Tag Archives: kale

Claymation cooking demonstration and Top tips for great smoothies

23 Jan

It’s time for another cooking video!  This time I’ve enlisted the help of a certain clay dinosaur, who my husband has been animating via claymation since he was a boy with a Super 8 camera.  Over the years Gulp has had many adventures and swallowed many Lego blocks and Matchbox cars, but this is his first introduction to the joys of green smoothies and my Cashew Kale Shake.  (Eating cars may be one way to get your iron, but iron-rich kale is a heck of a lot easier on the teeth.)  With the help of my favorite hungry dinosaur, I demonstrate how easy it is to make your green smoothie dreams come true, even if you don’t have a high-speed blender.

Smoothies are such a delicious and simple way of incorporating more fruits and vegetables into a person’s diet.  I often enjoy them for breakfast, and it makes me feel good to kick start the day knowing that I’ve already had several servings of raw fruits and vegetables.  It sets a great tone and gives me a hit of wide-awake energy.  Hit a lull around 3 pm?  A smoothie also makes a tasty snack.

These are my top tips for taking a smoothie from good to great:

Frozen bananas are key.  First of all, bananas bring a pleasant mellowness to smoothies that otherwise might be overly sweet (like a tropical, orange, or berry smoothie) or bitter (like a smoothie with kale or collard greens).  Most importantly, frozen bananas give a thick, creamy texture that leans more towards a shake than a smoothie.

Always add ground flax seed.  It seems that every other article on health and wellness pages is about how the modern American diet is overloaded with omega 6’s while deficient on omega 3’s, creating an unhealthy imbalance.  An easy way to get omega 3’s into one’s diet is by adding a tablespoon of ground flax seed to a smoothie.  Outside of a vague nuttiness, it doesn’t add a lot in terms of flavor, but it gives the smoothie a fuller viscosity.  I like to grind whole flax seed in a coffee grinder as needed, but you could also use ground flax seed.  You’ll want to keep the open package in the freezer or refrigerator to avoid rancidity.  (Want to add raw cashews for a creamier smoothie?  While you’re grinding the flax seed, add in raw cashews as well and grind until they take on the consistency of flour.)

Blend tough greens first.  I almost never make a smoothie without greens.  It just seems like a wasted opportunity.  But without a high-speed blender, getting greens fully blended can be difficult.  The key to completely smooth green smoothies is blending hearty, fibrous greens first.  A bright green drink can already be a difficult sell to the uninitiated.  Add in chewy bits of tough kale and it’s even more of an obstacle.

Blend the greens with whatever liquid you’ll be using and continue until completely smooth before adding other ingredients.  The blender will probably need a hand with it, and so be sure to stop and scrape down the sides regularly to move the process along.  (Secret tip:  The circular handle on the lid of my non-high speed blender can be removed, leaving a small hole, and I sometimes stir the top portion of the greens while the blender is in motion.  It helps the momentum of the greens. Of course, it’s important to be careful that the spoon doesn’t come into contact with the blade, and it could be a splatter hazard if the liquid is too high.)

Vanilla soymilk adds dimension and balance.  For a long time I only used water in my smoothies.  With all of the nutrition and taste in the fruits and vegetables in the ingredient list, I didn’t think it needed anything else.  However, my feelings on this have changed.  A hint of vanilla in the background adds something special to a smoothie.  Now when I make it without, it doesn’t quite reach the same heights.

But don’t use too much.  Err on the side of less liquid for a thicker, creamier shake.  If you absolutely have to add more for blending, add a little at a time.

Ice cubes are your friend.  After a smoothie has reached its creamy and whippy perfection, I like to add six ice cubes and blend until fully broken down.  Without the cubes, it’s more like a shake or a malt, but with the ice cubes it’s all that with pleasant icy shards and a little added crunch.

A huge thank you to my wonderful husband, David, for animating, editing, and sound designing Gulp Vs. Smoothie!  You’re the best!

It’s the Green Pumpkin Smoothie, Charlie Brown

6 Dec

What are you looking at?

