Robin Asbell's Real Food Digest

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Korean-Inspired Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Kim Chee and Gochujang

Summertime is finally in full swing, I often crave something cool, crunchy, and spicy. I also crave something that requires not one btu of stove time. So, to build in some real interest and flavor to a simple, cool dish, I often resort to condiments.

Yes, the right ready-mades in your fridge can make an instant meal that’s packed with depth and intensity. In my case, I had a jar of locally made hot and spicy kim chee, and the hot sauce that is coming up fast on the heels of sriracha, a Korean paste called Gochujang.

Gochujang ia different from most hot sauces in that it is made from chiles that are mixed with glutinous rice ,sweetener, soy flour, and sometimes other seasonings, then fermented. What emerges from this fermentation is a sweet, funky hot sauce with just enough heat.  One taste and you will be hooked.

The deep tones of Gochujang chile paste

I got my tub of Gochujang at the Asian market, but I am seeing artisanal versions around, too. It’s a great addition to all sorts of dishes, from Asian soups and salads to barbecue sauce or sandwiches.

In this easy wrap, I used another secret ingredient, Wildwood Tofu Aioli. I don’t usually buy tofu mayos, but this one arrived at my Coop and I just had to try it. I love Wildwood Tofu, and I had a nice 10 oz chunk of their extra firm sprouted tofu, so I just diced up the tofu with a few scallions and the aioli. Piling it on a lettuce leaf with kimchee, avocado, pea shoots and a smear of gochujang, well, I must say, was delicious.

It may not be an authentic Korean old school dish, but it sure hit the spot after a day of gardening.

Korean-Inspired Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Gochujang

If I wanted to gild the lily, I might sliver some nori or toast some sesame to sprinkle on this. Let each diner make her own, balancing the flavors and heat to her own palate.

Serves 4, maybe

1 head leaf or bibb lettuce

10 ounces extra firm tofu, diced in small cubes

6 tablespoons tofu aioli or mayo

3 scallions, chopped

a cup or so of kim chee

1 couple of handfuls of tender pea shoots

1 large avocado, diced in the shell then scooped

Gochujang to taste

1. Wash and dry the lattuce, removing the bottom parts of the stems. Combine the tofu, aioli and scallions in a bowl and toss. Prep the pea shoots and avocado. Build each warp with a few spoonfuls of tofu, a spoonful of kim chee, a few sprouts, and a spoonful of avocado dice. Spoon a little gochujang on top, or put int on the plate, so you can roll up the leaf and dip it in the gochujang.

Ready for Shaking, Tossing and Eating

I have to say, I was a little late to this food in jars phenomenon. Sure, I used to can and still have cases of mason jars in my basement, awaiting the return of my DIY canning impulses. I keep a rotating stash of quart mason jars for my fresh juices, smoothies-to-go, and storing beans and grains.

But salad in a jar? That seemed like a cute idea that I should try some time. I’ve got other containers that I can use for salad, right?

Well, it is a cute idea, in part because you get to shake it. Yes, like any good meal, there is a final flourish that make s it all make sense. The simple brilliance of the salad in a jar is that you put the dressing in the bottom, so that the salad can rest on top, dry and un-wilted. It looks colorful and fresh and appealing, and then you toss it. You may need a little assist from your fork, but you get the idea. Lunch, one jar, one fork, napkin.

The other excellent aspect of this stack of salad is that the ingredient that you put in the bottom marinates in dressing for as long as you keep the salad in the fridge, awaiting your fork. I put the cooked garbanzos in first, but you could put in mushrooms or sliced zucchini, and do a vinaigrette so that they end up soft and tangy on purpose.

This is a great way to take salad on a picnic, pack each person their own salad and even customize it. Love peppers? Hate raw onions? Your salad can be your own like and dislike zone, perfectly balanced for you.

So get yourself a jar, or a few jars, and start packing salads for yourself.

You deserve a really fresh, nourishing lunch, no matter where you eat it!

Big Lemony Almond Salad in a Jar

I used a 6 cup capacity jar, so there would be room to shake it and have everything mix well. I also ate the whole thing myself for lunch, so it’s not that much salad, really. Or else I was just hungry.

This makes enough dressing for two salads. You can save it for another day or make two jars of salad.

