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OUR ENERGY-SAVING EXPERIENCES; + ONE-POT CHEESEY FARFALLE (BOWTIE PASTA) WITH ASPARAGUS & SOY CURLS

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One-pot Cheesy Farfalle (Bowtie Pasta) with Asparagus, Zucchini & Soy Curls, recipe below

I must apologize for not posting much lately.  I seem to be suffering from bouts of IFS.  I was just thinking of it as “Internet fatigue”, but, apparently, it has a name already– Information Fatigue Syndrome.  So, I’ve been curtailing some of my Internet activities and reading actual books.

But I have not been totally inactive.  Actually, my husband and I have been (and still are) on a mission– to use less energy in our home.  And, in two weeks, we have lowered our energy consumption by 40{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9}!  (This is according to our BC Hydro website, our provincial electrical company, where we can see our monthly, weekly and daily electrical consumption.)

So far we have lowered our energy consumption by: 
**Turning the water heater down to 120 degrees F
**Using only cold-water wash and rinse in our front-loader washing machine
**Hanging laundry to dry (outside, or inside on racks + one line) and only using the dryer on medium heat for short time to fluff up towels or get out the wrinkles
**Turning off the power bars for electronics at night and unplugging the laptops
**Putting the laptops in sleep mode between uses during the day
**Being very careful about not turning on so many lights in the house
**Taking short showers and not necessarily every day (bring back the old-fashioned “sponge bath” on some days)
Note: we don’t heat with gas or electricity– only wood– and our house is very tight, so we are lucky that heat is not wasted.
But we also discovered that many savings can be made in the kitchen. For instance: 
**Not OVER-preheating the oven before use
**Using the “Eco-Wash” cycle on the dishwasher and turning off the heat-dry option
**Not running hot water without really thinking about it– You can rinse dishes for the dishwasher in cold water, and wash out the sink and wash your hands with cold water and soap.  When I do use hot tap water now, I’m very concious of it and don’t waste it down the drain.  I use the electric kettle to boil water for cooking.
** Cooking several things in the stove oven at once, if we must use it; otherwise using the little counter-top oven.
**Using the microwave for making sauces, puddings, etc., and sweating vegetables for soup and other dishes; for steaming veggies in their own juices, with no added water; making risotto, and many other tasks.
**We found out that our electric stove burners use alot of energy. So, I’m now utilizing my small appliances more frequently (pressure cooker–mine is electric– and slow-cooker; electric frying pan; electric kettle; microwave [which can save up to 80{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} of the energy used to heat in a stove]; and our small counter-top oven.)
When I do use the stove burners I turn the heat down as low as I possibly can while still completing my task properly, and I turn the burner off slightly before the dish is finished, utilizing the residual heat.
**What more can we do in the kitchen? We plan to replace our ancient chest freezer as soon as we can afford to, and I’m looking into getting an induction burner plate for stir-frying, etc.

I’ve also been experimenting with some different cooking methods, especially to avoid boiling pots of water.  For instance, when we felt like having mashed carrots and potatoes (a favorite of DH) I cut the potatoes in chunks and the carrots in smaller pieces and pressure-cooked them together, using only 1/2 cup water, in 8 minutes.  Perfect!

These days, our preferred method of cooking pasta is this:  Bring a pot of water to a boil– but not as much water as you might be used to. I use about 2 qts. for up to a pound of pasta, and I bring the water to a boil in an electric kettle, then pour it into the pot before turning on the heat. When it comes back to a boil, add your pasta, bring back to a boil, stirring a bit, turn the heat off, cover and let stand for 8-10 minutes or so. (Spaghettini will take 8 minutes, other pasta, such as rotini or other shapes will take 10.) Drain and serve as usual.  Trust me– this works beautifully!  The pasta is tender but al dente and there is no stickiness.

Gemelli pasta cooked by the no-boil method in the paragraph above.