I have not done any of the following.  I have not visited two art sales under the guise of looking for Christmas gifts and then purchased for myself a cutting board, a wooden fork and knife, a ceramic container, stoneware bowl, and garlic grater.  I have not celebrated the promo code deals on the Vegan Cuts Holiday Shopping Guide by buying myself a new glass straw.

Of course I haven't already given my husband this dinosaur-shaped tea infuser. Christmas is still three weeks away.

I didn’t encourage my husband to open a Christmas present early, after it had already been wrapped, because I was too excited about the presents we’ve been accruing to wait any longer.

I haven’t already watched Scrooged with Bill Murray, The Muppet Christmas Carol, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott.  After all of that, I most certainly do not have plans to spend this evening watching Mickey’s Christmas Carol.  I mean, that would be ridiculous.

Finally, on this cold and snowy day, I did not make a chilly Kale and Pumpkin Smoothie and drink it with the straw I did not purchase while I wrote out my holiday cards.  These are the things I did not do.  You’ll have to take my word for it.  Or not.

It’s the Green Pumpkin Smoothie, Charlie Brown

Serves 2

  • 3 leaves curly kale, stems removed (about 3 cups)
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk (Vanilla soy is especially good, but any will do)
  • 2 Tbsp flax seed, ground
  • 3 bananas, frozen in chunks
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup canned organic pumpkin (not pie filling)
  • 6 ice cubes

Blend kale and non-dairy milk in a blender until it is completely smooth.  Add ground flax seed, frozen banana chunks, cinnamon, and pumpkin.  Blend until fully blended.  Add ice cubes to blender and blend until the ice cubes are fully broken down.

The Vegan Test: Episode Six

24 Oct

You can tell a lot about a person by what they wear for Halloween.  Do they go for the quirky and obscure or the tried and true?  What you may not have realized is that you can also tell from one’s costume if or if not he’s vegan!  Lucky for you, the Vegan Test is around to explain it all.  (This short spoof is definitely for a niche audience, but it had me laughing until it hurts.  I hope it does the same for you!  Is that mean?)

In related news, I’ve used our friend the random number generator for the Forks Over Knives DVD giveaway and landed at #1 – Valerie Passanno!  Congrats, Valerie!  I’ll contact you for your address.  To everyone else, I highly recommend buying Forks Over Knives for yourself and your loved ones if you haven’t seen it yet.  And don’t be too sad, I’ll have one more giveaway before the end of MoFo!

Happy slurping – Cashew Kale Shake

7 Jul

When I left LA there were certain things I was worried about missing – friends, the weather, palm trees, mountains, the ocean, Sundays wandering the sun-drenched streets of Old Town, and such a wealth of vegan restaurants that I barely scratched the surface in my 13 years there…  (Someone hold me.  Please.)  Nestled in that grouping of loved people, places, and things was the delectably green and enticing sweet kale shake from SunCafé in Studio City.

Whenever I’d visit their restaurant, I’d overhear people ask with some derision about the shake… “A kale shake?”  The next sounds I heard from them would occur twenty minutes later when they were eagerly slurping up the final creamy droplets at the bottom of the glass.  Sometimes I’d drive to Studio City for the sole reason of attaining one – so filling, a dessert emblazoned with the goodness of kale.  In fact, one time a friend came into town who is an even bigger kale geek than I am.  She split a kale shake with me at brunch and then persuaded me to go back again in the late afternoon, so that she could have one of her own.

Now that Studio City is hours away even by plane, I’ve been eager to recreate the shake for myself.  Unfortunately, with no Vitamix or other high-speed blender to attain the silky smooth quality that is vital, it seemed an impossible dream.

Then recently, it hit me that the same coffee grinder that I use to grind flax seed for smoothies could also be used to turn raw cashews into a light flour or meal that would melt in a green shake.  So after some trial and error, I bring you this little bit of LA sunshine in a frosty cup.  It’s So Cal with a straw.  I don’t have a sweet kale shake here for a side-by-side comparison, of course (but if you want to mail one to me could you also include some wots from Rahel?).  However, I think it’s a hit, a palpable hit.

This full-bodied shake is a wonderful treat in the work refrigerator when hunger hits around 11:00.  It would also be fun for a Wizard of Oz themed party.  It could be called the Wicked Witch of the West – post bucket.  What a world.  What a world.  Whatever you call it, you’ll have to say it in the moments before the shake lands in front of your hot little hands.  After that, your mouth will be gloriously full.

