Mushrooms Mysteries

Who knew they could be so fascinating ?

Incredible Exotic Mushrooms, Honey and Vanilla

The bi-annual ag tour conference took us to the organic raw honey company - Volcano Island Honey (run by proud card carrying old hippie attorney who escaped to Hawaii), the pristine mushroom farm, Hamakua Mushrooms, and the high mountain vanilla cafe at Hawaii Vanilla. Check out how they grow the mushrooms - in clean sterilized wood chip base - not dirt/manure/chemicals (we learned). At the vanilla place they served us lunch and my meal (the only vegetarian I think) was a dish of the incredible Ali'i Mushrooms from the Hamakua Farm. WOW - these are all about eating the stem, not just the cap, and the stems are solid, meaty in texture (dare I say?) and a really tasty - complex flavor.


Everything in the meal had a little bit of vanilla somewhere in it - the raisins in the mushroom stir fry ( with onions garlice kabota squash and parsely), the foccacia appetizer, the ice cream dessert, and even the final coffee.


Much to my surprise, one of the trip highlights was that I ended up at the back of the line at the mushroom farm and scored all of the samples. That is them on the green plate - the lighter big ones are the Ali'i, the strange ruffled red ones are an endemic Hawaiian they are just getting ready to start selling. I've done a few stirfrys with them - one mixed into a re-heated eggplant parmesan that was excellent.





And I am new to the idea that mushrooms are not a 'plant' ! Did you know that ? Certainly not an animal or a mineral, so what ARE they ?

(brings to mind some old children's rhyme about the 'fungus amongus ;)

Polenta Stuffed Peppers

We ate these sliced and fried with black beans, creamed kale, pineapple-ginger salsa, and a garnish of cilantro and green onions.

6 bell peppers (preferably a combination of red, green, and yellow)
1 medium onion, chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, diced
5 c broth
1 t salt
1 1/2 c polenta
1 c soy milk
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
2 T nutritional yeast
2 t paprika

Pre-heat oven to 375F.
Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs.
Stand peppers upright in a glass baking dish.
Saute onion in a little oil until translucent.
Add garlic, cook for one minute.
Add broth and salt, bring to a boil.
Slowly add polenta, whisking it in as you pour it.
Stir in soy milk, cilantro, and seasonings.
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 12 minutes. Polenta should become thick.
Pour polenta mixture into peppers.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until peppers are cooked.
Serve hot, whole or sliced into circles. Alternatively, cool, slice into thick circles and fry in olive in oil.

The Definitive Waffle Recipe

This is it! Eureka! We have made the perfect waffle!

We ate these with maple syrup and blueberries this morning, and I hummed the whole time.

3/4 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c white flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 T brown sugar
1 1/2 c soy milk (we used an unsweetened variety)
2 T canola or safflower oil

Combine dry ingredients.
Whisk together soy milk and oil vigorously for about a minute.
Combine wet and dry ingredients, stirring only as much as is necessary. Don't worry if the batter still looks lumpy.
Cook according to your waffle iron's directions.

Applesauce-Carrot Cake

This is my version of an old recipe. It comes out moist and fluffy. You can't fail. I have made it both as
cupcakes and square cake.

1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
grated carrot - about 1/4 cup
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the wet ingredients mixing them together first and then incorporating the flour completely. Pour into ungreased 8 inch square pan or muffin tin lined with baking cups.
Bake at 350 degrees 30 -35 minutes

I made a frosting with about 2 tablespoons Tofutti and 1 cup powdered sugar, thinned with water to drizzle consistency and 1 drop almond flavoring. (These measurements are not exact. This is the best that I can remember.)

Merry Chirstmas

Thanks for the cookie recipe! Here they sit with a sweet Indian Madonna and the jolly Mexican Bus ... under a tropical Christmas tree ... Holiday well wishes to all ! (ps - I found vegan chocolate chips that are dark but not bitter )

A&M's PBCCC

For those not in the know, A&M's PBCCC = Aquila and Morgana's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. We couldn't find a recipe we liked, so we just made one up tonight in our Christmas Eve baking frenzy. These turned out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. We used unsweetened chocolate, which is shocking at first but really good as you eat more and get used to the bitterness.

1/2 c margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 c soy milk
1 t vanilla
1/2 c peanut butter (we used creamy)
2 eggs worth of egg replacer
2 c flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup peanuts

Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Cream margarine and sugar.
Mix in soy milk, vanilla, peanut butter and egg replacer.
Add flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda, combine thoroughly.
Stir in chocolate chips and peanuts.
Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn brown.

Tulum Revisited

The Mezzanine Restaurant on Tulum Beach on the Yucatan (1.5 hr so of Cancun airport) is still a moment of suspended belief ... oceanfront hovering above the sand, Thai chef, great outdoor terrace and elegant ethnic indoor seating. This time I negotiated for the recipe for the cinnamon sauce on the vegetable and tofu kabobs - managed to get the ingredients, not proportions, so Aq, you have some experimenting to do ...

