Ungourmet Vegetarian

Almond Milk Smoothies

2014-03-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

Much simpler and less costly to make than regular almond milk because instead of using a cup of almonds and then straining the pulp through muslin cloth, you are using only a small handful of almonds and keeping the pulp, creating a nutritious drink with more texture. This healthy power drink has its origins in ancient Ayurvedic medicine. It is also a great base for heartier smoothies like the Apple-Oatmeal breakfast smoothie.

20 almonds

2 cups water

½ cup dry fruit: 2 figs & 3 dates or other dried pitted fruit like raisins, apricots, prunes, etc.

1 Tbsp pistachio nuts - pistachios are terrific but dried coconut or sesame seeds are interesting too (optional)

½ tsp cardamom or nutmeg or cinnamon powder or vanilla or maple or rose extract

The night before, soak the almonds in room temperature water (later discard this water, which has absorbed the least digestible compounds from the nuts). Soak the dried fruit and pistachios/coconut/seeds in hot water to cover in another bowl (we’ll use this water in the drink). In the morning add the nuts and 1 cup water; blend on high 60 sec. Add all the other ingredients with 1 more cup water and continue blending till smooth; sweeten with honey or syrup if you have a sweet tooth, but generally the dried fruit provides enough sweetness. Some people also like adding a pinch of salt.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Note: if all you want is pure almond milk, simply blend 8 soaked almonds per 1 cup water. For example, to make a liter of almond milk you'll need to soak 1/4 cup (fits about 35-45 nuts) dry almonds.

Apple-Oatmeal Smoothie

Starts with the same basic ingredients and method as Easy Almond drink above, but heartier due to added grain (or sprouts!) and fresh fruit. By the way, this is a perfect way of eating raw sprouts, whether you love sprouts or are still on the fence about them.

20 soaked almonds or 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

2 cups water

½ cup soaked dry fruit: 2 figs & 3 dates or other dried pitted fruit like raisins, apricots, prunes, etc. OR 2/3 cup fresh sweet fruit

1 chopped apple or a cup of other fruit or berries (no need to peel) or even a leafy green like kale

½ cup sprouts or soaked rolled oats or cooked barley or 4 Tbsp chia seeds (soak seeds or oats for 10 min in ½ cup hot water)

1-2 Tbsp brown rice syrup/molasses/maple syrup/honey

1-2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice

Optional: flavorings of choice – cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, etc.

Optional: 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds (flax seeds have a lot of health benefits, but may be difficult to digest; a few drops of lecithin in the smoothie helps to break down the flax oil into tiny droplets making it more digestible)

Variation 1: Instead of almonds and grain, use 1 cup “live” oat groats, buckwheat groats or wheat berries! You can either use those soaked overnight in warm water or those a day or two into the process of sprouting. The soaking water, if your grain is organic, is good for using in the shake as it contains lots of nutrients. When blended you will get a smooth, slightly sweet “milk” that is extremely nutritious. Sprouting note: unlike wheat berries and most other seeds, oat and buckwheat groats should not be soaked for more than 30 minutes for sprouting or they’ll become waterlogged.

Variation 2: If you’re in a real hurry and do not have any soaked almonds, almond milk, or oat groats on hand, use 1.5 cups yogurt instead of blended nuts/water. It’s also not imperative to soak the dry fruit overnight; 10 minutes in hot water is fine. The sweetness and smoothness of the soaked dry fruit can be augmented or substituted with a small ripe banana.

Images: https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5030/5565260923_e49620419e_z.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8111/8529454590_1951d49f7a_z.jpg

Holiday Pozole

2013-12-25T13:33:00.000-08:00

This belly-warming and filling soup is based on a traditional New Mexican winter holiday recipe. The unique blend and generous quantity of dry spices impart an unforgettable aroma to this posole.

45-55 oz canned hominy (a type of corn), drained and rinsed or 1 lb dry hominy soaked overnight

2 lb (1 kg) onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 lb (1 kg) seitan or meat (chicken, pork or turkey), chopped into chunks the size of hominy grains OR see the bean variation below

3-4 Tbsp olive oil

Spices (mix everything in a bowl):

3 Tbsp red chili, mild or medium heat, powdered (this is different from “chili spice mix”; we want pure red chili not a mixed spice)

2 Tbsp coriander powder

1.5 Tbsp oregano

1 tsp cumin (powder is better, but toasted seeds are fine too)

Salt to taste (about 2 Tbsp, but may need to use less if canned hominy or beans/fake meat had salt)

Garnishes: lime, shredded raw green cabbage or sliced radish, cilantro, avocado or cheese or sour cream

In a large, deep pan (big enough to eventually hold everything plus several liters of water) brown onion, garlic, “meat” and spices for 20-30 minutes. Add hominy along with 2-3 liters of water and simmer everything covered for 1-2 hours (or longer in a slow cooker). If using any vegetables or canned/cooked beans add these 30 minutes before end of cooking. Taste to adjust salt or heat or acidity. Serve hot in bowls with any or all of the recommended garnishes.

Variation with beans instead of imitation meat: It’s not traditional, but still tasty, to make this with hearty beans like red kidney, black, pinto or lima/butter beans, although the texture will be soft rather than chewy. As a last resort you can even make it with 3 cups of reconstituted TVP with a dash of soy sauce and sherry. If using pre-soaked beans or TVP, add them along with hominy; if using cooked beans, add during the last 30 minutes of cooking, along with the vegetables and lime juice.

½ lb dry, presoaked or 4 cups cooked or canned beans

2-3 cups cubed vegetable like turnip or zucchini or squash

Juice of 1 lime

Variation with New Mexico roasted green chili: If you live in the US, you may have access to affordable fire-roasted green chile in August/September (sometimes called New Mexico Hatch chiles). They are worth trying in this recipe and also in enchiladas, tacos or quesadillas. Out of season these can be purchased online (e.g. chilemonster) frozen in bulk, chopped and peeled, or canned (not quite as flavorful) from Trader Joe’s. For this variation, use just 1 Tbsp dry red chili powder instead of 3. Along with hominy add 2 cups of finely chopped green chili and 2-3 cups crushed tomato (or juice of 1 large lime instead of tomato to give that acidic component that goes so well with green chili).

Image: https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2214/2427757493_3b62333b66_z.jpg

Easy Dark Chocolate Truffle Ganache

2013-10-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

Making outstanding, gourmet quality chocolate ganache couldn’t be simpler: just add chocolate chips to warm cream and stir for a few seconds. If you’re making a small batch just for yourself, you can just eat that ganache right out of the bowl after chilling it for 30 minutes, delicious and no additional steps required! Or you can try rolling truffles once the ganache is cooled. This recipe illustrates an intermediate option, ganache squares: the quickest gourmet dessert imaginable. These make cool gifts too. And the flavor combinations are endless: spices, food-grade essential oils, liqueurs, dry fruit, nuts (although I would not recommend salted nuts with strong savory spices), etc. For example, we’ve experimented and loved chipotle chili powder, essential oils of sage or lemon, a dash of ground cardamom or clove, dusting with cinnamon, etc, etc.

Dark chocolate chips with a respectably high (60-70%) cocoa solids content are a real bargain, and much easier to snack and cook with!, compared to baker’s chocolate or chocolate bars. The most affordable dark chocolate in bar form I’ve found in the US is $5/lb in Trader Joe’s, and then you still have a big task of breaking it up into little bits. But nice chocolate chips (e.g. Ghirardelli) can be had at any reasonably priced supermarket for $3-5/lb (or even less if on sale).

1 cup whipping cream (coconut or soy cream can be used for a vegan version)

1 lb dark chocolate chips, about 2.5 cups

1 tsp vanilla or orange essence extract or flavored liqueur or ½ tsp freshly ground cardamom (optional but recommended)

Optional: ¼ tsp salt

Optional: 1 cup of toasted nut pieces and/or chopped dry fruit with a bit of tartness like prunes, mango, cherries, etc.

Optional: unsweetened cocoa powder or finely shredded coconut or cinnamon for dusting (makes handling easier and helps to absorb excess moisture)

Warm the cream on the stovetop or microwave to a hot but not scalding temperature and quickly stir in the chocolate, allowing the heat of the cream to melt it. Keep stirring until you have a perfectly smooth consistency. Add any flavoring essences or spices you like as you stir. If you are making ganache squares, put a layer of parchment or wax paper in a large baking dish (one with a lid might be best for storing your ganache in the fridge). Dust the paper with cocoa or cinnamon or coconut, if using. By the way, if you have a silicone baking dish you don’t need to line or dust it, but dusting helps with handling. Pour the ganache while still warm in an even layer onto the wax or parchment paper. Let cool in the fridge for several hours (or freezer for 1 hour) until relatively solid (knife comes out clean) before cutting into squares or shapes of your choice! Dust the top surface if you like. Best stored tightly covered in a very cool room or refrigerator. Enjoy!

Simple Homemade Salad Dressings and Vinaigrettes

2013-09-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

There are some tasty and healthy commercial dressings out there, but to me most of the store-bought dressings, even the fancy ones, are disappointing. And since making dressings is very easy, fun, inexpensive, and the basic ones will keep in the fridge for months – it’s really worth a try. The quantities in the following recipes will make enough for several salads, and you can easily double or quadruple the quantities to make a whole jar which will keep for over a month in the fridge (unless there are fresh herbs/fruit and then it’s best to eat it up in 2 days). The basic directions for all of these are to combine everything in a jar or old dressing bottle with an easy-pour cap and shake; or if you’re making a small quantity you can just whisk everything together in a bowl.

Tips on preparing salads: Keep it simple, you’ll be amazed at how good 3-4 well chosen ingredients taste compared to a “vegetable drawer jumble”. If you must wash greens right before making the salad, spin or pat them dry with a kitchen towel. To minimize juice leakage, don’t add salt, try to tear instead of cutting greens, and cut juicy vegetables like tomatoes into wedges instead of small pieces.

A vinaigrette is simply a mix of oil and acid (usually in the 3 or 4 to 1 proportion); mustard is sometimes added to emulsify (blend) the watery and oily components, and a sweet element is sometimes used to mellow the acidity. Vinaigrettes are not just for salads – I often add leftover vinaigrette to sauces, soups, stews, stir fries, steamed beans or grains, etc. to brighten and fill out flavor at the end of cooking.

Simple Soy Vinaigrette (inspired by Annie's Shiitake Sesame)

¼ cup oil

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit juice (for longer shelf life use 3 Tbsp cider vinegar instead)

2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce

2 Tbsp water

2 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)

Light Japanese Vinaigrette

¼ cup soy sauce OR 3 Tbsp white miso mixed with 3 Tbsp water

2-4 Tbsp vinegar

2 Tbsp honey or juice concentrate

2 tsp toasted sesame oil (or 3 Tbsp canola oil if using miso)

French Mustard Vinaigrette

6 Tbsp olive oil (infused oils like garlic or basil can be nice too)

2 Tbsp cider (or wine) vinegar or 3 Tbsp balsamic

2-3 tsp Dijon or English mustard (mustard not only creates flavor, but is also a great emulsifier)

1 Tbsp honey

Balsamic Vinaigrette

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

½ tsp salt or more to taste

Sweet Sesame Sauce (Japanese)

2 Tbsp tahini

2 Tbsp kombu dashi or water

1 tsp soy sauce (less if your saké or tahini contains salt)

1 Tbsp honey or syrup or mirin (can vary amount to taste)

1 Tbsp saké OR 2 tsp rice vinegar or cider vinegar (optional)

Citrus Dressing (complements lettuce, avocado & grapefruit salad.)

4 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice or 1.5 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 Tbsp orange juice

1-2 tsp orange zest

1 tsp honey

¼ tsp salt

Diet Myths

2013-08-01T23:23:00.000-07:00

While taking a nutrition class this year I was relieved to learn that most of the currently popular diets and ‘theories’ really have no proven advantages, and so we can safely direct our attention to simply eating tasty, balanced meals.
One theme kept coming up again and again among diverse topics like macronutrients, vitamins & mineral supplementation, weight management, etc.: the best route to healthful eating is to really choose what you eat from your own common sense rather than letting that choice be made for you by fad-diets or pseudo-scientific nutrition theories, marketers, or being too busy to think about what you’re eating.

Food restriction

Some diets recommend tight adherence to healthy food at every meal, while others say that you can throw all caution to the wind after 6pm or Friday through Sunday. Either extreme is likely to be counterproductive. Being always restrictive with food choices or eating times is not really sustainable in the long run, and even if you do stick it out for a while, caloric deprivation is likely to slow your metabolism, making it harder to stay in shape. Restricting part of the time while gorging on junk food or rich foods every evening or weekend as a “reward” will still keep you addicted to those foods, with the healthy options seeming like a kind of penance to be endured. But if you take the time to really discover foods that are both satisfying and good for you, and grow into a habit of eating those most of the time, then there’s no harm in having a big desert or appetizing snack or a meal out a couple of times a week. If you find yourself craving not-so healthy things too often, instead of feeling guilty about it or mindlessly following the impulse, make a mental or written list of the food with a promise to yourself to enjoy those foods in the near future time (for example, plan to eat whatever you feel like every Saturday).

Contrary to some popular fad diets, avoiding particular food groups (e.g. carbs or fats), or combinations of foods (e.g. avoiding having starchy foods and protein in the same meal), or cooked foods, does not bestow any physiological benefits to us humans. Those diets sometimes work in the short run for weight loss because in changing our eating habits to something unusual and restrictive we may temporarily consume fewer calories, but there is no evidence that the weight will stay off in the long run (unless you continue the restrictive regimen, which almost no one can). Our gastrointestinal tract and enzymes digest all foods simultaneously without inhibiting one another, and a meal provides the greatest nourishment and sense of satiety if carbohydrates, proteins, oils, and fiber are all present together. So unless your nutritionist recommends a dietary modification (e.g. due to diabetes or allergies), eating balanced whole-foods meals with lots of vegetables is your best bet for health and enjoyment.

Low-fat or zero-calorie

Reduced-fat does not mean low calorie or “good for you”[1]; extra sugar is often used to compensate when a commercial recipe is re-engineered to capitalize on the fat phobia of the 80’s & 90’s. Experiments show that we tend to eat more of something if we think it is low fat, often resulting in more total calories consumed. In the US today, people eat less fat than previous generations, and yet many more are overweight. The current scientific consensus is that fat in moderation (several tablespoons daily of healthy fats from nuts and oils like olive, canola or coconut) is good for us; in fact it’s necessary for our body functions, vitamin absorption, and longer-lasting satiety. In replacing foods high in saturated animal fats, it’s important to replace them with good (unsaturated) fats, not refined carbohydrates. The recent studies showed that replacing a diet high in refined carbs with one rich in polyunsaturated fat lowers blood pressure, improves lipid levels, and reduces risk of cardiovascular disease[2] and type-2 diabetes[3].

Over the past century Western diets have become deficient in alpha-linolenic omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for minimizing heart disease risk, inflammation, blood pressure and weight gain. One tablespoon of ground flax seed[4] contains the recommended 2 g of omega-3 (ALA form), as do two tablespoons of canola oil or ¼ cup walnuts. To get even more omega-3s (in the more potent DHA form), we can eat wild-caught coldwater fish like salmon, trout or sardines once a week or more, or use vegan algae-based supplements. The only fats worth avoiding entirely are trans-fats in processed foods (check the ingredient list for any partially hydrogenated oils).