Cashew Kale Shake

Serves 2

  • 4-5 leaves of any variety of kale (without center rib) – about 3 ½ cups  (Curly kale is my favorite)
  • 3/4 cup vanilla soy milk  (Can be replaced with any non-dairy milk or water)
  • 1/3 heaping cup raw cashews
  • 2 Tbsp flax seed
  • 3 bananas, broken into chunks and frozen
  • 6 ice cubes

Blend kale and vanilla soy milk in blender until completely smooth.  (You may need to stop the blender and stir for complete blending.)  Grind the cashews and flax seed in a coffee grinder until they become a smooth meal.  Add the frozen bananas, cashews and flax meal to the blender.  Blend.  After it is fully blended, add the ice cubes and blend to desired consistency.

An Ode to Kale

21 Apr

When I want to pump iron – I choose kale.

Calcium?  I choose kale without fail.

Fiber, flavonoids, omega-threes,

Potassium, antioxidants – all of these,

For other veggies, I will chop and sauté,

For kale, I’ll massage till its cares are away,

Into a smoothie, a salad, and side,

Its nutrient properties are bona fide.

With a cashew dressing or squeezed with citrus,

Kale, I could never ever forget this.

Whether purple, dinosaur, or lacinato,

To the store to get it – I’ve just got to.

And once I’ve swallowed its vitamins – k, a, and c,

I’ll absorb all its iron (unless I enjoy it with tea).

Video: Raw Kale Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing

16 Mar

About a month ago, I wrote about this very addictive kale salad. It’s still finding its way into my lunch box and onto my dinner table. If you’re new to kale or making salad dressing from raw cashews, check out this video and watch how it easily unfolds step by step. For all of the recipe details, visit this earlier post.

Deserted Island Packing List: Top 10 Vegetables

14 Nov

That timeless question: Mary Ann or ginger?

 

For any of you who might be happening upon my blog for the first time in a while (or ever), just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale.  A tale of a fateful trip.  It started…  a few days ago, when I began the task of compiling a deserted island packing list.  You know, just in case I end up on a deserted island.  (Apparently, this is a concern.)  You won’t find items on this list like matches and water purifying tabs.  Oh, no.  Instead, you’ll find those real life necessities – balsamic vinegar and popcorn.

Today’s items are up there in importance with suntan lotion, a bikini, and reading material.  These are things that I just could not do without on my island existence – vegetables.  So here are my top ten for the land of palm trees, sandy beaches, the professor, and Mary Ann…  (Yeah, like everybody else, I didn’t choose ginger either.)

1.  If I could only bring one vegetable with me, I’d bring garlic.  Now, you may be asking yourself, “What on earth could you make with just garlic?  That’s crazy.”  I say, living a life without garlic is what’s crazy.  A stinking rose by any other name could not be as sweet.  It sets up soup, scrambles, stir-fries, and salsas.  It brings pow to pasta, pizza, and polenta.  It’s beautiful in baba ganoush, burritos, bruschetta, and bread… with roasted garlic.   It goes like gangbusters in garlicky greens and gnocchi.  It excels in hummus, tacos, chili, marinades, and warding off vampires.

2.  Next up is that relative of garlic, red onions.  They are well suited in almost all of the above garlic dishes, and then there’s also caramelized onions with lentils or Brussels sprouts, onion rings, fried onions with potatoes, and crisp raw onion on sandwiches and in salads.  Plus, if you’re looking to get those tears flowing, the only thing more tear-producing than onions is a double feature of When Harry Met Sally and The Garfield Christmas Special.

3.  While sweet red bell peppers are technically a fruit (just like the tomatoes that show up later on this list), I decided to add them to the vegetable group because culinarily-speaking, that’s how I use them.  (I suppose I could surprise someone with a fruit salad made of tomatoes and red bell peppers, but I think they call that salsa.)  I am fond of all bell peppers, but especially of the red.  They are such a sweet addition to any dish, high in vitamin C and vitamin A, and useful in many things.  They can be stuffed with bread stuffing, wild rice, or a bean mixture.  They can be added to salads, soups, scrambles, pizza, tacos, chili, and stir-fries, sautéed with collard greens, or chopped into a raw kale salad.

