The Whole Wheat

Technically you could drink this delicious drink anytime, but I really love it in the morning. I realize it isn’t technically melon season any longer, but if you are like me and still have melons all over your house (well kitchen) then you were looking for a great use. Right? I’m sure a “regular” blender would be fine, but a Vita-Mix really shines in these juicing applications. So pull that sucker out if you have one, and enjoy the incredible flavors and sweetness of this all-natural delight.

Ingredients:

• About 2 c. large chunks of honeydew
• 3-5 mint leaves
• About 2-inches of cucumber, cut into chunks
• Handful of ice as desired

1. Place everything but the ice in the Vita-Mix, blend until smooth.
2. Add the ice and blend again until ice is incorporated.
3. Enjoy! Yes it really is that simple!

I admit to being quite the eggplant fiend! This summer we were graced with quite the abundance of eggplant in our CSA box – and all types and varieties. It was absolutely thrilling. Brad on the other hand has declared war on the eggplant and is convinced he doesn’t like it. I’m not sure what the eggplant ever did to him, but it does inspire me to keep looking for different and interesting preparations. Such as this lovely! Miso is a fascinating ingredient and I definitely enjoy the mixture of miso and eggplant.

This recipe comes via The Artful Vegan cookbook from The Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco. The cookbook is stunning and full of all kinds of exciting culinary adventures waiting to be tried. BTW, do go to Millinnium if you haven’t been before. It really is a great spot!

Ingredients:

• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 t. peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 2 scallions, minced
• 3 T. white miso
• 3 T. mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 1 T. sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 T. sesame oil
• 6 Japanese eggplants, halved

1. In a shallow baking dish (that is large enough to hold the eggplant), mix all ingredients except the eggplant. If necessary add a small amount of water to thin this into a paste. Place eggplants cut side down in the miso mixture for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the broiler. Place eggplant cut side up on a baking sheet. Spoon some of the miso mixture over the eggplant tops to coat them well. Broil for 5-7 minutes until eggplant flesh is soft and the tops are browned.
3. Serve & enjoy!  Additionally, I scooped the eggplant flesh out of the skins of the leftovers.  I mushed it all up and had the most delicious eggplant “caviar” the next day.  This is also a great side dish or spread!

Note: miso is pretty easy to find, it comes in a tub typically and can be found in near the soy in most stores. It will keep for some time in the fridge so don’t be frightened by it.

One of my best friends is Maltese. She recently returned from a visit to Malta and has been tempting me with stories of all the food she had. One of the Maltese classics is a dip called bigilla. It is made from dried fava beans, a touch of garlic & hot pepper then spread on bread, on pizza, or possibly just eaten as is. I’m not 100% since I haven’t been to Malta yet.

After some research and reviewing her family recipe, below is the version I made. We spread it on pizza over a layer of tomato paste. I topped mine with additional veggies, fresh mozarella, and some vegan sausage that I will post about soon. Brad stuck with cheese only. It was very tasty and I’m sure we’ll have bigilla again.

BTW, cooking the fava beans was fascinating and worth doing if you never have. The water they cook in turns dark brown and the scent is incredible! I meant to take a photo of them in their broth but I forgot.

Ingredients:

• 14 oz. dried fava beans, soaked overnight (also known as broad beans)
• 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 hot pepper, minced (I used a jalapeno)
• handful of parsley, finely chopped
• spoonful of olive oil
• salt & pepper

1. Soak the fava beans overnight. Oh I mentioned that above? Well I really meant it! These suckers are tough and need the soaking time, so please don’t skip this step! Replace the water they soak in if/when it becomes murky.
2. Put the beans in a pot with fresh water covering them at least an inch. Bring to a boil. Boil the beans 1.5-2 hours. Keep a bit of hot water nearby because you will probably need to add more water as the beans cook. When they are soft and mushy, they are finished – if you aren’t sure, let them keep going.
3. Drain the beans but reserve a bit of the cooking liquid.
4. Place the beans in a bowl and mash them up. I actually used two knives and sliced them up a bit before I mashed them. This is probably not very authentic.
5. Add the other ingredients and season to taste.
6. Enjoy on bread or top a pizza with this spread. It would be great on a sandwich also.

I was first introduced to this spicy Mayan dip at the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmer’s Market. In the back of the market you will find a stall for Primavera Products where they sell their delicious tamales, fresh tortillas, guacamole, and sikil pak – among other things! I devoured the first batch we purchased from them and instantly began researching how to make this amazing spicy dip. It is quite simple I discovered – and just as addictive from my kitchen as from the lovely Primavera stall.

