No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread

This recipe from The Food Matters Cook Book by Mark Bittman has only a few ingredients, doesn't require kneading, and is really easy. It has a crunchy exterior and soft, chewy, hearty inside. Very good.Real Whole Wheat Bread
Makes one 9-inch loaf

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast (increase to 1 1/2 teaspoons and reduce the first rise to 2 hours and the second rise to 1 hour)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil (Note: Bittman loves his oil. Me, not so much. I reduced it to just 1 tablespoon, and it came out just fine.)

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended; the dough should be quite wet, almost like a batter (add more water if it seems dry). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for at least 12 (or up to 24) hours. Use more instant yeast to reduce the rise time (see above). The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.
2. Use some of the oil to grease a 9X5-inch loaf pan. Scoop the dough into the pan and use a rubber spatula to gently settle it in evenly. Brush or drizzle with the remaining oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, an hour or 2 depending on the warmth of your kitchen. (It won't reach the top of the pan, or will just barely.)
3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake until deeply brown and hollow-sounding when tapped, about 45 minutes.

WeightWatchers PointsPlus: 4 for 9 1-inch slices (per recipe); if you reduce the oil to 1 tbsp and slice thinner, likely 3

Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries

This recipe from the January/February 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times was really good. I didn't use cranberries. I don't think you need to, but if you're a cranberry person (I'm ho-hum about them), this would probably be even better. This would be good for a dinner party--looks and tastes great.
I bought this huge new skillet from Ikea for $25. I really needed something that allows for room when I'm sauteeing; this works great.
Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved
• 2 shallots, halved and sliced (1/4 cup)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp)
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tbsp walnut oil

Instructions

1. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add walnuts and toast 3 to 4 minutes or until fragrant.
2. Wipe out skillet and return to heat. Add olive oil and swirl skillet to coat bottom.
3. Add Brussels sprouts and cook 5 minutes, or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add shallots and garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Stir in cranberries, agave, and 1 cup water. Partially cover skillet, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 to 7 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and Brussels sprouts are tender.
5. Transfer to a serving bowl. Stir in walnut oil and toasted walnuts. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

WeightWatchers PointsPlus: 5

Slow Cooker Roasted Vegetable Stock

This stock from 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson is extremely flavorful, and you don't need a ton of veggies. Roasting takes a few extra minutes, but I think it's worth it. I've made vegetable stock in a pot before, and it came out so bland I threw it out. I plan to make this a lot to have on hand for recipes. Cover and refrigerate for up to five days or freeze in an airtight container.

The author's note said to use whatever veggies you have on hand (mushroom stems you took out of the shrooms, green tops of leeks or scallions, etc.), but note that the veggies must be in good condition. And veggies from the cruciferous family, which includes broccoli, cabbage, and turnip, shouldn't be used because their pungency will overpower the other ingredients.

Roasted Vegetable Stock
Makes About 8 Cups

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8 cups water
• 4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 4 carrots, scrubbed and coarsely chopped
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 sprigs parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 black peppercorns

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, toss celery, carrots, onions, and garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet and roast, turning every five minutes, for 20 minutes, until nicely browned.
3. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
5. Strain and discard solids (if this pains you, as it did me, note that all the nutrients from the veggies are now in the broth, so the veggies are safe to discard). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

New Vegan Cookbooks

Last night I bought two new cookbooks I can't wait to try out.

Veganomicon
I'm participating in Cook Vegan Lover's Cookbook Club, and this is our first book.
The Happy Herbivore
Separate from the cookbook club, I bought this beautiful book that has lots of photos. I've tried many of her recipes online, and they're all fabulous.

Easy Whole Grain Flatbread

This recipe is from The Food Matters Cook Book by Mark Bittman, who says, "The amount of oil you need depends on your pan. With a well-seasoned cast-iron (or nonstick) skillet, use just 2 tablespoons oil; with seasoned steel, try 3 tablespoons; for stainless steel, you'll be safest with all 4." I used 2 tablespoons and a nonstick 10-inch pie pan and thought it was too much oil. I will try it again with just 1.

I didn't have rosemary and just used the onions. It was really good (especially with the Red Beans and Rice), but I think it would be much better with rosemary. Bittman has ideas for additional ingredients to add--I've noted them here.

The flatbread was very easy and good but I thought it was too oily. I'll make it again with less oil and try other ingredients.