4.  It blows me away to think that just a few years ago I never cooked kale.  Now purple, dinosaur, and lacinato kale are foods I eat almost every day.  A good source of calcium and iron, I could start the morning with a kale smoothie, have kale in my scramble, for lunch make kale and garlic soup, and that evening have sautéed kale as a side dish or generously topping my pizza.

5.  If a day goes by that I didn’t eat kale, it’s almost a guarantee that I had collard greens instead.  An excellent source of folate, calcium, and vitamin C, collards are so good sautéed with smoky mushrooms, made into Ethiopian gomen, added to soup, used as a wrap in place of a tortilla, or rolled into dolmas in lieu of grape leaves.

Mouthwatering saag chana

6.  Spinach is my go-to green for salads.  I also enjoy it very lightly sautéed with lots of garlic, pine nuts, and dried cranberries, blended into saag chana or saag aloo, stuffed into tacos instead of romaine or butter lettuce, slid onto sandwiches, or rolled into wraps.  The only way I’m not interested in spinach is out of a can.  (Sorry, Popeye. More for you.)

7.  Artichokes make the list not only because they are beautiful, but also because they’re a treasure chest vegetable.  The first time a person is introduced to artichokes, they may seem complicated.  However, after getting to know them, the payoff is well worth the awkward first stages.  They are lovely steamed and dipped in melted Earth Balance, flax oil and balsamic vinegar, or olive tapenade.  Artichokes stuffed with a bread stuffing is impressive to behold and delicious for the cool fall weather.  Most of all, artichoke hearts on pizza or in pasta is divine.

8.  Lately I am obsessed with mushrooms.  It was the oyster mushroom kit that I purchased and grew last month that really got the ball rolling.  There may be nothing better than oyster mushrooms sautéed with garlic, Earth Balance, and red wine.  I love all mushrooms – from the unassuming button to the chewy shiitake.  But if I had to pick just one variety of mushrooms for my island life, I’d go with portobellos.  Those meaty mushrooms are so hearty and can stand up to a good marinade or grilling.  They’re great on sandwiches, in tacos, risotto, ravioli, and pierogis.  They’re wonderful on pizza, pasta, and stir-fries, and they bring a deep earthiness to gravy, pate, lentils, and soups.  Of course, I also enjoy them in sauteed greens as portobello bacon.

9.  Some say toe-may-toe.  Some say toe-ma-toe.  I say, why are we quibbling when we could be making bruschetta?  Tomatoes, a great source of lycopene, are fabulous cooked or raw.  Obviously they’re a necessity for pasta sauce, salsa, chili, marinara, and if Kathy Griffin is in town doing stand-up.  (I kid.  I kid.)  A simple tomato soup is a lovely starter or light lunch with a sandwich.  They’re a welcome addition to tacos and burritos, and that’s not even mentioning sun-dried tomatoes, which add so much oomph to pesto and polenta.

10.  Finally, I’m finishing out the list with carrots.  They may not be the most exotic vegetable ever, but there’s something satisfyingly simple about carrots.  They’re great for dipping into hummus or guacamole.  They are an excellent base for almost any soup, perfect for salad and stir-fries, and grated into long, raw shreds they can take the place of noodles in a creamy peanut dressing.  Plus, we all know how good they are for eyesight.  I mean, have you ever seen a rabbit in glasses?  (Sorry.  Please hold onto your tomatoes.)

So that wraps it up.  It was not easy keeping this list to only ten.  There are so many awesome vegetables in this bountiful world of produce.  Celery and asparagus were definitely contenders.  If I was including pickled vegetables then sauerkraut, jalepeno peppers, and grape leaves would have had to duke it out.

Sunpower: Creative Food with Flair

13 Apr

Going to a truly excellent raw restaurant reminds me of scratch ‘n’ sniff stickers.  It’s not because of the smell of fresh greens, bananas, and citrus fruits madly whirring in Vitamix blenders that emanate from the restaurant’s door; although, that’s lovely too.  (It’s the complete antithesis to that greasy, fried smell emitting from fast food joints.)  Visiting Sunpower Natural Café in Studio City, reminds me of scratch ‘n’ sniff stickers, because they take the essence of the dish that inspired their raw version and make those flavors pop.  It has a spirit of fun and creativity, a feeling of “play”.

