Experiment #4: Sloppy Joes!

First, an apology for my absence last week. B and I had celebrated our first wedding anniversary in Durango, Colorado and Mesa Verde National Park. We had an amazing time hiking, rafting, and drinking tasty beers (Well, I did. B's not a beer fan). But we're both happy to be back in NM eating home-cooked food (I can only eat so many quinoa burgers before I get bored).

Since we were getting back into our normal routine, I didn't create a new recipe last week. To make up for it, this latest experiment is new and improved with mediocre Instagram photos!

When I'm menu planning for the week, I always ask B what he wants for dinner. His reply is usually, "Eh, whatever you want to make is fine." Recently, however, I got a request. "Sloppy Joes!" he said, "We haven't had them in a long time." Tonight, I finally granted that request.

Here's the mise en place for the sloppy joes. Missing are ketchup (because the recipe I modified didn't call for it, but it definitely needed some) and vegetable stock (because I was going to cook the lentils in water until I remembered that veggie stock is ALWAYS better!).

Sloppy Joes - Serves...a lot. Probably 6-8 depending on the size of buns you use.

• Olive oil, for sauteeing
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can pinto beans
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 chipotle pepper, minced, plus 1 tsp adobo sauce
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Finely dice your onion and carrots. This is important for two reasons: 1) we want them to cook quickly and thoroughly for a soft texture, and 2) we want nice little pieces for a proper sloppy joe consistency. My dainty little fingernail is a reference for how small I made my pieces.

In a large pot, heat a couple tbsp of olive oil. Saute the onion and carrot for five minutes. Add the stock, lentils, and tomatoes to the pot. Bring to a simmer, and then cover and reduce heat. Simmer the lentil mixture for 20 minutes or until lentils and carrots are tender.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Use a potato masher to mash the tomatoes and beans into smaller pieces (again, we're looking for that classic sloppy joe texture). Cook uncovered on medium-low for a few more minutes until the sauce is your desired thickness.

I served these on giant whole wheat kaiser rolls. I mean GIANT! This sandwich was a good 6" in diameter. I originally planned to bake some sweet potato tots on the side, but when B saw these, he said the sandwiches would be enough!

The verdict: They were tasty, but not quite what B expected for sloppy joes. He's used to a more barbeque-like sauce. Of course, that didn't stop him from licking his plate clean while I was only halfway through mine. I have promised him a Sloppy Joe Experiment, Part 2 with a different sauce recipe.

Experiment #3: Summer Pesto Farro

Little is more delicious on a hot day than fresh veggies and herbs. It was 85 degrees in my house with the swamp cooler on this afternoon, so it seemed like a good day to make a refreshing pesto.

I found this Giada de Laurentiis recipe while searching for easy farro recipes last week. For those of you who've never had it, farro (sometimes called wheatberry) is a type of whole wheat that's been harvested in the Mediterranean and Middle East for centuries. It's a slightly sweet, slightly nutty substitute for rice or pasta. Compared to modern wheat, farro has more fiber and protein and its gluten is easier to digest.

I liked how simple Giada's recipe was, but found it to be too heavy on the parsley. I also had some baby spinach to use up, and I figured I could hide its lovely nutrients from B underneath the herbal flavors (it worked!). Here is the delicious result:

Summer Pesto Farro - serves 4

• 8 oz semi-pearled farro
• 4 c vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 1/3 cup basil
• 1/2 cup baby spinach
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tbsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh thyme)
• 2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

In a pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the farro and stir. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 25 minutes or until the farro is tender. 

While the farro cooks, prepare the pesto. Put the parsley, basil, spinach, garlic, and thyme in a food processor. Chop to a coarse texture. Add the olive oil, vinegar, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper to the herbs. Process to desired consistency (I like my pesto on the coarse side). 

Once tender, drain the farro and return it to the pot. Add the pesto, mix, and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve as a light main dish with added veggies (fresh peas would be awesome. I had marinated artichoke hearts.) or as a side dish (B ate his on the side with chicken sausages). 

Experiment #2: Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup

In hindsight, I realize that using my oven for 45 minutes in 85 degree heat was not the wisest decision I've made. However, the delicious results (and my soup obsession) made it all worth it. If you didn't want to turn on the oven, you could roast the vegetables on the grill before pureeing them into the soup.

Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup - Serves 4
Olive oil
3 heads garlic
1 lb small potatoes (I used red but gold would be great, too)
1 sweet onion, sliced thin
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 white wine
1/2 cup plain soy creamer
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp red pepper flakes (or more to taste - we like it spicier!)
salt and pepper to taste

crusty bread for serving (I found a nice small loaf of rosemary bread at Trader Joe's)

Slice the top off of each head of garlic, lightly rub the garlic with olive oil, and wrap the heads in aluminum foil. Similarly, rub the potatoes in olive oil and wrap in foil. Roast the garlic and potatoes in a 400 degree oven (or on the grill) for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes.

While the garlic and potatoes roast, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Caramelize the sliced onion over low heat.

Chop the potatoes, and squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin. Remove the onions from the heat and add the potatoes, garlic, vegetable stock, wine, creamer, and spices. Use a standard or immersion blender to puree the soup. Return the soup to the heat and bring to a simmer. Test the spices and adjust to your liking.

Serve with slices of crusty bread for dipping.

