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!

Vegan Black Bean Burgers

According to Robert, this is the "Best One Yet." You can be the judge of that with the recipe below!

This burger has over 10 grams of protein from veggie sources!

Ingredients:

o1 t olive oil

o½ red onion, chopped

o2 carrots, chopped

o½ bell pepper, chopped

o5 mushrooms, chopped

o2 cloves garlic, minced

o2 T ketchup - note, most ketchup contains high fructose corn syrup. I buy the "natural" or "organic" kinds to prevent this!

o2 T mustard

o2 t ground cumin

o2 t ground chili powder

o¼ t salt

o¼ cu breadcrumbs

o1 can black beans, drained and rinsed -or- 1 cu cooked dry black beans, drained

oBuns and other desired toppings



Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 450°F.

2.Heat olive oil in skillet. Saute onions, carrots, peppers, and garlic for 4 – 5 minutes. Season with ketchup, mustard, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Stir, remove from heat and let cool.

3. I made my breadcrumbs by putting the ends of a loaf of whole wheat in the food processor and pulsing on high until it looks like the picture above.

4. Place veggies in a food processor with black beans and breadcrumbs. Pulse 5 times to combine.

5. Form mixture into 3 - 200gram patties. Chill for 30 minutes in fridge.

6. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

I served these with whole wheat and sesame seed flatbread. But that's another show!

Enjoy!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Seriously. You wouldn't know unless I told you!

Fall is in the air! Some of my favorite foods are associated with this weather. One of Robert's favorites is Pumpkin Pie. Now, I'm not going to tell you that by veganizing this pie it becomes healthy; rest assured, it's still loaded with fat and sugar! And taste!

NOTE: You could certainly take a lot of time and effort out of this pie by using store bought crust and canned pumpkin, and I'm not going to tell you not to. But from scratch cooking is my thing, and at 99 cents for a pie pumpkin, it certainly was less expensive to do so. 

Step One:Assemble your Ingredients

For the crust, you will need:

1 cup whole wheat flour (you can go with the regular stuff if you like, but the whole wheat adds a nuttiness to the pie that I am fond of)

1/3 cup vegetable shortening (see? unhealthy!)

1/2 t salt

2 - 3 T ice water

For the pie, you will need:

1 medium pie pumpkin (or 1-16 oz can of pumpkin)

1 - 16 oz package of silken tofu

1 cu brown sugar

1/2 t salt

1 T pumpkin pie seasoning (Robert brought this home for me, otherwise, I would've used cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, in whatever increments you like!)

 Step Two:Roast your Pumpkin

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Quarter your pie pumpkin and remove seeds. (I doubled this recipe to freeze half of the pumpkin puree for Thanksgiving!) Save those seeds for roasting! (Sort and wash seeds. Mix with 2 T olive oil and roast at 375 for 20 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Delish!)

Place your pumpkin cut side down on a lined baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.

When cooled, remove skins and puree in food processor. While this is roasting, you may want to move on to step three.

Step Three:Make your Crust

In a food processor, add whole wheat flour, salt, and shortening. Pulse until the mixture forms pea sized balls:

Turn on processor and slowly add ice water until mixture just comes together. Form into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. 

Store in fridge for 30 minutes. Place a metal baking sheet in the freezer. In the meantime, you can skip to step four and press your tofu.

Once your 30 minutes are up, place your chilled disc into a gallon sized zip lock back. Use scissors to open the bag all around so you have the dough between two separate sheets., as shown.

 Roll out with rolling pin until it is just bigger than the bag, like this:

 Take the baking sheet out of the freezer and place it on top of the flattened crust. This will help to absorb any heat you gave it while rolling and make for easier transfer. Flip the crust over (still on the baking sheet) and peel off the bottom layer of plastic. Take your pie tin (that you sprayed with non-stick spray, right?) and place it face down on the crust. Flip this contraption over and remove the baking sheet and the final layer of plastic. While you don't have to, I'd recommend that you blind bake your pie crust for at 350° F20 minutes. So, it goes from looking like this:

To this:

Make sure you poke it with a fork and anchor it with something (I used dry black eyed peas) to keep it from bubbling.

Step Four:Press your tofu

Silken tofu is perfect for this recipe, but if you don't press it, you won't get a firm pumpkin pie. Pressing is easy. Just remove tofu from package:

And build a contraption like this:

Press for 15 minutes. Time to:

Step Five:Assemble Your Pie!

In a food processor, combine pumpkin puree, pressed tofu, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar. Puree until smooth and pour into prepared pie crust. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes at 350° F until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and it goes from looking like this:

To this:

Robert ate a quarter of this pie last night! I supposed for all of the unhealthy comments, you can at least feel good about getting your veggies, whole wheat, and protein from tofu! :) Enjoy!