Tofu Sour Cream- DIY

21 Monday Mar 2011

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I used to buy Tofutti sour cream but just like some of the other DIY recipes I make (Almond Milk, Kale Chips), I can make this for less money AND with better ingredients. So I was lucky to find this recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks ‘Clean Food’ by Terri Walters. Enjoy!

-Tofu Sour Cream- Makes 1 Cup (I doubled the recipe)

8 oz firm or extra firm silken tofu (I have found this sprouted tofu that I like, so I used that)
2 T. lemon juice
3 T. canola oil
2 t. brown rice vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar, and I used just a little more to give it that sour flavor)
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, chopped

1. In a food processor, whip tofu until smooth.
2. Add remaining ingredients and process until pepper is mixed in and all the ingredients are well combined.
3. Chill before serving.

Tomato Vinaigrette

19 Saturday Feb 2011

Posted by cosmohippiechef in dressing, vegan

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tomatoes, vegan

This is one of my go to dressings for salad, marinades or whatever you want. It’s great when your craving tomatoes in the winter, you can use organic tomato sauce or your own canned tomatoes, pureed and strained. It’s easy, throw all the ingredients into a jar and shake. Enjoy!

-Tomato Vinaigrette-

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

1/2 c. olive oil

1/4 t. dry thyme, basil, oregano

1/2 t. garlic salt

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. onion powder

1/4 t. fresh ground pepper

1/4 c. tomato sauce

*optional- fresh chopped garlic

1. Pour all the ingredients into a jar with tight-fitting lid. Place the lid on the jar and shake all the ingredients together until well blended.

2. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Ready to use!

In the summer when fresh herbs are available you could swap them for the dry herbs.

P.S. I use my mortar and pestle to grind all the herbs, salt and pepper and onion powder together before adding them to the other ingredients.

Cranberry Relish

08 Tuesday Feb 2011

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, vegan

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fruit, seasonal, vegan

I was introduced to this delicious recipe at a recent book club meeting from my fellow Slow Food Utah book club buddy Kate Holbrook. I asked her permission to share the recipe with all of you and she told me she got the recipe from a friend- who got it from a friend. Isn’t that the way it always go?! Let me tell you that this dish was a big hit, and the fact that it is easy makes it even better.

It is very hard to find fresh cranberries at the market this time of the year, probably because they are in season during the holidays. Normally I would not do a recipe like this with produce that is out of season but I was able to find frozen cranberries at the market. I feel good about buying these because they come from a Sustainable Farm in Oregon called Stahlbush Island Farms. These cranberries are flash frozen, so they are super fresh and there is nothing added to them- just cranberries! This company also uses their remaining fruit and vegetables material to produce green energy, naturally chic. Enjoy!

-Cranberry Relish-

10-12oz fresh cranberries

1 green onion, chopped (I forgot this time to get green onions, so I used 1/4 chopped purple onion)

1 medium jalapeno, chopped (seeded for those who can’t handle the heat)

3/4 c. sugar (I use sucant*)

1-2 T. cilantro leaves (I actually used more)

1/4 tsp. cumin (I used 1/2 tsp)

pinch of salt

block of cream cheese, or log of goat cheese

1. Blend all the ingredients (except the cheese) in a food processor until blended, but still chunky. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

2. Serve over cheese of your choice with a fresh sliced baguette or crackers.

*Sucant- Minimally processed sugar made by pressing the juice from the cane, clarifying, filtering and evaporating it, then crystallizing the resulting sugar. Sucant retains many of the minerals, vitamins and trace elements found in sugar cane.

DIY- Herbed Crackers (Vegan and Gluten Free)

17 Monday Jan 2011

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, Snack, vegan

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almond meal, nuts, vegan

I wish I could take credit for this recipe but I can’t, this one belongs to Elana’s Pantry. I have made these crackers more times than I can count, they are easy, taste fantastic and are probably not like any other cracker you’ve had. They are great with soup or with your favorite dip. I recently made these for my mom to go with this yummy, warm, spicy roasted squash soup after her last chemo treatment (YEAH!). This was a perfect combination because I wanted something delicious and comforting, but good for her. Did I mention these crackers are high in protein due to the fact that they are made with almond meal. Enjoy!

