Homemade Bread, Homemade Chickpeas, Homemade Hummus

I really, really, really love bread. However, I don't buy it often, because when I do, I usually end up eating the whole dang loaf in about 2 days. Discovering how easy it is to freeze fresh bread has really helped, but still. Anyhow, last week I got around to trying out a recipe from Mark Bittman's column, that I had cut out a while back. This is his recipe for faster no-knead 100% whole grain bread. The end result was a slightly heavy, slightly sour, zero-effort, 100% whole grain loaf with a lovely moist, seedy texture and a firm crust. Also, this is the "quick" version, where the dough only sits for 4-5 hours, rather than 12-18. I'll definitely make it again.

'Banzos! Chickpeas! Ceci! Whatever you call 'em, you gotta love 'em! As far as I'm concerned, 'banzos are the king of beans. After all, 'banzos are the source food of hummus and everyone knows what a dark and sad place the world would be without hummus. I've long been a fan of home cooked beans, but lately I've become a bit more of a fanatic. They are so good, and you can cook them just the way you like them! And, this was my best batch ever, thanks to a few tips from the aforementioned Mark Bittman and his epic tome "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian."

Here are a few very excellent bean cooking tips I will share with you:
- Soak the beans about 8 hours, not too much more
- If the beans are presoaked, you only need to cook them in enough water to cover them by about 2 inches
- Bring to a boil, but then reduce the beans to a gentle boil - not a crazy boil!
- Check every 10 minutes or so to see how they are coming.
- When they start to get tender, add about 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp white vinegar (per 1 lb beans) which helps expedite the cooking, keeps the skins from breaking away, and imparts flavor.

YUM!

With my huge batch of ceci (9 cups!), I used some for dinner, made a 1 1/2 batch of Dreena's amazing "Creamy Hummus" from "Vive le Vegan", and put some in the freezer (Bittman's book also has nice instructions for steaming frozen beans to thaw them, which I haven't tried yet!)

Then, I put it all together, for some delicious open-faced hummus sandwiches. Toasted the bread lightly, slathered on a generous layer of hummus and then put together 3 different toppings (left to right):
tomatoes, fresh basil, hummus
kalamata olives, roasted red bell pepper, hummus
tomatoes, sesame seeds, fennel seeds, hummus
tomatoes, fresh basil, hummus

Alongside a giant salad, this was a perfect dinner for last Monday's 97 degree heat!

My Menu Planning M.O.

When it comes to menu planning, I am generally pretty organized about the whole affair.

First, I pick out one or two of my cookbooks to pick recipes from. Sometimes I pick out an old favorite book, or other times I'll grab an unused book, or a new purchase! This week, what with family breakfast for easter, I picked out a few more sources than usual.

This week's sources:
Healthy Hedonist (one of my favorite cookbooks)
Healthy Hedonist Holidays (found it at the used bookstore, had never used it before)
Vegetarian Times (special vegan cheese article!)
Olive Trees and Honey (my newest purchase)

I like this system, because it keeps me on top of using my cookbooks, although there are still a few in my library that I almost never use (but refuse to get rid of just yet).

Next, I make a detailed list:
Which item I"m making, and for which days. What cookbook it's from, and what's the page number. List all the ingredients.

Then I go to the fridge and the cupboard and cross off whatever I already have. (Though sometimes I forget this important step, and suddenly I have 3 bags of couscous).


The first shopping trip is to the farmer's market! I do my menu planning on Tuesdays and Fridays, so that I can be all ready for the farmer's markets on Wednesday and Saturday. I buy whatever I can locally at the market, and then I head over to the local health food store. Going to the market twice a week also keeps me up on what's seasonal, and I would say that I buy at least 85% of my produce locally/seasonally. It's always especially exciting when you see the first asparagus, or the first tomatoes (hallelujah!)... but often I make myself wait a week and look up a recipe for that special ingredient, unless it's an easy one to use up.

Last week, with this big shopping list, I needed some specialty items, so I endured the traditional March of the Vegans and went to 4 different grocery stores: Trader Joes for cheap nuts, Specialty Store for candied citron for hot cross buns, Whole Foods to use $10 off coupon, then Local HFS to do the remainder of my shopping! Surely I am not the only foodie vegan to endure this type of shopping marathon.

Moroccan Vegetable Stew with Couscous from Olive Trees and Honey

Next step, come home and do my best to stick to the menu plan! Sometimes I falter, or we decide to go out, or I am too tired to cook, or whatever. Failure to stick to the plan usually results in something slowly rotting in the fridge. Impulse purchases that aren't accounted for in my menu plan usually sit on my cupboard shelf for months. Lately though, I have been reverse engineering a little - looking at what's in my cupboards or freezer, and looking for recipes to use those ingredients before they're unusable.

