Mighty Leftover Loaf

Oh, the joys of a vegan buffet. All the different colours, tastes  and combos on your plate. Mmmm! Spectacular! So what to do with all of these leftovers when your company has gone home, and you're tired of eating the same dish over and over? Grasshopper stumbled on this Mighty Leftover Loaf, that tastes better than the separate dish it once was. And as a bonus, it makes a mighty fine cold pâté.

Mighty Leftover Loaf

For the base, grasshopper ground together a  Summer Bean Medley Salad, roasted garlic, fennel/radish salad, lemon juice, and bread crumbs, then added a sprinkle of chia seeds, dash of black pepper…cumin-ground and whole, and grind once again.

Oil glass loaf pan

Spread mixture in loaf pan.

Grind steamed carrots, and Easy Sweet Potato Dip.

Spread on legume mix.

Top with a thin layer of salsa.

Bake 375 till it smells right…30-40 minutes, and blackens slightly around the edges.

Love Grasshopper

Fresh Summer Herbs - Dressing Up the Dullness of Winter

        Ah summer! Veggies in season! Fresh herbs for some culinary alchemy?  Basil plants have particularly had a good year. Olive oil infusions - every day! yes!!! to dress up the bean and the grain!!! Dismiss that feeling that a long winter brings on your food choices.  Garden plan early in february or march or later!! in a pot, a bird bath, window, you decide, and go for it!  A summer herbal smorgasbord of fresh basil, parsley, thyme, cilantro, dill, and mint is divine!!!  Everything tastes ... Mmmm, mmmm! If growing isn't an option, then shop! it's all here, now it's comparably fresher!!!

Here are some easy July staples from the Grasshopper Kitchen.

Golden Beets - peeled, quartered, and steamed - served warm with fresh dill weed

Black-Eyed Peas Salad - cooked beans, celery,  grate a radish peeled beet and garlic clove, add chopped green beans (or substitute carrot for example...go for texture and crunch), a handful of pumpkin seeds,  chopped basil, cilantro and parsley, ground or grated fresh ginger, black pepper, salt, cumin -  olive oil and vinegar (your choice) Mix all together, cover and let flavours meld in the fridge for a couple of hours. Serve cold or at room temperature.

                  AND

Easy Fall Herbal Medleys

String Beans in Herb Vinaigrette - Wash and lightly steam green beans along with cauliflower florets, quickly cool and toss in a bowl. Add thinly sliced red onion or chives, sprigs of dill, chopped basil, cilantro or parsley, and halved grape tomatoes. A glug of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, with a pinch of salt and black pepper to finish.  

Delicata Squash and Cilantro - the squash is washed, sliced, and roasted at 400* for 15 minutes each side. Chill, peel if desired. Serve with lots of fresh chopped cilantro. Mmmm!

Love Grasshopper

Roasted Snack Beans

    Grasshopper has discovered a way to reinvent the bean into a tasty, crunchy mid-day snack food. Any bean, any size, will roast (time is adjusted for size) and voila, an excellent topping for salads or satisfying the munchies, while retaining protein and mineral content.
   Chick peas, whole green peas, and black-eyed peas each have there own amazing texture. the smaller beans like navy, black bean, and adzuki tend to 'explode' and burst their skins, producing a dry crunchy crouton sensation. The cooked beans are dried and spread over a baking sheet, so grasshopper finds the easiest way to do this, is to roast the beans just after cooking them. They dry up naturally from being hot and steamy, fresh from the pot. Otherwise, a paper towel will suffice to dry the beans.
   Spices to use are from your own creativity and taste. Choices are endless. Grasshopper enjoys salt and herbs de provence, or an indian spice blend (slow-heated in a pan first to release flavours into the oil). Make big batches of these, as they don't last. From a crunchy snack perspective, these are the ultimate tastiest way to eat large handfuls of beans. Enjoy!

Roasted Snack Beans
Preheat oven to 400*
-cooked beans (dry with a paper towel)
-a drizzle of olive oil
-salt (choice of spices)

Dry the cooked beans, spread on a baking sheet (don't layer), drizzle with oil, stir in spices and roast for 15-30 minutes. Keep an eye on these, as they will tend to burn in some ovens and pans if not stirred. Grasshopper stirs every 5-7 minutes. Larger beans take a longer time. 
 When beans are cooled down, keep at room temperature for 24 hours to keep their crisp, then store in a glass container. Avoid storage in plastic as it may soften the bean.

Love grasshopper

Noodles Mock Thai

Want a quick, easy, delicious meal? here it is! Grasshopper discovered a new use for a vinaigrette salad...turn it into a delightful thai dish with noodles. The lentil/mung bean mix is pre-cooked, and the vinaigrette from the salad give this dish a sweet taste.
Inspired by finding prepackaged food bags with large bags of dried lentils to buy and donate to the local food bank. Grasshopper is comforted that these wonderful vegan proteins can be nutritious and affordable for all.

