vegan – Page 2 – Backdoor Hospitality

Whole 30: Day 30 & Key Lime Pie Kamillebars

Well friends, today is day 30 of my 30 day challenge. It is officially over at 12:01 am, but I will avoid any temptation of getting out of bed for a glass of wine. These 30 days have been quite remarkable, in the physical yes, but even more in the emotional, mental & spiritual realm. It’s interesting when I tell people about this challenge, because there have been typical responses.

Eyes pop out of their head
They realize their eyes popped out and try to compose their facial expression to a more subdued look.
Nodding of the head (as in I cannot believe you are doing this to yourself).
The response, “Wow, you must have a lot of willpower,”
Or my other favorite response, “That’s amazing (but I wonder if they really think I’m nuts), but I couldn’t live without…FILL IN THE BLANK!”

As for willpower. I guess if you asked my mom about me being a girl, if I had a strong will, she’d say yes. If you asked Ben the same, he’d probably agree. However, I think willpower is more about seeing the potential for something good and setting on the course to achieve it. It’s making choices everyday because you see the end goal. I make choices now as a mother to discipline my girls, in order for them to know of life’s consequences and how to have enough “willpower” to say no when faced with life’s bigger dilemmas (you know the ones that have catastrophic effects).

When I looked at myself in the mirror even three years ago, I didn’t see someone who was healthy or someone I wanted to be. But when you hit a place in health decline, whether that’s being overweight, chronic health issues, lethargic, etc, you can easily get so trapped and wonder, “How did I get here? And how do I get out?” This goes for any challenge in life, it just happens to be nutrition & exercise for me. And specifically, this 30 day challenge was a challenge; considering I love to bake and my shelves are overflowing with cookbooks. Yet, when I see myself now compared to the girl who walked into Jogo August 4th for a basecamp fitness introduction (ached for days), I remind myself of her. I see that girl and think, “that’s willpower, to get up at 5:30am to come workout, completely out of shape and all because she wanted better in life.”

Who would’ve thunk it? Certainly not me, but I’m SO VERY THANKFUL for it. In fact, it’s amazing how alive your taste buds are when you take away sugar for 30 days. Dates are simply ethereal (and a bit dangerous) and figuring out how to make my own Larabars were even more so. I first had a Key Lime Pie Larabar during the challenge, and I could have sworn there was cream cheese in it. The ingredients simply said: dates, cashews, almonds, key lime concentrate. I set out to do what any rational person would do…figure out how to make my own. And they’re good, really good! But, I’m warning you right now to only save a couple and share the rest, because 1. you’ll be sure to make friends that way and 2. you’re body will thank you later.

Key Lime Pie Kamillebars (printable recipe)

I have made these twice. The first time they turned out better than the second time, merely because the nuts didn’t get finely chopped in the food processor. I realized that the first round I used dates from Trader Joes, which were more dry. I think more dried dates work better in this recipe. While the second time I had these wonderful, soft dates from Costco. Due to the dates being quite soft, they pureed before allowing all the nuts to puree. So the pureed dates caused everything to stick without chopping.

Ingredients:

16 ounces dates (weight is based on dates with pits still in)

2 cups/225 grams raw cashews

1 1/8 cup/165 grams raw almonds

1 cup/80 grams unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 tsp pure lime oil

3-4 key limes, juice OR juice of 2 limes (the kind you find at the grocery store)

Directions: Place cashews, almonds, coconut, & pitted dates into the bowl of a food processor. Process until the nuts are almost pureed, just not into a nut butter. You may want to pulse a couple times. Once the the nuts & dates are chopped well, add the lime juice & oil and pulse to combine. You will want the mixture to be a bit sticky. Taste to see if you need to add more lime juice.

Put in a 9×9 square pan, patting down evenly. You can slice fairly soon after. I cut mine into small squares; rather, than the traditional bar. If left out they will dry a bit. So cover them if you want to retain some moisture.

