Eggplants are out now, so we are cooking what is available. We only get good eggplants about 2-3 months out of the year, so time for all those recipes like moussaka, babba ghanouj, etc.....
Tried the Tyler Florence Eat Fresh Eggplant Parmesan recipe and I have to be honest, it wasn't worth the effort. We are having the leftovers tonight. What went wrong?
First, he doesn't have you salt the eggplant. D agrees with Tyler - if the produce quality is high, this step isn't required.....or is it?
Dredging in egg then panko, and frying in a pan was disastrous. Maybe I mis-read the recipe, but 1/2" seems way to thick, there is no way these would cook in 3-4 minutes per side at 5000+ ft. in altitude.
Canned tomatoes are practically banned in our home due to the BPA liners in the can, so we have been using the tomato sauce in the glass bottles instead. The sauce was fine, but because the eggplants weren't really cooked inside (yes, the outside was but they were just too thick), we had to bake longer. That dried out the sauce, and the fresh mozzarella turned to rubber.
Most of the other recipes in this book have been excellent. Honestly, it was still better than, say, Olive Garden (which I secretly like, don't tell D).
Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts
Friday, September 6, 2013
fried eggplant with poppyseeds (begun bhaja with posto)
This was a delicious dish Saraju made, it's unbelievable how tasty it is.
ingredients:
nice quality eggplants like Rosa Bianca, we got some at the farmer's market.
mustard oil for frying, but any cooking oil will work
poppy seeds, hulled - find these in your ethnic grocer or online
flour
salt (~2 t. for one eggplant). D says fine sea salt.
turmeric (~1 t.)
nigella
Slice the eggplant ~1/4" thick slices, or slice into half lengthwise, then into 1/4" slices. Add to a bowl with salt and turmeric, mix around so uniformly coated and let sit for ~30 minutes.
Take eggplant slices out, squeeze watering juices into bowl. Set eggplant aside on plate. In leftover water/salt/turmeric mixture, add 1 Tablespoon of poppyseeds, ~2 T. flour of your choice, we used wheat flour, ~1/4 t. nigella seeds. Mix the batter, adding a little water if required.
Heat the oil (~4 T. in a wok or frying pan) until it is smoking, especially if you are using mustard oil. This is key for flavor. Turn heat down once oil starts smoking (or is heated if using other oil).
Dip the eggplant slices slightly into the batter, don't worry if not uniformly coated. Fry on each side until golden crisp.
We ate this with greens, dal, rice. A very tasty eggplant recipe.
ingredients:
nice quality eggplants like Rosa Bianca, we got some at the farmer's market.
mustard oil for frying, but any cooking oil will work
poppy seeds, hulled - find these in your ethnic grocer or online
flour
salt (~2 t. for one eggplant). D says fine sea salt.
turmeric (~1 t.)
nigella
Slice the eggplant ~1/4" thick slices, or slice into half lengthwise, then into 1/4" slices. Add to a bowl with salt and turmeric, mix around so uniformly coated and let sit for ~30 minutes.
Take eggplant slices out, squeeze watering juices into bowl. Set eggplant aside on plate. In leftover water/salt/turmeric mixture, add 1 Tablespoon of poppyseeds, ~2 T. flour of your choice, we used wheat flour, ~1/4 t. nigella seeds. Mix the batter, adding a little water if required.
Heat the oil (~4 T. in a wok or frying pan) until it is smoking, especially if you are using mustard oil. This is key for flavor. Turn heat down once oil starts smoking (or is heated if using other oil).
Dip the eggplant slices slightly into the batter, don't worry if not uniformly coated. Fry on each side until golden crisp.
We ate this with greens, dal, rice. A very tasty eggplant recipe.
Milk: The Myth of Dairy Fat
Our family has gone back and forth over the past 20 years about milk - do we drink animal milks, nut milks, processed, not processed, homogenized, etc.......
How can a conventional gallon of milk cost close to what it did when I was a kid, let's just say quite a few decades ago?
This week's local Smith's Grocery ad has Mountain Dairy Milk Gallons for 2 for $5.00. That is $2.50 a gallon. I know milk was ~$2.00 a gallon as a kid growing up, it stressed my mother out how was she going to buy enough milk for a family of 5 kids at $2.00 a gallon?
What has possibly happened that milk can cost almost the same 35 years later?
We don't buy this milk, and I'm sure people don't understand why. Their argument is, well, we can't afford organic. People are willing to (and do) spend more money on a gallon of gasoline to take their cars 20-30 miles down the road vs. spending that on a gallon of milk that will take themselves, or their child, 30 miles to life.
Captain Paranoid, as I will lovingly refer to this close family fried, has turned Debashis on to a book called Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, by Sally Fallon. While I have not read the book myself (yet), Debashis has read excerpts and we have had discussions around certain topics, of which milk is the subject here.
