Comforting Onion Soup

Mosquitos don't bite me.

It's true. I live in an area where we are invaded by mosquitos in the spring and summer, but I've never been bit by one. Actually, I haven't been bitten by anything. Well, okay, I've been bit by a spider, but that doesn't count! What does this have to do with food you ask?

Well, I tend to joke that bugs stay away from me because I eat so many onions (and lots of garlic). Seriously. I eat onion in some form every single day. And while I don't know if there is any real connection between onions and mosquitos, I do know that onions possess some amazing health benefits. Onion and other Allium vegetables (garlic, leeks, chives, etc.) are characterized by their rich content of thiosulfinates, sulfides, sulfoxides, and other odoriferous sulfur compounds, which have been shown to be beneficial to your health when eaten over time. They may be a useful herb for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, especially since they diminish the risk of blood clots. It also protects against stomach and other cancers, as well as protecting against certain infections. The sulfur compounds found in the onion are also anti-microbial, so they help prevent you from getting sick. If you're feeling a little under the weather, this soup is the way to go!

Oh, and a word of note: the more pungent varieties of onion appear to possess the greatest concentration of health-promoting phytochemicals. That means a few tears are, in the words of Martha Stewart, a good thing.


This soup is warm and comforting, especially now since the weather is growing colder. To serve this soup, bake a slice of the Homemade Brown Bread with some vegan mozzarella on top until browned and (about as...) melted (...as it's gonna get). Place on top of the soup and you're ready to go!

Comforting Onion Soup:
2 Tb. olive oil
4 lg. yellow onions, sliced thin
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. good beer (I use "Shiner Bock", but a dark "Bock" beer is good. Keep it vegan!)
1 1/2 c. vegetable broth
1/2 c. water
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 Tb. dijon mustard

Heat oil over medium heat while you slice the onions. Add all the onions and the salt, give it a good stir, and cover. Cook over medium-low until the onions are nice and soft, about 20-30 minutes. Slowly add the beer, vegetable broth, water, thyme, and mustard, and simmer another 30 minutes or so, until the soup has reduced a little and it's nice and thick. Top with hot "cheesy" bread (as mentioned above).

Note: This is based on a recipe I found in Vegetarian Times, Nov./Dec. 2008 issue. It was supposed to be an appetizer or a spread of sorts, but I made it soup!

Old-Fashioned Brown Bread

Absolutely nothing is better than homemade bread! This recipe is delicious and good for you too. It's a nice, moist bread that absolutely deserves a second slice! It makes two loaves, so cut it in half if you'd like. This particular bread goes exceptionally well with my Onion-Beer Soup.

Or with peanut butter! 

Old-Fashioned Brown Bread
1 1/2 c. boiling water
1 c. old-fashioned oats
2 Tb. vegetable shortening
2 tsp. salt
1 pkg. active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp.)
3/4 c. warm water (110-115F, like a really hot bath. A hot tub is 90F, so keep that in mind...)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. blackstrap (dark) molasses
1/2 c. toasted wheat germ
1 Tb. vital wheat gluten
4 3/4 - 5 1/4 c. unbleached flour (if you wish to use whole wheat flour, go with half white, half wheat. Never use all whole wheat flour because your bread won't turn out)

In a bowl, combine the water, oats, shortening, and salt. Cool to 110-115F (or easy to stick your finger in and keep in there). In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, sprinkle with sugar and let rest about 5-10 minutes. Add oat mixture, brown sugar, molasses, wheat germ, and 3 c. of flour to the yeast mixture. Mix well. Add enough of the remaining flour (1 3/4 to 2 1/4 c.) to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 6-8 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl. Turn once to grease top. Cover, place in a warm spot, and let rise until doubled, about an hour. Punch dough down, divide in half. Shaped into loaves and place in two greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled again, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.



To make cloverleaf rolls: 
After the initial rising, punch the dough down. Then, roll the dough into even sized balls, about the size of a tablespoon or so. Place three balls in the cup of a sprayed muffin tin. Repeat for each of the cups in the tin. Allow to rise, covered, a second time for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake at 375F for about 20-25 minutes. Oven times will vary. 

Baking bread takes practice, so don't get discouraged if it doesn't turn out right your first time. Here's a few hints to help you out:
 
1. If the yeast is not foamy after about 5 minutes, when it comes time to add it, DON'T ADD IT. Throw it out and start over. The yeast has to be foamy, otherwise your bread won't rise.

2. Don't over knead. Some people get knead-happy (because it's kind of fun), but you only knead to do it (hehe) a few minutes, just until it's smooth. If it's still sticky, add some flour a little bit at a time until it isn't anymore.