Paleo Day 2: Spinach Salad with sauteed shiitakes & subdued garlic

If only garlic started with an “S” then I’d have won for alliteration. It’s only day two and at this rate, not sure if posting everyday for the next 28 days is possible; however, let’s give it a shot (not going to try too many firsts here). Last Wednesday at my little gym, my coach Emilie led the “chalktalk” on this upcoming “Lean & Green Challenge,” where she laid out the ground rules, fears & ideas to rally the troops in to complete the mission. Challenge: “no grains, dairy, sugars, legumes for 30 days.” Well, that’s not TOO bad–right?!

But it got me thinking about the various people who have gone Paleo and never looked back. Their phrases were sung to the melody of “the hills are alive.” And the thing is, they didn’t have those looks that you can easily call out in a crowd as a bluff. They really were holding an ace high straight flush and want to lead as many people to the goods who will willingly follow. So, just in case you’re not following, after the 30 days, they didn’t want to go back. They didn’t want to go back to gluten-filled goodness, rice cakes (oops how did that get there), cream in their coffee, or a place where the beer flows like wine. Mostly, people didn’t want to go back to the gluten, because it affected their systems; however, seeing as half of my recipes here consist of that little beauty–I can’t help but get a little sad. To think of Christmas without having Vetekrans, a blustery Autumn weekend having Pumpkin Pecan Scones, or enjoying a getaway with my friends with Homemade Oreos. Seriously, never again (insert sad face).

As for day two–it’s close to over and I should be reporting to sleep duty. What I do know is this morning Ben did wake up to “nutty wife syndrome” (didn’t say it wasn’t coming), tonight was easier than last, and maybe, just maybe I won’t miss all of the said above items and long for this simple Spinach Salad (one can dream right). Sweet dreams friends!

A Year Ago: Pear, Apple, Cranberry Crisp

Spinach Salad with sautéed Shiitakes & Subdued Garlic (printable recipe)

Ingredients:

A whole bunch of washed, dried spinach (preferably pre-washed)

8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems cut off and sliced

1-2 Tb almond oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tb olive oil

salt

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

freshly ground pepper

Directions: In a large bowl, put your spinach in it. In a medium saute pan and on medium heat, heat almond oil. Add the mushrooms and stir occasionally. Once they have gotten nice & sautéed, then add a pinch of salt. Put sautéed mushrooms atop the spinach.

With the same pan, add the olive oil (on medium-low heat) and add your minced garlic. Stir around and keep all the garlic simmering in the oil. You DO NOT want it to brown. Your simply simmering out the garlic to soften both texture & flavor (1 -1 1/2 minutes). Add a pinch of salt to garlic. Empty onto the mushroom & spinach.

Spread out the thinly sliced mushrooms atop. Drizzle a bit more olive oil (not too much) & grind some pepper.

Coconut Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

Starting Monday, Ben & I will be joining our gym’s call to partake in the “Lean & Green Challenge.” Before I divulge into what it entails, let me say that I can already imagine the expression on your face as you continue reading. And I’m actually looking forward to it (in some respects). It is a Paleo eating style, which means we will be eating as Paleolithic people. You got that? Okay, well, it means we only eat lean meats, vegetables, limited fruit, nuts & seeds and good fats (olive oil, coconut oil, nut oils, nut butters, etc). That means we will not be eating any grains (containing gluten and gluten-free), dairy, sugars, or legumes (yes peanuts are a part of that).

I, of course, prefaced it with what we can eat, because most people upon hearing what we can’t eat automatically ask, “Well, what CAN you eat?” The next question, “Kamille, why are you doing this? What does this mean with baking?” Good question! Ben and I have been looking at our Family Mission (reading this great book) and our top priority is getting our family healthy. Ben joined Jogo in March, me in August, my mental health turned for the worse and we want more from life. Friends & co-Jogomates have testified the goodness of doing Paleo. How aches, pains, intestinal problems, weight around the gut, etc went away after following a Paleo food lifestyle (Robb Wolf), along with regular cardio-exercise. So really, I would have to ask myself, “Why wouldn’t I join the “L&G Challenge?”

