Gack Yack

According to Wikipedia:

Tempeh, or tempe in Indonesian, is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form. Tempeh is unique among major traditional soyfoods in that it is the only one that did not originate in China or Japan. It originated in today’s Indonesia, and especially popular on the island of Java, where it is a staple source of protein. Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans, but tempeh is a whole soybean product with different nutritional characteristics and textural qualities. Tempeh’s fermentation process and its retention of the whole bean give it a higher content of protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins compared to tofu, as well as firmer texture and stronger flavor. Because of its nutritional value, tempeh is used worldwide in vegetarian cuisine; some consider it to be a meat analogue.

So, what that says to me is that in Tempeh, the soy beans are like undigested corn bits in your poop. Little nutty soy poop brick. Here, see for yourself.

As if the texture wasn’t delightful enough, the taste is even less enjoyable. In its defense, Tempeh is much like tofu in that it is a conduit for the flavor that you impart on it. So, in theory, if you marinate it in deliciousness, it will taste yummy. In my experience, this isn’t ever the way it works out. The block seems to be too dense to really absorb any flavors and it almost always tastes bland when you chew it. And, the soy nuts break apart in your mouth in a most undesirable way. Yuck.

Buy, Seitan. Chop it up, saute with some BBQ sauce, and add it to a baked potato. You’ll be much happier.

It took long enough.

Environmentally Conscious Organization (e.c.o.), Inc. is a design and licensing firm, dedicated to improving outmoded, outdated and wasteful food packaging. e.c.o. is marketing its first product, the ‘Green Box’ (US Patent 7,051,919), a pizza box manufactured from 100% recycled material. The top of the ‘Green Box’ breaks down into convenient serving plates, eliminating the need for disposable plates. The remainder of the box converts easily into a handy storage container, eliminating the need for plastic wrap, tin foil or plastic bags. The perforations and scores that create this functionality allow for easy disposal into a standard-sized recycling bin. Made from a standard pizza blank, the ‘Green Box’ requires no additional material or major redesign and can therefore be produced at no additional manufacturing cost. e.c.o. owns the utility patent on the ‘Green Box.’

HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere), an international non-profit organization that seeks to promote peace and education, has found a permanent weekly home for the Sunday HOPE Farmers Market in Austin. Located at 414 Waller St. Austin, TX 78702, the Sunday HOPE Farmers Market is a “a weekly community gathering space where local farmers, artisans, community groups, families, and urban consumers can find fresh foods, community programs, artistic creations, agricultural education and wellness workshops. This unique weekly gathering space will be a platform to introduce local artists and Austin residents to surrounding area farms, healthy lifestyle companies, education in the arts and local community volunteer programs.

In addition to local farmers and prepared foods, the market will include student DJs from Austin AMP, bike repair corners, yoga workshops from Empower Yoga, cooking classes from East Side Show Room, sustainable agriculture and landscaping from Big Red Sun and host free space for other non-profits and community groups as well as promote healthy living for local artists.”

Known as Pine Street Station, the Farmers Market location has been the home and studio of legendary glass artist and painter Reji Thomas for over 25 years. HOPE officially expanded to Austin in May 2009 and began working with Graphic Glass Studios on ideas for community gatherings and artists workshops. The market is open from 10AM – 3PM this Sunday and is providing free coffee if you bring your own mug. I’ve never been, but it sounds like a place worth checking out. See you there.

The HOPE Farmers Market is a project brought to the Austin community by the HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere) Campaign, Finca Pura Vida, Daily Juice, Cafe Mundi, Graphic Glass Studio, Big Red Sun, Empower Yoga, Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill, Jewel Magazine, Austin AMP and HOPE Events Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3).

For all you pasta-loving vegetarians out there, have no fear: Konjaku is here.

Never heard of it before? We hadn’t either, until a few days ago. Konjaku (AKA Shirataki) is a gluten-free, calorie-free, low-carb, high-fiber Japanese noodle that’s actually good for you and can help you lose weight. Made from yam flour of the konnyaku imo tuber, these noodles provide plenty of dietary fiber without feeding the bad bacteria and yeast in your digestive tract. Basically, the fiber grabs hold of all the fatty build-up in your stomach and pushes it out of your body. Eating foods rich in fiber can also help you feel fuller faster, since fiber expands and pushes against your stomach walls.

Another bonus for konjaku noodles? The fiber they’re made from is called glucomannan, and it can control your blood sugar and cholesterol.

To get these in the US, your best option is to order them through Miracle Noodle. Miracle Noodle has kajaku in a variety of forms, including fettuccine and orzo. Another great benefit of these noodles is that they go well with different cuisines–Asian, Italian, etc. Miracle Noodle also features Black Shirataki, which includes hijiki (a Japanese sea vegetable) and holds onto sauce better than regular angel hair.

To prepare them, all you have to do is rinse them, pat them dry and then saute or cook them with your main course. No boiling necessary.

If you’re a pastaholic, then think of konjaku as your pasta nirvana: eat all you want and avoid the pitfalls of regular flour noodles.

I love lasagna. Fortunately, lasagna is something that you can make deliciously without meat. However, it’s not so easy to make it not taste like plastic and keep it nutritious, and low fat. This is a challenge that I always face when I’m making my lasagna these days. Gone are the days of my famous 10 cheese lasagna and white flour lasagna noodles. Today my lasagna has to be good with high fiber, whole wheat noodles and low fat cheeses or my doctor says I will die. My latest attempt was a great success IMO.  I have made virtually fat free versions, which are OK (read crap), but this one uses a little fat and turned out great! I’d guess about 3 grams of sat. fat per serving, but that is only a guess and depends on what cheese combination you use.

Ingredients:

2 8oz cans of diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1 6oz can of tomato paste
2 cups fresh spinach, stemmed
1 pint sliced mushrooms
2 cups Morningstar soy crumbles
1 cup of good white wine
1 cup veggie stock
13 sprays of spray butter (give or take 1)
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups diced onions
.5 cups finely chopped green pepper
.5 cups finely chopped celery
8 oz 2% low fat mozzarella
12 oz fat free  small curd cottage cheese
.5 cups low fat parmigiana “product”
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp minced garlic
.25 cups parsley
bunch of fresh basil and oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Get a big f’n pot. Add oil, butter, onions, peppers, celery, and cook on low-med until onions are clear. Add wine and reduce by half. Add veggie stock, tomatoes, paste, mushrooms, crumbles, salt, pepper, garlic. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Add spinach during last 5 minutes. Sauce should be thick; if not, keep simmering until it thickens.

Prepare whole wheat lasagna noodles according to directions on the box. To make sure you get real whole grain noodles by checking the fiber content per serving. Healthy noodles will have about 6 grams of fiber per serving.

In large mixing bowl add cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmigiana, and parsley.

In a large pan, spread sauce to cover bottom. Layer, noodles, sauce then cheese. I prefer to add sauce then cheese on the top layer. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.

Makes a whole meatless shit ton.

Tips:

• If you choose fat-free mozzarella, make your last layer cheese then sauce. The sauce will keep the cheese moist and keep it from getting that hard plastic baked fat-free cheese texture.
• If you are not into cottage cheese you can use fat free or low fat ricotta. I prefer cottage cheese because it keeps the lasagna from getting too dense and has a better texture overall for my taste.
• Vegan fag? Substitute soy cheese for the mozzarella and make a mixture of steamed cauliflower and tofu in the food processor to replace the ricotta.
• Substitute red wine for white if you want a richer taste. The wine really adds great flavor to the soy crumbles.
• Other cool stuff to add: Hard boiled eggs, roasted poblano peppers, weed and artichoke hearts all make for interesting lasagna.

Reposted from JackNorrisRD.com

I always find it amusing when I’m reading nutrition propaganda from someone using outdated information and they say something like, “As far back as [date], we knew that…” And so it disappoints me to have to do the same thing right now: As far back as June, we knew that vegetarians had a lower cancer rate than regular meat-eaters; it’s just that it’s taken me until now to update VeganHealth.org and post about it.

And, why am I saying “regular meat-eaters” rather than just “meat-eaters”? Because, in this report from EPIC-Oxford (1), the people who ate no meat other than fish had an even lower cancer rate than the vegetarians, in comparison to the regular meat-eaters. Here are the rates as compared to regular meat-eaters:

Vegetarians .88 (.81, .96)
Fish-eaters .82 (.73, .93)

Now before anyone says that fish-eaters, therefore, had a lower cancer rate than the vegetarians, let me point out that a cursory glance at those confidence intervals indicates to me that there would not be a statistically significant difference if you compared the vegetarians to the fish-eaters; but the study did not report testing for that.

