Strawberry Fruit Bread

Rating: Easy! Actually!

This is based from the fruit bread recipe in the influential and amazing Tassajara Bread Book.

Start with your basic dough recipe.
1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water (lukewarm is important)
2 tbsp raw or brown sugar
1 tbsp yeast

2 cups whole wheat flour

Mix the water with the sugar. Sprinkle over your yeast and by the time you listen to one song by the band 'Yes' and take a quick bathroom break, you will be ready to mix in the first 2 cups of flour.

1 pinch salt
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

First add in your salt and then pour the olive oil and fold into the dough without breaking it. Next knead in the remaining flour for a good five minutes until the dough seems 'cleaner' and elastic. You may need to add more flour if dough remains sticky during kneading.

Let that beauty rise in a nice warm spot -cover with a lightly damp dish cloth/don't smother it - and return in about an hour. Punch down the dough entirely, and let set again for about another hour - skip if you don't have the time but this makes the final product lighter.

Now with a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a fair-sized rectangle.. without wearing the dough too thin. Picture the rectangle as three columns (columns the LONG WAY) (it may help to draw or imprint lightly two lines in the dough).

Fresh fruit of your choice!
Some brown sugar, raw sugar, or even maple syrup to sprinkle over the fruit!
Some spices of your choice (cinnamon, etc)

Slice up some fresh fruit, a mix, or in my case I chose strawberry. Lay the fruit slices down the middle column of the rectangle. The two side columns will be cut into diagonal flaps, about eight diagnol rectangular flaps on each side depending on how much you rolled out the dough. The purpose is to fold in each left and right flap over each other to cover the fruit and turn it back into a loaf. This is somewhat like covering a pie.

Let your beautiful creation rise for another 30 minutes. In the meanwhile, preheat the oven to about 330 F and brush your loaf with oil and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour depending how crisp you would like the bread. Enjoy!

Add some spinach and sweet poh-tat-ers!

Rating: Easy, stir-fry and make it your own!

Remember this guy: http://ohgourmet.blogspot.com/2008/10/simple-tofu-stirfry-with-noodles.html

That old chestnut! Why not play with it, like any stir-fry, and add some extras?

In this case, I really only kept the tofu.. but the choice is yours. Fry up some veggies, but include some spinach. You don't need to pre-cook the spinach because the moisture will do that for you but cover the pan for a few minutes to help soften the spinach. Throwing in some sesame seeds with the tofu and sauce in step 1 is also a big hit. Push your veggies aside add a dab of oil and cook some sliced sweet potatoes with garlic and some basil. Serve with rice and you have an easy add-on or alternative to a usual stir-fry!

Mess Up The Mix
1 or 1/2 cup spinach, chopped
1/2 block of tofu, diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced - or a bit of garlic powder
1 pinch sesame seeds
1 pinch basil
black bean sauce (your choice - or other)

serve with rice.

Hey everyone,

I know this is very last minute, but anyone to catch this should note that Sabrina will be independently rocking at the cupcake camp today between 2-5pm @ Jack Purcell. All of her cupcakes won't be vegan-friendly (-or so I'm told), but you should still find her and say hello. Also, there will definitely be some vegan cupcaketeers present. Try and stop by if you can!

http://cupcakecamp.ca/join-us-mar-29-2009/

Date: Sunday, March 29, 2009 | 2-5pm
Location: Jack Purcell Community Centre | 320 Jack Purcell Lane (Off Elgin)
Admission: $5.00 ($2.00 for Bakers)

Why should I attend?

* Sample cupcakes and marvel at the creative and tasty designs
* Network with fellow bakers
* Get recipe ideas and suggestions (from both Bakers and Tasters!)
* Get advice on how to take your cupcake hobby to that next level from others who have made the successful leap to a small baking business
* If you’re a bride-to-be or just planning a special event, find that talented someone to provide your festivities with that sweet special something
* All proceeds go to Ottawa’s Woman Alive/Femme Active Program

Recipe updates soon (. . . sorry for the wait!)

Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets
Full Article - Click Here
Excerpt:
It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. ... Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer.

cited from:
ACTION FOR ANIMALS
PO Box 45843
Seattle, WA 98145
http://www.afa-online.org
http://www.myspace.com/actionforanimals
http://actionforanimals.buzznet.com
http://www.VeganStarterPack.com

What are the best food sources for iron?
Vegetables	Iron (in milligrams)
Beans (1/2 cup)	2.0
Chick peas (1/2 cup)	2.0
Artichokes (1/2 cup), raw	2.0
Beet greens (1 cup)	2.7
Potato (with skin, 1)	2.5
Potato (without skin, 1)	0.6
Pumpkin (4 oz)	1.7
Sauerkraut (4 oz)	1.7
Peas (4 oz)	1.0
Spirulina (1 tsp.)	5.0
Lentils (4 oz)	3.0
Barley (4 oz)	2.0
Jerusalem artichokes (4 oz)	2.5
Sweet potatoes (4 oz)	1.7
Tomato paste (4 oz)	3.9
Tomato puree (4 oz)	1.1
Tomato sauce (4 oz)	0.8
Grains and Cereals	Iron (in milligrams)
Pasta (4 oz)	1.0 - 2.0
Bagel (1 oz)	1.8
Bread (white, one slice)	0.6
Bread (whole wheat, one slice)	1.0
Cream of Wheat (4 oz)	5.0
Breakfast cereals (iron-fortified, 1 oz)	4.0 - 8.0
Grains for baking (amaranth and Quinoa)	8.0 - 9.0
Fruits and Juices	Iron (in milligrams)
Apricots, dried (10 halves)	1.6
Figs (5)	2.0
Peaches, dried (6 halves)	3.1
Prune juice (8 oz)	3.0
Raisins (4 oz)	1.5
Other	Iron (in milligrams)
Nuts (1 ounce almonds, peanuts)	1.0
Tofu, firm (3 ounces)	2.0-7.0
Brewer's yeast (1tbsp.)	1.4
Infant formula (iron-fortified, 8 ounces)	3.0
Blackstrap molasses (1 tbsp.)	3.5
Chili con carne with beans (1 cup)	4.0
Sunflower seeds (1 ounce)	1.9
Pumpkin seeds (1 ounce)	4.0

HOW MUCH IRON YOU NEED EACH DAY
Children, 1-10 years	10 mg
Teen males	12 mg
Adults males	10 mg
Teen and adult females	18 mg
Pregnant women	30 mg
* Average RDA for iron..