Light or zero-calorie does not necessarily mean good for weight management either – these foods usually use non-nutritive sweeteners which are actually associated with greater weight gain[5]. One explanation is that regular consumption of sweet drinks and treats condition us to crave that level of sweetness, and so when assuaging our conscience with diet soda or intensely sweet sugar-free cookies we erode our ability to enjoy the subtler sweetness of fruits, vegetables, whole foods or other beverages, on net consuming more calories from other sources. Another hypothesis is that the zero-calorie sweeteners may play tricks on your satiety hormones as well as your palate – our craving for energy and dopamine release associated with consuming real sugars is not satisfied by zero-calorie sweeteners and we keep snacking to try to quell the dissatisfaction; in addition these sweeteners may thwart our body’s ability to sense how much is enough when eating real food[6].

Breakfast instead of a fast

Mornings are a busy time and many of us get in the habit of having only coffee or a bite of something sugary (serial, toast, etc.), devoid of lasting satiety. Others learn to skip breakfast altogether believing that it’s good for weight management or ‘detox’ or holding a mistaken belief that we should only eat when ravenous. But studies have shown that eating a substantial, nutrient and protein-rich breakfast within 1 hour of waking (up to 2 hours if you exercise in the mornings) is associated with significantly lower levels of stress, over-eating later in the day or weight problems. So a breakfast of protein, healthy fats and unrefined carbs is one of the best things you can do for yourself; besides giving your energy it improves mood by counteracting the effects cortisol (a stress hormone that’s triggered by being woken up, especially if sleep deprived, low blood glucose, etc.).

There’s also nothing heroic or healthy in going to bed hungry; if you get hungry in the evenings after dinner, having a light but filling snack will make you sleep much better which will in turn make you less stressed and hungry the next day.

Exercise Fuel

It’s good to wait at least 3 hours after a large meal before a workout, but don’t wait so long that you begin feeling seriously hungry. Exercising when hungry usually means your mood and performance will be worse during the workout and you will end up burning fewer calories and building less muscle.

[1] http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fats-full-story/

[2] Appel L, Sacks F, Carey V, et al. Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum lipids: results of the OmniHeart randomized trial. JAMA. 2005;294:2455-64

[3] Riserus U, Willett WC, Hu FB. Dietary fats and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Prog Lipid Res. 2009;48:44-51.

[4] http://www.researchgate.net/publication/23158311_Bioavailability_of_alpha-linolenic_acid_in_subjects_after_ingestion_of_three_different_forms_of_flaxseed

[5] S.P. Fowler, et al. Fueling the obesity epidemic? Artificially sweetened beverage use and long-term weight gain. Obesity, Vol. 16, June 5, 2008 (online), p. 1894. doi:10.1038/oby.2008.284.

[6] S.E. Swithers, A.A. Martin, and T.L. Davidson. High-intensity sweeteners and energy balance. Physiology & Behavior. Vol. 100, April 26, 2010, p. 55. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.12.021.

Personal and Environmental Benefits of Vegetarianism

2013-07-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

My personal reasons for becoming mostly vegetarian

Before I go into some of the benefits of a plant-based diet, let me say a just few words on why I am mostly instead of completely vegetarian or vegan. My real interest in food began in 2000, when I first started cooking for myself in college and bought an old macrobiotic cookbook. Around this time I also started practicing yoga, and gradually gravitated toward its recommendation of a diverse lacto-vegetarian diet for health and other reasons. But eggs and fish and any meat are not recommended in yogic traditions, and yet I still eat these a few times a month. Eating organic yogurt from grass-fed cows and humane free-range eggs for now seems like a passable omnivorous concession, as arguably the animal doesn’t suffer and the environmental impact is lower than that of meat. If invited to a meal prepared by someone else where meat is the main course I will eat a bit of it out of respect for the host and culinary curiosity. I will also eat some fish or chicken if my partner, who sometimes gets a craving for these, prepares a fun non-vegetarian recipe.

It’s not that I especially enjoy these animal products or would miss them if one day they disappeared from tables everywhere, but frankly I just don’t want to be too militant with my family members, friends, or even myself. I truly believe that if 3 or 4 out of 5 people adopted planet-friendly diets in which, for example, they reduced consumption of animal products by 80%, we would do a much greater service to our collective and environmental health than if only a minority became 100% vegan while the rest carried on as is. And as my nutrition teacher once said, flexibility is key to a sustainable relationship with food.

Now, what’s so good about eating in a plant-based way?

Plant-based foods are full of nutrients and, being lower on the food chain, have costs and environmental impact that is many times lower than animal-based foods. Plants nourish us in a cleaner, more direct way with the sun’s energy and the earth’s minerals, without the saturated fats and toxins that accumulate in animal flesh.

Personal wellbeing: I simply feel better, more energetic, and less hungry eating unprocessed plant-based foods than I did when I was eating a balanced, home-cooked, whole-foods-based diet that included meat almost every day. Good plant based-diets have proven preventative and therapeutic effects, so it is also comforting to know that I am improving my chances for a longer life free from obesity, cancer[1], diabetes, heart-disease, digestive problems, liver malfunction, and antibiotic resistance. A recent Tufts University study showed that the less animal products you eat, the lower your risk of being overweight in middle age (25% for lacto-vegetarians vs. 60% for omnivores)[2]. From a more aesthetic and nutritional perspective, because plants are lower on the food chain and get their nourishment from sun and soil, there is abundance of vitamins and other essential nutrition in them without the concentration of toxins that occurs as you move up on the food chain. There’s literally a limit to how high on the food chain humans can eat – no one eats carnivores like tigers or hyenas, and there are stern medical warnings on limiting your consumption of fish high on the food chain. Even though animal foods may have fairly high concentrations of protein, they are lacking in many essential nutrients and fiber, and are full of problematic components like saturated fats that humans just can’t process in large quantities.

Enjoyment: I simply enjoy the taste and texture of beans and tofu more than that of meat (have you ever noticed the need to floss immediately after eating even tender meat but not after a vegetarian meal?). Picky eaters will especially appreciate the fact that there aren’t any stringy/squidgy/fatty parts in plant-based meals. The range of exciting vegetarian meal possibilities seems to me much greater than what’s present in the ‘SAD: standard American diet’ or meat & potatoes-oriented traditions.

Ease of handling/simplicity in the kitchen: I used to like the taste of meat but was always put off by handling raw animal products in preparation, the need to ensure meat is very fresh and fully cooked to prevent poisoning, the need to take the trash out promptly if it contains meat packaging or scraps, and the tedious clean-up of greasy dishes and cookware…so much so that I barely ever cooked until discovering the possibilities of vegetarian cuisine. Storage of most vegetables is much more forgiving in terms of refrigeration, raw or semi-raw consumption, and disposal.

Saves money: Shifting toward plant-based foods while using even some of the principles from this book is sure to shrink your food bills.

Less waste: If you recycle and start a composting bin for vegetable scraps you’ll be amazed at how miniscule (and non-smelly) the amount of trash you produce will be – a family of 2-3 cooking most meals at home will produce as little as ½ a small grocery bag of actual “trash” per week as there is no meat scraps or cartons from packaged meals.

Agriculture yields and food storage and transportation in North America are impressively efficient. On each hectare of farmland we grow enough food to feed 16 people for a year (at 2700 kcal per day), more than double of what less developed countries are able to achieve. Yet in reality only 5 people are fed from that hectare because so much goes to livestock (which is 4 to 40 times less efficient than feeding humans) and the rest is converted to fuel or simply wasted by the retailers and consumers.

Critical environmental concerns: Even health and environment-conscious people are usually not aware of the degree of ecological devastation the modern meat-oriented diet is causing. Buying less meat helps slow global warming much more effectively than buying a hybrid car or solar panels, and saves more resources than other conservation efforts.

It’s fairly well known that raising animals for food is a costly and inefficient way to feed people, but before writing this book I could not have guessed the extent of those costs. At present, 92.5% of U.S. farmland is devoted to grazing animals and producing feed-grain: corn, soybeans, wheat, rye, oats, barley and cottonseed for confined cows, hogs, chickens and turkeys. Only 7.5% of U.S. farmland produces grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and berries for direct human consumption.[3] Overgrazing has turned millions of miles of grasslands into deserts. The United Nations report Livestock’s Long Shadow[4] estimates that raising livestock is responsible for 70% of forests cleared in the Amazon Rain Forest. The same widely-cited 2006 UN report calculates that raising cattle emits more greenhouse gases than all forms of transportation combined. Another estimate made in 2009 by a former senior World Bank scientist, incorporating breathing and other factors into the UN calculations, reveals that farming emits 51% of the world’s anthropogenic greenhouse gasses every year[5] (more than all other industries and transportation combined!).

And how many animals do we actually eat? Per-capita consumption of meat has doubled since the middle of the 20th century[6]. Worldwide, there are 70-90 billion animals slaughtered for meat every year (about 12% of this is in the US, even though the US houses only 3% of the world’s population). Nearly a billion are raised for dairy products.[7] In the US, 90% of animals are raised on CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations, aka factory farms). Feed for most of these animals is grown in the conventional way with excessive use of chemical fertilizer, herbicides, tilling – which further exacerbates greenhouse emissions, water pollution and soil erosion. In addition, animal waste and antibiotic-and-hormone-infused runoff from factory farms is scarcely regulated and pollutes ground water on a horrific scale.

A serving steak requires 16 times more fossil fuel to produce and releases 24 times more greenhouse gasses than a serving yielding the same amount of calories of grains and vegetables[8]. When it comes to fresh water, it takes on average 15,000 liters to produce a kilogram of beef[9], but only 1900 L to produce a kilo of beans and 850-1200 L for a kilo of wheat[10].

To put this in perspective, if you religiously took extra short showers for a full year you might save as much water as you use up by eating just one beef-centered dinner (or two pork or three chicken meals). So substituting even some meat with plant-based food is more impactful (and much cheaper!) than a myriad of other noble conservation efforts.

Global health: Obesity and related disease epidemics afflict over 1 billion people, while chronic undernourishment cripples another billion. Both result in tremendous personal suffering, shorter life expectancy, higher medical costs and lower productivity. In the US, for example, obesity and excess consumption of processed and animal products is implicated in over half of all deaths (from heart attacks, cancer, stroke and diabetes), with at least 15% - that’s 360-400 thousand deaths every year - directly caused by improper diet and physical inactivity[11].

Ethical/Humanist: Reducing meat consumption and waste would liberate global resources that could be used for hunger alleviation. We dote on and lavish tens of billions of dollars on our pets and certain ‘cute’ endangered animals, and have laws to protect them, but farm animals are hypocritically exempt from animal cruelty laws. Only by means of reverence for life can we establish a balanced and humane relationship with other people and all living creatures within our reach.

Why not eat in a way that’s kind to yourself and others?

[1] Cho E, Spiegelman D, Hunter D, et al. Premenopausal fat intake and risk of breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2003;95:1079-85.

[2] http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/6/1267.full

[3] NASS, USDA Land-Use statistics, 2002-2008.

[4] http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.HTM

[5] http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/Livestock%20and%20Climate%20Change.pdf

[6] http://faostat3.fao.org/home/index.html#VISUALIZE

[7] Goodland, R., Anhang, J, 2012. Response to “Livestock and greenhouse gas emissions: The importance of getting the numbers right,” by Herrero et al.

[8] http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/01/27/weekinreview/20080127_BITTMAN1_GRAPHIC.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html?_r=2&scp=5&sq=pollan+and+meat&st=nyt&oref=slogin&

[9] http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/productgallery

[10] http://www.vrg.org/environment/water_brochure.php

[11] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15010446?access_num=15010446&link_type=MED&dopt=Abstract

3 fresh summertime ingredients + 3 minutes = amazingly flavorful pasta dish

2013-06-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

This 'sauce' is a summertime favorite, when there's an abundance of local ripe tomatoes and your kitchen is too hot for lengthy cooking.

3Tbsp olive oil

3 ripe tomatoes, cut into thin wedges

3 or 4 garlic cloves, crushed

½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

The preparation of this sauce is more like a stir fry; since everything will happen quite quickly you will want to start ½ lb of pasta cooking first, and then chop all the ingredients before proceeding with the sauce. In a wide frying pan on high heat, sauté garlic for 30 seconds in olive oil, then add tomatoes and let them “caramelize”. The tomatoes will caramelize most effectively if they are spread out in a single layer, and are left undisturbed (no stirring) on high heat for about a minute. Then add the basil, salt and give everything a stir. After another 30 seconds turn off the heat and serve over your favorite pasta. Some freshly grated parmesan or nutritional yeast is a nice, but not an essential garnish.

Chinese Seared Green Beans with Garlic

2013-06-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

This is an ultra-simple and highly appetizing way to stir-fry all kinds of fresh string beans, Chinese long beans (or thinly sliced Japanese eggplant, zucchini, and many other quick-cooking vegetables). The garlic here is thoroughly cooked, so while the dish retains an enticing aroma of roasted garlic there won’t be any ‘garlic aroma’ in you. The trick to roasting garlic quickly and well is to have plenty of space in your frying pan between the beans, and no moisture. Most recipes indeed start by cooking the garlic first and then adding wet ingredients, but this particular dish really shines if you add the garlic at the very end, retaining its full flavor.

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and dried (or long beans cut into 5” pieces); can use ½ lb green beans and ½ lb sprouts

2-5 medium cloves garlic, crushed or sliced (use less or more garlic, to taste)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

¼ tsp salt, to taste or 1 Tbsp soy sauce

Optional (for a more traditional Chinese version): 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp sugar, 1 Tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce

Heat oil until very hot in a large frying pan or wok; make sure the vegetables you are about to place in this hot oil are not wet or else they won’t cook as tastily and oil will spatter. Put in the vegetables and keeping the stove on high heat stir vigorously to coat with oil and prevent burning. (Another possiblility is to pre-cook the vegetables by blanching for a few minutes in the microwave or boiling water.) After about 2 minutes the veggies should be turning tender and yet remain crisp; now it’s time to put in the garlic and continue stirring briskly for another minute. Now add the optional ingredients, if any. Because garlic burns very easily turn off heat as soon as you notice some of it turning golden.

Summer Herb Japanese Rice & other seasonal rice ideas

2013-06-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

Short or medium grain rice that cooks up slightly sticky is the traditional centerpiece of East Asian meals. For information about different varieties of rice and cooking methods please see my All About Rice post.

Unlike the more complicated pilafs from other cuisines, these Japanese rice combinations require nothing more than cooking your rice with one or two other ingredients, and yet these delicate additions can really enhance basic rice, both aesthetically and nutritionally.

The following combinations assume, unless otherwise specified, starting with 3 cups of brown short or medium grain rice, presoaked 2-12 hours. If you didn’t have time to pre-soak as long, cook an extra 10-20 minutes. If you use white rice, you can skip the soaking and reduce cooking time and salt by half. If your sake or cooking wine is salty, you may wish to use less of it and the soy sauce.The final yield will be 6-8 portions.