This method can be used for cooking other foods and it is also known as “passive boiling”.  It is mentioned in two books that I recommend (actually the ONLY books on reducing energy-use in the kitchen that I could find): “Cooking Green: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen” by Kate Heyhoe (she calls it “reducing your cookprint”– clever), and “The Green Kitchen” by Richard Ehrlich, a British journalist. See if your library has them, if you prefer not to buy them– they are full of good ideas.

Another energy-saving pasta-cooking method (can you tell that we like pasta?) is the self-saucing one-pot method.  I first heard about this about a year ago and I was intrigued by Martha Stewart’s recipe for a recipe from the province of Puglia inItaly, in which all of the ingredients, including the dry pasta, are cooked in a pot together with water for about 9-10 minutes (I used vegetarian broth in mine, of course) until the pasta is al dente and a creamy sauce results.I used tagliatelle nests instead of linguine. The dish was quite tasty– we sprinkled it with Go Veggie! soy parmesan (which used to be Galaxy Vegan).

My version of Martha Stewart’s One-Pan Pasta, before cooking.

Now there are many recipes online utilizing this method.  Below is the recipe for one that I threw together the other night– and very yummy it was.

Anyway, I should get to bed– work tomorrow!  But I’d be interested to hear your energy-saving kitchen ideas and explorations.

Printable Copy

BRYANNA’S ONE-POT CHEESY FARFALLE (BOWTIE PASTA) WITH ASPARAGUS, ZUCCHINI & SOY CURLS 

  Serves 4  

A quick, self-saucing one-dish meal, and only one pot to clean!
1 tablespoon    olive oil   
4 cloves    garlic, chopped   
3 cups    “chicken-y” vegan broth (I like Better Than Bouillonvegan “No-Chicken” base)
1/2 lb. (8 oz)    farfalle (bowtie pasta)
2 cups    reconstituted Butler Soy Curls (see this post for info) or other sliced vegan chicken sub
1 tsp    dried basil (or some chopped fresh, if you have it)
8 stalks    asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-2” pieces 
2 small zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick “coins”
12    red grape tomatoes, halved   
3    green onions, thinly-sliced   
1/2 cup    vegan mozza cheese shreds (I used Daiya)
1/4 cup    vegan parmesan sub (I used Go Veggie! soy parmesan)  
   freshly-ground black pepper  

In a large heavy pot or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and sauté briefly—do not brown the garlic.  Add the broth, pasta, Soy Curls and basil. Increase heat and bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 8 minutes. Add the asparagus and zucchini, cover again and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, green onions and the vegan cheeses.  Toss gently, grind pepper over the dish and serve immediately.
   
 Nutrition Facts 

Nutrition (per serving): 405.1 calories; 21{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} calories from fat; 9.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 1696.0mg sodium; 427.0mg potassium; 60.8g carbohydrates; 5.6g fiber; 4.5g sugar; 55.2g net carbs; 19.3g protein. 
Enjoy!
The kitchen journal of a vegan food writer…For the 21st
century we need to learn to cook for ourselves again,
and learning to cook vegan can be a bit intimidating.
I’d like to help with that, from my kitchen to yours.

Bryanna Clark Grogan, author of 8 published vegan cookbooks and The Vegan Feast quarterly cooking newsletter. Moderator of the beginners’ vegetarian forum on vegsource.com.

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FARINATA (ITALIAN CHICKPEA FLOUR "PANCAKE") WITH VEGETABLE TOPPING FOR DINNER

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NOTE: Apologies for my lack of posting and this short post!  I’m trying to get ready for Easter company and I have a knee that’s acting up, so I’m not getting as much done as I would like.  I’ll post a proper post very soon!
HAPPY EASTER AND HAPPY PASSOVER/PESACH!