Noodles Mock Thai 

Carrot salad
2 grated carrots
2 diced celery stalks
1 cup cooked lentil/mung bean mix - see December 2012, Lentil Mung Bean (LMB) Perfect Combo
2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs olive oil

Mix together, add to cooked kamut or any whole grain spaghetti noodle and that's it! Warm it all up in a skillet.

Love Grasshopper

Grasshopper's Vegan Pizza

This culinary treat was inspired by the creative kitchen at a wee cafe in Toronto. Vegan delights abound in many torontonian foodplaces. Grasshopper has incorporated their olive tapenade idea as a base, but has chosen a navy bean tapenade instead to ensure protein. Toppings remain the choice of the cook as always, and pesto is a delight. Prep time can be done a day or two before, which includes making the bean tapenade (can keep in the fridge up to a week as a fabulous dip) and the chapati  (the crust). Grasshopper prefers to use light spelt flour for chapati, and you will need a large cast iron frying pan. A pita bread is a suitable substitute for chapati if pressed for time.

Grasshopper's Vegan Pizza 

Navy Bean Tapenade     
     3/4 c cooked navy beans or black bean 
     1 garlic clove chopped
     1 Tbs chopped parsley
     1 Tbs chopped basil
     1/4 tsp salt
      1/4 tsp black pepper
      1 Tbs balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
Mash all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Chapati      (makes enough for two chapati = one serving)
       Chapati consists of flour and water, and is measured more by feeling the texture. That's all it needs besides the love and patience to watch them puff up in the cast iron pan. 
        For 2 chapati you will need about 3/4-1 cup of flour.  Place 2 chapati-size mounds of flour in a mixing bowl, add water slowly until a soft, pliable dough can be kneaded. Add more water if it is too firm, and more flour if it is too sticky. On a floured surface, knead the dough briefly, then separate into pan-size little balls. With a floured rolling pin, roll the balls out to from a large circle of dough.
       Cook in a medium cast-iron frying pan (no oil). When one side gets a little brown, flip it, and begin pushing down on the dough. (Grasshopper uses the flipper) this pushing down helps move the air pockets around which cooks the middle of the dough. Flip it one more time when brown, then remove from pan, and cook the next one.

Toppings - suggestions only
pesto
julienne sliced green string beans
finely chopped or grated cauliflower
mounds of chopped frozen spinach
sliced tomato
chopped mushroom

Assemblage
   Preheat oven broiler to 375*.  Place the chapati on a large baking sheet, spread the tapenade liberally onto the chapati being careful to coat right to the edges (otherwise they may burn) Add toppings. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until toasty. keep an eye on them so they don't burn. Serve as is, or fold over like a calzone.

Love Grasshopper

Spicy Chick Pea Deep Dish Bake

   The fall season brings us wonderful opportunities to marvel at the bounty of local fresh vegetables and herbs, and a good reason to put on the oven, warm up the house, and enjoy a baked casserole. For Grasshopper, chick peas have always held an untapped culinary mystery and so kitchen experiments on the art of alchemizing the chick pea with veggies began. Hence the discovery of how well the magical chick pea mashes and tastes with cooked squash was born.
    It is the adaptability, taste and texture of the chick pea that make it so accessible as a baking ingredient. Once cooked, Grasshopper often will mash 75% of the pot when warm as they get very creamy this way. The other 25% is left whole just for variety's sake in other recipes. They freeze well both ways, and having a store of mashed chick peas is always handy for a quick protein addition to a meal, be it hummus, Roasted Snack Beans, or adding to a soup.
   This mashed chick pea recipe has gone through a few incarnations, starting out as being baked into a simple legume loaf, Grasshopper wanted to create a complete meal, so cooked and drained seasonal vegetables are added. The ingredient list may appear daunting however the squash and non-starch veg were pre-cooked, (any veg leftovers will do, or frozen) and the spices create this wonderful deep-dish meal to enjoy with a bottom and top chick pea crust that tastes like a falafel,  sandwiching veggies. Mmmmm.
 

Spicy Chick Pea Deep Dish Bake
Crust
1 1/2 c  cooked and mashed chick peas
1/3 c  pumpkin seed (grasshopper pre-soaks and drains these for 5 hours)
1/2 c  cooked and mashed squash
1/3 c  parsley
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 c  olive or coconut oil
1/2 c   buckwheat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2  tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground ginger, or a thumb-nail size of grated ginger root
1 tsp caraway seed
1 very large (or 2 medium) grated garlic clove

Veg Filling
Cook any non-starch veg combo and drain moisture out onto a paper towel.
 1 c  spinach
1/2 c peas
1/2 c green beans

Process all crust ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
Pre-heat the oven to 375* F.
 Oil a 9 or 10 inch square baking dish, or pie plate, or line with parchment paper. 
Spoon and spread about 1/3 of crust batter on the bottom. Pre-bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Cover this layer with the drained veg mix. Spoon and spread the rest of the crust batter evenly over the veg to form the top crust.
Bake in oven until top crust is brown and your kitchen smells divine, 45 min- 1 hour.

