Spicy Peanut Soup

This week at the grocery store I challenged myself to buy a vegetable I'd never cooked with before and incorporate it into dinner this week. Being the frugal student that I am, I picked the least expensive veggie I could find - a parsnip. Parsnips are pale root vegetables related to the carrot, but are sweeter when cooked. They are also a good source of vitamin C, fiber, folate, and manganese.

This recipe was inspired by an awesome recipe for Spicy African Peanut Soup given to me by one of my undergrad professors (Thank you Brandi!). I have a very low (but increasing) tolerance for spicy foods, so my version of the recipe may not be spicy enough for many folks.

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbs olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 turnip, cubed (1" cubes)
• 2 sweet potatoes (1" cubes)
• 2 cans garbanzo beans
• 3 Tbs peanutbutter
• 1/2c roasted peanuts, unsalted
• 2-3c spinach
• 1 tsp ginger
• salt and pepper to taste - I found that I didn't need much salt
• 1 tsp italian seasoning 
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4c low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2c water(leave out the water if you prefer a "stewier" texture)
• 1 can diced tomatoes, no salt added

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium heat, saute garlic and onions for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add cubed turnip, sweet potato, and ginger, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, mustard, and cayenne pepper.
3. Stir, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, peanut butter, peanuts and vegetable broth and water. Stir, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are tender (20-30 minutes).
5. Add garbanzo beans and spinach.
6. Taste, and add more cayenne if you would like spicier soup. 
7.  Nom nom nom nom!

Vegan "Creamy" Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Basil Soup

It's that time of year again - soup time! Today I was talking to my mom about vegan diets and a particular vegan she knows who doesn't like beans. Why someone wouldn't like beans is beyond me, but I decided to try to create a vegan soup recipe without beans and an appreciable amount of protein and fiber... I didn't get very far. But who says you need to be able to see the beans... just blend them up! It makes the soup thicker and almost "creamy". You could easily use cauliflower in place of the beans, too! Or any number of vegetables. Stealth Veggies! Dun-dun-dun Daaahhhh!


This recipe makes about 4 very generous servings of soup:

• 3c veggie stock, preferably low-sodium
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 5 roma tomatoes, cubed
• 1 red pepper
• 4 Tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbs pepper
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 Tbs dried oregano
• 1 can chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
• 5-6 large basil leaves
• 1c water

Ready, set, soup!

1.  Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute 3-4 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and oregano. Cover and let simmer.
3. I tried roasting my red pepper over the gas cooking element on my stovetop. When that didn't work, I cut it in half and stuck it under the broiler until the tops started to blacken.
4. Carefully cube red pepper and add to the pot. Stir, cover, and let simmer on low heat for 1 hour. (conveniently long enough to read two articles on the pros and cons of the Affordable Care Act, homework finished!)
5. After one hour, everything in the pot will be pretty mushy. Dump the contents of the pot into a heat-safe blender with the basil leaves, chickpeas, and enough veggie stock to allow it to blend.
   *This may take 2 or 3 rounds in the blender. Not everything needs to be blended together.... you'll mix it all back together in the next step.
6. Return the blended tomato-pepper-garbanzo mixture to the pot, add the remaining veggie stock and water until the soup reaches your preferred soup consistency.
7. Bring the soup back to a boil, add the nutmeg, and NOM!

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times:

"You must have to eat sooooo much food to get enough calories and nutrients on a vegetarian/vegan diet!"
"So....What do you eat? Besides copious amounts of tofu, of course."
"You can't possibly get enough iron/calcium/B-vitamins/anything!"

And my personal favorite:

"If you don't eat meat, then where do you get your protein?"

There are times I've been tempted to tell people that I just don't eat protein. Because clearly meat is the only source of protein. But then I hit 'em with The List:

• Nuts - almonds, walnuts, pistachios, etc etc etc
• Nut butters - peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower butter, soy butter
• Beans - black, white, kidney, chickpeas, the list could go on for this one...
• Seeds - sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc etc etc
• Legumes - peanuts, lentils
• Whole grains - oatmeal, wheat, corn, barley, rice, quinoa
• Some vegetables (broccoli, for example, has 3g of protein per 100g serving)

"But those can't possibly have enough protein in them to make up for not eating meat!"

