Maneuvering the holidays without refined sugar is a challenge, to say the least, but not impossible. Raw sweet treats rule here. And it is not too late—there are still parties coming up! During this holiday season, I decided to break with tradition and not make cookies, but experiment with raw, natural ingredients for the goodies for gifts, parties, and family get-togethers.
Raw Cranberry Treat ingredients ready to process.
One of my favorite holiday foods are cranberries, but they usually come loaded with refined sugar in the form of sauce, breads, or cookies. Naturally sweet medjool dates sweeten these treats and nuts help to firm them up. I tried several different versions, including adding raw apple, pomegranate seeds, and unsweetened coconut. They tend to be soft, but can still be served as finger food for gentle fingers.
Raw Cranberry Treats
Yield: 30-one inch balls
- 2 cups raw cranberries, fresh or frozen (1/2 pound)
- 8 pitted medjool dates (4 ounces pitted)
- 1 cup raw walnuts or pecans (4 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons powdered organic orange peel or 1 tablespoon fresh zest
- pinch of salt
Process all ingredients in a food processor until coarsely ground, then chill for an hour or so until it firms up a bit to roll into balls. A little grapeseed oil on the hands will keep them from sticking to the hands while rolling. Try rolling some in unsweetened dry coconut shreds for variety. These will keep in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days, if they last that long.
After processing.
Raw Cranberry Treats
For an awesome raw cranberry sauce, replace the nuts with a small peeled orange and/or apple and process.
December 28, 2009
In my quest for developing tasty, affordable, and healthful vegan meals for an upcoming book, I found inspiration from the traditional Native American companion crops of beans, corn, and squash. Known as the three sisters, these three crops were and still are grown together, with the corn providing poles for the beans, the beans providing nitrogen for the soil, and the squash vines mulching the ground. The corn and beans together provide complete protein, the squash vitamins A and C, and all together plenty of fiber. Add some dark leafy greens like kale or collards for folate plus more protein, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and K. These original people really had it figured out well before government commodities came along.
The three sisters growing together in Guatemala.
This is a quick and easy soup (or stew made with less water) using canned beans and hominy plus leftover baked squash. Originally, tepary beans were probably used with hominy or corn cooked in lime. For this recipe, any kind of beans and corn will do. Canned beans are the quickest, but a bit pricier than dried beans if you are trying to stay within a budget. If you want to start with dried beans, soak ¾ cup of either white, pinto, or kidney beans overnight and either pressure cook or cook on the stovetop until tender but not falling apart. Alternatively, canned hominy can be replaced by frozen or canned sweet corn. The greens can be replaced with cabbage, but when I tried this, I ended up adding a large amount of parsley to get some more color into the soup. We must have color.
Along with the greens, the three sisters’ friend is also chiles. I like to add some “heat” to winter soups and stews. For color, I used a minced red jalapeno I had frozen from the summer garden, but dried cracked red pepper would do just as well.
For the final fusion, instead of using vegetable broth in the soup, I added chickpea miso to the bowl of soup. Any flavor of miso will work, but the lighter ones will maintain the rich golden color of the both. The miso I use is unpasteurized and still alive, so I put a teaspoon or so in the bottom of the soup bowl, pour the boiling soup into the bowl and stir to dissolve the miso while the soup is cooling down enough to eat. Do not stir the miso into the boiling soup as it will destroy the healthful benefits of this live food.
Three Sisters Soup with Greens and Miso
THREE SISTERS SOUP PLUS GREENS AND MISO
Yield: 10 cups
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup chopped onion (1/2 a medium onion)
- 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno, red or green or 1 teaspoon cracked red pepper
- 6 cups water
- 1-15.5 ounce can (1.5 cups) Great Northern, Kidney, or Pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1-15.5 ounce can (1.5 cups) hominy, rinsed and drained OR 1.5 cups frozen corn kernels
- 2 cups cooked cubed winter squash
- 1 bunch (5 ounces) chopped dark leafy greens (or more…)
- Salt to taste or miso
In a soup pot, sauté the onion and jalapeño (or cracked red pepper) in the olive oil until they are soft. Add the water and bring it to a boil. Rinse and drain the beans and hominy or corn. Peel and chop the squash. Clean and chop the greens. Add the beans, hominy, and squash to the boiling water, cover and let them simmer until they are fully heated. Add the greens and let the soup simmer only two or three minutes until the greens turn bright green. If you are using salt, stir it into the soup to taste and serve. If you are using miso in place of salt, ladle the unsalted soup immediately into soup bowls with 1 to 2 teaspoons of miso in the bottom of the bowl. Stir to dissolve the miso and serve.
¡Buen Provecho!
December 18, 2009
Tomorrow, August 21, I will be presenting a cooking segment on how to use miso on More At Midday for WSMV TV Channel 4 in Nashville at 12:30PM CDT. On the menu will be Lemon Agave Miso Salad Dressing with fresh basil from the garden.
August 20, 2009
Join me at 12:15 PM eastern time, Monday July 27 on Martha Stewart Living Radio Sirius Channel 112/ XM Channel 157 where I will be interviewed on the “Everyday Food” Program. The topic will be “Meatless Burgers”.
