Kale Salad with Tahini Lemon Dressing

I would like to start this post by telling you that this recipe is still a work in progress. The first time I made it, a week ago, it was incredible. However, I was making up the dressing as I went along, and as you probably would agree, sometimes a new food creation is just a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

So, after gobbling up what I considered to be one of the greatest kale salads of all time, I decided to recreate it this evening; this time I planned to measure my proportions so as to turn it into a written recipe that can be referred to time and time again. Unfortunately, when I made the dressing tonight, although I still think it came out delicious, it was not exactly what I wanted.

That being said, I really love this salad and I do fully intend to make it again. But over time I plan to work on making the ultimate Tahini Lemon Dressing, which is why I am calling this recipe a work in progress. And by telling you this, I hope that I can employ your help. If you try this salad and want to give me your opinion on how I can hone in on making it awesome, please do give suggestions. I actually feel like my problem with the salad the second time around may be because I was working with much more bitter kale, so I'd like to see what others think. Also, I know the dressing has a high oil content, I plan to work on that as well. 

Now, to the recipe it self. Like many salads, this recipe is very simple. It consists only of kale, cucumbers, tomato, croutons, and dressing. I chopped the kale finely, sliced the cucumber into thin half moons, and diced the tomato. I also discovered that because kale is such a sturdy vegetable, it helps to put the dressing on it and let it marinate for a little while (15 minutes is probably enough) before eating it. The cool thing about a kale salad is that it can be dressed and sit around for ages without getting soggy like lettuce; it is therefore still super fresh and crispy the next day. 

Because I cook vegan, I had to make the croutons myself rather than buy them in a store; most store bought croutons have some form of dairy in them, such as milk powder, whey, or cheese. If the idea of making croutons seems absolutely absurd to you, then go for the store bought ones, but keep in mind, making croutons is incredibly quick and easy. I just throw some bread together with a bunch of dried herbs and saute them up in a frying pan with some oil for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. 

Salad
8 cups chopped kale
3/4 cup sliced cucumber
1 tomato diced
croutons & dressing

Dressing
3 Tbs tahini
2 cloves garlic, mashed
3 Tbl lemon juice
3 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl red wine vinegar
2 Tbl water
1/4 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Croutons - use dried herbs
2 slices of bread cut into crouton sized pieces (if its not stale then just toast it up and you're good to go)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (fresh garlic would be even better, but I felt like using the powder)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp crushed rosemary
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbs olive oil

My Kale!

Today was wicked exciting for me. My kale seedlings sprouted!

It was a total surprise when I found these tiny little plants peeking at me out of the soil. I only planted them on Tuesday evening, so I was not expecting them to sprout for 1-2 weeks. But here it is, Saturday afternoon, and they're already growing.

Part of my excitement also stems from the fact that I am growing these plants in a pot in my basement bedroom. More acquainted with growing vegetables directly in the ground, I must admit I am a little intimidated by the idea of potted kale. However, I guess that if there's dirt, water, and sunlight they should grow fine. In fact, so many seedlings are sprouting up that I may have to transplant some of them into another pot (I got a little enthusiastic about how many seeds I planted because I REALLY like kale).

But anyway, here's a picture of my kale!

If you want to learn a little more about kale, check out these articles:
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4072/Why-Kale-Is-the-Koolest-Vegetable.html
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=38&tname=foodspice
This blog also looks great. It is all about kale and will give you a whole bunch of recipe ideas:
http://www.365daysofkale.com/

And if you find any good kale recipes, articles, or websites, please give me a shout. I'm always looking to learn more about this beautiful veggie.

Food Scraps

This is a pint jar, and those are the food scraps I made in just one day (I only managed a granola bar for lunch, so this is actually only two meals worth, and I'm probably going to have half a grapefruit for lunch, so put that into consideration too).

One person could easily make more than this. And over the course of the year, even one individual person's food scraps really build up. So please compost. Even if you are just one of seven billion people on the planet, it still does make a huge difference.