People are often amazed by my super tidy system, but I find that I waste a lot more food when I don't use this system. So far, I'm not much of an innovator in the kitchen, so sticking to recipes helps me know what I'm buying and why I"m buying it!

Happy Easter!

(or happy spring Sunday, to you non-celebrants!)

We had a lovely little Spring breakfast with my family:
Baked Chickpea Patties with Red Pepper Skordalia sauce.
from: Healthy Hedonist Holidays
This was a great recipe: the cakes were mild, with dill and tahini and onions and garlic and chickpeas... and then the sauce was almonds, 1 slice of bread, roasted red pepper, and a big spicy kick from raw garlic.

Roasted Asparagus & Garlic Tapenade on toasts with roasted asparagus tips
from: Healthy Hedonist
Really good! A hit with everyone, including my brother who is far less of a hippy than I am! The tapenade had a strong flavor, but I made it yesterday and by today it had mellowed and blended very nicely. I roasted the tips for presentation and to bring out more asparagus flavor. The plain toasts helped balance the savory spread.

Hot Cross Buns! There were four left over (hoorah!), but I only just found Snoopy up on the table and now there are only two left (boo! bad dog!)
from: the internet! I got this recipe years ago, and still use it...
This year I used DiSaronno liquer in the frosting, as an homage to my grandpa, who really loved the stuff. I also used half whole wheat pastry flour this year, and they were as yummy as ever. This recipe calls for raisins and candied citron, which is a very cool and yummy addition.

A few vegan chocolate eggs to set the mood, and in case anyone needed a sweet treat!
from: Sjaaks!

Yum!

I Did Some Baking...

This weekend, we had a memorial service for my grandpa. We weren't the only ones who loved him so much, so we were anticipating a big turnout. In the end I think there were at least 175 people there: his family, his volunteering buddies, his hiking companions, his old college and childhood friends, his gym pals... We rented out the lobby of the local Art & History Museum, and it was actually a really lovely affair. We had photos and videos and artifacts of his on display, and we even had a rowing machine there for people to use, because he was an avid, devoted, life-long rower.

Anticipating these adoring masses, I did some baking:

All the goodies, finally baked! Use your eagle eyes to spot the two missing brownies!

Specifically, I made 200 brownies and 193 oatmeal raisin cookies. I used two of my grandpa's most favorite recipes: "Super-Charge Me Cookies" from Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan by Dreena Burton, and "Chocolate Brownies" from Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

Yummmmmmmmmy Coooooooookies!

It took my grandpa a while to clue me in, but not too long after my grandma died I finally realized that oatmeal raisin cookies were his all-time favorite dessert. I tried out many different recipes before he fell in love with Dreena's recipe (naturally, since she is the queen of vegan cookies). Even when he was in the hospital, I think he ate about 8 of these babies!

Me all dressed up and organizing my goodies for the car-ride downtown.

Of course, everyone loved the treats, and I received countless requests for these recipes. Because my grandpa loved these goodies, and because these people loved my grandpa, I really wanted to share these recipes (and my slight variations in italics) with you. So, a big special Thank You to both Dreena and Colleen, who both granted me permission to share their recipes with you all! Obviously, these recipes are truly tested and approved!

Super-Charge Me Cookies
from Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan
by Dreena Burton
makes 11-12 (I make 'em a bit smaller, more like 15-16 cookies)

1 c quick oats
2/3 c spelt flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4-1/3 c raisins or chopped fruit
3-4 Tbsp carob or chocolate chips
(I use walnuts instead)
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 c flax meal
1/2 c maple syrup
3 Tbsp almond butter
1 1/2 pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a bowl, combine oats, flour, salt, cinnamon, coconut, raisins, and chocolate chips (or walnuts), sift in the baking powder, and stir until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine flax meal, syrup, almond butter, vanilla, and whisk until well-combined. Whisk in the oil. Add the wet mixture to the dry, and stir until just well-combined (do not overmix). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or a silpat!). Spoon batter onto baking sheet evenly spaced apart, and lightly flatten. Bake for 13 minutes (no longer or they will dry out). Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 1 minute (no longer), then transfer to a cooling rack.

Chocolate Brownies
from Joy of Vegan Baking
by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
makes 6-8
(I make these way smaller, and get either 16 small brownies or 25 tinies)

ingredients:
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
3/4 c unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp water
2 tsp ground flaxseed
1/2 c water
2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 c all-purpose flour
(or I use 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour & 1/2 + 1/3 c all purp)
3/4 c cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
1 c coarsely chopped walnuts (or pecans) - optional

Preheat oven to 350F. With canola oil, grease an 8x8 inch baking pan.

