Cooking lessons

Last week I spent a few days with a Long Island couple who are learning how to eat vegan. The husband had been diagnosed with diabetes and his doctor recommended that he change to a plant-based whole foods diet in order to lose weight and manage his condition. I was happy to help make this transition easy for them!

We spent an evening together cooking a hearty, yet healthy, menu which started with a bowl of Gingered Winter Vegetable Bisque topped with Spiced Pepitas.

The main course was Sweet and Sour Seitan with Broccoli and Red Pepper on Brown Rice. And to reinforce the message that healthy food can also include a delicious dessert, I had to introduce them to the wonders of raw food - Yes, you CAN have dessert if you're diabetic and NO, you don't need to use Splenda to satisfy your sweet tooth. This one was as beautiful as it was delicious, a Fresh Fruit Tart with Nut Crust.

Vegan Resolution

It's the New Year, and as we all know, the time for resolutions. In a recent post, Katie Molinaro of the Huffington Post writes about her resolution to go vegetarian. Like many who make the shift, she admits it can be tough at first. But then once the ball is rolling... it just gets easier.

I had a couple of false starts when I became a vegetarian. The morning after I decided to try vegetarianism, I ate bacon for breakfast. A few days after getting back on my vegetarian plan, I ate chicken ramen. But I had promised myself I was going to stop eating meat, and I stuck with it until I went one week without meat, which turned into two weeks, then a month and then years. I had a couple of false starts when I became a vegetarian. The morning after I decided to try vegetarianism, I ate bacon for breakfast. A few days after getting back on my vegetarian plan, I ate chicken ramen. But I had promised myself I was going to stop eating meat, and I stuck with it until I went one week without meat, which turned into two weeks, then a month and then year.

If you're determined to fulfill a Vegan Resolution in 2009 -- for your own health, for the sake of the animals or because you care about the planet -- let me offer a few tips for staying on track. Remember, be specific. Every journey begins with that first step.

1. Set specific goals. Decide if you want to go "cold turkey" (so to speak) or take it slow. Do what will work best for you.

2. Make a specific plan. Maybe you might want to give "Meatless Mondays" a try. Then gradually add one more day each week. Or maybe you could start with that favorite food that is impossible to give up (like cheese, for example - always a tough one!).

3. Follow up on a daily basis. Check in with yourself to see how you're doing and how you're feeling. Those who keep food diaries have the most success when changing their eating habits.

4. Be mindful of what you eat. The simple act of thinking about food has a tremendous impact on what goes into your mouth. When you find yourself saying "do I really want to eat that?" you will have come a long way.

5. Do some research. Vegan cookbooks and websites are plentiful. You could spend a lifetime reading them. Fortunately, most of the work has been done for you. [Check out my "Great Reads" in the Sidebar. One of the best for jumpstarting a vegan journey is Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin].

6. Discover new restaurants. Make dining out a pleasure by experimenting with new ethnic cuisine (Thai, Ethiopian, Japanese and Indian have many delicious options) or go to your favorite places and ask the chef if he/she can create a vegan dish for you. There are many vegetarian restaurants in the New Haven area and NYC is a vegan mecca (and just a MetroNorth hop away). Explore!

7. Experiment at home. Try one new recipe a week from those fabulous vegan cookbooks you found. Go to vegan potluck dinners. Share your favorites with friends and family. They'll love you for it (especially if you bring desserts!)

8. Find a buddy. It always helps to know someone who is struggling at the same time so you can help each other out. Or, talk to someone who has been there before (I've been through it all, just ask).

9. Enjoy your food. Really. It's new. It's different. And you don't have to feel deprived. You will soon discover an amazing array of options you never dreamed existed. Now, who could possibly be upset about eating these Sweet Nothings?

10. Be kind to yourself. Your choice to adopt a vegan diet is a big decision and will require dedication. Don't worry if you "fall off the wagon" or "cheat." It's not a guilt trip. It's not about perfection. Every little thing you can do to minimize the suffering of animals, improve your health and respect the environment has a positive impact on all those around you. The effect multiplies. And you'll feel pretty good in the process.

HO! HO! HO!

I've been meaning to post this for at least a week but computer glitches and phone-line overload have prevented that from happening. I will keep my fingers crossed as I type, save and (hopefully!) publish this entry.

I prepared a special vegan Spanikopita for a client's Christmas Eve party last week. I was dying to cut into it, but had to restrain myself for presentation sake.

I consider making Spanikopita a Zen-like experience. It's one of those foods that you need to 1) be patient with and 2) make while listening to good music (I chose Abba's Greatest Hits to sing along to).

Start with a hefty amount of fresh dill and parsley. Chop until they are itty bitty little shreds and the pile is half the size as when you started. [NOTE: It helps to have "Dancing Queen" playing while you do this.]

Combine in a large bowl with a big bag of spinach and your tofu, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and nutritional yeast mixture. Then get ready to prepare the layers of filo.