Listen up. Here in the United States people get waayyy more protein than we need. High-protein diets, protein shakes, protein bars, protein cereal.... it's all a fad.  The CDC recommends the following amounts of protein:

Recommended Dietary Allowance for Protein
	Grams of protein needed each day
Children ages 1 – 3	13
Children ages 4 – 8	19
Children ages 9 – 13	34
Girls ages 14 – 18	46
Boys ages 14 – 18	52
Women ages 19 – 70+	46
Men ages 19 – 70+	56

Generally, if you're more active you may need a few more grams of protein per day. Check out these vegan foods and menus that provide plenty of protein each day. Also, check out No Meat Athlete's information on protein for athletes and how to create a complete protein.

Vegetarian diets require quite a bit of planning and a little research. So why go to all the trouble to avoid meat? That depends on each Veggie's individual motives and morals. There are, however, numerous health benefits to eating a plant-based or completely meat-free diet:

• Lower rates of cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and all-cause mortality among vegetarians
• Lower mean body weight
• Lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure
• Longer life expectancy

Just for kicks, I challenge you to find the answers to all the questions in this "Vegan/Vegetarian Bingo!"

"Dessert" Squash - Quinoa, Currants, and Walnuts Oh My!

Oh Fall, I love you. Cinnamon, pumpkin, squash, red and orange leaves and apple cider. Ah yes.

The rain returned to the Pacific Northwest in earnest this weekend, as did the soggy, cold commutes home from campus. This recipe is quick, warm, and combines my favorite fall flavors. I didn't add any extra sugar to this, but it's sweet enough to be dessert!



For 2 squash bowls (with leftover currant-walnut quinoa... breakfast, anyone?):

• 1 acorn squash
• Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt, pepper
• 1/2c apple cider
• 2c dry quinoa, rinsed
• 3-4 c water
• 1/4c currants, dry... or raisins. Or cranberries.
• 1/4c walnuts, chopped

If you have time, you can bake your squash, or if you're impatient like me you can microwave it in a fraction of the time.

1.  Boil 3 cups of water and add the quinoa. Simmer covered until most of the water is absorbed (~15minutes). Add cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and 1/4c apple cider. Stir in the currants and walnuts. Your quinoa is done when you can see the tiny germ spirals.
2. Wash the outside of the squash, then cut it in half lengthwise with a large knife. Carefully! 
3. Use a large spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy bits on the inside of the squash. Use a fork to poke holes all over the inside of the squash.
4. Place the squash halves on a microwave-safe plate. Sprinkle the halves with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add 2-3 Tbs cider to each squash half.
5. Cover the squash halves with another plate turned upside down, or plastic wrap to prevent them from drying. Microwave for about 4 minutes until the entire inside of the squash is soft. 
6. Scoop ~1c of the quinoa into the hole in the squash. Nom! Done :)

So good! And the best part? It's good for you! Walnuts are a great vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids, which we've been hearing an awful lot about lately...what's the deal? What is an omega-3 fatty acid, and why should I be eating foods containing them?



Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat (one of the good kinds!) that plays a role in numerous body processes. Omega-3s aid in blood clotting and building new cell membranes, and also may protect against heart disease and stroke when eaten in food form (as opposed to as a supplement).

Weeknight Stir-fry with Ginger Garlic Peanut Sauce

I started my masters program last week, and I'm already suuuuuper busy! Goodness. I've again adopted my plan of cooking A LOT of something and then eating it for several days to avoid having to cook every night. Last week was crock pot taco filling, which I reheated and put in tortillas with kale and salsa. This blog has seen more than its fair share of both crock pot and taco recipes, but this week dinner will consist of my two favorite things: vegetables and peanut butter. Far too good not to share!

I can't quite adopt the cook-once-and-reheat method with the veggies this week, unless I want to eat progressively soggier veggies all week. Blegh. I did however, cook a ton of rice and peanut sauce Sunday evening, which will be fine in the fridge for a few days. The veggies I will need to stir-fry every night, but it takes all of 3-4 minutes... a welcome study break!

Costco is the ultimate buy-in-bulk and save your budget store... but there are very few fresh foods I can buy at Costco and use before it goes bad. Frozen food, however, is completely fair game! I was gifted a giant bag of stir-fry veggies last week  (thanks, Mom & Dad!!), from which I can stir fry what I need each night and throw the rest back in the freezer. Perfect!