· Autumn Chestnut rice: Combine ½ lb baked and shelled, halved chestnuts with rice, 1 tsp salt or 1 Tbsp tamari, 2-4 Tbsp sake or mirin, and 5 cups water. Cook 40 minutes, using the same method as standard brown rice.

· Autumn Ginko nut rice: Cook rice with about 3 dozen peeled ginko nuts, 2 Tbsp sake and 1 Tbsp tamari.

· Autumn or winter shiitake rice: Cook rice with 10 or more soaked and sliced dry shiitake mushrooms (if you are not using the soaking water for any other dish, cook the rice in it), 1 Tbsp tamari, and 2 Tbsp sake.

· Autumn or winter yam rice: Cook rice with one large sweet potato, scrubbed but unpeeled, cut into small cubes.

· Winter Ginger rice: Cook rice with a 3 inch piece of ginger, very finely julienned, and 2 tsp tamari and 1 tsp sake.

· Winter Adzuki rice (see the Lucky Red Rice recipe in this chapter)

· Spring green pea rice: Blanche 1.5 cups of fresh green peas in salty water, set the peas aside, and use the water to cook your rice in (adding enough water for correct rice to water ratio). When the rice is ready, gently stir in the peas. Or, to save time, just add raw fresh or defrosted peas on top of the rice a few minutes before turning off the heat.

· Spring greens congee (rice porridge): Simmered 2-3 cups cooked rice for 30 minutes in 5 cups of water, until very soft and soupy. When ready add a tablespoon each of as many spring greens as you have, very finely chopped: chives, watercress or garden cress, turnip greens, arugula, etc. If some of the greens (like kale) could benefit from longer cooking, add them first and cook a few minutes more. See the Congee recipe in the Breakfast chapter for pressure cooker instructions.

· Summer Herbed rice: Cook rice normally; when done stir in a cup or more of very finely chopped herbs or greens (shiso, parsley, scallion, cilantro, arugula, baby spinach, etc.).

· Anytime multigrain rice: Cook your rice along with other grains and seeds: any variety of millet, sesame, pearled cracked barley, amaranth, teff, etc. Use as many or as few “guest grains” as you wish, and the proportions are flexible too, but try starting with about 1-2 Tbsp of the other stuff per cup of raw rice and adding 2 Tbsp of water for each tablespoon of the guest grain.

Summer treats: Mango Lassi & Berry Parfait

2013-06-11T19:28:00.004-07:00

Mango Lassi (Indian Yogurt Smoothie)

1.5 cups mango pulp or 2 peeled mangoes (preferably the yellow variety)

2 cups plain yogurt, kefir or buttermilk

½ cup water or ice

½ tsp cardamom powder (grind seeds from 2-3 green pods)

Combine all in a blender, run for 30 seconds. Note: The cardamom is optional; feel free to omit it or try out cinnamon instead. Water content can be varied and sugar added to taste.

Plant milk could be used in place of yogurt, but it won’t be as creamy and lemon juice will need to be added to give some tanginess.

Berry Parfait

This instant ice-cream-like desert could not be simpler or healthier.

1-1.5 cups fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries or strawberry pieces)

1 lb frozen berries or fruit (mango chunks, bananas, peaches, strawberries, etc.)

3 Tbsp honey or sugar

1 cup plain yogurt or plant milk

Handful of mint or 1/2 tsp freshly ground cardamom (optional but very tasty)

Lemon or lime juice, to taste (will need this if you used non-tangy fruits and berries)

Scoop half of the fresh berries into each serving cup, reserving the other half for layering or just placing on top of the frozen part. Blend the other ingredients and divide evenly among the cups.

Universal Indian Curry Sauce

2013-05-09T01:25:00.000-07:00

This fragrant tangy-sweet tomato-based sauce is incredibly versatile and can be happily refrigerated up to 2 weeks or frozen for months to greatly speed up your Indian cooking. Many Indian cooks and restaurants do just that. The majority of traditional Indian (although not necessarily British-restaurant) curries call for this sort of curry base. The finished curries can be taken into countless unique directions by their use of tempering spices, choice of vegetables and other ingredients.

By adding the optional spices (don’t worry if you’re missing 1 or 2), you will be able to use this curry sauce “as is” if you wanted to. At the end of a busy day you would be free to create your own finished curry meal in 10 minutes by tossing into your sauce virtually any combination of vegetables, potatoes, beans, tofu, etc. It could still be customized later on (with extra heat, spices, herbs, coconut milk or yogurt, lemon juice or tamarind, etc.) but the optional spices will make it slightly less flexible - it could not serve as a base for as wide a variety of traditional recipes. Note that any recipes in this book that call for the curry base sauce will work great with this expanded version.

Examples of recipes based on this sauce:
Creamy Curry with Paneer or Tofu
Coconut Tomato Curry (with tofu or fish)
Chickpea Curry

Ingredients (for a large batch of about 15 servings)

4 lbs crushed canned tomato (or about 5-6 lb fresh pureed tomatoes)

½ cup oil or ghee (add more if needed)

2 lb onions, sliced thin

3 inches grated ginger & 1 small head of garlic, peeled and minced (or 1/3 cup ginger garlic paste)

Basic spices:

2 Tbsp turmeric

2 tsp cayenne

1 tsp salt (or more if your tomatoes didn’t come with salt)

¼ tsp (a pinch) clove powder

½ tsp cinnamon or a 2 cinnamon sticks

(or instead of the clove and cinnamon, 1 tsp garam masala)

Optional spices (highly recommended, but it’s fine if you’re missing one or two; see intro note):

2 Tbsp coriander powder

1 Tbsp cumin seeds

1 Tbsp cumin powder

1 Tbsp fenugreek seed powder

1 Tbsp smoked or regular paprika

2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp asafetida

4 whole black cardamoms (or 1/2 tsp extra garam masala; if your garam masala is very old you might want to add a bit more)

On high heat in a very large pan caramelize onions, ginger and garlic until onions are very soft and golden brown and no “raw” onion or garlic smell remains. Add all the spices and fry 2 more minutes to infuse the oil with their flavor (you may need to move some of the onions out of the way or add a bit more oil to create space in the pan where spices can fry at high temperature directly in the oil). Add crushed tomato; if you used canned tomatoes, rinse the inside of the cans with 1 or 2 cups water and add to the sauce so it doesn’t get too thick. Continue cooking 20-30 more minutes, until oil separates. Done! Use for further cooking or freeze in several dinner-sized batches.

Creamy variation: For creamy curries I prefer to add yogurt or coconut milk during the final stages of cooking, but if you have a big container of plain yogurt that needs to be used right away, add 4 cups of yogurt to this finished base and simmer for another several minutes until oil separates. Can be stored in the same way, but won’t keep as long in the refrigerator.

Yogic chickpeas with fresh tomato and spinach

2013-05-05T02:29:00.000-07:00

This dish is really nutritious, full of flavor and quick to make. I call it yogic because I first encountered a version of this dish at a kitchen run by yoga students; it also doesn't use any garlic or onions, which some yoga traditions prefer to avoid.

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp mustard seeds (if unavailable, substitute 3 tsp coriander powder)

3 tsp cumin seeds or 2.5 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp cayenne or hot chile powder or flakes or 1 fresh chili, minced

4 cups cooked beans (chickpeas or black beans or black-eyed peas)

2 coarsely chopped tomatoes

3 cups fresh spinach

½ tsp salt

Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish

Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat for about a minute, add mustard seeds and cover with a loose lid for another minute or two until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add cumin and stir for a few seconds until you feel the aroma of the spices; put in the chile. Add the beans and stir to coat with oil, then add vegetables and stir until the spinach is wilted. Salt to taste (less salt will be needed for if using canned beans as these are usually already salty). Reduce heat to low and cook for another minute or two (can cover with a lid). Rice or whole wheat bread, yogurt and a salad or vegetable dish go really well with these chickpea dishes, helping to make an even more complete meal.

Tomato-less variation with garlic and smoked paprika, giving this dish a more Spanish character: Use 6 crushed garlic cloves instead of mustard seeds. Omit the tomato and use a tablespoon of smoked paprika instead; increase the quantity of fresh spinach to 6 cups (a fat bunch).

Variation ala Aloo Saag: Instead of chickpeas use pre-blanched potatoes, evenly cubed. For this version even frozen spinach will work. Boost up flavor by adding a handful of minced garlic along with the spices (but this variation would not be considered yogic because of the garlic).

Locavore Cabbage Salad & Quick-Pickled Cabbage

2013-05-01T12:27:00.000-07:00

Locavore Cabbage Salad

This is a really popular salad in Russia. The trick to making raw cabbage and carrots more digestible and tasty is to essentially make instant pickles out of them, by kneading them with salt and then draining away the salty juices. Prepared in this way, “raw” cabbage can be enjoyed even by people who claim not to like cabbage. Another cool thing about this salad is that, besides being inexpensive and delicious, it’s a way of eating vitamin packed fresh raw vegetables locally. Because lets face it, if you live in a non-tropical climate the only local vegetables able to persist through the winter raw - either in the field/cold frame or in storage - are those in the hardy brassica family (cabbages, kale, etc.) and root vegetables. You may be able to find some local baby greens or tomatoes grown in high-tech hydroponic installations, but those are in another category altogether given how costly and energy-intensive they are. So, without further ado, the cabbage salad:

½ head, about a pound, green or red cabbage (or combination), finely shredded (mandolin or food processor works best)

1 or 2 carrots, also finely shredded (optional)

2-3 Tbsp kosher salt if you plan to rinse, or just ½ tsp if not planning to rinse

4 Tbsp olive or sunflower oil

½ tsp ground black pepper and/or 1/3 cup finely minced fresh parsley or dill or another herb

Optional: a big squeeze of lemon juice or a tablespoon of cider vinegar and a teaspoon of honey

Optional: 2 Tbsp walnuts or pecans, chopped

In a large mixing bowl sprinkle salt over the shredded cabbage and carrots and with your hands toss and squeeze/wring the salad for about 2 minutes until lots of juice comes out. This wringing out with salt bursts the tough cell walls and makes the cabbage and carrots more eater-friendly. Then rinse very briefly in cold tap water and drain well, squeezing out any excess moisture (a large strainer is handy for this, or just take fistfuls of cabbage and squeeze before transferring to the salad bowl). Taste to make sure the salt level is good – you may either need to rinse a bit more or add a dash more salt if you over-rinsed. Or, if rinsing seems like too much hassle, use much less salt in the beginning but still squeeze thoroughly with your hands and let it sit. Add vinegar if using, mix and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. After the salad “rests”, drain away any new juice. Mix in any herbs and/or pepper, oil and serve! Stores covered in the refrigerator up to 24 hours.

Quick Pickled Cabbage

This natural quick fermentation method has been used in Eastern Europe for centuries. It’s light on salt and without vinegar or added sugar; the result crisper and contains more active enzymes than sour kraut. The only absolutely essential ingredients are cabbage, carrots, and non-iodized salt. The cabbage that will be the crunchiest and keep the longest is the really firm winter variety of green cabbage, but any green or red cabbage can be used and will be ready in just a few days. It can then be refrigerated in jars up to 2 months (that’s why I usually make a double batch). Serve the cabbage as a salad, with a dash of olive oil and fresh herbs.

1 medium-large head of green cabbage, about 2.2 lb, very finely shredded

2 large carrots, also shredded

1.5-2% salt by weight (in this case about 8 tsp kosher salt or 4-5 tsp non-iodized fine sea salt)

1 cup plain yogurt or 1-2 tsp citric acid dissolved in 1 cup water (yogurt not only introduces helpful bacteria but brings acidity to the desired 0.6% or Ph 3.5)

Flavor options:

1 Tbsp caraway or dill or coriander seeds

3 Tbsp raisins or fresh or dried cranberries

A food processor is the easiest way to finely shred cabbage and carrots. Discard the cabbage core & stem. Keep several unblemished outer cabbage leaves for lining the bottom of the container and covering the surface of the fermenting cabbage (optional). In a large non-reactive container (glass, ceramic, enamel, hard food-grade plastic) sprinkle salt over the shredded vegetables and with your hands mix and squeeze/knead for 2-5 minutes until lots of juice comes out; a wooden muddler or rod rolling pin can also be used. This wringing out with salt bursts the tough cell walls and gets rid of trapped air; you need lots of juice to ensuring successful fermentation. Your container should not be more than 3/4 full at this stage. Mix in any other ingredients. Punch the cabbage down with your fist to get any remaining air bubbles our and get as much juice as possible to rise to the surface; cover loosely with a few cabbage leaves, if using. Place a clean plate with a clean gallon jug of water on top of the cabbage to ensure that its surface stays submerged in juice. Cover loosely with a plastic bag or kitchen towel and place in a safe, warm area of the kitchen (like on top of the refrigerator). Check after 1-2 days that there’s at least ½ inch of juice completely covering the surface (add water with a bit of lemon juice or citric acid if there isn’t enough juice); wiggle the weight and poke a fork or a chopstick along the sides to release any trapped bubbles. It’s normal for the juice/brine to get cloudy and frothy at some point, but after a few days it should clear up and recede. Taste the cabbage after 3 days; it should be ready, but if it’s cool in your kitchen it may need another day or two. When ready, use a fork to transfer cabbage and remaining juices into jars with tight fitting lids, without packing it in. Keep in the refrigerator. Enjoy over the next month or two!

Top 10 Frugal Food Tips

2013-04-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

Effective meal planning and shopping strategies

1. Know what you already have & incorporate any perishables into your meal plan. Before going to the grocery store or even making a list, do a weekly survey of your fridge and pantry to find out what you already have on hand and if anything is close to or recently past its prime or best-by-date. Put any ‘must use’ foods in full view. Not only will this save you money, but you’ll likely feel a real sense of pride when you rescue previously purchased ingredients by using them up in next week’s meals.

2. Before shopping, have a plan for the week that’s simple but complete. Pick a time each week (or perhaps every two weeks, depending on your lifestyle) when you have a few relaxed minutes and imagine what you would like to eat the following week(s), keeping in mind what you already have on hand and also what’s likely to be in season. Adapt recipes freely to make use of ingredients you already have (see the section on substitutions ***). Feel free to experiment, by try to limit entirely new recipes to just 1-2 meals to avoid getting overwhelmed. My favorite approach is to plan on making copious quantities (perhaps enough even to freeze) of just a handful of main dishes each week and then letting leftovers provide an effortless lunch/breakfast and/or another diner later in the week. I really can’t say enough good things about cooking in bulk, but the trick to great leftovers is flavorful recipes and making enough so that there can be a second or third complete meal for everyone and not just a scrap of this or that left. Try the weekly meal plans and shopping lists in this book to get you started. It’s actually amazing how much time and stress it will save you during the week when you don’t have to worry about “what’s for dinner”. Plus if you already know what you’ll be making that week you’ll be that much less likely to get a ready-made option or eat out.