Lay about 12 sheets of filo in an oiled baking pan, spreading each sheet generously with olive oil. Then spread the filling in evenly and lay another 12 oiled layers of filo on top.

Be sure to score the surface with a knife so that the pieces won't crumble after you cut into it once it's baked. This baby gets covered with foil then gets popped into a preheated 375 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 and cook uncovered for about 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

I had to take mine out a little early since it was going to be heated a second time for the party and I didn't want it to get too browned and crumbly. But it still looked pretty tempting.

Dessert was a chocolate cake with Godiva liquor between layers topped by a chocolate raspberry tofu cream and garnished with some pretty little craisins and mint leaves. Alas, it's a sad affair not to be able to dig right in...

Dinner for 8

Yesterday I had a request to prepare dinner for a holiday party at St. Francis Hospital's Preventive Medicine Center. Nothing fancy smancy, just the entree (and then I threw in a dozen double chocolate chocolate chip cookies for good measure).

It’s been awhile since I worked at a restaurant, and as a personal chef cooking primarily for families I generally prepare a maximum of 4 servings for each entree. This was a little different from my normal routine, but I quickly relearned the process of completing multiple servings of an identical meal so that they’re all done at the same time. So it was assembly line time in the kitchen of Well on Wheels.

I chose a menu that looked festive with plenty of bright red bell pepper red and mustard greens green for contrast. The flavors were equally complementary, with a sweet and spicy theme from the peppers, caremelized onion and spicy mango sauce and sharp bite of the mustard greens. I think I may have to make this one for myself soon.

This recipe was inspired by one I found in the January issue of Vegetarian Times which called for a sauce made with spicy mango chutney. I’m really loving this shredded mango chutney made by Kitchens of India. It works well in this tofu sautee, and I bet it would be equally delish accompanying a rich coconut curry.

I’m also thinking… I know this sounds kinda weird… a little dollop atop a scoop of vanilla soy ice cream, or better still Purely Decadent coconut ice cream, would be heavenly. oooo… if only the health food store was open past 7:00.

Nataz "Adventures in Eating"

Now, when you see a banner like that hanging on the front entrance of a restaurant, you either think "yeah, sure" or "ok, let's see." We opted for the latter and gave Nataz in North Branford a shot at adventurous dining.

The concept is simple: price fixe four-course meals and BYOB. The catch is... there's no menu. The dinners are different every night, which makes it an adventure for most diners. And a potential hazard for vegans. Fortunately, we spoke with owner and executive chef, Rik, prior to arriving to be sure he could accommodate my no-eggs, no-dairy, no-gluten request, and he went out of his way to do so. In fact, the service here is the best I've ever enjoyed. Waitstaff is pleasant and attentive, and Rik spends half his time out on the floor greeting and serving guests (unless there's a twin doing double-duty in the kitchen... that could be the secret).

He prepared a special appetizer of Fruit Ceviche, a citrus marinated mix of fresh pear, pineapple and tomato, while my companion got a mini Caprese Salad with an assortment of artisan cheezes arranged on a platter like an artist's pallette.

My salad was mixed greens, fresh pineapple and pear slices tossed with a balsamic vinagrette. It would've been topped by a tangle of breaded and fried onion strips, but alas, these were coated in flour so I had to forgo the crunchy treats (and who needs those pesky trans fats anyway?). A basket of warm and toasty bread and a tray of accoutrements such as herbed olive oil, fresh butter and white bean compote accompanied the salad.

For my entree, Chef Rik prepared a primavera with mushrooms in a marsala wine sauce atop rice. It was a colorful array of snap peas, zucchini, yellow squash, tomato and carrot, and flavorful (though I added a bit of the herbed olive oil and fresh black pepper to perk it up - next time I'll remember my vegan Parm!).

My dessert was almost a reprise of my appetizer, minus the pickled flavor. Still, I can't complain about a champagne glass filled with fresh pineapple, strawberries and mango. The perfect palate cleanser.

All in all, I enjoyed my dining experience, mostly because of the effort made by the chef and his staff. I know it's tough for a "regular" restaurant to please a vegan. This kinda reminded me of going to my mom's house for dinner; it's just nice to be home.

Cookies

This weekend I baked a lot of cookies. Probably about 6 dozen. It was for a good cause, the Unitarian Universalist Society of New Haven was having a craft fair and bake sale. Thanks to all who stopped by for some goodies. And special thanks to Dianna, Budget Babe and photographer extroardinaire, for the fab photos.

Small batches of cookies (Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Pecan Craisin, Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip and Toasted Coconut Almond) and a test run of Vanilla Cupcakes with Pomegranate Pink Frosting. Most were gluten-free. I think I'll have to make this an annual event.

Afterward, I dropped off a bunch of cupcakes and cookies to the Food Not Bombs kids serving the homeless vegan dinners on the New Haven Green. It was really cold out there, so I hope these sweets warmed them up a bit. Thanks, Donna, for the phone #!