Fallon asserts that whole, non-homogenized milk is the way to go. She states in her book that skim and lowfat are in fact reconsituted from powders. Well, I wanted to find out, so I emailed Organic Valley and asked. Here is the question and response:
Customer (Allena Satpathi) - 09/05/2013 07:56 AM
My husband read a book a friend gave him which said all skim and nonfat milks are made from powdered, reconstituted milk products. Is this true for Organic Valley? What is the process your skim and lowfat milk is made by? Also, is your whole milk non-homogenized?
Here is their answer (I actually emailed back asking if I could post here, but have not heard back so I'm just going for it):
Recently you contacted Organic Valley for personal assistance. Below
the link is our personal response if you do not wish to login to an
account.
If this issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may reopen it
within the next 7 days.
Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.
Subject
---------------------------------------------------------------
Skim or 2% milk from powder?
Discussion Thread
---------------------------------------------------------------
Response (Meghan) - 09/05/2013 11:25 AM
Dear Allena,
Thank you for contacting Organic Valley.
Our nonfat and lowfat milks are not made from reconstituted milk powders, but are produced from the whole milk that comes directly from our farmers.
The process that our fluid milk goes through once it reaches one of our processors is as follows: separation, standardization, homogenization, and pasteurization.
Separation is the removal of the cream from the fluid milk. This involves spinning milk through a centrifuge to force the cream to the surface so it can be easily skimmed off.
Standardization occurs after separation. The cream and remaining milk are remixed to provide the desired fat content for the different types of milk being produced.
We do not add dry milk powder to any of our cartons of milk, with one exception. We add Organic Valley non fat dry milk powder to our California low fat (1%) and reduced fat (2%) milks. We add Organic Valley non fat dry milk powder because the State of California has milk standards which exceed the Federal Standard of Identity for fluid milk products. In order to sell milk in California - those products must meet the state's statutes. (You can find out more about California Milk Standards at the website, http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Milk_and_Dairy_Food_Safety/Milk_Standards.html.)
Our pasture-raised line of whole milk is homogenized, but our Grassmilk, from 100% grass-fed cows, is non-homogenized. You can find out more about our non-homogenized Grassmilk here: http://www.organicvalley.coop/products/milk/grassmilk/.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Meghan H,
Organic Valley / Organic Prairie
Consumer Relations Associate
1-888-444-6455 ext.3701
Auto-Response - 09/05/2013 07:56 AM
Thank you for contacting Organic Valley/Organic Prairie.
Your inquiry is very important to us and we would like to offer you the opportunity to review relevant content from our self-service knowledge base.
If you didn't find the answer to your question, one of our agents will assist you within the next 48 business hours.
Title: Organic Valley Buttermilk Blend Powder: What is it?
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=213&p_created=1219342993
Title: Nonfat Dry Milk Powder: What is it?
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=214&p_created=1219343152
Title: Reconstituting Organic Valley Nonfat Dry Milk
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=268&p_created=1231183656
Title: Ordering Products Direct
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=68&p_created=1215568037
Title: Milk Powder Storage Recommendations
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=253&p_created=1224877467
Question Reference #130905-000022
---------------------------------------------------------------
Product Level 1: Product Information
Product Level 2: Production Process
Category Level 1: Milk & Cream Products
Category Level 2: Milk, Unspecified
Date Created: 09/05/2013 07:56 AM
Last Updated: 09/05/2013 11:25 AM
Status: Solved
Date Purchased: 09/03/2013
Plant Code:
Sell-By Date:
Product Code:
Pasteurization Type:
Store Name :
Store Location:
Lot #/Sell-By:
Est. #:
Quantity: 1
[---001:003909:50387---]
How can a conventional gallon of milk cost close to what it did when I was a kid, let's just say quite a few decades ago?
This week's local Smith's Grocery ad has Mountain Dairy Milk Gallons for 2 for $5.00. That is $2.50 a gallon. I know milk was ~$2.00 a gallon as a kid growing up, it stressed my mother out how was she going to buy enough milk for a family of 5 kids at $2.00 a gallon?
What has possibly happened that milk can cost almost the same 35 years later?
We don't buy this milk, and I'm sure people don't understand why. Their argument is, well, we can't afford organic. People are willing to (and do) spend more money on a gallon of gasoline to take their cars 20-30 miles down the road vs. spending that on a gallon of milk that will take themselves, or their child, 30 miles to life.
Captain Paranoid, as I will lovingly refer to this close family fried, has turned Debashis on to a book called Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, by Sally Fallon. While I have not read the book myself (yet), Debashis has read excerpts and we have had discussions around certain topics, of which milk is the subject here.
Fallon asserts that whole, non-homogenized milk is the way to go. She states in her book that skim and lowfat are in fact reconsituted from powders. Well, I wanted to find out, so I emailed Organic Valley and asked. Here is the question and response:
Customer (Allena Satpathi) - 09/05/2013 07:56 AM
My husband read a book a friend gave him which said all skim and nonfat milks are made from powdered, reconstituted milk products. Is this true for Organic Valley? What is the process your skim and lowfat milk is made by? Also, is your whole milk non-homogenized?