3. Bring a shopping list and stick to it; get only as much fresh produce as you can eat the same week. A list based on a meal plan, containing only the necessary missing ingredients is your best defense against impulsive/poorly planned buying or having to make multiple trips to the store. Opportunistically buying a few favorite canned/bulk/frozen items on can be good for households that cook a lot, but with perishables (especially fresh produce!) it’s best not to bring home more than you know you can easily eat or process the same week (two at most), even if it’s on sale. Frozen fruits, berries and vegetables can be a good solution if you aren’t sure you’ll be able to use up fresh foods before they go bad, plus they are more affordable than out-of-season fresh produce. For sauces, some canned options are both tasty (because they’re canned ripe and in season) and economical: canned tomatoes, mangoes or pineapple.

4. Minimize temptation while at the store. In addition to having a solid shopping list, avoid going to the store hungry, thirsty or really tired. If it’s really hard to say no to kids or spouses at the store, delegate shopping to the most patient and least easily tempted person in your family.

5. Be aware of marketing tactics. Buy based on per-unit rather than total prices, and shop mostly from the perimeter (fresh produce, bakery, dairy and bulk sections are usually located on the perimeter), avoiding the processed and expensive stuff from the center isles. Don’t be sucked in by green-washing (all-natural/organic/etc.) and health-claim (superfood/antioxidant/raw/vitamins/etc.) slogans on pricey packaged foods. Get a store member card to take advantage of weekly deals on staples and produce, but don’t waste time on coupons which are almost always for more processed, higher profit margin items. Ask if your grocery store or farmer’s market has any heavily discounted (50-80% off) produce or day-old bakery bins. Not only does getting discounted fruit help your wallet and the environment, but they are often more tasty than the full price ones because they are fully ripe.

6. Know your options by comparing per-unit prices across stores and brands. Some things like spices, rice, beans, nuts and specialty sauces and ingredients are usually more affordable and in wider selection at Asian supermarkets or bulk bins, depending on where you live. For spices and specialty ethnic ingredients that last long while, it’s especially worth looking outside the mainstream supermarket to get these for a fraction of the cost. If you can handle industrial-size packages or grain, beans, flour, pasta, grated cheese or tomato sauce then warehouse clubs can offer good deals (although you’ll need to see if the savings of shopping there just a handful of times/year is worth the membership fee). Simply being aware of unit prices will help you find the best places to shop over time.

7. Extend food life by proper storage. Make sure all your non-produce and non-canned items are in airtight containers to prevent loss of flavor and oxidation. Jars or buckets with tight fitting lids are great for shelf-stable foods (plastic or paper bags are messy and vulnerable to moisture, odors, and pests). If you have room in the freezer keep nuts, seeds, spices and infrequently used whole grains there.

Tomatoes and tropical fruits (citrus, mangoes), unless they are about to go bad, retain the most flavor if you store them on the countertop or in a cool room. If soft fruit is so overripe that it needs to be dealt with immediately but you don’t have time – just chop it up and freeze; it’ll be great in smoothies, desserts and sauces. Lettuces and herbs keep really well in a salad spinner, or inside a plastic bag wrapped in a paper/cloth towel to absorb excess moisture, with air gently squeezed out of the bag. Some really fresh and undamaged greens can be kept like a plant on the countertop with root ball in jar of water. Root veggies (onions, garlic, ginger, yams, potatoes – in a paper bag in a cool area of the kitchen or cellar) and a few other hardy veggies (apples, celery, green cabbage, carrots, turnips, daikon – in plastic bags, to prevent dehydration, in the fridge or in crates in the cellar) will keep up to a month if stored properly, but other fresh produce really needs to be prepared in 3-10 days.

8. Freeze it if you have to. For energy use reasons I’m not an advocate of relying on a huge freezer to store things for months, but since virtually all of us already have some kind of freezer operating 24/7, why not make use of it to simplify your life and avoid waste? Almost any cooked food, bread, cheese, yogurt, tofu, soft fruit, grapes and other berries, non-starchy vegetables like carrots, green beans, Brussels sprouts, etc. can be happily frozen, sealed to avoid freezer burn. Some things like fresh herbs, lemon juice and zest that are sometimes sold in batches too big to use up in a week will stay fresh and ready to use if frozen spread out in a thin layer in Ziploc bags. Frozen veggies have been unfairly maligned by the foodies movement as less nutritious, but often they are quite good (and more affordable too). A few raw things that I would not freeze are salads veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, celery, cabbage, zucchini), onions, garlic, whole apples, starchy potatoes, fresh sage, and green bell peppers.

9. Grow it! Not only is having your own or community garden a rewarding and virtually free way of getting organic veggies, but you won’t have to worry as much about storage of certain highly perishable things like herbs and leafy greens. For more on this see the ‘Grow it’ section in the Shopping chapter.

10. Save money by eating. Many of the preceding points suggest various angles from which the problem of food waste could be addressed (better planning and storage, keeping track of your food inventory). But it’s just such an obvious, ubiquitous and almost universally underestimated source of unnecessary expense (an average family in the US throws away over $1600 worth of the food they buy every year), that I was compelled to mention it again. Composting is better than landfill sludge, but it’s still very costly for you and the environment. The best use of food once it’s grown is to eat it, period.

Everyday environmentally friendly & money saving possibilities

2013-04-08T22:32:00.000-07:00

Household tips for reducing the impact on the environment and your wallet.

1. Libraries: Use the public library for books, magazines, audio books, movies, music, attending free lectures, etc. Besides being free, saving paper and having a knowledgeable staff who can give recommendations, libraries have the advantage of having a much larger selection than book stores (aside from Amazon). These days all large libraries also have a growing catalog of downloadable audio and ebooks, so you never even have to get in the car to check out or return items. Libraries can provide a nice alternative to a coffee shop or living room for quiet reading/writing. Many libraries also have areas for small group meetings – again more inspiring than a coffee shop and less likely to temp you into buying overpriced coffee and sweets. If you think you’ll be at the library a long time, bring along a thermos or some other drink or snack.
2. TV & other subscriptions: With the amount of DVDs at the library and legally free contents online, I personally don’t see any reason to pay for any television channels. You’ll save a ton of time and money if you opt out of all paid TV and just use the set to watch the films and programs you choose at a time that’s convenient for you. In many areas you can also get over a dozen high quality public digital HD channels with just a simple antenna. As far as print subscriptions, even if they’re offered free or at a heavily discounted price, I usually opt out; free quality publications are available online and at the library. Unless you’re a serious fan of a particular print publication and always read it from cover to cover, most print subscriptions are either legacy or impulse buys and just pile up in people’s living rooms, sucking emotional and natural recourses out of our lives. If you must keep up with the news, spending a few minutes a couple of times a week to glance at headlines through a reputable online portal rather than being pumped with fear and advertisements via TV news channels is really a much healthier option.

3. Community & sharing: Imagine how cool it would be if you didn’t have to rely only on yourself to buy all the things and services that make a nice home. Make friends with your neighbors! Once you’ve gotten to know them a bit and can trust one another, suggest forming a small “tool co-op” where some rarely used but important items like power tools, a car trailer, certain appliances, garden tools and even recreation gear (kayaks, tents, cross country skis, etc.) be shared in some equitable way. For example, if someone owns very few items of interest perhaps they could pay a reasonable fee (which could go to fixing or replacing a broken piece of equipment) or barter or in other ways provide something useful to others. Beyond community sharing in this basic but forgotten way, try to encourage bartering of time, furniture, cooking services, and care of children/pets/gardens/household repairs. Possibly the greatest benefits of this kind of community are not just the increased material conveniences and money saving, but the new friends and deeper connections.

4. Driving: Are any of your errands within walking or biking radius? Why not combine the errand with your daily exercise? Even if the destination is some distance away, it’s possible that it will take less time to walk or bike there than it would take to battle traffic and park and then exercise separately. Basically try to optimize by combining errands, carpooling and searching out recreational activities that require the least driving, and use carpooling/internet rideshare when possible. If you have to buy a car, consider different options for getting the most fuel efficiency (for example, light and inexpensive diesel passenger cars can get up to 100 mpg, double that of fancy hybrids or Smart cars).

5. Sports & recreation: Do you ever wonder why motorized or gear-intensive or organized/spectator sports get so much more attention in our society relative to simple and healthy stuff like hiking, running, swimming, yoga or neighborhood soccer/basketball games? Not necessarily because they are more fun. But companies simply can’t monetize things that don’t require us to spend very much to enjoy something, so we don’t hear much about it on TV or in magazines, and many of us end up either spending a lot on sports or gyms or figure that we can’t afford to be active. Some of the most enjoyable things I remember growing up was going to the park, the beach or a playground, or to the forest for berry picking. Doing something active outdoors with my family that, as a bonus, produced a valued prize – like blueberries or wild apples or chanterelles – felt really rewarding; most kids are actually terrific foragers and take real pride in it. So even if it’s not a matter of money, consider doing more outdoor stuff like gardening, foraging, biking, walking, hiking or trail running, cross-country skiing, non-motorized water sports, etc.

6. Vacations and relaxation: Different people will crave different experiences, but there are certain types of vacations (e.g. beach, amusement park/resort, super short tour of some other country) that have become the default choices simply because they have been marketed and talked about the most. Will getting on that plane for that standard week in a pricey crowded resort really be more memorable than perhaps two weeks (for a fraction of the cost) in a cabin or camping, exploring beautiful wild places and really spending time together because there are fewer electronic and commercial distractions? Or perhaps just immersing yourself for that time learning a new skill (or teaching others or your children) or building/creating something. For those who can afford it, it’s fashionable to relax by going to a spa (not exactly sure how getting waxed to within an inch of your life is relaxing, but anyway). But what if one day you took a massage class instead of paying for massage to become a giver rather than just a consumer? Learning a skill like basic massage is gift that you could give yourself and then always have with you to give to children, spouses or friends. And then you would have that skill for a lifetime. These are just some things that people have told me they enjoy more than the commercial ways or vacationing and relaxing, but the possibilities are many.

7. Gifts: Have you ever felt stressed during the holidays by all the gift mania, or by getting or having to give not very useful or especially memorable gifts that at the same time were none too cheap? How about creating and sharing wish lists online for yourself and encouraging others in your circle to do the same. Whether it’s a birthday, the holidays or another special occasion you will have an ongoing list of what you truly desire (some could be non-material or experiential things, and some even opportunities to donate to your favorite cause in your name). And if something you really want is kind of expensive, having it on the list will give others the opportunity to contribute any amount or pool funds toward that particular wish (like taking classes, a trip, fixing the roof, etc.) rather than giving you another Starbucks gift card.

8. Purchases and clutter: Before acquiring anything, however small or inexpensive, ask yourself if it is really essential to your life, or if at the very least it will provide beauty or enjoyment on a regular basis. Also check if there’s anything at all that you already own that could be repurposed and used in place of what you are about to buy. After you do decide to buy or otherwise become an owner of an item, unless all your worldly possessions number less than a few dozen, resolve to not let yourself use this new purchase until you have gotten rid of one other less useful thing (by giving away or selling, not putting into storage). Also don’t default to buying brand new – ask around if your friends or neighbors have just what you need that that they may be eager to give away or sell, or check on ebay. This is known as cutting clutter at the cash register, before the stuff ever enters your life. If you practice this, pretty soon, despite your mind trying to rationalize buying this or that, you’ll feel a physical aversion to acquiring something that isn’t highly useful or beautiful.

9. Clothing: As with grocery shopping, rather than making sporadic trips to see what’s on sale at the store, try making a deliberate list of what you really need in your wardrobe (first go through all your closets to be fully aware of everything you already have to wear so that you’re not double buying). As a general approach it’s best to have a small number of really comfortable, attractive and versatile outfits purchased deliberately rather than a full closet of things that were bought on sale or impulse. That being said, after you’ve figured out what you’re missing, and if there’s a good neighborhood thrift store around, take a look there first just in case they have exactly what you need. For children’s clothing nothing beats getting barely used items from friends with older children or second-hand stores.

10. Laundry: Do only full loads of laundry and avoid the dryer whenever possible. Unless you require hospital-level disinfection, there’s no need to use hot water or iron or dry on high heat. If you live in a dry climate and have a space for a clothesline or several drying racks then you’ll get fresh smelling clothes in just a few hours without the energy-sucking lycra-elastic-destroying dryer. Even in a relatively humid climate synthetic or woolen fabrics (basically everything besides thick cottons or jeans) will air dry fairly quickly. To get pleasantly soft and static-free clothes and towels, even when air drying, skip the fabric softener and dryer sheets – just use a bit of vinegar in the rinse. Add ¼ cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle by either putting it int0 you washing machine’s fabric softener dispenser or into one of those refillable plastic balls meant to dispense fabric softener just at the right time in your wash. Vinegar costs next to nothing, is hypo allergenic and odorless (when diluted), and extra gentle. Dryers, dryer sheets, and artificial fabric softeners, on the other hand, besides being expensive and allergy-causing, cause your clothes to wear out quicker. If you do have to use the dryer, consider either getting European-style dryers (which are basically dehumidifying that use lower heat and don’t require exhaust) or at least using the delicates and “less dry” settings, which will save considerable energy and reduce heat damage to your clothing.

11. Eating out: It has become increasingly popular to default to restaurants for special occasions or meeting friends, or even daily lunches. While exploring a unique new dish or cuisine or atmosphere by eating out may well be worth it on occasion, if we rely on eating out simply for getting nourishment or having a place to sit and talk then it not only becomes a significant expense but also stops being special. If you get in the habit of cooking tasty food for yourself, then taking leftovers as lunch becomes pretty easy, as does having company over – just cook what you normally would but in slightly larger quantities! Plus friends will usually appreciate being asked to dinner more than being asked to split a check at the restaurant.

12. Less recycling: Recycling and composting are necessary and good, but it’s even more important to prevent excess food and non-food items from entering your life in the first place. Recycling as a way of “doing your part to help the planet” has been much more enthusiastically marketed and received because it allows us to continue consuming as much as ever, or even more, with a clear conscience. In practice, however, just a small shift toward “refusing, reducing, reusing” would have a far greater positive impact on the environment, and your own life, than a whole lot of recycling.

Image: Some rights reserved by State Library of NSW Public Library Services

Groceries for $1: Shopping and Meal planning strategies to save you time and money

2013-04-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

Where and what to buy if you want healthy delicious food for $1 a meal

(That’s about $100/person/month based on cooking whole foods for 2 people)

When many people think of wholesome ingredients what comes to mind are the pricey, attractively packaged items at chains like Whole Foods, the “All Natural” aisles at supermarkets, or boutique health food stores. Then there are the restaurants/cafés marketing to a health-minded clientele where a lunch salad or sandwich will run you over $12 and twice that for dinner. Unfortunately, if you get most of your groceries from expensive stores, and eat out several times a week, your monthly food costs can easily run over $400 (or $1000 in major cities!) per person, especially for singles. According to 2011 figures from the U.S. Census and Bundle.com, even budget-conscious families doing lots of cooking at home lament that their food bills are out of control at $275/person (and over $400 if you’re single).

But it is quite possible to get that food bill to under $100 per month ($150 for singles) while eating meals 3 times a day that will be the envy of all your friends (well, except maybe the dedicated carnivores). You may not care about impressing your friends with how deliciously and inexpensively you eat, or you may be comfortably enough off so that the high food bill does not trouble you much from a financial perspective, still there are plenty of health and environmental reasons to approach food consumption a bit more frugally. Even if you personally don’t need the extra $2000-$5000 in annual after-tax savings per person, imagine, for example, how many less well-off people that money could feed or educate. But if you’re not so well off that you simply don’t need the money, it may be fun to imagine the really wonderful experiences you can now afford, or cutting back on work hours, or paying off debt, or having enough for a child’s education, or being able to retire several years earlier. Whatever your reasons for wanting to tame your food bill, it’s not hard and can be done in way that will increase the abundance of good food in your life!