Above is a photo of our dinner the other night– Farinata (Italian chickpea flour “pancake”) with a topping of lightly sautéed veggies and a bit of vegan cheese, accompanied by roasted cauliflower. This is one of my favorite dishes. The recipe for the basic Farinata (and some history, too) is at this post on my blog (and it’s in my book “Nonna’s Italian Kitchen“). It is far more delicious than the simple ingredients might suggest. The modern way to eat this very old peasant dish is to use toppings on the already-baked farinata, a bit like pizza (it doesn’t taste like pizza, though). Personally, I like vegetable toppings, cooked ones in colder weather, raw or cooked ones at room temperature in warmer weather. You can let your imagination run wild, but I think less is more in terms of number of ingredients.

The topping in the photo was a combination of thinly-sliced onion, chopped brocolette, thinly sliced baby zucchini, and some organic oven-dried Roma tomatoes from a jar (they are from Costco, Kirkland brand, and contain herbs and oil– I rinse much of the oil off them in a strainer before using), along with some basil and about 4 cloves of garlic, slivered. I added a bit of soy parmesan (Go Veggie! brand) and sprinkled a handful of Daiya mozza shreds on top (but you could use whatever type you prefer). 

Honestly, it’s such an easy, inexpensive meal and so very nutritious and delicious! DH is crazy about this!
PS: I usually make this in a 14″ round pizza pan, but I this time made it in my little Cuisinart countertop oven (energy-saving!), so I used the 12″ square pan that comes with the oven, lined with parchment.

Do give this a try!


Enjoy!


The kitchen journal of a vegan food writer…For the 21st
century we need to learn to cook for ourselves again,
and learning to cook vegan can be a bit intimidating.
I’d like to help with that, from my kitchen to yours.

Bryanna Clark Grogan, author of 8 published vegan cookbooks and The Vegan Feast quarterly cooking newsletter. Moderator of the beginners’ vegetarian forum on vegsource.com.

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MOIST AND DELICIOUS WHOLEGRAIN PEANUT BUTTER-BANANA BRAN MUFFINS

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This recipe is an old one in our house– I developed it for my book “The Fiber for Life Cookbook“, published back in 2002.  Nothing fancy, but nutritious and delicious. My granddaughter has been enjoying them today, too.  No need for butter on these– just a little of your favorite jam!

Printable Copy

BRYANNA’S PEANUT BUTTER-BANANA BRAN MUFFINS (can be soy-free)   

Makes 12     

All you need is a little jam or jelly on these delicious and healful muffins.
ALLERGY NOTE:  If you are allergic to peanuts, use any other favorite nut butter instead. And I’m sure they would work well with a whole grain GF flour mix, too.
DRY MIX:

1/2 cups wheat bran
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
WET MIX:

2 tablespoons flax seeds blended with 1/2 cup water until “gloppy”
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chunky natural peanut butter (nothing added)
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Oil 12 muffin cups. 
In a medium bowl, mix together the Dry Mix ingredients.

After blending the water and flax seeds together until “gloppy” in your blender, add the remaining Wet Mix ingredients and blend again briefly.

Pour the Wet Mix into the Dry Mix and stir briefly, just to mix.  Spoon the batter equally between the muffin cups.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until they test done. 
Loosen the muffins carefully with a table knife and turn them on their sides.  Place the muffin tin on a rack, cover the muffins with a clean tea towel and cool for a few minutes before serving.  Cool thoroughly before storing in a plastic bag or rigid plastic container.  These muffins freeze well.
Nutrition per muffin: 192 calories; 6 g fat; 4.6 g fiber; 29 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 179 mg sodium.
Enjoy!


The kitchen journal of a vegan food writer…For the 21st
century we need to learn to cook for ourselves again,
and learning to cook vegan can be a bit intimidating.
I’d like to help with that, from my kitchen to yours.

Bryanna Clark Grogan, author of 8 published vegan cookbooks and The Vegan Feast quarterly cooking newsletter. Moderator of the beginners’ vegetarian forum on vegsource.com.