Here is their answer (I actually emailed back asking if I could post here, but have not heard back so I'm just going for it):
Recently you contacted Organic Valley for personal assistance. Below
the link is our personal response if you do not wish to login to an
account.
If this issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may reopen it
within the next 7 days.
Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.
Subject
---------------------------------------------------------------
Skim or 2% milk from powder?
Discussion Thread
---------------------------------------------------------------
Response (Meghan) - 09/05/2013 11:25 AM
Dear Allena,
Thank you for contacting Organic Valley.
Our nonfat and lowfat milks are not made from reconstituted milk powders, but are produced from the whole milk that comes directly from our farmers.
The process that our fluid milk goes through once it reaches one of our processors is as follows: separation, standardization, homogenization, and pasteurization.
Separation is the removal of the cream from the fluid milk. This involves spinning milk through a centrifuge to force the cream to the surface so it can be easily skimmed off.
Standardization occurs after separation. The cream and remaining milk are remixed to provide the desired fat content for the different types of milk being produced.
We do not add dry milk powder to any of our cartons of milk, with one exception. We add Organic Valley non fat dry milk powder to our California low fat (1%) and reduced fat (2%) milks. We add Organic Valley non fat dry milk powder because the State of California has milk standards which exceed the Federal Standard of Identity for fluid milk products. In order to sell milk in California - those products must meet the state's statutes. (You can find out more about California Milk Standards at the website, http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Milk_and_Dairy_Food_Safety/Milk_Standards.html.)
Our pasture-raised line of whole milk is homogenized, but our Grassmilk, from 100% grass-fed cows, is non-homogenized. You can find out more about our non-homogenized Grassmilk here: http://www.organicvalley.coop/products/milk/grassmilk/.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Meghan H,
Organic Valley / Organic Prairie
Consumer Relations Associate
1-888-444-6455 ext.3701
Auto-Response - 09/05/2013 07:56 AM
Thank you for contacting Organic Valley/Organic Prairie.
Your inquiry is very important to us and we would like to offer you the opportunity to review relevant content from our self-service knowledge base.
If you didn't find the answer to your question, one of our agents will assist you within the next 48 business hours.
Title: Organic Valley Buttermilk Blend Powder: What is it?
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=213&p_created=1219342993
Title: Nonfat Dry Milk Powder: What is it?
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=214&p_created=1219343152
Title: Reconstituting Organic Valley Nonfat Dry Milk
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=268&p_created=1231183656
Title: Ordering Products Direct
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=68&p_created=1215568037
Title: Milk Powder Storage Recommendations
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=253&p_created=1224877467
Question Reference #130905-000022
---------------------------------------------------------------
Product Level 1: Product Information
Product Level 2: Production Process
Category Level 1: Milk & Cream Products
Category Level 2: Milk, Unspecified
Date Created: 09/05/2013 07:56 AM
Last Updated: 09/05/2013 11:25 AM
Status: Solved
Date Purchased: 09/03/2013
Plant Code:
Sell-By Date:
Product Code:
Pasteurization Type:
Store Name :
Store Location:
Lot #/Sell-By:
Est. #:
Quantity: 1
[---001:003909:50387---]
Summer Flew By
What happened? Debashis's mother came and stayed for two months cooking delicious east indian fare. We took a break and let her have fun taking total control of the kitchen.
Now that she is back in India, we had our week or so of depression but have now bounced back to enjoying our variety of cuisines - chipotle black bean taco salad, eggplant parmesan, bang bang shrimp at Barbara's (well, our vegan version anyway). Delicious!
Now that she is back in India, we had our week or so of depression but have now bounced back to enjoying our variety of cuisines - chipotle black bean taco salad, eggplant parmesan, bang bang shrimp at Barbara's (well, our vegan version anyway). Delicious!
Garden Status
This year has been hot and dry. We are in the worst drought on record. Finally the rains came end of June/early July. Up and down the block people are out each night fighting the war against the squash bugs - squishing with their bare hands. Our poor giant pumpkin plants never had a chance.
We started everything from seed this year, except the mints. We have pineapple, apple, spearmint, and some other varieties. Delicious with blood orange bitters, sparkling water, bourbon?
Finally, the basils are up and harvestable. The Thai and Genovese are looking great, and Tulsi is finally doing well too.
Tomatoes plants have bloomed, finally, and are producing delicious small orange tomatoes, we have red too. The yellow pear are just not as tasty as the others, not sure why?
Experimental 20-gallon grow bags for raised beds are housing our eggplant, chiles, melons, things are doing great. This is a good option if you are space limited and want to grow a high volume in a small space.
We started everything from seed this year, except the mints. We have pineapple, apple, spearmint, and some other varieties. Delicious with blood orange bitters, sparkling water, bourbon?
Finally, the basils are up and harvestable. The Thai and Genovese are looking great, and Tulsi is finally doing well too.
Tomatoes plants have bloomed, finally, and are producing delicious small orange tomatoes, we have red too. The yellow pear are just not as tasty as the others, not sure why?