-Herbed Crackers-

2 c. almond meal (the last time I bought almond meal I bought it at Cali’s Market, but I’ve also seen it in the bulk section at Whole Foods)

3/4 tsp. real salt, or Celtic salt

2 T. Herbs de Provence (I use Bragg’s Organic Sprinkle)

1 T. olive oil

2 T. water

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together first. Then add the olive oil and water, mix again well.

3. Using a parchment lined baking dish (8×8 or 9×9 in size) pour the mixture into baking dish. Press the mixture into the bottom of baking dish, making sure to even out the mixture. Make sure the mixture is pressed down firmly and evenly.

4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top of crackers mixture is browned a little.

5. Take out of the oven and let cool 20 minutes. Then cut the crackers, I get 16 crackers out of my batch.

Gravy (Psst… It’s vegan and it’s delicious)

16 Tuesday Nov 2010

Posted by cosmohippiechef in DIY, vegan

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vegan

When I was a kid and didn’t feel good I would request mashed potatoes and gravy, they were the ultimate comfort food for me. Even now that I’m a ‘grown-up’ I still want this when I need a bowl of comfort. This weekend was one of those times. I ran across this recipe for mushroom gravy a while ago and I make it all the time, it’s super savory and a great alternative if you don’t eat meat but want a full flavored gravy. I hope you love it as much as me and maybe it will help with your Thanksgiving meal. I found this on Eating Well.com.

-Portobello Gravy- 2 c. chunky gravy or 1 c. smooth gravy, serves 8

1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves (I use more), minced
1 1/2 c. chopped cleaned portobello mushrooms (I use baby bellos or baby shitakes)
2 1/4 c. vegetable broth (I use homemade broth)
3 T. tamari or reduced sodium soy sauce (I use liquid amino’s)
1/4 t. dried thyme leaves
1/8 t. crumbled dried sage (I use fresh sometimes)
1 T. cornstarch
2 T. water
freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook, stirring often, until softened about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they begin to release their juices, about 10 minutes.
2. Add broth, tamari or soy sauce, thyme and sage, simmer 10 minutes. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir into the sauce and simmer, stirring often until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes more. Season with pepper.
– If you prefer a smooth gravy, pass it through a fine sieve, discard the solids (I use a hand held blender and blend the gravy until smooth and discard nothing). Serve hot. ENJOY!

What’s for Lunch? Lentil Stew

15 Monday Nov 2010

Posted by cosmohippiechef in beans, soup, vegan

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beans, soup, vegan, vegetables

When it comes to making lunch I start by taking inventory of my kitchen. I always have lentils in my pantry as well as most the vegetables that are in this soup, carrots, celery, onions, garlic and potatoes. I also try to find a recipe that can be made in a big batch and can be portioned out for the entire week, this Lentil Stew is perfect! One thing I love about the fall and winter is being able to make big pots of soup, remember to make extra and freeze it for later. This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks ‘The Kind Diet’ by Alicia Silverstone.

-Lentil Stew- Makes 6 servings

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. paprika

1/2 t. sea salt

1/4 t. ground cumin

1/4 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. dried basil

2 T. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 lrg onions, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 potato, cut into chunks

1/4 c. shoyu (soy sauce, I used liquid amino’s)

5 c. vegetable broth (I used my own homemade broth)

3 tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks

1 1/2 c. brown lentils

1. Combine the garlic powder, paprika, salt, cumin, oregano, and basil in a small bowl. Heat the oil in a large soup pot (you’ll be adding a lot of liquid later, so make sure it’s a big pot) over medium heat, and add garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and potato. Stir in half the spice mixture and the shoyu. Cook, stirring frequently for 7-10 minutes or until the onions are tender.

2. Add 5 cups of water (I only added 2 c), the broth, tomatoes and lentils. (I soaked my lentils overnight, drain and then add to soup) Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid askew for 30 minutes. Add the remaining spice mixture, and cook for 20 minutes longer or until the lentils are soft. Serve warm or portion out into containers for lunch. ENJOY!

Broccoli in the Tabbouleh? Crazy!

