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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Socca (Chickpea Pizza) Integral and The Beaux Box. Sustainable Boxes. Vegan. Gluten Free. Chickpea Crust Pizza Pie.


Instagram Garden Lunch.  Shrooms.  Garden Squash.  Garden Salad.  Fruit Salad. Socca.
Socca is a Chickpea type of bread.  You can make it thick or thin and add veggies or not.  It's great with herbs & garden veggies mixed in.  We surprised Don at "The Beaux Box" last Sunday & seriously, this was our dinner.  Totally on the fly.  All fresh & organic food.  So simple, so delicious.  No salt.  And the only oil was to coat the cast iron pan for the Socca.  If you use Bob's Red Mill Chickpea/Besan/Fava bean flour, you can buy Certified Gluten Free-in the event that you have someone in your life that can't take cross-contamination.  If that isn't an issue, just buy Besan flour on the cheap from your Indian Store.  Or take dried chickpeas & grind them in your Vita-Mix!  A high protein type of "crust", gluten free, and a great alternative to regular flour.  

The Shrooms just have a Sundried Tomato, Garlic, Water, Garlic Herb mixture in them.  The zucchinis are simply cooked on top of stove in a small amount of water with herbs & sundried tomatoes.  Salad with Apple Cider Vinegar & a Splash of Flax Oil.  Fruit Salad just Cut up fruits! Yum!  Simple.  Easy. Healthy.  Filling.

Socca Recipe: 

*  1 cup besan (chickpea flour) which may be Bob's Red Mill for gluten intolerance 
* 1 cup water
* salt <optional> to taste
* Mix with whisk (may take only a minute or two, flour must be moistened just as with pancake batter)


*Add chopped greens and herbs:
*I used kale, chard, beet (all de-stemmed) and basil, shredded young zucchini (I used a peeler and just peeled and peeled until I got to the seeds, cut the peelings short and discard seeds. Some rosemary or thyme, and by accident some stevia.
*Onions chopped into strips, and onion tops chopped.
*As you may have guessed, fillings are fillings, just stir them in well.

*Oven preheat to 425º when starting process. Cast iron frypan preheated to hot on stovetop, toss in some coconut oil and swirl just before stirring. Add mixture to hot pan and chuck into oven for 30 minutes or a little more if desired

*10 inch pan gives thick, softer socca, bake perhaps
*16 inch pan gives thin pizza-like crusty texture
*Coconut oil definitely adds a wonderful flavor, pan must be coated but not too much is needed
*If you try it, give us some feed back as to how you like it.

*If fresh tomatoes are used, less or perhaps no water will be needed, mix the flour to moist, then add the other chopped ingredients.
*Use what is available.
*Cook until crisp or browned.  Thinner crusts generally take less time.  If you make a thick version, you may have a preference on how custardy you like it.


Below, photos of Boxes from "The Beaux Box" from Central Illinois's most famous SoccaMaker! KaleGrower.  Bow (Musical) Maker.  House Builder (yep, that's from SCRATCH!).  Juice Maker.  HummusGod.  And King of Worlds' Strangest Smoothie......

Boxes from Reclaimed Wood.  From Old fences to left over bamboo flooring.  Boxes for everything!  Using what is around, like piano keys & fallen trees.........Beautiful gifts, engagement & wedding presents, happy retirement,  or just because gifts.









Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Vegan Mashup TV, Vegan Subway Sandwiches, Vegan Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, Free Range Chicken Slaughter, 15 Vegan Lunch Recipe and Vegan Beat the Sht out of someone, Vegan Porn

Vegan Mashup. 
 New Vegan show will be on Public TV!! Yeah! Love when this stuff happens.
Check out the preview of VegansOnTv.

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Subway is offering new Vegan Eats (at Selected Locations)
Link to Compassion Over Killing article on Subway. 

Starting this week, several Subway Cafés in Maryland, DC, and Virginia are featuring three new all-vegan savory sandwiches:
Sweet Riblet  ♦  Malibu Greek  ♦  Italian Black Bean 


Okay, I still won't eat at Subway because I read their pickles had come crazy number of food dyes.  But....maybe in a pinch.  However, they do offer (in general) better fare than the rest.  And if you live in the midwest where there aren't VeganBurgerChains on those long stretches of highway....well.....So above is a Vegan Sandwich the Hubby made. His "HomeMade Subway" on Sprouted Bread.  He was trying the "Bbq Gardein" out.  Wasn't his favorite Gardein product, but he obviously made do.  He has been spoiled in the past with homemade Barbecue Seitan sandwiches.  
Link to Compassion Over Killing article on Subway. 


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Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness Well, I could write a LOT about "Free Range".  So this is just one "Free Range" place.  The truth is that most "Free Range" chickens don't even get the "Free Range" part.  These are the "lucky" ones.

