spicy black bean and sweet potato sandwich

During cold and flu season, I try to do all I can to boost my body's immunity to avoid the sniffles. Of course, we all know that consuming high levels of vitamin C helps to fight winter weather bugs, but did you know that beta carotene also helps to enhance your immune system to protect against colds, the flu, and infections? Carrots are a great source of the compound, but when you're tired of crunching away at carrot sticks with your lunch every day, rest assured that there are lots of other yummy foods that provide the same kind of immunity boosting power. Both sweet potatoes and collard greens have a high amount of beta carotene, and they happen to make for a delicious sandwich when paired with antioxidant rich black beans.

Spicy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Sandwich

Black Bean Filling

1 can Black Beans, drained
handful Kalamata Olives
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Tbsp Tahini
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Cayenne
1/2 tsp Salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Sweet Potatoes

1 Sweet Potato, peeled
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Cayenne
Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Slice potatoes into thin circles.
Arrange potato slices in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Lightly brush each slice with olive oil on both sides.
Sprinkle generously with cayenne.
Lightly sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven.
Carefully turn over each potato slice and sprinkle with more cayenne.
Return to oven.
Bake for an additional 5 minutes, watching carefully so that potatoes don't burn.

Collard Greens

Organic Collard Greens*, chopped, rough stems removed
Organic Soy Sauce**
Liquid Smoke
Organic Vegetable Broth
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Heat about a tsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add collards. (Remember that the collards will cook down to about 1/2 this size.)
Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid burning.
Add vegetable broth (just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet), a few dashes of soy sauce, and a generous amount of liquid smoke.
Stir to evenly coat the greens.
Continue to cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
If the greens soak up the liquid really quickly, just add more vegetable broth to prevent the greens from burning.

Putting it All Together

Serve sandwich style on sliced ciabatta, layering sweet potatoes over collards over a generous amount of black bean spread. The more black bean spread you use, the messier - and the more delicious! Your immune system and your taste buds will thank you :)

Yields 4 sandwiches.

*Because collard greens grow close to the ground, they tend to have high pesticide residue levels. Organic is better. Local organic is best.
**Several very toxic pesticides are used to grow conventional soybeans, so be sure to use organic soy sauce.

citrus-chili glazed tofu & broccoli

The idea of frozen tofu has been floating around in my head for a while, since I've read so much about the magical flavor absorbing qualities (see Vegan Dad's Ultimate BBQ Tofu and Sweet and Hot Tofu, Fat Free Vegan's Tofu, Tempeh, and Butternut Squash in Slow-Cooked Peanut Mole, or The Voracious Vegan's post on Tofu Bacon), but I hadn't actually tried this little trick until tonight. Now I can't figure out why I had never tried this before! It is magical. Now that I'm armed with perfect sponge-like tofu, my spicy citrus-chili sauce finally has something to soak into.
Citrus-Chili Glazed Tofu & Broccoli

1/4 block of Organic Extra Firm Tofu, cubed, frozen, thawed, and pressed*
1 crown Broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 Shallot, roughly chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
Sesame Oil

Citrus-Chili Sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp Chili Paste
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed Lime Juice
4 Tbsp freshly squeezed Orange Juice**
1 tsp Orange Pulp**
1 tsp Organic Orange Zest**
2 tsp Arrowroot Powder
2 tsp Agave Nectar
1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar

Combine all ingredients for Citrus-Chili Sauce in a small bowl.
Heat a bit of sesame oil in a wok over medium heat.
Add garlic and shallots and cook for about 1 minute.
Add tofu and stir fry until tofu begins to brown.
Add broccoli florets and stir fry until they turn bright green.
Add Citrus-Chili Sauce and stir to coat.
Continue to cook until sauce is heated through.
Serve over rice, or just eat it out of the wok with a spoon :)

Serves 2 if served over rice.