For 5-6 servings:

• 2.5 cups brown rice (dry)
• 2.5 - 3 cups water
• 7 cups frozen (or fresh!) stir fry veggies of choice. My bag has green beans, mushrooms, broccoli, pepers, baby corn, onions, and I added edamame
• 4 Tbs oil 
• 1c vegetable broth
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 1/2 c peanut butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs fresh ginger, minced (maybe less if you're using the powdered stuff)
• 1 1/2 Tbs vinegar
• Pepper

Stir-Fry!

1. Cook your brown rice according to the package (boil water, add rice, stir, cover, simmer until all the water is absorbed, stirring occasionally) ~30 minutes.
2. Heat 2 Tbs oil in a pan at medium heat. Add ginger and garlic, and cook 2-3 minutes until  your kitchen smells AMAZING!
3. Add vegetable broth and soy sauce and reduce heat to low. Cook until the mixture bubbles.
4. Add peanut butter and vinegar. Whisk the peanut butter into the liquid, and cook for a few minutes at low heat. 
5. In a large frying pan or wok, heat 2 tbs oil, then add stir fry veggies. 
6. Cook  on high heat until veggies are heated through, stirring constantly. Don't overcook the veggies or cook at too low a temperature or else they'll be soggy and lose color. Ew. Add pepper to taste. I didn't add salt because there is plenty of salty flavor from the peanut sauce.
7. Combine rice (~2/3 c per serving), veggies (~ 1 1/2 c per serving) and peanut sauce (2-3Tbs). 

Nom nom nom!


Stir-frys are great! They are colorful and are a great opportunity to get a couple servings of vegetables in! Vegetables are a great source of micronutrients (vitamins & minerals) that processed foods just don't deliver. Leftover veggies can be made into soup! Perhaps next week....


While we're on the topic of peanut butter...oh we weren't? Well we are now! Peanut butter is my favorite food (check out what it's doing to help world hunger!) and is a great source of some micronutrients and healthy fats! To set the record straight, choosy moms do not choose JIF. Health-savvy moms (20-somethings, students, whoever) choose natural peanut butter that contains 2 or fewer ingredients: peanuts and salt. That's it. None of these partially-hydrogenated oils! Peanuts contain healthy fats (mono and poly-unsaturated fats that are GOOD for heart health!). These fats also naturally separate, but don't dump the separated fat off the top! THE FAT IS GOOD FOR YOU!! (Promise! Never though you'd hear that did you?) Check out this cool tip for mixing the oil back into the peanut butter!

Food Science Meets Taco Salad

I took a Molecular Gastronomy course this summer... this was my final project. We needed to take 3 topics covered in the course and create a dish that utilized techniques we had learned. You might just learn something! :)

Vegetarian Taco Salad with Homemade Salsa

Final Project for NUTR 441

Summer 2012

Maia Kurnik

Introduction

            I am a vegetarian with a very low tolerance for spicy foods. That being said, I have been on several missions to Mexico and El Salvador and fell in love with the food in those regions – simple, whole, and colorful. After the balancing flavors lab, I was excited to try to make my own salsa from a few simple ingredients including jalapeno peppers which I had been to scared of using in the past. I chose to make tacos because I wanted to try to make a salsa that tasted flavorful rather than just spicy. The dish is not wholly tacos or wholly salad. It is a reflection of how I prefer to make my tacos – too many vegetables in not enough tortilla, thereby resembling a salad. I chose to use whole black beans rather than refried beans found commonly in taco salads simply because I like them better and wanted to try cooking whole dried beans again. I usually use canned beans, so using dried beans was another first for me in this class. Finally, I enjoyed the experiment in using acids and bases to alter the color of cabbage. In reading about how cooking alters the color of other plant foods, I had flashbacks to vegetable I had cooked prior to this course whose color left much to be desired.  My goals in this final project were to create flavorful and tolerably spicy salsa by balancing spice with acid, sugar, and salt, to cook dried black beans and make them flavorful, and to cook peppers without losing their vibrant color.

Preparation of Salsa – Balancing flavors:

In preparing the salsa, I used an approach similar to experiment 3 of unit one (thai chili sauce exercise in balancing flavors). I began with 2 small green jalapeno peppers and 2 roma tomatoes. I blended these with 1 clove of garlic and 4 Tbs diced yellow onion for 30 seconds. I wanted the salsa to be chunky, but also have some saucy base. To this base I added 1 ¼ cup (about 2 tomatoes) diced roma tomatoes and 3 more Tbs chopped onion. At this point I tasted the salsa. It was far too spicy. I could not taste the tomatoes, only the peppers and some onion. The flavors of the garlic and tomatoes were not yet detectable.

