"Jacked" Vegan Bean Pot

By  Pam Hadder

I recently was gifted two vintage ceramic bean pots – my dear friend, Sharmila, is an avid aficionado of vintage and unusual cookware (search Facebook, Kitchenware – Traditional and Unusual).  I had no familiarity with bean pots, but Sharmila’s enthusiasm sparked my interest.  Searching online I found a number of “recipes” for microwave cakes and such, not the slow-cooked, from scratch options I was interested in.
 

I also found a wide variety of opinions on how to soak and prepare beans!  One seemingly reputable government site suggested adding oil to the cooking water, while others suggested a adding a pinch of baking soda.  One home economist suggested cold water pre-soaking for up to 48 hours!  Initially I tried the most common cold water soak, soaking overnight – using the covered bean pot as my soaking vessel, and with the addition of one teaspoon of salt.  This morning, I par-cooked the soaked beans as directed by a few online resources – adding two tablespoons of olive oil and simmering 45 minutes. The aroma was lovely, but the resulting beans were so soft, they were ready for white bean hummus or puree, not bean pot baked beans!  I cooled and bagged them to freeze for later use.

Very glad that I had a second bag of dried navy beans, I started fresh – seeking online information for cooking without overnight soaking. The following is my result – a culmination of conflicting online information, with the added zip of some Jack Daniels whiskey, chilies, bell peppers and fried, smoked tofu to make these vegan bean pot beans really special.  I hope you will try and enjoy, trusting that I have taken care of the leg work for you :)

Ingredients:

450 g/1 lb dry navy beans (no need to presoak)
210g/8 ounces smoked tofu, finely chopped, and seasoned
¼ cup olive oil, divided use
1 large yellow onion, chopped finely
1 large red bell pepper, chopped finely
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. crushed red chilies
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup black strap molasses
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
½ cup Jack Daniels whiskey
2 cups tomato juice (or orange juice)

Method:

Place beans in large soup pot, cover with four inches of water and bring to a boil over med-high heat.  Boil for 3 minutes, remove from heat (I set on back burner, no heat on), cover and let stand 40 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté the chopped onion with bell pepper in 2 tablespoons of the oil until onion is soft and translucent.  In another skillet, brown the chopped tofu in the remaining oil, stirring often.  Season the tofu to your taste with a little salt and pepper – this becomes the “bacon” for your beans.  Drain the beans, rinsing thoroughly with cold water. 

Measure four cups of the beans back into the soup pot. Add the crispy tofu, sautéed onion, and the remaining ingredients.  Stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Ladle the mixture into a 6-cup bean pot. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, making sure you have adequate clearance for your bean pot, and adjusting the racks if necessary.  Place the bean pot into the oven and bake for 4-6 hours, checking for doneness at four hours.

You may also wish to add more tomato or orange juice if the beans are still too firm, and extend the baking time accordingly until the desired texture is achieved. I reduced the temperature to 280 Fahrenheit and baked for a total of 7 hours. The baking time can be extended from the onset by reducing the heat to 275-280 degrees and planning for  an 8-10 hour baking time – so by cooking at a slightly lower temperature, beans could go in just before bedtime, and could be warm and ready in the oven for an amazing breakfast or brunch!  

Simply THE BEST! Nutty Banana Loaf

by Pam Hadder

When I first considered going vegan, one of the things that concerned me was baking!  That likely seems a bit ridiculous, but I grew up with amazing home-baked goodness (thanks Mom!), and I wasn't convinced that I could enjoy vegan baking.  I was worried it would taste flat, or that I would miss some fav treats.  Well, not only have I been pleasantly surprised by how wonderful vegan baking can be, I actually have found it pretty easy to adapt many family recipes and have found the results to be equal or superior to the originals.

One of those recipes that is just way better a la vegan is my banana-nut bread. I have experimented with a number of good recipes, and have found the following proportions to yield consistently yummy results. The recipe that follows is not only easy, it requires no odd-ball ingredients.  Hope you will bake some this weekend and enjoy the wonderful aromas of toasted nuts and bananas and cinnamon - the best part, of course, is that fresh slice just out of the oven.  Only six points on Weight Watchers, and full of good nutrition - NO empty calories here :)

Pami's Vegan Banana-Nut Loaf

Ingredients:
2 tsp. vegan margarine (for buttering the loaf pan)
1/4 cup soy milk, with 2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar mixed in
3 ripe, medium-size bananas, mashed well (or puréed)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a pyrex loaf pan with the vegan margarine. Measure the soy milk into a small bowl and stir in the cider vinegar - let stand for 5-10 minutes, the mixture will curdle/thicken. Meanwhile, mash or purée the bananas in a medium-sized bowl, adding in the vanilla and canola oil.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugars, salt, soda, cinnamon and 1-1/4 cups of the nuts - save about 1/4 cup of the nuts to use as topping. Stir the soy milk mixture into the banana mix, then fold in all of the flour mixture until well-combined.  Use a spatula to get all of the batter in the prepared loaf pan.  Top with reserved nuts, pressing the nuts down with a clean spoon so that they are embedded in the batter.