Serves 1-2

1 clove garlic, peeled

4 tablespoons fresh parsley

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

6 tablespoons almond butter

2 tablespoons agave syrup

3 tablespoons vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon salt

 One Jar of Salad

1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans

1 cup shredded carrots

1 medium beet, shredded

1 cup pea shoots or sprouts

2 cup tender young arugala

2 tablespoons roasted whole almonds, coarsely chopped I used smoked)

Have a sturdy, wide mouth 6-8 cup jar ready for your salad.

In a food processor, mince the garlic and parsley, then add the lemon zest, juice and almond butter and process. Add the agave and vegetable stock and salt and process until smooth. Alternatively, you can mince and stir it all together by hand. Transfer the dressing to the quart jar.

Put in all the remaining ingredients one at a time, making a separate layer for each. Keep chilled until time to eat, then shake it all together to toss the salad, and eat with a long fork.

Veggie Crackers and Edamame Schmear from Crackers and Dips

Chances are, you learned to bake cookies in grade school, and over the years, you have tried your hand at muffins, maybe even yeasted breads. Depending on your love of the oven, you may even had some success with layer cakes and double crust pies. But have you ever made crackers?

Crackers, somewhere along the line, became something that nobody makes at home. We all grew up with saltines to crumble in our soup, and they arrive in a box, never from the oven.

Well, like so many foods, crackers are best when homemade. They are not that much work, either. If you have rolled out a pie crust or made cut-out cookies, you can master crackers.

A new book, Crackers and Dips, More Than 50 Homemade Snacks (Chronicle Books $19.95) has brought Ivy Manning’s amazing cracker recipes to your kitchen. Manning is a prolific food writer whose previous books are The Farm to Table Cookbook, and The Adaptable Feast. She also writes for Cooking Light, Bon Appetit, Fine Cooking, Living Without and the Oregonian, and does travel writing, too.

Manning has created a useful book that will guide you through your cracker explorations. I was completely won over by her approach, as she points out that most crackers have plenty of questionable additives, and then proceeds to make your favorite flavors using whole, natural ingredients. She also makes an economic case for DIY, since your typical box of crackers is really a bunch of packaging that contains crackers made from flour, oil, and salt. At their simplest, crackers are some cheap food to make at home.

Of course, Manning didn’t devote a whole book to plain crackers, but to exploring versions of favorite crackers made with better ingredients, and to creating new and exciting crackers. They are all worth making. They are not all vegan or vegetarian, but there are lots of good crackers and spreads in the book that are. She even gives a number of gluten-free options, for the cracker-craving GF diner.

So dust off that rolling pin and pre-heat the oven, it’s time to make crackers!

I picked this vegan-friendly veggie cracker, which is tinged red from tomato paste. I think I ground the veggie bits a little too finely, and will leave them in slightly larger pieces next time.

All in all, delicious!

Rolled out and cut in squares

Garden of Eden Vegetable Crackers

My all-time favorite cracker growing up was the tangy, salty crackers studded with dehydrated vegetables, cut out into vegetable-like shapes. I’ve sorted out how to re-create the veggie-flecked crackers at home, with lots less sodium, sugar, and fat but all the savory flavor I remember. They may not be health food, but they are addictively delicious!

For the dehydrated vegetables in the recipe, I use the chunky bits lurking at the top of Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix pouches. You can also buy dried vegetable blends in bulk at natural foods stores (sometimes labeled “soup vegetables”), or make your own blend with dehydrated bell peppers, dried onion flakes, and sun-dried tomatoes.

MAKES ABOUT 80 CRACKERS

2 tbsp dehydrated vegetables (see headnote)

1 cup/130 g whole-wheat flour

1 cup plus 2 tbsp/145 g unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

1 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp sweet paprika

2 tsp granulated onion powder

1 tsp granulated garlic powder

1/4 cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp/135 ml water

1 tbsp tomato paste

Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/ gas 6. Using a clean spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, grind the dehydrated vegetables until they are fairly fine; pieces should not exceed 1/16 in/2 mm wide, or the crackers will be difficult to roll and cut.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dehydrated vegetables, whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, sea salt, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Add the olive oil and rub it into the flour mix­ture with your fingers until it is completely incorporated and the mixture is crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and tomato paste. Add the water mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and slightly elastic, about 20 strokes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes. (The dough can be made ahead up to this point. Refrigerate the wrapped dough for up to 24 hours.)