In a medium-size bowl, stir together the sugar, applesauce, and 2 Tbsp water.

In a small bowl or food processor, combine the ground flaxseed with the 1/2 cup water. Add this to the applesauce mixture, along with the vanilla, and whisk to combine.

In a separate small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips, and nuts, if using. Add to the applesauce mixture, and stir just to combine.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes. The finished product should be moist. Bake longer if you like a cakier result. Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Enjoy!!

Asparagus Cilantro Soup

Such a wonderful and perfect soup for spring. This is the "Asparagus Cilantro Soup" from The Real Food Daily Cookbook. I love this recipe so much. Generally I like to always make new recipes, because life is short. But this is one I've made over and over. It's a perfect flavor balance - the cilantro gives a great complexity to the clear flavor of the asparagus. Served alongside some delicious toasted rye bread. Mmm.

Also, Yummers Potatoes, our asparagus-crazed kitty loves when I make this soup. He starts freaking out and meowing all over the house while it's still on the stove top. Once we sit down to eat, he is trying to headbutt our elbows, so that we'll spill some and he can lick it up. Seriously, he is crazy for the stuff. I always take out a few asparagus tips for him.

Laundry Day!

Well, I washed all my plastic bags. How is this a vegan post, you might ask?

I suppose it's more of a vegan lifestyle post... but these are the same bags I use to bring home all my delicious produce from the farmers market. They get dirty or mucky and so I collect them all... and from time to time I wash 'em out and hang 'em out to dry.

When I went to India the first time, I saw plastic bags everywhere. The fields, the train tracks, the gutters, the trees, everywhere you looked there were plastic bags. It was especially sad to see the street cows eating plastic bags that still smelled like food. Apparently the cows eat these bags until their stomachs are full of plastic, at which point they cease to feel hungry, and starve to death. Sad! So, at first, unfortunately, I passed some judgment on the Indian system. But then I realized, our system isn't really any different, it's just that I don't have to look at it. Whether my plastic bags end up out at sea or in the landfill, they're still not going anywhere. Plastic is SO hard to avoid... but I do my small part by milking all the life I can out of these bags... and recycling them when they've met their end. My conscience is that little bit lighter. And to me, it's all part of veganism: living with increased awareness of how our actions affect other beings.

ps. isn't Snoopy cute?

Week of Blogging: I am a glutton

Did you know that I went to the farmer's market and bought 3 baskets of strawberries, and by the time I got home (one hour and several errands later), this is the one and only strawberry that was left?

And that I would do it all over again without hesitation? And that I probably WILL do it all over again tomorrow morning? Mmmmm... strawberries are back! I'm in love!

Week of Blogging: Vegan Soul Kitchen

"Vegan Soul Kitchen" by Bryant Terry was one of two new cookbooks to enter my life last week. Instantly Mr. VeganEats&Treats declared that from now on we will refer to this book only as "VSK." All the cool kids are doing it.

So, I set right to work flipping through the pages, looking for recipes I'd like to try out. The first one I made was "Creole Hoppin'-Jean" - a lovely mix of brown basmati, black eyed peas, and Creole spices. The dish is hearty, but not heavy, and has a pleasantness to it. I liked it, but when I followed his suggestion and added some Louisiana hot sauce, I loved it! I'll definitely make this again.

Next up, "Good Green Tempeh Packet" - a mix of tempeh, asparagus, and minced spinach baked in a tinfoil packet. I'm sorry to say, this dish was a serious dud. Did I do something wrong? Suffice it to say, Mr. VeganEats&Treats went and got some beanies and weanies after tasting this. Even more noticeably, our cat Yummers, who is a TOTAL FREAK for asparagus, didn't even ask for any. Truly, that is noteworthy. Something about the methodology of this dish left everything flavorless, even the delicious asparagus straight from the farmers market. I ate it anyway, because I am that way. But I can't say I've been too cheerful about it. This disappointment was especially vexing since the recipe asked for the tempeh to simmer for 1 hour and then roast for 20 minutes... and then bake for 13 minutes. That's a big time sink for something that isn't delicious. Sorry VSK, I won't be making this one again.

But let's end on a positive note. Terry's "Rosemary-Roasted Tofu Cubes" were a great hit with Musty and me! I made them as a side dish to a main course, and so I only made a half batch. Next time I will go a little lighter on the salt and a little heavier on the rosemary, but only a little. I loved this fast and fun way to make tofu, and the crisp/chewy outside with the airy/soft insides were great! They were all devoured, and I'll definitely make these little morsels again!

