Curried Split-Pea Soup

I love soup. I also love curry.

So, one of my co-workers subscribes to about five different magazines. She brings them to work and leaves them in the lunch room with a few of those trashy celebrity magazines that someone else likes to read. What's my point? Well, since the mega-corporation that I work for decided that a subscription to the newspaper is an extravagant expense for our office, I end up reading a lot of home and garden magazines on my lunch breaks. In the Jan/Feb issue of Country Home, I came across this recipe for Curried Split-pea Soup. I was so excited to find a recipe in a main stream magazine that was already vegan! We tried it a week ago at my mom's house and it was a big hit. I changed things up a little because I don't follow directions well. I have a problem with authority. But that's OK. Baking is a science; measurements and method are important. Cooking, on the other hand, is an art. So be creative!

Here is a comparative list of ingredients called for in the recipe and my substitutions. (Follow the cooking instructions found in the recipe.)

Recipe/Substitution

2 14oz cans vegetable broth/32oz vegetable broth (Imagine aseptic package)
1 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk/SAME
2 1/3 C dry split peas/SAME
1 bay leaf/2 T dried sweet basil
2 medium sweet potatoes/SAME
1 LB shiitake mushrooms/1 LB cremini mushrooms
1 medium red sweet pepper/SAME
3 green onions/SAME
1 T soy sauce/omitted
2 t curry powder (add more to taste)/SAME
1/4 t crushed red pepper/1 bulb fresh roasted garlic
1/4 C fresh basil/1/4 C fresh cilantro

food-related goals for 2009

1. to grow my own soy beans

2. to procure a soy milk maker

3. to make wine - my step-dad is in on this one!

4. to experiment more with gluten free baking (from scratch!)

5. to eat/buy more local and organic produce

6. to get myself some good kitchen knives

7. to make my own tofu!! (and soy milk, of course)

i'm a little nervous about the wine and tofu making. i'll keep you posted as i work toward my goals. (also, i promise not use a wine necklace when drinking my homemade wine. promise.)

mark bittman on what we eat

like michael pollan, mark bittman offers a nice reminder that it's not an "us vs. them" battle when it comes to what we eat. we're all in this together and for myriad reasons the world needs to lessen its consumption of animal products. i'm really looking forward to reading bittman's book, food matters.

earthlings

local markets

so, i've been sick this past week. and whenever i'm sick i crave fresh fruit and vegetables! the combination of being sick and this frosty weather has me looking forward to spring and the return of our local farmer's markets - especially the two (!) that are within walking distance of my apartment. but i need not wait for the sun to show its golden face to enjoy local produce. no! spokane offers a few special winter markets to help us get through these dreary months.

Fresh Abundance - not really a farmer's market, but a market nonetheless offering local (within 200 miles) produce at three locations

Millwood Winter Market - for those of you on the eastside [of spokane]

Spokane Winter Market - in the community building, of course

C d'A Winter Market - thought i'd better include this one, too

happy [local] shopping!

GF Vegan Pizza

First off I need to start by saying just how much I love my mom's camera! I took this amazing shot using my mom's fancy Nikon, thanks mom! Also, I love my step-dad's oven. Yes, it's his oven - a shiny new convection oven. I made this spinach and mushroom pizza on Christmas day for lunch. I'm the only vegan in the family, but I wasn't the only one eating this pizza! I used a mix for the crust. It's not the best crust in the world, but it is gluten free and it isn't bad.

You will need:

Namaste Pizza Crust Mix (gluten free)
pizza sauce, you decide how much
1 C fresh spinach, washed
1/2 C sliced mushrooms
5 oz Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet mozarella style "cheese", shredded
olive oil
pizza pan or stone


Method:

Preheat oven according to package directions and prepare crust according to directions. The rest is pretty straight forward: Spread the pizza sauce on the crust and follow with toppings. I like to put the cheese on last so it melts nicely. Be sure to brush the exposed crust with olive oil to prevent it from drying out! Bake the pizza for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the crust has started to brown. I like to put the pizza under the broiler for a minute or two after baking to brown the cheese a little. Let the pizza cool for about 5 minutes then slice and enjoy!

Change: Vegan School Lunch

Change.org is taking votes on the Top Ten Ideas For Change to be presented to President Obama and you can vote for Vegan School Lunch Options to be among those included. You didn't think you were done after casting your ballot back in November, did you? Go ahead, participate in democracy! It feels great!