Lunch was the pair of delicious kabobs, an avocado on lettuce with garnish salad, a smoothie, and then the birthday dessert was a slice of a key lime pie more like a cheesecake. This is the life!

Tortilla masterpiece and too easy!

Here is a wonderful simple meal - embarassingly lazy to make and so tasty to eat! Double steamed tortillas hold a simple cold salsa of canned black beans, diced avocado, an organic jarred salsa, fresh tomatoes, chopped red onion, and cilantro. For vegetarians/non vegans, cheese melted between the tortillas is nice. Or vegan tempeh could be added to salsa ? Topped with sliced avocado, torn lettuce and pumpkin seeds - could it be easier ? Fresh corn added to salsa would be good, and we did this once with fresh mango here and it was blissful.

Thanksgiving - Christmas time is when the totally sweet tangerines are ripe here by the way. Have also been chilling them and juicing them - excellent! Like Sarah said - it is amazing "food DOES grow on trees!"

Creamed Swiss Chard

Comfort food! Rich, creamy, good for fooling people who don't like vegetables. I served this tonight with Stuffed Yams and Emergency Garlic Bread (just french bread toasted with earth balance, garlic powder, basil and oregano on top).

1 bunch swiss chard
1 T margarine
1 T flour
3 cloves garlic, diced
2/3 c soy milk
2 t nutritional yeast
salt and pepper

Remove stems from swiss chard and slice leaves into small squares.
Steam swiss chard until very soft, about 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt margarine.
Whisk in flour to form a paste.
Add garlic, cook for 1 minute.
Whisk in soy milk and nutritional yeast.
Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and is almost boiling.
Add cooked swiss chard to sauce, stir to combine.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook for 5 minutes.

Fruitcake - Not the Doorstop Kind

My sister, Norma, made a fruit compote of dried apricots, cranberries, raisins and spices. And she gave me the leftovers, which made about two cups. Just the right amount for the Apple Walnut Bread recipe posted by Aquila on Nov. 10th. I just substituted the fruit compote for the apples. I didn't add any of the spices since the compote was already spiced and I used water instead of soy milk. It came out great! It's all gone now.

Pineapple-Coconut Sherbet

This is very simple and very good. I didn't put any oil in this recipe, but you could try adding some for extra creaminess. I also think it would be good with pineapple chunks, but I haven't tried that yet. The flavour will vary a bit depending on which brand of juice and soy milk you use, so I'm afraid you may have to eat a lot of sherbet to find the perfect combination :)

1 1/3 c pineapple-coconut juice (I used Happy Planet, but R.W. Knudsen and Santa Cruz make good versions too)
2/3 c soy milk
1/3-1/2 c sugar, depending on sweetness of juice

Whisk juice and sugar together.
Freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions until just starting to become solid.
Stir in soy milk.
Freeze until it reaches the desired consistency.

Mac'N'Cheesey-Sauce

This is one of my favorite comfort-food type meals. It is rich and creamy, full of b-vitamins and complex carbohydrates to make you happy. This recipe makes a very flavourful, saucy casserole; if you like a drier casserole or a more subtle sauce you can easily adjust the proportions.

1 lb macaroni or other pasta (preferably whole wheat)
1/4 c margarine
1/4 c flour
3 c soy milk
3/4 c + 2 T nutritional yeast
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t mustard powder
1/2 t basil
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
pinch of turmeric
1 onion, diced

Cook pasta according to package directions just until al dente, then cool completely under cold running water.
Meanwhile, melt margarine, whisk in flour, stirring until a thick paste is formed.
Add soy milk and seasonings, whisking to combine thoroughly.
Adjust seasonings according to taste.
Add onion.
Cook over med-low heat until it just starts to bubble, stirring frequently and being careful not to let it stick or burn.
Combine sauce and pasta in a deep casserole dish.
Top with a little extra nutritional yeast and paprika.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned.

Variations:
Before baking, cover with a layer of bread crumbs and dot with a little extra margarine.
Add vegetables before baking, my favorite combinations are broccoli and carrots or zucchini and fresh tomatoes.
To make a lower fat version, just reduce the margarine and flour by equal amounts, it will make a thinner sauce but will still taste great.
This sauce is also especially good over quinoa and stir-fried vegetables.
Tonight we tried dipping bread, pears, and random veggies in the sauce for a sort of fondue; it was good, but I think a less strongly seasoned sauce would be more appropriate for fondue.

Avocado Ice Cream

Yes, you heard me right, avocado ice cream. It's amazing. But what's more amazing is that we haven't all grown up eating avocado ice cream. How did I live without it? This recipe is slightly adapted from the wonderful "Vegan Ice Cream Paradise" blog.
3 medium avocados, peels and pits removed
3 c soy milk
2 T oil
1/4 c lime juice
1/2-2/3 c sugar, depending on your preference and the tartness of the lime juice
pinch of salt

Blend every thoroughly, in batches if your blender can't handle it.
Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Black Bean-Kasha Burgers

AKA bean burgers version 1.0. This was our first attempt to use our new pressure cooker. Aside from the threatening hissing sounds it made, which scared me, the pressure cooker behaved and we ended up with perfectly cooked beans. Hurray!