Week of Blogging: Food Awareness

Recently, I read Jacques Pepin's autobiography "The Apprentice," and loved it. It's a little funny that I loved it, since the whole book is about cooking veal heads and rabbit livers and such with sauces made of butter, heavy cream, and eggs. But still, Pepin's lovely spirit comes through, and most of all there is an ethos of food appreciation that shines out. Despite having very different ingredients on our shopping lists, I felt an affinity with Pepin's dual respect for traditional food preparation and openness to new ingredients and ideas. Pepin was raised in the French countryside, eating simple, fresh food from his family farm or neighbors. Clearly, this experience had a life-long effect in shaping his palette and preferences.

a shot from my local farmers' market

All of this got me thinking - realizing - that each of us has a unique ethos around food... shaped by our life experiences. It made me realize how much my approach to food has been shaped by my time in Italy. The first time I went to Italy, I was 16 years old. My parents and I spent the summer in Padua (near Venice), while my dad was teaching at the University, and my brother stayed home (paaaaarty!). In Padua, there was only one grocery store like the ones we were used to at home, and it wasn't quite so hot. I remember the laughter and confusion that my mom and I shared, trying to figure out where to get what we needed.

We found the dry goods store down the street from our house that had basic groceries. A very friendly family ran this spot, and I loved flirting with their teenage son. It was nice to develop a relationship with the people at the store - so that shopping became an activity that built a sense of community, as well as got us the food we needed.

For bread, we went to the bakery in our neighborhood. For produce, there was a nice old lady across the street with fruit and veggies. And there was the dairy store - with yogurt, milks, and cheeses. Each of these became a stop during the week. And in Padua, you had to figure it out - because each type of store had some unique time when it was closed: like the bakeries were closed on Tuesday mornings, and the cheese store on Wednesday afternoons... or whatever! It was pretty hilarious, especially since none of us spoke any Italian at the time. I also remember regular outings to our neighborhood trattoria for amazing pizza. Unlike the pizzas at home, stacked with one hundred toppings, here you had "mushroom pizza" or "cheese pizza" or "4 cheese pizza". These simplified toppings allowed flavors to come through and shine.

1994, Junior Year Abroad, picking mulberries in Tuscany

Years later, for my junior year abroad in Florence, Italy was the first place I ever lived on my own and cooked for myself. My first experiences providing my own nourishment involved this same pattern: go to the market for the produce, the cheese shop for my cheese (I wasn't vegan yet, foolishly!), the bakery for my bread, the gelateria for my gelato (of course!). I developed relationships with vendors, developed preferences for certain vendors, certain products, I even figured out which times of day to show up at the bakery to get my schiacciata fresh and warm from the oven.

early shot of Amey in the kitchen! cooking mulberry pie, 1994

I wasn't much of a cook then. My mom had gotten me a great cookbook before I left, of vegetarian Italian cooking, and I used it a lot. I made a LOT of pasta with simple red sauce: garlic, fresh tomatoes, olive oil, salt, basil. To this day, it's one of my favorite foods... and I"m quite a fusspot about using only the best ingredients.

San Quirico in Colline, the sandwiches were down the street on the left

Later, I spent a fair amount of time in the Tuscan countryside, even closer to the farmers. We drank wine from the ground where we lived, we used olive oil from the same property, each afternoon we could pick 50 giant green figs off the enormous fig tree outside our door. The sandwiches at the only shop nearby consisted of fresh bread, fresh tomatoes, fresh cheese, fresh basil... and they were the best sandwiches I'd ever had. I didn't know it, but these experiences were sowing the seeds of a future foodie!

setting the table, at our painting residency in Tuscany. 1994

I think the typical American thing is to go to the grocery store and buy every thing you need in one fell swoop. Only after reading Pepin's book did I realize quite how differently I go about things. I religiously buy almost all my produce from the farmer's market. I go out of my way to schedule time for it on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. I have my favorite vendors, and I enjoy chatting and learning about them just as much as I enjoy eating their fruits and veggies. I love looking through the offerings and asking the farmer what they recommend. I pretty much only buy bread fresh from the bakery, on the day I need it. Luckily, our neighborhood bakery makes great bread, and will sell you a half-loaf, which I love. I have definitely caught the foodie bug - and I love trying new ingredients, new cuisines, new flavor combinations, and obviously I buy plenty of stuff (including non-local produce) from my local natural foods store - but also, I have the deepest place in my heart for very simple foods of the best quality. Fresh bread, ripe tomatoes, basil, olive oil, good carrots... and I definitely attribute this to my time in Italy, and that coming-of-age-in-the-kitchen experience of working with consistently fresh and delicious ingredients.

One last way that my times in have Italy affected me... I am a real stickler for resting after I eat! I refuse to jump up and move on to the next thing right away. How uncivilized! :) I need some time to sit and relax a little... enjoy the experience.

So, kudos to you if you've read this far. I'd love to hear about your own unique "food ethos" and how it has developed over the years...