New Year's Black Eyed Peas

Happy New Year! Polish (and German/ Pennsylvania Dutch) tradition states that on New Year's Day you must eat pork and sauerkraut, usually in the form of pork kielbasa. Pork is thought to enhance forward thinking and bring new adventures in the new year since pigs forge forward and cabbage is thought to bring prosperity. Since I don't eat meat any more, I replaced the pork with black eyed peas, which are a southern tradition thought to bring prosperity in the new year. Using the pork seasoning though, left the dish really bland, so I made up a new twist this year! I served it with Tofukry kielbasa, an arugula salad, and fresh bread. Bring on 2014!

Maple Cinnamon Black-Eyed Peas and Sauerkraut

2lb sauerkraut
2 granny smith apples, cubed
2c black eyed peas
cinnamon, garlic, cloves to taste
1/4c maple syrup

Add all ingredients to a crock pot. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or 10 hours on low. Enjoy!

Winter sun in the woods on a recent ride :)

Seitan Stew

Today's recipe calls for two unusual ingredients: Vegemite and seitan. I ordered some Vegemite last spring because it is highly recommended by one of my MIT cycling teammates who is Australian and very fast. Wanting to be very fast, I ordered some hoping that it was her secret to speed. Then I was at a loss as to how I should use it. Vegemite is a dark brown yeast extract spread that is rich in many of the B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium, and is definitely an acquired taste. Finally, I read somewhere that Vegemite could make a killer vegan broth that was almost beef-like and I knew what I was going to do with it! I got a little bit faster without it this season, we'll see if I get super fast now that I am incorporating Vegemite into my diet.

The next strange ingredient is seitan. Seitan is quite literally wheat meat: it is concentrated vital wheat gluten, the protein that tends to cause a wheat sensitivity. Naturally, this stuff is off limits to people allergic to gluten, but for the rest of us it offers an interesting high protein vegan meat substitute. Wheat protein is low in the essential amino acid lysine, but all of the essential amino acids are there, making this a good choice occasionally when you're looking for something with a meaty texture. 1/4c dry makes a generously sized "cutlet" and contains 120 calories, 0.5g fat, 23g protein, and 10% of your daily value of iron. It also absorbs flavors very well, making it an excellent choice for incorporation into a vegetarian stew. If you are allergic to gluten, I would highly recommend trying this recipe with dried giant white lima beans. They are a complete source of protein, taste more like white beans than lima beans, and will absorb the flavor of the stew well!

Seitan Stew

For the Sietan
2/3c vital wheat gluten (you can find it on Amazon or at Whole Foods)
2/3c water
1T ground sage
1T parsley
1t garlic
1t black pepper
(OR 1c dried Giant White Lima Beans)

For the Stew
2 scallions
2 celery stalks
3 carrots
2 potatoes
1 can diced, no salt added tomatoes
1T Vegemite (you can find it on Amazon)
sage, parsley, garlic, and black pepper to taste
~4c water

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine ingredients for the seitan. Once the dough starts to cling together, kneed it a few times.
2. Meanwhile, combine tomato paste, Vegemite, sage, parsley, garlic, and black pepper with two cups water in the bottom of your crock pot. Whisk to combine.
3. Add can of tomatoes.
4. Slice and add celery and scallions and add to crock pot.
5. Peel the potatoes and carrots. Cube/ slice and add to crock pot.
6. Add additional water to fill your crock pot 3/4 full. Pull small lumps off of your seitan dough and add them directly to the stew. Stir to combine every few lumps so that they don't end up sticking together.
OR! To make this gluten free, wash your died beans well and add them directly. Add extra spices to the broth.
7. Fill your crock pot the rest of the way with water.
8. Cover and cook on high for ~8 hours (overnight or while you are at work/ school for the day)
9. Come home to a delicious smelling, warm supper!

Chocolate Crock-Pot Oatmeal, Orchard Cross, and the Vegetarian Food Festival

Today’s a big post! Things have been crazy. Saturday I went for a ride, had a nice brunch (Belgian waffles with pie-style apples and pumpkin syrup), did some work in lab, and went to the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival. Sunday, we woke up early and headed to Applecrest Farm in southern NH for my first cross race and some general fall fun! After racing, picking and flinging apples, and heckling some of our other friends who were racing, we headed back south, where I went back into lab to pack some things up so that we could head out to visit at collaborator at UConn medical, which just happens to be in my fiance’s home town. So Monday, he got to spend the day relaxing with his family while my collaborator and I collected some (interesting) data.  Right now, I’m on a train on my way back up to Boston, cells in tow.

Back to the beginning... the Vegetarian Food Festival. I loved the idea of this food festival and was very excited for it. Well, the number of vendors and free samples did not disappoint, but I really like talking to people and exchanging ideas and felt that the festival had outgrown its venue. The gym was too crowded to really allow stimulating discussion, which was very disappointing. Perhaps if we paid the $5 to come early, I would have been able to talk to the vendors more, which would have been nice. Our favorite booth was one that was selling these delicious flavored pumpkin seeds: they even had pickle-flavored pumpkin seeds! Unfortunately, they weren’t giving anything away to help us remember their brand, so I have no idea where I can find the delicious pickle flavored seeds.