These burgers are delicious and not as crumbly as many bean-burgers, but I think the inside was a little too soft and moist for my taste, so next time I will try adding cornmeal or more oats to dry it out a bit. Let me know if you make an improved version.

Although I made these as burgers, tonight we had them as patties with Holiday Spiced Squash and Collards on the side. We ended up putting Goddess Dressing on top, and the goddess never disappoints, but I'm sure a home made gravy or miso or tahini sauce would be even better.

1 1/2 c diced onion (1 large onion)
1 head garlic, diced
1 c grated carrot (2 small carrots)
2 1/2 c grated button mushrooms (about 8 large mushrooms)
4 c cooked black beans
2 c cooked kasha
1 T braggs
3 T nutritional yeast
1 T dried parsley flakes
2 t paprika
1 t black pepper
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t cumin
pinch of cayenne
1/3 c quick cooking oats
1/3 c sunflower seeds

Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Saute onions until translucent, but not brown.
Add garlic, cook for three minutes.
Add carrots, cook for another three minutes.
Add mushrooms, cook until all the vegetables are soft.
Mash black beans and kasha thoroughly.
Add braggs, nutritional yeast, parsley, paprika, pepper, oregano, cumin, and cayenne.
Mix thoroughly with your hands.
Mix in oats and sunflower seeds.
Shape into thin patties by hand.
Place on an oiled cookie sheet.
Bake for twelve minutes.
Flip patties over, bake for ten minutes.

Holiday Spiced Squash

This sweet and spicy baked winter squash tastes like the holidays! The seasonings are in such small amounts, and peoples preferences vary so much, that I won't give specific measurements, so just experiment.

1 small winter squash, such as acorn or delicata
2 t margarine
1/2 t brown sugar
Salt, black pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Slice squash in half and remove seeds.
Place squash halves, cut side up, in a baking dish filled with a little water and put some more water in the hollow of each half.
Bake until flesh is soft when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes (though this will obviously vary with the type and size of squash you use).
Remove from oven and empty out any water remaining in the hollows.
Divide margarine between halves and spread evenly over the inside of each half.
Sprinkle each half with half of the brown sugar and a small pinch of each of the remaining spices.
Bake for another ten minutes.

Collards

A delicate, just slightly creamy dish.

1 T margarine
1 bunch collards
4 pearl onions, quartered
Salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of nutmeg
1/4 c soy milk

Slice collard leaves in half lengthwise, then slice widthwise into thin strips.
Melt margarine, add onions and collards.
Cook until the collards begin to wilt, about five minutes, and add spices.
Cook until collards are just barely soft, about ten minutes, add soy milk.
Cook for another ten minutes, until collards are completely done.

Mint Double Mocha Cookies

.5 c butter
1 c raw sugar
.5 c unsweetened apple sauce
3 T Cocoa (please for the Love of God not Hershey's/Baker's)
3 T finely ground Coffee
1 t baking powder
.5 t salt
1 t real vanilla
1 t peppermint extract
2 c whole wheat flour
8 oz Chocolate chips or chunks (try Guittard, or your favorite Chocolate bar)

Melt butter, add everything else in order (more or less), mixing in the flour before adding chocolatey bits. If you want to feel like a daredevil, pretend that there's a vegan equivalent of salmonella and eat the batter. Or eat it with ice cream. If you have any dough left, bake it at 325 for 15-20 minutes.

More Scones: Carrot Apple Ginger

Here's a yummy soft crumbly variant of Aquila's scones.

1.5 c w/w flour
1 t baking powder
.5 t baking soda
.5 t salt
2 t nutritional yeast
some ground pepper, ginger, garlic, mustard, and cayenne
5 T butter substitute
.5 c finely grated carrot
.5 c onion, diced
.25 c parsley, chopped
.5 c apple sauce

Bake at 350-375 for 15-20 minutes, depending on size. Makes about 10.

Banana Bliss Ice Cream

Branden's parents gave us a nice little ice cream maker when they came to visit. It's taken us a little while to start experimenting with it, but this ice cream was worth the wait! We made an orange sorbet first (just orange juice and sugar). This is the first creamy ice cream we tried, and it just blew us away! It was so much better than I expected a first try to be. Just be warned: you may not be able to stop eating this once you've made it, the recipe makes something like a quart, and we finished it off in about 24 hours.

3 c soy milk
2 bananas
4-6 T oil
6-8 T liquid sweetener
1 T vanilla extract
2 T cornstarch
Pinch of salt

Blend everything until smooth.
Heat on low-heat, stirring constantly, until just about to boil (the first bubbles should just be starting to burst).
Let cool until at room temperature (I put the whole pot in the refrigerator).
Freeze according to the directions for your ice cream maker.