July 23, 2009
Classes have already started here in San Crisotbal, but I will post the menus here for the previous week and the remaining week starting today.
Estamos en la segunda semana del CURSO VEGETARIANA en La Casa del Pan Papalotl, 55 Guadelupe, San Cristobal. ¡Ven a vernos!
Martes 3 Febrero
Sopa de Miso con Udon o Soba
Brócoli con Ajonjolí
Setas Asadas con Tofu, Jengibre y Tofu, con Arroz
Budín de Camote con Leche de Coco
Miércoles 4 Febrero
Sopa Alubia con Chipotle
Ensalada de Quínoa
Tempeh Frito con Aceite de Coco
Calabacita Asada
Panqué de Jengibre “Gingerbread”
Jueves 5 Febrero
Sopa de Coliflor con Miso
Dahl como platillo principal con Chutney de Mango, Yogurt de Soya y Arroz
Papas con Cúrcuma (Jeera Aloo)
Budín de Coco con Limón
Viernes 6 Febrero
Sopa de Porcini con Papas
Ensalada de Tempeh
Tofu Asado Especial
Acelgas con Cebolla Caramelizada y Tofu o Queso Fresco, con Salsa de Chile
Tortillas del Comal
Barras de Guayaba con Chía
Sábado 7 Febrero
Hummus de Ajo Asado (como Platillo Principal)
Hummus de Garbanzo Germinado
Salsa de Tahini con Tofu
Pan Pita
Ensalada de Pepino con Hierba Buena
Mousse de Chocolate con Naranja
Lunes 9 Febrero
Gazpacho de Pepino
Ensalada de Quínoa con Vegetales de Temporada
Aioli de Tofu
Papas Tiernas Rostizadas
Pay de Coco
Martes 10 Febrero
Sopa de Haba con Nopal
Salsa de Cacahuate Africana con
Vegetales de Temporada en su Jugo
Arroz Jazmín al Vapor
Mango con Salsa de Zarzamora
Miércoles 11 Febrero
Crema de Camote Anaranjado
Palitos de Tempeh Marinados con Miso
Vegetales Asadas (o Al Vapor)
Tortillas de Maíz
Ensalada de Lentejas Germinadas, con Tofu
Pastel de Piña Invertido
Jueves 12 Febrero
Sopa de Miso con Verdura y Tofu
Hamburguesas de Nuez, Tofu y Chía
Ensalada de Papas, Vegana
Pudín de Mame con Coco
Viernes 13 Febrero
Lasaña de Berenjena con Camote Anaranjado
Baguette de Ajo con Miso
Ensalada de Arrúgala y Lechuga
Aderezo de Limón con Miso
Budín de Chocolate con Leche de Coco
February 9, 2009
I have been invited to present again at Vegfest 2009 in Seattle at the Seattle Center, March 21 and 22. This is always a fun and tasty event–more information coming as it is available. For the week following this event, I will be offering classes at the Puget Consumer Co-ops in the area.
November 19, 2008
My Spring class offerings at Puget Consumer Co-ops in the Seattle area are now scheduled. The title of the class offered this time is Soyfoods on the Table: Creative Cooking with Miso, Tofu and Tempeh. I have had many requests to expand the classes to include more of the different available soyfoods, so here they are! The menu for this class is: Marinated Tempeh Sticks, Tofu Beet Burgers (using chewy frozen tofu), Miso Roasted Garlic Bread, Fresh Spring Salad Greens with Louise’s Lemon Miso Salad Dressing, and Tofu Coconut Cream Pie, all vegan dishes. This will be another tasty one!
The classes will are scheduled right after the VegFest at the Seattle Center on March 21 & 22, at which I will also be presenting. For more information and to sign up for the classes, check the PCC website.
Soyfoods on the Table: Creative Cooking with Miso, Tofu, and Tempeh with Louise Hagler
Monday March 23, West Seattle, 6:30 to 9PM
Tuesday March 24, Greenlake, 6:30 to 9PM
Wednesday March 25, Edmonds, 6:30 to 9PM
Friday March 27, Issaquah, 6:30 to 9PM
Saturday March 28, Redmond, 3 to 5:30PM
November 19, 2008
Dave Fuller hosted me on his Health First Radio Show on CFIS Radio, Prince George BC on November 17, 2008.
November 19, 2008
I will be interviewed tonight, August 30, 2008 on Dave Dickson’s show on CFAX Victoria, BC 1070AM on the dial. Y’all listen in!
August 30, 2008
I am offering free classes to be followed by book signing and a reception at Whole Foods in Frankilin, Tennessee on August 19 and September 2 at 6PM. The class on August 19 will feature 3 recipes from the the recently released Tofu Cookery 25th Anniversary Edition: Stir Fried Summer Vegetables with Tofu Aioli, Tofu-Cucumber Finger Sandwiches, and Korean Barbecued Tofu. I will post the menu for September soon.
To reserve a space for the classes call 615 778 1910.
July 29, 2008
Next page
Previous page
