It's Quiz Time

Hello everyone.  I was in a quandary what to write on my blog until I went grocery shopping this morning.  Actually, after I had grocery shopped and returned home.  Remember...  Tiffany and I are still rookies at this vegetarian thang.  

After a pleasant breakfast at Panera Bread this morning on the way to drop Tiffany off at work, we stopped by Publix supermarket.  We needed a few things and I wanted to make some biscuits for those mornings when grab 'n go work best.  We weren't sure which to grab so we decided to buy both Bisquick and Jiffy brands mix.

Can you guess the biggest difference (other than fat and calories) of the following two mixes?

HeartSmart Bisquick versus Jiffy Buttermilk Biscuit Mix

OMG!  The Jiffy mix is a no-go.  It's not vegetarian!!!  It violates the code of our new lifestyle choice.  I could go to vegetarian violator jail.  Or worse, I could be sentenced to a lifetime of artery clogging, hormone laden, steroid infested meat products!

Jiffy Buttermilk Biscuit Mix

It's not Halloween so I suppose I'll just offer up the Jiffy Mix to our carnivorous neighbors.  They were more than happy to assist us in cleaning out our cupboard and freezers of meat products.  Besides, Halloween is Michael Meyer's movie (gawd... I love the cheap pun).

The lesson learned here my fine friends?  Carefully read each and every label until you become familiar with the product.  Just because "it should be vegetarian" doesn't mean that it's necessarily so.  The Bisquick?  It uses canola oil.  

Why couldn't Jiffy had done the same?  Oh well... It's probably a recipe passed from generation to generation.  But, it's no matter.  As a vegetarian consumer, I have choices.  Plenty of choices.  I'll just let my wallet speak for me from now on.  Thanks for a wonderful ride Jiffy but it's over.

Hi-dee hi-dee read-those-labels-carefully-ho my friends. 

Tomatoes, Tomatoes Everywhere!

Hi everyone.  Here's the scenario... Santa Claus brought Chucky a brand new dehydrator for Christmas, he has the week off from Hell (er... work), and he bought 6-pounds of beautiful vine ripened Campari tomatoes from Eat More Produce for only $5.00.  What's a 2-foot red-headed plastic movie star to do while on vacation?

Dehydrated Spiced Campari Tomatoes

Man, you guys and gals are good!  You are right...  It's time for Chucky to cut the clear packing tape on that dehydrator box and check that puppy out.  After all, it's not like I have to hunt all over for something to cut that plastic tape with is it?

6-pounds Campari Tomatoes

Let's keep the recipe simply this time, okay?  How about:  (a) set the dehydrator to 145-degree, (b) wash 6-pounds of Campari tomatoes, (c) grab a can of non-stick spray, (d) grab a sharp knife, and (e) hunt the cabinets and lazy Susan for miscellaneous spice variations.  After spraying the tray, slice each Campari into six equal slices and lay them out.  When the tray is full, sprinkle each half tray with a different spice variety.  Repeat the process until all Camparis have been sacrificed to the Gods of dehydration.

Miscellaneous Spices

Spices (L to R, bottom then top row):

Spice & Tea Exchange "Earthly Delight"
Penzeys Spices "Fox Point"
Spice & Tea Exchange "Vik's Garlic Fix"
Spice & Tea Exchange "Pirate's Bite"
Penzeys Spices "Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle"
Spice & Tea Exchange "Parfume De Sel"
Penzeys Spices "Arizona Dreaming"
Maine Coast "Kelp with Cayenne"
Braggs "Organic Sprinkle"
Morton "Hot Salt"

What am I going to do with them once they're done?  They make a most excellent healthy snack, they can be re-hydrated and turned into soup, and can be used in just about any manner you can imagine.  But, mostly I'll simply be snacking on them.  Ever eat a dehydrated tomato?  Super sweet.  It's like eating candy only healthy.  The sometimes salt in the herb sprinkle gives it that Yin and Yang component.  Call it a healthy version of a chocolate covered pretzel or potato chip.

Sliced & Spiced Campari Tomatoes Ready-2-Dehydrate

Later I'll be making raw apple cookies, experimenting to create a perfect vegetarian jerky recipe, making raw almond pulp cookies, and dehydrating some celery.  The Seed wants me to make some healthy and raw dingo snacks.  She is getting tired of those store bought biscuits made from who-knows-where using who-knows-what ingredients.

Stay tuned my fine healthy friends.  It's gonna get interesting, messy, or both!

Hi-dee hi-dee thank-you-Santa-for-my-dehydrator-ho my friends!

Belated Season's Greetings!