Lightly dust a clean work surface and a rolling pin with all-purpose flour. Divide the dough into two equal-size balls. Roll out one ball of dough until it is 1/16 in/2 mm thick, picking up the dough occasionally and rotating it to make sure it’s not sticking to the work surface and adding more flour as necessary. If the dough springs back as you are rolling, set it aside and start rolling out the second ball; this will allow the gluten in the first ball of dough to relax, thus making it easier to roll out.

Using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter, trim any irregular edges (save the scraps). Cut the dough into 2-in-/5-cm-wide strips. Transfer the strips to a baking sheet, spacing the strips 1/2 in/ 12 mm apart. Sprinkle the strips sparingly with kosher salt and use the bottom of a measuring cup to gently tamp it into the dough. Prick the strips all over with a fork or comb and cut the strips crosswise into 2-in/5-cm squares. Repeat with the remain­ing dough and scraps.

Bake until the squares are light brown around the edges and firm to the touch, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans once from top to bottom and from back to front while baking. Watch carefully; these crackers go from perfectly done to burned very quickly. If some of the crackers are done before others, transfer them to a cooling rack and return the undone crackers to the oven for a few more moments. Cool the crackers and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Wasabi Edamame Schmear

The fresh, clean flavor of this thick soybean-based dip, or schmear, as I like to call it, goes well with the sesame seeds on the Crispy Wonton Triangles and the soy and mirin flavors of the Senbei. It’s even more virtuous served with thinly sliced carrots and blanched pea pods. The heat from the wasabi will intensify with time; so if you prefer just a whisper of wasabi, add it right before serving.

MAKES 1 1/2 CUPS/360 ML

One 12-oz/340-g bag frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans), defrosted

1/3 cup/75 ml water

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp sesame butter (tahini)

2 tsp wasabi paste (not powder)

Fine sea salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the edamame, water, lemon juice, sesame butter, wasabi paste, and 1 tsp salt. Pro­cess until the mixture is smooth, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the work bowl once or twice while blending. With the machine run­ning, slowly add the vegetable oil and process until incorporated. Taste the dip and season with salt, if needed. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Diet Food?

Are you still worried about the fat in nuts, avoiding them because you heard that they are too high fat? Well, banish those thoughts. Researchers have been looking at the benefits of nuts, and it turns out that eating nuts is associated with lower body weight, as well as many incredible health benefits.

Dr Robert Mattes, a prof of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue, gave a presentation at the 6th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition in March. He concludes that nuts are so satisfying that you can eat them in the morning, and you will compensate by eating fewer calories later, automatically. Eating nuts for breakfast has also been shown to prevent blood sugar spikes throughout the morning, and they are low on the glycemic index. Also, the fact that we don’t really pulverize them completely when we chew means that some of the nut calories are not absorbed.

Other studies have linked eating nuts to brain health, cardiovascular health, and more. Vegetarians and vegans can look to walnuts for valuable EFA’s, in a really tasty package. Raw nuts are slightly more beneficial, since some nutrients are damaged by heat, but if you like toasted nuts, keep on eating them.

All nuts contain lots of fiber, some protein, and each one has unique qualities.

If you have a taste for almonds, you are indulging in one of the healthiest nuts, with a big dose of vitamin E, calcium, and almost all healthy monounsaturated fat.

Walnuts? Famed for those Essential Fatty Acids that everyone takes fish oil to get, but much tastier.

Pistachios have been found to have the highest levels of LDL cholesterol lowering plant sterols of all the nuts, and they have bonus high levels of potassium. Hazelnuts have extra folate, the B-vitamin that protects against birth defects, and possibly cancer and heart disease.

If you love your Pecans, they are cholesterol-fighters, and they are loaded with beta-sitasterol, the latest natural cure for prostate issues.

So, do you ever eat nuts for breakfast? One easy way is just to sprinkle them into your granola, muesli, or hot cereal. Sprinkle them over pancakes and french toast, or scatter them on your morning fruit. The nuts will slow down your absorption and digestion of those healthy, complex carbs, keeping you full all morning.

