Many of us have turned up our nose at “healthy comfort food”, dismissing it as an oxymoron.  Myself included. Until I discovered this meal from my most-frequently-used cookbook, Veganomicon.  These “Snobby Joes” are made with lentils and veggies and, with a little tomato paste, seasonings and fluffy white buns, taste remarkably like their beefy ancestor.  Eating these brought me back to summertime visits to grandma’s house as a kid, when I would enjoy meals made of nothing but pretzel rods dipped in A&W Root Beer.  We paired our sandwiches with a dairy-free version of macaroni and “cheese” that is rich, creamy, and incredibly satisfying. All around, this was heart-warming comfort food that didn’t leave us missing a thing. Check out this meal in the making below (and to exit the photos, simply click right on the photo).

Last week I shared this homemade version of seitan on Chicagoist. The recipe is from my recently-acquired copy of Veganomicon, a book I’m  not sure how I previously lived without.  I initially tried store-bought seitan back in my food-experimental days, when I was a confused vegetarian, then lazy vegan, then self-righteous macrobiotic, then a relieved omnivore, then back to “flexitarian”, and on and on. While I annoyed my family and friends to no end, I tried a lot of new foods!  Seitan secured place in my heart. I truly enjoy eating the homely “wheat meat”, and the fact that it’s healthy is just  a bonus.

Here’s the post from Chicagoist:

Fondly known as “wheat meat”, seitan (pronounced say-TAHN) is made from wheat gluten, the protein portion of a wheat kernel. Containing about 30 grams in a 3 ounce portion, it’s nearly pure protein. The same amount of tuna, pork, or sirloin steak each contains roughly 25 grams of protein. Keep that in mind next time mom gets worried that your vegetarian food doesn’t give you enough protein. Seitan is a healthy, cholesterol and saturated fat-free, addition to stir fries, sandwich wraps, salads, soups and any dish in need of some meaty texture.

Ingredients

1 cup vital wheat gluten flour (available at Whole Foods and most natural food stores)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ cup cold vegetable broth
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated on a microplane grater

Broth:

8 cups cold water plus 3 vegetable bouillon cubes, or 4 cups broth plus 4 cups water
¼ cup soy sauce

To prepare: Mix together the gluten flour and yeast in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together the veggie broth, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic. Pour the wet into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until most of the moisture is absorbed. Use your hands to knead the mixture for a few minutes; until the dough is elastic (this happens pretty quickly!). Divide with a knife into three equal pieces and then give those pieces a good knead to stretch them out a bit.

Prepare the broth:
Fill a stockpot with water, bouillon cubes, and soy sauce, and add the wheat gluten pieces. Cover and bring to a boil. Try to catch it just as soon as it boils and then lower the heat as low as it will go so that becomes a low simmer. Partially cover the pot so that steam can escape and let simmer for an hour, turning the seitan occasionally.

Turn off the heat and remove the lid, then let sit for 15 minutes. Remove the seitan from the broth and place in a strainer until cool enough to handle. It is now ready to be used. Our preferred method of cooking seitan is to slice it, dredge in flour, lightly pan-fry it in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and serve atop steamed vegetables. “Fried” seitan is also absolutely made for kids who love chicken nuggets (therefore all kids).

This recipe was given to me by my friend Angda.  The result is so good it provoked her husband to officially declare, after six years of marriage, “NOW you know how to make Indian chicken.”  I’ve always loved the spices and scents of Indian food, but felt it may be too complicated to prepare well in my own kitchen.  But I’ve been proven wrong.  This recipe was quite simple, requiring only a quick stop at a local Indian market, and is truly amazing.  Between mouthwatering bites, Jason just could not stop gushing about how delicious it was. I recommend you try it for yourself.

Methi Chicken

Prep time and cooking time combined, 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken, cut in large pieces

1 cup plain yogurt, whisked in bowl

0.5 tsp cardamom seeds

3-4 cloves

1/2 cinnamon stick, broken into smaller pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

1.5 cups chopped red onion

1-2 hot chili peppers, chopped finely

1 inch ginger, chopped finely

1 inch ginger, julienned

1 tsp garlic, chopped

1 cup chopped tomatoes

3 tbsp Kasthoori Methi [dried fenugreek leaves available in Indian grocery stores]

salt and chili powder to taste

1 cup water

To Prepare:

