Will Run For Garlic Ginger Tempeh

It's report card season once again.  Teachers everywhere are rearranging their cupboards, scrubbing the grout between their ceramic tile and getting caught up on numerous loads of laundry.

This teacher is making garlic ginger tempeh.  I clearly need something to pack in my lunch.  Plus, nobody wants a hungry teacher writing his or her report card comments.

Garlic Ginger Tempeh

(serves 2)

ingredients

1 package 240 g Noble Bean soy or grain tempeh

1/4 C coconut milk

1/4 C water

2 T almond butter

1 tsp amber maple syrup (or agave or honey)

1 T thinly sliced ginger root  (a great excuse to pull out the mandoline)

1 clove thinly sliced garlic (while the mandoline is out you might as well use it) 

1 tsp coconut oil

1 T Bragg (or high quality soy sauce)

*1 T olive oil for browning tempeh

1. Steam tempeh for 15-20 minutes turning mid way through steaming (resist the temptation to skip this step).

2. Cut tempeh in half and brown on each side in a well oiled skillet.   Remove from skillet & set aside.

3.  In a skillet over medium heat combine coconut milk, water, almond butter, maple syrup, ginger root, garlic, coconut oil and Bragg.  Once mixture begins to simmer add tempeh.  Ensure that tempeh is well coated in garlic ginger sauce.  Cook approximately 5-7 minutes on each side or until no excess sauce remains. 

4.  Serve with mango salad, in a garden roll, with soba noodles & steamed vegetables or directly out of the skillet.

Will Run For Tomato, Basil, Avocado Spaghetti Squash

I'm all about meals that require minimal amounts of effort and time.  This is one of those meals (if you don't count the time it took to plant, grow, and harvest the glorious garlic that is part of this recipe).  

Last fall Farmer weaselled me into helping her plant over 300 cloves of garlic.  I recall her saying something about it only taking an hour or two.  Lies.  Hours later I had scraped most of the skin off my knuckles (breaking apart the bulbs of garlic), had come close to losing a digit or two because it was so cold (not really but my fingers were bloody cold), and had narrowly escaped chaffing from my rubber boots thanks to my fuzzy knee socks.  She would claim that I'm being dramatic but it really was pretty awful!

Even though it was awful fresh local garlic is most definately worth it!

skin your knuckles

freeze your fingers

avoid chaffing with the proper attire

wait almost an entire year

garlic extravaganza!!!

add basil

Tomato, Basil, Avocado Spaghetti Squash

(serves 2)

Ingredients

1-2 T olive oil

1 small spaghetti squash

1 C fresh basil

3/4 C quartered cherry tomatoes

1 avocado 

2 -4 T nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese)

1/4 tsp salt

3 large pressed cloves of local garlic

Prepare spaghetti squash (I cooked mine in the microwave over a bowl of water for approximately 10 minutes).  In a large frying pan heat 1-2 T of olive oil.  Add pressed garlic and allow to cook for approximately 1 minute.  Add basil, cherry tomatoes and avocado allowing to cook for 4-5 minutes.  Add spaghetti squash to basil mixture.  Top with nutritional yeast (or parmesan) and salt.  Return mixture to empty squash.  Enjoy!

* You can also top with pine nuts (if someone doesn't confess as you are making dinner that they ate them all weeks ago).

Will Run For Garlic Flatbread

Not only will I run for garlic flatbread but I'll wait in line for 20 minutes for garlic flatbread.  It's easy to wait in line when you're eating a garlic pickle on a stick (brilliant) and you've just eaten a warm creamy square of garlic fudge.  

There weren't any pickles on sticks or garlic fudge today but there was delicious leftover garlic flatbread.

If you have 3 1/2 hours to spare this is the recipe for you.

Flatbread

(makes 2 fairly large sized breads)

ingredients

1 tsp active dry yeast (really important that it hasn't expired)

1 C + 1/4 tepid water (same temperature as the water you get from your running partner)

3 C brown bread flour

1tsp salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

Finishing Salts/sea salt

Topping

ingredients

1 small tomato diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp earth balance (butter)

1 large clove of pressed garlic

Place water in a bowl, sprinkle with yeast, add 1 cup of flour and wait patiently for at least 2 hours.  You should place the bowl in a warm area.

After lounging around for 2 hours because you've been 'busy' making bread add remaining 2 cups of flour with salt and stir into yeast mixture.  Add 2 Tbsp olive oil and up to 1/4 C of water so that the dough sticks together.

On a lightly floured surface knead dough for 5 minutes (I used the same technique that I use for wedging   clay for pottery probably not exactly the same thing as kneading).  Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a dishcloth and let sit for approximately 1 hr (just long enough to go for a 7K run or long enough to get changed and think about going for a run).

waiting

Preheat oven to 400F.   Sprinkle baking stones with cornmeal.  Divide dough into two balls.  Roll to desired thickness (about 1/4 inch).

