Goblin Soup breakfast

It's been way too long since I've shared a recipe here.

This morning I waited a bit too long before making breakfast, but was determined to have something really delicious, savoury, and nourishing. I threw this together. Goblin is one of my favourite words, so here's a friggin' homage to that.

GOBLIN SOUP

1 small sweet potato (according to science, the most satiating food! beta carotene!*)
1 bunch of green leafy vegetables like kale, chard, collards, bok  choy, spinach-- (vitamin K fer yer bones)

Steam those until done-- approx. 15 min. You could choose to steam the greens for less time or not at all, if you wanted the soup to be more raw. Reserve the cooking water-- it's got nutrients in it that fell outta the vegetables as they steamed. Some other time you steam vegetables but don't need the water, let it cool and water your plants with it. My plants would be pretty pumped if I watered them with anything!

Into your blender goes: the vegetables you steamed, and some or all of the steaming water (depending on if you like your soup thicker or thinner). 

Also:
-1 generous T. miso paste (balancing, good bacteria-making)
- 2 T. nutritional yeast (B vitamins to combat stress)
-1 small clove of garlic (pro-immune)
-a small chunk of ginger, grated (warming)
-as much turmeric as  you can muster 1/2 tsp or so (anti-inflammatory)
-a dash of maple syrup (54 disease-fighting compounds including Quebecol, also the most delicious taste on Earth) if you accidentally poured in way too much turmeric and/or to cut the bitterness of the greens

WHIRRRRR! (sound of a blender) Eat this. If you've got these seeds in the house, I suggest putting this mix on top--  or any of them: black (or white, but black are higher in calcium and antioxidants), garlic flax (Omega crunch) or any flax seeds, chia seeds (amazing fibre, omegas, etc), hemp (tons of useable protein, good fats). 

This soup is pretty fabulous, can be amended umpteen different ways, and is very nourishing. If you've got limp greens in your fridge that you're hoping will just disappear 'cuz you've negected them, this soup is a great use for them. It's got lots of fibre too! If you feel you need some more protein, boil a free range egg or have a l'il shake or something.

****The food facts I put in brackets are only one/some of the rad things about these foods. There are many.

What the hell do I do with kale?!

So I've gotten a few emails (not to mention the questions in person) that have asked, "Eeep! I a) have too much b) hate  kale. What the hell do I do with it to a) use it up b) like it!?" 

I quickly compiled a list of ideas in an email recently, so I figured I might as well chuck it all down here. Here is the email I sent to my friend Noel of Moncton Garden
who had a ton of kale in his garden and was tired of just boiling it. 

DO THIS WITH KALE:

-make kale chips (this one and its variations will keep you going)

-colcannon (usually done with cabbage-- basically mashed potato and kale, butter, salt n' pepa)

-sautee with garlic and onions and/or lemon juice

-explore green smoothies (yes, kale in a smoothie!)

-use it in curries (this is probably what I use it in the most)

-make kale mufins (http://vegetablevalhalla.blogspot.ca/2009/10/killer-kale-muffins-no-really.html)

-this salad http://www.planetorganic.ca/goodfood/recipecorner/salad/hail-the-kale-salad

-and this salad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjDevXnBozc from everyone's favourite Sexy Vegan

-kale boiled with pasta and soaked seaweed and a dressing made of tahini, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil (I do this one a lot)-- a take on a Jae Steele recipe

-pureed kale/potato/onion soup

-Polish Sausage Soup http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Sausage-and-Kale-Soup (I make a vegan version a la Jae Steele)

-scrambled eggs or tofu with kale

-I love Canadian Living's recipes. They always turn out awesomely. Here are the favourite kale recipes. I want to try them: http://www.canadianliving.com/food/menus_and_collections/cooking_with_kale__our_top_kale_recipes.php

-Martha Stewart also always has amazing recipes. She has 28 for kale. http://www.marthastewart.com/286367/kale-recipes/@center/276955/seasonal-produce-recipe-guide#/242967 I have half a bunch of kale to use up so I will try something new today.