Experimental 20-gallon grow bags for raised beds are housing our eggplant, chiles, melons, things are doing great. This is a good option if you are space limited and want to grow a high volume in a small space.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Pasta Salad for Summer Camp II
Another attempt at a nut-free pasta salad.
Bow Ties with Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Bow Ties with Pumpkin Seed Pesto
- Sun dried tomatos
- olive oil
- capers
- kalamata olives
- lemon
- italian parsley
- pumpkin seed pesto - I sauteed these pumpkin seeds with garlic in olive oil, then pulsed it in the food processor.
- feta
Sonoran Hot Dogs - the veggie version
How to make a Sonoran hotdog for vegetarians? They sounded delicious, based on the description. Bacon-wrapped dogs encased in a bun, smothered in beans, salsas, cheese.....
Fine Cooking and Sunset had some nice recipes.
We have made a variation on these twice recently with no special ingredients on hand:
WARNING: these are addictive!
Fine Cooking and Sunset had some nice recipes.
We have made a variation on these twice recently with no special ingredients on hand:
- Store bought wheat buns (I'll make the effort to hunt down bolillos at some point)
- veggie bacon - we didn't have this, so next time
- smart dogs
- grilled onions
- pico de gallo (diced tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime, salt)
- mustard, mayo
- black or pinto beans
- shredded cheese
- avocado
- shredded lettuce
WARNING: these are addictive!
Friday, May 31, 2013
Green Smoothies
A vegan coworker recommended Green For Life. We have been making green smoothies almost every day since February, but I can't say that I see the dramatic improvements we should see - but, then again, we are eating them for breakfast and not before dinner or as a dinner replacement.
We do like the taste of the green smoothies, and so does Arundhati. I love the Vitamix, definitely worth the purchase. Next time, I'd get the model that fits under the counter though.
We do like the taste of the green smoothies, and so does Arundhati. I love the Vitamix, definitely worth the purchase. Next time, I'd get the model that fits under the counter though.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Pasta Salad for Summer Camp I
We did a trial run yesterday, Arundhati ate just about the entire portion. Tonight, she wasn't so interested.
- Garbanzos
- olive oil
- lemon
- sun dried tomatoes, diced
- kalamata olives, pitted & diced
- capers
- feta, tiny cubes
- herbs (italian parsley or basil)
- salt & pepper to taste
- pasta of choice (she liked the orzo version but not the orecchiette so much)
Hanoi Salad
Inspired by this month's Bon Appetit noodle salads, I decided to make my own variation:
Relish:
- sliced radish
- rice noodles
- cilantro
- fried shallots
- fried quorn chx subsitute
- fresh green onions
- fresh mint
- fresh basil
- julienned carrots
- sliced jalapenos
- fried raw spanish peanuts (fried in peanut oil)
- dressing was the vietnamese table sauce from Hot Sour Salty Sweet.
Relish:
- Avocado
- heirloom tomatoes
- sliced raw red onion
- salt
- lime
- sliced cucumber
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The New BLT
The new Bon Appetit showed up and had a decidedly positive spin, or maybe I didn't read closely. The article on BLTs enticed us, so tonight we are having some.
Ours will be made on sourdough with chipotle mayo, avocado, a fried egg, and the rest of the yumminess. I'm having it with sweet potato tater tots.
OOPS....out of mayo, so improvised by mixing tartar sauce, chipotle adobo sauce, and sour cream. The adobo sauce was so damn hot I don't know anyone would be able to tell it wasn't mayo as the base.
Ours will be made on sourdough with chipotle mayo, avocado, a fried egg, and the rest of the yumminess. I'm having it with sweet potato tater tots.
OOPS....out of mayo, so improvised by mixing tartar sauce, chipotle adobo sauce, and sour cream. The adobo sauce was so damn hot I don't know anyone would be able to tell it wasn't mayo as the base.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Vegetarian or Vegan Bi Bim Bab aka Bibimbop, Bibimbap, Bi Bim Bob
What we are eating: Bibimbap
We love this dish. It's a combo of flavors, and you can improvise and use whatever you have in your fridge. Anything goes in here!
Google this and the images are beautiful - you can make it w/o the egg to be vegan, and it's normally a gluten-free dish (but maybe not soy-free). It is easy to modify, and use any meat substitute you like depending on your cravings or dietary restrictions.
There are lots of easy recipes out there, I was looking at this one and here is another. We recently made this one. It's really easy, for the most part. Choose your base, protein component, vegetables and condiments. You could have an infinite mixer coming up with combinations. The flavor comes from condiments and sauces, so if you have a well stocked pantry and a few basic raw ingredients, you are ready to go.
Meat substitutes:
Sauces/toppings:
Veggies:
We love this dish. It's a combo of flavors, and you can improvise and use whatever you have in your fridge. Anything goes in here!
Google this and the images are beautiful - you can make it w/o the egg to be vegan, and it's normally a gluten-free dish (but maybe not soy-free). It is easy to modify, and use any meat substitute you like depending on your cravings or dietary restrictions.
