Food! Well, everybody has to eat, but I think that we can all agree that some foods are clearly superior to others. With that in mind, here are a few of my favorite recipes. If you bug me enough, I might make one of them for you just to get rid of you, but it's better if you learn to make them for yourself. It's like they say: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you get rid of him for the weekend." Oh wait--maybe that wasn't what I meant. Oh well! On with the recipes!
Okay, the name of these waffles freaks a lot of people out, because what the heck is wheat germ, anyways? But you'll have to trust me on this, because they are some really, really tasty waffles. Just what is wheat germ? As the name implies, it's the "germ" of a grain of wheat. According to the food dictionary, wheat germ, essentially the embryo of the wheat berry, is a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals and protein. It has a nutty flavor and is very oily, which causes it to turn rancid quickly. I refrigerate my wheat germ, and recommend that you do the same. Basically, it's a good way to up the nutritional value of the food that you eat. But on with the recipe! The recipe that I use is one that my best friend's family adapted, so I present it here with their adaptations (in parenthesis).
IngredientsSift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add wheat germ and stir to mix. Combine liquid, salad oil and egg yolks. Beat. Add to flour mixture; beat until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter. Bake in a preheated waffle iron. Makes approximately 5 filling waffles. Yum!
If you've never tried these cookies, you're in for a real treat! They're pretty easy to make and they taste absolutely amazing.
IngredientsOkay, now that you've gotten your ingredients all set up, here's what to do. It's basically the standard procedure for preparing any cookie dough, so if you don't already know the drill, learn it!
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the margarine, sugar and brown sugar together. Add the vanilla and egg and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients except for the oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Add the bowl of dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Stir in the oats, and then add the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop the dough in spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. For chewy cookies, bake for 8 to 9 minutes. For crispy cookies, bake for 10-11 minutes. Enjoy!
Variations: As I hinted above, some of the things that you can vary about this recipe are the type of flour you use and the type of oats you use. You can also vary the type of fat (i.e. butter or margarine) that you use, and each will result in a cookie with a slightly different consistency. Firmer fats like butter will result in a flatter cookie, while softer fats like margarine will result in a more dense cookie. This is because the oatmeal often soaks up some of the fat. If you use quick oats, usually a firmer fat is better, but if you use slow oats, I think you'll probably get the best results with a softer fat. Also, when I mixed up the oatmeal with 1/3 quick oats and 2/3 slow oats, I got a lot of compliments on the resulting cookies, so give that a try. And if you want to give the cookies that extra protein punch, use 1 1/4 C whole wheat flour and 1/4 C soy flour--you won't be able to taste the difference, but all of a sudden the cookies will fill you up that much faster.
The other day, a friend and I started discussing the relative health benefits of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies as a snack food. While adding in oatmeal itself makes these cookies a bit better for you than regular chocolate-chip cookies, I recommend adjusting the flour types as well to really give these cookies some nutritional power. If you do so, you'll have what basically amounts to a better-tasting granola bar. Maybe you can even add in some raisins or cranberries. You can't beat that!
These two recipes are quite a treat. You might be wondering what, exactly, blancmange IS, to begin with. Well, it's a sort of gelatinous pudding or custard that is prominently featured in one episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus. You have to see it to truly understand. But you don't have to see it to enjoy Blancmange! I have only made the first recipe once and have never made the second recipe, so proceed with caution. Also, the first recipe calls for gelatin, so vegetarians beware!
IngredientsTo prepare almond milk, pound the blanched almonds in a mortar. Gradually add 1/4 cup water and 1/2 cup milk to the mixture. Make an effort to extract as much flavor as possible from the almonds and then strain the liquid through a cloth. Soak the gelatin in 1/4 cup water. Heat the cream and sugar until scalded. Dissolve the gelatin in the hot cream mixture. Stir in the almond milk. Add the kirsch or orgeat sirup. Chill it for about 4 hours. Serve the pudding in sherbet cups with the fruit. Makes 8 servings.
Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in the top of a double boiler. Gradually add the milk while stirring well. Place the mixture over boiling water and stir constantly for 8 to 12 minutes, when it should begin to thicken. Cover and continueto cook for about 10 minutes more. Stir 1 cup of this thickened mixture, slowly, into the eggs. Return it to the milk mixture and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not overcook. Remove from heat, and when slightly cooled by gentle stirring, add the vanilla. Stir the mixture very gently into the molds. Cool for about 30 minutes at room temperature and for 1 to 2 hours refrigerated for successful unmolding of individual molds. Larger molds will take 6 to 12 hours.
My housemates always get kind of mad when I make these cookies because they have allergies to various forms of nuts. But that just means more cookies for me. These are some truly good cookies, and the recipe has been stolen from Hershey's.
IngredientsPreheat the over to 350 degrees F. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 9 minutes (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling). Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 & 1/2 dozen cookies. Then watch them disappear before your very eyes.
If you're not a huge chocolate fan (poor, poor you), you'll be happy to know that I can offer you an equally delicious alternative in these little goodies! They're incredibly easy to make, and their lemon flavor makes it tempting to eat them like popcorn.
IngredientsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs and beat until well mixed. Add the flour and beat until the mixture is light. Blend in the lemon extract (not the lemon juice!). Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake 6 to 8 minutes until cookies feel firm and are just lightly browned around the edges.
Mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and enough water to make a thin glaze. Drop a half-teaspoonful of the lemon glaze on each hot cookie.
This is the dish to serve at parties, etc. It's amazing. It's delicious. It's easy to make. Serve it with your favorite crackers or bread or anything and enjoy!
IngredientsCombine all of the ingredients, mix well and pour into a shallow baking dish (like a pie plate). Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the top is slightly browned. Let it cool for a minute or two before attempting to shovel the contents into your mouth with a small cracker or two. Then you can enjoy!
Okay, first a word on vegetarianism, since it's an important part of my life and influences the foods I eat. I definitely think that the vegetarian lifestyle isn't for everyone--some people really enjoy eating meat, and I think that deciding to be a vegetarian is a very personal process that each individual has to contemplate for him or herself. That being said, I'm a vegetarian for several different reasons. Primary among my reasons is the fact that we live in a nation of overconsumers. Hopefully you're aware of the fact that Americans tend to consume much more protein than they actually need; I think the obesity problems our nation faces frequently correlate with this overconsumption of protein. Most of this protein comes from meat products, which require a great deal of energy just to produce (if you're interested in the details behind this statement, I encourage you to read Diet for a Small Planet, by Frances Moore Lappe. Lappe has conducted extensive research on the meat industry in the United States and offers a pretty reasonable argument along these lines.). In addition to the energetic costs, meat production also creates an excessive amount of waste. Now, many people aren't too concerned about these energetic costs. But we don't live on a vast planet--we have a finite amount of resources, and if we want to ensure the continuation of the human species in the future, we need to make sure they have enough resources to live. Eating lower on the food chain uses less energy, so by doing so, I make a social statement that I want to do as much as I can to ensure that future generations have the resources they need to survive.
I also want to specifically highlight the fact that I do not eat fish. I think that many people are unaware of the state of our oceans--they seem vast, in comparison to the land space on this planet. However, lack of sufficient regulations on the fishing industry and lack of understanding of the fish that we eat have led to severe overfishing of many kinds of fish and shellfish. It may be surprising to note that I support some cultural groups that choose to include whale meat or other traditional fish in their diets, since these foods have high cultural significance. But since my own cultural traditions aren't centered around the consumption of fish, I do not eat fish.
In addition to the statements that I make through my actions, I also do not eat meat because I don't enjoy eating it enough to counterbalance my beliefs. Sure, I may miss the taste of fast food, but there are soy products on the market that are definitely satisfying placebos (especially MorningStar Farms vegetarian corndogs. They're addicting).
Having said all that, there are two more vegetarian recipes that I will share with you. Note that you don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy them--they're great recipes and are nutritious and easy to make.
I must give credit where credit's due. This recipe is adapted from my Aunt Cheryl's excellent chili recipe, which is adapted from Laurel's Kitchen. My version is simple and easy to make, and tastes great!
IngredientsSlice the pepper(s) and saute them in a bit of olive oil with the minced garlic for a little while. Add these and the rest of the ingredients except the Chili Powder, Oregano, and Cayenne, to a large crockpot. Simmer this for a couple of hours--2 to 3 hours is usually best to allow the flavors to blend together nicely. At some point, add the chili powder, oregano, and cayenne to the chili to taste--the more you add, the spicier the chili gets! Serve the warm chili with cornbread and garnish it with cheese or sour cream. Yum!
If you like curry, you'll love this dish. If you don't want to go out and buy cauliflower, you can always throw in potatoes and carrots instead and the results will be almost as good. This recipe was pilfered from Diet for a Small Planet, by Frances Moore Lappe.
IngredientsCook lentils and salt in 2 cups water until they lose their distinct shape, about 25 minutes. You may have to add extra water as they cook. In another pot, cook rice in 2 cups water for 30 to 45 minutes. Heat oil in a large skillet and saute onions, cauliflower, and garlic until onions are translucent. Stir in curry powder, saute briefly, and add lentils, peas, cayenne pepper, and water as needed, about 1/4 cup. Simmer about 15 minutes.
To serve, put condiments in bowls on the table. Serve lentils over rice, with a generous dollop of yogurt-cucumber sauce for coolness. Yum!
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