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FitSugar has 15 Vegan Lunches you can take to work! 
Very Cool!! Some Great lunch ideas, especially for the "VeganShy".  I know lots of you are trying to reduce animal products in your lives, and lunch is the one thing that "gets you".  You are in a hurry.  You are a creature of habit.  But there are some great healthy options with recipe links (click on link above) and they might inspire you to make your own favorites!  Or you could just make a hugea** salad or pay 10 bucks for a MajorLeague Whole Foods Salad Bar Experience (or go to your co-op if you have an awesome one near you!!).

A typical salad I would get in the "to go" box at Whole Foods.  We generally do not shop at the "salad bar" at WF, because it is pricey & who knows what is organic and not.  However, we sometimes have lunch there & they do have great options.  Several types of "detox, vegan, oil free" salads which are gluten free and great for me.  And lots of beans, tofu dishes, cooked vegan goods.........But look at their "cooked" regular dishes and they are downright nasty.  Full of fat, bacon, cheese, oil.  Just disgusting looking and then you wonder who would pay all that money for something that is so bad for you and not even organic bad for you!! So stick to the Cold bar!!

Hubby tends to hit the tofu dishes, the edamame, and some crazy vegan dressings.  He likes oil and beer.  Okay, he has really been skipping the oil at home, but the beer...........well, it is vegan beer!  :)

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Tim Bradley, Vegan Boxer, Wins Fight.




Okay, I don't know anything about Boxing (except it smacks up your brain pretty good), but apparently it's a good thing for veganism if we can show that a VeganMan can beat the Sht out of someone, just as well as a BeefCakeMan.  So, Cheers??  Guess the fight was controversial, well, everything is controversial :) But if people need the affirmation that VeganMen can be BigandStrong, then so be it.  Duh.  VeganMenRock............And men that love & respect VeganWomen rock too, even if they aren't fully there yet.


I guess Ron Jeremy has done some PSA's for PETA.  So he isn't Vegan, but apparently into spaying & neutering animals.  The whole shtick isn't my "cup of tea" but I am more a dandelion green tea kind of girl, and less a vodka tonic type.  Either way, I guess with the clothes on, I am not thinking of sex while looking at Ron Jeremy.

But it is cool, that Vegans are Penetrating "all" the markets....Sigh.  Which leads me to the VeganPorn of PETA.  I am not a huge "Porn" fan anyway...for lots of reasons.  So Sigh PETA.  But once again, Vegans have to "let go" a tiny bit and realize that Vegans are everywhere and we all have different ideas.  Hmm...which makes me think that being a VeganDoubleAgentSpyCam would be awesome.....Just pose as a stripper, "massuese", and answer calls to congressmen.....Hmm......then "urge" them to get some animal friendly legislation through.  Do we need a VeganLobby of Women in Stilettos & GymHunkMen to "penetrate" the House & Senate??  Seems like that may be the most effective way to "get sht done" as some of the "smartest" have lost it "all" to some penis tweets, out of state prostitutes, and female bondage clubs.  Why are we even bothering with call lists?  There is one call they always answer.  Capital anyone?


Saturday, June 2, 2012

Raw Vegan Ginger Cookies From "Living Cuisine" by Renee Underkoffler


Raw (if you sub out the molasses) Vegan Ginger Snaps
A recipe that I used to make a LOT.  I would double the ginger for an extra punch.  And even served them to "normal" people (not vegan, not raw, not vegetarian) and they liked them as well.  I am a very "crude" and sloppy cook.  Sometimes I freeze ginger (because I buy a lot at once) and then peeling the skin becomes really difficult.  So instead of getting cut, I just leave if pretty rough looking.  So these are packed with extra "Ginger Fiber".  

While Molasses is loaded with Calcium & Iron, you don't "have" to use it.  You could use dates.  Or whatever type of "sugar" you want-but keep in mind that the molasses (or date paste) will help hold the cookies together.


Food Processors are nearly as important as the Vita-Mix in making raw stuff.

I keep it chunky.

Nothing too terribly refined in my life.  

Chunky, Fiber Filled Ginger Dough.


This is why you need a dehydrator!! So you can have cookies with your morning tea, mate, or coffee.






So finished they won't be sticky to the touch.  It is very difficult for me not to eat the entire batch at one time.  Love the spices & texture.  Homemade raw treats are way cheaper than buying at the store.  But portion control is easier when there are a couple of servings in a bag and then the bag is gone.  Even if you put these in the freezer in the basement, it's not like I can't find them! :)





Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods (Avery Health Guides)



Spice it up and increase the ginger!  Sometimes I see "how hot I can go"!