*Several very toxic pesticides are used to grow conventional soybeans, so be sure to use organic tofu.
**Most pesticide residue is concentrated in the orange peel, so it is important to use only organic oranges when using orange zest. This is true for lemons and limes too.

not so lazy samoas

Here I am, over a month after the holidays, still on a cookie baking spree. Because "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar" hasn't left my kitchen counter in weeks, I decided it was time to do something useful with all these cookies. I was inspired by a local vegan outreach group who prepares and serves a vegan meal to a different non-profit group each month. This month they chose the domestic violence shelter I work for, which was so exciting. All of the women who attended the support group where the food was served really enjoyed it, and I thought that the connection between healthy food, healthy bodies, and healthy minds created a really strong platform for empowering women to take control of their lives.

After following up with the vegan outreach group to participate next month, I figured that I could continue providing our support group participants with something yummy and cruelty free on a regular basis. This week I decided I would showcase some of my favorite vegan cookies - oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip (from "The Joy of Vegan Baking" ), and Samoas.

The flavor of the Lazy Samoas from "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar" is perfect, but I find myself missing that buttery crunch of shortbread that's hidden beneath the all of the coconut-caramel-chocolate goodness in the original girl scout version. Getting it right took a lot of experimenting, but finally I have reached vegan girl scout cookie perfection: gooey toasted coconut covering a buttery layer of shortbread coated in rich chocolate drizzles. This one will be sure to please even the toughest cookie connoisseur.

Not So Lazy Samoas

Shortbread* (layer 1)

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 cup Unbleached Pastry Flour
1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2+ Tbsp Orange Juice

Using a hand mixer, cream the coconut oil until light and creamy.
Add the powdered sugar and continue to mix for about a minute.
Mix in vanilla and sugar until well combined.
In a separate bowl combine flours, nutritional yeast and salt.
Combine wet and dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
If dough is crumbly, add more orange juice 1 tsp at a time until the consistency is dough like.
Roll out the dough as thin as possible without tearing.
Using a 1 1/2" diameter round cookie cutter, cut into circles.
Re-roll the dough and cut into circles one or two more times.
Arrange dough circles on un-greased cookie sheets.

Gooey Coconut (layer 2)

Follow the recipe for the batter for Lazy Samoas from "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar." Substitute 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for the 1 cup of all purpose flour.

Putting It All Together

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake shortbread cookie dough for 4 minutes and remove from oven.
Top each shortbread with a spoonful of coconut mixture and flatten out to cover the shortbread.
Press a hole into the center of the coconut mixture using the handle of a spoon.
Bake for 8 more minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Cover a cutting board (or other flat mobile surface) with wax paper.
Once the cookies have cooled completely, transfer them to the wax paper.

Chocolate Drizzle (layer 3)

12 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Using the microwave on medium heat or a double boiler, melt the chocolate.
Dip each cookie into the chocolate to coat the bottom and return to the wax paper.
After all of the cookie bottoms are coated, transfer the remaining chocolate into a plastic bag.
Cut the very corner of the bag so that the chocolate will easily pour out in a small stream when the bag is squeezed.
Carefully drizzle the top of each cookie with several rows of chocolate.
Transfer the cutting board (with the cookies on top) to the refrigerator.
Chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes to firm up the chocolate.
Devour.

Yields 3 dozen cookies.

*I adapted this recipe from the Buttery Shortbread Cookies in "Skinny Bitch In the Kitch."

smokey bbq tofu & collards wrap

A few weeks ago my best vegan friend introduced me to a little cafe in Atlanta called The Flying Biscuit. Although the cafe is famous for, you guessed it, biscuits - I was excited to find a handful of vegan choices on the menu. They had the usual suspects (tofu scramble, hummus sandwich, soysage), but my expert friend said "you have to try the Vegan BBQ Burrito." Ever since I stuffed my face with the delicious wrap filled with BBQ tofu and collards, I just knew I could whip this one up at home. When I finally got around to trying it out today, the results were even better than the original.

