Cranky Papa Palooza

As I've been busy packing and more packing my Dad has been

doing a lot of the dinner cooking. If theres something Cranky

Papa makes best its stews, curries, and chili! Take a look...

Coney Island Chili with Soy Parmesean

Potato and Cauliflower Stew

Oh yeah, I did make some Bombdiggity Baked Beans

Green Olive Pasta

It is so sad, my refrigerator is so desolate right now.

I haven't gone shopping in ages, so the extent of my veggie

stockpile is potatoes and cabbage.

Since I wasn't feeling significantly irish enough today

to make a family stew or bake my gran's soda bread I

reached for the canned tomatoes.

We had been out at the beach all day and needed some

carbs asap. So whole wheat pasta it was, yet where is

the twist?

Green Olive Whole Wheat Pasta

Ingredients

1 can of tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp mince

fresh parsley

1/3 cup chopped

green olives

1 diced chili

or 2 tbsp chili flakes

1 tsp salt

1 pack ww pasta

Cook the minced garlic in the olive oil over a medium

heat, until fragrant. Add tomatoes (including liquid),

parsley and chili. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add

green olives and cook until most of liquid is cooked off.

In the meantime cook your pasta until al dente.

When draining reserve about 1 cup of water. Add sauce

to pasta pot and add in water. Combine well and season

with sea salt to taste. Serve topped with fresh minced

parsley or vegan parmesan!

On a side note here is a big friend we made out in the

ocean today.

Striking Gold

Its a great feeling when a recipe comes out perfectly.

Tons of tweaking and tasting, twisting and tossing...

I finally got my peanut-ginger muffins ready for my book.

Huzzah, indeed. Have a look see.

Now I need to make more jelly cuz this used up the last

little bit I had. I was thinking of ginger thumbprint cookies...

Any suggestions?

Three Little Piggies in Blankets

No recipes to relate today, I just wanted to post what I'm working

on for my book lately. I thought these cuties were a awesome,

classic, kid-friendly, vegan treat... I also have a great savory twist

version with italian 'sausage' and herb and olive-oil piggies.

Great for parties too, when I make these for parties they'd

fly. You ain't nevah seen a pig fly?

Jazzy Ginger

How

do

you

heat

up

and

cool

down

at

the

same

time?

If you said ginger and ice cream, you were right.

I still have this jar of ginger jelly from my first- not entirely successful-

batch. So, I'm thinkin'... 'what can I do with this?'

Its really hot today and I have this little carton of So Delicious Creamy

Vanilla Ice Cream. Well Pop goes the jar, Plop goes the jelly, and

yum goes my tummy. The spicy sweetness was perfect with the cool

creaminess of the ice cream. Brilliant! It tasted so cute... yes things

can taste cute. Try it for yourself! The pre-made ginger ice cream

just doesn't cut it.

Sorrel and Sunshine Tofu

Its good to have friends in green places!

Yesterday I received a beautiful bunch of sorrel. YAY

I haven't had sorrel since I lived in California. We had a fair

bunch there and our dog loved to eat it in one quick chomp.

Sorrel is European in origin and has high levels of vitamin

A and C. The younger leaves are fruitier tasting and will get

more of a tang as it ages. This is due to the level oxalic acid

in the sorrel and also why you should not cook it in cast iron.

So if you're making sorrel soup, double check what stockpot

you use or else it will come out tasting metallic.

Sorrel is sometimes used interchangeably with spinach, but

can also be used as an herb in ways.

Sorrel is most commonly used in soups or sauces for fish.

I decided that tonight I would breakdown and do some fried

tofu cakes and let the fishes swim on by.

I rarely make fried foods, but when I do...

I served this dish with some golden veggies and a pot of wild rice.

The veg came out so perfect; butternut squash, carrots and yellow

bell pepper quickly sautéed with some vegetable broth.

The natural sweetness complimented the sorrel dish perfectly.

