Stop Junk Mail... Go Green

After being gone for 2 months, I returned home to a box full of mail that Robert saved for me. Aside from wasting 30 minutes of my life rifling through it, I discovered that only 8 pieces of mail were important - the rest was just a pile of junk! So, I decided to look into it and discovered how EASY it is to turn off junk mail. And I think you should do the same:

Just go here to get rid of those credit card and insurance offers.

And go here if you want to get rid of those catalogues. You have to select each catalogue individually, but they make the request for you for free! Bye bye Buy Buy Baby and Bed Bath and Beyond!

Ode to the Blender

First, two things. One, I am no William Shakespeare. Two, I am about to make Old Bill sound like a Magic Bullet commercial. I apologize outright for both.

But you see I am temporarily on the west coast and I don't have all of my fancy kitchen gadgets that make chefs great. And I have been struggling with culinary inspiration. I had an oven, a stove and a microwave and while they do magical things, I had the culinary equivelent of writer's block. Until I bought a blender. Now I am free and freely blending.

It even looks like the Magic Bullet.

O blender mine, what are you making

Something for snacking or something for baking?

That can blend both high and low

You make both savory and sweet

Comingle in one lovely treat

What can’t you do? I want to know

Sauces, smoothes, and dressings galore

Sorbet, salsa, and so much more

You make hummus and other such dips

Pesto, soups and applesauce

As far as I’m concerned you’re the boss

Your wares can always touch my lips



What's your favorite kitchen appliance?

10 Things You Probably Didn't Know You Could Compost

I promised you recipes AND tips for green living and thus far, I've only been making good on the former. So, in the spirit of the New Year, here's one resolution I can live up to!

10 Things You Probably Didn't Know You Could Compost:

10. Dryer Lint. And used dryer sheets too. This fuzz is perfect for balancing out your browns and greens if they are too wet.

9. Vacuum Cleaner Dust. Don't you hate it when every time you try to empty the canister it just spreads all over the house? Take it outside to empty and put it right in the compost!

8. Paper towels. Use recycled paper towels and you can feel doubly green.

7. And you can compost the cardboard tube too!

6. And of course tissues!

5. Masking tape.

4. Hair. From your hair brush, your dog, your cat... you get the idea!

3. Old cotton socks and underwear. When they've got holes.... it's time to go!

2. Most anything cardboard or paper (cut into small pieces first): cereal boxes, old bills, egg cartons, price tags, movie tickets, etc.


1. A lot of companies like dell and sun chips are using compostable packaging! I've got a few of these bags in my compost pile right now.





Two things I don't compost: citrus and onions. The former throws off the acidic balance and I've read that worms don't like onion skin. And I don't like the way they make my compost smell.

For more information or to start up your own compost pile, go here: How To Compost

Enjoy!

Vegan CranOrangNut Muffins

Using oranges, cranberry sauce, and walnuts, this recipe is a great breakfast solution to Holiday leftovers!



Ingredients:

Combine the following in a small bowl:

- Zest and Juice of 3 Oranges (You should get nearly one cu of juice)

- 1/4 cu brown sugar

- 1/4 cu agave nectar (I like these two together, but this recipe is certainly flexible with sweetener options)

- 1/2 cu canola oil (They are muffins, there is really no getting around the canola oil. But hey, compared to the Thanksgiving dinner you just ate, these are practically diet food!)

- 1 T vanilla extract (Make your own by infusing vanilla beans cut in half with vodka in a mason jar for a few weeks)

Combine the following in a large bowl:

- 2 cu whole wheat flour

- 1/2 t baking soda

- 1 T baking powder

- 1/4 t salt

Have the following standing by:

- leftover cranberry sauce (about 1 cu)

- 1 cu chopped walnuts (Thest are optional, but then they wouldn't be CranOrangNut!)

Very Simple Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir.

3. Gently stir in cranberry sauce and walnuts.

Pretty in pink!

4. Fill your lined muffin tins and bake for 20 - 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

They go in looking like this:

And come out looking like this:

 Let cool and enjoy! Although, they are delicious warm, and might not last until breakfast. In that case, you may want to look up my vegan waffle recipe. :)

Vegan Thanksgiving

After all, the sides are the best part!

From bottom to top: Cornbread stuffing, roasted brussel sprouts, orange cranberry sauce, gravy, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pecan pie



The basics:

Cornbread stuffing: Make a half batch of this recipe found here, and crumble it into a bowl with two cubed slices of wheat bread, and 15 crushed crackers:

Meanwhile, dice 1/2 an onion and 2 celery stalks in 2 T olive oil, salt, black pepper, and sage until onions are translucent. Add to bread mixture and stir in 3 cups of veggie stock. Pour into casserole dish and bake at 400° F for 40 minutes. Before baking, this dish can be made ahead of time and/or frozen. I typically make a double batch and safe half for Christmas dinner.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts: Rinse 1 lb of sprouts and cut in half. Toss with 2 T olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Roast on a baking sheet in 400° F oven for up to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until both sides are caramelized and crispy. Top with a splash of red wine vinegar.