I wanted to use cumin, but was unsure of how forgiving the flavor would be. I decided to add it before any of the salty, sweet, or sour flavors so I would have some opportunity to correct it if I accidentally added too much. I added ½ Tbs of cumin, which was enough for the cumin to just be detectable but not overpowering. The cumin did add to the spicy flavors which were overpowering still.

To balance the spicy flavors, I began by adding 1 tsp salt. I added two more ½ tsp portions of salt, tasting after each addition, until I could taste the salty flavor and the spice had dulled considerably. At this point, I added 1 Tbs of lime juice, and then two more tablespoons of lime juice. After each addition I noticed that the spicy flavors became more tolerable, but the tomato and garlic flavors were hidden. Once I could taste the lime, I began adding sugar ½ a teaspoon at a time until the spicy flavors became mild enough and the tomato and garlic flavors were detectable. I kept in mind that the salsa would be part of a final dish, rather than be eaten by itself, so I stopped adding sweet, salty and sour flavors when the spice was just barely tolerable. The lime flavor also brightened upon addition of sugar. However, the lime and sweet flavors overpowered the salty flavors. I finished the salsa by adding another ½ tsp of salt.

Salty, sweet, and sour, and bitter flavors work to balance each other; if a dish is too salty, sour, or bitter, it may be salvaged by adding sugar (This, 2006, p.94-95; Loha-unchit, 2000, “Balancing Flavors”).  My experiences in balancing flavors in unit one made me feel empowerd to take on spicy food recipes. After reading Kasma’s blog on cooking “to taste” and learning about how sweet, sour, and salty flavors balance each other I was able to go back and correct my mayonnaise recipe in Lab 1 by adding more sugar and salt to make it less acidic. I was then also able to better taste the mustard, probably because sugar can blend flavors that seem too distinct in a recipe (Loha-unchit, 2000, “Balancing Flavors”). This information has made me more comfortable altering recipes instead of following them verbatim. I also now understand why salt is always used in sweet recipes such as desserts – to bring out the flavors in the sweet food, and why sugar is added to savory foods such as salad dressings – to tie the flavors together (This, 2006, p. 95).

To improve this recipe in the future, I would very likely add a third jalapeno. I overestimated the spiciness of the peppers and perhaps added too much salt, sugar, or lime juice. In the final dish, the salsa was delicious, but slightly too mild. In addition, I would only blend half as many of the ingredients. Upon addition of the lime juice, the salsa thinned considerably. It worked well as a dressing for the taco salad, but would be too soupy for dipping chips into.

Preparation of the black beans –Legume cookery:

            I chose to soak the beans overnight in light of the results of the experiment in the grains and legumes unit. The soaked beans were more flavorful than the beans that were cooked while dry. Cooking dry beans also resulted in dryer, blander beans. Soaking the beans also results in a faster cooking time by 25% or more (McGee, p. 488). Whole dried peas and beans can take upwards of two hours to cook. Initially, water can only enter through the hilum (small pore on the back of the bean), but after 30-60 minutes the seed coat becomes hydrated and expands allowing water to flow through the entire seed coat. Soaking is not required, but quickens cooking by 25%. Cooking without soaking may result in legumes with undesireably soft outer layers because much of the cooking time is waiting for water to make it to the center of the bean. Soaking also removes ogliosaccharides, minerals, vitamins, and some flavors, colors, and antioxidants from the legume. To minimize nutrient loss from the beans I soaked and cooked them in only enough water to completely cover them and added more as necessary (McGee, p. 486-88).

 I also chose to soak the beans in salted water. The sodium in the salt displaces the magnesium from the cell wall pectins and makes them easier to dissolve. Water can then enter the bean more rapidly (McGee, p. 489).  Salt and baking soda (alkaline) speed cooking of legumes by dissolving the hemicelluloses in the cell wall, allowing water to penetrate more quickly. A disadvantage to this method is the resultant slippery mouthfeel of the cooked beans and a soapy taste (McGee, p. 489).

