00-* Introduction * 00-*Chapter Listing* 01- ******* NOTES/GLOSSARIES ******* 01-* General Notes * 01-* Glossary of Cooking Terms * 01-* Glossary of Ingredients * 02- ******* APPETIZERS ******* 02-Adzuki Bean Dip 02-Creamy Horseradish Dip with Raw Vegetables 02-Hummus 02-Pecan-Pinto Bean Dip 02-Quinoa Croquettes 02-Roasted Portabella Mushroom Pate 02-Savory Black Bean Dip 02-Shiitake Mushroom-White Bean Dip 02-Spicy Black Bean Dip 02-Split Pea Dip 02-Stuffed Mushrooms 02-Sweet Potato "Fries" 02-Sweet White Bean Dip 03- ******* SOUPS AND STEWS ******* 03-Black Bean and Vegetable Stew 03-Chana Dal with Collards 03-Collard-Garbanzo Soup 03-Creamy Cauliflower Soup 03-Creamy Mushroom-Sweet Potato Soup 03-Ginger-Miso Soup with Stuffed Tofu Dumplings 03-Hot and Sour Soup 03-Potato-Kale Soup 03-Roasted Garlic-Vegetable Soup 03-Roasted Vegetable Soup 03-Swiss Chard-Leek Soup 03-Tempeh Bourguignon 03-Thai Basil Coconut Soup 03-Thai Stew 03-Tibetan Pumpkin Garlic Soup 03-Tomato-Lentil Soup with Polenta Balls 03-White Bean-Asparagus Stew with Preserved Lemon 04- ******* MISCELLANEOUS ******* 04-Pine Nut Cream 04-Preserved Lemons 05- ******* SALADS ******* 05-Asian Sweet Potato Salad 05-Italian-Roasted Vegetable-Rice Salad 05-Jicama Salad 05-Raspberry-Beet Salad 05-Tempeh "Tuna" Salad 06- ******* MUFFINS ******* 06-Apricot Muffin Tops 06-Apricot-Hazelnut Scones 06-Banana-Nut-Ginger Bread 06-Blue Cornbread 06-Blueberry Muffins 06-Blueberry-Almond Scones 06-Coconut-Ginger Muffins 06-Cornbread 06-Lemon-Marzipan Scones with Goji Berries 06-Orange-Pecan Muffins 06-Pina Colada Scones 07- ******* BREAKFAST ******* 07-Cranberry-Corn Pancakes 07-Fresh Cranberry Salad 07-Gingered Fruit Compote 07-Glazed Fruit Salad 07-Orange-Nut Pancakes 07-Tofu Scramble 08- ******* GRAINS ******* 08-Asparagus Quinoa Risotto 08-Garlicky Quinoa Patties 08-Green Rice Patties 08-Indonesian-Vegetable Fried Rice 08-Lemon Pepper-Tofu Pilaf 08-Millet Mash 08-Mushroom-Garlic Rice Noodles 08-Savory Mushroom Quinoa 08-Southwestern Millet 08-Spanish Rice 08-Thai Vegetable-Rice Burgers 08-Wasabi-Vegetable Quinoa Rolls 09- ******* BEANS ******* 09-Brazilian Black Beans 09-Lentils with Kale 09-Lentils with Mushrooms 09-Red Wine Glazed Garbanzo Beans with Arugula 09-Spicy Black Bean Patties 09-Spicy Chickpea Puree 09-Spicy Swiss Chard and Black Beans 09-White Beans with Arugula 10- ******* CASSEROLES ******* 10-Garden Vegetable Baked Spiral Pasta 10-Layered Potato-Mushroom-Olive Tempeh 10-Tuscan Roasted Vegetable-Rice Casserole 11- ******* COMPILATION DISHES ******* 11-Asian Lasagna 11-Asian-Style Roasted Vegetables and Tofu in Filo Purse 11-Asparagus-Garbanzo Strudel 11-Broccoli Quiche 11-Enchiladas 11-Greek Spinach Pie 11-Millet-Bean Patties 11-Mushroom-Garlic Lasagna 11-Rice-Sweet Potatoes-Collard Torte 11-Saffron-Garbanzo Rice Pilaf Wrapped in Filo 11-Savory Cutlets 11-Sicilian Rice Balls (Arancini di Riso) 11-Spinach Lasagna 11-Stuffed Poblano Peppers (Chile Rellenos Style) 11-Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms 11-Vegetable Strudel 11-Wild Mushroom Strudel 12- ******* TEMPEH AND TOFU DISHES ******* 12-Barbequed Tempeh 12-Braised Tempeh and Cabbage 12-Coconut Tempeh 12-Coconut-Ginger Tofu 12-Corn-Tofu Saute 12-Italian Pomegranate Tempeh 12-Jerk Tofu 12-Mexican-Style Tempeh 12-Orange-Miso Tempeh 12-Pan Fried Tofu with Preserved Lemon 12-Roasted Tempeh and Vegetables 12-Saag Tofu 12-Savory Tempeh Patties 12-Seasoned Pan Fried Tofu Strips 12-Sichuan Tofu 12-Spicy-Green Chili-Tempeh 12-Sweet Ginger Tempeh and Sweet Potatoes 12-Tempeh with a Mediterranean Tomato-Olive Sauce 12-Tempeh with Indian-Style Soy Yogurt Sauce 12-Teriyaki Tempeh 12-Tofu Burgers 13- ******* VEGETABLES ******* 13-Baked Cauliflower 13-Braised Broccoli 13-Broccoli Rabe with Shiitake Mushrooms 13-Brussels Sprouts With Hazelnuts 13-Collards with Corn and Red Bell Pepper 13-Creamed Kale 13-Glazed Arame 13-Hearty Greens and Chickpea Saute 13-Indian Cauliflower (Phool Gobi) 13-Kale with Sun-Dried Tomatoes 13-Orange Glazed Broccoli with Carrots and Kale 13-Roasted Green Beans with Balsamic Vinegar 13-Roasted Mexican-Style Vegetables 13-Roasted Mixed Vegetables 13-Roasted Root Vegetables 13-Sautéed Collards with Preserved Lemon and White Beans 13-Spiced Butternut Squash Puree 13-Tsimmes 14- ******* DESSERTS ******* 14-* Dessert Notes * 14-* Cake Notes * 14-Amazake Dessert Sauce 14-Autumn Pear Pie 14-Carrot Cake 14-Chocolate Icing 14-Chocolate-Raspberry Cake 14-Dried Fruit and Nut Pie Crust 14-Frangelico-Glazed Toasted Hazelnuts 14-Kahlua-Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream 14-Lemon-Ginger Icing 14-Lime Icing-Low Fat 14-Macadamia Nut Cream 14-Mango Cream Pie 14-Maple Cake 14-Maple Cake-Low Fat 14-Non-Gluten Pie Crust 14-Orange Icing 14-Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chunk Cookies 14-Pink Grapefruit Sorbet 14-Raspberry-Almond Pastry 14-Simple Pie Crust 14-Simple Vanilla Ice Cream 15- ******* SAUCES AND DRESSINGS ******* 15-Abbey Ale Dressing 15-Apricot-Date Chutney 15-Balsamic Glaze Dressing 15-Barbeque Sauce 15-Basil-Key Lime Dressing 15-Black Bean Sauce 15-Carambola (Star Fruit) Chutney 15-Chili-Soy-Lime Dressing 15-Cilantro Sauce 15-Cream Sauce 15-Creamy Cherry-Red Wine Sauce 15-Creamy Roasted Garlic Sauce 15-Creamy-Lime Dressing 15-Grapefruit Vinaigrette 15-Italian-Style Pico de Gallo 15-Kiwi Dressing 15-Lemon-Basil Dressing 15-Mango-Rum Dressing 15-Mediterranean Tomato Sauce 15-Nectarine Dressing 15-Orange-Juniper Sauce 15-Orange-Thai Dressing 15-Pineapple-Ginger Dressing 15-Pomegranate Sauce 15-Preserved Lemon Dressing 15-Pumpkin Seed Dressing 15-Raspberry-Orange Dressing 15-Raspberry-Vinaigrette Dressing 15-Red Wine Reduction Dressing 15-Roasted Garlic Dressing I 15-Roasted Garlic Dressing II 15-Strawberry-Champagne Vinaigrette Dressing 15-Tahini-Miso Sauce 15-Tofu Sour Cream 15-Wasabi-Garlic Cream Sauce 15-Wasabi-Ginger Dressing 15-White Bean-Pesto Sauce 16- ******* BEVERAGES ******* 16-Almond Milk 16-Orange-Ginger Spritzer 16-Peach Mango Iced Tea 16-Pine Nut Milk 16-Strawberry Smoothie 17- ******* MENUS ******* 17-* Menu Composition * 17-American Vegan Menu 17-Easter Menu 17-Low Fat Appetizer Buffet/Menu 17-Mexican Menu I 17-Mexican Menu II 17-Picnic Menu 17-Thai Menu 18- ******* EPILOGUE ******* 18-* Mail Order Companies * 00-Introduction/Chapter List *** A Taste of Vitality: Nutrient-Dense Cooking *** ** Recipes from the Vitalita Culinary Group Kitchen ** This cookbook comes from the Vitalita Culinary Group (VCG) and contains exclusively vegan-whole food-nutritionally dense recipes. The focus of this book is creating wonderful vegan food without gluten (i.e., the protein in many grains such as wheat). This cookbook (and others by the VCG such as "Desserts of Vitality" which includes many more desserts) can be found on the internet at: http://www.vitalita.com/ Written by Mark Foy (mfoy@vitalita.com) Version 1.22 (March 30, 2008) This cookbook is a work in progress. To assist in making this cookbook better, please send any suggestions or errors to Mark Foy at: mfoy@vitalita.com or Mark Foy 2150 Ashby Ave. Berkeley, CA 94705-1836 USA. Because this cookbook is continually being updated and reposted to the web site, you might like to keep up-to-date on the changes by downloading a new version of this cookbook every few months (at http://www.vitalita.com/ ). The Vitalita Culinary Group is a vegan cooking company which offers personal chef service (including baked goods service), catering, and vegan food consulting in Berkeley, California, USA. This cookbook is made publicly available in the spirit of a "freeware" cookbook, but if you enjoy this cookbook, you might consider sending a $10 contribution to show your appreciation. As all proceeds from this cookbook are donated to Vegan Outreach (a non-profit vegan promoting/education group), please send all contributions directly to Vegan Outreach at: Vegan Outreach PO Box 30865 Tucson, AZ 85751-0865 USA http://www.veganoutreach.org/ Some of the recipes in this cookbook were prepared at a cooking demonstration in 1999, and this demonstration is available on video. This video is offered by the organization that ran the conference where this cooking demonstration was presented. To order a video cassette of the "Decadent Gluten-Free Desserts" cooking demonstration by Mark Foy, send $12 to: American Vegan Society; P.O. Box 369; Malaga, NJ 08328 (http://www.americanvegan.org/). Specify that you want the video #B-10 from the 1999 AVS Convention in Boulder, Colorado which contains the cooking demonstration "Decadent Gluten-Free Desserts" by Mark Foy. Specify if you want the US format (regular VHS) or the PAL format (oversees format). -------- Because this cookbook is always being updated, please do not repost this cookbook file, or any of the recipes contained in this cookbook, to any other web sites. Please do feel free to distribute links to this cookbook. This cookbook can be obtained from the following links: http://www.vitalita.com/ or the PDF version of this book available directly from http://www.vitalita.com/docs/ATasteOfVitality.pdf This cookbook and its contents (recipes, photographs, etc.) are copyrighted and are proprietary products of Vitalita (www.vitalita.com). Copyright 2008 Vitalita, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this cookbook may be reproduced or distributed in any form, or by any means, without permission from Vitalita, Inc. You may, however, print this cookbook for your personal use (for making the recipes). Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 0 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories from fat); 0g Protein; 0g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 0mg Sodium. Exchanges: . 00-Introduction/Chapter List A Taste of Vitality: Nutrient-Dense Cooking - Chapter Listing 01-Notes/Glossaries 02-Appetizers 03-Soups and Stews 04-Miscellaneous 05-Salads 06-Muffins 07-Breakfast 08-Grains 09-Beans 10-Casseroles 11-Compilation Dishes 12-Tempeh and Tofu Dishes 13-Vegetables 14-Desserts 15-Sauces and Dressings 16-Beverages 17-Menus 18-Epilogue Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 0 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories from fat); 0g Protein; 0g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 0mg Sodium. Exchanges: . 01-Notes/Glossaries This chapter contains: - some general vegan cooking/vegan nutrition notes, - overview of some of the cooking terms/processes that are used in the book (e.g., washing grains and steaming tempeh), and - a glossary to some of the ingredients that are used throughout the cookbook. Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 0 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories from fat); 0g Protein; 0g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 0mg Sodium. Exchanges: . 01-Notes/Glossaries General Notes: NUTRITION - This cookbook is titled "A Taste of Vitality" because the focus of the book is on foods which provide the body fuel for creating and maintaining an active life style. By focusing on "strong" foods, your body is provided with the needed protein, carbohydrates, fats, nutrients, vitamins, mineral, phytochemicals, isoflavones, essential fatty acids, and anti-oxidants it needs to be energetic (especially energy-enhancing vitamins and mineral such as magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B6). Pure water is also important. "Weak" foods and foods to which a person is allergic can drain energy. "Weak" foods are discussed below. The most common food allergies are citrus, wheat, corn, milk, soy, dairy products, yeast, and eggs. "Strong" foods include (examples in parentheses): + unrefined non-gluten grains (brown rice, quinoa); + nutrient dense vegetables including: * cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts); * sea vegetables (nori, arame); * leafy greens (kale, collards); * yellow and orange vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, winter squash); * other (snow peas); + beans (adzuki, black, lentil); + minimally processed soy products (tempeh, miso); + whole fruit (apples, citrus, plums); "Weak" foods included: + refined foods including: * refined grains - especially glutinous grains like wheat (most common form is white flour, often called wheat flour since it is made of wheat berries, albeit very refined wheat berries); * refined sweeteners such as white sugar and confectioner's sugar (most candies and sodas contain refined sweeteners); + caffeine from coffee, tea, cola and chocolate; + nutrient poor vegetables including: * mushrooms; * eggplant; * celery, fennel; * cucumber; * summer squash (zucchini, yellow summer squash); * pale greens (iceberg lettuce); The "weak" foods simply take space in a diet, do not provide necessary nutrients, and only crowd out good, nutritionally dense foods (the "strong" foods above). - Therefore, to promote a active/vital/energetic lifestyle, the emphasis of this cookbook is on cooking with foods that are: + vegan (i.e., free of all animal products, including free of honey); + whole and unprocessed (e.g., whole grains such as quinoa and whole-unrefined bean products such as tempeh - not refined/processed foods like white rice and white/wheat flour); + nutritionally dense (high in vitamins and minerals) (e.g., leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, and Brussels sprouts - not eggplant, cucumber, and summer squash); + non-glutinous (e.g., grains like quinoa, millet, amaranth, rice - not wheat, barley, rye, or corn). These foods are life-sustaining, providing the body with essential vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, anti-oxidants, and fiber which are important for maintaining an active lifestyle. The recipes will occasionally call for "weak" foods (i.e., foods with little or no nutrition) such as mushrooms and celery, but these are used with the understanding that they are not the main part of a dish (i.e., used in small amounts) and are primarily used for flavor. Also, many of the desserts call for flour (which is processed due to the grinding), but I do this to create the best desserts, and the recipes call for exclusively whole-grain flours. Additionally, in the desserts, I almost always use non-glutinous grain flours (like brown rice, millet, amaranth, and teff flour). This also makes the recipes perfect for people with a gluten intolerance where grains with gliadin should be avoided. Often, to provide extra binding due to the lack of glutinous grains, the recipes will call for the addition of finely ground tapioca (tapioca flour - see "Glossary of Ingredients" for more information) and/or ground nuts or seeds such as flax seed, sesame seeds, or almond meal. This gives the dessert a more diverse/complete nutritional profile, which provides more energy to the body, while maintaining a traditional form, taste, and texture. RECIPES WITH GLUTEN In general, unless otherwise noted, all the recipes in this cookbook are gluten-free. Only in special cases will a recipe have the first alternative of the ingredient be one with gluten (e.g., whole-grain wheat pastry flour or spelt flour), and only when no other alternative was available (e.g., making yeasted pastry dough is difficult without a glutinous flour). Recipes that contain gluten will be noted as such so people who are strict about needing or wanting to avoid gluten can skip these recipes. Often, recipes will give an alternative to the non-gluten flour(s) for cooks who do not want to have to buy these non-gluten flours. For example, in the cake and cookie recipes, I often offer spelt flour as an alternative to brown rice flour, millet flour, amaranth flour, or teff flour. In general, any glutinous flour can be used in place of a non-gluten flour with good results. The only adjustment that maybe required is in the amount of water/liquid. This is because different flours contain different amounts of moisture. Use your best judgment with the amount of water/liquid used. NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS OF RECIPES All recipes in this book are analyzed for nutritional content. Depending on the version of the cookbook you have, the percentage of daily values for nutrients such as vitamin A and calcium will be shown (not shown in the ASCII text version). These values are helpful for determining the nutritional content of the recipe. There are some problems with this analysis though. First, the nutrients shown are only a fraction of the important nutrients (e.g., magnesium is not shown). Second, some of the ingredients listed in the recipes are not included in the ingredient "dictionary" that was used to calculate these numbers (the USDA handbook) (e.g., flax seeds), so the analysis of the recipes in not always exactly correct. Third, these "percent of daily values" have been calculated off the US RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) that are (according to the National Research Council committee that developed the RDAs) set too high for most people. The levels were set high as a built in "safety factor" according to the 1989 report. For example, the committee has set the current RDA for calcium at 1000 mg per day. That does not mean that you must have 1000 mg per day; it means that if you are among the population whose bodies are least able to absorb calcium consumed, you may require that much calcium to absorb the amount your body needs. Nutrition experts usually say that 75 percent (750 mg) of the RDA for calcium is acceptable. Additionally, experts say that vegetarians tend to absorb nutrients more efficiently than meat-eaters, and they tend to need less of some nutrients because they generally eat less protein. (A high protein intake increases the body's excretion of certain nutrients, especially calcium.) Therefore, these "percentage of daily values" are useful and interesting, but should not be taken as a gold standard. (Reference: Vegetarian Times, September 1997, p. 82) NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS OF RECIPES WITH RESPECT TO VARIATIONS/OPTIONS When a choice of ingredients is given, the analysis reflects the first ingredient listed (i.e., not the alternative ingredients). Optional ingredients listed in the main ingredient list ARE figured into the analysis. Options given in the VARIATIONS section are not figured into the analysis. Recipe declarations such as low-fat or non-gluten only apply to the original ingredient list (first ingredient listed) without optional ingredients, and not necessarily to any of the other options or variations. CREATIVITY As a general rule, I support individual creativity in cooking, therefore, I urge you, the reader, to alter recipes to suit your needs/wants. For example, I often substitute ingredients or just leave things out if I do not like them or do not have them on hand. Additionally, people have different tastes for saltiness, sweetness, and richness, so feel free to change ingredient quantities to fit your tastes. Lastly, if you have an allergy or sensitivity to one of the ingredients called for in a recipe, try to think of a replacement (or just leave the ingredient out) to make the recipe fit your needs. SERVING SIZES Some of the recipes in this cookbook serve more than 8 people (up to 24 servings for some of the appetizer type dishes). If you want to have fewer serving, simply divide the recipe to meet your needs. In the recipes included here, this causes no problems. I personally like to cook in large amounts so the food will last for a number of days. Additionally, some items I will store in the freezer for later use. I find that the following items freeze well: bean dishes (including dips and pates), stews, some vegetable dishes, cookies, and cakes, whereas the following do not freeze well: grain dishes and pies. ORGANIC PRODUCE I recommend the use of organically grown ingredients (i.e., food grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides) when ever possible as I have found organic produce and staples to have substantially more flavor than conventionally grown items. Additionally, there are studies which have shown that organically grown food has more nutrients that conventionally grown food. VEGETABLE QUANTITIES In all the recipes in this book, I try to call for the use of entire vegetables. For example, with onions, if at all possible, I call for the use of whole numbers of onions, instead of halves of onions. I have found this to be the best way to use vegetables so that leftover cut pieces do not sit around getting old (exposed to the air, losing nutrients) before they are used in some other dish. VEGAN DIET COMPONENTS I believe that a balanced vegan diet should include 5 components: 1) Vegetables 2) Whole Grains (primarily non-glutinous grains such as brown rice and quinoa, but also glutinous grain all alright in moderation, such as whole spelt, if a person is not gluten intolerant/sensitive) 3) Concentrated Vegetable Protein (tempeh, beans, tofu, and some seitan is alright in moderation if a person is not gluten intolerant/sensitive) 4) Leafy Greens (kale, collards, ...) 5) Fruit The menus listed at the end of this cookbook are composed to represent all of these important dietary components (with the exception of fruit, which is often eaten on its own, rather than with a meal). See the discussion on "Menu Composition" in the Menu chapter for more about composing meals. NOTE TO THE READER The contents of "A Taste of Vitality" are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 0 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories from fat); 0g Protein; 0g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 0mg Sodium. Exchanges: . 01-Notes/Glossaries Glossary of Cooking Terms: + Cooking Beans Beans should never be cooked with salt (or any salty ingredient) or anything acidic (like tomatoes, vinegar, or lemon juice) because these substances make the outer coating of the bean tough, so the bean will never get soft because the water can not penetrate the coating around the bean. Before soaking or cooking, all beans should be sorted (to remove large foreign particles like stones) and washed (to remove fine dirt and dust). See "Washing Grains and Beans" below for further information. For time savings, and to ensure properly cooked beans, I prefer a pressure cooker, although this is not necessary to get properly cooked beans. For long and medium term cooking beans (such as garbanzo beans and navy beans), soak for about 12 hours before cooking. Short term cooking beans (such as lentils and adzuki beans) do not require soaking. Cook beans with water in a 1:3 ratio (1 cup dried beans to 3 cups water), and cook until they are soft, but not so mushy that they loose their structure. Cooking beans with a small piece (about 2 inches) of kombu (a sea vegetable) will help the beans be more digestible. After the beans are fully cooked is the time to add salt (and also acidic ingredients if desired). + Cooking with a simmer plate (sometimes called a "flamer tamer") A simmer plate is a metal disk (with about the same diameter as a large pot) which is placed between a stove top burner and a pot. The simmer plate absorbs the heat put off by the burner flame or burner coil, and distributes it evenly over the entire simmer plate thus avoiding hot spots on the bottom of a pot. Because it distributes the heat move evenly over the entire area of a pot/sauce pan bottom, it helps avoid burning foods. This particularly applies to cooking grains (such as rice, millet, and quinoa) where you want to cook the grain at a low temperature for a long period and all the liquid will be absorbed. This can also be helpful for cooking beans. + Sealing (vegetables) Saute in a little oil (as directed), so that the oil lightly glazes all the items (vegetables), under a medium to medium-high heat. The word seal refers to the effect that the oil and heat have on the vegetable; It is "sealed" by having a light coating of oil cooked around it, sealing in the flavors and juices. A sealed vegetable usually takes on a brownish tinge (it is partially "roasted"). Usually, items (vegetable) are sealed by adding one at a time in succession, starting with the longer cooking vegetables which do not readily absorb oil. Therefore, oil is the first ingredient into the pan after which the first ingredient (vegetable) is added, and mixed to distribute oil evenly over all pieces. These pieces should be sauteed/sealed for a few minutes before the next vegetable is added, thereby allowing the pieces to develop a rich flavor, and have these flavors sealed in. When the next ingredient is added, it should be gently mixed to allow the oil on the first ingredients to spread on to and cover this new ingredient. Items should not be added too quickly in succession or the pan can get over loaded with raw ingredients, and the flavor of each ingredient will not develop as richly as possible. + Steaming Tempeh Most of the recipes in this cookbook that use tempeh will call for steaming the tempeh before using in the recipe. Tempeh can have a slightly bitter taste, and this reduces that taste, and ensure the tempeh is fully cooked. There are recipes that leave out this step; usually those recipes have the tempeh cooked quite a long time in a strongly favored sauce, so the steaming is not necessary because it gets so well cooked in the course of the recipe. + Toasting (and Glazing) Nuts and Seeds Toast nuts or seeds on baking sheet in a 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) oven for about 15 minutes. Mix nuts on sheet, and continue to bake, watching to make sure they do not burn. The total amount of time needed depends on the type of nut (pine nuts toast very quickly, whereas almonds take longer), and on how toasted you want the nuts. I toast them on a low temperature because most nuts, when they are near done, go quickly from light golden brown to burnt. A lower temperature slows down the process, reducing the chances of ending up with burned nuts. If seasoning the nuts with a salty liquid like tamari soy sauce or ume vinegar (see "Glossary of Ingredients" for more information about these ingredients), splash this over the nuts near the end of toasting, mix thoroughly to coat all nuts, and then if needed, bake a few more minutes to dry the nuts out again. If glazing the nuts with a sweetener (such maple syrup and/or sucanat) (which is obviously best for desserts) and/or with a liqueur (like Sambuca), follow the same directions as for a salty liquid, but do not expect them to become as dry in the oven if using significant quantities of liquid sweetener (in drier climates, they will dry out completely when they sit outside the oven for a while). If the nuts are very sticky, and the glaze will not "dry", you can place the nuts in the refrigerator (on a parchment paper covered baking sheet) to "dry/"freeze" the glaze onto the nuts. Another option for toasting and glazing is described in the recipe "14-Frangelico-Glazed Toasted Hazelnuts". + Washing Grains and Beans Whole grains and beans (which have not been processed; that is, not made into flour or rolled) should be washed before cooking to remove all dust and foreign particles. If not washed, the flavor of the dish could be negatively effected (possibly a dusty flavor). To wash, place grain or beans in a large bowl, add water to cover generously, and massage grains or beans between hands to remove all dust. Drain, and repeat 2 more times (or until water poured off is clear). Certain grains and beans should be washed more gently, and more quickly than this; these include: buckwheat, red lentils, and split peas; when pouring off washing water from these foods, the water will never be clear, so just stop after 2 or 3 quick washings. Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 0 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories from fat); 0g Protein; 0g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 0mg Sodium. Exchanges: . 01-Notes/Glossaries Glossary of Ingredients: + Adzuki Beans Adzuki beans (also azuki or aduki) are small oval-shaped beans with a deep reddish burgundy color used commonly in Japanese cooking. These beans accommodate salty and sweet flavors. They are short to medium-term cooking beans, taking about 1 to 1.5 hours to cook. Like all beans, it should be carefully washed/rinsed before cooking (see "Glossary of Cooking Terms" for more information). + Agar Flakes (Agar or Agar Agar) Agar agar (Kanten) is a vegetable gel used as a vegetarian replacement for gelatin. It is made by boiling sea vegetables, pressing it into a gel, and then drying it into flakes. Agar comes in bar form, flake form, and powder form. The flake form is the most common, and the recommend form for the recipes in this cookbook. If you use powder, and the recipe calls for flakes, use a smaller amount; e.g., if the recipe calls for 3 teaspoons of agar flakes, use 2 teaspoons (or a little less) of the agar powder. Agar flakes dissolve in hot liquids and thicken as they cool to room temperature or below. General preparation to gel a liquid goes as follows: Add 4 tablespoons of flakes to 4 cups or fruit juice or other liquid and let the agar sit on the top of the liquid for 5 or more minutes. Then bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until dissolved. Cool until firm. + Agave Nectar (Light Agave Nectar Syrup) This natural sweetener is extracted from the pineapple-shaped core of the blue agave (a cactus-like plant native to Mexico best known for its use in making tequila). A 93% fruit sugar content allows agave nectar to absorb slowly into the body, decreasing the highs and lows associated with sugar intake. Also, because fruit sugars are 25% sweeter than sugar, you use less. It has a very neutral taste. If an agave syrup is called light, it is referring to its color. There are both darker colored agave nectars (medium brown color), and lighter colored agave nectars (soft yellow color similar to honey). Maple syrup can often work in place of light agave nectar syrup; two considerations that will change the final dish: 1) color - maple syrup is darker than light agave syrup, so the final dish will be darker in color which may not be the desired outcome (e.g., the "Pink Grapefruit Sorbet" specifically calls for light agave nectar syrup instead of maple syrup because we wanted to keep the final sorbet a lighter color); 2) sweetness - cup for cup, agave nectar syrup is slightly sweeter than maple syrup - for small amounts this should not make a big difference. One of the producers of Agave nectar has some interesting information about agave on their web site: http://www.madhavahoney.com/agave.htm + Arame A sea vegetable - the most mildly flavored of sea vegetables. A good introduction sea vegetable since it only has a mild sea/fish flavor. As with all sea vegetables, it is a nutritionally dense food that is high in mineral and trace elements. + Barley Malt Syrup This natural sweetener which is made from sprouted whole barley, and made basically the same way as brown rice syrup (see below). Barley malt syrup does have more of a flavor than brown rice syrup: barley malt syrup has a flavor more like molasses, while brown rice syrup has a flavor more like agave nectar or honey, but with a slightly bitter edge (similar to butterscotch). You can substitute one sweetener in place of the other keeping this flavor difference in mind. The caramel-flavored syrup is about half as sweet as sugar or honey. It is high in carbohydrates, and is generally the least expensive natural sweetener. GLUTEN NOTE: Barley malt syrup contains gluten, so if you are avoiding all gluten, simply replace barley malt syrup with brown rice syrup. + Birch Sugar (This information was gathered from various sources, including bottles of birch sugar and marketing materials distributed by birch sugar distributors) Pure birch sugar is derived from birch bark, and it is also known as Xylitol. One producer of pure birch sugar in the U.S. is The Ultimate Life (see "Mail Order Companies" at the end of this book for more information). Birch sugar has only half the calories of sugar, but is used as a replacement for granulated sugar 1:1. It does not promote tooth decay. It is metabolized very slowly, so it helps prevent sugar "highs" and "lows", and can be suitable for people with diabetes, hypoglycemia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and candida (yeast infection). + Broccoli Rabe This vegetable is more leafy than regular heads of broccoli, and is high in calcium. + Brown Rice Syrup A natural sweetener similar to barley malt syrup. Brown rice syrup contains complex sugars that are not hard on the body/blood sugar levels. It is my absolute favorite sweetener because it has the mildest flavor (not as strong as barley malt syrup), and its pH is closer to our bodies' pH than any of the other sweeteners, making it the most gentle on the system. It is about half as sweet as maple syrup and granulated sugar. Often times I "balance" brown rice syrup with maple syrup in a recipe because brown rice syrup all by itself has a slightly bitter butterscotch flavor, so I like to round out that flavor with the straight sweet flavor of maple syrup. It is not suitable for use in cakes because it causes the cake to become too dense and sticky. + Cashews, Raw Raw cashews are one of the few nuts that work wonderfully in vegan ice creams. They provide a wonderful richness, smooth consistency (with very little grit), and a very light color (like milk which is what people are used to seeing). Most of the ice cream recipes in this cookbook now call for raw cashews because I am not able to find my old favorite very often: neutral tasting pine nuts. Most of the pine nuts I come across these days have a very pronounced smoky flavor, which make them unsuitable for most desserts (including most ice creams). See the glossary entry for pine nuts for more information. + Coconut Oil, Unrefined Coconut oil is a saturated fat, but the unrefined version (which is rarely found in commercial baked goods - they use the refined type) can be part of a balance diet. It does not contain any trans fatty acids (TFAs) like hydrogenated oils do. It is a source of Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs), which are especially valuable to people who have trouble digesting fat. MCTs enable the body to metabolize fat efficiently and convert it to energy rather than storing it as fat. Additionally, almost 50% of coconut oil's fatty acid content is lauric acid, a disease fighting fatty acid not commonly found in plant sources. Coconut oil is particularly good in desserts that traditionally use butter (also a saturated fat) such as cookies and pie crusts. It gives the cookies a wonderful texture with less oil than if you used an unsaturated oil (like high oleic sunflower oil). See "Mail Order Companies" at the end of the cookbook for sources of unrefined coconut oil (some of which are also organic). Generally, vegetable shortening (in its non-hydrogenated state) (see below) can be used in place of coconut oil. Additionally, you could use high oleic sunflower oil (or other oil as suggested in the "Dessert Notes" section under "Oils") as a substitute, but the result will not be quite the same since it will not provide that saturated fat quality. + Collard Greens Used traditionally in African and African-American cooking, I find this strong green best when quick cooked (e.g., sauteed) rather than boiled. A slightly stronger flavor than kale. It can be used in place of kale. This green beats all other vegetables on nutrition. + Egg Replacer Powder A starch based powder (similar to the look and texture of corn starch) which is used as a binder/leavening ingredient. It is a unique egg replacement item since it contains no animal products (whereas most contain egg whites), and one box (costing a few dollars) makes about 150 "eggs". Approximate