Being Green is NOT Just Recycling!!!

Eating green is another way of being green! Yesterday I made a gravy out of the leftover vegetable stock. It was really tasty. What a tasty way to recycle something healthy. Another way to be green is by cooking with something green. I hope you enjoy this delicious low fat green (color) recipe for Creamed Spinach!

ENJOY!!!!

Creamed Spinach

Ingredients
1 head garlic, top end cut off
1 spray olive oil cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, sliced (recommended: Vidalia)
1 (10-ounce) box frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cube vegetable boulion dissolved in one and a half cups water
3 tablespoons light cream cheese
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 lemon , juiced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil and lightly spray the garlic with olive oil cooking spray once. Wrap aluminum foil around the garlic to form a tight package. Roast for 45 minutes. Once garlic is cool enough to handle, remove from aluminum foil and set aside.
In a nonstick 10-inch saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add spinach and nutmeg and saute for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to simmer; simmer for 1 minute. Pour mixture into a food processor, and then squeeze the garlic cloves from the head of roasted garlic, discarding the skin. Add all remaining ingredients. Pulse until creamy. Serve warm.

A Vegetarian Who Misses Her Beef Jerky!!!!

Imagine my daughter gave up meat and still finds she craves beef jerky. Well for Christmas I decided to surprise her with a Tofu Jerky recipe found on the Internet. The jerky was baked for eight hours in the oven providing a dual purpose of warming the house and my daughters stomach. She couldn't believe it was tofu and kept blaming me for serving her meat!!!!

INGREDIENTS
1 (14 ounce) package firm tofu, drained
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar

DIRECTIONS
Place tofu block between paper towels on a plate. Set another plate on top, and put a weight on top of the plate such as a can to press the water from the block of tofu while you prepare the sauce.
In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, garlic powder, black pepper, barbeque sauce and brown sugar until smooth.
Slice tofu into 1/4 inch thick slices, and dip them in the sauce to coat. Place in a tightly sealed container. Place in the refrigerator, and let marinate for one to two hours.
Preheat the oven to the lowest temperature, around 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Line the oven rack with heavy duty aluminum foil, and place in the lowest position of the oven. Place the tofu slices on the foil.
Bake for about 8 hours, checking and turning over tofu slices every few hours. Tofu jerky is done when it is hard and uniformly dark in color.

I found this very easy to prepare despite the long baking time!

The Vegetarian Road to Health

My child's new adventure as a vegetarian has helped the whole family rediscover the benefits of eating healthy. Not only is it tasty but it's rewarding too! You may ask, "What does Chef Mom mean by rewarding?" Well to start my hubby was able to lower his cholesterol. As for me I've dropped a few pounds. I've also noticed my blood pressure is getting lower. These are only a few positive side effects of eating healthy tasty vegetarian meals. My family has discovered that eating decadent and delicious food doesn't always have to mean clogging of the arteries or tons of calories.

An Old Carnivore Craving

Sometimes you just get a craving for a good old burger! When you see this black bean burger you will be amazed how much it resembles the real deal. It is very tasty and for some a bit spicy. If you are one of those people with weak taste buds cut back or eliminate the cayenne pepper. On special occasions I've altered the dried seasonings to fit the theme of the meal (American with french fries, Mexican with nachos, Oriental with a side of rice and etc...) and found out how diverse this recipe really is. So don't be afraid to experiment and expose your palate to a tasty burger!

Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients

1 can black beans, drained
1 small carrot, minced
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp fresh oregano
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh basil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
2 eggs
3/4 cup quick oats

Mash drained black beans (food processor or potato masher work well). Combine with all ingredients except eggs and oats. Once mixed well add eggs until thoroughly mixed (it's really easier to do this by hand even though it's a bit messy). Once mixed add oats (you may need slightly more oats depending on consistency, mixture should hold together fairly well and not be too mushy). Shape into 2-3 inch balls and press flat to form a patty. Place on hot fry pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cook until browned on both sides (3-4 minutes per side). Serve on a bun with cheese, on a bed of fresh greens, or let cool and store in fridge for later use.

Notes: You may substitute dried herbs for fresh (1 tbsp fresh = 1 tsp dried).
Number of servings: 6-8 depending on size of burgers

The Fear of Thankgiving!

Terror set in when my daughter asked if my sister was making her something special for Thanksgiving dinner. I told my daughter as a guest and the only vegetarian you can't expect her to cook just for you. My words kept echoing in my head, "There will be side dishes that you can eat." It was out of guilt that I stumpled upon a Tofurky Recipe which I modified to work with ingredients found in my cabinets. I'm thankful that I was able to make my daughter's day special with this faux turkey!

Tofu Turkey
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound firm tofu
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 ounces cubed bread crumbs
2/3 cup water with vegetable boullion
Dried imported mushrooms
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 teaspoon sage
2 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 teaspoon barbeque sauce
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon appricot jam
1 teaspoon orange juice
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:
1. Drain and rinse tofu; in a food processor or blender, process tofu until smooth. Stir in salt, marjoram, poultry seasoning and pepper. Line a sieve with 2 sheets of paper towel and place over an empty bowl. Place tofu in lined sieve and press against sides to form a deep well in the middle. Place 2 more sheets of paper towel over tofu and refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat combine bread cubes, 2/3 cup water and margarine. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes and fluff with a fork. To the stuffing add sauted celery and green onions (both optional), dried mushroom (pre-soaked in water), sage and 2 tablespoons water.

3. After tofu has chilled for 2 hours, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). With 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, grease a baking sheet.

4. Remove the top layer of paper towels from the tofu. If necessary, again press tofu against the sides of the sieve to form a well. Spoon the stuffing mixture into the well and smooth the surface with a spoon. Invert the tofu mold onto prepared baking sheet. Remove the remaining paper towel layer and shape the tofu with your hands if it has cracked or lost its shape.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by combining barbecue sauce, mustard, apricot jam, orange juice, sesame seeds and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. After tofu has baked for 30 minutes, brush or spoon the glaze over it. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes more.

7. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tofu is browned and crispy.