So let’s gets started…

While it’s entirely possible to get nutritious and inexpensive food by shopping only in mainstream supermarkets (as long as you avoid the premium chains), you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the whole range of options available at ethnic stores. Groceries - especially fruits, veggies, spices, sauces, grains and beans – can often be had for a fraction of the cost at ethnic stores. Most large or mid-size cities or populous regions have several Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Middle Eastern, or Latin American grocery stores (these usually don’t spend money on advertizing and often go un-noticed by a typical consumer, but can be found by searching online). Usually the larger stores have better prices and selection; look at online reviews to get a sense of how a particular store compares to others in the area. The target clientele at most of these are first generation immigrants who, like my mother, still have a strong tradition of making complete meals at home, both because they love their regional foods and because they are appalled by the idea of having to pay 3 to 5 times more for the same thing and, worse yet, not being able to find many ingredients at mainstream grocery stores. These are people who know how to feed an extended family with substantial, intricately-spiced, varied meals for just several dollars a day while working long hours (i.e. without necessarily having a ton of time to spend in the kitchen).

A large assortment of veggies, greens, fruits, and legumes can be found any time of year at these stores in the U.S. and Canada for around $0.99/pound. Lots of varieties of rice and flours can be had for $0.50/lb or less. Spices, sauces, nuts and snacks are also available there for 20 cents on the dollar compared to a limited assortment packaged in small containers at regular grocery stores. Keep in mind also that there’s usually a faster turnover in spices and legumes at these places, so in addition to getting a much greater selection of both, they are also fresher. Shopping in smaller store is also a much quicker process – if following a weekly shopping list and not getting distracted by browsing, you could be in and out in 15 minutes, compared to 40 minutes or more in a regular supermarket or warehouse club.

Alright, I’ve sufficiently extolled the virtues of ethnic grocery stores. What about the downsides? For someone going in for the first times the assortment may seem puzzling, the isles tight and at times less than spotless, the staff sometimes very helpful and sometimes not fluent in English. In an attempt to sell as much produce as possible, some store managers will keep veggies on display or on sale racks longer than a mainstream store (i.e. you may occasionally need to turn over several apples before finding ones in perfect condition). But personally I actually love their $1/bag or 50% off bins offering slightly over-ripe fruits and veggies – you can walk out with a huge bag of delicious ripe mangoes for $1 that you don’t have to wait a week on to start eating. Then there’s the question of organic stuff. Since the clientele is largely very budget conscious there may not be a lot of organic options.

For reasonably priced organic/free-range dairy, eggs, tofu or chicken and for “western” foods like pasta, canned tomatoes, chocolate or granola, a co-op or a regular supermarket are probably better bets (Trader Joe’s in the US can also be a pleasant shopping experience). Keep in mind some supermarket-savvy advice: stick to your shopping list, compare per-pound prices, and shop mostly from the perimeter (fresh produce, bakery, dairy and bulk sections are usually located on the perimeter; avoid the processed and expensive stuff from the center isles). Also, don’t waste time on coupons – virtually all coupons are for brand name, processed foods with the highest profit margins so even with the coupon your per-healthy-pound cost will likely still be high. Finally, many supermarkets have little known treasures for price-conscious shoppers: heavily discounted (50-80% off) produce and day-old bakery racks in the back of the store somewhere; you just have to ask, the same goes for artisanal bakeries. Ironically, discounted fruits are sometimes more tasty than the full price ones because they are fully ripe.

Co-ops with bulk sections (awesome for stocking up on spices and trying out new ones!) and local farmers markets can be nice, but not always available or all that cheap. If you do have a farmers market nearby, try going at the end of the day and ask sellers for “end of market/discounted produce” specials – most farmers really don’t want to have to take their produce back at the end of the day. Having your own or a community garden to supplement your food for 6-12 months of the year is a very healthy, inexpensive, and potentially a socially rewarding way to go, but the recipes and the $1/meal target in this book do not assume that it’s feasible for many of us to incorporate a garden or even a local CSA (community supported agriculture) basket into our lives. When it is feasible, a garden is a terrific bonus (see the Grow It section on the next page).

Valuing our food: Planning grocery shopping and reducing waste

As the developed world became more affluent, social taboos against food waste faded into the distant past; we treat food as just another disposable commodity, there for our convenience, unconcerned about the costs of its production or waste. We would think it’s absolutely crazy to carefully pick out and buy 3 or 4 nice outfits or jeans or laptops and then just throw one away shortly after coming home with your purchase – yet that’s exactly what we do with our food every single month (and this is just consumer waste, not counting the huge farm and retail-level waste). Did you know that 40% of all the food ready for harvest in the United States goes uneaten to the landfill[1]? Per capita food waste has risen 50% since the 1970s[2], to 200 pounds annually.[3] As much as one third of all food purchased in the UK is thrown away, a fifth of that is left on plates, and half is unopened, untouched and often unexpired or safe to eat. That’s $1100 per UK family annually.[4] In the US the amount is closer to $1400 - $2300[5]. Waste at the household, restaurant and retailer level costs the US $161 BILLION every year[6][7]; this waste higher on the supply chain is especially damaging because of the energy used along the supply chain and in food preparation.

What about pre-consumer waste? 1 in 14 of fields planted in the US are never harvested. Once harvested, an obscene amount of perfectly edible produce is dumped by the farmer or rejected by retailers for cosmetic reasons. Consumers expect brimming grocery store shelves, and so retailers in turn expect large losses due to overstocking. Retailers are also responsible for large losses for their ready-made food suppliers when they cancel orders at the last minutes and the supplier can’t find anyone else to take the perishable items. Same with restaurants that must keep every menu item at the ready, leading to lots of prepared food being discarded at closing time. Diners further add to the problem by not taking leftovers home half the time.

While the unsavory subject of food waste hasn’t gotten much mainstream attention until recently, its ecological and economic costs are huge. A 2009 study showed that a quarter of U.S. freshwater and 300 million barrels of oil annually go into producing and distributing food that ultimately ends up wasted. Then there are billions of dollars in extra disposal and landfill costs; food is the single largest component of solid waste going to landfills (over 20% by weight). Once food gets to the landfill (or even the compost pile!), it generates methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times more potent than CO2.[8] Cutting food waste in half would be equivalent to taking 1/10 cars off the road permanently.

Realizing just how much waste there is can be discouraging, but we don’t all need to become freegans or eliminate 100% of waste in order to make a huge difference. For instance, utilizing just a quarter of the food wasted in the West could suffice to lift all the world's 1 billion hungry people out of malnourishment[9]. Not to mention how nice it would be if your family could get $500-1000 back every year while eating better.

Many aspects of our food system are in need of improvement, but because each of us already makes dozens of decisions about food every day we don’t need to wait for the whole system to change to make a serious impact. With these simple steps you can take the stress out of your cooking and shopping while ensuring that the food you buy won’t have to be thrown out:

· Begin by doing a thorough survey of your fridge and pantry to find out what you currently have on hand and make sure things are stored properly. Is there anything getting stale/oxidized because it’s not in an airtight container? Pretty much anything besides fresh produce stores best in sturdy airtight containers. Nuts, spices and whole grains will keep much longer in the freezer (sturdy ziplock bags minimize oxidation and are space efficient), but if you don’t have room in the freezer transfer them from plastic or paper packaging into jars to prevent any pests getting in. Have you discovered anything that’s close to or recently past its use-by-date but still smells and tastes fine? Put this in full view in the refrigerator, freezer or countertop and make a note of it to remember to incorporate it into your menu over the next few days or weeks. Repeat these surveys monthly, and you’ll feel right away your fridge and pantry becoming your friends rather than cluttered spaces full of unpleasant surprises, and your kitchen in general being more inviting to cook in.

· Each week, before doing any major grocery shopping, set aside a few minutes to think about what meals you would like to prepare every day that week. This may sound daunting if you’ve never tried it before, but it’s actually amazing how much time and stress it will save you during the week when you don’t have to worry about “what’s for dinner”. First of all it’s a lot easier and more fun to be creative and come up with delicious meal ideas when you’re relaxed on the weekend than when you’re hungry at the end of a busy workday. Plus if you already know what you’ll be making that week you’ll be much less likely to reach for a frozen dinner or eat out. Second, you can use this opportunity to incorporate into your meal plan anything that needs to be used soon. But resist the temptation to try out 10 new recipes or plan an elaborate dinner each night of the week; if possible plan on making copious quantities of just a handful of main dishes each week and then using leftovers for lunch/breakfast and/or another diner later in the week. After a few weeks of this you’ll likely discover that out of the things you planned to make only maybe 80% got made – so keep it simple. To streamline things further you may try picking a theme for the week where you can use similar ingredients in several meals.

· Use your meal plan as a guide for making a shopping list. A list based on a meal plan, containing only the necessary missing ingredients is your best defense against impulsive/poorly planned buying or having to make multiple trips to the store. Over time, as you find good deals and stock your pantry with the most frequently used beans, grains, spices, and sauces, your weekly list is likely to get smaller, featuring mostly fresh produce, dairy (if you eat it), and a handful of re-stocking items. Opportunistically buying a few favorite canned or dry bulk items on sale is probably a good idea for households that cook a lot, but with perishables it’s best not to bring home more than you can easily eat or process the same week, even if it’s on sale. In addition to having a solid shopping list, avoid going to the store hungry, and if possible delegate shopping to the most patient and least easily tempted person in your family.

· Visibility is key. During the week keep checking your refrigerator to ensure that your fresh produce/perishables/leftovers get eaten while they’re still fresh. As a last resort, if you just won’t have time to use something, freeze it and keep it in mind for next week or month (most foods excepting raw lettuce, cabbage, radishes and potatoes freeze quite well).

· For a healthier waistline and less waste, serve moderate portions on smaller plates – your family can always go back for seconds. This way you’ll have more appealing, as yet untouched leftovers (i.e. tomorrow’s free meal) and a minimum of plate scrapings. This is especially helpful in households with young children. That’s it!

[1] National Resource Defense Council paper: http://www.nrdc.org/food/files/wasted-food-IP.pdf

[2] K.D. Hall, J. Guo, M. Dore, C.C. Chow, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, “The Progressive Increase of Food Waste in America and Its environmental Impact,” PLoS ONE 4(11):e7940, 2009.

[3] http://www.alternet.org/story/152429/americans_waste_enough_food_to_fill_a_90,000-seat_football_stadium_every_day_--_what_can_we_do_about_it

[4] http://www.metro.co.uk/news/146492-one-third-of-food-thrown-away

[5] Bloom, American Wasteland, 187

[6] http://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/index.htm#

[7] http://www.npr.org/2012/09/21/161551772/the-ugly-truth-about-food-waste-in-america

[8] http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=earth-talk-waste-land

[9] http://www.tristramstuart.co.uk/FoodWasteFacts.html

Photo by ornello_pics, Some rights reserved

Awakening the Flavors in Your Food

2013-04-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

Because of increasing affluence over the past 200 years Western cooks have been able to afford to use sugar, animal fats and salt as their primary flavorings, but this has had huge health (and taste!) costs. Spices, especially the non-herbal variety, are sadly not used much in Western cuisine even today although they are now easily accessible. They can be, however, by far the least expensive, easiest to store and handle, and most delicious ingredients in your cooking. Consider this: various familiar “wet” or perishable ingredients have to be purchased weekly or monthly making up the bulk of your food bill, and then unpacked/ washed/ peeled /chopped before they’re ready to use. On the other hand, one short trip to a local or online Indian grocery store where you’ll buy a half dozen packets of basic spices (cumin, coriander, turmeric, chile, cinnamon, garam masala) will cost you under $15 total and last for over a year with regular use, enabling you to start creating a wide array of Indian, Middle-eastern, and Mexican dishes. Similarly, stocking up on some Asian flavors (miso paste, rice wine, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil) will last you many months and enable hundreds of Chinese, Japanese, or Thai dishes. Best of all, to include a spice as an ingredient in a dish all it takes is two seconds to scoop a spoonful of it onto the pan. That’s less than a few pennies and seconds per authentic, excitingly flavorful meal.

When buying spices try to get whole, raw spices – these will be the most flavorful and versatile, and will store much better. If you have a spare coffee grinder for use as a spice & seed grinder, then you can pretty much get all spices whole (except turmeric). If you only have a mortar and pestle, then I would recommend buying coriander and cloves ground instead of whole, and cumin both whole and ground. To get the freshest and least expensive spices, avoid those in tiny jars from western supermarkets; instead buy large (but not so large that you won’t be able to use them in 5 years!) packages from Indian or Middle Eastern markets.

Whole and ground spices, dry herbs, garlic and ginger have concentrated oil-soluble aromas that will not go into the food properly until released by frying in hot oil (sometimes called “blooming”). As soon as wet ingredients are added the temperature falls and the aroma extraction process stops. This is why so many good recipes begin by saying “fry spices or garlic in hot oil until fragrant, taking care not to burn the spices”. Powdered forms and chili burn easily, and should not be fried without moisture for more than a few seconds. In Indian cooking this process of imbuing oil with flavor by frying spices is known as tarka; it is either done as the first step or, in the case of soups, at the very end to be poured into the cooked soup. It is also fine to add spices after the onions have began to caramelize, as there’s plenty of oil and heat at that stage. Fresh herbs, on the other hand, should be added toward the very end of cooking to preserve their flavor.

Other time-honored ways of enhancing flavor:

· Caramelizing (browning) & sautéing vegetables to bring out sweetness

· Including acidic ingredients (tomatoes, citrus, wine, vinegars)

· A splash of wine to deglaze a pan not only picks up the tasty bits on the bottom but acts as an emulsifier (blending water and oil) to create a smoother taste. Using a bit of wine in a sauce, because of the emulsifying properties, helps unite the flavors and make your tongue more receptive to detecting flavors. You can also use a bit of water to deglaze, repeating this as needed during cooking to keep all the delicate flavors in the food and prevent them sticking to the bottom.

· Dried out cheese or rinds (scraped of any mold or wax) can be used to add flavor to soups.

· Oil. Adding a bit of olive oil/ghee/butter (depending on the cuisine) at the end of cooking blends the flavors nicely and provides a finished smoothness, especially if very little oil was used in cooking the dish. In this way you can create a smooth and buttery tasting dish using only a tiny quantity of fat; this works particularly well with soups, sauces, and using sesame oil in stir fries. In general though, oil has been unfairly stigmatized in the U.S. (it’s only animal trans-fats and hydrogenated oil that are actually unhealthy). So if you feel that your dish is flavorful and well salted and yet still seems to be missing something, try adding more oil in the beginning or end of cooking.

· Salt should be added during cooking until you can detect the flavor of various ingredients, not “till it tastes salty” (meaning too much salt). On the other hand adding barely any salt in expectation that each person will use what they need at the dinner table is a real disservice to what otherwise might be a perfect dish because salt needs sufficient time to permeate the and bring out flavor. I prefer to use kosher (Diamond crystal) or iodized sea salt to table salt because table salt contains calcium silicate to make it free running which probably isn’t good for you and gives this salt a metallic aftertaste.