Marinate chicken pieces in yogurt and set aside while you prepare gravy. In a large saucepan, heat oil and add cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. Heat until roasted, but do not burn. Add chopped ginger, chili peppers, garlic and onion. Saute on medium heat until onions are clear and browned. Add add tomatoes and 2 tbsp methi leaves. Add 0.5 tsp salt and sprinkle some chili powder in, adding more later as needed. Cook mixture until tomatoes are roasted through and mixture begins to separate from oil. Add chicken and yogurt to mixture and cook for a few minutes. Add 1 cup water to pan, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally. When chicken is properly cooked through, transfer contents of pan to an oven-safe baking pan or pyrex dish. Sprinkle julienned ginger, remaining tbsp methi, and cilantro on top of pan, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Enjoy with naan, roti, or rice. Serve plain yogurt on the side to off-set heat if dish is too spicy.

Last night I stayed in and whipped this up in my kitchen.  After a long week of work, I find many Friday’s are best spent (for me) at home making some food, sipping some wine, with my dog Ned waiting patiently at my feet.  Aaah, the things that change as I get older! Can’t fight it, as much as I try.

This is a very easy, healthy pasta dish that’s not at all heavy.  I used clams and shrimp, but you could also throw in some scallops. We received a bunch of fresh watercress in our Fresh Picks box, which was perfect in this dish – but spinach, chopped chard or arugula would do fine. Watercress is super nutritious – it’s full of vitamin C, calcium, Vitamin A and iron. If you haven’t tried some, it’s a versatile, delicate green you can easily toss in a salad, soup or pasta.

Ingredients:

~4 servings of dry spiral pasta (about a 350g bag)

1 dozen clams

3/4-1 lb peeled and de-veined shrimp

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1  fresh red chili pepper, chopped, with seeds removed

Watercress (2 heaping handfuls) – rinsed

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup dry white wine

Juice of 1/2 lemon

To prepare:

Rinse the shrimp and clams. In a large thick skillet, heat a 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the garlic until it softens. Add the clams and wine, cover and cook on medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes or until the clams open up. Throw out any clams that don’t open on their own. Add the shrimp, watercress,&  red chili pepper – cover and let the shrimp slowly cook and the watercress wilt.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water. Drain the cooked pasta well and then throw it in the skillet with everything else. Drizzle with lemon juice, a sprinkle of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Serve with fresh grated Parmesan.

Bon appetit…..

I recently shared a recipe  “Post Holiday Detox Tea” on Chicagoist.  Why would one want to drink this tea?  The simple concoction is made with ginger, cayenne and lemon juice, which are known for their medicinal properties.  Ginger stimulates gastric secretions and supports healthy digestion and nutrient absorption. Cayenne encourages good circulation by making our blood less “sticky” and strengthens our immune system to ward off cold and flu. The addition of lemon juice makes the tea more palatable but also, according to traditional Chinese medicine, stimulates the liver to promote blood detoxification.

Now I’ve decided to add turmeric to the mix, making this tea even more healthy and medicinal.  Turmeric contains a phytochemical called curcumin that, over several decades of research, has been shown to promote cancer cell death.  In fact, studies have linked curcumin to the inhibition of several forms of cancer, including pancreatic, liver and multiple myeloma. Curcumin is also believed to lessen inflammation,suggesting its potential to help prevent conditions like cardiovascular disease and arthritis. Drink this tea often.  In Okinawa, the island with the world’s longest average life span, the locals drink turmeric tea daily.

Lemon Ginger Turmeric Tea

You’ll need: 4 cups water, ¼ cup peeled, grated fresh ginger root, 1 tsp ground turmeric (or fresh grated turmeric root if you can find it!), 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, juice of one lemon, sweetener (preferably agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup)

To prepare the tea: In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Toss in the grated ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, then add the lemon juice. Strain the tea into a pitcher. Sweeten to taste and enjoy.

Shortly after I moved to Chicago, my boyfriend Jason introduced me to Tipsycake, a cozy little bakery, tucked away in the modest neighborhood of Humboldt Park.  To my delight, Jason had a talent for scoping out little hidden treasures. Tipsycake reminds me of the blissful early days of our budding relationship, when we frequented  Tipsycake on Saturday mornings for their heavenly scones.  Flaky, moist, lightly sweet.  I addicted to them right away. One morning the shop’s owner, a lovely Australian woman, subtly revealed her secret to a good scone…..lots of butter, just a little sugar.   And I’ve since made multiple attempts to create my own flaky, moist, and lightly sweet scone.  None have paralleled the perfection of  Tipsycake’s scone (I wouldn’t dream of it!), but this recipe turned out nicely. These scones are wholesome, fresh, and free of undesirable preservatives and unhealthy oils that you may encounter in a non-homemade scone. And I love real butter. There, I said it.