Love Grasshopper

Summer Bean Medley Salad

      Grasshopper enjoys conserving energy, both personally and environmentally. On hot summer days the last thing anyone would ever want to do is heat the living space up by putting the oven on, or cooking  beans for hours! Grasshopper saves these tasks for those fall or spring days when it's too early to put the heat on, but the mornings are quite cold from the evening's temperature drop. then a cooking spree happens!
    The bean medley for this favourite summer staple is a variation on Grasshopper's earlier post from December 2012, Lentil Mung Bean (LMB) Perfect Combo with the addition of adzuki beans for more colour and variety. Soak for a good 24 hours for best results, then please refer to the cooking method described in the 12/03/12 post, regarding changing the cooking water. It's that white frothy stuff you want to get out of your cooking water, so you can digest these beans easier. Cooking time must be very slow, never a rolling boil,  and will be done anywhere between 15-35 minutes depending on the age of the beans that you've used. Don't take your eyes off of these tiny morsels, or you'll have floating skins and mush! Try to mash an adzuki to see if it's done. It'll take the longest.
    Soaking pumpkin or sunflower seeds in water in the morning is enough to prepare them for a lunch or evening salad. The salad improves in flavour as it marinates. Grasshopper makes it in the morning, and by evening the flavours have infused.
    Summer brings us so many shades of colour and taste in our herb and vegetable gardens. There is not a real recipe to this salad, as Grasshopper creates a new salad depending on what the season and gardens bring to us. This bean medley provides a base to your taste. Make your vinaigrette as you prefer and add vegetables that you enjoy that are in season. Let it all marinate until you are ready to eat. These are suggestions that have worked for Grasshopper and guests. The salad denies a 'crunchy chewy' factor  (without hard, raw veg ) so you and your guests can enjoy large helpings of this wonderful vegan protein.

Summer Bean Medley Salad 
   cooked french lentils, mung beans and adzuki beans - enough to feed you and your guests
  a handful of raw, pre-soaked pumpkin and sunflower seeds (about 5 hours)
  sliced red onion
 toss with any chopped garden herbs - thyme (definitely)
                                                     fennel, parsley, cilantro, coriander, basil
vinegar or lemon juice (suggestions are coconut, balsamic,  apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice )
organic olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
vegetables (suggestions are  cooked diced string beans, sliced raw mini zucchini, roasted                   red pepper)

Love Grasshopper  

Grasshopper's Gluten-free Eggplant Patties

  This recipe takes a bit more time than Lucia's Eggplant Burgers, because of the cooking method, but the eggplant will have absorbed less oil because they are baked first. It is remarkable how buckwheat flour blends beautifully with the subtle taste of eggplant, creating a wonderful gluten-free delight.
     Grasshopper keeps this a simple recipe for people with food sensitivities, but is not hesitant to replace some of the flour with  soaked and ground sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or hemp seed for a protein boost. Also, the preference is to let these patties  remain as a veggie side dish, not on a bun, and serves them with a lentil -type salad in the summer time like the next post- Summer Bean Medley Salad
     Other optional additions would be finely chopped jalapeno peppers.

Grasshopper's Gluten-free Eggplant Patties
makes 6-8

2 medium small eggplants (about 1 3/4c cooked)
about 3/4-1c dark buckwheat flour 
dash of salt, to taste
1 tbs oil to fry

Preheat oven to 400*F. Wash and de-stem eggplant. With a fork, prick the skin of the eggplant all around, then bake whole on a baking dish for about 45 minutes, or until completely shrivelled and soft. When cool enough to handle, scrape out the eggplant pulp into a food processor, add salt and flour, then pulse until a pasty dough is formed. Depending on the size of the eggplant you may adjust the flour measurement, so that it will have the consistency of a stiff, sticky batter, and  fry up smelling just like a pancake.
Heat oil first at a medium temperature in a cast-iron skillet. This step is important so as not to absorb too much oil into the burgers. If a drop of water sizzle in the pan, it is ready. Shape the mixture into the fry pan, cook until golden on both sides, and let drain on a paper towel.
 Love Grasshopper

Eggplant Burgers

Ah, food in Italy tastes so much better than any north american equivalent that Grasshopper has experienced. Initially terrified to get enough vegan protein in a western country, Grasshopper learned that being a vegan in Italy is possible, and many italians are embracing a plant-based diet. Eggplant is avoided by many, as it is a nightshade plant which are known to cause inflammation in the gut in some people. However, when they appear at the market in the summer, they are unresistable and make the perfect meal to share with non-vegan guests on account of their 'meaty' texture. Although not very high in protein, one gram per cup, these burgers can be served as a side dish, accompanied by a serving of nuts, a simple bean salad, or a high protein bread.
  Grasshopper learned this simple recipe from Lucia, called Melanzane Burgers, and was amazed how wonderfully delicious they are. Lucia served them with her favourite tomato sauce, but the superior taste admits to being able to alone.