And about baking…well, to be quite honest, I haven’t really wanted to bake much these days. Maybe it’s a mixture of exercise, lack of time, demands of family? And maybe I’m just burnt out. What I am excited about is loving my family in these next 30 days by preparing & cooking food that will be good to their body, help me menu plan (for once anyway) and most likely have a tighter rein on the food budget. Plus, we have a 1/2 a cow in our deep freezer, so here’s to using it. One of my recipes is this soup, which puts a twist on an Autumn classic. The coconut is subtle enough, which is why I didn’t use a whole can (but you certainly could) and plays on the creaminess known to the butternut squash. The ginger adds bite & spice to make it come a bit alive. Stay tuned as our family embarks on this adventure, and hopefully share a recipe or two:)

A Year Ago: Simple Meals & Juxtaposition

Coconut Ginger Butternut Squash Soup (printable recipe)

If you want to substitute the water for warm chicken broth, go right ahead, because it would add a greater depth of flavor to it.

Ingredients:

2 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 small onion, roughly cut into large dice

extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

1/2 cup coconut milk

3-5 cups water

2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp finely grated ginger

Garnish options: olive oil, kosher salt, red pepper chili flakes, cilantro

Directions: Preheat oven to 425. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place butternut squash & onion on parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil, mix around with hands, sprinkle a bit of salt on top. Roast for about 30-35 minutes, check the squash (a fork should pierce right through).

Add the roasted squash & onions in batches to the blender. Add 1/4 cup coconut milk and about 1/2 cup of water. Put a towel on top of the lid to avoid getting burnt by the steam. Blend until completely pureed. You most likely will need to add more water along the way. Continue doing this, until all the squash/onion mixture is pureed; as well as, the coconut milk is gone.

Transfer the puree to a large pot and bring up to medium heat. Add more water, 1/2 cup portion at a time, until you get the consistency you prefer. Add ground ginger & freshly grated ginger (using a microplane zester). Add salt to taste. If you need a bit of acid, then squeeze in the juice of 1/2 a lime–taste and if you think it needs the other 1/2–go ahead and add it.

Ladle into bowl, drizzle a bit of olive oil on top, along with red pepper chili flakes, some cilantro and a pinch of coarse salt.

Peach Pico de Gallo

The trees around here tell me that Autumn is on the move. However, in Bellingham it is known that summer doesn’t fully start until the Fourth of July and sticks around till end of September. Today would prove otherwise. But, I’m not letting it get to me and trying to make up for so much lost time in the kitchen this summer. Peaches, nectarines, apples & plums are in abundance. In fact, you can still get strawberries, blueberries & raspberries at Joe’s Garden (oh how I love thee). Not to mention the nightshade vegetable/fruit family abounding everywhere.

And since we’re leaving to Vegas this week for my sister-in-law’s wedding, I needed to do something with the tomatoes & peaches before I left. A peach pico de gallo sounded wonderful. I think it was two summers back we would buy this mango-peach salsa from Costco & simply loved it. It was more on the sweet side, not as much spice, but perfect for grilled chicken, salmon or even better…scrambled eggs. My version is less sweet and it tastes like a pico de gallo should–fresh. You can up the spice factor however you like. It takes me to the beaches of Mazatlan where my grandpa lives, except this time I’m older and can drink a beer with it. Enjoy!

P.S. We got our camera in the mail this week (must use the word “our,” as I’ve already said “my” once–OOPS!) & I love it!

A Year Ago: Sour Lemon Scones

Peach Pico de Gallo (printable recipe)

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet onion, diced

1 large red pepper, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced (the heat is in the inner white spine, so you can remove that to make it less hot)

6 hothouse tomatoes (Joe’s Garden), diced

1 1/2-2 lbs peaches, chopped & skinned

pinch of salt

juice of one lime

Optional: If you want more heat, add more jalapenos.

Directions: This is relatively easy to make. The work is done with a sharp chef knife, cutting board and bowl. Cut, dice, chop, etc and put it into the bowl. Mix together, taste for flavoring & add more of what you think you need. Eat with chips, serve on eggs, chicken, salmon, fish tacos, cod, halibut. Add a mango if you like.

Beet Salad Done Right!!

I’ve been suffering from a bit of writer’s block. In college when it came time to write my history papers I would fumble & fumble with the introduction. And that’s how it’s been feeling when I sit down to write a new post. I can’t seem to find just the right words to begin. But, in a way, it’s exactly how life is going in the here & now. Take breakfast for instance. It’s 8:00 and I’m actually showered & ready, so breakfast should be a snap. Not quite. When I came downstairs I found my “risen bread” to be not so risen, but quite fallen. I didn’t want to waste it, so I began thinking what I could do instead.

Then, insert two little girls under the age of four asking for, “Mama, can you put Shortcake Swing on?” Me: “Yes! (still looking baffled at my dough). And since I didn’t move in .milliseconds I was asked the same question again. Then, Tayers needed her boots on like sissy. Oh, but my hands were sticky, so go and wash, help with said boots, then back to dou…oh wait, there’s dirt all over the floor. Find broom. Another question asked of me. Me wondering if I had something I was doing in the kitchen. By the time I got back the dough was sticking to the board. Eventually, I made a sad excuse for a breakfast pizza (eggs cooking on top, dough a bit soggy [because it was intended for bread in the first place]); however, the girls didn’t seem to mind.

Oh, what I also forgot to mention was the time when we finally ate…oh about 9:15. Because what ensued from the time I started to the time I finished, well, I have no clue at this point in the afternoon. I do know that I lost my marbles at one time with a bit more boisterous mama (some call it shouting) saying, “I need to think! Out of the kitchen…get out of the kitchen!” I think I was the one who needed an immediate time out and my apologies & reminding myself in front of the girls how we are to “use our words.” That’s what my introductions to posts feel like. My life at present is like the first time I learned to drive stick, a whole bunch of jerking stops not knowing how (or if I should) to begin again.

But you know, I find a bit of solace amidst of all this (granted, it’s almost 8 hours later). As I was picking up the toys, hats, shoes from the floor for the umpteenth time I thought of the people without kids (whether it be the barren, the empty nester, etc) and how this mere “inconvenience” is full of life. Our home is full of non-stop chatting, laughter, cries, music, movement & breaths. The silence is more than appreciated & needed, but there’s something about that little voice after nap, which gladly says, “Hi Mama!” There’s something about it all that I wish I could stuff it into a bottle so it never fades. It’s contentment in these little things, that makes a Monday feel like a Friday. This little salad does just that. The acidity from the marinated beets, sweet licorice blend from the fennel, and the creaminess from the avocado. You could eat it by itself or put it on top of salad greens.

A Year Ago: Superlative Chocolate Chip Cookies & Cabbage-Apple Salad

Beet, Fennel, & Avocado Salad

This salad can be eaten without salad greens, or with. I found a good washed kind from my Farmer’s Market (had kale, mustard greens, herbs, bibb lettuce). Be sure you don’t throw out your beet greens. You can either saute them up with a little minced garlic, olive oil & salt for later. Or, chop them up to use as part of your salad greens for this here salad.

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

1 bunch of beets (if you can get a variety sold at a Farmer’s Market–that would be optimal)

4-5 small fennel bulbs (or 2 big ones)

2 ripe avocados

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Kosher Salt or Sea Salt

Olive oil

Mixed Greens

Directions: Chop the beet greens off (save them for later use by steaming or cut up & put as part of your salad). Scrub the beets, but no need to peel them. Thinly slice them using a mandoline. Put them in a bowl and pour enough raw apple cider vinegar to cover them. Allow them to marinate for minimum 2 hours. Once your beets have marinated (I marinated mine for 3 1/2 hours), drain them & if you want to barely rinse them, go ahead.

