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 Half-Marthon Tea

sweet ginger chai

Last weekend Pace Bunny and I ran in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon.  You'll be happy to know that we finished before the 100 year old man that was running (but after the person who was in a flash costume, Tinkerbell & Peterpan and the grandpa who was wearing a cotton shirt that said something like "this grandpa's been running for 73 years").  We crossed the finish line smiling and there were no stops at the portapotty so we were happy.

the Flash.

Tinkerbell & Peterpan

The night before the 1/2 marathon Farmer & I decided to walk to one of my favourite vegetarian restaurants.  It's too bad that the walk was an hour both ways in gale force winds rather than the 1/2 hour we thought that it would be.  It was there that I discovered gloriously delicious sweet ginger tea!  The recipe ( if you would call it that) below isn't quite the same as the tea I had but it's pretty delicious none the less. 

Half-marthon Tea

(serves 2)

ingredients

2 cups steeped chai (looseleaf or teabag)

4 slices of fresh ginger

1-2 teaspoons of raw blue agave (maple syrup, honey, etc.)

Steep your tea.  Add agave nectar.  Add sliced ginger.  Let sit 2-5 minutes.  Serve in a tall glass with a cup cozy (or drink while wearing oven mitts).

Will Run For Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Granola

Today I was feeling a little "punchy" for no particular reason.  Alright, maybe it had something to do with the zucchini rash that I had from my fingertips to my elbows (because weeding zucchinis isn't unpleasant enough without a rash) or the terrible grammar that I couldn't help but overhear at the grocery store ("he had to putted out the fire") or the fact that little beast and big beast thought it would be fun to run in circles and jump on top of one another while I was in-between the two of them wrapped in their leashes (while being attacked by mosquitos).

Even though I was feeling a little less punchy by the end of the night I thought that some punchy granola was in order (why not make granola at 11:30 pm?). 

Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Granola

(8 servings)

Ingredients

2 C oats (preferably not quick cooking)

1 C rye flakes (spelt also works) 

1 T coconut oil 

1 T agave nectar (honey also works)

3 T cocoa

1/4 C cocoa nibs

1/4C dried cranberries (dried cherries or dried mango also works)

5-6 slices crystallized ginger

1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut

In a small saucepan melt coconut oil and add agave nectar.  Stir until well combined.  In the meantime combine oats, rye flakes and cocoa.  Add coconut oil/agave mixture to oats.  Bake in oven at 350 F for approximately 15 minutes stirring once or twice.  While impatiently waiting for your oats to toast combine cocoa nibs, cranberries, shredded coconut and crystallized ginger.  Once your oats are toasted add cocoa nibs, cranberries, shredded coconut and crystallized ginger.  Allow to cool completely before placing in a large mason jar. 

* number of bugs harmed during the writing of this post 5-10!

Will Run For Triple Ginger Crackle Cookie Ice Scream Sandwiches

Triple Ginger Crackle Cookie with Pumpkin Ice-Scream

I love everything ginger, everything cookie and everything ice cream!  I've reworked my favourite gingersnap recipe from Homemaker's magazine (don't ask) with some help from Jae Steele's Get It Ripe From Around Here  and Mama Pea from peasandthankyou.com .

I won't lie. I was half expecting the cookies to either turn out like cardboard or a mushy mess.  I figured worst case scenario I would just eat the dough out of the bowl (what isn't there to love about molasses, three kinds of ginger, and brown sugar?) or freeze it and add it to my pumpkin ice scream.  Luckily the cookies were delicious!

TRIPLE GINGER CRACKLE COOKIES
Makes 24 + 3 (the ones that you need to taste test)

Ingredients

1/4 C crystallized ginger (finely chopped)
1 Tbsp fresh ginger (finely chopped)
2 C whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 earth balance (or butter/margarine)
1/2 C demerara sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2 C granulated sugar ( I used Camino Golden Cane Sugar) * save 1/4 C for rolling
2 Tbsp molasses (fancy)
1 flax egg (equals 1/4 C)
1/4 C pureed pumpkin (I used canned pumpkin)

Preheat oven to 350F

In a medium sized bowl (save your biggest bowl for the wet ingredients) combine flour with baking soda, ground ginger, finely chopped fresh and crystallized ginger, cinnamon and salt.

In a separate bowl beat Earth Balance with brown sugar and 1/2 C of granulated sugar with an electric mixer (if you have one) until smooth.  Add molasses, pumpkin and flax egg mixing until also smooth.   Placing the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes makes it much easier to roll the cookies into balls.

Place remaining granulated sugar in a large shallow bowl.  Form small dough balls (eat one of two or maybe three).  Roll balls in sugar.  Place on cookie sheets (I used a baking stone that I preheated in the oven).  Flatten with a fork or your hand.  Place about 5 cm apart.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Let cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Enjoy soft chewy goodness!

finely chop ginger

finely chop crystallized ginger

make sure there are no ginger clumps...hot!

add dry ingredients to wet ingredients

roll balls in granulated sugar

remember to flatten with fingers or fork

oh my goodness!

If you manage not to eat all of the cookies ice-scream sandwiches are the next step. 

 PUMPKIN ICE-SCREAM

(2 large servings)

I mostly just throw everything in the blender until it "looks right" (said in my grandmother's voice) but here is a tasty recipe.

Ingredients

*2 C frozen pureed pumpkin

2 C soy, almond or dairy milk (I use So Nice Unsweetened Soy)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg (I used freshly ground)

1 tsp allspice

2 tsp vanilla paste (or use vanilla bean or worst case scenario vanilla extract)

**2 scoops PC Vanilla Soy Protein Powder (optional)

Blend everything together in your blender.  Blend, blend and blend some more until it has the consistency of soft serve.  Whatever you do make sure there are no pumpkin chunks because that's enough to send anyone over the edge.  Or you could make sure that there are chunks and then you'll never have to share again.   I like to add 1 3/4 C milk and then add the last 1/4 C as needed.  Elbows out and enjoy! 

 If you are making ice-scream sandwiches it can be helpful to place the ice-scream in the freezer for 10 minutes or so until it firms up.  You can store these tasty treats in the freezer for a few days if you wrap them in wax paper.

* I freeze pureed roasted pumpkin in silicone muffin cups in 1/2 C portions.

** If you choose not to use the protein powder you might want to add maple syrup or molasses as a sweetener or use a sweetened soy milk or add a very ripe frozen banana. 

Pumpkin ice-scream on it's own

blend

save some for ice-scream sandwiches

hide in freezer behind frozen tempeh