Experiment #1: "Chorizo" tofu and potato breakfast burritos.

Brinner is my favorite meal. For those of you who've never watched Scrubs, brinner is the delicious portmanteau of breakfast and dinner. We usually have a brinner night at my house once a week, and living in New Mexico, that often means breakfast burritos.

The standard breakfast burrito is as follows:
- The largest flour tortilla you can find (there are restaurants that use 14" tortillas but I usually stick with 10" at home)
- 2 eggs, scrambled
- Potatoes - pan-fried if you want to be authentic, hashbrowns or tater tots from the freezer if you're lazy.
- A fatty meat: bacon, sausage, carne adovada (slow roasted pork in red chile), or (my personal favorite) Mexican chorizo (a sausage made from pork fat and..uh..parts...in an addictive spice mixture).
- a mountain of shredded cheddar cheese.
- green or red chile

They're delicious, they're about 900 calories a piece, and they leave me in a bloated, indigestion-ridden food coma. I knew I had to create a breakfast burrito that was just as satisfying without the side effects. Here's the result:

"Chorizo" tofu and potato breakfast burritos - serves 4

• canola oil for cooking
• 1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 16 oz block tofu, drained (no need to press)
• 1 tsp salt, separated
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, separated
• 1 tbsp red chile powder (available outside NM at http://www.madeinnewmexico.com/southwest-foods.html) - if you don't like spicy food, use less but don't leave it out! You need the flavor!
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tps onion powder
• 1/8 tsp liquid smoke
• 4 large flour tortillas
• Red or green chile - I used 505 Southwestern green chile sauce (not available online yet but their website says coming soon!). I can't recommend a red sauce yet because my old favorite, Munroe's, uses butter in it. 

In a skillet, heat 1/4" of oil for frying. Fry the diced potatoes on medium-high heat for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add half of each of the salt and pepper, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Let the potatoes cook while you prepare the tofu.

In another skillet (I prefer cast-iron for this), heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add the tofu, spices, mustard, tomato paste, and liquid smoke. Use a spatula to break the tofu into crumbles and distribute the spice mix evenly. Cook until most of the water is cooked out of the tofu (a scrambled-egg consistency), about 5 minutes. 

Check the potatoes for tenderness, and cook longer if necessary. When they're done, assemble your burritos! Warm the tortillas and fill them with the potatoes, tofu mix, and chile. You can add "cheeze" at this point if you like, but I haven't had great experiences with it. Fold, eat, and enjoy!

Hello, Blogosphere!

Hi folks!
I'm Sam, and these are my adventures in adopting a healthier, more humane lifestyle. My carnivorous-but-understanding husband B, I live in Albuquerque, NM. ABQ's not the easiest place to be a vegan--New Mexican cuisine is both meat- and cheese- centric and deliciously addictive--but the availability of grocery and dining options is improving. Through this blog, I'll be sharing tips, recipes, and resources for creating healthy, affordable, and delicious cruelty-free food.

Why Vegan?
The transition from omnivore to vegan isn't an easy one (and isn't complete for me yet--for now I'm still eating meat and dairy occasionally), but it's one that is greatly improving my quality of life. I've struggled with an inflammatory digestive condition for the past seven years, and not until I cut animal products from my diet and did my symptoms dramatically improve. My energy is up (probably because I'm absorbing nutrients a lot better now), my sleep has improved, and my ability to focus has improved. Now, I'm neither a doctor nor a nutritionist (in fact, I'm a grad student in math education), so my experiences shouldn't be treated like medical advice. However, as an educator, I understand that it is my responsibility to publish information based on sound scientific research and not on fad. If something I post doesn't seem right or if you have any questions in general, please feel free to contact me!

I also felt like a hypocrite for much of my meat-eating years. I've always been disgusted by many meat and dairy farming practices as well as industrial animal testing. Feeling disgusted by disgusting things is great, but without actions against them, disgusting acts continue to be validated. I'm ready to take action. I finally have the knowledge, confidence, and resources to educate others about how to improve their own lives as well as the lives of the creatures with whom they share this world.

How Vegan?
Remember my carnivorous-but-understanding husband? I was worried that his distaste for many vegetables and resistance to trying new foods would create conflict. Fortunately, I'm having fun finding new ways to prepare old favorites and making dishes that convert from vegan to omni. B's being an enthusiastic taste tester (he even tried my crispy orange tofu stir-fry!) and helping me discover and create new recipes.

Additionally, several vegetarian/vegan friends have turned me on to great local and online resources. I'll be highlighting many of them in my posts, but here are a few favorites to get started:

Local Favorites:

• Sprouts Farmer's Market (http://www.sprouts.com/) - fantastic produce prices compared to other stores in my area, and an excellent selection of vegan products.
• Thai Vegan (http://www.thaivegannm.com/) - while I love to cook, I still have a favorite take-out spot! One location is a few minutes from my house, and the other is a few minutes from my work. Both are amazing! I highly recommend the spicy eggplant with tofu.

Online Favorites:

• Olives for Dinner (http://www.olivesfordinner.com/) - Delicious recipes with even more delicious photography!
• Post Punk Kitchen (http://www.theppk.com/) - A go-to source for all things vegan, with a healthy dose of Jewish humor. I can't wait to try her matzoh ball soup next Passover (or heck, next week. I love soup!)