For a simple muesli, just mix a cup of rolled oats with 3 cups of your preferred non-dairy milk and a handful of dried fruit and put it in the fridge overnight, tightly covered. The next morning, just serve it with a handful of chopped whole almonds, walnuts, pistachios, or your fave nut.

Nutty Muesli

You’ll feel fuller, nourish your brain, and above all, enjoy that delicious breakfast.

  When you ask most people what keeps them from eating as healthfully as they aspire to, the most common answer is time. Yes, some people say money, or that they just can’t control themselves when they smell Cinnabons at the Mall. But the real issue for most people who try to get a meal on the table after work is time.

So, I will share the best habit that you can cultivate in your quest to eat better. And that is to make batches of food ahead of time that you can draw from all week long. Don’t cook a cup of rice for tonight’s dinner, cook three, and stash the rest to heat up later in the week, or stuff in a burrito, or make fried rice. If you are going to cook, always look at making extra, so that the 15 minutes you spent on that cooking procedure isn’t just for one meal, but for two or three.

Most of the articles on this topic center on cooking up meat, so let’s take a page, and make it vegan. Instead of picking chicken off the bones, let’s prep a “protein” to slide into a few meals over the week. If you make a habit of this, you will thank yourself every time you open that refrigerator and realize that you have a meal ready to go, if you just assemble it. Today, I am prepping tofu. Tofu is infamous for being time consuming. Pressing it, marinating it, then frying it in copious amounts of oil makes really tasty tofu, but it is daunting, especially for beginners. So here is the fast and dirty way.

Once you have this baked and ready, you can slap it in a sandwich, cut it up and put it in wraps, stir fries, soups, or into pastas. Really pressed for time? Tear open one of those foil packs of curry, or a can of soup, and float these tofu cubes in there. Cook up a pot of brown rice or quinoa and when it’s done, stir some shredded kale and tofu chunks into the hot grain, cover, and eat when its all hot.

Set yourself up one day a week, and you will be so happy to open that fridge and see your tasty tofu, all ready to fill your belly!

E-Z Tangy Onion Tofu Cutlets

I used the Wildwood Extra Firm 20 ounce block of tofu, which is so firm that you don’t need to press it at all. Just pat it dry. I sliced it into four long slabs, but you can slice the block either direction, and make smaller cutlets.

Serves 4

20 ounces extra firm tofu

1/4 cup tamari

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons agave

1/2 yellow onion, slivered

olive oil for pan

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Dry the tofu and slice in slabs. In a cup, mix the tamari, rice vinegar, and agave. Spread some olive oil on a sheet pan with a rim. Place the fou on top and cover the slabs with half of the onion slices, then drizzle half of the tamari mixture on the tofu. Bake for 20 minutes.

Take the tofu out and turn the slices with a metal spatula, then cover the topw with onions and tamari mixture. Bake another 20.

Cool on a rack, then store tightly covered.

Heart-Healthy Hearts!

Valentine’s is a big chocolate holiday. The chocolate industry predicts that this week, 60 million pounds of chocolates will be purchased, and most of them will be snatched off the shelf on the day before Valentine’s Day.

Nothing like putting it off!

So this year, I am planning ahead, and making some super-simple chocolate for my sweetie. As long as I am at it, I’m going to sprinkle in some healthy stuff, that just happens to be delicious. Dark Chocolate, Cherries, and Almonds, a triple threat of superfoods, but once you take a bite, health will be the last thing on your mind.

By making my own, I can use organic, fair trade chocolate, free of GMOS and high-fructose corn syrup, which lurk in mainstream candy brands.

So I’ll fill you in now to get you motivated, and stave off any guilty you may have about eating treats!

Did you know that cherries are a bonanza of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory chemicals? Pick dried sour cherries to put in these chocolates, and you are staving off aches and pains that are definitely un-romantic. The complete package of super-nutrition in cherries improve heart health, fight gout, and speed up recovery from exercise. Buy extra and throw the leftovers in your salads, cereal, and muffins, and you can eat your medicine in the most delightful way.