There are lots of easy recipes out there, I was looking at this one and here is another. We recently made this one. It's really easy, for the most part. Choose your base, protein component, vegetables and condiments. You could have an infinite mixer coming up with combinations. The flavor comes from condiments and sauces, so if you have a well stocked pantry and a few basic raw ingredients, you are ready to go.
Meat substitutes:
- Tofu (fried/baked/smoked)
- Seitan
- TVP
- Tempeh
- Brown Rice
- White Rice
- Quinoa
Sauces/toppings:
- Sriracha
- Sauce of ginger, garlic, mirin, soy sauce
- Udo's Aminos
- Gomasaio
- Toasted sesame seeds
Veggies:
- Pickled beets
- Pickled kim chee
- Quick pickled radish, carrots, onions
- Broccoli rabe sauteed oil w/ garlc
- Spinach sauteed in oil w/ garlic
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Seitan & Veggie Stir Fry (for the whole family)
I wanted to make Bibimbop, but given it was a weeknight and we had to run an errand before getting home, we needed something ASAP. I had Seitan from making it earlier; the recipe from Veganomicon turned out great! I put some white basmati rice on the stove, and while that was cooking got Arundhati's dinner ready:
Baby Stir Fry
In the Mini-prep chopped:
I sauteed this all in olive oil in the wok, and when it was almost done, added Bragg's Liquid Aminos and sugar to taste. Fried that for a minute or so, then added in some cooked white rice. We know she approves if we get a "num!"
Luckily, she isn't allergic to wheat or mushrooms. An alternative would be use tofu and any other veggies your child likes. Cooking a small batch like this in the wok makes everything just right - the right balance of crispy and soft, done to perfection. Large quantities, and it seems things get soggy.
We are pretty much having the same thing for dinner, only changing the quantities and adding jalapeno peppers, rice wine vinegar, and maybe some other sauces for spicier flavor (but hers tasted great w/o it). I'll probably also smother mine with Sriracha. Debashis did throw in some fried spanish peanuts (cashews would work too), but you can omit this if you have a peanut or nut allergy.
Baby Stir Fry
- diced Seitan
- tips of diced baby broccoli
In the Mini-prep chopped:
- fresh shitake mushrooms
- fresh garlic cloves
- ginger (tiny wee bit of fresh peeled)
- onions
- carrot, peeled
- orange bell bepper
I sauteed this all in olive oil in the wok, and when it was almost done, added Bragg's Liquid Aminos and sugar to taste. Fried that for a minute or so, then added in some cooked white rice. We know she approves if we get a "num!"
Luckily, she isn't allergic to wheat or mushrooms. An alternative would be use tofu and any other veggies your child likes. Cooking a small batch like this in the wok makes everything just right - the right balance of crispy and soft, done to perfection. Large quantities, and it seems things get soggy.
We are pretty much having the same thing for dinner, only changing the quantities and adding jalapeno peppers, rice wine vinegar, and maybe some other sauces for spicier flavor (but hers tasted great w/o it). I'll probably also smother mine with Sriracha. Debashis did throw in some fried spanish peanuts (cashews would work too), but you can omit this if you have a peanut or nut allergy.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Eating for Eczema, Erosive Lichen Planus, Contact Dermatitis & Skin Diseases in general
We all get something - and a wise woman once told me, "you are guaranteed nothing in life but death, taxes and maintenance". Debashis, with his Hindu upbringing, truncates this to "you are guaranteed nothing in life but suffering".
Being an optimist (realist?), I believe we all are subjected to whatever life throws at us, and how we each manage that is non-deterministic. I was diagnosed with auto-immune disorders of the skin ~2003, and that was the kickstart of really studying my environmental and genetic factors. It led me to move states, change jobs, switch industries, and totally overhaul my lifestyle. Everything down to the kind of gum I chew, the soap I wash my hands with and the air I breathe.
My diagnoses in western medicine were erosive lichen planus and eczema. The erosive lichen planus was first, and that was scary. If you google it for images, it's not fun. Those of you suffering from it know, life is hell. It's painful, the pain doesn't go away, the irritation is continuous and it affects your entire life. You would wish it on no one, and do anything you could to cure it. I think many of us feel that way about our struggles. I was determined to manage it, and keep it mild, no matter what I needed to do. The diagnosing oral surgeons took photos of my mouth "This is a classic textbook case study, do you mind if we photograph this?". Geez! I remember their exact words "We don't know what causes this, and we don't know what makes it go away, and there is little to treat it". Well, I've been working on it ever since. My dentist is amazed at what I have managed to do with it.
Those of you suffering with auto-immune disorders know that it is difficult to pin down what caused it, what will make it go away. Is there ever a "cure"? I work towards managing my condition, and try to do so with as little pharmaceutical intervention as possible. My uncle, a Toxicologist and retired Dean of Pharmacy, told me, "Don't take any pharmaceuticals unless you absolutely have to". Everyone has a different situation, and everyone needs to do what is right for them. There have been times when I have been on heavy-duty antibiotics, steroids and immuno-suppressants, and I had to do it. My goal is to try to manage things such that my body doesn't get so out-of-whack that I have to resort to such extremes. Out of this exploration of my environment and living habits came an analysis of what I was ingesting and putting into (an onto) my body.
Things that have helped me:
Things I am pretty sure (99.99%) trigger attacks for me:
Being an optimist (realist?), I believe we all are subjected to whatever life throws at us, and how we each manage that is non-deterministic. I was diagnosed with auto-immune disorders of the skin ~2003, and that was the kickstart of really studying my environmental and genetic factors. It led me to move states, change jobs, switch industries, and totally overhaul my lifestyle. Everything down to the kind of gum I chew, the soap I wash my hands with and the air I breathe.
My diagnoses in western medicine were erosive lichen planus and eczema. The erosive lichen planus was first, and that was scary. If you google it for images, it's not fun. Those of you suffering from it know, life is hell. It's painful, the pain doesn't go away, the irritation is continuous and it affects your entire life. You would wish it on no one, and do anything you could to cure it. I think many of us feel that way about our struggles. I was determined to manage it, and keep it mild, no matter what I needed to do. The diagnosing oral surgeons took photos of my mouth "This is a classic textbook case study, do you mind if we photograph this?". Geez! I remember their exact words "We don't know what causes this, and we don't know what makes it go away, and there is little to treat it". Well, I've been working on it ever since. My dentist is amazed at what I have managed to do with it.
Those of you suffering with auto-immune disorders know that it is difficult to pin down what caused it, what will make it go away. Is there ever a "cure"? I work towards managing my condition, and try to do so with as little pharmaceutical intervention as possible. My uncle, a Toxicologist and retired Dean of Pharmacy, told me, "Don't take any pharmaceuticals unless you absolutely have to". Everyone has a different situation, and everyone needs to do what is right for them. There have been times when I have been on heavy-duty antibiotics, steroids and immuno-suppressants, and I had to do it. My goal is to try to manage things such that my body doesn't get so out-of-whack that I have to resort to such extremes. Out of this exploration of my environment and living habits came an analysis of what I was ingesting and putting into (an onto) my body.
Things that have helped me:
- Fish oil capsules (yes, I am vegetarian, except for this, and it was hard to take these at first). I only started this when I was expecting Arundhati and the research clearly indicates that DHA is linked to neurological development, so I couldn't let my personal preferences stunt her optimal development. I take New Chapter Wholemegas but there are lots of good brands out there.
- Eating fresh and organic, as much as possible
- Eating at home (not restaurant food). This eliminates flavorings, dyes, preservatives, etc.
- Cutting out coffee (this was really hard). I have a cup once in a while, just as a treat.
- Being conscious of what I eat, and if I have an attack trying to examine what I ate to see if that triggered it.
- Using fragrance-free anything. I recently learned about a non-profit Women's Voices for the Earth that is working towards eliminating harmful chemicals in our environment. You can check them out here. Apparently contact dermatitis is more common than you realize.
- Mild, organic, plant based cleansers and body care products. Weleda, Jurlique, Haushka, there are many others. They are pricey and worth every penny. If the product is good, they will have samples, and if they stand by their products, they will take them back if they don't work for you. I also resort to food-grade items like olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, ground almonds, etc. I figure if its safe to eat, it's probably safe to put on my skin.
- Use bar soap, not liquid soaps. What is it about liquid soaps that dries out my skin?
- Mint-free toothpaste and mouth washes. My erosive lichen planus struck in the mouth, and mint toothpastes rip up my mouth. I use Auromere mint-free, Vicco, there are others.
- Keeping the dust and allergens around me minimized. We no longer have animals in the house, and I think that helps. We have always had wood or tile floors, so even when we did have animals it was easy to clean and disinfect.
- Calming lavendar or salt baths. These help, but I've run the water too hot and scalded myself. Oops. It felt good at the time, really it did.
Things I am pretty sure (99.99%) trigger attacks for me:
- stress (hormonal swings, etc.). When I get stressed, you can pretty much be guaranteed I'm going to have an attack.
- foods like chili, mint, citrus, nuts
- heat - exertion on hot days (this could be stress related)
- red wines (some, not all)
- vinegars
Monday, May 13, 2013
an arsenal of spices
Some people in the US stock an arsenal of ammunition for their large gun collections. Since we neither own guns or ammunition, we have plenty of room for an excessive amount of spices.
Shocked at the prices of organic spices ($54/lb for organic premium cardamom pods????) we try to "save" by buying bulk. We do go through them fairly fast, or so it seems at the prices we pay. To grind, we use either our granite grinding stone, Sumeet Asian kitchen machine, small coffee ginder, or Vitamix, depending on the application.
The large granite mortar & pestle I bought at a department store in a totally random find. They only had two and I should have bought them both. The quality is excellent and it's a good size. We wet and dry grind in it.
The Vitamix and Sumeet will both wet grind spices, but you have to put enough in the Vitamix for it to work right - otherwise the tornado inside swirls everything towards the sky inside the tall container. The Sumeet was specifically designed to handle wet grinding of spices (at least the attachment I am talking about here). I need a Sumeet shape with a Vitamix blade, base and power.