-This is the website I go to if I'm really stuck. Awesome photos, great ideas: http://foodgawker.com/?s=kale

So there you go. It was my goal to give you 20 ideas, and between the last three websites I have gave you dozens (plus my several faves). I also got some new ideas in the process which is awesome.

-Oh yes, I also make miso soup and put it in there http://vegetablevalhalla.blogspot.ca/2011/11/miso-soup-for-ninjas.html

-Oh yes, Indian kale http://vegetablevalhalla.blogspot.ca/2009/12/all-hail-black-kale.html

I will let you know if I think of anything else. I think it would be great in a quiche or any recipe that calls for spinach (just cook it a bit longer). Kale is really beautiful steamed and topped with seeds.

 OH YES:

My last post could be made with kale:

Kale with gravy ! http://vegetablevalhalla.blogspot.ca/2012/05/dandelion-green-and-fiddlehead-scoff.html

Vegetable Valhalla: Dandelion Green and Fiddlehead Scoff with Pagan Gravy

vegetablevalhalla.blogspot.com

And here's one of the weirdest things I've ever done with kale-- KALE POUTINE!

• 
  

  eatin' for it

  Kale and tofurkey (homemade) poutine with mushroom gravy and Daiya cheese (it's okay, but it's not a deity): the Boxing Day turkey-leftover compromise.
  

  Also, my brother and his boyfriend came up with a pretty sweet use for kale that I'm currently heating up for breakfast. It's their take on scalloped potatoes. They also used sliced apples, green beans, and carrots in a coconut curry base rather than a dairy one. They put cut-up kale on the top which crisped up like kale chips rather than the corn flakes our Mom used to use. So inventive!
  
  

  So, as you see, the limits of what you can do with kale don't even exist. I've been eating kale since 2001 since before kale was the new broccoli. This makes me a  kale hipster. I admit it.  

  
  

  
  

  
  

Dandelion Green and Fiddlehead Scoff with Pagan Gravy

Scoff with dandleion greens, turnip, and fiddleheads with ridiculous gravy.

Oh geez, it's springtime! Sure, it's been spring for a while, but now spring FOOD is available in abundance! I felt like a failure that I didn't nab some fiddleheads last week when they were first available, but I had a busy start at the Halifax Seaport Market and didn't get away to grab some. At least I got some rhubarb when it first came out!

Anyway, first thing this Saturday I got some fiddleheads from Selwood Green, as well as some dandelion greens! This morning, after a weekend with too much sweet stuff, I wanted a nice pure, cleansing first meal. As I mentioned in a post last year, most people sautee fiddleheads with some combination of salt and pepper, butter, lemon and vinegar. And while there's something to be said for tradition, I like to explore other ways to prepare dishes that have always been eaten the same. damn. way. 

I remembered writing down a recipe in probably 2005 that I'd never bothered to make called "Dandelion Scoff" from an awesome vegan cookbook from Newfoundland called "The Eldamar Cookbook" published in 1995 that my friends Mat and Dave featured on their awesome vegan radio show Let's Get Baked.  Anyway, basically it suggests you steam a bunch of dandelions and other vegetables and then pour some "Pagan Gravy" over it. I'm in so far. 

So here's my adaptation of "Pagan Gravy" for a single serving:

Pagan Gravy

Saute 1 clove of garlic (you could also use an onion, but this, as I've mentioned before, pretty much an onion-free house :) in 1 tbsp. of warmed olive oil. Add 1/4 tsp of savoury (I used winter savoury that we grew last year) and 1/4 tsp sage and stir. Add 2-3 T. of bragg seasoning or if you're lucky enough to have some-- Bernard Jensen's broth seasoning and stir. If you don't have either, just use a good quality tamari or other soy saue. Stir in 2 T. of chickpea flour-- it will be probably form a big lump. Be careful to not let it burn. Sloooowly add up to a cup or so of water, stirring constantly. The gravy will thicken, then even moreso as it cools. Add 1-2 T. of nutritional yeast if desired, and a dash o' tamari and some sea salt and pepper if you like. 