            The actual cooking of the beans took about 22 minutes once the water began to boil. I rinsed the beans, and then added them to fresh water to cook in. I also added salt to the water to speed the cooking time as well as to try to avoid the bland flavor of the beans cooked in plain water in the lab unit. Once the beans were soft, I drained the excess fluid and let them cool slightly before adding lime juice and pepper. I love the bright flavor of limes, and thought it would be a nice addition to make the beans less bland. In combination with the pepper they were wonderful!

            After I had prepared the salad, I found another recipe for cilantro lime black beans. The beans tasted great with the lime, but the beans and the salad as a whole may have benefitted from the bright, fresh flavor of cilantro.

Preparation of the peppers – Cooking vegetables to retain color:

           

            Prior to this experiment, the peppers I cooked usually ended up mushy and dull. My problem was too little heat for too much time. Plant pigments are altered by cooking, and green pepper pigments are more susceptible to alteration than red or orange pigments that are more oil soluble (McGee, p. 278). I considered adding lime juice to the peppers as well, but acid makes the chlorophyll in green peppers more soluble and likely to leach out into the cooking liquid (McGee, p. 279). Heat can displace the magnesium from the center of the ring in the chlorophyll molecule, and it is replaced by a hydrogen ion and the color is dulled. Rapidly cooking the peppers by stir-frying them (rather than sautéing them as I had in the past) appeared to be the best way to cook them while retaining pigments and nutrients (McGee, p. 286).

            I cut the peppers into small enough pieces so that they would heat through quickly, and added them to a very hot pan with a little oil. I used a green bell pepper and smaller red and yellow peppers that I already had. I was afraid the smaller peppers would cook faster than the green bell peppers because the walls of the smaller peppers were thinner. I chose to add the smaller peppers later in the cooking, after about 1 minute. I stirred constantly for about 2 minutes total to prevent them from burning. The result was beautifully green, red, and yellow/orange peppers.

            I forgot to season my peppers, and in the future would add a little salt to them. They were quite flavorful by themselves and with the salsa as part of the completed salad.

            As a whole, the taco salad was fairly easy to prepare. Making the salsa and tasting at each step was the most tedious part, but also the most rewarding for me. The entire preparation took about a half hour once the beans had soaked. Most of that time was spent chopping vegetables and waiting for the beans to finish cooking. One foreseeable problem with using the dried beans rather than canned beans is the need to plan ahead and soak the beans. An easy fix would be to use canned beans instead.

Results of 2 Taste Tests:

Characteristic	Poor	Ok or Good	Excellent	Comments
Color Bright Retain pepper colors Not brown or dull			X	Color of peppers is well maintained, no browning; bright greens, red, and orange look pleasing
Flavor Tolerably Spicy Not too bland Limy Fresh, bright, retain flavors of vegetables		X		Peppers should have been salted, salsa could be a bit spicier as part of the dish
Aroma Pleasant Fresh Spicy			X
Texture Peppers are firm, but not still crunchy Mushrooms are firm, not rubbery Beans are moist and soft, not chalky or dry Salsa dressing is a pleasing texture, not too thin or gritty			X	Salsa was a perfect consistency for salad dressing, perhaps too thin to be used as a dip for chips, etc.
Combination/Mouthfeel: Pleasing combination of warm and cold ingredients Pieces are manageable size Portion was neither too small nor too large			X	Green peppers could have been cut in half or thirds to make them more manageable, but the large pieces looked nice on the plate.
Overall Presentation			X	Bright & colorful! I was very proud of the look of the finished product

Characteristic	Poor	Ok or Good	Excellent	Comments
Color Bright Retain pepper colors Not brown or dull			X	Colors were beautiful! Made me excited to try the dish
Flavor Tolerably Spicy Not too bland Limy Fresh, bright, retain flavors of vegetables		X		Salsa needed to be spicier, a bit bland
Aroma Pleasant Fresh Spicy			X	The kitchen smelled great while she was cooking. I could smell the limes, peppers, and salsa especially
Texture Peppers are firm, but not still crunchy Mushrooms are firm, not rubbery Beans are moist and soft, not chalky or dry Salsa dressing is a pleasing texture, not too thin or gritty			X	Peppers were warmed through but still very firm. The crispness contrasted the soft beans nicely.
Combination/Mouthfeel: Pleasing combination of warm and cold ingredients Pieces are manageable size Portion was neither too small nor too large		X		This was almost “excellent” but the green peppers should have been cut smaller
Overall Presentation			X	Great colors and presentation. The tortilla at the bottom made it easy to finish the pieces that escaped the fork.