Their Raw Supreme Pizza, for example, doesn’t fit the mold of your everyday pizza.  However, they gather the brightest flavors of pizza and bring them to life.  The crust is made with sunflower seeds, giving a wonderful chewiness to each bite.  It is layered with a raw marinara, dotted with marinated onions and red bell peppers, and then covered in creamy cashew cheese.  The best part is the savory sausage that adorns it, made from nuts and seeds.  Fresh oregano is sprinkled over the pie, and each flavorful bite bursts in the mouth.  The pizza comes with a choice of sides:  coleslaw, cookies, veggies with dipping sauce, green salad, kale salad, hummus with pita, or chopped seitan salad.  Being somewhat of a kale maniac, I always choose the kale salad.  The soft curly kale is covered in basil ranch dressing and peppered with pine nuts.

Another favorite at Sunpower is the Kale Colossus.  This is the everything-but-the-kitchen sink of raw salads.  It includes kale, marinated onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, bananas, dried cranberries, and their raw sausage.  It’s covered in creamy cashew cheese and nacho cheese.  I think the nacho cheese competes with the other flavors, and so I prefer to leave that out and add fresh avocado instead.  This filling salad is always too much for me to eat in one go, which means I can make a second meal out of it.

For a more traditional lunch that isn’t raw, their lemony hummus sandwich stuffed with tomatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, and romaine lettuce in a whole wheat pita is a basic choice.  It comes with a choice of sides (see above).

Other favorites of mine are their raw nachos with jicama slices instead of corn chips, raw tacos with romaine leaves as the taco shells, and their pesto salad.  They have pictures of most of their lunch and dinner items on their clickable online menu.

In addition to lunch and dinner options, they also have shakes and smoothies.  The shakes are cashew based, and my favorite is their creamy Sweet Kale Shake.  This delicious shake could win over even the most ardent greens-hater.  It is huge and definitely big enough for sharing.  The adjacent picture shows just my half.  (They will put their full-sized portion into two glasses for sharing.)

Sunpower raised their prices recently, and it is a wee-bit high for lunch.  However, raw food is time intensive, and they’re food is organic.  They’ve also recently remodeled their dining area, giving a larger space and more appealing ambience.

On their storefront they don’t advertise that they’re a vegan raw restaurant, and they do have a few cooked entrees.  A few times I’ve seen people come in, who are new to the restaurant, peruse the menu as if they’re reading a foreign language, and then say to one another, “Do you want to go?”  It’s too bad, because I think they’re letting their preconceptions about “raw food” dissuade them.  Maybe they think they won’t get full.  Maybe they think raw food will be bland.  Maybe the version of “raw food” in their heads is one of iceberg lettuce and shreds of carrot.  I wish they’d come to the restaurant with a sense of play, like children to a scratch ‘n’ sniff sticker.  The food at Sunpower has a feeling of lightness and creativity.  Best of all, whenever I visit, I leave feeling revitalized and energized.

Comforting Kale and Great Northern Beans

27 Jan

There are certain kitchen staples that I simply cannot be without.  They’re the items that I reach for again and again to enhance and brighten flavor or to awaken a dish.  Those things are garlic, red onions, lemons, and olives.  Their presence adds a certain completeness to an entree, and they’re useful for a wide variety of meals, from Mediterranean to Mexican, from stew to salad.  In addition to their added flavor, they are also nutritional powerhouses.  Onions and garlic have been shown to lower high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.  Onions and olives have been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer, and the vitamin C in lemons makes the iron in kale more bioavailable.  Add those other pantry-staples, beans, dry pasta, and nuts, and you’re practically there for this lunch and dinner favorite.