Lucia's Eggplant Burgers

One medium sized eggplant
1/2-1 cup bread crumbs (may substitue with oats, or cornmeal)
dash of salt
olive oil for frying

Wash, then cube the eggplant. Saute until soft in a covered cast iron fry pan with oil. In a food processor, pulse the eggplant with salt and bread crumbs. Clean the frypan, then coat with  oil, then form patties out of the eggplant mixture. Fry till both sides are golden.

Love grasshopper

Winter's Beanloaf

Grasshopper woke one morning with a strong craving for winter comfort food. A hearty baked loaf reminiscent of a traditional meatloaf with ketchup. Mmmm. Tomato is generally avoided by grasshopper, as it is an inflammatory food, but some believe that baking it won't create as much inflammation. Purchasing an organic ketchup will do the trick, or just leave it out of the recipe.

The base requires a 12 hour pre-soak of navy bean and whole peas then cooked till the navy beans are soft, adding fennel seed and bay leaf while cooking . The whole peas will split, but won't be mushy, adding a nice chewy texture to the beanloaf.
A traditional loaf will often include a grain as a binder, but grasshopper chose to keep it simple, and used presoaked flax seed which takes 6 hours. The flax seed makes the loaf rise slightly and creates a soft, fluffy texture. Slices can be frozen for later use, if there's any leftover?? oh so good!!

Winter's Beanloaf
     a combo of navy bean and whole dried peas (enough to fill a loaf pan) - presoaked, rinsed and cooked with one tbs fennel seed and 3 bay leaves, and drained
     1Tbs flax seed presoaked in 1 Tbs of water for 5-6 hours
     1 portabello mushroom sliced
     2 celery stalks sliced
     2 garlic cloves grated
     1 Tbs chopped onion
     a thumbnail of fresh ginger root grated
     a dash of balsamic vinegar
     spice combo- 1 tsp himalayan salt 
                          1 tsp black pepper
                          1 tsp fennel seed
                          3 tsp herbes de provence
                          1 tsp dried thyme or 1 Tbs fresh
     1/4 c organic ketchup

Using a food container with a lid, add the balsamic vinegar and sliced mushrooms, secure the lid, and give a good shake to coat the shrooms. In a small frying pan, sautee the sliced portabello in a dab of olive oil until cooked.  In a food processor, grind legume mix  (remove bay leaves first) till navy beans are pureed. Add chopped celery, garlic, ginger root, onion, spices, and flax seed. Blend well. Add the shrooms and pulse till partially chopped.

Spoon mixture into a well-oiled loafpan (glass works great), drizzle ketchup on the top to cover mixture. Bake at 350* for 40 minutes, or until brown and smelling divine.

Easy Sweet Potato Dip

Arriving at a seasonal party and finding this dip was a welcome surprise for a gut that needed some wholesome comfort food. Scooping up dollops of this dip in a mini corn chip or cracker was heavenly. Prep work includes pre-soaking the rock hard carway seeds in water for at least 6 hours or overnight. Yams or sweet potatoes are washed, pricked and baked whole in a 425* oven for about one hour or until soft depending on the size. When cool, the skin peels off easily.
Packed with  vitamins like A, C and B6, sweet potatoes have good antioxidant properties, and are an excellent source of dietary fiber, potassium and iron. They are a low-glycemic index (GI) food, which releases glucose slowly into the bloodstream, making  them a healthy choice for diabetics. You can substitute lemon juice for lime, or simply omit the citrus and use more ground herbs if you prefer.
Easy Sweet Potato Dip
  2 medium size sweet potatoes, baked, cooled and peeled
  juice of one lime
  1 tsp caraway seed (presoaked till chewable or grind)
  1/2 tsp ground cumin
   drizzle of olive oil

Mix lime juice with spices. Mash sweet potatoes and mix in citrus juice until smooth. Spoon into a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with your favourite dipping vessel??

Love Grasshopper

Christmas Vegan Protein Bowl

I had the pleasure of having some wonderful vegetarian guests for dinner this season. Grasshopper fixed a delicious, satisfying vegan dish that was wow to everyone, full of protein and creative in texture. This recipe works well to suggest to cooks when you are the guest and they ask you what you eat. It can be made in 15 minutes if you have any precooked legumes and grains. This  lentil/mung bean combo and the whole kamut grains can be made in advance, frozen, and defrosted prior to use. If you substitute, Grasshopper suggests to choose small grains and legumes for a the best chews!
 Mmmm... just the right combo!

  

For instructions on how to prepare grains and legumes from scratch,
see these Grasshopper's Vegan Kitchen recipes:

LentilMungBeanCombo http://grasshopperkitchen.blogspot.ca/2012/12/lentil-mung-bean-lmb-perfect-combo.html
and
Comfort in Kamut  http://grasshopperkitchen.blogspot.ca/2011/10/comfort-in-kamut.html

        Grasshopper dreams up gourmet organic ingredients for Christmas dinner with coconut vinegar and morning soaking prep work.  Flavours enhance when this dish is made in advance.

Christmas Vegan Protein Bowl

   Precooked:

     1 cup cooked kamut grains or barley (or subsitute brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, or millet for gluten-free)

         2 cups cooked blend of black lentils and mung beans (or substitute a small bean combo such as black beans, adzukis)

  

  Presoaks: drained seeds and grains can be refridgerated until use.

•     water pre-soaking (just to cover) of  1 cup of sunflower seeds ( or substitute pumpkin seeds) for 6 hours, drain off the water
•     water pre-soaking (just to cover) of  1/2 cup of dried cranberries (or substitute dried raisins, or black currants) for 4 hours or until soft, saving the soaking liquid to flavour the dressing
•    (optional) make an infusion of  one tbsp rosemary and one thinly biased sliced garlic clove covered in about 1/4 cup olive oil,  in a clear glass jar, covered and soaking in the sun  for the day, then strained   

   Raw Veg:

•  3 washed celery stalks, sliced thinly on a diagonal 
• 1 tsp thinly sliced red onion  (optional) 
• 1/4 cup washed and chopped parsley

 Dressing:
          1/4 cup infused (optional) olive oil (see above)

         2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

        1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (or  substitute apple cider or red wine)

        1/4 cup soaking liquid from dried cranberries (fruit)

         1 tbsp ginger root, sliced thinly on a diagonal, then coarsely chopped 

         1 tsp ground cumin

        1/4 tsp black pepper

         salt to taste

Whip the ingredients together with a fork. 
       

 Final Alchemic Mix:

  Toss all ingedients into a large bowl. Coat with dressing immediately. Serve at room temperature for good digestion.

Love Grasshopper

Squash/Pumpkin Gnocchi

Gnocchi is a wonderful tender pasta that can be created easily without egg or milk with this recipe. Replacing the traditional potato with pie pumpkin or squash adds a new flavour and more vitamin A. If using light spelt flour is your choice of grain, then a lovely high protein, thick hemp pesto is wonderful. Using a gluten-free buckwheat flour creates a heavier dough, so use less flour and cut the pasta into thinner, smaller shapes. it goes well with a lighter sauce like tomato. Since gourds come in so many different sizes, this recipe serves 4, but you can just add more flour if you have more pumpkin. Precooking the gourd makes this recipe very quick, 20 minutes and it's into the pot. melt in your mouth soft!!

 Gnocchi  (Serves 4)

2 cups of mashed, pre-roasted or steamed pie pumpkin, butternut or acorn squash
1-2c of flour- light spelt or buckwheat (gluten free) 
salt to taste
dash of cardamon or nutmeg

Mash precooked gourd, add 1c of flour and stir to make a sticky ball. On a generously floured surface,  spoon about 1/2 c of mixture onto the flour and begin to roll the dough into a log of about one inch in diameter with just enough flour so it doesn't stick to your hands. The inside will remain sticky to the touch when they are cut. Too much flour makes the dough tough. With a lightly-floured knife, cut the log into 1/2 inch pieces. Lightly coat each piece with flour if they are too sticky, to separate from other gnocchi balls. A quick roll in your floured hands is enough. Place each piece on a flat serving plate. Do not stack, as they will stick. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
 Grasshopper freezes the gnocchi separately, then bags them for future use. Otherwise you can boil a pot of water and  drop them in carefully. They are done when they float to the top. Depending on how many you are cooking at a time, this can take from 2-5 minutes. Do not overcook!
Here is a link to Grasshopper's Pesto Sauce. http://grasshopperkitchen.blogspot.ca/2011/10/grasshoppers-pesto.html

Love Grasshopper

Vegan Spanakopita

Mmmmm, so gourmet, and yes this recipe takes time, planning and love, but is well worth it to serve as a special dish for your vegan guests at an event as important as a wedding. Much like a samosa, but without the deepfried batter, you will have to purchase frozen phyllo dough. Grasshopper has not found a gluten-free or preservative-free product on the market in Canada, so reading the ingredients to make sure the preservatives are not animal-food based is crucial before planning this recipe on your menu. Coconut oil is used on the phyllo leaves instead of butter, so watching these bake requires care as to not burn the leaves. They do curl, and you will lose some leaves, but it's all good!

Vegan Spanakopita  (Makes about 8 logs)
(for Nisha)

You will need a pastry brush
Filling:
2 c cooked brown or green lentils, partially mashed
1 large (or 1 cup) peeled and diced cooked carrot
1/4 (or 1 cup) slivered large raw cabbage
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp finely minced ginger root
juice of half a lemon
pinch of salt
2 tsp olive oil

One lb package of frozen phyllo dough, defrosted in the fridge the night before
1/4 -1/3c melted coconut oil (pastry brush)

     Cook lentils as directed in Grasshopper's last post 'Lentil Mung Bean (LMB) Combo.' Heat oil in a large skillet on low, add cabbage and slow cook, stirring until partially carmelized and soft, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and cook a further 2 minutes. Add garam masala, cumin, ginger and salt. Cook very slowly for another 2 minutes, watch it doesn't burn. Add lemon juice. Keep stirring the gravy over low heat for 3 minutes, turn off heat and add lentils. With a fork, partially mash the mix until it begins to stick together. Do not puree.
     Open up phyllo dough sheets carefully not to break them. Using one leaf at a time, spread a modest amount of melted coconut oil over the first leaf with a pastry brush. (just enough so there are no dry spots, but being careful not to make it too oily) Assemble the next 2 leaves on top, and coat again with oil. Across the width of one end of the leaf pile, spread about 5 tbsp of filling in a 2" wide by 1" high log shape, keeping a 11/2" margin  of empty space at the bottom and side edges. Fold bottom and side edges of dough over the filling wrapping the ingredients of the log, then continue to roll log up. Place log with open end of leaves down on a large flat pizza pan or cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Continue making all the logs you can, until filling and dough is used up.
    Score the top of each log into serving size pieces, four is suggested. This may help to keep the leaves intact, as they do break upon cooling.
    Bake until lightly brown, about 20 minutes. These can be made ahead of time, and partially baked, then frozen for reheating at a later time.
Time saving option:
  The spanakopita may be prepared in a baking dish as a casserole rather than logs. You can sandwich the filling between 5 layers of leaves for the bottom and top, scoring 2"x2" square-sized appetizer bites.
Love Grasshopper

Lentil Mung Bean (LMB) Perfect Combo

       Lentil Mung Bean (LMB) Combo (for Natasha)

        Finally, it's here! It took many years of kitchen experiments to create the perfect cooked brown or french lentil, like how they come out of a can, a tender, whole legume. Seeing them oh so perfect in commercial salad bars, or gourmet vegetarian wedding entrees, always intrigued grasshopper (even red ones), and led to relentless cooking trials. Lentils and mung beans can be the most finnicky legumes to remain whole, yet thoroughly cooked. Mmmm! For this recipe, Grasshopper relinquishes the red lentil to dissolve in a soup pot, and focuses on the wonderful texture variety of cooked larger lentils and mung beans.
     The secret is this, it is in the over-night pre-soaking (8-12 hours) and slow, absolute attentive!! (yes, don't leave it) cooking for about 10-30 minutes, depending on how long you soaked them, how old the legume is, your heat of your stove's lowest temperature, and the size of the lentil. French lentils cook faster than brown and older ones take longer than a new crop. Any rapid boiling or overcooking causes the skins to fall off, then using them mashed in a recipe is the best option. 24 hour soaking will also cause lentils to lose their skins as well....more mush, and an unsettled feeling that many nutrients have dissolved in the cooking water instead of your mouth.
    Being the one at the work lunchroom table who's eating  lentil soup with skins floating around, and gets asked, "What is that black stuff you're eating?" Coined as 'mental lentils' by grasshopper's favourite child taste testers, the taste was good, but the texture was always black chewy skins masked in a mushy sauce, yuk, all for the sake of a cheap protein source.Years of disastrous attempts at getting them to look palatable have failed, up to now. No more floating skins and mushed out insides.
     yes, yes, you've been told that lentils don't need soaking, but this is the perfect lentil now. Sprouting a life force again enhances food value and increases digestibility. Please soak overnight, and discard the soaking water, hopefully onto your thirsty house plants, to reduce the effect on the body of the nasty enzyme prohibitors- phytic acid and oligosaccharides. Here are two links to more information on the benefits of soaking for full absorption of minerals. http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/cooking-with-sprouts-zmaz93amztak.aspx or http://nourishedkitchen.com/soaking-grains-nuts-legumes/
    With this two legume mix, grasshopper delights in the varied colour texture and fabulous protein boost these little bites offer to all kinds of recipes. Whole black french lentils are sublime and grasshopper's favourite, or brown lentils mashed in fillings are magically inspiring. This LMB combo tastes great out of the pot with nothing added to them, but they can be mashed, or partially mashed to allow many options as a protein base for casseroles, salads, skillet dinners, soups,  fillings, dips and dahls, so make a big pot and freeze portions for later use in a variety of recipes.

Cooking Method  (can be used for any legume)
   
      Start with any amount of dried french black lentils (or brown) and mung beans in a large saucepan and cover with water (about 2-3 times the volume of the dried legumes), in a large pot to soak overnight, about 8-12  hours. 1cup of each is a good start. Make sure they remain ALL covered with water. Drain and discard soaking water. Cover legumes with fresh water, rinse thoroughly and drain. *Cover legumes again with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until froth appears floating on the top. Drain off all of this off, change the cooking water once again. Repeat from * until there is no longer any froth or black dirt at the water line.
     Now you are ready to cook these little morsels, and they won't take long, up to 10-20 minutes! 
    Optional: To the final cooking water, seasoning with bay leaves, sprigs of sage, fennel seed, or ginger root helps ease gas even further, and makes the house smell wonderful, and legumes taste sweetly gourmet.
   Bring water to a boil and immediately turn down to a very slow simmer. Grasshopper reminds us of the importance of a keen watchful eye and testing for softness with gentle cooking. Do not overcook or use high temperatures, you'll have mush and floating skins! Test for softness every few minutes. If the skins start to break open, quickly lower the temperature. Remove from heat when soft and just right. Drain. Remove bay leaves if used. 
     Enjoy hot or cold as a side dish, or use in your favourite recipe.
More recipes to come.

Love Grasshopper

The Flax Connection Patty

Summer time just says 'burger' time for Grasshopper and kids, so kitchen experiments are taking place, to discover a variety of ways to make easy, delicious, protein-rich vegan burgers.
This is grasshopper's burger recipe #2. View the first recipe with this link: http://grasshopperkitchen.blogspot.ca/2012_07_01_archive.html
                  One definition of the 'patty' is:
      a small rounded, flattened cake of food, made from ingredients that have been previously          ground, chopped, or minced
      A 'cake of food' could be made out of any leftover grain, veg, or legume depending on your diet restrictions or what is available in your home. But what is that perfect ingredient in commercial veggie burgers that binds it all together?-meat eaters would give a shudder! Egg eaters just toss one in, problem solved. Aha!! the vegan substitute for an egg, flax seed!! This wonder seed in its soaked gel metamorphosis turns mashed yellow peas and kamut grains into a fluffy, yet chewy cake-like texture when simply fried in a stove-top pan.
     Grasshopper regularly soaks a combination of 3 tbs each of flax and chia seeds in 3/4 cups of water, and stores it in the fridge for daily use of 1 tbs/day. It is ready in 24 hours. Creative use of your own ingredients in vegan burger making is easy with the help of this wonderful vegan burger binder!! Use this guideline to what could be the perfect burger for your family's palette.

The Flax Connection Patty
makes 4 small patties
     1 tbs flax seed, or combination of flax and chia seed
     2 tbs water
    1/2 cup cooked legumes (yellow pea is great)
    1/2 cup cooked grain (kamut is easy to chew when ground)
     cooked veg (optional-chopped or minced)
     spices - (yellow pea tastes great with lemon, fresh minced ginger or parsley, cumin, ground   fennel, salt)

     Prep:make the seed gel the day before
Presoak an equal portion of flax and chia seeds in water for 24 hours in the fridge.   
     Grind all ingredients except the gel, together in a food processor, until you are pleased with the texture. A dry mixture is fine at this point.
     Stir in the seed gel. The mixture should be able to stick together. Add water if too dry to form into patties. Shape into 4 small, or 2 large patties.
      Heat 1 tbs of oil in a fying pan on medium heat. Fry patties, turning till golden brown.

Love Grasshopper

Vegan Seed Burgers

It's BBQ season! When my hosts ask me how I'd like my steak, I reply, 'on the cow please.' However the quest to find a good tasting recipe for a vegan burger has been solved. Here is a high protein patty that is easy to digest and prepare, and won't fall through the cracks of the grill, although I prefer to precook the burger and warm it on the BBQ using tinfoil to avoid prior meat juices. In the spirit of Grasshopper's Kitchen, you may substitute the grains and seeds with ones you prefer or have available. This recipe makes enough for 2-3 people.

Vegan Seed Burgers 

one handful each of pumpkin and sunflower seeds, soaked in water for 4-6 hours and drained
1 cup cooked kamut
1 tbs lemon juice
add your own spice or leave that for the condiments

Grind all ingredients in a food processor. Add more water if it isn't slightly sticky. Form into a ball and refridgerate for later use, or form into patties. At this point you may want to press the patty into sesame seeds or hemp seeds for extra protein. Also you may precook the burger by pan frying in a small bit of oil.
Love Grasshopper

Kale Chips

(for Laura)
     Kale is plentiful and fresh this time of year. It is well-known that some people find this vegetable difficult to digest when prepared in certain ways, but grasshopper is crazy over these!! Finding this recipe in the news after giving kale chips a try at home, was a delight. These chips are guaranteed to surprise and delight you with their crispness and delicate texture. There are many alternative ways to spice these up, depending on your palette, from nutritional yeast to cajun spice, and recipes abound all over the internet. Raw foodists keep the oven temperature below 160*F to retain 'raw food' nutrients, but aren't as crispy. Grasshopper compromised and set the oven at 250*F.  At this temp, the kale retains a fresh green colour, as opposed to other recipes where 350* left a charred kale. Other recipes suggest using coconut oil instead of olive oil for fat stability. Grasshopper knows olive oil is wonderful, and hasn't tried coconut. However endless the choices are with spices also, it is clear that this superfood/snack is unbeatable for taste, nutrition and easy preparation.
   Grasshopper simply tears the heavy ribs away (save for later use in soups or juices), tears the leaves into bitesize pieces, shakes about a Tbs of oil and a shake of salt over the leaves, then spreads the mix thinly (do not layer) onto a shallow baking pan into a preheated 250*F oven. Stir very  occassionally till all leaves are crispy, about 30-35 minutes.
Love grasshopper

Hearty Roasted Squash, Greens and Shrooms

   Growing squash in a climate that doesn't rain for 6 weeks, is a feat. However when the vine finally reached the sun, and the september rains came, so did this larger than store-bought, beautiful butternut squash. Sliced in thick slabs of half-moons, and roasted in the oven created the most flavourful bites ever, with nothing else added but the drizzle of olive oil! Grasshopper started planning next years crop immediately, then came up with this great blend.

   For calcium, a fabulous bunch of greens like collards or dandelion add bonus nutrition. Remember to avoid spinach, chard and beet greens if it's calcium you want. Onions have been known to give some people digestion difficulties, so dark green celery stalks are flavouring this vegetable medley.

   This dish is so tasty, it's going on the christmas dinner menu with it's lovely flecks of red pepper.

 Hearty Roasted Squash, Greens and Shrooms      
Serves 6 as a side dish
   1 large butternut squash
   1  bunch of collards (or dandelion greens)
   4 portabella mushrooms
   5 stalks of celery
   1/4 c thinly sliced roasted red peppers

   olive oil

  Wash, peel, and slice squash into one inch thick halfmoons. place in roast pan with a drizzle of olive oil just to coat. Roast in 350* oven, turning, till done. Wash celery, then slice with a long diagonal cut so that you create celery strips. Saute slowly in large skillet with olive oil till soft, set aside. Wash, remove thick veins and rollup greens into a tubelike form. Thinly slice greens across the tube, vertically. Steam for moments, till limp and keeping bright green colour, set aside. Prepare portabella mushrooms, slice in half, then in 1/2 inch slices. Add to celery and saute till done. Cut squash wedges into cubes. Add roasted red peppers to skillet, then greens and squash. Cook on low for 5 minutes, just to blend flavours.

Enjoy!
Love Grasshopper
 

Vegan Protein Fruit Bars

After a vegetable laden lunch, grasshopper loves a filling protein snack mid-afternoon. This wheat-free recipe creates a vegan, calcium/protein rich snack that travels well. You can choose your fruit combo, but always include dried fruits so the filling thickens up nicely. Figs, buckwheat, pumpkin seeds and molasses are high in calcium, dates are easy to digest but may be too sweet for some. Gojis, coconut? Crushed pineapple over apple? You decide what your body needs, craves, or simply start rummaging through your cupboards.
     Vegan Protein Fruit Bars
 Crust
1 1/2 c oatmeal or rolled oats
 1/2 c flour (oat or buckwheat)
1/2c ground pumpkin or sunflower seeds
1 tbs molasses
2 tbs oil
1/2c fortified rice milk or any vegan milk
Filling
2 1/2c grated apple or crushed strained pineapple
2 c dried fruit (figs and dates are lovely)
2tbs dried fruit soaking water or pineapple juice
   
  Cook filling ingredients in a slow pan until thick. Set aside. Mix together the wet ingredients of the crust, then add the dry ingredients till a workable dough is achieved. Press dough into a greased (use coconut oil) 9"x12" pan. Spread filling on top of crust. Bake at 350 for 30- 40 minutes.
Love Grasshopper