In addition to the salty, sweet, astringent, sour flavors and aromatics above, there is something called flavor depth or unami. Unami is a Japanese term for “tastiness”. Foods high in naturally occurring glutamates (tastiness enhancers) like tomatoes, good parmesan and blue cheeses, aged balsamic, soy sauce, fish sauce, asparagus, olives, animal fats, sautéed mushrooms, seaweeds, grapefruit and green tea have lots of unami and are used to enhance the flavor of many classic dishes. Artificial MSG additives may have deservedly gotten a bad reputation, but naturally occurring glutamates are harmless, contributing to our sense of satisfaction and satiety. In fact, the main objection of western meat eaters that vegetarian food will be less tasty is easily overcome when the unami that used to come from animal fats is substituted for unami from other sources - think of the tempting and deeply satisfying dishes like pasta or pizza with good tomato sauce or a richly flavorful Asian dish.

My ebook is coming out soon!

2013-03-29T22:16:00.000-07:00

Ungourmet Vegetarian: a quick-start guide to easy, healthy, incredibly flavorful $1 meals

It's been over two years in the making, but I'm finally releasing the ebook version of my cookbook.

The Ungourmet Vegetarian ebook is a concise but comprehensive guide to cooking delicious and affordable food, with over 30 recipes from the world’s vegetarian traditions to get you started.

An expanded print copy, featuring 100+ recipes, will be available through Amazon this summer.

I would love to get this book in the hands of as many readers as possible, so for the next little while I'm giving away FREE copies. Any and all comments are greatly appreciated.

Introduction

I love delicious food, but I also love having more breathing space in my life, including more time, fewer expenses, and fewer worries. The first motivation for writing this cookbook was to help dispel a myth that healthy meatless cooking is somehow less simple, less affordable, less satisfying or exciting. The second came from the frustrating discovery that the vast majority of recipes in published cookbooks, even those claiming to focus on “everyday” cookery, are actually prohibitively elaborate or pricey entertainment food. Some of these are quite pretty and tasty, but just not the truly practical home cooking that’s easy, delicious and healthy enough to make all the time. The final motivation was to add to the growing body of attractive (rather than Spartan) alternatives to the ecologically and medically ruinous meat-based cuisine that is currently the norm in the developed world. Plants, quite simply, are the foods that do us the most good and our planet the least harm; I would like to celebrate this heartening fact by sharing with you a collection of easy, delicious, plant-based recipes from around the world.

My goal was to gather in one place time-tested, i.e. traditional, vibrantly flavorful dishes that would be easy and inexpensive to prepare in a western kitchen, even for a complete beginner. Why is there a predominance of Asian and Indian recipes? Simply because those cuisines are exceptionally delicious and embody millennia of vegetarian experience. Many of the mysterious and mouthwatering ethnic dishes that we rely on restaurants to make are actually quite simple to make at home, and in a healthier, more authentic way at that. I hope you will be pleasantly surprised to discover, as I did, that cooking in these traditions, using whole ingredients, is totally accessible and immensely rewarding. The introductory chapters of this book will help demystify spices, unfamiliar ingredients, cooking techniques, and shopping.

In a sustainable diet (diet come from the Greek, dieta or “way of life”), humans are part of the ecosystem; how we best function within that ecosystem is determined in part by our diet. It is no random, happy coincidence that the very foods that promote our health are also the most environmentally friendly to grow. And it is no coincidence that consuming the most energy-intensive factory-farmed meat or processed foods undermines our bodies while depleting and polluting the ecosystem.

Most of us really do care about our own and our family’s health, being kind to the environment, and not wasting money and resources, but somehow we get caught up with other thoughts and responsibilities. We forget to be mindful of those things that we care about. Or we’re tired and let habits take us to something that seems instantly gratifying, even though we don’t feel good about it deep down. If you’re reading this book you’ve already decided that food, because of its immensely powerful effects on our health and the environment, is too important to continue feeling uneasy about. The good news is that with just a bit of care, you can transform that uneasiness into feeling good about what you eat literally overnight.

Finally, I want to clarify that while I truly believe in slowing down enough to connect to our food, environment, companions and ourselves, this is not a foodie or epicurean book for the elite few. Rather my hope is to bridge the ethos of the slow and simplicity movements (cooking delectable traditional foods from scratch, connecting with others, minimizing waste and clutter) with the everyday needs and constraints of “the 99%”.

To continue reading, get your FREE copy today.

A Well-Stocked Kitchen

2013-03-14T19:43:00.000-07:00

When it comes to saving time and money there’s nothing like having on hand your favorite staples which can serve as a base for a variety of meals. But it’s a fine balance between stocking-up on the things you use most often and letting your cupboards become forbiddingly packed with aging foodstuffs, so be sure to store things properly and do regular surveys before buying new food (see the section on “planning your grocery shopping and reducing waste”). If you’re lucky enough to have a cool, well ventilated space (known as a larder or root cellar in the old days) where some hardy fruits and vegetables can be conveniently stored for weeks or even months in winter, then you can get away with buying larger quantities of these, but otherwise it’s best to get just the quantity of perishables that you can realistically eat over 5-10 days.

Fresh vs. preserved and a few other tips

· Garlic, ginger, lemongrass: If you’re looking for time-saving options, or if you only use these in small quantities occasionally, you can buy ginger paste and minced garlic in jars or tubes, although fresh garlic is much more aromatic. Powdered forms are much less tasty.

· Tomatoes: I love canned tomatoes for most recipes not just because they take less prep and cook time and cost 70-85% less than fresh tomatoes (get the store brand or in bulk). Canning is usually done in-season using ripe tomatoes because that’s more economical, and as a result canned tomatoes often taste better than out of season “Styrofoam-fresh” ones from the supermarket. On the sustainability front, not only do out of season tomatoes have to travel long distances, but it’s a crop infamous for labor abuses in the US. So unless it’s August/September when delicious and inexpensive local heirloom tomatoes are in season, I prefer canned tomatoes in cooking. When buying canned tomatoes, I go for the unflavored varieties and add my own spices (those with sugar or herbs/spices are likely to be reminiscent of commercial cafeteria food). Unflavored petite diced or crushed are the most versatile forms; there are also delicious “fire roasted” options. Or if you happen to grow your own, a lazy alternative to canning is to just freeze your tomatoes in summertime.

· Lemon juice & zest: I’ve found that store-bought lemon concentrate just doesn’t have the same flavor and aroma as fresh juice. But that doesn’t mean you have to cut up a fresh lemon every time. If you get a large bag of lemons, fresh lemon slices or juice can be frozen in a thin layer in a Ziploc bag, and then a piece of the right size is easy to break off when needed. If you’ve gone to the trouble of getting organic oranges or lemons, use the rind! You can make zesty strips with a vegetable peeler (avoid the white pith), or zest by gently grating the fruit surface. The thin peels or zest freeze really well in a Ziploc bag for later use in baking, drinks, soups or as a flavoring for vegetable steaming water.

Here are some ingredients that I make frequent use of in my kitchen and in the Ungourmet Vegetarian cookbook. Items marked with an * will keep for only a week or less; other produce on this list will usually keep a few weeks or more

Fresh produce	Dry beans
brassicas: broccoli, green cabbage, kale, etc.*	adzuki
carrots	chickpeas
daikon	lentils: red, brown
garlic	mung
ginger (freezes well)	pinto
herbs*: fresh cilantro, scallion	white beans: navy/cannellini
lemons/limes
onions	Grains & grain products
potatoes or yams	Cornmeal (polenta)
seasonal fruits & vegetables*	couscous or bulgur
seasonal salad greens*	hot cereal (finely ground whole grains)
sprouts*	oats - rolled
tomatoes (seasonal) *	pasta
	quinoa
Fridge friends	rice: basmati/jasmine
cheese	rice: short or medium grain (sushi)
eggs (if you eat them)	wheat flour: unbleached white or whole wheat
Indian relish
miso paste	Dry spices & flavorings
mustard - Dijon	allspice or nutmeg
pickles (e.g. kimchee)	black pepper – whole
tofu	cardamom pods
home-made sauces: salad dressings, marinades	cinnamon – whole & ground
yogurt - plain	cloves - ground
	coriander - ground
Freezer friends	cumin - whole & ground
corn	curry powder
edamame or baby lima beans	red pepper (cayenne chili; smoked paprika or chipotle)
green peas (petit pois are good)	salt (kosher or iodized sea salt)
kale	turmeric powder
spinach	vanilla extract
French (slender) green beans
meat substitute (Quorn or veggie patties)	Dry herbs & aromatics
	basil
Shelf-stable staples	garlic powder
baking powder	oregano
coconut flakes - unsweetened	rosemary
coconut milk	sage - rubbed
dry fruit: raisins/dates/etc.	thyme
dry shitake mushrooms
Japanese dashi (powdered soup stock without MSG)
nutritional yeast
nuts: peanut, walnut/pecan, almond
nut butters (peanut, tahini sesame butter - unsalted is best)
oils: virgin olive, toasted sesame, cooking oil/spray
rice cooking wine (saké)
seaweeds: kelp, nori, dulse, hijiki
seeds, hulled: sesame, raw sunflower
soy sauce, tamari
sugar: brown or raw
sweeteners: honey/maple/brown rice syrup/molasses
teas: green, herbal, etc.
tomatoes: canned diced or crushed; paste in a tube
TVP (dry soy protein)
vinegar: apple cider or brown rice

Photo by jcbwalsh, Some rights reserved

All about rice

2013-03-08T12:04:00.000-08:00

Rice is an extremely tasty, comforting and versatile grain that used to be much underappreciated in the West. To think of rice as some bland grain (e.g. parboiled or instant long grain rice comes to mind) is no less misleading than to think of all bread as plain white sandwich bread. In cultures where rice has been a staple for thousands of years, it is the constant presence at the table that brings all the other parts of the meal together, and different varieties are celebrated for their distinct character. These days so many wonderful rice varieties are available to us that it’s well worth the effort to take a few minutes to get to know your rice.

Buying raw rice in large canvas bags, not small cartons or pouches is more economical (look at per-pound prices on store labels and you’ll see a huge price differential). Plus you’re likely to get better quality rice this way as the bulk bags are usually intended for restaurants and other consumers who know their rice. The parboiled, “easy cook” or instant varieties just don’t taste as good as raw rice freshly cooked. I also prefer the taste of short grain, Jasmine or Basmati rice over the generic medium or long grain rice varieties. One of my favorite rice varieties, if you can find this type of rice in a Japanese store, is "quick cooking" brown rice which cooks in less than half the time because it had its bran very lightly scratched up by the milling process while retaining all of the nutritional and taste benefits of whole brown rice. This kind of quick-cooking short or medium grain brown rice is raw and has and should not be confused with the less tasty pre-cooked “easy cook” stuff.

What about organic vs. conventional? Although excess fertilizer on rice paddies can contribute to water pollution and greenhouse gases, rice is by far not the worst offender in terms of pesticide content (in general grains and beans, except GM soy which gets sprayed liberally, are low on the pesticide residue list). While about 30% of US-grown rice tested contained some pesticide residues (all below acceptable levels); only a tiny fraction of imported rice showed traces (3^rd world farmers have less money and fewer subsidies to afford pesticides or fertilizer, and often have smaller plots of land; of course these findings do not guarantee the condition of any particular batch of rice).[1]

Japanese and American rice sold today is usually impressively clean and uniform right out of the bag, without any coating of polishing talcum powder like in the old days. Rinsing in several changes of water prior to cooking, unless the package recommends doing so, is a debatable point because rice is already quite clean, plus US white rice is required to come fortified with vitamins and micronutrients – and rinsing will remove these. Imported rice and brown rice is usually not fortified/enriched, so no harm in rinsing it. If you do rinse your rice, use about a tablespoon less cooking water per cup of wet rice than you would for dry. Short grain varieties release more starch when cooked than longer grained varieties, and as a result cook up quite shiny and sticky, whether rinsed or not – but this is actually a plus for Asian dishes, especially if you use chopsticks!

White rice can be stored for years at room temperature; in fact Basmati aged 2-5 years sells at a premium because it cooks more evenly. Brown rice, however, is best used within a year of harvesting (or placed in the freezer/refrigerator to slow down decomposition of oils in the bran).

Cooking rice on the stovetop is very easy, but one needs to be aware of a few things:

· Rice comes out tastier and with less supervision if you use the exact quantity of water needed, so that all the water and flavor stays in the rice, instead of draining excess water at the end of cooking (leaving a sticky colander and gooey rice). Refer to the chart below for proportions and cooking times for this absorption method.

· In many Asian cultures rice is first soaked for about half an hour; this reduces cooking time (saving energy) and helps the rice cook more evenly. For example, for white basmati rice, which absorbs a lot of water, soaking for 20 minutes brings cooking time down to just 8 minutes. I soak all rice and cook right in the soaking water to retain more nutrients and reduce hassle. Brown rice cooks best if soaked for 3-10 hours; this is especially true of short grain varieties that have tougher bran. Specially milled quick-cooking Japanese rice can be soaked for as little as 20 minutes. If you are in a hurry and need to cook unsoaked rice, add about 30% to the cooking time and 1-2 Tbsp more water per cup.

· It’s also possible to sprout brown rice by soaking it in warm water (and leaving at room temperature) for 20-24 hours; the germination process creates a wealth of nutrients, imparts a sweeter taste and further reduces cooking time to roughly that of white rice of the same variety. Try it and you won’t be disappointed!

· Rice will expand 2-3 times its original size plus there’ll be lots of foamy bubbles during the initial boiling stage, so you need a heavy-bottomed (to prevent burning) pot at least 5X larger than the quantity of rice you put in.

· The importance of putting a lid on it: from the moment you put rice on the stove, close with a tight fitting lid that no steam escapes and do not open the lid until 10-15 minutes after the heat has been turned off (unless you smell something burning)! Since we are adding an exact quantity of water, we need all of the liquid and steam to get absorbed into the rice instead of escaping from the pot; the final 10-15 min of steaming completes the cooking process, without any extra energy use.

· It’s important to cook all rice through; some white long grain rice does have a tendency to become mushy if even slightly overcooked, but this is not the case with short grain & brown rice. Brown rice is all too often undercooked, making it difficult for some people to enjoy and digest, so please cook it till it’s soft!

· Salt & oil. If you don’t plan to eat the rice with salty pickles or miso soup, etc. you may want to lightly salt it (½ tsp per cup of uncooked rice). Adding oil during cooking can harden the surface of brown rice, hindering the cooking process, so best to add at the end. Butter in plain rice is a western thing - have you ever had rice with butter in a good Asian restaurant? (Indian pilafs do use oil or ghee.) Short or medium grain sticky white rice has such a delicate fresh and “sweet” flavor on its own, that most Asian cooks add no salt or oil during cooking; but medium and short grain brown rice has a pleasant nutty flavor that is enhanced by adding a bit of soy sauce into the cooking water.