Top each flatbread with fresh rosemary, chopped tomatoes, garlic earth balance/olive oil, and finishing salts.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes.

garlic butter, rosemary, and tomatoes

da, da, da, la!

delicious garlicky wedges

Will Run For Creamy Leek & Potato Soup With Lemon Thyme Biscuits

leaky potato soup

It's 11:00 and I'm making soup and biscuits.  I couldn't have done this at 4:00, 5:00 or even 6:00.  I was too busy eating an entire head of roasted cauliflower with curry, chipotle and sunflower oil and a camino chocolate bar (really I was just having a small piece of chocolate and another and another.  I don't know what happened to the entire bar).

I love creamy leek & potato soup!  However, we don't call it creamy leek and potato soup around here.  It is referred to as leaky potato soup.  You will likely receive some version of this soup (much better than chickenless chicken noodle in my opinion) if you are sick.  A friend of ours once became really ill with a streptococcal infection and had some leaky lesions (all illnesses are now compared to this....at least you don't have leaky lesions ALL over your body!).  We have a dark sense of humour around here so we thought leaky lesions and leaky potato soup were a perfect combination.  So, about the Pope (insert subject that will draw attention away from leaky lesions).....

Creamy Leek & Potato Soup

(serves 4)

ingredients

2 cups new red potatoes (russet potatoes will work too) washed with skin on

1 Tbsp olive oil & 1 tsp earth balance (butter or margarine)

3 small leeks, chopped (2 cups)

3 large cloves local garlic (or 1 bulb roasted garlic), chopped

2 C vegetable broth

1C water

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp dried fresh rosemary crumbled

2 C unweetened soy milk (skim dairy milk, almond milk)

1/4 tsp cracked peppercorns (red, white, black)

1.  Wash and dice potatoes in 1 inch chunks.

red new potatoes from Spill The Beans

2.  In a saucepan or large frying pan with lid warm olive oil & margarine over medium heat.  Add leeks & garlic ; saute until softened, about 10 minutes.  Add potatoes, vegetable broth, water, salt, & rosemary.  Simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

leek, rosemary and garlic goodness

3.  In a blender process mixture until smooth.  I cannot stress enough how important it is that the lid of your blender is secure!  On more than once occasion I have had a hot potato mess all over me and all over the kitchen.  Add milk and pepper.

secure the lid on your blender!

4.  Add 1/4 cup Daiya mozzarella or cheddar shreds (or your favourite old cheddar or smoked cheese) & a few drops of liquid hickory smoke (really only a few drops).

5.  Return mixture to pot or pan and heat thoroughly until cheese melts and soup is warm.  Serve with rosemary or chives as a garnish.

leaky potato soup

* You may need to add addition milk or vegetable broth to thin this soup if you are planning on eating it over the next couple of days.

Now on to the biscuits.  They have just a hint of lemon and thyme.

Lemon Thyme Biscuits

(12 + 1 biscuits)

ingredients

1 C whole wheat pastry flour

1 C unbleached all purpose flour

1 T sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp fresh thyme
1tsp finely grated lemon peel

1/2 C earth balance (margarine, butter or shortening works as well)

3/4 C milk (including 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice)

1. Preheat oven to 450 F with baking stone in oven.

2.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, & thyme.  Cut in shortening (you can use two knives, your hands or  my personal favourite a fancy gadget (pastry blender) until you have fine crumbs.  Stir in milk until dough is soft and sticky (it may seem too wet but it isn't).

dough

3.  Place dough on a lightly floured surface.  Kneed until dough is no longer sticky (5-10 times).  Pat down until approximately 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with floured cutter (I used the lid of a mason jar but a glass works too). 

my favourite part

4.  Place on a baking stone approximately 1 inch apart.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Serve warm!

biscuits

Will Run For Local Vegetables & Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus

spicy sweet potato hummus

There isn't anything particularly exciting about hummus.  There is however something very exciting about giant oregon snow peas, garlic and zucchini from Spill The Beans Farm!  My favourite farmer weaselled me  into picking about 30 litres of peas (plus the 3 litres that I ate while in the field) with the promise of being able to eat as many peas as I wanted.  I was also lucky enough to leave the farm with two heads of local garlic and 2 zucchinis.  While all of these vegetables are delicious a little dip never hurt anyone.

hardneck garlic

giant oregon snow peas

farmer & her zucchinis 

Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus

( 2 1/2 C)

ingredients

1 19oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (nothing is more disgusting than bean slime)

1/4 C fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp olive oil 

1 clove local garlic

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp chipoltle chili pepper 

1/3 C mashed sweet potato (optional)

In your blender combine chickpeas, lime juice, cilantro, olive oil, garlic (I put mine through the garlic press first), cumin, chipotle, & salt.

Add mashed sweet potato.  Thin with extra lime juice if necessary.

Serve with seasonal local vegetables.   Garnish with chipotle chili pepper (sparingly) and fresh cilantro.  This hummus also tastes great in a wrap made with an ezekial sprouted grain wrap, sunflower sprouts, avocado, cucumber, and tomato.

If you are in the area check out the Eat Local Co-op stall at Market Square for peas, potatoes, & zucchinis from Spill The Beans Farm