Lent

Tomorrow is the start of Lent and traditionally we give up something from now until Easter Sunday to signify the time Jesus spent in the desert and resisted temptation from Lucifer. This year I've chosen to give up dairy products. I've been a vegetarian for 6 years now. I still occasionally will have eggs and I have milk in my coffee, eat cheese, milk chocolate, etc. Products that I buy that list 'milk ingredients' are OK for me too. I try to eat vegan as much as I can, but have never fully committed because I'm lazy, wantingly lack willpower and perhaps am a bit selfish. I'm fighting battles within myself (angel & devil on my shoulders) knowing that going vegan is right, but the selfish side thinking that I'll miss my favorite treats...pizza, chocolate, cheese. I quit eating meat because of ethical issues mostly (a little for health. A lot of those benefits were discovered after) and I didn't want to contribute to mistreatment & deaths of innocent creatures. I buy organic milk, free range eggs and organic produce when I can. I try to buy from companies that are cruelty free. Sometimes I think I'm just being a spoiled brat. I have read several times of possible connections between diary and skin afflictions (mainly eczema-which I have). I'm wondering if cutting dairy out of my diet will make a difference in that respect . If I can do it for 40 days, then why not just continue on from there, right? This will be my ownpersonal test, experience, journey...whatever you want to call it.

Cheap Books

Not long ago, I saw a couple of cookbooks up for sale on e-bay that were very cheaply priced, so I decided to get on them. One was "The Almost No-Fat Cookbook" by Bryanna Clark Grogan.The other was "Tofu Quick and Easy" by Louise Hagler.

It was one of those "buy it now" deals and the seller would combine items for cheaper shipping which is always a bonus. I did my whole PayPal ritual and then was going to sit back and wait for my books to arrive.The next day I got an e-mail from the seller.

He had made a mistake on the listing. It wasn't "The Almost No Fat Cookbook" that he had; it was "The Almost No Fat Holiday Cookbook".

Because of his mistake, he was going to send me that one (if I actually wanted it) and the tofu book free of charge. He refunded me all of my money!

And because of his mix-up, he threw in a third book "Soyfoods Cookery" also by Louise Hagler.

I was pleasantly flabbergasted. We e-mailed back and forth a few times and the gentleman was very nice and very apologetic for his mix-up. It's a family-run business he has and wants to have happy customers.This man was so, so nice and went above and beyond. I would gladly have just taken the other book and paid for it, but he wouldn't have it. There is an on-line store and I wanted to post up his web address as a thank you for being so kind to me. They sell mostly New Age type books, with lots and lots of interesting titles. You might find something you'd like. It's called Discount New Age Books. Please check it out!

Jambalaya

For dinner tonight, I'm making Jambalya that is adapted from a Linda McCartney recipe. I really, really like this dish. I've also got some fresh multi-grain bread and some baby greens for a nice salad. I wish I had a digital camera to take photos. Maybe I'll be able to get one soon. In the meantime, use your imagination. Or better yet, make it!

CREOLE VEGETABLE JAMBALAYA

3 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 Yves veggie burgers (or burgers of your choice)
1/2 pkg. Yves breakfast links
2 Yves Spicy Italian sausages

1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium leek, sliced thinly
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/4 pound okra, trimmed or zuchinni, diced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. freshly chopped basil or 1 tsp. dried
1-2 tsp. Cajun spice mix
3/4 cup long grain rice
14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
3 cups small brown mushrooms, halved
salt and black pepper to taste
Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste
chopped scallions or parsley to garnish

**I only had half of a small red pepper, so I chopped that and also added some bottled roasted red peppers that I had. It made a nice taste. Also, I do not like mushrooms at all. J does, so I'll sometimes add them. If I don't, then I'll use okra and zucchini.

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a skillet and brown burgers and sausages. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat remaining oil and soften the onion and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add leek, red pepper and celery. Saute until the vegetables have softened slightly. Add the herbs and Cajun spice mix and stir well. Then stir in the rice until it is thoroughly incorporated.
Add the tomatoes and half the stock. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, okra and/or zucchini and remaining stock. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes until the rice is tender.
While this is cooking, chop or crumble the burger into bite-sized pieces and slice the sausages into rounds. Add to pot and stir to mix in. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Makes about 4-6 servings

GOLD!

Bulgur For Harmonia

So, a blogger pal of mine bought some bulgur and isn't sure what to do with it. I offered to post some recipes. This first one is a tried and true. It's from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks At Home.

RED, GOLD, BLACK AND GREEN CHILI

1/2 cup bulgur
1/2 cup hot water
3 cups undrained canned tomatoes (28-ounce can)

3 tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
3 cups chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 generous tsp. ground cumin
1 generous tsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce, or 1/4 tsp. cayenne

2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 cups fresh or frozen cut corn
1 1/2 cups drained cooked black beans (14-ounce can)
1 1/2 cups drained cooked red kidney beans (14-ounce can)
salt to taste

grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (optional) - use vegan cheese
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Place the bulgur, hot water and about a cup of the juice from the canned tomatoes in a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil on high heat, then lower the heat and simmer gently.
While the bulgur cooks, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Saute the onions, garlic, cumin, chili powder and Tabasco or cayene. When the onions are soft, stir in the bell peppers and saute for 2 to 3 minutes more. Chop the tomatoes right in the can and add them to the pan. Stir in the corn and beans, and heat thoroughly on low heat. Taste the bulgur. When it is cooked, but still chewy add it to the pan with it's liquid. Cover and simmer for a few minutes for the flavours to meld. Add salt to taste.
Serve plain or topped with grated cheese and fresh cilantro.


I also had one for a bulgur salad that had dried cranberries in it, but I couldn't find that recipe. It must still be packed in a box somewhere. If you're interested in that one, I can post it when I find it.
I also have a couple of others that are on my list to try, but I haven't done so yet. If you'd like me to post those, let me know. One is for cabbage rolls and the other is for stuffed eggplant.

Nutmeg!

Look at this! It's a picture of my prize. Yes! I won nutmeg!

J & Simon went to bed and I sat down at the computer to check out what's been going on today before I turned in for the night. I went to Sarah Kramer's blog and saw a posting to win nutmeg! It said that her husband Gerry got this as a tip and the first person to e-mail her would win it. The winner was me! I'm so excited! I can't wait for my nutmeg. Thank you Sarah & Gerry! You both rock!