Pinto Bean and Chard Quesadillas with Mexican Slaw and Guacamole

This meal was not only super tasty, it was a nice way to use up both the local ingredients we had on hand, as well as some of the non-locals that have been hanging around to help fill the void of fresh produce. I love trying new things, but for some reason - perhaps I have seasonal affective disorder :-) - I seemed to have lost my cooking mojo in the early part of the year. I am happy to say it is coming back and so far I've had pretty good luck with what I've tried.

I love using simple whole foods, tons of fresh ingredients, and pair them in simple ways that take them to another level. I don't think food has to be pretentious - in fact, that just isn't my style. It also doesn't have to be complicated - by technique, number of ingredients, or some nutritionist logic of combining specific nutrients for "utmost effectiveness". Food doesn't have to be challenging, difficult, or confusing - it should be simple, straight forward common sense, and a pleasing experience to be shared with others.

It is sad to see so many people who come to see food as an enemy, they see it as merely fuel, when food is not only the source of life, it has been, in history, an expression of culture. The problem in reality is that Americans seem to have the one cultural diet that doesn't work. The way we view food, our relationship to it, it's purpose, and the scientific lens we have put it under has caused a culture of obesity and degenerative diseases. Interesting that the more we think we know, the more we tinker with food, the worse our health gets, and the harder it becomes for us to figure out what it is that we should be eating.

That is why I am a proponent of the cultural diet. Humans can be healthy and thrive on an incredibly diverse number of different diets. These diets, passed down over generations, by necessity have been the healthiest diets for the people in the region. The cultural diets are expressions of the land, and the people's ability to coax, combine, and create combinations of food that are celebrations and also sound nutritionally. The American diet has never been this way and as we see it spread across the world, we see our health problems being outsourced right along with it.

The cultural diet we tend to live by is, obviously, Mexican, Latin, or Southwestern. The combinations of many fresh veggies, healthy proteins in the form of legumes, pulses, and nuts, healthy fiber in the form of the fresh veggies, whole grain rice, and grains like quinoa in concert provide a wonderful level of nutritional benefit. There is also much flavoring provided by sauces loaded with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic - things we all know are good for us - but are much better in combination, better still in combination with beans and rice, though scientists don't really understand why. This is again part of the problem with reductionist science - these folks seem to think that there is one thing that can be isolated and added to something else that would provide the same level of nutrition and health as the whole foods in combination. It doesn't appear to work like that, and explanation or not, folks who subscribe to a cultural diet (and also don't fret over calories, antioxidants, cartenoids, and all the other buzz words in today's nutritional mine field), seem to be happier, healthier, and have a better relationship with food, community, and their land.

The point of all this - there are always so many fads going around as to the "keys to perfect health", it is always based on one nutrient, one compound, or more often still, something you should avoid. Whole foods are more than the sum of their nutrient parts, whether it can be explained by modern reductionist science or not, and that is a basic lesson that makes "what to eat" a lot easier to figure out.

Pick a type of food you like and see where it takes you. We like Mexican and have been subscribing to a vegetarian cultural Mexican, Southwestern, Latin (or inspired) diet for about three years and in that time I have lost about 30 pounds, become healthier, more active, my hair looks better, my skin looks better, Brett is more active, and I never worry about calories, fat, nutrients, etc. My eye sight has improved as my diet has improved. I truly don't understand it. I used to have to wear glasses when I read as my eyes would begin to have trouble focusing and everything would go blurry for a little while. A couple of years ago, a few months into our new way of eating, I noticed I didn't need the glasses anymore. I haven't needed them since. I still don't get it. We also enjoy our food far more - there are boundaries based on the typical flavor profiles we are choosing to use, but there is so much room for creativity, variation, and improvisation.

The moral of the story? Food should be fun, it should be enjoyed, and there are ways of simplifying the way we look at food that will not only make our food choices easier, but likely provide significant improvements to our health. Now this is just my opinion, I am no doctor or nutritionist, but I can say that I trust my own body and my common sense and this is what works for me.

I am getting off the soap box now and moving on to the recipe. :-)

















The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Mexican Slaw:
2 cups red cabbage, shredded fine
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1/4 yellow onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine *
2 tbsp veganaise
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp cumin
salt
black pepper

Combine all the veggies in a small bowl.

Whisk together veganaise, lime juice, and seasonings to taste.

Pour dressing over veggies and combine well.

Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to meld.

