Eggs Benedict

Yesterday was one of those supremely great days where one can achieve the balance of working on constructive projects, and going out for a little bit of fun.

I have an awful habit of never hanging my clothes back up when I am done with them. They accumulate until a pile the size of Mount Everest is on the floor in, and in front of, my closet. There comes a point in time that I can no longer live with myself, and I have to take care of it. So yesterday, everything was hung up, or washed, or stored in the appropriate place. And I didn't stop there...I started cleaning out my closet. I have 2 big piles that I need to donate, or sell (sell the stuff I have never worn, donate the rest). It felt outstanding to clear out so much.

Then, I met up with an old friend for a bottle of wine at Webster's (one of my very favorite spots in town). The wine clearly put me in a really sleepy, cozy, and snuggly state, because I slept until 11:30 today. I really can't remember the last time I slept that late. I love the occasional lazy morning!

Since it is my day off and I had a little extra time on my hands, I decided to go with a classic brunch dish. This was incredibly easy, and tasted out of this world. The recipe made enough for 4 Benedicts, so I have leftovers for breakfast all week!

1 lb firm tofu
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1-4 english muffins, depending on how many you want to make at a time
2 slices (per whole muffin) of Lightlife tempeh "fakin bacon" strips (I have been lucky enough to find this at my Whole Foods...I am not sure that you can find this everywhere, but it is an absolute blessing because I refuse to use any of those processed soy meat substitutes that are so terrible for you )
sliced tomato
spinach leaves

Sauce:
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp Braggs or tamari soy sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450. Drain tofu and cut into 8 slices. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil and salt. Arrange the tofu in a 6 X 9 baking dish and pour the oil and vinegar mixture over top. Marinate for 15-30 minutes. Make sure to turn the tofu over occasionally so each side gets marinated. Bake for 20 minutes or until crispy brown... you might want to dump out the excess liquid for the last few minutes of baking if it's not getting very brown for you.

To prepare the sauce, whisk together the yeast, flour, and salt. Add the water, oil and Braggs and stir over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Stir in the mustard and simmer over low heat until ready to serve. Toast the muffins. On each slice of muffin, place spinach leaves, 1 tofu piece, 1 piece of bacon (cut in half), 2 tomato slices and cover with the benny sauce.

The original recipe was found on: http://www.randomgirl.com/recipes.html#benny

Vegan Potato Salad

I get so excited when I discover a healthier, delicious, vegan alternative to an old favorite food that is pretty terrible for you. Today's example is potato salad. Who doesn't love potato salad? But when it's chock full of eggs and mayonnaise, it's not exactly something you feel good about eating.

This potato salad is creamy, tangy, and fresh tasting just like the original picnic favorite. I am confident that you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between this and it's artery-clogging, cholesterol-laden sibling.



"This is nice and creamy and a bit yellow, like potato salad with eggs in it. It’s adapted from a recipe in my first cookbook, The (Almost) No-Fat Cookbook, and it’s always a hit at summer potlucks." -Bryanna Clark Grogan


2 and 1/2 to 3 lbs. red or white thin-skinned potatoes, cooked til just tender and peeled under cold running water

2-3 T. brine from a jar of dill pickles

1 recipe Tofu Mayonnaise (Niki's Notes: you can find this recipe below the potato salad recipe on the website. I just used Veganaise because I had it, and it was easy. It turned out fabulous.)

2/3 c. chopped dill pickle

1 small onion, minced

1/2 c. chopped celery

1 T. nutritional yeast flakes

2 tsp. prepared Dijon mustard

1 tsp. tumeric

salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Optional:

1/2 c. chopped red or green bell pepper

chopped fresh dillweed or some dry dillweed to taste


Dice or slice the potatoes, as you prefer them. While still warm, toss in the serving bowl with the dill pickle brine.

Mix in all the other ingredients, tasting as you go. The salad will need to be a bit runnier than you want it at first, but it soaks up the dressing and gets drier in the end. So, make sure that it’s moist enough. You can moisten it with more dill pickle brine, or just some white wine vinegar. Cover and chill til serving time. Garnish with dill.

I found this recipe on: www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com/page/page/661699.htm

What's In Your Perfume?

Did you know that perfume and cologne contain severely toxic chemicals that can injure your health? It's ok if you didn't. I didn't...or at least, I thought I didn't. I think in the back of my mind, I must have had some suspicions about what was really lurking in my favorite fragrant treats.

When I did the master cleanse 2 months ago, I made a conscious effort not to spray any of my perfumes while I was on it. Interestingly enough, I have not actually sprayed a single perfume since then, and I just recently started reading about the toxic chemicals in the products we use every day.