Summary of Sensory Evaluation

            Overall, I was very pleased with this dish. My three main objectives (retain color, create flavorful salsa, and cook flavorful, moist beans) were met. The color of the peppers was wonderful and they made the dish look very vibrant. I was pleased with the flavors, though the next time I make this I will remember to season the peppers after cooking with salt. The aroma of the peppers mixed well with that of the salsa and limy beans to make the dish smell fresh as well as hearty. The meat was not missed in this recipe due to the robust texture of the black beans, which is why I chose whole beans over refried beans. The beans were soft but not mushy, and the lime made them very flavorful. They retained some of their nutty flavor as well. I was worried about the combination of warm and hot ingredients. However, placing the beans opposite the spinach on the plate allowed the spinach to maintain its coolness and texture rather than wilting. The cool salsa blended well with the warm peppers and mushrooms and the beans. The overall presentation was very attractive. I cannot, however, take too much credit for that. It would have been difficult to create an unattractive presentation with such beautiful colors, thanks to stir-frying the peppers rapidly at high heat rather than cooking them until they were mushy and dull, the presentation was beautiful!

Reflection on Learning

            As highlighted in the preparation descriptions above, this recipe has come about in response to previous lack of knowledge and a new understanding of cooking techniques. I was especially proud of my learning experience balancing flavors in the salsa. The initial balancing experiment was a bit of a trial by fire. I am very sensitive to spicy foods, and tended to avoid using any spice in my cooking. I now know that I can use different combinations of salty, sweet, and sour to adjust the heat of peppers to my tastes, as well as salvage bland mayonnaise, too-salty soups, and flavorless salad dressings. I have also learned that high heat is okay for cooking vegetables in order to preserve their color. Previously, I had avoided high heat out of fear of scalding the vegetables. I have also learned much about how acids and bases affect food texture and flavors. I learned that adding lime juice after cooking the beans, rather than during cooking or soaking, would result in the best finished product. I also learned that adding acid to vegetables during cooking is a good way to lose color, and that citrus fruit juices or vinegar should be added after cooking.

Recipes:

Salsa (Final Recipe):

2 small green jalapeno peppers, diced

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 clove garlic, diced

½ large yellow onion (about ½ c chopped)

½ Tbs cumin

2 tsp salt

2 ½ tsp sugar

3 Tbs lime juice

Blend the peppers, 2 of the 4 tomatoes, the garlic, and 3 Tbs of onion for 30 seconds or until almost smooth. Add the remaining tomatoes and onion. Add ½ Tbs cumin, and half of the salt, sugar, and lime juice. Add remaining salt, sugar, and lime juice in ½ tsp increments until desired flavor is achieved, tasting between each addition. Makes approximately 3 cups of mild salsa.

Taco “Salad:”

1 cup dry black beans

6+ cups water (3 for soaking, 3+ for cooking)

Salt

1 green bell pepper, sliced thin

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 orange/yellow bell pepper, sliced thin

4 Tbs olive oil

1 small package white button mushrooms, sliced

½ c diced yellow onion

3 c spinach

Tortillas

1 ½ tsp black pepper

1 ½ Tbs lime juice

1 avocado, sliced just prior to serving to avoid browning

1 lime, sliced into wedges

Rinse the beans in a strainer, then soak for 6-8 hours (overnight) in 4c water with 1 tsp salt. Rinse the beans, place them in a sauce pan and add 1 tsp salt and enough water to just cover the beans while the cook. It may be necessary to add more water during cooking. Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer the beans, covered, for 20-25 minutes until the beans are soft. Drain the beans, then add the pepper and lime juice. Stir gently to avoid peeling the skins off the beans.

Add the onions and mushrooms to a pan with 2-3 Tbs olive oil. Sauté the onions and mushrooms until the mushrooms are soft and slightly brown.

Heat a large skillet on high heat. Add 1 Tbs olive oil to the pan just before adding the peppers. Stir the peppers constantly for 1-2 minutes over high heat until they begin to soften slightly and are cooked through.

Assemble the taco salads! This recipe makes enough 3 medium taco salads. Over 1 tortilla, place a bed of spinach. Put the beans to the side of the spinach to avoid wilting the spinach. Over the spinach, lay peppers and mushrooms, and garnish with sliced avocado and lime wedges. Top with several tablespoons of salsa. 

Hopefully you learned something... I sure did!