Call Me Cauliflowah Soup

Rating: If you can chop, and watch, this soup is yours.

Dang y'all, it's been a while. Apologies for my lengthy hiatus, but I'm back in style with something AMAZING. I made this for orphan Thanksgiving a few weeks back, and it was a crowd pleaser. I'm glad I doubled the recipe. This one's inspired by a recipe found in the LCBO's Food and Drink magazine, that has been modified to be vegan and even more warm, spiced and cozy. Perfect for an autumn day watching the leaves fall.

Call Me Cauliflowah Soup (Serves 2-6, depending on how many people go back for seconds)

Ingredients
1 medium head of cauliflower, cored and divyed into florets.
1/2 sweet onion (approximately 1 cup), chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp ginger, freshly chopped
1 tbsp hot curry paste (adjust according to tastes)
1 L (or 4 cups) vegetable broth
1 tsp lemon juice


1. Prehead the oven to 450 degrees Farenheit.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Putting the cauliflower florets into a large bowl, add 2 tbsp of oil and salt. Using your hands, toss lightly until all the cauliflower is coated. Place on baking sheet, and put it in the oven to roast. Roasting the cauliflower enhances the flavour. It'll take about 30-40 minutes to roast. Occasionally, shake your baking sheet. The cauliflower will be done when it's brown. If some bits are burnt, that's okay! It just means the sugars in the cauliflower have caramelized for extra deliciousness.
4. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil to the bottom of a big soup pot, heat to medium. When it bubbles, add onion and saute for a minute. Stir frequently to prevent the onions from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
5. Add ginger, garlic and curry paste. Saute for a minute.
6. Add roasted cauliflower and coat with spices. Pour in the broth, and bring the soup to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to a simmer and add lemon juice, cover and let it get all roasty warm and spicy for 10-15 minutes, depending on how big your cauliflower florets were. When the florets are tender, remove from heat.
8. Last step, using an immersion blender or a food processor, pulverize your soup until it's a smooth consistency. I garnished mine with some fresh baby spinach leaves. Enjoy!

Fresh and Home-made "Chicken"-Caesar Sammiches!

Rating: Intermediate and not-so-quick.. but worth it!

This sandwich is time-consuming if you consider it is all made from scratch. I'd advise making the bread ahead of time, or making a double batch of the bread to save it for later, and use the fresh portion for the sandwich. The baguette-style bread is best made a bit soft, and served fresh. I'd recommend doing the bread much earlier in the day, and then preparing the seitan and dressing just before serving it to friends! It's not something you whip up in a hurry, but you can make the sandwich, wrap it up, and eat it for lunch the next day and it will still be delicious! This sandwich is worth it's time! Trust me! Best served fresh!

Chicken-Caesar Sammich! (2 medium loaves - about six servings)
the bread 1
1 packet of yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups warmed water
4 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp salt

the chicken 2
1 cup instant wheat gluten flour
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp poultry spices
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cayenne


1/2 cup water
just less than 1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cups vegetable stock


the caesar 3
1 cup vegenaise, nayonaise, or other vegan mayo*
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp soy creamer/soy milk
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

additionally
slice up a few cucumbers to put in the sandwich, and sprinkle on some vegan parmesan cheese!

1.
1. Add sugar and warmed water to a large mixing bowl.
2. Sprinkle yeast over the bowl and let stand for 5 minutes until foamed.
3. Stir in half of the flour.
4. Stir in remaining flour with salt until dough becomes firm. Add more flour in small portions if dough is still sticky until firm.
5. Knead dough until smooth and stretchy, but do not over-knead.
6. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, then turn over dough so it's surface area oiled and will not dry and crack in rising.
7. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 1/2 hours.
8. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
9. Cut your dough in half, and form into two loaves that will have a best fit for a standard baking sheet.
10. Place your loaves on a parchment paper over the baking sheet and punch down on the loaves. They should be about a couple inches wide.
11. Let them rise, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
12. Make several diagonal slashes with a knife on the top of your loaves, and then lightly brush them with cool water.
13. Bake on middle rack for 15-20 minutes (or longer if you like yours crispy), and then transfer to wire rack to cool.

2.
1. Add gluten flour to small bowl.
2. Mix remaining dry ingredients with flour.
3. Add wet ingredients (minus stock) and stir until single mass. Add more water if necessary.
4. Add gluten mass to saucepan with vegetable stock. There should be enough stock to cover your gluten blob! Otherwise, add more water to the saucepan! Remember to use a saucepan large enough for the gluten to double.
5. Simmer for 45 mins to 1 hour.
6. Remove from heat and strain stock.
7. Cut in strips and lightly heat on frying pan with a small amount of oil. (I recommend sesame.)
8. Salt to taste. Set aside for sammich!

3.
1. Add all ingredients to small bowl and mix well!
2. I recommend doubling this part of the recipe and saving it for salads and quick-fix sandwiches.


Assemble your sammich! I tend to cut each loaf into thirds and then put them together as sandwiches. Add some cucumber slices, and sprinkle some vegan parmesan for a damn fine sandwich! Enjoy!