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…but, what do you eat???By Justina WallsCongratulations are in order! We celebrate one of "our own"! Jeani-Rose Atchison, a VSC member living in Grand Junction, has published her first cookbook! Everyday Vegan (North Atlantic Books, 2002) is a delight! As with most vegetarian cookbooks, this one includes sections on nutrition and ingredients – but with some unusual twists. It includes information on feeding children healthy and nutritious foods. Atchison has an "in-home" laboratory regarding what will or won’t work, as she and her husband have three young children! For those of us who have frequently heard "vegetarianism works for me, but is it ok for my children?" this book offers very helpful information. Atchison gives straightforward instructions on sprouting, tempeh making, and natural cleansers for the home. She discusses organic foods, pesticides, genetically engineered foods, and irradiated foods in addition to discussions of protein, carbohydrates, dairy, and sweeteners. She focuses on whole foods, and includes a "whole" philosophy of life as well. Although some soy is used, her recipes are not heavily soy based, offering many options for those allergic to soy, or simply wanting to diversify a bit in their diets. She is very generous with contact information for various vegetarian resources, including quality products, companies, and books. Interestingly, the "Entrees" section of the book includes breakfast foods – something that was initially surprising, as I’d not seen that kind of organization before, but it does makes sense! She discusses the difference between saturated fat in coconut oil and animal products, and explains how the form of saturated fat in coconut oil is a medium chain, rather than a long chain saturated fatty acid, thus converting to fuel and energy rather than being stored as fat. This is good news for those of us concerned about using the few vegetable sources of saturated fat. She includes a variety of food tastes such as Asian and Indian, as well as more "traditional American" tastes. The recipes are sprinkled with bits of philosophy ranging from Marie Curie to Thich Nhat Hanh. This is a book that you will enjoy reading, as well as cooking from, and it fulfills its name of truly being useful for healthful, everyday cooking. The author suggested the following recipes as some of her personal favorites, and favored by those attending her demonstrations and classes. If you have an opportunity to attend one of her gatherings, do go! It is sure to be a treat! Enjoy the birth of Atchison’s newest "baby", knowing that you nurture your body and soul! Germinated Sunflower Seed Spread – p. 74 This has been a very popular spread for entertaining and at my many demos and workshops. It is quick and nutritious and the plate is cleaned quickly. Try it with baked blue corn chips or as a sandwich spread and even just on a bed of crisp greens. 2 cups raw, hulled sunflower seeds, soaked overnight and drained 1 carrot, diced 2 green onions, chopped 1 small handful of parsley, minced 1 leaf of kale, or other hardy green 1/4-1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise (try cashew/sunflower seed mayonnaise below) 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard 1 heaping tablespoon Vogue Vege Base or other vegetable broth powder Sea salt to taste *1/2 cup arame, soaked in warm or hot water 30 minutes, rinsed, drained, and coarsely chopped 2 stalks celery, diced small Place sunflower seeds, carrot, green onion, parsley, and kale in a food processor and run until finely mixed. Add mayonnaise, mustard, Vogue, and salt. Process just until blended. Scoop into a serving bowl and stir in arame and celery. Cashew-Sunflower Mayonnaise – p. 82 ¼ cup sunflower seeds ¼ cup cashews ½ cup water ¼ cup lemon juice ½ teaspoon sea salt ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon dry mustard ½ cup olive oil Grind seeds and nuts if your blender is not strong. Place in blender. Add water and lemon juice. Add seasonings. Process until smooth. Pour in olive oil while blender is running on a medium speed. Process until thickened. Refrigerate. Red Bell Pepper and Fennel Soup - p. 107 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1large onion, diced 2 large stalks celery, diced 2 medium red potatoes, diced ½ bulb fennel (whole if small), diced, green top included ½ -1 teaspoon rosemary, crushed ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 ½ cups plain vegan milk 1 cup water Sauté veggies in oil until onion is softened. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until just tender. Puree until smooth. Carrot Cake - p. 279 This is my favorite cake. I use only fruit as a sweetener, and it is still sinfully rich. 2 cups finely ground carrots (or carrot pulp from juiced carrots) 1 cup raisins, soaked in water about I hour (save soak water) 1 cup dates 1 cup nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, brazil nuts, etc.) 2 cups oat flour 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, ground 1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg, ground Zest of one lemon Zest of one orange ¼ cup dried pineapple, diced small 2 teaspoons vanilla ¼ teaspoon sea salt Frosting. 2 cups cashews ½ cup raisin soak water, adding more if necessary 2 tablespoons lemon juice **Several drops of stevia liquid 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 lemon zest Press excess liquid from carrots, if necessary. Process raisins, dates, and nuts in food processor until finely ground. Combine well with remaining ingredients. Prepare frosting. Process all ingredients in blender until smooth. Add more raisin soak water, if necessary, to achieve desired consistency. Line a 10-inch pie pan with plastic wrap. Press half of cake mixture into pan. Turn pan over onto serving plate. Remove pan and plastic wrap. Spread half of frosting over top. Repeat molding with remaining mixture. Gently release on top of first layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Garnish with cinnamon and chopped nuts, if desired. * Arame is a sea vegetable, and is available at health food or Asian markets. **Stevia is an extremely sweet herb and is available in powdered, leaf, or liquid form at health food markets. |