Do you ever wonder why some people are so sensitive to fragrance? Why do some people get migraines almost instantaneously when exposed to these perfumes? My dad is like that. As a teenager, I always sprayed my scent outside, right before I left.

Here is an excerpt from a great article that I found:

"The reality is that up to ninety-five percent of the chemicals used to make perfume are petroleum derived. Many of these chemicals are derived from benzene, one of the most carcinogenic chemicals known. Cancer isn't the only concern with these synthetic chemicals. Some people have adverse reactions to the components used to make perfume, particularly those who suffer from allergies and asthma. Would it surprise you to learn that a single perfume product may contain over 500 synthetic chemicals?

Some of the chemicals added to fragrances that make perfume a potential health risk include acetone, benzaldehyde, ethanol, ethyl acetate, methylene chloride, and linalool, all of which can cause adverse central nervous system effects in addition to a variety of other health related issues. Methylene chloride which is found in shampoo, colognes, and perfume products is of particular concern since it was banned by the FDA in the 1980's. Unfortunately, this has not been enforced and it's still found in many fragrance products. This substance is a known carcinogen that's listed as a hazardous waste product." http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/929891/is_perfume_toxic_to_your_health.html?cat=5

Another huge problem is that, due to trade secrecy laws, fragrance manufacturers are allowed to keep their ingredients secret so that we can't even find out what's poisoning us without hiring a chemist. And a shady, inefficient FDA requires zero regulation of these toxic substances.

In 1986, the National Academy of Sciences brought a report before the 99th US Congress including startling discoveries of fragrance ingredients that proved to be neurotoxins. Despite these findings about the impact of fragrance chemicals on the human brain, the FDA rejected citizen petitions urging that product labels clearly list fragrance ingredients. God forbid consumers are allowed to make informed shopping decisions.

I want to highlight a specific perfume. This is a passage from the book I am currently reading, Toxic Beauty:

"After numerous complaints from consumers about neurological and respiratory problems from use of Eternity, a perfume sold by Calvin Klein, the California-based Environmental Health Network in 1999 hired two independent laboratories to analyze Eternity's ingredients. Testing revealed 41 different toxic ingredients in concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 12 percent, including allergens, carcinogens, and other harmful substances. The Cancer Prevention Coalition was asked to analyze and review these findings. Based on the products Material Safety Data Sheets, which chemical manufacturers must provide companies purchasing their products, they discovered the following disturbing information: 26 of the perfume's ingredients fell into the categories 'Toxicological properties have not been investigated' or 'Toxicological properties have not been thoroughly investigated.' 25 ingredients were classified as "irritants.' 5 more ingredients were allergens or 'skin sensitizers.' 3 possessed "fetal, hormonal, and reproductive toxicity.' And 2 more ingredients were designated as 'may cause cancer. A subsequent Citizen's Petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration urging the agency to require a warning label on the perfume, filed jointly in May 1999 by the Environmental Health Network and the Cancer Prevention Coalition, was ignored. The FDA claimed the reason was 'other priorities and the limited availability of resources.'

Eternity is far from alone in its toxic composition among perfumes and cosmetics, An investigation by the Environmental Working Group in 2007 found that at least 400 cosmetic products sold in the U.S. contain ingredients that 'the U.S. cosmetic industry's own safety panel has determined to be unsafe when used as directed.' The analysis also revealed that 751 personal-care products marketed in the U.S. either 'violate industry safety standards or cosmetic safety standards in other industrialized countries.'"

Just consider what you are exposing yourself and the people around you to next time you pick up that bottle. Just consider if it is actually worth it.

I can, personally, no longer turn a blind eye to what resides inside all the pretty bottles in my bathroom cabinet. Sure, I am going to miss those scents...I own them for a reason. But I just can't knowingly spray things on my body that increase my risk of cancer. Maybe that's just me.

I have included a few more great sources of information if you are not yet convinced.


21 most common chemicals found in 31 fragrances and their effects: http://www.ourlittleplace.com/chemicals.html

http://nofragrance.org/
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?91
http://www.dldewey.com/perfume.htm

Palak Daal

Alright, so I lied when I said that I would always make the spinach and artichoke dip from my last post when I had spinach that was on its last good day. I took a stab at the Indian dish Palak Daal instead.

I didn't have the urad daal lentils that the recipe calls for, but I did have green lentils, so I substituted those. I am sure that detracted from the authenticity of the dish, but it turned out pretty delicious regardless, so I am content with the substitute.

