Newark Natural Foods

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.

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!

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.

Here is a recipe for a rich tasting cake that has only three ingredients! If you like hazlenuts, you will love this cake!

 Hazlenut Cake

2 cups hazlenuts

2 lg. eggs

1/2 cup maple syrup

Grind the hazlenuts in a food processor until fine and floury. Warm your mixer bowl by running hot water over the bottom. Put syrup and eggs in mixer bowl and beat at medium high for 6-7 minutes until the mixture is light yellow and the volume has increased. Slow down the mixer and add the nut meal. Once nuts are incorporated, stop mixer, scrape the beaters and bowl with a large spatula and stir batter with spatula a few times. Pour into a well greased 8 1/2 ” loaf pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Stick a cake tester or toothpick into the cake to test for doneness.

Cool cake in pan. Run knife around edge and turn cake out.

Here are three potato pancake recipes for you, starting with a basic recipe that will feed a crowd. Remember to do the grating right before you start cooking the pancakes as the potato batter will turn gray if it sits too long.

You CAN peel your ‘taters, even grate them before hand if you then plop them into an ice water and lemon juice bath. If you do this, you will need to drain and pat them dry before mixing them into the batter. ( And I mean DRY!!!)

If you grate them by hand, you will have a softer and more traditional pancake. A food processor will yield long strands of potato- giving you a pancake that is crisper.

As with all pancakes, a hot pan is a must. Not smoking over a high flame- but you want to give the pan and the oil some time to get evenly hot over a medium flame. You can test for readiness by putting in a drop of water. If the pan is hot, the drop will sputter and sizzle and you’ll know you’re ready to go.

Also- let me warn you…this is messy business. Wear an apron and be resigned to cleaning the oil spatters off the stove when you are done.

My Mom’s Potato Pancakes

 8 potatoes, grated

1 finely chopped onion

4 eggs, lightly beaten

10 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. sea salt

oil for frying ( I use canola)

Mix it all together and fry spoonfuls of batter in hot oil in a large frying pan, using enough oil to keep the bottom of the pan entirely covered. You may need to press on the spoonfuls with the back of a spoon to flatten and compress the pancakes. Flip over once first side is golden brown and then brown other side. Remove from pan and put on brown paper or paper towels to blot oil. Serve hot. Some like them with sour cream. Some like them with applesauce. I just like them plain, maybe a sprinkle of salt. For breakfast, lunch or dinner!

I have also made them without eggs. You have to fuss with them a bit more, but they taste great.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and grated

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. maple sugar (or dehydrated cane sugar)

1 tsp. sea salt

oil for frying

Mix it all together and fry as above.

Tri-color Potato Pancakes

2 large white potatoes, grated

1 large sweet potato, grated

1 large zucchini, grated

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbsp. chopped chives

1/4 cup matzoh meal

1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

pinch of pepper

oil for frying

Mix and fry as above

I am always looking for ways to use up bananas!

2 1/3 cup w.w. pastry flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sea salt

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. mashed banana

1/2 c. soymilk + 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1/2 stick margarine

1 1/4 cups evaporated cane juice sugar

2 eggs (can use egg replacer)

1/4 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir dry ingredients together with a whisk in small mixing bowl. In an electric mixer, beat the margarine, sugar and eggs. Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk and banana. Mix until dry ingredients are incorporated, but don’t overmix.

Pour into greased 9×13″ pan, two layer cake pans, or cupcake trays. Check with a toothpick at 25 minutes for cupcakes, 30 for layer cakes, 35 for sheet cake. 

Chocolate frosting anyone?