Rice cooking summary: measure rice & water à soak à add salt if using and bring to a boil à reduce heat to low and cook for specified time à turn off heat, leave lid closed, and let rest 15 min à fluff with wet spatula or fork

Rice Variety	Proportion of water to rice, by volume (if rinsed, use a few Tbsp less water)	Cups water per 2 cups of rice (stovetop)	Minutes of simmering soaked rice after it comes to a boil	Minutes in Pressure Cooker at 15 psi*
Short grain brown (genmai)	1.25	2.5	50 (30 if soaked overnight)	10
short or sushi white rice (e.g. California rose variety in the US), or semi-polished short grain (with nutritious embryo intact)	1.13 - 1.25	2 ¼ - 2.5	15	n/a
Sweet/waxy (opaque) short grain brown	2	4	50 (35 if soaked overnight)	10
Jasmine brown	1.5	3	25	5
Jasmine	1.5	3	15	n/a
Medium/long grain brown (Shirakiku medium grain is a tasty, inexpensive California variety of brown rice)	2	4	50	10
Basmati brown or quick-cooking medium/short grain brown rice	1.75	3.5	25 (after soaking for 20 minutes)	5
Basmati, aged white	2	4	8	n/a

*Pressure cooking time will vary depending on the model you use, so please check the manual for your model (if pre-soaking rice, use about a quarter less water than the manual suggests). In general I’ve found that for brown rice pressure cooking will take about 1/5^th of stovetop time (1/4^th if rice is not soaked), and you’ll need about 25-50% less water compared to stovetop. The great thing with brown rice from a pressure cooker is that it comes out incredibly soft and as easy to chew as white rice – so if you’ve been reluctant to use brown rice because it takes a long time to cook and still comes out very chewy, a pressure cooker completely takes care of that. White rice is easier to just make on the stovetop.

[1] http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=RI

Cooking Beans

2013-03-06T02:54:00.000-08:00

Beans (Legumes, Pulses)

Soaking nuts, grains, seeds, and beans

Every whole seed has nutritional inhibitors and mildly toxic substances (phytic acid, tannins, and goitrogens) to prevent it from decomposing or sprouting in unfavorable conditions. When there is enough moisture to sustain a new plant, these inhibitors are removed naturally as the seed begins to germinate. By soaking any “seed”, even hulled and cracked grain for 12-36 hours at room temperature, the enzyme inhibitors and natural preservatives found in nuts, grains, seeds and beans can be minimized or eliminated. The soaking water from organic grains/cereals is nutritious and good in cooking, but soaking water from legumes is for house plants not humans.

Cooking with beans

Depending on which part of the world you consider, beans have had very different histories and reputations. In India, the Americas (among non-Europeans), and the Middle East dry beans were regarded as a wholesome and even holy food, and never developed the stigma they had in Europe of being the stuff for hard times and lower classes. In India, dal and rice is considered the gentlest, most digestible of foods suitable for all occasions and for anyone from young children to high priests. In the western world, except for some traditional Mediterranean dishes, dry bean recipes were almost never mentioned in ancient or modern European cookbooks (or in polite company!). So it is not surprising that most of the delicious varieties of beans (and great ways to cook them) are to be found outside of Europe.

There was never a social stigma attached to the consumption of beans in India – lack of competition with meat. Whereas in Europe beans were a lowly and polluting food, they were consumed avidly in India. (Beans, a history. Ken Albala)

By far the least expensive and healthiest option is to buy bulk dry beans rather than canned. Canned is fine in a pinch, but home cooked beans are tastier, cheaper by a factor of 2 to 4, and easier on the environment (less fuel used for transport and tin cans). They also freeze well up to 6 months, so if you need small batches at a time, cook up a big pot and freeze in small containers. Choose plump, even colored beans from a store with high turnover (like an Indian grocer or the bulk section of a supermarket or co-op). Although beans can be stored for years because they do not contain oils that cause whole grains like brown rice or wheat to go rancid, they will desiccate over time and take much longer to cook.

The trick to cooking whole, un-hulled beans quickly and making them easier to digest is soaking. The longer a grain or bean soaks, the quicker and more evenly it will cook. Split hulled lentils do not require soaking (they will cook in 20-30 minutes even without soaking) but cooking times will be shorter even after a brief 20 minute soak. Most beans expand to 2-3 times their size and weight when soaked, so rinse and soak beans in at least three times their volume of water. The simple soak method (uses less energy and allows the bean to start transforming its chemistry in preparation for life) is to soak in warm water for 6-10 hours before cooking. Try not to leave the beans soaking for more than 10 hours in the same water in a warm room or they will start to ferment. It’s fine to soak up to a day and a half to start them germinating, but you will need to change the water every 8 hours or so – there should not be any bad smells or cloudy water. If you can’t use soaked beans right away, just put them in the fridge in fresh water in a covered container. The quicker soak method is to bring dry beans with enough water and 1 tsp baking soda for each cup of beans to a boil for 2-5 minutes. Turn off the heat, put the lid on and let them rest in the hot water for 1-2 hours. Whatever soaking method you use, pour out the water and rinse. The soaking water will remove a lot of the hard-to-digest starches (such as the gas-causing oligosaccharides) from the beans and their skins, and should be poured out completely. But the soaking water isn’t all bad; if you have house plants or a yard it is terrific plant food (if no soda was used).

Note about using sodium bicarbonate (soda): there have been conflicting studies and theories, some showing that cooking beans for an extended period of time with soda reduces vitamin B content, and others showing that the cooking time is shortened by 1/3 with soda and the vitamin content in the fully cooked bean is the same. I have not been able to find a single scholarly article mentioning that soaking with soda and then cooking in plain water has any adverse effect on the vitamin content, while there are observations from cooks that the “gas” issue is improved and taste is not effected from just soaking with soda. My personal preference is to use the simple (8 hour) soak method in plain water and then cook in a pressure cooker, which produces the softest and easiest to digest beans. If you prefer a firmer texture just reduce pressure cooker time by 30% or so.

If you have a pressure cooker, it’s absolutely ideal for cooking beans. In fact, at high elevation (3000 ft above sea level or more) I would not even attempt to cook whole beans from scratch without a pressure cooker. Generating double atmospheric pressure (15 psi above sea-level pressure), the cooker will reduce cooking times and energy use six to ten-fold. If using one, please follow the instructions for your cooker; you’ll need enough water to just cover the soaked beans, salt and a tablespoon or two of oil. Otherwise, bring soaked beans to a boil in an uncovered pan with enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches and enough room above the water line for the foam. As soon as the beans are boiling there will be lots of foam which is just dissolved protein from the beans. The foam is harmless and does not need to be removed, but if you put the lid on too early it may run over. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook the beans in plain water on low heat for 1-2 hours until very tender. The more tender the beans, the better their digestion and absorption; do not worry about overcooking – most beans hold their shape and taste great even after simmering for double the recommended time on the stove top, as long as there’s enough water. With a pressure cooker though, it’s best not to exceed the recommended times or the beans may become really soft and shapeless.

Seasoning beans while cooking: it is best not add acidic ingredients, like vinegar, wine or tomatoes, or sugar in the beginning as this will harden bean skins and slow the cooking process. Instead, add these and any other seasonings (including onion, garlic, etc.) when the beans are just tender, about 20 minutes before the end of cooking to allow flavors to permeate (or as soon as the pressure is released from a pressure cooker). Turmeric is an exception, and should be added right away as it actually reduces foaming and cooking times. To get mildly salty beans use 1 tsp coarse salt per cup of dry beans (or grains); whatever amount of salt you choose to use, for the best flavor add it in the beginning or at least 20-30 minutes before removing from heat to give salt a chance to enter all the way into the food.

Unlike animal sources of protein, and unlike seeds and nuts, legumes have basically no fat. A bit of oil (about a tablespoon per cup of dry beans) goes a long way to enhance the taste and digestibility of beans, as well as reduce foaming during cooking. It’s highly recommended, even for those on a diet, to add oil to beans in some way. Also, if you’re new to beans, it’s best to start with eating just a small serving a day to allow your body time to adjust.

Now these tasty, nutritious nuggets are ready to eat or be used in all sorts of recipes!

Here are the beans you will encounter in the recipes of this book (there are of course many other delicious ones not mentioned here). Cooking times assume full pre-soaking. The timer starts after the beans come to a boil on stove top or alternatively reach full pressure in a cooker. Times may vary depending on how old your beans are, how high the heat is, your model of pressure cooker, etc. Keep in mind that there are the additional 10-20 minutes once the heat has been turned off but the lid is closed and cooking process is completing.

Pictured (clockwise from top right) are chickpeas, adzuki, and mung (in dry as well as soaked or slightly sprouted form), and dry split mung dal and red lentils.

Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans, Kabuli chana) come in several varieties – white/tan, green, and brown. The plump white-tan variety pictured here cooks the fastest, is easier to digest and is the most versatile; it is also the only variety you’ll find canned in supermarkets. Great for hummus, curries, salads, stews and pureed soups, etc. Young fresh chickpeas are sometimes available in Indian markets in pods like green peas, and can be eaten in the same way. Mature cooked chickpeas hold their shape and texture remarkably well, making them easy to work with in any recipe. Like other beans, chickpeas are high in protein, low in fat and high in soluble fiber effective in lowering cholesterol. Try to buy plump, relatively smooth chickpeas without blemishes. The most common variety cooks in 90 minutes (8-11 minutes in pressure cooker).

Adzuki look like mung beans but red and a bit larger. They are related to, but not the same species as mung. Their skins are tougher and so they require a few hours longer soaking than mung beans. They are used in sweet (bean paste) and savory dishes in East Asian cooking. Rice with these red beans is considered a good luck dish in Japan. Chilled adzuki with a bit of sugar are considered a detoxifying/skin clearing snack in China. Cook for 55 minutes (4-8 minutes in pressure cooker).

Mung/Moong/Gram beans are green when whole. Soaking can be for as little as 4 hours. Mung dal (light yellow in color) is mung beans with their skins removed; cooks in 25 minutes. Cook whole mung for 40 minutes (3-5 minutes in pressure cooker).

Red lentils/Masoor are used extensively in Indian cooking for making quick and delicious dal soups. Red lentils cook to a very soft consistency in 25 minutes (pressure cooking not recommended due to foaming).

Brown lentils have a nutty flavor and a comfortingly soft texture, great for soups or side dishes. If you have time, it’s good to soak all lentils for 30 minutes to improve digestibility and speed up cooking. Cook 40 minutes (3-5 minutes in pressure cooker).

French/Puy/Green lentils – Popular for salads and in European cooking; unlike brown or red lentils, these retain a firm texture and shape. Flavor is much enhanced by cooked with a bit of onion, celery, and carrot (classic French stock flavor called mirepoix) and/or bouquet garnit herbs (parsley, bay, thyme & optional peppercorns). Cook 40 minutes (3-5 minutes in pressure cooker).

Pinto beans have pretty purple specks when dry (their name means painted/spotted in Spanish) but cook to a uniform pinkish/light brown color. These beans become quite soft when cooked and are ideal for mashed or re-fried beans. Cook for 75 minutes (5-9 minutes in pressure cooker).

Black (turtle) beans – a bit smaller than pinto beans and hold their shape better because their skins are a bit tougher. Same cooking time as pintos. Some people find these easier to digest than pintos or chickpeas. Very popular in southwestern cooking, but also make happy substitutes in other cuisines.

Growing Sprouts at Home

2013-02-25T20:28:00.000-08:00

Seeds that have begun to germinate or sprout contain vitamins and active nutrients in dramatically greater quantities, and in a more digestible form, than dormant seeds. Sprouts are particularly rich in B complex, C, and E vitamins. Since sprouts can be eaten raw or only lightly cooked, all of those magnified, living nutrients make it directly into your plate, with lots of cooking energy savings to boot.

Uses for sprouts:

- Raw or lightly steamed in salads or on their own with dressing

- Like any other vegetable in stir fries, curries, soups, etc.

- In sandwiches/wraps/burritos

- Blend into batter for pancakes, waffles, breads, etc.

- Blend into breakfast smoothies

Sprouting is by far the cheapest and easiest, not to mention miraculous, way to get extremely nutritious, tasty “live” food year round in any climate. Sprouts are not fussy – the humblest grain, seed or bean will sprout in your kitchen with no more space and equipment needed than a jar. If you’ve been intimidated by the idea of sprouting before, you will be amazed at just how simple it is once you try it. You might even feel like you’ve discovered “free” food. Within just a few days that handful of dry grain or beans will grow to several times its original size and present you with 10 times the nutrition (not calories).

Materials: To get started you’ll need a roomy jar (glass is best), a sturdy rubber band and a piece of screen/mesh/cheesecloth/lace curtain/pantyhose big enough to cover the mouth of your jar – this will be held in place by the rubber band to allow for quick draining during the sprouting process. Depending on your screen material you may be able to fit a canning jar metal ring over it instead of the rubber band. It’s best to sprout just one type of seed per jar as different seeds will have slightly different growth rates. You’ll be rinsing the sprouts each morning and evening, and during the intervals the trick is to sit the jars upside down at an angle, for simultaneously better drainage and air circulation. This setup prevents excess moisture from drowning the bottom layer and the top layer from drying out too quickly. To prop the jars at roughly a 45 degree angle and to catch water I find it convenient to use a sturdy bowl or a tray with tall sides; for 2 or more jars at a time a salad bowl works well. If you know for certain you’ll be sprouting on a regular basis you could of course buy a multi-level sprouter for $20-$60, but many people still prefer the glass jar method, and it avoids issues with small seeds clogging water drainage in sprouters.

Method:

1. Pick over the seeds to remove any stones and weird-looking or broken grains (leaving these in may cause mold). For a quart/liter jar, use ½ to 1 cup dry seeds (they will expand 2-6X by harvest time).

2. Wash well and soak in plenty of warm water for 10-12 hours (some seeds should not be soaked at all or only need 30 minutes – please see chart). For convenience soak right in the jar with the screen in place; if all goes well you won’t need to remove the screen until you’re ready to eat the sprouts!

3. Rinse the sprouts each morning and evening for 2-5 days, depending on the seed type and ambient temperature by filling the jar with room temperature water and vigorously swooshing & draining completely.

4. Rest the jar upside down at a 45 degree angle in your tray/bowl in a warm place out of direct sunlight. Make sure sprouts are not crowding the mouth of the jar too much; air circulation is as essential as drainage.

5. Taste your sprouts at each rinse to determine your favorite size. The cool thing about this living food is that you can cook them at any point after the initial soak, or eat some raw/lightly blanched after the root pokes out while letting the rest keep growing – that’s days of edibility without refrigeration!

Sprouts do not need darkness to grow but they do need to breathe! Being out of direct sunlight is enough. It’s not a good idea to hide sprouts in the pantry or closed cupboard because they need good air circulation and also if you put them too far out of the way there’s a risk of forgetting to rinse them! If you want green sprouts, they’ll eventually need light to develop chlorophyll (but not direct sunlight as this may overheat them). However, some people prefer the taste of mung beans that were grown in relative darkness; one way to achieve this is to use a non-transparent jar, or put an old sock on the jar’s bottom.

You don’t need to buy special sprouting seeds, any food seed will do, but sometimes you may get an old batch with a low germination rate. If that happens and there is a significant amount of unsprouted or barely sprouted seeds after 4 days, separate the “ready” sprouts by placing the mass in a large bowl with water: the grown sprouts will float to the surface.