23 Monday Aug 2010

Posted by cosmohippiechef in appetizer, pasta, vegan

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broccoli, vegan

This week at the Farmer’s Market one of my favorite farmers, Tom (pictured below in the Farmer’s Market pics) said that this might be the last week he would have broccoli. Well broccoli really wasn’t on my list this week but I couldn’t pass up fresh broccoli or Tom, knowing full well he probably had a special bag of broccoli just for me. So lucky for me I was going to make Tabbouleh for this weeks lunches. I did this trick a few weeks back when I made this dish for my two girlfriends Sadie and Alisa after they had just had their babies, it’s a fresh dish that can be made ahead and know one would ever know there was broccoli in it, sneaky I know. But if you eat out of my kitchen you should know I’m always hiding extras in the food.
I take the broccoli, cut away the stems, take the florets and put them into the food processor and pulse it down until it’s about the size of the Bulgar wheat. I don’t cook the broccoli, I kind of like different textures in my food and thought it was a great way to add something raw to the Tabbouleh, as well as hide vegetables in my husbands lunch.
So when you get to the part in the recipe when the Bulgar has had time to soak up the water, lemon and olive oil, add the chopped broccoli along with the fresh herbs and mix. I hope this trick works at your house. Enjoy!

P.S. The original Tabbouleh dish was posted 07/01/09.

Broccoli Chop Salad

21 Monday Jun 2010

Posted by cosmohippiechef in dressing, salad, vegan

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broccoli, cauliflower, fruit, vegan

This is what I made for my lunch this week, it’s light fresh and taste amazing. This recipe makes alot so make it the beginning of the week for something quick out of the fridge or make it for your next get together. P.S. My picture isn’t the best but don’t judge this book by it’s cover, try it you’ll love it.

-Broccoli Chop Salad- serves 6-8

2 heaping c. fresh broccoli

2 heaping c. fresh cauliflower

1 heaping c. fresh peas (FM) you could use frozen

1 c. chopped celery

2 medium granny smith apples, cored and diced

1/4 c. – 1/2 c. diced purple onion (depending on how much you like)

2/3 c. raw sunflower seeds

*optional ingredients:

1/4 c.- 1/2 c. blue cheese or Gorgonzola

1/2 c. raisins, dried cranberries or tart dried cherries

crispy bacon (I didn’t add the optional ingredients and for the bacon I use something called Organic Smoky Tempeh ‘tem-pay’ Strips. Tempeh is an Indonesian word meaning tender cooked legumes, this one is made with organic soybeans and organic brown rice. I know what your thinking but you fry it up like bacon and in this dish you can’t tell the difference. It’s also good in place of bacon on a BLT)

1. Usually I use all the ingredients raw but this time I decided to blanch the broccoli, cauliflower and peas one at a time for maybe one minute each and then quickly dropped them into a ice cold water mixture in the sink. You decide.

2. Whether your using the veggies raw or blanched chop the broccoli and the cauliflower into rough bite size pieces and toss into a big bowl.

3. Next add the peas, then the chopped apples, celery and purple onion. Toss all together lightly.

4. If using the optional ingredients add them now, wait to toss with the dressing.

-Dressing-

1 c. mayo, (I use veganaise…LOVE it! I’ve never tried this but you could add plain yogurt)

1/4 c. rice wine vinegar

2 tsp. agave

salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix all together in a bowl with a whisk or fork.

2. Pour half over the veggie mixture and toss lightly, add the rest of the dressing and the sunflower seeds. Toss to coat. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving, good for 4-5 days. Enjoy.

The Soup

02 Wednesday Jun 2010

Posted by cosmohippiechef in soup, vegan

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broccoli, gluten free, quinoa, soup, tofu, vegan, vegetables

So know one wants to talk about the stomach flu or food poisoning but I’m suffering from one of them. I think last night was the first time I had eatin since Monday morning and I went for my cure all soup. I make this soup at least once a week, I make it when it’s cold outside, I make it when I have had way to much fun the night before and I most certainly make it when I’m not feeling well. I also call this soup Ramen Soup for Adults, which I made on Channel 2’s cooking segment “Monday Mom’s”. It just makes me feel good on the inside, it’s easy and you can add whatever you have in the kitchen. It’s a grown up version of Top Ramen and it’s good for the whole family. Enjoy!