Articles

MY VEGAN VERSION OF HUMMUS BIL “LAHME” (Hummus with Spicy “Meat” & Nut Mixture)

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This is a dish that I brought to a casual dinner the other night.  It’s a hearty variation on plain ol’ hummus, of Jordanian and Palestinian origin– one that I’ve been planning to “veganize” for a while now.  I’ve been researching this dish for some time.  I have a sneaking suspicion that everyone’s mother in that part of the globe has a different recipe for it!  Some versions use ground meat (from lots to just a little), and some use cubes. Some decorate the dish with whole chickpeas and some don’t.  Yogurt or labeneh (yogurt cheese) may oor may not be dolloped on top.  Some versions are hot-spicy and some not.  (The other spices vary as well.) Some versions are served with crispy pita on the side, and others call for pieces of the pita to be the first layer of the dish, covered just before serving by the hummus and other ingredients. I even read one recipe that called for soaked pita bread pieces to be stirred into the hummus.

So, you see, you have a great deal of latitude with this delicious dish!  Here’s my version, and, I must say, it was good!

Printable Copy

BRYANNA’S VERSION OF VEGAN HUMMUS BIL “LAHME” (Hummus with Spicy “Meat” and Nut Mixture)
Serves 8 to 10 as an appetizer (serve at room temperature, if possible)

Hummus (a recipe using 3 cups of chickpeas—I used 1 1/2 times our favourite version, see recipe here)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon vegan butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
12 ounces vegan hamburger crumbles (Tofurky now has an organic product)
1/2 cup slivered almonds (or pine nuts)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon (or more to taste) of red chile flakes
salt and freshly-ground pepper
Garnish:
about 3/4 cup cooked or canned chickpeas (rinsed and well-drained)
chopped fresh parsley, chives or green onions (green ends only)
Optional:
smoked paprika (hot or sweet)
about 1 cup tangy soy yogurt (such as WholeSoy) OR homemade tofu yogurt (my favourite recipe is here) OR Vegan Labaneh (Vegan “Yogurt Cheese”) OR Cashew “Sour Cream” or “Yogurt”
Serve with: pita bread (we like whole wheat)— preferably crisped in the oven a bit.

Spread the freshly-made hummus on a serving platter and set aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a 10 to 12-nch non-stick, cast iron or hard-anodized skillet.  Add the onion and sauté over medium-high heat until it softens.  Add the garlic and sauté for a minute.  Add the hamburger crumbles, almonds and spices. Sauté for several minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.

Distribute the “hamburger” mixture over the hummus, but leaving an edge of hummus all around the platter.  If you choose to use the “yogurt”, drop spoonfuls of it over the “hamburger” mixture.  Sprinkle the cooked chickpeas over the plate.  Garnish with the chopped fresh parsley, chives or green onions, and the optional smoked paprika, if you’re using it.
Serve with the crisped pita bread as an appetizer or part of a buffet.

Nutrition (per serving): 294.5 calories; 34{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} calories from fat; 11.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 526.9mg sodium; 360.1mg potassium; 31.8g carbohydrates; 9.8g fiber; 2.8g sugar; 22.0g net carbs; 18.9g protein.

Enjoy!
The kitchen journal of a vegan food writer…For the 21st
century we need to learn to cook for ourselves again,
and learning to cook vegan can be a bit intimidating.
I’d like to help with that, from my kitchen to yours.

Bryanna Clark Grogan, author of 8 published vegan cookbooks and The Vegan Feast quarterly cooking newsletter. Moderator of the beginners’ vegetarian forum on vegsource.com.

Articles

SIMPLE SOUP AND A SALAD– HEALTHFUL AND DELICIOUS

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Since I’ve been limping around  with what appears to be “water-on-the-knee” I haven’t exactly been cooking up a storm.  It’s getting better, but I’m nervous about “2 steps forward, 1 step back”, so I’m being careful.
I made two simple dishes on Monday, to have on hand for lunches and snacks.  The soup is an old favorite, which I’m going to reproduce below, but the salad was a new one.  I had purchased some frozen green garbanzo beans from Costco– something new to me– and decided to devise a nice hearty grain and veggie salad utilizing them. ( I had previously used them in place of frozen lima beans in my lowfat guacamole recipes and they worked well in that.)  The salad  was delicious and I’ll definitely be making it again.
Costco carries this brand:
Whole Foods carries this brand:
*****
BRYANNA’ S FARRO AND GREEN GARBANZO SALAD WITH SPICY VINAIGRETTE
Servings: 8
This easy and tasty salad makes a full meal for a light lunch or supper.