Almond "Cheesy" Spread

I made this vegan spread for the first time yesterday, and I love it. It's great because, being so quick and easy to make, it becomes a fast snack for on the go. This simple spread really dresses up an otherwise mundane piece of toast or cracker. The flavors that stick out the most to me are the almond butter and the nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast has a very unique flavor that many describe as cheesy. I don't know if I quite agree, but I have not yet come up with a better word for it.

Besides being delicious, textural, and creamy, this spread is also a vegan snack that is packed with nutrients. Although it does have a lot of calories, due to the almond butter and tahini, it is meant to be a spread, rather than eaten by the pound, so just keep that in mind. Besides, you will get a lot of food value packed into a small space.

Nutritional yeast, one of the major ingredients in this recipe, is a remarkably wonderful supplement for vegetarians and vegans. One thing I find particularly exciting about nutritional yeast is the level of vitamin B12 that it contains. B12 is a vitamin necessary for the human body's function and formation of red blood cells. It comes from the soil. However, most humans get it by eating animals or animal products; cows eat some soil along with their grass so the B12 ends up in their bodies and in their milk. Because they do not eat animals or dairy, some vegans subsequently become B12 deficient. Not getting enough B12 can lead to problems such as fatigue and anemia. Fortunately, there are plenty of foods out there that are fortified with this vitamin; nutritional yeast and soy milk, which can both be found in this recipe, are two of those foods. (Check out the nutrition facts of nutritional yeast here: http://www.bulkfoods.com/nutritional_yeast.htm)

Also, for the older crowd (and don't worry that doesn't mean I think you're old), if you tried nutritional yeast a few decades ago and didn't like it, please don't completely rule it out. Before I first tried it, my mom told me that, although it was popular back in the 70s, she never liked it. Well, it seems that the flavor has improved a lot since then. Seeing as I am only 21, I obviously cannot attest to the flavor of nutritional yeast in the 70s, but I think my mom likes it much more now. She did like this spread after all. :)

Almond Cheesy Spread

1 cup almond butter

1/4 cup soy milk

2 Tablespoons tahini

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor. If you want it to be a little creamier, try adding a bit more soy milk. Store in refrigerator. Lasts about a week (unless you eat it faster!)


P.S. If you try this and think it should have a different name or you come up with a good word to describe the flavor of nutritional yeast, please share! 

Ever Think of Eating Only Raw?

I know it sounds like a pretty extreme idea, but I'm really intrigued by raw veganism. It's something I will definitely have to try at some point down the road. Take a look at this raw vegan food pyramid. Its pretty different, right?

I get a kick out of raw vegans because they make being a classic vegan seem a little less extreme. ...Of course, that is how I felt about classic vegans back when I was vegetarian. Back in high school, I actually tried being vegan on a whim, because I wanted a fun challenge. I never expected to actually convert to that kind of diet. However, it stuck for quite a while, and now I find myself happily converting back to it again.
When I do eventually test out raw veganism it should be quite interesting. I doubt that I will stick with it for long, but I'll be sure to post some recipes.

Peanut buttery, Chocolaty, Banana Things

So I guess this isn't really much of a recipe, but I figured I would add it anyway. Why? Because it's something you might not think to do, but its delicious, so you should try it.

I made this little dessert because I had four over-ripe bananas sitting in my fridge and I did not feel like making banana bread. Banana bread is fantastic, but after making the batter, it still takes an hour to bake. (not to mention less than an hour to eat the whole loaf)

But anyway, I had over ripe bananas, freshly ground peanut butter, and a bag of vegan chocolate chips. I sliced up the bananas (1/4 - 1/2 inch thick), put a 1 tsp blob of peanut butter on top, and drizzled melted chocolate over that. I then stuck them in the freezer so I have a pre-made frozen snack, and the bananas won't ripen any more.

If you do not want to use peanut butter you can use another kind of nut. I made some with a chunk of walnut rather than peanut butter. It was pretty awesome.

For those you who think, "I'm not going to bother with this because I don't feel like using a double boiler to melt my chocolate," don't worry. To simply melt chocolate for something like this dessert you can just melt it in a pot without using a double boiler. If you watch it and stir it around it won't burn or get funky tasting. If you are making something fancy then use the double boiler, but don't bother here if you don't want to.