Orchard Cross at Applecrest Farm.... my first cross race. It was wild! I made my roommate and fiancé wake up early to come with me for moral support. My borrowed steel cross bike may weigh twice as much as the feather-light carbon bike I use on the road and since my arms are not nearly as strong as when I was rowing, I decided that I would only carry it over barriers if I had to. Through the other barriers, I pushed the bike while I ran which apparently seemed to help my speed. I was passing people while running for the first time in my life (I am a very slow runner).  Apparently, I should use a walker for speed the next time I run a half marathon! Among all of this rolling in the dirt, braking when I should be accelerating, and using my bike as a walker, I did something right... I was shocked to learn that I had finished 12^th out of a large field! After the race, we picked apples (I’m going to try to think of something amazing besides crisp to make.) Applecrest still had a huge variety, which was great for this time of the year! Perhaps the best part of the day was cheering for the Men’s 3/4 race, in which one of our friends who made the US rowing national team this year, was racing. We chose to only cheer in rowing terms, making a very confusing experience for all of his competitors, I’m sure.

The final fun of the weekend came in a trip out to Farmington. We had been busy all day at the apple orchard (followed by lab and cell transporting, which was boring), so had not had time for a real meal. I always look forward to my fiance’s mom’s cooking. She is a truly fantastic cook! Upon arrival at my future parents-in-law’s house, we were not disappointed. For dinner we had a wonderful hearty white bean soup. Perhaps my favorite thing that she makes though are chocolate steel cut oats in the crock pot. I tried these on my first visit and I hate to say that I think she keeps making them (perhaps only) when I come because she knows I like them so much! The best thing about this oatmeal is that it is so hearty, it can be reheated in the microwave. So without further adieu, here’s the recipe. No picture today, you’ll just have to trust me that they are amazing.

Chocolate Crock-Pot Oatmeal

(This one’s not my recipe! It’s borrowed from my fiance’s mother)

1c steel cut oats

3c water

1.5c vanilla almond milk

1/4c cocoa powder

3T maple syrup

Grease the sides of your crock pot. Add all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Let cook on low overnight. Wake up to an amazing warm breakfast and serve with dried cherries, dried cranberries and walnut. Any leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated for another day.

Sweet and Spicy Three Bean Chili

With the cold front upon us... it's now chili season! Today I'm sharing a basic three bean chili recipe and highlighting red kidney beans as a Laudable Legume. In 1/4c dry, you can find 9g of protein, 9g of fiber, and 17% of your daily value of iron. The protein in kidney beans is even a complete source of all 9 essential amino acids! It's also a good source of folate and thiamin (two B vitamins), as well a plethora of other essential minerals. Legumes have also been shown to be effective for the long term stabilization of blood glucose levels. One thing to be careful about with kidney beans, is that there is a compound called phytohaemagglutinin that is in a higher concentration, which can be toxic. If you cook your own kidney beans, please be sure to boil them first to denature that toxin! Kidney beans are the one bean that I will use cans rather than dried.

As the weather turns colder, I love to make up a pot of chili to share with my friends. It's also a great recipe to double or triple and freeze up lunch-sized portions to take with you for lunch for the week or the future when you don't have time to cook. I'm never upset when I find that I have chili that I've forgotten about. My favorite part about chili though, is that it's a great crock pot recipe. You can throw all of the ingredients in the pot in the morning and when you get home from work, you have a warm, tasty dinner waiting for you. Plus your kitchen will smell amazing! There are many food to eat with chili, but my favorite accompaniment is cornbread. Yum!

Sweet and Spicy Three Bean Chili

5 cans diced tomatoes

1/2c dried black beans, cooked (or 1 can)

1 can kidney beans

1/2c dried beans of choice, cooked (I used leftover giant lima beans)

1c sweet yellow corn

1t maple syrup

sriracha sauce, chili powder, garlic, turmeric and cinnamon

Combine ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for up to 8 hours. Enjoy the luxury of coming home to a warm dinner!

Cornbread

1c whole wheat flour

1c cornmeal

2T brown sugar

1T baking powder

1t cornstarch

1T ground flax seed (pre-soaked in 3T warm water)

1/4c olive oil

1c water

Mix dry ingredients, and then add wet. Bake at 425F for 25 minutes.

Harvest Cheddar Apple Potato Soup

For me, fall weather means a few things: time to start base training for next summers racing, time to be cold for a few months, and time to start making soup! I love eating soup when there's a chill in the air because it helps me combat the second truth of cold season: that I will be cold. This morning was just gorgeous for a ride, with my fingers and toes bundled up, of course! With temperatures expected to be in the 60s today, today was pleasant. Tomorrow a cold front comes through, so I'm preparing by making this soup!

This soup combines a smoky cheddar flavor with apple and potato to make an unforgettable fall soup! Potato cheddar soup is a classic, but I decided to add in granny smith apples for the contrast of their lovely tart flavor. White potatoes have been getting a bad rep these days, but actually they have a ton of worthwhile nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin B6, iron, and potassium. Additionally, they make a wonderful creamy base for a soup without the cream. Hope you enjoy this soup!

Harvest Cheddar Apple Potato Soup

3 medium potatoes
4 medium apples (I like granny smith for their tart flavor)
3c water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1/2c nutritional yeast (or you can use real cheddar cheese)
garlic
black pepper
smoke seasoning

1. Skin and cube all 3 potatoes and two of the apples. Cut into small cubes and put in a pot of water. Bring to a boil and let cook until potatoes and apples are soft.
2. Cube the remaining two apples.
3. Drain potatoes & apples. Food process until smooth.
4. In a large pot, combine water, bouillon, pureed apples and potatoes, and nutritional yeast/ cheddar. Add uncooked apple chunks and garlic, black pepper, and smoke seasoning to taste. (This is also great done in a crock pot for a few hours, to really let the flavors come together.)
5. Serve warm, using extra apples as a garnish if you please!

Just passing by Mystic Lake on my ride this morning...