Comforting Kale and Great Northern Beans

Serves 2 as an entrée, 4 as a side

  • 1/3 cup whole-wheat fusilli pasta
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 bunch kale, remove tough stems and then coarsely chop
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • ½ small red onion, chopped
  • 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into slices and served with entree
  • 1 15 oz. can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp rubbed sage
  • 5 Greek olives, pitted and chopped
  • Handful of pine nuts
  • Salt, to taste

In a steamer pot, put a few inches of water to boil.  Once boiling, add pasta to water for 10 minutes.  Put chopped kale into steamer basket on top of pot with a cocked lid.  Allow the kale to steam 3-4 minutes, until it is bright green.  Then remove it from the pot and set it aside while the pasta continues to cook.  While the pasta is boiling, put a small amount of extra virgin olive oil into a sauté pan on a medium heat.  Sauté the garlic, mushrooms, and onion for a few minutes, until the onion and garlic are translucent.  Add the kale to the pan with the juice of half of the lemon.  Use the kale leaves to sop up any glazing of the onions or garlic on the pan.  Add the beans and sage.  Fully combine until the beans are heated through.  If it begins to stick, add a splash of water into the pan.  Drain the pasta and add it to the pan, combine.  Top with a handful of pine nuts and olives and salt to taste.

To make this dish gluten-free, omit the pasta.  This dish is also delicious with collard greens instead of kale, served over creamy polenta, or with chopped sun-dried tomatoes in place of or in addition to olives.  If you’re not a fan of sage, swap it out with a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar instead.

Kale: An Antioxidant Powerhouse

21 Jan

Many moons ago I worked as a cater waiter for Hollywood functions: from galas to award ceremonies, from religious events to mall openings.  I worked Bar Mitzvahs that cost more than my wedding reception.  At one such event, the parents had rented out a floor of a museum.  A buffet was set up with many different stations, and I was handed a box of leafy greens called kale and told to adorn the areas around the serving bowls and platters with piles of it.  Later on in the evening, I witnessed a guest piling some onto her plate only to be told by a manager that she shouldn’t eat it.  It was only for decoration.

How many of us have only been introduced to kale as a way of beautifying a plate as opposed to nutrifying our bodies?  Kale is rich in lutein, which protects the eyes from macular degeneration and lowers cataract risk, is a great source of calcium, and has even been shown to fight against the occurrence of cancer, particularly breast, lung, colon, and ovarian.

Kale comes in a variety of types, like curly, lacinato (also called dinosaur), and purple.  I usually cut the leaves away from the thick center rib; although, some people enjoy it for texture or to use in a soup stock.

If at first kale seems bitter, combat this by lightly steaming the kale for three or four minutes until it becomes a bright green or by massaging raw, chopped kale for a couple of minutes until it breaks down and deepens in color.  Balance its flavor with foods that are sour, sweet, salty, or rich in heart-healthy fat.  For sour, think lemon juice or vinegar.  For sweet, add dried cranberries, oranges or orange juice, or chunks of apple or pear.  For salty add a handful of salted nuts or tamari.  For heart healthy fat, think flax oil or extra virgin olive oil, chunks of avocado, or a helping of pine nuts or sesame seeds.

When you’re shopping for kale, look for fresh, crisp leaves, and stay away from any that are yellowing, brown, slimy, or wilting.  Keep them in your refrigerator crisper in a plastic bag with room for them to aerate.  If they are overly wet, throw a paper towel inside with them.  If you’re the type that cleans your fruits and vegetables before storing, fight the urge with kale, and only clean it just prior to using.  When you’re ready to cook, wash the leaves thoroughly under running water to remove any sand and sediment.

For a vibrant, antioxidant-packed meal or side, try my vitamin C-rich kale salad.

Fresh and Flavorful Kale Salad

Serves two

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch of curly kale
  • 1 orange
  • ½ red bell pepper, chopped
  • ¼ cup peanuts
  • 1 Tbsp flax oil

Remove kale leaves from the thick center rib and chop the leaves coarsely or chiffonade.  Massage the leaves in a large bowl by kneading them for a couple of minutes until they are a deep green and tender.  Cut the orange in half.  Juice half of the orange into the kale, and chop the other half into sections and add them to the bowl.  Add the chopped bell pepper, peanuts, and flax oil.  Combine thoroughly.  Let the salad sit for at least ten minutes to further tenderize and allow the flavors to develop, then serve.

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