Newark Natural Foods

A refreshing way to prepare your veggies is to make pressed salads. The basic idea is to add salt to the veggies and press them with a heavy weight. This process makes the vegetables release their water and leaves them lightly pickled. If you have a ceramic colander or berry bowl, you can easily drain out the water. But you can also use a bowl ( made from a non-reactive material like glass or clay). There is even a gadget made just for this purpose- a Japanese pickle press.

A family favorite at my house is simple pressed cucumbers. To make them, mound layers of thinly sliced cucumbers in a colander, bowl or press with a sprinkling of sea salt over each layer. Place a flat surface and weight on top (If you have a press, follow the directions for your type of press). I use a small, inverted dish with a gallon of water on top. If you are using a bowl, make sure the weight is clean as the water level may rise above the plate.

 You can press from 15 minutes to overnight (in the ‘fridge). I usually try to press for an hour. The longer you go, the softer and more pickled your vegetables become.

Squeeze to remove liquid. Taste and if they are too salty, rinse to remove the salt.

You can press cabbage, radishes, carrots, red onions, turnips… experiment to your heart’s desire. Just remember to slice everything thinly and layer or toss with salt (or tamari). After pressing, you can add fresh herbs or a light vinegar or citrus dressing.

 It’s really hard to mess up making pressed salad! You can add ingredients to froo-froo it up, but we eat ours as is and we LOVE it!

I never use pre-made tomato sauce because tomato sauce is so easy to make.

For a super quick sauce:

Olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 28 oz. can diced organic tomatoes (Don’t drain)

1/2 to 1 can (6 oz.) organic tomato paste (optional)

sea salt

herbs- fresh or dried basil, oregano, parsley

sweetener, if needed ( agave, honey, or sugar)

Saute chopped onion in oil. When onions begin to turn translucent, add garlic and continue cooking until onions are turning golden. Add tomato products , stirring to mix in the paste. Using tomato paste will give you a heartier sauce. If using dried herbs, add now. Cook for however long you would like… just to heat it all through for a fresher taste or if you will be cooking the sauce again (as in making lasagna) or to really cook the tomatoes and thicken it up. 

Add chopped fresh herbs , if you are using them. Add a small amount of salt. You may barely need any if your tomatoes were seasoned. If you have an immersion blender, tilt pot to the side, immerse blender and blend until desired texture. You can also blend some or all of it in a regular blender.

Taste for seasoning. If it tastes too acidic, add a bit of sweetener. If it is too thick, add water. Too thin? Cook longer.

You can also add soymilk, milk or cream at the end to make a Tomato Cream Sauce. Other possible addition….Olives, sauteed peppers, parmesan cheese, pesto, sauteed sliced mushrooms and before you add the tomatoes, you can pour in a splash or two of red wine.

Multiply recipe as needed. You can freeze unused sauce or tomato paste.

It is pretty easy to make your own lip balm at home. Save up your used lip balm tubes and small containers or purchase new ones. It is inexpensive and makes a lovely little gift.

All you will need is some beeswax, oil (sweet almond or coconut), and a flavoring oil, if desired. You should start with a ratio of two parts oil to one part beeswax. You put these ingredients in a pan and heat until the wax is thoroughly melted. Add your flavoring as it begins to cool. Stir with an old chopstick or other disposable stick. Once it is cooled, check the consistancy. If it is too hard, add oil and reheat. If it is too soft, add more beeswax. You can vary the consistancy to suit your needs. Let’s say you wanted to make a creamy salve…that means you’ll be using more oil. You can use  medicinal oils such as comfrey, tea tree and rosemary to make healing salves.

Pouring the liquid into a pyrex measuring cup will make it easier to pour into small openings.

You can also add other fats like shea butter. Shea butter is a whitish fat obtained from the seeds of the shea tree. You can add cocoa butter or even mango butter!

4 ounces of Sweet Almond oil and two ounces of Beeswax will make more than enough to fill a dozen ¼ oz. jars or tubes. To this size batch, you would add a few drops of essential oils (such as anise, peppermint or orange).