Now you have a bunch of greens and gravy and your day will rule. You just ate wild edibles* which is super awesome. High five yourself! 


*WARNING: Be careful when eating wild edibles. While there aren't too too many that are poisonous, some are. Don't just eat whatever the heck you find growing outside, and if you're choosing a new wild edible at the market, ask the farmer before you prepare it. This won't only ensure you prepare it safely, but also in a recipe that's delicious!

Make sure you cook fiddleheads before you eat them, as they have a mild toxin.  Health Canada recommends that fresh fiddleheads "be washed in several changes of cold water. They should then be cooked in boiling water for 15 minutes or steamed for 10 to 12 minutes until tender. Water used for boiling or steaming fiddleheads should be discarded as it may contain the toxin. Fiddleheads should also be boiled or steamed prior to sautéing, frying or baking."

Also, although dandelions aren't poisonous, beware of eating too many dandelions at once. They're stimulating to the liver and eating too many can cause vomiting and possibly other symptoms. Eating any reasonable amount won't do this, but I've had personal experience with this happening (I ate an unreasonable amount), and have heard of it happening to others. Dandelion greens are a very healthy food and wonderful for spring cleaning your body. Just don't eat a whole bag at once. Trust me.
 

Don't don't eat an avocado! Also, a sexy man helps you choose fruit

I was asked the dos and don'ts of eating avocados today on a thread I started on a local messageboard today about ripe avocados. Here it is:

[quote="petitebean"]

DO eat an avocado. It is fatty and creamy and delicious!
Do put an avocado on your fried egg sandwich.
Do eat an avocado that yields gently to pressure.
Do eat avocado fudge and avocado mousse.
Do make guacamole.
Do eat avocado on toast with salt and pepper.
Do make an avocado and banana smoothie.
Do wrap a partially eaten avo in plastic wrap.
Do use avocado as a spread-- it is nature's mayo.
Do know that avocados have the best potassium: sodium ratio of any food, so it's an amazing complement to salty chips if you want to go there.
Do know that an avocado is also called an alligator pear. How awesome is that?

DON'T DON'T eat an avocado!
Don't eat the brown spots.
Don't eat the skin.
Don't wash the avocado of your hands when you get it on them. Rub it on your skin first and THEN wash it off. It's good for your skin!
Don't buy/eat avocados that are super mushy.
Don't leave a half eaten avocado laying around. It will get brown.
Don't believe avocados are bad for you because they are fatty. They have lots of good fats and other benefits.
Don't believe that putting an avocado pit in your guacamole will keep it from browning. It is bullshit (but will do no harm).[/quote]

Yes, this is my avocado fudge, and yes-- it is AMAZING!

Then I got a quick schooling on avocados:

[quote="Umbrageous"]What I just learned about avocados in about six minutes:

Wikipedia says you can grow them indoors, but it takes six years.

They look like bald kiwis.

Canada produced 10,000 tons of kiwis in 2007, but isn't even in the top 20 producers of avocados.

They're poisonous to animals.

It's called an alligator pear because it's a corruption of the Nahuatl word ahuacatl. [/quote]

Then after some discussion, I learned that you can grow an avocado in conditions other than superhot conditions, but it may take six years. I also learned that in choosing a ripe avocado, Stooge said you can "try to flick off the little stub left over from the stem. If it comes off easily, avocado be ripe." This trick seems awesome because a) not much is more delicious than a ripe avocado and b) if the l'il stem is out of the picture, you won't need to go fishing for it in your half-made guacamole. NIIIICE!

And while we're on the subject of niiiiice, locals poster craig ferguson linked a video of Rener Gracie showing us how to choose fruit. He's passionate, knowledgeable and handsome as hell. I could watch handsome, fit men talk enthusiastically about healthy food all night.... and maybe I will. 

Dragon Balls were on TV!