Pinto Bean and Chard Quesadillas:
2 cups pinto beans, cooked ****
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped *
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine *
6 cups fresh chard, chopped *
1 tbsp canola oil
a squirt of sriracha
cumin
black pepper
salt
tortillas

Heat canola oil in a medium skillet. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, beans and seasonings and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the chard and stir frequently until chard is wilted.

Simmer on low for about a half an hour. The beans, veggies, and seasonings will create their own tasty sauce.

Once the bean mixture is finished, layer cheese (if desired) and the filling in a warmed tortilla. Fry and serve with Mexican Slaw and Simple Guacamole.

Well, Happy Friday everyone.

'Til next time.

Mashed Potato and Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms and the October Eat Local Challenge

So I was browsing 28 Cooks awhile back when I came across one of her recipes for stuffed mushrooms. At first I thought she had stuffed the mushrooms with mashed potatoes - come to find out they were stuffed with cream cheese. Well I thought the idea of stuffing a mushroom with mashed potatoes sounded mighty good, so that's what I did!

We topped these with a variation of Veganomicon's Mushroom Gravy - basically, I used what I had on had. That gravy made the cookbook worth buying.

Note: This meal was made before the October Eat Local Challenge started - I am just behind as usual. ;-)

The local booty legend:
no asterisk = grocery store
* = farmer's market or The Root Cellar
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms




























Mashed Potato and Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms

6 large mushrooms, stems removed and rinsed

The mashed potatoes:
4 red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into large cubes *
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tbsp Earth Balance
1/4 cup rice milk
garlic powder
dried basil
black pepper
salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and garlic. Cook for 25-30 minutes, or until soft. Drain the potatoes.

Transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Blend potatoes and remaining ingredients together with a mixter or potato masher, adding more rice milk if necessary to reach desired consistency.

The other stuff:
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 small yellow onion, chopped **
2 cups of chard, chopped *
1 tbsp safflower oil

Heat safflower oil over medium heat in a medium sized skillet. Add the carrots and onions and stir-fry for about 10 minutes or until carmelized.

Add the chard in batches, covering with an oven proof plate or lid to steam if necessary.

Stir veggies into the mashed potatoes.

Spoon a few tablespoons of the potato mixture into each mushroom.

Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.

Let cool for a few minutes and top with mushroom gravy if desired.

These were seriously good, seriously. I wish folks around the Mid-Missouri area would grow more "common" mushrooms - button and portobello, things like that. I would eat stuffed mushrooms more often if I could find them locally.

Anywho, onto the October Eat Local Challenge. This challenge is put on by the cool folks who run EatLocalChallenge.com. They have hosted multiple local eating challenges and given great information and resources for folks who want to participate.

As you all know from the garden and local booty updates, we try to either grow our own or eat locally as much as possible already anyway. But there is always more that we can do, and ways we can creatively change our eating habits and also discover new foods. I like that this challenge allows for reasonable exceptions and it goes very well with the go local portion of the Unplug Yourself initiative.

You can see our exemptions on the side bar of the blog. Most of them are self explanatory. We have since found local beans, some other local staples (still no brown rice), and will consider them as options when we run out of our existing stashes of these things.

On top of the exemptions on the side bar are things that are non-local, not exempt, but that I already had on hand, such as olives and other canned goods that I had before signing up for the challenge. Also, if we go out to eat, we will go to a local restaurant at the very least, and one that tries to source locally at best.

Each week when I post the local booty updates I will do a dual Eat Local/Unplug Yourself update as to our progress and how well we have been able to stay within the parameters we set for ourselves.

If you are interested in participating in the Eat Local Challenge for the month of October as well, I'm sure it is not too late to sign up. You can sign up for the challenge here.

Well, it is late, and we still haven't had supper, so it is getting to be that time around here.

'Til next time.

Peanut-Veggie Soba Noodles

As I'm sure you've all gathered, Mexican is by far our favorite cuisine. Behind that would be various forms of Asian food, particular Thai and Japanese. I'm not very sure as to the "authenticity" of our Asian food - but it's tasty and we like it, so that is really all that matters. As of late, Leng's Fried Rice has made its way nicely into our regular recipe routine - it's so tasty (and versatile, we just use what veggies we have on hand)!

This is, obviously, not Leng's Fried Rice, but it was a quick and easy creation that was filling and takes advantage of all the local yummies we have at our disposal right now. And, because I'm a bit of a spice freak, I douse my serving in sriracha before I eat it, Brett's not a huge fan of the sriracha, it's a bit spicy for his taste, so the hot chile sauce I use in this recipe is a milder variety that I supplement with sriracha to please my "fire tooth". Some have a sweet tooth, I have a spice tooth. And the great thing about Asian food is the sweet and spicy combinations often found, so it's the best of both worlds, and both Brett and I can be satisfied!