P.S. I’m going to give you the broth recipe which always stays the same and can be doubled over and over to feed everyone, and then I’ll share some things you can add to it to fit your needs and desires.

-Ramen Soup- makes 1 generous serving or 2 moderate servings

2 c. veggie broth

1-2 c. water

2 large garlic cloves, cut in half

1 inch ginger, peeled and cut in half

2 T. liquid amino’s

2 T. mirin

1- 2 tsp. sesame oil

2, 1 inch pieces kombu (sea vegetable, so good for you)

2 tsp. miso paste (dissolved with some warm broth and added to the soup at the very end)

fresh lemon or fresh lime juice

-optional-

sesame seeds

hot rooster sauce

edamame

quinoa (pre-cooked according to directions)

sauted crimini or baby shitake mushrooms

carrots, broccoli, bell peppers

diced avocado

noodles of course (I like somen noodles) you could also use tofu noodles or soba noodles

1. Start with a medium soup pot over medium heat add the vegetable broth, water, garlic, ginger, and kombu (if using carrots, mushrooms and bell peppers, saute them in the pot first to soften them then remove and reserve to add later). Bring to a boil, turn down and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. When the twenty minutes is up fish out the garlic, smash the garlic and add it back to the soup. Add the cooked veggies if using them, also this is a good time to add the edamame. Also add the liquid amino’s and mirin and simmer another 10 minutes. Before serving remove the ginger and kombu. This is where you would add the dissolve miso paste into the soup, make sure the heat on the oven is turned off. The heat kills all the good stuff in miso.

3. Garnish the soup with sesame oil and fresh lemon or lime juice. Oh and of course some hot sauce, I like this soup spicy. (if your having stomach issues, omit the hot sauce)

Tip: If using noodles I cook them separate and put to the side. When I’m ready to serve I divide the noodles between the serving bowls and top with warm broth filled with veggies. Lately I’ve been using quinoa instead of noodles and I’ve been adding diced avocado. Make it your own, have fun.

Kombu benefits: Increases digestibility, reduces blood cholesterol and hypertension. Kombu is high in iodine, calcium and potassium as well as vitamin A and C. (Next time you make a pot of beans, chili or lentil soup add a piece of kombu for these added benefits.)

Miso: Is high in B12 and protein and rich in vitamins and minerals. Some experts suggest miso is a good source of Lactobacillus acidophilus (good for healthy gut).

DIY Recipe- Almond Milk

20 Tuesday Apr 2010

Posted by cosmohippiechef in DIY, Drinks, vegan

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gluten free, vegan

Almond Milk

I love this almond milk, this recipe was shared with me by my friend Gwen. This is another one of those items I was happy to remove from my grocery list because I can Do It Myself! I buy the almond and dates for this recipe in bulk section of my store, so it saves me money and I have better quality control when it comes to the ingredients. I probably make two jars a week but here’s the only disclaimer, this milk goes bad in about 4 days. If you can commit to using this homemade almond milk you won’t be sorry, it’s delicious and fun. I say fun because it will be a totally new experience for your taste buds and your insides will rejoice to have some thing so fresh and natural. I use this milk in our breakfast shakes and in my raw cereal. I hope you’ll try it,Enjoy.

-Almond Milk-

1/2 c. raw organic almonds (soaked overnight in water, enough to cover an inch above the almonds)
2 tsp. raw agave nectar, pure vanilla extract
4 c. water
1/2 c. pitted dates
pinch of salt

1. After the almonds have soaked overnight, drain and rinse them under fresh water. Place in the blender with the rest of the ingredients.
2. Blend until all the almonds and dates are blended well. Pour the milk into a bowl and let sit 30 min to an 1 hour. (This let’s the milk absorb all the goodness before you strain it.)
3. Strain the milk through a fine mesh strainer into a new bowl, take a spatula and press as much of the liquids from the solids through the strainer. Discard the solids, stir the milk and pour into a mason jar with a lid. Place in the refrigerator until chilled through. Enjoy!