3. Place in a warm place to rise. I usually put the oven on warm and set it right on top to rise. I've found this to be the best method. If you set it on the oven, it should just be warm to the touch. If it's hot, it'll kill your yeast.

4. Don't forget to oil the bowl and the pans.

5. Bread is done when the outside is hard and crusty, and it will sound hollow when you knock on the top of it.

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

Here's those pancakes I promised you. They're delicious! I'm going to be making these all the time!

1/2 c. unbleached flour
1/2 c. graham flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 Tb. brown sugar
1/2 c. pumpkin puree (I use Libby's canned)
1 c. soymilk
1 Tb. oil
1/2 c. pecans, chopped (optional)

Mix unbleached flour, graham flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar. Add the soymilk and pumpkin puree. Mix well. Add pecans, if desired, and stir well. Cook over a medium, oiled skillet until the edges are dry and bubbles have formed in the middle of the pancake. Flip and cook about 2-3 minutes or until cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to the skillet if necessary. Serve hot with real maple syrup.

Note: The pancakes may look "doughy", but that's due to the consistency of the pumpkin (like pumpkin pie filling).

UPDATE: I posted this recipe on VegWeb a long time ago. There's a review of this recipe here.

Whole-Wheat Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread men are a type of cookie that, to me, are the epitome of both Christmas and cookie traditions. That means I like my gingerbread pretty traditional: kind of crisp, heavy of the molasses, and full of good spices. I actually saw a recipe for gingerbread just the other day and was a little sad that they left the molasses out! That's a key ingredient for me!

I like to make these cookies kind of crisp because I like to dip them in my coffee (what don't I like to dip in coffee?). I'm also not an icing person. Since gingerbread men are traditionally decorated with Royal Icing (made with egg whites) I would suggest maybe making a glaze out of some non-dairy milk, powdered sugar, and a little vanilla to decorate. If you like your cookies a little softer, then roll them a little thicker and take them out of the oven while they're still a little soft. They'll stay that way!
 
Another thing I do with my gingerbread is make them with whole wheat flour. Seriously. 100%. I think that the flavor of the whole wheat is divine with the spices and molasses! I think I would also like to smear some of these with some coconut butter (so much for tradition!).

Whole-Wheat Gingerbread Cookies:
3 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2/3 c. non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
1/2 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. blackstrap molasses (unsulfured)
8 1/2 Tb. hot water
1 tsp. vanilla

0-2 Tb. almond milk (or "milk" of choice)

In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar. Stir in the molasses, hot water, and vanilla. When mixed, stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt. Cover and chill 2-4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F and remove the dough from the fridge. Allow it to set on the table for about 10-15 minutes to warm up slightly. If the dough is crumbly, add 1 Tb. of almond milk. You want the dough to stick together, but not be sticky. You also may not need any at all. Roll it out on lightly floured surface (rolling it out on floured wax paper is also a good idea) to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters of choice. Repeat the re-rolling and cutting for the rest of the dough. Decorate with nuts, red hots, etc. if desired, before baking. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool before removing from the sheet.

Note: Be sure to stick the dough back in the refrigerator between the baking of the batches for the best results!

Simple Roasted Vegetable Medley

The butternut squash in this recipe gives the medley a nice sweet note. Butternut squash tastes very similar to sweet potatoes. 

Simple Roasted Vegetable Medley:

1 butternut squash, cubed
3 lg. russet potatoes, cubed
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and halved
1/2 Tb. minced garlic
2 tsp. sage
2 tsp. crushed rosemary
about 3 Tb. olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 450. Toss vegetables with garlic cloves, 2 Tb. oil, sage and rosemary in a large roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast covered for about 25 minutes. Toss once. Add minced garlic and remaining olive oil if necessary (I usually find it necessary...), and roast 25 minutes more. Toss once more. Roast until veggies are browned on edges and tender. Season with additonal salt and pepper if necessary.

Feel free to add about 1/2 lb. each of carrots and parsnips

"Sausage" and Rice Soup

Easy, good, warm. Enough said!

"Sausage" and Rice Soup: 

1 lg. russett potato, diced small
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 jar green beans (I used home-canned, but a can of regular green beans or 2 c. frozen would work)
1 stalk celery, plus tops, chopped
2-5 white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 (14-oz.) can diced Italian-seasoned tomatoes, with some liquid
2 c. vegetable broth
1 c. water
1/2 tube Gimmie Lean "sausage"
1/4 c. Basmati rice
4 springs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
Sea salt to taste


1. Cook "sausage" in olive oil and minced garlic until crumbled and browned. 

2. Meanwhile, bring chopped vegetables, herbs, seasonings, and water to a boil. 

3. Add "sausage" and reduce to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes. Add rinsed Basmati rice and simmer another 35 minutes or until potatoes are soft and rice is cooked. Remove bay leaves and thyme springs before serving.