Just a reminder of the produce legend:
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden

Without further fanfare, here she be!















Peanut-Veggie Soba Noodles

Sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup water
juice of one lime
2 tbsp brown rice vinegar
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp shoyu
2-4 chiles Japones, roughly chopped (or crushed red pepper to taste)
2-3 tbsp hot chile sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1" fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced *
a pinch of salt

Veggies and Such:
1/2 package of soba noodles

shredded cabbage **
chopped rainbow chard *
carrots, sliced into thin matchsticks
yellow squash, sliced into thin matchsticks ***
zucchini, sliced into thin matchsticks ***
1/2 an onion, sliced thin *
1/2 a red bell pepper, sliced thin *

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain once cooked.

Heat a few tablespoons of water in a small sauce pan. Add the chiles, ginger, and garlic and cook for about 5-8 minutes. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and combine well.

Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon or two or sesame oil over medium or medium-low heat. Add all the veggies and stir-fry until they begin to char.

Toss pasta with veggies and sauce and enjoy warm.

This was really good, we both really like soba noodles, and when we discovered that buckwheat attracts predatory insects, we were pretty excited as soba noodles are made from buckwheat.

'Til next time.

Quinoa Pasta with Roasted Veggies, Cannellini Beans and Rainbow Chard and I've been tagged!

While our dinner last night was nothing fancy, in fact, it was a very humble dish of pasta, veggies, and beans, it was nutritious, hearty, delicious and filling. These qualities equal a winner in my book, not to mention, this meal was perfectly in line with my budding whole foods, minimally processed, non ‘holy trinity’ emphasis in cooking!

The veggies were so pretty, they deserved their own picture.

Quinoa Pasta with Roasted Veggies, Cannellini Beans and Rainbow Chard

Serves 4 (two big dinners, and two nice sized leftover lunches for us)

1 8 oz. box of quinoa spiral pasta
1 zucchini, roasted and sliced
1 yellow squash, roasted and sliced
1/2 butternut squash cubed and roasted
3-4 cloves of garlic, roasted and sliced*
1 red bell pepper, roasted and sliced
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed**
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
3 leaves of rainbow chard, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup veggie broth
mushroom onion marinara (or any vegan marinara)
toasted pine nuts (optional)

Have roasted veggies prepped ahead of time and this makes a quick meal.

Otherwise, preheat oven to 425.

Heat coconut oil on a baking sheet to melt.

Wash zucchini, yellow squash and bell pepper. Cut in half and place on baking sheet. Cut butternut into small cubes and place on baking sheet.

Cut 1/2 inch off the top of a clove of garlic. Drizzle with melted coconut oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Wrap in foil and place on baking sheet.

Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until tender. The garlic is done when it feels soft when gently squeezed through the foil, it may need to go longer than the squash and peppers. Let veggies cool for a few minutes, then slice.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat veggie broth in skillet and add chard in batches, stirring often, until soft.

If topping with toasted pine nuts, simply heat an unoiled skillet, toss in pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently over medium heat until golden brown.

Transfer veggies and beans to a large pot. Add marinara and heat through.

Serve sauce over hot, cooked noodles.

Top with optional toasted pine nuts for an extra treat.

*You can refrigerate the leftovers for use in a different meal.

**I don't usually use canned beans but I had never tried cannellini before, and didn't want to buy a lot on the off chance I didn't like them. I also didn't see dried cannellini beans available, I'll have to look around for a local supplier.

The always informative and supreme kitty picture taker, Cookiemouse, has tagged me to partake in a neat little quiz!

1. What were you doing 10 years ago? In 1998?

Haha! This might be a more illustrative question for someone older. In 1998, I hadn't even started high school! But likely I was being an all around punk in the throes of puberty. :-)

What were you doing 1 year ago?

Ok, this one I can answer better. A year ago I was finishing my studies in psychology and sociology at a small, private liberal arts college in Columbia, Missouri. I was also working as a cashier for the University of Missouri - Columbia.

2. Five favorite snacks?

These questions always seem to put me on the spot, but I'll do my best. These are in no particular order: fresh fruit (preferably clementines, strawberries, or cantaloupe); whole wheat pita and veggies with garlicky hummus; dried fruit and nuts; Nature's Path Hemp Plus Raisin granola bars; a big glass of chocolate hemp milk

3. Five favorite toys?

Does the library count?! Hehe. My five favorite toys would have to be (again in no particular order): e-book reader; thumb drive; Playstation; camera; chess board (though I don't get to play enough and I suck terribly)

4. What I like doing

Hmm. Well, I like doing a lot of things, but in particular I enjoy: walking, bird watching, reading, cooking/baking, talking about current issues, watching documentaries, reading blogs, collecting recipes, listening to music, being silly, playing the occasional video game, forever contemplating co-authoring a book with Brett about stupidity (what a dumb idea, hehe), you get the gist.

