All about spices with Ami

Enjoy.

ADVENTURES WITH AMI: SPICE IT UP!

BY AMI MACKEYNovember 12, 2012

When foregoing fat, salt and sugar in dishes that you are cooking, it’s important to consider the flavors that are inherent to the ingredients and what spices may compliment the flavor and enhance the dish.  Herbs and spices are an important part of the plant-strong kitchen.  Most cooks have use a standard set of spices including:

• cinnamon
• garlic powder
• Italian seasoning
• chili powder
• paprika
• onion powder

Walking past the spice section at your grocery store, you’ll notice a plethora of choices.  Many of them may be mysteries, others for special occasions, some for ethnic dishes all mixed it in with the simple basics.  Branching out and making use of spice blends can make old favorite dishes new and exciting.  Here are some great ideas and resources for your spice adventures!

For vegetables, try one or more of these combinations:

• Carrots: Cinnamon, cloves, dill, ginger, nutmeg, rosemary, sage
• Corn: Cumin, curry powder, onion, paprika, parsley
• Green Beans: Dill, curry powder, marjoram, oregano, tarragon, thyme
• Greens: Cayenne, lemon pepper, onion powder, pepper
• Potatoes: Dill, garlic, onion, paprika, parsley, sage
• Summer Squash: Cloves, curry powder, nutmeg, rosemary, sage
• Winter Squash: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, onion
• Tomatoes: Basil, bay leaf, dill, marjoram, onion, oregano, parsley, pepper

General Rules for Amounts. If you don’t know how much of a spice or herb to use, follow this advice…

Remember to use more herbs if using a fresh or crumbled dried form:
Begin with 1/4 teaspoon of most ground spices or ground dried herbs for these amounts and adjust as needed:

• 4 servings;
• 1 pound of tofu or beans;
• 1 pint (2 cups of soup or sauce)

Start with 1/8 teaspoon for cayenne pepper and garlic powder; add more as needed.  Red pepper intensifies in flavor during cooking; add in small increments, wait and taste before adding more.

When doubling a recipe:

1) DO NOT double spices and herbs.
2) Increase amounts by 1-1/2 times.
3) Taste, add more if needed.

Try spice blends for easy amazing flavor without having to buy several bottles.  Every spice brand has their own salt-free blends.  I love Mrs. Dash, widely available and a vast array of flavors.  Find out more at:  http://www.mrsdash.com

Learn more about the flavor profiles and uses of various herbs and spices check out a great site that includes so much information on origin and use: Frontier Natural Products Co-op http://www.frontiercoop.com/prodlist.php?ct=spicesaz

Spices don’t last forever. Check ground or crushed herbs and spices for freshness at least once a year. Test by crushing a small amount in your hand. If no aroma is detected, the seasoning needs to be replaced. Buying the smaller size jar instead of the economy size container will save you money if you won’t use it all while it is still fresh.

Heat, sunlight, and dampness cause herbs and spices to lose their flavor and aroma quickly.

• Store away from moisture. Dampness causes caking and loss of quality.
• Store in tightly covered jars.
• Use clean, dry spoons for measuring.
• Store in a cool place.
• Do not store in a window or in sunlight.
• Do not store near heat sources such as above the stove or dishwasher.

Enjoy the adventure of trying out new flavors.  Look for spices that come in small 1 oz. sized jars at your grocer.  Buying a little often for around a dollar can be a great way to try new twist on your old favorite soup or salad recipe.  Don’t feel constrained by the spices you have always used in a particular dish.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ami Mackey is a graduate of eCornell's Plant-Based Nutrition program and is currently studying Fitness Nutrition at the National Academy of Sports Medicine. http://www.plantbasedadventures.com @amiannmackey

January. Amazing and Delicious Lasagna recipe by Chef A.J.

Dear Heavenly Bodies.
A great start to the new year with a commitment to make this second year one of excitement.

I love Chef A.J's Disappearing Lasagna.  It makes a lot. It looks and tastes delicious. It can be frozen successfully for other meals. It does disappear without guilt.  Hope you like it, too.

From Healthy Girl's Kitchen.  Interview with Chef Aj and her book Unprossed. 

Plant-Based Nutritarian Weight Loss Recipe Blog

MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2011

Unprocessed: Chef Aj's Disappearing Lasagna Recipe



In the past few weeks, Chef Aj and I have struck up a nice little friendship on Facebook. I have been reading her new cookbook Unprocessed and been really blown away by her personal story, which is the first 52 pages of the book. I couldn't put it down.When she asked me if I would like to blog about and publish some of the recipes from the new cookbook, I was like, absolutely! To be honest, I was going to make a bunch of her recipes and then write a review of the book anyway, so getting her permission to publish the recipes along with the review is amazing.

Me: "I would love to start with your favs. I did hear that your lasagna is out of this world!"

Chef Aj: "I think the lasagna (especially the bean/kale variation) is the best recipe in the book. I also recommend the Sweet Potato Nachos and the Spicy Peanut Noodles!"