Hi everyone.  Tiffany & I had been out of town enjoying Christmas with her parents.  They live in a big doll factory near the Atlantic Ocean.  We arrived back in the town that Walt Disney built yesterday.  Traffic was wonderful and the holiday was nice to both Tiffany, The Seed and I.  The Seed loves the holidays, if not just for the 90-minute car (er... sleigh) ride!

History was made this morning for Chucky in Orlando.  This morning was the first time in the year 2010 that Chucky had to wear a jacket.  Tiffany & I enjoyed breakfast at Mimi's this morning and I actually put on a light jacket this morning for my walk from the car into the restaurant!!!  No, the temperature isn't too bad (31-degrees at 8:00 AM) but the wind gust has some "bite" to it.  Luckily, Tiffany & I haven't yet had to turn on the central heat.  We simply use a space heater in the evenings to take the bite out of the air.

Christmas dinner?  Since we elected to try a Quorn roast (man-made vat fungus) at Thanksgiving, we wanted to enjoy something new and different for Christmas dinner.  For our very first vegetarian Christmas dinner we enjoyed a 1-pound Original Field Roast Grain Meat Company "Stuffed Celebration Roast".  

Chucky & Tiffany's Christmas 2010 Entrée

Ingredients:  Filtered water, vital wheat gluten, expeller pressed saflower oil, naturally flavored yeast extract, barley malt, butternut squash, organic wheat flour, granulated garlic, apples, mushrooms, onion powder, garlic, organic wheat flakes, yellow pea flour, lemon juice, red wine, tomato paste, lentils, irish moss (sea vegetable) extract, black pepper, rubbed sage, rosemary, spices, natural liquid smoke and paprika.

Tiffany and I once again agree... A most delicious dining choice!  It's truly hard to explain the taste.  Definitely a wonderful predominant sage taste.  Texture similar to meat loaf.  It looks delicious, cooks in a variety of methods (raw is fine), and slices well.  The slices hold together well and later on Christmas evening I enjoyed a Celebration Roast slice on whole grain bread with mustard sandwich.  Awesome!

The Christmas dinner itself?  We enjoyed a Coppola Crimson Diamond Tempranillo with Celebration Roast, vegan gravy, mashed potato, green bean casserole, dinner rolls and pineapple marshmallow salad.  While enjoying homemade raspberry pie, we savored another bottle of that 2-live-4 Il Duca Imperiale 1917 Stella Rosa.  A most wonderful dinner with a most wonderful family of in-laws.

Chucky's family?  We'll be visiting them later in 2011 for a belated celebration.  We simply don't live close enough to visit everyone so we try to rotate Christmases each year.

Ugh!  That notorious "weigh-in" day will arrives in less than a week.  No ~ Don't expect good numbers because I enjoyed my holiday time.  Too many cookies, snacks, cheeses, crackers, wine, imported beer, liquor, candies, etc. over the holiday time frame.  Now that Christmas is over, it's time to get serious with the calorie counting.

I truly hope that everyone had a simply wonderful and warm Christmas holiday.  May each of you be blessed with a 2011 more rewarding than your minds can fathom!  May you slowly scratch-off each day as a grand prize winning Lottery ticket.  May you be so rich and rewarded that you're obliged to share the happiness and love with everyone that your heart touches.

Hi-dee hi-dee it-is-all-about-family-and-friends-ho my friends!

Quick 'n Easy - Grab 'n Go Lunch

The other morning Tiffany and I looked dumbfounded at one another to synchronously ask, "What are we going to do for lunch today?"  We were readying for work and time is a precious commodity.

Guess what?  Yet one more time that amazing little candle lit itself in that plastic bubble head of mine.  "I've got it! How about an egg scramble for lunch?"  Tiffany warned, "There isn't much time Chucky.  Sure you want to cook some up?"

Grab 'n Go Egg Scramble Wraps

"No, Tiffany.  I'll make us a couple of To Go kits.  We can use the microwave at our offices and make them on the spot."  "Huh?"  I think that I may have baffled Tiffany.  This is something that I simply don't do very often.

Ingredients:  green onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, tomato, potato and egg

Here's the premise of my brilliant ideal.  Take some previously frozen veggies, chop some fresh veggies, crumble some frozen hash potato, add a dash of pepper, and toss in a whole egg.  Place the entire kit and kaboodle into a microwaveable dish.  Place a couple of tortilla shells into a ziploc bag.  When lunch rolls around, crack the egg and microwave the meal.  Spread it on warmed tortillas and add some hot sauce.  It's lunch time!

Ready to go.  Time to put it into the lunch bucket.

Ingredients:

• Bell pepper, diced
• Jalapeno pepper, chopped
• Tomato, diced
• Hash brown potato patty, crumbled
• Green onion, diced
• Egg, whole

Scramble cooked and tortillas heated.