Smokey BBQ Tofu & Collards Wrap

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra Firm Organic Tofu*, crumbled
Annie's Organic Hot Chipotle BBQ Sauce***
Organic Collard Greens**, rough stems removed, chopped
Button Mushrooms, thinly sliced
Organic Vegetable Broth
Organic Lite Soy Sauce*
Liquid Smoke
Whole Grain Tortillas

I didn't include measurements, because it really depends on how many wraps you're planning to make. However, the recipe is so simple, you'll easily figure out the right proportions.

Heat about a tsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add crumbled tofu and saute until golden brown.
Transfer tofu into a small sauce pan.
Return the skillet to the heat and add another tsp of oil.
Add mushrooms and collards. (Remember that the collards will cook down to about 1/2 this size.)
Saute mushrooms and collards for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid burning.
Add vegetable broth (just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet), a few dashes of soy sauce, and a generous amount of liquid smoke.
Stir to evenly coat the greens.
Continue to cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
If the greens soak up the liquid really quickly, just add more vegetable broth to prevent the greens from burning.
While the collards are cooking, add the BBQ sauce to the tofu (just enough to thickly coat the crumbles).
Add a few dashes of liquid smoke and stir.
When collards are done and tofu is heated through, fill up your tortillas with even amounts of greens and BBQ.
Serve warm.

*Several very toxic pesticides are used to grow conventional soybeans, so be sure to use organic tofu and soy sauce.
**Because collard greens grow close to the ground, they tend to have high pesticide residue levels. Organic is better. Local organic is best.
***You can use your favorite BBQ sauce, but I love love love Annie's Organic Hot Chipotle BBQ. It doesn't have that weird sweetness like most packaged BBQ sauces and the heat level is perfect for these wraps. Plus, even big box grocery stores carry Annie's products.

back to basics

After several pleas from my husband not to buy anymore dessert cook books because "We don't need to keep eating sweets," I gave in to my cravings and finally picked up Isa & Terry's "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar." Of course, he jumped right in to help me try all of the delicious new cookie recipes and we've been freaking out about how yummy they are (especially the Mocha Mamas and Lazy Samoas.) We've tried to share as many as we can with co-workers and friends, but our cookie intake has gotten a little out of control. You have to taste them, right? So, to counter-balance the sweetness overload, I've been having a lot of simple, nutrient packed meals like this one of sauteed collard greens and mushrooms with grapefruit.

Since basic salads and raw fruit aren't exactly exciting to blog about, I thought I'd share some info about a company that blew me away with their products. When my sister gave birth to my beautiful little niece 4 months ago, one of the hospital care packages was full of goodies like natural nipple butter, organic tea for breastfeeding mothers, and baby bottom balm from Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics. You can read all about their environmentally friendly, organic, toxin-free, vegan products for pregnancy, labor, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, babies, and even baby loss comfort on their website here. For a hospital whose cafeteria menu included "heart healthy" options like scrambled eggs with cheese (wtf), I was really impressed that they introduced new moms to such a positive line of products. Oh, and I was really really impressed with my sister. Being with her during labor was the scariest, yet most amazing thing I have ever seen. Moms - you are incredible.

Like most of the country, we've been having some pretty dreary weather here in Georgia, so when I saw Andria's rave about DEVA Vegan Vitamin D supplements, I immediately ordered them from Vegan Essentials. We've both noticed a big boost in both mood and energy levels since we starting taking the vitamins each morning. If you're not getting much sun exposure this winter and you're not eating any foods that naturally provide vitamin D (only animal products do), I highly recommend taking a supplement. For more information about how vitamin D works with your body, check out the Wiki page here. Thanks for the tip Andria!