5. My bad habits

Oh where to begin? Well, I'm going to steal one of Cookiemouse's responses: I drink too much caffeine, my favorite teas are even caffeinated. I procrastinate a lot, am too forgetful, and am horrible with the phone to the point where my family and friends often wonder if I'm still alive. (I seriously hate the phone - a lot, never have been fan, I rarely answer the phone [unless you're Brett], don't return calls, etc. I don't mean to be rude, I just hate it. My friends have come to understand that I am really weird about things, the phone being one of them. There are certain things you have to get used to when befriending someone like me.)

I guess this means I need to tag a few folks myself. Mwahahaha! So, I'll have to tag Romina (of the Vegan Eating for One blog), Lindsay (aka the Happy Herbivore), and Lori (of the Pleasantly Plump Vegan blog). Since Cookiemouse already tagged Lizzy, I won't double-do it, but I was going to tag you Lizzy!

‘Til next time!

Tofu, Veggie, and Rice Noodle Stir-Fry

So those of you out there, uncomfortable with the last entry, wondering if you still want to visit my blog, can breathe a sigh of relief that this one is about food. Though don’t say you weren’t warned, I added the ‘Other Random Musings’ part for a reason. :-)

We went to the store last night after work and got another load of grub. A little embarrassing but, I have a recipe I have wanted to try from over at Authentic Deliciousness’ blog, which called for parsnips. I have to be honest, I had never seen a parsnip before, I knew nothing more about them than that they are root vegetables. So at the store, the labels are not exactly in the spots they should be, as I ended up with a rutabaga, Googled ‘parsnips’ when I got home, and well, it wasn’t one, so I Googled other root veggies to identify this one. Since it is a root vegetable I think it will work for this meal. And hey, we get to try rutabaga right?

Anyways, I was planning on making VeganYumYum’s Pan Fried Tofu, Kale, and Stir-Fried Noodles, but ended up going a different way with it. What I hadn’t realized when I picked out this recipe was that it was simply tofu, kale, and noodles with a sauce. That would not fly in my house, as I mentioned earlier, we are pretty picky when it comes to tofu. And the sauce, while pretty good, was missing a bit of something, and only called for ¼ teaspoon of hot chili sauce, I mean, come on! I also like to buy my greens organic and there was no organic kale available, so we got red chard. So I changed up the sauce a bit, added more veggies, and cut the tofu in half.

Tofu & Veggie Noodle Stir-Fry
1 tsp coconut oil
½ package firm tofu, pressed, and cut into small chunks
1 bunch of chard, cut into bite sized pieces
½ red bell pepper, diced
¼ onion, diced
1/2 cup broccoli, cooked
½ cup snap peas cooked
½ package of rice stick noodles

Sauce
¼ cup water
¼ cup shoyu (or other soy sauce)
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1-2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tbsp rice vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned would work, I used seasoned)
1-2 tbsp agave nectar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp stone ground brown mustard
1 tsp or more hot chili sauce (I would start with this depending on how spicy you like things, I used 2 tbsp, but I’m a spice freak)
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Press tofu and cut into small chunks.

Whip together the sauce. Reserve half the sauce for the stir-fry, and marinate the tofu in the other half of the sauce for about a half hour. You can use this time to chop and cook the other veggies.

Cook rice noodles according to package directions, set aside.

In a large skillet, heat a couple of tablespoons of water. Add bell pepper and onion and cook until translucent.

Heat coconut oil and add tofu, stir-frying over medium high heat until tofu crisp. Add cooked broccoli, snow peas, and remaining sauce.

Add chard in small batches, covering with a lid to help with the chard.

Serve over hot rice noodles.

Well, my Mom is coming for a visit today, haven’t seen her for probably six months or more, so I’m pretty excited. I’m also taking her out to lunch. Now this might not mean much to you all out there, but this is the first time I have ever been able to afford to take her out, when I was in college it was always the other way around, so I’m proud to take her to the tea room here in town she likes. They aren’t the most vegan friendly place, but if all else fails I can munch on their amazing sweet potato chips and have a nice pot of Earl Grey tea. As I’m sure you could tell by the picture of the groceries with the two boxes on it, we are fans of the Earl Grey.

‘Til next time!