Slice the fennel with the mandoline (think thin as well). Put them in a ice water bath, then transfer them to a salad spinner to get the water out. The ice water bath shrinks the fennel, allowing it to be crunchy.

Transfer the beets & fennel into a bowl. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top, sprinkle with salt & cubed avocados as well. Lightly mix with your hands. Place a portion on top of mixed salad greens. Drizzle with a little bit more olive oil and you’re good to go.

Mustard Roasted Cauliflower

As I’m sure we are all blown away by the wreckage on the news, internet, facebook, etc with the devastation in Haiti, it might makes us wonder about so many things in life. One thing I’ve been struck by is the certainty of my blessings. As I sat at the table last night eating dinner with my family, Ben shared about his lunch appointment that day and the first hand accounts of Mozambique orphans. His client spoke of witnessing a four year old child raising his 18 month old sibling, all the while searching through the garbage dump for food, clothing, & basic sustenance of life.

Both of us looking at our girls with their pretty little heads adorned with piggy tails thinking the same thing…”you girls are blessed.” Tears start to form as I look at my girls living in that condition and my heart breaks. My girls who know nothing of trial, or pain, or anything evil. Their innocence as they eat grilled cheese sandwiches and I think upon my comment about dinner before sitting down, “this is our humble dinner tonight, nothing fancy.” But this humble dinner would be the feast for those orphans in the dump.

And as I left for a meeting that night, I wept in the car. I wept thinking of the Haitian mothers who would never hold their babies again. Little bodies being crushed by falling buildings. Babies who would never hear their mother’s song, or feel the warmth of her touch, or the protection & love of their father, because they are now orphans. And what do I do with this anguish? I cry, I weep, I mourn. I cry with the mother. I cry with the father. I cry with the child.

My friend once asked the question of herself and God. When am I sinning? When I laugh at what God cries at. When I mock at what God scorns. When I judge at what God is extending grace to. So in this hour, I choose to cry for the broken, to scorn the flippant, to extend grace…and reflect upon how truly blessed I am.

Today I made this simple, mustard roasted cauliflower. It reminded me of how something so meager can be very fulfilling. And how it’s the little things in life, which are the most rewarding. I hope you will find your little blessings to be thankful for and give blessings to the people in the wreckage.

Mustard Roasted Cauliflower (printable recipe)

This is a simple meal for simple times and you can easily roast a couple of these slices then store some in the fridge for other uses. I love the combination of the salt, mustard and sweetness of the roasted cauliflower.

1 head of cauliflower
2 Tb Olive oil (or more)

2T Dijon mustard
Fine sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 F – Place the head of cauliflower on a cutting board, and slice it top-down into ¼-inch thick slices, some of which will crumble. Baste cauliflower with plenty of olive oil, dijon mustard and a bit of salt, spread it in a single layer on a heavy sheet pan (or two, if one looks crowded), and roast until golden brown and caramelized, turning bits and slices once or twice, about 25 minutes.

Host as Guests and “Fried” Potatoes with Kale & Onion

I came across the following quote months ago and saved it in a file. As I came across it today it got me thinking…

Good hosts discover the divine mystery in hospitality—
that as they welcome strangers, they are themselves beloved
guests of God’s grace.

Is it really true that hospitality is more for the host than for the guest? While in Ellensburg for Thanksgiving we get free movie passes, which is about the only time we go to the movies ($9.00 for a movie!). We saw “The Blind Side,” which is based upon a true story. Aside from being an exceptionally great film (seriously, it was a mixture of wonderful & horrible–the kind of horrible that makes you realize life isn’t pretty), there were many moments I got choked up & cried. The Blind Side” depicts the story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential (synopsis taken from here).