I love this dip spread on a tortilla as I build tacos and burritos. It is also fantastic alone with chips! Give it a whirl – but do be forewarned this makes about 2 cups of dip, so be ready to give some to friends or have a Sikil Pakty (get it? pakty/party? yeah I’ll keep working on that joke ). It keeps quite well in the fridge also.

Ingredients:

• 1 habanero chili, stemmed
• 10 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
• 3-4 tomatoes
• 2 1/2 c. pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 c. vegetable stock
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 c. finely chopped cilantro
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 t. salt

1. Place the habanero and garlic cloves on a baking sheet under the broiler. Turn every few minutes until all sides are blackened and the garlic cloves are soft. Set aside. Repeat with the tomatoes so the skin is charred and peeling off.
2. Toast the pumpkin seeds, either on the stove top or in the oven. After they are nicely toasted, add them to a food processor and grind them into a fine, uniform meal.
3. Carefully quarter the habanero – remove and discard the seeds and veins. (Note: I actually wear disposable gloves or put my hands inside of small ziploc bags before handling these peppers. Be very careful because they are extremely hot peppers and the tiniest amount can sting your eyes.)
4. Peel the garlic and tomatoes. Add the habanero, tomatoes, garlic, and stock to the food processor. Blend until the mixture is well combined. If it is too think add a bit more stock.
5. Remove from processor and stir in onion, spices, and cilantro.
6. Enjoy!

I’ve spent a lot of time sorting through my magazines and recipes – trying to get organized! The fall cleaning I suppose. At any rate I stumbled on this recipe and realized I had about a pound of chanterelles in the fridge – perfect timing! This is a lovely light pasta sauce that is very quick and easy to make, but delicious! It would be ideal over freshly made pasta, but for a quick dinner, store bought whole wheat works for me.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz. dried porcini mushrooms (I used dried shitakes – but would not recommend that, they were chewy – so stick with porcinis)
• 1 1/2 c. boiling water
• 3 T butter (I use vegan margarine)
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb. chanterelles (or any wild mushrooms), cleaned and thickly sliced
• 3 T. parsley, chopped
• 1/2 package of whole wheat fettuccine
• 1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan

1. Place porcinis in a bowl and soak in the hot water for 30 minutes, or until soft. Drain but reserve the soaking liquid.
2. Meanwhile bring water to a boil and cook fettuccine according to directions.
3. In a large, deep skillet, melt butter with oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until it begins to brown. Add the fresh mushrooms; sprinkle with salt & pepper then cover. Cook until tender, about 6 minutes, stirring often.
4. When fresh mushrooms are tender, add the drained porcinis. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover and saute about 2 minutes longer. Mix in parsley and season with salt & pepper.
5. Add drained noodles & cheese to the mushroom sauce in skillet. Toss over medium heat until the cheese melts and the pasta is well coated. Add reserved mushroom soaking liquid if sauce is too dry.

I’ve been on a huge Mediterranean kick since being vegan for a month. These falafel are super easy to make – the only time consuming part is letting the beans soak. Since all the other prep (besides a little onion chopping) takes place in the food processor – the falafel come together very quickly.  The flavors are great – enjoy!  Oh, and I’m not sure canned beans would be a good substitution here, but hey, why not try?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried peeled fava beans, soaked overnight (if you cannot find peeled you will want to peel them after they are soft and have been soaking several hours.  this is a real pain though, so try to avoid if you can)
• 3/4 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• 3 tablespoons water

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Drain and rinse the favas and chickpeas and put them in a food processor. Add the onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, baking powder, salt, cumin and crushed red pepper. Pulse, scraping down the side of the bowl, to form a coarse paste. Add the water and process until the mixture is gritty but fine and brilliant green. Scrape the paste into a bowl.
3. Scoop rounded tablespoons of the falafel mixture onto a baking sheet.  Spray well with cooking spray or olive oil.
4. Bake until nicely browned and cooked thru, about 20 minutes.  Turn over once or more.
5. Serve hot, with tahini sauce, fresh veggies (cucumber, tomato, etc), and flat bread or pitas!

Note: these can be a tad bit dry.  Feel free to up the water or add a touch of oil to the mixture.
Inspiration recipe can be found at http://www.theepicentre.com/Recipes/mfalafel.html