When breaking the cancers down into categories, in comparison to the regular meat-eaters, the vegetarians had lower rates of stomach (.36, .16-.78), bladder (.47, .25-.89), and lympthatic & hematopoietic tissue (.55, .39-.78) cancer. They had a higher rate of cervical cancer (2.08, 1.05-4.12).

In comparison to the regular meat-eaters, the fish-eaters had lower rates of colorectal (.77, .53-1.13), prostate (.57, .33-.99), and ovarian (.37, .18-.77) cancer. They didn’t have a higher rate of any cancer.

So, can we now say that vegetarians have a lower rate of cancer than meat-eaters? Well, fish-eaters are meat-eaters, so that might be kind of hard. We could say that vegetarians have a lower rate of cancer than chicken eaters.

To see more of the numbers and details, as well as results from other studies on vegetarians and cancer rates, click here.

Footnote

1. Key TJ, Appleby PN, Spencer EA, Travis RC, Allen NE, Thorogood M, Mann JI. Cancer incidence in British vegetarians. Br J Cancer. 2009 Jul 7;101(1):192-7. Epub 2009 Jun 16.

On the day I watched Meat Your Meat for the first time, my eating habits changed forever. I never really seriously considered becoming a vegetarian until I watched this movie. One random day in our office, a co-worker (who had recently converted to vegetarianism because of MYM) dared me to watch MYM and then eat a hamburger. No problem, I thought. Needless to say, I never made it to the hamburger, and I stopped eating meat almost immediately. It inspired me to learn more about the food I put into my body. I read Food for Life, China Study and finally The Omnivores Dilemma. I also watched in-depth documentaries, including King of Corn, Food Inc. and Earthlings. And although Fast Food Nation and Super Size Me are more popular films, neither was as influential as Meat Your Meat.

With a run-time of only about 10 minutes,  MYM is the perfect way to ruin a holiday meal. Play it for your family right after they finish mocking your meatless ways and are about to sit down to a nice turkey day meal.  Tell ‘em it’s your school project.

Oh, and you can’t beat the narration by the superbly dramatic Alec Baldwin either.

Recipe from Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan by Dreena Burton.

Dreena’s Recipe Introduction: This recipe began as a more generic roasted vegetable roll. I needed more flavor, and remembered the flavors of Moroccan cuisine that I love so much – including cumin, cinnamon, and ginger. I changed a few elements, and the result was vegan magic! Serve as an elegant meal, drizzled with the Balsamic Maple Sauce (recipe below), and pair with a mixed green salad. Or, make smaller rolls and serve as very impressive appetizers (see notes below).

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS (OR MORE AS APPETIZERS)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups combination of yellow, red, and orange bell peppers, chopped

2½–3 cups zucchini or yellow squash, cubed

1–1¼ cups onion, chopped

1½–2 cups fennel bulb, chopped (about 1 medium bulb)

½ cup dried apricots (preferably unsulfured), chopped (or if in season, 1 cup fresh figs, stems removed, and halved)

5–6 large cloves garlic, minced

1½–2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1½ tsp cumin

¾ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp paprika

¾ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp sea salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup cooked chickpeas or white beans

½ cup (packed) fresh basil (or parsley) leaves, minced

8 to 12 sheets phyllo pastry sheets (see notes)

2½–3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (to brush phyllo)

1/4 cup chopped or slivered almonds, lightly toasted (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Line a wide-rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place bell peppers, zucchini, onion, fennel, apricots, and garlic on sheet, and toss with oil, cumin, ginger, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Roast in oven for 35–45 minutes, tossing once or twice, until veggies are caramelized in some spots and softened. Remove from oven, toss in chickpeas or white beans and basil, and let cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190ºC). Line a baking dish or sheet with parchment paper. Place a lightly dampened dish towel over phyllo sheets to keep moist while preparing rolls. Lightly brush top of one sheet with oil. Place another sheet (not brushed with oil) on top. Spread ¾–1 cup roasted veggie mixture (see note) down the center of top sheet, leaving 1–2-in (2½–5-cm) space from edges. Fold left side over filling and roll up, tucking in sides as you go. Brush with additional oil and place in lined baking dish or sheet. Repeat process until all phyllo and mixture are used; you will have 4–6 rolls (see note). Bake for 24–28 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm, drizzled with Balsamic Maple Sauce (recipe below), and garnished with almonds.

Cooking Notes:

1. For wheat-free option, use spelt phyllo pastry.

2. Use 8 sheets to make generously stuffed rolls or 12 sheets for smaller ones. If the roll is quite full, it may tear while baking. This of course won’t ruin them, but will affect the presentation (if that’s important to you).