Cranberry sauce: Over medium heat, combine 1 lb whole fresh cranberries with the juice of 2 oranges and 1/2 cup pure cane sugar. Let simmer stirring occasionally until all cranberries have popped. Move into serving vessel and store in fridge. This is better if you make it a day ahead and let it chill, covered, in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

Gravy: Whisk together 2 T olive oil with 2 T whole wheat flour over high heat. Add 2 cu veggie stock and boil over high heat for 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until set. Season with salt, pepper, and sage.

Mashed Potatoes: Dice 1 lb each Russet (peel these first) and New Potatoes (leave skins on if you like). Add to pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Drain and return to pot. Mash with 1 T salt, 2 t white pepper, 2 T olive oil, and 1/4 cu soy milk. Adjust amounts if potatoes are too dry or under seasoned. This can certainly be made the day before and warmed up in a casserole dish in th oven.

The Pecan Pumpkin Pie is simply this recipe with pecans added to it.

Thanksgiving on the plate! Enjoy!

Oh, did I mention this whole meal cost under $20? And Robert and I have already had seconds, and will have thirds tomorrow! And most if it is organic or local!

Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes

Green tomatoes and I have a long history. When I was 2, I snuck into the garden with my play shopping cart and went up and down the rows of tomatoes, picking all the ones I could get my hands on. Every single green one. I then proceeded to stroll up to my mother, green tomatoes in tow, to show her what a great helper I was. 

Picture the cart piled high with green tomatoes instead of kittens.

Need I say she was less than impressed. I am not sure what happened to all of those green tomatoes, but I do know what's going to happen to these: 

This year's tomato plants finally succumbed to the cold weather and I had to pick all of the unripe tomatoes off the vine. But this turned out to be a happy accident as I was able to make a Southern delicacy typically saved for the summer: Fried Green Tomatoes!

Ingredients:

1 T flax seed

2 T water

1/2 cu soy milk

5 grinds Black Pepper

1/4 t cayenne pepper (optional)

1 t Salt

1/2 cu whole wheat flour

1 cu corn meal

vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Combine 1 T flax seed with 2 T water in a small skillet. Boil over medium high heat for 2 minutes.

Cool and whisk together with ½ cu soy milk, 5 grinds of ground black pepper, 1 t salt and the cayenne if you like a little heat.

Slice green tomatoes and add to soy milk mixture.

This layer's all about flavor.

Let marinate for at least 10 minutes. In the meantime, make crunchy coating by combining 1/2 cu whole wheat flour with 1 cu corn meal. Note that the S&P seasonings go in the wet marinade, not the dry coating. This is for two reasons: first, you want to season the tomatoes directly; secondly, if the seasoning is on the outside, it's more likely to burn.

This layer's all about texture.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of vegetable oil. Dredge tomatoes in corn meal coating and add to skillet in a single layer. Don't crowd them - You may have to do this in batches if you can't fit all of the tomatoes. The oil should sizzle when you add the tomatoes. If not, the oil is not hot enough.

Cook on one side for 3 - 5 minutes and flip. They should be golden brown on the bottom (which is now the top).

Continue frying for an additional 3 - 5 minutes. Remove tomatoes and drain on paper towels. There is nothing like a remoulade sauce to go with your FGT, but in the vegan spirit, I served these with a basil - infused balsamic reduction. I didn't miss the mayo.

Enjoy!

The Best Collard Greens You'll Ever Make

Being a good Southern girl, I grew up on greens of all kinds - mustard greens, turnip greens, but my favorite have always been Collard Greens! The New Year is fast approaching (well, if the stores put Christmas decorations in the windows before Halloween, I can say the New Year is almost here) and that means Collard Greens & Hoppin' John. The latter is another show, but today's challenge was to create a Vegetarian Version that is every bit as delicious as the one seasoned with ham hock or turkey legs. By George, I think I've done it and then some!

All you need is this and this!

Ingredients:
As many Collard Greens as you like (I used 1 lb and it made about 2 servings)
1 T Salt
1 T Olive Oil
1/4 cu apple cider vinegar
1 t smoke seasoning (make sure it's vegetarian - Trader Joe's African Smoke Seasoning grinder certainly is!)
Apple Cider Vinegar to taste

A quick note on the TJ's Smoke Seasoning:
African-grown paprika is slow-smoked for 48 hours over a sustainable African hardwood called Acacia Saligna, commonly used as barbecue coals. This process enriches the paprika with a smoky, roasted flavor that evokes the South African braai, or barbecue. The smoked paprika is blended with sea salt, garlic and basil and packaged in a grinder, giving you fresh-ground flavor in every twist.

Now... on to the collards!

De-stem, rinse, and chop your collards!
In a large skillet, head 1 T olive oil over high heat. Add collards and stir until they brighten in color and slightly wilt. They should look like this:

Add the 1/4 cu apple cider and the smoke seasoning. I call for 1 t in the recipe, but it's about 15 grinds if you are using the grinder. Don't try to grind into a teaspoon!

Can you smell it?

Cover and let simmer until it reaches your desired collard consistency. This may only take 5 minutes if you like a crunch collard or up to an hour if you prefer a creamy collard. Season with the apple cider vinegar and ENJOY! This will definitely be featured on my Thanksgiving table! I am thankful for Collards!