Sorrel and Sunshine Tofu

ingredients

Tofu

1 lb extra firm tofu, sliced in to 1/4" slabs (pressed and drained)

1/3 cup of cornstarch or arrowroot powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chili powder

dash cayenne

salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients except the tofu. Coat each side of the

tofu slices and place in heated pan of oil. Cook until each side is

golden brown. Allow to drain and keep in a heated dish until all

are cooked and sauce is prepared.

Sauce

3 cups fresh sorrel, stemmed and chopped

2 tbsp earth balance or olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp mince onion

1 1/2 tbsp chopped capers

3 tablespoons almond milk

Heat oil or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until

translucent, stirring to make sure it does not brown.

Add the Sorrel and stir, coating. The Sorrel will become wilted,

cook until it resembles a puree. Add the capers and almond milk

and cook a few minutes more. Keep on low until tofu is ready.

Who says pizza needs cheese?

Not me, no Ma'am. Since my Sister was here we had to make pizza.

I made a quadruple batch of whole wheat dough to start with...

2 tbsp yeast, 3 cups warm water, 1 heaping tbsp sea salt, 1 tsp sucanat,

3 tbsp olive oil, and 8+ cups flour

I think 2 cups were unbleached white. I'm not sure exactly how much

flour I used. I usually just do it by feel, adding as much as I need to

knead it.

But the dough came out really nice, not too crunchy like the last

time. I think last time I added too much flour, so it came out like

crackers. Or I could just blame it on the oven, yes I'll do that.

We had two large large pizzas. My Parents of course had cheese...

But mine was a mix of olives and peppers... if I had artichoke hearts

it would totally have been greek. I used green and black olives,

pepperonis, sweet peppers, portabello mushrooms, cashews and

a sprinkle of salt and nutritional yeast. Yeah, no sauce here. I wasn't

in the mood for tomato sauce, so I brushed the dough with olive

oil and minced garlic. Hmmm whats for dinner?

Garden Snack Club in Hilo

Garden

Snack

Club

Mint

Tea

Thursday night after we came back from Punuluu and watching

sea turtles cuddle we all wanted to hit up a thai place for dinner.

Our usual haunt, Sombat's, was closed. So we headed over to my

Aunt's favorite place, Garden Snack Club in Hilo.

I'd heard a lot of good things about it and it was all true!

The restaurant itself is tucked away in downtown hilo on a little

one-way side street. It is cute and really clean and probably seats

only about 40, pushing it.

Their menu was pretty big, but super flexible. It basically showed

all the foods, but you had the option of whatever protein you wanted.

The tofu they use is organic, local, and amazing. Its an extra firm and

they serve it in HUGE chunks. The portions are enormous and they

warn to you think about ordering family style.

My Mom (of course was the only one to not order vegan).

She had a 'Thai Pizza' that was absolutely swimming in cheese.

Holy cow, literally. I don't have a picture though.

The rest of us started off with a nice fresh cucumber salad. It had a

nice spicy-zingy dressing and was topped with peanuts.

I ordered 'Tina's Spaghetti', which was absolutely amazing.

According to the menu the sauce is sold in our local supermarket,

so I'm gonna go check that out. Definitely vegan, it was a thick,

creamy, peanut sauce over pad thai noodles and huge chunks of organic

tofu over a bed of fresh organic spinach.

I need to discect this recipe before I leave. Or I will have to ship

bottles full of the stuff when I move. Ack! Wine or thai sauce!

A compromise must be met.

We finished it all off with a dish of red curry and jasmine rice.

It was loaded with delicious local veggies, tofu, and my favorite...

Pumpkin!

The food was wonderful, the wait help was awesome, and we walked

out with a bill less than $50.00 for five people. Talk about a find.

Now I'm hungry again.

Ginger-King Muffins

These muffins rule beyond all else, no. I am not full of

it, but they are! Seriously, these muffins are full of it.

Ginger-jelly that is.

My most recent attempt at jam making ended in a

tiny jar of caramelized ginger and green apples.

We had it on peanut butter sandwiches yesterday and it

was fantastic, but there is a lot I want to do to the recipe

before I share it with you. Let me work out the kinks.