Exceptions: Mucilaginous seeds (e.g. chia, flax) that form a jelly-like coat when wet are an exception to this sprouting method. They should not be soaked or kept in a jar or sprouter; these seeds will mold because they can’t drain properly in a non-porous container or if spread too thick. Simply sprinkle a single layer on a paper towel or unglazed clay tray and moisten from a spray bottle twice a day. Hulled seeds (sunflower, almond, pumpkin) are brought to life by soaking like any other seed, so in a sense they too are “spouts”, but they are not likely to grow a root even if you wait for days – so simply enjoy them after soaking for 2-8 hours (depending on size of seed).

Storage: Properly stored sprouts will keep well in the refrigerator for weeks, although longer sprouts with leaves may not last as long. Once sprouts have reached your desired size and are dry to the touch (i.e. it’s been 6-10 hours since the final rinse) you can transfer them to a dry, tightly closed container (e.g. Pyrex) or salad spinner to keep in the refrigerator. It’s best not to refrigerate wet sprouts (or any produce for that matter) – that is why we wait for the final rinse water to dry before refrigerating.

There are literally hundreds of seeds you could use for sprouts, available from organic seed companies. Below I list a few delicious, quick sprouting possibilities that you might already have in your pantry. Note that other bean varieties are not usually sprouted because they will have to be thoroughly cooked anyway and simply soaking them accomplishes as much nutritionally as sprouting (neutralizing enzyme inhibitors and removing some of the hard to digest starches).

Sprout Possibilities	Notes
Special seeds
Chia, flax	Don’t rinse/soak these mucilaginous seeds; spread in a single layer on a paper tower, spray with water 2x/day. Takes 1-2 weeks to reach maturity (with nice green leaves).
Amaranth	This tiny seed won’t need more than 30 minutes of soaking; short sprouts have a nice crunchy texture
Hulled raw oats	Soak only 30-60 minutes; continue sprouting as in the standard method
Buckwheat groats	Soak only 30 minutes, rinse very thoroughly until water is clear
Quinoa	Soak only 30 minutes; sprouts are ready in just a day or two, but can keep growing longer for softer texture
Mustard	Yellow mustard (from Indian store) is the best kind to sprout as it’s non- mucilaginous; soak normally; green sprouts are ready in 5-6 days; like alfalfa and fenugreek, they are 35% protein-rich.
Fenugreek	Can buy cheaply at an Indian store. Sprouts quickly, but like the fenugreek seed, sprouts are a bit bitter. You may wish to get rid of hulls by agitating the mass of grown sprouts in a big bowl of water.
Grains
millet, brown rice, wheat, rye, barley	You’ll need the hulled grains if you intend to eat these rather than growing grass for juicing.
Beans
Adzuki beans (red)	Will pale to a light pink as they take up enough water. Some adzuki have a tough shell; if after 12 hours many beans are still hard and dark as before soaking, change water and soak for another 12 hours.
Mung beans	Same as with adzuki – you’ll know they’re properly soaked if they become plump and paler green. Your sprouts are likely to be short and curly. Don’t expect to get long straight fat sprouts in a jar (a different method is used commercially to make those).
Lentils	French, brown, red – try any color; follow the basic method
Peas	All types are good for raw sprouts (except pigeon peas, which should be cooked)
Peanut (raw, hulled)	The root will still be very small after a few days (more like a bulge), but it’s ready to eat
Garbanzo/Chickpeas	Ready to eat as soon as the beak-like root is prominent, but can be grown for a few days longer
Any other bean	BUT unlike those listed above, other bean sprouts need to be cooked well, same as after soaking

Growing baby greens at home

You can grow your own baby greens any time of year in any container/flower pot/planter/tray. It’s arguably even lower maintenance and provides a more continuous supply of food than sprouting in a jar. Fill your container with an inch or two of soil (more if fine too). Closely scatter seeds (pre-soaked overnight) on moist soil and cover with enough extra soil so that the seeds aren’t showing through. Cover your container with plastic wrap to keep seeds moist and warm. Put in the warmest place in your house. Water every day or every other day to keep moist, but don’t overwater if the soil seems soggy or moldy. After a few days you’ll see shoots coming up; remove plastic cover and put your “garden” in a place with lots of light (but still warm). Continue to grow until shoots are 3 to 6 inches tall. When it’s time to harvest some for lunch, simply cut the sprouts near soil level, rinse, and enjoy! If you have young children, they’ll love getting involved in growing and eating sprouts and learning to tend a sprout garden of their own.

Examples of seeds that have particularly tasty baby greens and are quick & easy to grow: sunflower in hull, radish, daikon, fenugreek, arugula, mustard, garden cress, buckwheat in hull, wheat, rye.

Photo of Cress sprouting on a keyboard, Some rights reserved by wetwebwork

Vegetable Garden

2013-02-24T20:05:00.000-08:00

What’s a great way to become better friends with your neighbors and get free organic produce? If possible, start a community garden. Besides fresh produce 8-12 months out of the year you’ll be amazed at the help and enthusiastic support people you may not even have known are ready to contribute when it comes to this thing we all have in common – food; and very likely create something even more nourishing than vegetables. There’s lots of great information available on small plot & urban gardening, raised beds, simple cold frames and permaculture that will help you grow the most food with the least effort and resources. Don’t know enough people to get started? – post some ads around your neighborhood about your garden idea.

What to grow? Here are some ideas to get you started: easy to grow plants that are very versatile cooking ingredients. Leaf protein is nutritionally superior to most seed and animal protein.[1] I’m a big fan of growing green leafy vegetables not just because they are very nutritious and grow nearly year round, but also because per pound they are quite expensive and don’t store very well – unless they’re sitting in your garden.

There are many hardy plants that are great to have in your garden year round. They can survive temperatures slightly below freezing, or lower if covered by a portable cold frame in winter, and will send up new growth rapidly as soon as snow recedes in late winter - meaning that in most of the US and UK the growing season can be extended to nearly a full 12 months. Planting late (2 months before frost) in a well drained area protected from the wind will give your vegetables the best chance of being harvestible during the cold months and early spring. If you intend to regularly harvest a versatile and hardy vegetable like kale throughout the winter, plant a large area as plants generate little new growth in winter.

Multi-season vegetables		Summer vegetables
Kale & Collard (curly blue kale is the most tender)	Berry bushes (blueberries, currants, raspberries)	Peas, string beans, French/green beans
Spinach	Leeks	Garlic
Arugula (rocket)	Brussels sprouts (actually mean to be harvested after the frost)	Tomatoes (need full sunlight and wide spacing)
Parsley	Thyme	Lettuce
Chives	Rhubarb	Cilantro aka coriander
Sorrel	Garden cress	Squash/gourds
Mustard greens	Fruit trees
Turnips & their greens

[1] Pirie N.W., Science, 152:1705, 1966

Indian Dal: Fragrant Red Lentil Soup for $0.25/serving

2013-01-31T20:53:00.000-08:00

photo by Paola Thomas

There are many ways to make delicious and ultra nourishing Indian dal (split-lentil) soups. I’m including 3 simple, classic variations that use ingredients commonly on hand in the pantry and fridge of anyone making a foray into Indian cooking. Feel free to experiment and substitute some of the vegetables. These soups also keep well in the freezer, so I usually make a large batch and freeze the leftovers. Each soup yields 4-5 large servings, requires 30 min prep and cook time, supplies about 25% daily value of protein, and costs <$0.30 per serving, including the cost of accompanying rice or bread!

Dal Soup with veggies

1 cup split red lentils (masoor dal)

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt

1 cup frozen peas, 2 chopped carrots or carrot pulp, ½ cup chopped green bell pepper (or other veggies for a combined total of ½ to 2 cups vegetables)

Tempering (fry spices and aromatics for 30 seconds): 2 to 3 Tbsp butter or oil, 2 tsp cumin, pinch of asafetida or 2 crushed garlic cloves (optional), 1 tsp chili

Garnish with 2 Tbsp lemon juice (optional) and 2 Tbsp cilantro

Wash lentils; bring to a boil with 6 cups water and turmeric. Turn heat down to simmer; after 10 minutes add salt, vegetables, simmer another 10 minutes. While the lentils and veggies are cooking, prepare the tempering. Turn off heat and put in tempering, lemon juice, and cilantro.

Dal Soup with Ginger and Tomato

1 cup split red (masoor) or yellow (moong) lentils (best purchased in the bulk section or at an Indian grocer)

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt

2 chopped tomatoes or 15 oz. can pureed or diced

Optional: 1/2 cup veggies: frozen peas or carrot or green bell pepper, garden greens, or anything else you want to experiment with

2 tsp finely chopped/grated ginger

1 large garlic clove, minced (optional)

Tempering (Indian seasonings that are fried for 1 minute to release their flavor): 2 Tbsp butter or oil, 2 tsp cumin, garlic or asafetida, 1 tsp red chili flakes or powder

Garnish with 2 Tbsp cilantro and 1-2 Tbsp lemon/lime juice (optional)

Wash lentils; bring to a boil with 6 cups water and turmeric. Simmer 10 minutes until dal turns soft; add salt, vegetables, simmer another 5 minutes and prepare the tempering in a small skillet (be careful as the chili powder burns very easily; add it at the very end). Put in tempering into the lentils, turn off heat to prevent the spices from overcooking, and add lemon juice (if using), and cilantro.

Dal Soup with Caramelized onion

1 cup split red (masoor) or yellow (moong) lentils

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt

3 or 4 Tbsp oil

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp red chili

Garnish with 2 Tbsp cilantro

Wash lentils; bring to a boil with 6 cups water and turmeric, and continue simmering for 20 minutes until the lentils form a fibrous mass. While the lentils are simmering, slice the onions and sauté them in a frying pan in 3 Tbsp oil until translucent, brown and sweet. Caramelizing onions takes about 6-10 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring frequently; the results are deliciously sweet onions that really complement the lentils and help blend all the flavors together. Add cumin seeds to the onion and fry another minute, then add coriander powder and chili, stir several times and pour into the lentils. Turn off heat and add cilantro (and lemon juice if you like).

Kitchen Gear

2013-01-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

Cooking equipment

To cook well and with ease you really only need a handful of items (besides plates, cups and some silverware). In fact, the simpler your kitchen, the more inviting it is to cook in. Think of how much freer and more creative you can be amidst clean and uncluttered countertops and a refrigerator and cabinets containing only the most essential and frequently used items.
Below are suggestions for basic cooking gear coming in at about $200 - $350, in response to the question of “what ideal items would I buy if I had to equip a kitchen from scratch?” If however, you already own some version of an item, even if it’s not exactly the suggested material or size, please consider going easy on your wallet and the landfill by continuing to use the existing one (or asking relatives/friends if they have any spares they may be glad to part with) before rushing out to buy a new one. In fact, for all kitchen items that you might need - except knives - I would first check a second-hand store. That said, even I would not feel too bad about disposing of crappy plastic containers, a peeling Teflon pan, a cheap thin skillet that always burns things or a bad knife that no amount of sharpening will improve.

· Sauce pans: 2-3 thick-bottomed stainless steel sauce pans with lids should do; the most versatile sizes are 3 quart/liter 8’’ diameter and 5 quart 10’’ diameter. The thick bottomed pans will cook your food more evenly without burning it and won’t warp over time. Try to find ones where the lids could also fit your frying pans.

· Pressure cooker: These things are really amazing, but not required to get you started. Once you know that you’ll be cooking brown rice and beans on a regular basis, or if you live at high elevation, it’s well worth spending the $25-$50 (depending on what size and material you get) to cut your cooking times and energy use by 80-90%. It can also serve as another nice large saucepan. I don’t personally use a slow cooker because of how much energy these things eat up over 8-12 hours of continuous cooking.

· Frying pans: 2-3 high-quality non-stick or cast iron frying pans with lids, a medium 9-10’’ and a large 12’’ are plenty if cooking for 2-4. A small inexpensive frying pan (ideally not Teflon) may also be handy if you plan to cook a lot of Indian dishes requiring seasoning with spices briefly fried in oil. If usually cooking for 1, consider just getting 8’’ & 10’’. Each of these, typically retailing for $50 or more for quality brands like Calphalon, can be found for $10-$25 at discount stores like TJMaxx or Home Goods and even less at Goodwill. If you make lots of stir fries you may be tempted to get a 14’’ wok[1], but I would only do so if you have a natural gas stove plus a gas ring to provide sufficiently high heat.

· Knives: You can do all your cutting really well with just 3 sharp high-quality knives: a chef’s knife with a 6-8’’ blade, a 3’’ serrated or smooth paring knife (for tomatoes and other soft or small veggies), and a longer serrated bread/sandwich knife. Quality sharp knives are much safer, don’t cost too much, and will make a world of difference in how enjoyable your cooking process will be. It’s surprisingly more economical to acquire 3-4 good knives that will cut effortlessly for years than a growing army of poor-quality ones. Look for knives made in Solingen, Germany or Switzerland or Japan; e.g. Wusthof brand. Watch out for sleek-looking-ones labeled as German or Japanese design but on closer inspection made in China. Be sure to sharpen them regularly with a metal rod sharpener. Note that steel honing rods are usually finer grain than stone blocks or automatic sharpeners which can mangle good quality steel.[2]

· 2 bamboo, hardwood or non-porous plastic cutting boards; choose sizes that are easy to handle but large enough to work with several big veggies at a time. Designate one of these for strong smelling things like onions, garlic and cheeses.

· Hardwood/bamboo spoon and spatula and for stirring & flipping (these heat and moisture-resistant materials won’t scratch your pots or melt & leach carcinogens while resting on the side of a hot pan)

· ladle, preferably all stainless steel so it won’t absorb flavors or melt when resting in a hot saucepan

· box grater for cheese/carrots/etc.; if you use lots of ginger or garlic, a ceramic grater-bowl is nice too

· sharp vegetable peeler

· can opener

· large salad or mixing bowl(s), preferably all stainless steel (available at Asian and dollar stores)

· large metal strainer (for rinsing grains, beans, herbs; can also serve as a colander for draining pasta)

· measuring cup(s) and spoons, preferably all stainless steel

· Pyrex or non-stick baking dish, about 9 X 13 X 2.5 inch; note that food bakes 10% faster in Pyrex (good for some things, but not so good for roasting seeds)

· glass containers with lids for leftovers (glass won’t retain smells, stain from curries or warp in a microwave over time)

· electric kettle with boiling auto shut off if you drink lots of tea; if you can splurge for an insulated one, even better

· immersion (stick) blender for soups, sauces, beans; a regular blender is only really needed if you make lots of smoothies, pancake batter, etc.

· food processor (only fully justifies its expense, storage space and clean-up if you cook for a small army or make lots of hummus, pickled cabbage, etc.)

[1] Woks made of carbon steel are quite inexpensive in Chinese stores; they come coated in sticky oil to prevent rusting which will need to be washed off with soap and water, and the pan seasoned well with oil, after which you should not wash your seasoned wok or cast iron pan with soap, only a bristle brush or sponge.

[2] How to hone a knife video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&v=dQ-65u3zZo4&NR=1