Leigh Anne Touhy, the mom, took Michael in as her own. What she was doing was saving him from the plane crash of a life he would have if he stayed in the projects. However, she realized was Michael was in essence saving her. He as the guest caused her to rethink a family history of racism, status in the elite, and safety living on the right side of the tracks. She needed him maybe more than he needed her. Grace.

It’s too easy to view a stranger or guest as a project. To think that my “love” and “generosity” will change the person & I’ll feel better about myself. Except, what I find in the end is that even in the midst of what seemingly is a “good deed,” ends up becoming a grace revealed. This morning’s breakfast reminds me of a grace revealed as a modest, yet appetizing goodness. It is fit for a king in more of backdoor sort of way.

“Fried” Potatoes with Kale & Onion (printable recipe)

Ingredients

1 small yellow onion, cut in thin half moons
3-4 rather big Yukon Gold Potatoes, cut into quarters, then thinly sliced
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil/canola oil mixture
1-2 Tablespoons sea salt
5 leaves black Kale, rib cut off & cut leaves into bite-sized pieces
2-4 Tablespoons water

Put 1 Tb of oil into pan over medium heat. Heat oil for about one minute, then add onion slices. Add about 1 teaspoon salt to onions. Cook until the a bit of browning occurs on the onions. Add thinly sliced potatoes, along with 1 more Tb of oil.

Stir occasionally to avoid sticking or burning (if you need to add more oil, do so). Add 2 teaspoons of salt. You’ll cook the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes.

Add the kale, along with 3 Tablespoons water. Stir around and cook without a lid for 30 seconds. Then, put a lid on top of potatoes & kale and cook for an additional 2 minutes or so. The lid is creating steam, which will in return steam the kale. My lid goes directly on top of the potatoes as it is smaller than the rim of the pan.

Remove from heat, add salt to taste & pepper. Serve by itself, or it you’re like my daughter…with ketchup.

Vegan Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I lived in a house in college where I lived with 9 of my best friends. Well, no, they weren’t my best friends, but I did live in a house full of girls (10 of us total) for two years. The second year I lived there, one of my housemates had a gluten & lactose sensitivity. I remember thinking, “well that’s not fair that she can’t enjoy baked goods!” (at that time gluten-free products were not nearly as common as they are now). Part of my make up is creating food that people like, enjoy & can eat without irritability.

I have since become acquainted with words, xanthan gum, teff, quinoa, buckwheat, millet & so many more sources for gluten-free living. I find that this is a way I can contribute a portion of my hospitality to my non-gluten loving friends. They need some baked yummies–dontcha think! Well, tonight I made these cookies from my new cookbook The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. I wanted a something sweet like chocolate chip cookies, but I didn’t have any eggs and I didn’t want to have cookies leftover in my house. So, I had the ingredients to make them, I could eat a couple and give the rest to my friends Laura (gluten, egg & lactose intolerant) & Tina (gluten intolerant).

Vegan Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (printable recipe)

These are gluten-free, egg-free and if you use coconut oil than they’re also lactose free. And as for a non-allergic individual, I find them to be pretty darn good. Note: I wouldn’t call these chewy, but still good.

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies

1 cup medjool dates, pitted

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup melted virgin coconut oil or organic butter

1/4 cup whole cane sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon xantham gum (I used 1 teaspoon agar agar)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup (or more–I used 1 cup) organic chocolate chips

I also added 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place pitted medjool dates into a small bowl, cover with boiling water. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Then place soaked dates and water into a blender and puree.

3. Scoop out date puree with a rubber spatula and place into a bowl. Add melted coconut oil, whole cane sugar, and vanilla; whisk together.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together the brown rice flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and sea salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix together with a fork or wooden spoon. Fold in chocolate chips.

5. Drop by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Gently flatten each cookie with the back of a spoon. You don’t want to flatten them too much, only slightly.

6. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes. Baking time will depend on what size the cookies are. Larger cookies need a little extra time and smaller cookies a little less. Let cool slightly then enjoy! Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.