Directions:

1. Crack egg over ingredients, cover and microwave for approximately 90-seconds on high.  Look for egg just beginning to cook.
2. Remove from microwave, stir well, cover, and return to microwave.
3. Cook an additional 90-seconds on high until egg becomes fluffy and done.
4. Spoon onto tortilla shells.
5. Spoon Sambal Oelek (Chinese ground pepper sauce), sprinkle hot sauce, or pour on the Sriracha (Thai hot sauce) and enjoy!

Option/Variations:

• Use broccoli, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, or just about anything convenient in the fridge or freezer.
• Exclude egg if you want to go vegan.  You could substitute crumbled tofu and nutritional yeast flakes in place of egg.
• Exclude tortilla shell for scramble bowl to cut down on calories.  
• Substitute corn tortilla for flour tortilla.

This simple quick-to-prepare lunch has been absolutely wonderful this Christmas holiday week.  Tiffany and I have enjoyed it two days in a row so far.  Absolutely delicious and relatively healthy (but watch the tortilla calories).

Hi-dee hi-dee it-does-not-have-to-be-elaborate-to-be-tasty-ho my friends!

Ah, Booger!

Greetings ya'll!  Remember my stating on several occasions "to think outside the culinary box"?

Well, wouldn't you just know it...  I got the opportunity to practice what I preach yesterday.  I was so looking forward to making my absolute favorite vegan dish, Mock Cheese Spread.  But, as Chucky's luck would have it I found myself void of tofu.

"What?"  "You were completely out of tofu???"  "Say it ain't so Chucky."

It was Sunday, later in the afternoon and I just didn't feel like running down to the neighborhood Albertson's or Publix supermarket for a brick of tofu.  Besides, I like my regular frugal tofu shopping spot.  Phuoc Loc Tho Oriental Market has extra firm tofu for only $1.59 per 16-oz block.

What is a 2-foot plastic doll to do?  Yes, I could have simply pulled out my dagger and stabbed a sofa pillow endlessly to vent my frustration.  But Tiffany would have been peeved at me and I just needed "to think outside the culinary box".

Sidebar:  I'm not the least bit scared of Tiffany (when she's not around)!

So, being a recipe gambler I asked myself, "Okay, Charles.  Whaddya gonna do now?  What's available?  What in this kitchen has tofu potential?"

A candle went off in the inside that plastic bubble head of mine and I envisioned garbanzo beans (chickpeas).  I have plenty of cans residing in my cupboard just awaiting to be released from their cans.  I simply substituted one 15-ounce can (drained and rinsed) for the 1/2 pound of tofu called by the recipe.

I found myself having to add 1-1/2 tablespoon filtered water to acquire the desired consistency but it worked.  By no means as good as the original tofu recipe, but quite the doable alternative!  Guesstimating 40-servings per batch, the garbanzo modification added 1-calorie per serving (8-calories versus 7-calories).

Not bad and I was able to enjoy my mock cheese spread with some crackers as I sipped my pineapple-coconut-rooibos tea.

Hi-dee hi-dee practice-what-you-preach-ho my fine readers!

Road to Veggies!

I have been invited by Anne to guest post on her web site Finding Your Zen Pulse.  To read today's blog, please click the link below.

Link

What Has?

Hi folks!  Time for a riddle.  You like riddles don't you?

What has the following features?

• claws
• no pores on skin; perspires through tongue to cool body
• sharp, pointed front teeth to tear flesh
• no flat back molar teeth to grind food
• small salivary glands in the mouth (not needed to pre-digest grains and fruits)
• acid saliva; no enzyme ptyalin to pre-digest grains
• strong hydrochloric acid in stomach to digest tough animal muscle, bone, etc.
• intestinal tract only 3 times body length, so rapidly decaying meat can pass out of body quickly

Man... You guys are good!  No tricking my vegetarian friends, indeed.  What Chucky has just described is a carnivore.

     car·ni·vore 
     [kahr-nuh-vawr, -vohr]
     -noun
     1.  an animal that eats flesh.
     2.  a flesh-eating mammal of the order Carnivora, comprising the dogs, cats, bears,
          seals, and weasels.
     3.  an insectivorous plant.

A herbivore?

• no claws
• perspires through millions of pores on skin
• no sharp, pointed front teeth
• has flat, back molar teeth to grind food
• well-developed salivary glands, needed to pre-digest grains and fruits
• alkaline saliva; much ptyalin to pre-digest grains
• stomach acid 20 times weaker than that of meat-eaters
• intestinal tract several times body length (plant foods decay slowly so can take their time to pass through the body) 

A human?

• (see herbivore)

Credit:  The Comparative Anatomy of Eating, Milton R. Mills, M.D.

Hi-dee hi-dee see-the-connection-ho my friends?