3. As appetizers: Make smaller rolls or bite-sized phyllo triangles. For the latter, brush one sheet with oil. Then, with a sharp knife, cut 4 strips lengthwise down length of sheet. Place a small spoonful of filling at the base of one strip. Then, fold that corner over to form a triangle, and continue to fold back and forth until you reach the top. Repeat process until you have used up all the filling. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 15–20 minutes, until golden. Serve with Balsamic Maple Sauce (page 76) as a dip.

Balsamic Maple Sauce:

This tangy, sweet sauce will perk up any vegetable or grain, and… it’s a breeze to make! Serve warm over steamed green vegetables or baked sweet potatoes, or use for dipping tempeh, potstickers, spring rolls, and more! It’s also an absolute must to serve with the Moroccan Chickpea-Vegetable Phyllo Rolls (recipe above).

YIELD: 4–5 SERVINGS (ABOUT ½ CUP)

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup pure maple syrup

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tsp Earth Balance Buttery Spread

1 medium clove garlic, minced

1/8 tsp (rounded) sea salt

1 tsp arrowroot powder

3 tbsp tamari

DIRECTIONS:

In a saucepan on low heat, combine syrup, vinegar, Earth Balance spread, garlic, and salt, and heat for several minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine arrowroot and tamari, stirring through until well incorporated. Add tamari mixture to saucepan, whisk to combine, and increase heat to bring mixture to a boil, stirring continually. Let boil gently for 1 minute, then remove from heat and let cool slightly (the mixture will thicken more as it cools down).

Cooking Notes:

Leftovers can be refrigerated. This sauce is delicious chilled and drizzled over steamed or sautéed veggies or leafy greens, as a dipping sauce for pan-fried tempeh or tofu, tossed into whole grains or noodle dishes, or topped on sandwich ingredients.

Reposted from Post Punk Kitchen

In this dish I’ve sauteed some mushrooms for meatiness and red onions for a little tinge of sweetness. But you can use edamame pesto as a dip or as a topping for a baked potatoes, or as a filling for lasagna, or anywhere else that pesto would be appropriate. It’s really easy and versatile, too. It may not taste exactly like the super oily pesto we all know and love, but it tastes pretty darn good and it’s got a fraction of the fat so it won’t leave you feeling like you’re about to give birth to a pesto baby. Did I just ruin your appetite forever?

Spinach Linguine With Edamame Pesto
Serves 4

For the edamame pesto:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup packed basil leaves
Handful (1/4 cup or so) fresh cilantro
14 oz package shelled edamame, thawed
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
optional: 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

For the pasta:
10 oz spinach linguine or other pasta

1 teaspoon olive oil
Small red onion, in thinly sliced half moons
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
Extra basil for garnish

Cooking spray

Put on a pot of salted water to boil. Then prepare the pesto:

Place garlic and basil in food processor and pulse a few times to get it chopped up. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until relatively smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula to make sure you get everything. Add a little more vegetable broth if it seems too stiff. Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat a large pan over medium heat. At this point your pasta water should be ready, so add the linguine.

Saute onion in oil for about 5 minutes. Use a little cooking spray as needed, or a splash of water if you prefer. Mix in mushrooms, garlic, thyme and salt. Cover pot and cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

The pasta should be ready now, so drain it.

When the mushrooms have cooked down, add pasta to the pan, along with the pesto. Use a pasta spoon to stir and coat the linguine. Get everything good and mixed and the pesto heated through, about 3 minutes. The pesto should be relatively thick, but if it’s too thick (not spreading out and coating the pasta) add a few tablespoons of water. Taste for salt.

Serve immediately, garnished with a little fresh chopped basil.

This is also a good, quick recipe to make with Morning Star Black Bean Burgers. To make it even healthier, nix the sour cream, use whole grain tortillas, and add avocado or veggie cheese shreds. If you want to go all out, you can also make your own fresh salsa.

Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1

Ingredients

1     Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burgers
1     tablespoon salsa
2     taco shells (hard or soft) or 2 tortilla wraps
1/4     cup chopped lettuce (optional)
1/8     cup diced tomatoes (optional)
2     tablespoons diced onions (optional)
2     tablespoons sour cream

Directions

Cook veggie burger according to skillet directions on package.
Chop burger with spatula while in skillet.
Add salsa to skillet.
Once burger is done cooking, remove from heat.
Divide burger mixture and spoon into taco shells.
Top with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream, if desired.