Hopefully I'll learn to put my cookie cutters away for a few days and I'll be back with some new recipes soon.

hot reuben dip

When I was a kid, my best friend's mom used to make a Hot Reuben Dip for every pot luck or school function they attended. I have such fond memories of my friend and I sneaking bites of the the cheesy, corned-beefy spread from the sauce pan when her mom wasn't looking. So when I found myself trying to find a way to use the rest of the sauerkraut in our refrigerator, after making outrageously delicious Tofu Reubens from the Grit Cookbook, my childhood memories drew me into making this vegan version of Hot Reuben Dip.

Hot Reuben Dip

2 Tbsp yellow onion, chopped
1/4 - 1/2 cup Sauerkraut (to taste)
3 oz Vegan Meatless Ground (I like LiteLife Smart Ground, where 3oz = 1/4 package)
4 Tbsp Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
Handful Vegan "Cheese," shredded (I like Follow Your Heart Monterey Jack)
Liquid Smoke
Soy Sauce
Dried Dill
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Vegetable Oil
Rye Bread

In a small saucepan, saute onions in a little oil over low heat for 1-2 minutes.
Add meatless ground, 3-4 dashes of liquid smoke, 1-2 dashes of soy sauce, and a dash of each dried spice.
Thoroughly combine all ingredients and cook until heated through.
Add sauerkraut, cream cheese, and veggie shreds.
Combine all ingredients and serve hot with rye bread squares.

You could buy those creepy, tiny, preservative-packed, pre-sliced squares of rye at the supermarket, or you can buy fresh rye bread at your local bakery, slice it into tiny squares, and toast them until crispy.

wild mushroom miso

Last week while my dad was visiting for the holidays, I finally made it to the Dekalb Farmers Market and now I’m feeling silly that this is our second year living in Georgia and we’d never visited this amazing place before. I could rave on and on about the indoor market’s selection of organic produce, fair trade coffee, organic bulk grains, spices, dried foods, and nuts, or you can read all about it on their website here.

Although my dad and I intended to mostly browse the isles, we left the market with our canvas bags overflowing. The bulk items were especially hard to pass up, since everything was so much less expensive than the bulk selection at our local health food store or co-op. Our jaws dropped when we found a mix of dried wild mushrooms, about 3 cups worth, for less than $3. We’ve used them sparingly in pasta and in a wild mushroom and pecan pesto, which we made off the cuff and it was fabulous. I’ll be sure to post it once I get the ingredient measurements down.

Today, however, we have been lying around nursing the colds that kept us home last night and nothing sounded better than hot, brothy soup. The following recipe for Wild Mushroom Miso is so easy, you’ll probably be able to manage pulling your-self out of bed to make it on your next sick day, or, you can whip it up any old night when your head doesn’t feel like a balloon and you’ll enjoy it even more. The most important part of the recipe is the broth created from soaking the mushrooms in water to re-hydrate them, so remember not to throw it out when you drain the mushrooms. The broth is just as flavorful and savory as the mushrooms themselves.
Wild Mushroom Miso

¾ cup Dried Wild Mushrooms
3 cups Water
1 Vegetable Bouillon cube
1 – 1 ½ Tbsp Organic White Miso*
¼ carton Organic Firm Silken Tofu, cubed*

Boil 1 cup of water.
Pour boiling water over dried mushrooms in a bowl, using a second bowl inside to weigh down the mushrooms and keep them submerged.
Soak mushrooms for 10 minutes, then remove them from the water.
Chop hydrated mushrooms into smaller pieces, if necessary.
Add the water used to soak the mushrooms with 2 additional cups of water and the vegetable bouillon cube to a soup pot.
Bring broth to a boil.
Add mushrooms and tofu and reduce heat to low.
Transfer one ladle of broth to a bowl and stir in miso until dissolved.
Return broth to soup pot.
Simmer for an additional 5 minutes, until tofu is heated through and soup is steaming hot.

This recipe will make enough for 4 small bowls of soup, but my husband and I just ate all of it between the two of us. We served it with hot white tea, which was a perfect pair.

*Several very toxic pesticides are used to grow conventional soybeans, so be sure to use organic tofu and miso.