Almonds are another superfood, packed with fiber, protein, good fats, potassium, folic acid, and Vitamin E. eating them on a regular basis contributes to healthy body weight, good blood pressure and heart health, and glowing skin. They are even a pre-biotic, that feed good bacteria in the gut. Don’t worry that nuts have fat. It’s worth it.

Oh, and if you haven’t already heard, dark chocolate is also a health food, full of antioxidants and pleasure-inducing chemicals. Go for higher cocoa content for maximum intensity.

As always, a combination of amazing real, whole foods is both swoon-inducing delicious, and darn good for you.

Good thing, because I want my sweetie around for a long time. This way, we can enjoy the ride!

Easy Valentine’s Day Clusters

I made these in a special pan with little heart-shaped cups, each of which holds about a tablespoon. If you don’t have such a pan, you can just drop these by the spoonful onto waxed paper, or into muffin cups. The cocoa serves two purposes, it helps release the candy from the pan, and it covers up that you didn’t temper the chocolate. If these even last long enough to care.

1 tablespoon cocoa

neutral oil, for pan

1/4 cup dried sour cherries (sweetened with apple juice)

a couple of tablespoons of brandy, optional

12 whole almonds

1 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Lightly oil the cups of your pan, or just spread some waxed paper on a sheet pan. Dust the cocoa powder on the oil or paper, using a fine sieve to spread it evenly over the oil. This will help you release the chocolates. Soak the cherries in brandy, if desired, then drain. Toast the nuts for about 15 minutes in a 325 degree oven, until quite toasted. Cool and chop very coarsely.

Low-Tech Candy Making

Drop a few cherries and chunks of nut into each cup, then melt the chocolate. Either use a double boiler, or microwave for two minutes and stir. Use a spoon to drop chocolate into each cup, and tap the pan on the counter to make the chocolate creep down into the crevices around the cherries and nuts. Chill the chocolates until firm.

Turn the pan over on your cutting board and tap it, hopefully the chocolates will fall out. If not, run some warm water in a sheet pan, and set the pan in the water for about 30 seconds, then dry it off. Return to your cutting board and use a paring knife to extract the chocolates. Serve fruit side up.

Quinces

Now that we are deep in true winter, it’s time to get into old-timey fruit. Back before apples and pears were luscious and crisp all year long, people relied more on the Quince. It’s an ancient fruit, and goes back so far that some historians think it was probably the “apple” referred to in the Bible. If you take a bite out of one, you might wonder what the big temptation was, since the raw Quince is hard, mealy, and tannic to the tongue.

Turns out, the Mediterranean versions might well have been a little softer and juicier,but only a little. The contemporary quince is probably a good example of what pears were like before we started changing them to suit our tastes. The gritty texture is also a characteristic of pears, if you get a bad one. If you’ve ever bitten into one that felt scratchy instead of smooth, you were experiencing stone cells. Stone cells are hard structures filled with soft flesh, and they form a network so that the fruit feels porous and mealy to the bite. The hard stone cells are actually an advantage when you press the fruit for cider. Some heirloom cider pears are still grown that have these coarse textures, because old style presses have an easier time extracting the juice.

The big advantage of the stone cell in quinces is that the structures are full of pectin. That makes quinces perfect for preserves and pastes, such as the famed Membrillo of Spain. The cooked fruit breaks down and then, ever so helpfully, jells itself.

But the real showstopper when you work with quince is it’s unique, perfumey smell. Harold McGee identifies the scent as “violet-like ionones and lactones, all derived from carotenoid molecules.” Whatever is happening in there, the scent of the cooking fruit is genuinely floral, and adds to the impression that it’s old-fashioned, kind of like your Grandma’s hand lotion.

Then there is the magical color change.

As you can see in the picture above, the flesh of the cooked fruit is pink, but when it went into the liquid, it was a pale beige. If I had kept cooking until the fruit broke apart, it would get rosier and rosier. This, too, is a chemistry trick, with phenolic compounds being transformed into anthocyanin pigments (McGee, again.)

So, are you ready to try an ancient fruit, one with more than a few tricks up its sleeve? You’ll be rewarded with a fascinating food, with a satisfyingly meaty texture for a fruit, a seductive perfume, and a gorgeous tint of pink. Check out my simple recipe for stewed quinces, on toast.

Oh, by the way, quinces were thought to be a fertility fruit by the Ancient Greeks, so maybe all these sexy qualities will add to your love life.