Other optional ingredients …. honey, wheat germ oil, vitamin E (just break open a capsule), lanolin, a small piece of an old lipstick (for color).

 You can probably do this pretty easily in a microwave, too. But since I don’t own one, I can’t help you there!

Making your own hummus is pretty easy chick-peasy- lemon-squeezy!

Ingredients:

4 c. chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

juice of one medium lemon

1/3 c. tahini (sesame paste) and water to make 1/2 cup

salt or tamari to taste

optional ingredients- Cumin,crushed garlic (found in almost EVERY hummus recipe!), soaked sundried tomatoes, herbs, capers, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, pepper (black, white or cayenne)

You just drain your beans and while they are draining, put the remaining ingredients in a food processor. Blend. Then add your beans and blend to a paste. Taste and adjust seasonings. You can also add additional ingredients after blending if you would like them to retain their integrity such as chopped olives or finely chopped carrots and celery. For a creamier hummus you can add some soft tofu or plain yogurt.

If you can plan ahead, cook your chickpeas from dry chickpeas soaked overnight and boiled until very soft. Make sure to cool the beans first as the temperature of the beans will affect the consistancy of the hummus. Canned beans will work in a pinch but don’t taste as fresh. If you must use them, make sure to rinse them well.

Garnish your hummus with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of paprika and some fresh chopped parsley. Serve with pita bread, crackers and raw veggies. Hummus is a great sandwich spread and also works well in wraps and on bagels. Store covered, in the refrigerator.

Now that chives, the first herbs of spring, are pushing their way up through the ground, you can start making fresh herb butters. It is so easy and impressive and yummy, too!

Soften some butter or margarine at room temp. Gather your fresh herbs and snip or chop finely. You may choose herbs individually or use in a combination. Some suggestions to try are parsley, chives, basil, thyme, tarragon, dill, oregano, rosemary, sage, and cilantro. You can also add fresh minced or pressed garlic, lemon juice or grated zest, salt and pepper, capers, chopped olives or finely chopped sundried tomatoes.

Use these butters in food preparation as well as serving with entrees, side dishes or with bread. The amount of herbs can be varied to suit your taste. Start experimenting with a proportion of 1/4 cup herbs to one stick butter or margarine.

This recipe comes from Jean Francois Meteigner in Los Angeles, CA.

Provençal Butter

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped black olives
• 1 - 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Allow butter to soften. Sauté the rosemary for 10 seconds in a dab of butter, remove and let cool. Mix all ingredients with a wire whisk until well combined.

And from the Seeds of Knowledge website:

Cumin Lime Butter

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, stick, softened
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lime zest, finely grated
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper — to taste

Cream together the butter, cilantro, lime zest, garlic, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Let the butter stand, covered, for at least 1 hour for the flavors to develop. Uses: Spread on both sides of thick flour tortillas (bought or homemade). In a hot skillet or a preheated grill cook on each side of the tortilla until lightly browned. Eat plain with rice and beans, or with melted cheese. Also good on grilled poultry or fish.

 Help is just a few clicks away. Here are some websites with a large selection of recipes:

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/index.html

Sponsored by Whole Foods Market, this site has all kinds of healthy and well, you decide if they are healthy recipes.

http://www.edenfoods.com/recipes/

Put out by Eden Foods. Good recipes using pure ingredients.

http://www.mealsforyou.com/cgi-bin/customize?recipes_main.html

A recipe of the day and a searchable database.

http://www.goodearthnaturalfoods.net/common/recipes/recipes_home.asp?storeID=QLJS5N5JSASR2LHC0G03N0ET95QT2S43

Pure ingredients, but yummy-looking recipes . A macrobiotic section and oooh- a nice selection of dessert recipes!

http://www.vegetarian-restaurants.net/Vegetarian-Recipes/Vegetarian-Vegan-Recipes.htm

This site gives recipes from many excellent restaurants.

http://www.vegparadise.com/cookingwith74.html

This is a great site chockful of gourmet vegan recipes. And photos of the food, too!

http://www.catteacorner.com/vegan-d.htm

A wealth of vegan recipes and interesting little stories. Banana biscuits with chocolate gravy?  I’m intrigued….

http://www.theppk.com/recipes/

From the Post Punk Kitchen. Gourmet and down-home kitchen-tested vegan recipes.