Butternut Squash Soup

Squash is definitely one of my favorite vegetables. It is not only delicious but also lasts forever. The squash I used for this recipe sat on the counter for four weeks without it going bad, and one can most certainly have a squash sitting around for much longer than four weeks.

With my squash I made a simple squash soup. The soup has a delicate flavor, while being smooth and creamy. It also has a distinct taste of ginger and the freshness of a parsley garnish.

As you may notice, the recipe does not include a chicken or vegetable stock. Being vegan I always used vegetable broth, but being a college student who only recently moved into her house, I unfortunately did not have any. Fortunately, just boiling vegetables in water gives it a wonderful flavor. (side note: if you are not in a living situation where you can compost, save up your vegetable scraps for a few days in the fridge. Then boil them up, drain the liquid into a separate container and you've got yourself a very nice vegetable stock. After boiling all the flavor and wonderful nutrients out of your vegetables to make a broth, you will feel much less guilty about throwing you veggie scraps in the trash.)

I personally like this soup as a meal. The other night I ate it with some french bread and it was very satisfying. However, I know that for a lot of people that is just not enough calories. If you want more body to the soup add some white beans, which are packed with protein. You could also serve it with a veggie on the side, like corn, salad, or steamed kale. Or eat it as a side dish.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 small butternut squash (pealed and chopped into chunks 1/2-1 inch)

1 carrot

3 stalks celery

1/2 onion

1 clove garlic

4 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

1 1-inch chunk of ginger (I used 2 tsp powdered ginger because that's all I had)
1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 cup soy milk

chopped parsley

saute onion, celery, carrot, and crushed garlic. Add squash, water, and everything else except the parsley and milk. Bring to boil. Then uncover and let cook on low for a half hour. Pull out the bay leaf (so it doesn't get chopped up), and puree all the veggies together. Put the bay leaf back in. continue to cook uncovered until it reaches a nice consistency(1/2 hour). Then add soy milk. Pour in bowls and garnish with parsley (about 1 Tbs each). Eat.

Kale and Chickpeas with Coriander

I would like to start this blog with one of my all time favorite recipes: Kale and Chickpeas with Coriander. It is absolutely delicious, wicked healthy, super simple, and not at all time consuming to make. I like to serve it as a meal with rice, but it would also work great as a side dish, or on its own. If you do serve it with rice, I would suggest brown rice...It's my favorite.

This recipe is a great way to get protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and more. At the same time it is low calorie, low fat, low in cholesterol, low sodium, and low in sugar. So basically it's good for you in every way.

One side note: as I learned when I went to Big Y supermarket for the first time today (rather than my usual Market Basket), different stores sell completely different size bunches of kale. Market Basket sells huge bunches. Meanwhile, Big Y sells a bunch that is 1/4 of the size of Market Basket's. Because of that, I used one whole bunch of Big Y kale to make half a batch of this recipe, rather than the usual 1/2 bunch. So, if you want your "Kale and Chickpeas with Coriander" to come out like mine, follow the 4 cup measurement rather than the 1/2 bunch approximation. In all honesty though, it will probably be good either way. 

Also, for those of you who do not like onions or garlic, I would like to point out that this recipe has neither. I have always thought that it's nearly impossible to cook a flavorful dinner without onions or garlic, but I love this recipe despite their absence. And hopefully you will too!

Chickpeas and Kale with Coriander

1-2T oil
2 cans chickpeas, drained
2T coriander seed
1/2 bunch or about 4 c shredded/chopped kale
1/2t curry powder
1/2t chili powder
1/2t sugar
2 limes, juiced (about 4T)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c water to moisten
2T cilantro (optional)

Heat oil in pan; saute coriander seed.  Add chickpeas, curry and chili powder,
sugar, salt and pepper.  Cook for a few minutes.  Add lime juice and water.  Add kale; cover
& cook for a few minutes to cook the kale.  Stir occasionally.  Add more water
if needed.  Add cilantro.  Serve with rice (I like to mix the rice and kale together on my plate).