So yesterday morning I set out to make this famous Disappearing Lasagna. I do want to warn you, this is not a recipe to start when you are in a time crunch. I recommend a lazy Sunday morning for this one! The smells that will permeate your kitchen are delightful.

So without further adieu, here is the first recipe from Unprocessed.

Chef A.j.'s Disappearing Lasagna

Printable Recipe

2 boxes of no boil rice lasagna noodles (I used 1 box of whole wheat from Whole Foods and followed the directions on the box, boiling them for 4 minutes and then rinsing each noodle well in cold water)
6 cups oil-free marinara sauce

Filling No. 1:
1 box extra firm tofu, drained and wrapped in paper towel to remove excess moisture OR 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 oz. fresh basil leaves (I used 2 Tbsp dried)
1 cup pine nuts, raw cashews or hemp seeds
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup low-sodium miso (I used regular miso)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 pounds frozen chopped spinach or 1 pound frozen chopped kale

Filling No. 2:
2 pounds sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup tamari
1 large red onion

4 oz can sliced olives, rinsed and drained (optional)

Faux Parmesan:
In a food processor, grind 1 cup raw cashews or almonds, 1/2 cup nutritional yeast and 1 Tbsp of salt-free seasoning, until a powdery mixture is achieved. If you like it more chunky, process less.

Make the filling in a food processor fitted with the "S" blade, by adding tofu, basil, garlic, lemon juice, miso, nutritional yeast, nuts and red pepper flakes. Puree until smooth. Add drained spinach or kale and process again.

In a large non-stick saute pan, saute chopped onion in 2 Tbsp water or broth until translucent, about 8 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Add garlic, mushrooms and tamari and saute until browned. Taste mixture, adding more garlic/tamari according to your taste. Cook until mushrooms appear to be glazed and there is no more liquid left in pan.

Pour 3 cups of the sauce in a 9"x13" lasagna pan. Place one layer of noodles on top. Cover noodles with half of tofu/spinach mix, then with half of mushroom mix. Place another layer of noodles on top and add remaining halves of tofu and mush. Place one more layer of noodles on top and smother evenly with remaining sauce. Sprinkle olives on top of sauce and sprinkle with faux parmesan. (I put black olives on top of half of the casserole for my husband and put thinly sliced red peppers on my half).

Bake uncovered 375 degrees for one hour. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

I decided to add a layer of extremely thinly sliced zucchini, 'cause I had one in the fridge that I needed to use up. It was a great addition! Next time, I'd make sure to have two zucchini around so that I could add it as two layers. The more veg, the better. 

When we ate it for lunch my husband exclaimed, "This is the best lasagna ever!" I told him to get on Facebook and send Chef Aj a message 'cause he owes it to her!' I will definitely be making this again, most likely for special occasions when I want to feed a crowd. It really is that delicious!

Check out Chef A.j.'s book and the reviews over on Amazon . . .

Another book stated as the 101 for plant based eaters... The Pleasure Trap.  

Thoughts on The Pleasure T

January. 8 tips for Plant based meals. http://www.straightupfood.com/blog/2012/06/30/8-tips-for-easier-plant-based-meals/

8 Tips for Easier Plant-based Meals

june 30, 2012 by cathy 14 comments

We humans are wired to follow the path of least resistance, which is especially apparent when it comes to feeding ourselves: We want it now and we want it easy.

While eating the standard American diet has been a breeze for most of us (because that’s all we’ve known, and because we have been advertised to relentlessly), many who have taken the leap into plant-based eating have reported feeling like they’ve leapt into a bouncy house of confusion and struggle.

Even when people have read the books and articles, and seen the videos and lectures advocating a plant-based diet, it’s not uncommon to hear, “Okay, I get it, but how do I do it?” “How” is the question that many of us working in the plant-based community strive to answer on a daily basis and in countless ways.

Toward helping provide answers to the “how” questions and creating a more enjoyable existence in plant-land, here are 8 tips for making your meal preparations easier.

1. Eat fewer foods at a meal: There is no rule that says you need to eat a certain number of different foods or dishes at a meal. While variety is just fine within a meal, you can also just eat one, two or three foods. For example, a breakfast of 10 tangerines or 3 bananas (a “mono meal”); a lunch of salad greens, beans and carrots; or for dinner, a plate of baked yams and Yukon potatoes with a little mustard or hummus (or even a big bowl of oatmeal or brown rice with cinnamon and almond milk). Try not to get too locked into what your plate used to look like or what it’s supposed to look like. As long as you’re eating an overall varied diet of wholesome plant foods, your plate can be arranged any way you like.

2. Repeat what you eat: There is also no rule that says you can’t eat the same types of dishes repeatedly. I have a short list of meals that I make over and over, and I vary their ingredients a little each time to keep things interesting. Whether I’m eating salads, soups, pasta, or baked potatoes, I might use black beans instead of pinto; grated zucchini instead of grated carrots; thinly sliced cabbage instead of lettuce; or Brussels sprouts instead of broccoli. Find 5-10 dishes that you love, and mix up the ingredients a little each time. For many of us, this happens somewhat naturally, as the seasons present their various fruits and vegetables to the farmers markets, and we adjust our shopping so that we are eating the very best that is available at the time.