Salad Ingredients:   
1 cup farro (or use spelt or wheat kernels)– read about farro here   
2 cups frozen green garbanzo beans (a substitute might be shelled edamame) (see above)      
2 cups fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels    
2 cups halved red grape tomatoes or diced fresh red tomatoes       
1 cup chopped red onions      
1 cup sliced celery     
1 cup dry-roasted (unsalted) peanuts (you could substitute roasted pumpkin seeds)      
Spicy Vinaigrette:    
2/3 cup Oil Substitute for Salad Dressing OR cooking broth from cooking garbanzo or white beans    
1/3 cup olive oil        
1/3 cup red wine vinegar       
1 tablespoon fresh (or bottled organic) lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar  
1/2 teaspoon salt        
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano   
1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) Sriracha hot sauce  
Garnish:       
crisp lettuce leaves, olives and chopped fresh parsley or cilantro   

To cook the farro, place in a medium pot with 3 cups of water and a few pinches of salt. Bring to a boil and quickly turn down to low heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until done to your taste, but not mushy. Immediately drain thoroughly and then spread on a baking sheet and place in the freezer or refrigerator to cool it off while you prepare the other ingredients.

Make the Spicy Vinaigrette by combining all the ingredients well and setting aside.

Combine all of the salad ingredients, including the cooked, drained and cooled-down farro. Shake or whisk the dressing again and pour over the salad. Mix well and chill until ready to serve. (This can be served at room temperature or cold.)

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 292.3 calories; 47{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} calories from fat; 19.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 169.7mg sodium; 348.8mg potassium; 40.1g carbohydrates; 7.7g fiber; 4.0g sugar; 32.4g net carbs; 8.6g protein.

Printable Copy

BRYANNA’S VERSION OF LEBANESE LENTIL-NOODLE SOUP
Servings: 6

1 cup dried brown/green lentils        
8 cups vegan broth    
1 large onion, thinly sliced    
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon crushed garlic  
1 teaspoon dried oregano      
1 teaspoon ground dried coriander   
2 cups broken egg-free flat noodles, such as tagliatelle, fettuccine or linguine     
4 cups chopped greens, such as chard or kale (I was out of those this time and used chopped broccolette) 
salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste           
lemon wedges to squeeze into the soup

Bring the lentils and broth to a boil together in a large pot, turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, sauté the onions in the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium- high heat until they soften, adding squirts of water as needed to keep from sticking. (Alternatively, you can cook the onions in the olive oil in a microwave-safe bowl or casserole, covered for about 5 minutes on 100{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} power.)Add the garlic and sauté a minute more (or microwave for 30 seconds). Add to the pot (you don’t have to wait until the 30 minutes are over) with the basil and coriander.

After the 30 minutes are up, add the noodles and simmer for another 10 minutes or so, or until the noodles are cooked. Add the greens and cook briefly, just until they are cooked to your taste. Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve with lemon wedges and squeeze a little lemon juice into each serving before eating.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 248.9 calories; 10{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} calories from fat; 3.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 977.3mg sodium; 462.8mg potassium; 44.3g carbohydrates; 11.1g fiber; 4.2g sugar; 33.2g net carbs; 14.7g protein.

Enjoy!
The kitchen journal of a vegan food writer…For the 21st
century we need to learn to cook for ourselves again,
and learning to cook vegan can be a bit intimidating.
I’d like to help with that, from my kitchen to yours.

Bryanna Clark Grogan, author of 8 published vegan cookbooks and The Vegan Feast quarterly cooking newsletter. Moderator of the beginners’ vegetarian forum on vegsource.com.