Since my Sister is here from Taiwan I've been bringing

down breakfast with me when I pick her up. The other

day it was blueberry-orange scones and today it was

whole-wheat ginger jelly muffins.

I used Nava Atlas' recipe for the basic muffin from the

Vegetarian Family. Pretty good, I plan on tweaking it quite

a bit. Yet for this purpose it did quite swell.

Now, don't get me wrong... I love muffins. I'm just not a

muffin person (and thank god I'm not shaped like one).

I'm more of a flakey scone or pastry sort of person to be honest.

I'm one of those jerks that always steals the tops of the muffins.

I guess I'm one of the reasons they created those muffin top pans.

The jelly itself was surprising. It is zingy and sweet, smooth,

yet holds little bits of crisp ginger. I'll get more root so I

can perfect this recipe soon. Then I can process a whole batch.

Ginger-King Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons flaxmeal

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup turbinado sugar

1 cup apple sauce

2 tablespoons oil

1/3 cup soymilk

First mix all the dry ingredients together (including sugar).

Make it into a little concave crater of flour-y stuff in your bowl.

Dump in the apple sauce, oil, and just enough milk to make a

decent batter. Should be smooth, yet stiff. Be really really

careful not to over mix your batter.

In a prepared muffin tray (you may grease a tray, use liners-

I personally use and love silicone trays. No grease, no trouble)

Drop a couple tablespoons of batter in the bottom of the cup.

Make the batter a little concave and drop in a big tablespoon

of jam in the center. Make sure it does not reach the edges.

Then cover it up with more batter. I like lots of jelly personally,

but you can do whatever you like.

If any empty cups remain, put a couple tablespoons of water

in it. This made about 10 muffins but said it would yield 12.

Don't you hate that? I do.

Bake at 350F preheated for about 20-25 minutes.

You can fill these with other things of course, I also did plum

jam, fresh bananas, and chocolate chips.

My next attempt is peanut butter muffins with the ginger

filling. Onward!

Italian Tofu

This is one of the few ways that I've been able to sneak my mom garlic.

This marinade is simple, easy, and you can use the resulting yummi-

ness in many ways. You can use the tofu slices in sandwiches as a

lunch meat like I did yesterday, you can slice them up in a salad to

serve along side a pasta dish, throw them in the pasta, or just pack

them up for a quick protein fix on a long day. Great for hikes! I love

them particularly on paninis. However, you can serve them grill and

just as is with an italian theme meal!

I use this as a way to finish off a bottle of good white wine when there

isn't enough for a full glass. I also use it as an excuse to open a bottle

of good white wine when I want a glass.

Italian Tofu- Marinade Style

Ingredients

1/2 cup white wine

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced or pureed

a large pinch of each basil, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram

or a 1/2-1 tsp of italian seasoning

one 14 oz block of extra firm or firm tofu

Slice tofu into 1/4 thick slices. Press and drain your tofu for at least

30 minutes so it will be able to absorb the marinade properly.

Come on just do it. Whisk the marinade ingredients together.

When done draining, place the tofu in to a deepish container or baking

pan and pour marinade over. Refrigerate a least three hours, but

overnight is best.

Once the tofu is marinaded well you can bake it at 375F, turning until

browned on both sides... or grill it, using the remaining marinade by

pouring it over the tofu while cooking. Allow to cool before storing

or serve immediately

B-egg Salad Sandwiches

Whenever we went to the beach or park picnics when I was a kid

we always had egg-salad sandwiches. Not really the most wholesome

of things, but what was when we were kids?

On my last major hiking trip I made this adaptation for day-one

of the trip. If not paying attention, one wouldn't even know it wasn't

real hard boiled egg!

One thing I hate, especially in 'egg' salad, is celery.

So my recipe obviously doesn't include it, but I suppose you could throw

it in if you so desired! Another thing that people traditionally add to

egg-salad is pickle relish, but I didn't have any on hand.

I'm hoping to make my own pickles soon, so maybe that will be added

on the to the to-do list... *gears turning*

B-eggin for more Salad Sandwich (filling)

Ingredients

14-oz firm tofu

3 tbsp nayonaise

2 tsp mustard

dash of dill

dash of smoked paprika

1/4 tsp salt or to taste

Drain and press the tofu for about a half hour and crumble into

a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix. Adjust the seasonings

to taste.