replacements for egg replacer powder is arrowroot powder or cornstarch, but these mainly only provide the binding effect, not the leavening effect. The egg replacer power I know of is made by "ENER-G Foods", and you can find more information about this company at the end of this cookbook under "Mail Order Companies". + Filo (or Phyllo) A thin paper-like dough used for savory dishes (see "Greek Spinach Pie") and desserts (see "Orange Custard in Filo Cup"). It is low in fat, and can be used to enhance the presentation of dishes, particularly by making filo sheets into cups. These cups can be filled with any number of foods like: "Gingered Fruit Compote", any type of bean dip (like "Adzuki Bean Dip"), side salads (like "Asian Sweet Potato Salad"), side vegetables (like "Spiced Butternut Squash Puree"), pie fillings (like "Hazelnut Pie"), or custards, puddings, or mousses (like chocolate mousse - see "Chocolate Cream Pie"). The first way to make filo cups involves the use of a muffin tin. Fold one sheet of dough so that it covers one cup on the muffin tin (approximately a square), with about 1 inch to spare on all sides. Lay folded sheet into muffin cup, pressing down so the center of the sheet is touching the bottom of the cup (the overall effect is to create a cup shape with the dough). Repeat for as many cups as needed, and bake in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) or until cups are crisp and lightly browned. The second way to make filo cups does not require a muffin tin, but a baking sheet. This method is best done when the filling to be put into the cups can be heated, as cups are best made around the filling, and then briefly baked. As before, fold a filo sheet (or multiple filo sheets if you want to create a more substantial cup that will hold more or heavier fillings). Lay folded sheet on a baking sheet, and place some filling into the center. Then fold the outer filo up to make a wall around the filling. Repeat for as many cups as needed, and bake for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) or until cups are crisp and lightly browned. GLUTEN NOTE: Filo is made from wheat flour, so it does contain gluten, so if you are avoiding gluten, do not use this ingredient. + Ginger Juice (Fresh) To make fresh ginger juice, take fresh whole ginger root pieces and grate them. (Asian groceries often sell purpose-made ginger graters; you can also find microplane graters specifically for ginger; a regular fine grater can also be used.) Then press the juice out of the pulp (a fine strainer works well for this). Alternatively, run ginger root through a juice (as you would carrots). If ginger juice is to be stored for more than 5 days, add some lemon juice to the ginger juice to help it keep. Place it in a sealed bottle in the refrigerator. It should keep about 5 days without lemon juice, and about 10 days with lemon juice (or something acidic). A half cup of fresh whole ginger root pieces makes about 3-4 tablespoons of ginger juice. A teaspoon of dried, powdered ginger can be used in place of a tablespoon of fresh ginger juice, but the flavor will not be the same. + Goji Berries Goji berries are small red dried fruits about the same size as raisins. They have flavor somewhere between a cranberry and a cherry. Many of these berries come from Tibet. They are good in dishes the same way as raisins, dried cranberries, dried currents, etc. Wolfberries are similar to goji berries, and can be used interchangeably. I have also sometimes seen goji berries called gogi berries or lycium berries. + High Oleic Sunflower Oil (also sometimes called High Heat Sunflower Oil) High oleic sunflower oil is a slightly different variety of sunflower plant that products a seed with a higher proportion of monounsaturated fat to polyunsaturated fat. Sunflower oil of the high oleic variety is very similar in fatty acid profile to extra virgin olive oil. The high oleic variety of sunflower oil is my favorite oil for baking (along with coconut oil) because it is high in monounsaturated fats (healthier than polyunsaturated fat and stands up better to heat), not a heavy oil, and has very little flavor, allowing the flavor of the dessert to shine through. See the "Dessert Notes" under Oils for more information and other oils that can be used in place of high oleic sunflower oil. The high oleic sunflower oil I use is from Omega Nutrition (see "Mail Order Companies" at the end of this book) and combines unrefined high oleic sunflower oil, palm oil and unrefined sesame oil (they call it High-O Sunflower Oil Blend). The palm and sesame oil are included to facilitate the handling of higher cooking temperatures. + Kale This winter green is related to cabbage, and may be the oldest known green. Similar to collard greens, which can be used in its place. I prefer it quick cooked and it is nutritionally superior to most all other vegetables. + Kombu This variety of seaweed is most commonly used as a flavoring (as in soup stock). It has a mild flavor compared to most seaweed. Kombu often is used in cooking beans and seitan, since it improves the flavor and digestibility of those products. Generally an optional ingredient. + Light Agave Nectar Syrup See Agave Nectar. + Mesquite Meal (sometimes called Misquite Flour) Mesquite meal is a high protein, high-fiber meal that is milled from the sun-ripened seed pod of the mesquite tree. Ripe mesquite bean pods are gathered, washed, dried, and ground to a medium texture similar to corn meal. There are two types of mesquite meal: classic sonoran and sweet Peruvian. Classic sonoran imparts a mellow taste that's sweet and slightly nutty. Sweet Peruvian carries a subtle coffee and chocolate flavor, with a hint of cinnamon (particularly good in desserts). Mesquite meal is used as both a flour and a spice. As a spice, it can be sprinkled on a wide variety of foods, added to soups, stir-fries, or vegetable dishes. As a flour, substitute mesquite meal for about one third of the flour in your recipes; if added in significant quantity, it will make a denser baked good. See "Mail Order Companies" in the Epilogue for information about finding mesquite meal. + Millet Millet is a small, yellow, bead-like grain which has a mild, nutty flavor and fluffy texture. The earliest mention of millet comes from China, dating back to about 2800 B.C., and referred to as a "holy plant". It grows with very little water and poor soil. Millet cooks similarly to rice, but likes more water, with a 3 part liquid to 1 part millet ratio. It cooks in 40 minutes on the stove top, and 20 minutes in a pressure cooker. Like all grains, it should be carefully washed/rinsed before cooking (see "Glossary of Cooking Terms" for more information). It can be used as rice and in stuffings, soups, and puddings, as a topping for salads, or as hot breakfast porridge. It can be ground in flour and used in baked goods. + Miso A fermented paste made from beans and/or grains and salt. It is a remarkable digestive aid. It is used mainly as a flavoring agent in soups and sauces. Tamari Soy Sauce can be used in its place, but the flavor will not be as deep, and rich. GLUTEN NOTE: If you are avoiding gluten, be sure to select misos that do not contain wheat or barley. + Nutritional Yeast Nutritional yeast is a flavorful "Cheesy" tasting powder or flakes which is grown as a food and food supplement. It is concentrated in amino acids and B vitamin complex. It is not a by-product like brewer's yeast (from the beer industry). + Oats (Rolled Oats, etc.) GLUTEN NOTE: In the past, oats (all types) have been thought to contain a type of gluten that was not healthy for people allergic to gluten (e.g., people with celiac disease). Current studies have shown that this may not be the case, and now the general feeling is that oats are OK for people avoiding gluten. (You can find more information about celiac disease, and foods that contain gluten, at http://www.celiac.com/ .) I have marked all recipes in this cookbook that contain oats with a warning about gluten for people who do want to be extra safe and avoid oats. + Pine Nuts Pine nuts are small tear-drop-shaped nuts with significant amounts of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. They puree well in water to make a very creamy milk or cream. Pine nuts are one of the best nuts (if not the best nut) for making rich vegan ice creams because they have a wonderful richness, puree very smooth with very little grit, and do not have a dark color. NOTE: The down side is that some batches of pine nuts can be rather smoky, and this smoky flavor is not desirable in most desserts including ice cream (especially ones with subtle flavors such as vanilla or peach). I have been able to successfully use smoky pine nuts in ice creams that contain other strong flavors (e.g., in an amaretto ice cream or cherry-chocolate chunk ice cream). I am not sure if the smokiness comes from the processing of the pine nuts, or is just a characteristic of