Bake for one hour, and check for done-ness, by inserting a small sharp knife into the centre - it should come out clean and dry.  If the loaf is still moist, reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake an additional 10 minutes - test again.  The baking time really does vary with the moistness of the fruit you use, humidity in your home etc. - worth a little fussing, honest!  Basically, you don't want to burn the exterior of the loaf, but you want the interior to be cooked!  You may need to bake the loaf an additional five minutes if it's still a bit damp inside at the second test - just turn off the oven, close the door, and let the residual heat finish the job, if this is the case.

Happy baking mmmm :)

Cho-Coconut Bliss!

By Pam Hadder
Who doesn't love that magic combo of coconut and chocolate - especially with a fresh, hot cup of coffee?  The following vegan cupcake recipe blends these flavour favourites, and the BEST part is that it is EASY!
The finished cupcakes are moist, light textured with an intense truffle-like flavour.  Toasting the coconut adds a whole other level of deliciousness.  Hope you will try and enjoy - let me know how it goes xo...

Toasted Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients - for cupcakes
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch cocoa
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. coconut extract
1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut (toasted - reserve 1/2 cup for garnish)

Method - for cupcakes:
To toast the coconut, preheat a small non-stick pan over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.  Add the coconut and stir constantly until golden brown - remove from heat and allow to cool to room temp.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Celsius and line a muffin pan with paper liners (recipe makes
16 medium cupcakes or 12 large).

Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil over low heat (it usually solidifies at room temp - so unless your home is very warm, you will need to melt it a bit - you can also microwave it or immerse the jar in hot tap water).  Blend the cocoa, sugar, salt, baking powder, 1/2 cup of the toasted coconut and flour together in a small bowl.  In a large bowl combine the coconut milk, vanilla and coconut extract; and add the dry mixture to the wet in small batches.  Stir well after each addition  - batter should be smooth.  This is a fairly thick batter, so don't be concerned about that aspect.
Fill lined tins 2/3 full and bake for 24-26 minutes. Allow to cool completely before icing.

Coffee Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup margarine

2 cups icing sugar

2 Tbsp. soy milk or coconut milk

1-1/2 tsp coffee extract or coffee flavour liqueur

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup toasted coconut

Method:

Beat together the shortening and margarine until light and fluffy. Mix the extracts in with the milk.  Add milk mixture and sugar alternately, beating well after each addition.  Frost cooled cupcakes generously and dip them in the reserved toasted coconut.  Like to be EXTRA FANCY???? Try garnishing your cupcakes with a couple of chocolate covered espresso beans.  XOX

The Pami!

Finally!  It's here - my signature vegan sandwich (I am calling her Pami!); and she is guaranteed to make your taste buds sing and make your lips curl into a satisfied smile :)


So let's just get right to it ... after many years of flexitarian dabbling, I have committed to a vegan diet.  People prat on about bacon being the vegan-breaker, but I always thought I would not be able to live without dairy products - although I switched to soy milk about 12 years ago, I still clung to good old butter and cream... until a few weeks ago, that is, when I finally made the transition. For so many years I was living astride veggie life and omnivore choices - I just thought I couldn't be fully vegetarian; let alone vegan!


What about a balanced diet? Would I feel tired?  The only way I had been able to manage my weight was to stick to an Atkins style eating plan with all my carbs coming from veg, but heavy on the animal protein. But slowly, insistently, and persistently, life gently nudged me in the direction of people whom successfully countered all of my fears and objections!  Happily, I have discovered that you CAN have a healthy nutritional balance on a vegan diet - and vegan options are so much more accessible than they were even 3-4 years ago!  (Yes, easy peasy - heavy on the peas... *wink*!)


So without further preamble, let me introduce you to Pami - I hope you will try and enjoy xo!

The Pami

Ingredients:
Four slices pumpernickel rye bread* 
One avocado, mashed
3 Tbsp. plain vegan creamy spread**
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
6" piece of English cucumber, sliced paper thin
1/2 large yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
2/3 cup finely grated carrot
4 Tbsp. 40 spice hummus***
Sea salt and black pepper to taste


NOTE: makes two LARGE sandwiches!


Lay out the four bread slices to make two sandwiches. Spread one bread slice of each sandwich with the mustard, and spread the other slice of each sandwich with the hummus. Next, spread the creamy vegan spread on top of the mustard side, and top the vegan spread with the mashed avocado. Top the avocado with the cucumber, followed by the bell pepper pieces and grated carrot.  Finally, press the sprouts onto the surface of the  hummus covered slices, and sandwich both halves of each sandwich together.  Slice in half and serve.


*I use Natural Bakery's vegan friendly bread - if you are in Winnipeg, make sure you try this fabulous, healthy bread - it's a treat!
**Made by Galaxy Nutritional Foods - I buy this at Safeway
***Brand is Tribe and OMG, is it ever delicious - comes in a great family-size tub!

Marvelous MIM!!!

If you are eating low carb and also interested in getting your Omega3s and keeping a healthy degree of fibre in your diet, the Atkin's Muffin in a Minute (MIM) may be just what you're looking for!

Easy to make from scratch (literally 1-2 minutes of prep and 1 minute in the microwave!), the MIM is large, light in texture and tastes great. The photo at left shows 2/3 of the muffin I made today - I had already gobbled the rounded top of it before I thought to share my joy!

By the way, I grind my own flax seed a couple of cups at a time and store it in the freezer - I not only find this to be much more economical, but I find that it also has a far better flavour than the pre-milled flax.

As our mornings get cooler, it's nice to have a quick, hot breakfast alternative - I enjoyed the piping hot MIM today with a bit of my homemade, sugar-free strawberry jam, and I felt very satisfied and spoiled before, during and after :)

NOTE: flax breads are higher in fat, but this is healthy fat that, over time, will improve the texture of your hair, skin and nails. For women of all ages, flax as part of daiy diet can also help with menstrual cramps, and for those age 35+, flax in your daily diet can alleviate "hot flashes" common in perimenopause and menopause. Isn't it nice to have that benefit come to us from healthy, tasty food and not from a hormone pill or injections? Here is the recipe - ENJOY!

Atkins Muffin in a Minute (MIM)

1 large egg
1 tsp. melted butter or canola oil
Few grains salt (optional)
1 pkg. artificial sweetner
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/4 cup ground flax
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Place flax, salt, cinnamon, sweetner and baking powder in a coffee mug, stirring to combine. Add in the egg and butter. Stir well to combine. Microwave one minute on high (adjust more or less, depending on the wattage of your appliance). Remove mug from microwave. Run a butter knife around the edges of the mug to loosen the muffin, and invert it onto a serving dish. Slice, butter and enjoy!

Makes one large muffin. Contains 3.2 grams of carbohydrate, 9.4 grams of fibre, 12.2 grams of protein and 17.3 grams of fat - 235 calories.

Healthy + Delicious!

Jenn's Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry old-fashioned oats
1-2 tbs. sugar-free Torani Gingersnap syrup
1/8 tsp. baking powder
small handful chopped dates (I get mine at Good Earth in bulk; they are already chopped and covered in Oat Flour to keep from sticking)
3-4 heaping tbs. nonfat cottage cheese
sugar substitute to taste
1 cup water

Directions:

Mix all the above in an oven proof bowl. Bake in a 350 oven for 30-35 minutes until oatmeal bounces back and starts to pull from sides.

Nutrition:

Calories 276
Calories from Fat 27.0
Total Fat 3g
Saturated Fat 0.5g
Cholesterol 1.88mg
Total Carbohydrate 53.68g
Dietary Fiber 6.4g
Sugars 23.68g
Protein 11.05g

Woodsmoke & Starlight!

Summer Vacation - AT LAST!!!
It couldn't have come too soon for me this year! It has been a challenging time of ungrateful clients, too many people out to take advantage/wanting your heart and soul for nothing (both clients and staff) and a painfully sluggish economy -- just to add to the stress! The past months have not typically brought out the best in people. So... bring on the summer holiday! I am getting ready to go camping with my best friend, my son and my son's buddy. The other day I kicked my pumps off in the car at lunch hour and felt the texture of the rubber car mats -- in my mind I was at the lake shore, feeling the cool lick of the water and rolling the smooth pebbles under my toes! Yes, I am SO ready to get away:)

Food-on-a-Stick and Other Delights
I try to keep camping simple and yet not spartan. We typically allow for a couple of restaurant meals - good old A&W burgers and root beer one night, and Pizza Hut another night. But the rest of the time we are "true campers", cooking over a fire pit and singing songs under the night sky while the fire flies sparkle in the dark trees. Because of our northern latitude, we are often treated to northern lights - usually green and white, and occasionally with a burst of soft pink. Oh, and of course, you have to enjoy "S'mores": the fire-pit toasted marshmallow and milk chocolate bar pieces sandwiched between graham wafers -- ooey gooey delicious!

Keeping Things Interesting...
In the weeks before summer vacation, my radar is always alert and scanning for any new activities or recipes I can use to spice up our time together camping at the lake. This year, I came across a great recipe for baked beans. My plan is to make the beans in advance, freeze it in smaller batches and to take a small container along to reheat over our camp fire. I have adapted the recipe somewhat to suit my tastes -- but the secret weapon remains the same: two bottles of beer! Hope you will try this and add it to your roster of summer meal memories. xo

Campfire Baked Beans

Ingredients:
2 cups canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained*
2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups canned navy beans (in tomato sauce)
1 lb. bacon, cut in large chunks
2 large cooking onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. chipotle paste
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. black strap molasses
2 - 12 ounce bottles of beer
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

*You will require one-14 ounce can to obtain one cup of beans -- a little more or less can be used, and add/substitute your favourite bean varieties as desired.

Method:
Cook bacon in fry pan until crisp - drain and set aside. Reserve 2 Tbsp. of the bacon fat for the recipe. Add the onions to the reserved fat and fry until they are soft and translucent, but not browned. Add the garlic, chipotle paste, cumin, salt and pepper, and cook together five minutes to blend the flavours.

Place the drained beans in a large dutch oven or crock pot. Add to this, the onion mixture, sugar, molasses, water and one of the bottles of beer. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for approximately 45 minutes (4-5 hours on high, if using the crock pot). Add additional beer if needed, along with the bacon. Taste and add more salt and pepper as required. Delicious on their own, or with mild tomato salsa and grated cheddar. Also a great side to hot dogs, burgers or steak. Enjoy!

January 17, 2010

Newness!
Two weeks into 2010 -- glad to leave the cement boots that were "2009 issue" in the dumpster and moooove things along :) We have been experiencing unusually mild weather conditions this winter on the Canadian prairie -- bravo El Nino, we appreciate the break!

Typically our January weather is the peak of coldness and average temps are in the minus 30-40 Celsius range. Yesterday it was plus 2 or 3 Celsius! When it is cold I just want to hibernate -- even though I was born here and my ancestors on both sides of the family came to Canada in the 1880's, I just can't take the severe cold; I just find it demoralizing and immobilizing!

Healthy Living = Happiness
The cold combined with a stagnant/depressed economy is not a great mix, to say the very least. We are also finding (in the work world) that basic courtesies, appreciation and loyalty are scarce and cannot be counted on -- where is the honour? Are you experiencing this also? I would love to hear your take on things and your ways of coping, moving things along.

What I am finding amid this uncertainty and mistrust, is that the security of self is emphasized. Of course we all know this at a core level, but ultimately we can only rely on ourselves and can only control our personal reaction to things/events in our respective environments.

I am focusing on these goals for 2010 - growth, renewal, assurance of self and to maintain joy, positivity in the face of any and all negativity, opposition and fickle behaviours. I hope that you also will find a way to not only be productive and joyful, but to grow and thrive in this difficult, mercurial environment.

A great support to maintaining this course is to choose healthy foods and activities -- too often in my life, as a woman and as a mother, I have acquiesced, editing myself and my needs at times to almost extinction. I will no longer "go there". In particular, the past six months have allowed no time for some of my loves: belly dance, walking outdoors (the tread mill is sooooo soul sucking!) and guitar/African drums/music.

In the last few weeks of 2009 I was trying in earnest to follow a healthy diet that allowed for more carbohydrates, versus the Atkins-styled high protein/low carb eating plan that had been so beneficial for me. Unfortunately, I am just finding that with even a modest increase in carbs, I bloat and become more sluggish (this is amplified by the cold weather and short days) -- also, if I have some carbs, even healthy/high fibre/low sugar selections, it soon becomes a downward spiral common to the carb-addicted where I begin to want more and more carbs and I experience sugar cravings.

Suiting Up!
So... back to low carb for this lady! I am looking forward to fitting into some jackets (...and one darling grey pant suit in particular) this spring/summer. I will emerge from the ice and snow like a shimmering butterfly from the chrysalis!

I would also like to share a personal recipe for you. It is quick, low carb and high fibre and it was an experiment that worked out well :). Here it is... and "no", it has nothing to do with Dr. Seuss!

Pam's Green Eggs

3 hard boiled eggs
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise or peppercorn ranch salad dressing
salt, pepper and dill weed to your taste
Approximately one cup of broccoli florets

Place all ingredients in a food chopper or processor and blend to a spreadable consistency. Great in a flax or whole wheat tortilla as a wrap sandwich, or served on a small bed of mixed salad greens.

Enjoy!