You can try adding a dash of curry power or cayenne instead for another

twist. Serve on any bread, with any fixings you like. I love tomato,

lettuce, and cucumber on toasted sourdough.

Miles from Mexico, throw me a rope

Mexican food is my comfort food and mixing it up is my hobby.

Day before yesterday my Dad made some crazy baked black-eyed

beans from Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry. They were

super spicy and unfortunately, he and I are the only spicy eaters

in the house. So we had to find a way to add them into as many

meals as we could to use the huge pot he cooked up.

So I made some cumin spiced sweet potatoes, steamed some

jasmine rice and grilled up some corn tortillas for some funky tacos.

I topped them with fresh tomatoes and black olives and served them

along side some banana salsa.

Since then I've been in the mexican mind set, but there was no

bean and rice combo or salsa that could cure it. I needed fusion!

So I got my Mom to abandon her idea of going to Chinese Food

(ack I hate Chinese Food!) and to go to a new little local "Mex"

food place in town. Bueno Burrito is a converted former subway

and has the same basic system. You get a burrito and go down

the deli-like line telling them what you want.

They do have some set menu items and I got their jorgina burrito.

The was a spinach wrap with coconut jasmine rice, black beans,

steamed veggies, guacamole, and the works of lettuce, tomato,

cilantro, onion, jalapenos, and papaya salsa. Whoo-hee.

I am a happy camper.

I've Gone Bananas!

Its been a few days since I've been able to post, but lately I've

been going wild with bananas. We had a good haul from one

of our trees and they all just ripened at once. They are sweet

william bananas, so they are on the smaller side but really

really flavourful.

I cannot tell you how bored I am of banana bread and quick

breads. I made a butt-load of papaya bread and I was the only

one eating it, so I let off on baking that stuff very often.

Last night I made a Banana Salsa, which was pretty wild

and have just resorted to making smoothies.

I had some frozen strawberries that were super sweet and

ripe when I froze them, so I blended them up with some

of the bananas I quick froze. About two bananas, a handful

of strawberries, and 8 0z of plain unsweetened soymilk.

Ahhh classic. The key to the best smoothies is freezing

the fruit first. It is so much more refreshing and the body

is a lot nicer. Warm, frothy smoothies are the worse.

But I went bananas over this...

Peanut and Black-eyed Stew

Last weekend my Dad made a huge huge pot of black-eyed beans.

So after I got home with my brothers I wanted to make something

quick, easy, and something that would make a dent in that bucket

of beans that was smiling at me from the refrigerator.

We just had hoppin' john not too long ago and I came across this

in my copy of Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes. I think the recipe

is actually called "African Groundnut Stew" because of the

peanuts.

My version had to be twisted a little because I had no onions on

hand and chillies would have been too spicy for my little brother.

And I used cashews instead of peanuts... and I cut it in half

because there were only three of us... ha ha so I messed with it alot.

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small green bell pepper, cleaned and chopped

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 1/2- 2 cups butternut squash, seeded-peeled-cubed

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp water

2 tbsp peanut butter

2 tbsp cashews chopped

3/4 cup cooked black-eyed beans

Cook the garlic, pepper and spices in a tsp of oil for about a minute.

Add the squash and 3/4 cup of water and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat. Mix the peanut butter and 2 tbsp water and add to the

pot. Allow to simmer until the squash begins to look tender, about

15-20 minutes. Add the cashews (or originally peanuts) and the beans

and allow to cook for about 10 more minutes or until hot all the way

through. Serve over rice!

My attempt at soup art!

I was totally playing around this this one. After I got that soylatte

in Kona with the fancy flower I went on and watched a sorts of

crazy coffee art videos. On a whim the other night after I made

a spicy carrot-ginger-curry soup I thought I'd give it a try.