Okay- that should keep you busy for a while!

Here is a basic quiche recipe that you can use as a base for yummy variations:

QUICHE

1 pie shell

1 1/2 c. grated cheese

1 1/2 c. milk

5 eggs

3 tbsp. flour

3/4 tsp. salt

Fresh or dried herbs

Place grated cheese on the unbaked pie shell. If you are adding additional ingredients, spread them evenly over the cheese. Then whiz remaining ingredients in blender and pour over cheese. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven 40-45 minutes, until lightly golden and puffy.

Now for the variations…

Mix and match as you see fit.

Chopped and sauteed spinach, broccoli, asparagus, onions, leeks, zucchini, mushrooms or other veggies

Chopped and sauteed soy or regular sausage or bacon

Chopped tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes (oil-drained)

salsa, pesto, spices

You can also vary the herbs and cheeses or top with a sprinkling of paprika.

No time to fuss with a crust? Make this easy frittata:

 FRITTATA

Put the following in a blender:

9 eggs

1 tsp. salt

Saute your veggies (see variations above) and place in bowl with grated cheese and other additions. Pour in eggs and stir together. Put into large, greased pie plate. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes until puffy. It deflates quickly, but still tastes wonderful!

Coffee… Coffeecake… Need I say more?

Ingredients:

Part A

2 1/2 cups w.w.pastry flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tbsp arrowroot powder

pinch sea salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 c. oil

1 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup soymilk

Part B

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. powdered grain coffee

Part C

1 tbsp. w.w.pastry flour

1/4 c. oil

1/4 c. maple syrup

1/4 c. maple sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

 2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in part A together until well blended. Pour 2/3 batter into a greased 9″x13″ pan. Add ingredients in part B to remaining batter. If you are using a grain coffee that is in granule form, run it through a sieve first. Plop this remaining batter onto the top of the batter in the pan in spoonfuls and use a knife to swirl the dark and light batters together a bit. This will be the fun part and it looks cool too.

 Make the topping by stirring together all ingredients in part C. Sprinkle it over the cake batter. Bake cake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness.

If you have the inclination to deep fry, these are worth the trouble.

The only ingredients you will need for this recipe are:

Parsnips

Oil ( I use canola or olive)

Sea salt

If you own a deep fryer, I guess that’s the way to go. But since I don’t, I make these using a medium weight stainless steel pot on the stove. You’ll want to use a pan with sides 4-6″ high to help contain grease splatters. Heat about 2 inches of oil until it registers 365 degrees on a deep fry or candy thermometer.

Meanwhile peel the parsnips. Then keep peeling. Peel them until you are no longer able to peel them.  Place a handful of parsnip peelings into the hot oil - try to keep them from clumping together. Cook until they begin to turn golden brown. It won’t take long. Remove from oil with  slotted spoon, cooking chops or strainer and place on cookie trays covered with brown paper or paper towels. Repeat with additional batches. Sprinkle parsnip chips with salt.

Cool and serve. If you must, store in an airtight tin for a day or two. But I never have them around for long. They are so amazingly delicious and fun to eat. Simple, yet gourmet. They make a great garnish for a fancy meal.

Super easy and economical too.

6 vanilla beans

2 c. vodka

With a sharp knife, cut a lengthwise slit down each vanilla bean. Pour vodka into a glass jar and skwish the vanilla beans down into the jar so that they are totally immersed in the vodka. Cover jar and place in a dark place (kitchen cabinet or pantry shelf) and let sit for about 8 weeks. Give the jar a gentle shake once a week.

Strain through a fine strainer or coffee filter. Store in glass jars.

You can re-use the beans for one more batch. Give the second batch more time - wait for it to turn dark amber. The longer it sits, the stronger it will get.