Tonight we made Palak Paneer from Yamuna Devi's Lord Krishna's Cuisine. It calls for wet grinding the spices along with water or whey, and fresh ginger and chili. We omitted the chili for Arundhati's sake, and because it was such a small quantity Debashis ground it up in the mortar & pestle. It was pretty easy to make because we had everything we needed on hand - right from our arsenal. Debashis served that with coconut rice and it made us wonder why have we been missing out on coconut rice all these years?
A friend today said he put curry powder on his dinner and liked it, and my first thought was......what kind of curry powder? We generally grind all of our own. If you have a favorite blend, let me know!
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Fresh Grape Leaves, Dolmades & Seductions of Rice
Fresh grape leaves in the yard this time of year made us think of the delicious fried grape leaves stuffed with goat cheese. That led us to dolmades......and we compared a few recipes from various cookbooks. Seductions of Rice won out, and the dolmades were so delicious we ate every one of them, including the grape leaves at the bottom of the pan. We decided in the future we might even just line the pan, throw in the rice mixture, more leaves, and just have that for dinner.
Debashis made a white bean dip, and served that with rice crackers and endive spears:
White Bean Dip
Smashed peeled garlic cloves and rosemary sauteed in olive oil. Once things were crispy and fragrant, he removed the rosemary and kept it aside.
In the mini prep he added the olive oil & garlic, drained canned beans (rinse as you prefer), salt to taste, and some kalamata olives (4-5), and coarsely blended. Into a bowl it went, with the rosemary added back in. He adjusted for salt and pepper, fresh squeezed lemon & a little lemon zest.
Roasted Potatoes
Boiled small red potatoes were transformed in a skillet with olive oil, garlic, rosemary and salt into delicious, crispy roasted bites.
Easy Salad
The last addition was an easy salad of herbed lettuce mix, cucumbers, early heirloom tomatoes and avocado. This was served on a platter with olive oil and balsamic glaze drizzled on top. Easy, and tasty.
Debashis made a white bean dip, and served that with rice crackers and endive spears:
White Bean Dip
Smashed peeled garlic cloves and rosemary sauteed in olive oil. Once things were crispy and fragrant, he removed the rosemary and kept it aside.
In the mini prep he added the olive oil & garlic, drained canned beans (rinse as you prefer), salt to taste, and some kalamata olives (4-5), and coarsely blended. Into a bowl it went, with the rosemary added back in. He adjusted for salt and pepper, fresh squeezed lemon & a little lemon zest.
Roasted Potatoes
Boiled small red potatoes were transformed in a skillet with olive oil, garlic, rosemary and salt into delicious, crispy roasted bites.
Easy Salad
The last addition was an easy salad of herbed lettuce mix, cucumbers, early heirloom tomatoes and avocado. This was served on a platter with olive oil and balsamic glaze drizzled on top. Easy, and tasty.
Friday Night Sophie's Shrimp Tacos with Spicy Cabbage Slaw
Friday night we had one of our favorite fast dinners - tacos. This was an asian-themed dinner.
I made a red cabbage slaw based on a recipe from myrecipes.com, but modified it with Siracha, used sliced fresh cabbage (not out of a bag), toasted raw (non-salted version) spanish peanuts in peanut oil, and Bragg's Aminos instead of fish sauce. Cilantro is fresh in the garden, so that went in too. I threw the carrots, ginger, and garlic in my mini-prep processor, and sliced the cabbage and green onions by hand.
I did make Seitan from scratch using a recipe from Veganomicon, but saving that for something else. Had a box of Sophie's shrimp so put that in the oven. Steamed some sprouted corn tortillas, and there was an easy, delicious dinner.
The next day, for lunch I made some rice paper rollups using tempeh bacon, sunfower sprouts, cucumber matchsticks and the leftover slaw. They were good!
Today I am making another batch of slaw to take for some Bánh Mì.
I made a red cabbage slaw based on a recipe from myrecipes.com, but modified it with Siracha, used sliced fresh cabbage (not out of a bag), toasted raw (non-salted version) spanish peanuts in peanut oil, and Bragg's Aminos instead of fish sauce. Cilantro is fresh in the garden, so that went in too. I threw the carrots, ginger, and garlic in my mini-prep processor, and sliced the cabbage and green onions by hand.
I did make Seitan from scratch using a recipe from Veganomicon, but saving that for something else. Had a box of Sophie's shrimp so put that in the oven. Steamed some sprouted corn tortillas, and there was an easy, delicious dinner.
The next day, for lunch I made some rice paper rollups using tempeh bacon, sunfower sprouts, cucumber matchsticks and the leftover slaw. They were good!
Today I am making another batch of slaw to take for some Bánh Mì.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Savory Bengali French Toast
Debashis made this for breakfast last Sunday, and I meant to write about it. If you like french toast and you like things spicy, you will LOVE this recipe.
White sandwich, challah, french, or we have used wheat sandwich. Anything that will aborb egg.