Well, it didn't pop into my head until after I thought I was gonna

die from the soup being too spicy and adding some soygurt to

cool it down. So I grabbed a kabob skewer and tried to make

a swirly-gig. Well, I think they actually use a special utensil to

make their art, but it was fun to give it a try.

Looks like a rorschach test! What do you see...?

Spanish Rice es agradable

When there is nothing else to scratch together?

Make rice.

When you have nothing to serve over it?

Make Spanish rice.

I love using up all the left over rice this way.

We mostly eat jasmine in our house, but I love

it with brown rice too. Just make sure to be

adding back in water or vegetable broth so

your rice doesn't stick or dry out and feel like

gravel when you're eating it. Sometimes to

retain the moisture I will add tomato sauce,

left over pasta sauce, or even left over salsa.

I chop up some garlic, onions and cook that until

its fragrant then I add fresh tomatoes, bell peppers

and corn to put in with a tablespoon of chili power,

some cayenne, and salt and pepper.

Pineapple is super good thrown in there if you

have any too!

I served ours with black beans, soygurt, cilantro,

black olives, jalapenos, or whatever you have a hankering for.

What is in a Snickerdoodle?

A cookie by any other name would taste as sweet.

This was actually my first time making snickerdoodles. To be completely honest, when my friend told me

that these were his favorite I wasn't quite sure what

kind of cookie a snickerdoodle was. After a short reminder

it brought back memories of those enormously oversized,

squishy cookies that kids could get for free at the vons

bakery counter. So considering I had mixed emotions

(and a very little bit of confusion) surrounding the

creation of a snickerdoodle cookie, I feel this came out

quite well!

According to Lynne Olver snickerdoodles have no clear

origin. They are thought to be more of a modern adaptation

of German sticky buns or spiced cakes through the Pennsylvania

Dutch. The word snicker is probably derived from the German

word Schnecke, which translates to snail. I rather like that...

snail-doodles!

From what I've learned in making and reading up on these

lovely little guys is that they are characterized by the

soft texture and crackled surface. The dough, similar to

a regular sugar cookie, is rolled in cinnamon and sugar

before baking.

Aside from that, I think I'm all the better for these...

well maybe not my tummy, but the rest of me is better for it.

Snickerdoodle or 'SnailDoodle' Cookies

ingredients

1 cup of earth balance

1 1/2 cups of raw sugar

[2 tbsp flaxseed meal plus 6 tbsp water until frothy]

2 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

Cream earth balance, sugar, and flax.

In a separate bowl sift together flour, tartar, soda

and salt. Blend the dry ingredients into the wet mix.

Chill the dough and an ungreased baking sheet for at

least 15 minutes. Mix the extra sugar and cinnamon in

a small bowl. Scoop the dough into rounded teaspoons

and roll in sugar mix. Place on the chilled sheet with

plenty of room, no need to press down because they

will flatten out and spread on their own.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 10 minutes

and remove from the pan immediately after baking.

These are so taste and disappear so quickly I doubt

the name 'snaildoodle' is entirely suiting!

Plan B PB&J

It never fails that I'll wake up a little too late to make something
decent to pack for lunch. I'll have it all planned out in my head
when I'm drifting off to Z-land... mmm pesto pasta, beet salad,...

But I also forget that I have a horrible problem with sleeping through
everything, not to mention my alarm. I grew up next to a train track,
so I think that has something to do with it. I'll sleep through
earthquakes, phone calls, movies, alarms, frat-parties, you name it.

Because I'm always flying out the door, I have perfected the art of
jazzing up the classic peanut butter and jelly. When I was little and
my parents were shoving us out the door into the car,
we'd get a toasted peanut butter sandwich with granola and
bananas if we were lucky.

So what I do now to my little brother is very similar...
except he doesn't like it toasted (gawhat!?) Oh well.

I add pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and whatever dried fruit we have
on hand- usually raisins, cranberries, blueberries, and currents.
I'll also sprinkle on some flaxseed meal and sliced apples.
I'd have been one hungry college kid if it wasn't for the ol' pb&j,
so jazz it up a little folks.

Bold, Beautiful, Bellini

Summer fruits are like heaven.