Vanilla-Stewed Quince on Toast with Pistachios

Vanilla Stewed Quince with Pistachios

 2 medium quinces

2 cups water

1/2 cup agave syrup

1/2 vanilla bean ( I used one I had in a bottle of vanilla)

(you can add a cinnamon stick, some cloves, etc, whatever sounds good, I went pretty plain.)

8 slices baguette

8 tablespoons tofu or regular cream cheese

4 tablespoons shelled pistachios, chopped

Peel and core the quinces. Be careful, they are tough to cut and your knife may slip, so pay attention. Slice the fruit in quarters or slices. In a one quart saucepan, combine the water, agave and vanilla bean and stir. Add the fruit and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for about an hour. When a paring knife inserted into a piece meets no resistance, they are done. Cool in the syrup.

To serve, toast the bread and spread with tofu cream cheese. Drizzle with a little of the syrup, then top with quince slices. Sprinkle with pistachios and eat.

Tasty Superfood!

This week, I have been doing my holiday baking, and the smell of warming spices fills the house. I love using lots of spice, especially because I know how incredibly good for you most spices are.

Cinnamon is one of the superstars, so I often just double the amount called for in a cookie or muffin. It’s usually an improvement!

Surprised? Yes, cinnamon, just about everyone’s fave single spice is a healing, medicinal herb. The same sprinkle of golden brown that we love on toast, in pie, in buns and bars and even curry, is sold in pill form so you can take it every day.

Have you ever been in an airport or bakery and gotten a whiff of cinnamon buns, and felt a sudden rush? Believe it or not, just smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function. Scientists at Wheeling Jesuit University found that cinnamon improved participants scores on tasks involving attention, memory, and visual-motor response speed.

More on Cinnamon and Alertness

Are you concerned with cholesterol and blood sugar? Well, in studies, cassia cinnamon lowers bad cholesterol.  And for all the pre-diabetic and diabetic folks, cinnamon also lowers blood sugar levels and facilitates insulin production. In one study, just one gram per day reduced blood sugar in Type 2 diabetics by 18-29%. (A tablespoon is 8 grams.)

More on Lowering Cholesterol

More on Cinnamon and Blood Sugar

Cinnamon can help with headaches, migraines, and arthritis pain. It contains the same salicylic acids that make aspirin so valuable. Like aspirin, it has been shown to prevent clotting, and to inhibit inflammation.

More on Salicylates in Cinnamon

It’s been studied and found to help with Alzheimer’s, possibly protecting the brain from forming the damaging plaque that causes so much trouble.

More on Cinnamon and Alzheimer’s Disease

Cinnamon has been used throughout history as a food preservative, since it inhibits the growth of bacteria. It’s also good at fighting off fungal infections and bad bacteria in your body, and creates an environment in which candida can’t over grow.

The great thing about cinnamon is that it’s so tasty that you will love every minute of eating healthy. It’s one of the many win-win foods, both delicious and good for you. Of course, don’t go overboard, a tablespoon a day is probably the max for a healthy person to add to her diet. If you are on blood thinners, or being treated for diabetes or any health conditions, ask your doctor. If your blood is already being thinned, adding cinnamon may cause problems.

Cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon can easily be brewed into your morning tea or coffee, or steeped in hot water with a slice of ginger and a spritz of lemon. Try stirring it into your hot cereal, or blending it into your smoothie. Bake up some of your favorite treats, like banana bread or oatmeal cookies, but add a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon. Anytime you eat apples, pears or other cinnamon -friendly fruit, make a cinnamon agave or sucanat dip for it and dip away. I mixed half sucanat and half cinnamon and ground it in the spice grinder.

Apples with Sucanat and Cinnamon, Yum!

Try my super- cinnamony apple-walnut granola, and you can reap the benefits of cinnamon, whole grains, and heart and brain boosting nuts. All delicious!