So, I was on live TV today! It was much more fun and way less terrifying than I expected. I was invited on CTV Morning Live (a show with way more viewers than I had imagined) to showcase some products from my company Crowbar Real Foods.  I chose to make Dragon Balls, one of our latest products- something that Brucifer and I eat at home all the time-- for a breakfast treat, as a snack, whenever we want something delicious and energizing. 

As promised to some of our facebook fans, here's how to make Dragon Balls!

Dragon Balls:

1 c. brown rice crisp cereal (like rice crispies, but organic and healthier)
1 c.unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 c. raw cacao powder
1/4 c. chia seeds
1/2 c. natural peanut butter, unsweetened
1/2 c. brown rice syrup or local honey

Mix together, roll into balls and enjoy! Top with a cacao nib or other pretty antioxidant-laden decoration if you wish.

Most everything should be able to be found at your local health food store or health food section. Let me know if you have any questions or if the Dragon Ball has helped you through your day! 

Grow your own green onions + make 'em into pancakes!

A couple of weeks ago I was reminded of the the most brilliant idea-- growing green onions in your kitchen from used-up ones. I had some super shrivelled-up ones left over from Lunar New Year shenannigans and decided I had nothing to lose. So I chucked some green onions in a cup with the tops cut off, and within a couple of days you could see growth! 

Fast-forward to 10 days later and I've got such tall green onions, they're tipping over in the cup. Since I don't generally use many green onions at once and I didn't want these fabulous beauties to go to waste, I decided to cook up some Pa-Geon-- a Korean green onion pancake. When I visited my brother in Korea, we visited a pizza shop where we ate one of the most amazing meals I had there-- a green onion and kimchi pizza. They made it in the shape of a heart, possibly assuming (and not the first to do so) that my brother and I were lovers rather than siblings. Anyway, when I was on the plane ready to leave Korea, I was in tears when I realized I'd possibly never eat kimchi green onion pizza ever again (and that I wouldn't see my brother for several months). 

Fast-forward yet again to this year when my brother decided to figure out how to make these pancakes/pizza (call it what you will). We've made them twice together and are always experimenting with different ingredients. Sadly, today I had no kimchi  or even sauerkraut in the fridge, so I made a simple green onion pancake. Here's how: 

Pa-geon pizza/pancake:

1 1/2 c. light spelt flour

1/2 c. chickpea flour (you can use any combo of flours or straight up regular-- my brother uses rice + chickpea)

3/4 c.  water

an egg or egg replacement

4 or so green onion stalks

1/2 tsp. turmeric (because I hate inflammation!)

a big ol' squirt or two or three of sriracha

some pepper

a dash o' sea salt

Beat egg or prepare egg replacer. Mix everything together and let stand 10 minutes before cooking the pancake for a few minutes on each side (until the edges begin to brown). The batter should be slightly runnier than typical pancake batter. 

Spicy dipping sauce with this is traditional and super fun. Here's the one I made:

Spicy dipping sauce, y'all:

1 1/2 T. soy sauce

1 1/2 T. rice vinegar

1 t. toasted sesame oil

1 tsp. gochu flakes (hot korean red peppers)

1 garlic clove, minced

Mix and dip triangles of your pizza into this. I like to use chopsticks, but you could use your fingers, or most boringly, a dumb ol' fork. 

 I also had a tiny bit of red cabbage kicking around, so I made this Asian Slaw to accompany the pancakes for breakfast. This whole thing, including taking the photos took probably 20 minutes, possibly less. 

Asian Slaw:

2. c. red cabbage, grated

1 carrot, grated

dressing:

2 T. rice vinegar

1 T. soy sauce

3/4 t. maple syrup

1/4 t. mirin (or just a full tsp of maple)

1 tsp. grated ginger

1 tsp. sesame oil 

some black sesame seeds for garnish + crunch + high calcium!

Grate vegetables. Mix dressing together. Dress with however much dressing you want. I used about 2/3 of it it tasted nice and fresh, somewhat like carrot apple juice, oddly (with sesame oil). If you weren't serving this with the dipping sauce and pancakes, you might want to use more dressing, but sesame oil can be powerful, so I erred on the side of less. A wonderful breakfast. 