Black Beans and Polenta

Warm and delicious, this is one of the first meals I made where my focus was good eating on the cheap.

Black Beans:
In order to cut down on food costs, I used dried beans. I took half the bag and placed them in a cooking pot. I covered them with water and then picked and sorted through the beans. Remember, if they float, toss them out. And look out for stones too. It happens. I give the beans a good rinse and then cover them with water. Let them soak at least eight hours or overnight. I usually drain off the water then give them some new. This helps to reduce some of the gas-causing properties! I give them about 2-3 inches of water (above the bean line).

I bring the beans to a boil, then reduce them to a simmer. To the beans I add:
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. oregano
5 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
2 bay leaves

VERY IMPORTANT: Do not add any thing acidic, such as TOMATOES or LEMON JUICE, or SALT until after the beans have cooked themselves soft. Otherwise, they'll remain hard and you'll be very disappointed!

Cover the beans and simmer them about 1-2 hours. Once they're soft to your liking, mash about 1/2 c. of the beans to thicken up the pot. Then I add:
2 Tb. lime juice
1 Tb. lemon juice
about 1/2 tsp. of salt
Keep in mind though, I don't like things very salty so feel free to add a little more. These beans will also be pretty mild, so feel free to add a little heat to it.

Polenta:
Bring 3 c. water
1 tsp. salt
Some olive oil to a boil. Once boiling add:
1 c. COARSE cut corn meal*

Reduce heat and cook about 5 minutes, or until very thick. Pour into a nonstick pan and let sit until cool. Turn the pan over onto a plate. To make polenta, cut yourself a few slices and fry up in a skillet with a little olive oil until a golden brown.

*The coarse corn meal allows it to be made into polenta.

TO SERVE:
Place pan-seared polenta onto a plate and cover it with the black beans and some sauted onion (cook a sliced, yellow onion in some olive oil over medium heat until soft and golden brown). I like to serve it with a bit of Thai chili paste for some heat. Enjoy!

October Update - Of Food and Farmdom

And so it begins. I finally have a constant source of internet. Maybe now I can keep my blog updated without the use of the library's computers! I recently held a feast for my friends in celebration of the Fall Equinox. It was a wonderful and the food turned out great! I'll have to post some of my recipes on here. I have quite a few new favorites.

I'm looking forward to the chill of the fall. Soups, roasted veggies, homemade breads, stews, and wine are some of my favorite things. I've already found myself thinking about Thanksgiving. Hopefully, I will get to spend it with my family this year. I've been invited to a dinner at my friend's house and they've requested my homemade apple-pecan stuffing (that's another recipe I'm going to post soon). I feel like my cooking skills have improved a lot this past year, and I feel honored, and blessed, to be able to feed those around me.

I've been experimenting with dried beans and American rice lately. I've decided that with this looming economy I'm going to need a slew of recipes that can feed my wife and I on the cheap. Delicious, comforting, and nutritious is what I'm looking for. I've been looking to Mother Earth News and hand-me-down recipes for inspiration.

I've also starting creating my own incense and I have a powerful recipe or two for that up my sleeve. I'm going to be making tinctures soon, and hopefully some soap down the road. I long for the days when we live on a farm of our own. We have it planned out. Just a few acres, just a few animals, and lots of time for each other. We're both so tired of being a slave to The Man and long for the country. That's how she grew up, and that's how I wanted to. We'll get there. God will show us the way.

Anyway, more food and herbs later. I really mean it this time!

All- Purpose Baked Asian Tofu

This is a much easier process of preparing tofu than in my previous entry. I'm sure you'll find that it's easier to get tofu into your life when it's prepared this way! Be sure you press the tofu first, for about an hour (at least). You know the drill!

2 Tb. tamari
1 Tb. rice vinegar
1 Tb. oil
1 Tb. lime juice
1 tsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. Thai chili paste
1/4 tsp. red chili flakes
Chopped green onion
A few drops dark sesame oil

1 block pressed, extra firm tofu, sliced into slabs (about 6 slabs)

Mix all the ingredients in the marinade in a small baking dish. Add the tofu; cover. At this point you can let it marinate a couple of hours or go ahead and bake it. Stir it around a couple of times to cover all sides of the tofu. Bake uncovered at 375 for about 45 minutes, turning once. I like to let it cook for a little longer to give it a firmer texture. Keep an eye on it in the last 15 minutes or so to make sure it doesn't burn.

You can save this tofu for later in the fridge (just reheat it later) or you can use it right away in a variety of tofu dishes.

Schwagstock 37

It's time to ring in the year with it's first Schwag! Come join me for some peace, love, music, and camping!