Cinnamony Apple Walnut Granola

 Cinnamony Apple Walnut Granola with Cranberries

Makes about 8 cups

6 cups thick rolled oats, reserve one

3 tablespoons cinnamon (yes, it’s alot!)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 can apple juice concentrate, thawed

1/2 cup brown sugar or sucanat

1/2 cup canola or coconut oil

2 cups coarsely broken walnuts

2 cups dried cranberries (with apple juice, preferably)

Preheat the oven to 300 F. Lightly oil two sheet pans with rims. In a large bowl, mix 5 cups of the oats, the cinnamon and salt. Grind one cup of oats to a fine powder in a food processor, blender, or spice grinder. Add that to the bowl.

In another bowl, stir the apple concentrate, sugar or sucanat, and oil. Stir until the sweetener is dissolved. Pour over the oats and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes to soak in. Add the walnuts and toss, then spread on the two sheet pans.

Bake for 30 minutes, then use a spatula to turn the granola, then reverse the position of the pans and bake for 30 minutes more. Turn the granola again and bake for 15-20 minutes, just until browned. It may not seem crisp but it will firm up as it cools. Cool on racks.

Add the cranberries after it cools and store in an airtight container.

Jazz Up the Holiday with Nuts and Spice!

It’s that time of year! Time to find something that’s not a big fat roasted bird to put in the center of the table. You may well be sharing a table with folks who are going to be carving one up, but the best way to enjoy the occasion is to make yourself a dish so cute and enticing that EVERYONE wants it.

Of course, you made plenty, and they can have some. They might just like it so much that the turkey ends up as a garnish to your fabu fancy entree.

So what might be so appealing? I’m betting that these stuffed squashes will. Imagine, there among the drab green bean casseroles and brown gravies, your brilliant, orange mini squash orbs. Everything else is sage-y and meaty, but from your entree, the scent of curry and coconut wafts alluringly.

Sure, folks may veer toward the familiars at first, but they will feel the pull of crunch cashews and creamy roasted squash. I promise. And when they do, they will be eating gluten free, whole grain millet, healthy squash and antioxidant rich turmeric and spices.

For another take on the Thanksgiving main course, scroll down for my Stuffed Mock Turkey Roast. It’s the best one I have ever had, more tender and less rubbery that the store bought versions. It’s a vegan mainstay, packed with umami and savory flavors.

This stuffed squash recipe is from my book, Big Vegan, Over 350 Recipes, No Meat No Dairy All Delicious, published by Chronicle Books. For your convenience, I also included the Stuffed Mock Turkey Recipe From Big Vegan, and a great Big Salad Recipe from The New Vegetarian.

So go ahead, make enough for everyone. They will thank you later!

Nutty Curry-Stuffed Squashes

These colorful, single-serving squash halves are speckled with golden millet, green jalapeño, and crunchy nuts. Redolent of spice and a touch of coconut, they will draw your guests to the table by scent alone.

Serves 6

3          small sweet dumpling squash or mini pumpkins (about 13 oz/370 g each)

1          tsp canola oil

½         cup/60 g chopped onion

1          tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger

1          tsp black mustard seeds

1          medium jalapeño, chopped

1          tsp whole cumin seeds

1          tsp ground coriander

¼         tsp ground turmeric

¼         tsp ground cinnamon

¼         cup/50 g millet

½         cup/120 ml coconut milk

½         tsp salt

½         cup/55 g raw cashews

½         cup/55 g whole almonds, toasted

2 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F/200° C/gas 6. Cut the squashes in half from the stem to the tip, or if you are using pumpkins that sit flat, cut off the tops as shown in the photo above. Scoop out the seeds and place them cut-side down on oiled baking sheets/trays. Bake for 10 minutes (they will not be completely cooked). Take the pans out and flip the squash halves over. When they have cooled, use a spoon to cut into the flesh, loosening it in spots but leaving it in the shell. Reduce the oven temperature to 375° F/190° C/gas 5.

2. In a 2-qt/2-L saucepan, heat the oil and add the onion, ginger, and mustard seeds. Sauté over medium-high heat until the onions are golden, about 5 minutes. Add the jalapeño, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon and stir until they are fragrant. Add the millet and stir to coat, then add the ¼ cup/60 ml water, the coconut milk, and salt and bring them to a boil. When it boils, cover the pan and turn the heat to low. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the nuts, then stuff the mixture into the squashes. Sprinkle each with 1 tsp of coconut.

3. Bake the squashes until the filling is set and bubbling and the squashes are easily pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Let them cool slightly before serving.