3. Prepare ahead: This is one of those tips that many of us have heard but don’t seem to get around to doing. But if you can find some time on the weekend to do a little preparation for the week ahead, when presumably things will be busier, this will make your meals a lot easier. It’s such a dream to open the refrigerator to find that your next meal is nearly ready. You can do lots of things ahead of time, like cut up veggies, make pasta sauce, cook double batches of rice or beans, make a dozen whole-grain muffins to eat at breakfasts, or blend up some hummus or salsa to use as dressing, dip or sandwich spread throughout the week. One idea I saw lately is to make up a few complete salads, each in a mason jar with vegetables layered and the dressing at the bottom. When it’s time to eat, you just shake it up and pour it into a salad bowl. Clever!

4. Create and follow a plan: Plan? Hmpf. If the thought of creating an eating plan or menu doesn’t excite you, know that transitioning to a plant-based diet can be made much easier by doing so. One of my favorite nutrition books, The Pleasure Trap, states the importance of planning very well: “Hunger causes urgency, and urgency demands short-term solutions that compromise long-term values. Plan for success and you will succeed more often.” Basically, you don’t want to be caught not knowing what you’ll be eating at your next meal. Try keeping a notebook in your kitchen with ideas for your favorite meals and recipes, or create a couple weeks’ worth of menus that you can rotate. You can even eat the same thing on the same day each week to make it really easy. Look through your favorite veg cookbooks and blogs for new meal ideas.

5. Stock your favorite staples: I always keep things like canned beans and tomatoes, non-dairy milk, whole grains, pasta, and frozen foods on hand to reach for when time is tight. For example, when it’s late and I don’t want to do a lot of preparation, I might just heat up a can of cooked lentils or beans with some onion and garlic and any veggies I have on hand. When my favorite staples are on sale, I stock up, and always try to find the no-salt, no-sugar, no-oil options.

6. Make one-pot or one-dish meals: Preparing everything in just one bowl, pot or skillet makes life so much easier, whether it’s a soup, salad, stew or stir-fry. Jeff Novick, RD, has created some very quick, easy and inexpensive plant-based one-pot meals; check out his recipes here . I have a favorite one-skillet meal using just mushrooms, kale, yams and a sprig of rosemary here. I put everything in the pan and 15 minutes later it’s ready. Using slow-cookers to cook beans, grains and stews is also a great one-pot route. For more ideas, Google “vegan one-pot meals” and you will have a plethora of ideas in front of you.

7. Invest in a few good kitchen tools: Using the right tools, in any effort, can make all the difference in the final product as well as your enjoyment in creating it. My three most-used kitchen tools are: my 8-inch chef’s knife, my stainless steel soup pot, and my little high-speed blender. These items don’t need to be costly, but they should be of good quality. My chef’s knife was under $30, my large 8-qt. soup pot was $50, and my blender $75. I use these three things on a daily basis. Three smaller tools that I’ve found to be very useful are: a good can opener—an old can opener that is difficult to turn is the worst! $10 will get you a dreamy, easy-to-use opener. I also love my small rubber garlic peeler that takes the garlic’s papery outside off with a simple roll, and it’s only $4. And last, my “Y” vegetable peeler, which works wonders on potatoes as well as butternut squash. (All of my most commonly used kitchen tools are listed on my website here.

8. Have your favorite dried herbs and spices handy: A simple soup of potatoes and cabbage becomes a lot more interesting with the addition of a little curry powder. Salt-free herb blends (such as an Italian blend of oregano, basil, thyme, etc.) are great to add to soups, salads and veggie burgers. And I always have plenty of my basics on hand, like garlic powder, toasted onion powder, and cumin. If you’ve never visited a spice shop before, treat yourself; you can smell everything before you buy it—big fun! Or at the least, pick up a new blend at your grocery store and give it a test drive. If you love it, keep it in permanent rotation; if you don’t, try something new next time.

I hope a couple of these ideas have resonated with you, and will help make your time in the kitchen even more enjoyable. Please share one of your own favorite “easy” meal preparation tips below.

January Baking pans lined with Parchment Paper

HOW TO LINE A PAN WITH PARCHMENT PAPER

(1) Cut a piece of parchment paper larger than your pan, and set your pan on it. (2) Mark where the four corners are. (3) Cut from the corners into the marks, and also trim the long sides so that they are the approximate height of your baking pan. (4) Press the paper into the pan, pressing firmly into the corners so it will conform to the pan. Flatten the paper against the insides of the pan, and trim off any that rises above the top edge of the pan so it doesn’t burn. (5) This is what the finished project looks like (this is my “half” loaf pan).

Click here to visit my Amazon kitchen store with all my favorite products (appliances, pans, kitchen tools, food items, and books). When you make a purchase, I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase and your support!

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Healthy Sugar Alternatives

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com/healthy-sugar-alternatives/