Whip up the egg batter:
eggs
cilantro, washed, diced
melted butter
sliced & caramelized red onion, cooled
finely diced chilis (thai, serrano, etc)
salt, pepper
ground whole cumin
Vegan option is using a chickpea flour batter, in India it's a bread pakora. Recipe some other time.
Heat pan on low heat, use melted butter, ghee or oil.
Place bread slices 30 sec. on each side in batter, then fry.
Serve with ketchup, spiced ketchup, Maggi indian ketchup, breakfast potatoes, thai sweet chili sauce, fresh cilantro-mint chutney, tomato-date chutney, anything. Addictive!
White sandwich, challah, french, or we have used wheat sandwich. Anything that will aborb egg.
Whip up the egg batter:
eggs
cilantro, washed, diced
melted butter
sliced & caramelized red onion, cooled
finely diced chilis (thai, serrano, etc)
salt, pepper
ground whole cumin
Vegan option is using a chickpea flour batter, in India it's a bread pakora. Recipe some other time.
Heat pan on low heat, use melted butter, ghee or oil.
Place bread slices 30 sec. on each side in batter, then fry.
Serve with ketchup, spiced ketchup, Maggi indian ketchup, breakfast potatoes, thai sweet chili sauce, fresh cilantro-mint chutney, tomato-date chutney, anything. Addictive!
Every Day Bengali Khitchri (a.k.a. Kitchari)
When we need a fast, nutritious dinner that tastes good when we are all sick or exhausted, we make this in our pressure cooker. It's basically just an east-indian risotto. All spices whole unless noted. Easy on the turmeric until you get the hang of it, most people over do it and it gets bitter, yuck! Sub coconut oil or canola to make this vegan. We have a stainless steel pressure cooker (actually 2) and we use them a bunch. I blew the pressure gasket off one but Debashis fixed it. We are eating this tonight with sauteed kale in olive oil & garlic.
We have been trying to find a good US or North American source for organic dals, specifically mung dal and yellow pigeon peas. Our local COOP sells organic mung dal from.... China? Let me know if you have a good source.
Serve this with: samosas and/or papads, indian pickle, and a quick salad of lime, cucumber, salt, jalapeno or some other fresh chili, cilantro, tomatoes, sliced red onions.
easy bengali khitchri
1/4 c mung dal - yellow, hulled, split mung dal
1/4 c rice (any aromatic kind), tonight I'm using white basmati
wash carefully & drain
sautee in pressure cooker:
ghee
cumin
nigella
red chili
ground coriander
ginger, fresh, peeled, minced
add tomato to melt
veggies as you prefer, we use:
carrots, peeled & chopped (1 tonight)
potatoes, peeled & quartered (tonight I'm using small red)
peas (shelled or frozen) - small handful tonight
spinach (handful)
cauliflower (in proportion to the carrots)
add the:
rice & dal
turmeric (not too much at all)
salt
Optional: nuts or raisins. Arundhati loves raisins and Debashis loves cashews, so in they go for us.
add 3-4 parts water (so for this one I'll add 2 c.)
Cover pressure cooker, on medium heat bring to pressure, maintain pressure for 3-5 mins then turn the heat off, and let the pressure drop. Open & serve in shallow pasta bowls.
We have been trying to find a good US or North American source for organic dals, specifically mung dal and yellow pigeon peas. Our local COOP sells organic mung dal from.... China? Let me know if you have a good source.
Serve this with: samosas and/or papads, indian pickle, and a quick salad of lime, cucumber, salt, jalapeno or some other fresh chili, cilantro, tomatoes, sliced red onions.
easy bengali khitchri
1/4 c mung dal - yellow, hulled, split mung dal
1/4 c rice (any aromatic kind), tonight I'm using white basmati
wash carefully & drain
sautee in pressure cooker:
ghee
cumin
nigella
red chili
ground coriander
ginger, fresh, peeled, minced
add tomato to melt
veggies as you prefer, we use:
carrots, peeled & chopped (1 tonight)
potatoes, peeled & quartered (tonight I'm using small red)
peas (shelled or frozen) - small handful tonight
spinach (handful)
cauliflower (in proportion to the carrots)
add the:
rice & dal
turmeric (not too much at all)
salt
Optional: nuts or raisins. Arundhati loves raisins and Debashis loves cashews, so in they go for us.
add 3-4 parts water (so for this one I'll add 2 c.)
Cover pressure cooker, on medium heat bring to pressure, maintain pressure for 3-5 mins then turn the heat off, and let the pressure drop. Open & serve in shallow pasta bowls.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Daily Chai
Every morning we make chai:
Note: I've tried un-caffeinated using Rooibos with mixed results.
- approx. 1 cup skim milk
- approx. 1 cup water
- ~1" peeled & diced fresh ginger
- 2 T. black ceylon or assam tea leaves
- sugar
- cardamom pods (2-3 if you are Debashis, 7-8 if it's me, mine tastes better).
Note: I've tried un-caffeinated using Rooibos with mixed results.
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