Homemade Mock Turkey Roast with Stuffing

For those of you who miss the turkey on holidays, or just want a home-style vegan meal anytime, this is a good way to mock up a bird. It’s really not much trouble, now that we can use gluten flour to make mock turkey with no kneading required—and lots of tasty, chewy goodness. Serve it with Basic Mushroom Gravy and all the traditional trimmings.

It’s great fun to share your vegan food with family and friends, so go for it. The salad will certainly win some converts. Enjoy!

Mock Turkey

2          tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

½         cup/60 g minced onion

2          cloves garlic, minced

2          cups/255 g gluten flour

1          cup/115 g chickpea flour

½         cup nutritional yeast

1          tsp salt

6          oz/170 g reduced-fat or regular firm tofu, drained and pressed

1          cup/240 ml vegetable stock

¼         cup/60 ml tamari

½         tsp ground sage

Stuffing

1          cup/55 g cubed bread

1          tsp extra-virgin olive oil

½         cup/60 g chopped onion

¼         cup/60 ml vegetable stock

½         tsp ground sage

½         tsp dried thyme

½         tsp salt

2          tbsp walnuts, chopped

The Mock Turkey in a Wide Loaf Shape

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F/180° C/gas 4. Oil a 3- to 4-cup/720 to 960-ml metal bowl or a small loaf pan. Put a teapot of water on to simmer for the bain marie later.

2. To make the mock turkey: In a small sauté/frying pan, heat the oil, then sauté the onion and garlic until soft and sweet, 5 to 10 minutes. Mix together the flours, yeast, and salt in a medium bowl. In a blender or food processor, puree the tofu until very smooth. Add the stock, tamari, and sageto the tofu and blend. Add the onions and all the oil from the pan and puree. Stir the contents of the blender into the flour mixture until smooth. Scoop about two thirds of the dough into the oiled bowl.

3. To make the stuffing: Put the bread cubes in a medium bowl. Heat the oil in a small sauté/frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions until soft and clear. Add the bread, stock, sage, thyme, and salt and stir until the bread is soft. Stir in the nuts.

4. Press the stuffing into a ball (or if you are using a loaf pan, into an oblong) and press it into the center of the mock turkey dough, then cover it with the remaining dough. Flatten the top, brush it with oil, and cover with foil. Put the bowl in a baking dish and pour in boiling water to make a bain marie. Carefully transfer it to the oven and bake for 2 hours. When the “turkey” is quite firm, take it out of the water bath, then put the bowl on a rack to cool. Run a paring knife around the edge to loosen it, then invert it onto a cutting board or platter. Slice the “turkey” and serve it with gravy and trimmings.

Big Salad with Caramelized Pumpkinseeds, Pears and Pomegranate

From The New Vegetarian (Chronicle Books)

Serves 6
This is a great wintertime salad, with the pomegranates that only appear around the holidays and pears and pumpkinseeds. To take seeds out of the pomegranate, cut through the skin from stem to tip, dividing the fruit in quarters. Hold it over a bowl and pull apart the sections, then tear apart the pieces, gently freeing the seeds.

1 cup pumpkinseeds, raw
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large romaine lettuce, washed and dried
2 small shallot, thinly sliced
2 large bosc pears, sliced
1 large garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh mint, optional
2 tablespoons pomegranate juice concentrate
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon agave or organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup toasted pumpkinseed oil
1 small pomegranate, arils (seeds) removed

1. Make the pumpkinseed topping up to a week ahead. Heat the oil for a minute in a medium non-stick skillet. Add the pumpkinseeds and toss in the pan over high heat, until the seeds are popping and browning, about 3 minutes. Take off the heat and add the brown sugar and toss constantly until seeds are coated with melted sugar (careful-it will burn easily). Quickly mix in the spices and salt, then spread on a plate to cool. Cool completely and store in an air tight container until ready to use.
2. Make dressing in processor by mincing garlic and mint. Add pomegranate concentrate, lemon, honey and salt and pulse to mix. Gradually drizzle in oil with machine running.
3. Wash and dry romaine, then slice across the leaf in 1/2 inch wide strips. Arrange on plates or in bowl. Top with shallots, pears. Drizzle over the dressing and top with the pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds. Serve right away.