Grow some green onions PLEASE if you like 'em. I ALWAYS end up not using a full bunch when I buy them, so this is perfect- and if you have too many you can give them away. Thanks to Kevin and Sophie for telling me about this intially. It only took me a year and a half to bother to do this! 

If pizza is a vegetable, ketchup is a smoothie, then North America's doing just fine

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but.....

Thai Thing-- featuring the poor man's version!

This isn't a gourmet meal, but it's quick and healthy. Its glamourous name around the house is "Thai Thing*" and I hereby bestow it onto you. Summer's vegetables seemed more authentic in this recipe, but autumn and winter aren't too far behind. Every time you make it it's a new meal because of the seasonal vegetables. You could also use frozen vegetables too if you were so inclined. We use frozen corn a lot because its sweetness is delicious. Sweet potatoes are our favourite winter vegetable to use in this dish. Slay it! This can be made start to finish in 30 minutes. Blink and it's done. BLINK. THAI FOOD ON MY PLATE! Is this authentic? Not sure, but it is good! 

This is a summer version. I liked the photo better.

Thai Thing

2 T. oil
1 lb. or less of firm tofu, cubed or chopped fried tofu**
3 c. seasonal vegetables, chopped
1 T. grated gingerroot
half can of coconut milk,  more if you like it saucy!
2 T. lime juice
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
2 scant T. soy sauce
3/4 tsp. thai curry paste
a hot pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)

Saute tofu until browned-- (4-6 min). Remove from pan and allow to rest on a plate. Saute vegetables for about 5 minutes. Add coconut milk, turmeric, and ginger, hot peppers (fresh ones are sooo good in this recipe) and cook until vegetables are almost tender. Add lime juice, soy sauce, curry paste,  and tofu and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve over noodles of your choice. We usually use rice stick noodles or kamut linguine.

For an even cheaper meal, try the POOR MAN'S VERSION:

Instead of curry paste, use about a teaspoon and half of curry powder-- get a decent blend or it will taste crappy. We ran out of curry paste and are really digging this version!

I hope you enjoy Thai Thing. We make it as an emergency meal at least once a week. What's your emergency meal?

*This recipe was featured in Issue 4 of T.O.F.U. Magazine which is an awesome magazine. Check it. It's pay what you can! 

**you can get this at well-stocked Asian stores. If you buy this kind, you don't need to fry it again. Just skip this step and chuck it in.  

Lentil me wish you a happy 2012!

Okay, perhaps using lentil as a verb in that context was a stretch, but I'm all about experimenting today! I've been holding out on you way too long with this soup. It's a fantastic recipe full o' fibre, protein, iron and lots of other nutrients. Do yourself a favour and get some decent spices (in small amounts) and make this soup. This is a great meal to take for lunches. You can get it ready pretty easily before you hop in the shower and it's ready to put in a thermos before you're ready to leave. The garlic and ginger are anti-inflammatory, which is awesome.

Red Lentil Soup

 3 c. seasonal vegetables, chopped. 
1 c. red lentils
4-6 c. water
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. black mustard seeds
1 T. coconut oil 
1/2 tsp. turmeric 
1 tsp. grated ginger
3 cloves
4 peppercorns
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
a dash of red chili pepper flakes
broth cube or equivalent
sea salt and/or Bragg's

Heat oil over medium heart. Add cumin and mustard seeds until they begin to pop. Stir in lentils and stir for a minute. Add vegetables and stir to combine. Add all seasonings (except salt-- as it prevents lentils from cooking) and water. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes. If it's not done, turn to low heat, ensure there's enough water and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Season with a bit of sea salt or Bragg's to taste. If you wanna be a pro, put the peppercorns and cloves into a li'l muslin bag or piece of tied-up cheesecloth so you don't get too much of a taste sensation when you find one in your soup. I like this prize, but I (not like a pro) leave them in and fish the cloves out for Bruce, as he hates them. 


HAPPY 2012! What are you gonna get up to in 2012?