posts.