some pine nuts, but in any case, I advise cooks to check their pine nuts, and if they are too smoky, I would be hesitant about using them to make most desserts. - For desserts where the pine nuts are to get blended (such as with ice creams or sauces or custards), I would go ahead and use raw cashews instead. In this case, raw cashews are a very good replacement because they provide a light color, richness, and smoothness (minimal grit) like pine nuts do. Because I am finding so many smoky bathes of pine nuts these days, most of the recipes in this cookbook now call for raw cashews. Other types of nuts such as almond butter or pecans could be used in blended desserts, but depending on the quantity required, they may not provide the same properties especially because other nuts may make a cream with more grit, or with a different color. - For desserts where the pine nuts are used whole, and you decided that your pine nuts are too smoky to use in this particular dessert, choose another nut (maybe chopped) as you see appropriate. - In general, smoky pine nuts work wonderfully in savory dishes such as "03-Creamy Mushroom-Sweet Potato Soup" or "02-Sweet White Bean Dip". + Quinoa Quinoa, pronounced keen-wa, is a small pseudo-cereal (350 grains weigh 1 gram). It has a mild, nutty flavor and is gluten-free. The National Academy of Sciences has called Quinoa the best source of protein in the vegetable kingdom because it is a complete protein, containing high amounts of all the essential amino acids. Quinoa cooks similarly to rice with a 2 part liquid to 1 part Quinoa ratio. It cooks in only 15 minutes. Like all grains, it needs to be washed before cooking, but it is especially important to wash quinoa because it has a bitter tasting substance coating the grain (saponins) and this is best washed away to obtain a good flavor. It can be used as a side dish (like rice often is) and in stuffings, soups, and puddings, as a topping for salads, or as a hot breakfast porridge. + Ribbon Cane Syrup Ribbon Cane Syrup is a liquid sweetener made from ribbon cane. It is a bit similar to molasses, but with a lighter taste. It is still sold today, but was more popular in the 1800s and early 1900s. It is made my taking the stalks of the ribbon cane plant and feeding them into the cane mill which squeezes the juice out of the stalks. When the cane juice has been squeezed from the stalk of the ribbon cane plant it is cooked down. After the juice has been properly cooked down you have the thick sweet taste of ribbon cane syrup. One web site that sells ribbon cane syrup: http://www.shopmississippi.com/ . A mixture of half maple syrup and half whole granulated sugar (e.g., Sucanat or Rapadura) can be used as a replacement for ribbon cane syrup. For example, if a recipe calls for 1/2 cup ribbon cane syrup, you could use 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup whole granulated sugar. + Roasted Garlic and Roasted Garlic Paste Their are at least two different methods of making roasted garlic: (1) Take garlic cloves out of the papery skin. Place garlic cloves in bowl, and drizzle with olive oil. Toss and add a little salt; toss again. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 15 minutes mixing on the sheet once during the baking. Watch them late in the baking so they don't get over browned/burned. If they are not soft, continue to bake. Remove from oven. (2) Take an entire head of garlic and cut off the tips of garlic cloves (about 1/6 of the top of the head). Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of oil on cut top, and coat the oil around as much as possible. Wrap head in foil, and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes (until garlic cloves are soft). (I like to bake more than one while I am at it.) Squeeze soft garlic cloves out of the papery skin. - If you are making roasted garlic paste, puree the baked cloves in a food processor. - The flavor of the garlic is significantly mellowed by this roasting process, although it is still very flavorful. This paste is delicious added to sauces, soups, pates, or sautes. It is also good as a spread directly on rice cakes or crackers. Equivalents: 40 cloves of roasted garlic = 1/2 cup of whole garlic cloves = 6 Tablespoons of roasted garlic paste. + Seitan Seitan, also known as "wheat meat," is a fat-free food that is high in protein and a good meat substitute (including in place of poultry). It has a delicious flavor, a meaty texture, and is very filling. It is usually made exclusively from wheat gluten (the high protein part of the wheat berry), so for this reason, I recommend it in limited amounts in the diet since gluten is often energy dampening. GLUTEN NOTE: People sensitive or allergic to wheat should avoid seitan altogether. + Silken Tofu See Tofu. + Spelt Berries (Spelt Flour) Spelt is a primitive form of grain that is related to wheat. The berries can be cooked (kernels have a sweet, nutty taste and rice-like texture) or ground into flour and used in place of wheat flour. GLUTEN NOTE: Spelt does have as much gluten as wheat, so if you are avoiding gluten, you should be avoiding spelt. Some people who have wheat sensitivities or allergies can tolerate spelt, but spelt still has high amounts of gluten. + Stevia (both Blended Stevia and White Stevia Powder) - White Stevia Powder is more concentrated than Blended Stevia - see below for more information (This information was gathered from various sources, including stevia packaging and marketing materials offered by stevia distributors.) Stevia is a herb native to South America. What makes it unique, is that a very small amount of it is very sweet, and it has no sugar (carbohydrates) or calories. For cooking, it is used as a sweetener. White stevia powder is very concentrated, 200-300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia is not widely used in the U.S. due to political reasons. Because it has no sugar, stevia is recommended by the governments of Brazil, China, and Japan for use by hypoglycemics and diabetics. Stevia is also anti-fungal, making it ideal for individuals with yeast conditions (candidiasis); this natural sweet-tasting herb satisfies the desire for a sweet treat without feeding the yeast. Stevia can be difficult to use because it does not have the same effects as other sweeteners (such as, sugar (e.g., sucanat), maple syrup, or agave). Other sweeteners make cakes moist and light, and stevia will not. Other sweeteners add crispness to cookies, and stevia will not. Other sweeteners will add a kind of "caramel" type flavor and color when they are baked/cooked, but stevia will not. Therefore, if stevia is used in a dish, and some of these qualities are needed in the dish, other ingredients will have to provide them (e.g., baking powder for rising, fruit purees for moisture, extracts/flavoring for flavor, etc.). Stevia is sometimes blended with a filler to reduce its concentrated sweetness. Different extractions of stevia vary as to their sweetness, but roughly 3 teaspoons of blended stevia (that is, blended with a filler such as eryhritol, a natural crystal granulated filler from fruits and grains), or 3/8 teaspoon of white stevia powder (pure steviosides, not blended with a filler), is equal to 1/4 cup of sugar. The one down side to stevia is that it has a slightly bitter edge to it, so it is not well suited to all dishes. - For beverages and non-dessert dishes (or dishes which do not need to rely on a sweetener to be very sweet), it can be put to good use since only using a little will only cause a little bitterness; - It can also work in desserts where a bitter edge/flavor will not adversely effect the dessert; - It can also be used in small proportions in other desserts where the goal is to reduce the amount of other sweeteners; for example, for a dessert that called for sweeteners in the total amount of 1 cup, you may try using 3/4 of the regular sweeteners, and then use stevia for the replacement amount (see above for quantities); - It can work well with fruits where the fruits are providing a significant amount of the sweetness, and the stevia is just to enhance it slightly. Overall, I have found stevia best matched with acidic fruits and bitter foods like chocolate or coffee (or coffee substitute) where the bitter edge of the stevia can work with the other flavors. Equivalence summary: 1/4 cup of sugar = 3 teaspoons of blended stevia = 3/8 teaspoon of white stevia powder. + Sucanat (Sucanat sugar) Sucanat (Sugar Cane Natural) is a replacement for white sugar. It is a dry granulated sugar. It is made from evaporated cane juice and molasses, and has a brown color. It has a variety of vitamins and minerals not contained in white sugar. It comes in two forms: granulated and as a syrup (sugar cane syrup). Not to be confused with "Sugar In The Raw" or "Turbinado Sugar" which are basically just white sugars. It equivalent to granulated sugar or brown sugar, and can be used in the exact same proportions (1:1). It is similar to Whole Sugar (see glossary entry below), but sucanat has molasses added back, whereas whole sugar does not. Sucanat and Whole Sugar can be used interchangeably without any difficulty. + Sunflower Oil See High Oleic Sunflower Oil. + Sweet Brown Rice Flour Sweet brown rice flour can be made by grinding sweet brown rice or purchased as a flour. When sweet brown rice flour is added to a baked goods, it makes the baked good (such as brownies) denser and more gooey. I don't like it in cakes because it makes them too dense, but for brownies, I have found that using around 10% sweet brown rice flour and 90% of other flours/powders/dry ingredients adds a good amount of denseness and gooeyness. For example, if the recipe calls for 4 cups of flour (maybe a combination of brown rice flour, sorghum flour, and amaranth flour), and you want to make the baked good more gooey and dense, you could try and use 1/2 cup of sweet brown rice flour, and 3-1/2 cups of the other flours. This can work particularly well in brownies since gooey can be very desirable, and non-gluten brownies can be a little crumbly. Glossary of Ingredients (T-U): + Tamari Soy Sauce A version of soy sauce that is made without wheat. It has a rich flavor. Any type of soy sauce can be used in its place if you are not worried about the gluten content. It is wonderful for seasoning toasted nuts and seeds (see the "Glossary of Cooking Terms" for more information on how to use this on toasted nuts and seeds). + Tapioca Flour (also called Tapioca Starch or Tapioca Powder) (Finely Ground Old Fashioned Pearl Tapioca) Tapioca Flour (also called tapioca starch or tapioca powder) is a common ingredient in non-gluten baked goods. Tapioca Flour is a starch extracted from the root of the tropical cassava plant (also called manihot or manioc or yucca). Tapioca Flour can be purchased in its powdered state or it can be ground. If you don't want to purchase it in powdered state, you can grind it from Pearl Tapioca, but just be sure to use Old Fashion Pearl Tapioca (any size) and not Minute (or Quick) Tapioca since Minute Tapioca has been pre-cooked, and will probably not act the same way in baked goods. The best way to grind the pearls is in small amounts in a coffee grinder. Get it as fine as you can, but it does not need to be as fine as white flour. One of the companies that sells Tapioca Flour is Bob's Red Mill (you can see the product via this URL=https://www.bobsredmill.com/catalog/index.php?action=showdetails&product_ID=384) (more information about Bob's Red Mill is in the Epilogue at the end of this book). + Tempeh Tempeh is a fermented soybean product, native to Indonesia (dating back more than 2000 years), and is rich in protein. It is more of a whole food than tofu since tempeh is made from whole soybeans. It is made by soaking whole soybeans overnight and then briefly cooking them until they are softened. A dry powder of the mold Rhizopus oryzae is added to the beans, the beans are formed into cakes, and they then sit for about 24 hours. The cakes form very solidly with a chewy, meat-like texture, and have a slightly nutty, smoky flavor reminiscent of mushrooms. To reduce the slightly bitter taste of tempeh, it is a good idea to steam it before using in most dishes; I place it in a steamer basket over boiling water and let steam for about 20 minutes. I have found that this steaming step is not as important when the tempeh is going to baked in a marinade since this long "baking in marinade" process is a bit similar to steaming. + Tofu (including Silken Tofu) %% General Tofu Notes: + There are a number of different types of tofu: "Regular" in soft, medium, firm, and extra firm, and "Silken" in soft, medium, firm, and extra firm. Regular tofu keeps it shape better during cooking, and is not as smooth (it has more consistency); it is best for use in stir frying and sauteing where you want the tofu to have some texture and hold it's shape during cooking. Silken tofu is very smooth and does not hold is shape well during cooking (e.g., it would be very difficult to stir fry); it is best used for dips, sauces, dressings, puddings, custards, and icings where needs to blend up very smooth. %% Pressing tofu to remove water: + Place tofu on a plate. Place another plate on top of the tofu. Find a heavy object (such as a cutting board or blender or food processor) (if it is an appliance make sure it is un-plugged). Place object on top of the top plate to squeeze the block of tofu. Make sure the object is secured so it will not fall off the plate. Let press for about 20-25 minutes. Remove object and top plate, and drain extracted water off. It is then ready to use in the recipe. %% Notes about the use of silken tofu: + Most of the recipes in this cookbook that use silken tofu specify the extra firm variety. This is because other varieties have too much water, and when pureed do not come out thick enough (especially the medium and soft; sometimes the firm silken tofu will be thick enough to work in the recipe). This is especially important in the icing recipes since the icing needs to come out thick enough to spread on a cake (including the sides of the cake without sliding down). If you are willing to do some experimentation, a softer silken tofu can be used in place of extra-firm, but if you want to have a thick consistency (as would be needed for an icing or a pudding/cream pie filing), then you may have to add another ingredient to thicken the final product (such as a nut butter, tahini, coconut butter, or powered sugar). + All of the references above are to silken tofu packed in aseptic cartons (the type of carton that most soy milks are packaged in; this type of packaging does not require refrigeration). All recipes in this cookbook have been tested with aseptically-packed silken tofu. Silken tofu is also sold packed in water and refrigerated (sometimes called fresh silken tofu), but it is softer in general, and more difficult to achieve a thick final product (e.g., a thick icing). It is possible to experiment with fresh silken tofu but, as above with soft and medium aseptically-packed tofu, fresh tofu has more water, and therefore the resulting product will not be as thick. If you do decide to use a fresh silken tofu in a recipes where a thick final product is desired, press it first (for about 25 minutes as described above) to remove as much water as possible. + Notes that some recipes just call for silken tofu not stating what type; in these cases, any type of silken tofu from soft to extra firm (and either aseptically-packed or water-packed) should work fine. + Ume Vinegar (Umeboshi Plum Vinegar) Technically not a vinegar since it contains salt, ume (or umeboshi) vinegar comes from the pickling of umeboshi plums. It has a pink color and is very salty (like tamari soy sauce), so generally it can not be used in place of a normal vinegar; if it ever is used in place of other vinegars, it should be used carefully or the resulting product could be too salty. It is wonderful for seasoning toasted nuts and seeds (see the "Glossary of Cooking Terms" for more information on how to use this on toasted nuts and seeds). + Vegetable Oil Spread, Non-Hydrogenated The non-hydrogenated vegetable oil spreads that I have used (one made by Spectrum Naturals, and another made by Earth Balance) are trans fat free, and are stored in the refrigerator. They may contain some saturated fats, but are primarily polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat. Some are solid like butter whereas others are softer (like thick pudding). The solid ones are similar to margarine (but trans fat free), and can be used in the same way as butter and margarine. This solid ones make much better pie crusts than using liquid oils (e.g., high oleic sunflower oil). The softer ones can also be used in pie crusts, but are really more suited to cookie recipes. Similar to margarine, a non-hydrogenated vegetable oil spread is particularly good in cookies that traditionally use butter. It gives the cookies a nice texture with less oil than if you used liquid oil. You could use high oleic sunflower oil (or other comparable liquid oil as described in the "Dessert Notes" section under "Oils") as a substitute for non-hydrogenated vegetable oil spread, but the result will not be quite the same. + Vegetable Shortening, Non-Hydrogenated Some non-hydrogenated vegetable shortenings are made of palm oil and are naturally solid at room temperature without hydrogenation, and do not require refrigeration. Spectrum Naturals makes one of these shortenings, and it is also organic. Palm oil is not the same as palm kernel oil - palm kernel oil is 86% saturated fat, whereas palm oil is 50% saturated (and very low in polyunsaturated fats which is good) - palm oil is extracted from the palm's fruit, not its kernel. Palm oil is also lower in saturated fat than butter. While this type of non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (made of palm oil) does get half of its fat grams from saturated fat, it is not hydrogenated (most standard brands of shortening are hydrogenated) and is trans fatty acid (TFA) free. It is a good alternative to standard shortening. This fat makes much better pie crusts than using liquid oils such as high oleic sunflower oil. Similar to coconut oil, a non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening is particularly good in desserts that traditionally use butter (also a saturated fat) such as cookies and pie crusts. It gives the cookies a wonderful texture with less oil than if you used an unsaturated fat (like canola oil). Generally, coconut oil (refer to the coconut oil entry in this Glossary) can be used in place of vegetable shortening. Additionally, you could use high oleic sunflower oil (or other comparable liquid oil as described in the "Dessert Notes" section under "Oils") as a substitute, but the result will not be quite the same since it will not provide that saturated fat quality. + Walnut Oil, Refined Refined walnut oil is a good baking oil, and works well in cakes. The reason it is not often called for in this cookbook is that it has a high polyunsaturated fat content, with less monounsaturated fats, making it less healthy and not as stable at higher temperatures. It has a mild nutty flavor. This oil is rich in omega-3 (vitamin F2) essential fatty acids (as is flax, pumpkin, canola, and soy oil). Refined walnut oil can be used for medium-high heat cooking. Store in a dark, cool environment away from light and heat. Spectrum Naturals makes a refined walnut oil. High oleic sunflower oil can be used in place of walnut oil. For other replacement possibilities, see the "Dessert Notes" section of this book under "Oils". Unrefined walnut oil is much more expensive and flavorful than refined walnut oil and is best used for drizzling on vegetables, in dressings, and for dipping rather than for baking due to its cost and strong flavor. + Whole Sugar (e.g., Rapadura or Moscovado) Whole sugar refers to whole, unrefined, unbleached, evaporated sugar cane juice. It is a dry granulated sugar. The sugar is just squeezed, dried, and ground. When whole natural juice of sugar cane is dried, it retains most of its essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. This is a bit different from Sucanat (see Sucanat above in this glossary) as molasses is not added, but instead retains a natural hint of molasses flavor because it never had the "molasses" taken out of it. It has a very pleasing maple/molasses-type flavor and tan color. It will add a brown-tint to a dish, so if you are looking for a very white coconut ice cream for example, it would not be the best choice. It is very well suited to items such as apple crisp or gingersnap cookies. Rapadura and moscovado (or moscavado) are examples of whole sugars. Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 0 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories from fat); 0g Protein; 0g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 0mg Sodium. Exchanges: . 02-Appetizers I especially like bean based appetizers because they are packed with nutrition. They help provide a nutritional balance to meals that don't contain a concentrated vegetable protein in later courses. Additionally, people who don't normally (or don't normally care to) eat beans usually don't notice they are eating beans when they are pureed into a dip or pate with other flavors. Other items in this cookbook which can be made into good appetizers include some of the grain recipes in the "Grains" and "Compilation Dishes" chapters. For example, the grain-vegetable mixture from the "08-Thai Vegetable-Rice Burgers" recipe can be formed into smaller bite sized servings (instead of the current patty sized servings), and then baked to create an easy to serve and easy to eat appetizer. My favorite recipes in this chapter include: - Roasted Portabella Mushroom Pate - Stuffed Mushrooms - Quinoa Croquettes Some of the easier recipes in this chapter include: - Creamy Horseradish Dip with Raw Vegetables - Sweet Potato "Fries" - Hummus Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 0 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories from fat); 0g Protein; 0g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 0mg Sodium. Exchanges: . 02-Appetizers (optional) drained (see "Glossary of Cooking Terms" for more information about cooking beans) (optional) (do not use if this dip is to be baked) (optional) Add all ingredients to a food processor (or blender) and blend until smooth. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve, or to integrate flavors completely, pour mixture into a earthenware casserole dish (with cover), and bake at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) for 1 to 2 hours, then refrigerate and serve. Note: For every 3 cups of cooked adzuki beans, you could eliminate the flax oil and reduce the tahini to 2 tablespoons, and in this case, the result would have less than 15% of its calories from fat. 1 Serving = 3 Tablespoons. VARIATIONS: - Use any type of bean. - Use any type of nut or seed butter in place of the tahini. - Use different types of seasonings such as: spices, herbs, mustard, vinegar. - For a more elegant presentation, serve the dip in filo cups (see "Glossary of Ingredients" for instructions - note that filo contains gluten, so if you are avoiding gluten, use another presentation method). These can either be made small for individual servings, or large for including on a buffet table. - Serve with rice cakes for a gluten-free alternative to whole grain crackers. Spread on rice cakes or crackers. - This dip is easy to prepare ahead of time, and will keep in the refrigerator, providing nutritious snacks and appetizers, for a week (if it lasts that long). As with most bean dips/pates, this also freezes well so I like to make large batches for use over one or more months. - Even with the use of Tahini, this dip is still low in fat because small red beans like adzuki beans are often very low in fat (as opposed to garbanzo beans which have 20 times more fat than adzuki beans). - The serving size shown applies when this dish is being served as an appetizer. If this is served as a greater part of a meal, it may not make as many servings. Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 96 Calories; 4g Fat (39.2% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 130mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat. 02-Appetizers (see the "Glossary of Ingredients" for more information about silken tofu) blended/jarred chopped fine (about 2 stalks) (about 1/2 head) peeled (from 1 bunch of broccoli) DIP Blend together the tofu, horseradish, vegan mayonnaise, and salt. Fold in green onions. Chill dip. DIPPERS Cut dipping vegetables into dipping-size pieces. 1 Serving = 1.5 Tablespoons. Serve vegetables with dip. - This dip is very low in fat. If you wanted it to have a richer mouth feel, add more nayonaise. - The serving size shown applies when this dish is being served as an appetizer. If this is served as a greater part of a meal, it may not make as many servings. Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 25 Calories; 1g Fat (25.2% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 63mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates. 02-Appetizers drained (see "Glossary of Cooking Terms" for more information about cooking beans) (optional) Add all ingredients to a food processor (or blender) and blend until smooth. Note: If you wanted the lower the fat of your hummus, for every 3 cups of cooked garbanzo beans, you could lower the tahini to 3 tablespoons and bring the calories from fat to about 29%. 1 Serving = 3 Tablespoons. VARIATIONS: - Use any type of bean. - Use any type of nut or seed butter in place of the tahini. - Use different types of seasonings such as: spices, herbs, mustard, vinegar. - For a more elegant presentation, serve the dip in filo cups (see "Glossary of Ingredients" for instructions - note that filo contains gluten, so if you are avoiding gluten, use another presentation method). These can either be made small for individual servings, or large for including on a buffet table. - Serve with rice cakes for a gluten-free alternative to whole grain crackers. Spread on rice cakes or crackers. - This dip is easy to prepare ahead of time, and will keep in the refrigerator, providing nutritious snacks and appetizers, for a week (if it lasts that long). As with most bean dips/pates, this also freezes well so I like to make large batches for use over one or more months. - The serving size shown applies when this dish is being served as an appetizer. If this is served as a greater part of a meal, it may not make as many servings. Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 85 Calories; 4g Fat (42.8% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 69mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat.