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

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

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

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

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

Introduction and Post Thanksgiving Day Veg Leftovers-Something From Nothing Pesto Gnocchi

Blogging:
          writing         sharing
                                                         connexs
  people with people experiencing...

    Loving ideas
                grasshopper explores comfort in
                               food
                  exercise
      focused practise