I have issues in being able to save enough of the fresh fruit

I buy to actually do something with it or make recipes.

I forgot that I wanted to use some blueberries in the

sparkling wine I brought for the Fourth of July, but used them

all in my Vegan Blueberry Cheese cake. Oh well, they went to good use.

I had watched the movie I Really Hate My Job not too long ago

and in the last scene all the characters leave to go get a Bellini.

Well, the craving for Bellinis really set in and I haven't been able to shake it.

Ideally they are made with peach puree and an Italian Prosecco

(sparkling wine), but quite often the puree is substituted with schnapps

and cheap champagnes are used. They are named after the artist Bellini

because the colour of the drink is reminiscent of the colours used by Bellini.

Instead of making a puree I sliced up some fresh peaches and

allowed them to soak, absorbing some of the wine for a

few hours. Chilled, this was so amazing. The wine took on some

of the sweetness of the peaches as well, making this a beautiful

summer treat.

Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake

My goal was to create something red, white, and blue for

Independence Day. Well, the crust still needs some work.

But if you insert your usual graham cracker crust, I can

update later with a better version of this cranberry-almond

crust. I just want it to be more colourful.

When making a cheesecake out of silken tofu, the result

is nearly custard-like. The combination of the vanilla

"cheatcake" and the fresh blueberry sauce was otherworldly.

It is fresh and light and there was absolutely no oil or fats

in the whole thing, so the only guilt is the sugar itself.

Come on, it was a holiday. Let's celebrate.

Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake

Ingredients

for the cheesecake

12 oz firm silken tofu

1/2 cup soymilk

1/2 cup vegan sugar

1 tbsp flour

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp lemon juice

blueberry sauce

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup of water

1/2 cup vegan sugar

a chunk of fresh, peeled ginger

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder

For the cheesecake combine all the ingredients in a blender

or food processor and blend until smooth... thats pretty much it.

Pour over a prepared crust in a spring form pan and bake in a

preheated oven (350f) for 30-40 minutes or until it begins to

brown on top and appears set when jiggled.

Remove and allow to cool completely before applying sauce.

For Sauce:

Combine blueberries, chunk of ginger, water and sugar in a

saucepan over medium heat. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Cook until blueberries begin to burst (not as exciting as it sounds).

Dissolve starch in the lemon juice and add to the blueberry mix.

Continue cooking/stirring until it begins to thicken up.

Remove ginger, stir stir stir, remove from heat.

Apply the sauce to the cake before it totally thickens up, but not

while its still boiling hot.

note: you may lightly grease the pan to allow for easier removal,

but I did not and it was fine. Just use a knife to gently cut the edges

free, while continually wiping the blade clean to avoid too much

sticking.

a little sketching

My down time with a cup of coffee...

Braised Kale and Figs

I've been playing around with kale for a while.

I bought three huge bunches at the farmers market,

which encouraged me to cook it up quickly. The longer your

greens sit, the more bitter they become. I usually

cook it up with raisins and serve it over pasta.

However, I was in luck this past Sunday.

I went over to the west side of the island with some

friends and we went to Costco. (yes yes I know, but

we have very few choices in Hawaii. Unfortunately,

Costco is often the lesser of evils.)

While we were there I was stunned to find a large

flat of fresh figs for $8. I was so excited. Its the first

time I've ever seen fresh figs in Hawaii. Its been almost

a decade since I'd had one.

Figs originate from Western Asia, but spread through the

Mediterranean. They were brought over to California in

the 1500s by explorers and became an established crop

in the missions of Southern California. Figs are really high

in dietary fiber (two figs contain the same amount of fiber

as a half a cup of beans), as well as high levels of potassium,

and manganese.

So, aside from munching them

constantly I figured I'd give them a whirl with some

braised kale. I wish I could make this more often, its

across the board gorgeous.

Braised Kale and Figs

ingredients

1 large bunch of Kale, cut to ribbons!

1 clove of garlic, minced

5 medium fresh figs, cut into quarters

2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

water

salt to taste

crumbled walnuts (optional)

cook garlic in a tablespoon of water over medium heat until fragrant.

Add the kale and about a 1/4 cup water, you may need to

add more if it starts to look dry. Cook until Kale looks like its starting

to wilt and look tender but not soggy. Add figs, vinegar, and a dash of salt

(and walnuts if you like)

Continue cooking until figs are tender and kale is soft, but still bright.

Excellent served with toasted ciabatta bread.

Red, White and Bluesli

My patriotic breakfast. Of course we'll be doing the downright

vegan BBQ tonight, watching fireworks from the rooftop.

But I had to start the day right.

Call me weird but I don't let my muesli soak overnight

or at all. Ha ha, yes I basically eat raw oats and it is awesome.

I do let it soak sometimes if I have the foresight to think

about breakfast before I go to bed. However, this morning

I just threw together some rolled oats, oat bran, flax meal,

fresh blueberries, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower

seeds and dumped it on a bowl of plain soygurt. Oh boy. I be

thinkin I want some mo'.

Sweet and Sour Pearl Onions

This recipe is great if you're crazy for onions and pretty good if

you're not. I found it sometime ago in a generic vegetarian cook

book, so I'm afraid I can't cite my source. I'd like to try it again

with greens instead of onions to see how it turns out.

But the straight up recipe was very good and an excellent side

dish. I served it over couscous with a side of spicy hummus.

S&S Pearl Onions

1 pound of pearl onions, peeled and whole

1/4 white wine vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp tomato paste

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs fresh parsley

1/2 cup raisins

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a deep pan and add 1 1/4 cups of water.

Bring all to boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered

for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to add a little

water now and then to keep it from drying out too much (depends

on your stove). Onions should be translucent, plump and soft.

Serve hot or at room temperature!

Add a flourish with flowers

I finally got to the farmer's market early enough to buy some

eatable flowers for my younger brother who was incredibly eager

to try them.

Flowers, which have been eaten for centuries, are now making a

culinary come-back. Indeed, they are being seen more and more in

haute cuisine. Flowers add not only a beautiful appeal, but possess a

wide variety of delicate flavours. One must be careful to not overpower

them with other items in the dish, especially strong dressings.

Imagine a little spicy bite or sweet tang completely destroyed by a

powerful balsamic vinaigrette.

If using as a garnish in a salad it is important to keep the dressing very

light and mild. I personally feel they are best to just trim dishes.

I of course will being using them more as we get into the summer

months. Perhaps I will be getting up early enough from now on to get

them regularly or heaven forbid- Grow them myself! Although, I kill

just about every plant I get near. RIP herb garden. A local organic-vegan

farmer produces them here in Hawaii and also supplies them to our

local natural health food store.

The most commonly seen eatable flowers are daisies, pansies, roses,

violets, and of course lavender. But there are so many others to utilize,

as long as you are positive as to what you are picking and they are not

treated with any sort of pesticide, &c. You should absolutely check out

more on the subject.

A great quick source is Please Eat the Daisies by David Heeran.

More soon to follow... and in the meantime, be sure to stop and to

eat the roses!

Mystery Fruit

We found these on a a little squash like plant outside my

friends house. Can someone give me a hint as to what

it could be?...

Simply Sassy for Salsa

When everyone is away,

with garlic Gwen will play.

Summer time always gets me

in the mood for mexican food.

Something about sweating

from the hot weather makes

me wanna sweat from my food

too. So when everyone left for

work today, I took a break

from packing and diced up a

very simple salsa.

Salsa is one of those things

that you can never go wrong

with. I made a good sized

batch so I had it with chips,

tocos at night, a breakfast

burrito, and spanish rice the next day. I really must make

some more for vegan huevos rancheros for my bday (a tradition).

Sassy Salsa

3 firm tomatoes

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic

1 bell pepper, any colour

2 hot peppers

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Dice all your veggies and toss with the lemon juice and cilantro.

Season to your taste. The heat can be adjusted to your desire.

I love using Hawaiian chili peppers or Habaneros, but other hot

peppers are just fine.

Like soups, chili, and curry salsa is even better the next day,

so plan ahead or make a lot.