Rainbow Taco Salad

My family decided to order out from a certain Italian chain restaurant that has a frightening lack of veggies on its menu. I wasn't in the mood for white pasta and cheese covered in cheese tonight, so while they were calling in their order...waiiiiting to go pick it up....driiiiiving to go get their food... and driiiiiiiving back (Me? Have a flair for the dramatic? Of course not!), I whipped this up with enough time left over to post this! Shazam!
By "salad" I really mean "too much taco filling in too little tortilla"... which is how my tacos usually end up anyway. I'd just rather eat more of the good stuff with a fork than another tortilla. I spill less that way, too!
I've already talked about phytochemicals and the importance of eating a variety of colors as well as the glycemic index of foods and how whole foods have a lower glycemic index than processed foods *cough* pasta *cough*. This salad incorporates veggies of every color: red, orange, yellow, green, and purple/blue.
Check this video out to learn more about the benefits of eating a rainbow everyday:

What you're gonna need (for 2 salads):

• 2 tortillas. I like the Artisan Tortillas by Mission
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1-2 cups red cabbage, chopped
• A "fistful" of cilantro, roughly chopped
• 4-5 Tbs salsa
• 4-5 small peppers or 1-2 large bell peppers of various colors, sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 package (about 1/2 a pound) tofu
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 cup onions, chopped
• 2 Tbs taco seasoning
• 1 cup cooked black beans

What you're gonna do with it:

1. Slice tofu into 1/2" x 1" x 3" strips, lay strips flat on one side of a towel and fold over the other side and press the liquid out of the tofu. 
2. Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent.
3. Lay the tofu strips in the pan and cook until they are brown on one side, then flip them over and add taco seasoning. You can leave them in strips or break them up into smaller pieces.
4. Remove the tofu from the pan. Add the remaining 1 Tbs of olive oil to the pan over low heat and add the pepper strips. You could also heat up the beans in the pan at this time.
5. Vitamin C doesn't particularly like heat, so keep the heat low in the pan or choose to not cook the peppers at all.
6. Once the beans are cooked, assemble your salad! I started with a tortilla and piled the chopped cabbage, peppers, tofu, tomatoes, beans, and cilantro on topped it with salsa. Om nom nom!

No-Moo Tofu Berry "Ice Cream"

I have a number of lactose-intolerant friends, all of whom LOVE ice cream but can't eat it. What torture! I myself was craving ice cream after an unfortunate lab for my food science class required me to make and then sample hot chillies...bad news, dudes.

There are numerous soy- and almond- based ice creams available, but boy are they expensive! And a handful contain some funky ingredients, so I decided to try and make my own dairy-free frozen treat.

Ingredients (makes 4-5 servings):

• 12 oz extra firm tofu, drained (I plan on playing around with different types of tofu to see which firmness works best here)
• 2.5 c frozen mixed berries
• 1c soy milk
• 1 TBS agave (or honey)
• 1 Tsp vanilla extract

 Drain, Dump, Blend:

1.  Drain the tofu and press out any excess water with a dish towel.
2. Blend tofu, 1/2 cup soy milk, agave, and vanilla until smooth. Add berries in three parts and blend together. Add additional soy milk as needed to allow the mixture to blend. I ended up using about 1 c soy milk.
3.  Now for the hard part... RESIST eating it just yet! Transfer the berry tofu mixture into a sealed container and stick it in the freezer for 3-4 hours or until it solidifies. Stir every hour or so, as the edges will freeze faster than the center.At the 3-4 hour mark it is a scoopable consistency, but if left overnight it becomes rock solid. Nothing a quick defrost in the microwave can't fix.

Soy: Cancer culprit?
The estrogen-like compounds in soy have been accused of predisposing women to breast cancer. There are other studies that suggest that  among women with breast cancer, consuming soy-based foods such as tofu was associated with a decreased risk of death and recurrence.The bottom line is that too much, or too little, of any number of lifestyle or diet factors can lead to disease. It is difficult to trace cancer back to one definitive cause. Maintaining an active lifestyle, abstaining from certain activities such as smoking, and consuming a varied and plant-based diet (which can include soy) is your best bet for preventing cancer.
Another note on soy: along with corn, soy is one of the most heavily genetically modified crops. I don't buy all of my produce organic, but soy (tofu and soy milk) I buy organic without fail. We're not really sure of all the negative effects of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) quite yet.