CHERRY APPLE OATMEAL SCONES….

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk (plus a little extra to brush the tops of the scones before baking), 1 egg, 1 1/2 cups flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 stick butter (chilled and cut into cubes), 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats, 1 apple (cubed), a handful of dried cherries (chopped).

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Using your fingers, mix in the butter until well incorporated and the mixture looks crumbly. Add the oats, apple, and cherries. Whisk together the egg and 1/2 cup milk in a small bowl. Pour the liquid mixture in to the flour mixture and stir briefly until it forms a dough.  Turn the dough onto a floured surface (I just spread a little flour on a clean counter top) and use your hands to form a 7″ round (doesn’t have to be precise!). Then slice the round into 8 triangles, just like you would to cut a pizza.  Place them on a baking stone or parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush the tops with a little milk. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Transfer to a cooling rack but eat them while they’re still warm!

The antioxidant power in apples ranks among the highest in all fruits. These antioxidants, and other phytochemicals in plant foods, can accomplish amazing feats in your body. They protect cells from cancer-inducing oxidative damage, prevent growth of new cancer cells, stop continued tumor growth, and encourage cancer cell death.

According to  studies done by the American Institute of Cancer Research, the potent phytochemicals in apples may suppress breast cancer tumor growth. Eating one or more apples per day was associated with lower risk for lung and colon cancer in several large-scale human studies that examined apple consumption and cancer incidence. Achieving, and maintaining, a healthy weight is also important for cancer prevention. Studies have shown that adding three apples daily to women’s diets helps lower their calorie intake and contributes to weight reduction. The low calorie density and high fiber of apples may have helped the women eat fewer calories overall.

So, I’ve been eagerly awaiting apple season to share this fantastic apple cake recipe.  This cake? It’s amazing.  It works nicely as a dessert (alone or with vanilla or caramel gelato) or as a breakfast treat. Recently I brought this cake to a potluck gathering and a complete stranger asked me for the recipe.

SPICED APPLE CRUMB CAKE

Nut topping

1/3-1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used toasted almonds, but walnuts or pecans would work very well)

1/3 cup light spelt flour

¼ light brown sugar

1 tsp of ground cinnamon

A dash of salt (about ¼ tsp)

1 tbsp non-hydrogenated coconut oil or margarine

To prepare the topping: combine nuts, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl, then cut in the oil. Set aside

Cake

1 medium apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (in whatever shape you like. Sour apples work best)

1 2/3 cups light spelt flour

½ cup light brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

½ tsp sea salt

¾ cup applesauce

½ cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)

¼ cup softened non-hydrogenated coconut oil or sunflower oil

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9” cake pan or bundt pan and lightly dust with flour. Lay down as many apple slices in the bottom of the pan that will fit without overlapping. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a large bowl. Add the applesauce, milk, and oil and stir until “just mixed”. Add the vinegar and stir just until evenly distributed throughout the batter. Quickly pour the batter into the pan over the sliced apples, sprinkle with nut topping. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out clean.

This cake was adapted from a recipe by Jae Steele, author of Get It Ripe, one of the most frequently used cookbooks in my kitchen.

Have a look at the gorgeous carrots!  This is the contents of my local produce box that I receive every week for only $25  from Irv and Shelly’s Fresh Picks.  Everything you see is fresh and locally-grown.  These veggies travelled to my home in Chicago from Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan.  It’s all so wonderfully dirty, like it was just plucked from the garden.

And below is a quick meal that hopefully demonstrates how easy it can be to eat, and enjoy, vegetables. I grabbed a variety of veggies, chopped them up (dunking the hard stuff, like carrots, in boiling water for a few minutes to soften them up first) and sauteed everything with olive oil, salt and pepper until cooked but still crunchy. Meanwhile I sliced some polenta (the prepared kind from Trader Joe’s, right next to the pasta) and some tofu triangles, then browned them on the stove-top grill with salt and pepper. Finally, I topped everything with a killer balsamic glaze…just take about 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, bring it to a boil in a saucepan, then let it simmer down for about five minutes;  add 1/4 cup olive oil, some chopped garlic, salt and pepper.  Voila!  You have an amazing “dressing” for your veggies, tofu and polenta.  This dish would work just as well by substituting grilled chicken or shrimp in place of the tofu.