1 cup white urid or urad daal, picked over and rinsed

6 cups water, plus more if necessary
1/2 pound spinach, washed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 medium green chile peppers, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons earth balance vegan butter
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon pure red chile powder
a pinch of asafetida, optional (I did not use)
more salt to taste
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

In a large pot over medium-high heat combine the daal and water. Bring to a boil, then add the spinach, ginger, turmeric, 3/4 of the green chiles, and all of the tomatoes. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the lentils are extremely soft. You may need to add a bit more water during the cooking process to keep the lentils soupy. After an hour and a half, stir in the salt.

In a separate pan, heat the butter and cumin and fry until the cumin seeds start to pop. Now add the red chile powder (and asafetida if you're using it) and fry for another 30 seconds. Taste and add more asafetida if you like. Add this butter mixture to the lentils and allow to cook for another five minutes. Taste, and season with more salt if needed. I also enjoyed a touch of lemon juice added at this point. Serve topped with the cilantro and the remaining green chiles.

Niki's notes: There was something lacking in the flavor department once this was finished cooking. This may have been a matter of personal taste. To remedy, I added about half a can of coconut milk and a fair amount of salt. This completely transformed the dish (in my opinion) and added a lot more depth to the flavor. Sometimes you have to experiment to find out what works best for your palette!

Serves 4-6 with rice or roti.

The original recipe came from: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/palak-daal-recipe.html

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

The person responsible for creating this recipe knocked it out of the park. I mean absolutely nailed it. This was gone in less than 30 minutes. Instant hit. Delicious. You would never in a million years guess that this creamy, rich, savory, cheesy-tasting dip was made from tofu and nutritional yeast and actually contained very little fat at all. I will be serving this any and every time I entertain. Or anytime I have a bag of spinach on it's last good day. Give it a shot!!

* 1 (12 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach (thawed, drained and squeezed dry)
-Niki's Notes: I used fresh spinach, and it worked perfectly fine

* 1 (8 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts
-Niki's Notes: I used frozen artichoke hearts, and it also worked just fine

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 (12 ounce) package firm silken tofu
* 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
* 3 garlic cloves
* 2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 teaspoon dried parsley
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Saute onion, spinach and artichoke hearts in olive oil until onion is soft, about 6 minutes.

3. Blend together tofu, nutritional yeast, garlic, vinegar and spices in blender until mixed and smooth.

4. Combine all ingredients.

5. Taste and add extra seasonings and nutritional yeast, as needed.

6. Smooth into non-stick baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.
-Niki's Notes: I sprinkled a payer of nutritional yeast on top to get a nice golden brown crust. I also sliced pieces of bread and baked in the oven with the dip once the timer hit 10 minutes.

7. Serve warm with toasted gluten-free bread or tortilla chips. Enjoy!

This original recipe came from: http://www.recipezaar.com/Yummy-Vegan-Spinach-Artichoke-Dip-212129

Cinnamon Raisin Pancakes

Fridays and Saturdays are my leisurely mornings, and I always like to indulge myself in a breakfast that is a little too time consuming to prepare on the mornings that I need to sleep until the very last minute possible. I love a sweet breakfast now and then so, today, these yummy cinnamon raisin pancakes were on the agenda. I had to balance it out with a protein (tempeh fakin' bacon strips) and a shot of wheatgrass, otherwise I was really just having dessert for breakfast.

I have tried a few different gluten-free/vegan pancake batters. This one is by Namaste Foods, and I picked it up from Whole Foods. Cherrybrook Kitchens makes my favorite pancake mix that I have tried to date, but this one was also very good.

I simply followed the package directions except I substituted the eggs with Ener-G Egg Replacer. You could also use a mixture of ground flax seed and water for an egg substitute. I also added a splash of vanilla extract, a fairly hefty dose of cinnamon, and some Thompson Seedless Raisins. I topped the finished pancakes with some Grade A 100% Maple Syrup.

Swirlz Bakery Cupcakes

Ok. Wow. These cupcakes are off the charts amazing. They come from a bakery in Chicago called Swirlz (mine actually came from Whole Foods). They are both vegan and gluten-free, as well as absolutely delish. I hate to sound surprised when I know what can be accomplished with food, but desserts of this nature are not easy to master.

These will not be a regular part of my repertoire as they still contain sugar, as well as soy of the non-fermented variety (I assume it's soy milk--I can taste the nuttiness in the frosting). However, during the pesky three days a month where I crave something sweet on a level that borders on psychotic these will, very happily, suffice.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the lovely bakers at Swirlz for seriously making my day!