Easy Whole Grain Flatbread
Serves 4-8

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour, cornmeal (fine or medium grind), or chickpea flour, or a combination (I used whole wheat)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, halved and thinly sliced, optional
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, optional

Instructions

1. Put the flour in a bowl and add salt. Slowly add 1 1/4 cups water, whisking to eliminate lumps. The batter should be the consistency of thin pancake batter. If it's not, whisk up to another 1/4 cup water into the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover with a towle and let sit while the oven heats, or as long as 12 hours.
2. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the oil in a 12-inch rimmed pizza pan or skillet and put in the heated oven. Wait a couple minutes for the oil to get hot but not smoking; the oil is ready when you just start to smell it. Carefully remove the pan. Add the onion and rosemary if you're using them and give them a little stir. Pour in the batter, gently swirl the pan to distribute the oil, and return the skillet to the oven.
3. Bake until the flatbread is well browned, firm, and crisp around the edges, about 45 minutes. (It will release easily from the pan when it's done.) Let it rest for a couple minutes before cutting it into wedges or squares.

Additional Ingredients to Try

• Cumin, garam masala, or curry powder, up to 2 teaspoons, in Step 2 after the oil is hot.
• Chopped scallions, up to 1 cup, in Step 2 after the oil is hot.
• Grated or minced ginger, up to 2 tablespons, in Step 2 after the oil is hot.
• Minced garlic or chopped fresh chiles, as much as you like, in Step 2 after the oil is hot.
• Grated citrus zest, up to 2 tablespoons, mixed directly into the batter in Step 1.
• Maple syrup, up to 1/4 cup, mixed directly into the batter in Step 1.
• Seeds; shredded, unsweetened coconut; or chopped nuts, up to 1/2 cup, in Step 2 after the oil is hot.
• Soy sauce, in place of up to 1/4 cup of the water, mixed directly into the batter in Step 1.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus: Using 2 tablespoons oil, 2 PointsPlus for 8 servings.

Red Beans and Rice

Yesterday I made Red Beans and Rice from 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson. I'm not a big OMGer, but OMG--it was out of this world! My omnivore husband loved it too. This would be a great dish to take to a potluck--it will knock the socks off of people. I'm sure I'll go back to this recipe a lot. I served it with Easy Whole Grain Flatbread.

Red Beans and Rice
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry red beans, such as kidney, pinto, cranberry or romano (I used pinto)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 6 cloves garlice, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
• 3 cups vegetable stock (I used a flavorful stock I made using roasted veggies)
• 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (I used 1 jalapeno and 2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, plus a few teaspoons of the sauce to give it a smoky flavor)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped (I don't like bell peppers so didn't use them)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, optional (I had no idea what the difference in taste would be with the vinegar; I used about 3/4 tbsp)
• 1 cup long-grain rice, cooked
• Finely chopped green onion, parsley, or cilantro (I didn't use)
• Hot pepper sauce (original was very spicy; I didn't use)

Instructions

1. Soak the beans at least six hours; I soaked them overnight. Drain and rinse and set aside.
2. In a skilled, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, salt, and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add beans and stir to coat. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Add vegetable stock and stir well.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, until beans are tender. (My beans were tender in just 5 hours, perhaps because of my longer soak.) Add jalapeno peppers, chipotle chili in adobo sauce if using, green pepper and vinegar if using. Cover and cook on High for 20 minutes, until pepper is tender. Stir in rice. Garnish with green onion and serve with hot pepper sauce, if desired.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus (I calculate points using the Recipe Builder tool on WeightWatchers.com): 4

Hello.

Greetings from my kitchen in Pittsburgh, Pa!

This blog is devoted to my continued journey into the wonderful world of vegan cooking and baking. And because I'm very into health and fitness, I'll blog about that sometimes too. Read my story about why I went vegan and how it's changed my life, and please visit often. I look forward to sharing recipes with everyone!


My Story
A vegetarian since 2002 because I didn't want to support industries that abuse animals, I went vegan in April 2010 after reading Animals Make Us Human: How to Create the Best Lives for Animals by Temple Grandin, who has consulted for farms and slaughterhouses for 30 years.

I learned that, while all animals suffer inhumanely on industrialized farms, egg-laying chickens and dairy cows have the poorest welfare. How ironic that in trying to lead a cruelty-free lifestyle, I'd actually been supporting the industries that treat animals the worst! Once I knew, I went vegan.

It changed my life. Going vegan opened up a whole new world of healthy foods I'd never have tried otherwise. I never liked cooking and had never baked a thing from scratch in my life. Now I'm obsessed with both. I'm healthier, thinner, and fitter than I've ever been. Since going vegan (as well as being on Weight Watchers and an intense exercise regimen), I lost more than 30 pounds and dropped four to five sizes from a size 12 to 6/4 (depending on the store/brand). Aside from weight loss, I just feel better. I love being a vegan.